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Apple was far too busy releasing new TV shows, launching initiatives, and fighting Facebook, to bring out any new Apple Silicon devices, yet February 2021 was packed with events.
January 2021 had already seen more legal arguments than products launched, and here was February doing much the same.
Here's a thought. In any month when Apple fails to launch new devices, maybe bad news for the company rushes to fill the vacuum. In February 2021, Apple should've at least brought out "AirTags", then, because without them it became a month of twisting and turning allegations, fights, and legal battles.
That isn't to say Apple failed to launch anything at all, though, given that "The Snoopy Show" was released in February. And if that's perhaps not quite what Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak had in mind when they formed Apple, those bearded young men would've been drooling at the sight of Woodstock lifting an iPad Air 4.
Even more than it did before with Apple Arcade's launch, Apple took "The Snoopy Show" as an opportunity to have animated characters interacting with all the devices on its regular home page. Dozens of Woodstocks surrounded the iPad, while the Red Baron flew an iPhone. A red one, obviously.
Given that Woz and Jobs were doing all of this in the late 70s and early 80s, they might have been more attuned to another launch that was about that same period, or at least a version of it. Apple TV+ launched season 2 of "For All Mankind." And the Steves might especially have relished the Apple AR involved in the promotion of the show.
Launching and renewing initiatives
You would hope, though, that they would be especially keen on two initiatives that Apple championed in February 2021. Given their aims, later summarized as building a computer "for the rest of us," surely Wozniak and Jobs would be proud of Apple's Racial Equity and Justice Initiative.
Begun in 2020, this now expanded into funding the building of new training centers for developers. And it came alongside the renewal of Apple's Entrepreneur Camp for women app developers.
Not everyone loved Apple this month, though. Accessory producers and other suppliers whose goods are sold in physical Apple Stores had some issues, for instance. They claimed that Apple changed its terms so that they have to wait longer for their money, and that they now only get paid after an item is sold.
"One day I just got an email from Apple and it was all gone," said developer Brendan Ehsom. "All my hard work was gone that I had spent almost half a year on."
Anyone can make mistakes, of course, but Apple seemingly wouldn't look into this one until Canada's Global News contacted them.
Apple did listen to developers when they objected to a demand to return the Apple Silicon Developer Transition Kit. This is the DTK that Apple sold developers for $500, and now was offering them $200 off at the Apple Store.
TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS? That doesn't even go a third of the way towards the cheapest M1 Mac. It just about covers the 4 months the DTK was usable out of the 12 month lease you paid for— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) February 3, 2021
M1 malware and SSD issues
Speaking of M1 Macs, though, an issue for all users — not just developers — arose when it started to look as if there might be a problem with their SSD storage. There isn't. But it looked like there might be.
Using an app called Smart Monitoring Tools, users were seeing that their SSDs were being written to enormously more than they should. Since SSDs do have a limited lifespan, there were concerns.
This wasn't the only M1 specification to be called into question — though in the next case, nobody believed it for a second. Quite possibly not even the people saying it.
For Intel chose this month to publish proof of how its processors are faster than the Apple Silicon M1. You have to really want this to be true for it to work, and be willing to omit certain key details.
Genuine concerns with M1
This was the month, though, when an actual problem was spotted. The first M1-native malware was spotted in February 2021, and then there was a mysterious follow-up.
The next one spotted was peculiar because it appears as if there is a strain of macOS malware that doesn't do anything. You have to suspect that it was created in preparation for an attack, but we don't know — and we do know that Apple has now taken steps to combat it.
Still, despite these finds, overall the Apple Silicon M1 processor seems to be remarkably secure. And much more so than Intel's processors. Sorry, Intel.
Apple, Google, Facebook, and privacy
Alongside Apple's secure hardware, it continued this month to press on secure software and services. It was revealed that iOS 14.5 is going to reroute Google searches through Apple's servers in order to prevent the search giant getting too much personal information from users.
Presumably Google isn't delighted at that, but there's nothing it can do. As it appears to have finally realised about Apple's privacy nutrition labels.
After postponing iOS updates to its apps specifically because it didn't want to fill out Apple's now mandatory privacy forms, Google caved and released an update to the YouTube app.
So Apple's privacy labels are have an effect, but they do still depend on developers both filling the form in — and being honest. The US House Committee on Energy and Commerce told Apple in February that they need to pull their finger out.
"A privacy label is no protection if it is false," said the Committee in a letter. "We urge Apple to improve the validity of its App Privacy labels to ensure consumers are provided meaningful information about their apps' data practices and that consumers are not harmed by these potentially deceptive practices."
Do we need to mention where Facebook would rather Apple stick its privacy? After CEO Mark Zuckerberg was revealed to have said he wanted to cause Apple pain for what they were doing, Apple kept on doing it.
And Facebook kept right on bleating on. It was funny at first, then irritating, now it's Facebook actively insulting us.
That could be worse. Facebook could be petulantly blocking us access to its pages, as it did for a time in Australia. Unfortunately, whether its points there were right or not, Facebook got the Australian government to change its planned new laws.
So there's no chance Facebook will try that again.
Epic Games battle keep rumbling on
Just as there's zero chance that Epic Games will decide to drop its ongoing spat with Apple over that company's dropping "Fortnite" from the App Store. Not even when this month, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney admitted it wasn't over Apple dropping the app.
Instead, Sweeney had been drawing up a "battle plan" for months before introducing the in-app payment alternative that he knew would force Apple to drop the game.
February saw plenty of back and forth between the two firms as they prepare for their trial date in May. Perhaps the most revealing exchange, though, was when Apple apparently fully agreed to have Scott Forstall testify at the request of Epic Games.
What's revealing about all this is that it seems once you leave Apple, you're dead to them. Apple was happy to agree to Forstall testifying if Epic Games wanted him to, but said they couldn't actually find him.
Mind you, Forstall went from Apple to producing hit Broadway shows. So this may be less Apple un-friending him, and more a frightening example of how the coronavirus has hit theaters.
Lesser and more spotted "Apple Car"
Also nowhere to be seen, and yet this time surely talked about more in February 2021 than ever before, was the "Apple Car."
Throughout the month, Apple was said to be talking with many car manufacturers about producing the vehicle.
Then it was definitely talking with Hyundai, until it definitely wasn't. And then Hyundai was to be investigated over its share trading between the time when Apple was definitely talking to it, and the time when it definitely wasn't.
Now it definitely is again. Probably.
"Apple Car" rumors would continue on and on throughout the whole 2021. But as we headed into March, it wasn't time for new products, it turned out to be time for significant old ones to be discontinued.


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The first deputy governor of the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) recently spoke in an online meeting reported by Russia Today (RT) on the subject of digital currencies challenging and making SWIFT’s international payments system obsolete.
Digital currencies could challenge and even replace the SWIFT system
According to Olga Skorobogatova, the development of digital coins is making international bank payment systems a topic of discussion, so such traditional logic may be out of date.
She backed up her comments with the fact that over 30 financial regulators “are currently working on their national digital currencies”. She also believes that several countries could launch their cryptos in the next 5-7 years. Skorobogatova said:
Then we can deal with questions of direct integration. In this case, SWIFT may not be required as it is a different type of technological interaction. However, the global banking network can become one of the platforms for the new form of national currencies.
However, in order to achieve full digital currency integration, the deputy governor of the CBR believes that the security of the technology behind cryptocurrencies should be fully assured before considering adopting a new global transaction network.
An alternative crypto-based global payment network to evade sanctions?
RT’s report also adds to Skorobogatova’s words that Russia is working to respond to ongoing threats to evict the country from the SWIFT system, as “some Western politicians have threatened Russian banks off the network as part of a series of sanctions to separate”.
The SWIFT system is used by 11,000 financial institutions in more than 200 countries to arrange cross-border payments. However, the main disadvantage of processing transactions over such networks is the slowness and the costly costs involved.
The Russian central bank is working on its own CBDC, the digital ruble, as it plans to launch a series of tests similar to those of China.
Five Russian banks have already expressed interest in participating in the CBDC pilot project: Credit Bank of Moscow, Promsvyazbank, Bank Zenit, Dom.RF and the Russian National Commercial Bank. The State Duma, the federal assembly of the Russian lower house, expects the experiment with the digital ruble to begin in the first half of 2021.
Do you agree with the words of the deputy governor of the CBR? Let us know in the comments below.
Photo credit: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons
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How Black NFT Artists are Inheriting the Legacy of Hip-Hop and Jazz!
Every year, people from around the world pilgrimage to a leafy Harlem brownstone on E. 126th Street in hopes of conjuring history. It was there in 1958 that 57 jazz icons, from Thelonious Monk to Dizzy Gillespie, gathered to take a now-iconic photo for Esquire Magazine. Forty years later, hip-hop royalty including Rakim, Grandmaster Flash, and A Tribe Called Quest crowded on the same steps for XXL Magazine, staking their claim as generational inheritors of Black artistic excellence. In June, a new group ascended the steps in the hopes of inserting themselves into the same legacy: Black NFT artists.


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When fraud and scams begin to regulate their game over innocents then positively it can be awful to most horrible where we could only see the economic losses in the name of cyber crime, Internet fraud, phishing, Identity theft and what not.
Things could be wretched when offense seeks the door of academic directly target any university or student. Every year we see new crime ratios zoom up with new figures.
In most recent bring up to date pertaining to cyber frauds a investigate conducted by Cyveillance, Inc, a cyber-intelligence firm reveals educational institutions are the worst victims of phishing attack with that of Social Networking Media that else with starting of 2010.
Robbery of individual identity by fraud means which includes usernames, passwords and credit card details by camouflaged as a dependable entity in an electronic communication thus phishing remains critical global problem termed by Security Company.
Moreover according to cyveillance account several industries and corporate are the latest targets of attacks. With banks are always favorites of online fraudsters, on another note university, educations firms and social media are most in demand and wanted by these cyber crooks.
It simply means phishing goes hand in hand with that of latest trends of technology with great human interference in nature thus sparking scams every day.
Universities are specifically targeted for credentials including name and password information. Phishers use these details to create botnets applications that allow unauthorized access to or control over a user’s computer. Once penetrated, the system helps facilitate malicious activity such as spamming or denial of service attacks.
Whereas United Sates still remains the favorites destination of malware designers as we see many of the bad programs having their strong origin while Countries such as China, Canada and the United Kingdom are less key to provide online threats.


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Nvidia has taken the wraps off its RTX 3050 and RTX 3050 Ti GPUs, which it hopes will bring ray-tracing into the mainstream laptop market.
Both Ampere GPUs have power consumption ratings that sit between 35W to 80W, and have 4GB of GDDR6 memory with a 128-bit interface. The less powerful RTX 3050 has 2048 CUDA cores, 64 tensor cores, and 16 ray-tracing cores. The RTX 3050Ti arrives with 2560 CUDA cores, 80 tensor cores, 20 ray tracing cores, and slightly lower clock speed of 1035MHz to 1695MHz.
By comparison, an RTX 3060 packs 3840 CUDA cores, 120 tensor cores, 30 ray tracing cores, 6GB of memory with a 192-bit interface, has a clock speed sitting between 1283MHz to 1703MHz, and sucks down 60 watts to 115 watts of power.
Laptops packing the GPUs will cost upwards of $800, and feature either Intel or AMD CPUs.
Nvidia is claiming up to twice the performance compared to its previous generation along with the ability to get 60 frames per second on various games with medium settings used.
The company added the hash rate of the GPUs will not be limited, unlike how it tried with its RTX 3060 drivers.
Besides the obvious gaming uses, Nvidia said the GPUs would have Broadcast support to apply AI enhancements to audio and video feeds, and video conferencing. Users will be able to use two beta effects to remove noise from audio and video inputs. Additionally, they will be able to remove the sound of cicadas and pets with more than multiple effects able to be used simultaneously with the May 11 update.
The company said the RTX 3050 GPUs provide seven times faster 4K video editing, and four times faster editing in Adobe Lightroom when compared to solely using the CPU.


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Previous rumors have suggested that Samsung would not be releasing a new Galaxy Note smartphone next year. According to a recent report, Samsung is apparently planning to launch a Galaxy Note 21 in 2021.
The news comes in a report from Yonhap News who has apparently been told by a Samsung executive that the company will launch a new Galaxy Note smartphone next year.
An official from Samsung Electronics said on the 16th, “We are preparing to release the Galaxy Note series next year.”
The previous rumors had suggested that Samsung would discontinue their Galaxy Note line next year to focus on other devices. The rumors suggested that the Galaxy S21 Ultra would actually come with an S-Pen to replace the Note devices.
We are expecting to see the new Galaxy S21 range of handsets in January of February next year, so we should find out soon whether any of the handsets will feature an S-Pen.
As soon as we get some more information about exactly what Samsung has planned for next years Galaxy Note 21 smartphone, we will let you guys know.
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Exchange shoppers focus on price tag
Thanks to offering the lowest, across-the-board premiums on New York's health exchange, Health Republic Insurance of New York gained more market share than BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York, Independent Health and Univera Healthcarem, the McClatchy-Tribune reported.
More Western New Yorkers shopping through the NY State of Health chose low-priced plans from a new nonprofit cooperative than more expensive plans provided by dominant insurers.
Price continues to be a main concern for customers shopping for individual plans on exchanges across the country. Many Americans pick the cheapest plans while those still uninsured cite cost as the main reason for not enrolling on the exchanges, FierceHealthPayer previously reported.
"I think historically health insurance has been a price-sensitive purchase. So it's not surprising that the lower-cost plans did better initially," Donald R. Ingalls, vice president for federal and state relations for BlueCross BlueShield, told the McClatchy-Tribune.
But insurers need to emphasize that smart coverage decisions involve more than price, according to the article. Consumers need to consider factors other than the sticker price when choosing coverage during the next open enrollment period, such as whether their doctor is in network, customer service, overall benefits and value-added benefits, according to Independent Health Chief Marketing Officer Nora K. McGuire.
Recognizing the importance of provider networks to enrollment decisions, some states are urging insurers to add more doctors to their networks before the next open enrollment. For example, after California's insurance agency received hundreds of consumer complaints about being forced to find a new physician, the state asked insurers to expand their networks.
The first round of health insurance exchange enrollment also showed that better customer service can enhance sign-ups. That led Covered California to hire hundreds of new customer service workers, many of whom were bilingual.
- read the McClatchy-Tribune article


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Intel Corp. plans to turn over to the Linux Foundation control of Moblin, the Linux operating system it developed for netbooks using its Atom processor.
Setting Moblin free could help attract more interest from netbook makers that have mostly stuck with Microsoft Corp.'s Windows XP OS to date, and open-source developers who are turning an eye toward the Android smartphone operating system backed by Google Inc.
It also raises the possibility that Moblin development could be steered toward Nvidia Inc.'s Ion platform, which combines Nvidia graphics with Intel's Atom CPU, or the rival ARM smartphone processor that many are touting as the next big thing for netbooks.
"Nothing restricts any participant in the Moblin open-source project from taking this and putting it on ARM," Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation, told Computerworld on Wednesday. "They are willing to let Moblin be used even by their competitors because they feel pretty bullish about their ability to compete. It's a risk/reward that has been proven with other vendors."
First released by Intel in the summer of 2007, Moblin today runs only on devices and PCs using Intel's Atom or Core 2 CPUs, along with Intel's integrated graphics chips.
A number of OEMs, including Asus Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc., are already shipping netbooks running Moblin OS, Intel said.
The Moblin open-source project already has "thousands of active developers," including an undisclosed number of Intel employees, said Doug Fisher, a vice president in Intel's software and services group.
Under Intel's management, Moblin developers already had the freedom to port the OS to ARM or Nvidia's Ion, Fisher said. However, judging by a search of the Moblin.org site, no such projects exist today.
While a "big percentage" of Moblin's developers are Intel employees, Zemlin expects that to change.
"Intel gets that the most successful open-source projects are those that governed judiciously, where code is based on merit," he said. Zemlin cited the OpenOffice.org project that has been criticized by IBM and outsiders for Sun Microsystems Inc.'s continued strong grip as "a specific and good example ... of what [Intel is] trying to avoid."
Though the Linux OS's overall technical head, Linus Torvalds, is an employee of the Linux Foundation, he will have "zero" direct involvement in Moblin, said Zemlin.
Moblin 2.0 is in alpha stage right now. Neither Zemlin nor Fisher would comment on when a final release is expected. Areas of technical focus, include enhancing wireless connectivity, shortening boot time (already under 10 seconds today, said Fisher) and other features that would make netbooks attractive to telecom service operators wanting to offer netbooks at discounts to potential subscribers like cell phone users, Zemlin said.
Featurewise, Zemlin touted Moblin's power efficiency and lower price compared with Windows XP and Windows 7. Against Android, Zemlin pointed out, the smartphone OS runs only on ARM processors, and ARM-based netbooks have yet to ship.
Also, Android "comes from a smartphone perspective," said Zemlin. Translation: It lacks Moblin's ready access to the many apps that already run on Linux PCs.
"Moblin offers a very rich, PC-like experience," he said.


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Before the days of mobile supremacy Adobe Flash software dominated the computing landscape. In fact it was nearly impossible to load a website, power certain applications and work in general without it. That supremacy quickly changed when Apple’s iPhone series entered the market.
Realizing that Adobe was a power hog that could quickly drain a cell phones battery because of its system heavy performance issues former Apple CEO Steve Jobs quickly abandoned the platform. While Google Android devices chose to keep flash support the platforms allure quickly began to shift as developers moved from the popular system towards HTML 5 and CSS programming.
As of August 15 Adobe Flash was removed from the Google Play store. The decision to remove adobe flash for Android came in the form of an announcement from Adobe which notified users that only pre-installed smartphones would continue to receive security critical updates on lower versions of Google Android.
As HTML 5 began to become further introduced and consumers began to spend more time on their mobile devices Adobe Flash began to slowly disappear in terms of mobility supported options.
Adobe’s troubles were compounded when websites began to re-code their videos and develop their programs in support of Apple devices and other mobile hardware that was quickly losing favor among the Adobe crowd.
In place of many Adobe supported programs the company has moved many of its efforts towards the Adobe Air program which now independently controls many new pieces of software.
In the meantime Adobe has been more persistent with the desktop versions of its program. For example the company continues to successfully launch updates to the platform in the hopes of better supporting high definition products.
Adobe was a victim of its own power heavy resources and now its ability to adapt to a changing market could determine the future of the platform on desktops, just as it did on mobile devices.


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Are you worried about a late payment penalty from HMRC? If you are, then help is at hand.
The self-assessment payment deadline is 31 January and interest is charged from 1 February on any amounts outstanding.
Normally, HMRC charges a 5% late payment penalty on any unpaid tax that is still outstanding on 3 March. But this year, because of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, HMRC is giving taxpayers more time to pay or set up a payment plan.
Taxpayers can pay their tax bill or set up a monthly payment plan online at www.gov.uk. They need to do this by midnight on 1 April to prevent being charged a late payment penalty of 5%.
The online Time to Pay facility allows taxpayers to spread the cost of their self-assessment tax bill into monthly instalments until January 2022 aiding cash flow for many.
If you are worried about paying your tax and unable to set up a payment plan online please contact HMRC for help and support on 0300 200 3822 or phone us for guidance. We are here to help.


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New Brockton elected officials are trying to bring a supermarket and restaurant to their community.
And a similar effort is taking place in Southwest Coffee County.
Roy Stanford recently opened a restaurant and service station along Highway 52 in Kinston.
The town's assistant volunteer fire chief says it's time area residents invest in their hometown.
The shutdown of a textile plant five years ago triggered several store closings.
Stanford says his eatery is already paying dividends.
Residents and visitors alike are once again coming to Kinston.
Kinston has a population of around six-hundred residents.
Officials hope to expand the local tax base by individuals opening retail businesses in the small Coffee County community.


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WATCH: Thief caught on camera stealing bread buns
CCTV footage has captured the moment that a thief stole bread buns from a renowned Alnwick butchers.
The culprit took the food from Turnbull’s, on Market Street, in the early hours of Friday, February 3.
With his hood up, the thief looks around before removing the bread and making off with it.
Owner Mark Turnbull posted the CCTV footage on the shop’s Facebook page at the weekend.
He said: “It took us a while to work out why we were short of buns. We didn’t think that they had been pinched, but then we found the CCTV footage of somebody helping themselves to them.
“I put the footage on Facebook to see if we could name and shame the person who was responsible. He stole £30 of wrapped buns – there was not a crumb left!
“The bread delivery had arrived and was in the doorway, wrapped and undercover. The person has come along that little bit earlier than us and has taken the buns.
“We have addressed the situation now and the bread buns will be locked away, so it won’t be an issue in the future.”


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By Andy Young
The latest Alcohol Retail Currency report from Roy Morgan Research has revealed supermarket-owned chains now account for 72.3 per cent of the total Australian off-premise alcohol retail market.
The report lists the total value of the liquor retail market at $14.5bn and Norman Morris, Industry Communications Director, Roy Morgan Research, said that while the category is dominated by Woolworths and Dan Murphy’s in particular, there are still lots of things independent retailers can understand about their customers and what they want.
“The latest Roy Morgan Alcohol Retail Currency report reveals that supermarket-owned retailers continue to lead the liquor market, with the Woolworths’-owned Dan Murphy’s in particular maintaining (and building on) its dominant status,” Morris said.
“For independents, hotel bottle shops and less mainstream supermarket chains wishing to remain competitive, it is essential to understand what it is about Dan Murphy’s that attracts such a large (and growing) share of the market and to do what they can to emulate these qualities. For example, Roy Morgan data shows that people who usually shop at Dan Murphy’s place above-average importance on a good range and a well laid-out store where it’s easy to find what they’re looking for. At the same time, they enjoy having a good look around liquor stores, suggesting a willingness to browse rather than just zone in on what they came for and then get out fast.
“Additionally, the smaller retailers need to be aware what their existing customers value in a bottle shop—whether it’s being located close to other shopping spots (ALDI and IGA Liquor customers place great importance on this), low wine prices (noticeably more important for ALDI shoppers) or good specials (a particular priority for First Choice customers)—and ensure that they continue to meet these expectations.
Dan Muprhy’s accounted for nearly 30 per cent of the total dollars spent by Australians on off-premise alcohol in 2016, up from 25.4 per cent in 2015, to 29.9 per cent. The continued rise of the ‘big box’ store is further highlighted as BWS saw its market share decline, while within the Coles group of stores, First Choice grew its market share from 4.5 per cent to five per cent, while Liquorland and Vintage Cellars both recorded declines.
Morris added: “As with Bunnings in the hardware sector, Dan Murphy’s is such a category killer for the alcohol retail market, that it’s unlikely to face any challenges from its smaller rivals in the near future. But this doesn’t mean the smaller players can’t claim more of the booze market for themselves, by emphasising their unique strengths at the same time as they apply what they can from Dan Murphy’s success to their own business model.
“Admittedly, it’s a fine line to tread, but with the insights available within Roy Morgan’s in-depth alcohol customer data, bottle shops stand a better chance of shaping their marketing strategy to appeal to the widest range of liquor shoppers possible and thus adapt to this ever-changing retail sector.”
Overall, supermarket chains such as Dan Murphy’s, First Choice, Liquorland, BWS and ALDI Liquor amassed $10.5 billion of the total amount spent by Aussies on alcohol in a retail environment in 2016. Hotel bottle shops (such as Thirsty Camel) accounted for $1.8 billion, ahead of independents such as Cellarbrations ($1.5 billion), wine clubs ($0.7 billion) and duty free stores ($0.1 billion).
Proportionally speaking, supermarket-owned chains now account for 72.3 per cent of the total market share (up on 69.1 per cent in 2015), with other alcohol retailers trending either downwards or steady. The independents’ share declined markedly (from 12.7 per cent to 10.4 per cent), while duty free stores also suffered (now accounting for just 0.5 per cent of total alcohol retail dollars spent, down from 1.4 per cent). Hotel bottle shops and wine clubs were relatively stable.
Next week the Australian Liquor Stores Association and IRI will release its second State of the Industry Report, looking in detail at the consumer trends with the packaged liquor retail market.


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Tesco has asked the architects of its stores and property developments to reduce their fees by as much as 20%.
The news follows Building’s revelation that the supermarket giant asked its QSs and contractors to accept pay cuts of between 20% and 50% as a result of the downturn in the retail sector.
One architect working for Tesco said the cuts had not been as draconian as those imposed on cost consultants, but that there was pressure to work for far less money. He said: “Tesco is applying the same logic down the supply chain, and is more aggressive than most. We are under a lot of pressure.”
Tesco is a large client to the construction industry, with annual procurement worth around £1.4bn. Amongst the architects employed by Tesco are 3D Reid, Allies & Morrison, Lyons + Sleeman + Hoare, RGP Architects and Sheppard Robson.
Sources claim there have been internal struggles at Tesco over the squeeze on the supply chain. One source said: “The property division is furious over what it sees as orders from high up in the business saying, ‘we’ve got to squeeze all our suppliers.’ Property doesn’t work like that. You can’t get people to provide the same services for 50% of the fee.”
Pre-tax profits at Tesco are likely to be more than £3bn when the supermarket reports in April.
Building’s story prompted enraged comments at www.building.co.uk/whatyouthink


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Electric car manufacturer Tesla wants to build a large-scale lithium-ion battery plant that would drive down cost of vehicle battery packs by more than 30 per cent.
The ambitious plan of the pioneering electric car manufacturer foresees the factory, employing cutting-edge technologies and production techniques, would produce more Li-ion batteries by 2020 than all the world’s manufacturers have produced together in 2013.
In documents published on Tesla’s website, the company said it considered building the factory either in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico or Texas. All these locations are close enough to Tesla’s main site in Fremont, California, to allow for low transportation costs.
“In cooperation with strategic battery manufacturing partners, we’re planning to build a large-scale factory that will allow us to achieve economies of scale and minimise costs through innovative manufacturing, reduction of logistics waste, optimisation of co-located processes and reduced overhead,” the company said in a blog post.
Tesla and its partners will invest about $4-5bn (£2.4–3bn) in the Gigafactory through 2020. The facility construction should start by the end of 2014 with the production launch planned for 2017. By that time, the company said, it wants to include a mass-market vehicle into its product range. Tesla cars, so far, have been a luxury product for those who can afford to pay £50,000 for a car, in the case of the popular Model S car.
With its own battery-production facility, Tesla wants to speed up its vehicle production to up to 500,000 vehicles a year in 2020.


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THQ into pieces
As part of the Chapter 11 proceedings, THQ has held an auction to sell of plenty of IP and studios. The outcome was as follows:
- Sega bought Relic Entertainment
- Koch Media bought Volition as well as the Metro and Saint’s Row franchises
- Crytek has bought the Homefront franchise
- Take2 has bought the unannounced Evolve game from Turtle Rock
- Ubisoft has purchased THQ Montreal as well as South Park: The Stick of Truth
THQ president Jason Rubin stated that the company’s back catalog of games will go on sale in the coming weeks as well.
Remarkable: Darksiders development studio Vigil did not receive any bids and as such will remain under the chapter 11 proceedings, meaning the people working their will lose their jobs and the studio will cease to exist. On that matter, Rubin noted he found that to be a “travesty” and that if he hadn’t been barred from the auction due to SEC regulations, he would have bought it himself.


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ECONOMY: Supermarket landscape could be poised for shakeup if strike hits
The saber-rattling officially began this month in labor talks between 62,000 union food workers and major supermarket chains.
The posturing may foreshadow a replay of a strike in the Southern California grocery industry from the mid-2000s, when a 141-day lockout of union workers ended up costing the stores more than $1.5 billion in profit.
Already, blow-by-blow emails are flying over the Internet, "strike captains" have been selected by union locals, and a schedule has been set for distributing union handbills at grocery stores through the end of June.
An umbrella group of the AFL-CIO unions in San Diego and other Southern California counties also has given its negotiators permission to call a strike, if necessary.
And underscoring the gap between the parties, federal mediators have been invited to help bridge differences.
The unions are targeting the Big Three grocery chains: Vons Cos. Inc.; Ralphs Grocery Co., a subsidiary of The Kroger Co.; and Albertsons, owned by Supervalu Inc.
The contract with the United Food and Commercial Workers union in Southern California expired in March, and could affect more than 150 stores in San Diego and Riverside counties should a strike happen, according to store counts provided by the companies.
A strike ---- as well as inflationary commodity and food prices hitting the industry ---- could become the catalyst for a shakeup in the local food-shopping landscape, according to industry insiders and analysts.
The backdrop for this go-around in negotiations is the rise in non-traditional retail operators, the analysts said.
"There's drug chains selling groceries, dollar stores (99 Cents Only) selling, as well as Walmart, Target and Costco, and nontraditional format operators," said Meg Major, editor-in-chief of Progressive Grocer, a trade publication based in Deerfield, Ill.
"A lot of independents have emerged as a first stop in the minds of many consumers," Major said.
In Southern California, the list of grocery retailers is a long one, and includes a wide array of fiercely competitive independents and ethnic-oriented chains.
Should a strike happen, said Mary Gotaas, supermarket analyst with IBISWorld Inc., "The shift will be to shop more at the ethnic stores in San Diego because they have a higher ratio there than elsewhere in the region."
This seems to be the case.
"There's not a lot we're doing at this point," said Jim "Jimbo" Someck, owner of Jimbo's health food stores in San Diego.
In the 2003-2004 strike, the non-union Jimbo's ---- which has locations in Carlsbad, Carmel Valley, Escondido and 4S Ranch ---- saw sales initially jump 40-50 percent over what they saw before the strike.
"Having gone through it (the supermarket strike) seven or eight years ago, all we can do is adjust as quickly as possible to the increased business," Someck said. "We have to do some of that on the fly. It's too premature to add inventory and then nothing happens."
A key executive in charge of another Southern California-based independent supermarket chain with operations in San Diego County said sales at his non-union stores grew 5-10 percent as a result of the nearly 20-week strike seven years ago.
"Obviously, if they do strike, we'd have to react, and look at additional labor ---- such as extending the hours of our part-timers," he said. "Our management team is aware of the situation, and we are watching it."
The Southern California grocery business has been "severely depressed" for the past few years.
"I think other parts of the country are picking up, but Southern California is definitely not," said the unidentified industry source, who predicts a consolidation and possible departure of one of the big three chains now in talks with the food workers union.
Changes in the landscape
Albertsons has recently shown evidence of retrenching in California.
Earlier this year, privately held Stater Bros. bought stores in Lake Elsinore and Hesperia from Albertsons, and has been looking for buyers for more than 40 stores in California.
In recent years, Albertson's has sold stores to Anaheim-based Gonzalez Northgate Markets and Sylmar-based Vallarta Supermarkets, according to information provided by IBISWorld's Gotaas.
Among others, some of the major independent and ethnic chains include Gonzalez Northgate; Santa Fe Springs-based Superior Grocers; Vallarta; and, 99 Ranch Market, owned by Tawa Supermarket of Buena Park.
Other independent chains include Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Markets, with roots in San Diego County and which recently bought Henry's Farmers Market and Monrovia-based Trader Joe's.
Spokespersons with all of those independent chains declined to comment on preparations to accommodate increased customer traffic should a strike happen.
"There is definitely an opportunity for these chains to broaden their base," said Major of ethnic and other independent groceries.
Gotaas said that the Big Three are showing signs of financial stress in the region ----- as opposed to nationally.
She cited the above-average unemployment rates in California, which has been hard hit by foreclosures in the limping economy.
Tougher times for Californians have translated into less disposable income, which in turn has limited grocery purchases to bread, milk and other basics. The more expensive items, such as gourmet or name-brand foods, have been omitted or substituted with cheaper options, Gotaas explained.
"This is a different situation than the last strike. We're coming out of a recession, and the chains are coming out of some tough times where they lost a lot of money," she said, adding that the chains are being hammered by inflation and rising food and commodity costs.
She forecasts revenue of $494.6 billion for the supermarket industry nationwide in 2011, with profit of $9.9 billion. In the 2006 to 2011 period, she saw 0.4 percent revenue growth, but anticipates a slowdown of 0.1 percent growth in the next five years.
"Grocery stores already have a small profit margin, which is why they're concerned about health care costs and wanting to pass them on to workers," she said.
Little word on talks
The companies are keeping mum on the progress of the talks. Meanwhile, their representatives and union officials have asked for help in closed-door meetings.
Scot Beckenbaugh, deputy commissioner of the Washington, D.C., office of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, and Joe Mansolillo, commissioner of the federal mediation office in San Diego, were signaled to the table by the sides in early May, according to John Arnold, a spokesman for the service.
The two are part of a federal labor dispute resolution service that typically is notified when tough labor talks are under way, roughly 30 days before a contract expires.
Beckenbaugh and Mansolillo are not unfamiliar with labor disputes in the Southern California supermarket industry. In 2007, they were called to help avert a walkout when the contract with big supermarket chains expired in Southern California. Others were involved in the earlier walkout, said Arnold, the spokesman for the mediators.


text: Multi-factor authentication – the popular kid at school… Posted on 22 August 2011 by Gemalto in Corporate In light of all the recent cyber attacks costing companies money, reputation and customer trust, stronger security and additional layers is increasingly becoming top of… Fujitsu’s biometric palm authentication will be a step too far… Posted on 13 June 2011 by Gemalto in Corporate Fujitsu recently launched a biometric authentication technology which it claims can identify one individual out of data from a million people. Taking under two seconds… From Twitter Loading... More from Twitter Subscribe to updates Select a category of interest: All Categories Enterprise SecurityFinancial ServicesGovernmentIoTMobileSoftware Monetization Enter your email address: Delivered by FeedBurner. Submitting this form will open a popup window to the FeedBurner website. Latest comments 11/01/19 @ 04:01 Eva Looks cool to avoid unexpected payment by thieves with a stolen card. More secure09/01/19 @ 10:01 Kareem Excellent series of blog on the topic. Many thanks.09/01/19 @ 10:01 Kareem Thanks for the explanation. It would be helpful if you cover the idea of a primary and secondary device, where LPA sits exactly in this case and what S/W sits on the primary device.


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CHICAGO (MarketWatch) - Investors will find out just how tough things have been and might be going foward for Home Depot and Lowe's Co. when the home-improvement retailers begin to open their second-quarter books next week.
Double-digit year-over-year declines in existing home sales alone has pressured sales of home-improvement products, not to mention the impact the slower new-housing industry has had on them.
"We believe weak second-quarter results are widely expected," said William Blair and Co. analyst Jack Murphy in a research note.
Atlanta-based Home Depot
At Thomson Financial, analysts have reached an average earnings forecast of 72 cents a share compared with last year's profit of 90 cents a share. Total sales are projected to drop 18% to $22.03 billion.
On Thursday, Home Depot sent shareholders clamoring after it said that it was renegotiating its $10.3 billion deal to sell HD Supply to a group of private-equity investors. That could lower the price of the deal, a potential fallout from the tightening credit environment. See full story.
It also could mean that the HD Supply business is crumbling along with the housing market.
At the same time, Home Depot said it was repricing its tender offer to purchase 250 million shares of stock in a range of $37 a share to $42 share, reflecting "current financial market conditions." The company originally said it would buy back the shares in a range of $39 a share to $44 a share.
Things don't look quite as dire at Lowe's
At Thomson Financial, the average forecast is for Lowe's to on sales of $14.13 billion, up 5.5%. Earnings are expected to inch up a penny to 61 cents a share compared with last year's profit of 60 cents a share.
William Blair's Murphy is more upbeat with his forecast set at 62 cents a share. However, he's more circumspect about the second half of the year. Lowe's has projected that its sales will grow by 7% for the year and earnings edged up to a range of $1.99 a share to $2.03 a share.
He called Lowe's forecast "aggressive." "We believe earnings visibility is low due to the state of the housing market and out expectations that housing will remain weak throughout 2007," he said. Lowe is scheduled to report Monday, Aug. 20.


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Chocolate sales spike during lockdown, surpass overall candy sales
NEW YORK - Chocolate is leading the charge on the candy front as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
A data-driven report from the National Confectioners Association shows that demand for chocolate has surpassed demand observed in the candy market overall from March 15, 2020 to Aug. 9, 2020.
Between those five months, the premium chocolate market saw the largest growth with a sales spike of 12.5%. Non-premium chocolate, on the other hand, saw a sales increase of 5.5%.
The candy market, which also includes chocolate products, saw an increase of 3.8%.
Grocery stores have been credited as the “key driver for chocolate and candy sales,” according to the NCA.
Premium chocolates eclipsed all the other categories in the grocery channel with a sales increase of 21.4%. Non-premium chocolates and candies overall trailed behind at 17.9% and 16.6%, respectively. Non-chocolate items saw a sales increase of 13.5%.
“Chocolate might not be an essential item, but it is a source of indulgence and comfort that consumers look for in times of uncertainty,” said an April report from CBI - Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries. “The chocolate market is expected to survive the current lockdowns without too much damage.”
CBI also credited early pantry-loading habits at the beginning of the pandemic as a factor for chocolate consumption.
The U.S. chocolate market is expected to surpass $20 billion by 2025, according to a forecast put together by global market research firm IndexBox.
In 2019, the average chocolate and confectionery import price for a single ton was $4,156, the firm’s findings show. Conversely, the average export price per ton was $4,857. The U.S. is listed as the second country with the “highest volumes of chocolate and confectionery consumption in 2019” with 4.7 million tons.
China took the number one spot with nine million tons of chocolate and confectionery items consumed in 2019.


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A roving consignment shop run by two Australians helps its Orthodox Brooklyn clientele navigate the line between modesty and style
One day last October, Chaya Chanin, an Orthodox Jewish woman, sent her two children to the zoo with a babysitter and transformed her three-bedroom apartment in Crown Heights into a high-end boutique. A pink sign outside welcomed clients to the Frock Swap, a roving consignment shop that Chanin and her sister Simi Polonksy have been running for almost a year and a half. Mannequins in the living room display vintage dresses, and pop music streams through the “dressing room” (the bedroom), “the cashier station” (the kitchen), and “the accessory table” (the dining area). Over a dozen Orthodox Jewish women, who heard of the sale through friends and Facebook, flip through the racks. “Isn’t this just divine?” says one shopper of a silk Chloe shirt.
Outside, on Kingston Avenue, religious men wear black hats and white shirts. The women have on floor-length jean skirts and long-sleeve solid-colored T-shirts. It is easy to understand why they dress this way: Jewish modesty laws are strict, requiring women to cover their elbows, knees, collarbones, and, if married, their hair. But the Frock Swap caters to a different set: religious women who believe they can dress modestly without sacrificing individual panache.
“People want to feel like they look normal, not a frummy religious nerd,” says Chaya, 27, who wears a bold floral top that complements her long, wavy wig. She and Simi, dressed in a two-tiered black sheer top with a skirt that stops just past her knees, hand-pick used, stylish clothes from their friends and sell them once a month either in a rented store or someone’s apartment. A percentage of the money goes to the consignors, and the rest they use to expand their business. Eventually, they’d like to have a pop-up store and perhaps warehouse space to house clothing from a larger network of buyers.
At the sale, Chaya welcomes customers into the store with a glass of wine, and Simi suggests looks. “Can I put a shirt underneath this dress?” asked a customer holding up an emerald, satin, short-sleeved dress. “Let’s try this,” says Simi, who had a brief career as a personal shopper for her mother’s friends in Australia, rushing over with a sharp black blazer, “You’re going to look gorgeous.” Simi says she has to resist the urge to tweak strangers’ outfits. “How could you wake up in the morning and think that you actually look OK?” she admits to thinking of some people she sees on the street.
According to Jewish tradition, explains Sara Labkowski, the director of Machon Chana, a Crown Heights yeshiva program for young women, helping girls dress well is an admirable pursuit. “When we feel well dressed, we can do much more,” she says. “We can be better mothers and wives and community members.”
But that’s where Labkowski’s approval ends. Frock Swap offers clothing that fits a variety of comfort levels: form-fitting dresses, shirts that are too low on their own but can have fabric sown into them, red lace bras that a young woman might (or might not) feel comfortable wearing in front of her husband. While the store does not sell items such as mini-skirts or pants, Labkowski believes that some of its clothing isn’t modest enough. “We have a lot of teenagers, a lot of kids, looking for guidance. They are falling prey to things that are wrong, thinking they are right,” she told me. She believes girls with non-modest clothes might be tempted into following their yetzer hara, or evil inclination.
But for Simi and Chaya, letting women make their own choices about clothing is only natural. They grew up in Sydney, Australia, where girls walked around in bikinis and revealing summer dresses. While they strictly adhere to Jewish law, their father, who is a rabbi, encouraged them to be open to people who practice religion differently.
Liat Rubin, Simi and Chaya’s childhood friend from Australia who visits the Frock Swap sales when in town, is a recent convert to modest dressing. After acting “like everybody that lived by the beach,” she realized she was attracting what she called the wrong type of attention from men. She switched to wearing modest clothes and feels good about the choice: “When I feel like I put an outfit together that looks great and it’s working within the boundaries I am more proud of myself.”
Others say there are clear downsides. “If you ask me if it restricts me, totally!” says Mimi Hecht, who writes a blog about being a mom in Crown Heights. “I can’t say how many times I went shopping with a friend and I’m like ‘It’s so crazy, this is so stupid.’ ” Chaya wishes she could go for a jog without putting on a wig or a hat. “For me it’s challenging to keep being inspired about the way I live and what I do,” admits Simi. “No matter how strong you can feel about something, the world is tempting.”
Overeducated Yuppie parents gush about their kids’ mediocre artwork. But a new book about children’s art suggests that may not be a bad thing.
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Apple iphone 13 and Apple iphone 13 Pro Max reportedly took the major two places on the most offered smartphones list for the first quarter of 2022. This information arrives from IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo who shared a top rated-5 list of the greatest-offering smartphones in Q1 2022. Another Apple handset uncovered its way into this record at the fourth placement. The remaining two places at third and fifth had been secured by handsets from Samsung. Having said that, the information shared by Jeronimo does not consist of the actual amount of units bought for these smartphones.
Jeronimo posted this facts on Twitter which states that the smartphone industry was dominated by Apple in Q1 2022 with the Iphone 13 sitting in the prime place. It is adopted by the Apple iphone 13 Professional Max with a 6.7-inch display in second. Meanwhile, the Apple iphone 13 Professional with a 6.1-inch display was in a position to protected the fourth position which might counsel that Apple shoppers have been willing to fork out additional for a marginally bigger exhibit.
The tweet also mentions that the Iphone 13 income were all over $42 billion (roughly Rs. 3,26,224 crore) for this quarter. This determine reportedly accounted for up to 84 percent of the Iphone gross sales in this time period. Apple has retained its momentum likely immediately after recording its most worthwhile holiday getaway year (October to December) previous yr, regardless of going through offer shortages. All through this time period, the Cupertino company claimed Apple iphone income of $71.63 billion (about Rs. 5,56,393 crore).
On the other hand, Samsung also designed its way on to this list with the Galaxy A12 and Galaxy A32 small-stop smartphones that came 3rd and 5th, respectively. The blended revenue of these smartphones for Q1 2022 supposedly created $3.6 billion (roughly Rs. 27,963 crore) for the South Korean tech huge.


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Got an Android device? Get yourself over to the 10 billion app promotion on the Android Market. Currently there are 10 pretty decent apps all available for just 10p each. Most of the apps are "Editor's Choice" award winners, with highlights including Minecraft - Pocket Edition, Fieldrunners, Great Little War Game, Asphalt 6, SwiftKey X and Sound Hound.
Google's yet to actually announce anything regarding the sale, but by the looks of it we'll probably see the 10 apps change daily to celebrate 10 billion app downloads from the Android Market. Whatever the reason, decent Android apps for 10p a pop is definitely worth checking out. [Android Market via Android Central]


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University is traditionally known as a time absolved of many responsibilities, when students can run up vast amounts of debt, safe in the knowledge that they'll get good enough jobs to pay them off when they leave, and at a reduced rate of interest.
But for the current crop of students, it's a very different story.
The increase in tuition fees from £3,000 to £9,000 per year has meant that the majority of first-years (or 'freshers') now expect to finish their course with a mountain of debt to the tune of £39,000.
And with this sword of Damocles hanging over them, many are considering cost-cutting measures that could help them avoid going too far into the red.
Saving money According to a report conducted by the Money Advice Service, such measures range from the sensible to the ridiculous. One in three students said they would consider living at home in an effort to cut debt.
Meanwhile, 60 per cent said they would work at some point during the year in order to raise extra cash, and more than a quarter said they'd work during term time and holidays to boost their finances.
Desperate measures But some of the cash-saving tactics were less sensible, with 29 per cent of freshers admitting they would skip meals in order to save money.
A total of 27 per cent said they'd risk grades by avoiding buying essential text books, while almost a third indicated that they'd go without central heating in order to minimise their student debt.
But while debt is part of being a student, it doesn't have to be daunting, according to Phil Davis, chairman of the Money Advice Service.
He points out that the use of budgeting tools and the right education, students can find ways to quickly cut their outgoings and work out a strategy that will help them to reduce the amount of debt they pay at the end of the year.
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Accenture Strategy’s most recent Global Consumer Pulse Research has found that customer experiences (CX) improved in several areas last year. Unfortunately, these modest gains were offset by falling or stagnant performance in other areas—from customer frustrations and trust to their propensity to switch providers.
Customer expectations continue to soar. This puts companies in a tough position. Many are simply perpetuating an endless game of catch-up, trying to satisfy a customer base that may never be satisfied.
Competitive advantage will no longer come from meeting customer demands. To thrive in the years ahead, companies must exceed those demands by a significant margin. Three areas of opportunity will help them do just that.
Accenture Strategy’s most recent Global Consumer Pulse Research found that customer satisfaction and participation in loyalty programs has increased by one or two percentage points over the past year in all industries. The effectiveness of loyalty programs is also on the rise. Unfortunately, the modest gains in these areas were offset by falling or stagnant performance in other areas. For example:
61 percent of customers globally switched companies due to poor service in 2017.
This figure is consistent with reports of switching in 2016. But it is 2 percentage points higher than what we found when we launched our Global Consumer Pulse Research 10 years ago.
Customer frustration with marketing and sales practices increased by an average of 2.8 percent across every category.
Failing to deliver on promises, being difficult to work with, and mishandling personal information are the top three sources of discontent.
Perhaps most tellingly, 23 percent of customers trust companies much less today than they did five years ago.
In the US alone, 41 percent of customers who switched providers did so because of an issue of trust.
Despite these findings, we believe investments in virtually all areas of CX are worthwhile. That’s because even if CX investments are not translating into revenue gains, they are likely helping to prevent further erosion of customer satisfaction and loyalty.
For the past five years, approximately one-third of customers have indicated that their expectations for service and support are greater than they were the prior year. The specific experiences customers expect have remained fairly consistent for years. Topping the list is speed, followed by convenience.
The fact that so many customers place higher expectations on companies year after year makes it tremendously challenging for individual companies to get ahead. Companies invest in CX initiatives to engage customers, strengthen relationships and ultimately grow their businesses. The problem is not that companies are investing in the wrong things. More likely, it is that their CX improvements are simply not keeping pace with customer expectations.
Our research suggests that three large, distinct and relatively untapped pockets of CX value exist.
In 2017, more than half (53 percent) of customers in mature markets switched away from at least one of their providers. In emerging markets, the figure is 25 percent higher. Poor experiences are one of the main reasons customers leave. After having a bad customer experience, 46 percent of customers shifted a portion of their spending to another provider. And 47 percent immediately stopped doing business with that company.
Digging deeper into the characteristics of poor experiences, we found that the top three sources of customer frustration included having to contact the company multiple times for the same reason (cited by 60 percent of respondents), dealing with unfriendly or impolite employees (56 percent), and failure to deliver on promises made at the time of purchase (55 percent). Interestingly, there is remarkably little change over the past three years in terms of the things companies do to frustrate their customers with regard to customer service. Mitigating these and other frustrations will go far to create the CX consumers now demand.
Success today calls for hyper-relevance, or the ability to meet customers’ needs and expectations in real time and in response to their changing circumstances. Hyper-relevance requires two things:
Personalized & contextual data. Nearly 30 percent of customers now expect companies with which they engage to know more about them than ever before. Further, predictive analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and extended ecosystems of partners make it possible for companies to capture real-time snapshots of customers and achieve new levels of insight to keep them engaged.
Digital trust. Our research found that personalization that is built on trust is critically important to 43 percent of customers. Further, 88 percent of customers find a company that can personalize their experience without compromising trust to be much more appealing and relevant to their needs.
By eliminating trust barriers with new practices, controls and governance structures, companies can use data in new and exciting ways to deliver the experiences that customers demand—and even some they don't yet realize they desire.
Customers see AI technologies as valuable tools through which answers, support or more convenient transactions can be delivered. Half of customers no longer care if they are interacting with humans or AI-enabled technologies. And 44 percent of consumers use some type of virtual assistant—22 percent do so daily.
Companies can seize upon customers’ growing AI acceptance to transform CX with fast, highly relevant virtual support. This will involve combining human skills, AI capabilities and analytics to enable proactive consultation and decision-making. Where can AI add the most value? Our research revealed some of the possibilities, including the monitoring of home energy use, home security and consumers’ health.
Breaking through the CX stagnation requires more than meeting customers’ expectations. It calls for exceeding customer demands by a significant margin. We believe a focus on switching mitigation, hyper-relevance and AI can re-energize CX and set companies on a course to sustainable competitive advantage and growth.


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Gov. Lamont welcomes approximately 200 new jobs in a boost to Connecticut’s economy
The U.S. plays a critical role in PMI’s mission to create a smoke-free future
NEW YORK-Tuesday 22 June 2021 [ AETOS Wire ]
(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Philip Morris International (PMI) (NYSE:PM) today announced the relocation of its corporate headquarters to Connecticut from New York. The move, which was facilitated with the support of Gov. Ned Lamont’s office, will bring approximately 200 jobs to the state—providing a boost to the state’s economy. The new headquarters is expected to be operational by summer 2022.
“Connecticut offers a valuable mix of technological know-how, future-forward thinking, and an open-minded approach to problem-solving,” said Jacek Olczak, CEO of PMI. “We consider it an ideal location for our new U.S. head office, where we will be working to more quickly achieve our vision of a smoke-free future. We are excited about what the state has to offer our company, our employees, and their families—and we very much look forward to integrating into the community in a meaningful way.”
“We are amid a profound transformation at PMI,” continued Olczak, “and our new base in Connecticut will serve to accelerate our progress. Beyond replacing cigarettes with better alternatives, we intend to draw on our expertise in life and medical sciences to develop solutions in areas that include respiratory drug delivery and botanicals. Through our product innovations, sustainability leadership, people-centered employment practices, and community involvement, we intend to be a source of pride for the state.”
The new office—which is also PMI’s headquarters—will house the Americas teams and members of other corporate functions. PMI’s Operations Center will remain in Lausanne, Switzerland, to continue to support the business across the globe. The company employs a workforce of more than 71,000 worldwide.
“We are excited to welcome PMI to the State of Connecticut, showing once again that our state is a growing and thriving ecosystem for businesses,” said Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont. “They recognize what we’ve been saying for years: Connecticut is a wonderful place to raise a family and a competitive place to conduct business. I am also impressed by their culture and desire to integrate closely into the communities in which they operate, and we look forward to seeing their active and charitable contributions to our state.”
“Philip Morris International’s move to Southwest Connecticut will bring approximately 200 good-paying jobs that will boost our economy and augment the tax base which funds our schools, infrastructure, and essential community services,” said Representative Jim Himes, D-Conn. “As our area recovers from COVID-19, I’m pleased to see new economic investment in our community, and thank Governor Lamont for his laser-like focus.”
PMI is widely recognized as a top employer and a leader in gender equity, equitable pay, and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) measures. Recognitions include:
- The first international company to achieve global EQUAL-SALARY certification
- Included in the 2021 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index
- Certified Global Top Employer for five consecutive years by the Top Employers Institute
- Ranked on CDP’s A List for climate change for seven years in a row
- Included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America
- Awarded CDP’s “triple A” score in 2020 for efforts to combat climate change and the protection of forests and water security
Since 2016, PMI has undergone a major business transformation, moving away from cigarettes and other combustible tobacco products in favor of smoke-free alternatives that, while not risk-free, are scientifically substantiated to be a better choice than continued smoking. PMI is committed to a smoke-free future, and its noncombustible products already accounted for nearly 30 percent of net revenues in the first quarter of 2021. Building on this progress, the company has accelerated its ambitions, now aiming to be a majority smoke-free company in terms of net revenues by the end of 2025.
The potential public health impact of PMI’s scientifically substantiated smoke-free products is increasingly being recognized by governments and public health authorities. For instance, in the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued marketing authorizations for IQOS, PMI’s electronically heated tobacco system. In July 2020, the FDA authorized the IQOS 2.4 system as a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP), concluding that issuing exposure modification orders for the system is “appropriate to promote the public health” and is “expected to benefit the health of the population as a whole.” The agency is now conducting a scientific review of the company’s MRTP application for the IQOS 3 system, which was authorized for sale in the U.S. in December 2020.
Globally, as of March 31, 2021, an estimated 14 million adults have switched to IQOS and stopped smoking.
Note to editor:
IQOS is available in the U.S. market through an exclusive license with Altria Group, Inc.
Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future
Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company, its shareholders, and its other stakeholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well as smoke-free products, associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the U.S. In addition, PMI ships versions of its IQOS Platform 1 device and consumables to Altria Group, Inc. for sale under license in the U.S., where these products have received marketing authorizations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) pathway; the FDA has also authorized the marketing of a version of IQOS and its consumables as a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP), finding that an exposure modification order for these products is appropriate to promote the public health. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities, and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. PMI’s smoke-free product portfolio includes heat-not-burn and nicotine-containing vapor products. As of March 31, 2021, PMI’s smoke-free products are available for sale in 66 markets in key cities or nationwide, and PMI estimates that approximately 14.0 million adults around the world have already switched to IQOS and stopped smoking. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.
This press release contains projections of future results and other forward-looking statements. Achievement of future results is subject to risks, uncertainties and inaccurate assumptions. In the event that risks or uncertainties materialize, or underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could vary materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements. Pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, PMI is identifying important factors that, individually or in the aggregate, could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements made by PMI.
PMI’s business risks include: excise tax increases and discriminatory tax structures; increasing marketing and regulatory restrictions that could reduce our competitiveness, eliminate our ability to communicate with adult consumers, or ban certain of our products; health concerns relating to the use of tobacco and other nicotine containing products and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke; litigation related to tobacco use and intellectual property; intense competition; the effects of global and individual country economic, regulatory and political developments, natural disasters and conflicts; changes in adult smoker behavior; lost revenues as a result of counterfeiting, contraband and cross-border purchases; governmental investigations; unfavorable currency exchange rates and currency devaluations, and limitations on the ability to repatriate funds; adverse changes in applicable corporate tax laws; adverse changes in the cost, availability, and quality of tobacco and other agricultural products and raw materials, as well as components and materials for our electronic devices; and the integrity of our information systems and effectiveness of our data privacy policies. PMI's future profitability may also be adversely affected if we are unsuccessful in our attempts to produce and commercialize reduced-risk products (“RRPs”) or if regulation or taxation do not differentiate between such products and cigarettes; if we are unable to successfully introduce new products, promote brand equity, enter new markets or improve our margins through increased prices and productivity gains; if we are unable to expand our brand portfolio internally or through acquisitions and the development of strategic business relationships; or if we are unable to attract and retain the best global talent. Future results are also subject to the lower predictability of our reduced-risk product category’s performance.
PMI is further subject to other risks detailed from time to time in its publicly filed documents, including the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2021. PMI cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not a complete discussion of all potential risks and uncertainties. PMI does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that it may make from time to time, except in the normal course of its public disclosure obligations.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210622005620/en/
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Google could be forced to delay the long-awaited Android 8.0 Oreo update if it’s unable to fix a connectivity issue that beta testers are currently experiencing.
According to the firm’s Product Forums, the latest build of Oreo disrupts Bluetooth playback through Android Auto, headphones and speakers.
Big G is requesting that beta testers affected by the issue submit a comprehensive report, so it can distribute a patch as soon as possible.
All hands on deck, Google!
We’re hoping it won’t take Google more than a week to fix the problem, otherwise there’s a chance it will need to delay the final rollout—and nobody wants that.


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Caffeine hit for Coca Cola as it buys Costa coffee chain for US$5.1B
by Pan Pylas, The Associated Press
Costa is the U.K.'s largest coffee chain with over 2,400 shops in Britain and another 1,400 in more than 30 countries
LONDON—Coca-Cola is hoping to give itself another caffeine-fueled boost.
The company said Friday it will buy the Costa coffee brand from British firm Whitbread for 3.9 billion pounds (US$5.1 billion) in cash. Costa is Britain’s biggest coffee company with over 2,400 coffee shops in the U.K. and another 1,400 in more than 30 countries. It has 460 in China, its second-biggest market.
The deal, expected to complete in the first half of 2019, plugs a big hole in Coca-Cola’s portfolio. Coca-Cola owns the Georgia and Gold Peak coffee brands, but the purchase of Costa will give it a much broader presence.
“Hot beverages is one of the few remaining segments of the total beverage landscape where Coca-Cola does not have a global brand,” said James Quincey, Coca-Cola President & CEO.
Coca-Cola, which has over 500 brands in its stable including Fanta, innocent smoothies and Powerade sports drinks, certainly has the deep pockets to help push Costa on the world stage. In 2017, it generated operating income of $9.7 billion on revenues of $35.4 billion.
The deal represents a big return to Whitbread, which bought Costa in 1995 for 19 million pounds. Since then, Costa has grown from just 39 shops and in the year to March, Costa made an operating profit of 123 million pounds on sales of 1.29 billion.
In recent years, Whitbread has invested heavily in Costa’s expansion overseas, but had been looking to siphon off the business to generate funds for the expansion and for its other business, the budget hotel chain Premier Inn.
Then Coca-Cola got in touch with what Whitbread said was a “highly compelling” offer. The Whitbread board unanimously backed the deal.
“This transaction is great news for shareholders as it recognizes the strategic value we have developed in the Costa brand and its international growth potential and accelerates the realization of value for shareholders in cash,” said Alison Brittain, Whitbread’s chief executive.
Whitbread will use a “significant majority” of the net cash proceeds—around 3.8 billion pounds after taking into account such things as transaction costs—returning cash to shareholders. Some will be used to pay down debt and to make a contribution to the pension fund.
Doing so, Whitbread said, would “provide headroom” to further expand the Premier Inn budget hotel chain in Britain and Germany.
Shareholders in Whitbread were impressed by the deal and the company’s share price soared 16 per cent in morning trading in London.
“An excellent deal it may be, but Whitbread investors may miss the caffeine highs Costa serves up,” said Nicholas Hyett, equity analyst at London-based stockbrokers Hargreaves Lansdown.
Hyett said Costa will get “lots of care and attention” from Coca-Cola.
“Its global reach should turbo-charge growth in the years to come, and hot drinks are one of the few areas of the wider beverages sector where the soft drinks giant doesn’t have a killer brand,” he added.


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Lippstadt, 11 January 2018.
HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA, one of the leading global automotive suppliers of lighting and electronics, closed out the first half of the current fiscal year 2017/2018 (1 June to 30 November 2017) with a substantial increase in sales and improved profitability. The consolidated sales for the first half of the fiscal year increased over the previous year by 9.3 percent after currency adjustments. Taking negative exchange rates into consideration, reported sales improved by 8.0 percent to € 3.5 billion (previous year: € 3.2 billion). The adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (adjusted EBIT) increased by 9.3 percent to € 293 million (previous year: € 268 million); the adjusted EBIT margin thus increased to 8.5 percent (previous year: 8.4 percent). Taking special effects into account, reported earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) rose by 18.1 percent to € 290 million (prior year: € 245 million). The reported EBIT margin is therefore 8.4 percent (previous year: 7.7 percent).
"The substantial increase in our Group-wide sales in the first half of the fiscal year once again shows that, thanks to our innovative, sophisticated product solutions, we have positioned ourselves strategically well with respect to key automotive market trends," said HELLA CEO Dr. Rolf Breidenbach. "We also benefited from excellent business development in the second quarter."
Long-term expansion of the international HELLA network
In the current fiscal year, HELLA is investing in the long-term expansion of the international production and development network. To this end, HELLA is currently building new electronics plants in India, Mexico and Lithuania and is further expanding the existing production site in Shanghai. In the lighting business division, HELLA recently put a new plant of the joint venture Beijing HELLA BHAP Automotive Lighting into operation. This plant is located near the metropolitan area of Tianjin. Investments are also being made in Germany. At the company headquarters in the Westphalian town of Lippstadt, HELLA is building a new administrative, visitor and exhibition center and is working with other partners to open a Digital Innovation Campus.
A substantial increase in sales in the Automotive segment is contributing to Group-wide growth
The Group-wide increase in sales in the first half of the fiscal year was supported primarily by the Automotive segment. Due to numerous production ramp-ups and strong demand for innovative lighting and electronics solutions, reported segment sales increased by 9.1 percent over the previous year to € 2.7 billion (previous year: € 2.4 billion). In the first half of the fiscal year, the adjusted EBIT for the Automotive segment increased by 4.5 percent to € 238 million (previous year: € 227 million); as a result, the adjusted EBIT margin was 9.0 percent (previous year: 9.4 percent). Reported earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of the segment in the half year increase by 4.0 percent to € 236 million (prior year: € 227 million). The EBIT margin is therefore 8.9 percent (previous year: 9.4 percent).
Positive business development in independent aftermarket and wholesale distribution
In the first half of the fiscal year, sales in the third-party aftermarket segment increased by 3.6 percent. Sales growth was driven largely by the good business development in the independent aftermarket and wholesale distribution segments. In terms of total sales, the reported segment sales value of € 611 million is slightly above the previous year's sales (previous year: € 610 million). In terms of the earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), in the first half of the fiscal year, the aftermarket segment achieved the sales of the previous year (€ 37 million). As was the case in the previous year, the reported EBIT margin was 6.1 percent.
Special Applications segment boasts a substantial increase in sales and result
In the first six months of the current fiscal year, the Special Applications segment achieved a substantial sales and result increase. Total segments sales increased by 13.0 percent to € 211 million (previous year: € 187 million) due to high demand for product solutions for agricultural and construction vehicles. In the first half of the fiscal year, the reported EBIT of the segment improved substantially, increasing to € 24 million (previous year: € 5 million); as a result, the EBIT margin increased to 11.2 percent (previous year: 2.6 percent).
Positive company outlook confirmed for the fiscal year 2017/2018
HELLA confirms a positive company outlook for the entire year. "We expect to continue to experience stronger growth than the automotive market as a whole during this current fiscal year due to our good strategic positioning," said Dr. Rolf Breidenbach. For fiscal year 2017/2018 (1 June 2017 to 31 May 2018), HELLA is forecasting currency-adjusted sales growth and an increase in the adjusted EBIT of 5 to 10 percent over the previous year. The forecast value for the adjusted EBIT margin continues to be approximately 8 percent for this period.
Selected key financial indicators (in € million or as a percentage of sales):


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BRP Inc. said Thursday it will invest $300 million over five years in a plan to offer electric versions of its recreational vehicles in each of its product lines by the end of 2026.
“We have always said electrification was not a question of ‘if’ but a question of ‘when’. Today, we’re very excited to unveil more details of our plan to deliver market-shaping products that will enhance the consumer experience by offering new electric options,” BRP chief executive José Boisjoli said in a statement.
“We are leveraging our engineering know-how and innovation capabilities to define the best strategy for developing electric-powered products,” he added.
As part of the plan, BRP will expand its Rotax electric power unit development infrastructure in Austria and establish an electric vehicle development centre in its hometown of Valcourt, Que.
BRP said it expects to introduce the first product to the market within the next two years, followed by a rapid rollout across all of its product lines.
The announcement came as the maker of Ski-Doos and Sea-Doos reported its fourth-quarter profit more than doubled compared with a year earlier.
BRP says it earned a profit attributable to shareholders of $264.3 million or $2.95 per diluted share for the three months ended Jan. 31, up from $118.4 million or $1.32 per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue in what was the fourth quarter of its 2021 financial year totalled $1.82 billion, up from $1.62 billion.
On a normalized basis, BRP says it earned $1.82 per diluted share in its most recent quarter, up from $1.12 per diluted share a year earlier.
In its outlook for its 2022 financial year, BRP said it expects its full-year normalized earnings of $7.25 to $8 per diluted share, an increase of 35 to 48 per cent.
Full-year revenue is expected to grow 25 to 30 per cent.


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Here’s what we know about COVID-19 and vitamin D
- As researchers race to gain insight into the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, a growing number of studies are investigating the potential role of nutrition in how the disease plays out.
- Vitamin D recently became the subject of international attention when a published study observed a broad correlation between the average vitamin D level of a given population and that population’s COVID-19 outcomes, sparking discussion that lower vitamin D levels may be associated with critical cases of COVID-19. Although the research is considered preliminary (more on that below) and doesn’t prove that vitamin D affects COVID-19 outcomes, the news may seem concerning to many.
- The Australian Health Survey found that most Australian adults had Vitamin D levels above 50 nmol/L, with 23% having lower levels which is 1 in 5 Australians. This increased to 36% in winter in particular for those living in the south-eastern states of Australia, such as Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory.
- Vitamin D also occurs naturally in some foods, including egg yolks, oily fish and some fortified foods, like breakfast cereals. Some simple steps can help provide the vitamin D you need to support your overall health.
Here, researchers and other experts explain vitamin D’s role in immune responses and health, how much you need, and some practical ways to hit your recommended target.
Vitamin D and your immune system
There's no question: vitamin D is one of the key nutrients we need for staying healthy. A 2011 study review published in the Journal of Investigative Medicine found that it plays an important role in immune operations, helping the body respond to outside viruses and infections. On the flip side of that coin, the same review found that vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased susceptibility to infections. Vitamin D also aids cell growth and helps lower inflammation, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Vitamin D is just one of the many nutrients vital for a healthy immune system, which include vitamins A, C, E, B6, and B12, plus folic acid, iron, copper, selenium, and zinc.
The possible link between COVID-19 and vitamin D
Here’s the story behind the headlines you may have seen: A team led by Cristian Ilie, a principal research scientist for NORC at the University of Chicago, recently published a study that raised the question of a possible relationship between lowered vitamin D status and the severity of COVID-19 symptoms, as well as deaths.
To conduct the study, which was published in the journal Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, the team analysed data on average levels of vitamin D among populations of different European nations. Then, they compared each national average with that country’s number of COVD-19 cases and COVID-19 deaths per million people (as of April 2020). The trend they observed: The higher a country’s average level of vitamin D, the fewer cases of COVID-19 and deaths from COVID-19 were reported.
Speaking with WeightWatchers®, IIie says this study builds on earlier findings suggesting that vitamin D may protect against acute respiratory infections. Nevertheless, he cautions, his research concerning COVID-19 and vitamin D is preliminary and has considerable limitations—such as the lack of universal testing protocols for COVID-19.
It’s also important to note that observational studies like Ilie’s are not designed to figure out cause and effect. For the COVID-19 cases reported in his study, it’s possible that factors that commonly occur with low levels of vitamin D played a role. For example, many of the nations with lower average vitamin D levels are also those with large elderly populations—and age might have been a factor.
Researchers worldwide are investigating many factors that could potentially impact COVID-19 infection rates, symptoms, and complications. It’s far too soon to draw definitive conclusions about vitamin D.
Vitamin D in the age of social distancing
Since vitamin D is still important to health, it’s worth discussing how spending more time at home may be affecting your status. If you’ve been hunkering down indoors more than usual lately, it might pay to step outside more often. Skin produces vitamin D with exposure to the sun's UV rays, and you can’t get that boost by sitting behind glass windows, says dermatologist, Shilpi Khetarpal.
Fifteen to 30 minutes of direct sun exposure on areas such as the arms, legs, and torso a few days a week generally is enough to produce adequate vitamin D levels for adults, Khetarpal explains. People with fair skin can aim for the shorter end of that bracket, while the 30-minute end is often optimal for people with darker skin, as well as older adults in general. With age, skin loses some ability to synthesise vitamin D from the sun. And melanin responsible for skin’s natural pigmentation decreases the amount of vitamin D produced from UV rays within any given time period, Khetarpal says.
You might be wondering, “Will my skin produce vitamin D if I’m wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen?” In general, yes, Khetarpal says, echoing a small 2019 study published in the British Journal of Dermatology. In that research, holiday makers in the Canary Islands who applied adequate sunscreen to prevent sunburn still saw increases in blood levels of vitamin D after catching some rays. Given that unprotected sun exposure raises the risk of skin cancer, Khetarpal recommends applying sunscreen to any exposed skin 30 minutes before heading outside, reapplying every two hours during extended outdoor adventures.
Vitamin D in our diet: How much do we need?
The amount of vitamin D you need varies with your age:
Anybody under the age of 50 needs 5 micrograms each day (µg/day).
People aged 51 to 70 need 10 µg/day.
People 70 and over need 15.0 µg /day.
How to eat your way to more vitamin D
Only a small number of foods naturally contain vitamin D. If you want to focus on bringing more vitamin D into your diet, think eggs, fatty fish, and fortified products.
If your diet tends to be low in vitamin D, taking a supplement can help ensure you’re getting enough, says Jackie London, registered dietitian. First, chat with your doctor to make sure a supplement makes sense in your overall wellness plan.
Vitamin D and your health
As the global conversation around COVID-19 continues to evolve, vitamin D remains important for overall health. Making sure you're getting enough of this nutrient through healthy sunlight exposure and diet can help you on your wellness journey—now and in the future.


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KUALA LUMPUR (June 5): Malaysia’s online retail market is expected to grow by 23% per year through to 2021, driven by electronics and media, according to management consulting firm A.T. Kearney.
In the firm’s 2017 Global Retail Development Index released today, Malaysia ranked third among the top 30 developing countries for retail investment worldwide, with India topping the list, followed by China.
The firm said the 23% online retail growth will account for 40% of total online sales in 2017, citing the government’s plan spend US$280 million to roll out high speed broadband access to rural areas beginning last year as a boon for e-commerce expansion in the country.
“Tourism is a cornerstone of the government’s long-term growth plan, and the number of tourists is projected to grow from 26 million in 2016 to 36 million by 2020, especially boosted by Chinese tourists who have been granted visa-free entry since March 2016,” the report said.
“Japanese retailer Aeon is set to triple its number of stores in Malaysia to 150 within three years. FamilyMart Malaysia is aiming to open 1,000 stores by 2025, and 7-Eleven also plans to expand,” it added, saying that foreign companies have been aggressive in tapping into the convenience store segment.
The firm also cited Malaysia’s plans to be a hub for cross-border e-commerce, as it set up the world’s first Digital Free Trade Zone in partnership with Alibaba, which will see the international e-commerce giant set up a regional fulfilment hub in Kuala Lumpur that will allow small and medium-sized entities to fulfill their online transactions through Alibaba.
Source: The Edge Markets


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Samsung today announced its new microSD card, the Samsung PRO Endurance. Uniquely designed to meet the rigorous demands of surveillance cameras, dashboard cameras, doorbell cameras, body cameras and more, the card offers..
Tag Archives: NAND-Flash
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Samsung Announces Mass Production of Worlds First 256-Gigabit 3D V-NAND Flash Memory for use in SSDs
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