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When the US Golf Association announced last Wednesday that it will continue to study advances in club and ball design and construction before imposing new - and much feared - restrictions, golf equipment manufacturers proclaimed themselves relieved and pleased.
For now.In recent weeks, major equipment makers in the $2.5 billion industry, including Titleist and Spalding in Massachusetts, had mounted a public relations offensive. They feared that the USGA, the governing body of professional and recreational golf, was poised to adopt Draconian restrictions that would even ban clubs currently used on the professional tours and at the local country club.
"They are taking a more conservative and rational approach and they've done a good job of listening to the manufacturers and the consumers," said Scott Kreelman, executive vice president of Spalding.
The manufacturers feared that the USGA would use the eve of the US Open in San Francisco to announce new rules that would ban several new clubs and sharply curtail future research and design.
The issue of new technologies and the impact on the game is being played out amid enormous stakes for the manufacturers and the USGA alike.
Manufacturers of clubs earned $1.7 billion in wholesale business in 1997, an increase of 74 percent in just four years, according to the National Golf Foundation, an industry-supported research group. Manufacturers of golf balls made $667 million in wholesale business last year, an increase of 23 percent from 1993.
New USGA rules would strike at the heart of the industry, which relies heavily on major advancements in technology to market new products every few years. But when top USGA officials took the microphones at The Olympic Club golf course in San Francisco last week, they were anything but confrontational.
"We are not uncomfortable with what we see on the market today," said David Fay, USGA executive director. "We don't believe that clubs submitted at this point have lessened the skill to play the game at championships such as the US Open or at a recreational level."
Fay and other USGA officials outlined a plan to establish a formula to measure the "spring-like effect" that occurs when a club face hits a ball. What the officials, and many golfers, are concerned about is that new technology may be artificially putting more power into shots.
The formula for determining the maximum allowable effect will be sent to manufacturers in a proposed protocol within the next few weeks, Fay said. The companies will then be allowed the rest of the summer to comment on the proposal, before meeting formally with the USGA to discuss the issue further in the fall.
Fay also said that the USGA continues to examine golf balls in an attempt to determine an acceptable level of design advancements. He said no restrictions are currently contemplated.
Some manufacturers, though, remain concerned that the USGA may eventually seek to halt the enormous strides in technology that have made clubs lighter, more accurate, and capable of striking a ball farther.
"The USGA still feels it needs to protect the game from equipment manufacturers, and I strongly disagree with that," said Donald Dye, chief executive of Callaway Golf Co., the Carlsbad, Calif., manufacturer that has led the way in club designs. "But, at least now, consumers will feel comfortable buying what we have in the market."
The USGA's concern is that younger, stronger players, combined with space-age technology and materials, will overwhelm courses. The association has already turned down a bid by the Merion Golf Club outside of Philadelphia to host its fifth U.S. Open because the course is not long enough. Perhaps most alarmingly, the famed Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland is planning to lengthen its layout, a massive bit of construction and landscaping that some in the sport consider to be sacrilegious.
And, on June 9, the Augusta National course, which annually hosts the Masters tournament, announced plans to lengthen a few holes and to add trees to counter the game's big hitters. Just a year ago, Augusta said it would never consider such changes.
The average drive on the PGA Tour has increased from 260 yards to 269 yards in five years. In that time, several companies have introduced clubs and balls, each promising to deliver easier, longer, more accurate play. Perhaps the major factor in the increase of sales of clubs is this repeated introduction of new technologies.
Titleist, a division of Fortune Brands in Fairhaven, and Spalding, in Chicopee, control 70 percent of the market in golf balls. Both companies have been fighting a continual war for market share.
Much of the battle is waged in company laboratories, where as many as 50 research and design workers compete. New balls with new promises of longer, more accurate flight are introduced virtually every other year.
"All of the companies are highly motivated by the bottom line in terms of what they make and whatever advancements they can get out on the market."


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The Biggest BPM News Items During the First Half of 2021
Our editors curated this list of the biggest BPM news items during the first half of 2021, as highlighted on Solutions Review.
The concept of business process management (BPM) has been around for centuries, first being used during the industrial revolution. The dawn of computer technology brought the framework for business process management companies as we know it today, focusing on task efficiency, quality management, and continuous flow. However, it’s only been in recent years that we’ve seen the technology change into what we know it as today. With the ability to generate complex computer applications, companies have begun to understand the benefits of using BPM to change quickly and inexpensively. Today, these tools have evolved to become fully scalable, visual, mobile, and integral platforms providing organizations with process insight and control like never before.
Part of Solutions Review’s ongoing analysis of the business process management marketplace includes covering the biggest BPM news stories that have the greatest impact on enterprise technologists. This is a curated list of the most important BPM news items from the first half of 2021. For more on the space, including the newest product releases, funding rounds, and mergers and acquisitions, follow our popular BPM news section.
The Biggest BPM News Items During the First Half of 2021
Pegasystems Inc. recently announced its acquisition of Qurious.io, Inc. The acquired company is a cloud-based real-time speech analytics solution provider powered by artificial intelligence for customer service teams. Terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed. Qurious.io’s SaaS offering utilizes speech-to-text, natural language processing, and emotion detection features to analyze the dialog within each customer service call as it happens.
In a press statement, Kerim Akgonul, senior vice president of products at Pegasystems, said, “while automated chatbots are increasingly more popular with consumers, live service agents are still left to handle the toughest customer problems over the phone. Qurious.io’s real-time speech analytics proactively helps agents resolve these difficult requests with revenue-producing Next-Best Actions. Their cloud-native approach perfectly complements how Pega uses AI across engagement channels, enabling our clients to provide consistently superior customer service from end to end.”
SAP and Signavio recently announced that SAP has entered into an agreement to acquire Signavio. Combining the Business Process Intelligence unit of SAP with Signavio will strengthen SAP’s capacity to help organizations understand, improve, transform, and manage their business processes at scale. The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory approval.
In a press statement, Dr. Gero Decker, Co-founder and CEO of Signavio said, “by joining SAP, we tap into the broadest business application software portfolio in the market, running the processes of the world. Considering the positioning of SAP, its geographical coverage and financial muscle, SAP is the biggest and best platform to bring process intelligence to every organization. For us, it’s a massive jump start and a major opportunity to help SAP become a key player in the business process management and intelligence space.”
Creatio has announced a $68M capital raise led by Volition Capital, a US-based growth equity firm investing in high-growth companies. There was additional participation from Horizon Capital, a private equity firm investing in Europe. The funding is a minority investment to fuel the company’s growth, with Creatio’s strategy, leadership team, product vision, and commitment to customer success remaining unchanged.
In a press statement, Katherine Kostereva, CEO and co-founder of Creatio, said, “our vision is a world where everyone can automate business ideas in minutes. Now is a critical time for digital and IT leaders to leverage tech and transform their organizations into low-code companies. This investment will allow us to keep building toward the vision of creating a new world, where any company can automate and change their business processes at speed and scale.”
Camunda announced today that it has completed an €82 million (approximately $100 million) funding round led by global venture capital and private equity firm Insight Partners. The round also included existing investor Highland Europe. The investment is based on market momentum toward hyperautomation and the resulting need for cloud-native, open process automation solutions that can automate any type of process, anywhere. Additionally, Camunda will leverage Insight Partners’ expertise in effectively scaling companies and accelerate product development, sales, and marketing initiatives as part of its global expansion.
In a press statement, Matt Gatto, managing director at Insight Partners, said, “process automation is a multi-billion dollar global market opportunity. Camunda has been breaking new ground with their business model and cloud-native technology. As a result, they have become a driving force shaping the new process automation market. We have been impressed with the tremendous value Camunda’s innovative approach has provided for some of the world’s most demanding organizations. Camunda’s success demonstrates how an open, standards-based, developer-friendly platform for end-to-end process automation can increase business agility and improve customer experiences, helping organizations truly transform to a digital enterprise. We are excited to be part of Camunda, helping to scale the company for even bigger growth.”
Today, iGrafx announced that the enterprise software-focused investment firm, Banneker Partners, has invested in the business process management and automation solution provider. Banneker’s software expertise, extensive track record, and deep capital will empower iGrafx to pursue its strategy focused on providing value and innovation to users by investing in sales, marketing, product development, professional services, customer support, and further strategic acquisitions.
In a media statement, Andrew McFarland, CEO of iGrafx, said, “we believe the market is at a significant inflection point. The global pandemic that we all experienced over the last year was a wake-up call for many organizations and has driven increased demand for software like ours that enables organizations to respond to disruption with agility. Business process management, process mining, workflow automation, and RPA are coming together today to give organizations incredible power to drive forward digital transformation initiatives and become more responsive to market conditions. iGrafx plays an essential role in this and the iGrafx team and I are thrilled to be partnering with Banneker to help our customers to evolve, transform, and succeed in a constantly changing business environment.”
Nintex has announced the vendor has acquired the electronic signature and digital transaction management (DTM) software provider, AssureSign. The goal of this acquisition is to help meet customer demand for a native eSignature capability within the Nintex Process Platform. With the Nintex Process Platform, public and private sector organizations across multiple industries are enhancing the user experience, reducing costs, and improving operations by visually mapping and managing business processes with Nintex Promapp. The platform also accelerates digital transformation with mobile apps, digital forms, workflows, RPA, DocGen, and eSignatures.
In a press statement, Eric Johnson, CEO of Nintex, said, “we are excited to welcome eSignature leader AssureSign and its customers to our burgeoning Nintex community. AssureSign’s automation technologies, like with our previous acquisitions, are well architected and will be integrated within the Nintex Process Platform over the months ahead to bring powerful and easy-to-use digital signatures to every organization that is leveraging Nintex to improve the way people work.”

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Celebrity hairstylist Monaè Everett has just launched the Texture Style Awards to help hairstylists level up their careers. The new competition provides a platform to hairstylists to develop and show off their skills in styling all four hair textures: straight, wavy, curly, and kinky/coily.
Hairstylists can enter in one or more of the four hair categories for a chance to win up to $1000 in products from the competition’s sponsors, including the Wella Company, FROMM, Babyliss Pro, and more. In addition, the grand prize winner in each category will receive an one-on-one mentorship with Wella.
“Research shows that 70% of the world has hair that is considered textured. Yet, major beauty companies primarily showcase straight hair in their marketing and social media efforts, with less than one percent representation of other textures,” says Everett. “I want to change how we view, approach, and celebrate all four hair textures.”
The hairstyling vet, who is behind the manes of such celebs as Dominique Fishback,Yara Shahidi, and Paige Hurd, has also teamed up with FROMM to lead a free education series teaching entrant hopefuls tips and techniques for styling each type of hair.
“Hair education courses are pretty expensive, up to $2,000 per course,” Everett adds. “I want to not just create opportunities for hairstylists, but also help remove roadblocks to success.”
The next free look-and-learn classes will be held April 12. Submissions for the Texture Style Awards are open now through April 30. Submission fee is $10 per category, $35 for all four.
Register for the courses and awards competition here.


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The EU has warned Germany it might face legal action regarding Daimler’s refusal to stop using a banned refrigerant in its new vehicles, after France block most Mercedes sales.
The EU confirmed on Tuesday, July 9th, that France has blocked registrations of Mercedes models which use the banned air conditioning coolant. This would be the latest tension between Germany and its partners in Europe regarding the direction of auto industry policy and regulation. Officials have already began to probe Daimler’s and Berlin’s refusal to comply with the EU regulation which bans the air-conditioning coolant R134a.
Commission spokesman Carlo Corazza told Reuters that if the breach will be confirmed, Brussels “may take necessary action including where appropriate infringement procedures” against Germany. Daimler said that France blocked new registrations for the Mercedes SL sports car and A- and B-Class subcompacts, which account for more than 50% of the automaker’s sales in the region.
France banned Mercedes vehicles manufactured beginning with June 12th, but this has already begun to hurt the automaker’s sales. Daimler refuses to phase out the R134a coolant due to safety concerns, it says that the available replacement refrigerant, the Honeywell R1234yf, emits toxic hydrogen fluoride gas when it burns.
“The controversial CO2 debate showed that Europe is grappling with divergent interests among its key players,” said Steffen Bilger, a federal lawmaker with Merkel’s governing CDU who sits on the cross-party transport committee.”It can’t be ruled out that Germany’s voting behavior also played a certain role” in France’s decision to halt Mercedes registrations.


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Schmidt Automotive Research has established that With lithium-ion batteries and electronics, they were almost one pure EV in ten vehicles sold in Europe in November.
There was a time in which EVs and combustion-engined cars fought for customers’ preferences. If one thinks that is now, one either forgot or do not know that EVs were among the first automobiles. As said by Sandy Munro a while ago, noting that what killed them back in the day was their range and the electric starter. With lithium-ion batteries and electronics, they were almost one in ten vehicles sold in Europe in November, according to Schmidt Automotive Research.
If one realized that it is less than 10 percent of the market, such is very right. In fact, it is 8.9 percent. Regardless of how little this seems, that’s the largest market share pure EVs have had in Europe in modern times. EVs may have had larger market shares in the Old Continent in the early days of the automotive industry, but we are not sure about that.
In the meantime, Schmidt Automotive Research said that the CO2 emission fines in Europe were the main driver. This is for that market share increase, aided by more generous government incentives to sell electrified cars. Perhaps these governments pushed incentives precisely when the car market was more depressed due to the pandemic.
Germany would lead the pack and would currently have a plug-in car fleet of more than 500,000 cars. The German government wants 1 million plug-in cars in the country by the end of 2021. The best selling EV in Europe is the Renault ZOE, as users are aware. However, the Volkswagen ID.3 may soon overtake the French contender.
If one considers all the European Union countries, battery electric vehicles sold 82,100 units in November. Until the end of that month, 562,000 electric cars were sold in Europe. Meanwhile, PHEVs also went well but had smaller numbers: 499,000 units.


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The 2021 Honda Accord Beat Out Stiff Competition To Repeat in This Award
As Kelley Blue Book sought out the winner of the 2021 Midsize Car Best Buy Award, many had their eyes on last year’s winner, the Honda Accord. The competition was stiff this year, with a number of well-performing front-runners, but ultimately the Honda Accord once again took first place, being named KBB’s Midsize Car Best Buy for the second year in a row.
What’s new in the 2021 Honda Accord
Far from being one of Honda’s least reliable vehicles, the 2021 Honda Accord has minor upgrades and changes that have shifted it to the front of the pack once again for Midsize Car Best Buy of 2021. A new front grille means better integration of the radar unit, and upper trim levels have new LED lights and alloy wheel designs. The 8-inch infotainment screen is standard on all levels, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, making it friendly for both iPhone and Android users.
Plus, with a new Sport Special Edition that features leather upholstery, heated front seats, and more, buyers can customize their Honda Accord to their liking, with trim levels designed for a wide range of prospective purchasers.
The Honda Accord has a reliable foundation
It wasn’t just the upgrades and new edition that bumped the Honda Accord back up to the top of KBB’s Best Buy Award list. After all, the Honda Accord did win the award last year as well, and it did so with a notably stylistic exterior, a roomy cabin, a large trunk, and advanced powertrains. Even without having a complete makeover to the model since 2018, the Honda Accord has just the right amount of functionality and uniqueness to continue to stand out in its field of midsize cars.
With the look and feel of a luxury car, at a price that’s affordable and a historically high resale value, the Honda Accord is a standout choice for winning this coveted award two years in a row. Kelley Blue Book stated that “what continues to impress us about the Accord is the roominess of the cabin. The front bucket seats are comfortable and supportive, while the rear-seat legroom is exceptional,” meaning the Accord has something that many midsize sedans lack: the ability to be comfortable and have a good amount of room without having to upgrade to an SUV.
This Honda has stiff competition
KBB also noted some of the Accord’s most prominent competition, including the Hyundai Sonata and Kia K5. The recent makeover of the Hyundai Sonata certainly stood out and gave Hyundai a leg up in the competition, but ultimately wasn’t enough to take home first place. With a lower profile, wider base, and re-imagined exterior, the Sonata certainly stood out, but going up against last year’s winner proved to be too tough for it to handle.
The newly named Kia K5 was another noteworthy entry into the competition this year, with upgrades designed to make a midsize car look stunning while handling the road and offering a smooth, easy ride. These changes weren’t enough to beat out the reliability of the Honda Accord, giving Hyundai and Kia a backseat to the amazing work that Honda has done with the 2021 Accord.
Versatility mixed with tradition
The Honda Accord has long held one of the highest resale values on the market, and the 2021 model is no different in that regard. Playing off of what the Accord is known for and introducing a hybrid option that gets 48 mpg, as well as new trim levels, Honda knows what it’s doing here and has once again won KBB’s most coveted award for midsize cars for the second year in a row. Keeping up with this momentum, it’s hard to see what could possibly eke out a win against the Honda Accord in 2022.


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Thousands of people could be paying hundreds of pounds more each year for their mobile and broadband than others on the same contract, according to new data.
The website ismybillfair.com, which allows users to enter details of their household bills and compare the cost with others, said some Sky customers claim to be paying just £80 a month for broadband, home phone and TV packages, while others are spending £160 for the same thing.
The cheapest reported Sky TV contract costs £54 a month, according to the data, which looked at billing details submitted by 7,000 people.
Sky customers said they were paying £116 a month at the top end.
- Reader Offer: Save up to £322 per year on your broadband and phone with our trusted partner Simplify Digital
EE customers on Sim-only deals with unlimited texts and minutes with 2-4GB of data could be paying between £10 and £49 a month for their package, according to the research. The average bill is £23.
The same O2 contract can cost £11 to £28 a month, or £21 on average.
Three charges £23 a month on average for unlimited calls, texts and data, but some customers say they are paying £41 a month. Others are charged just £18.
Alastair Gough, who works for an internet company and lives in Wimbledon, used the information he found on ismybillfair.com to haggle down his Virgin Media bill and cut the monthly cost by £40.
He said he was paying £60 or £70 a month for his Virgin Media package five years ago. This included HD TV, superfast broadband and a landline.
Over the years the cost grew, and he also added other features such as Sky channels. One month the bill came to £120.
Mr Gough, 32, said he knew his package was expensive but he was able to justify it.
“I pay more for Sky Sports but I’d tell myself it’s cheaper than going to the pub”, he said.
After a shock bill of £134 in February, due to a call his wife made to Argentina, he googled “Is my Virgin Media bill fair” and came across the website.
He entered his package details and found he was paying the most by a long stretch.
“Some people were paying between £60 and £80 for what appeared to be the same package as mine,” he said.
He called up the provider and asked it to reduce his bill. He said Virgin Media first offered to cut the monthly cost to £98. But after pushing further he said it agreed to £83 a month, saving him £444 a year.
Mr Gough said: “You have no idea what others are paying, which makes it impossible to know when you’re being ripped off.”
There are a number of reasons for the price disparity in the telecoms industry. Cheap deals for new customers are widespread.
Providers also often introduce new packages or tariffs with improved features, such as faster internet speed, at cheaper prices than existing customers are paying. So a new customer could find they get more for their money while others languish on legacy packages.
A spokesman for Virgin Media said its deals can vary in price depending on the service, and some may include discounts for a limited period of time. He said customers can also get in touch at the end of their contract to check they’re on the best plan.
O2 said the price range suggested by ismybillfair.com will be down to a “number of factors” such as promotional offers and discounts.
A spokesman said it was not clear what the information was based on and it didn’t take into consideration what type of tariff the Sim-only deal was.
BT and EE declined to comment.
Sky said the survey “misrepresents the flexibility and choice” offered to customers.
TalkTalk said it was “committed” to providing current and prospective customers with the best deals. Three said the prices it charges for different products vary over time depending on market conditions.


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Sony is going to hold a press conference in Berlin on September 4th, mere hours before Samsung. It’s widely accepted as fact that the company is going to announce a new flagship phone there, which the internet has been referring to as “Honami”. Apparently the actual name of the device will be Z1.
That name comes courtesy of @DooMLoRD. Apparently he’s some sort of Android hacker extraordinaire who lives on XDA. Anyway, the more interesting bit of “news”, if you want to call it that, is a press photo that has emerged on the Asian website ePrice. It’s 640 pixels wide by 193 pixels tall, so don’t expect the world, but it at least confirms that the phone will come in three color options: Black, White, Purple. Sony offered the same options for the Xperia Z earlier this year.
Why should you pay attention the the Z1? It’s not going to be the first phone out on the market that uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800. That honor goes to Samsung’s Korean only GS4 LTE-A variant. However, it will be the first phone that can capture 4K video. It’s also going to have a 20 megapixel image sensor, which is a first. The phone supposedly comes with a 3,000 mAh battery too, which is impressive considering the rumors say it’ll have a 5.0 inch 1080p screen.
But like I said at the top of this article, just wait 15 days.


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The war between Super-Sol and Unilever Israel grew more bitter Sunday, as the Israeli arm of the Anglo-Dutch food and consumer goods maker got ready to issue coupons giving deep discounts on its products at most — but not all — Israeli supermarket chains.
- Investigation by TheMarker / Unilever products often cost more in Israel than in Britain
- The high cost of Seder dinner, courtesy of Israel's supermarkets
- How an Israeli supermarket joined the likes of Enron and Worldcom
Executives at a number of food retailers showed TheMarker the coupons, which will appear in newspapers and other media outlets beginning Tuesday. They will be valid for a week, starting on Tuesday. Examples of the coupons include 20% off the listed price on the popular childrens breakfast cereal Kariot, 15% off Klik chocolates, 25% on salty snacks, around 20% off Dove soaps and 20% on Lipton teas and Knorr instant soups.
Super-Sol, Israels biggest supermarket chain, has been in a dispute with Unilever since last week. Industry sources had expected the two sides to resolve their differences quickly but instead Unilever cut off deliveries to the chain and Super-Sol launched a public attack by posting signs in its stores urging customers to buy competing products.
This is a very unusual step for a supplier, especially for Unilever. I guess its a combination of pressure from lost sales at Super-Sol and an urge to take revenge at Super-Sol over the signs, said one food retail executive, who asked not to be named.
The manufacturers coupons come on top of the discounts of 15% to 25% that Unilever began giving retailers recently.
The coupons can be redeemed at Mega, Rami Levy, Victory and Tiv Taam, among other chains, but not at Super-Sol stores.
Unilever is giving Super-Sol a pummeling. All the sales and coupons are aimed at getting Super-Sol to remove the signs that it posted against Unilever, said a supermarket manager who asked not to be named.
A sign of how the dynamics of the supermarket segment are changing, Unilever first approached Rami Levy, the upstart discount chain, to offer it discounts, rather than No.2 Mega,Super-Sols traditional arch-rival. Mega is a deep financial straits, closing stores and negotiating debt relief with suppliers and banks. After Rami Levy, Unilever approached other chains, such as Victory.
Sources in the food sector said the real reason for the dispute is that Super-Sol is seeking to promote its private-label brands. The chain is in the midst of an advertising campaign urging shoppers to compare prices on its website, in particular its private-label brands versus name brands.
Super-Sol has a lot of private-label products in categories that Unilever has, so it was easy to pick Unilever to war with, said one industry executive.


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Public concern over the climate crisis is at record highs and more startups are springing up to give individuals and businesses the opportunity to offset carbon emissions. It is not a substitute for actually reducing carbon pollution by ending the use of fossil fuels. But it is a palliative that is becoming widespread on e-commerce sites. One of the startups offering the service is Cloverly, an Atlanta-based company with an API that allows companies to measure and offset their carbon emissions.
Cloverly’s API takes into account customers’ e-commerce data, including distance, package weight and mode of transport, which it uses to calculate the amount of carbon emitted. These estimates are made in real time when the customer adds an item to their cart. The system then calculates the cost of any renewable energy offsets or credits it would take to cover the emissions from a customer’s order.
“The idea was to make sustainability accessible to the end consumer,” said Archana Veerabahu, its marketing manager.
According to Veerabahu, Cloverly customers have seen increased sales, greater “stickiness,” and greater customer loyalty after implementing the Cloverly widget on their site.
Who should be responsible for emissions?
Cloverly customers can either offset their emissions themselves or let their customers choose to foot the bill. Tea brand Harney & Sons, one of the company’s customers, lets its customers decide. Marketing director Emeric Harney said about 25% of customers choose to offset their purchase.
Veerabahu sees merit on both sides when it comes to whether a company should bear the cost of compensation itself or pass it on to its customers. She sees the latter as a way to educate customers about their own carbon footprint and find ways to reduce their personal emissions elsewhere. (Evergreen reminder that 100 companies have been responsible for over 70% of carbon emissions since 1988.) Some customers, however, might just not want to sign up.
“If it slows down the shopping streak, it starts to be more problematic and the results aren’t as good,” said Michel Gelobter, the founder of Cooler, a startup aimed at helping businesses become carbon neutral.
This choice can be particularly difficult for buyers when it comes to more expensive purchases, such as air travel. Last November, Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary said on a radio show that only 1% of his airline’s passengers had voluntarily paid to offset the carbon emitted from their journeys: “People want cheap air travel, and people want someone else to pay the environmental tax.
Ryanair’s competitor, easyJet, offsets 100% of carbon emissions. The company’s chief commercial officer, Sophie Dekkers, told Simple Flying last year that she believed the responsibility for compensation lay with the airlines, not the passengers.
But giving consumers the choice to buy carbon offsets “misses the point,” said Amir Jina, an assistant professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, because the small set of choices that individuals can do is negligible compared to emissions. major polluters.
Small margins, big decisions
The cost of purchasing offsets can be prohibitive for low-margin industries like food and beverage, according to Gelobter. Offsets for a hamburger patty – an admittedly carbon-intensive food item – could easily cost the same as its entire profit margin.
Covering the full cost of offsets wouldn’t be Harney & Sons’ full margin, “but it would certainly eat away at what little margin there is,” Harney said. But that’s a relatively small cost to customers, which Gelobter says typically amounts to around 2-3% of a product’s purchase price. For example, offsetting the carbon impact of a $21 bag of loose leaf tea from Harney & Sons would cost just $0.50.
Gelobter said having consumers pay a fee to offset the carbon emissions of their purchases would be a cultural shift and a potentially tough sell, but it’s not impossible. He likened it to tipping in cafes: Three or four years ago, it wasn’t common for baristas to flip the terminal around for customers to tip, but “people are embracing it.” And for some industries, this might be the only financially feasible option.
Some lags raise red flags
The quality or effectiveness of carbon offset projects can vary widely, and there is a growing awareness in the climate technology space that the actual climate impact of projects needs to be assessed with a fine-toothed comb. Some offset projects may displace Indigenous people, while others, such as logging projects in California, may go up in smoke in the face of escalating wildfires (ironically being driven by worsening the climate crisis).
Gelobter and Veerabahu have some recommendations for individuals on how to assess the quality of carbon offset projects. If the solution is nature-based, it is worth considering the project’s longevity and certification process. Gelobter recommends jurisdictional-based solutions, which are managed or monitored by a government entity and more likely to be held accountable.
For its part, Cloverly only supports carbon offset projects that are registered and tracked by certification programs like Gold Standard and the American Carbon Registry. These organizations generally assess offsets based on three main principles: additionality, leakage and permanence. These three factors relate to whether a project is actually sequestering carbon that would otherwise have remained in the atmosphere, and whether it is doing so on a long enough time scale to provide significant climate benefits. Additionally, they consider other things such as governance and the reliability of the project developer to monitor the site.
Despite the independent verification that these registries provide, however, it’s always fair to be skeptical about whether offsets actually do what they claim.
“The whole system is morally and ethically in conflict,” said Danny Cullenward, policy director of CarbonPlan, a nonprofit that evaluates climate action plans. He added that these certification programs have an inordinate incentive to accredit even below-average offset projects, as they are paid for each certification.
He pointed to a Texas wind farm project that Cloverly is buying into, which claims it needed the offset income to be built in 2008 “despite the wind economy being strong at that time” and Texas being the top producer. In his opinion, the element of additionality is not there, even if the project is credited by one of the largest carbon offset registers in the market.
How carbon is neutralized matters
Like Cloverly, Cooler helps e-commerce businesses neutralize carbon emissions from their transactions and products. However, it does this not with offsets, but by buying permits from the carbon market and withdrawing them permanently.
There are four major carbon markets in the world: the European Union, California, Quebec and a group of 11 eastern US states called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. In all of these markets, large emitters are required to purchase permits to account for their carbon emissions. In the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, RGGI has helped reduce emissions by more than 40% over the past decade.
“It’s very effective,” Gelobter said. In addition, the money raised is used to invest in clean energy initiatives in the region, such as community solar energy and public transit projects. The average price for an RGGI permit is currently around $13 per tonne of carbon.
In Gelobter’s view, buying and then withdrawing these permits is a more effective way to tackle the climate crisis from a business perspective than buying other types of carbon offsets. Retiring then stops the emissions rather than, well, offsetting them. “We actually go into a chimney and turn the valve down a bit with each purchase,” he said.
“Offsets are controversial for a reason,” Jina said. They’re useful as a stopgap measure for companies to buy themselves time as they find more permanent ways to reduce the climate impact of their business operations, but if everyone were to rely solely on offsets as a solution, that’s no just isn’t sustainable. Jina added, “There’s not enough space on the planet to make up for everything.”
Although withdrawing carbon permits is preferable to offsets, he said it was “not effective on a large scale”. The problem with carbon markets is that they are technically not capped, and some markets have been known to issue more permits when prices get too high.
“Literally, every compliance market ends up over-allocating,” Cullenward said, meaning one permit doesn’t actually equal one tonne of carbon reduction.
Why climate action should not be limited to consumer choices
Cullenward has a suggestion for people who really want to make a climate-positive impact with their shopping dollars (besides, of course, buying less).
“Probably the most effective thing you can do as an online shopper is to choose really slow shipping options,” he said. This means relying less on air freight, the most carbon-emitting means of transporting goods. Waiting and planning ahead to consolidate multiple items into one purchase can further reduce unnecessary delivery trips.
Ultimately, the focus on individual consumer choice is fundamentally a distraction from the most important issue: large-scale political and corporate action. The concept of a personal carbon footprint was, after all, popularized by BP itself. “It’s not really up to you to be the solution here,” Jina said. Rather, it is up to businesses and policymakers to make the larger systemic changes needed to solve the climate crisis.


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Challenger Monese gives free Premium bank account to dual UK/EU citizens
Consumers with dual British and European citizenship can now get a Monese Premium account for free.
Digital bank Monese is giving those with dual UK and EU citizenship a Premium account that usually costs £14.95 a month.
Monese is a digital bank that launched in 2015 in the UK as “the bank for expats” because it offered a full UK bank account without asking customers for a proof of address. It currently has more than 500,000 customers across 20 countries.
A Premium account includes a series of features designed to attract customers who often travel or send money abroad: no foreign exchange fees on transfers, unlimited free global ATM withdrawals and a free secondary account (UK or European depending on which is your primary one). Both existing and new customers can take up the offer, which has a deadline of 31 March, 2019 (which is just after the date when the UK is set to leave the EU).
After joining Monese, consumers will have to prove their dual citizenship sending an email with copies of their two passports. Monese says that it then will upgrade the account within three working days.
Brexit has been at the heart of Monese’s latest communication campaign. On 8 November, Monese set up a meteorite installation representing Brexit in front of King’s Cross station in London. It also launched the Twitter hashtag
#Whateverhappens, with the slogan “Whatever happens, we should all continue to build solutions to keep us connected.
“Brexit presents a great deal of uncertainty for many of our customers, particularly those of you who have stronger ties to the continent due to having citizenship there, as well as in the UK,” said the bank.
“We are helping everyone stay better connected to Europe.”


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Buying your way out of chores by paying someone else to do them is likely to make you happier than purchasing material goods.
US researchers have found that spending money on a cleaner, weeder or other unpleasant-task monger is better for your mood than spending the same amount on a watch, garment or some other material good.
They suggest this is because people have become so busy in recent years that buying a bit of personal time brings some much-needed breathing space – at the same time as getting them out of doing something they dislike.
The findings apply to people less able to afford to outsource chores as well as wealthier people, suggesting a wide range of income levels could benefit from paying someone else to do a few unwanted tasks.
“People who hire a housecleaner or pay the kid next door to mow the lawn might feel like they’re being lazy. But our our results suggest that buying time has similar benefits for happiness as having more money,” said Ashley Whillans, of Harvard Business School.
People who hire a housecleaner or pay the kid next door to mow the lawn might feel like they’re being lazy. But our our results suggest that buying time has similar benefits for happiness as having more money,”
To test whether buying time actually causes greater happiness the researchers gave 60 adults $40 to spending on a time-saving purchase one weekend and another $40 to buy something with the following weekend. They found that people felt happier when they spent money on a time saving purchase than a material one.
Even millionaires often do chores
Despite the benefits, the researchers were surprised to discover how few people choose to spend their money on time saving purchases in daily life. Even in a sample of 850 millionaires who were surveyed, almost half reported spending no money outsourcing disliked tasks.
“Although buying time can serve as a buffer against the time pressures of daily life, few people are doing it even when they can afford it,” said co-author ElizabethDunn, of the University of British Columbia.
“Lots of research has shown that people benefit from buying their way into pleasant experiences, but our research suggests people should also consider buying their way out of unpleasant experiences,” she added.
The study was published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.


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Finance ministers, bank governors and other officials after a meeting in Washington. Agence-France Presse
Japan called on Group of 20 counterparts to strengthen coordination to address potential risks to the world economy, as simmering trade tensions and China’s slowdown cloud the global growth outlook.
Group of 20 finance leaders on Sunday said that trade and geopolitical tensions have “intensified”, raising risks to improving global growth, but they stopped short of calling for a resolution of a deepening US-China trade conflict.
The Group of 20 finance ministers agreed on Saturday to compile common rules to close loopholes used by global tech giants such as Facebook to reduce their corporate taxes, a copy of the bloc›s draft communique obtained by Reuters showed.
India cut corporate tax rates on Friday in a surprise move designed to woo manufacturers, revive private investment and lift growth from a six-year low that has led to major job losses and fueled discontent in the countryside.
The 6th Annual Arab Future Cities Summit highlighted the region’s rapid development to become a global leader in smart cities, with Dubai being at the forefront of this transformation.
Amazon.com Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos pledged to make the largest US e-commerce company net carbon neutral by 2040 and to buy 100,000 electric delivery vans from a start-up, as employees and consumers


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Posted by Shirley Brady on May 29, 2012 02:35 PM
Burberry released the campaign for its Autumn/Winter 2012 collection, starring British actress Gabriella Wilde and musician Roo Panes. The black and white campaign, shot by fashion legend Mario Testino, uses London as the backdrop. "We wanted to play with everything that’s at the heart of the Burberry world – celebrating our brand and London through imagery, film, music, weather and our iconic outerwear, all in a very poetic and British way," explained Burberry chief creative officer Christopher Bailey.
In other fashion/luxury news today:Continue reading...
Posted by Sheila Shayon on March 9, 2012 05:46 PM
As part of its deal to acquire NBCUniversal, Comcast agreed to launch more minority-owned networks by 2014 — and it's doing just that. From a music and pop culture hub called Revolt from Sean "Diddy" Combs, to a startup backed by Magic Johnson, it's a mixed bag that helps America's biggest cable operator appease the feds — but will it really do much for diversity — or TV viewers?Continue reading...
brands under fire
Posted by Mark J. Miller on December 12, 2011 01:01 PM
America's Lowe's Home Improvement chain has found itself in a tricky spot after pulling its ads from a new reality show on Discovery's TLC cable network, All American Muslim. The action was preceded by pressure from the conservative Florida Family Association, the Associated Press reports.
The FFA claims that the month-old show (it premiered Nov. 13) about five Muslim-American families outside Detroit is "propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda's clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values," the AP notes.
However, the pulling of the ads has put a spotlight on Lowe’s that the company surely did not want.
California state senator Ted Lieu called the company’s choice "un-American" and "naked religious bigotry," and is asking consumers to boycott the chain. He also is considering taking legislative action against the store “if Lowe's doesn't apologize to Muslims and reinstate its ads.”Continue reading...
Posted by Dale Buss on September 21, 2011 09:01 AM
Pepsi returns to musical roots in spots for tonight's debut of The X Factor on Fox, while the UK version of the show copes with criticism over treatment of contestant. Meanwhile, analysts say that PepsiCo shareholders could reap big gains if the company executes a strategic split-up.
SABMiller gets Foster's to accede to a deal.
Burger King's post-King advertising clicks with consumers.
AOL needs Patch to turn a profit.
Apple schedules Oct. 4th press conference, presumably for iPhone 5 reveal.
CBS scores huge ratings for first episode of Two and a Half Men with Ashton Kutcher, including setting a Canadian TV record.
Chipotle sees strong growth potential from ShopHouse Asian eateries.
Chrysler seeks to keep lid on UAW pay through 2019.Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on June 9, 2011 10:00 AM
Bombay Sapphire treated Londoners to a 3D projection last night at the Battersea Power Station. As part of its "Infused with Imagination" campaign, the projection was based on a fan's design: Albania's Erjola Veliaj, the winner of a global competition that launched in December on its Facebook page.
His idea was the fan favorite: to turn the power station into a rainbow of changing colors (inspired by a Rubik's Cube) that morphed into the brand's iconic blue, all reflected in the water of the Thames.Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on February 18, 2011 05:00 PM
Twitter has booted UberMedia's Twitter apps — UberTwitter, Twidroid and Ubercurrent — in a punitive measure against owner UberMedia. CNNMoney calls it the start of a war. As a result, the following celeb accounts using its APIs were temporarily suspended:
• Pop star Rihanna (Almost 3.4 million followers)
• Re-retired cyclist Lance Armstrong (2,743,762)
• Musician Questlove of The Roots (1,478,297)
• Producer Russell Simmons (642,382)
• NFL legend Warren Sapp (511,242)
• NBA star Baron Davis (231,550)
• Actor Donnie Wahlberg (163,632)
• NFL hall of famer and ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth (78,862)
• NFL player Darnell Dockett (59,852)
• World Series pitcher C.J. Wilson (46,501)
Update: UberMedia tweeted that it met Twitter's terms and the impacted accounts have been reinstated. UberMedia CEO Bill Gross discusses the standoff with Om Malik.
long arm of the law
Posted by Barry Silverstein on September 10, 2010 11:45 AM
Russell Simmons, who pioneered hip hop with the formation of the record label Def Jam and clothing brands American Classics, Argyleculture, and Phat Farm, has filed suit against The Millwork Trading Co. LTD (Li & Fung, USA), a division of a Hong Kong apparel-sourcing firm.
Simmons claims that Li & Fung USA first approached him about licensing the American Classics brand in 2007, which he describes above as a mass-market brand inspired by Walmart.
Proceeding on good faith, Simmons says he told the company that "Simmons Design Group's main focus was Argyleculture, and that the two brands needed to work synergistically and belonged together." Li & Fung's brand interests, however, apparently favored class over mass.Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on June 25, 2010 06:15 PM
BP CEO Tony Hayward tells investors he won't resign as company orders (and touts, above) Kevin Costner's water-filtering technology.
Apple's iPhone 4 notched 1.5 million estimated sales on first day (majority being upgrades) as "death grip" mystifies.
Coca-Cola's first promoted trend on Twitter netted 86 million impressions in 24 hours.
ESPN's LeBron Tracker (sponsored by Captain Morgan Rum) follows NBA star's moves as a free agent.Continue reading...


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Allison O'Neil and Brian Devine, Partners in Locke Lord's Boston office, shared insights with Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly on next steps for entities that accepted funds through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and engage in business deemed illicit by the federal government, including cannabis companies. O'Neil noted that companies within and outside the cannabis industry have the option to pay the money back to avoid potential pitfalls. Failing that, they should meticulously document how PPP funds were used, she said.
Devine noted that it bodes well for businesses — cannabis and otherwise — that near-term enforcement actions are targeting blatant fraud attempts, rather than companies that made difficult judgment calls about eligibility criteria.
To read the full article, click here (subscription may be required).
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"UBER HACK" content on TweakTown - Page 1
We found 3 items for the tag: UBER HACK
Uber has paid 20-year old Florida man $100,000 for cover up
Uber pays $100,000 to a Florida man for the disposing of the data breach information.
Uber to be sued $2,000 per violation after data breach
Uber could be hit with $2,000 fine per violation for recent hack.
Uber hack in early 2014 allegedly traced back to the CTO of Lyft
Uber was hacked early last year, with two sources claiming that it was the CTO of Lyft who hacked its competitor.


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Like a ridiculous, sparkling supernova, ShipYourEnemiesGlitter.com—a website that will send anonymous, glitter-filled envelopes to people on your behalf—exploded out of nowhere last week and quickly became a viral sensation. But its founder, 22-year-old Mathew Carpenter, is now selling the site, which he says received 2.5 million visits in four days and racked up more than 2,000 orders.
The decision to sell the simple, snark-filled site after lightning struck isn't a particularly novel approach to cashing in on a site's sudden popularity. Media publisher Emerson Spartz was only 12 years old when he founded MuggleNet, one of the world's most popular Harry Potter fan sites, which he still owns today. But Spartz says Carpenter's strategy of creating something, watching it explode, and reaping the benefits of that popularity by selling the product itself—rather than playing the long game by filling thousands of glitter bomb orders—is textbook internet marketing.
"Selling at the peak of your 15 minutes is the most lucrative, short-term financial decision that you can make," Spartz told me.
Ship Your Enemies Glitter (SYEG) isn't the only example of a website being flipped before its star fades. VapeLife, a popular, year-old online e-cigarette store, is also for sale right now (although with less impressive bids). Hipster Runoff, a recently-resurrected, oft-satirical indie music blog is also for sale, hoping to bank on its former popularity. Though the site hadn't been updated in over a year until today, the listing shows the site still gets decent traffic and makes hundreds of dollars of ad revenue a month.
They Get Their 15 minutes and then they die and the creator just has a good story to tell
But in SYEG's case, selling just a week after the site launched makes the most sense, Spartz said: "As far as why it went viral, it's impossible to say other than it clearly just tickled everyone's funny bone. If I was a betting man, I'd be putting all my chips squarely to it being a fad."
But there are clearly investors out there who see some long-term potential in the site. At the time this story was published, ShipYourEnemiesGlitter.com had 338 bids, with the highest at $70,800 USD.
There are lots of reasons why investors might want to scoop up the site, Spartz explained. They could be looking to just fill the page with ads, reaping in a bunch of easy money from the site's hot traffic until the popularity fades away. Or they could have some longer-term goals— perhaps expanding the site to other gag items that people can send, too. Given the growing list of copycat sites that have cropped up in the past few days, it's clear at least some people think this is a sustainable market.
Either way, with the sale of the site and the more than $20,000 he collected in sales, Carpenter is set to make a pretty decent windfall for what he says was just supposed to be a lark: "I launched this website as a bit of a joke not expecting this level of attention. Heck, I launched this website whilst I was on holiday!" the Australian entrepreneur wrote on his site listing.
"For the past few days it has been stressful dealing with all of the media attention & even more so because this was only intended to be a small side project. It's taken on a life of its own, and I want to watch it continue to grow under a new owner."
But while Carpenter—who also runs a consulting business that teaches people how to make money online—might not have predicted just how huge his little glitter gag would become so quickly, he's obviously not a novice when it comes to making the most of his holiday project, Spartz said.
"As far as selling it right away, that usually requires a more sophisticated understanding of business that you should sell at your peak. Less-experienced entrepreneurs, your typical developer in their mid-20s who for fun on a Saturday throws something up, he's not necessarily going to know what to do with a hot joke site," he said. "What usually happens is the sites get their 15 minutes and then they die and the creator just has a good story to tell."
At the very least, SYEG could be a good portfolio piece. Since Carpenter's main business has to do with making money online, having the ability to show potential clients a proven success is very valuable, Spartz noted.
"That's the beauty of the internet," he concluded. "You can have a dumb idea on a Friday, build it on a Saturday, and be internet famous on a Sunday."


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This week’s guest is Marco Bertozzi, who is the Vice President of EMEA Sales & Multi-Market Global Sales at Spotify. He talks to us about how Spotify’s ad business has evolved from the early days, why the company believes strongly in the future of podcasting, and what the audience’s relationship is like with advertising in audio. He also explains why they’ve just launched a #Loveads campaign.
This week, Claire Sanderson, the editor in chief of Women’s Health (UK) talks about the magazine’s circulation growth, why they love working with influencers, and how mental health has become such a vital part of overall wellness. She also explains how integrating the print and digital teams helps them to drive audiences between both platforms, and why VR will be a huge part of health and fitness in the future.


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Rx Safes enters licensing agreement with Talon Brands
Biometric medical security solutions provider Rx Safes Inc. has signed a licensing agreement with Talon Brands LLC, a manufacturer and seller of fingerprint products, for the rights to sell various fingerprint technology products in North America.
Rx Safes provides biometric medical security solutions for the prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC) drug security sectors to address Rx and OTC drug diversion and abuse.
This is the first licensing agreement for Rx Safes and introduces a new source of revenue for the company outside of the health-care market focus.
According to the terms of the agreement, Talon Brands will become the preferred distributor of Rx Safes’ products and will also introduce Rx Safes products through its existing and established distribution channels, which include Grainger and Home Depot.
In a statement regarding the partnership, Lorraine M. Yarde, CEO at Rx Safes, said that the execution of this agreement recognizes and validates the company’s intellectual property and expands its reach beyond its primary health-care target market and that the company anticipates that it will continue to be able to support and protect its proprietary patented technology as the demand for biometrics increases across a wide range of industries.


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NuTerra, LLC, an internet development company based in Green Bay, WI, has announced the launching of www.veggieshed.com.
The Veggie Shed & Supply Depot is local farm and store providing fresh, naturally grown vegetables. The Veggie Shed proudly provides local vegetables that are not shipped from across the country like products in found on grocery store shelves. Locally grown and picked at their peak, Veggie Shed vegetables are available for sale the same day they are harvested.
The Veggie Shed is also offering a Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) program. CSA offers you the opportunity for 19 weeks (spring-fall) to stop by the farm store on a weekly basis to pick up a box full of vegetables (and perhaps some fruit, herbs, flowers, etc.). It is an opportunity for people in the Neenah area to eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits, while being exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking. CSA is a program that thousands around the country have taken advantage of to connect with local farmers and eat healthier.
The Veggie Store also provides pet & farm animal bedding, wood pellets, pellet grills, grilling supplies, artisan crafts, antiques & collectables, scrapbooking paper, and more. The farm and store is located in the town of Neenah, which is in East Central Wisconsin in the area known as the Fox Valley.
NuTerra, LLC is a 15-year-old Internet development company specializing in web applications that are unique to each individual business. NuTerra is based on the premise that because every business has an unique way to work, subsequently, the online reflection of that company should be the same.


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After news surfaced earlier this month that Hilton Hotels Corporation abruptly terminated its lease agreement of the Hilton Tobago Golf & Spa resort effective May 16, Travel Agent learned Thursday that Wyndham Hotel Group has entered “initial discussions with the government of Tobago” to operate the facility, according to Richard Roberts, Wyndham Hotel Group’s vice president of communications.
“We would be very pleased to have this hotel become part of the Wyndham group,” Roberts said.
According to a statement issued to us from Karla Visconti, Hilton’s director of communications for the Caribbean and Latin America, “The ownership group has decided to invest in the property and undertake this effort. However, it is not feasible to maintain the Hilton branding during such a refurbishment campaign.” Hilton also confirmed that it is, in fact, selling its share to the government of Tobago, which is seeking a major hotel brand to take over the establishment. We also learned that the government has also reached out to SuperClubs Resorts, in addition to Wyndham. SuperClubs, however, declined to comment.


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Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) has revolutionized the way people watch TV shows, and the company made thousands of people rich along the way. In fact, Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) shares jumped a whopping 298% last year, occupying the top spot in S&P 500 Index’s biggest gainers. The S&P 500 Index soared to a new record high of 1,842.02 on December 27. Gains in the index were driven by better than expected U.S. jobs data.
Here is the list of three biggest gainers and three biggest losers in the S&P 500 Index:
Stone House Capital Partners returned 4.1% for September, bringing its year-to-date return to 72% net. The S&P 500 is up 14.3% for the first nine months of the year. Q3 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more Stone House follows a value-based, long-long term and concentrated investment approach focusing on companies rather than the market Read More
1- Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX)
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX)’s shares surged as it attracted millions of new subscribers. The video subscription service provider added dozens of original and popular shows to its library such as Orange is the New Black. Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is currently testing a new pricing strategy to attract more customers.
2- Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MU)
Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) jumped 243% last year. The semiconductor maker’s sales have increased, and it further benefited from the ongoing consolidation in the industry. Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) makes chips for mobile devices, computers and cars.
3- Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY)
While most retailers are struggling to survive, Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) shares jumped 238% last year. The electronics retailer is facing stiff competition from online retailing giant Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) and discount retailers. But the company has been laser focused on employee training, cost reduction and online business.
1- Newmont Mining Corp (NYSE:NEM)
2013 has been a nightmare for Newmont Mining Corp (NYSE:NEM) as gold and copper prices tanked. As a result, shares of the Denver-based miner plunged more than 50.3% last year.
2- Cliffs Natural Resources Inc (NYSE:CLF)
Last year was definitely not a good one for mining companies as two of the three biggest losers in the S&P index are miners. Cliffs Natural Resources Inc (NYSE:CLF) shares declined 33% in 2013 amid declining prices of commodities. The company’s strong international presence also made it vulnerable to economic conditions in Europe and China.
3- Edwards Lifesciences Corp (NYSE:EW)
Shares of the Irvine, California-based company plummeted more than 27% last year. The stock was hit hard after the company predicted poor Q4 earnings. Edwards Lifesciences Corp (NYSE:EW)’s Sapien heart valves are facing stiff competition from new entrants.


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Beattie Group announces key promotion to leadership team
Tuesday, 09 April 2019
Integrated agency, Beattie Communications, has promoted Emma Regan to Account Director to bolster the ranks of the agency’s leadership team.
Emma joined Beattie’s northern division in 2017 as an Account Manager, with a fashion marketing degree and over five years’ experience in consumer PR. Before returning to her Yorkshire roots, previous London agency roles saw her work with top brands across the fashion, beauty and lifestyle sector including Superdrug, Very.co.uk, Littlewoods, George at Asda and JD Williams.
Moving quickly through the ranks, Emma now plays an instrumental role in Beattie’s fashion, retail and lifestyle division. In her two and a half years at Beattie she has travelled to multiple destinations across France with e-commerce retailer, La Redoute, to shoot influencer campaigns. She has also led the Northern division in rolling-out designer collaborations for Specsavers with Balmain Paris, Kylie Minogue Eyewear and Osiris Eyewear fronted by Gary Barlow.
Rachel Gladwin, Beattie Communications’ Director, said: “Emma is loved by her clients and colleagues alike for her energy, integrity and honesty. Retail is her passion and in today’s crowded landscape she has the ability to cut through with campaigns that make a commercial impact.”
Emma’s team were also responsible for making the La Redoute AFAW rug a home icon. To date her social media campaign has driven sales of thousands of units. That’s enough rugs to create a shaggy path from La Redoute head office to Beattie’s agency in Leeds.
Her new role will see her support the senior team to expand the fashion, retail and consumer division for the business. She also joins the senior team in charge of Beattie’s influencer division, having developed award-winning campaigns for interiors clients like La Redoute.
For more information, contact Rachel Gladwin, Director, Beattie Communications. firstname.lastname@example.org


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What do you do when your boss decides you should write a “crystal ball” blog about the upcoming year? Well, if you’re anything like me, you procrastinate until something strikes you. The predictions that follow aren’t necessarily going to tell you what to expect next year; rather, they will describe why 2018 will be characterized by large industry-wide disruptions in markets facing uncertainty.
In my previous blog, Dishing Out Mobile Predictions, we explored Dish’s desire to launch an IoT-focused mobile network and how Amazon would be a natural partner in this enterprise. But, as predictions go, there’s a far more interesting potential opportunity for the two companies: a full mobile service offering for consumers. The combined efforts of Dish and Amazon could provide a truly disruptive consumer-based mobile offering that is worth exploring.
According to the latest NPD Group Connected Intelligence Smartphone and Tablet Usage report, cellular data usage among consumers with unlimited plans is 67 percent higher than those with limited plans. Limited plan users instead rely more on Wi-Fi access. Over the last three months, limited plan users consumed eight percent more than their unlimited plan counterparts, with a spike of 18 percent more Wi-Fi usage in October.
For a product that was criticized by many only a short time ago, the smartwatch has regained momentum in the U.S. market. Indeed, far from being a failed product, we expect U.S. smartwatch ownership to surpass that of the cheaper and more ubiquitous activity tracker by the end of 2020.
It’s that time of year - presents are being wrapped, the weather is getting a lot colder, and we huddle up somewhere warm to start writing down our predictions for the New Year. And while we’ll get to more predictions in future blog posts, there’s a very large possibility for 2018 that deserves a blog unto itself. We expect that in 2018 Dish will make its move in wireless, finally mapping out what it intends to do with the large quantities of spectrum it has picked up over the past few years.
There was a time when the cellphone we chose to carry represented our individuality. That was a few years ago, in the pre-smartphone era, when the phone came in many shapes and sizes allowing us to be… well, us. While rummaging through a box of old chargers and phones recently, I came to a sad, but somewhat obvious conclusion: mobile phone design has become boring.
“I talk to other CEOs around the world in this space, and we’ve all been struggling a little bit making the business case work,” said Gavin Patterson, CEO of the UK’s BT Group, when discussing the need for 5G at a recent conference. And he’s right to be concerned.
In England, all beached whales must be offered to the Reigning Monarch. This law came into force in 1322, is still in effect today and is, of course, a rather silly law in today’s world. No policy maker would consider building a proposal based on the precedent set out in the 1322 law. And yet, I feel that the FCC’s Net Neutrality argument is just as ludicrous.
An old colleague of mine, let’s call him “Tom,” had a theory regarding productivity and the car. He often drove from New York to Washington, D.C., following the New Jersey Turnpike and i95, at strange hours in the early morning; and his theory was that he could multitask.
This past week, technology and entertainment news has been largely dominated by Amazon, as they launched six new Echo devices and revealed insight into the final stages of their strategy to move further into movie production and distribution.


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- Industry Roundup
- Fab & Facilities
- Cell Processing
- Thin Film
- PV Modules
- Power Generation
Following a week in which SolarCity and then Panasonic both claimed to have achieved record efficiencies, SunPower has hit back, saying its products are “the most efficient solar panels commercially available today”.
PV manufacturing equipment specialist Singulus Technologies said it would not meet previous revenue expectations for the year as potential orders within its Optical Disc business segment had not materialised.
Taiwan-based merchant solar cell producer Motech Industries has reported September sales 11% higher than in the previous month and a new recent record.
Taiwan-based PV metallisation paste producer Giga Solar Materials has reported record sales each month since April, 2015.
Major merchant solar cell producer Gintech Energy Corp has reported a 3% consecutive monthly slip in sales.
JinkoSolar has frozen plans to build a 200-300MW module assembly line in Brazil, due to uncertainties in the Brazilian marketplace and currency risks, a senior figure from Jinko Solar has confirmed to PV Tech.
The three-busbar solar cell patent infringement case brought by Kyocera against Hanwha Q CELLS has been settled out of court.
PV manufacturer Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) said it was upgrading and migrating 200MW of solar cell capacity to PERL (Passivated Emitter, Rear Locally diffused) technology.
Following the retirement of David B. Miller, DuPont has appointed Jon D. Kemp as president of its Electronics & Communications business effective November 1, 2015.
Laser equipment specialist 3D-Micromac has appointed Dr. Carsten Swiatkowski as its new CTO.
PV equipment specialist INDEOtec SA has secured an order for its OCTOPUS II PECVD deposition tool with French R&D centre, Institut Photovoltaïque d’Ile-de-France (IPVF).
High-technology equipment manufacturer Intevac has received an order for its ion implantation tool from tier-1 solar cell producer, according to the company.
Solar cell manufacturers in India have put in a request to the government to investigate anti-dumping duties on the import of solar cells, according to a local report.
Metallisation paste producer Heraeus Photovoltaics has strengthened its IP patent portfolio in regards to lead-free products with the purchase of several patents held by Japanese company, Murata Manufacturing.
Indian industrial firm Adani Group and China’s largest independent polysilicon to power plants group, GCL have signed an agreement to develop both upstream and downstream PV operations in India as well as collaborating on a range of energy projects such as wind and LNG terminals.


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Italy: Inflation eases in November
November 30, 2015
According to preliminary estimates, consumer prices fell 0.4% in November over the previous month, contrasting October’s 0.2% increase. The reading marked a multi-year low and undershot market expectations of a flat reading. The fall mainly reflected significant decreases in prices of services related to recreation and to transport. Inflation slowed from October’s 0.3% to 0.1% in November, which marked a six-month low.
Core consumer prices, which exclude more volatile categories such as unprocessed food and energy, fell 0.6% in November over the previous month, contrasting October’s 0.1% increase. Core inflation tallied 0.6% in November (October: 0.9%). Finally, annual harmonized inflation came in at 0.1% in November, which was below October’s 0.3%.
Author: Eric Denis , Economist


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New home sales plunge in November
New home sales fell 9 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 647,000 — the lowest annual rate in 12 years — according to a report released Friday by the U.S. Commerce Department.
Economists had forecast November sales at an annual rate of 715,000, which would have represented a 1.8 percent drop. The actual rate of 647,000 was the lowest since 621,000, recorded in April 1995.
Year over year, new home sales were 34.4 percent lower than in November 2006, representing the largest year-to-year decline since January 1991.
New home sales in the Midwest region were particularly weak, falling 27.6 percent to the slowest pace since July 1991. Sales also decreased in the South (6.4 percent) and Northeast (19.3 percent), but rose in the West (4 percent).
In addition, the median price for a new home decreased by 0.4 percent to $239,100. The ratio of new houses for sale to houses sold rose during November to 9.3, from 8.8 in October.
Platinum Equity terminates PPG auto glass agreement
Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Platinum Equity notified Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries of its intention to terminate its contract to purchase PPG’s automotive glass and services businesses as of Dec 31, 2007.
PPG said that Platinum Equity also filed suit with the Supreme Court of the State of New York, alleging the Platinum group is not obliged to consummate the agreement.
While the company did not comment on the specifics of the litigation, PPG said it intends to enforce its rights under the agreement with Platinum Equity.
PPG said that in the event the transaction does not close with the Platinum group, it would continue to explore other strategic alternatives for the automotive and services businesses with the goal of maximizing shareholder value.
PPG is a global supplier of paints, coatings, chemicals, optical products, specialty materials, glass and fiberglass.
Former hardware store owner charged with fraud
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office has charged Erik Joseph, the former owner of Seaport Hardware in South Boston, of larceny and fraud in a scheme involving his customer’s credit card numbers. The 46-count indictment, announced on Dec. 19, involves $290,894 in fraudulent charges. The investigation is ongoing.
“The amount of evidence was so massive that the sitting grand jury only had time to hear testimony regarding American Express transactions,” the announcement said. “Visa, MasterCard and debit transactions will be heard by another grand jury.”
According to the district attorney’s office, Joseph began the scam in 2001 and continued it for the next six years. Prosecutors believe he set up dozens of shell businesses, each with its own credit card merchant number, bank account routing number and mailing address. Using the credit card numbers of his hardware store’s customers, Joseph would then key in transactions that billed unsuspecting cardholders for multiple sales that were just under $200, according to the charges.
At the beginning of the scheme, Joseph would wait four to six months before billing the victims, the indictment said. In 2006 and 2007, the time delay disappeared and accounts were being maxed out within days of the cardholders’ visits to Seaport Hardware. Once the credit card company had transferred funds to the bank account linked to the transaction, Joseph would drain the account and leave the victims unable to reclaim the money, according to the charges.
Joseph was arrested on Nov. 27 at his home. His arraignment is set for Jan. 15.


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Three decades have come and gone, and the MORTAL KOMBAT series is still just as popular as it was when that first cab hit the arcades.
Remember Mortal Monday?
Now don’t get too excited, because there’s no new game to announce. Well, not yet anyway, as NetherRealm’s Ed Boon has hinted that something might be in the works via Twitter. But as of right now, that’s neither here nor there.
What is, is that MK is 30 years old. Hard as it might be to imagine, the spine-ripping, head-popping franchise officially has three decades in the bag. To celebrate that not-so small milestone, NetherRealm and Warner Bros Games have unleashed a brief trip back through time, and across the series’ universe.
Warner Bros. Games and NetherRealm Studios are proudly celebrating the 30thAnniversary of Mortal Kombat, the billion-dollar franchise that has sold more than 79 million videogame units since the original arcade game launch on Oct. 8, 1992. Over the past 30 years, the renowned Mortal Kombat series has been a fixture in popular culture, exciting fans with best-in-class gameplay, iconic characters, and an immersive cinematic experience, while also earning numerous accolades, including multiple wins at the D.I.C.E. Awards from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, The Game Awards, and many others. The latest entry in the videogame series, Mortal Kombat 11, has been the fastest selling title in franchise history with more than 15 million units sold worldwide, while Mortal Kombat Mobile has amassed more than 150 million downloads to date.Warner Bros press release
While there’s not a new game, there are some celebratory pieces of content to talk up. Klassic Movie Raiden will hit MORTAL KOMBAT Mobile today, and will be included till the 11th. And yes, he has Christopher Lambert’s voice and looks. On top of that, players will also be able to “collect free anniversary gifts and enjoy a host of new in-game content” through the 14th of this month.
And if passive entertainment is more your thing, then you’ll be pleased to learn that Mortal Kombat (2021 film), Mortal Kombat (1995 film), Mortal Kombat: Legacy (2013 web series), and Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms (2021 animated film) are all out and watchable via HBO Max. Add to that that the infamous Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm animated series is available for digital purchase, and you have quite the Mortal Month.


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AdGrok announced the acquisition on its Website on Tuesday, saying Twitter asked them to work on a "monetization platform." The company added that it had served customers on Google's AdWords platform but would stop doing so by the end of June.
"We're happy to announce that Twitter has acquired the AdGrok team. Starting today, we will be working full-time on Twitter's revenue engineering team," AdGrok said in a brief statement.
Twitter spokesman Matt Graves confirmed that two of the members of the AdGrok team were now working at Twitter's San Francisco headquarters as part of the deal. The third AdGrok co-founder has joined Twitter rival Facebook, Graves said in an emailed message.
Twitter did not disclose a price, but tech blog Techcrunch reported the deal was sealed at under $10 million.
Twitter has quickened efforts to generate revenue under the helm of new CEO Dick Costolo, introducing ways for marketers to deliver ads within the microblogging service. But the company's revenue growth has lagged some of its online peers.
Twitter is expected to bring in about $150 million in ad revenue this year, compared to Facebook's roughly $4 billion in ad revenue, according to research firm eMarketer.
Twitter, which allows people to send 140-character text messages or "tweets" to groups of followers is one of the Web's most popular social networking sites along with Facebook and Zynga, and is closely watched by investors hoping for a potential initial public offering.
In December, Twitter was valued at $3.7 billion in a $200 million funding round led by venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. An auction of Twitter shares on the secondary market in March suggested investors were valuing the company at more than $7 billion.


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David Cheslin, founder of Coastlink and doyen of shipping public relations, has died after a short illness.
He went into PR in 1978 after working as a shipping journalist, and set up his own company, Dunelm PR, in 1981 with Taiwanese shipping line Evergreen as his first client. He also worked with Rickmers Linie, OT Africa Line, the TT Club and lately with UK P&I.
In 2004 he set up the Coastlink Network in conjunction with Gavin Roser to promote short sea and feeder container shipping as an integral element in a competitive supply chain.
Coastlink went on to host a series of conferences. Gavin Roser said: “Everyone who knew David and Coastlink say without hesitation that David will be missed by so many people in the ports sector, shipping lines and shippers and even the regulators many of whom used Coastlink as a sounding board for an effective industry perspective.
“The fact that Coastlink really made a difference thrilled David and it is a testament to his vision and drive that Coastlink has had an impact on the industry throughout European waters.”


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Mark Hamill Tired of ‘Star Wars’ Fans Getting Duped by Fake Autographs
Via The Hollywood Reporter:
“I’m so sorry there’s so many fans spending their hard-earned money for fraudulent signatures.”
Mark Hamill is breaking some hearts, but also trying to help his fans not get taken advantage of by those selling fake autographs.
The Star Wars: The Force Awakens star took to Twitter Sunday night and one at a time told fans whether their merch bearing his signature was legit.
“I’m so sorry there’s so many fans spending their hard-earned money for fraudulent signatures,” Hamill said in a tweet.
Of course, there were some pieces Hamill really did sign through the years; he told fans to look at those examples to see exactly how he signs his name.
Hamill reprises his iconic role as Luke Skywalker in the latest, record-breaking installment of the space adventure series.
As of Sunday, J.J. Abrams’ film soared past $1 billion globally faster than any film in history and leads the biggest Christmas weekend ever at the North American box office with $153.5 million for an early domestic haul of $544.6 million.


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Americans for Tax Reform supports the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in Verizon v. FCC, which vacated the FCC "Net Neutrality" rules. The following can be attributed to Katie McAuliffe, Executive Director of Digital Liberty and Federal Affairs Manager at Americans for Tax Reform:
"Federal agencies are consistently trying to overstep their boundaries and create rules and regulations without any mandate from Congress. The FCC has attempted, again, to regulate in a way that it has no authority to do so.
While the Court noted that the FCC does have authority to encourage the deployment of broadband infrastructure, the Court ruled against the FCC's order to impose anti-blocking and anti-discrimination rules because those regulations are authorized under Title II "common carrier" regulations, which regulates basic carriers like landline phone service, on information service providers and therefore outside the authority of broadband's classification of an "information service".
We know common carrier regulations are more restrictive,hinder growth and innovation. Title II regulations are the reason Google Fiber has refused to offer any kind of voice service as part of its Gigabit and Video packages- because they do not want to open up their innovative services to that kind of restrictive regulation. Investment flows to the areas with the least hurdles and restrictions and we can see by the explosive growth in the Internet ecosystem that it is not broken.
The Internet is already open and competitive and will remain so. We can all see that it is one of the greatest growing sectors of our economy. Internet service providers benefit from users wanting to use their networks. The more applications, video services, and other options available to consumers, the more consumers will use those networks and find ways to innovate.
These companies do not have an incentive to degrade or block popular content on networks. Additionally, not all content uses the same amount of data to transmit – Facebook and Email interactions require far less data to connect quickly and efficiently than Netflix or FaceTime. Providing additional data transmission availability to high consumption apps does not mean that email or other low data consumption uses will be degraded. In other words, a fast lane does not necessarily mean a slow lane.
What it means is that companies need to manage their networks so that consumers get the best user experience."


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39.3 Million Americans Expected to Travel This Memorial Day Weekend
May 17, 2017 – AAA projects that 39.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home this Memorial Day weekend. That is one million more travelers than last year taking to the roads, skies, rails and water, creating the highest Memorial Day travel volume since 2005.
“The expected spike in Memorial Day travel mirrors the positive growth seen throughout the travel industry this year,” said Bill Sutherland, AAA senior vice president, Travel and Publishing. “Higher confidence has led to more consumer spending, and many Americans are choosing to allocate their extra money on travel this Memorial Day.”
The Memorial Day holiday travel period is defined as Thursday, May 25 to Monday, May 29.
By the Numbers: Memorial Day Travel Forecast
- 2017 will mark the third consecutive year of growth in Memorial Day travel with 2.7 percent more travelers than last year.
- 34.6 million Americans (88.1 percent of travelers) will drive to their destinations, an increase of 2.4 percent over last year.
- 2.9 million Americans are taking to the skies this Memorial Day, increasing air travel by 5.5 percent over last year.
- 1.75 million travelers, an increase 2.9 percent from 2016, will look to other modes of transportation, including cruises, trains and buses.
- Drivers will pay the highest Memorial Day gas prices since 2015. Airfares, car rental rates and mid-range hotels are all trending higher than last Memorial Day.
Travelers still hitting the road despite higher gas prices
While AAA expects most U.S. drivers will pay the highest Memorial Day gas prices since 2015, the vast majority of holiday travelers (88.1 percent) are still planning to hit the road. Automobile travel will grow by 2.4 percent this Memorial Day, with 34.6 million Americans planning a holiday road trip. The national average price for a gallon of gas today is $2.34, 11 cents more than last year.
More Americans are planning to rent cars for their holiday road trips this year. AAA’s car rental bookings are 19 percent higher than last Memorial Day. According to Hertz, the busiest day for car rental pick-ups is expected to be Friday, May 26, based on last year’s data.
Large increases in flying and travel by other modes this Memorial Day
While road trips continue to reign supreme for Memorial Day, more Americans will fly, ride the train or bus, or take a cruise vacation compared to last year. Air travel is expected to increase 5.5 percent over last year, with 2.9 million Americans taking to the skies this Memorial Day. Travel by other modes of transportation, including cruises, trains and buses, will increase 2.9 percent, to 1.75 million travelers.
Airfares, hotel and car rental rates on the rise
According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, average airfares for the top 40 domestic flight routes will be 9 percent higher this Memorial Day, with an average round trip ticket landing at $181. Hotel costs have also increased since last Memorial Day, with the average AAA Three Diamond Rated hotel costing $215, or 18 percent more than last year. Daily car rental rates will average $66, which is 7 percent more than last year.
AAA to rescue more than 330,000 motorists this Memorial Day
AAA expects to rescue more than 330,000 motorists this Memorial Day weekend, with the primary reasons being lockouts, flat tires and battery-related issues. AAA recommends motorists have their vehicles inspected by a trusted repair shop, such as one of the more than 7,000 AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities across North America. Members can download the AAA Mobile app, visit AAA.com or call 1-800-AAA-HELP to request roadside assistance.
AAA and Waze share perspectives on holiday travel
According to Waze, the free, real-time crowdsourced traffic and navigation app, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York are the busiest metro areas this Memorial Day weekend, based on last year’s accident and traffic jam data. For travelers visiting or driving through these cities, be aware of high traffic volumes on Thursday and Friday – New York City sees an average 27 percent increase in accident alerts on these two days.
Many Memorial Day vacationers traveling abroad this year
While the vast majority of travelers are planning a Memorial Day road trip, many other Americans will take advantage of the long holiday weekend and travel internationally, with Europe especially popular this year. The top destinations for Memorial Day weekend, based on AAA travel bookings, are:
- Orlando, Florida
- Rome, Italy
- London, England
- Dublin, Ireland
- Vancouver, Canada
- Seattle, Washington
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- New York, New York
- Paris, France
- Honolulu, Hawaii
According to Hertz, the busiest airport pick-up locations for travelers planning to rent a car this Memorial Day are expected to be Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Orlando (MCO), Atlanta (ATL) and Denver (DEN), based on data from 2016.
Download the AAA Mobile app before a Memorial Day getaway
Before setting out for Memorial Day, download the free AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Travelers can use the app to map a route, find lowest gas prices, access exclusive member discounts, make travel arrangements, request AAA roadside assistance, find AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities and more. Learn more at AAA.com/mobile.
With the AAA Mobile app, travelers can also find nearly 59,000 AAA Approved and Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants. AAA’s is the only rating system that uses full-time, professionally trained evaluators to inspect each property on an annual basis. Every AAA Approved establishment offers the assurance of acceptable cleanliness, comfort and hospitality, and ratings of One to Five Diamonds help travelers find the right match for amenities and services.
About the travel forecast:
AAA’s projections are based on economic forecasting and research by IHS Markit. The London-based business information provider teamed with AAA in 2009 to jointly analyze travel trends during major holidays. AAA has been reporting on holiday travel trends for more than two decades. The complete AAA/IHS Markit 2017 Memorial Day holiday travel forecast is available here.
As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 57 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. Motorists can map a route, identify gas prices, find discounts, book a hotel and access AAA roadside assistance with the AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Learn more at AAA.com/mobile. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com.


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2016 Scandals And Controversies In Technology
2017 is just a few days from now and this provides the perfect opportunity to look back at all the controversies that mired the successful run of the tech industry this year.
Here are just five of the most talked about tech issues of 2016:
Amazon Employee Jumps Off Building But Survives
Eyes fell on Amazon after an employee tried to commit suicide by jumping off a 12-story building at the Seattle headquarters of the company. Before jumping, the man emailed Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos. This led many to question the working conditions at the company. It was reported before that a female former employee was placed in an Employee Improvement Plan after divulging that she had breast cancer. The jumper asked to be transferred to another department but was placed in the plan.
Facebook Accused of Proliferation of Fake News Leading to Donald Trump's Presidential Win
The whole world was stunned when Donald Trump won the U.S. Presidential Elections even if he lost the popular vote. Many quickly pointed accusing fingers at fake news. After dismissing the claims, Mark Zuckerberg finally realized the severity of the situation after the Pizzagate conspiracy turned violent. Facebook has since taken steps to ensure no more fake news spread through their pages.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Goes Up in Smoke
A short time after releasing its new flagship smartphone, Samsung was forced to recall and later stop production altogether of the Galaxy Note 7. This came after numerous reports of the device catching fire with at least one incident ending with a burned down vehicle.
After numerous speculations, Instrumental discovers that the incidents were caused by a thin separator that allowed the negative and positive layers inside the batteries to touch causing an ignition. Instrumental also pointed to the company's lack of "rigor" in testing the batteries.
Hacking Issues Get Worse and Worse
In what is now considered the worst hack attack in memory, Yahoo discovered that around 1 billion accounts were compromised in 2013. Prior to this, the troubled company also divulged that 500 million accounts were hacked.
A series of cyber attacks back in October shut down a number of major websites temporarily. The DDoS attack took down Netflix, Twitter, Amazon and a host of other sites on Dyn's servers.
The Case of the Missing Headphone Jack
Despite Apple's claims of being courageous, the removal of the headphone jack from the iPhone is a big no-no - for now. Legendary Steve Jobs once described his refusal to run Adobe Flash on the iPhone as courageous. Only time will tell if people fully embrace this move but right now, patrons are having a hard tie accepting the thought of buying dongles.
Celebrities Demanding Twitter To Take Action Against Abuse After Alt-Right Leader Accuses Comedian Of Being A Phedophile
Vic Berger has been the subject of online harassment from supporters of alt-right leader Mike Cernovich and some of his celebrity pals are trying to get Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to take action against the abuse.
Was Twitter Head Excluded From Trump Tech Meeting For Refusing #CrookedHillary Emoji?
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was not among the tech leaders invited to join President-elect Donald Trump in the recently-held tech summit.
Are The Russians Behind Proliferation Of Fake Election News?
A Russian propaganda spreading fake news was supposed to have helped Trump win the US presidential election.
How to Make Music on Facebook with the New Tik-Tok Inspired App Called Collab
Facebook has an upcoming TikTok-inspired app called Collab for music makers! Here's how to use it and create your music.
CCC Certificate Reveal Galaxy Note 20+ Comes with 5G, 25W Fast Charging, and Other Specs to Expect
Samsung will release Galaxy Note 20+ in late 2020. Sources state that Samsung will reveal its newest creations on both the Galaxy Note series and the Galaxy Fold series around August 2020. Here are specs to expect.
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