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|By Shelly Palmer||
|February 3, 2013 11:45 PM EST||
In the PC world, hacking, viruses and cybercrime started out fairly slowly, with pranks and viruses meant to causes a nuisance. Along the way, hackers learned how to use technology to steal real money and never be caught. Organized crime and hacker syndicates are now commonplace, and are training tomorrow’s cyber thieves. Cybercrime has surpassed drug trafficking as the most lucrative illegal business.
The Mobile Market is Ripe for Hackers
As we begin 2013, the number of mobile connected devices now exceeds the world population. Not only is it a much larger market, but one that contains a customer base that includes seniors and preteens, the favorite targets of savvy hackers. Mobile hacking is on the rise, but it has come close to hitting its stride. The number of mobile malware cases targeting Google’s Android platform went from 30,000 to 175,000 from the 2nd to 3rd quarters of 2012, according to recent report from Trend Micro.
The PC industry and its growth have spawned a new generation of tech savvy users… and the largest numbers of hackers ever to exist. Moving to mobile devices is the logical next step. As Billy the Kid famously answered when he was asked why he robbed banks: “That’s where the money is.”
Hacking mobile devices is certainly not new and good hackers don’t discriminate against any platforms or operating systems. There have already been well publicized hacks of celebrity cell phones as early as 2005. A teen famously hacked into Paris Hilton’s mobile device and revealed contacts and photos online. The same skills that might make good pranks or be the envy of friends are used for far more sinister and profitable attacks. The same teen was involved in the attack on the LexisNexis Group, exposing the personal information of more than 300,000 consumers.
The Mobile Device Makers Dirty Little Secret
Mobile manufacturers are making it easy for hackers to see everything you do. Because of the small form factor of these devices, manufacturers use a form fill feature that uses your keystrokes to determine what word you are typing. Its intentions are good in that it makes it easier for you to text, but it gives hackers access to EVERYTHING you have ever typed since you booted the phone.
They have, in essence, embedded a keylogger on every device. All your keystrokes are stored in an unencrypted cache file. All a hacker needs to do is write malware that accesses that cache and provides that data to them. If anyone is attending the RSA Security Conference in San Francisco on February 25-March 1 in San Francisco, StrikeForce Technologies will be showing how this is done at Booth 539.
Hackers can also design malware that seeks out certain words or phrases asking just the keystrokes that follow. They look for bank names (to steal your login/password credentials), your company’s VPN URL (for a potential data breach), retail sites (to steal your credit card information), as well as college application and student loan companies (to gain access to your personal and financial information).
Mobile malware has already been used for some of the world largest data breaches. FinFisher, Loozfon and Dougalek, are examples of mobile malware that have already had their day in the sun. FinFisher is a piece of spyware that hijacks your Android phone so it can be controlled remotely. It has used web links and SMS system update texts to infiltrate your device. Loozfon will steal your number and your address book. Dougalek is an SMS Trojan that led to one of the largest data breaches in history (according to Kaspersky Labs, SMS Trojans account for more than half of all mobile malware). When these types of malware are on your system, problems will follow.
Some may tell you that Apple iOS is more secure, but that isn’t necessarily true. Apple devices only run one application at a time, which makes it impossible (at this point) to run anti-malware in the background. It is true that the majority of hacks currently occur on Android devices, but that’s mainly because that’s where the larger number of users reside. In July 2012, malware was found for the first time in the IOS (Apple) App store.
The most common ways mobile malware infects your mobile devices is through app stores, phishing attacks/adware, SMS Trojans or root access malware. Google Play (Android App Store) and Apple App Store each have anti-virus programs that seek out infected files, but just as in the PC world, they are only effective against known malware. That still leaves the door wide open for zero day attacks, and any newly written malware (thousands are written every day). Malware can also be hidden inside popular applications.
There’s a Good Chance You’re Already Infected
Some reports indicate that 50 percent of mobile devices already have unpatched vulnerabilities. If your device is infected, it can be used to perpetrate friends, family, coworkers or breach your company’s VPN. Many of these malware programs include keyloggers that track every keystroke you make on your mobile keypad. They steal your credentials, personal information, login/password for banks, social media, VPN and have that information sent to them in forms of email SMS or even phone calls. Some malicious programs will just trigger your device to continuously call or text 866 or 900 numbers.
How Can I Tell if I’m Infected?
- Look for performance issues like slow responses or quirks you haven’t noticed before
- Lock up. Ransomware will lock your device and ask for money (or to click a link) to unlock it. When unlocking the device they often install keyloggers hitting you yet again.
- Watch your call history. Look for calls you don’t remember making
Mobile device hacking (and keylogging in particular) involves a wide range of crimes, including: identity theft, credit card fraud, data breaches and even physical theft (home robbery, abductions, and more). Imagine your teenage daughter is texting her friend, saying she is home alone, unaware that a keylogger is on her system. The criminal knows her address and that she is alone.
Even your photos are at risk. Actress Scarlett Johansson’s photos were stolen from her phone and posted online. Imagine what the result of a sexting incident posted online can do to someone’s reputation. A simple keylogger could ruin lives, cause terrible embarrassment, or get you fired from your job.
Download some sort of anti-virus software. Anti-virus vendors that make solutions for mobile include the usual suspects like Symantec, McAfee, Kaspersky, Lookout, Sophos, and Trend Micro, among others. Most experts agree that they do little to prevent malware on mobile devices. The entire premise of anti-malware is flawed because it only protects from the “known.” It’s akin to arresting criminals and assuming that will end crime. Although they are only marginally effective, it’s better than nothing.
Anti-malware software should be paired with keystroke encryption. StrikeForce Technologies’ MobileTrust solution provides keystroke encryption that encrypts all of your keystrokes, making it impossible for hackers (even zero day attacks) to steal your information (all hackers will see are 1234567890123456789 etc.). It also includes a password vault that stores all passwords in an encrypted database, a strong password generator enables users to create and store hard-to-crack passwords, two-factor authentication and an encrypted database.
Additional Tips to Potentially Prevent Malware
- Assume anything you type (or photograph you take) is visible to the world. Unless you have enabled keystroke encryption, don’t type anything you don’t want exposed.
- Disable the features of the phone you don’t use (less for hackers to work with)
- Check out application reviews and reliability before downloading
- Be cautious of any deals that sound too good to be true (watch the home based business scams)
- Be very careful about the types of geo-location apps you download
- If you are suspicious about a message from a friend, do not open it. Verify its origin (contact your friend) before proceeding.
- Don’t connect to unknown wireless networks
Remember, it’s up to YOU to protect yourself.
The 19th International Cloud Expo has announced that its Call for Papers is open. Cloud Expo, to be held November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, brings together Cloud Computing, Big Data, Internet of Things, DevOps, Digital Transformation, Microservices and WebRTC to one location. With cloud computing driving a higher percentage of enterprise IT budgets every year, it becomes increasingly important to plant your flag in this fast-expanding business opportuni...
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The Internet of Things will challenge the status quo of how IT and development organizations operate. Or will it? Certainly the fog layer of IoT requires special insights about data ontology, security and transactional integrity. But the developmental challenges are the same: People, Process and Platform. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Craig Sproule, CEO of Metavine, demonstrated how to move beyond today's coding paradigm and shared the must-have mindsets for removing complexity from the develo...
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SYS-CON Events announced today that MangoApps will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. MangoApps provides modern company intranets and team collaboration software, allowing workers to stay connected and productive from anywhere in the world and from any device.
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The IETF draft standard for M2M certificates is a security solution specifically designed for the demanding needs of IoT/M2M applications. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Brian Romansky, VP of Strategic Technology at TrustPoint Innovation, explained how M2M certificates can efficiently enable confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity on highly constrained devices.
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“delaPlex Software provides software outsourcing services. We have a hybrid model where we have onshore developers and project managers that we can place anywhere in the U.S. or in Europe,” explained Manish Sachdeva, CEO at delaPlex Software, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at @ThingsExpo, held June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY.
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The IoT is changing the way enterprises conduct business. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Eric Hoffman, Vice President at EastBanc Technologies, discussed how businesses can gain an edge over competitors by empowering consumers to take control through IoT. He cited examples such as a Washington, D.C.-based sports club that leveraged IoT and the cloud to develop a comprehensive booking system. He also highlighted how IoT can revitalize and restore outdated business models, making them profitable ...
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Jul. 29, 2016 08:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,751
We all know the latest numbers: Gartner, Inc. forecasts that 6.4 billion connected things will be in use worldwide in 2016, up 30 percent from last year, and will reach 20.8 billion by 2020. We're rapidly approaching a data production of 40 zettabytes a day – more than we can every physically store, and exabytes and yottabytes are just around the corner. For many that’s a good sign, as data has been proven to equal money – IF it’s ingested, integrated, and analyzed fast enough. Without real-ti...
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SYS-CON Events announced today that 910Telecom will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Housed in the classic Denver Gas & Electric Building, 910 15th St., 910Telecom is a carrier-neutral telecom hotel located in the heart of Denver. Adjacent to CenturyLink, AT&T, and Denver Main, 910Telecom offers connectivity to all major carriers, Internet service providers, Internet backbones and ...
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You think you know what’s in your data. But do you? Most organizations are now aware of the business intelligence represented by their data. Data science stands to take this to a level you never thought of – literally. The techniques of data science, when used with the capabilities of Big Data technologies, can make connections you had not yet imagined, helping you discover new insights and ask new questions of your data. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Sarbjit Sarkaria, data science team lead ...
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DTS (DTSI) reported quarterly earnings results on Monday, May-9-2016. The company said it had a profit of $0.41 Earnings per Share for the quarter. The results exceeded Wall Street expectations beating the analyst consensus estimate by $0.05. Analysts had a consensus of $0.36. The company posted revenue of $45.20 million in the period, compared to analysts expectations of $43.21 million. The company’s revenue was up 33.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.27 EPS.
DTS closed down -0.1 points or -0.49% at $20.4 with 62,946 shares getting traded on Friday. Post opening the session at $20.44, the shares hit an intraday low of $20.02 and an intraday high of $20.49 and the price fluctuated in this range throughout the day.Shares ended Friday session in Red.
In a different news, on Mar 16, 2016, Frederick Lee Kitson (EVP & Chief Technology Officer) sold 4,583 shares at $21.93 per share price. According to the SEC, on Jun 22, 2015, Patrick Watson (EVP, Corp Strategy & Dev) sold 9,375 shares at $31.81 per share price. On May 27, 2015, Blake Welcher (EVP Legal, GC & Sec) sold 12,903 shares at $32.42 per share price, according to the Form-4 filing with the securities and exchange commission.
DTS Inc. is an audio technology solutions provider for high-definition entertainment experiences. The Company’s audio solutions are designed to enable recording delivery and playback of high-definition audio and are included by licensee customers around the world into a range of consumer electronics devices including televisions (TVs) personal computers (PCs) smartphones tablets digital media players (DMPs) set-top-boxes soundbars wireless speakers video game consoles Blu-ray Disc players automotive audio systems audio video receivers (AVRs) digital versatile disc (DVD)-based products and home theater systems. The Company’s end-to-end audio solutions include DTS-HD DTS-HD Master Audio DTS Sound DTS Studio Sound DTS-HD Premium Sound DTS TruSurround DTS Neural Surround DTS Headphone:X DTS Play-Fi and DTS:X.

domain: news


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Coinbase Inc., one of the largest U.S. digital exchanges said on Tuesday it is ready to add Bitcoin cash to its offerings to customers, giving a boost to a rival to the most popular digital unit.
Bitcoin cash soared after the statement, up 50 percent over the past 24 hours, to $3,477.45, according to coinmarketcap.com. Bitcoin price slumped below $16,000 on news but has since climbed closer to $17,000 according to Coindesk.
Bitcoin Cash went to live on August 1after a fork of the bitcoin network. Now it is the third most valuable digital currency after bitcoin and Ethereum.


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A shirt that drew outcries for potentially promoting pedophilia has been pulled by the retail giant Amazon after being on sale for the past five months.
The shirt — sold for children — bore the words “Daddy’s Little Sl–.”
Although no longer listed for sale by the seller Onlybabycare, the shirt’s product description claimed it was “suitable” for occasions that included “playing outside, birthday party, baby shower, baptism, wedding, baby photography, daily wear, family day,” according to The Independent.
The shirt was available to American consumers, but not those in Britain.
The shirt had originally sold for $36 when it was first offered in June, but at the time of its removal was on sale for $18.
The product’s description said it could be worn by “little girls or boys,” The Independent reported.
The shirt came to the attention of journalist Yashar Ali, who shared his disgust via Twitter.
“Available for sale on @amazon: “Daddy’s Little Sl–” t-shirt…for children Posting here in hopes it’ll expedite removal from Amazon,” he tweeted, along with an image of the shirt, which was modeled by a girl. (Note: The word is obviously offensive.)
1. Available for sale on @amazon: “Daddy’s Little Slut” t-shirt…for children
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) November 8, 2019
Barely 12 hours after his initial tweet, Ali reported to his Twitter follows that the shirt had been taken down.
Once Twitter users became aware of the children’s shirt, they denounced it.
I cannot believe anyone would create such a disgusting piece of filth for a child nor can I believe @amazon allowed this filth to be sold thru them. And who would buy such disgusting items for their children!?
— Mindy R (@walksfarforever) November 9, 2019
This is practically endorsing incest and pedophilia!
Ban this product and anything remotely resembling it!
This is disgusting!
— ⛔☠ ‘Ron-g Turn’ Jackson ☠⛔ (@R_A_R_J_Jr) November 8, 2019
Can we send CPS round to check on the parents who bought them??
— Tamsin Shaw (@ProfessorShaw) November 8, 2019
what in the fresh hell is this? take me off this planet. willing to carpool.
— Isidora Goreshter (@IsidoraGore) November 8, 2019
The Western Journal reached out to Amazon for comment on Sunday.
Last week, the company issued a statement about the item to Fox News.
“All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who do not will be subject to action including potential removal of their account,” the statement said.
“The product in question is no longer available.”
However, those interested in a shirt with the same message still had options on Amazon.
That shirt, however, was marketed as a novelty item for women, girls or men who wanted to plunk down $17.99 for it.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.


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Japanese compact car maker Suzuki will introduce a brand new Ignis at the upcoming Paris Motor Show (Autosalon de Paris). which will be held from 1-16 October. The car’s design certainly has our attention. While the previous Ignis (disappeared from markets years ago) couldn’t really steal our hearts, which is still an understatement, this is something different.
We weren’t too fond of Suzuki’s latest models released on the European market, especially the Baleno and Celerio were pretty dull looking vehicles, like the car maker wanted to copy Dacia in building ‘functional-but-not-very-inspiring’ cars. We’re very happy Suzuki came back to that thought with the very powerful and eccentric Ignis.
Design-wise it sports the same language we saw earlier on the Alto Works Concept, a model never released on the European mainland.
Details of the new midi-SUV are very scarce as of now, but we guess Suzuki will position it in the b-segment, competing with cars like the Renault Captur en Peugeot 2008. Engine wise we only know it comes with a new engine technology called ‘DualJet’, which is 1.2 litres large and sports 90 hp (most likely a 3 cylinder powerplant). The Ignis should be in showrooms Q1 2017, we expect prices and more details close to the end of this year.


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To celebrate 30 years since the first Ninja has been released on the streets, Kawasaki has designed a special 30th Anniversary Model, and Yes, it is the optional ABS model!!
Since its inception, the Kawasaki Ninja 600 has conquered the world of 600 cc sport bikes, as it was the first model of its type. It is built around Kawasaki’s iconic four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, inline-four engine with a displacement of 636cc. The unit is mated on a six speed transmission and is fueled by a 4.5 Gallons fuel tank.
The Kawasaki Ninja celebrates 30 years with a special new commemorative edition with a new anniversary paint scheme, and 30th Anniversary badges on the fairing. Also featuring green pinstripe decals on the wheels This is the ABS model. It looks like new!!! Key features on the 2015 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R ABS include: three-mode traction control; two engine power modes (Full and Low); a Showa Big Piston Fork; “Supersport-grade” ABS; Nissin radial-mount front brake calipers; a slipper clutch, a lightweight twin-spar aluminum frame; and an analog-style tachometer complemented by an LCD information screen. It has new tires on it, both the front, and the rear!! Only 4,608 Miles, Just like NEW!!!


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MEMPHIS, Tennessee – February 8, 2016 – Planet Pluto Gaming is a newly formed gaming company, that recently announced a Kickstarter campaign for the launch of their first of many games, “Universal Glider.” This is a one of a kind game in which the gamer will travel throughout familiar places and planets in the known universe. Once players complete the puzzle, they are whisked off to a different location in the universe depending on which destination they fulfilled at the current puzzle.This is just an example of one mode! “Universal Glider” has a story mode, puzzle-destination choosing mode, speed mode and friend versus friend mode. In story mode, players begin at the solar flare of the sun and work their way throughout the universe and end up on outer edges of known solar system.
However, before everyone can enjoy this one of a kind game, Planet Pluto Gaming needs support. That’s why they launched this Kickstarter campaign. The goal of this project is to raise $50,000 by February 24, 2016. The funds raised will go towards putting the game into the hands of developers, as well as hiring a creative artist and a game concept designer. With support and backing, Planet Pluto Gaming plans to use all necessity to bring this new, unique vision to full range capacity for the entertainment of gamers of all ages.
To help bring this incredible game to market, please visit the Kickstarter campaign or click here. Perks will be delivered between August 2016 and December 2016.
Please keep in mind this is an “all-or-nothing” deal, which means if the campaign does not reach the funding goal then the project cannot move forward. So know that any amount given can make a difference, and this is an incredible opportunity to be a part of a special campaign! Help Planet Pluto Gaming reach the goal by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks. The more people know about this, the more support the campaign will receive.
Distributed by CROWDFUND NEWSWIRE
Company Name: Universe Glider
Contact Person: William Locke
Country: United States


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Microsoft’s performance during the fourth quarter not only exceeded the Street’s expectations but also saved some blushes. The Redmond-based company earned $16.04 billion in revenue, a 22% rise compared to the same period last year, and
enough to get it past Apple’s quarterly revenue of $15.7 billion
. The Street had foreseen Apple bettering Microsoft’s quarterly revenue for the first time ever, but MS had other plans.
Windows 7 continued its stellar performance during the quarter and, along with Office 2010, accounted for a large part of the company’s growth. “We saw strong sales execution across all of our businesses, particularly in the enterprise with Windows 7 and Office 2010,” said Kevin Turner, chief operating officer.
According to a press release issued by the company, “Operating income, net income and diluted earnings per share for the quarter were $5.93 billion, $4.52 billion and $0.51 per share, which represented increases of 49%, 48% and 50%, respectively, when compared with the prior year period.”


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Apex Police Seek Alleged Advertising Scammer
Apex police were searching Friday for a woman wanted in an advertising scam. Detectives said Kristal Hill targeted small businesses.Posted — Updated
APEX, N.C. — Apex police were searching Friday for a woman wanted in an advertising scam. Detectives said the suspect targeted small businesses.
Apex business owners lost more than $1,700 in the fraud scheme. Investigators said there may be more victims out there.
As a relatively new business in downtown Apex, the owner of My Girlfriend's Closet was eager to spread the word about her consignment boutique. So when Kristal Hill walked in selling advertising, Lois Cozart was sold.
Hill said she was selling advertising for a take-out menu for the Peak City Grill, a restaurant many people in the small town are familiar with, Cozart said.
“I thought, what a great connection. I would love to be affiliated with Peak City Grill and their market, so I said, ‘Sure,’” Cozart said.
She wrote Hill a check for $247.
“I noticed right away that my check had cleared right away, and I thought, that’s kind of strange, because normally, you don’t go right to the bank,’” she said.
A bit suspicious, Cozart did a Google search on Hill. She found an article from the Mooresville Tribune warning businesses in that area about an advertising scam with Kristal Hill named as the main suspect.
Hill had already been charged in Greensboro and Asheboro for similar crimes.
“She never produced the take-out menu, so our assumption is she just converted the money to her own personal use,” said Apex Police Detective Joseph Best.
Five downtown businesses, including the Rusty Bucket and Laura Kelly Licensing, paid Hill hundreds of dollars for advertising that they never saw.
“You really do feel taken advantage of,” Cozart said.
Apex police said investigators in Johnston County are looking into similar cases involving Hill.
Copyright 2023 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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DP Eurasia, which runs the Domino's Pizza brand in Turkey and Russia, has said it continued to consider its presence in Russia after delivering a jump in full-year sales.
The London-listed firm said system sales, which include sales from its own and franchised stores, rose 76.5% to 4.21 billion Turkish lira ($223.82 million). Adjusted for hyperinflation in Turkey, sales grew 13.1%.
DP said the growth was achieved due to network expansion and strategic pricing, as well as high demand from its coffee shop chain.
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The company added that it was still evaluating its presence in Russia and had closed 29 stores in the country in 2022, bringing the number of outlets to 159 as of 31 December.
DP said in late December it was considering options for its Russian operations, including a divestment.
While many western companies, including McDonald's, pulled out of Russia after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine began last February, DP Eurasia said in April it planned to stay, but would limit investment there.
DP opened 48 new stores in Turkey in 2022, ahead of its previously guided range of 30-40.
It said it anticipates its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for 2022 to come ahead of current market expectations.
Read More: Pizza Firm DP Eurasia Records Decline In Its Core Profit
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Elder Scrolls Online continues to evolve and change. A new Dark Brotherhood-themed DLC is currently available for PC players, but will also be coming to Xbox One and PS4 later this week. Bethesda showed off the bloody launch trailer for their assassin-laden expansion, and it certainly looks true to the shadowy organization's dark history.
Bethesda also revealed a new leveling structure for the game, dubbed "One Tamriel." More details on how this will work are coming, but in the meantime, One Tamriel is described as a way to open up the world of Tamriel to players of all levels. In other words, content will no longer be gated by levels, so you can go where you want, when you want, with whomever you want. One Tamriel is set to go live sometime later this year.
Check out every announcement and full summary details on our Bethesda E3 press conference page.


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A bill introduced in the U.S. Congress is intended to promote Americans’ access to kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) and support research of the botanical, which many consumers have hailed as a godsend that saves them from addiction and reliance on harmful pain medication.
But a law firm that has sued kratom brands argued the bill does nothing to protect consumers and instead shields companies that make and sell a substance blamed for human deaths in a growing number of civil lawsuits from Florida to Washington state.
The Federal Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) was introduced in October, amid a fairly steady pace of enforcement actions against kratom products that the Food and Drug Administration considers to be “adulterated” or unlawful.
"The FDA regularly exercises its authority to protect consumers from firms selling unapproved or adulterated kratom products and making false or misleading claims about unproven ‘benefits’ of kratom,” an FDA spokesperson said. “The FDA has partnered with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and with the Department of Justice to take numerous actions to limit the sale of unlawful kratom products in the U.S., such as refusing shipments of unlawful kratom products and seizing adulterated kratom dietary supplements. When kratom is offered for import and the article is determined to be an FDA-regulated product that appears to be in violation of FDA laws or regulations, it will be refused admission.”
In early October, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the latest version of the Federal Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA). Lee backed a similar bill in December 2022 that did not pass through Congress.
The American Kratom Association supports the bill, seemingly in response to what the group described as attempts by FDA to enact a “de facto ban” on all kratom products. AKA also said it wants to hold accountable “bad actors who make misleading, therapeutic claims and sell adulterated products.”
A critic of the federal KCPA contends the bill protects kratom brands, not consumers.
“The word ‘consumer’ is only used in the title and nowhere else in the rest of the document,” noted an Oct. 30 blog on the mctlaw website. “Sections of the bill even have self-serving names like ‘The Protection of Kratom from Current Regulations’ and ‘Protection from Future Administrative Actions.’ All the protection is pointed in the wrong direction—toward industry and away from consumers.”
In wrongful death cases involving kratom, attorneys for mctlaw won an $11 million default judgment in Florida on behalf of a 39-year-old mother of four and a separate $2.5 million jury verdict in Washington state on behalf of a 39-year-old man.
The bill introduced in Congress suggests pure kratom is safe, ignoring federal “safety regulations which say kratom itself will be adulterated until [the supplement] industry can establish it is safe for human consumption with the 75-day premarket notification that [manufacturers] have verified safety,” said Talis Abolins, of counsel to mctlaw, in an interview.
Abolins, who has written to U.S. lawmakers opposing the legislation, concluded the bill only “makes sense if you’re trying to perpetuate the free-for-all of profiteering from a dangerous product.”
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. For centuries, people in that region have chewed on kratom leaves for its energetic effects, much like the coca leaf before it’s processed into cocaine.
However, kratom sold in the U.S. often contains concentrated extracts rather than the whole leaf, raising alarm for federal regulators and increasingly garnering the attention of private litigators.
Kratom contains two chemical substances—mitragynine and 7-OH-mitragynine—that “bind to the same receptors in the brain (mu opioid receptors) as opioid drugs such as codeine,” according to a webpage on kratom published by FDA.
“Some [manufacturers] take these dried leaves and make concentrated extracts that result in much more plant material being present in a product,” explained Christopher R. McCurdy, a medicinal chemist, behavioral pharmacologist and pharmacist, and professor at the University of Florida’s College of Pharmacy.
Speaking to Natural Products Insider this past summer, he likened the effects of that process to those of drinking light beer compared to a shot of 151-proof alcohol. “There are drastic differences in the products used in the West versus the traditional methods,” McCurdy maintained.
Despite the risks that can accompany the consumption of packaged kratom, rather than whole-leaf form, supporters remain vocal in their insistence that kratom has saved their lives.
“Kratom has been in my life for the last 10 years,” wrote Lisha Adcock on the Federal Kratom Consumer Protection Act’s comments page. “It’s helped my husband work as a plumber while needing double knee replacement and has helped save my life from an addiction to pain pills. This plant has been nothing but a God send [sic] to me and my family. Please pass SB3039.”
Another kratom user, Leisa Bailey, shared a similar experience, describing herself as “a victim of the opioid epidemic” who was prescribed eight 30-milligram oxycodone pills daily for a decade. Since the year she’s been taking kratom, she shared, her anxiety and pain has been “drastically reduced” and her “mental state has improved significantly.”
“It’s saved my life as a zombie to an active person with a granddaughter who needs me alert & not loopy from pain pills,” Bailey wrote.
A contributor calling herself Drea Discussions also touted the benefits of kratom.
“Kratom saves lives,” she wrote. “Fentanyl kills. If kratom is banned, the death toll is going to rise.”
She said she knows many people who have stopped using fentanyl thanks to their use of kratom, including family and friends.
“I use kratom to avoid pain pills and without it, I would have to use them,” she added.
But on the same comments page, two members of the public warned about the fatal consequences of kratom use.
Citing the coroner, Janice Coppola said her son died from a kratom overdose in 2021.
“My son was a doctor of pharmacy but was fooled by the misinformation available,” Coppola wrote, adding kratom “is NOT safe.”
Rhoda Hall recounted a similar experience, writing that her son died on Oct. 28, 2022, due to kratom. She said he was admitted to the hospital on Aug. 11, 2022, diagnosed with psychosis, and that he informed doctors he had been only taking kratom capsules that he ordered online.
“He was told to stop taking kratom capsules, but he ordered more in September 2022 and died a month later,” Hall wrote. “His autopsy and toxicology results show the immediate cause of death was from mitragynine use. People who are trying to stop taking kratom are reporting that their side effects are worse than opioids.”
Amid such reports, the number of wrongful death lawsuits related to kratom continues to grow.
One of the latest was filed in Nevada this fall, and Abolins—the Seattle-based litigator—said his firm is planning to file a lawsuit in Washington state on behalf of a 40-year-old man he described as “very healthy and [with] nothing else in his system but kratom.”
He said the complaint will be filed in the same county where his firm won a $2.5 million jury verdict on behalf of Patrick Coyne in July. He died from the “Toxic Effects of Mitragynine (Kratom),” according to the lawsuit filed in Cowlitz County Superior Court, citing the county coroner.
According to a Feb. 1 statement from a representative of AKA, the number of estimated kratom users in the U.S. has grown from 3 to 5 million in 2016 to 12 to 15 million today, contributing $1.5 billion to the economy.
“For many consumers, kratom shows promise as they search for a natural supplement to help with pain management, addiction recovery or other conditions,” Sen. Lee told Natural Products Insider in an email through a spokesperson. “States have appropriately taken the lead in evaluating and regulating kratom. However, federal agencies have taken a heavy-handed approach to kratom regulation, such as the recommendation to classify kratom under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the issuance of import alerts allowing for detention of kratom products without physical examination. These actions have been taken with limited data on the risks of kratom consumption.”
The U.S. senator added, “Congress should establish guardrails for kratom regulation, protecting continued access for consumers and encouraging additional research. The bipartisan Federal Kratom Consumer Protection Act supplies these important guardrails as states, researchers, businesses, consumers and regulators continue to evaluate kratom and its potential benefits.”
The office of Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who co-sponsored the KCPA, did not respond to requests for comment.
In the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.) introduced the companion bill to Lee’s legislation. Neither his office nor the office of Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich), who co-sponsored the bill, responded substantively to requests for comment.
Mac Haddow, senior fellow on public policy at the AKA, told Natural Products Insider in October he did not expect the latest version of the kratom act to gain consideration until 2024. In the meantime, “Congressman Pocan has personally assured me he is as committed as ever to the KCPA, particularly with the actions by the FDA that continue to promote their efforts to create a de facto ban on kratom in the U.S.,” Haddow said in an email.
Indeed, last year, Pocan told the publication Marijuana Moment that kratom “can be a harm-reduction tool for those struggling with opioid dependency across the country—it doesn’t belong in our broken drug scheduling system.”
“This legislation will prevent the criminalization of kratom consumers and distributors while promising scientific research is conducted,” Pocan added.
The federal bill includes several components related to the study of kratom. First, KCPA calls for the U.S. Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—by acting through the commissioner of FDA—to hold a public hearing no later than 90 days after the act passes.
The hearing would allow for discourse “on the current scientific data and information about safety and use of products containing kratom or kratom-derived products marketed as a food, dietary ingredient or dietary supplement.”
The hearing calls for “input from leading scientific researchers on kratom and kratom-derived products” and consideration of the following: The number of U.S. consumers of kratom and related products; degree and scope of addiction or dependence linked to kratom and its chemical compounds (mitragynine and 7-hydroxmitragynine); and “the causality of deaths in which kratom or kratom-derived products are associated.”
The latter consideration (“causality of deaths”) includes “instances in which a kratom-containing product or kratom-derived product was consumed together with legal or illegal drugs; or the kratom-containing product or kratom-derived product consumed was contaminated with a different non-drug adulterant know to endanger health.”
In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that nearly 100 deaths in the U.S. involved kratom. But the report suggested determining the exact causes of the deaths is complicated because nearly all the decedents tested positive for other substances, including heroin, fentanyl—the powerful synthetic opioid—and cocaine.
On the other hand, Abolins highlighted cases in which people died and had nothing toxic in their system except for kratom. The notion that pure kratom is safe and addicts are to blame is a “false narrative,” he said, adding, “It’s the kratom itself that is adulterated under federal law.”
The bill would direct HHS to examine in a hearing whether users would suffer any “adverse health impacts” should kratom no longer be available. On the flip side, the bill specifies the hearing would further evaluate kratom’s “potential health and wellness benefits.”
FDA would open a docket for public comments in advance of the hearing.
The bill would further require HHS to assemble a Kratom Research Task Force. This entity would coordinate any kratom research that the federal government conducted or supported.
The first report from the task force would be due to Congress, the HHS secretary and FDA commissioner within 90 days following the bill’s enactment. After that, the group must submit quarterly reports with updates on research and analysis of the results. The bill further specifies the task force would be disbanded two years after the group submits its initial report.
The KCPA’s most controversial provisions likely pertain to “protection of kratom from current regulations.”
First, the bill would prevent HHS—and, therefore, FDA—from putting requirements on kratom that are more restrictive than the requirements for food, and dietary supplements and dietary ingredients under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA).
Second, the KCPA would bar FDA from treating kratom as “an adulterated dietary supplement for containing a new dietary ingredient [NDI] as described in subparagraph (B) of section 402(f)(1) … or
pursuant to subparagraph (C) of such section 402(f)(1).” These adulteration provisions in the law relate to:
“A new dietary ingredient for which there is inadequate information to provide reasonable assurance that such ingredient does not present a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury”; and
A declaration by the HHS secretary that a supplement or dietary ingredient poses “an imminent hazard to public health or safety.”
FDA’s current position is that kratom is not lawfully marketed in the U.S. as a drug product, dietary supplement or as a food additive in conventional food.
“The FDA understands that there is public interest to use kratom. However, to date, there are no FDA-approved uses for kratom and the agency continues to receive concerning reports describing safety concerns with kratom, including death,” an FDA spokesperson told Natural Products Insider. “In fact, the FDA has warned consumers not to use kratom because of the risk of serious adverse events, including liver toxicity, seizures and substance use disorder.”
The KCPA, however, would further exempt kratom from a premarket notification requirement for NDIs. This requirement was incorporated in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) to establish the safety of novel dietary ingredients in supplements.
Since 2015, FDA has objected to all seven ingredient notifications for kratom for one or more reasons. In its responses to the notifications (see NDIs 881, 944, 992, 1063, 1126, 1220 and 1264), FDA has cited safety concerns and other considerations, including incomplete submissions that in the agency’s opinion do not meet regulatory requirements.
“The FDA has not received an NDI notification that demonstrates the ingredient when used under the conditions recommended or suggested in the labeling of the dietary supplement will reasonably be expected to be safe, and our response letters to the respective notifications have been clear on this point,” the FDA spokesperson said.
An FDA import alert (54-15) on kratom has been in effect for years, which the agency says allows it to detain without physical inspection supplements and bulk dietary ingredients that contain kratom. Relying on section 402(f)(1)(B) of the FDCA, FDA has concluded kratom-containing supplements are adulterated, or in layman’s terms unlawful, “because they contain a new dietary ingredient for which there is inadequate information to provide reasonable assurance that such ingredient does not present a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury.”
Kratom products that FDA determines are FDA-regulated drugs also may be subject to Import Alert 66-41, “Detention Without Physical Examination Of Unapproved New Drugs Promoted In The U.S.”
“As indicated in the import alert, the products listed are new drugs without an effective new drug application,” the FDA spokesperson explained. “With certain exceptions not applicable here, imported unapproved new drugs are subject to refusal of admission into the U.S.”
Lee’s bill would prevent FDA from issuing, implementing or enforcing an import alert for kratom—absent a determination by the HHS secretary that the kratom or kratom-derived product is adulterated based on a “history” or “evidence” of adulteration under section 402(f)(1)(A) of the FDCA.
That section of the law pertains to “a dietary supplement” or product containing “a dietary ingredient that presents a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury under conditions of use recommended or suggested in labeling, or if no conditions of use are suggested or recommended in the labeling, under ordinary conditions of use.”
The bill does not preempt any state laws around kratom.
Rend Al-Mondhiry is an attorney who advises clients on FDA regulations and an expert on DSHEA, which amended the FDCA nearly 30 years ago and generally requires premarket notifications for NDIs.
She said she “would be shocked if this bill gained traction in Congress.”
“It limits FDA’s ability to determine kratom is adulterated or issue an import alert, and I’m not aware of any dietary ingredient being subject to the type of specific exclusions this bill would create just for kratom,” Al-Mondhiry said in an email. “Given the potential safety issues with this ingredient, it doesn’t make sense to remove these guardrails.”
On the other hand, kratom supporters view the bill as a win.
“The AKA supports the regulatory scheme outlined in the proposed federal KCPA, and the efforts we have made in the 11 states that passed the state KCPAs to date,” Haddow said. “While there are some in the kratom advocacy community who want no regulations, the behavior of bad actors who routinely make illegal therapeutic claims that mislead consumers in violation of existing statutes and those who intentionally adulterate their products to provide an effect natural kratom does not provide should be subject both to regulations and prosecution. In short, any kratom advocate who says there should be no regulation on kratom is simply wrong.”
One of the law firms spearheading a growing number of wrongful death lawsuits against kratom brands—mctlaw—disagrees with the AKA, and with the overall positioning of the Federal Kratom Consumer Protection Act.
“Sadly, this bill does nothing to help people who’ve faced real problems because of kratom, including addiction, seizures, psychosis, organ failure, and the death of loved ones from kratom,” the firm proclaimed in its Oct. 30 blog.
Kratom businesses have “given up on trying to comply with the premarket safety” notification requirement” in DSHEA, and in the face of the FDA import alert, they have resorted to sneaking kratom “into the country as plant food or incense,” concluded Abolins, the mctlaw attorney.
The “only thing left for them to do,” he maintained, “is lobby Congress.”
Kelly Teal has more than 20 years' experience as a journalist, editor and analyst in industries including technology and health care. She serves as principal of Kreativ Energy LLC. Follow her on LinkedIn at /kellyteal/
Associate editorial director, Natural Products Insider, Informa Markets Health and Nutrition
Josh Long directs the online news, feature and op-ed coverage at Natural Products Insider, which targets the health and wellness industry. He has been reporting on developments in the dietary supplement industry for over a decade, with a focus on regulatory issues, including at the Food and Drug Administration.
Josh majored in journalism and graduated from Arizona State University the same year "Jake the Snake" Plummer led the Sun Devils to the Rose Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes. He also holds a J.D. from the University of Wyoming College of Law, was admitted in 2008 to practice law in the state of Colorado and spent a year clerking for a state district court judge.
Over more than a quarter century, he’s written on various topics for newspapers and business-to-business publications – from the Yavapai in Arizona and a controversial plan for a nuclear-waste incinerator in Idaho to nuanced issues, including FDA enforcement of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA).
Since the late 1990s, his articles have been published in a variety of media, including but not limited to, the Cape Cod Times (in Massachusetts), Sedona Red Rock News (in Arizona), Denver Post (in Colorado), Casper Star-Tribune (in Wyoming), now-defunct Jackson Hole Guide (in Wyoming), Colorado Lawyer (published by the Colorado Bar Association) and Nutrition Business Journal.
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Apple packed a number of upgrades into the new iPhone 5S. There’s a fingerprint scanner, a faster processor, a motion-tracking chip and an improved camera. But according to phone insurer SquareTrade, there’s one area where the latest iPhone falls short of its predecessor: breakability.
In what is becoming a new phone tradition, SquareTrade put the new iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S through a series of brutal tests where the phones are slid, dropped, splashed with water and more. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the highest risk for damage, the new iPhone 5S scored a 5.5 and the new iPhone 5C scored a 6. In comparison, last year’s iPhone 5 rated a 5 on SquareTrade’s scale.
Both the 5C and 5S took a ratings hit for their performance in the Slide Test, meant to replicate the act of the phone sliding off a kitchen counter. The bargain-priced iPhone 5C, according to SquareTrade, “suffered from increased smash-ability in our drop test as well as reduced grip-ability.”
Though Apple may have made its flagship phone more fragile, it’s still holding up better than Techlicious’s favorite Samsung Galaxy S4, which earned an ugly score of 7 in the tests. Google’s made-in-America Moto X scored a 4.5, meanwhile, making it the sturdiest phone of the bunch.


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Samsung is advertising Galaxy S10 bunch of flagship phones extremely well. The company will announce the phones along with some IOT’s in the Unpacked event in San Francisco on February 20. Right after the vent, the company will preview the phone in major cities across India. Well, the following is the list of the eight cities, where people will get a chance to get an early hands-on on these phones.
That’s not all! Here is the location of the stores so that you don’t puzzle yourself:
Well, Indian’s are not the luckiest customers as the Samsung 837 center in New York will showcase the phones to the public on the launch day itself. Even more, the company will announce the Galaxy Fold, Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Watch Active and more in the event.


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Zynga strategy change sends stock sliding
Updated 8:10 pm, Thursday, July 25, 2013
San Francisco social game maker Zynga offered a disappointing quarterly forecast Thursday and announced it is abandoning plans to enter the online-gambling business in the U.S. The one-two punch of bad news sent its stock down about 15 percent in after-hours trading.
"While the company continues to evaluate its real-money gaming products in the U.K. test, Zynga is making a focused choice not to pursue a license for real-money gaming in the U.S.," the struggling company said. The stock tumbled to below $3 per share.
The game maker's shares had risen 48 percent so far this year on optimism that Zynga could use Web betting to revive growth amid a slump in gaming on Facebook's network.
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Zynga took preliminary steps to get a gambling license in Nevada last year, working to enter a U.S. market for online betting that may reach $7.4 billion a year by 2017, according to British researcher H2 Gambling Capital.
New CEO's view
The results announced Thursday covered Zynga's final reporting period before it hired former Microsoft executive Don Mattrick to replace founder Mark Pincus as chief executive officer. Zynga is counting on Mattrick to engineer a turnaround after a highly successful stint in charge of Microsoft Xbox video game operations.
The second-quarter review gave Mattrick his first opportunity to publicly assess the situation facing Zynga, and he didn't sugarcoat the challenges ahead, as the maker of games once wildly popular on Facebook's social network tries to figure out how to connect with game players who increasingly are entertaining themselves on mobile devices.
"We have a lot of hard work in front of us and as we reset. We expect to see more volatility in our business than we would like over the next two to four quarters," Mattrick said.
Pushing existing games
On a call with analysts after the report, the new CEO said he enjoys playing the game "Candy Crush Saga" from rival King.com but, asked if he might slash Zynga's workforce of 2,300 to match that of King's 400, Mattrick said he thinks he can get still more performance out of his current staff.
Also on the call, Chief Operations Officer David Ko said the company dropped its pursuit of a license to launch real-money games in the U.S. - the first big pivot since Mattrick's hiring - because Zynga is in a transition period "and we must stay focused" on developing casual and free-to-play games.
Zynga is also marshalling its "top talent" to bolster the sagging fortunes of one of its bedrock games, "Zynga Poker," Ko said.
Competitors such as Double Down Interactive are "closing the gap," Ko said. "We're not happy with the performance of 'Zynga Poker.' "
The company also forecast third-quarter sales and earnings to fall short of analysts' estimates, as fewer users have accessed its major games via Facebook.
The third-quarter loss, excluding some items, will be 5 to 9 cents per share on revenue of $175 million to $200 million, Zynga said. Analysts on average had estimated a 2-cent loss on sales of $216.2 million.
At the end of the second quarter, Zynga had three top 10 titles on Facebook, down from seven a year earlier.
Mattrick, who started his job this month, is working to restart growth as users shift their attention to mobile devices and play games from other providers.
Before the earnings report, Zynga shares had advanced 6.7 percent to $3.50 Thursday, enjoying a boost after Facebook said the number of mobile users on its service expanded 51 percent to 819 million during the June quarter.
Zynga generates revenue by selling virtual goods within its games - for example, poker chips in "Texas HoldEm" or a tractor in "FarmVille 2."
The company said its second-quarter loss, excluding some items, was 1 cent per share and that revenue fell 31 percent to $230.7 million. Analysts on average had estimated a 4-cent loss on sales of $219.2 million.
The net loss for the quarter fell to $15.8 million (2 cents per share) from a loss of $22.8 million (3 cents) a year earlier.
Bookings, or the total value of virtual goods sold in the quarter, fell 38 percent to $187.6 million, within the range of the company's forecast of $180 million to $190 million. Zynga's reported revenue includes virtual items sold before the quarter and amortized over their expected life.


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Venture capitalists are still finding some investments worth making, but many are bracing for the worst as the industry deals with its sharpest downturn in a decade.
Although returns are plunging for venture capital funds that fueled the tech boom in the late 1990s, some firms have raised new money and others are still sitting on billions raised in happier times that they have yet to invest.
Updata Venture Partners of Reston, Va., finished raising money for a $67 million fund in the spring of 2001. Since then it has invested about a quarter of the fund in four companies and already sold one of them. Still, Updata has not made a new investment in 14 months.
But Updata's wallet may open again. John Burton, the firm's managing general partner, expects to close a handful of deals in coming months. "We are extremely busy," he said.
ECentury Capital Partners of McLean, Va., closed a $90 million fund last year, and though it has made a dozen investments, it has committed only $12 million and taken four board seats, leaving it ample time and money for new investments.
"A lot of the deals we're seeing tend to be a little later stage," said Thomas Dann, a managing director.
That seems to be one key to making a successful deal lately. Later-stage investments in firms with experienced managers who have real products and customers win the venture capitalists' favor.
"The percentage of qualified management teams is up dramatically," Burton said. "They're working on expanding their business model instead of creating it."
Venture funds in the first quarter invested just $5.1 billion, a 53 percent drop from a year earlier, according to VentureOne Corp., an industry research firm. They raised just $2.25 billion in the first quarter, the lowest amount since 1995.
If you look at a five-year period, venture capitalists made a 35.9 percent return on their investments through the end of 2001, Thomson Financial/Venture Economics reported. But that counts the 3,135 still-surviving start-ups that were funded during the boom years of 1999 and 2000, a large percentage of which are expected to fail.
Venture capitalists at an industry conference said they are bracing for a "traumatic contraction" that could wipe out half of the nation's 800 venture firms in the next few years.
"You can just look at the numbers and see that another day of reckoning is coming," said Peter Barris, managing general partner of New Enterprise Associates' Reston, Va., office. "We are going to have to go through another painful trough."
In 2001, the value of early-stage venture capital funds fell 33.9 percent. That means that $100 invested in an early-stage fund on Jan. 1, 2001, would have been worth $66.10 on Dec. 31. Later-stage venture investments fell 20 percent in the same period. The value of all venture funds fell an average of 27.8 percent, marking the first annual loss recognized in any year since the industry began tracking returns in 1980.
So it's no wonder that venture capitalists are looking for bargains that could net bigger returns if the investments are cashed out.
The costs of expanding a business have dropped, costs that venture-financed companies tend to spend a lot of money on before they make a dime in revenue. Labor costs are starting to come under control, too.
"It's the cheapest time to put together companies from an infrastructure standpoint that you're going to see," said Burton. "Legal fees, accounting fees, recruitment fees, rent--particularly office facilities--there are tremendous values out there."
"The whole thing with venture capital is buying low and selling high and this is a very good time to be buying low," said John Taylor, vice president for research at the National Venture Capital Association.
But venture capitalists earn money by selling companies they invest in to larger companies, or taking them public by selling shares on the stock market. If the seller's market is lousy, the climate for initial public offerings is frigid.


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Comprehensive car insurance can help in many troubling situations, including flood damage due to hurricanes, vehicle fires tied to recalled auto parts and even if a car is tipped over by pranksters or during a riot.
So, with hurricane season starting June 1, vehicle recalls being issued at a rapid clip lately and recent reports of tiny Smart cars getting flipped on the streets of San Francisco, it's a good time to look at how comprehensive coverage fits into your auto insurance policy.
Comprehensive is optional, so it's not included in the liability protection you buy. Simply put, comprehensive covers damages to your vehicle that are separate from a crash, which is mostly covered by the collision portion of your insurance.
Here are eight things that comprehensive covers, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III), that you may not be familiar with:
Your vehicle is protected from damage caused by earthquakes, both big and small, and from flooding, a growing danger for many states in the approaching hurricane season, which begins June 1 Comprehensive can also help with havoc from tornadoes and even volcanic eruptions.
Penny Gusner, consumer analyst for CarInsurance.com, notes that you have to think ahead when buying the protection. "If you don't have comprehensive and collision coverage, you need to get it before hurricane or flood warnings are given for your area," she says. "Insurance companies can't add new coverage or write a new insurance policy when a storm warning has been issued."
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says that a vehicle fire breaks out every 96 seconds in the U.S. Most are from accidents, but non-crash fires can start because of electrical problems or faulty fuel systems. Recalls by Tesla and General Motors have made headlines in recent weeks, and the III points out that "nearly every major car company has recalled one of its vehicles due to a fire-related defect."
Comprehensive protects you if your car is damaged from a defective or recalled part. And a new study from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) shows the claim frequency for vehicles with fire-related defects -- prior to a recall -- is 23 percent higher than for other vehicles.
Rodents can be a nuisance, especially if they manage to sneak into your car. You're probably covered if, say, a squirrel manages to get inside and chew at the car's wiring system or do any other mischief requiring repairs. The III recommends taking a look at your policy or talking to an agent to make sure your insurer includes rodents in its comprehensive coverage.
Sure, it's unlikely your car will be struck by something from the way beyond, but it could happen. If so, you're protected. And the III points out that the coverage extends to other falling objects, "including hail, trees and the neighbor's kid's baseball."
Hail damage occurs more often that you might think. The HLDI says comprehensive hail-related claims more than doubled in 2011 compared with the previous three years, and about 250,000 cars are damaged by hail every year. The institute adds that the average claim is about $3,100.
But keep in mind that if the damage falls below that figure, it may be smart to pass on filing a claim because the typical comprehensive deductible is between $500 and $1,500.
If the owners of the Smart cars recently tipped over in San Francisco have comprehensive car insurance, they can file a claim for any damage to their vehicles. Comprehensive also ensures that your vehicle would be repaired if it's damaged by boisterous sports fans during a victory party -- any damage from a riot is covered.
"Unfortunately, every now and then a victory celebration or peaceful protest can get out of hand and morph into a full blown riot," says the III. "If your car were to get caught in the middle, any damage resulting from the incident - from being flipped, or from such things as explosions, fire and smoke - would be covered. The same goes for acts of vandalism."
State Farm, in an analysis of its own insurance claims and accident statistics gathered from the Federal Highway Administration, predicts that motorists face a one in 174 chance of crashing into a deer this year. That compares to the one in 167 odds the year before. And the average property-damage cost of such incidents is about $3,400, compared to about $3,300 for the previous year.
The III adds that about 1.22 million deer-vehicle collision occurred in the U.S. between July 1, 2012, and June 30, 2013. "But deer aren't the only animals that can damage your car," says the III. "Bears have a habit of breaking into cars around national parks, looking for food that visitors leave behind. Your trail-mix supply might be a goner, but with comprehensive, you won't have to 'bear' the damage alone."
Comprehensive protects you if your car is stolen. The III notes that vehicle theft resulted in more than $4.3 billion in losses in 2012, with the average loss reaching $6,019.
Anyone who's watched a small ding on the windshield caused by a rock or other road debris turn into a major crack knows what a hassle this can be. But comprehensive covers any damage to the windshield that occurs while driving.
"In many states it is illegal to drive with a cracked or broken windshield," says the III. "Not only is such damage covered by your comprehensive policy, many companies offer the option of no-deductible coverage for glass damage specifically."
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4. Is that it for the third party characters?
There's nothing like a steady stream of character announcements to keep a game relevant with both media and fans. Seeing as Super Smash Bros. is still a long way off, it's safe to assume Nintendo has a new character or three hidden away to reveal between now and release.
A more uncertain question is whether or not any of these characters will be from a third party franchise. The third party possibilities look endless now that Super Smash Bros. is being developed in-part by Namco Bandai, a company in charge of a plethora of iconic gaming series. However, Sakurai has said that Namco Bandai characters probably won't make it into Super Smash Bros. Still, Nintendo seems to have played its third party cards early: Mega Man was announced the same time the game was, and Sonic's second Smash Bros. appearance has already been let out of the bag. As third party characters are the most exciting new challengers, you'd think Nintendo would save at least one to make a splash leading up to release—possibly at E3.


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The oft-rumored Samsung Galaxy J6 is officially out in India at a starting price of around $205, with a higher-end J8 available for the rough equivalent of $280, and the A6 and A6+ priced slightly higher.
Speed is the game, OnePlus is the name. Will its latest Android smartphone keep up? It has 480fps video capture, a new Snapdragon 845 chip and a new storage option. All for a little more money than the OnePlus 5T.
Expected out sometime later this month in India and other emerging markets, the Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo doesn't look half bad on paper... for what we hope will be an ultra-affordable dual camera smartphone.


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Rt Hon Nick Clegg Deputy Prime Minister officially opens the Hallam FC 1860 suite at Sandygate the Oldest Football Ground in the World.
While the cream of Great Britain's athletes are showing the world how good they are, the country's hand-picked innovations will be doing the same and the iconic Gripple will be one of them! The Gripple, the worldwide market leading wire joiner and tensioner made in Sheffield by Gripple Limited, has beaten off competition from hundreds of UK companies wanting to take part in the Make it in Great Britain exhibition.
Retirement Rules Clarified in Eagerly Awaited Case Increase in Discrimination Claims Now More Likely Whilst a judgment handed down today (25 April 2012) at the Supreme Court has left the door open for allowing businesses to set their own retirement age for staff it is only if the reasons for doing so meet both their own and public policy objectives.
Young carers across Sheffield kick started the year with a rosy glow thanks to the culmination of an exciting project all about promoting healthy eating.
Niche employment law firm, Bhayani Bracewell, has recently celebrated its first anniversary in Sheffield, and after setting up her new business last year in association with Doncaster firm, Taylor Bracewell, Jay Bhayani is delighted at what has been a very successful year.
- Businesses Risk Fines and Reputational Damage from EU -Cookie Laws A LEADING lawyer at the Sheffield office of Irwin Mitchell is warning local businesses that they have until May to ensure that their websites are not in breach of recent legislation relating to the use of 'cookies'.
DBL Logistics, the Sheffield-based haulage and Logistics Company, is planning to double in size with the development of a new purpose built distribution centre, in a deal supported by HSBC's Midlands Commercial team.
EDS Group has set an industry standard by becoming the first decommissioning contractor of its nature to win a Queen's Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category 2011, firmly establishing its position as a major global player.


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Jazzy Junque Celebrates 7th Anniversary
CONROE, TX – Jazzy Junque Resale store is entering its 7th year in business, and to commentate this exciting event the store has numerous celebrations planned for the week of its anniversary.
Jazzy Junque is the resale store benefitting New Danville. The store offers high quality home decor items at a fraction of the original cost. Located at the Outlets at Conroe, it has become an important financial resource for New Danville, a non-profit day program benefiting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and a valuable resale store for Montgomery County.
Every year, on its anniversary, Jazzy Junque holds special events to thank the community for their loyal support.
Jazzy Junque operates full time with mostly volunteers. Odette D’Agostino credits the support from the surrounding community for a large part of the store’s success. “We have the most fabulous customers. Many come on a regular basis. But we also have those that are from other states and countries who are visiting in the area. Also those moving, scaling down, or redecorating find Jazzy Junque a worthy place to donate household items.”
In addition, Jazzy Junque has been fortunate to have the support of Dennis Brown, manager at The Outlets at Conroe, and owner Craig Realty. Jazzy Junque has been serving the Montgomery County community with outstanding, upscale home décor items, since August 12, 2012.
According to Nanci Day, one of the creators of Jazzy Junque, “Many people are surprised to learn that we are a resale store. We are selective in what goes on the floor and many times we repurpose an item into a new, unique product.” The store’s motto is, “Here today, gone tomorrow, or maybe today!”
For more information on Jazzy Junque call 936.441.4500. For more information on New Danville visit www.newdanville.org or call 936.344.6200.


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Was a rival’s use of the phrase “Post without the office” a breach of Australia Post’s intellectual property? Which case won?
Trade mark dispute between parcel delivery company Sendle and Australia Post
Sendle Pty Ltd is a Sydney-based parcel delivery company that provides low-cost, door-to-door delivery, enabling customers to avoid physically attending a post office to send parcels.
As a start-up back in 2014, Sendle lodged an application to register the trade mark “Post without the office”. In 2015, Australia Post filed a Notice of Intention to Oppose the registration, arguing that the phrase was a breach of the Trade Marks Act because it was deceptively similar to its own trade marks and likely to mislead consumers.
The matter came before the Australian Trade Mark Office for hearing in February 2017.


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Bookmakers Ladbrokes said it has taken the decision to return £200,000 worth of bets after horses trained by Godolphin's Mahmood Al Zarooni tested positive for steroids. Alex Donohue of Ladbrokes said:
Certify was one of the most popular ante post horses of the season. She was the big race favourite all winter but given the circumstances we feel it's only fair customers get their money back.
More top news
Teenage blogger Amos Yee from Singapore was jailed for posting criticisms of his government online.
Supermarket chain decide to unlock trolleys at some of its biggest stores as it deals with the implications of the new £1 coin rollout.
Florida police have charged a man who decided to eat his pancakes in the middle of the street with "placing an obstruction in the road".


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Shares of Apple (AAPL) are sliding after the iPhone maker warned it will badly miss its quarterly sales forecast, sending the stocks of several of its suppliers into negative territory as well. Following the announcement, both Jefferies analyst Timothy O'Shea and Loop Capital analyst Ananda Baruah downgraded Apple to Neutral-equivalent ratings, while several other Wall Street analysts also cut their targets on the tech giant’s stock.
REVENUE WARNING: Apple said on Wednesday night that it is revising its first quarter revenue guidance to approximately $84B, down from its previously provided view of $89B-$93B. Additionally, Apple now sees gross margin for the quarter of roughly 38%, operating expenses of about $8.7B, and a tax rate of approximately 16.5% before discrete items. The company said in a statement that economic weakness in some emerging markets, particularly Greater China, turned out to have a "significantly" greater impact on revenue than the company had previously projected, and that lower than anticipated iPhone revenue, primarily in Greater China, accounts for all of its revenue shortfall to its guidance and for much more than the company's entire year-over-year revenue decline.
‘BOMBSHELL’ WARNING: In a research note following the announcement, Jefferies’s O'Shea downgraded Apple to Hold from Buy and lowered his price target on the shares to $160 from $225, as "uncertainty grows around the hardware business." The analyst pointed out that Apple's business in China appears to be "rapidly deteriorating" with the revised outlook for iPhone "materially worse" than expected. O'Shea still thinks Apple can build a "massive" Services business over time, but noted that the company has not missed its guide in years. As such, the extent of the fiscal first quarter miss suggests Apple is "navigating uncharted waters," he contended. The analyst now models 185M iPhone sales in fiscal 2019, down 10% from his prior estimate of 206M. Meanwhile, his peer at Loop Capital also downgraded Apple to Hold from Buy and cut his price target to $160 from $225. Analyst Ananda Baruah argued that the announcement "greatly reduces the visibility" of the company's revenue trajectory in the medium term and puts its valuation into question. Further, Baruah warned that sales may be declining through the first half of 2019 since Apple is not looking forward to a material iPhone cycle in the upcoming iteration of the product. Also commenting on the news, Oppenheimer analyst Andrew Uerkwitz told investors in a research note of his own that he believes Apple's negative pre-announcement raises more questions than answers related to China, the future of the company's iPhone and its potential gross margin problem. Uerkwitz remains "solidly" on the sidelines as he continues to believe investors are not pricing in longer-term risks. Not as bearish, Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives reiterated an Outperform rating on the stock. However, the analyst lowered his price target for Apple to $200 from $275 after the company's "bombshell negative pre-announcement" that will be “a defining moment” for years to come. While the Street had been anticipating softness in the December quarter and around March guidance given a slew of negative iPhone XS/XR data points coming out of the Asia supply chain over the past few months, the magnitude of the top-line miss with China demand the culprit was "jaw dropping" and will heavily weigh on shares accordingly, he contended. Other Wall Street firms lowering their price targets for Apple included Wells Fargo, BMO Capital, Needham, DA Davidson, Maxim, Goldman Sachs, Piper Jaffray, Morgan Stanley, UBS, Canaccord, Nomura Instinet, JPMorgan, BTIG, and RBC Capital.
SUPPLIERS UNDER PRESSURE: Maintaining a Cautious View on the Semiconductors sector, Morgan Stanley analyst Craig Hettenbach told investors that the sizeable iPhone miss in China and a weaker China PMI reading this week provide further evidence of a strong downward bias in "the most important growth region for semis." He sees more reasons for investors to reduce exposure to semis, rather than add, ahead of what he expects to be a challenging earnings season. In terms of exposure to Apple, Hettenback said he estimates Skyworks (SWKS) has 45% exposure, followed by Qorvo (QRVO) at about 35% and Broadcom (AVGO) at 15%- 20%. Beyond the companies with the greatest Apple exposure, the analyst also highlighted risks to broad-based suppliers such as Texas Instruments (TXN), Amphenol (APH), ON Semiconductor (ON), NXP Semiconductors (NXPI), Analog Devices (ADI) and Cypress Semiconductor (CY), calling out ON as his top Underweight idea. Meanwhile, B. Riley FBR analyst Dave Kang said he is an "aggressive" buyer of Lumentum Holdings (LITE) on the selloff related to Apple's guidance cut. Apple weakness was already reflected in Lumentum's November pre-announcement, Kang argued, reiterating a Buy rating. Voicing a similar opinion but regarding Cirrus Logic (CRUS), Stifel analyst Tore Svanberg argued that the shortfall pre-announced by Apple had been "strongly foreshadowed" given recent supply chain commentary and is already "largely baked-in" to current Cirrus’ estimates following the company's own pre-announcement on December 3. Svanberg reiterated a Buy rating on Cirrus’ stock.
PRICE ACTION: In late morning trading, shares of Apple have dropped over 8% to $144.71. Meanwhile, Skyworks and Qorvo have slipped almost 8%, Broadcom has slid over 5%, Lumentum has dropped about 7%, and Cirrus and On Semiconductor have slipped nearly 6% each.


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The luxury hospitality brand intends to explore new destinations including major development projects NEOM and Red Sea.
With Saudi Arabia quickly becoming one of the most opulent travel destinations in the region, renowned luxury hospitality brand Marriott International has announced its plans to expand into the country with 40 new hotels, further adding to the ever growing roster in the kingdom.
The new hotels will be built in some of the kingdom’s most unique destinations, including major developmental projects NEOM and Red Sea, as well as the holy cities.
Marriott will also be debuting some of its own luxury brands including Ritz-Carlton, Fairfield Inn and The St. Regis across the country. Two Fairfield Inn hotels are already in the works at the holy city of Makkah, and are set to be Marriott's largest properties worldwide.
Saudi Arabia has been continuing its efforts in alignment with its 2030 vision to develop the kingdom’s tourism sector. Saudi Arabia currently presents 35% of hotel construction in the MENA region with over 40,000 hotels undergoing development.


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Insomniac is aiming to provide 5,000 people with a "shiftpod" shelter in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian decimated the region in early September.
Shiftpods are Insomniac's state-of-the-art tents that include air conditioning and access to electrical outlets. Every year, the company is tasked with creating a city of pods for its flagship Electric Daisy Carnival event in Las Vegas. With an estimated 70,000 people left without shelter in the Bahamas according to the United Nations, the company is applying its expertise in this field to help those in need.
Insomniac has already delivered nearly 1,000 pods to the region. As that effort is ongoing, members of Insomniac's logistics team are additionally training families on how to set up and maintain the pods. At a festival, they will typically be packaged for six, but even bigger families in the Bahamas have been able to live comfortably in them thus far.
Apple Reveals New MacBook Pro With Help From REZZ and Deathpact
Apple decision to soundtrack the promo for their "completely redesigned" MacBook Pro computers with REZZ and Deathpact's midtempo banger "Chemical Bond."
Three in Four Black Music Professionals Have Experienced Racism, Study Finds
The wide-reaching research quantifies inequality on both the creative and business sides of the music industry in the U.K.
Look Inside Beyond Wonderland at the Gorge, Insomniac's Dazzling Festival in the Pacific Northwest
Insomniac's first event at the Gorge didn't miss a beat.
The initiative is expected to cost over a million dollars. Insomniac is raising additional funds in part through a Go Fund Me. The company states the donations will be used to pay for "generators, water purification devices, bedding, toiletries, and other supplies to help create a sustainable living environment for families."


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Elizabeth Peabody House To Host Pizza Challenge Fundraiser
Five local pizza shops will participate in the April 2nd event. Proceeds go to help stock the EPH's Emergency Food Pantry.
In the spirit of feeding community and raising awareness about hunger, the Elizabeth Peabody House in Somerville’s Winter Hill neighborhood is excited to announce that it will be holding its first Pizza Challenge Fundraiser to benefit its emergency food pantry on Saturday, April 2, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 277 Broadway.
The public is invited to taste--and then vote on--a wide selection of pizzas that will be baked up by some of Somerville’s finest pizzerias, including Leones, Primo’s, Pinis, Caesars, and Eat at Jumbos.
For $10 ($6 for children under 12), attendees are eligible for all-you-can-eat slices, such as the shrimp scampi or the veggie bomb, and asked to rate each pie based on several criteria to determine which pizzeria whips up the ultimate slice.
Prizes will be awarded for best pizza, overall best pizzeria, healthiest option and most creative pizza.
“We’re excited to be able to host such a delicious event,” said Selvin Chambers, Peabody House’s executive director. “Somerville’s first Pizza Challenge will not only raise money for our pantry but also bring so much awareness around important food issues, such as food insecurity and hunger in our community.”
Tough economic conditions put a strain on both Peabody House families and residents of Somerville, and sparked the creation of the Peabody House’s Community Food Pantry. The pantry began as a pilot project in September 2009 and opened to the public three months later.
“We currently provide more than 175 Somerville families per month with food relief and a sense of comfort in this tough economic climate,” explained Paul Kuhne, the pantry’s coordinator.
For more information about the event or to purchase tickets in advance please contact Paul Kuhne at firstname.lastname@example.org or call 617-623-5510.
There are a limited number of tickets available, so hurry and buy yours today!
The above article is an edited announcement from the Elizabeth Peabody House.


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DEC 06, 2019 | US
BSA Statement on Comments Filed to California Attorney General
WASHINGTON – December 6, 2019 – BSA | The Software Alliance today filed comments to the California Attorney General on draft regulations to implement the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). In the comments, BSA urged California’s Attorney General Xavier Becerra to ensure the regulations clearly reflect the distinct role of service providers. Service providers create the trusted technology products and services that power other businesses – and have important obligations to safeguard the privacy of data they process and maintain. BSA supports strong privacy rules that ensure companies will handle data responsibly.
“Consumers must be able to trust companies to act responsibly with their data. We appreciate California’s leadership on data privacy and are glad the CCPA recognizes the important and unique role that service providers play in helping businesses serve their customers,” said Kate Goodloe, Director, Policy at BSA | The Software Alliance. “BSA and our member companies recognize the need for service providers to safeguard the privacy and security of the data they hold. To ensure that these regulations are not inadvertently read to alter the important relationship between service providers and the businesses they serve, we encourage the California Attorney General to be even clearer in addressing how service providers are treated under the CCPA.”
BSA continues to advocate for strong, comprehensive federal legislation that is worthy of becoming the national standard. For more information about BSA’s privacy work, visit: https://www.bsa.org/policy-issues/data-privacy
SOBRE A BSA
A BSA | The Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) é a principal defensora do setor global de software perante governos e no mercado internacional. Seus membros estão entre as empresas mais inovadoras do mundo, criando soluções de software que estimulam a economia e melhoram a vida moderna.
Com sede em Washington, DC e operações em mais de 30 países, a BSA promove programas de conformidade que promovem o uso legal de software e defendem políticas públicas que promovem a inovação tecnológica e o crescimento da economia digital.


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Android 7.0 Released for Sony Xperia XA
This week, Sony released an Android 7.0 update for the Xperia XA, so the company’s mid-range smartphone joins the Nougat family.
Android Nougat for the Xperia XA brings several improvements like an improved camera and multi-windows support. XDA Senior Member Jozinek posted a quick review of the update. There are some screenshots and a video that shows the new update in action, which you can watch below.
If you haven’t gotten an update notification already, check whether the update download is available via Xperia Companion.
Check out Jozinek’s thread