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A large number of information security experts are betting on a future with a great presence of voice assistants fed by artificial intelligence. Digital beings that would help us answer questions and make our lives easier. Although there is still a long way to go before this, in the Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa we can see a bit of this future.
Both AIs controlled by voice include functionalities that could soon turn them into a central element of our modern way of life.
Kiro 7, a television channel, commented that a woman stated that Amazon’s AI assistant, Alexa, recorded a private conversation between her and her husband and then sent her to a contact without their knowledge. This, without the wizard having been woken up by the word, “Alexa” that Amazon insists is absolutely essential for Alexa to start a task.
Danielle, who had all the rooms in her house hooked to Alexa, was alerted to the leak by the recipient of the message, one of her husband’s employees, who called to give notice believing that his smart speaker had been “hacked”.
Danielle heard the conversation when it was returned. “I felt invaded,” she commented. “An invasion of privacy.” I immediately said, “I will never plug that device again, because I cannot trust him.”
This incident is the reality of the main fear that many of us have with intelligent speakers and their voice aids that always listen. The fear that they are spying on us, or that the devices are being used by a third party to monitor and register us in vulnerable and intimate moments, commented an information security researcher.
According to the information, Amazon was called to investigate the matter. Amazon engineers did not report exactly how the violation occurred or if it is a problem with the Alexa-based smart speakers, but they confirmed the incident.
“They said the engineers checked the records, and they saw what happened, they saw exactly what you said happened, and we’re sorry … He told us that the device just guessed what we were saying … He apologized and said that they really appreciated I called them, this is something we have to fix! ”
In an official statement, Amazon confirmed the incident, but minimized the problem.
“Echo woke up as a word in the background conversation sounded like ‘Alexa.’ Then, in the conversation it was heard as a request to ‘send message.’” At this point, Alexa said loudly, “Who?” In the background conversation a name was interpreted in the contact list, Alexa asked aloud: “[contact name], right?” After this, Alexa interpreted the conversation as “correct.” Unlikely as it may be this chain of events; we are evaluating options to make this case less and less likely “.
It is not the first time something like this happens. The information security company, Symantec gave in a report earlier this year, the constant listening nature of smart speakers, which means that everything you speak runs the risk of being sent to back-end servers of these technological giants.
According to the policies, these smart speakers listen to, record and send their servers the conversations they have had with them after they have been woken up. However, we have seen cases in which it has been discovered that an “error” is recorded more than it should.
Working as a cyber security solutions architect, Alisa focuses on application and network security. Before joining us she held a cyber security researcher positions within a variety of cyber security start-ups. She also experience in different industry domains like finance, healthcare and consumer products.


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By Zhang Dandan
JAC Motors' new energy model is displayed at this year's Shanghai auto show. [Photo/China Daily]
JAC Motors has been fined 170 million yuan ($24.66 million) by the Beijing Municipal Ecological Environmental Bureau for emissions fraud, according to a notice released by the automaker on Friday.
The bureau conducted a random inspection on the environmental consistency of new cars produced and sold by JAC Motors - the State-owned automaker based in East China's Anhui province - on April 9, 2018.
The inspection revealed that the on-board diagnostics of three new JAC cars were not up to standard with regard to emissions measurement with defective pollution control devices.
During a hearing held by the Beijing Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau for JAC Motors on May 16, the carmaker said that the pollutant emissions of the tested vehicles met the standards, and it had not violated the Atmospheric Pollution Prevention and Control Law of the People's Republic of China.
However, after review, the bureau said the results of the tests remained unchanged and the carmaker's application for exemption from punishment is not accepted.
As a result, the Beijing Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau ordered JAC Motors to rectify the selling of substandard pollution control devices posing as qualified products for emissions inspection.
The bureau punished JAC confiscating gains of 879,836.54 yuan and handing out a fine of 169.48 million yuan.
The fine deals an equally heavy blow to add to JAC Motors' recent lackluster financial performance.
According to the automaker's first-quarter financial report of 2019, net profit attributable to its shareholders in the first three months was 64.63 million yuan, a decline of 69.13 percent from the previous year.
In addition, from January to May this year, JAC sold 203,400 cars and chassis in total, down by 9.11 percent year-on-year.
Emissions cheating is a serious offense in the automobile industry both at home and abroad.
German auto giant Volkswagen has faced a great deal of accusations and huge claims over its failure to meet emissions standards.
In September 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency alleged Volkswagen installed cheating software in some diesel vehicles to pass emissions inspections, but the actual exhaust emissions were severely over the limit.
VW admitted that about 11 million diesel cars were involved, most of which were models powered by the EA189 diesel engine, covering its four brands: Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and Seat.
In June 2018, the procuratorial department of Braunschweig, Germany fined Volkswagen 1 billion euros ($1.12 billion). Volkswagen accepted the punishment and waived its appeal.

domain: news


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GeForce gets ChromeOS support without one important feature
With this, Chromebook users join the millions of GeForce users access the service from their PCs, Mac computers, SHIELD and Android mobile devices.
Nvidia's cloud gaming service, GeForce, finally rolled out support for ChromeOS making it easier for users to play their favorite games on your Chromebooks easily.
The company today announced that it was launching GeForce Now on ChromeOS in beta mode. With this, Chromebook users join the millions of GeForce users access the service from their PCs, Mac computers, SHIELD and Android mobile devices.
Accessing this cloud-based service on Chromebook is really easy. All users need to do is head to play.geforcenow.com and log in with their GeForce Now accounts. Once they have logged in, they need to choose if they have a paid Founders membership or a free account to complete the process and start playing their favorite gaming titles.
Apart from announcing the launch support for ChromeOS in beta mode, the company also announced that soon Chromebook users will be able to access their Steam library on their PCs.
“PC gamers are intimately familiar with Steam. Many have massive libraries from the popular PC game store. To support them, we just launched Steam Game Sync so they can sync games from their Steam library with their library in GeForce NOW. It's quickly become one of our most popular features for members playing on PC and Mac...Soon, Chromebook owners will be able to take advantage of the feature, too,” the company wrote in a blog post.
Notably, while the streaming service has rolled out support for ChromeOS, one important feature remains missing from the update. As per a Gizmodo report, the company hasn't added the ability to automatically adjust the service to poor network settings yet. Users require a speed of 25Mbps or more for the service flawlessly and the minimum speed required to avoid lag is 15Mbps.
The report notes that on Chromebook the option to automatically adjust to poor network condition renders the games unplayable at a speed that is lower than 25Mbps. Nvidia told the publication that it will add more network settings to ChromeOS over time. Till that happens, Chromebook users will have to ensure a strong internet connection to access the service.
Follow HT Tech for the latest tech news and reviews , also keep up with us on Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.


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On 29th August, Charlie Lee, the Founder and creator of the 7th largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, Litecoin, posted a poll for his followers on Twitter. The poll sought to fetch a popular opinion on what privacy feature should be added to Litecoin.
As suggested by the tweet, the four options put forth by the computer scientist were Confidential Transactions, ZK-Snarks/ZK-Starks, MimbleWimble and no privacy at all. The most popular vote was obtained by Confidential Transactions, followed by no privacy, ZK-Snarks and MimbleWimble.
Confidential Transaction [CT] is a method of adding privacy into a payment system by using homomorphic encryption through a blinding factor. A blinding factor is a string of numbers that assist in encrypting the inputs and outputs of the system. This feature ensures the authenticity of a transaction but conceals any information related to it from the network, such as the amount of transaction.
On the other hand, ZK-Snark or Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge is a privacy protocol used by privacy coins such as Zcash [ZEC] and Zcoin [XZC]. The transactions shielded by this protocol are completely encrypted by it on the blockchain. This protects all the transactional information, such as the amount and addresses involved in the payment.
A large number of critics joining the discussion spoke about the many technicalities of executing the plan if it were to be thought of at all. Francis Pouliot, the CEO of the Satoshi Portal wrote:
“you can’t add MimbleWimble in litecoin, you’d have to completely scrap the existing blockchain design.”
Here, Charlie Lee dropped in to reply to the remark and suggested:
“It will be a hardfork for sure. Can do it as an upgrade where 2 blockchains run side by side with a one-way send from current blockchain to new MW blockchain. Once you go private, you stay private.”
Riccardo Spagni, a core team member of Monero, which uses another privacy protocol known as Ring Signatures also commented:
“Privacy technology tends towards monopolisation, because privacy-desirous people want to get lost in the largest crowd.”
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Given the simple fact that videoconferencing services that are aimed at consumers are generally simple to use, services such as Google Hangouts have become increasingly popular.
Now Blue Jeans Network wants to make it easier to bring Google Hangouts into the realm of everyday business. Blue Jeans Network has announced that it has added support for Google Hangouts to the videoconference interoperability service it provides.
Imran Moin, senior director of business development for Blue Jeans Network, says the fundamental precept behind the development of the Blue Jeans Network service is the fact that there are so many diverse videoconferencing systems in use. The Blue Jeans Network makes it possible for a user of a videoconferencing service running on the Web to interact with a user of a Cisco videoconferencing system running on premise.


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Chase is launching Chase Secure Banking, a low cost checking account in order to provide access a traditional banking relationship for more consumers around the country, including those new to banking or who have had trouble getting or keeping an account in the past.
The new account, available to customers today, comes with a low monthly service fee of $4.95 and all the benefits of Chase, like access to thousands of fee free Chase ATMs, Chase’s mobile app and support from bankers in person at Chase branches or over the phone.
With Chase Secure Banking, customers can enjoy:
“A bank account can open doors to economic opportunity and improve the financial lives of so many across the country,” said Thasunda Duckett, CEO of Chase Consumer Banking. “As a bank, we want to help more consumers get access to an account that can better help them manage their everyday needs while building their financial health.”
Chase Secure Banking has the same low monthly fee as Chase Liquid, the bank’s reloadable prepaid card, and will replace it because it includes enhancements based on customer feedback that indicated the need for a full banking experience. Current Chase Liquid customers can open a new Chase Secure Banking account and keep their Liquid account if they prefer, but it will no longer be offered to new customers.
The bank continues to innovate and develop products that meet that needs of the communities it serves, and its thousands of branches provide access to home lending, small business funding, and advice on reaching personal and business financial goals, in addition to personal banking needs.
The firm is advancing the financial health of its customers, communities and employees through multiple programs including National Savings Month, Women on the Move and Advancing Black Pathways. In addition, over the last five years the firm has provided more than $100 million in philanthropic investments to help people in underserved communities save more, reduce debt, build credit and meet their long-term goals.


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- CN - China Steps Up Internet Video Control +/-
(AP) China will take a new step to tighten control of the Internet when rules go into force limiting online video-sharing to state companies. But regulators, wary of hurting a fast-growing industry, are expected to let private operators work around the restrictions. The rules are aimed at expanding a Chinese censorship system that tries to block Internet use to spread dissent while promoting it for business and education. Communist leaders are especially anxious about unflattering video showing up online ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August, a major prestige project.
- MA - Jail for Facebook spoof Moroccan +/-
(BBC) A Moroccan computer engineer has been sentenced to three years in jail for setting up a Facebook profile in the name of a member of the royal family. Fouad Mourtada was arrested on 5 February on suspicion of stealing the identity of Prince Moulay Rachid, younger brother of King Mohammed VI. The Casablanca court also ordered Mr Mourtada, 26, to pay a $1,300 fine.
- PK - Pakistan blocks YouTube website +/-
(BBC) Pakistan has blocked access to the popular YouTube website because of content deemed offensive to Islam. Its telecommunications authority ordered internet service providers to block the site until further notice. Reports said the content included Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad that have outraged many.
- UK - Media regulation needs reform +/-
(Guardian) Sir Christopher Meyer, the chairman of the press watchdog, today said that the system of media regulation was "pretty weird" and needed to be sorted out with a new communications act. Meyer, appearing before the House of Lords communications committee, said the system of separate media regulators including Ofcom, the Press Complaints Commission he chairs, the BBC Trust and the Advertising Standards Authority was a "typical British fudge" and needed rationalisation.
- UK - Ministers plan clampdown on 'unsuitable' video games +/-
(Guardian) A legally enforceable cinema-style classification system is to be introduced for video games in an effort to keep children from playing damaging games unsuitable for their age, the Guardian has learned. Under the proposals, it would be illegal for shops to sell classified games to a child below the recommended age.
- US - Whistle while you work +/-
(Guardian) From government to big business, if you have a dirty secret, Wikileaks is your nightmare. David Leigh and Jonathan Franklin on the site a US court has tried to muzzle. See also Wikileaks judge gets Pirate Bay treatment.
- CN - Record labels sue China's top search engine +/-
(OUT-LAW News) Three major record labels have launched court actions against three Chinese internet companies accusing them of building a business on copyright infringement. One of them is China's biggest search engine, Baidu.com. Music trade body The International Federation of the Phonographic Industries (IFPI) said that it, Warner, Sony BMG and Universal have all filed suits against Baidu, Sohu and a company associated with it, Sogou. The actions demand that the internet firms remove links from their services to copyright infringing material in which the three firms hold rights.
- EU - Extend performers' copyright to 95 years, says commissioner +/-
(Guardian) Performing artists, such as Cliff Richard, and session musicians would get copyright protection on their recordings for 95 years instead of the current 50, under plans put forward yesterday by Charlie McCreevy, the EU's internal market commissioner. McCreevy took issue with the Gowers report in Britain which rejected such a change despite intensive lobbying from long-standing artists such as Richard. "I disagree with Gowers," said McCreevy, who has been lobbied hard on the issue. See Extension of term of copyright protection for European performers speech by Charlie McCreevy, European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, Press Conference, Brussels, 14 February 2008 and Commission Press Release.
- EU - Parliament demands action on criminal IP penalties +/-
(OUT-LAW News) The European Parliament has asked EU member states to press ahead with a plan to criminalise copyright infringement. The Parliament wants a proposal it agreed last year to be approved by ministers from each member state. The proposed EU directive would create new rules on copyright protection, and would require each EU country to pass laws criminalising intellectual property infringement. It must be approved by the Council of Ministers before it takes effect.
- UK - IPO changes software patent advice +/-
(OUT-LAW News) The UK Intellectual Property Office (UK-IPO) will not appeal against a High Court ruling that some computer programs can be patented. It has amended its guidance to firms on the controversial issue. In January the High Court demanded the re-examination of six companies' patent applications, saying that the UK-IPO was wrong to reject them on the grounds of their being software.
- Call to scrap children's database +/-
(BBC) The government faces calls to scrap a database containing the details of every child in England after a report said it could never be secure. The report, by accountants Deloitte and Touche, was ordered after last year's missing data discs crisis. ContactPoint will begin operation in September or October this year, five months later than planned. It will list the name, address and date of birth of every child in England and contact details for their parents, doctors and schools. Every child will be given a "unique identifying number".
- DE - StudiVZ-Chef fordert runden Tisch zum Datenschutz im Web 2.0 +/-
(Heise) Der Geschäftsführer von StudiVZ, Marcus Riecke, hat sich bei einer Diskussion mit Schülern zum 2. Europäischen Datenschutztag an der Robert-Jungk-Oberschule in Berlin für die Einberufung eines runden Tischs zum Datenschutz im Web 2.0 ausgesprochen. Andere Plattformanbieter, Hüter der Privatsphäre, Werbetreibende, Jugendschützer und Innenpolitiker sollten zusammenkommen, um Rahmenbedingungen für soziale Netzwerke und andere Plattformen im Mitmach-Web abzustecken. Dabei sei etwa der "Zielkonflikt zwischen Daten- und Jugendschutz" bei der Frage der Speicherung von Logfiles der Nutzer zu erörtern.
- EU - EC plans biometric border checks +/-
(CNET News) Visitors to Europe will face biometric screening and automated security checks under proposals for a shake-up of EU border controls. Under plans to strengthen checks at European borders laid out by the European Commission, international travelers would also have their stay logged and monitored by an electronic system, which could become operational by 2015.
- EU guidelines on RFID aim to protect privacy +/-
(Reuters) RFID chips embedded in items ranging from pets to retail products will have to be deactivated at the point of sale to protect purchasers' privacy under draft guidelines proposed by the European Commission. A public consultation is being launched into the "soft law" guidelines that EU information society and media commissioner Viviane Reding hopes will be adopted by the European Union executive to be applied in all the bloc's 27 member states. The consultation will be open until 25 April. The Commission services will then analyse the received contributions and put forward a draft Recommendation for adoption before the summer of 2008.
- Google argues against calling IP addresses "personal data" +/-
(Ars Technica) European data protection leaders are considering a plan that would make IP addresses "personal information." Google wants to make sure it doesn't happen, and today it took the fight to the blogosphere. In a new public policy posting, Google software engineer Alma Whitten made the case that IP addresses aren't so much personal information as potentially personal information. Many IP addresses assigned to consumers don't reliably map to a single machine (due to the wonders of DHCP), and even when they do, it's only the machine and not the person who is identified. Google clearly hopes to avoid a "black-and-white declaration that all IP addresses are always personal data."
- Personal data privacy 'at risk' +/-
(BBC) Millions of people are leaving themselves open to identity theft when using social networking websites, according to the consumer group Which? Members of sites such as Facebook can join large networks which reveal personal information to thousands of others on the network. Which? says people are at a greater risk of being targeted by fraudsters than they think.
- UK - Facebook faces privacy questions +/-
(BBC) Facebook is to be quizzed about its data protection policies by the UK Information Commissioner's Office. The investigation follows a complaint by a user of the social network who was unable to fully delete their profile even after terminating their account. Currently, personal information remains on Facebook's servers even after a user deactivates an account. Facebook has said it believes its policy is in "full compliance with UK data protection law".
- UK - Marks & Spencer ordered to encrypt data after laptop theft +/-
(OUT-LAW News) Marks & Spencer broke the law when it allowed the details of 26,000 employees to be held on a laptop without the protection of encryption, according to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The laptop, and the information on it, has been stolen. The retailer must ensure that all laptop hard drives are encrypted by April of this year. If it fails to comply with an enforcement notice issued against it by the ICO it could face criminal charges.
- UK - Watchdog calls for 'reckless data-breach' offence +/-
(ZDNet.co.uk) The Information Commissioner's Office has called for amendments to UK data-protection laws, including making "reckless" data breaches an offence. In a document submitted to governemnt submitted to government, information commissioner Richard Thomas called for the Data Protection Act (DPA) to be amended to include a penalty for data controllers "knowingly or recklessly failing to comply with the principles" of the DPA.
- EU - Mobile goes Internet : Key Challenges for Mobile Ubiquity in Europe's Single Market +/-
(RAPID) Speech by Viviane Reding, Member of the European Commission responsible for Information Society and Media, GSMA Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, 11 February 2008. Data roaming: I want to see the end of these artificial borders between networks and nations which are both preventing private consumers and business customers to benefit fully from the single borderless market we have created between 27 EU countries so far. The objective is clear: Sending text messages or downloading data via a mobile phone while in another EU country should not be substantially more expensive for a consumer than sending text messages or downloading data at home. If the mobile industry responds to the need for attractive packages of data services offered to their customers, with a credible Eurotariff for data roaming in all EU Member States, I will applaud your action. However, if I see no such single market offers for data roaming evolve by 1 July of this year, I will have no other choice than to propose regulatory intervention again.
- EU - Ofcom seeks lower charges for texting in Europe +/-
(Guardian) The cost of sending a text message and accessing the mobile internet looks as if it will fall dramatically for business travellers and holidaymakers who use their phones and mobile devices abroad. At a meeting of European telecom regulators, Ofcom boss Ed Richards will call for urgent action to reduce roaming charges for texting and data services such as the mobile internet. He will also raise concerns about hidden charges faced by mobile phone users when they make a call from other European countries.
- Vodafone pre-empts regulator to cut internet roaming charges +/-
(Guardian) Vodafone has became the latest mobile phone operator to try to head off a clash with regulators over the cost of using the mobile internet abroad by cutting its data roaming prices. EU telecoms commissioner Viviane Reding is expected to use her appearance at next week's mobile world congress (MWC), the industry's annual get-together in Barcelona, to accuse the operators of overcharging customers to send texts and access the mobile internet while overseas.
- Vodafone rejects EU call for caps on data roaming charges +/-
(IHT) The chief executive of Vodafone, the world's largest mobile operator, rejected a European commissioner's demand that wireless operators cut fees for cross-border text messaging by July or face the possibility of new retail price controls. Arun Sarin, in remarks at the Mobile World Congress here, called the ultimatum by Viviane Reding, the European Union commissioner who oversees the telecommunications industry "inappropriate."
- AU - Developments in internet filtering technologies +/-
(ACMA) Australian Communications and Media Authority has published the inaugural report on Developments in Internet Filtering Technologies and other measures for promoting online safety. It investigates international developments in internet filtering technologies and other safety initiatives and draws together current key trends and makes observations about content, communication and e-security risks online.
- EU - Results of benchmarking of filter tools +/-
(SPI-BENCH) During the second year of this three-year project, Deloitte once again carried out the SIP Benchmark testing via a comprehensive study of 30 tools for parental control. This benchmark analyses how effectively these technical solutions protect children aged 6 to 16 against harmful content on the Internet. About 150 parents and teachers from various European countries were involved in the study. In addition to these "real life" testers, an Internet laboratory was set up to conduct thorough testing under identical conditions. The results of the 2007 Benchmarking study have been compared with those of 2006 to reveal the evolution of these tools and the industry. Half of the 23 filters we tested both in 2006 and 2007 have improved their filtering capabilities relative to non-sexual content.
- FI - Controversy over police block list +/-
(IDG) In Finland, programmer Matti Nikki is under investigation for publishing a secret list of domains that authorities had allegedly censored in an effort to stop the spread of child pornography. Nikki published his list to prove the system was being abused, and was himself censored as a result. The Finnish Chancellor of Justice has received a complaint about police handling of the matter. The authorities distribute their list to the country's 20 largest ISPs, which then block access to the sites. see also Finnish internet censorship critic blacklisted (Wikinews) and Lapsiporno.info "Finnish law allows the police to list sites that fulfill the two criteria of containing child pornographic material (defined as being images that depict children in sexual context) and that are hosted abroad. However, lapsiporno.info is hosted in Finland and does not contain any child pornographic material." (Wikipedia).
- PC Magazine on parental controls +/-
(NetFamilyNews) Parents might be interested in the latest reviews of filtering and monitoring software here at PC Magazine. The top-rated products are Net Nanny 5.6, Bsafe Online, Safe Eyes, and Webroot Child Safe. Note that these are "client" software products you install on the family computer. If you have the latest operating systems on Mac and Windows PCs, you can simply configure and use OS-level parental controls that are pretty feature-rich.
- EE - Estonia fines man for 'cyber war' +/-
(BBC) A 20-year-old ethnic Russian man is the first person to be convicted for taking part in a "cyber war" against Estonia. Dmitri Galushkevich was fined 17,500 kroons (£830) for an attack which blocked the website of the Reform Party of Prime Minister Andrus Ansip. The assault, between 25 April and 4 May 2007, was one of a series by hackers on Estonian institutions and businesses. At the time, Estonia accused the Russian government of orchestrating the attacks. Moscow denied any involvement. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the BBC in May 2007 that the allegations were "completely untrue".
- Hackers Rig Google to Deliver Malware +/-
(PC World) Hackers loaded up more than 40,000 Web pages with malicious software and thousands of common search terms. They then employed an automated network of malware-infected computers--known as a botnet--to link to those sites in blog-comment spam and other places. The mentions elevated the position of the poisoned sites in search results, often to the first page.
- RU - Russia edges China as top malware source +/-
(Techworld.com) For the second time in a week, Russia has been named and shamed for its rising profile as a global malware hub. Last week, Sophos ranked Russia as number 2 on its league table of spam-relaying countries, behind the U.S., but well ahead of the usual suspect, China. Now Australian security company PC Tools reckons that Russia has overtaken China again, but this time as a producer of active malware such as viruses, Trojans and spyware.
- CN - China's major websites pledge to boycott 4 categories of Internet unpleasantness +/-
(Xinhua) China's eight leading online media officially sanctioned to publish news have signed the "Chinese Pact on the Self-discipline on Visual-Audio Programs and Services of the Internet", urging all domestic websites to spread positive, healthy programs and boycott corrupt, outdated ones. It urges all the signers to abide by the country's laws, regulations and policies on the development and management of the Internet culture and boycott programs, including films, teleplays and cartoons that advocate elements in the catch-all categories of violence, pornography, gambling and terror.
- DE - Mehr Jugendschutz bei Handys +/-
(bildungsklick.de) Die führenden Mobilfunkunternehmen in Deutschland haben nach intensiven Verhandlungen mit den Jugendministerien der Länder, die durch das Land Rheinland-Pfalz vertreten wurden, eine freiwillige Selbstverpflichtung zu mehr Jugendschutz im Mobilfunkbereich unterzeichnet. Jugendmedienschutz im Mobilfunk - Selbstverpflichtung der Mobilfunkanbieter.
- UK - Online content providers sign up to code of conduct to protect children +/-
(Guardian) Media companies including the BBC, Channel 4, Google, Yahoo and social-networking site Bebo have signed up to a new code of conduct, designed to give parents more information about the suitability for children of audiovisual content available on the internet and mobile phones. The new content information guidelines have been developed by industry and the government's independent advisory body the Broadband Stakeholder Group, backed by regulator Ofcom. For the first time, they extend the existing principles of broadcast consumer guidance across the wider new media industry. The guidelines do not cover user-generated content such as that found on YouTube or adverts. Instead, they call for all commercially generated content available online or on mobile phones to be flagged if it is unsuitable for particular age groups or contains content that may harm or offend. See Good Practice Principles on Audiovisual Content Information.
- CN - The internet in China +/-
(Economist) China will soon boast more internet users than any other country. But usage patterns inside China are different from those elsewhere. The internet fills gaps and provides what is unavailable elsewhere, particularly for young people. More than 70% of Chinese internet users are under 30, precisely the opposite of America, and there is enormous pent-up demand for entertainment, amusement and social interaction.
- EU - One person in eight in the EU27 avoids e-shopping because of security concerns +/-
(RAPID) In connection with the 5th Safer Internet Day on 12 February 2008, Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, presents a selection of statistics concerning internet activities, security concern and virus attacks. The Safer Internet Day is part of a global drive to promote a safer Internet for all users, in particular younger people, and is organised by Insafe, a European internet safety network co-funded by the European Commission. The data presented in this news release have been collected from the 2006 and 2007 surveys on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) usage in households and by individuals in the EU27. More data on Internet security and related topics can be found in the dedicated section Science and Technology/Information Society on the Eurostat website.
- US - Teens posting personal info: Study +/-
(NetFamilyNews) We now have further insights into teens' info-sharing practices in the Journal of Adolescence. According to this, 8.8% revealed their full name, 57% included a picture, 27.8% listed their school and 0.3% provided their telephone number. The authors concluded that "the problem of personal information disclosure on MySpace may not be as widespread as many assume, and the overwhelming majority of adolescents are responsibly using the web site." Personal information of adolescents on the Internet: A quantitative content analysis of MySpace by Sameer Hindujaa and Justin W. Patchin.


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The hydrogen-powered truck startup Nikola is dropping its $2 billion patent lawsuit against rival Tesla after accusing the Elon Musk-led company intentionally copied patented design features of its tractor trailers.
The patent lawsuit regarded the wrap-around U-shaped windshield, fuselage and side door.
According to a joint filing today in federal court in San Francisco (reviewed by Bloomberg), the companies have agreed to withdraw all claims and counter-claims against each other, three years after the initial process
Tesla denied stealing the designs and filed a counterclaim. However the lawsuit stalled last year after U.S prosecutors charged Nikola founder Trevor Milton with securities fraud, alleging he “misled investors about the company’s prospects” – which was denied by the CEO.


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Good news for OneDrive users: When your local storage has run out of space, you’ll no longer have to waste time and energy going through all your stored files, reorganizing and deleting some of them in order to get a few megabytes back. OneDrive Files On-Demand has a solution for you.
In late 2016, Apple introduced the iPhone 7 which removes the standard headphone jack and instead offers a Bluetooth connection for your music listening experience. Now, Google’s Android has come out with its version of wireless pairing. Here’s what you need to know about Fast Pair.
Strategies for attracting new customers are always changing, and Google is shaking things up yet again. Apart from well-placed keywords and link-worthy content, reviews from sites like Facebook and Yelp will be displayed in the search results.
How Google changed search results
Google’s new search algorithm is designed to lead people to high-quality products and services.
There’s plenty to get excited about in Android 8.0: improved auto-fill functionality, picture-in-picture capability, greater notification control, and plenty more. While these features are all-impressive, Android has also included a number of significant security enhancements that you shouldn’t miss.
The next big thing in cloud computing is capturing small-business owners’ attention, and it’s easy to see why. Even after migrating to the cloud, businesses are still forced to deal with configuring and maintaining servers; it’s just done over the internet.
Relying solely on your phone for business communication made perfect sense decades ago. But if you carried that over today, your business would fail. This is because business communications now must include mobility, instant messages, and video conferencing.
From cloud hacks to malicious macros, hackers are becoming more creative in how they breach Microsoft Office. And although Microsoft releases security patches as soon as vulnerabilities are discovered, there’s a new hacking technique that allows cybercriminals to slip past traditional threat detection tools.
Data security and compliance need to be high on the list of any healthcare organization’s priorities. Do you have security measures in place to protect your patient data? Is your practice compliant with the HIPAA regulation? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, this article is a must-read.
For ages, most people assumed that setting a strong password on their WiFi router was enough to prevent cyberattacks, but recent events prove otherwise. Two Belgian security analysts have found a serious weakness in WiFi networks, called KRACK, that puts your wireless devices in danger.
It was only a matter of time before our smartphones replaced our wallets. There are several mobile payment systems available today, but Apple Pay is one of the safest and easiest to use for small businesses. Read on for more details on why you should consider it.


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“Wine Flavor Management Through Science and Technology” is the topic of an intensive winemaker workshop series offered at four different locations throughout California this April.
The seminar is a joint effort between Beverage Supply Group, distributor of the Phyterra Yeast, a strain that eliminates specific wine defects, and ConeTech, provider of the Spinning Cone Column technology, a system that uses vacuum distillation to extract and manage alcohol levels in wine.
Doug Manning, Sales Manager of Beverage Supply Group, is excited about the cutting-edge research and development both companies will be sharing with winemakers throughout the series – and about the revolutionary advances Phyterra Yeast brings to the winemaking process.
“After two years of trials, 230 wineries and 600 fermentations, we now have a statistically valid sample with which to evaluate this exciting yeast, “ Manning says of his product. “Phyterra Yeast, when used as a dominant strain absolutely eliminates hydrogen sulfite during fermentation.”
Stephanie Goss, ConeTech’s Sales and Marketing Manager, is similarly eager to share the benefits of the Spinning Cone Column technology with winemakers seeking to lower alcohol levels in their wines for either flavor or tax purposes.
“It’s a purely subtractive process that allows for the removal of unwanted characteristics such as alcohol,” Goss explains. “The fruit can be harvested at full phenolic ripeness without worrying about all those sugars turning into alcohol. There’s no loss of flavor or of the components you want – just less of what you don’t want.”
Goss says one of the benefits of the Spinning Cone Column is that it allows winemakers to come in and taste their wines at different alcohol levels until they find their “sweet spot” – the place where the alcohol and flavor are perfectly balanced.
Goss is also excited to announce the opening of a new ConeTech facility on the Central Coast early this summer.
The “Focus on Flavor” seminars will be held from 8 am to 12 pm on:
- Wednesday April 11, 2012: Courtside Cellars, San Miguel, CA
- Wednesday April 18, 2012: Napa Valley College, Trefethen Building, Napa, CA
- Thursday April 19, 2012: Dry Creek Inn, Healdsburg, CA
- Friday April 20, 2012: Hampton Inn & Suites, Lodi, CA
For more information and registration contact:
Beverage Supply Group, Sales Manager
(707) 252-2550, [email protected]
ConeTech, Sales and Marketing Manager
(707) 577-7500, [email protected]


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Motorists to pay slightly more for fuel this week
Following weeks of mostly declines, motorists are to pay more for fuel when they fill up at the pumps this week, beginning on Thursday.
That is based on the latest ex-refinery prices which were issued on Wednesday by the state-owned oil refinery, Petrojam.
It will now cost $117.23 and $120.07 per litre respectively for 87 and 90-octane gasoline following an increase of $0.48 each.
Automotive diesel fuel will now sell for $125.26 per litre following an increase of $0.54, while ultra-low sulphur diesel will be sold for $128.64 per litre, after an increase of $0.57.
Persons using kerosene will also pay more. The commodity is up in price by $0.55, and will now sell for $103.98 per litre.
Meanwhile, propane liquid petroleum will now sell for $41.95 per litre, down by $0.70, while butane liquid petroleum will now sell for $50.37 per litre after an increase of $0.29.
The marketing companies and retailers will add their respective margins to the prices from Petrojam.


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£1million investment creates 35 jobs and brings enhanced convenience at ew Cathcart’s Centra Toome
Ryan and Ciara Cathcart, already owners to three Centra stores in Magherafelt and Ballymena, have opened the doors to their fourth store in Toome.
The 3,500ft brand-new store, located on Roguery Road, is a welcome addition to the area supporting 35 jobs - combining high convenience with an expanded food-to-go and grocery offering.
The bright and contemporary store, which opened to the public on Tuesday 20th July, is a great amenity for the local community as well as providing a welcome stop for those travelling in the vicinity.
Speaking today, owner Ryan Cathcart said:
“We are extremely proud to have opened the doors of our new Centra store here in Toome and build on the success we have had already with the Centra brand in our stores in Magherafelt and Ballymena. Our team are looking forward to welcoming customers instore and providing them with a one-stop shop for modern convenience.”
Offering a wide range of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the new store offers something for everyone. Amenities include an expanded food-to-go offering with hot and cold food deli counters, Frank and Honest Coffee, the largest on-the-go gourmet coffee brand on the island of Ireland and a Moo’d ice-cream counter offering a wide range of sweet treats. The extensive range can all be enjoyed at a large seating area, complete with Wi-Fi and USB charging ports.
The new store also features a Nicholls fuel forecourt along with an extensive parking area for 44 cars. Already making an impact in the local community, the store is sponsoring Cargain Camogie Club.
Trevor Magill, Managing Director for Musgrave in Northern Ireland, said:
“At Musgrave, we have ambitious plans for the Centra network as we continue to grow our portfolio of stores across Northern Ireland, now above 100 stores. Cathcart’s Centra Toome is the latest example of this and I have no doubt customers will be impressed with what’s on offer. We are delighted to be working once again with Ryan and Ciara Cathcart and wish them and their wider team every success.”


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Back at Google I/O in May Google announced a new streaming media player from Xiaomi called MI, which is now expected to hit stories as soon as October, according to a source and reported by TechCrunch.
The MI is expected to cost less than $100 and is capable of streaming 4K video at 60 FPS with support for Dolby Digital Plus audio playback. In addition, there’s HDMI 2.0a compatibility, a quad-core ARM processor, Mali 450 GPU and 2GB of RAM, and 8GB of storage. The MI is expected to even come with a controller for playing Android games on your TV.
Xiaomi is a Chinese smart phone company that is looking to expand into new markets, especially the United States.
The MI is the long-awaited new Android TV box that is backed by Google. Android TV is the successor to Google’s Google TV service. Whereas the platform is still fairly new, there has been concern over its future because the flagship player, the Nexus Player, has been heavily discounted and discontinued at many stores. Other manufacturers have seemed to cut back support but others, such as the Nvidia Shield, have seemed to double down on their support.
No official date has been announced by Xiaomi or Google, but TechCrunch seems confidant that the player will hit the market in the fourth quarter 2016.
Need cord cutting tech support? Join our new Cord Cutting Tech Support Facebook Group for help.


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Gaiju Entertainment has launched the Gaiji, the console which was revealed at GAF this past weekend.
The console is based on the PlayStation 4 and features four games and an online multiplayer mode.
The console will also support 4K resolution and 1080p resolution.
Gaijin says that the Gaggenheim family of console games will support a new feature called “Real-time Play”.
The console also supports online leaderboards.
The Gaijins main console is also based on an AMD Ryzen 5 processor.
The Gaijunis main console has a 5.1″ 1080p display, but you can customize the screen to your liking.
Gangnam Style is coming to the Gajinji console and the PS4 in May.GAGGENHEIMER is a premium gaming brand founded in 2006.
Its focus is on the digital entertainment market and it focuses on bringing the latest technologies to consumers.


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BOCA RATON, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES, July 11, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Cognerium, a fintech startup that provides an artificial intelligence (AI) powered digital banking solution, has announced the launch of its software platform specifically for credit unions and small-medium banks.
This new product will help these financial institutions quickly digitize their operations and launch new financial products to keep up with the changing needs of their customers.
"In an age of digital transformation, small-medium banks and credit unions are being left behind because they lack the resources to keep up with the large banks," said Cognerium CEO, Assad M. Shaik. "With Cognerium, they can quickly digitize their operations and launch new financial products, as well as provide banking services to new market segments such as the cryptocurrency market."
Cognerium’s digital banking platform includes features such as digital lending, wealth management, and anti-money laundering. The company says this product is a complete solution for banks and credit unions to stay competitive in a rapidly changing marketplace. Below is a quick overview of Cognerium’s digital banking platform:
• Digital Lending: From loan origination and disbursement to loan management, Cognerium offers a seamless, end-to-end digital lending solution. It transforms the lending process for both borrowers and lenders, making it faster, easier, and more transparent.
• Lending Growth – Our innovative CRM is powered by artificial intelligence to empower the sales and marketing team to grow the lending portfolio across both secured and unsecured loan types. It helps banks and credit unions increase loan growth, cross-sell products, and improve customer retention.
• Digital Wealth – Our Mobile-First Robo Advisor App helps banks and credit unions offer their customers a personalized, automated, and intelligent investing experience. With our app, your customers can easily manage their finances on the go and make informed investment decisions.
• Wealth Growth – A complete platform tailored to address the needs of wealth management business starting from business planning, marketing, sales and client retention and management.
• Anti-Money Laundering – Real-time analytics to screen high volume transactions for money laundering, powered with Machine learning models to detect hidden patterns.
• CECL – Our AI-driven current expected credit losses (CECL) solution is a highly scalable and fault-tolerant platform that helps banks meet the CECL compliance requirements and address credit impairment concerns.
"Our goal is to level the playing field for credit unions and small-medium banks so they can compete with the large banks," said CEO's Assad. "With our platform, they can offer their customers the same digital banking experience without having to make a large investment."
Cognerium’s digital banking platform is available now. For more information, visit cognerium.com or contact firstname.lastname@example.org.
Assad M. Shaik


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The University of New South Wales has decided to open a significant chunk of its patent pool to outsiders for free, in a strategy called Easy Access IP. The strategy is being implemented and overseen through NSi, the university’s commercialization operation, under the hand of CEO Dr Kevin Cullen, who joined NSi in May and has …
>As a result, such patents would typically need someone with a money truck handy to create commercial products
hmmm... not unlike all those patents that patent trolls sit on waiting for someone to actually
invest money and actually MAKE something. eg Intellectual Ventures who The Reg have mentioned a few times recently...dont actually make anything..they just sit on patents and get cash in from companies.
this Easy Access IP is the decent way of doing things
aluminus ? You aluminum seem to have got in the way of your alumnus.
- Nokia: Read our Maps, Samsung – we're HERE for the Gear
- Ofcom will not probe lesbian lizard snog in new Dr Who series
- Kaspersky backpedals on 'done nothing wrong, nothing to fear' blather
- Episode 9 BOFH: The current value of our IT ASSets? Minus eleventy-seven...
- Too slow with that iPhone refresh, Apple: Android is GOBBLING up US mobile market


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Uber Green in London will give passengers in Zone 1 the opportunity to request an electric vehicle at no additional cost.
The trip will cost the same as a regular UberX journey on the app and drivers will get a higher fare per trip.
It is the recent initiative the company has taken as it pushes to become a wholly electric platform by 2025 in London and throughout the UK by 2030.
In 2019 the company introduced the Clean Air Plan whereby the company collects additional 15 pence per mile for every mile travelled in London. It then goes directly to drivers to support them with the cost of switching to an electric automobile.
Over £125 million ($172 million) has been raised so far with more than 3 million trips taking place in a fully electric vehicle.
In December Uber rival Bolt declared it was launching a £250,000 ($344,243) fund to transition its London-based drivers to electric vehicles.
“With cities beginning to open up once again, we have once in a lifetime opportunity to drive a green recovery by ensuring that every car on the Uber app in London is fully electric,” said Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional general manager for Northern and Eastern.
“We continue to partner with drivers to help them make the switch to electric and today we are excited to start offering riders the option to select an electric vehicle at no extra cost, allowing everyone using Uber to play their part in cleaning up urban transport.”
Uber said by the end of 2020 the new initiative will be live in 60 significant European cities and available in 1,400 US areas.


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São Paulo, november 04, 2021 - Marfrig, the world leader in hamburger production and one of the world’s largest beef producers, has announced that it is joining an initiative led by 10 global commodities corporations to draft a joint action plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference - COP27, to be held in Egypt in 2022. The group includes beef-producing companies, and soy, cocoa and palm oil processors. Their objective is to help keep the planet’s warming below 1.5ºC by 2030.
Announced during COP26, held in Glasgow (Scotland/UK), the program aims to increase support and incentives for small cattle ranchers and farmers, improve the traceability of its indirect suppliers, and enhance its emissions traceability within Scope 3.
Marfrig has sent a team of executives to Glasgow to follow events and discussions arising in the context of COP26: the team includes Marcos Molina, founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors; Roberto Waack, Chairman of the Sustainability Committee and member of the Board of Directors; Paulo Pianez, Director for Sustainability and Corporate Communications; Marcelo Furtado, former executive director of Greenpeace Brazil and member of the Sustainability Committee; and Marcella Santos, member of the sustainability committee.
INVESTMENTS AND TARGETS
In 2009, Marfrig committed publicly to combating deforestation, and since then its sustainability program has evolved constantly.
In mid-2020, it launched its Marfrig Verde+ program, which seeks to make the company’s production chain more sustainable and deforestation-free by 2030, covering all the biomes in which the company operates — above all the Amazon and Cerrado biomes. Developed in partnership with IDH - the sustainable trade initiative, the program is based on the principle of production-preservation-inclusion, and focuses on three pillars: the development of financial mechanisms, technical assistance, and monitoring and traceability technologies. Investment in the program is of the order of 500 million Brazilian Reals by 2030.
'Sustainability is one of Marfrig’s basic strategic pillars. Our strategy is entirely linked to issues discussed at COP26, such as combating deforestation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. That is why we are here: to show that this is possible and is already being carried out,' says Paulo Pianez, Marfrig’s Director of Sustainability and Corporate Communications.
In 2020, the company submitted its greenhouse gas reduction targets to Science Based Target, an international initiative bringing together CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), the United Nations Global Compact, WRI (World Resources Institute) and WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature).
Within scopes 1 and 2, the target is to bring absolute emissions (tCO2e) down by 68%, taking 2019 as the baseline. In scope 3, which includes methane emissions, the company has committed to slashing emissions intensity (tCO2e/head) by 35% before 2035. Marfrig has also committed to boosting its annual renewable electricity sources from a proportion of 27% in 2019 to 100% by 2030.
LOW-CARBON LIVESTOCK-FARMING IN BRAZIL
One of the initiatives presented by Marfrig at COP26 is its low-carbon livestock-farming initiative. Launched last year in partnership with EMBRAPA (the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company), the Viva beef line is produced with GHG neutralization. All products in the line come from certified ranches, raising cattle either in the silvopasture system (crop-livestock), or the integrated crop-livestock-forestry (ICLF) system.
An extension of the portfolio of low-carbon beef (LCB) products, already under development, will be launched in 2022. To date, the program has engaged investments of some 10 million Brazilian reals in research, farm certification, brand-building, the development of standards for the cuts of beef, publicity, and payments of royalties.


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We found 9276 items for the tag: X
Sep 16, 2009 7:19 pm
Playback of 1080p HD video
Sep 16, 2009 6:05 pm
With Lynnfield out, the question of which motherboard you should use for your new 1156 CPU comes to mind. The ASRock P55 Deluxe could be the answer.
Sep 16, 2009 2:55 pm
Performs better than year old Atoms
Sep 16, 2009 8:31 am
Looking for a new HTPC chassis? Luxa2 enters the market with a few nice looking tricks up their sleeves.
Sep 16, 2009 3:55 am
AMD's K10 architecture goes to the mainstream market with a quad-core processor offering that is now ready to hit the shelves.
Sep 15, 2009 3:55 pm
RaidSonic sent us its Icy Box IB-MP305A-B Network Multimedia HD Player for video review. Watch as we find out if it's worth the dollars or not.
Sep 15, 2009 6:39 am
Now that Lynnfield has hit the streets, let's see how the rest of the platform works and what advantages it brings.
Sep 14, 2009 5:29 pm
Confirmed for Europe and the US.
Sep 14, 2009 9:02 am
Harmonix brings the Fab Four to life in The Beatles Rockband and produce a sensational music rhythm game in the process.
Sep 11, 2009 5:20 am
Everyone in business needs a nice pen and a USB drive - why not merge them? Read on!
Sep 10, 2009 2:50 pm
We visited the ASRock headquarters in Taipei and took a close look at its Intel P55 Express Lynnfield motherboards - P55 Deluxe and Extreme!
Sep 10, 2009 3:19 am
Galaxy is the first company we've seen move to the single PCB GTX 295 design - but what else have they done, though?
Sep 9, 2009 4:32 pm
Unlocking Core and Cache for less $
Sep 9, 2009 3:51 pm
Our first AMD 785G chipset board was Micro-ATX and now we are starting to see mainstream ATX boards - ASRock has its latest instalment for us.
Sep 8, 2009 5:01 pm
Interesting name choice for AMD
Sep 8, 2009 4:51 pm
Or at least they were for a couple of hours
Sep 8, 2009 1:30 pm
An upcoming design under the Ultimate Force brand
Sep 8, 2009 1:28 pm
Today Intel took the covers off its latest Lynnfield processors and P55 Express chipset. Intel threw a launch party in Taipei and we attended.
Sep 8, 2009 2:00 am
Core i7 LGA 1366 Intel shocked the high-end CPU performance world. Now Lynnfield LGA 1156 is set to change the mainstream playing field, too.
Sep 5, 2009 11:54 am
ASUS has kicked the GTX 285 up a notch and given it a fancy new Matrix title. We find out if it's really worth looking buying.
Sep 4, 2009 3:48 pm
Leo and Dorado platforms coming in 2010
Sep 4, 2009 9:51 am
Patriot has developed a couple fancy new internal and external HDD and SSD enclosure caddies with hardware RAID support. Any good? Watch our video!
Sep 3, 2009 6:46 pm
Gunning for nVidia in a big way
Sep 2, 2009 5:38 pm
Sleek looks plus good airflow


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Placerville, the historic Mother Lode town between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe, takes the “apple-a-day” adage to new levels. With 50 family farms comprising an area commonly known as Apple Hill, the community offers an autumn getaway that pleases all the senses, particularly the taste buds.
Founded in 1964, the trademarked Apple Hill Growers Association provides a free map and guide listing the orchards and fruit farms that dot the area just off Highway 50 in the Sierra foothills, about an hour east of central Sacramento.
Scenic country roads twist and turn, with various farm stands and ranches welcoming guests eager for the fresh air and fall colors provided by the apple orchards, pumpkin patches and vineyards that weave throughout the picturesque area. Several Christmas tree farms are located in the area as well, offering mistletoe, wreaths, garlands, silver tips and firs, with you-cut options available.
But mostly, visitors to this El Dorado County region come hungry for tasty apple treats, from apple doughnuts and pies to bushels and buckets of fresh-picked apples for eating and baking. There’s apple butter and apple ice cream, caramel apples and apple cake, apples pressed into cider and beer, apples baked into dumplings, fritters, turnovers, cookies and strudel.
“Anything you can think of with apples, you can buy here,” said Michele Birmingham Repetto of Fetters Hot Springs, who visits several local farms each fall, a 20-year tradition she shares with family and friends.
“You can smell the apples, especially with all the pies they bake.”
The feel of fall
Repetto made the 2½-hour drive from Sonoma Valley on a recent Saturday, stopping first at High Hill Ranch, a working farm and the largest destination within the Apple Hill Growers Association.
“It’s gorgeous,” she said. “You’ve got the trees turning colors, the nice crisp air. It just feels like fall.”
Officials estimate that last year a million people visited the farms of Placerville and the neighboring village of Camino, where rolling hillsides are rich with a cornucopia of farm stands, family-friendly attractions and acres and acres of open landscape.
It has become such a popular getaway that law enforcement officers have been called in to direct weekend traffic, an effort to handle the crowds that create bottlenecks during the peak of the season in late October.
Even the shuttles that once were offered to ease traffic contributed to the backlog of people anxious to reach attractions that include petting farms, craft vendors, hay rides, a scale-model train ride, pony rides, fishing ponds, face painting, nature trails and those gastronomical delights celebrating the all-American apple.
Jody Franklin, executive director of tourism with the El Dorado County Visitors Authority, said people enjoy the wholesome family activities, natural beauty and colorful history of the region.
“People are always amazed by the topography and how lush it is,” she said. “You cannot tell from Highway 50 what we have here. There’s a whole other world out there.”
Franklin says visitors can especially benefit from a weekend stay in Placerville, where there’s plenty to see and do.
While the Apple Hill region is a must, Franklin also suggests visiting the diverse shops and antique stores of Main Street, stopping by the Fountain-Tallman Museum housed in a National Register of Historic Places building or the El Dorado County Historical Museum by the fairgrounds, and making a trip to Gold Bug Mine and Park to see the mines that helped make the Mother Lode famous.


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Mantyhose are sweeping through Europe and may be heading to the United States, but are they a lasting fashion statement or just another fad?
Mantyhose, the male version of women's pantyhose, are rather popular in Europe.
"Mantyhose are actually unisex," according to Italian designer Francesco Cavallini. "But they come in a range of more masculine patterns like skulls, checks, stars and horizontal stripes. And the fabric is different too, with greater elasticity and stretch as well as breathability, which is important since men perspire much more than women do," Cavallini told European website The Week.
While the trend is popular in Europe, many designers are skeptical if the trend will catch on in the U.S.
"If it's fine for Italian guys, it's fine for the world," said Cavallini. Chan Kraemer, writer for the site e-MANcipate.com, notes that "pantyhose for men can be an everyday clothing item, and that can be fashionable as well."
Men wearing tights is nothing new; the tradition dates back to the Middle Ages. Shakespearean plays often required male actors to don tights as part of their period costumes. Yet in modern times, the trend has tapered off, though pantyhose remain a staple of women's fashion.
Joe Namath famously appeared in tights for a television commercial in the 1970's. The ad for Beautymist Pantyhose featured a woman's voice saying, "This commercial will prove to the women of America that Beautymist pantyhose can make any legs look like a million dollars." As the camera panned on a pair of hose-covered legs, it is revealed that those legs belonged to Namath.
Consumers were not convinced and Namath found himself the butt of many jokes. But could he have had the first laugh, somehow seeing that men's pantyhose would come back in style?
"When we started our online shop," explained Cavallini, "we noticed that a lot of tights sized medium-large were being purchased by men … So I did a search on the Internet and discovered there is a cult following for manythose."
One may wonder, though, if the majority of those customers were European.
Here in the U.S., mantyhose are the subject of disdain, with various Twitter users commenting they wouldn't be caught dead in them.
"Breaking: I am not wearing mantyhose," exclaimed Stephen Green.
"First it was men's bags. We kept quiet. Then skinny jeans, Minis, convertible Minis, still we remained silent. Mantyhose? No!" added Khaya Dlanga.
Even women are encouraging men not to wear them.
"Introducing mantyhose. Yes, mantyhose. Nooo!! Women don't even like 'em. Take our lip gloss instead," wrote Heather Dugan.


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Apple Unveils iOS 12, Group FaceTime, And Memojis At WWDC 2018At the start of the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, we were treated to how well Apple was doing, along with the 10th anniversary of the App Store next month.
2018 iPhone: All The Rumors On Specs, Price, Release Date
Apple Unveils New $329 iPad With Pencil Stylus For Schools And StudentsApple unveiled a new version of its tablet franchise at its education event in Chicago on Tuesday, which it hosted at the city's largest high school.
Apple Watch Can Detect Diabetes With 85% Accuracy, Study SaysAccording to a study released by Apple, the Apple Watch can accurately tell whether the wearer does or does not have diabetes 85 percent of the time.
iPhone Update Will Allow Users To Stop Battery Slowdown, Tim Cook SaysApple's CEO says a future iOS update will give older iPhone users the option to disable Apple's ramping down of performance, which Apple claimed was done to improve power management
France Investigates Apple for Slowing Down Old iPhonesFrench authorities have opened an investigation into Apple over revelations it secretly slowed down older versions of its handsets, the Paris prosecutor's office said Tuesday.
The Best Tech Gifts For 2017A review of the best gifts to get for the techie in your life this holiday season.
Apple Unveils 'HomePod' Speaker, First New Product in YearsApple nodded to several up-and-coming technology trends, unveiling a new "smart" home speaker and device features touching on virtual reality, online privacy and a form of artificial intelligence called machine learning.
WikiLeaks Says CIA Hacks on Apple Devices Can PersistNew documents from WikiLeaks point to an apparent CIA program to hack Apple's iPhones and Mac computers using techniques that couldn't be disabled by resetting devices to factory conditions.
Apple Appeals EU Order to Collect $14B in Back TaxesApple is appealing a European Union order to collect a record 13 billion euros ($14 billion) in taxes, following a similar appeal by Ireland.
iPhone 8 Set for September 2017 ReleaseYou heard that right, only 2 months after the release of the iPhone 7 and 7s, Apple is ready to take your money again.
Detroit's Automakers, Sensing A Threat, Embrace MobilityFor Detroit, the days of simply making cars are over.


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BARCELONA—Folding phones are one of more exciting segments in the smartphone space. Flexible OLED displays and incredible feats of engineering have allowed phone makers to create devices that bend their screens in half. In recent months, Honor and Oppo have pushed out second-generation foldables, while Samsung is already on its fourth wave of bendy handsets. Later this year, OnePlus plans to jump into the game.
"Our first foldable phone will have the signature OnePlus fast and smooth experience," said Kinder Liu, President and COO of OnePlus, speaking at Mobile World Congress.
OnePlus shares booth space at the trade show with its BBK stablemate Oppo. Oppo's latest foldable, the Find N2 Flip, is a pocketable device that's similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 4. In late 2021, Oppo debuted a folding device closer in appearance to the Galaxy Z Fold 4. OnePlus will be able to draw on the engineering and development of both these devices as it crafts its own.
"It must be a flagship phone that doesn't settle because of its folding form, in terms of industrial design, mechanical technology, and other aspects," continues Liu. "We want to launch a device that aims to be at the pinnacle experience of today’s foldable market.”
The slogan "never settle" plays a central role in OnePlus' philosophy of creating devices that surprise and delight users. The company always aims to make phones that are fast in terms of performance and smooth in their experience. Its latest phone, the OnePlus 11 5G, is a winner for the company and embodies that ideal. We can only hope that the company is as successful in its endeavor to bring a foldable to market.
The company said nothing else about the device. We don't know if it will be a device that folds like a book, or bends at the waist. One thing we can count on? It will help expand a device category that desperately needs more entries.
Apple and Google are rumored to be working on foldable phones of their own, but details are few and far between. OnePlus says it will have more to share in the coming months.


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Advertisements for mutual funds, watches and kolaches.
Now as you wait at the gate for your flight, you’ll even see ads on electrical outlets.
The Indianapolis Airport Authority on Jan. 20 was expected to approve a $65,000 marketing partnership with Chase in what is the latest and certainly the most electrifying of all advertising schemes at Indianapolis International Airport.
These are desperate times for marketers. Too many ads are getting lost in the shuffle. And barraged consumers have figured out ways to avoid television ads, what with TiVo and other devices that zap commercials.
“The old, interruptive model of advertising is not enough anymore. There are advertisements on almost everything, everywhere,” said Ben Carlson, an executive at Bradley and Montgomery Advertising in Indianapolis who helped develop the airport ads for Chase’s commercial banking unit.
“We wanted to break through the clutter of advertising in Indianapolis,” said Jill Hill, a marketing manager for Chase commercial banking. New York-based JP Morgan Chase recently acquired Chicago-based Bank One, which had the largest banking market share in Indiana.
Chase already advertises in business publications to reach executives. But, Carlson said, “Non-traditional media is where a lot of the exciting part of advertising is right now.”
But electrical outlets?
“Initially, I went, ‘What?'” said Mary Ann Falatic, retail director for BAA Indianapolis, the private firm that runs the airport for the Authority. Understand that this BAA executive’s mind perpetually hums like a tuning fork for ever-more revenue opportunities.
But there’s genius in this, insists Carlson. Those outlets are already used by lots of business travelers to recharge their iPods, laptops, wireless phones and other gadgets. So what better place for Chase to target business prospects who might even log on to its Web site while they’re waiting for flights?
“We realized the airport was a place where a lot of business-to-business decision makers clustered. You have men and women with expensive suits, sitting cross-legged on the floor.”
Carlson said Bradley and Montgomery is exploring the concept for Chase elsewhere in the United States-perhaps at other airports.
As for the copy surrounding the outlets, the puns are on parade.
“This outlet works. Now you can, too,” says one. “We empower business right down to the batteries,” says another.
The cost of electricity used by passengers to charge electrical devices is negligible, said airport spokesman Terry Burns. And they’re going to do it, anyway.
Other schemes are in the works. Many of the airport’s flight monitors will soon be surrounded by Chase ads.
“We hope it’s the first of many things, not only with Chase, but with other business partners,” Falatic said.
She declined to elaborate, nor would she speculate about what advertising approaches might be carried over to the new midfield terminal set to open in 2008. “We’ve not addressed any specifics of our advertising program at midfield,” said John Kish, manager of the $1 billion project.
Penciled-in for the midfield’s round “civic plaza” are plans for a curved wall above ticket counters that could display video images. Using the panels for advertising did come up in discussions, but “we’ve not revisited that yet,” Kish added.
The midfield terminal will open with about 40 gates, compared with 33 in today’s terminal. The larger space likely will afford more opportunities to boost advertising revenue.
BAA rakes in for the Airport Authority about $500,000 a year from advertising, according to Falatic. Also included in that amount is a cut of advertising managed by two other firms: JCDecaux and Clear Channel, which sell ads in the parking garage, ground transportation center, the lower level of the terminal and along terminal access roads.
The advertising revenue collected by BAA is not insignificant considering total concession revenue, including that paid by retail and food/beverage vendors, was $4.8 million in 2004-the most recent year available.
BAA has steadily grown that number from $2.2 million in the mid-1990s when it landed its airport management contract.
“The more non-airline revenue we can generate, the more we can control costs to the airlines,” Falatic added. Airport officials said it was difficult to boil down how much that advertising actually reduces rents and fees paid by airlines. Carriers are already facing steeper costs to help pay for the midfield terminal now under construction.
So where does this all end-airport toilet seats sponsored by, say, Dulcolax?
Why not let sports teams buy naming rights to an airport?
“You know, it’s been kicked around in the past,” said Don Hinchey, an executive of The Bonham Group, an Englewood, Colo.-based sports and entertainment marketing firm. It negotiated a number of stadium-naming deals, including PNC Bank’s sponsorship of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ baseball stadium.
Corporate America already sponsors amphitheaters and college buildings-how about a meeting facility at a major U.S. airport? Not inconceivable, Hinchey said. Boston is already talking about finding sponsors for its rapid transit stations, after all.
Cities “are really beginning to explore the possibilities … . Municipalities all across the country are pinched for revenue.”


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If asked to think of a camel, many will invariably call up the emblematic image of a humped animal crossing the horizon in a blazing desert. What they probably won't think of is a cold glass of milk.
But that might soon change, thanks to research uncovering the surprising therapeutic potential contained within camel milk. Although this might seem unusual to many in the Western world, where camel milk remains a relatively obscure dairy product, it would hardly merit a second thought among those most acquainted with these resilient beasts of burden.
"The beneficial effects of camel milk for human nutrition and health had their origin from religious belief and faith within the different Muslim communities in the world, including the Arab countries of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates," wrote Mohammed Ayoub, PhD, associate professor of biology, and Sajid Maqsood, PhD, associate professor of food science, at UAE University, in a joint interview with Medscape.
For the people of these and other regions where camels thrive, their milk has long been a staple food source, usually consumed in fresh or spontaneously fermented form. It has also been used for centuries as a traditional treatment for ailments ranging from tuberculosis to gastroenteritis.
Numerous studies have since revealed that camel milk has many of the sought-after bioactive properties of so-called "superfoods." It's "anti" in the most positive ways: antihypertensive, antimicrobial, antioxidative, antithrombotic, antiulcerogenic. But what has gained researchers' attention the most are the favorable effects camel milk appears to exhibit in both animal and clinical studies on various markers of diabetes, from glycemic control to insulin resistance. Might this folk remedy have new lessons for contemporary diabetes researchers?
What's So Special About Camel Milk?
Camels were domesticated around 3000 to 4000 years ago, which is relatively recent among working animals (by comparison, dogs have held their status as "man's best friend" for at least 14,000 years). Thanks to a host of unique adaptations, including the ability to store about 80 lb (36.3 kg) of fat in those signature humps, camels can walk 100 miles and survive for nearly a week in temperatures up to 120°F (49°C) without water.
Among herbivorous ruminants — the class of animals that ferment their food before digestion — camels get the most from the least. They consume the largest variety of plants and digest it more efficiently than cows. Nomadic peoples considered camels' diverse diets a key contributor to the purported medicinal value of their milk.
Significant scientific research into camel milk's properties began only within the last three to four decades. It revealed that at the most basic compositional level, milk produced from camels and cows provides comparable levels of fat, protein, lactose, and calcium. But dig a little deeper and you'll find that camel milk possesses distinct advantages over its bovine counterpart, including greater levels of vitamin C and essential minerals, and a more digestible quality.
Children with known allergy to cow's milk have been shown to consume camel's milk without incident, as it doesn't appear to have the same cross-reactivity in these patients as milk from non-bovine mammals bred in European countries. In fact, camel milk is actually closer in substance to human milk: both feature α-lactalbumin as the major protein and lack β-lactoglobulin, the latter of which is a common contributor to milk allergies.
Beyond its nutritional value, camel milk composition may offer particular antidiabetic properties, according to Nader Lessan, MBBS, MD, and Adam Buckley, MD, PhD, consultant endocrinologists at the Imperial College London Diabetes Centre in Abu Dhabi, UAE, who are currently conducting a clinical trial on the effects of camel milk on insulin and incretin response.
"Camel milk has been reported to contain an insulin-like protein that does not form a coagulum in the acidic environment of the stomach," they told Medscape. "It has been suggested that the reported glucose-lowering effects of camel milk might at least in part be mediated through this mechanism."
A recent in vitro study from Ayoub and Maqsood shed further light on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying camel milk's antidiabetic effects.
"We identified several bioactive peptide fractions from camel milk whey proteins that showed positive biological effects on the different molecular markers involved in diabetes (dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibition, as well as human insulin receptor and its signaling at the level of the cell). Such effects were also characterized by an increase in glucose transport inside the cells," they said. "This provides for the first time a solid scientific basis for the anti-diabetic properties of camel milk."
Getting the Most Out of Camel Milk
People living in countries with ready access to camel milk are likely already reaping its antidiabetic benefits. For example, a study of a camel breeding community in northern India found that those who regularly consumed its milk had a 0% rate of diabetes.
Global production of camel milk has increased 4.6-fold since 1961 (when data first began to be collected), which indicates its popularity is extending beyond traditional regions. European Union-supported efforts like the CAMELMILK project are aiming to boost interest in the Mediterranean region. More and more consumers, from China to Australia , are seeking out camel milk-based products. In the United States, companies like Desert Farms are partnering with Amish and Mennonite farmers to increase production.
This is not to say that camel milk will be readily available on supermarket shelves anytime soon. Although their numbers are increasing, camels remain a minor dairy species, accounting for <1% of the world's milk supply. As a niche product, it's significantly more expensive than bovine and non-dairy milk variations. The daily dose of camel milk thought to improve markers of diabetes markers is around 500 mL, which may be cost prohibitive for many consumers.
There are also uncertainties about how consistent camel milk's benefits will be in commercial form. Camel milk quality varies depending on factors like lactation stage, geography, and feeding habits. Some have questioned whether moving camels from their wide-ranging eating practices to factory farming will dull the medicinal effects of its milk.
It is also uncertain how widely health attributes vary depending on breed. Milk produced by the 90% of camels worldwide categorized as one-humped dromedaries is not the same as that produced from the less common double-humped Bactrian camels found in central Asian countries, such as China and Mongolia.
Advice for Curious Patients
In the end, camel milk might offer the greatest promise as a blueprint for designing new treatments, as concluded by Ayoud and Maqsood in their recent study.
Yet, as more attention is paid to its proposed antidiabetic effects, it is also likely that curious patients may want to try the real thing in the meantime. For such patients, what considerations must clinicians keep in mind?
First and foremost is to avoid camel milk in raw form. Although camel milk appears to have greater antimicrobial properties than cow's milk, it carries approximately the same risk of containing E coli and can harbor pathogenic strains such as Streptococcus or Staphylococcus. Evidence suggests that dromedary camels are the only animals that can host the strain of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) that infects humans.
Although several studies have indicated that camel milk improves glycemic control and lowers insulin requirements among those with type 1 diabetes, Lessan and Buckley strongly advise against patients with this disease using it as an insulin substitute. They note that "none of the mechanisms we've seen suggested for the effects of camel milk are really applicable to the disease process of type 1 diabetes."
There is also the matter of setting appropriate expectations for conditions outside of diabetes. The literature surrounding camel milk is slanted toward positive results derived from studies of variable quality, which has led to unfounded claims. This was on display when the US Food and Drug Administration listed camel milk among the products and therapies with no evidence to support their use in autism.
As the use of camel milk moves from basic research to clinical studies, its ultimate therapeutic value in diabetes and beyond should become clearer. For a millennia-old treatment, there's still much to learn.
John Watson is a freelance writer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Medscape Medical News © 2021
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Cite this: Camel Milk: A Centuries Old 'Superfood' as Diabetes Treatment - Medscape - Aug 09, 2021.


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Nokia have begun distributing invitations for a special press event on the 12 April. Simply labelled as ‘Discover what’s new with Symbian smartphones’, there are no cryptic images or anything else to provide a clue as to what we’ll be seeing.
That’s not going to stop us speculating though. The most recent phone we’ve been talking about expected to run Symbian is the T7-00, but it may be wishful thinking to see that one so soon. What’s more likely is the E6-00, the E71/E72-alike with a touchscreen added to its QWERTY keyboard.
In addition to what we hope will be a hardware announcement, the event could bring the long-awaited Symbian^3 software update. Perhaps even more exciting than a new Symbian phone is the possibility of some Nokia Windows Phone 7 news, so let’s hope we get some of that too!
Finally, good old Nokia have planned their event on the same day as HTC are having an event in London too; making this a repeat of what we saw in September last year, when Nokia announced the N8, E7 and more, while HTC gave us the Desire HD and Desire Z.
It’s could be quite a day on 12 April!


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3D character animation software developer NaturalMotion has announced that its new graphically-authorable next-gen animation engine package morpheme has been integrated into Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3, as the company joins Epic's Integrated Partners Program.
The company says morpheme will build on the existing UE3 character system by offering "unique features for constructing very complex animation setups" that, through its morpheme:connect tool, developers can preview and modify in real time through state machines and blend trees.
The company also says that just as with other elements of Unreal Engine, developers can extend morpheme's existing animation nodes to provide functions specific to any particular title. It also notes that future features created by NaturalMotion will be folded into UE3's integrated version.
Said NaturalMotion CEO Torsten Reil, “Unreal Engine 3 is already an inspired game design platform, offering much of the bleeding edge technology developers need. By adding morpheme to Epic’s suite, more studios will be able to take advantage of NaturalMotion’s pioneering animation technology, allowing for a whole new generation of games with astonishingly realistic characters and animations.”


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Now the ultraportable is taken to the next level. You’ve heard about the Dell Inspiron Mini 9, right? Now Dell comes up with a 12–inch version that should appeal more to portable computer buyers. Armed with the same Intel Atom processor just like other ultraportables these days, it has 12–inch LCD display with a 1280×800 resolution, definitely much more usable for everyday use.
However, the same downside applies to this offering: the absence of an optical drive. But we know that you hardly need an optical drive for everyday use. Besides, most of us have desktop computers with DVD–writers anyway.
The less than USD $600 price tag is sure to get holiday shoppers excited. The Dell Inspiron Mini 12 appears to be a viable option to buying Apple’s Macbook Air, which comes at three times the price with basically the same limitations.
Are they going to sell it here in the Philippines anytime soon?


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Untapped and Growing, Frontier Markets Beckon
By AZAM AHMED and MICHAEL J. DE LA MERCED
Published: September 29, 2011
Burdened by slowing consumer spending at home, Wal-Mart Stores sought another jolt to its sales.
The world's biggest retailer turned its eyes to a continent where it has little presence: Africa. Wal-Mart announced last fall that it would seek to buy Massmart, its closest counterpart in sub-Saharan Africa, and this year it won approval to buy half of the retailer for $2.4 billion.
It is the latest company from the economically stagnant developed world to seek growth in perhaps the last untapped area of international commerce. Corporations and investors alike are raising their bets on so-called frontier markets by buying mines in Zimbabwe, leasing airport stores in Uruguay and acquiring lenders in Sri Lanka.
While mergers and acquisitions in emerging markets over all have slowed this year from a robust 2010 - they are down 9 percent from the same period a year ago, according to Thomson Reuters data - more and more new markets are being sized up for opportunities by deal makers.
''You've got high growth rates and relatively large populations that are underserviced,'' said Colin Coleman, the head of Goldman Sachs's sub-Saharan Africa team. ''That's what's driving a lot of institutional and private equity investments.''
The traditional risks, like capricious or corrupt local governments and sudden eruptions of violence, are still present in many places. Billions of dollars' worth of investments in the Middle East suffered this year as the Arab Spring revolutions swept through Libya, Tunisia and Egypt.
''The concept of airtight doesn't exist in these markets,'' said Anthony Armstrong, co-head of Americas mergers and acquisitions at Credit Suisse. ''You can never control it completely, and you don't know what you don't know.''
But as many of these countries develop, outside investors are seeking to harness the growth of middle classes. While in developed economies the middle class is well established, populations in these countries are growing wealthier and more sophisticated and are demanding a wider array of luxuries, like cellphones and clothing.
That was the thinking of Wal-Mart last year. Having suffered several consecutive quarters of falling same-store sales, the retailer thought again of bolstering its one area of growth, its international operations.
Wal-Mart already is in China and South America. To help round out its portfolio, the company looked to Massmart, a retailing giant with stores in 13 sub-Saharan countries. While the bulk of its Marko warehouse stores and Builders Warehouses are in relatively developed South Africa, Massmart also has beachheads in countries like Botswana, Nigeria and Uganda.
''South Africa presents a compelling growth opportunity for Wal-Mart and offers a platform for growth and expansion in other African countries,'' Andy Bond, Wal-Mart's top executive for Africa, said at the time of the company's initial Massmart offer.
Bankers, lawyers and consultants that advise companies like Wal-Mart are racing to expand their presence in these regions, with the expectation that they are entering the next Brazil or China. JPMorgan Chase, for instance, opened an affiliate in Dhaka, Bangladesh, last fall.
Deal makers say that some countries remain highly risky, including Zimbabwe and Venezuela. But huge pools of resources like oil and minerals are like the sirens' song to companies and investors.
Those types of riches prompted the Essar Group, an Indian conglomerate, to form a natural resources joint venture with the Zimbabwe government. The $750 million deal was meant to revive the ailing Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company, splitting it into a mining company and a steel maker.
Yet it requires working with Robert Mugabe, a leader whose takeover of Zimbabwe's farms a decade ago decimated the country's economy and drove out foreign investors.
Essar was apparently undaunted.
''We view this union as a long-term partnership with Zimbabwe and its people,'' Ravi Ruia, Essar's vice chairman, said in a statement after the deal. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
Such forays into precarious political climates don't always end well. African Barrick Gold learned a tough lesson with a gold mine it bought in Tanzania. Local miners have repeatedly tried to steal scraps of gold, leading to bloody conflicts with the company's security forces and local police officers.
In May, five people were killed by police forces when a gang of several hundred people tried to storm the mine with machetes and stones.
Local knowledge, experts say, is irreplaceable. Companies and investors often work with governments or other local business specialists before making an entry.
The beverage giant SABMiller is among the most active companies in the world when it comes to tapping frontier markets. Having operated in the tumult of South African apartheid, the company was accustomed to operating in uncertain, atypical conditions, from sub-Saharan Africa to Latin America.
That has helped shape its philosophy when approaching new acquisitions or business ventures. In 2009, SABMiller executives flew to southern Sudan, which was still healing from civil war, to negotiate the opening of a new plant. But instead of sitting around a conference table signing deeds, the officials followed local custom. They bought a tractor for the community and promised to pay royalties and provide clean water. They also slaughtered a cow.


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Gorenje Makes Job Preservation Pact with Unions
Velenje, 19 April - Household appliance maker Gorenje has made a pact with the unions promising to preserve jobs in Slovenia even as it pursues plans to shift lower-value manufacturing to low-cost locations such as Serbia.
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Your darling Newspaper Nigerian Newsguide has finally gone daily online as had been requested by many readers of the tabloid.
The newspaper can now be read daily on www.nigeriannewsguide.org.ng, an active website visible and accessible from any part of the world.
Similarly, the tabloid has continued its weekly hard copy publication which serves you hot and incisive news, editorials, articles and analysis that keep you glued till the end of the last item in the package.
Publisher of Nigerian Newsguide Mr Chidi Emeagi said the decision to go daily online was by popular demand and management’s resolve to key into the modern trend in the media industry whereby many readers prefer reading online at their convenient time.
Emeagi assured that the main objective and mantra of the newspaper: Truth in Defence of Ethical standard must be its watchword in both the online and hard copy publications and urged all to advertise, promote their businesses in Nigerian Newsguide and as well call in for exclusive chats, change of name, investigations, news of special interests, human angle reports, event coverage among others.


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Keishana Green had heard all about the trendy food truck movement and festivals where mobile vendors offer cuisines from the exotic to the familiar.
But until Tuesday, she had never had the chance to get a firsthand taste of such an event.
“I’ve always wanted to try these trucks,” she said, sitting at an outdoor table with her three children, surrounded by trucks decorated with the logos of some of the Sacramento area’s hottest mobile restaurants. But when you are uncertain about where you might be sleeping on any given night, Green said, you have few culinary options.
On Tuesday, mobile cuisine came to her and hundreds of others who typically receive their meals at shelters or from charitable organizations. For the second straight year, the owners of seven food trucks rolled into the Loaves & Fishes complex on North C Street and served up everything from Laotian and Thai food to hamburger sliders.
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Krush Burger and its mini sliders drew the longest lunch lines. But Chando’s Tacos and its “famous mulitas,” Drewski’s Hot Rod’s pulled pork, BaconMania’s “piggy sliders,” GameDay’s classic burgers, Green Papaya’s Thai rice and Smokers Wild’s BBQ chicken all had their fans. Diners also could partake of cups of ice cream, bags of chips and cold water handed out by the likes of Sacramento City Councilman Darrell Fong and county Supervisor Don Nottoli.
“We’re giving our guests the chance to feel like the rest of society,” Loaves executive director Sister Libby Fernandez said, as the Beatles song “All You Need is Love” blared from speakers. “They have choices today.”
Paul Somerhausen, director of SactoMoFo, which organizes food truck festivals in the city, said the group visited Loaves for the first time last year and plans to return annually.
“It’s a very transforming experience,” Somerhausen said. “It’s humbling. When you’re a small business owner, it’s easy to get lost in the operations, the long hours, the running around. You can get stuck in tunnel vision.
“It’s important for all of us to reach out to the community. Sacramento has been very good to the food truck industry, so this is a way for us to give back.”
Hamidulla Saahir, who was enjoying spicy fare from Green Papaya, declared the food to be “fantastic.”
“Even when you get food handed to you from the shelter, you still appreciate it,” said Saahir, who lives temporarily at Volunteers of America. “But this is special.”
Among the guests at Tuesday’s event were students at Mustard Seed School, where children can continue their education even while their parents are homeless or transient.
Trinity Summerfield, 14, has gone to school at Mustard Seed, on the Loaves campus, at times when her mom and dad have struggled.
“I hold Mustard Seed close to my heart,” she said.
Summerfield, who was at the event with her parents and three siblings, including an infant, praised both the taste of her Krush Burgers and the overall atmosphere at the event.
“It’s great for the kids. It’s fun,” she said.
After lunch, Summerfield planned to put out some feelers for a few good books.
“Me and my sister read as many books as we can,” Summerfield said. They have a penchant for supernatural stories and are huge fans of the Harry Potter series.
Her other great passion? Cooking and food.
Summerfield’s family currently live in a motel, where they “are lucky enough” to have a stove for cooking. She puts on her chef’s hat whenever she gets a chance.
“I love chicken, steak. I can even bake cakes,” she said.
For the moment, though, a plate of burgers and some music in the bright sunshine suited her just fine.
• Gallery: Food Truck Vendors Help Feed Sacramento Homeless