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Some carbonated sodas and energy drinks are loaded with caffeine and can give an unhealthy pick-me-up to unsuspecting consumers, University of Florida researchers warn.
Because caffeine can pose health risks for people with certain medical conditions, beverages containing the additive should clearly list the amount they contain, a UF toxicologist recommends in a report assessing caffeine levels of cold beverages published this month in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology.
Bruce Goldberger, director of UF's William R. Maples Center for Forensic Medicine, said the surprisingly high caffeine content in some beverages could present problems for pregnant women and children, and for adults with hypertension, heart disease or mental health ailments such as anxiety.
"We weren't surprised that there was caffeine in the sodas and some of the other beverages," said Goldberger, who is also director of toxicology and a professor of pathology and psychiatry at UF's College of Medicine. The surprise, he said, was the high concentration of caffeine in some of the energy drinks, which exceeded the government's recommendations for cold beverages.
The Food and Drug Administration recommends a maximum caffeine concentration of 65 milligrams per 12-ounce serving of cola beverages, though it does not regulate caffeine content of these drinks. And although the agency requires the presence of caffeine be disclosed, it does not mandate that caffeine quantity be specified on labeling for energy drinks and cold coffee beverages.
The UF team tested 10 energy drinks, 19 sodas and seven other beverages and found some energy drinks have up to 141 milligrams in a single serving - more than twice the content of some espresso coffee drinks.
The sodas tested, including Coca-Cola and Pepsi products, ranged from 0 to 48 milligrams a serving, well below the maximum recommended amount. A&W Root Beer, Sprite, 7-Up and Seagram's Ginger Ale were among the caffeine-free drinks. However, the caffeine content of most energy drinks exceeded the maximum recommended limit. One energy drink with the highest caffeine content had a whopping 141 milligrams per serving, more than a double-shot cold espresso drink.
These drinks are often marketed as enhancing performance and stimulating metabolism and are sometimes described as being "highly vitalizing." Yet in certain people, consumption of caffeine causes serious health effects, such as anxiety, palpitations, irritability, difficulty sleeping and stomach complaints, Goldberger said. Because the amount of caffeine is not labeled on the drinks' packaging, pregnant women, children, infants or people with certain psychiatric diseases or anxiety conditions may unknowingly ingest too much, he added.
The American Dietetic Association suggests women avoid caffeine while pregnant or breastfeeding, citing findings from studies linking caffeine consumption to miscarriage and low-birth weight babies.
"There are many consequences that are relatively unknown to the general public because they consider the consumption of sodas and other beverages to be relatively safe," Goldberger said. "People with psychiatric diseases could have manifestations of anxiety when they consume too much caffeine, people with hypertension could increase their heart rate if they consume caffeine."
Roland Griffiths, a professor of behavioral biology in the Solomon H. Snyder department of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said caffeine is the most widely used mood-altering drug in the world. Although caffeine is not considered highly toxic, physicians often recommend cutting back or eliminating caffeine consumption for patients who are pregnant or who have anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia or some kinds of stomach and heart conditions.
"Daily use of even relatively low doses of caffeine (about 100 milligrams a day) results in physical dependence, with abstinence characterized by withdrawal symptoms such as headache, fatigue, depressed mood and difficulty concentrating," Griffiths said. "People should then make informed decisions about their caffeine use. Obviously, knowing how much caffeine a given product contains is critical to making an informed decision about use."
Goldberger said many people are aware of their food's nutritional content but most know little about the ingredients of their beverage, just whether it is sugar-free or regular. A few energy drinks have labels warning that the product is not recommended for children and pregnant women, but they do not specify the caffeine content.
"This study gives us some enlightenment on the caffeine content of beverages, and the importance of appropriate labeling," Goldberger said.


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Wells Fargo & Co. and AT&T have announced a program to help merchants set up electronic "storefronts" on the World Wide Web.
Wells Fargo is supplying credit card processing services, while AT&T is providing Web site hosting and telecommunications support. "We are joining together to be able to offer a complete Internet solution to small-business customers," said Debra Rossi, senior vice president and manager of electronic payment solutions at Wells Fargo.
Wells Fargo already has more than 1,000 merchants doing business on the Internet, Ms. Rossi said. The partnership with AT&T is meant to enhance service for those merchants and to lure in new ones.
"This is all about acquisition of new merchants for both of us, it's about retention of existing clients for both of us," said Keith Olsen, director of new channel development for AT&T.

domain: news


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'Fortnite' is finally coming to the Play Store and its creator Epic wants to break how Google taxes apps in the process
- Epic Games is submitting "Fortnite" to the Google Play Store, but is demanding an exemption from the 30% tax on in-app purchases Google levies.
- "We believe this form of tying of a mandatory payment service with a 30% fee is illegal in the case of a distribution platform with over 50% market share," Epic said in a statement.
- Previously "Fortnite" was only available to download via the Epic store for Android users, because Epic wanted to avoid Google's levy.
- For more stories go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za.
The creators behind "Fortnite" are asking Google to allow the game on the Play Store while simultaneously calling the company monopolistic for exacting a tax on in-app purchases.
As first reported by Google 9to5, "Fortnite" creators Epic Games are planning to submit the game to the Google Play Store, where it has been notably absent since its launch on Android in August 2018.
Previously Android players had to download the game directly from Epic's site, a technique known as sideloading. This was done explicitly to circumvent Google's 30% tax, which CEO Tim Sweeney told Business Insider was "disproportionate to the cost of the services these stores perform."
The method led to some criticism however after it exposed a major security flaw which would allow hackers to gain access to a player's phone.
Epic confirmed to Google 9to5 that not only is it submitting the game to Google, it's asking for an exemption from Google's standard 30% tax on in-app purchases.
"Epic doesn't seek a special exception for ourselves; rather we expect to see a general change to smartphone industry practices in this regard," an Epic spokesperson told Google 9to5.
While "Fortnite" itself is free, there are purchases available in the game which allow the player to buy cosmetic modifications to their character. This is the game's main source of revenue, and it's these purchases which Google taxes.
"We have asked that Google not enforce its publicly stated expectation that products distributed through Google Play use Google's payment service for in-app purchase. We believe this form of tying of a mandatory payment service with a 30% fee is illegal in the case of a distribution platform with over 50% market share."
According to Google 9to5's sources, Epic would sidestep the tax by using "Fortnite's" in-game currency V-Bucks rather than Google payments.
"We note that Google Play's Developer Distribution Agreement does not require developers use Google payments. It merely references a number of non-contractual documents asking developers to do so," the spokesperson said.
"Further, Epic operates a major PC storefront and payment service and we do not force developers using our store to use our payment ecosystem," they added.
This isn't the first time "Fortnite" has gone head-to-head with a tech giant to change its policies, in September last year it strong armed Sony into abandoning its ban on cross-play between Playstation and other consoles. So far Google doesn't seem convinced, as it put out a statement saying it expected Epic to play by the same rules as everybody else on the Play Store.
"Android enables multiple app stores and choices for developers to distribute apps," a spokesperson told Google 9to5. "Google Play has a business model and billing policy that allow us to invest in our platform and tools to help developers build successful businesses while keeping users safe. We welcome any developer that recognises the value of Google Play and expect them to participate under the same terms as other developers."
Apple also leverages a 30% tax on in-app purchases, but Apple devices don't allow apps to be downloaded from anywhere else other than the app store. Apple has also been criticised for the tax by music-streaming giant Spotify, which filed an antitrust complaint with the European Union in March.
Receive a daily update on your cellphone with all our latest news: click here.
Also from Business Insider South Africa:
- South Africans are renting dead bodies to scam life insurers
- Some light at the end of the load shedding tunnel: new independent power plants could be connected to the grid by February. Here’s what is coming online and when.
- This is how much it will cost to take your home off the grid - and avoid load shedding forever
- Photo shows Jeffrey Epstein went to royal party dressed as a Navy SEAL
- Peter Frates who started the viral Ice Bucket Challenge died after a battle with ALS
- The US has become one of the lowest-taxed countries in the world. Here are the 6 other nations with the smallest tax burdens.


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Tuesday's CNET Update is rating you on a 10-point scale:
Today's tech news roundup looks at the growing competition between Foursquare and Yelp. Foursquare launched a new 10-point ratings system for local businesses, which is what Yelp has been doing. But Yelp has been creeping in on Foursquare's territory recently by highlighting friend activity. Yelp also rolled out an app update that displays restaurant menus and reviews of each menu item.
Amazon is now offering a payment option of $8 a month for Prime, the same price as Netflix and Hulu. The yearly $80 subscription is still a choice, and it's 20 percent cheaper.
Instagram is rolling out Web profiles to users over the next week, making it easier to see someone's photo feed without the app. The URLs will be Instagram.com/username.
Amazon Lockers will be at Staples stores, a spokeswoman told Reuters. Amazon Lockers have been rolling out to grocery stores and markets as a new option for picking up small packages in person.
A fresh Xbox Surface rumor emerged from The Verge, saying the tablet would have a 7-inch display. We first heard reports of an Xbox Surface gaming tablet back in June. Seems like this would be a product to help put a big push on the SmartGlass feature.
Happy Halo 4 day! The latest in the series has hit stores, and CNET's review says it is one of the best Xbox games of all time.
Watch CNET Update in the video above, or subscribe to the podcast via the links below.
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Netherlands lowers Intrastat thresholds
- European News
- Feb 5, 2019 | Richard Asquith
The Netherlands has lowered its 2019 annual thresholds for Intrastat reporting as follows:
- Dispatches reporting threshold drops from €1.2m to €1.0m
- Arrivals reporting threshold is lowered from €1m to €0.8m.
The reductions in the thresholds are aimed at bringing in an additional 2,300 tax payers into the reporting net. This is largely to help identify and tackle VAT fraud.
Intrastat is an EU-wide reporting requirement for goods movements across internal EU borders. It helps governments understand trade flows within the EU Single Market, and detect VAT fraud.
Latest Dutch news
January 25, 2019
The European Commission (EC) has proposed switching from unanimous to majority voting on EU VAT and other tax policies. The aim is to progress fiscal reforms which face immovable opposition from just a limited number of member states.
January 09, 2019
The EU VAT Directive has been updated from 1 January 2019 to introduce a voluntary generalised reverse charge measure on domestic transactions in member states.
December 28, 2018
Following agreement by EU member states to permit cutting the VAT rate on e-books and online journals to match the reduced/zero rating permitted on their paper-based equivalents, the following countries have already announced reductions...
Sign up for our free newsletter stay up-to-date with the latest tax news.
International Indirect Tax Summit
Join us for our Brexit special
26 March 2019


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Harmonix announces A City Sleeps, their new music-driven shooter
Harmonix has announced their next release which will come in the form of a brand new music-driven shooter called A City Sleeps.
It follows Poe, the youngest members of an ancient clan of dream exorcists called The Silk. He is charged with rescuing the residents of the city of SanLo when they drift into a mysterious endless slumber.
It is being published as part of Double Fine's new indie publishing initiative and will be released on PC via Steam in October. It's currently available to pre-order with 15 percent off.
- Visuals are key to the PS4's success according to Nielsen's latest survey
- Sledgehammer considering revisiting classic multiplayer maps for Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare
- New ToeJam & Earl game comes to Kickstarter
- Free login campaign announced as Final Fantasy XIV tops 4 million registered users
- Fable Legends will be free-to-play on both PC and Xbox One
- Bastion will hit the PS4 in April
- Sierra bringing Velocity 2X to Xbox One and PC
- This month is a triple-A bonanza for Xbox gamers on Games With Gold
- New House Of Wolves leak shows a Reef social hub for Destiny


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Kirsty McGregor is Deputy Editor at Drapers, working across the magazine and the website. She is a regular media commentator on fashion and retail. She joined Drapers in May 2014, having previously spent almost five years at social policy magazine Community Care.
- +44 (0)20 3953 2802
Drapers has extended its Hit or Miss review of high street retailers to childrenswear for the first time this season, and put the spring 19 offer at Westfield Stratford City to the test.
Making money from marketplacesSubscription
Online marketplaces are evolving into a more sophisticated selling channel for fashion brands and a way to attract new fans, and present an opportunity for retailers to expand their offer with labels that suit their customer.
Last Wednesday evening, John Lewis celebrated the launch of the new festival-themed rooftop experience at its Oxford Street flagship, where guests were presented with an array of eco-friendly sunglasses from eyewear brand Parafina.
The high-tech new standard for sampling Subscription
Digital sampling technologies require brands to change their approach, but could significantly speed up lead times and reduce waste
London retailers hit out at protesters Subscription
The climate change protests in central London are “hugely disruptive” to retailers in the area and must be brought under control, New West End Company said today.
Cashmere and woollen manufacturer Johnstons of Elgin has opened a new store for its eponymous own brand on Multrees Walk, the premium shopping district in the centre of Edinburgh.
The deadline for taking part in Drapers’ sustainability survey – which explores what the fashion retail industry feels is needed to achieve significant change – has been extended to Friday 26 April.
Turkey’s import impasseSubscription
The threat of a no-deal Brexit is leading UK companies to reconsider Turkey as a sourcing destination, but there is still a lack of certainty.
BRC launches new careers initiativeSubscription
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has launched a new initiative called Rethink Retail, which seeks to educate people about the evolving opportunities to carve out a career in the sector.
Timeline: What went wrong at Debenhams?Subscription
As the 206-year-old department store chain enters a pre-pack administration, we look back at its high and lows since it was last taken public in 2006.


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Uber (NYSE: UBER) reported positive earnings on Wednesday as it continues to recover from the pandemic lows. Moreover, the company revealed it would not need to make “significant” investments to keep drivers on the app. Uber’s shares fell over 10% in early morning trading.
The American mobility company reported an earnings loss of USD0.18 per share, compared to the expected USD0.27 a share. Meanwhile, revenue amounted to USD6.85 Billion, higher than analysts anticipated USD6.2 Billion. However, the company also reported a net loss of USD5.9 Billion for the quarter, due to its equity investments in Southeast Asian mobility and delivery company Grab as well as ride-hailing company Didi.
“Our results demonstrate just how much progress we’ve made navigating out of the pandemic and how the power of our platform is differentiating our business performance,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO. “In April, Mobility Gross Bookings exceeded 2019 levels across all regions and use cases. There’s never been a more exciting time to innovate at Uber and we’re focused on executing our strategy to grow our platform profitably.”
“We are pleased with our Q1 results, with outperformance of our quarterly guidance and strong incremental margins,” said Nelson Chai, CFO. “With free cash flow approaching breakeven in Q1, we now expect to generate meaningful positive free cash flows for full-year 2022.”
Uber now forecasts that its second-quarter gross bookings will range between USD28.5 Billion and USD29.5 Billion. Furthermore, it believes adjusted EBITDA will be between USD240 Million and USD270 Million.


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BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Brownsville Port of Entry is encouraging travelers to plan ahead to facilitate traffic this holiday season.
“We thank the traveling public for being proactive, patient and we strongly encourage them to avail themselves of facilitation measures such as filing and prepaying their tourist permit applications electronically via the CBP One mobile app and utilizing our Ready Lanes,” said Port Director Tater Ortiz, Brownsville Port of Entry in a release from CBP.
The Brownsville Port of Entry encourages travelers to apply for tourist permits online by using the CBP One mobile app, available on Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Travelers can also apply by visiting the following link.
Travelers will receive a provisional I-94 after submitting their application. To finalize the process, travelers will have to present themselves at a port of entry within seven days to be interviewed, submit finger scans and have a photo taken.
Brownsville Port of Entry will extend “front of line privileges” to those who submit their applications electronically and present their I-94 permit receipt, according to the release.
The public can also monitor wait times at the border by visiting the following link or using the Border Wait Times (BTW) app on their smartphone. The wait times are updated on an hourly basis, according to the release.
CBP also reminds the public that Los Indios International Bridge is also available until 10 p.m. as an alternate route to avoid heavy traffic.
To avoid delays, CBP encourages travelers to declare all agricultural items to an officer upon arrival.


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A woman who narrowly survived a deadly shooting at a Virginia Walmart has sued the company for $50 million, saying that she had warned her employer of the alleged attacker’s dangerous behavior.
Donya Prioleau was among those people attacked by Walmart employee Andre Bing, 31, on the night of Nov. 22, when Bing allegedly opened fire on store workers gathered in a break room. As Law&Crime previously reported, two people were killed in the attack, and three more succumbed to their injuries after being taken to the hospital.
According to authorities, Bing died that night from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“Bullets whizzed by Plaintiff Donya Prioleau’s face and left side, barely missing her,” the lawsuit says of Prioleau’s terrifying experience. “She witnessed several of her coworkers being brutally murdered on either side of her.”
Prioleau had worked at the Chesapeake Walmart since May 26, 2021 as an overnight stocker and trainer, according to the lawsuit. Bing was a “team lead” with Walmart and responsible for managing the overnight stocking crew, including Prioleau, the lawsuit says. He had been with the company since 2010.
Bing had allegedly been “demoted” and “disciplined” by Walmart management for his “improper and disturbing interactions” with others, but he was still retained as team lead for the company despite demonstrating “a pattern of disturbing behavior leading up to the shooting.”
Prioleau says Walmart knew — or should have known — that he was dangerous.
“Mr. Bing’s behavior prior to the shooting put Walmart on notice on that Mr. Bing was violent and could harm others,” the complaint says.
Bing’s “bizarre and threatening behavior” included comments that Prioleau reported in a formal complaint submitted on Sept. 10, 2022.
“Mr. Bing had bizarrely and inappropriately commented on Ms. Prioleau’s age, stating: ‘Isn’t your lady clock ticking? Shouldn’t you be having kids?'” the complaint says. “Ms. Prioleau also complained to Walmart that Mr. Bing had harassed her for being poor and being short. Lastly, Ms. Prioleau informed Walmart that Mr. Bing called her a ‘bitch’ under his breath as she walked past.”
Prioleau’s mother, Brenda Allen, had even visited the store to speak with store manager Alysia Mixon about her concerns for her daughter’s safety.
“Ms. Allen inquired as to whether there were any other measures Ms. Mixon could take with respect to Mr. Bing because it appeared their concerns were falling on deaf ears,” the complaint says. “In response to these concerns, Ms. Mixon informed Ms. Prioleau that there was nothing that could be done about Mr. Bing because he was liked by management.”
Per the complaint:
Prior to the shooting, Mr. Bing bizarrely asked Ms. Prioleau if he could “borrow her hair.”
Prior to the shooting, Mr. Bing asked Ms. Prioleau if she liked guns.
Prior to the shooting, Mr. Bing had told store employees, including managers, that if he was ever fired, he would retaliate and “people will remember my name.”
Prior to the shooting, Mr. Bing had told coworkers that he ran over a turtle with a lawnmower just to see its guys spray out, which made him hungry and reminded him of ramen noodles.
[ . . . ]
Prior to the shooting, Mr. Bing told coworkers that the government was watching him. He kept black tape on his phone camera so no one could spy on him.
Prior to the shooting, Mr. Bing repeatedly asked coworkers if they had received their active shooter training. When coworkers responded that they had, Mr. Bing just smiled and walked away without saying anything.
The complaint notes that Bing had a reputation among Walmart employees for being the team lead to “watch out for.”
“It was well known that Mr. Bing had a bad attitude and would retaliate against fellow employees for the smallest perceived slight or inadequacy,” the complaint says. “Mr. Bing was known for being a mean and cruel supervisor.”
The lawsuit also alleges that Bing had a “personal vendetta against several Walmart employees” and kept a “kill list” of potential targets prior to the attack.
Despite all of this, the lawsuit asserts, Bing was allowed to continue working at the store.
“Upon information and belief, Walmart and its managers were aware of Mr. Bing’s behavior and threats, but kept employing him anyway,” the complaint says.
Prioleau alleges that she has been severely traumatized by the experience, suffering from sleeplessness and experiencing flashbacks, severe anxiety, and nightmares since the attack.
“Ms. Prioleau looked at one of her coworkers in the eyes right after she had been shot in the neck,” the complaint says, detailing Prioleau’s horrifying experience of the shooting. “Ms. Prioleau saw the bullet wound in her coworker’s neck, the blood rushing out of it, and the shocked look on her coworker’s helpless face. Ms. Prioleau ran out of the break room as fast as she could. In the process of escaping, Ms. Prioleau fell, injuring her knee and elbow.”
The lawsuit seeks $50 million for Prioleau’s pain and suffering, existing and future medical mills, and existing and future lost wages.
“As workplace shootings and violence become horrifyingly common, employers have a responsibility to understand the warning signs and take threats seriously in order to protect their employees and customers,” attorneys John Morgan and Peter Anderson said in a statement. “Our hearts are broken for the families of those who lost loved ones and for those, like Ms. Prioleau, whose lives will never be the same because of this trauma. We will work to hold Walmart accountable for failing to stop this tragedy.”
Walmart indicated that it had received the complaint but was not commenting on its contents.
“The entire Walmart family is heartbroken by the loss of the valued members of our team,” the company said in a statement emailed to Law&Crime. “Our deepest sympathies go out to our associates and everyone impacted, including those who were injured. We are focused on supporting all our associates with significant resources, including counseling. We are reviewing the Complaint and will be responding as appropriate with the court.”
Read the complaint here.
[Image of Bing via Chesapeake Police Department. Image of scene of shooting on Nov. 22, 2022, via YouTube screengrab/WAVY.]
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YouTube Is Six Years Old and Huge: Three Billion Views a Day
This year’s commemoration is more muted. Basically, just a blog post that notes that the site is really, really big.
How big, you ask?
- YouTube users are now uploading 48 hours of video a minute. That’s up 37 percent in the last six months, and 100 percent in the last year. YouTube says the increase comes in part because it’s easier than ever to upload stuff, and in part because YouTube has started embracing lengthy live streaming sessions.
- YouTube users are now watching more than 3 billion videos a day. That’s up 50 percent from the last year, which is also a huge leap, though the growth rate has declined a bit: Last year, views doubled from a billion a day to two billion in six months.
But if you really want context for YouTube’s growth, go back and check out what it was doing in its first year: In December 2005–when Lazy Sunday first hit, and the site had become a mainstream success–viewers were watching 2.5 million videos a month.
And since we’re going back in time, here are three historically important YouTube videos:
Here’s the first clip ever uploaded to the site, back in April 2005, from little-known co-founder Jared Karim:
And here’s the clip uploaded by Steve Chen and Chad Hurley in October 2006, announcing that they’d sold the site to Google:
And here’s Tillman the dog, a 2007 video that showed up in Apple’s early iPhone commercials, and ended up becoming shorthand for the site’s user generated content.


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Consumer Expectations Are High for Personalized Interactions and Secure Management of Data
CGS, a global provider of business applications, enterprise learning and outsourcing services, announced the findings from its 2018 Global Consumer Customer Service Report of more than 500 US and UK individuals, ages ranging from 18 to over 65. The survey looked at consumer preferences for customer service engagements, specifically chatbot usage. Despite today’s technology-dependent environment, the results showed that many consumers still prefer human agents to chatbots for their customer service engagements.
Key findings from the survey include:
Digital delivers speed, but many consumers still prefer human interactions
Approximately half of all respondents globally stated that they will turn to a chatbot for a quick customer service need, while another 25 percent will reach out via email or social. Moving beyond a simple customer service request, many consumers still prefer human agents to chatbots (nearly 50 percent of UK respondents and around 40 percent of US respondents). With AI-powered solutions managing quick service requests, human agents can take a more strategic role in the contact center, focusing on detailed, complex customer inquiries.
Consumers want personalization with careful data management
With today’s customer experience aided by omnichannel accessibility, it’s no surprise that consumer expectations for personalized interactions are high. More than one-third of the respondents expect contact centers to have a full, detailed history of their past interactions when they have corresponded with them more than once. Yet, data security is equally important to these individuals: More than 50 percent of global respondents are very concerned about how contact centers are managing their data. Contact centers will need to balance the investment in the right solutions with staff training to ensure their customers’ data demands are met.
Generations are split on AI-driven service interactions
Many consumers feel that contact centers are moving too quickly to chatbot usage (55 percent of UK respondents and 45 percent of US respondents). Surprisingly, nearly one-third of those respondents from both regions aged 18-24, felt companies were moving too fast. Contact centers must ensure they are catering to the needs of all generations by offering a blend of human and AI-driven interactions, especially with Gen Z entering their customer base.
“Consumer expectations are changing, and our global survey results reinforce that contact centers require a blend of human interaction with next-gen technology to ensure optimum customer experience,” said Michael D. Mills, SVP, Global Sales, Contact Center division, CGS. “At CGS, we pride ourselves on providing our clients with the right teams and technology to support their business process outsourcing engagements and help them prepare for this new era of man and machine service.”
With a base of thousands of multilingual, dedicated call center agents located in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, CGS currently supports many of the world’s industry-leading brands, including global retailers, healthcare providers, technology and telecom providers and global hospitality brands. CGS’s innovative, scalable and flexible business process outsourcing solutions include traditional BPO, technical support, customer care, outbound telesales and channel enablement and back office support, including finance and accounting.


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Jakarta [Indonesia], September 28 (ANI): Indonesia has imposed a ban on social media platforms from doubling as e-commerce sites in order to prevent misuse of data, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported.
The announcement was made on September 25.
Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan after a closed meeting on electronic commerce issues said, "(Social media can only (be used to) facilitate the promotion of goods or services (but) direct transactions ... (and) direct payments are no longer allowed; (social media) can only be used for promotion."According to Channel NewsAsia, under the country's Revised Ministry of Trade Regulation, a minimum import transaction of USD 100 will also be imposed on goods purchased from abroad.
The ban has disappointed buyers, however, the sellers at physical stores in Indonesia have celebrated the move.
Moreover, people in Indonesia expressed distress as they lost a cheaper shopping alternative.
Subairi, a factory worker from West java has relied on TikTok Shop for the past two months to buy his daily necessities. But, following the announcement, he is worried over the loss of cheaper alternative, reported Channel NewsAsia.
The 38-year-old Subairi said, "If TikTok Shop is banned, I will find it difficult to find items that are as cheap as (those sold there).""On other e-commerce platforms, the service fee is almost 10,000 rupiah (USD0.64) but on TikTok Shop it is totally free, with no conditions," he added. Moreover, he emphasized that the flash sales and payday promotions on TikTok Shop, offered at the end of the month make the prices much cheaper, reported Channel NewsAsia.
He has been comparing prices of goods across various e-commerce platforms and found those sold on TikTok Shop to be the cheapest.
"Yesterday, I bought baby formula. Elsewhere, the cheapest price was 320,000 rupiah but on TikTok, with various discounts, I could get (the formula at) around 300,000 rupiah," said the father of two. However, another TikTok Shop buyer Nadya Aulia Arma said that although she disagrees with the new rule but will accept the development and switch to using other e-commerce platforms.
"I honestly don't agree, because I will lose a place to buy things at low prices. But if it's for the good of the Indonesian people, that's okay. I will go back to shopping on Shopee," she said.
A textile seller Iyal Suryadi stressed that the sale of online goods has reduced his income, according to Channel NewsAsia.
"In the local market where we sell our goods, sometimes we only sell one or two pieces of cloth in a week ... If it continues like this, don't even think about growing (the business); just being able to survive is good," he said. He added that the prices of items sold on TikTok Shop"do not make sense". "They sell goods at factory prices directly to consumers, not to distributors or resellers. It is true that we have entered the free market, but let's not go too far," he said. Suryadi, who owns a shop at Pasar Cipeundeuy located in Subang, West Java said, "The government must act if it does not want the country's economy to be destroyed. The reason is that the money in this country revolves around the small people like us, not the rich."Similarly, Mr Raden, a seller at Tanah Abang market in Jakarta also agreed that his sales have been affected due to TikTok Shop as cheap prices are offered on the social media platform.
He further said that he disagrees with the new ban and suggested that the sale of items through social media be restricted instead, reported Channel NewsAsia.
"(This is) because there are merchants here who also sell through TikTok. They are forced to sell on TikTok because the physical market is starting to be abandoned by buyers," he said. "In my opinion, TikTok shops should not be banned but restricted. (Instead), foreign products should be stopped and domestic products should be sold," he added. Responding to the ban, TikTok Indonesia said that it will abide by the laws and regulations of the country.
TikTok Indonesia spokesperson said, "However, we also hope that the government will consider the effect (of the ban) toward the livelihood of six million local sellers and around seven million creator affiliates that use TikTok Shop." Owned by China's ByteDance TikTok Shop said that it has received complaints from local sellers and asked for certainity from the authorities regarding the newly issued regulation.
According to the spokesperson, social commerce emerged as a solution to the problems faced by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Moreover, he added that TikTok Shop was established to support local sellers to collaborate and work with local creators to strengthen traffic for their online shops, Channel NewsAsia reported.
Furthermore, TikTok has been hit with allegations that its TikTok Shop service is implementing predatory pricing by selling imported goods at significantly lower prices, thus leading to major profit losses for MSMEs who struggle to compete with such prices. (ANI)


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Last Updated on 7 September 2023 by Admin
Grab, Asia’s most popular ride-hailing app, has announced the addition of a cryptocurrency wallet. This change might have far-reaching effects on the adoption of cryptos in the area and beyond, given the platform’s massive user base of 180 million people.
Moreover, Grab, sometimes called the “Uber of Southeast Asia,” is a major player in the areas of ride sharing, food delivery, and digital payments in that part of the world. Its choice to include a Web3 crypto wallet is groundbreaking and has the potential to radically alter people’s use of cryptocurrencies in Southeast Asia.
So far, it seems that Singapore—one of the region’s financial and technology hubs—is the only place where you can get this service. This coincides with Singapore’s standing as a world leader in finance and hints that the country may act as a beta site for Grab’s cryptocurrency implementation.
Grab has published wallet and Non-Fungible Token (NFT) how-to information to ease its consumers’ entry into the cryptocurrency market. This indicates that Grab sees the potential of NFTs and other uses for blockchain technology beyond just accepting crypto as payment. This wallet, like Binance’s, is designed to store and access digital assets, but it takes a different, more secure method.
Grab has chosen for a more user-friendly approach using a PIN password instead of the private keys used by standard crypto wallets. With this redesign, it wants to make using cryptocurrency easier for Grab’s many users.


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A new powerful authentication system for Macs debuts at Apple Expo Paris this week.
Established corporate authentication provider CryptoCard has built CRYPTO-Server 6.3 for OS X. It will be exhibited at Booth 22 at the show.
The product is: "Designed to make it simple to positively identify all Panther and Tiger users attempting LAN, VPN (Apple or Cisco), or Web-based (Apache) access", according to the company.
The solution couples user-held hardware "keys" (a multi-function smart card, USB token, hardware token, or software token), with a secret code to deliver a simple-to-use yet secure gateway to top secret company networks.
It also offes a "Fast User Switching" function so multiple users can securely access the Mac, using smart cards or tokens - in a stand-alone or networked environment.
The solution generates a one-time password for every log-on attempt, making stolen credentials useless to hackers while ensuring users don't have to memorize complex codes.
Malcolm MacTaggart, president and CEO of CryptoCard said: "Crypto-Server 6.3 makes it simple for Tiger and Panther users, particularly in the traditional Mac strongholds of the health, legal, higher education, and printing/publishing/multimedia sectors, to provide true ATM-style 'One-PIN-and-You're-In' enterprise-class strong user authentication for LAN, VPN, Web, or remote system access."
The company will be selling its new product at the show.


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Over the course of 2020, countless countries around the world raced for their own digital versions of their currencies, known as central bank digital currencies or CBDCs. According to Jake Yocom-Piatt, co-founder of crypto project Decred, the crypto industry still has its selling points, even when most countries have launched CBDCs.
“I expect many nation states to create their own CBDCs in the not-so-distant future, but there is an important differentiator between CBDCs and cryptocurrencies,” Yocom-Piatt told Cointelegraph. “Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Decred, are fundamentally fairer systems than fiat currencies, so while CBDCs can take over many cryptocurrency functions, they cannot compete on fairness.”
Last year, China led the way in terms of CBDC development pace, while the United States took a slower approach. Recent developments indicate one increased awareness of importance around CBDC development in the US CBDCs are likely to represent digital versions of countries’ dollars, although many details remain in flux at this stage.
As stated by Yocom-Piatt, crypto assets form different core frameworks depending on the asset and its composition. Bitcoin (BTC), for example, remains unbound to national currencies and borders, controlled by computer code and miners.
“Based on the fact that cryptocurrencies are arguably fairer with deterministic issuance schedules and self-held assets, I expect them to be relatively unaffected by CBDCs, which are only digital fiat,” said Yocom-Piatt.
Stablecoins, on the other hand, could logically feel more effect from a CBDC-run world, as their main purpose is to represent fiat in digital form, on the blockchain, tied to a specific value. However, the future of crypto-native stablecoins may still depend on the upcoming specifications of CBDCs.
“Depending on the actions you can take with your CBDC assets, it can cause stablecoins to become largely obsolete,” noted Decred’s co-founder. “If there are too many restrictions on CBDC assets, stablecoins can compete on flexibility.”
Stablecoins, such as USDT and USDC, function on the blockchain and allow for a large number of transactions and storage options. Especially USDC saw a remarkable amount of use within the decentralized financial sector or DeFi sector of crypto in 2020.


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Like in any crisis or disaster time, scammers take advantage. The COVID-19 pandemic is no different. Sleazy companies are selling fake masks and medications that can cost you. Watch this!
In the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic, it's also tax season. And while you're waiting to hear about your economic impact payment, criminals are working hard to trick you into getting their hands on it.
Way too many, unfortunately. Your accounts are draining through false support and phishing scams, or “accident” transfers. And those are (just) the most common scams...
About 35 million people in America are worried about not having money to feed their families, so called food insecurity. This video offers tips as well as resources for help.
"The FoolProof Foundation believes there is a fundamental flaw in the teaching of financial literacy."
How we have put your donated funds to work.


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"A designer eyewear line that pleases everybody is unlikely to inspire.Good design must be thought-provoking."
...So said Cari Zalloni, the man behind Cazal, who passed away this week. Having launched Cazal in 1975, Zalloni never wavered in his quest to create "maximalist" eyewear. Adored by the hip-hop scene in the 1980s, Cazal remains one of the most iconic eyewear brands in the world and
Read the complete post at http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EyeWearGlasses/~3/jEJ05cCxs2c/cari-zalloni-creator-of-cazal-eyewear.html
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Betting on domestic consumption and cyclicals: Mayuresh Joshi, Angel Broking
When volatility is high, it is the global linked sectors -- commodity linked or asset back linked which are going to be more affected, says Joshi.
What explains this weakness across the globe and would you say the failure of Trump to actually put through the healthcare bill may be the key trigger?
That might be one of the probable reasons you are seeing a selloff but the market -- whether Indian or global markets including the US markets -- did move up significantly. The markets are taking a breather because valuations are obviously on the higher side. Specifically in the Indian context, we will be reacting to two sets of news: a) The valuations probably have gone over the roof at this point of time looking at how earnings are panning out. The government formation and the kind of reforms that the government is undertaking is important but the markets will want to rerate themselves only when earnings come through which did not seem likely at least for the next two quarters.
b) What happens from the global perspective. As you rightly pointed out, if Trump is not able to put forth his scheme of things including the healthcare bill and the taxation policies, you might see selloffs because the markets there as well have peaked in valuation parameters. Largely, it is a general selloff that you are seeing in the market because of valuation concerns and policies not going through for the US markets. But in my opinion, it is going to be a stock specific approach specifically for the Indian context.
Today you are seeing more globally linked sectors like metals for instance, which are really cracking hard in trade? Is this the time to really go short in the near term on the metals pack and do you sense that it is more the globally linked sectors which are going to fall harder in the current correction?
When volatility is high, it is the global linked sectors -- commodity linked or asset back linked which are going to be more affected. When we are talking about asset backed -- autos, auto ancillaries may get affected in terms of imminent slowdown that can come through and again the currency risks that probably can create headwinds. In a scenario like this, it is better to focus on domestical cyclical stories where the growth prospects can probably look much better over the next four to eight quarters.
Having said that, due to the kind of government capex programme that are happening in key sectors like infrastructure, roads, highways, power, ports, there are plenty of opportunities in these sectors. As government orders start flowing through, as margin improvement starts happening for a lot of companies associated with this sector and as working capital constraint start to ease, the cash flow improvement can be evident.
There are a few sectors where overcapacity is still there and utilisation levels still probably remain low. But again as the economy starts picking up steam as private capex picks up over the next three to four quarters, earning should start showing respite by the second half of this fiscal in a more meaningful manner. That will lead to credit growth picking up which is essential for the banking and financial system as a whole and that will probably give leeway to what kind of earnings outlook one can define for the next two years.
So largely, domestic consumption and cyclical stories is something that I will remain very optimistic about.
At the start of this interview you spoke about how valuations have gone through the roof and at the same time you are believing in a domestic consumption led story. You have talked about infrastructure and government increasing its orders. But what about the consumption led stocks and sectors, which are the ones that you think are the better ones Ïs ir auto, real estate, FMCG? Which are the ones that you think are doing better than the others, the one that people should bet on?
Individually if you look at consumption and that can be defined to be pretty large. So auto, auto ancillaries form a part of this basket. Obviously FMCG, consumer staples form the integral core of the internal domestic consumption story. But again internally everything is probably linked in terms of consumption related to how cement will play out, how steel will play out, how the road sector will play out, how the power sector will play out because that is where the government focus is with another two, two-and-a-half years before general elections.
The government is pretty focussed in terms of providing the right infrastructure to the length and breadth of the country. Having said that, my own sense is that autos for example have seen a dismal performance in terms of volumes over the past two to three years. As the activity starts picking up and as the entire theme of demonetisation, remonetisation wears off because one really does not expect earnings to meaningfully pick up in Q4, my own sense is that with the good winter output coming through in terms of good rabi harvest and realisations improving of expectations on good monsoon, the discretionary spending will go up and that will probably lead to more demand in terms of volume growth picking up.
Selectively four wheelers like Maruti is something that I always like. From the rural focussed theme, Hero MotoCorp is something that I will remain extremely optimistic about because the entire focus again will work on the how rural consumption will play out and I am very optimistic that it will drive volume growth for stocks like Hero MotoCorp.
Similarly, auto ancillary companies like Amara Raja have largely underperformed the market leader Exide but looking at the way the market is positioning, GST coming through, the paradigm shift happening from unorganised to organised, all these stocks will benefit.
Cement, JK Lakshmi Cement is something that we are liking for a long time and that should also benefit. Within the infrastructure space, L&T has largely underperformed within the largecap names. As more orders start coming towards the next two or three quarters and as the recognition and execution specifically if the domestic E&C starts improving, this is one stock that can be really held on by investors.
In banking and financial services, credit growth has languished over the last two years. It has been 4% to 5% over the last few quarters but as that starts picking up as end user constraint start coming down, the banking and financial space whether you define that to be the large private sector banks, large public sector ones or selectively NBFCs which include housing finance companies or rural focussed equipment finance companies/tractor finance companies, these are stocks and sectors that can really be looked at from 12 to 18 months perspective.
You talked about Hero MotoCorp. You also spoke and you said you are betting on auto and auto ancillaries. You have told us your top pick for two wheelers. What about the four wheelers that you also talked about, which is top stock you are looking at in that segment?
So largely I think Maruti has done exceptionally well over the past few quarters. The new launches, the kind of platforms that it has introduced very well accepted by the market and that is clearly being seen in terms of the demand, the kind of waiting time periods that you got from models like Brezza, for Baleno and I think it is still pretty huge.
Secondly, once the Gujarat plant comes on stream, you got another 2,50,000 odd units coming through on that front. So this is going to be a good utilisation in terms of new models and products coming through which are very well accepted into the markets.
Thirdly, even if you see the volume growth that has happened for Maruti over the past two years and the expectations for the next two years, very well envisaged that volume growth can pick up meaningfully for Maruti and with the cash rich balance sheet which is getting deployed. The indirect share of imports having come down reduces reliance on the yen impact on earnings. So that gets down drastically and that probably improves the EPS for the company over the next two years. Maruti on declines is something that we will be tempted to look at. There is still a long way to go for Maruti in terms of both earnings trajectory as well as the return ratios actually peaking up meaningfully even from the current levels.


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Process Automation and Analytics Korean Industry Sets Sights on Biotech: How Process Analytics goes Gangnam-Style
From shipyards to life-sciences: Automation manufacturers benefit from Korea’s industrial transition – Since the 1960s, Korea has seen an unparalleled transition from an agricultural country to one of Asia’s technology trailblazers. The technological edge secured the “land of the morning calm” a place among the world’s leading shipuilders, cars and electronics manufacturers and plant engineering specialists. After the shipping crisis and the declining crude price, Korea’s multinationals have set their sighths of life-sciences and process engineering. To promote the transition from shipyards to lab-floor, process understanding and state of the art technology are becoming the key enablers.
Between K-Pop and Confucianism: South Korea, the Asian powerhouse at the Yellow Sea, is best known for the ongoing conflict with its Stalinist neighbor or hyped up rap musicians from Seoul’s scenester district Gangnam in the West. But the little country is in fact also the world’s eleventh largest economy.
Gone are the days in which the Korean peninsula was the “hermit Kingdom”, shrouded in secrets and seclude from the rest of the world. Today, cars, electronics, smartphones and flatscreens from the “Country of the morning calm” are in high demand worldwide. Korean multis are also among the leading shipbuilding and engineering firms.
Lesser known in Europe but in high demand in Asia are cosmetics and life-science products from Korea. The powders and cremes enjoy an excellent reputation due to the quality of raw materials and careful production. In terms of education levels, Koreans are among the world leaders: More than 70 % of young people are attending a university.
After heavy industry, electronics and manufacturing, biotechnology booms in Korea: 53.5 billion Wong (ca. 40 million Euro) public spending is invested in Research & Development, 18.2 % of which for bio-projects. And that every year. That is more than in electronics or electrical engineering (15.1 %) and nearly as much as in IT (18.4 %).
Insights in an 18.6 Billion-Dollar Market
Korean companies have long since closed the gap on Western rivals and prepare their masterstroke with innovations galore: Although generics still account for 47 % of Korea’s pharmaceuticals market of 18.6 billion Dollar/year, companies like Hanmi, Boryung Pharm, Genexine or Viromed were able to sell licenses for 20 new developed drugs for a total of 9.3 billion Wong to international partners in 2014.
To help the pharmaceutical boom to make the leap from test tube and miscroscope to bi-business, seven biotech clusters are being established. On the forefront of this development is a leading electronics expert — and process analytic technology from “Old Europe”.
Incheon, Economic Powerhouse and Gateway to Seoul
From the rooftop of the G-Tower 150 meters above the ground one has a breathtaking view over the Yellow Sea and the street canyons of Incheon. The city with a population of 2.9-million just outside of Seoul is a hub for international trade with the second biggest port in Korea and a 20,938 hectares free economic zone.
Incheon is also home to one of the most ambitious projects of Korea’s high-tech-trailblazers Samsung: The country’s biggest multinational (“Jaebol” in Korean) plans to take the bio-pharmaceuticals crown with Samsung Biologics, formed in 2011 as a joint venture with Quintiles. In this process, the know-how acquired in IT and chip manufacturing should help in the manufacturing methods and processes, but also the corresponding technology. And this arrives at quite decisive position from Europe.


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Amazon.com Inc. parking signage stands outside a Kohl’s Corp. department store in Huntington Beach, California, U.S., on Saturday, May 11, 2019.
Kyle Grillot | Bloomberg | Getty Images
“While details of the partnership are confidential, we will continue to see that this is accretive to both sales and profit,” Chief Executive Officer Michelle Gass said during a conference call Tuesday morning.
Kohl’s began accepting Amazon returns at 10 of its stores in the spring of 2017. By the summer of 2019, the Amazon returns kiosks were rolled out nationwide. The hope has been that…


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The Trump Organization has announced plans to expand its branded residences in India, with the launch of a Trump Tower in Bangalore. This news comes during a recent trip to the country by Donald Trump Jr., the President’s son and Executive Vice President of the organization.
The Trump brand has already made a strong presence in India, with Trump Towers in Pune, Mumbai, Delhi NCR & Kolkata. The new development in Bangalore is set to be a luxury residential complex with high-end amenities and services. It will be one of the tallest Trump Tower in India and is expected to bring a new level of luxury to the country’s real estate market.
Trump Jr. stated that the expansion in India is a reflection of the country’s growing economy and real estate market, and the Trump Organization is excited to be a part of it. He added that the Trump Tower in Bangalore will be a reflection of the brand’s commitment to providing the best in luxury real estate.
The Trump Tower in Bangalore is expected to offer a range of amenities and services, including a state-of-the-art fitness center, a swimming pool, and a world-class spa. It will also feature a range of luxurious homes with high-end finishes and modern amenities.
Overall, the expansion of Trump branded residences in India is a major milestone for the Trump Organization, and a reflection of the country’s growing economy and real estate market. The Trump Tower in Bangalore is set to be a landmark development, offering luxury living and world-class amenities to high-end buyers in the city.


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IBM (IBM -0.04%) was one of the few companies still developing the manufacturing processes to build cutting-edge chips. Then, back in 2015, IBM completed the sale of its chip manufacturing assets to stand-alone chip manufacturer GLOBALFOUNDRIES.
Unfortunately for IBM's chip efforts -- the company still develops POWER processors for servers and Z-series chips for its mainframes -- GLOBALFOUNDRIES ceased development of cutting-edge chip manufacturing technology. This left IBM in need of a new partner to manufacture its chip designs.
A little while back, Nikkei Asian Review reported that this new partner would be Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM -0.16%). While GLOBALFOUNDRIES failed to bring its own seven-nanometer manufacturing technology, marketed as 7LP, into mass production, TSMC's own seven-nanometer technology is now in mass production. (If you're reading this on one of the latest iPhones or iPads, you're using a device powered by a TSMC seven-nanometer chip.)
Surprisingly enough, that report was wrong, and it seems IBM is partnering with TSMC's only real competitor in leading-edge semiconductor logic technology: Samsung (NASDAQOTH: SSNLF).
What's the deal?
On Dec. 20, IBM said that it "announced an agreement with Samsung to manufacture 7-nanometer (nm) microprocessors for IBM Power Systems, IBM Z and LinuxONE, high-performance computing (HPC) systems, and cloud offerings."
In addition, the press release claimed that "[today's] announcement also expands and extends the 15-year strategic process technology R&D partnership between the two companies, which, as part of IBM's Research Alliance, includes many industry firsts such as the first NanoSheet Device innovation for sub 5nm, the production of the industry's first 7nm test chip and the first High-K Metal Gate foundry manufacturing."
What does this mean for IBM and Samsung?
From IBM's perspective, the company now has a viable chip manufacturing partner to support the chips that power its systems. Last quarter, IBM's systems business -- which the company says "includes systems hardware and operating systems software -- generated $1.7 billion in sales, growing 1% year-over-year. That represented just 9% of the company's revenue in the quarter.
Nevertheless, that segment is large enough that IBM is going to want to continue to support it, and having a reliable manufacturing partner to build the microprocessors at the heart of those systems is critical to keeping that business alive.
As far as Samsung is concerned, this is incremental business for its contract chip manufacturing arm. However, this is by no means a game changer for Samsung. IBM's total systems business was $1.7 billion last quarter and just over $5.4 billion during the first three quarters of 2018. If we assume that run rate for the entirety of 2018, it translates into about $7.2 billion in overall system sales.
Samsung is going to be generating revenue only for the manufacture of the main processors in these systems. Not only do those systems include many other components (chassis, power supplies, DRAM, storage, motherboards, and so on), but IBM is, naturally, marking up the raw materials costs of those systems to generate profit.
This deal certainly isn't going to add a billion dollars or more to Samsung's coffers and isn't ultimately going to be a game changer for Samsung or even Samsung's semiconductor business (which is primarily dominated by sales of DRAM and NAND memories), but it should drive incremental revenue and gross profit.


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The deadline is dawning for the third annual OMiG digital marketing awards, with entries having to be in by next Friday, March 18.
The awards honour the best and brightest in the field of digital marketing throughout Galway city and county. Past recipients include An Pucan, Pat Divilly, Kinlay House, The Dough Bros, My Kids Time and many more.
The awards are held in partnership with Galway’s Local Enterprise Office and the Connacht Tribune Group and this year IE Domain Registry are main event sponsor.
Categories include Best Social Media Campaign, Best Website, Best Blog, Best Digital Start Up and the overall Online Marketing Leadership Award. The Bonus category is the People’s Choice Award which will be voted by the people of Galway.
A prize fund of over €15,000 is on offer in addition to providing invaluable exposure for your business. Online badges will be given to all entries for display on their websites and social media.
Applications and nominations are now open for all categories and entries can be made through the OMiG website at www.galwaymarketing.ie/awards/. The full list of nominees will be published on March 21.
The awards ceremony promises to be a memorable evening, it takes place at the Town Hall Theatre, Galway, on Tuesday, May 10.
A popular feature of last year’s awards will be retained which was a panel discussion on digital related topics. This year’s panel include names from the top digital marketing practitioners in Ireland, including Head of Innovation, David Tighe, Bank of Ireland. Anybody who is involved in digital marketing can attend so the evening so it’s not just for finalists.
Advance booking of tickets is essential and early bird tickets will be on sale from this week at www.galwaymarketing.ie
App developer brings pampering back home
An Irish entrepreneur, whose grandmother hails from Tuam, has launched a new app that allows you to be pampered in the comfort of your own home.
Elaine Doheny – the woman behind uGlow – is calling on health, wellness and beauty professionals in Galway to sign up the app which will be available to customers later this spring.
uGlow is a booking platform for health, beauty and wellbeing services wherever, and whenever you want.
In the first phase of the launch, uGlow are looking for professionals (GloPro’s) to sign up to the app. The services will be available to customers from April.
“Right now, uGlow’s focus is to get professionals in the areas of wellness beauty and lifestyle signed up – the hair stylists, beauticians, nail technicians, massage therapists, personal trainers, yoga and pilates instructors, stylists, you name it,” explained Elaine.
“The benefits for professionals signing up to uGlow include having more control over your time and increasing your revenue potential. uGlow works very much off your location so as the platform grows, you can work from anywhere in the world.
“The professionals, otherwise known as GlowPro’s, will also be given access to training and webinars on marketing their businesses, managing their finances and developing their brand.
“Freelancing can be lonely so I’d like uGlow to become a community for the freelance hairdressers, lactation specialists and other service providers who sign up to the app.”
The benefits for the professional is that it gives them the freedom and flexibility to plan their working week around their availability and opens them up to new audiences around Ireland – and globally in the future.
For the customer, it means they can be pampered anywhere, anytime at whatever cost they can afford; you make an offer on the App and the professional can choose to accept/decline – and one per cent of every booking will go to charity.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Why NUI Galway is the University of choice for 2022
It’s a time in our lives that many of us can relate to. Life after the Leaving Cert. When what feels like all the studying in the world is narrowly behind you and all of a sudden, you’re faced with one of the most important decisions of your life. As daunting as it can be, choosing where to study can become one of the most rewarding decisions you’ll ever make.
To find out more visit –
NUI Galway, recently awarded the Sunday Times University of the Year for 2022, is a place where you can take the weight of potential from your shoulders and plant it in fertile soil. The diversity, dynamism, and direction, embodied in the culture of this city, is plain to see reflected within the historic walls of its prestigious and proud university.
Situated in the heart of Galway city, renowned for its natural beauty, students at the university can benefit from a place famed for its creativity, become empowered by values of excellence and sustainability, and truly contribute to a lasting vision for the future. With world class teaching, offering a wide-ranging array of subjects that seek to take on the most significant contemporary and future challenges facing humanity.
To lend NUI Galway’s weight to the welfare of the planet, a research and innovation strategy, including decarbonisation, antimicrobial resistance and the health of our oceans and coasts, will champion interdisciplinary breakthroughs in collaboration with over 3000 international institutions in 114 different countries. By doing so, traditional boundaries can be bypassed, and research processes previously bogged down by these hurdles can be propelled thanks to digitalisation and technological innovations.
A thriving student community awaits, ranked in the top 30 most beautiful campuses in Europe, welcoming students from all over the world. The west of Ireland is a place for the untamed mind to truly explore, both academically and culturally, but the sense of togetherness and collaboration that students will experience can be the bond, forming friendships that last a lifetime.
NUI Galway degree courses have adapted in an instinctive way to a world interrupted by the Covid-19 Pandemic and, in many cases, allowing students to study subjects from a broad context for the first year, getting a feel for them before specialising later. This energising approach to study has proved to be not only popular, but hugely effective in navigating the challenges of the career street map.
Studying with NUI Galway goes beyond the time you spend on campus and surrounding areas. Students will be immersed in world-class teaching programmes, learning from expert academics and gaining new skills and perspectives, ensuring they are among the most employable graduates anywhere and setting them apart in the world of work. With an alumni network of over 100,000 worldwide, opportunities for placement abroad are also a great way to further prepare you for the world and your chosen workplace.
Surrounding yourself with exceptional facilities and technology, immersing yourself in a research ecosystem that informs industry, and setting your creative spirit free in a place of natural wonder are, in isolation, resounding reasons to choose NUI Galway as a place to take the next steps in your life’s adventure.
Discover why NUI Galway is the University of You, for you.
Fears on inflation and supply
Inflation – general and wages – along with supply chain issues are the issues of most concern to a majority of business leaders as their organisations face into 2022.
That’s according to the latest quarterly research by the Institute of Directors (IoD) in Ireland, which has also found that a majority of business leaders remains optimistic about the financial performance of their primary organisation in both Q1 2022 and, indeed, for the year 2022.
The advance findings of the IoD’s latest Director Sentiment Monitor survey for Q4 2021, to be published in January, found that 86% of the business leaders are concerned that general inflation will negatively impact the financial performance of their primary organisation in Q1 2022.
And 83% of the survey’s respondents fear that wage inflation will impact staff retention and staff recruitment over that same first quarter.
Nearly a third say their business model has been adapted for supply chain issues – but two-thirds remain concerned regarding their primary organisation and its supply chain issues for the end of 2021.
Again, 34% of respondents say supply chain issues are impacting their ‘bottom line’ for 2021 – and 46% of the business leaders are concerned that there will be supply chain issues for their primary organisation in 2022.


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Lexar Demos Blazing Fast 7GB/sec PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD For Gaming Rigs
PCIe 4.0 SSDs released up until to this point use the Phison’s PS5016-E16 controller. However, Lexar's new 4x4 NVMe prototype SSD is already delivering sequential reads of 6.2GB/sec along with sequential writes of 4.2GB/sec. Unfortunately, Lexar isn't divulging details on what controller is being used for this new, unnamed SSD, but representatives speaking to The SSD Review indicate that it isn't made by Marvell and "isn’t from any of the big name manufacturers."
When the SSD actually is released for Q2 2020, Lexar says that the SSD should be rated for 7GB/sec reads and 4GB/sec writes. As for available capacities, Lexar says that it will be producing 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB SSDs using 96-layer 3D TLC NAND flash. We also know that it will be using the NVMe 1.4 protocol, a 12nm controller, and will feature LDPC ECC for enhanced data protection. The particular prototype on display has a green PCB along with a surf board-esque heatsink with the Lexar name emblazoned on top.
That is no doubt an impressive showing from Lexar, and offers up just a tiny preview of what we can expect from the SSD field in 2020.
(Images in this article courtesy The SSD Review)


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This article is more than 1 year old
Google Google GOOGLE! Cloud cloud CLOUD! These prices are insane!
Act now to get your cheap computing fix at the Chocolate Factory
Google is cutting prices on its Cloud hosted computing service.
The Mountain View Ad server said it would be offering lower prices on cloud compute instances and virtual machines.
Under the new pricing model, cloud compute instances will be cut anywhere from 5 per cent (high CPU instances) to 30 per cent (micro CPU instances)
The price cuts in full
"Many factors influence the total cost of a real-world application, including the likelihood of design changes, the rate of decrease of compute prices, and whether you’ve been locked into price contracts which are now above market rates, or on instances that don’t fit your current needs anymore," Google said in announcing the move.
"With Google Cloud Platform’s customer-friendly pricing model, you're not required to make a long-term commitment to a price, machine class, or region ahead of time."
Google is also offering a new option for standard VM instances. Dubbed ' Preemptible VMs', the new service will allow users to set up a standard one-node Vm for $0.015 per hour. The service will utilize idle compute nodes during low-activity hours, a feature that Google credits with helping to keep the cost of the service down.
The new pricing could also help Google Cloud compete in the hosted computing arena with the likes of Amazon Web Services, Google's chief rival in the cloud space. The two firms have long been locked in a pricing war looking to gain a stranglehold on the virtual computing market, though the contest is taking its toll on the two web giants. ®


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The Arabian Business Community (ABC) Bahrain edition delivered 1,570,604 referrals to businesses in Bahrain during 2021.
The ABC portal has established itself as the leading business reference resource for contact and business information about companies in the Kingdom. The portal provides a unique promotional service which helps companies to increase their business potential by allowing them to promote themselves to customers for their products and services.
“In today’s challenging market, companies are looking to obtain that leading edge on their competitors and ABC Bahrain provides the advantage of generating quantifiable business referrals to their corporate profiles on the portal,” says Ahmed Suleiman, Director of Public Affairs of Al Hilal Group.
“For just BD8 per day, a company can join the community as a Premium Partner providing it with a range of benefits including “Top of Mind” positioning in their field of business. The enhanced profile pages effectively provide them with a “Showroom” for their products and services. In addition, a company will receive email campaigns and classified advertising on the site at no extra charge.”
“Al Hilal’s strength as a media company will give added value promotional exposure not just on ABC but across Al Hilal’s range of publications and social media sites including the Gulf Daily News (GDN) and the group’s market leading trade media such as Gulf Construction, Gulf Industry, Travel & Tourism News and Oil & Gas News,” adds Suleiman.
Al Hilal has recorded an increase in the number of Bahraini companies joining the community this year and ABC has now become the most highly ranked information resource in Bahrain.
“When searching for information about companies in the kingdom you will see that the Google search engine ranks ABC highly and in many cases above an individual company’s social media platforms including LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram,“ adds Ronnie Middleton, Managing Director of Al Hilal Group. “This is the result of our very successful and ongoing SEO strategy which keeps ABC ahead of any other corporate information resourcing websites. Today, ABC represents the most cost-effective marketing tool any company can use. Our message to Bahrain based companies is to position yourself ahead of your competition, become a Premium Partner on ABC Bahrain!”
Al Hilal Group has rolled out country dedicated ABC portals across the GCC. Despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic, 2021 saw a record number of business referrals being delivered across all 14 portals totaling 6,016,977. – TradeArabia News Service


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FRANCE: Paper says Toyota to boost Yaris output at Valenciennes
Toyota is set to boost output at its plant in northern France to meet booming European demand for its cars, despite higher wage costs, a French media report said on Thursday.
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FORT MYERS, Fla. - Norman and Mary Love want to help provide Thanksgiving turkeys and hams for local families in need.
With each $11 donation made to Harry Chapin Food Bank made at The Chocolate Salon through Friday, Nov. 19, donors will receive a free box of Norman Love Confections ultra-premium chocolates valued at $13. To donate at NLC, customers need only notify the cashier they are interested in giving to Harry Chapin.
"Norman and I were watching the news and learned that Harry Chapin was in need of more than 4,000 Thanksgiving turkeys and hams," said Mary. "We knew we had to act and are hoping to help the food bank fill their freezers in time to assist those in need for the holidays."
A check on behalf of Southwest Florida residents and Norman Love Confections will be presented to the food bank Monday, Nov. 22.
Harry Chapin Food Bank, a local nonprofit organization serving Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties, is experiencing a severe shortage of turkeys for its Thanksgiving outreach program. For only $11, the organization can purchase a turkey or ham for a local family in need. To make a donation, visit Norman Love Confections or call Harry Chapin at 239-334-7007.
Founded in 2001 by Norman and Mary Love, Norman Love Confections creates and distributes ultra-premium, handcrafted artisanal chocolates. Based in Fort Myers, the corporate headquarters encompasses both production and retail operations. The Chocolate Salon is a stylish retail shop with an intimate ambience in which customers may purchase chocolates or linger over house-made pastries, gourmet coffees, lattes and smoothies.
For more information, call 239-561-7215, or visit www.normanloveconfections.com. The Chocolate Salon is located at 11380 Lindbergh Boulevard, east of I-75, off Daniels Parkway in Fort Myers, and is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.


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by Scott Eagle on Aug 31, 8:15 AM
According to a study presented at a Pivot Conference (in partnership with Extra Mile Research) entitled "Marketers' Current and Future Use of Social Media," 63% of marketers are already investing in social media marketing, and of the 37% that are not currently investing in social media marketing, 62% are planning to invest, including 46% who plan to do so within one year.
by Jack Loechner on Aug 30, 9:45 PM
According to a new study, conducted by Philadelphia's Tantala Associates, digital billboards do not pose a problem for drivers. Eight years of data covering 35,000 traffic accidents, with more than 233 million cars passing by these billboards every year in Reading, PA, finds that digital billboards are not related to traffic accidents. "The overall conclusion of the study is that digital billboards in the greater Reading area have no statistically significant relationship with the occurrence of accidents," the report says.
by Jack Loechner on Aug 30, 12:51 PM
According to new research from The Nielsen Company, though Email has long been the king on home computers, it's shifting quickly to social networking and online gaming. Americans spend 36% of their online time communicating and networking across social networks, blogs, personal email and instant messaging, up from15.8% just a year ago (43% increase).
by Jack Loechner on Aug 26, 12:00 AM
According to a new study by Accenture "Onward and Up - How Marketers Are Refocusing the Front Office for Growth," finds that marketers have significant barriers to overcome to achieve their professed strategic objectives of improving operational efficiency, increasing profitability and responding effectively to change. The marketers find their objectives have taken on increased importance since, over the last two years, they have been challenged to shift from doing the same with less to doing more with the same.
by Jack Loechner on Aug 25, 2:45 PM
According to a new poll of brand marketers by Harris Interactive for Buddy Media, 72% of brand managers agree that social media offers great potential to reach existing and potential customers across the globe, but they are lacking tools and information to leverage it successfully. On the heels of Facebook's announcement that it has reached 500 million users worldwide, the largest and fastest-growing two-way communication platform in the world, few companies are using Facebook to reach customers globally. According to the poll only one-third of large companies with revenues in excess of $100M are currently using Facebook to do …
by Jack Loechner on Aug 24, 8:15 AM
According to projections from a comprehensive assessment of consumer demand for interactive periodicals by Oliver Wyman for Next Issue Media, the potential for $3 billion in revenue for the U.S. magazine and newspaper industry by 2014 suggests that, after accounting for potential cannibalization of some print subscriptions, the industry could realize $1.3 billion in incremental revenue. An "interactive periodical" as defined by Next Media is one that uses video to create multimedia content, reflows text to optimize layout and navigation, uses interactive features to engage the user in new ways, adds enhanced content for a print-plus experience, and allows …
by Jack Loechner on Aug 23, 8:15 AM
According to July data from comScore, 178 million U.S. Internet users watched online video content during the month for an average of 14.7 hours per viewer. Google Sites, driven primarily by video viewing at YouTube.com, ranked as the top online video content property with 143.2 million unique viewers, followed by Yahoo! Sites, with 55.1 million viewers. Facebook.com jumped one position to capture the #3 spot.
by Jack Loechner on Aug 20, 10:45 AM
The new comScore report, Q2 2010 U.S. retail e-commerce sales estimates, shows that online retail spending reached $32.9 billion for the quarter, up 9% versus year ago. This growth rate represented the third consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth following a year of flat or negative growth rates.
by Jack Loechner on Aug 19, 8:15 AM
A new study released by ExactTarget finds consumers who are active on Twitter are three times more likely to impact a brand's online reputation through syndicated Tweets, blog posts, articles and product reviews than the average consumer. The study supported the general findings that microbloggers have many reasons to follow brands they like. Though discounts and sales are toward the top of the list, news and information about a company and its products are primary. The survey of more than 1,500 consumers identifies top motivations for following brands on Twitter and provides new insight into consumers' expectations for interacting …
by Jack Loechner on Aug 18, 8:15 AM
According to the Veronis Suhler Stevenson Communications Industry Forecast 2004 -2014, The Communications Industry spending is on pace to increase 3.5% in 2010 and post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.1% in the 2009-2014 period to $1.416 trillion, driven by a gradual economic recovery, advances in digital technology, and secular trends impacting the entire industry landscape.


text: More than 100 Cessna Corvalis 400 TTs are now equipped with TKS ice protection as a factory option or retrofit. Now, owners of Corvalis 300/350s can have the system installed. CAV Aerospace, which holds the patent for the "weeping wing" TKS system, announced last week it has received an amended FAA Supplemental Type Certificate to retrofit existing Corvalis 300s and 350s. The approval came after flight testing in an early model Corvalis 350. With the approval, the full line of Corvalis singles is now eligible for the TKS retrofit.


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Blog: Put it in a memo
Chris Brook-Carter | 2 March 2004
The fears that the current uncertainty at Coca-Cola Company over who will suceed outgoing CEO Doug Daft will de-stabilise business efforts, is apparently not the sole domain of the investment community.
According to the Atlanta Constitutional Journal late last week, Coca-Cola's departing chairman and CEO is trying to persuade employees "not be distracted by the background noise" as the CEO selection process begins.
Daft apparently sent an internal memo late Thursday urging workers to focus on the business, even as future leadership remains uncertain.
"We simply must not take our eye off the ball or lose the positive forward momentum we have all worked so hard to create," the memo said.
The Journal, in its report, went on to highlight a research note from UBS, in which analyst Caroline Levy downgraded Coca-Cola.
She said: "In our opinion, Steven Heyer may not be selected as the next chairman and CEO," before adding that the board's hiring of an outside candidate could mean that "many Coca-Cola employees may become distracted as they fear for their jobs and await new strategic plans."
The Coca-Cola Co has had its fair share of critics this year, from health campaigners to investor David Winters, who this week called for CEO Muhtar Kent to be replaced....
The UK health lobby is always very vocal on alcohol at this time of year, predictably so, and this year is no different. ...
“Ah, yes, you've hit upon a very sensitive area,” says Thomas, my guide at the Carlsberg Brewery in Copenhagen last Friday....
Experimentation has long been a watchword in the Scotch whisky industry. It is what has given consumers the huge range of ageing options, from refill hogsheads to virgin oak to Sherry butts....
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transmeta - News, Features, and Slideshows
Microprocessor designer Transmeta is looking for a buyer. Executives announced plans to sell the company on Wednesday, saying investment bank Piper Jaffray & Co. will act as its financial advisor during the sale process.
By Sumner Lemon | 26 September, 2008 07:22
Experts have one question about Nvidia's public admission last week that it may offer its own PC processor: What took you so long?
By Eric Lai | 12 March, 2009 09:08
Cloud, big data and analytics, mobile, social, and IT security have impacted networking – bringing it almost to breaking point. This whitepaper looks at the future of networking to accommodate these evolving trends.
This whitepaper looks at the dramatic shift in the relationship between technology and business and the challenges organisations are facing with expanding investments in mobility, social media, and Big Data/analytics — and, most significantly, a transformation to cloud-based delivery.
- Amazon proposes drone superhighways in sky
- Senators call for investigation of potential safety, security threats from connected cars
- Amazon Launchpad store will sell goods from startups
- Obama won't pardon Snowden, despite petition
- Salesforce tools let customers snap together new mobile apps
- NFV a hit for OpenDaylight
- Darkode cybercrime forum might be making a comeback
- Motorola launches 3 new Android phones with 'amazing value'
- Google: Lock up your Compute Engine data with your own encryption keys
- Microsoft starts pre-loading Windows 10 upgrade onto PCs
- Intel, Micron claim a new class of memory between flash and DRAM
- Groups urge Obama to oppose cyberthreat sharing bills
- EU privacy watchdog weighs in on data protection reform, shares concerns
- IDC cuts forecast for mobile management software sales
- Google tells its publisher partners to comply with EU cookie directive


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Consumers Cutback on Short-Term Spending, But Less Apprehensive About Long-Term Security
State residents are becoming less worried about prospects for improved business conditions, employment and the overall state economy in Connecticut. At the same time, concern about personal finances is increasing, as reflected in reductions in short-term consumer spending. Looking further ahead, apprehension about long-term issues – such as health care, retirement, and jobs – has diminished, according to the latest quarterly InformCT Connecticut Consumer Confidence Survey.
For the second consecutive quarter, 77 percent believe that overall business conditions in the state are the same or better now than six months ago. And for the third consecutive quarter, the percentage who believe conditions will be the same or better six months from now has grown – now at 81 percent, the highest level since the first quarter of 2015. The percentage who say they expect that conditions will be better (31%) is the highest in the nearly four years of quarterly consumer confidence surveys.
Regarding the state’s employment situation, 81 percent feel that compared with six months ago, there are either plenty of jobs for anyone who wants to work, or some jobs but not enough. Only 19 percent say that jobs are very hard to get – the lowest percentage in the 15 quarterly surveys, and down from 26 percent a year ago. An even lower percentage (13%) believe the state’s employment situation will be worse six months from now, also the lowest percentage seen in the quarterly survey.
When asked if they believe that the state’s economy is improving, for the third consecutive quarter, the percentage of state residents who disagree has dropped. It now stands at 40 percent, down from 50 percent a year ago and 56 percent in the second quarter of 2017.
InformCT is a public-private partnership that provides independent, non-partisan research, analysis, and public outreach to help create fact-based dialogue and action in Connecticut. The survey, conducted quarterly since 2015, is administered by researchers from the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc.
More Concerns about Personal Finances
As to the personal financial situation of state residents, 38 percent said they expect to be better off in six months, compared with 46 percent and 43 percent who expressed that view in the previous quarters. Only 28 percent said they were better off now than six months ago, compared with 32 percent last quarter.
That less optimistic outlook is reflected in reduced short-term spending, in many cases at the lowest levels since the quarterly survey began in 2015. For example, in the next six months:
- 58 percent said they were likely to take a vacation outside Connecticut, the lowest in nearly three years (4th quarter of 2015) and third consecutive quarterly decline
- 36 percent said they would make a major consumer expenditure, the lowest in just over a year (2nd quarter of 2017)
- 25 percent said they were likely to purchase a new car, the lowest percentage in more than a yea
- 13 percent said they were likely to refinance or buy a new house, the lowest in three years
Yet, long-term financial concerns have lessened.
- 58 percent were concerned about affording health insurance, the lowest percentage since 2016
- 27 percent were concerned that their job, or their spouse/partner’s job, was in jeopardy, the lowest percentage since the surveys began (high was 42 percent in the first quarter, 2016)
- 27 percent said they would have enough money to retire comfortably, the highest since 2017
“Connecticut residents are more upbeat about the state’s financial prospects, but more concerned about their own. That is a reversal of past trends. Given the uncertainties in the immediate future, they’re holding back on major spending, but the long-range optimism regarding their own financial situation still remains,” said Alissa DeJonge, Vice President of Research for the Connecticut Economic Resource Center.
The survey also found that just over half (54%) of state residents say that Connecticut is a good place to live and raise a family, while 24 percent disagree. That 30-point spread has increased from less than 20 points a year ago (Q3, 2017) when it was 48%-29%.
The online survey of 505 state residents, conducted in late September 2018, has a margin of error of 4 percent. [The latest quarterly survey also included questions about fiscal issues facing the next Governor; that data was released last week.]


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February 02, 2000
Readers' Digest Magazine Struggling
Readers' Digest Association Inc., Pleasantville, NY, which reported good news overall in its second-quarter results late last month, struggled with its core magazine business. Magazine revenue increases in the United States and internationally were offset by lower subscription and advertising revenues from Readers' Digest magazine, due to planned reductions in circulation and the sale of American Health magazine.
However, its non-magazine business fared much better; and the company announced a 61 percent earnings increase to $.90 per share for the fiscal 2000 second quarter.


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AGRA: The sub-divisional magistrate (SDM
) of Aligarh
has ordered the sealing of a plant owned by Heinz India Ltd, manufacturer of such FMCG brands as Complan, and Hind Agro, a slaughterhouse, for violating pollution norms.
According to officials, the two factories were visited by officials in March and given notice to comply with pollution norms in two months. On failing to do that, the factories were sealed.
“The factories did not possess certificates of Central Ground Water Authority
). Also, Hind Agro's effluent treatment plant should have been online so that its performance could be monitored. This did not happen,” an Aligarh district official said.


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An explosive device found on Haymarket, near Piccadilly, caused commuter disruption here today, but retail executives suggested the long-term impact on consumer spending will be minimal.
Police cordoned off a radius around where a car carrying petrol, gas cylinders and nails, was found in the early hours of the morning. The explosives were disabled and the vehicle has been removed for examination.
Haymarket and some connecting streets remained closed early Friday afternoon. The street is home to one of Burberry's offices and its design headquarters - which were closed due to the incident today - and is connected to bustling Piccadilly Circus subway station, which was also shuttered for a time while forensic investigations were underway.
"It is too early to be clear and indeed too early to speculate as [to] who might be responsible and we are keeping an entirely open mind," said DAC Peter Clarke, head of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command and national coordinator of terrorist investigations, in a statement today. "It is obvious that if the device had detonated there could have been significant injury or loss of life. The vehicle was parked in one of the busiest parts of central London in the early hours of a Friday morning when many, many people were leaving nightclubs and other places after an evening out."
Issa Rae stopped by WWD's NYC headquarters to talk about season two of "Insecure," which premieres this Sunday on HBO. Click link in bio for all the details. #wwdeye (📷: @jgreenery; Styled by @mayteallende)
A Stella McCartney sketch of a custom dress made from protein-based silk in partnership with biotech lab Bolt Threads. The dress will be displayed at The Museum of Modern Art's upcoming design exhibition, "Items: Is Fashion Modern?"


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The Japanese manufacturer Toyota will invest 500 million dollars (428 euros at the current exchange rate) in Uber to develop autonomous cars that will be available on this platform.
In particular, Uber will introduce from 2021 on its fleet units of the Toyota Sienna monovolume without a pilot, a service named Autono-MaaS. On the horizon of the platform is to dispense with the million drivers who have worldwide to replace them with autonomous cars, although this technology is not yet mature. The fleet will be equipped with Toyota’s security software, called Guardian.
This investment is an injection for the autonomous driving division of Uber after the fatal accident that led one of its Volvo XC90 test in Arizona (USA) in March this year. An incident that forced the company to suspend its activity in this field.
The agreement with Toyota does not invalidate the one that Uber signed with Volvo, for which it will buy 24,000 units of the aforementioned Swedish SUV between 2019 and 2021; or the one that closed with Daimler at the beginning of the year by which it will incorporate Mercedes-Benz into its fleet. “Over time, we will make a transition from the business model we have with Volvo, where we own the fleet, to this type of partnership (with Toyota), where Uber is the technology provider,” said Jeff Miller, one of its chiefs. developmental.
Toyota already made an investment in Uber in 2016 through its subsidiary Toyota Financial Services for an undisclosed amount. With this new investment, the company would be valued at 72,000 million dollars.
Source: El Mundo