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Keyfactor, an Independence-based cybersecurity firm, says it aims to "bring machine identity management to the mainstream" after raising $125 million and setting plans for a merger with a Swedish company called PrimeKey.
Keyfactor announced both developments in a news release issued Thursday morning, April 15.
Keyfactor said in the release that the merged company will operate under the Keyfactor brand, and the deal will lead to "increased investments across all product lines" for both companies. Terms of the merger were not disclosed. Keyfactor said in the release that the merger "forms an industry-first machine identity management platform," combining its technology that helps automate the management of certificates for connected devices with that of PrimeKey, which creates the certificates that serve as crucial tools for identifying machines.
The acquisition of PrimeKey will enable Keyfactor to deliver end-to-end certificate service and "automated deployment of machine identities across complex enterprise and emerging IoT (Internet of Things) and OT (operational technology) use cases," according to the release.
"Now more than ever, enterprises must operate in a zero-trust world, and machine identity management can no longer be ignored as part of an identity and access management (IAM) strategy," said Jordan Rackie, CEO of Keyfactor, in a statement.
He said the PrimeKey deal underscores "the industry's imperative to secure every machine identity before it leads to loss of brand reputation, business outages or fines. The merger with PrimeKey amplifies the performance of the combined businesses across product offerings, distribution channels, expertise for our customers and large open source communities."
PrimeKey's employees will join Keyfactor. Rackie will lead the combined company as CEO. Magnus Svenningson, CEO at PrimeKey, will become chief strategy officer and executive vice president of business development at the merged business.
A Keyfactor spokeswoman said Keyfactor has 170 employees and PrimeKey has 100. She said the privately held companies do not disclose annual revenues.
Keyfactor said in the release that it has seen revenues grow by 50% year over year.
The combined company will have a global presence with offices in the United States, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and Asia-Pacific. The transaction is expected to close within 90 days, pending approval by the Swedish authorities.
"The market is recognizing that securing machine identities is a fundamental pillar of a modern identity governance program," said Thomas Krane, principal at Insight Partners, in a statement. "The IAM (identity and access management) market is shifting its focus from human to machine identities, and this merger positions Keyfactor to stay on the leading edge of this evolution. Independently, Keyfactor and PrimeKey offer a forward-thinking approach to conventional IAM. Combined, the companies deliver a future-proof management solution for every machine identity."
Keyfactor was founded in 2001 as Certified Security Solutions. It rebranded in 2018 as Keyfactor.


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Cadbury has announced it will contribute $1 million to the Australian Paralympic Foundation as part of its pledge of support for the Australian Paralympic Team and the development of para-sport in Australia in the lead up to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
The contribution cements Cadbury’s role as ‘joyfficial’ partners for the team, following the announcement of the association at the end of 2015. Cadbury will kick off a nationwide activation to demonstrate its support for the team on Australia Day with the launch of a digital campaign designed to inspire Aussies to get behind the para-athletes.
Consumers will be encouraged to visit the campaign microsite and enter dedicated messages of support for the paralympians. The messages will then be shared with the paralympians in a surprising and impactful way in Rio. In addition to the site, Cadbury will also launch interactive digital billboards and retail out of home billboards on Australia Day.
Cadbury’s ambassador for the paralympic campaign, wheelchair tennis and basketball champion, Dylan Alcott, will be part of the brand’s multi-channel activations and will be encouraging Australians to join him and the rest of the team on their journey to the Games.
The campaign forms part of Cadbury’s wider strategic mission to ‘bring on the joy’ to all Australians in the lead up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Kjetil Undhjem, category director chocolate ANZ, Cadbury, said: “We are honoured to be a major partner of the Australian Paralympic Team and are delighted to be able to help them make a difference. The aim with our $1 million contribution is to ensure our para-athletes of today continue to have the opportunity to fulfil their dreams and build a platform for our next generation to follow their lead. In the coming months, we will be continuing to provide the foundation and the paralympians with our full support ahead of the big event in September.”
From Monday, February 1, 2016 consumers will see the partnership come to life further through retail channels with a call out to Cadbury’s $1 million contribution on their Cadbury Dairy Milk 200g blocks as well as other key activations.
Lauren Fildes, head of strategic partnerships and events at Cadbury, said: “We’re calling all Australians to join us in our mission to show support and appreciation for the Australian Paralympic Team and rally behind the athletes on their journey to the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. We are really excited about our campaign which provides the chance to inspire our Para-athletes and give something back to them as they seek to bring joy to the nation. We encourage all Australians to head online in the coming weeks and get involved to help us shower the athletes with an overwhelming level of support.”

domain: news


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2021 was the year that marked the definitive return of folding mobiles. With the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3, the Korean brand achieved a resounding success that generated a high demand that was impossible for Samsung to satisfy. This triumph was key for many brands to have started 2022 by launching their first foldables as Honor and Vivo did.
Well, it was surprising that one of the manufacturers that launches the most smartphone models per year has not joined the foldable fever, although it seems that everything is about to change. have leaked new images that confirm that Xiaomi is working on its next folding mobilewhich is codenamed “zizhan”.
The new Xiaomi folding is filtered: zizhan
Xiaomi already entered the world of foldables at the beginning of last year with the launch of the Mi Mix Fold. Nevertheless, Everything seems to indicate that its range of folding will not be updated as fast as the rest of its mobiles.. More than a year has passed since said smartphone hit the market and there is still no official information from the manufacturer about its successor.
Luckily, Internet leakers are always working to reveal new details about the next phones that will arrive. And, on this occasion, Kacper Skrzypek has filtered the first images of the design that the next Xiaomi folding will have. It is probably the Mi Mix Fold 2although at the moment it is known under the code name “zizhan”.
— Kacper Skrzypek 🇵🇱 (@kacskrz) April 26, 2022
In the pictures you can see that this foldable will have a Galaxy Z Fold 3-like designalthough on the back you will find a square camera module. Also, on the front panel, the selfie camera will be in a central perforated notch, unlike the Mi Mix Fold where it is in the upper right corner.
However, the main aesthetic innovation is found in the image of the internal panel of the mobile. In her no notch is evidentwhich could indicate two things: the absence of a selfie camera or the inclusion of a camera under the screen as the Mi Mix 4 had.
For now, there are no more details about the features and specifications of the next Xiaomi folding. We will keep you informed in case new information about the successor to the Mi Mix Fold emerges.


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Facebook’s metric mix-up
Facebook says it will work with independent companies like Nielsen and comScore to fix more of its metrics after it uncovered new problems with the data it provides to advertisers and publishers that use its network.
Facebook had already apologized to advertisers in September for errors that led to overstating how long users watched videos.
On Wednesday, the company said that it miscalculated four metrics, including undercounting how many people watched all of a video and overcounting how much time people spent reading “Instant Articles,” which loads stories from publishers like The New York Times and Washington Post more quickly on Facebook.
Facebook and Google together account for the majority of digital ad dollars spent in the U.S.


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— E! Online Canada (@EOnlineCanada) May 27, 2014
E! News has finally released the first exclusive photos of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s wedding – GO HERE to see the full photo set at E!. I was wondering what was taking so long, considering the fact that E! paid lots and lots of money to get exclusive footage from everything to do with this extravaganza. Anyway, we now have a better look at Kim’s Givenchy gown, the wall of flowers that served as a background, and Kanye’s tuxedo (also Givenchy). Thoughts?
While I think we can safely say that Kim’s Givenchy gown is a lot better than most of the crap coming out of Givenchy these days, I still don’t really like the dress. I think those cutouts and lace panels are really tacky. It makes the dress look so cheap. I guess she was aiming to look like Duchess Kate with the lace sleeves, but I’m not into it. I’m also sort of surprised that she wore her hair down for the ceremony? I thought she would wear it up. Anyway… enjoy!
— Khloé Kardashian (@KhloeKKardash) May 27, 2014
Photos courtesy of WENN, E! News, Khloe Kardashian, Twitter.


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Now that the Visa and MasterCard stranglehold has been broken over which bank can issue which card, Bank of America has announced its plans to issue American Express cards.
Not to be outdone by a previous move made by Citibank, Bank of America has officially announced that it will begin issuing credit cards on the American Express Open Network. The decision to offer American Express-branded credit cards is expected to help the bank’s efforts to attract new customers according to a press release from the nation’s largest credit card issuer.
The first major credit card issuer to take advantage of the 2005 Justice Department ruling that allowed banks to issue American Express Cards was MBNA, which was itself acquired by Bank of America in a $35 billion deal that was officially approved on Jan. 1, 2006.
While the American Express brand is popular across many population segments, Bank of America sees the product as having most appeal to its private banking and premier bank customers. These are decidedly upscale customer segments that are accustomed to the perks and prestige that is associated with the American Express brand and Bank of America is seeking to cement their loyalty with an ancillary product set.
Regardless of Bank of America’s initial product targeting, the American Express products should find broad appeal once they become featured online through CreditCards.com.


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Legislation such as Intro 666-A in New York City will have very serious damaging consequences on small businesses.
- Enforcement fines will hit small businesses, placing another financial burden on local business owners with limited resources.
- Any storeowner who sells wipes that should not be sold according to Intro 666 would be fined up to $2,500 – that’s an extraordinarily hard hit to one of New York’s hard working small business owners
- And while it will be a slap on hardworking small business owners, it won’t stop New Yorkers from being able to purchase the product they want.
- They’ll simply take their business elsewhere, log-in to online retailers and have their products shipped to their doorstep. – Taking business and dollars away from New York’s local storeowners.
- New York’s small business community – like bodega owners, local grocers, and small store owners – have a hard enough time just running their businesses day in and day out.
- Now the city wants to turn to them and tell them to clear their shelves of a product their customers ask for or else pay thousands of dollars in fines.
- It’s a burden that many can’t bear and one that none of them should have to face.
- In short, this ban on a perfectly safe product puts thousands of businesses in jeopardy.
Removing flushable wipes from the system will not solve wastewater blockages.
- Legislation 666-A is not an appropriate solution to addressing an excessive debris problem that is mostly comprised of products other than wipes.
- This effort is misguided and could potentially cause serious environmental damage, effectively worsening the problem it seeks to address.
- As many as 23% of households use flushable wipes for bathroom hygiene.
- And data shows that once consumers begin using wipes, they do not change their behavior back to using paper alone.
- By moving forward with legislation such as Intro 666-A in NYC, consumer behavior will shift in a way that will actually make the problem much worse – removing flushable products from store shelves will result in more consumers using non-flushable products in their place, and those products do cause sewer system problems and should NOT be flushed.
- Legislation is a “nanny state” attempt to tell consumers what they should and should not be doing in their bathroom.
- Legislators should remove themselves from citizens’ homes and continue to allow them to have the freedom of choice in using a product that is safe – safe for purchase, safe for use and safe for appropriate disposal through flushing.
Science and data clearly demonstrate flushable wipes are an effective, safe product to use and flush.
- In New York City, flushable wipes only account for less than 2% of the debris found on screens.
- 98 percent is other non-flushable material – an overwhelming number that clearly proves flushable wipes are not the problem or culprit.
- Nearly half of items found in the system were non-flushable paper like paper towels.
- The real problem is that when so many items that aren’t flushable and can’t break down clog the system, it causes such a problem that other material including flushable wipes and toilet paper also end up being caught.
- Blaming flushable wipes for clogs and backups is like blaming the 8th car caught up in a 10-car pileup for the accident.
- To be clear: not all wipes are the same – only 7 percent of consumer wipes sold are actually marketed as “flushable”.
- These products are specifically made with cellulosic fibers and are designed to break down in wastewater systems making them flush-friendly.
- Additionally, they must pass multiple stringent tests before they can be labeled as flushable.
- These tests validate the essential strength-release, non-clogging, non-floating, and degradability properties of the wipe to ensure it causes no harm to wastewater systems.


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A gun, handcuffs, radio, and now a body camera are all part of the uniform for some officers of the Hayward California Police Department.
We have a headpiece, sunglasses that are on our shoulders.
You tend to forget about it cuz it's so lightweight.
This department recently purchased 150 Taser brand AXON body cameras in order to have a video record of police interactions with the public.
Officers decide when to turn it on, and off.
Hayward's recorded video's uploaded to their Cloud storage.
It can't be edited or deleted, but officers do have the right to view their own footage.
After 90 days, then the footage will fall off.
If it's marked as evidence, though, we're gonna keep that indefinitely.
ACLU attorney, Chris Conly, cites privacy concerns.
There are gonna be strict policies around who can access it.
How long it's retained.
Where it's used.
But soon it maybe more than law enforcement wearing these cameras on the job.
Vevu makes a body camera use in more than 4,000 police departments nation wide.
But it's also marketing its consumer model for other professionals.
We've had school bus drivers, we've had teachers, we've had dentists.
It's amazing the amount of people that have things happen in their lives that they want to record, so they can protect themselves later.
People want what benefits them on the record and yet, they also want to have the privacy to go about their lives, and not be monitored all the time.
These types of body cams are not much different than other wearable consumer cameras like Google Glass or GoPro.
The widespread adoption could mean even less privacy for everyone in public.
In San Francisco, I'm Kara Tsuboi, CNET.com for CBS News.
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PRIME VENTURE PARTNERS
Amazon partner in India slumps to record low in bond market
Future Retail operates the popular hypermarket chain Big Bazaar in India.
Indo-Russian joint venture for light military helicopters moves to next stage
Defence acquisition council to examine bid that promises 62 per...
Ex-Paytm staff Sonia Dhawan joins SAIF Partners
“We confirm the development that Sonia has joined SAIF as corporate communications adviser to...
Startups again beat D-Street in funding
The fall in money raised from capital markets was also driven by a lower number of IPOs and QIPs, despite the market reaching a new high in 2019 as global liquidity continued to push up investor interest.
A raft of agritech startups are set to change the face of Indian agriculture
A string of agritech startups are set to play a dominant role in disseminating information to farmers
MyGate makes key leadership hires
These key hires come as the company embarks on an aggressive expansion drive to grow to 15 million homes across 40 cities in the next 18 months.
Next big wave of technology Unicorn listings could be in India
Mohandas Pai said that liquidity and valuations shouldn’t be concerns for companies seeking to list, as the market is “flush with money” and India investors have shown a willingness to pay up for growth stocks.
Indian SaaS startups need to turn inwards to move forward
There is a myth among the local VCs that small business in India only uses pirated software and will never pay. The reality, however, is that most attempts have been too early, mostly thrusting complex enterprise style software to a user base that is very happy with WhatsApp.
Tencent leads $110 million funding round in MX Player
The funding by Tencent will further intensify the competition in the domestic over the top, or OTT market which has been growing exponentially on the back of cheap mobile data, thanks to the price wars unleashed by Reliance Jio.
Piecemeal FDI policy can hurt industry's growth: Amit Agarwal, Amazon India
A small group of disgruntled and motivated voices making the most noise, hurting e-commerce, said Agarwal.
Can Paytm Bank boss Renu Satti move the marker on the brand from wallet to a bank?
Every problem, reckons Renu Satti, comes with a solution. The key is to hunt for it rather than get bogged down by hurdles.
Can CreditMantri grab success in a cluttered market?
While credit score ranges from 300 to 900, anything above 750 is considered good as banks and other NBFCs are comfortable approving loans to customers with this score.
Security solutions provider myGate aims to tap 7 cities in 2 years
The Bengaluru-based start-up, which kick started its operations in Hyderabad, has already secured 28 gated communities in the city in the first 50 days.
NiYO Solutions raises $13 million plans rapid expansion across the country
The round also saw the participation of its existing investor Prime Venture Partners which had invested $1million in the company last year.
Hospital bills? Short of school fees? You can bank on these startups
Pune-based Healthfin allows patients in case of a medical emergency to borrow money through the platform and pay back over a period of time at an affordable interest rate.


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Exciting Disney Cruise News, More Vaccine Mandates & MSC Seashore Sneak Peek (VIDEO)
Learn more about this week’s cruise news here:
– New MSC Cruise Ship Seashore Renderings:
– Crystal to Require COVID-19 Vaccine:
– Exciting Disney News for 2022:
This week, Managing Editor Chris Gray Faust announces big news for Marvel and Star Wars fans from Disney Cruise Line, as well as new mandatory vaccine requirements for a well-known luxury cruise line and the latest on MSC Seashore, MSC’s newest ship, arriving in Miami in November.


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A child in Wishaw has been targeted in an online grooming incident through virtual world app, Zepeto.
Cops are investigating the incident reported to have taken place using the increasingly popular metaverse app, where users can design avatars either to look like themselves or be someone completely different.
Schoolteachers in the area have been alerted by police who have concerns around anonymous communication in the app and the risk that it presents for the exploitation of children and vulnerable people.
The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.
Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.
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Primarily aimed at Gen Z people – those born between 1997 and 2012 – the Zepeto app allows users to create their own 3D animated characters and visit over a thousand virtual spaces where they can meet anonymously with others from around the world.
The Wishaw pupil targeted, thought to be a girl, was introduced to the app by a school friend.
Creators of the personalized avatars in Zepeto, which was created in South Korea by Naver Z Corporation, are also able to make in-app purchases and monetize their 3D world spaces. The majority of users are female with fashion playing a huge role on the platform. More than 1.5 billion virtual fashion items are available to purchase using Zems, an in-game currency.
With Safer Internet Day taking place just last week parents and carers are being urged to remain vigilant and check children are safe when they are online.
Teachers have been asked to remind children of the dangers of meeting unscrupulous users on the app, and to make parents aware of the possibility that its use may be widespread in Lanarkshire.
Schools were contacted by email in which comparison was drawn with Zepeto’s increase in popularity and that of Slenderman, an online horror game – although the concepts are very different.
The email urges that parents be informed about Zepeto in case it has been downloaded without their knowledge.
It added: “Stories are being told about the game on forums and app store reviews.
“These stories will draw attention from children in the same vein as Slenderman and other modern horror stories, which could result in the popularity of the app beginning to grow.”
Aaron Campbell, who was jailed for life for the abduction and murder of six-year-old Lanarkshire schoolgirl Alesha MacPhail on Bute in 2018, was said to be obsessed with Slenderman.
The perception is that the Slenderman character stalks and kidnaps children.
Zepeto, which is also known as Zaizai – a nickname for children, launched just over three years ago and has more than 250 million users. Its biggest market is China.
PC Michael Steenson of Police Scotland’s Preventions and Interventions Lanarkshire, said: “We are currently carrying out inquiries into an incident of online exploitation using an app known as Zepeto, which involved a child from the Wishaw area recently.
“Social media is now an important part of many people’s lives but we need to keep children safe when online.
“Prevention is key and I would like to remind parents to be in control of what apps and content your child is viewing.
“We remain committed to tackling child online exploitation and anyone with any concerns should contact Police Scotland on 101.”
The Children 1st charity advises parents to use parental controls to help set limits for children’s online access.
A spokesman for North Lanarkshire Council said: “We would always urge parents and carers to chat with children on an ongoing basis about staying safe online. Internet safety advice is available on the council website for parents and carers, and for children.”
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George Holan is chief editor at Plainsmen Post and has articles published in many notable publications in the last decade.


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“For as long as Microsoft has been setting — and missing — schedules, Apple has been announcing and simultaneously shipping its biggest breakthroughs. Until recently, that is,” Tim Beyers writes for The Motley Fool.
Beyers writes, “Enter the so-called iTV, which was announced at the Worldwide Developer Conference in September, and due to ship this month as the newly dubbed Apple TV. ‘Was’ is the key word here.”
“On Monday, an Apple spokesperson told the Reuters news agency that the company would have to delay shipping of the product — which aims to wirelessly deliver downloaded videos, music, and photos from your computer to your TV — until mid-March,” Beyers writes.
Beyers writes, “Remember this when you next decide to mock Mr. Softy, Mac addicts.”
Full article here.
This has to be an attempt at satire because no one in their right mind would equate Apple’s 2-week shipping delay on a single product to Microsoft’s years of delays on multiple products, right?
Apple TV delay may be due to wait for FCC approval – February 27, 2007
Apple shares slip 1.9-percent in pre-market trading on Apple TV delay – February 27, 2007
Apple delays Apple TV; expects to begin shipments mid-March – February 26, 2007
PC Magazine: Why Apple TV matters – February 23, 2007
Bear Stearns: Apple TV and iPhone have changed the Apple story for the better – February 21, 2007
Deutsche Bank: Apple TV could take 30% of set-top box market within a few years – February 21, 2007
How do Apple TV and Elgato’s EyeTV work together? – February 16, 2007
Apple embraces casual gaming; iPhone, Apple TV to join iPod as gaming devices – February 09, 2007
Former GM of Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade: Apple TV to become video game console – February 08, 2007
ZDNet’s Graham: Apple TV hits a number of sweet spots, poised to make a big impact – January 25, 2007
Is Apple out to kill cable television? – January 25, 2007
RUMOR: Apple TV sales blowing away Apple’s internal expectations – January 25, 2007
Steve Jobs: Apple TV is the ‘DVD player for the 21st century’ – January 22, 2007
Apple TV beats out iPod, hits top spot on Apple Store sales chart – January 19, 2007
Report: first batch of 100,000 Apple TVs to ship this month – January 11, 2007
Steve Jobs moves to control the living room with Apple TV – January 10, 2007
Analyst Bajarin: Apple’s iPhone and Apple TV are industry game changers – January 09, 2007
Apple premieres Apple TV: movies, TV shows, music & photos on your big screen TV – January 09, 2007
RUMOR: Apple may enter video game market – December 05, 2006
Could Apple become king of game consoles? – September 26, 2006


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A US District Court has ruled that no dry form of maltitol from Yucheng Lujian Biological Co. or its associated companies may enter the US, in the latest chapter of a patent dispute filed by French firm Roquette.
Roquette, a global leader in starches, has developed new ingredients designed to help snack makers tap the health trend, as FoodNavigator discovered on a visit to the group's headquarters in Lestrem, France.
This week, demand for polyols is reported as experiencing substantial growth on the back of health trend, Cargill provides more convenient cocoa packaging, and Cadbury Schweppes moves nearer to its beverage-arm demerger.
The sugar alcohol maltitol is the most promising polyol sweetener to replace sucrose in chocolate, says new research from Turkey, a result that could lead to new types of sugar-free chocolate to the booming "diet" candy sector.
Confectionery companies in China are rapidly catching up with other markets by offering healthier, sugar-free products, but not without their own traditional flavours and texture, says leading ingredient supplier Roquette.


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Video game retailer GameStop’s online sales skyrocketed during the second quarter, but its net losses still continue to grow as the company is forced to continue slashing inventory and keep most physical locations closed. The retailer’s focus on cutting costs could make it harder for it to keep up with demand for next-generation consoles, which begin hitting shelves in just two months.
GameStop’s net loss this quarter was $111.3 million, up from roughly $104 million last quarter. Its net sales from gaming products totaled $942 million, down nearly 27% annually.
While its net loss increased quarterly, GameStop was quick to note in its Sept. 9 earnings report that it has cut losses year-over-year — during Q2 last year the retailer lost $415.3 million.
Online e-commerce sales across the globe rose 800% during the quarter, and GameStop said those sale statistics are included in the overall comparable sales measurements, which declined roughly 13% in Q2.
The company slashed inventory in half this quarter, leading to a roughly 30% reduction in expenses compared to the second quarter of last year, GameStop said. But the retailer’s focus on cutting costs and inventory could make it harder for it to keep up with demand for next-generation consoles, which begin hitting shelves in just two months.
GameStop’s stores nationwide remain largely closed — it reduced its operating capacity by 13% while the overall store base declined 10% this quarter. The company did say that it transferred nearly 40% of sales from the closed stores to “neighboring locations and online,” but still remains in the red. In March GameStop said it expects the number of permanent store closures to total at least 320. The company had nearly 5,700 outlets as of last December.
GameStop didn’t immediately return TheWrap’s request for comment regarding how many locations are now open for in-store use. It’s worth noting that the company does offer non-gaming hardware or software, including merchandise and collectibles, which it’s likely leaning on for its inventory reduction.
“We believe the actions we are taking to optimize the core operations of our business by increasing efficiencies and creating a frictionless digital ecosystem to serve our customers, wherever and whenever they choose to shop, are enabling us to navigate the COVID-19 environment while positioning us well for the launch of the next generation of consoles,” GameStop chief executive George Sherman said in an earnings statement.
The retailer will also soon be competing with Xbox’s All Access, which Xbox recently announced as a more affordable, subscription-based model for gamers who want to get their hands on the new Xbox Series S but can’t afford the $300 upfront cost. All Access costs subscribers $25 for two years and includes access to the console if ordered directly through Microsoft.
“With Microsoft All Access and Sony looking to push a number of units through its own pre-order program, this will hit GameStop HARD. GameStop is ‘coming soon’ to All Access… it will join Best Buy (already operating), Target, Walmart, and (Microsoft’s’) own direct sales,” Games analyst Mike Futter noted on Twitter Wednesday afternoon. Futter said that GameStop would essentially already be a dead company if it weren’t for a last-minute addition to the Xbox All Access program.
“The competition here is going to make things VERY challenging for GameStop. If it hadn’t gotten the go-ahead to participate in All Access, it would have been the last nail in the coffin,” Futter said.
Futter said that contrary to Sherman’s statement in the earnings report, gamers probably should be hesitant pre-ordering a next-generation console from GameStop instead of directly through the manufactures, Sony and Xbox (Xbox released pre-order information for its new consoles today).
“If you pre-order a next-gen console from GameStop instead of another, more stable retailer, you are gambling. Good luck,” Futter said. “Good god. I would NOT preorder from GameStop,” he replied in response to a gamer’s question about where to buy the consoles this holiday.
Sherman said that he believes GameStop is still well-equipped to handle the demand for new hardware this holiday. “While the ongoing pandemic continues to create a somewhat uncertain environment in the short term, we are very pleased by the consumer response at GameStop to the few recent video game product introductions and we believe we are ready, with expanded service and payment options, to handle the expected surge in demand and participate in a very significant way in the console launches later this year,” Sherman said.
GameStop’s executive team and many lower-level employees continue to take pay cuts as nationwide retail struggles to return to normal operations. Beginning April 23 Sherman took a 50% pay reduction and GameStop’s chief financial officer Jim Bell took a 30% cut. GameStop employees worldwide saw their pay slashed 10-30%.


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The brand-new race track in Austin, Texas, will welcome the F1 world for the first time in November, but fans will get an even earlier run of the circuit.
Debuting in Codemasters' new F1 2012 video game in September, the Circuit of the Americas track will be completely playable as part of the simulator's full season racing features.
Before players can take it home, the F1 2012 sim will make its first appearance at next week's E3 games expo, and a trio of screenshots have been released today.
F1 2012 will be available on Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's XBOX 360 home consoles, along with the handheld PlayStation Vita and the Nintendo 3DS.
Check out the gallery of screenshots below.
- Interested in buying AUSTIN ? Visit our AUSTIN showroom for more information.


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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Hewlett-Packard saw Thursday that while servers and storage systems don't carry the same cachet in the public eye as personal-computers or digital printers, a misstep in that backroom technology business can have just as great an impact on its bottom line.
Three high-level executives in that division were quickly replaced following the revelation that H-P
The company's biggest management change came in replacing Peter Blackmore as executive vice president of the customer solutions group, with Mike Winkler, currently chief marketing officer. Blackmore was a longtime Compaq Computer executive who joined H-P as result of its acquisition of the company.
Winkler will retain his current duties, and take over responsibility for all direct sales to the company's enterprise, small- and medium-sized business, and public-sector customers.
H-P is also starting fresh with new executives in its geographical business areas. Jack Novia will replace Jim Milton as senior vice president of the customer-solution group's Americas region. Bernard Meric will take over for Kasper Rorsted as senior VP for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Novia had been vice president and general manager of H-P's technology solutions group, while Meric was senior VP of imaging and printing in Europe and the Middle East.
Servers and storage have turned out to be H-P's Achilles heel, with the computing giant on Thursday blaming its poor third-quarter report and fourth-quarter forecast on weakness in that business area. H-P said its enterprise servers and storage group (ESS) posted a third-quarter operating loss of $208 million on $3.4 billion, compared to a loss of $20 million on $$3.52 billion in revenue a year ago.
Overall, H-P reported a net profit of $586 million, or 19 cents a share, on $18.9 billion in revenue. Excluding charges, H-P earned $846 million, or 24 cents per share. Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call had expected a profit of 31 cents a share on revenue of $19 billion.
Despite strong performances in other business areas, Fiorina heartily focused on the negative results of the ESS division. Fiorina called the ESS group's performance "unacceptable" and said the company would make immediate management changes in an attempt to return to profitability in the fourth quarter.
Fiorina blamed the division's performance on a poor changeover to a new supply-chain and order processing system, channel-management issues in Europe and price declines in its storage business.
But industry analysts said that at the end of the day, H-P is, more than anything else, dealing with tighter competition from competitors and an executive team gutted by defections to rivals, especially EMC
"That hollowed-out management team is part of the problem," said Shebly Seyrafi, an enterprise hardware analyst with Merrill Lynch. "They're in a weakening position in the storage space. In the mid-range alone they're getting a lot of competition from EMC and Network Appliance
Seyrafi added that H-P's results could have a ripple effect among its storage-product suppliers.
Seyrafi said Emulex ELX, which makes storage adapters and counts on H-P for 17 percent of its revenue, already posted a disappointing fourth-quarter. Storage switch-maker Brocade Communications BRCD gets about 20 percent of its revenue from H-P, and Seyrafi said there's a growing chance that its July quarter results could be weaker-than-expected.
A sign of the changing marketplace can be found in the most-recent external-storage system revenue figures from IDC. During the first quarter of the year, EMC's external-storage revenue rose to $707 million and a 20 percent market share, from $563 million and 17 percent of the market a year ago. By contrast, H-P slipped to $630 million and an 18-percent share, from $634 million and 19.3 percent of the market in the year-ago period.
And H-P's total storage revenue for its third quarter fell 15 percent to $709 million from about $834 million a year ago.
"It's just awful," said John McArthur, storage analyst with IDC. "EMC is growing. IBM is showing growth in tape and mid-range storage. This is an H-P problem and there needs to be an H-P fix."


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Apple issues urgent iPhone security warning to every user over hackers
Apple has issued an urgent security software update to iPhone users to stop dangerous spyware infecting mobiles.
The software patch was sent out to fix an issue which lets hackers access devices through iMessage - even if users do not open the link or file.
Apple said the issue affects all iPhones, iPads and Macs and issued the security update in response to a "maliciously crafted" PDF file.
The so-called "zero-click" problem lets hackers to break into a person’s phone without alerting the victim through a link or file that doesn't need to be opened.
Researchers at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab said they found malicious image files being transmitted to the phones via instant iMessage.
Devices were then hacked by the Pegasus spyware - one of the most dangerous ever made.
The security vulnerability makes the phones susceptible to eavesdropping and remote data theft - and it applies Apple devices, according to researchers.
Apple said in a blog post that it had issued the iOS 14.8 and iPadOS 14.8 software patches after it became aware of a report that the flaw "may have been actively exploited", the BBC reports.
Apple security chief Ivan Krstic also issued a statement saying that “after identifying the vulnerability used by this exploit for iMessage, Apple rapidly developed and deployed a fix in iOS 14.8 to protect our users”.
However, security experts have warned that most users of Apple devices should not worry about being hacked as attacks are usually targeted to specific individuals.


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Huntsville native, Stephanie Bourbeau, is excited to be returning to her roots with the opening of her physiotherapy clinic, Elevate Physiotherapy
After 40-plus years in funeral service, Kevin and Susan Billingsley have decided it is time…
THIS BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT SHINES ON Brought to you by these community-minded organizations because they recognize…
Huntsville native Hailey Hastings has turned her love for reading and writing about fashion into an e-commerce site featuring affordable fashion that is both durable and stylish.
It was a bittersweet celebration with emphasis on the sweet. Several Main Street merchants surprised their neighbors at the TD Canada Trust branch with Whimsical Bakery cupcakes this afternoon to thank them for many years of friendship and service.
With four more local businesses joining the Huntsville Hospital Foundation’s Business Cares program in recent months, it continues to grow beyond its goal of raising $1,000,000 over five years to support local healthcare.


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Not sure why that face looks so familiar? It may just be that it belongs to a famous person. And now, Amazon can help tell you who that famous person is, thanks to an update to Amazon Rekognition. The Seattle-based tech giant introduced its image recognition software, which incorporates deep-learning technology, last year, and has already been used to search, verify, and organize millions of images. And now, it can recognize celebrities.
Geared at developers, this deep-learning software promises to make it “easy to add image analysis to your applications.” Previously, Amazon made it possible to detect objects, scenes, faces, and even identify inappropriate content. It also allowed users to search and compare faces. And as per its latest update, it can “identify hundreds of thousands of people who are famous, noteworthy, or prominent in fields that includes politics, sports, entertainment, business, and media.”
The global list is said to be updated frequently, and developers can access the feature by calling the RecognizeCelebrities function. Amazon explains that aside from the bounding box and facial landmark feature already returned by the DetectFaces function. This new addition will give you relevant information about any famous person it recognizes. Currently, it will link to a celebrity’s IMDB page, if applicable, though Amazon notes, “We may add other sources in the future.”
With the new function, developers can also now index image archives by celebrity. Further, they have the option to use a combination of celebrity recognition and object detection to build a wide range of search tools.
As TechCrunch points out, Microsoft’s Cognitive Services also offers celebrity recognition, and claims to be able to identify around 200,000 famous folks. Cognitive Services also gives users additional information about an image containing a celebrity, like what he or she is wearing or doing.
You can take Amazon Rekognition for a test run yourself by going here.
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Each business day, MSSP Alert delivers this quick lineup of news, analysis and chatter from across the managed security services provider ecosystem.
- The Content: Written for MSSPs, SOC as a Service (SOCaaS), Managed Detection and Response (MDR), eXtended Detection and Response (XDR), threat hunters and MSP security providers — and those who need to partner with such companies.
- Frequency and Format: Every business morning. Typically one or two sentences for each item below.
- Reaching Our Inbox: Send news, tips and rumors to Editorial Director [email protected]. Thank you in advance for news tips.
A. Today’s MSSP, MDR, XDR and Cybersecurity Market News
1. MDR - CEO Update: Binary Defense has hired Bob Meindl to succeed Mike Valentine as CEO. Valentine remains chairman of the board.
2. SOC as a Service: CyFlare has launched ONE – a converged security platform that can "efficiently integrate with any security tool to provide comprehensive monitoring and meaningful management level analytics from a single pane of glass to subscribers," the company said.
3. Brand Relaunch - Application Security: WhiteSource has rebranded as Mend, and launched an automated remediation for custom code security issues. Mend has grown its revenue 800% over the past three years, though actual dollar figures were not disclosed.
4. Mobile Security - IT Services Contract: CWSI has signed a "new multi-million three-year deal" to provide and support a mobile security solution for Three UK. The Three Mobile Protect platform is "an affordable, accessible and easy-to-implement security solution for both iOS and Android devices," CWSI said.
5. Funding - Secure Browsing: Red Access has unveiled a $6 million seed round, jointly led by Elron Ventures and Ten Eleven Ventures. The Israeli startup has introduced a secure browsing solutions to protect "every session, across any browser without disrupting the user experience, while providing SaaS-driven ease of management," the company said.
6. Funding - Cyber Startup: Xerox Ventures has invested in cybersecurity infrastructure startup LimaCharlie. The $5.45 million seed financing round was led by Susa Ventures with participation from Sands Capital, Lytical Ventures, CoFound Partners and others. This brings the company’s total funding to $6.35 million, with a current valuation of $24 million, Xerox Ventures indicated.
7. Growth - Autonomous Cloud Security: Exium has generated 10x growth in ARR (annual recurring revenue), though actual dollar figures were not disclosed.
8. Talent: DNSFilter has named Colin Britton as chief operating officer and Dave Raphael as chief product officer.
9. Partner Program - Data Protection: Asigra Inc. has launched the Tiger’s Den Channel Program. It features "significant updates to tiered discounting, new product marketing materials, enhanced partner services and support, as well as a new engagement package for value added distributors (VADs) designed to increase global product availability," the company said. Asigra also emphasized that the company is 100% focused on the channel.
10. McAfee CEO Change: Consumer security software maker McAfee has hired Greg Johnson to succeed Peter Leav as CEO, Reuters noted.
11. General Motors Breached: Hackers compromised some online accounts of General Motors customers in April 2022, potentially accessing addresses, phone numbers and other personal information, according to a data breach notice filed with California regulators, Bloomberg reported.
B. MSSP, MDR and Cybersecurity Virtual Events and Conference Calendar
- ConnectWise IT Nation Secure 2022 (June 6-8, Orlando, Florida)
- RSA Conference 2022 (June 6-9, San Francisco, California)
- Open XDR Summit 2022 (June 7-8, San Francisco, California)
- Gartner Security and Risk Management Summit 2022 (June 7-9, Maryland)
- Identiverse 2022 (June 21-24, Denver, Colorado)
- New: MSSP Alert Live (September 19-21, Washington, D.C.)
- Bonus: MSSP Alert’s complete event calendar


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RACINE — The Racine Brewing Co., 303 Main St., announced Wednesday it will be permanently closing shop on Sept. 30.
The owners said their decision came as the result of the long-term “catastrophic” effects COVID-19 has had on the business, and countless other local businesses nationwide.
“We’ve loved observing how RBC took on a life of its own, transforming into a place that people loved not just to enjoy a great beer, but to meet friends, bring their families and hold events,” owners Angie and Andy Molina said in a statement shared on Facebook Wednesday afternoon. “We love that people feel like they are at home here.”
Some estimate that as many as one-third of American small businesses have closed permanently or will close as a direct result of the pandemic; an April study published by the Federal Reserve found that 200,000 more American businesses closed than expected by pre-pandemic estimates predicted.
The 2020 Annual Production Report from the Brewers Association, a nonprofit trade organization for small/independent brewers, found that “The number of operating craft breweries continued to climb in 2020, reaching an all-time high of 8,764, including 1,854 microbreweries, 3,219 brewpubs, 3,471 taproom breweries and 220 regional craft breweries. Throughout the year, there were 716 new brewery openings and 346 closings. While openings decreased approximately 30% compared to 2019, only half of this drop is attributed to COVID.”
The RBC became the first active local brewery in the City of Racine in recent history when it opened in March 2018. It maintained that status until Littleport Brewing Co. joined the scene in April of this year.
This news comes after Racine Brewing Co. opened its own outdoor beer garden at Ten Club Park in Waterford. The final scheduled days for the beer garden are Friday, Aug. 27, and Saturday, Aug. 28.
“Again, like other small businesses, we adapted and changed as much as we were able to bring our product to you,” the Molinas said. “Despite this, as well as expanding to our outdoor beer garden in Waterford, it just isn’t enough to be sustainable and realistic for our family.”
For the month of September, RBC taproom hours will be 4-9 p.m. on Thursdays, 4-10 p.m. on Fridays and noon-10 p.m. on Saturdays.
In Photos: Racinians make the most of a parade-less St. Patrick's Day weekend in 2020
Top o' the morning
Tip o' the cap
Waiting to cross
Keep 'em comin'
Outside Marci's on Main on March 14, 2020
Gerardo and Julia Aquino drink green beer at Marci's on Main
The parade that never was
Making my way Downtown
Looking out for vehicles


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What unchanged pump prices means for consumers and oil marketers
Kenyans breathed a sigh of relief when the energy regulator decided not to increase the price of petroleum products as had been widely anticipated.
Should Kenyans celebrate the latest fuel prices review in which The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) surprised motorists last week by leaving the costs unchanged? According to industry experts, this is a relief to motorists and consumers as the fear of an upward review would mean costly fuel leading to rising concerns over the high cost of living.
Any further increase would have meant more stress on the already strained cost of living on the Kenyan public which has also been adversely affected by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
With this development, Tax Expert Nikhil Hira notes that consumers indeed have a reason to smile as this gives assurance that they may not have to dig deeper into their already squeezed pockets in the next few weeks, if not months.
“The consumer was clearly relieved that they wouldn’t be burdened with higher prices at a time when many have lower disposable income,” Nikhil Hira told Moolah. “Fuel prices are extremely high which in turn increases the cost of doing business most of which is ultimately passed on to the consumer.”
On his part, Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) Head of Policy, Research & Advocacy Job Wanjohi notes that the latest government move to halt further fuel price increase creates a clear clue of future hopes of government making similar interventions that cushions Kenyan from bearing the entire burden of oil prices.
“It’s just a question of having a hybrid system that ensures the government is collecting its revenue, the players or oil marketers are getting their money while end consumers are cushioned against high prices,” Wanjohi said during an interview.
The oil marketers are expected to take a hit which mainly affects their profit margins. Eventually, when the external factors stabilize, the regulator is looking at refunding the market players at the same time maintaining favorable prices.
“This means in future, we are likely to be in a situation whereby if a litre of petrol is to trade at KSh100, the government would adjust it to KSh104 so that it is able to recover that cost and in future pay the oil marketers,” Wanjohi explained.
Going forward, the government may have to initiate innovative ways that mainly focuses on better price capping despite global pressure, increased infrastructure on storage as well as reducing taxes from the current 45 per cent to at least below 30 per cent.
The cost of super petrol per litre had been envisaged to hit Ksh127 in the coming month from the current Ksh122. But the regulator on Wednesday clarified that the pump prices for the April-May 2020 period “will remain unchanged”, from charges imposed in March-April review. In a statement, EPRA said the decision was arrived at to protect the interests of consumers and investors in the petroleum sectors.
In the meantime, a litre of petrol will continue retailing at KSh122.81 in Nairobi, diesel at KSh107.66 and kerosene at KSh97.85. In Mombasa, petrol will cost KSh120.41, diesel will sell at KSh105.27 and kerosene will cost the consumer KSh95.46 for a litre of the commodity.
In Kisumu, one litre of petrol will cost a user KSh123.36, diesel will sell at KSh108.46 and kerosene will go for KSh98.68.
Kenyans breathed a sigh of relief when the energy regulator decided not to increase the price of petroleum products as had been widely anticipated. Instead, EPRA said the prices of super petrol, diesel and kerosene will remain the same until the next review on May 14, defusing public outrage over a review that would have pushed costs to a historic high.


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Montgomery Chamber Looking at Post-Pandemic Tourism
The Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce is working to find new ways to market Montgomery as a destination when people are ready to travel again.
Meg Lewis with the Chamber says Montgomery could be a destination many corporations and non-profits consider for diversity and inclusion training because of the city’s civil rights history. She also says that travel experts expect “drive markets” to be the first tourism markets to recover, meaning people will be willing to drive further distances than before as they look at future travel plans.
“Being at the intersection of I-85 and I-65 puts Montgomery in an ideal location to invite travelers to step away from the road, maybe have a meal, plan an event, spend an evening with us,” Lewis explained, “that’s what we would really love to do and what we are going to proactively work to do with an aggressive public relations strategy.”
Meg Lewis also says that April’s hotel occupancy rate was 31.1%, that’s slightly higher than the 20% the Chamber originally projected. However, that’s in comparison to the 70% hotel occupancy rate we would usually see this time of year.


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Katie Holmes has established herself as a leading designer after debuting her label Holmes & Yang at New York Fashion Week on Wednesday.
The newly single actress donned a black leather blazer and gold beaded-heels as she greeted fans at the fashion event, which was lined with fellow celebrities.
Holmes, 31, gave a preview of the latest collection for the fashion line at Lincoln Center. She established Holmes & Yang in 2009 with her stylist, Jeanne Yang, who was also present during the show.
Following her recent split from Tom Cruise, Holmes' fashion line has seen a surge in sales.
"This is a big deal for Katie to show in tents, under the full attention of the fashion editors and the glare of the media scrutiny," explained a source close to Holmes, according to The New York Post.
Many stars have made the transition into becoming a designer before Holmes, including the Kardashian sisters, Jessica Simpson, Heidi Klum, and Jennifer Lopez, among many others.
Only a handful of celebrity designers have really struck it big in the fashion world though.
"The lines that are successful are very authentic," Susan Kaufman, editor-in-chief of People StyleWatch, told the Associated Press. "The key is the celebrity being involved, being involved in the look and the concept, and to be proud to wear the clothes."
While Wednesday was the first New York Fashion Week for the line, Holmes & Yang is sold at Barney's New York.
The label displayed clothing along with Victoria Beckham, and friend of Holmes', over the course of the week. The former Spice Girl's two lines, Victoria Beckham and Victoria Victoria Beckham, have already solidified a place in the fashion industry with critical acclaim.
The singer-turned-designer has also earned praise from fashion giants including Anna Wintour and Karl Lagerfeld. Moreover, Beckham took home the prestigious British Fashion Award.


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Aldermen delay decision on beer sales after hearing opposition
Published: September 5,2013
WINONA — The Winona Board of Aldermen put off a decision Tuesday night on whether to allow beer sales on Sunday after dozens of people spoke against the proposal.
WCBI reports about 50 people attended the public hearing, but only four spoke in favor of permitting Sunday sales. Three businesses submitted petitions in favor of Sunday sales.
Opponents cited safety and health issues while supporters said selling beer on Sunday would boost the local economy.
A convenience store owner last month asked the aldermen to allow Sunday sales.
After Tuesday night’s discussion, aldermen said they wanted more time before making a decision.
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CAMPBELL, Calif. (CBS.MW) -- P-Com lost 25 percent of its value Friday after reporting disappointing first-quarter results fueled by high start-up and procurement costs.
P-Com pcms, which makes wireless systems, said it lost $13.8 million, or 18 cents a share, vs. the First Call loss estimate of 4 cents a share. During the first quarter of 1999, P-Com lost $13.1 million, or 27 cents a share.
The Campbell, Calif.-based company lost 2 5/8 to 8 7/8 in morning trading.
P-Com, which reported a $10.7 million order, said net sales for the quarter rose 50 percent to $51.1 million, owing to demand for its core products.
"However, while demand was strong, materials procurement costs and other start-up costs were a constraining factor during the quarter, and additionally impacted gross margins," said Jim Sobczak, president and operating chief at P-Com. "These constraints are quickly being alleviated and we believe that they will no longer be a major concern going forward."
Sobczak said margins are expected to improve in the second half of the fiscal year.


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An American influencer on holiday in South Africa recently posted a viral video highlighting traveler misconceptions about Africa. In the video, she expressed astonishment at the number of cashless transactions taking place. “South Africa takes more Apple Pay than even in the United States,” the TikToker said. As one of the most industrialized countries on the continent, cashless payment systems have been commonplace in South Africa for several years. The rest of the continent, however, is still operating with mostly cash and this is the central challenge to the wider expansion of financial technology across Africa.
In a new report, Mckinsey forecasts the African fintech sector to grow dramatically in the short term. Fintech revenue could reach $30.3 billion by 2025, which is eight times higher than revenue in 2020, as more Africans gain access to the internet. Roughly two-thirds of Africa’s 1.3 billion people don’t have a bank account or full access to financial services according to McKinsey. More than 90 per cent of all financial transactions are cash-based, which creates a major opportunity for fintech companies and governments.
Breaking the continent’s addiction to fiat cash appears to be the last barrier to a full-blown digital revolution considering Africa’s fast-growing population and smartphone penetration. But signing up people for bank accounts is much easier said than done. Moving to a cashless society requires advanced identification standards such as biometrics.
The introduction of these systems has been slow and fragmented in Africa. In many cases, the cost of setting up and maintaining a biometric database is prohibitive. This problem was recently solved in India, which has ambitiously embraced a cashless future, through the privatization of its national biometric identity system known as Aadhaar. The system can be used for many different services across the economy, such as opening bank accounts, withdrawing money from ATMs, applying for a driver’s license, and receiving government subsidies. But Aadhaar hasn’t been without its without its critics who have highlighted several serious privacy and cybersecurity flaws with the database.
India has taken other major steps to pull its cashless future forward. In November 2016, the government abolished high-value currency notes (roughly 86 per cent of the notes in circulation) virtually overnight. The move created unprecedented headaches for Indians that held savings and retirement funds in large notes under their mattresses. At the same time, cashless platforms like PayTm saw surges in traffic as Indians rushed to new technologies to store value. The circulation of fiat currency in India continues to decline year over year as more people keep their money in digital form.
The relative success of Aadhaar and the abolishment of currency notes underscore the vital role that governments play in any cashless transition. Innovation in fintech will always be shaped by technological advancements but a public-private partnership is needed to transform the sector. The primary function of government should be the establishment and maintenance of a viable biometric identification system as well as the provision of infrastructure.
In Africa, smartphone infrastructure is critical to any cashless transition. According to the Wall Street Journal, the ubiquitous use of cellphones in Africa has enabled the creation of mobile money services that allow customers to carry out financial transactions without ever setting foot in a bank. These platforms have helped Kenya nearly double the share of adults with a mobile money account to 82 percent since 2011. Once you have a new customer in the formal financial sector, it’s much easier to offer access to health care and forms of insurance, which opens up other new sectors for impressive growth.
The entire premise of a shared cashless future is not without its critics. Fiat cash affords a certain amount of anonymity that digital payments don’t, by design. Deeper integration between the financial sector and biometric identification systems means that governments will have an extra amount of control over citizens, which can be a good or bad thing depending on the government.
With that being said, a shared cashless future is inevitable to a degree. The success of payment platforms such as Apple Pay and the rise of central bank digital currencies demonstrate the (unavoidable) direction the world is heading. The enormous value in Africa’s transition to cashless systems is waiting to be unlocked by fintech companies that have experience in the African market such as those based in the Middle East and China.
Given their own experience with biometric databases and experience with cashless platforms, companies in the UAE and Israel are particularly suited to aid this transition. For this transition to take shape in the forgotten corners of the continent, African countries will need to lean on other countries that have ample experience in setting up their own platforms. Middle Eastern countries are best suited for this task given their growing knowledge economies and experience in biometrics. While Africa might be the last continent to fully embrace the cashless future, it will be one of the largest drivers of growth in fintech anywhere in the world. Investors and companies on the periphery should pay close attention.
Joseph Dana is the former senior editor of Exponential View, a weekly newsletter about technology and its impact on society. He was also the editor-in-chief of emerge85, a lab exploring change in emerging markets and its global impact. Twitter: @ibnezra.


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Uncertain factors in the market such as fluctuating USD exchange rates and competitive products are forcing businesses to slash prices on most imported goods to be able to stay operational.
|The electronics industry at present focused on cutting prices mainly on electrical and mobile phone accessories (Photo:Y. Nhi)|
According to many electronics shops, prices of goods are fluctuating day to day depending on the state of the US dollar. “However, it is quite difficult to assess whether the fluctuated price is actually due to a lower exchange rate or a reduced import price”, said a salesclerk at a computer and electronics store on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City.
At present the electronics industry is focused on cutting prices mainly on electrical and mobile phone accessories. For instance, a made in China headset is now available for only VND106, 000 (approx. US$5.17), more than VND10, 000 ($0.49) less than at the beginning of the year.
After vacillating for a long time, some imported food businesses are also releasing goods into the market at slashed rates. With so many factors affecting businesses these days, maintaining a steady price can prove to be a loss.
At Binh Dien wholesale market in District 8, prices of imported frozen pork and chicken have already dropped to VND5, 000-7,000 per kilogram (about USD$0.3 less than in January).
Cosmetic and beverage industries are also busy slashing rates. Nguyen Vu, a trader in cosmetic products from Malaysia, said that by trading in USD, he has the flexibility to lower prices whenever the USD exchange rate goes down.
Despite a decline in the exchange rate, logistic expenses have increased, creating problems for businesses which have to lower prices. For example, there is a decrease of 4-5 percent on shampoo and shower cream products, yet there is no guarantee that the same will happen in retail stores in smaller markets or grocery stores.
Children’s toys, which are 90 percent imported, have the greatest margin for reducing of prices. According to Thu Le, a trader in Binh Tay Market in District 6, many toy sellers are slashing prices on such goods like car models, stuffed animals, etc.
Toys that are priced less than VND50, 000 ($2.44) are able to face a slash of VND2, 000-3,000 per piece, while the costlier ones get a 6-7 percent decrease on the retail price.


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Bad online reviews may push stock prices down
Bad product reviews posted online by consumers at major sites such as Amazon could trigger significant dropoffs in the stock prices of the companies behind the products.
According to an article set for publication in the journal Marketing Science, negative online reviews could send stock prices down as much as 8 percent in the short term, which in turn might trigger a long-term downward spiral. That’s according to Gerard Tellis, a professor of marketing, management and organization at the University of California’s Marshal School of Business.
The journal ScienceDaily reported that Tellis and former doctoral candidate Seshadri Tirunillai extensively researched the impact of online chatter upon stock market returns. They found that negative comments had a noticeably greater impact than did positive comments. They said the effect of negative online chatter peaks about four days after it is posted.
The researchers said they were able to “beat the S&P 500 index by 8 percent in a hypothetical investment strategy by buying stocks on positive chatter and short-selling them on negative chatter,” ScienceDaily reported.
The Tellis study found that negative online reviews could slice $1.4 million from the average market capitalization in the short term and $3.3 million two weeks after the reviews were posted.
The study examined 15 brands in six markets from 2005 to 2010: Personal computing, cell phones, PDAs and smartphones, footwear, toys and data storage systems. Nearly 350,000 consumer reviews and product ratings were evaluated from popular sites including Amazon, Epinions and Yahoo.
So if you’re still in denial about the impact of online reviews, it might be a good idea to get your head out of the sand. Because it looks as though they do matter – big time.
Gary Burns is associate editor at Buffalo Business First. He writes the Science & Technology blog.
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One day after releasing the macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 Beta 4 update to developers, Apple today updated the betas for its upcoming iOS 11.2, tvOS 11.2, and watchOS 4.2 operating systems to beta 4.
If you’re a programmer in search for a capable clipboard manager, you should give cmd c a try as it might provide you with all features you need from such an app, and it’s designed for
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook is not an avid Twitter user, but every once in a while he uses the social network to quickly share some messages on topics that he finds interesting.
More recently, Cook used
Samsung’s Galaxy S9 is expected to launch in early 2018, and since we’re only a few months away from this moment, it makes sense for leaks to start making the rounds.
Two photos that are making
Apple has become the world’s number one wearable manufacturer thanks to the third-generation Apple Watch, according to new data provided by Canalys.
The Cupertino-based tech giant’s Apple Watch
Apple released earlier the third iOS 11.2 beta to developers and public testers alike, and it looks like this update implements a new feature to inform users on how the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth switches
The iPhone X is here experiencing huge demand, and after modest sales recorded by the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus, Apple is back to growth in a way that seems to be pretty much unstoppable right
If you’re not a fan the iPhone X notch, you should know that there’s an app out there promising to hide it with a little wallpaper trick, and it doesn’t even require a jailbreak.
Apple fans still waiting to receive the iPhone X, you’re not going to like this. A game designer from Shenzen, China bought not one, not two, not three, but 25 iPhone X smartphones only to arrange
Mozilla released the Firefox 10 web browser on the App Store of iOS devices, a version that revamps the look and feel of the application, but also introduces various enhancements.
Firefox 10 for iOS
The iPhone X expected to grow into Apple’s best-selling iPhone model to date, and analysts predict the anniversary device could become “the new iPhone 6,” with total sales to easily surpass those of
With minor improvements over the iPhone 8 in terms of camera, it makes sense for the iPhone X to provide similar performance to its more subtly-refined 2017 sibling, and this leads to a DxO score that
iFixit has just published its own in-depth teardown of the iPhone X, confirming that the battery indeed features two cells placed in an L-shaped layout, but also revealing some very interesting details
The Internet was flooded this fall with issues hitting the brand-new Google Pixel 2, and while some of them were based on actual facts that pointed to bugs which sooner or later would be fixed, others
iPhone X is the first model that launches with Face ID facial recognition, and since no fingerprint sensor is available on the device, it’s important for this new feature to work flawlessly every
Microsoft on Monday released an all-new Skype version for Apple’s macOS operating system, showcasing the new features and improvements it implemented in its powerful VoIP application.
There’s an old saying claiming the Chinese can copy pretty much anything you want, build it two times faster and sell it at half the price of the original product. But the same saying doesn’t say
Back in the summer when we were still in the middle of the rumor season, the names of this year’s iPhones were pretty much uncertain, and while some people said there was a chance for Apple to call
Huawei has finally introduced the Mate 10 flagship, a model that the company has teased several times in the last couple of months as a true iPhone killer.
A significant part of the unveiling keynote
Microsoft is internally testing an update to its Outlook email client for Windows and macOS in an attempt to improve usability and simplify the interface with more customization options offered to
Apple will launch the new iMac Pro lineup in December this year, but some of the new models have already been spotted on Geekbench, which basically lets us have a glimpse into their hardware capabilities


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A transcript of Jorge Luis Borges’s conversation with Argentinian poet Osvaldo Ferrari about the power and pleasure of academic knowledge appears in English for the first time. As Borges explains it, “I think that the encyclopedia, for a leisurely, curious man, is the most pleasing of literary genres.”
With the frenzied holiday season underway, there aren’t many new releases to look at this week, but there are some newly reissued classics hitting shelves. NYRB Classics has put out Alien Hearts by Guy de Maupassant and Everything Flows by Vasily Grossman. Vintage, meanwhile, has smart looking new editions of a pair of Somerset Maugham books: The Narrow Corner and A Writer’s Notebook.
“A vast human action is going on. Death watches. So if you have some happiness, conceal it. And when your heart is full, keep your mouth shut also.” Saul Bellow saw a bit of resurgence this year with the publication of his collected non-fiction, There Is Simply Too Much to Say. Why do we need him now more than ever? According to Michael Weiss at The Daily Beast, it’s because he has “a bit of the opposition in him.” This essay is exhaustive and thoroughly researched and well worth your time.
In the latest issue of Harvard magazine, Nathan Heller writes about Arion Press, the last remaining “full-service letterpress in the United States.” Apparently Arion, which has “an in-house foundry where lead is melted into ingots,” sells editions of canonical titles (like Ulysses) that retail for thousands of dollars. (h/t our own Kevin Hartnett)
A few days ago, Amazon announced the launch of their new “@Author” feature for the Kindle, whereby readers can click on an e-book passage and ask the author questions about it directly. I’ve broken out in a cold poststructuralist sweat about this over on The New Yorker’s Book Bench blog.
The Skinny is acclaimed author Susan Orlean’s strangest work, hands down: a half-serious diet book that advises women, among other things, to cover tempting food with bleach. Not one to follow her own advice, Orlean’s diary of a week of eating for Grub Street features yogurt breakfasts, crackers eaten over sinks, and other basically realistic, bleach-free culinary adventures.


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By Kellie Lynch
On March 3, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) proposed a $100 per 20-foot container fee at the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland to mitigate diesel emissions at terminals, a major hit to BCOs. The AQMD has been given aggressive deadlines to meet Clean Air Act emissions standards, and the proposed fee could take effect July 1, 2018.
While the goal of the fee is to lessen the impact of diesel emissions produced by trucks and equipment at the ports, the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA), an advocate for shipping lines and terminal operators, believes that the revenue generated by the fees may not be commensurate with the benefits that would be received by the fee payers. PMSA Vice President and General Counsel, Mike Jacob, told the Journal of Commerce (JOC), “Under the AQMD proposal, 90 percent of the revenue generated by the maritime sector would be used to fund non-maritime sources.” This could present significant legal issues for the AQMD.
In addition to legal challenges and funding “ill-defined” programs, these fees could render California’s ports less competitive. The volumes handled by California’s three container ports, more than 17 million TEUs last year, could generate hundreds of millions of dollars for AQMD programs -- and BCOs would foot the bill. In a drafted letter to the AQMD, PMSA stated that the agency “has failed to analyze the economic impact of the fees on the ports and the businesses they serve.” Increasing fees on international and domestic shipments coming through California’s ports could make these ports less desirable for shippers.
In an effort to avoid paying additional fees, BCOs may turn to rerouting their shipments through the Gulf Ports, like Port Houston. With the expansion of the Panama Canal completed last year, the canal can now accommodate vessels that are longer, wider and heavier than before. The doubled capacity of the canal provides BCOs an alternative, cost-saving route to move their cargo into and out of the United States. Port Houston has also been widening its channels, with the US Army Corps of Engineers currently at work widening the “Bayport flare” curve, which is expected to be completed by September of this year.
The world-class Port Houston is fully prepared to handle the increasing cargo volume. In a press release, Executive Director Roger Guenther announced, “Cargo moving through Port Houston facilities is off to a solid start,” noting a cumulative total of 5.7 million tons of cargo has been handled by the terminals already this year, a three percent increase from the year prior. So far in 2017, loaded container volume has increased by 21 percent and, Guenther shared, “remains very balanced” between import and export trades, “at nearly ‘fifty-fifty’…a very good position.” For more than 100 years, the port has owned and operated the public wharves and terminals of the Port of Houston – the nation’s largest port for foreign waterborne tonnage and an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas, and the nation.
Building upon these new developments, ContainerPort Group (CPG) has also recently expanded its drayage network into the Gulf Region, opening a new terminal in Houston, Texas. Slader Atkinson, CPG Regional Director – Gulf, will be overseeing the terminal and working to develop this demanding intermodal market. In an interview, Atkinson discussed his plans for the new facility, “Many [of our customers] are already doing business with us in our current network, and they are excited to extend their use of our services into the Gulf.” Atkinson believes this new location will provide an advantage to customers who typically use ports on the West Coast. “By rerouting their shipments through the Panama Canal and into the Gulf, we can provide customers with exceptional service and substantially reduce their costs by avoiding these [regulatory] fees,” he explained. Atkinson’s goal is to have a large base of Independent Contractors operating in Houston by the end of the year to support the expansion.
While regulatory fees could increase costs for BCOs, terminal operators, and businesses who currently utilize California’s ports, Port Houston is rapidly becoming a more desirable alternative for moving cargo into and out of the United States. ContainerPort Group remains poised to handle this increase in volume and is proud to extend its services to support businesses operating in the Gulf Region.


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Cement dealers and distributors in the Southwest have endorsed the newly packaged Dangote cement’s 42.5 grade (3X) and expressed optimism that its entry into the market would help sanitise the building and construction industry.
Callers during a live Yoruba programme ‘Owuro Lojo’ of Radio Nigeria’s Gold FM, Ilesha, Osun State, pointed out that the timing of the introduction of the cement grade and the decision to rebrand it by Dangote Cement would help check adulteration of the vital products.
The radio callers urged the government to ban the low quality 32.5 grade from the market so that unsuspecting members of the public would not be deceived and applauded Dangote for the initiative saying the incidence of building collapse has become a source of worry to cement dealers as all fingers are being pointed towards them anytime the consumers detect any fake cement.
To ensure effective distribution and force counterfeiters out of business, the callers advocated the establishment of depots across the length and breadth of the region so that the product would be readily available.
Dangote Cement Regional Director for the West, Funmi Sanni, who was the guest during the programme explained that the new cement was an effort by the company to rid the cement market of low quality cement by ensuring the high quality 42.5 grade is branded in a way that it would stand out.
“It is tamper-proof and we have ensured it is not easily adulterated,” she said, adding that the new cement brand contains ingredients that makes it better than the common 32.5 being produced by some cement companies hence the brand of 3X saying the products offers longer life for structures, higher strength and more yield especially for block makers who would make more blocks with the cement than it would do with 32.5 grade.
While thanking the people for their interest in the new Dangote Cement, she disclosed that despite the fact that the 42.5 is of higher grade, the company has not increased its price warning that the people should not allow themselves to be cheated.
On scarcity of cement, Sanni assured that all hands were on deck to ensure its availability, adding that the prevailing scarcity is due to the shortage of gas being experienced by manufacturing concerns all over the country.
According to her, gas is a critical input in the production of cement, stressing that Dangote Cement is considering all options available to source for gas to ensure its brand of cement is available everywhere.
Sanni equally told the listeners that ongoing nationwide training of block makers by the firm would soon cover all the states in the Southwest and charged them to insist on 3X anytime they need cement saying only the Dangote 3X that is extra strong and offers extra life and extra yield for both the block makers and other customers.


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Shell, one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, has announced its acquisition of EV charging company Volta.
Volta, founded in 2010, operates a network of EV charging stations in shopping centers and other high-traffic areas across the United States. The company’s charging stations are known for their sleek design and convenient locations and have become a popular choice for EV drivers.
The acquisition of Volta is a significant move for Shell, as it signals the company’s commitment to investing in the growing electric vehicle market. With the increasing demand for EVs, and governments around the world setting ambitious targets for EV adoption, the acquisition will enable Shell to offer EV charging services to its customers and stay ahead in the EV market.
The acquisition is also an indication of Shell’s strategic shift towards cleaner energy solutions. The company has set a goal of becoming a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050, and this acquisition will help it to achieve that goal.
The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is expected to be completed in the coming months. Once the acquisition is complete, Volta will continue to operate as a standalone business, but with the support and resources of Shell.
This acquisition is a positive step for both companies and for the EV market as a whole. Volta will benefit from the resources and expertise of a large, established company like Shell, while Shell will be able to offer EV charging services to its customers and stay ahead in the EV market.
Overall, this acquisition is an important move for Shell, as it demonstrates its commitment to investing in the growing electric vehicle market and its goal of becoming a net-zero emissions energy business. It also allows Volta to expand its reach and accelerate its mission of making EV charging more accessible and convenient for all.


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ITU Telecom World 2012 opens in Dubai tomorrow
TELECOMS| Oct. 13, 2012, 10:06 a.m.
ITU’s annual Telecom World event kicks off in Dubai tomorrow.
The five-day conference will see hundreds of industry and government leaders gathering to discuss the biggest global issues in ICT.
ITU says the debates and discussions at TelecomWorld 2012 will focus on the radical transformation of the ICT sector, the implications for policy, technology and competitive strategy - and the importance of ensuring that connectivity in a transformed world is universal, fair, open and secure.
Driving that transformation, and providing the underlying context to all the debates, are game changers, those technologies and trends which are revolutionizing the ICT industry and the way we live, work and do business. Sessions will provide an in-depth exploration of the following core areas, each examined from the differing perspectives of policy, business and technology:
- Leadership and Innovation: fostering and managing innovation at both government and corporate level and ensuring global connectivity is achieved in as fair and transparent a manner as possible.
- Delivering Broadband: exploring the challenges for established players in expanding services and embracing complex or unorthodox business models and shifting industry dynamics.
- Beyond Connectivity: emerging opportunities, new dimensions and challenges arising from the transformed industry, including privacy, spectrum and cybersecurity.
- Smart Applications: the enablers, examples and consequences of the new connectivity, including eHealth, smart services, M2M and Cloud Computing.
- Designing the future: the shape of communication to come, including human-centric networks and converging technologies.
ITU Telecom World gets underway in Dubai this weekend.
MORE TELECOMS NEWS
Bharti Airtel announces new MD for UgandaBharti Airtel has announced the appointment of Anwar Soussa as the Managing Director of Airtel Uganda, with effect from 1 June 2016. Read More
Airtel opens new service outlet in LagosAirtel Nigeria, has opened a new service outlet, 'Expo Centre' at 47 Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. Read More
Mayor opens new ICT shopHer Worship the Mayor of Francistown has opened the doors of a new ICT initiative in Francistown, in the form of a shop from the country’s leading mobile communications provider, Mascom. Read More
Africell, Airtel on collision course over cableUganda’s Africell is set for a legal battle with Airtel as the two trade accusations over the theft of fibre optic cables. Read More
Vodacom coasts home with two industry awardsVodacom Business Nigeria has won two prestigious awards at the Beacon of ICT (BoICT) Awards ceremony. Read More
Vodafone Ghana to reward whistleblowers on cable theftVodafone Ghana is enlisting the help of the general public to help curb cable theft across the country. Read More
MTN Cameroon renews subscriber identificationMTN Cameroon has launched a nationwide campaign that will run until June 2016 to confirm the identity of each subscriber. Read More
Dairo, Ogiemwanye, Uwaoma now Directors at Etisalat NigeriaEtisalat Nigeria has announced the appointment of Adeolu Dairo as Director, Consumer Segment, Elvis Ogiemwanye as Director, Brand & Experience and Eric Uwaoma as Director, Enterprise Segment. Read More
Kenya Power, Safaricom in broadband projectKenya Power International and Safaricom have signed a MoU that will see more Kenyans connected to broadband Internet. Read More
FEATURED STORYCriticism over Remita borne out of ignorance, says SystemSpecs
The CEO of SystemSpecs, the company behind the revenue-saving Nigerian Single Treasury Account (TSA) system, speaks to Biztechafrica.
BEST READ NEWS
IN DEPTHIBM Opens First Cloud Data Centre in South Africa
IBM is opening a new IBM Cloud Data Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. The new cloud center is the result of a close collaboration with Gijima and Vodacom and is designed to support cloud adoption and customer demand across the continent.
COMPANY NEWSKeeping up with the mobile banking evolution
Africa especially has witnessed the trend of mobile banking, due to the well-known fact that today more people on the continent have access to a mobile phone ...


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Employees of the Société québécoise du cannabis are organizing a one-day strike in about fifteen branches.
Maxime Nadeau, president of the Confederation of National Trade Unions, says the strike is linked to the deadlock in wage negotiations.
He says the severance rate for employees is $17.12 an hour, rising to $21.23 an hour after eight years on the job.
Nadeau says wages are lower than those of workers “who basically do the same work as us,” including at the province’s liquor board.
He says the union intentionally chose a weekend “when traffic is very high” to launch industrial action.
The Quebec Cannabis Company, known as SQDC, is responsible for the distribution and sale of marijuana products in Quebec.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 18, 2022.
Read the full article at The growth operation
#Quebec #cannabis #corporation #workers #walk #job #oneday #strike


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- AT&T Audience Network announced in a news release that it is creating the "Mr. Mercedes Immersive Experience" at San Diego Comic-Con on July 19-21 to promote the new season of its show "Mr. Mercedes," based on a Stephen King trilogy of novels. Season two of the show debuts August 22.
- The immersive experience will give fans a look into the past and future of the show through a virtual reality (VR) escape room game, "Mr. Mercedes: Lair Escape," using HTC Vive Pro VR headsets. The experience also includes the "Mr. Mercedes: Finders Keepers" augmented reality (AR) adventure game, where fans gather clues to access exclusive content and prizes.
- The "Mr. Mercedes Immersive Experience" also recreates Finders Keepers, Mercy General Hospital and Brady's Lair sets from the show. Other features include a 3D light projection that brings the character Brady to life in a hospital bed, a photo experience that turns a fan's face into Brady's and provides a shareable GIF, and a private screening room offering a glimpse at the upcoming season.
More brands have been embracing the escape room trend, which has exploded in popularity over the past several years, and AT&T is trying to elevate the format with more digital features like AR and VR. By tapping immersive mobile technology like AR/VR and 3D light projections, AT&T might able to provide something more memorable for participants and immerse them further in the world of "Mr. Mercedes."
AT&T isn't alone in taking this approach. The brand Eight O'Clock Coffee unveiled an AR digital escape room experience this week, giving gamers the chance to win a year of free groceries. Snickers recently got into the escape room game as well with a pop-up experience in New York City related to a new line of flavors. Visitors that completed challenges in the specified time frame received a "Flavor Diagnosis," identifying the flavor best suited to ward off hunger.
The marketing tactic is likely a bid to encourage more social media sharing among millennials and Gen Z crowd. Instagram has seen a 16% jump in the use of hashtags like #escaperoom and #weescaped, as well as an uptick of escape room pictures, since 2016, according to USA Today.
AT&T's escape room is additionally in line with other networks and film studios using more interactive experiences to promote new releases and drive viewership. Universal and the Virtual Reality company recently created a VR game for the release of "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" at Dave & Busters venues.


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Curbing Chinese Corruption
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive is prompting a reconsideration of the impact of graft on the country's economy. In view of China's economic transformation and deeper integration in the world economy, curbing corruption has now become necessary to sustain high economic growth.
WASHINGTON, DC – When political scientists argue that corruption can sometimes help an economy grow, they have in mind a country like China. In an economy where several sectors are still shackled by pervasive regulations and controls, the payment of bribes in exchange for government permits can sometimes restore some semblance of a free market.
Indeed, while corruption is generally harmful to economic growth, there is a case to be made that in the years since China launched its transition to a market economy in the late 1970s, it was a necessary evil because of the country’s unique initial circumstances: rigid state control and limited international trade.
Today, however, President Xi Jinping’s drive against corruption is prompting a reconsideration of the impact of graft on the Chinese economy. In view of the country’s economic transformation and integration into the world economy, curbing corruption has now become ever more necessary to sustain high economic growth.
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Want a new 3DS XL and also like the colour pink? Well now might be your lucky day, since Nintendo UK have mentioned on Twitter that the special pink 3DS XL variant is now available to buy in shops. Here’s their Tweet about the subject:
So if you want a new 3DS and want to try a different colour one than normal, now’s your lucky day! Go out and get a pink 3DS XL now!
It doesn’t tie in with any upcoming game or have a fancy limited edition design, but it’s a new colour of 3DS XL regardless. It’s also only been confirmed for release Europe rather than the US or Japan, so don’t expect to see it for sale in GameStop any time soon. This new model of 3DS XL will be released on May 31st 2013, and here are some pictures of said system:
And here’s a picture of the box it’ll be sold in:
Either way, it’s a new 3DS XL design that’s currently exclusive to the UK and Europe, so it might be worth buying if pink’s your favourite colour or you just want a ‘different’ style of 3DS when buying one for the first time.
What do you think about this new pink 3DS XL? Would you buy one?
Pink 3DS XL Release Date in the UK – Official Nintendo Magazine
Missed your chance at getting a Pink 3DS XL back last year? Well it may have been limited edition then and it may have sold out quickly, but you’ll be happy to know Nintendo are rereleasing this version of the system. Here’s the comment about it on their Facebook page:
Are you hardcore enough to rock a Pink/White Nintendo 3DS XL? Yeah? You’re in luck: this new hardware color will become available this week at stores coast to coast.
Sounds good to me. Heck, it sounds like it might not even be limited edition like it was the last time, so go out there and buy one if you want it!


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posted on December 17, 2012 11:49
The Thruway Authority announced today it has dropped the proposal for higher tolls on commercial trucks.
Instead, it will eliminate 361 positions, or 6 percent of its staff, as part of an effort to save hundreds of millions of dollars, according to executive director Thomas Madison. It will also freeze management salaries while cutting travel and overtime.
He says the Thruway Authority can balance the budget and protect bond rating without increasing tolls.
The agency has faced months of criticism for its proposed 45 percent toll hike for commercial trucks that apparently would have had trickle-down effects to consumers and families.
Madison says the 2013 budget represents a new way to do business.


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FORT PIERCE, Fla. — 15 local beer, mead, cider, and spirit makers are holding a festival this weekend in Fort Pierce. The collective is known as the Treasure Coast Wine and Ale Trail.
The festival will be at the Summer Crush Vineyard and Winery on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
"With this event you can visit everyone on the trail in one location. So you get to try a variety of beers and wines and other beverages. But you can also bring your family with you because it's a family friendly event," said Pete Anderson who is the Head Brewer/Co-Founder of Pareidolia Brewing Company which will be freatured at the festival.
If you can't make it to this weekend's event you can download a trail map by clicking here and visit the businesses at your own leisure.