text:
One in three Brits targeted by a scammer so far during lockdown
Over a third of British adults (36%) have been the target of a scam since lockdown began, new research by Citizens Advice reveals.
Polling conducted on behalf of the charity also showed that certain groups were at an increased risk of being contacted by a scammer, often those who could least afford it:
Of those with a disability or long term illness, 45% said they had been targeted
Half (50%) of those at an increased risk of coronavirus or shielding had been contacted
Over half (54%) of those who have lost personal income due to the virus have also been contacted.
The charity has seen calls from members of the public concerned about bogus testing kits, vaccinations and government refunds. It’s reported a 19% rise in people coming to its website for scam advice. Citizens Advice web pages relating to scams saw an average of 49,000 page views a month since lockdown began in March, compared to an average of 41,000 page views in the three months prior.
From this research, the majority of people (64%) say they are worried someone they know will fall foul of a con. And most people (90%) reported they felt wary of scammers taking advantage of the situation.
Citizens Advice and the Consumer Protection Partnership have launched their annual Scams Awareness campaign to encourage people to share and report about their experiences and look out for others.
Worried consumers can report scams to Citizens Advice Consumer Service and help keep others safe, as Martin, 34, from West Sussex did:
“My friend showed me a company on social media who claimed to be selling a special product which they claimed protects your home from Covid-19.
“I knew it sounded too good to be true and checked out their Facebook page which was only 12 days old, something which immediately raised my suspicions. They’d posted videos of their products being used in different customers’ homes. But these looked bogus, I could tell they were all taken in the same house.
“What's more, even though people were asking questions about the product on the company’s page, the company was being vague and evading answers.
“I was worried that other people could fall victim to this con so I contacted Citizens Advice Consumer Service to report it. It’s horrible to think that some people are willing to capitalise on people’s fears. Particularly at this time when so many are already low on money and worried about their finances.”
Dame Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said:
“We’ve seen thousands of people coming to our website for advice on scams during the coronavirus outbreak as opportunistic scammers take advantage of the public’s concerns.
“Worryingly one in three of us has been targeted by a scam since lockdown began. This shows it’s really important we all do our bit and, like Martin, report them when we see them.
“By learning how scammers operate, and helping each other understand what to look out for, we can all work together to stop fraudsters in their tracks."
Paul Scully, Consumer Minister, said:
“I am utterly appalled by this new research showing how opportunistic scammers are targeting people made most vulnerable by the pandemic – those suffering from illness, or facing financial difficulties.
“Now more than ever it is vital people remain vigilant to scams, and know how to protect themselves and their loved ones – especially those who are isolated, or live alone - from being exploited.
“Citizens Advice plays a vital role in safeguarding people against scams, which is why the government recently gave them up to £15 million extra funding to help deal with Covid-19.
“I’m backing Scam Awareness Fortnight, and urging people to follow guidance on how to defend themselves and report any scams or suspected scams, so we can stop fraudsters in their tracks and deprive them of the chance to target more victims.”
Leon Livermore, Chief Executive of Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said:
"I have spent much of lockdown shocked and appalled by the opportunists preying upon the increased vulnerability of members of the public.
"Trading standards departments up and down the country have united to protect those that need protection most. I could not be prouder of how the profession that I love has adapted and risen to the challenges facing us all during these unprecedented times.
“Working in partnership is key for campaigns like Scams Awareness, and initiatives like Friends Against Scams. We are informing and arming consumers with the knowledge to spot potential scams, so they know where to turn if they need help.”
Louise Baxter, Head of the National Trading Standards Scams Team, said:
“As people continue to stay indoors to prevent the spread of COVID-19, criminals are preying on people who are vulnerable because of their situations especially those who are socially isolated and living alone. There’s never been a more important time for neighbours to look out for each other, which is why we’re encouraging communities to prevent scams in their local area by using the free Friends Against Scams resources.
“Our online courses will help you spot a potential scam, identify people at risk and help you protect local residents from falling victims to scams. We’re urging communities to protect each other from scams and encourage people to share the latest advice with families, friends and neighbours.”
Citizens Advice consumer expert Kate Hobson said:
“Being at home doesn’t protect us from being targeted by scammers. We can all take steps to look out for ourselves and anyone who might be at risk of falling victim to a scam.”
If you’re worried you or someone you know is being scammed, Kate has some useful tips:
Look into installing a call blocker to help combat telephone scams
Talk to your or their bank immediately if there is any suspicious activity or transactions from their account or credit cards
Report the scam to Citizens Advice who will give you advice on what to do next and report the scam to Trading Standards
Report the scam to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040
If you or someone you know is struggling to pay bills or outstanding debts Citizens Advice may be able to help
Kate also suggests taking the following steps to safeguard yourself and others:
Be suspicious if you’re contacted out of the blue, even if it’s from a name you recognise
If it sounds too good to be true it probably is
Never send money to someone you’ve never met
Never give out your bank details unless you are certain you can trust the person contacting you
Don’t be rushed – you never need to make a decision straight away and if you feel pressured say “no”
Suspect a scam? Hang up, wait five minutes to clear the line or use another phone to call
Don’t suffer in silence – speak out about scams
Citizens Advice is urging anyone who thinks they may have been targeted by or has seen an online scam to report it to its Scams Action service, either online or on 0808 250 5050.
For in-person, mail and telephone scams, concerned consumers can report issues to the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 or 0808 223 1144 for Welsh language speakers. Citizens Advice will give advice on what to do next and report the scam to Trading Standards.
Scams should also be reported to Action Fraud, the national fraud reporting centre.
Notes to editors
Citizens Advice commissioned Opinium Research to carry out a survey of 2,009 18+ UK adults between 13th and 19th May 2020. Fieldwork was carried out online. Data is weighted to be representative of the population.
- The government defines those at ‘increased risk’ from the coronavirus as anyone aged over 70, or those aged under 70 with a chronic underlying health condition, with compromised immune systems, or anyone pregnant, or severely overweight.
- Citizens Advice commissioned Populus Data Solutions who conducted fieldwork of an online sample of 2022 18+ GB adults on 28th May 2020. Data is weighted to be representative of the population of Great Britain.
- Page view data was taken from the Citizens Advice website on 1 June 2020. Consumer pages focusing on scams on the Citizens Advice website had 55304 views in May this year, 49089 in April, and 45263 in March. This is compared to 39366, 37932, and 46857 in December 2019, January 2020, and February 2020 respectively. Year on year data is not available as Citizens Advice set up a dedicated scams service in July 2019 (see below note) meaning more pages containing scams advice were added to its website.
- Citizens Advice set up a dedicated online scams service in July 2019. The service is funded by £3 million donated by Facebook following its settlement with Martin Lewis. The service provides one-on-one help for those worried about online scams. It also undertakes scams prevention work identifying, tackling and raising awareness of online scams in the UK.
- Scams Awareness is an annual campaign which aims to create a network of confident, alert consumers who know what to do when they see a scam. This year's campaign will take place over two weeks, from the 10th-23rd June. The campaign includes a range of organisations across the Consumer Protection Partnership, including Trading Standards, the Department for Business Energy and Infrastructure, and Citizens Advice Scotland.
- Citizens Advice is made up of the national charity Citizens Advice; the network of independent local Citizens Advice charities across England and Wales; the Citizens Advice consumer service; and the Witness Service.
- To get advice online or find your local Citizens Advice, visit citizensadvice.org.uk
- For consumer advice, call the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 or 0808 223 1144 to talk in Welsh.
- Citizens Advice includes the national charity; the network of independent local Citizens Advice charities across England and Wales; the Citizens Advice consumer service; and the Witness Service.


text:
It can't be labelled E3 season in this day and age until Geoff Keighley shows up, claiming showcases left, right and centre. Well, that time is now, as the Game Awards host has revealed the date and time of their big summer showcase.
The Summer Game Fest Showcase takes place June 9th, 2022 at 11am PT / 2pm EST / 7pm BST. The show is set to feature game announcements, reveals, and 'Day of the Devs', which we're assuming is a segment dedicated to the teams behind the announcements.
What's also pretty neat is that in the US, UK and Canada, the showcase will be shown in select IMAX theatres. So, if you want to experience that 'live' press conference atmosphere, going to your local cinema to watch it could be a great shout.
Keighley also says that "lots of events [are] coming in June" so we're expecting more to crop up in the Summer Game Fest schedule. For now, The Xbox & Bethesda Showcase, along with the Tribeca Games Spotlight show up on the site's calendar.
Are you looking forward to Keighley's big summer show? Let us know down in the comments!

domain: news


text:
Hankook Tire Co., in its third year partnering with Disabled American Veterans (DAV), has donated $150,000 to help support DAV’s Mobile Service Office program, and launched the Hankook Heroes recognition program to help honor America’s veterans.
“Hankook Tire is proud to continue its partnership with DAV for a third consecutive year,” said Hee Se Ahn, president, Hankook Tire America Corp. “We are honored to help provide American veterans with access to the benefits and services they deserve.”
The 2017 Hankook Heroes recognition program includes a give one, get one tire promotion and invites Americans to share a story about why veterans are heroes to them.
Submissions can be made at HankookHeroes.com between now and Aug.25. All submissions will be entered for a chance to receive a set of Hankook tires. A second set of Hankook tires will be donated to the DAV for use on one of its MSO vehicles to further help service veterans across the country.
Hankook has worked with its tire dealer network to bring DAV’s MSO vehicles to service local veterans at tire dealerships across the country at the following locations:
- Black’s Tire in Fayetteville, N.C. – Aug. 15
- Discount Tire Center in Yucca Valley, Calif. – Aug. 18
- ESS Automotive in Mentor, Ohio – Aug. 23
- CJ’s Tire in Fairless Hills, Pa. – Sept. 26
- Gateway Tire in Clarksville, Tenn. – Oct 20
- Russo Tires in Doral, Fla. – Oct. 30
Additionally, to recognize the men and women who have served, Hankook and DAV will co-sponsor all five Cincinnati Reds Military Appreciation Days throughout the 2017 baseball season.


text:
Electronics Store La Curacao changes name and drops “La”
Curacao, formerly La Curacao, debuted an extensive store makeover on Friday at it’s flagship store in Los Angeles and a new name which drops the La, among other changes announced during a press conference.
“Today’s shopper is different,” says Jerry Azarkman, Chief Marketing Officer. “There have been significant cultural and demographic shifts within the Hispanic community, and also in the neighborhoods surrounding our stores.”
The company known for catering to Spanish speakers has to make changes in order to expand, says a New York University professor.
“Latino businesses that want to grow beyond the Latino market must adopt and expand,” Patricio Navia, a political science professor at New York University told the Huffington Post in 2011. “It’s a smart growth strategy.”
Elahe Izadi wrote about the topic in her post “When Names are ‘Americanized’” with regards to individuals.
Founded in 1981, today Curacao is headquartered in Los Angeles with retail locations in California, Arizona and soon Nevada. Curacao isn’t the only company that has recently changed its name to reach more English speakers.
Banco Popular, Puerto Rico’s largest bank decided to focus its efforts on non-Hispanics and switched its name from Banco Popular to Popular Community Bank in some areas.
Curacao executives say they have witnessed shifts within their customer.
“Latinos are breaking the mold and we’ve seen first-hand the evolution of our customer,” says Ron Azarkman, Curacao Chief Executive Officer. “Our Hispanic consumer market is certainly growing, but it is also evolving and we are committed to keeping in step with them to give them what they want.”
So, what do you want? What do you think of the name change?
WATCH a video of the Los Angeles press conference announcing the name change:
Latest posts by Jon (see all)
- Most Popular Pandora Stations in New York City - October 7, 2014
- Pitbull – Como Yo Le Doy ft. Don Miguelo - October 5, 2014
- Rosie Perez Talks about Co-hosting “The View” on the Wendy Williams Show - October 2, 2014


text:
The world's first tax on Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) browser was introduced by The Australian online retailer Kogan.com. The charge is set to 6.8% - 0.1% for every month since the IE7 launch. The opinion of Mr. Kogan is that plan was born while the company started working on a site relaunch.
One of the messages posted to Kogan on Twitter was Love your IE7 tax. I hope it becomes effective. According to Mr. Kogan it was unlikely that somebody would really pay the charges. His goal is to support users to download a more up-to-date version of Internet Explorer or a special browse. Consumers who use IE7 will have to pay an extra additive on online purchases made through the firm's site.


text: It's hard to believe, but there are actually places that multi-platinum R&B superstar R. Kelly hasn't performed. In fact, he's never been to Africa, though he'll be rectifying that soon. Next Saturday, Kels will close out ARISE Africa Fashion Week with a concert in Johannesburg, South Africa. It will be the first show of a multi-city tour that will also take him through South Africa, into Nigeria and end in London. The show will close out the inaugural ARISE Africa Fashion Awards, which seek to point the spotlight at the explosion of up-and-coming African fashion designers. Kelly said in a statement, "I'm very excited about my first visit to Africa, I've dreamed about this for a long time and its finally here. It will be one of the highlights of not only my career but my life." Kelly is working on a new album, which he hopes to release later this year.


text:
The latest figures on plant bread sales suggest that branded bread is continuing to grow at the expense of private-label.The data, from Kantar Worldpanel (formerly know as TNS Worldpanel), has shown that the total value of branded plant bread increased by 5.9% year-on-year (YOY) for the 52 w/e 29 November 2009. Private-label, on the other hand, fell by 6% in the same period.The increase in branded sales has mainly been seen in white bread, up 7.5%, with branded brown plant bread up only 0.9%. In terms of volume, the same pattern can be seen, with slightly lower branded growth, and higher private-label volume decline. The figures echo Hovis’ most recent trading figures. Hovis marketing director Jon Goldstone told British Baker he believes the continuing trend is down to a combination of three factors, one of which is value. “The price of private-label loaves has gone up slightly over the past year, whereas the brands have slightly come down, so the gap between them has closed,” he said. “Another reason is quality. I think the brands have all invested in quality – we certainly have done so significantly at Hovis. And the third factor is brand investment in communications. When you put those three things together, it could explain why brands are growing at the expense of private-label.” Joe Street, managing director of Fine Lady Bakeries, which supplies private-label bread and rolls to some of the leading supermarket chains, said he believed the fall in private-label sales was due to “all the promotional activities on branded loaves”. He said that, within Fine Lady, the basic own-label products had not been doing so well, whereas the more premium breads, such as seeded loaves, had held up. “I think there will always be a market for both branded and private-label,” added Federation of Bakers director Gordon Polson, who said it was likely there would continue to be a trend towards the premium end of both sectors.
"Bread brands continue to up the ante on own-label"


text:
Re-live your prom, zombie style, with Valentine's Day event
Zombies are returning to Shelby, this time wearing prom dresses and zombie-themed corsages.
After the success of the uptown Shelby Zombie Crawl in October, organizers have planned a zombie-themed event for Feb. 14: the Valentine’s Day Zombie Prom.
“We opted to do the zombie prom in light of the success of the zombie crawl,” said Jackie Sibley, the county’s director of travel and tourism. “We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback. I’m starting to find chaperones for the prom now. It’s turning into a really fun thing.”
Prom pictures will be made by Victorian Rose Studio, which is developing a creative zombie backdrop for the photos. The Sloantones and the Paris Thieves will play live music at the event, which will be held at the LeGrand Center in Shelby. There will also be a cash bar, makeup artists and a dinner buffet.
Sibley said she expects at least 150 people to attend the prom.
“Last time I said that, we had 320 people register,” she said. “So I think anywhere between 150 and 300 people.”
She said space won’t be a problem, since they can get additional space at the facility.
Registration is currently available online via the Cleveland County Chamber’s website, by calling the Chamber at 704-487-8521, or via the Facebook page for Visit Cleveland County. A Facebook event page will soon be set up, Sibley said.
“It’s a great Valentine’s Day thing to do if people don’t already have Valentine’s Day plans. It does include dinner. It’ll be a really good meal. We have live music,” she said. “It’s just a fun night out.”
Registration costs $50 per person or $90 for two. Sibley said that’s not much more than participants spent in November during the zombie crawl.
“People were spending that amount of money or more,” she said.
The average per-person spending at uptown Shelby restaurants and businesses during the zombie crawl was about $48, she said. This event is geared a little differently, but still keeps the zombie theme.
“It’s going to be like a high school prom, only for zombies,” she said. “How often do we get to relive our prom?"
Click here to go to the registration page for the zombie prom.
Valentines Day Zombie Prom
-Time: 4 to 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14
-Location: LeGrand Center, 1800 E. Marion St., Shelby.
-Makeup artists begin at 4 p.m. and can do professional makeup and prosthetics.
-Cash bar opens at 6 p.m. with appetizers included.
-Iced tea, coffee and water are free all night.
-Dinner buffet begins at 7 p.m.
-Live music by the Sloantones and Paris Thieves.
-Cost is $50 per person; $90 per couple.
-Zombie corsages are available at Holly’s Flowers by calling 704-487-1220 to preorder.
-Prom portraits by Victorian Rose Studio.


text:
- Danielle Wightman-Stone |
Copenhagen Fashion Week has appointed Cecilie Thorsmark as its new chief executive, to continue to push forward the biannual fashion week, which underwent a major strategy review last year.
Thorsmark will join the organisation on November 1, succeeding Camilla Frank, from her two-year role as Global Fashion Agenda’s communication director. She also served as the head of press and communication at Danish Fashion Institute and Copenhagen Fashion Week.
Thomas Klausen, chief executive of industry association Dansk Fashion and Textile and interim chair of Copenhagen Fashion Week’s Board, said in a press statement: “Cecilie Thorsmark has a profound understanding of what it takes to run a fashion week, just as she possesses excellent communication skills and has a powerful international profile.
“She is used to working in an international organisation, speaks several languages fluently and has an impressive history when it comes to attracting international interest in events taking place in Denmark. Copenhagen Fashion Week is already an international event, but I’m convinced that Cecilie can bring it to the next level.”
Commenting on her new role, Thorsmark added: “I’m delighted to return to Copenhagen Fashion Week and look forward to taking on the enormous responsibility of further developing, strengthening and future-proofing Copenhagen Fashion Week.
“I believe it has even greater potential, which is why I plan to work, for example, to reinforce Copenhagen Fashion Week’s sustainability profile and to create an international platform with Scandinavian fashion as its driving force.”
Copenhagen Fashion Week is the largest fashion week in the Nordic region and last season featured 33 shows on the official calendar including well-established brands like Ganni, By Malene Birger, Baum und Pferdgarten, Designers Remix and Stine Goya as well as debuts from Mykke Hoffmann, Helmstedt, and Hoffmann Copenhagen.
The next fashion week is schedule from January 29 to February 1, 2019.


text:
The sizzling temperatures may well be placing common-sense at risk, as two attempts to get AGCs off-the-ground encounter vocal dissent from local authorities and business spokesmen.
The leisure industry’s fight for the hearts and minds of the British local politician is seemingly far from over this summer, with proposals for new gaming arcades in Colchester and Gloucestershire both generating hysteria amongst council bureaucrats.
Scott Masterson of Masterson Leisure – the outfit behind Sailor Boy Amusements in St. Osyth – is the man behind plans for the new Essex locale. Along with his industry-veteran father John and wife Nicola, the family-owned operation would be located bang in the middle of Colchester’s town centre, and would represent just one of three gaming facilities as yet on hand for the town’s 120,000 residents.
Nevertheless, as the company awaits all requisite approvals from Colchester Council, local business heads have been quick to try and bury the knife in the nascent venture.
“We would encourage any business wanting to start up in Colchester,” maintained David Burch of the Essex Chambers of Commerce, before adding: “but [we] would question whether this sort of business is the right thing to be in the town centre.”
In an outrageously condescending and quite extraordinary addendum to his statement, Burch stated:“Whilst we are not denigrating people who use such operations, there could be potential for anti-social behaviour to develop if you have got those types of people around such areas.”
Did he really say that? Yes he did and it begs the question: to whom exactly is Mr Burch referring as “those people”?
The plans remain under review by Colchester Town Council and as such, the Masterson’s have yet to publicly comment on the matter.
Sanity, though, has prevailed to the west meanwhile, where go-ahead has been given for a revitalising new gaming outfit in the town of Yate – in spite of objections from town authorities.
Presiding over the issue, South Gloucestershire Council had already given the nod for the conversion of a disused former jewellery store in Yate Shopping Centre to be given a new lease of life as an arcade last December, but Yate Town Council raised objections to revised plans by citing proximity to a nearby local youth centre – despite the slated arcade’s strict no under-18’s door policy.
For their part, petitioners for the arcade had already laid out their stall in the original application from last year.
“Amusement centres of this kind are harmless to nearby traders,” it read. “[Our] proposal has in its favour investment in the premises and the town centre, reoccupation by a permanent occupier, the introduction of a new vital and busy use, and a new leisure use in the centre.”
Ultimately the authority found this argument more compelling, and the AGC has been green-lit for a launch later this year.


text:
Apple is reportedly developing premium over-ear headphones that could ship near the end of the year, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The company is apparently interested in taking Beats’ success in the consumer audio space and replicating that for its own brand. Apple hasn’t focused too much on itself, but the AirPods in 2016 and the HomePod in 2018 prove there’s interest to do more.
Here’s part of the report, as shared by MacRumors:
“Apple to have own-brand, high-end over-ear headphones with all-new design; to be as convenient as AirPods with better sound quality; shipments to begin in 4Q18F at earliest; Primax & SZS will be the key suppliers & will benefit from high ASPs.”
It goes on to say that Apple is interested in creating a fuller acoustic accessory line. The only product there today is the AirPods, which are due for an upgrade in 2018.
Kuo did comment on the upcoming AirPods model. While they won’t look drastically different from what’s currently available, the new model will include an improved wireless charging case and W1 chip. Then, in 2019, Apple should add water resistance to the wireless earbuds.
If you’re a Beats fan, there’s probably little reason to worry. The brand still has a ton of strength in the industry and allows for Apple test new ideas before bringing them over to its own lineup. Celebrities from various fields continue choosing Beats’ headphones and earbuds above other brands’, a clear sign that it remains a status symbol for consumers.
The over-ear headphones are planned for late 2018, likely meaning they’ll debut alongside the next iPhone models.


text:
Marxent Labs Inc. will make its debut at one of the world’s largest consumers electronics and technology trade shows, showing off an innovation that turns two-dimensional home design planning into a 3-D experience.
Marxent will display its Holoroom, created for home improvement retailer Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW), at CES in Las Vegas next week, said Beck Besecker, Marxent CEO. The technology allows consumers using an iPad app to drag and drop Lowe’s products to create a kitchen or bathroom, view the room in 360 degree video with an Oculus headset, publish the video on YouTube 360 and share the video on social media.
The Holoroom is in six Lowe’s stores in Ohio and Colorado, with more stores coming on line in 2016.
“The Holoroom translates something intangible, your vision inside your head, into something everyone can see,” said Kyle Nel, executive director of the Lowe’s Innovation Lab, in a video on the company’s website.
The timing is great for Marxent, a St. Petersburg company that develops virtual reality and augmented reality apps. CES, the annual gathering owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association, will feature the technology in its gaming and virtual reality marketplace, which will have more than 40 exhibitors and be 77 percent bigger than at the 2015 event, a press release said.
Marxent will stand out from the crowd, because the Holoroom is the first implementation of virtual reality in a retail store, Besecker said.
Virtual and augmented reality is a hot sector, with more than $1 billion raised in the past 18 months and sales projected to top $150 billion by 2020, Besecker said. Marxent has raised capital in four rounds of funding, including $1.2 million in the third quarter of 2015 from Detroit Venture Partners.
Dan Gilbert, managing partner of Detroit Venture Partners, founder and chairman of Quicken Loans, and majority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, said Marxent “will light the world on fire” when it comes to virtual and augmented reality, in a recent appearance on CNBC. He also will join Besecker at CES.
Marxent, founded in 2011, had a goal of getting 10 major manufacturers and a major retailer on its visual commerce platform this year, and accomplished that, Besecker said. The company has kept a relatively low profile, wanting to be sure its market fit, technology and pricing model were working. It’s grown to 40 employees, including five at its St. Petersburg headquarters and the rest in Dayton, Ohio.
“2016 will be a year of aggressive growth,” Besecker said. “We are raising significant amounts of money and looking to double the team next year.”
Staffing in St. Petersburg is expected to triple in 2016, he said.
Margie Manning is Finance Editor of the Tampa Bay Business Journal. She covers the Money beat.


text:
Holland Aromatics Achieves RSPO MB Certification
We at Holland Aromatics are proud to announce that on 16 October 2019 our company has been certified according to the RSPO Supply Chain Certification Standard by Control Union Certifications B.V.
This certification guarantees that the criteria for processing RSPO certified palm oil products through one or more of the supply chain models as stated in the RSPO Supply Chain Certification Systems have been met.
With this certification Holland Aromatics acknowledges the ever-urgent need and growing global concern that commodities are produced without causing harm to the environment or society. Our RSPO certification is an assurance to our customer that the standard of production is sustainable.
Holland Aromatics Team


text:
Second car stolen from Inverness recovered in Dundee
Two cars stolen from car dealerships in Inverness have now been found in the Dundee area, police have said.
A white Mercedes CLA taken from Culloden Car Sales on Sunday was later recovered in Tayside.
An Audi A6 stolen from Top Car overnight on Tuesday into Wednesday was found on Wednesday evening.
An Audi A5, registration SW11 DKU, from the same garage and a Ford Focus, registration RS10 FOR, from Culloden Car Sales remain missing.
Thieves also stole a Range Rover from Culloden Car Sales. It was recovered in Inverness.
Police said they had not ruled the two incidents being linked.


text:
If you notice lower volume during the next 30 days you can bet that the World Cup is affecting traders (or maybe just me) with matches at 7AM 9:30AM and 2PM every day. I guess this would mean that soccer fans would come back for the last 30 minutes of trading during the “Adult Swim” hour.
The Data is out and during Q1 household debt contracted 2.2% annually while State and local government debt expanded at 4.25% annually. The financial sector “shed” ~$1.3 trillion in debt (on an annualized basis) in Q1. Is anyone surprised the federal government added almost that same amount? –EconomPic
From 8:30 to 10 am some exciting news come out such as the retail sales data and consumer sentiment. You can check up on them at the Economic Calendar.
Retail Sales Fall, But Not As Bad As Reported Demand plunged at building-material stores, reflecting the end of a government appliance rebate, and sales fell at auto dealers, in contrast to industry figures which showed a gain. Subtracting those outliers we still have a decline, which shows weakness. Just not as weak as early reports would indicate.
Keep in touch using the comment box and even make your pick for the World Cup Champion to be crowned July 11th.
I hope you like the new speed of the website thanks to our seamless move to a new host.
Make some money and think before you hold into the weekend.


text:
Laser experts from a remarkably broad spectrum of sectors will convene in Aachen May 2–4, 2018 at the International Laser Technology Congress AKL’18. 77 laser experts in research and industry will present cutting-edge methods and beam sources as well as the latest developments and trends in laser technology. The AKL gives technology suppliers and customers plenty of opportunities to swap stories and expertise. The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT oversees this event, which is once more expected to draw more than 600 attendees. The program of events is already at www.lasercongress.org – where you can also register now for AKL’18.
For the 12th time now, users, manufacturers and developers can take advantage of the international platform provided by the AKL – International Laser Technology Congress to exchange experiences and know-how about laser technology today and opportunities for tomorrow. The primary questions at the 2018 Congress: How can players in the laser-technology industry integrate digital solutions into their design and production processes? How can they continuously improve productivity, process reliability and quality? And how can these players do so in order to add significant value compared to processes lacking digital connectivity? What new business models and forms of cooperation – between designers, manufacturing experts and customers, for instance – will emerge when production and the digital world are interconnected?
Specialist forums on “Process Control” and “Laser Additive Manufacturing”
AKL’18 will kick off on May 2, 2018 with two specialist forums held concurrently: “Process Control” and “Laser Additive Manufacturing.” At the latter event, attendees can delve into AM technologies all day. Topics include the use of AM in the production of industrial tools for the automotive industry, AM repair methods for trains, lightweight aluminum construction and software solutions for digital AM process chains. Alternatively, people can learn more about process control. At the “Process Control” specialist forum, experts from companies such as Scansonic MI GmbH, Robert Bosch GmbH and Porsche Leipzig GmbH will talk about the state of the art. They will also share their experiences with monitoring various laser processes.
Laser markets – Edge in knowledge for decision-makers
At the Technology Business Day event on May 2, 2018, managing directors, marketing decision-makers and sales managers will get an overview of the laser markets in Europe, Asia and the Americas. The event will focus on the automotive industry, microelectronics, aviation technology and energy technology. Dr. Klaus Löffler from TRUMPF Laser- und Systemtechnik GmbH in Ditzingen, Germany will share his views on the laser market in Europe and trends in the worldwide laser market.
In addition, Fraunhofer ILT will offer newcomers its “Laser Technology ABC’s” seminar on May 2, 2018. This event provides companies with little awareness of laser technology a structured, real-world overview. Topics include selecting suitable beam sources and handling systems for various applications as well as the legal requirements that apply to industrial laser technology.
Leading international laser manufacturers peer into the future
The Gerd Herziger session will kick off the laser technology conference on May 3, 2018. Session speakers will include Dr. Peter Leibinger (TRUMPF GmbH + Co. KG in Ditzingen, Germany), Dr. Qitao Lue (Han’s Laser Technology Industry Group Co., Ltd in Shenzhen, China), Dr. Eugene Shcherbakov, IPG Laser GmbH in Burbach, Germany) and Dr. Mark Sobey (Coherent Inc. in Santa Clara, California, U.S.). These speakers will outline what they consider to be five significant opportunities and challenges in the laser industry of tomorrow – with a special look at the role of big data. These experts will also share their opinions on which conventional technologies will one day compete with laser technology. AKL’18 attendees can also learn which laser applications are likely to significantly influence technological advancements in the next three years.
On May 3–4, 2018, more than 40 speakers from industry and research will examine the state of the art in the macro processing and micro processing of laser materials. They will also talk about developments in laser beam sources. In addition, everybody at AKL’18 will have a chance to talk with more than 50 renowned manufacturers of lasers, components and systems at the sponsors exhibition that supplements the conference. Attendees and manufacturer representatives can explore specific matters in one-on-one conversations.
2018 Innovation Award Laser Technology
As part of AKL’18, the “Arbeitskreis Lasertechnik e.V.” and the European Laser Institute (ELI) will present the Innovation Award Laser Technology on the evening of May 2, 2018. Endowed with 10,000 euros, this award recognizes outstanding innovations in the development and application of lasers in manufacturing technology. This accolade is aimed at applicants from European companies as well as European universities and R&D centers. Applications will be accepted until Monday, January 15, 2018. Additional information is available here: www.innovation-award-laser.org
The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT organizes the International Laser Technology Congress AKL’18. This forum also benefits from the following organizations: the European Commission, the European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC), Arbeitskreis Lasertechnik e.V., the European Laser Institute (ELI) and OptecNet as well as the German industrial associations SPECTARIS, VDA, VDMA and VDI.
Register at www.lasercongress.org no later than Friday, March 9, 2018 for an AKL’18 early-bird discount! The conference will take place in English and German with simultaneous interpreting into both languages.


text:
Walmart Easter Hours 2012
April 8, 2012 by staff
Walmart Easter Hours 2012, Looking to do some last minute shopping for Easter Peeps, candy, jelly beans and Easter ham? Walmart says they’re open Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012, this year.
Walmart wants to know, “Are you celebrating Easter today? And if so, how?” According to Campden FB, “That’s the question one family business set out to answer-and the results make interesting reading. Walmart, controlled by the descendants of Sam Walton, found that among the families planning to celebrate Easter, almost 60 percent would buy chocolate.” That’s not surprising, because everyone loves to bite the ears off a chocolate bunny!
Easter marshmallow PEEPS are also part of that tradition by pumping millions of dollars into Easter candy sales. International Buisness Times reported, “Americans spent $1.9 billion on 7 billion pounds of Easter candy last year-making the April holiday second only to Halloween as the biggest candy-eating occasion of the year. Every Easter, Americans consume over 700 million Marshmallow PEEPS shaped like chicks, bunnies and eggs, making them the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy.”
Please feel free to send if you have any questions regarding this post , you can contact on
Disclaimer: The views expressed on this site are that of the authors and not necessarily that of U.S.S.POST.


text:
Battlegrounds Mobile India reached 34 million downloads in the first week. The game is only available on Android. Battlegrounds Mobile India will be launched on iOS this month.
Battlegrounds Mobile India has surpassed the 50 million download mark. The game was officially released on July 2 and has seen significant growth last month, even though it was already on the market before the official release. As part of the 50 million download rewards announced earlier this month, Krafton shared the development results through a press release and provided permanent equipment to gamers. Battlegrounds Mobile India is currently only available on Android, but developers have been teasing the upcoming iOS version.
Just over a month after the official release of the Indian Battlefield mobile version on July 2, the developer Krafton announced a 50 million download reward event, and it is expected that the download of the game will reach 50 million. In the first week of its release, Battlegrounds Mobile India had 34 million downloads, and it was only a matter of time before the game reached 50 million. The 50 million download rewards event includes milestone rewards for all three stages: reaching 48 million, 49 million, and 50 million downloads. Now, as of August 14th, the game has completed the final stage, and players have received the Galaxy Messenger set as a permanent item reward in the game.
“On the occasion of Independence Day, we extend our warm wishes to our Indian fans. We are very happy to be a part of this celebration. What’s even sweeter is that Battlegrounds Mobile India has been in the Play Store in just over a month. It has been downloaded 50 million times! I look forward to getting the same strong response from the first e-sports tournament starting next month,” shared Wooyol Lim, Head of Mobile Division at Krafton Battlefield.


text:
As newspapers continue to die from a thousand paper cuts—falling circulation, declining ad sales, changing reading habits, a profusion of online aggregators who borrow their content and keep their readers—you'd think anyone offering a solution would be seen as a savior. Then again, what if the savior is the organization most responsible for their demise?
Enter: Google Checkout.
According to the Nieman Journalism Lab's Zachary M. Seward, Google has outlined a plan for a "micropayment" system for content, or, as Google puts it a "vision of a premium-content ecosystem." The plan was presented to the Newspaper Association of America.
Earlier this year, Google killed its Print Ads unit, which was supposed to help sell ads in the print editions of newspapers. "While we hoped that Print Ads would create a new revenue stream for newspapers and produce more relevant advertising for consumers, the product has not created the impact that we—or our partners—wanted,” Spencer Spinnell, director of the project said at the time.
Following that, Google News started placing ads alongside the content it aggregates from newspapers, a move that angered many publishers who felt the ad revenue should go to the creators, not the aggregators. In a February 2009 article by Miguel Helft and Brian Stelter in the New York Times, a Google spokesman said, "we strongly support journalism… We’ve got teams of people who are working with hundreds of publishers to find new and creative ways to help them make money from compelling online content."
If Google helps itself make money along the way, well, so be it.
Sign up to receive Upstart Business Journal’s free daily email newsletter, weekend edition and breaking news alerts.


text:
Just days after a Queensland farm supervisor was charged with planting needles in strawberries – and in the process sparking a nationwide series of copycat crimes – an ABC employee has found a needle in a pear purchased from a Woolworths supermarket in Melbourne’s south-east.
As reported by the ABC, make-up artist Claire Bosner bit into the contaminated pear on Tuesday while driving. She discovered the needle before biting it and was not injured.
Bosner claims she bought the pear from a Woolworths in Berwick over the weekend and handed it in to a different store in Seaford after discovering the needle.
A Woolworths spokesperson told Broadsheet the company is “aware of the customer report” and is investigating the matter.
The strawberry contamination scare, which began in September, devastated growers around the country when sales plummeted following the scare.
Victoria Police is looking into the matter but at the time of publishing a statement had not yet been released.


text:
Being innovative is nothing new for the staff at Sushi Garage, whether referring to its Japanese cuisine or even the way it presents its cocktails. The creative minds behind the Miami Beach restaurant (1784 West Ave.; 305.763.8355) proved that in July when they introduced the Toki Can—a fruity-fresh drink made with Toki whiskey, blackberries, simple syrup, Chambord, cranberry juice, micro shiso (a Japanese herb) and mint—served in a glass jar designed to resemble a tin can.
This isn’t the first time they created something special out of a common object—the facility itself used to be a car body shop in Sunset Harbor (hence the name Sushi Garage). They turned it into a roomy Japanese establishment with a school of metallic koi fish sculptures dangling from the ceiling, creating the illusion that the green and salmon-colored objects are swimming.
Since opening about two years ago, Sushi Garage always pursues ideas to make its menus stand out. When it comes to creating new drinks, the restaurant doesn’t rely on a mixologist; instead, the team collaborates on cocktails based on what they like, adding their own twists to common blends.
The Toki Can is a perfect example.
“The big thing that’s coming around is the highball, which is whiskey and soda, and we just wanted to go the other the way from that,” says Tim Sandoz, director of operations at Sushi Garage. “Not ‘stray away,’ but kind of make things a bit different.”
One of these twists was to combine Toki whiskey with fruit. After tasting it, Sandoz says that there was “an air of freshness that was kind of missing.” So, the team crushed mint leaves and mixed it into the drink—thus solving the problem.
“In Miami, it’s so hot and humid,” Sandoz says. “We wanted something that you can drink and not get overwhelmed by the sweetness of it.”
1 1/2 ounces Toki whiskey
3/4 ounces Chambord
1/4 ounces simple syrup
10 mint leaves
Put blackberries and mint in the glass. Add simple syrup and Chambord and mix. Pour Toki whiskey and stir. Add ice and top with cranberry juice. Add crushed ice. Garnish with blackberry, mint stem and micro shiso.


text:
The trend for UK holidays has pushed prices for the UK’s 20,000 candy-coloured seaside cabins through the roof When Vicky Gunn bought a little ramshackle beach hut at Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex four years ago for £10,500, she had no idea what an incredible investment it would turn out to be. Last week, she sold the seafront hut with its new stylish interior for £48,000. “It’s really bizarre. £10,000 is a lot of money but £48,000 is life-changing for a lot of people,” she said.
Read full story


text:
Nissan and Nissan Motorsports (NISMO) will not be sponsoring or officially participating in any motorsports activities in North American on the verge of bringing over the GT-R, the most ferocious sports car from Nissan ever for North America. Earlier in the day we reported on a rumor that Nissan was getting out of American motorsports and we now have confirmation from Nissan. According to Scott Vazin, Director of Product Communications for Nissan Motor Company, though they're getting out for [Fiscal Year] 2008, "we'll keep a presence around the world."
Vazin went on to say "It's not all or nothing, we're certainly reviewing it against a larger motorsports strategy, but for 2008 we're taking a pause." He wouldn't give a reason for doing so, other than saying they're working on strategy, but he did deny that it was at all a financial decision.
On the awkward timing given the introduction of the Nissan GT-R, Vazin responded with questions "The GT-R goes on sale in June, so we're a good six months away [and] the company is considering what to do with the GT-R. Can we go racing with it? What series could we be in that would be consistent across all markets?"
Though he insisted that Nissan was out of racing for FY2008, which for Nissan means March 31, 2009, the door was left open for the future "At the moment we finished CORR (Championship Off Road Racing) season for 2007 and felt pretty good about where we ended, and now it's a chance to reflect on what's the return and where we can make a difference."
You heard it here first. Nissan is out. Does this mean a great return in FY 2009 highlighted by a NISMO racing GT-R? Or will Nissan's reflection lead to them continuing their motorsports freeze? Only time will tell.


text:
Following on the hot heels of successful online business such as Hotels.ng and Sleepout.co.ke, Hotel Link Solutions has launched its services in Uganda.
The site aims to help hotel and accommodation businesses to harness the power of the internet and increase their business across the country.
“I am very excited to be working with Hotel Link Solutions and to lead these activities,” remarked Mr. Sula Kakande the new country director. “By setting up shop in Uganda, Hotel Link Solutions makes evident the growing importance of the region and the demand for cutting-edge online marketing solutions to support it.”
“As Hotel Link Solutions provides easy-to-understand and comprehensive digital-marketing solutions to accommodation providers, it is poised to extend the reach of the Ugandan market and I look forward to great years to come.”
The company now targets 250 properties in Uganda and expects to support those many with digital marketing packages.
As Director of Business Development for Hotel Link Solutions Uganda, Kakande also has plans to reach out to neighboring countries like Rwanda and Burundi, the statement from the company said.


text:
Can you believe we are already halfway through summer?
Memorial Day weekend is already here, can you believe it?
We’ve already gone over the nuts and bolts of the Momcation in our post “Taking a Momcation- How
Whether you’re just starting out on your weight loss journey or you’re already close to your tar
If you are planning to go to Japan, Mount Fuji is certainly already on your To-Do List.
Carnival Cruise Line has already extended its cruise cancellations through April 30, 2021, as w
While most of these changes have been expected and/or already announced by other cruise lines,
While most of these changes have been expected and/or already announced by ot
While many were already skeptical about the 2021 Alaska Cruise Season, the Canadian Government


text:
Central Bank's Move to Push Single-Logo Cards Boosts UnionPay
(Beijing) — The People's Bank of China (PBOC) has stepped into the turf war between China UnionPay, the country's only authorized bank-card payment system, and foreign rivals such as Visa and MasterCard, as the central bank took action that boosts UnionPay's dominance in its market.
The PBOC is discouraging the issuance of dual-logo bank cards, the result of which will be that UnionPay now will clear both domestic and overseas payments made through most Chinese credit cards. The PBOC is also cracking down on attempts by international card companies to indirectly offer yuan clearance.
- 1Grisly Murder Sheds Light on Gangs Who Kill Workers for Compensation
- 2China May Introduce First Rule on Overseas Investment by Year-End
- 3Henan Considers Credit Default Swaps as Debts Mount
- 4Can China’s ‘Leather Capital’ Repay Its Environmental Debts?
- 5China Group in Front for Major New York Subway Contract


text:
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has cast doubt on the country's ability to notch a 10th consecutive year of growth in agriculture exports as drought takes a heavy toll on cattle and sheep numbers.
The warning came as federal government forecaster ABARES predicted a 5 per cent drop in the value of farm production to $59 billion in 2019-20.
ABARES said the country should brace for sharp falls in livestock, livestock products and summer crop production.
It said lower production would reduce export earnings and that farmers also faced strong competition in key export markets.
A report from Bendigo-owned Rural Bank released on Monday showed the country slipped backward in terms of net agriculture trade in 2018-19 despite achieving a record $50.7 billion in exports.
The bittersweet export record was fuelled by a weaker dollar and widespread destocking by drought-hit farmers that has cast doubt on their capacity to meet demand in the short term.
Exports increased by 1.4 per cent or $700 million from the previous year across all commodities, but that was dwarfed by a big increase in agriculture imports.
Agriculture imports jumped by 10.4 per cent, or $1.9 billion, to $20 billion led by prepared foods, wine, whiskey and beer, and dairy products.
The import figures included the first bulk shipment of wheat for more than a decade as Dick Honan's Manildra Group looked to Canada for supply amid shortages on the east coast.
Rural Bank said growth in exports had been slow for the past two years largely because of a drought-related $6.4 billion drop in revenue from the cropping sector to $2.89 billion.
Eastern states are on track for another below-average harvest that on official federal government forecasts has GrainCorp on track to receive a $39 million payout under its new production-based insurance safety net.
Meanwhile, hopes of an average crop in Western Australia are fading after a warm start to spring.
The east coast drought was a major factor in a $1.9 billion spike in cattle industry exports to $12.3 billion in 2018-19 as producers short of feed and water sold stock to abattoirs.
Rural Bank chief operating officer Will Rayner said the drought fallout would continue this year and limit capacity to supply overseas customers.
"While demand for Australian agricultural exports remains positive, supply challenges, particularly for cattle, sheep and wool due to poor seasonal conditions, will limit production and therefore export volumes," he said.
Rural Bank also warned farmers could be net losers from the trade war between the United States and China.
It expects the trade dispute to cause a slowdown in the economies of both nations that could weaken demand for premium agriculture goods.
Mr Rayner said the trade war and tariffs imposed on US products by China had created opportunities for dairy, cotton and almond producers, but wool had been a big casualty.
Rural Bank said wool had been hit by US tariffs on Chinese clothing exports and by weaker consumer demand in China stemming from the trade war.
The wool market bounced back strongly last week after a recent plunge in prices. Wool Innovation noted extraordinary selling and gains last week that highlighted volatility in the sector.
ABARES forecast farm production to fall its lowest level since 2009-10. It warned that if drought conditions across the south-east were to extend into 2020–21, national crop production and exports were likely to
decline for a fourth straight year and trigger more grain imports.
ABARES said it was preparing to release a report backing greater transparency on domestic grain stock as a way to help large consumers plan for imports in times of drought.


text:
Popular Clothing Store Closes its Doors After 42 Years
Published November 2, 2018 at 8:20 pm
Shoppers are going to need to find a new place to buy jeans.
According to a recent press release, the popular clothing store Jean Machine Clothing Inc. recently announced that all 24 Ontario locations will be closing.
All stores will be closed by Jan. 31, 2019 but four stores will remain open until Feb. 28, 2019.
Moving forward, all sales will be final and the store will not offer refunds or exchanges. However, all sales made prior to Nov.1 will fall under the store’s 14 day return/exchange policy.
Jean Machine currently remains open online at JeanMachine.com, however, the policy outlined above will still apply.
All customers that have Jean Machine gift cards are encouraged to redeem them before the closing takes effect.
There is currently no word on why Jean Machine is closing.
Jean Machine was first established in 1976.insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising


text:
EU issues rare guidance letter on coronavirus collaboration
The European Commission has blessed a pharmaceutical cooperation scheme spearheaded by Medicines for Europe under new rules that permit competitor collaboration to ensure the supply of essential products during the covid-19 pandemic.
To read more
Subscribe to Global Competition Review
Subscribe and start reading now
Global Competition Review (GCR) is the complete source of news and analysis for competition practitioners. It keeps you up to speed with the issues and trends that matter, giving you the detail, and depth, you need to operate successfully.


text:
Ram teases concept electric pickup ahead of Ford F-150 Lightning launch
Ram on Monday on its social media channels teased a concept version of its highly anticipated all-electric 1500 truck — a day ahead of the launch of the Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup in Dearborn.
The production launch of the battery-electric Ram 1500 won't happen until 2024, with Stellantis NV promising better range, towing, payload and charge time specs than its competition. But the "built to serve" brand will share a concept model of the vehicle this fall, it announced.
"Time to steal some thunder," the brand wrote in a social media post with a glowing silhouette of the vehicle's front.
Ram has said the vehicle will be built on the Auburn Hills-designed STLA Frame platform, one of four that will support Stellantis' EV portfolio. The company has said the body-on-frame platform will support a range of 500 miles.
The Lightning, meanwhile, is built on a modified version of the gas-powered F-150's platform and has a top range of 320 miles, according to an estimate from the Environmental Protection Agency. It can tow up to 10,000 pounds, has up to 2,000 pounds of payload and can charge from 15% to 80% in 41 minutes with the extended-range pack.
General Motors Co. also sought to steal some of Ford's attention. The Detroit automaker, which began deliveries of the pricey GMC Hummer EV pickup in December and will launch the all-electric Chevrolet Silverado next year, on Monday confirmed the electric Chevrolet Corvette is on its way.


text:
Sales of Plasma and LCD Television sets that come with 3D are significantly better than those of High Definition ones in the first 12 months after they were available.
Futuresource Consulting reports that up to 120,000 3D TVs are expected to be sold in the UK by the end of the year with an additional 550,000 in 2011.
In comparison, only 4000 HD televisions were flogged in 2003. The fact that prices have fallen so fast explains partly why 3D TV have been so popular.
The consultancy firm says that more than four million 3DTVs will be sold worldwide by the end of the year with 1.2 million in Western Europe alone.
Next year, Futuresource reckons that five million 3DTVs will be sold in the US and more than three million in Western Europe.
"3DTV will continue to provide 'premium brand' CE manufacturers with a way to differentiate themselves from the competition and add value for consumers," says Bill Foster, Senior Technology Consultant at Futuresource Consulting.
Prices of HD TV have been slashed by the main manufacturers, led by Samsung. The latter has cut the price of its most popular model, the LE40C750 several times and has resorted to bundling free active 3D glasses, free content and Blu-ray players to entice customers, all for a mere £689.


text:
Credit Card Fraud is on the Rise — Are Your Customers Safe?
Written By: ATM Marketplace
It's no surprise that due to the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, more people were ordering, shopping and paying online than ever before. And due to this digital migration, it's also no surprise that credit card fraud significantly increased as well.
For those aged 20-69 claiming to be a victim of fraud, the majority indicated an online site, email or company as source of the fraud. This included email phishing, fraudulent websites, unsecured public wifi networks, and online scams. Businesses and individuals should not discount any suspicious activity. Some of the most high-profile data breaches in the past decade started with a phishing email.
Train and inform staff and customers
Customers as well as staff need to be educated that any unsolicited email from a coworker, online store, bank or government agency should be treated as suspect until the sender can be verified. That sounds like common sense, but it's often these emails that get opened and are responsible for allowing fraudsters in.
Customers should be aware that phishing emails have become extremely advanced and sophisticated, using personal information, logos and company names that make it harder to realize the email is a scam. Clients and staff should be trained to realize that anytime sensitive information such as account numbers, credit card numbers, fund transfers or passwords are requested, even if it seems to be from a legitimate source, should be verified by another form of contact such as a phone call or text.
During the height of the pandemic, the vice president of accounts payable for a large overseas company received what looked like an email from his CEO requesting the transfer of funds to another overseas recipient. The email had come through the company intranet, had the company logo on the top of the email and looked, by all mean to be a legitimate email. Given that the majority of his team were working remote, the vice president was about to approve the transfer when he decided at the last minute to verify the transaction with the CEO. The email turned out to be a scam and the man saved his company significant embarrassment and money.
An old adage goes, " If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is,' which is great advice to give to clients. If offers come in claiming amazing savings on specific items or services, customers can use a variety of apps to verify the savings, but a good rule of caution is to stick to well-known online retailers that provide data protection, encryption and safety precautions.
Physical Card Fraud
While online card fraud is an ever-growing threat, physical fraud tactics such as card skimmers, RFID skimmers, and simple card theft are still dangerous, and should never be overlooked. The magnetic stripe on a card makes it vulnerable to skimming devices and skimmers often turn up at unattended locations such as an ATMs or self-serve gas pumps. A close inspection of card readers, even if they are within a branch lobby, should be inspected regularly.
Protect customers by using security tape properly and ascertain it hasn't been tampered with. Avoid using generic security labels that can be purchased online; a branded tamper-evident tape is a better option. Instruct technicians and employees to place security tape in a place where it will actually work, all too often security stickers are stuck to a flat surface of a gas pump, no where near an opening, a PIN pad or a card readers.
Good places to apply security tape include over a card reader so externally-placed skimmers would cover or damage the tape; over the PIN pad border so that fraudulent PIN overlays would cover or damage the tape; and across any keyholes, service doors, panels. Internally placed skimmers pose a significant threat, as there's no way for a consumer to know that one has been installed, however, as the infrastructure is updated, it's more common to see silent alarms and deactivations in the event of unauthorized opening of equipment. Today's gas pumps can indicate electronically on the screen the addition of new security measures, which can deter fraudsters.
Credit card security
The FTC will go after fraudsters and litigate in an attempt to return money to victims. In 2019 alone, the FTC returned $232.4 million back to victims of fraud and identity theft.
Unfortunately, even when litigation is successful, victims may not get back all of the money they lost due to fraud. The cost of fraud is not only felt by consumers, but also by card issuers and banks who must, by law, reimburse fraudulent charges to consumers. Many go beyond the law's requirements and offer zero fraud liability for consumers, meaning as long as the bank can verify the charge is fraudulent and is reported in a timely fashion, the customer is not on the hook for the charge.
Consumers provide the first line of defense against fraud. Again, any request for personal information should be avoided and clients and companies should be mindful of online transactions and monitor accounts accordingly to detect fraud quickly. However, merchants also share a responsibility to protect customers from fraudsters. Merchants know their equipment and are better equipped to notice when something is wrong. By taking the threat of phishing and other online attacks seriously, a company can help to prevent large-scale theft of customer data.


text:
Facebook launched Paper today, introducing a new way to browse the social network on your iPhone, but the Internet giant could be facing legal trouble from an unlikely source, FiftyThree, the start-up behind popular iPad sketching app that’s also called Paper. For now the company has simply requested Facebook change the name of its new app, but FiftyThree CEO and co-founder Georg Petschnigg tells The New York Times, “We’re keeping all of our options open.”
Petschnigg addressed the issue earlier today in a blog post, noting that Facebook didn’t offer any prior warning to FiftyThree before announcing its new Paper app—though rumors surrounding the project did name the app correctly as early as mid-January. FiftyThree initially quickly reached out to Facebook directly for an explanation. In response the small company says it received an apology for the lack of warning, but no promise to change the new app’s name.
Clearly frustrated by Facebook’s response, FiftyThree took to its blog to offer a potential solution.
“There’s a simple fix here,” writes Petschnigg. “We think Facebook can apply the same degree of thought they put into the app into building a brand name of their own. An app about stories shouldn’t start with someone else’s story. Facebook should stop using our brand name.”
The possibility of a fight over an everyday word like “paper” may seem absurd, but for FiftyThree this one free app represents their entire business thanks to in-app purchases and recently-released accompanying stylus called Pencil. Also, to be fair, most people searching for Facebook’s app are also probably going to search “Paper” in the appstore. The last thing it wants is to get buried in app store search results by a another application with the same name. There’s also the fact that Facebook’s happily threatened other companies in the past for similar reasons including the use of the word “book,” though this could be first time the social giant finds itself on the opposite side of a trademark dispute.
How FiftyThree will proceed is unclear. The company depends on Facebook shares for a good deal of the word-of-mouth attention it receives online and Petschnigg notes that many of his roughly 30 employees have close ties to Facebook employees. Finally, he challenges Zuckerberg to transition from a company that can “Move fast and break things” to one that moves fast and makes things.
We can’t help but wonder how this will play out. It’s likely too late for Facebook to relaunch Paper with a new name, and for all of its successes FiftyThree may be too small to challenge the social giant. So will this Internet Goliath simply steamroll over David, or does the little guy actually stand a chance?
The Galaxy S20 Ultra's Space Zoom camera is amazing and a bit creepy
The Galaxy S20 Ultra supports up to 100X zoom, which Samsung calls Space Zoom, but is it any good? Can a phone really product usable photos at 100x zoom? We've got our Galaxy S20 Ultra already so join us to find out!
Win an iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch with the Reader's Choice giveaway!
What's the best phone of 2019? Is it the iPhone 11 Pro, Pixel 4 or OnePlus 7T? What about the best laptop, games console, tablet and more? Vote NOW in the Reader's Choice awards and win BIG in time for the holidays!
Here are the best products from IFA 2019!
Here are the products announced at IFA 2019 that were worthy of our Best of IFA 2019 awards. Also featuring MrMobile's single best product at the show!
Stay fully powered with the best chargers
Having a portable charger in your pocket is always a good idea in the modern age. Here are some of the best you can buy.


text:
Get Cash Back and $0 Commissions
+ The Power of TradeStation
Business Wire 20-Nov-2023 7:00 AM
Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZD), today announced its participation in one investor conference in December.
Details of the conference are as follows:
Barclays Global Technology Conference
Location: The Palace Hotel, San Francisco, CA
Date and time: December 7, 2023, 1:20 pm (PT)
About Ziff Davis
Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD) is a vertically focused digital media and internet company whose portfolio includes leading brands in technology, shopping, gaming and entertainment, connectivity, health, cybersecurity, and martech. For more information, visit www.ziffdavis.com.


text:
New Samsung Galaxy Foldable Phones, Galaxy Watch 4 May Launch on August 3
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, Galaxy Watch 4, and Galaxy Watch Active Four could possibly be launched at a Galaxy Unpacked occasion on August 3, based on new leaks. Samsung didn’t unveil its foldable telephones for this yr on the Galaxy Unpacked occasion that noticed the launch of the Galaxy S21 collection. But the corporate is basically anticipated to launch new foldable telephones and smartwatches within the coming months. The new leaks provide particulars about Samsung’s subsequent Galaxy Unpacked occasion, the merchandise that could be unveiled, and likewise when these would possibly begin transport.
Tipster Max Weinbach has leaked that Samsung will host its subsequent Galaxy Unpacked occasion on August 3. At the occasion, the South Korean large is predicted to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3 foldable telephones. Additionally, the corporate may unveil the Samsung Galaxy Watch Four and Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 4. Additionally, YouTuber Jon Prosser claims that the Galaxy Watch Four collection will begin transport every week after the launch i.e. on August 11. However, the Galaxy Z Fold Three and Galaxy Z Flip Three are likely to begin transport three weeks after the launch occasion, i.e., from August 27.
Prosser additionally claims that the Samsung Galaxy Watch Four will are available in 42mm and 46mm sizes, whereas the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active Four will are available in 40mm and 44mm sizes.
Past leaks recommend that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Three could be the first foldable smartphone with an under-display digicam. The upcoming foldable smartphone from Samsung might additionally function hybrid S Pen assist. The new stylus is alleged to not have a pointy tip to stop damaging the display, and the interior show could not scratch simply owing to armour safety on the display, hinge, and bezels. The exterior physique could also be wrapped in Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for added safety.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Three is predicted to be obtainable in three color choices — Black, Dark Green, and Silver. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 could be backed by a 4,275mAh or a 4,380mAh battery.


text:
Service King Collision Repair Centers today officially announced the opening of two new collision repair centers in the Los Angeles area following its acquisition of New Tech Auto Body.
With the announcement, Service King grows its local footprint to 19 locations in the greater Los Angeles area.
“This is an exciting start to the year for the entire Service King family,” said Alan Saviano, Service King Market Vice President for Southern California. “We are always looking for opportunities to expand and enhance our service to the Los Angeles community. New Tech Auto Body has established a reputation for trusted repair


text:
Gartner says India IT spend to grow next year after contraction in 2016
In the current year, Gartner said IT spending will have contracted 1.6% to $67.7 billion. The research firm had expected India IT spending to touch $72.3 bn.
IT spending in India to reach $72.4 bn in 2017: Gartner
Analysts said the key vertical segments driving IT spending growth include communicat...
Smart machines to enter mainstream adoption by 2021: Gartner
"Smart machines will profoundly change the way work is done and how value is cre...
Gartner study shows high abandonment rates for wearables
"Continued growth in the adoption of smart watches and fitness trackers will now be from mainstream consumers instead of early technology adopters."
2016 marks fifth consecutive year of worldwide PC shipment decline: Gartner
There have been innovative form factors like 2-in-1s and thin and light notebooks, as well as technology improvements, such as longer battery life.
IT research firm Gartner to buy CEB for $2.6 billion
Gartner is offering $54 in cash and 0.2284 of its shares for each CEB share, the deal represents a premium of about 25 percent to CEB's Wednesday close
Public cloud services to grow 35.9% in India to $1.3 billion in 2016: Gartner
The overall global public cloud market will mature, and its growth rate will slightly slow down from 17.2 percent in 2016 to a 15.2 percent increase in 2020.
Desktops still more popular than mobile devices in workplace: Gartner
The report said that only 21% of employees use tablets, regardless of whether they are corporate issued or personally owned.
Insurers IT spend to go up 9.1%, says Gartner Inc
This forecast includes spending by insurers on internal IT (including personnel), hardware, software, external IT services and telecommunications.
India PC shipments decline 7.4% in first quarter of 2016: Gartner
In the first quarter of 2016, PC vendors had excess inventory that was carried forward from the fourth quarter of 2015. Analysts believe that inventory will be carried forward into the second quarter of 2016.
Healthcare IT spend in India to rise 3.4 per cent: Gartner
The healthcare software market will grow 6 per cent to $106 million in 2016, Gartner said. Infrastructure spending is expected to grow 4.5 percent to $43 million.
Government IT spending in India to touch $7 billion in 2016: Gartner
The latest forecast from Gartner includes spending on internal technology services, software, IT services, data centers, devices and telecom services, said Gartner.
Global smartphone sales to slow, but India growth healthy: Gartner
Worldwide smartphone sales are expected to grow 7% in 2016 to reach 1.5 billion units. This is down from 14.4 per cent growth in 2015, the US-based company said.
Business intelligence revenue in India to reach $214 mn in 2016: Gartner
BI platforms segment continued to lead the BI software market in India accounting for $115.6 million in revenues in 2015.
20% organisations to move to smartphones to enable access over physical access cards by 2020: Gartner
Phone-as-a-token authentication methods continue to be the preferred choice in the majority of new and refreshed token deployments as an alternative to traditional OTP hardware tokens.


text:
While much of the struggle for adult-use cannabis centers on US policy, we often forget that international policy shapes the conversation, as well. Most of our international treaties on drug control date back to the 1960s, when cannabis prohibition was alive and well.
International bodies like the UN haven’t addressed changing these drug treaties since 1988, but 2020 could be a different story.
On Thursday, February 27, the UN’s narcotics enforcement arm, INCB, led a presentation on cannabis. The INCB’s president, Cornelis de Joncheere, suggested that drug treaties written 60 years ago are no longer relevant in 2020. de Joncheere said the INCB now needs to embrace new processes and instruments to keep up with the cannabis movement.
It’s important to note that, in its 2019 report, the INCB found that most adult-use cannabis legalization flies in the face of international drug treaties. In other words, countries that allow adult-use cannabis are technically doing so in breach of international law.
While the INCB is still staunchly against adult-use cannabis, it’s softened its opinion, calling for greater access to medical cannabis and research.
The UN’s health organization, WHO, is taking a more radical approach. Since 2019, the WHO has called for the UN to reclassify cannabis in these international treaties. The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs is set to meet in Vienna this week to review the WHO’s recommendations on cannabis.
While it’s easy to dismiss international law, it does have an impact on adult-use efforts in the United States. Lax international laws could put more pressure on the federal government to reschedule cannabis. Since the Drug Enforcement Agency classifies cannabis as a Schedule I drug as a result of these international treaties, a reclassification could put pressure on US authorities.
But, ultimately, the United States is still a sovereign nation. In reality, it’s unlikely that UN treaties will have a huge impact on adult-use cannabis in the US. However, as more organizations call for rescheduling cannabis, the better chance activists have of pushing through adult-use cannabis at the federal level in the US.
33% of all cannabis users are aged 21 - 40. Although we tend to think of people under age 50 as the main consumers of cannabis, other age groups matter, too.
CBD is a thriving product in the cannabis industry: it’s worth more than $4.6 billion worldwide. CBD products are popular for consumers who want the benefits
States on the East Coast are now pushing for adult-use legalization across the board in 2020. With the first quarter of the year coming to a close, we’re
The US currently has over 1500 cases of coronavirus, with 40 deaths. With coronavirus reaching pandemic status, there’s naturally a concern from a public
As of 2017, 73% of cannabis executives identified as male and 81% were white. Little has changed in the cannabis landscape in the three years since, where the
The California cannabis market is beginning to mature. As the most populous state in the US, California has earned over $1 billion in cannabis tax revenue over


text:
Retail lags other industries by 20 percent when it comes to IT security, according to a joint study by security-services firms Solutionary and Espiria.
The firms assessed the security of about 400 organizations, including 35 midsize to large retail enterprises. Using a rating system that measured the organizations' security against various industry standards, the survey found that the retail firms scored about 20 percent lower on average than other industries.
The categories of security where retail scored well below other industries were policy, planning, and monitoring, Hugh Voigt, president and CEO of Espiria, said in an interview. In planning, retail scored about 33 percent lower.
Executive management at retail have lower security goals than other industries tracked in the study, he said.
There are several reasons why retail lags when it comes to IT security, said Chris Noell, vice president of business development at Solutionary.
Unlike financial services, it has not been regulated. Also, retail companies tend to be distributed across many locations and have a lot of overturn in labor, making it difficult to implement to enforce security policies, he said.
"Retail hasn't seen itself as a target [for attackers]," Noell added. "That was probably valid five to ten years ago. Now they are very much in the bullseye. They have this credit card data and a lot of it, making them a big target."
Noell credits a joint effort by Visa and MasterCard - the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard - for helping raise awareness about security in the retail industry. PCI outlines requirements for protecting cardholder data.
Voigt recommended that retail firms ensure that they develop programs that improve their IT security for the long haul - not just work through a check-off list.


text:
Truck drivers and freight shippers in Dallas, Texas, and Southern California now have access to the DrayNow Marketplace, an online platform build by Conshohocken-based DrayNow.
Through the platform, users can both browse and book available truck loads, with close to 20 of the 60 major “shipping intermodal brokers” signed up for the platform to date. DrayNow previously served drivers and shippers in Chicago and Atlanta, but a $5 million Series A round raised last month is helping to speed up scaling efforts.
The venture capital raise, led by Comcast Ventures and Osage Venture Partners, will also help raise the head count: Currently at around 20 staffers, DrayNow hopes to get to 130 to 150 employees over the next two years.
“Expanding into Dallas and Los Angeles continues to solidify our DrayNow model,” said CEO and founder Mike Albert. “Our Marketplace provides brokers with a better tool to manage a highly fragmented and regional business and gives carriers a single app for finding loads. More importantly, it provides everyone with transparency and real-time information while removing the waste that is far too common in intermodal drayage.”
(Uh, “drayage“? Yup, that’s a shipping industry term that refers to the transport of goods over a short distance. It stems from the term “dray“: a “vehicle used to haul goods,” especially a cart or wagon without sides.)
Among those major shippers using the platform is Radiant Clipper, a subsidiary of Radiant Global Logistics operating in 100 locations in the U.S. and Canada.
“The innovative technology that is a part of the DrayNow platform has allowed our team to work more efficiently and has opened up new capacity and thought processes within the intermodal space,” Christopher Brach, VP of Operations at Radiant Clipper, said in a statement. “We only see this relationship continuing to grow as DrayNow enters new markets.”-30-
A cell and gene therapy development center is taking 680K square feet at KOP’s Discovery Labs
Patient transportation startup Roundtrip gets a new partnership amid year of growth
This rising Philly-made startup is shutting down. Here’s why, in its founder’s words
How the history of Linode HQ inspires its employees
This Drexel grad is running a tech-driven African tourism startup from Philadelphia
Crossbeam’s senior product manager on why she loves being one of the first hires at a startup
5 startup founders on when they knew it was time to make their first hires
When it comes to diversity, Vanguard puts its money where its mouth is
Sign-up for daily news updates from Technical.ly Philadelphia


text:
CEOs around the world expect an increase in tax rates in the next three years
The Global CEO Outlook 2017
KPMG interviewed over a thousand business leaders from corporations in Europe, America and Asia to know their opinion about key economic issues. The Global CEO Outlook 2017 includes leader’s opinions from 11 industries – from automotive industry to retail and pharmacy.
Taxes are expected to rise
Almost 80% of the CEOs from France and Great Britain and 76% of their colleagues from China expect the tax rates to rise in their countries in the next three years. In general, 67% of top managers around the world share their apprehension. “Different countries are approaching tax reform in different ways,” notes Jane McCormick, KPMG’s Global Head of Tax notes. “But from a global perspective, pressures on national budgets and the political difficulty of increasing taxes on individuals are likely to lead to increases in the taxes borne by business.”
Over half of respondents believe that geopolitical changes have a direct influence on their businesses and this influence has been growing in recent years. The structure and management of foreign assets depend mainly on Brexit conditions. Over half of CEOs strengthen their teams by engaging specialists from relevant industries (69%) to understand and manage potential risks in different scenarios. Seven out of ten top managers said they started investing more in the last year into the improvement of quality control and risk management systems.
Business sees new risks
Operational risks are of top priority for the management in the time of growing uncertainty. It is interesting that this year many respondents have mentioned reputational risks and brand-associated risks as issues requiring special attention of the top management. Moreover, the reputation and the brand were named as the second most important aspect influencing the business growth in the next three years. This concern is mainly due to the fact that the businesses tend to hire specialists for contract work and they have no time to get used to the corporate culture as compared to their in-house peers and sometimes fail to comply with the corporate values of their temporary employer. In the context of an increasingly transparent information environment and unprecedented speed of information dissemination, such situations become a virus-like.
Cyber threats, leaders of the last year, this year dropped to the 5th place: respondents believe they have gained understanding and improved their management skills – 42% of leaders feel they are duly prepared for any cyber incident. At the same time, the management understands that all risks, including operational, technological, reputational, etc., have their cyber component and leave the issue on the agenda.
It is particularly interesting that the number of business leaders who believe in the transformation of their business through technologies dropped by half this year to 26% as compared to 41% in 2016. This does not mean that CEOs do not believe in innovations, but their understanding of the role of innovations has changed: it is not about the need to change everything that there is, but about readiness to new challenges and opportunities. Besides, respondents say that breakthrough technologies do not have to transform an entire industry, even if they influence some particular function only, the effect will be significant. Top management are quite sure that they will be capable of controlling the changes anticipated in their industries, even if the players will emerge who they do not see as their competitors today.
World economy will grow
The survey shows that in general the top management around the world is positive towards the prospects of global economy although the optimistic attitude has dropped as compared to the previous year (65% in 2017 against 80% in 2016). The only country demonstrating growing confidence among business leaders in the economic growth in the last year is the USA. Japan, on the contrary, became the least positively thinking country – 21% against 93% in 2016 evidencing rapid changes taking place in the business environment of the country.
The full version of The Global CEO Outlook is available here.
2017 Global CEO Outlook country reports are available here.
© 2022 KPMG. KPMG Audit LLC, KPMG Tax and Advisory LLC and KPMG Valuation LLC, companies incorporated under the Laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan, member firms of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Limited, a private English company limited by guarantee. All rights reserved.
For more detail about the structure of the KPMG global organization please visit https://home.kpmg/governance.


text:
The Beaconsfield gym is an icon after 24 years in business, so much so that the owners have made a move to better cater to the growing member base with a new O’Connor gym on Stockdale Road.
Part-owner Anthony Trolio said the Warehouse Gym was an icon in Fremantle and the brand new facility had already been well received.
“The location has fantastic exposure, a diverse demographic and a great mix of residential and local business,” he said.
“You never know what sort of response you will get but the people who have joined or come through the new gym so far have proved to be just as friendly.
“We have been really surprised and encouraged by the support from people in suburbs such as Aubin Grove and Success, which shows the willingness of people to travel to get access to great value.
“The response feels more like the excitement and well wishes you see when you’re having a baby rather than starting a new business venture.” Visit Warehouse Fitness


text:
PS4 owners can take advantage of a free weekend of PlayStation Plus multiplayer.
To mark the ten year anniversary of PS Plus, Sony has released a number of bonuses.
This includes an additional free game for PS4 owners, as well as a special anniversary theme.
If you don’t subscribe to PlayStation Plus and want to see what all the fuss is about, then you should take advantage of Sony’s free weekend of PS Plus.
The PlayStation Plus free multiplayer weekend runs from 12.01am local time on June 4 until 11.59pm on June 5.
“For those of you who haven’t tried the online multiplayer benefit for PS Plus, we’ll also be hosting a free online multiplayer weekend starting July 4 at 12:01AM through July 5 at 11:59PM in your local time,” Sony confirms.
“(Online multiplayer game sold separately. Requires internet connection and PlayStation Network account.)”
PlayStation Plus launched on June 29 all the way back in 2010.
“It’s great to see how much PS Plus has grown over the years – starting with the very first PS Plus game offered, WipeOut HD, to offering more than one thousand games to PS Plus members over the last ten years.
“As we walk down memory lane, we’ll leave you with a quick snapshot of PS Plus from this past decade. Thank you again for your continued support and we look forward to celebrating with you!”
Sony has also released a special celebratory theme for PlayStation Plus subscribers.
To download the brand new theme, just visit the PS Plus section of the PlayStation Store and select the theme to download.
“Give your PlayStation 4 system’s home screen a personal touch with this special theme celebrating the 10 year anniversary of PlayStation Plus,” reads the Sony description.
“Themes can be downloaded to give your on-screen display a completely new look, changing the background, icons and colours to match your favourite game or style.
“After downloading, you can select the theme you want to use via the Themes option on the PS4 system’s Settings menu.”
Finally, from July 7, PS Plus subscribers can download three games instead of the usual two. This includes NBA 2K20, Rise of the Tomb Raider and Erica.
Source: Read Full Article


text:
A technology convention may not be the natural venue to introduce a household cleaning product. But to harness the viral marketing of social media, Procter & Gamble sponsored an event last week before the BlogHer 2009 conference in Chicago to present its updated Swiffer Wet Jet cleaning mop, which will be shipped to stores around Aug. 1.
The company was the title sponsor of the Swiffer SocialLuxe Lounge, billed as a pampering party. More than 500 BlogHer participants stopped by on Thursday afternoon, which offered makeovers, a blogging awards presentation and stations to recharge phones and hand-held devices.
One of the main stations at the event had a campy theme that allowed bloggers to test the new Swiffer and dress up as their favorite housewife character, like Lucille Ball or Marge Simpson.
“These bloggers are influential,” said Beth Feldman, founder of RoleMommy.com, who was one of the six bloggers who organized the event.
Even if bloggers did not write about the product, many sent messages through Twitter, posted updates on Facebook or reached out to their readers in other ways. More than 1,000 photos were uploaded from the event, thanks to another sponsor, Eye-Fi, Ms. Feldman said.Continue reading the main story
“It’s not just about blogs anymore. It’s about the numerous ways you can get the word out to people that can make an impact,” she said.
Companies are increasingly sponsoring blogging events, underwriting the travel costs for bloggers to attend tech conventions and even paying bloggers hundreds of dollars for postings or viral marketing campaigns.
But Procter & Gamble strictly underwrote part of the cost of the event itself rather than paying for any positive press, the company said. Bloggers who attended could request samples of the products for their trials or giveaways and provide their honest opinions, said Mark Mercurio, assistant brand manager for Swiffer.
“Word of mouth is a very powerful tool,” said Mr. Mercurio, who added that the company monitored other feedback, like Amazon.com customer reviews and opinions from focus groups. “Consumers are increasingly investigating products online.”
Andy Sernovitz, a blogger who monitors ethics, praised the guidelines set up by the BlogHer organizers.
That does not mean, however, that paid content was a rarity at the Chicago conference. The BlogHer convention site offered plenty of giveaways and gift certificates worth hundreds of dollars that were underwritten by corporations. PRADNYA JOSHIContinue reading the main story


text:
Pudgy Penguins ATH 🐧
Weekly Roundup: Art Blocks birthday, Parallel Season 5, Songcamp’s C4, & more!
Metaversal is a Bankless newsletter for weekly level-ups on NFTs, virtual worlds, & beyond
Dear Bankless Nation,
While the past two years have been brutal for many PFP projects, the Pudgy Penguins collection has continued to shine throughout the bear.
This week, the Penguins reached new all-time highs in both USD and ETH terms. Currently, the floor price on OpenSea is 7.77 ETH.
There’s no mania right now, just apparent consolidation around what people see as one of the strongest projects in NFTs, so we’ll have to wait and see if this impressive breakout is followed by other rallies around the space.
For now, thanks as always for reading everyone. Here’s your latest weekly NFT roundup! ✌
🔮 Thanks to Kraken NFT 🔮
This week in NFTs…
📰 General news
Magic Eden unveiled its new cross-chain wallet.
Privy helped Zora create an embedded wallet.
Zerion released its browser wallet extension.
🎨 Cryptoart & music
Art Blocks celebrated its 3rd birthday.
Highlight launched support for dynamic sales.
Manifold intro’d The Dressing Room, an ERC-6551 display interface.
Numo released Teddies on Vacation (ToV) Season 3.
Songcamp, a music collective, kicked off its C4 mint.
Sound launched a music quest in collaboration with Coinbase.
WINTΞR published the story of the creation of BasePaint.
🏆 Digital collectibles
Buterin Cards completed its mining process.
Pudgy Penguins is conducting its Nounish toy drop next week.
Rainbow released a catalog of its previous NFT drops.
📱 Crypto social
1kx published A Comparative Analysis of Decentralized Social Protocols.
de[labs] is building a decentralized identity system for the DeGods and y00ts communities.
Lens unveiled randomized NFTs for every Lens profile.
PartyDAO added the ability for Parties to sell more memberships on the fly.
🎮 Decentralized gaming
Aavegotchi is conducting a playtest for Gotchi Guardians this weekend.
Echelon is launching Sanctuary, a bespoke Parallel marketplace, on Dec. 11th.
Fren Pets released its new roadmap.
Illuvium Arena arrived on the Epic Games Store.
Parallel started its Season 5 gameplay.
Hyperliquid unveiled a NFTI index.
LooksRare is conducting a LOOKS rewards migration.
NFTfi.com intro’d its Rewards Season 2 campaign.
🌐 Virtual worlds
Decentraland extended support for its Worlds system to all ENS holders.
Hyperfy hosted this year’s WIPsgiving Parade by M3 and the WIP Meetup crew.
Hytopia unveiled a tokenomics update.
🏹 Settle, Hunt, Claim, Repeat.
Be more bankless and become a Bankless Citizen today!
🙏 Thanks for reading this week’s roundup! For more catching up:
📚 Collect the latest Metaversal posts on Mirror
🆕 See my other latest write-ups:
🙏 Together with 🔮 Kraken NFT 🔮
Kraken NFT is one of the most secure, easy-to-use and dynamic marketplaces available. Active and new collectors alike benefit from zero gas fees, multi-chain access, payment flexibility with fiat or 200+ cryptocurrencies, and built-in rarity rankings. Learn more at Kraken.com/nft
Not financial or tax advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. This newsletter is not tax advice. Talk to your accountant. Do your own research.
Disclosure. From time-to-time I may add links in this newsletter to products I use. I may receive commission if you make a purchase through one of these links. Additionally, the Bankless writers hold crypto assets. See our investment disclosures here.


text:
Leading Russian internet company Yandex unveils self-driving taxi prototype (VIDEO)
A company video shows the self-driving vehicle avoiding pedestrians and weaving through obstacles.
Yandex is testing the vehicle software so the company can enter the driverless technology market.
The self-driving car project is part of the company’s Yandex.Taxi service.
All the prototype's systems have been developed by the firm, including mapping, real-time navigation, computer vision and object recognition.
“We use anonymized data that we receive from Yandex Navigator users, which allows us to understand how to drive in a city with its traffic congestion, accidents, speed limits, road closures and other traffic events,” said Vladimir Isaev, spokesman for Yandex.Taxi, as quoted by Techcrunch.
Isaev said the company had been using computer vision technology in some services, such as searching for parking spaces or reading road signs in Yandex’s geolocation services.
Isaev admits it's too early to project when a commercial service will be available. However, Yandex is potentially seeking to partner with car makers and other companies working to bring self-driving vehicles to market.
The Yandex autonomous vehicle hasn’t been navigating real city streets yet, but the company is planning to implement the testing in an urban environment within a year.