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Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is accusing the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of attempting to “chill” his free speech.
After Musk said on Twitter in 2018 that he wanted to take Tesla private, the SEC — a federal agency charged with regulating public markets — reached a settlement with the billionaire entrepreneur in order to limit his social media use related to his company. However, the SEC has not distributed the $40 million in collected fines to shareholders and continues to subpoena Tesla regarding Musk’s social media use, according to a Thursday filing.
Musk’s lawyer wrote that Tesla thought settling the charges would conclude the SEC’s “harassment” of Musk, noting that “the SEC has broken its promises” and is now “weaponizing the consent decree by using it to try to muzzle and harass Mr. Musk and Tesla.”
“The SEC seems to be targeting Mr. Musk and Tesla for unrelenting investigation largely because Mr. Musk remains an outspoken critic of the government,” the filing explained. “The SEC’s outsized efforts seem calculated to chill his exercise of First Amendment rights rather than to enforce generally applicable laws in evenhanded fashion.”
Indeed, Musk is frequently outspoken on national political issues — and appears to be no fan of President Joe Biden.
The Commander-in-Chief has been a proponent of electric vehicles, featuring companies such as GM and Ford at various events and summits. However, the administration seems to be ignoring Tesla — the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer — because it is not unionized.
After an online petition asking President Biden to acknowledge Tesla gained traction online, Musk ripped Biden on social media: “For reasons unknown, @potus is unable to say the word ‘Tesla.’”
Musk also blasted the President after his account tweeted a video of himself talking with GM CEO Mary Barra. “I meant it when I said the future was going to be made right here in America. Companies like GM and Ford are building more electric vehicles here at home than ever before.”
Musk fired, “Starts with a T. Ends with an A. ESL in the middle.”
Musk has also offered harsh criticism for the Biden administration’s “Build Back Better Act.” The multitrillion-dollar legislation would expand various social programs, including universal preschool, childcare subsidies, and climate change initiatives.
“I would say can this bill, don’t pass it. That’s my recommendation,” argued Musk during The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit. “If this bill happens or doesn’t happen, we don’t think about it at all really. Honestly it might be better if the bill doesn’t pass.”
Musk added to his remarks by sharing an analysis from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School explaining that the national debt would increase by over 24% if the bill’s provisions are made permanent. “There is a lot of accounting trickery in this bill that isn’t being disclosed to the public,” he said, noting that the $1.75 trillion price tag is deceptively low due to the arbitrary expiration of several programs.
Most recently, Musk announced support for the “Freedom Convoy” currently occupying the Canadian capital of Ottawa. “Canadian truckers rule,” he tweeted at the outset of the protest.
Later, Musk brought his criticism directly to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. ““It would appear that the so-called ‘fringe minority’ is actually the government,” Musk tweeted. “Protesting in a Canadian winter shows real commitment!”
The Daily Wire’s first original film, Shut In, has made its cinematic debut, being met with rave reviews. The Daily Wire is building an alternative to the leftist entertainment industry, one gripping movie at a time. Join us in this mission and stream Shut In today by becoming a Daily Wire member.


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The Mayans and Aztecs have always known it but here’s the proof we’ve all been waiting for: Cocoa is good for your health! Putting to rest all the criticism that cocoa lovers have to face, research shows that cocoa is indeed good for your health, especially your heart. A 10 year study on cocoa and health reveals the goodness of cocoa in relation to the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It’s no wonder then that 3 million tons of cocoa beans are consumed every year, says the World Cocoa Foundation.
How Cocoa can make a Healthy you
From money to medicine, the humble cacao bean has been transformed into various forms and has had several uses over the centuries, informs The Chocolate Review. The nutritional value and health benefits of cocoa were discovered by the Europeans in the 1600s and the popularity of cocoa has only skyrocketed since then. Here’sthe scoop onhow cocoa can be great for your health. Some of these benefits may come as a surprise to you!
Protects your Heart
Cocoa is good for the health of your heart. Studies show a link between cocoa and a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases. Cocoa contains a high level of polyphenols which have an antioxidant effect that is good for the heart. The 10 year study shows that dark chocolate has a higher content of polyphenols.
Controls Blood Pressure
Who doesn’t love a mug of hot cocoa before going to bed? Hot cocoa isn’t just a delicious drink, but it contains flavonoids that can help process nitric oxide which helps in blood flow and reduction of blood pressure, a Mother Nature Networkarticle explains while outlining the benefits of hot cocoa.Here’s an easy hot cocoa recipe from the Dairy Council of California.
Your Brain Juices can Flow Better
A Forbes report explains how cocoa is good for the brain and may even help in age-related cognitive debility. The study mentioned in the report shows that the consumption of cocoa increases blood flow to the brain.
High in Nutrition
Cocoa, especially dark chocolate, is high in nutritive value. A dark chocolate bar weighing 100 grams with over 70 percent cocoa contains is packed with fiber, iron, magnesium and other essential minerals, informs Authority Nutrition.
The Secret to Beautiful, Glowing Skin
Crave flawless skin? A small bite of dark chocolate daily can help prevent damage caused by the sun. Cocoa that contains a high concentration of flavanols that can protect the skin from harsh UV rays of the sun and improve skin conditions, says a study published in The Journal of Nutrition. Many beauty companies have even infused cocoa butter flavors in their creams and lotions for better skin.
Gorging on your favorite chocolate bar doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure anymore, although take caution not to go overboard. Fats and sugar that accompany any chocolate bar are not as healthy. Pick a dark chocolate bar that has lower sugar content and it can be your health buddy, not to mention a great way to fulfill your daily chocolate fix!

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MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Goal Corporation ( NYSE: TGT) today introduced that Brian Cornell has committed to continue to be as CEO and lead the firm for somewhere around 3 much more several years. Furthermore, the business introduced Arthur Valdez, government vice president and chief provide chain and logistics officer, will retire from Focus on. He will be succeeded by Gretchen McCarthy, senior vice president, worldwide stock management, efficient promptly.
“In conversations about the firm’s extended time period strategies, it was critical to us as a board to assure our stakeholders that Brian intends to stay in his position further than the regular retirement age of 65. We enthusiastically help his determination and his continued leadership, primarily thinking of his track record and the company’s strong money efficiency through his tenure,” reported Monica Lozano, lead unbiased director of Target’s Board of Directors. “Considering that signing up for Focus on in 2014, Brian has labored to transform Target into an omnichannel chief by driving a visitor-centric, purpose-pushed system. The board is delighted that Brian has fully commited to proceed primary Target’s method and driving its multi-12 months, extended-selection prepare alongside his gifted management staff.”
“Getting a Concentrate on workforce member has been the large place of my job, and I’m energized about leading the organization in the several years ahead as we create on the advancement we have now attained,” reported Brian Cornell, chairman and main govt officer of Target. “By taking treatment of our guests, our staff, our communities and our shareholders, Target has added approximately $40 billion in once-a-year income considering the fact that I joined the firm, and in quite a few techniques, we’re just receiving begun. Our achievement is fueled by the best staff in retail, and I am self-confident our society will go on to propel our firm ahead. I value the board’s self-confidence, the possibility to preserve serving our friends, and the prospect to continue on primary Concentrate on in the yrs ahead.”
With Cornell’s commitment, Target’s board of directors eradicated its retirement coverage, which was built to initiate a dialogue regarding the possible retirement of its CEO at the age of 65.
Target also announced that Arthur Valdez, executive vice president and chief offer chain and logistics officer, will retire from the firm. Gretchen McCarthy, senior vice president, world stock administration, will realize success Valdez and join Target’s leadership staff.
Because signing up for Goal in 2016, Valdez has performed a essential part in reworking its international offer chain and logistics community, advancing Target’s potential to give a most effective-in-course omnichannel practical experience for guests. McCarthy, an 18-calendar year Target veteran, has held various management positions across the corporation. She provides a deep knowing of Target’s organization operations, with knowledge spanning offer chain transformation, goods scheduling and purchasing. Throughout her tenure at Concentrate on, she has constructed a international group, modernized stock management technology means, led by supply chain volatility during COVID-19 and navigated stock optimization initiatives.
“Arthur brought deep knowledge to Concentrate on, and his management drove important innovation across our offer chain, fueling Target’s omnichannel advancement. On behalf of the overall Focus on team, I thank Arthur for his contributions and want him well as he transitions to retirement,” Cornell additional. “Gretchen will be an superb addition to our management crew. She is stepping into her purpose as a demonstrated leader who will deliver a deep comprehension of our business operations, and a very collaborative, answer-oriented approach to management. She and her world-wide team will continue to drive our offer chain system to deliver for our visitors and assist strong enterprise expansion.”
McCarthy will report to John Mulligan, Target’s government vice president and chief working officer, productive instantly. Valdez and McCarthy have been partnering closely to make sure a smooth changeover, and Valdez will carry on functioning with the Target workforce in an advisory part by way of April 2023.
Minneapolis-dependent Goal Corporation ( NYSE: TGT) serves attendees at approximately 2,000 suppliers and at Goal.com, with the function of encouraging all people uncover the joy of day-to-day lifestyle. Due to the fact 1946, Concentrate on has offered 5% of its financial gain to communities, which right now equals tens of millions of bucks a week. Additional firm details can be discovered by browsing the company internet site and press centre and by next @TargetNews.
Source Concentrate on Company


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New Age Beverages (NASDAQ: NBEV) reported a wider net loss for the second quarter, hurt by a sharp increase in expenses. Revenues, meanwhile, surged to $66.35 million. The bottom-line missed the estimates, while revenues beat. The company’s stock gained during Thursday’s pre-market trading session, following the announcement.
Net loss widened to $11.68 million or $0.15 per share from $3.37 million or $0.09 per share last year. Analysts were looking for a narrower loss. Hurting the bottom-line performance, operating expenses soared to $44.63 million.
The Utah-based healthy products company reported revenues of $66.35 million, sharply higher than $13.36 million recorded in the second quarter of 2018. The top-line hit a record high and topped estimates. There was a corresponding growth in gross margins to 63%, helped by favorable product mix.
“With the strength of our balance sheet and the improved sales and marketing capabilities that we added with the Brands Within Reach acquisition, we believe we are building excellent momentum for continued improved operating performance in the back half of the year,” said CEO Brent Willis.
Looking ahead, the company expects to achieve strong organic growth in the second half of 2019. The performance in the remainder of the year is seen benefitting from improved sales and marketing capabilities from the recent acquisition of Brands Within Reach.
Last month, Budweiser-maker Anheuser-Busch (BUD) reported higher earnings for its second quarter, supported by strong sales in key markets. Earnings, excluding special items, rose to $1.16 per share from $1.10 per share a year earlier, while revenues remained unchanged at $14 billion.
New Age Beverages shares are currently trading at the lowest level in nearly one year. The stock, which dropped about 34% so far this year, gained sharply after the earnings report Thursday.
Video game company Electronic Arts, Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) reported lower earnings and revenues for the fourth quarter of 2021. Earnings also missed analysts' forecast. During the March quarter, net bookings
Shares of Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN) were in green territory during afternoon hours on Tuesday. The stock has gained 32% over the past 12 months and 23% since the
Space tourism company Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) ended the first quarter of 2021 without generating revenue and continued the losing streak even as uncertainty over its test flight


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Leading U.K. Distributor of Small Business Insurance
In 2017, Travelers acquired Simply Business, a leading provider of small business insurance policies in the United Kingdom, offering products online on behalf of a broad panel of carriers. The company has more than 475,000 microbusiness and landlord customers, representing more than 1,000 classes of business, and makes protecting businesses and rentals as simple as possible, without compromising on quality.
“Technology is driving significant change in our industry, and the knowledge, capabilities and talent that Simply Business developed over more than a decade will contribute meaningfully to advancing our digital and innovation agendas to best serve our customers and the marketplace,” said Alan Schnitzer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Travelers. “Simply Business is a growing technology company, and its proven model to enhance the insurance buying experience for microbusiness owners aligns with our efforts to simplify the small commercial insurance transaction and make it more efficient.”
Simply Business operates as a stand-alone business, continuing to partner with its panel of carriers under its well-known brand name.


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Aerospace and defense products and technologies provider Aerojet Rocketdyne increased its sales to $988.5mn in H1 2020 compared with $976.5mn during the same period last year.
In Q2 2020, the company’s net sales increased to $512.4mn from $485mn during the same quarter last year. However, the company did not give an outlook on its Q3 2020 or FY 2020 business citing the uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential disruptions a second wave of infections could cause for its business and supply chain.
The California based company, which released its half yearly and qaurterly earnings report on Monday said its order backlog reached record levels last quarter. Eileen Drake, chief executive officer and president of Aerojet Rocketdyne, said that the company reached an order backlog of $6.8bn at the end of Q2 2020 because of a NASA contract modification received in May to make 18 more RS-25 engines for the latter’s deep space missions.
At the end of H1 2020, the company’s order backlog stood at $6.8bn compared with a backlog of $5.4bn at the end of H2 2019.
Drake added that the company’s solid margins of 14.9pc in Q2 2020 reflected its focus on strong program performance, making it a great quarter for the firm despite COVID-19 related disruptions.
Aerojet Rocketdyne’s adjusted EBITDA fell to $138.7mn in H1 2020 from $149.4mn during the first half of the previous year, while its quarterly EBITDA fell to $76.3mn at the end of Q2 2020 from $78.4mn during the same period last year.


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Adding a subscriptions tab to profile pages would make YouTube more social, greatly improve Chromecast viewing and empower both users and creators while bolstering views. If it were easier for YouTube users to see what their friends were watching, it would make it easier — and more fun — to discover new programming and subscribe to more channels on YouTube, while empowering the personal profile/channel as a social platform.
“Google doesn’t get social media.” This sentiment’s been bandied about since the dawn of social in the mid-aughts. Google executive chairman of the board Eric Schmidt even admitted recently that his biggest regret as CEO was “not anticipating the rise of social…”
For both businesses and consumers, geolocation apps and services are a dime a dozen these days. But many of these apps and tools serve to benefit both when used consistently and correctly. Much like social media itself, geolocation is a two-way entity.
“Geolocation makes it easier for consumers to get the services they want nearby and for local businesses to reach the consumers in their area,” Eli Portnoy, CEO of Culver City-based mobile marketing startup Thinknear told me matter-of-factly.
As consumers become increasingly engaged with smartphones and other mobile devices, geolocation will have a growing influence on commerce. For most businesses and services, location — and circumstance — means everything. More than one-third of U.S. adults (35 percent) are smartphone users according to a July 2011 Pew Internet report. Consumers are always on the hunt for quality goods and services at reasonable prices. As consumers grow accustomed to the “smart” aspect of always-connected, GPS-enabled mobile devices, the bargains appear at their fingertips and it only becomes a matter of convenience. As consumers discover the power of smartphones beyond texts, emails and phone calls, shopping habits change.
One of my favorite Google features got a facelift and a major upgrade this week. Google Web Fonts makes it easy to stretch your typographic design far beyond the limitations of the basic, old school, web-friendly fonts of the world wide web.
Today the Web Fonts kit graduates from the Google codebase to the big G at google.com/webfonts/v2 and adds a suitcase for you to collect and easily reference your favorite fonts. And there are now 180 font families to choose from.
Now we’ve got the quickest shortcut to open-licensed, cross-platform fonts since… well it’s only been a few months since a bunch of designers and typographers got together to develop the Web Open Font Format, a soon-to-be-standardized font specification that wraps core web fonts (including Apple’s TrueType and Microsoft’s OpenType) into an encoded, embeddable file. Google also partnered with TypeKit to offer the Web Font Loader, offering more flexibility.
That’s not all Google updated today — the new homepage top nav bar gives it a slick Android 3.0 look and feel. On top of that — the announcement of Google+, currently in closed beta.
Google took us further into the digital media future with some compelling announcements at the fourth annual Google I/O developers conference in San Francisco this week. Recent Google I/O keynotes seem silly in retrospect — both Google Wave and Buzz were epic busts. But this year Google narrowed its focuses to it’s strengths, namely the Android mobile operating system and the Chrome browser and operating system. The gist was this: Use Google’s web-based tools and applications, combine with seemingly infinite storage space in the cloud, and bulky hard drives and desktop PC’s will become mere artifacts of our technological evolution. A Google account combined with a device running Android or Chrome OS will be all you need to do [almost] anything.


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New York State is suing the owners of B&H Photo Video Electronics Store in Manhattan for allegedly failing to pay millions of dollars in sales taxes over a 13-year period.
According to the suit filed by state Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday, B&H (which operates under B&H Foto & Electronics Corp.) allegedly failed to submit taxes on tens of millions of dollars received from electronic manufacturers as reimbursement for instant rebates provided to customers.
“B&H proudly claims that it puts principles over profits, but for 13 years, the company actually chose profits over principles by defrauding New York taxpayers out of millions of dollars owed to the state,” said Attorney General James. “B&H deliberately chose not to pay the sales tax it knew was due to New York State in order to gain a competitive edge over companies that chose to follow the rules.”
Jeff Gerstel, a spokesperson for B&H Photo, flatly denied the accusations in the state’s lawsuit.
“B&H is not a big box store or a faceless chain; we are a New York institution, having operated here for nearly 50 years with a stellar reputation,” he said in a statement. “The tax department has done countless audits and never once – not a single time – mentioned this widespread industry practice. B&H has done nothing wrong and it is outrageous that the AG has decided to attack a New York company that employs thousands of New Yorkers while leaving the national online and retail behemoths unchallenged.”
Instant rebates, when offered, are given to customers at the point of sale; under state law, these arrangements are subject to state sales tax. James’ suit alleges that, since 2006, B&H offered the rebates and received compensation from various electronics manufacturers, but allegedly did not pay the sales taxes on them.
The lawsuit indicates that B&H “received at least $67 million in instant savings reimbursements between 2006 and July 2017,” all of which were to be taxed under the state sales tax law. Furthermore, the company allegedly “falsely understated its taxable sales on all” quarterly returns filed with the state tax department “from June 2006 through the first three quarters of 2019.”
The suit alleges that B&H deprived the state of $7.3 million in tax revenue as a result.


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By Lisa Johnston
New products on display at the American International Toy Fair, held in N
Intel Corp. announced that it has officially scrapped its plans to develop Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) chips for microdisplay projection televisions.
Intel first announced its intention to produce LCoS chips for television manufacturers at the International CES last January, saying it expected to have LCoS panels ready by the end of the year. However, last August the company said the introduction would be delayed to focus on panels that could compete better against advances in competitive microdisplay systems, like Texas Instruments' DLP chipsets.
The decision to cancel the project outright was made after considering the investment cost and the time it would take to bring the chips to market, the company said.
Intel joins a long list of manufacturers who had announced plans to market LCoS products, only to pull out after discovering the difficulty acquiring or producing competitively priced panels.
The most recent announcement came from Royal Philips Electronics, which scrapped production of its Cineos one-chip LCoS rear-projection televisions, citing difficulty in producing products that could compete in price with new microdisplay televisions based on Texas Instruments' DLP chip technology.
Currently, JVC and Sony market microdisplay rear-projection sets and monitors using proprietary chips based on the LCoS system. LCoS panels are also used in front projectors produced by a number of up-market home-theater display manufacturers.
This TWICE webinar, hosted by senior editor Alan Wolf, will take a look at what may be the hottest CE products at retail that will be sold during the all-important fourth quarter. Top technologies, market strategies and industry trends will be discussed with industry analysts and executives.


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Starting this week, Compassion Over Killing's hard-hitting 30-second commercial, "A Side of Truth," will blanket the MTV airwaves, giving viewers a brief glimpse of the painful realities kept hidden behind the closed doors of the meat, milk, and egg industries, and further directing them to our website, TryVeg.com to learn more.
For three weeks, this powerful ad will be viewed millions of times by MTV's youthful audience in hundreds of cities nationwide'for just a penny per view. With your help, we can keep this ad campaign going strong for another three weeks, or more!
For more details and to watch COK's commercial, visit: http://www.cok.net/camp/mtv/feature/
Imagine if fast food restaurants offered diners a side of truth with every
meal---truth about where their meat, eggs, and dairy products really come
from. That's exactly what happens in COK's newest 30-second commercial---"A
Side of Truth"---hitting the MTV airwaves this fall, reaching more than 21
million cable subscribers nationwide.


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Republicans oppose ag labor bill as ‘amnesty’
Senate Republicans threw up barriers on Wednesday to a House-passed bill that would give legal status to undocumented farmworkers and streamline the H-2A guestworker program. They called for action first to tighten control of the U.S.-Mexico border and vowed to vote against “amnesty” for undocumented farmworkers, who are estimated to make up half of the agricultural labor force.
FTC to devote more attention to right to repair
Less than two weeks after President Biden called for federal agencies to encourage competition, the Federal Trade Commission voted, 5-0, on Wednesday to “ramp up law enforcement against repair restrictions” that limit the rights of consumers and small businesses to fix the products they purchase.
Whitley promoted to FAS administrator
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack named Daniel Whitley to be administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service on Wednesday. He has been the acting chief of the agency, which tracks food and agriculture issues worldwide and promotes U.S. goods.
Today’s Quick Hits
Solar opportunity: Grazing sheep beneath solar panels seems like a perfect two-fer, providing forage for the sheep and vegetation management for the solar farm. (Farm and Dairy)
Bleak forecast: Everyone will pay the price for the western drought, says California farmer Mas Masumoto, from the growers who have to follow land to shoppers at the grocery store. (Los Angeles Times)
Plant-based chicken: Nobody in the poultry industry is squawking about plant-based versions of chicken, perhaps because some of the big processors are coming up with their own plant-based and blended products. (Food Dive)
More food waste: An estimated 2.3 billion tonnes of food goes uneaten worldwide each year, an increase of 1.2 billion tonnes from previous estimates of annual food waste. (World Wildlife Fund)


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Agency, production and research costs make up around 40% of advertising budgets and around 20% of overall marketing budgets, and they're growing despite widespread efforts by marketers to contain them, according to a survey of 300 senior marketers across industries by marketing software company Percolate.
Study: Agency and Production Costs Keep Rising Despite Efforts to Cut Them
Widely and somewhat controversially dubbed "non-working media," these costs are something of a catchall to describe things other than the cost of paid or "working media." They include fees for advertising agencies, talent, production and the market research behind creating and evaluating the ads and content.
Even as chief financial officers and procurement departments have pushed marketers to control rising "non-working costs," other marketing trends were seemingly working at cross purposes in recent years. For example, creating videos and other content that can be distributed and shared for free or hosted on marketers' own websites simultaneously reduces paid media costs while increasing the cost of creating a larger variety of content.
Yet that may not be at the heart of the upward pressure on non-working costs that Percolate found. Somewhat surprisingly, "traditional media" ads had the highest percentage of non-working to working media costs of any category in the breakdown at 50%, besting "brand publishing," social media and other efforts.
That came as a surprise, said Chris Bolman, Percolate's director of growth. The company is following up to determine why traditional media is such a driver of "non-working" costs, and may delve separately into TV, out of home, print and radio in future surveys.
About two thirds of respondents said their non-working media costs are rising, and about half said they feel they're already too high. That includes more than half of the marketers in packaged goods, professional services, retail and manufacturing.
Online display ads topped the media where marketers felt non-working costs were too high, followed, by traditional media ads. "Brand publishing" or "content marketing" creative costs were actually lowest on the list of where marketers see a need to squeeze.
Perhaps surprisingly, data-driven areas such as search and programmatic have relatively high non-working costs. For programmatic, creative optimization, which simultaneously involves creating and testing multiple ads increases agency and production costs while potentially lowering the need for paid media costs, affecting the ratio, Mr. Bolman said. And on the buy side of programmatic, marketers are generating "non-working" agency costs in an effort to spend less on paid media, similarly increasing the "non-working" ratio.
Also somewhat surprisingly, "non-working" media ratios are actually higher for bigger ad spenders, even though they've got bigger media budgets to balance against the cost of creating ads. Those with budgets under $10 million spent 17% of advertising dollars and 37% of overall marketing dollars on non-working media. Marketers with budgets over $500 million spent 27% of advertising and 46% of overall marketing dollars on non-working media. (Marketing other than advertising in the study included internal staffing, events, technology, infrastructure and sampling, none of which was counted as "non-working," because it wasn't media.)
While the "non-working" issue has been a focus for some marketers, it clearly affects agencies and other marketing-services providers, as those marketers seek to reduce or control spending on their fees.
"Agencies get a lot of flack for being a function of cost or being inefficient or not being prepared for the modern landscape," Mr. Bolman said. "And I think in a lot of the media reviews or agency consolidation that we're seeing, the justification seems to be around their role in non-working spend. But our data doesn't really confirm that."
Based on looking at marketers who had lower "non-working" costs and were more satisfied with their spending levels, such issues as better briefing, planning and development processes separated them from others, Percolate found.
Asked to identify what was driving higher non-working media costs, marketers named "emergence of more expensive media formats," internal processes like briefing, planning and media evaluation, and employee talent costs ahead of agency costs.
Charts by Chen Wu


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NED Vs ZIM | 2nd T20I Jun 25, 2019
ZIM 115/6 (16.5)
Latest News on Pharma Exports
Showing of 0 - 10 from 4 results
Pharma Exports - Total results - 4
Feb 27, 2019
India-Pakistan air strikes: Drug exporters wary of tension between two countries, apprehensive about futureThe Indian pharmaceutical companies exports over $140 million to Pakistan with 50 percent active pharmaceutical ingredients.
May 08, 2018
Invest more in R&D, develop new markets to boost pharma exports: Commerce minister Suresh PrabhuIn 2017-18, the country's pharma exports stood at about $17 billion
Jul 05, 2016
India maintains lead over China as pharma exports jump 7.55% to $12.54 bn in 2015While India's pharma exports grew from $11.66 billion to $12.54 billion in 2015, recording a growth of 7.55 percent, China's exports rose by 5.3 percent to $6.94 billion
Sep 09, 2012
Govt forms consultative group to improve pharma exportsAccording to official sources, the group has been formed with an aim to institutionalise a standard mechanism for consultation between government and industry to improve India's share in international pharma exports.


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Rumbleverse, the free-to-play brawler by developer Iron Galaxy and publisher Epic Games, will shut down at the end of this month.
Live services for Rumbleverse will go offline on Tuesday, February 28, at 10AM CST – just six months after the game launched in August last year.
Any player who has spent money on Rumbleverse is eligible for a refund of money spent on or in the game, a blog post on the game’s website states.
On Tuesday, the game’s final update will be deployed and the current Battle Pass granted to everyone. XP gains will also be doubled, and additional accessories and emotes unlocked for free.
Developer Iron Galaxy, which is also known for 2013’s Killer Instinct reboot, wrote in a heartfelt note on its website that it hoped it would be able to resurrect Rubmbleverse in the future.
“It is our sincerest hope that this news does not mark the end of Rumbleverse. You may not yet have seen the Rumble in its final form.
“If we can welcome people back onto the deck of the battle barge again, we hope you’ll be there, laced up and ready to take your rightful place in the cannon.
“Iron Galaxy will keep making games. It’s our passion and our purpose. Our people are filled with skills and inspirations to keep the world playing.”


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Telltale Games, the creator of The Walking Dead video games, is continuing their successful episodic approach, starting an adventure game adaptation of yet another hit TV show, Game of Thrones.
While no release date has been announced, various people at Telltale Games, like community specialist Laura Perusco and vice president Steve Allison have confirmed that Game of Thrones’ first installment will have its debut before the year’s end. The game will be made available on Windows, OS X, Playstation 4 and Xbox One.
Game of Thrones will feature some interesting multi-protagonist elements, according to a statement Allison gave to International Business Times.
“In Game of Thrones we’re taking that multi-protagonist design even further with five playable characters from the same family whose choices affect everyone in the family, and that adds a whole new layer to things that we’re really excited about,” Allison said.
Players will control their characters throughout the game world, interacting with NPC’s and engaging in dialogue trees. According to sources, the game will focus heavily on the decisions made by the players themselves, where certain choices could even affect the outcomes of future episodes in the game series.
While it is known that Game of Thrones will feature a point and click mechanic, which is similar to other Telltale games like The Wolf Among Us, very few details are available as to who those characters will be. Some have speculated that the game will focus around House Forrester, based upon teasers Telltale released at the recent major PAX convention. The character Asha Greyjoy may also have a prominent role.
Some sources speculate the game will feature one character per episode, with each character being from the same family or clan. The game could be taking place during the current time period of the TV show.
Regardless of speculations, everyone can agrees there are high hopes for Telltale Games’ attempt at doing the Game of Thrones world justice. The company is actually working collaboratively with Ty Corey Franck, who is Martin’s personal assistant, in order to make sure the game lives up to the expectations of the fans.
Telltale Games’ foray into George RR Martin’s fictional verse won’t be the first attempt to bring the Game of Thrones story into the video game medium. Back in 2012, developer Cyanide released an action RPG, but it received fairly mixed reviews from the gaming community. While the game’s story elements were admired, many critics complained about the repetitive combat, struggling graphic quality and poor voice acting.


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Randy Parker was named vice president of national sales on Wednesday by Fountain Valley-based automaker Hyundai Motor America.
Parker will be responsible for Hyundai’s U.S. sales and distribution including dealer relations, market representation, fleet and certified pre-owned operations and sales strategies. He reports to Hyundai Motor America Chief Operating Officer Brian Smith.
Parker previously served as division vice president of global light commercial vehicle sales and market at Nissan Motor Co. He has also served as vice president of Infiniti North America and spent nearly 25 years at General Motors.


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The European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act is shaping up to be a game-changer, not just within its borders but far beyond, affecting how companies around the globe approach AI development and deployment. Imagine it as the EU laying down the law in the Wild West of AI technology, setting new standards that could very well become the gold standard worldwide.
Let's dive into how this could shake things up for tech innovation and business operations globally, and ponder how companies outside the EU might need to shuffle their decks to stay in the game.
How the EU AI Act Could Change the Global Tech Scene
Setting the Pace: Much like how GDPR turned the EU into the privacy police of the internet, the AI Act could turn it into the sheriff of AI town. This means we could see a ripple effect, with the Act's standards becoming the go-to globally. It's kind of like when one friend starts ordering salad instead of fries, and suddenly, everyone's doing it.
Shifting Focus: With the Act sorting AI applications into neat boxes from "go ahead" to "no-go zones" based on their risk levels, companies might start playing it safe. This could mean less dabbling in the more daring, higher-risk AI tech and more focus on cleaner, safer AI innovations. It's like deciding not to skateboard down a steep hill; it's safer, but where's the fun in that?
Promoting Good AI Citizenship: The Act is big on ethical AI, pushing for transparency, accountability, and keeping humans in the loop. This could inspire a wave of AI that plays nice, respects your privacy, and explains itself when asked.
Raising the Bar (and Costs): Compliance isn't cheap, and for smaller players, this could mean sweating a bit more to keep up with the big guns. It'll be like needing a fancier outfit to get into an upscale club – not everyone can afford it.
The Ripple Effect on Business Operations
Compliance is Key (and Costly): To play ball in the EU's court, companies will need to ensure their AI systems are up to snuff, which could mean more paperwork, more checks, and more tech tweaks.
EU Market = Big Prize: For businesses eyeing the lucrative EU market, aligning with the AI Act isn't just good practice; it's essential. It's the price of admission to one of the world's biggest economic playgrounds.
Supply Chain Sudoku: Ensuring every piece of the AI puzzle meets EU standards adds another layer of complexity (and potential cost) to operations. Think of it as making sure every ingredient in a dish is organic – it's healthier, but it takes more work.
Adjusting AI Strategies Beyond the EU
Better Safe Than Sorry: Companies outside the EU might start aligning with the AI Act now, betting that their own countries will follow suit with similar regulations.
Ethics Front and Center: The push for ethical AI isn't just about dodging regulations; it's also about appealing to consumers who want tech they can trust. Companies might start prioritizing projects that emphasize transparency and fairness, essentially baking ethics into their DNA.
Compliance as a Service: Expect to see a boom in tools and services designed to help companies navigate these new regulations. Similar to all those apps that popped up to help people manage their GDPR compliance, but for AI.
Teaming Up for Success: Navigating the complexities of the AI Act might encourage more partnerships and collaborations, especially for smaller companies looking to pool resources or expertise. The business equivalent of "two heads are better than one."
Finding the Sweet Spot: Lastly, we might see more innovation in areas less likely to attract regulatory scrutiny, or in developing AI that helps other companies stay compliant. It's about finding those opportunities that are just right – not too hot, not too cold.
In conclusion, the EU AI Act is setting the stage for a global shift in how we approach AI technology – pushing for safer, more ethical, and more transparent AI. For companies worldwide, it's a call to step up their game, not just to comply with regulations but to lead the charge in building a more trustworthy AI future.
It's a challenging journey ahead, but also an exciting one, filled with opportunities to innovate and redefine what AI can do for humanity.
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BlackBerry and TCL are parting ways on August 31 2020
BlackBerry phones are going to the big electronics store in the sky – the company just announced that its partnership with TCL will come to an end on August 31. After that, TCL will no longer have the rights to design, make and sell BlackBerry-branded devices.
Existing customers don’t need to worry, as TCL will provide customer service and will handle warranties until August 31 2022 (or as long as is required by your local laws).
The BlackBerry-TCL partnership dates back to 2016 with the first phone, the first wave of devices featured the DTEK50, DTEK60 and BlackBerry Keyone. These were…


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The beach remains the most popular type of destination for travelers in the U.S. but city trips were not far behind. In 2017, 29 percent of respondents stated they would like to vacation in a city location. In 2015, Orlando, Florida was the most popular domestic city for a summer vacation, followed by Las Vegas, San Francisco and Ney York. In the same year, the most popular international city for a summer vacation was London, Rome and Paris.
The cost of visiting cities is not always small. New York City and San Francisco were the most expensive U.S. cities in terms of hotel costs in 2015 with average daily rates of 254 and 221 U.S. dollars, respectively. And it is not just accommodation that can be costly for tourist – 24 percent of U.S. travelers would be willing to spend up to 500 U.S. dollars on trip activities during week long vacation, with a further 16 percent prepared to pay more than 500 U.S. dollars.


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On Thursday, March 4, 2020, T-Mobile disclosed a breach that impacted employees and customers. T-Mobile posted two separate data breach notification letters on their website. The first states that there was a malicious attack against their email vendor that led to unauthorized access to certain T-Mobile employee accounts, some of which contained account information for T-Mobile customers and employees. The second breach notification letter also states there was a malicious attack against their email vendor. However, it says personal information like names, addresses, Social Security numbers, financial account information, government identification numbers, phone numbers and billing account information could have been exposed for some customers and employees.
The U.S. telco is sending out SMS notifications to all impacted users about the T-Mobile breach. Users who just had account data exposed are getting different notifications than those who had sensitive data exposed.
It is not yet known how many employees and customers were affected by the T-Mobile breach. However, the company is recommending to customers that they change their PIN numbers on their T-Mobile accounts. T-Mobile is also offering free credit monitoring and identity theft detective services that are being provided by TransUnion, for those that had sensitive information exposed. Those that have the option to have monitoring will receive a separate letter with details.
In the notification letters, T-Mobile has emphasized how seriously they take the security of every customer and employee, and that they are working to further enhance their security to stay ahead of this type of activity.
While there is nothing you can do to prevent yourself from falling victim to a data breach, there are things you can do to reduce your risk.
- Be alert for phishing emails by a scammer that acts like they know who you are or that they are a company you do business with. Only respond to emails if you know the recipient or are expecting the email.
- Keep an eye out for suspicious activity. You can do that by regularly reviewing and monitoring your accounts and credit history for any unauthorized transactions.
- If you believe you have fallen victim to identity theft, file a police report. You can also contact the Federal Trade Commission or the State Attorney General to learn more about the proper steps to take.
If you believe your information was exposed as part of the T-Mobile breach, the Identity Theft Resource Center urges you to call us toll-free at 888.400.5530 to speak with an expert advisor who can help you create an action plan and tell you who to contact and what to say. You can also live chat with an advisor.
The ITRC also encourages you to download our ID Theft Help App that will allow you to track your case and provide proof of what you have completed, which is more important now than ever with recent data breach settlements requiring victims to provide proof for cash payouts.
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The Finnish game developer Supercell announced today an investment totalling $12 million. The round was led by Accel Partners, and was also participated in by both existing investors and angel investors.
Supercell’s team, which is based in Helsinki, is led by gaming industry veterans who have collectively developed more than 165 games across 12 platforms. Supercell develops titles for gamers who want online browser-based games that are bigger in scope than most social games, but less involved than massively-multiplayer games. The team has developed a proprietary and scaleable technology platform, along with a unique conversion tool, that allows them to build high quality game features across different platforms.
The gaming startup was founded in the middle of 2010, and released the ‘Closed Beta’ of its debut game, Gunshine.net, in February this year. The game bridges the gap between browser-based massively-multiplayer games and social games, with deep online game play and extensive social features. Since releasing the ‘Closed Beta’, the company has developed Gunshine.net in close co-operation with its fan community. Now that the product is about to enter ‘Open Beta’ and will become available for everyone to play, the investment will help Supercell accelerate its growth, expand its team and also release new games and target new platforms.
Kevin Comolli, a Partner in the London office of Accel, will join Supercell’s Board of Directors. Comolli previously led Accel’s investment in Playfish, where he served on the Board of Directors.
In relation to the recent funding round, Ilkka Paananen, the CEO of Supercell, stated: “Given Accel’s extensive experience and track record in gaming, internet and social media, their investment is a powerful endorsement of Supercell’s vision of combining the power of social networks with deep and immersive core games that are instantly accessible from anywhere, anytime”.
The previous investments of Accel Partners include Rovio (Angry Birds), Playfish and Gameforge, in addition to some internet success stories like Facebook, Groupon and Kayak. Klaas Kersting, the founder of Gameforge, has also invested in this round, as did London Venture Partners, one of Supercell’s previous investors. The other previous investors of the company include Initial Capital, Cerval Investments and Lifeline Ventures.
Find this interesting? Be sure to sign up for our free weekly EU-Startups Newsletter so that you can stay up-to-date with Europe’s startup developments!


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SVForum quarterly venture overview: 2011 year review
On Feb. 7 2012 SVForum gathered a group of venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and the business community to report on 2011 venture statistics. Following the presentation of stats, SVForum invited partners from Norwest Venture Partners, Venrock and Hummer Winblad to a panel debate on the broader outlook of the Venture Capital industry in 2012.
On the road to recovery
The general picture of the venture capital (VC) industry in 2011 once again confirms the often-cited fact that one-third of world total venture capital is located in Silicon Valley. Another one-third of the remaining capital is located in the rest of the US, while the last part is scattered around the world.
Many other stats presented also validate that Silicon Valley continue to be the strongest area in the US in terms of VC. More specific, the total amount invested in Silicon Valley was $11.6 billion in 2011 up from $9.1 billion in 2010. Compared to the New England region, which ranked second in the US, where the total amount invested was $3.2 billion in 2011 and $2.6 billion in 2010. Also, by looking at number of deals made in each region in 2011, we see evidence of Silicon Valley and its venture capital dominance, namely 1.158 deals were made compared to New England with only 441 deals.
In terms of industry-specific investments, we find that Software is the sector receiving the most funds from VCs. Software based firms received a total of $6.7 billion in venture capital in 2011, up 38% from 2010. The second most valued sector is biotechnology which raised $4.7 billion in 2011 – an increase of 22% compared to 2010.
A VC industry in disequilibrium?
From these figures, it was argued that the VC industry in general has made a smooth landing after the economic downturn that began in 2008. The total investment in 2011 was $28,4 billion, up 22% compared to 2010. This level of investment is close to reaching the levels of 2007 (and 2008 before the downturn).
On the negative side, there are some reasons for being concerned about the future of the VC industry as whole. The stats presented at the meeting also indicate a disequilibrium between the amount of VC investment and the inflow in venture capital funding. This has created a funding gap that could influence VCs ability to provide funding in the future. The gap is not a new phenomenon, indeed in the last four years the industry has had a year-end deficit of $4 billion in 2008, $3 billion in 2009, $9 billion in 2010 and $10 billion in 2011. On top of that, one of the major institutional venture capital contributors in the US, Calpers, is planning to drop their venture capital allocation in 2012 from 7% to 1%, which will further hurt VC funding opportunities for some time to come.
On a separate note, Steve Goldberg from Venrock, commented that the upcoming IPO of Facebook will funnel money back into the Angel/VC environment, providing some optimism to the entrepreneurial community in spite of the expected decline in VC fundraising.
Implications for entrepreneurs
What do these stats mean? And how will it affect entrepreneurs in 2012? The panel debate with three venture capitalists tried to address together with other issues faced be entrepreneurs and VCs.
It is clear from the comments by the panelists that requirements for getting your start-up funded by VCs is increasing. The bar will simply be set higher. VCs will be more selective and will focus even more on picking only the really good deals. The evaluation of a start-up should add up to a multi-million market potential before the start-up becomes interesting from a VC perspective. Also they want to see ideas that present a clear value proposition.
Generally the panelists commented that they give a lot of attention to the team behind the start-up. Proven record and experience with dealing with critical stakeholders to your start-up is regarded as highly valued.
The comments from the venture capitalists are all rather well known – nothing really unexpected was expressed. If you are a start-up, getting funded should never be considered an easy task. Ann Winblad from Hummer-Winblad venture partners noted that, in the end, “building a start-up is about assumptions, which is also why it’s called venture capital. As the start-up unfolds its execution plan these assumptions will be tested against the market, revealing whether the assumption was right or not”. On top of that, some concluding advise from the panelists to the entrepreneurs was to “unwrap” your ideas and get feedback from relevant people. Too often entrepreneurs are afraid of having ideas stolen - which rarely happens – resulting in good ideas being lost because experienced executives could not provide feedback.


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Fabrinet (FN) Sets New 52-Week Low on Analyst Downgrade
Fabrinet (NYSE:FN) hit a new 52-week low on Friday after B. Riley lowered their price target on the stock from $46.50 to $42.50. B. Riley currently has a buy rating on the stock. Fabrinet traded as low as $31.31 and last traded at $0.00, with a volume of shares traded.
Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Stifel Nicolaus restated a “buy” rating on shares of Fabrinet in a research note on Tuesday, August 22nd. Northland Securities set a $50.00 price objective on Fabrinet and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 22nd. ValuEngine upgraded Fabrinet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 2nd. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $60.00 price objective on shares of Fabrinet in a research note on Tuesday, September 5th. Finally, BidaskClub upgraded Fabrinet from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.92.
In other Fabrinet news, CFO Toh-Seng Ng sold 22,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.00, for a total value of $877,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 201,749 shares in the company, valued at $7,868,211. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, COO Harpal Gill sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.07, for a total value of $1,953,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 194,193 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,587,120.51. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 207,500 shares of company stock valued at $8,034,350. 3.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Tygh Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Fabrinet by 25.4% in the third quarter. Tygh Capital Management Inc. now owns 156,420 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $5,797,000 after buying an additional 31,727 shares during the last quarter. Stevens Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Fabrinet in the third quarter valued at about $525,000. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS raised its stake in Fabrinet by 70.2% in the third quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS now owns 244,875 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $9,075,000 after buying an additional 101,005 shares during the last quarter. Dupont Capital Management Corp purchased a new stake in Fabrinet in the third quarter valued at about $486,000. Finally, Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. raised its stake in Fabrinet by 308.3% in the third quarter. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. now owns 302,824 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $11,223,000 after buying an additional 228,654 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.71% of the company’s stock.
Fabrinet (NYSE:FN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 21st. The technology company reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.83 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $370.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $363.41 million. Fabrinet had a return on equity of 15.32% and a net margin of 6.84%. The company’s revenue was up 34.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.60 earnings per share.
Fabrinet announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Monday, August 21st that permits the company to repurchase $30.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the technology company to repurchase up to 21% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.
COPYRIGHT VIOLATION NOTICE: This report was originally posted by Watch List News and is owned by of Watch List News. If you are viewing this report on another publication, it was illegally copied and republished in violation of U.S. and international trademark and copyright laws. The original version of this report can be accessed at https://www.watchlistnews.com/fabrinet-fn-sets-new-52-week-low-on-analyst-downgrade/1676144.html.
Fabrinet provides optical packaging and precision optical, electro-mechanical and electronic manufacturing services to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of products, such as optical communication components, modules and sub-systems, industrial lasers, medical devices and sensors. The Company offers a range of optical and electro-mechanical capabilities across the manufacturing process, including process design and engineering, supply chain management, manufacturing, complex printed circuit board assembly, advanced packaging, integration, final assembly and test.
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Alibaba Fined 18.2B Yuan
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, with Ericsson CEO Börje Ekholm on the board, is sentenced to pay 18.2 billion yuan, equivalent to 23.7 billion kronor, in fines by Chinese regulators.
The fine corresponds to 4 percent of Alibaba's sales in 2019, which amounted to 455.7 billion yuan, corresponding to around SEK 590 billion, according to the state news agency New China.
The record amount is almost three times as high as the previous highest fine, which the telecom company Qualcomm was forced to pay in 2015.
"We accept the sanction with humility and will ensure our compliance with determination," Alibaba wrote in a press release.
The background to the record fine is that Alibaba has abused its dominant position in the market, state Chinese media reports. Authorities are cracking down on alleged claims that companies wishing to sell their products on Alibaba's popular e-commerce platforms are banned from posting their products for sale on other sites. Alibaba will hold a conference with its investors on Monday to share "its thoughts and plans for the long-term and healthy development of future business". The pressure on Alibaba and other large Chinese technology companies has increased as their influence over Chinese society has grown.
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Xtreme Challenge Racing is a new program for Boy Scouts. Rather than gravity, the cars are powered by CO2 canisters for high-octane speed. It's kind of a Pinewood Derby for big boys.
The BSA needs 100 scouts to sign up and design cars to help promote this new racing program.
Xtreme car kits are being given away to scouts this week at ScoutStuff.org
Scroll down and click the blue "Giveaway" image. The lucky 100 scouts are asked to design, create, and photograph their cars for a contest to win a $100 ScoutStuff gift card.
Since the contest entry window is so short, tell your scouts about it and there's a pretty good chance one of them will get randomly selected. If nothing else, they'll get a free car kit to check out if they're selected.
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On Monday, Tesla announced a purchase of around $1.5 billion USD in Bitcoin, the world’s most well-known cryptocurrency. A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission detailed the purchase with the intent of “more flexibility to further diversify and maximize returns on our cash”. Along with the massive investment in the decentralized currency, Tesla intends to accept Bitcoin as a payment form for vehicle purchases, services, and other products.
Purchasing directly from a major carmaker with Bitcoin hasn’t been offered previously, which will be yet another feather to put in Tesla’s cap. The EV carmaker’s stock also bumped upwards by nearly 3% in premarket trading.
Tesla’s investment into Bitcoin caused an immediate spike in the cryptocurrency’s value, elevating its price by more than 13% in just the first few hours after the purchase was completed. Elon Musk has been extremely visible on social media in recent weeks about cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Dogecoin. Between Musk and other celebrities like Gene Simmons and Snoop Dogg, recent surges in value have been held the ground they’ve gained.
Despite Tesla acknowledging Bitcoin’s volatility in their SEC filing, such a large investment by a prominent company is likely to prove its relevance in the automotive industry, and help buoy its future price. Analyst are divided about the potential for cryptocurrencies, but at least one Citi senior analyst sees a potential high of $318,000 per share by the end of this year. By early morning Monday, Bitcoin was around $44,000 per share.
How cryptocurrency affects auto retail
Automotive manufacturing and supply chains have begun adopting blockchain technology for more reliable tracking and verification, streamlining process from shipping to recalls. However, the currencies that are developed around blockchain haven’t been adopted to this point.
Individual dealerships have begun to accept Bitcoin as payment for a vehicle or services including a Costa Mesa Lamborghini dealership and most BMW dealerships. However, the practice is far from commonplace despite the growing popularity of decentralized currency and the billions of dollars being held in digital wallets.
Other applications have popped up in the auto industry, though, such as a project by Ford Motor Company to integrate payment options into vehicles using cryptocurrency. Toyota has been working on data collection and analytics using blockchain technology for driverless cars.
Should dealers accept bitcoin?
Accepting a cryptocurrency as payment may seem like a complex and risky option for dealers, and it certainly comes with hurdles. Since the cryptocurrency would need to be handled like exchanging foreign funds, it can be a detractor for dealerships, especially with heightened volatility. Bitcoin’s soaring peaks and plummeting lows since even the beginning of 2021
Atlanta’s Carriage Nissan accepts Bitcoin, but with limited options. Their website says,” All Bitcoin payments are securely handled through the payment processor Coinbase. Only Bitcoin payments that can cover the full price of the vehicle including tax, tag and title can be accepted at this time; finance and lease options are currently unavailable.”
As cryptocurrency continues to grow in popularity, it could be worthwhile for dealerships to set up payment methods that incorporate Bitcoin. Although it’s not going to make up the bulk of anyone’s payments in the immediate future – not even for Tesla – it could be one extra detail that identifies your store as progressive and unique, attracting a certain niche of clients.


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The Future Games Show at gamescom set for Aug. 24th, 2022
Like E3, except not at all
There have been multiple installments of the Future Games Show over the years, and all of them have featured a number of Switch game reveals and more. Now we have yet another Future Games Show to look forward to, and there will no doubt be some Switch surprises included.
GamesRadar+ has revealed that Future Games Show at gamescom is set to air Wednesday August 24th, 2022 at 2 PM ET, and you can watch it on Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and GamesRadar. Of course, we’ll be covering any/all Switch games featured during the presentation.
The Future Games Show at gamescom will showcase around 50 games, from publishers such as Team17, 505 Games, Prime Matter, Ravenscourt and more. Get ready for a mix of world premieres, developer interviews and exclusive content.


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More Borrowing, But Less Consumer Debt
Two-thirds of the economy comes from consumer spending, so banks making it easier for consumers to borrow is a plus for growth.
There’s good news and bad news on the consumer credit front. On the positive side, consumer lending is on the rise and will likely climb by at least 3% this year. And make no mistake, in a sluggish economy, with export growth decelerating, state and local governments cutting back and federal stimulus funds dried up, more borrowing -- and more spending -- by consumers is good news, at least in the short term.
Despite real disposable incomes that will increase by little or nothing in 2012 and actually declined last year, aggregate consumer spending will rise a bit faster than it did last year: 2.3% compared with 2.2%. That’s not the juggernaut one hopes for in a robust economy, but it beats a poke in the eye. Consumers are spending more and are once again a net positive for economic growth.
One reason for the increased borrowing: rising consumer confidence in the economy. It shot up in the second half of 2011 and is likely to trend higher this year, notwithstanding a slight dip in January’s levels. Another: Banks are finally loosening standards on car loans, credit cards and the like, though not home equity loans and cash-out refinancing of mortgages. The resulting upward bump in borrowing this year, combined with an increase last year, will be enough to offset the decline in lending in 2009 and 2010. At $2.5 trillion, overall borrowing in 2012 is expected to be on par with 2007 levels, when consumer spending was driving robust economic growth.
There’s good news for long-term economic health as well. Despite the uptick in borrowing this year, aggregate consumer debt is being pared. Consumers’ debt payments fell from a peak of 14% of disposable income in 2007 to just over 11% last year -- a level not seen since the early 1990s. And less money going to service debt means more money available for consumers to spend on a new set of wheels for Mom, toys and new outfits for the kids, or the latest electronic gizmo for Dad. Not to mention summer vacations for the family.
But there is a Mr. Hyde side to the picture: Americans are only about half-done ridding themselves of unsustainable debt. Since 2008, aggregate consumer debt has fallen by 4%, to $584 billion. But it’s likely to take at least another year or two before overall consumer debt returns to the expected long-term growth trend.
And three-quarters of the decline in consumer debt has come not from paying it off, but from lenders writing it off. While the deleveraging is a critical step in getting the economy back on solid ground, the billions in bad debts that are written off in foreclosures and short sales of homes leave consumers with lousy credit records and lenders with painful losses. Neither is conducive to the kind of strong economic growth desired.


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Microsoft and Etisalat UAE to bring GCC’s first mobile carrier payment option to Xbox gamers
Aug 29, 2018
- Collaboration marks the first time in the GCC region that console gamers will be able to pay for content through their telecoms subscription
- Payment options will cover Xbox content, as well as Xbox Games Pass and Gold Live memberships
- ‘Our partnership with Etisalat UAE opens up a world of exciting game titles to UAE Xbox users, without the need for credit or debit cards,’ says Xbox GCC Manager
Dubai 26 August 2018: Microsoft and Etisalat UAE, the leading telecom operator in the Middle East, today announced that Xbox gamers in the UAE can now enjoy an added dimension of convenience, by paying for content through their Etisalat mobile account.
The collaboration between both organizations marks the first time in Gulf region for gamers to pay through mobile account without a need for credit card. They will also be able to make purchases from the Microsoft Store on Xbox consoles and Windows PCs through their pre-paid or post-paid Etisalat mobile accounts, settling the amount through the normal payment for their telecoms services.
“This is the first time in the GCC region that any gamer on any console will be able to make purchases through a telecoms channel,” said Mohammed Habbab, Xbox GCC Manager. “Our partnership with Etisalat UAE – the biggest telecoms provider in the country – opens up a world of exciting game titles to UAE Xbox users, without the need for credit or debit cards. And it also makes parental control easier, so you will always know what content your children are consuming.”
etisalat UAE subscribers will get access to Xbox Games Pass, where players get unlimited access to more than 100 Xbox One and Xbox 360 games on Xbox One for the single, low, monthly price of AED 39. Play exciting titles like Sea of Thieves and State of Decay 2, Forza Horizon 4 and Crackdown 3 on the day they are released. Browse through an enticing catalogue, from recent blockbusters to critically acclaimed indie titles. And if you buy an Xbox One game from the current catalogue, you can save up to 20%, plus get up to 10% off game add-ons and consumables.
Khaled Elkhouly, Chief Consumer Officer, Etisalat UAE, said: “We are excited to grow our partnership with Microsoft to offer a convenient, easy, and secure payment option that will enrich Xbox customers’ experience with more convenience and value. The gaming market is growing at an exponential rate. The industry has emerged as one of the most evolving industries in the entertainment sector, besides the music and video. Recent technological advancements and games development have been instrumental in opening up several avenues for market expansion.”
Xbox also offers Gold Live, which gives members access to the most advanced multiplayer, bonus games and exclusive member discounts in Microsoft Store. Gold Live members can stay connected to friends, family and other Xbox Live members around the world and build awe-inspiring worlds together or compete in thrilling matches of skill that test the mind and the reflexes to the fullest. Whether it’s competitive or co-operative gameplay, Xbox Live Gold takes the experience to the next level.
For more information on Microsoft Games Pass, visit https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-game-pass. For more information on Xbox Gold Live visit https://www.microsoft.com/en-ae/p/xbox-live-gold/cfq7ttc0k5dj/000C
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With the help of its EPYC CPUs, AMD has historically had a market share of over 30% in the CPU industry as a whole. Mercury Research has released the most recent share figures for the fourth quarter of 2022, which demonstrate Intel and AMD’s performance in the CPU market.
AMD’s market share is currently 31.3% (up from 28.5% in Q4 2021), compared to Intel’s 68.7% (down from 71.5%). With its server and client processors, AMD has already managed to capture more than a quarter of the whole market, and this is only the beginning.
The research site also noted that both Intel and AMD had the largest fall in shipments in more than three decades. This had a significant impact on the client side of chip sales, as both Intel and AMD recorded a loss in their prior results. CPU shipping declines are presently down 34% annually and about 19% quarterly.
The EPYC and Instinct processors from AMD are anticipated to significantly increase the company’s market share by over 30% by the end of the year. The organization has a really solid plan for the server market, and we can’t wait to watch how things develop in the coming quarters. On the other hand, some industry watchers believe that Intel’s newest Sapphire Rapids Xeon CPUs may show to be the turning tide for the blue team since major customers’ upgrades to the new chips will also prove to be highly favorable for the DRAM market.
Intel currently has the top spot in the server market, but it will need to make significant adjustments to stop AMD’s EPYC series of CPUs from dominating the market. AMD has also outlined a strong client strategy, which should compete with Intel’s ambitions later this year. Both businesses have also developed a robust mobility range, and this will undoubtedly result in intense competition in the laptop market.


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Move reflects shift to IP and other areas outside of classic EDA.
The EDA Consortium today changed its name to the Electronic System Design Alliance, a move that expands the group’s charter to reflect shifts that have been underway in the chip design world for some time.
Those shifts include the growth in IP and an increased focus on software development. Classic EDA, from place and route to synthesis to back-end debug and verification, are still very much the core of this market. But vendors also have broadened their focus into adjacent markets. This is evident in the latest EDAC sales numbers, which show that in Q4 of last year IP sales surpassed computer-aided engineering.
“EDA is still critical,” said Bob Smith, the ESD Alliance’s executive director. “But we also recognize this industry is now bigger than just EDA. It’s a design ecosystem. In the past, IP has been important, but it’s now the fastest-growing segment. That’s a proxy for the semiconductor industry at large. It’s tends to show what’s really going on. This is a way of making this organization very relevant again.”
EDAC was formed in 1989, when EDA companies were generating huge huge buzz on Wall Street due to rapid growth, high returns, and a frenzy of VC activity that included startups and IPOs. Mentor Graphics was started in 1981, Synopsys in 1986, and Cadence in 1988.
But beginning in the late 1990s, that buzz began to wear off due to consolidation in the semiconductor and OEM industries and increased complexity of both chips and tools, which raised the amount of capital needed for startups and increased the time it took to reach IPO. On top of that, the possibility of successful IPOs shrank after the 2001 downturn, pushing investors into software rather than semiconductors and EDA.
While this didn’t lessen the need for EDA tools, it did change the fundamental dynamics of this sector. So as big companies acquired startups, the startups were not replenished as quickly. The bigger companies also began diversifying into new areas to sustain their growth, including everything from solutions targeted at verticals such as automotive and aerospace, to IP, software, and new services.
“IP is a big part of that, and so are the tends of thousands of people who write code at the embedded layer,” said Smith. “We’re also seeing a big push to connect together individual chips using advanced packaging. This is a $15 billion to $20 billion industry when you include packaging and IP. And we have an opportunity to be the voice of the whole ecosystem. So if you look at Europe, that’s been a hotbed of system design. There are fewer design starts, but they build systems out of those.”
He noted that 10 years ago there were nearly 200 member companies in EDAC, and a year ago Atrenta was a board member. The challenge now is to expand the member company base, and the only way to do that is by expanding its focus.


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The Indian fashion industry is going to take a digital turn, with India’s first-ever digital Couture Week to be held from 18 to 23 September.
Adapting to the new normal in the era of COVID, the fashion industry will go through a digital transformation, breaking all physical boundaries by streaming the show worldwide to millions of designers, fashion enthusiasts, and audience.
“Couture has all the elements of fantasy, and as screens take over our lives, we hope to recreate the magic of this genre, with pure creativity. The FDCI has been a frontrunner in establishing a fresh template, in tandem with the changing times,” Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) Chairman Sunil Sethi shared in a media statement.
Introducing the designers of #ICW2020— FDCI (@fdciofficial) August 31, 2020
Stay tuned as we unveil the first ever digital edition of FDCI India Couture Week 2020, in association with @HindustanTimes from Sep 18 to 23.
Jewellery partner - Archana Aggarwal Timeless Jewellery#ICW2020 #DecodingCouture #FDCIGoesDigital pic.twitter.com/sWuwLQPwwn
FDCI exists as a non-profit organisation of fashion designers to promote the business of fashion.
A six-day digital event will have top couturiers experimenting and redefining ways to showcase the collection digitally.
Breaking the format of the physical event, the designers will pre-shoot their collection in the form of a couture film or video of their ramp show that will be streamed on FDCI’s social media and online platforms.
Excited to showcase the new collection differently, Designer JJ Valaya reveals that it's inspired by Bursa - the medieval city of Turkey.
“The collection will reflect the grandeur and beauty of the Ottoman Empire of Bursa. And to present that in a cutting-edge way in 10minutes of a film will be exciting. The best thing is you can showcase the detailing of the garment which wasn’t possible on a live ramp show,” Valaya tells Sputnik.
Husband-wife designer duo Falguni and Shane Peacock are going to screen “a fashion film that will be an artistic showcase of the collection to co-relate and recreate a reverie.”
“Fashion, with the fusion of technology, has taken on a new meaning and a different turn during the pandemic. Given the rapid growth of visuals on social media, a powerful new format of communication and expression has emerged and all the excitement now moves from runway shows to a new narrative for couture,” Falguni Peacock tells Sputnik.
Designer Rahul Mishra, who previously participated at the Paris Fashion Week in July 2020, will be showcasing the second part of his new collection, titled Butterfly People Part-2, which is a tribute to all those artisans and craftsmen who have worked behind the scenes during the health crisis.
Busy scouting for a location in Delhi to shoot the digital show for India Couture Week (ICW), Rahul shares with Sputnik, “The beauty of digital fashion shows is that millions of people will be able to see it. We can pre-shoot and redo to make it more creative and that’s the beauty of it. As far as the business of fashion goes, we are bang on at a time when the wedding season is all set to kickstart.”
Amid the pandemic, designer Amit Aggarwal tells Sputnik, “The FDCI digital couture week will allow fashion and creativity to thrive during these unprecedented times.”
Amit says the platform has challenged him to "think out-of-the-box and go beyond a traditional runway show and present the collections to our customers in new and exciting ways. I’m showing the new collection with a completely new visual direction.”
Designer Gaurav Gupta feels this will open doors to have a “new cultural dialogue” throughout the world.
“The new format has infinite possibilities and allows us to showcase the philosophy and mindscape of the brand and the collections in a deeply immersive way,” Gaurav shares with Sputnik.
Many other designers such as Anju Modi, Dolly J, Falguni Shane Peacock, Kunal Rawal, Manish Malhotra, ReynuTaandon, Shantanu and Nikhil and Suneet Varma will be participating in the digital Couture Week.
With #DecodingCouture and the theme of “waves”, the digital couture week is all set to create ripples in the global fashion industry.


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OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. -- This edition of the Open & Shut digest of new convenience store openings, sales, acquisitions and store closings features listings for the month of September 2014.
The unscientifically gathered roundup is by no means complete, but serves as a monthly "snapshot" of newly opened or closed U.S. convenience stores, gas station, truckstops and travel centers not previously reported in CSP Daily News.
Many of the stores are owned by independent operators, while others belong to major chains, some part of CSP's Convenience Top 101.
The list has been arranged by state. Click through each item for more details on each store.
Please send your new-store announcements and other industry news to Greg Lindenberg at email@example.com.
A new Circle K franchise convenience store opened in Fullerton, Calif., on September 4. It offers lottery, liquor and money orders.
RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. held a grand opening on September 12 for a convenience store and gas station in Deltona, Fla.
Farm Stores reopened a drive-thru convenience store in Palmetto Bay, Fla., on September 17.
A new Circle K franchise convenience store opened in Valrico, Fla., on September 18. It is co-branded with CITGO fuel. And a new Circle K franchise convenience store opened in Navarre, Fla., on September 9. It is co-branded with Exxon fuel.
Wawa Inc. opened two convenience stores in Orlando, Fla., on September 11 and September 18; it opened a convenience store in Sanford, Fla., on September 26.
K41 LLC sold a 1,560-square-foot Shell gas station and convenience store in Sarasota, Fla., for $2.325 million. K41 paid $1.726 million in May 2009. Nako777 LLC financed its purchase with a $1.2 million loan from Gateway Bank.
Smith's Chevron, which three generations of Smiths have run in Boise, Idaho, for more than 50 years, closed in late September.
Pilot Flying J opened a Pilot Travel Center in Morris, Ill., off Interstate 80 at Exit 112, on September 15.
On September 19, Barto's Service Inc., a Fort Wayne, Ind., family-owned service station in business since 1930, closed. Tom Barto will continue to operate the adjoining Fort Wayne Oval Track Supply, an auto racing accessories retail store.
The Marathon QuickPix in Knightstown, Ind., held a grand opening on September 23.
A new Casey's General Store opened in Marshalltown, Iowa, on September 19.
A Hagerstown, Md., Sheetz convenience store ceased doing business on September 30. Ryan Sheetz, director of brand development and sales for Sheetz Inc., said, "It's a good store, but it's old; it's been around a while. It's seen better days."
Iftikhar Ahmad and his business partners' newest venture, Falcon Fuel, opened in New Market, Md., in early September. "We purchased this gas station from the previous owner, and wanted to freshen the look of the business," Ahmad said. "The carwash wasn't operational, but after repair and updating, it's up and running. Our gas dispensers are the latest model, including a TV installed in the pumps."
Wawa Inc. opened a new convenience store in Frederick, Md., on September 5.
VERC Enterprises Inc. held a grand opening form September 22 to September 28 for Verc Kingston Gulf in Kingston, Mass.
A new Speedway gas station and convenience store on Jackson, Mich.'s west side was slated to open on September 18. Speedway purchased the 1.21-acre lot for $655,000 earlier this year.
A SuperAmerica convenience store with a Taco John's celebrated its grand opening in Albertville, Minn., in mid-September. What makes the combination different from other co-branded locations is the size ratio. The Taco John's has seating for dozens of people, while Super America slimmed down its offerings to make the c-store side tighter, but still with most of the traditional offerings. That allows Taco John's to offer its full slate of services, including a salsa/sauce bar.
The Navy Exchange at the Naval Construction Battalion Center unveiled its new, $4.5 million mini-mart gas station on September 17 in Gulfport, Miss. "The long-awaited facility provides a modern centralized convenience store with greater accessibility and expanded services," base spokesperson Rob Mims said.
A new Circle K convenience store opened in Natchez, Miss., on September 10. The location is co-branded with Exxon fuel.
Stewart's Shops opened a new convenience store in Rotterdam, N.Y, on September 4. The gas pumps became operational on September 26.
A Painesville, Ohio, GetGo opened on September 18.
A new Circle K convenience store opened in Sunriver, Ore., on September 1. This location is co-branded with Shell fuel.
On September 20, Turkey Hill opened a newly designed convenience store and gas station in Birdsboro, Pa.
A new GetGo convenience store opened September 4 in Erie, Pa.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) announced that its North Midway Service Plaza at milepost 147 westbound in Bedford County, Pa., closed on September 22 for reconstruction. The PTC expects the facility will reopen next May. It is being modernized with updated restroom facilities and dining accommodations. Customers will see a new facade and an expanded Sunoco convenience store with additional services. The plaza overhauls are made possible by a 30-year, public-private redevelopment initiative launched in 2006 when the PTC finalized a deal with HMSHost and Sunoco Inc. HMSHost committed $100 million to rebuild the 17 plazas, and Sunoco is investing $70 million to redevelop the gas stations and convenience stores.
Cumberland Farms opened a new, 4,700-square-foot convenience store in Johnson, R.I., on September 18.
Seasons Corner Market held a grand opening September 26 and 27 for a new convenience store in East Providence. R.I.
FirstBank has a ground lease on a half-acre site in midtown Nashville, Tenn., where family-owned Simpson's Service Center and the adjacent BP gas station closed their doors in late September. Phillip Simpson Jr., whose father owns Simpson's Service Center and the gas station, which his grandfather started 65 years ago, plans in coming weeks to open the new Simpson's Auto Repair nearby.
CST Brands opened a new, 4,650-square-foot Corner Store convenience store in San Antonio, Texas, in early September.
Pilot Flying J opened of a new Pilot Travel Center in Childress, Texas, on September 29, its 53 location in the state.
Mid-Atlantic Circle K held a grand opening in Manassas, Va., for its newest franchisee on September 30.
New Circle K convenience stores opened in Centreville, Va., on September 4; Luray, Va., on September 12; and in Herndon, Va., on September 16. The Luray and Herndon locations are co-branded with Exxon fuel.
Wawa opened a new convenience store in Herndon, Va., on September 19.
A new Sheetz convenience store opened in Martinsburg, W.Va., on September 3.
A Little General Store in Hurricane, W.Va., held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 30, offering Exxon gasoline.
Kwik Trip opened new convenience stores in Fond du Lac, Wis., on September 4, Lake Geneva, Wis., on September 9, and in Madison, Wis., near the University of Wisconsin, on September 10.
The Green Bay Packers organization paid more than twice the assessed value for a Mobil gas station in Ashwaubenon, Wis., near Lambeau Field for $1.45 million. Land records show the property has an assessed value of $631,300. The station closed in September. The Packers have not announced any specific plans for the property. In the last decade, the organization has spent more than $47 million to acquire 57 nearby properties.
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British sportswear brand on GS HomeshoppingBritish sportswear company Lonsdale made its sales debut in Korea through GS Homeshopping. According to the Korean homeshopping company yesterday, Lonsdale received a positive response from customers with more than 10,000 products sold in the two weeks since it was introduced.
Lonsdale has roughly 400 stores in the United Kingdom and 200 in Europe and Asia. The company was founded by former boxer Bernard Hart in 1960 and named after Hugh Cecil Lowther, fifth earl of Lonsdale, who organized the world’s first boxing matches with gloves in 1891.
Korean-Japanese mixed martial arts fighter Yoshihiro Akiyama, also known as Choo Sung-hoon to fans, is the official model for U.K. sportswear.


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Genuine Parts Company, the largest member of the NAPA family and parent of UAP Inc., reported better than expected earnings for the second quarter.
Automotive aftermarket analysis shouldn’t rejoice just yet, however, as the increased earnings were spurred by the strength of its industrial and electrical divisions.
Genuine Parts’ stock added 24 cents to $38.09 on volume of 250,000 shares at last check. All figures in U.S. dollars.
The Atlanta-based company, which distributes its products to nearly 6,000 Napa Auto Parts stores in the United States, reported net income of $101.1 million, or 58 cents a share, compared with $90.1 million, or 52 cents a share, in the year-ago period.
Wall Street had expected a profit of 57 cents a share, according to a survey compiled by Thomson First Call.
Revenue for the second quarter came in at $2.3 billion, up from $2.2 billion a year earlier.
“We have a number of positives working for us as we move into the second half of 2004,” said chairman Larry Prince in a statement. “The diversity of our company in four sound industries gives us great balance, and we expect to see continued improvement.”
The automotive segment, the largest of the company’s four divisions, brought in about half of the overall revenue, marking a 4 percent increase from last year.
Sales for the company’s second largest division, Motion Industries, which makes industrial parts like bearings and hydraulics, grew 11 percent from a year ago.
EIS, the Genuine’s electrical-components arm, saw its revenue surge 17 percent while the office products group improved by 5 percent.
Looking ahead, the company pegged third-quarter earnings to come in between 55 cents to 57 cents a share, up from 51 cents a year earlier. Genuine Parts also raised its full year outlook from a range of $2.15 to $2.25 a share to $2.20 to $2.28 a share.
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03 August 2009
Changes in content and distribution medium found in BitDefender survey
Malware writing has become a full-fledged business � shaped after corporate models, according to BitDefender�. Today, BitDefender released the results of its malware and spam survey from January through June 2009, showing HTML newsletter-impersonating spam and web 2.0 phishing attempts witnessing a sharp rise.
Malware Threats in Review
During the first six months of 2009, malware writers have continued their efforts to infect computer users in order to receive direct financial gain and/or to seize control over their machines. According to the report, Trojan-type malware is on the rise, accounting for 83-percent of the global malware detected in the wild.
While Trojans were the most active e-threats in the last six months, the notorious Downadup Internet worm caused the most damage to users. Downadup managed to infect a record number of worldwide computers (about 11 million) and made headlines of most, if not all, computer magazines and mainstream media. Targeting systems with unpatched MS08-067 vulnerabilities, the worm can send itself to any clean computer it has already infected on the same network and looks to gain access to file shares. Although Microsoft issued an out-of-cycle patch for the vulnerability, the infection is still in the wild, with hundreds of systems compromised on a daily basis.
�The Internet is one of the most important communications vehicles � used for business, schooling and leisure. It has also become a channel for criminals to gain access to a vast number of computer systems, financial data and information,� said Vlad V�lceanu, Head of BitDefender Antispam Research Lab. �Cybercriminals are not going to stop looking for ways to enhance their e-threats, which is why it is essential for computer users to make sure they have a security solution in place, that can provide them with advanced, proactive protection.�
BitDefender found that during the last six months, the most active countries in terms of spreading malware were China, France and the United States, followed by Romania, Spain and Australia
World�s Top 10 Malware from January-June 2009
Spam Trends in First Half of 2009
In terms of media and techniques, BitDefender analysts determined a continuing trend in text-based spam, which reached 80 percent this year compared to 70 percent for the same period in 2008.
Additionally, image spam increased 150 percent since the first half of 2008. Incorporated via HTML newsletter-impersonating spam, downloadable images are included in a strategy developed by spammers to trick users into accepting images blocked by the email client and, at the same time, to bypass spam filters by slightly modifying the image�s color palette.
Spam messages advertising pirated/OEM software products also increased dramatically compared to the same period last year. According to the statistics provided by the BitDefender Antispam Research Lab, software spam accounted for about 3 percent of worldwide spam. By June 2009, unsolicited email related to software products became one of the top five spam threats and accounted for 5 percent of the total spam messages sent worldwide.
The Top 10 list for the first half of 2009�s most advocated content through e-mail spam includes:
|7||Pornography (non) dating|
|10||Tie between Academic Diploma and Online Casino|
Web 2.0 Malware and the Phishing Landscape
From January through June 2009, phishing messages reached an alarming threshold of 7 percent of the spam messages sent worldwide. As expected, the most receptive countries in terms of phishing are the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom - three English-speaking countries. However, Russia is another significant source of phishing messages, mostly because of its lax legislation regarding cyber-crime, as well as the country�s current unemployment rate.
The phishing landscape is continuously evolving and morphing, including a rise in web 2.0 phishing techniques. Social network user accounts are key elements for carrying out subsequent attacks to other network users. However, since respectable service providers have tightened security in order to protect their users� personal info, attackers have developed fake login pages in an attempt to get genuine user login credentials.
BitDefender Labs have found that most web 2.0 phishing attempts in the first half of 2009 relied on social engineering schemes and speculated user naivety. The Twitter Porn Name scam is a good example. Users were invited to reveal their first pet name, as well as the first street on which they lived. These names are usually employed as backup/security questions. An e-crook possessing a person�s username along with these �clues� can easily retrieve a password that he or she can later employ to access the account and send spam, access transactions, or use the account in whatever way necessary to make a profit, including demanding a ransom for release of the hijacked account.
However, phishers� favorite targets are constant. On average, the most used identities are related to the financial sector, primarily banks and wire transfer institutions.
The top three counterfeit business identities in the first half of 2009 include:
|1||Bank of America|
BitDefender estimates that more than 55,000 users fall victim to phishing scams each month, totaling an impressive 330,000 victims from January through June 2009. In order to successfully deceive their victims, phishers must impersonate (aka. spoof) the genuine page as accurately as possible. However, while replicating the original webpage is simply a matter of copy-and-pasting, the spam message usually contains misspelled words and/or negligent formatting.
This is not the case with most of the phishing raids targeting Bank of America. Not only is the text impeccably laid out, but the phishing page has also been crafted with an unusual attention to detail, suggesting that the people responsible for the phishing attacks are a highly organized gang of cyber-criminals.
�Most importantly, unlike malware, phishing and spam are universal e-threats � they work on any computer, regardless of their operating systems and security patches," V�lceanu commented. �Extra caution and a highly-rated antimalware solution with antispam, antiphishing and antimalware modules are a must-have for anyone surfing the web.�
For more information on this survey, please visit the BitDefender E- Threats Report page.
INDUSTRY ANALYST firstname.lastname@example.org