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In spite of an extensive awareness campaign last year that highlighted the problem of modem hijacking among other security issues, it is still with us. This much became very clear when BT Ireland last month launched a free software tool to prevent modem hijacking, which is a type of online fraud that can result in people receiving higher than usual telephone bills.
Modem hijacker programs, also known as rogue diallers or autodiallers, only affect people who access the internet via a dial-up connection. Typically, they unknowingly download a piece of software that then changes the dial-up settings on their modems to call foreign destinations or premium-rate numbers at great expense.
According to the latest available figures, there could be between 60 and 80 such incidents every month. Eircom Net, one of the State’s largest internet service provider (ISP), confirms it receives on average 30 reports per month. The company says it monitors internet traffic for unusual patterns that could be associated with modem hijacking and if an incident is detected, Eircom Net contacts the customers and attempts to block the number. Although the ISP has not developed its own software, its website contains links to download eight third-party programs with similar features. A spokesperson for BT Ireland says the company was receiving on average 50 reports every month about modem hijacking.
The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) confirmed it was receiving 60 queries a month about autodiallers and the organisation refers complainants to their service providers. A ComReg spokesperson adds: “Anyone who is an innocent or inadvertent victim of autodialler fraud would be refunded.”
According to BT Ireland there are close to 330,000 home users and 70,000 business customers still on dial-up internet services in the State and they could potentially be affected by the problem. As a result it launched BT Modem Protection, a free software download that stops a computer’s modem from dialling high-cost premium rate or international numbers, even if rogue dialler software is on the machine.
BT Modem Protection is available to all Irish internet users, whether they are BT customers or not. It can be downloaded from www.btireland.ie/modemprotection. The software is already available in the UK and Northern Ireland, and BT says that up to 2,000 customers a day have downloaded the free online tool. In Northern Ireland, where BT is the incumbent telecoms provider, the number of reported incidents dropped from 500 to 60 since the software was introduced.
BT Modem Protection alerts users if their dial-up modem begins to call any number other than a list of approved numbers, such as their ISP’s national call or freefone access number.
This type of fraud often takes place unknown to the user and they become aware of the problem only after receiving their phone bills. Scammers take a profit from the cost of the call. One BT Ireland customer is understood to have incurred a bill of €1,000 in just three days. Last year one business received a phone bill to the tune of €12,000 as a result of the fraud.
The issue first came to prominence last year and reached a stage where ComReg briefly barred all phone calls to 13 overseas destinations. The telecoms regulator subsequently rolled back its decision, which had caused much controversy. ComReg said at the time that telecoms operators and ISPs were conforming to a code of practice including sharing information with each other and putting in place protection measures for consumers.
In a statement issued by BT, ComReg commissioner Mike Byrne says the initiative had been successful in reducing instances of the problem. He adds that continued vigilance was necessary and that consumer awareness was also important in guarding against the problem.
Damien Mulley, chairman of the consumer telecoms lobby group IrelandOffline, welcomed BT’s initiative. “There have been a lot of people in Ireland affected by this, so any endeavour by any ISP or telco to prevent customers from being ripped off is a good thing,” he told siliconrepublic.com.
However, he expressed his disappointment that the number of dial-up internet users in Ireland remains so high. “In the UK, there are more broadband users than dial-up users; it’s the same in the US,” he said. “Here in Ireland, there are 400,000 dial-up users and around 140,000 broadband users.”
By Gordon Smith


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Verizon, a NewYork-based Telecom giant has quietly announced that it will finally commence rolling out support for Wi-Fi calling on Samsung handsets this week. The carrier didn’t take too long to turn on Wi-Fi calling feature available to the users of Samsung Galaxy devices this week probably starting December 8. Unfortunately, the carrier is currently starting to roll out this new feature only for Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung S6 Edge smartphones. The iPhone users who are hoping to take the advantage of Wi-Fi calling need to wait a bit longer as the nation’s biggest carrier said iOS support will be updated with the new feature early next year.
Verizon is one among the big four US carriers to flip the turn on Wi-Fi calling, possibly in a frame because it remained until it could get an approved release from the FCC to do it. AT&T also received a refusal and also had some wrangles with T-Mobile over its lack of official approval. Verizon is now considering Wi-Fi calling as part of its “Advanced Calling” feature, which will be set as a branding to the carrier which pertains to both VoLTE HD Voice calls and its own video calling service.
Verizon Wi-Fi Calling Rolls out to Samsung Galaxy Devices this Week
Wi-Fi calling is nothing but a feature that allows users make calls over an Internet connection sooner instead of routing them over cellular networks. Wi-Fi calling is an eminently beneficial feature specifically in areas where cellular connectivity is uneven and unreliable. This new feature will offer much more than you have expected where the users who are with Wi-Fi calling enabled need not to worry about gradual decrease into their allotment of voice minutes. Another perquisite of Wi-Fi calling is that it provides users with higher quality audio transmissions.
A user can easily travel anywhere even an out of coverage area with an enabled Wi-Fi calling on their 4G LTE network. The Wi-Fi calling feature will require a software update for compatible phones and if you have a Samsung Galaxy S6 or a Samsung S6 Edge, you can easily use this Wi-Fi calling feature on your smart handset apparently starting this week.
How to Activate Wi-Fi Calling on Android Devices?
You need to follow simple steps to activate Wi-Fi calling on your Android smartphone:
- Initially, you need to download the latest software update on your device.
- Install the updated software on your Android handset.
- Once installed, turn on Advanced Calling from the settings menu.
- Once Advanced Calling is enabled on your device, you can now activate Wi-Fi Calling.
- Now, you can travel any out of coverage area with your 4G network enabled with Advanced Calling.
- The call will seamlessly transfer to a known Wi-Fi hotspot when available.
“Advanced Calling has been available for more than a year and enables HD Voice on 28 smartphones and Video Calling (on 21 smartphones) on the nation’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE network,” reads the press release of Verizon.
Another US-based Telecommunication giant, AT&T recently launched Wi-Fi calling feature for iPhones with iOS 9. However Wi-Fi calling isn’t exactly a new feature as the tech giant, Apple has already introduced it in iOS 8. Currently, Verizon carrier has taken a step forward to finally roll out this beneficial feature to the Samsung Galaxy smartphone users. Following the Verizon Carriers, Sprint and T-Mobile are bouncing on board the bandwagon. Wi-Fi calling feature will roll out for Samsung Galaxy devices on Tuesday, December 8.

domain: news


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This 2017 has been marked by the launch of the great update Android Wear 2.0 and the launch of complete watches that have tried to show that these watches have a future.
LG Watch Sport
In third place on our podium was the LG Watch Sport, which was launched earlier this year and sponsored by Google to demonstrate the advantages of Android Wear 2.0.
The LG Watch Sport is a complete watch since it has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, LTE. It has a sporty design, resistant to water and shock, but perhaps too fat. The pity is that it is not sold all over the world.
Fossil Q Explorist
The second place was taken by the Fossil Q Explorist, one of the most basic Android Wear models launched at the end of this year, which despite not having GPS or NFC, is perfect for those who want an elegant smartwatch and with personality since Fossil offers a great variety of colors and belts.
Huawei Watch 2
At the first place is the Huawei Watch 2, the complete Android Wear we can buy today. It came out in the middle of the year and with the passing of the months it has dropped a lot of prices, now you can buy its version with 4G connectivity for less than 250 euros.
Huawei Watch 2 is perfect for athletes who want to go out and do sports in the open air without depending on the mobile since it has GPS, NFC to pay with Android Pay, and with its LTE model, they can make calls.
- Custom Silicone Wristbands.


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Why EBay Shares Can Make a ComebackEBAY) shares were doing well this year until the company decided to split with PayPal in July. The effect of the split has been so severe that EBay shares have dropped 55% so far this year. But, in my opinion, this is an opportunity to buy more shares. Let’s see why.
Robust growth across the board
The payments and commerce segments of eBay are significantly enhancing their roles in international commerce, with notable increase in gross merchandise volume (GMV) on an FX neutral basis, growing over 6% compared to the previous period and overall payment volume grew 3 points to 28%.
Further, weaker local currencies in some key markets resulted in lowered demand for goods in export-driven markets such as the United States, affecting the expansion of its cross border trade. The e-commerce giant is expected to successfully offset the impact of local currency weakness through the accelerated launch of new and innovative products, driving significant sales volume expansion.
Optimizing its operations
EBay recently decided to cut 7% of its global workforce in an attempt to lower costs and preserve profitability. This will help the e-commerce giant to make up for weaker sales growth in an intensively competitive global environment with core competition from Amazon.com and the negative impact of a strengthening dollar on its overseas revenue.
Moreover, eBay is increasingly focused on optimizing its cost structure by eliminating non-core expenses and minimizing its workforce to successfully generate stronger free cash flow. Moreover, by improving its cash flow performance, eBay will be able to return more cash to shareholders.
For instance, last quarter, the company returned approximately $1.6 billion in free cash flow through a repurchase program executed in the first quarter, buying back 17.6 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $56.95. In addition, the company still has $3 billion of buyback authorization left with it.
Now, considering the company’s positive moves to improve its financial and operating performance, I’m not surprised to see that analysts are positive about the stock. For example, the consensus estimate among 40 investment analysts evaluating eBay suggests that the company will outperform the market.
This consensus rating has been maintained ever since analysts’ sentiments improved six years ago. The earlier consensus estimate had suggested investors to hold their position in the company, which means that analysts are more optimistic about eBay’s prospects going forward.
According to my opinion, investors should consider purchasing equity in eBay given its attractive valuation. It has a trailing P/E ratio of 13.52 and a forward P/E ratio of 13.41. Both these numbers are lower than the industry’s average P/E of 21.51, indicating that it is a cheap stock to buy. Additionally, the profit margin of 13.11% seems satisfactory. Moreover, eBay has a really robust cash position of $10.55 billion as compared to a low debt position of $7.62 billion. This clearly indicates that eBay is well-equipped to invest in growth moves in the future, making the stock a good buy on the dip.
Published on Sep 15, 2015By Ayush Singh


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Web Users Say Usability, Not Accessibility, Is Most
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
November 9, 2005
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND--Internet users with disabilities are more concerned that Websites are easy to move around in than they are in accessibility features.
The Web consultant firm User Vision surveyed 208 people with physical and intellectual disabilities and found that the two most common gripes were the lack of a search utility or site map, according to Internet magazine NMA.
The third most common problem was lack of a way to skip back to main links. Pop-ups were listed fourth.
Accessibility, such as being able to change the font size or color contrast, was the fifth most common problem listed.
Only one-third of respondents felt the use of "alt tags", which display an alternative text description of a picture, was important. In fact, one-fourth of users with vision-related disabilities said alt tags were not important to them at all.
Chris Rourke, User Vision's director, said usability might have become more of a barrier to all users because more Website designers are creating sites with richer content.


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What is going on in the market today ?
Will the USD be supported?
The United States will publish the level of its CPI and core CPI on May 10, at 15:30 MT time.
The consumer price index represents an important part of the overall inflation of the country. According to the forecasts, the headline consumer inflation will advance by 0.4%. At the same time, its core level is expected to increase by 0.2%. As usual, higher figures will boost the USD.
• If the indicators are greater than the forecasts, the USD will rise;
• If the indicators are lower than the forecasts, the USD will fall.
In July, Britain's inflation rate rallied for the first time in 2018, thus leaving many UK households feeling quite squeezed by prices, soaring at nearly the same tempo as their wages…
On Friday, the evergreen buck rallied versus its counterparts after data disclosed that the American economy generated more jobs than anticipated In October, thus backing the Fed’s case to proceed with gradual rate lifts…
On Tuesday, gold rallied because uncertainty over the latest developments in Britain’s departure from the EU backed safe haven demand and traders looked ahead for American inflation data to underpin the Fed’s pledge to remain on hold…


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Jordi Valls has been appointed as the new managing director of Barcelona wholesale market complex Mercabarna. He replaces Josep Tejedo, who has been leading the market’s management since 2012.
Valls’s career spans both the public and private sectors, having served as Mayor of Manresa, Minister of Labour and Industry in Catalonia’s regional government and president of Barcelona Port Authority. More recently he was CEO of the Suez Group in Mexico.
Tejedo announced his departure from the company in July, to pursue new professional projects in the world of consulting. During the more than eight years that Tejedo has been at the helm of Mercabarna, the wholesale market has positioned itself as the main food hub in the Mediterranean and one of the most important export markets in Europe.
Tejedo has been instrumental in promoting training, innovation, food start-ups, as well as overseeing the modernisation of Mercabarna’s infrastructure, especially the central markets for fruit and vegetables and fish.
Vall ssaid one of his priorities in his new role is to increase the services provided to the companies housed within the market so that they enhance their competitiveness by keeping abreast of new trends, finding new business opportunities, promoting innovation and investing in the digitalisation of food processes.
Mercabarna will play a significant role in next year’s celebration of Barcelona being named as the World Capital of Sustainable Food. November marks the opening of the new Biomarket, the first wholesale market in Spain dedicated exclusively to organic food, while efforts to promote local products and healthy habits among the child population are ongoing.
Mercabarna will also focus, among others, on projects to combat food waste, such as the new UPC-Mercabarna Chair, the expansion of collaboration with the Food Bank or the launch of the Center for Food Use.


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Does RIM Really
Have a Workaround?"> Should an injunction occur, it is likely that customers would get a little time before a shutdown. In a recent court filing arguing for the injunction, NTP recommended that BlackBerry customers be given a 30-day grace period. Is there a real workaround?In an earnings call late last month, RIM Chairman and Co-CEO Jim Balsillie said the company will reveal details of a workaround "very soon" that it could ship latent in future products. Balsillie said a workaround will not violate any of NTPs patents. Nevertheless, details of this workaround have remained a stubborn mystery. RIM officials say that they have yet to release the details of the workaround"for legal reasons," and so as not to tip a hand to NTP more than necessary. The bottom line is that customers have been left in the dark. Click here to read about a survey showing that most BlackBerry users are remaining loyal. "Nobody knows," said Alex Kogan, director of network and data center services at Boston Properties, a real estate company in Boston with a deployment of 170 BlackBerrys. "NTP is saying theres no solution that will work without defying the patent. Its kind of a waiting game." Will the workaround be pain free? Probably not. RIMs own court filings indicate that implementing a workaround wont be easy. "Implementing a workaround requires reloading software on servers and BlackBerry handheld devices," reads a January 17 court briefing from RIMs legal team. "This which would likely involve some significant effort on behalf of users and their supporting organizations, which will need to take time to implement the upgrades, and will likely experience typical problems experienced with undertaking upgrades." RIM goes on to note that customers could defect to other services rather than install any workaround, which may still be challenged by NTP. "Injunctions cover all products not colorably different from the enjoined product," Anderson said. "So, if the workaround is merely to take an existing BlackBerry and call it a RedBerry, then that product would be in contempt." Do I need a contingency plan? A backup plan certainly wouldnt hurt and its a good idea to be aware of alternatives. Clyde Foster, chief operating officer of Intellisync, which makes server and client-side software that competes with RIMs, said he has seen an increase in interest in piloting his software largely from potential customers in financial services and government. John Halamka, CIO of Harvard Medical School and Caregroup Healthcare System, a Boston-area hospital group that supports some 800 BlackBerry devices, has explored alternatives even though he thinks RIM will prevail. "As risk mitigation, Ive tested alternatives such as the [Palm] Treo 700, and they just do not work as well as BlackBerry for high volume e-mail users600 e-mails a day for me," said Halamka. Also, remember that RIMs rivals may not be above scare tactics. "There have been a lot of companies out there trying to profit from this," Boston Properties Kogan said. "A couple of them have contacted us." Indeed, on December 9 the Boston Properties IT team received an e-mail with the subject header "BlackBerry Shutdown at Boston Properties, Inc." The sender: the chief software architect at Mobiliam, a mobile computing software company that competes with RIM. Boston Properties CEO was ccd on the message. Kogan, however, said hell implement a workaround if needed and long-term will consider defecting from BlackBerry, depending on how the installation goes. One IT manager told eWEEK that while he plans to keep supporting around 700 BlackBerrys on his companys network, he also is rolling out a separate server from Good Technology and buying around ten Treo 700 devices for the top executives. Click here to read about how rivals are waiting to serve BlackBerry customers. In case of a BlackBerry shutdown, these executives will be taken care of immediately, and an alternate server will be in place for future Treo deployments. Will RIM and NTP make up? Gartner estimates theres a 35 percent chance the two companies will settle and a 20 percent chance RIM will enact a workaround. Nevertheless, RIM and NTP almost made peace in the past. In March 2005, the companies announced a settlement deal worth $450 million, but the deal fell apart a couple of months later when the companies failed to agree to terms. Recently, NTP has proposed various licensing plans in court briefings, but RIM officials remain publicly confident that the Patent Office will reject the NTP patents. Still, many customers are banking on the companies making nice. "Were confident that there will be a settlement," Kogan said. "RIM wont shut down for that many customers. It would kill their business ... It will either be ruled in RIMs favor or there will be a settlement. But if theres an outage, well deal with it accordingly." Check out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, reviews and analysis on mobile and wireless computing.
RIM maintains that the company has tested and readied a legal technical workaround solution that would let the company continue offering its mobile e-mail service even if the judge orders an injunction before the patent office rules.


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FedEx Makes Historic Panda Delivery to Toronto Zoo
Er Shun and Da Mao Arrive at Toronto Zoo Via FedEx Express
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- FedEx Express, the world's largest express transportation company, has safely delivered two giant pandas from China to the Toronto Zoo following months of preparations and public anticipation.
Right Honourable Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada signs for the pandas. (Photo: Business Wire)
The giant pandas, breeding pair Er Shun (female) and Da Mao (male), made the journey from Chengdu, China, to the FedEx Express Canadian Hub at Toronto Pearson International Airport, aboard a specially branded MD-11 aircraft donated by FedEx.
The pandas arrived at 10:47 a.m. EDT after an 18 hour flight. FedEx Express, the Toronto Zoo, and the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding collaborated extensively to ensure all necessary precautions were taken to provide a safe and comfortable flight for the pandas. Animal care experts were granted special flight privileges to accompany the pandas onboard the aircraft.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper was airside to officially sign for Canada's receipt of the giant pandas on a FedEx PowerPad handed to him by Lisa Lisson, president of FedEx Express Canada.
"Today is significant for Canadians as it marks an important symbol of trade and diplomacy between our country and China. As the world's global transportation leader, FedEx understands first-hand the opportunity and potential that comes with strengthened relationships and improved global connectivity—all of which is wrapped into the symbolism of today's delivery," said Lisa Lisson, president, FedEx Express Canada. "As excited as we are about facilitating this exchange between Canada and China, I can attest that all our 6,000-strong team of employees, from coast-to-coast, are as eagerly excited about the prospects of a giant panda cub being born on Canadian soil."
Following the arrival of FedEx Panda Express, Er Shun and Da Mao were transported by two FedEx Express trucks to Toronto Zoo where they will begin a five-year stay before transferring to Calgary. The specially-branded FedEx Express trucks will stay in service throughout the giant pandas' stay in Toronto, delivering 600 to 900 kilograms of fresh bamboo supplies two-to-three times a week, courtesy of the Memphis Zoo.
As announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on February 11, 2012, the cooperative conservation agreement with China marked the first time in more than twenty years that a giant panda has been loaned to a Canadian zoo. The agreement also marked the first time the Chinese government has granted a ten-year loan of breeding giant pandas to any international zoo in the world.
Following a brief but mandatory quarantine, the giant pandas will be on view to the public at a newly-constructed, state-of-the-art giant panda exhibit at the Toronto Zoo sometime in mid-May (exact date to determined). The program will allow the Toronto Zoo to contribute to ongoing international efforts to protect and increase the population of the endangered giant pandas through investments in research and conservation efforts. Currently, conservationists estimate that there are just over 2,000 giant pandas left in the wild.
"We are honoured to have giant pandas, Er Shun and Da Mao, arrive at the Toronto Zoo and look forward to the opportunity of contributing to the survival of this beautiful species for generations to come," said John Tracogna, CEO, Toronto Zoo. "The Toronto Zoo is thrilled to join the small group of countries and highly respected zoo organizations outside of China that have the conservation and research programs, professional expertise, and facilities to provide excellent care for a breeding pair of pandas."
FedEx Express has successfully transported a number of giant panda pairs, underscoring the company's commitment to safely and securely transporting even the world's most precious cargo:
China to Paris, France (2012)
China to Edinburgh, Scotland (2011)
Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, USA, to China (2010)
China to Memphis, USA (2003)
China to Washington, D.C., USA (2000)
About the Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo is Canada's Premier zoo and a leader in animal preservation and environmental protection. More than a tourist attraction, the Toronto Zoo boasts a number of leading programs for helping animals and their natural habitats—from species reintroduction to reproductive research. A world-class educational centre for people of all ages, the Toronto Zoo is open every day except Christmas, and attracts approximately 1.3 million visitors each year.
About FedEx Express
FedEx Express is the world's largest express transportation company, providing fast and reliable delivery to more than 220 countries and territories. FedEx Express uses a global air and ground network to speed delivery of time-sensitive shipments, by a definite time and date with a money-back guarantee.
About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYS: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $44 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 300,000 team members to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit http://news.van.fedex.com/intl/ca.
Follow FedEx Express Canada on Facebook: www.facebook.com/FedExCanada
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20130325006129/en/
FedEx Express Canada
James Anderson, 905-212-5372
Manager, Public Relations and Events
Cynthia Shipley, 416-392-5938
KEYWORDS: United States Asia Pacific North America Canada China Tennessee
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Evaluating the relations between Turkey and Sudan, Sudanese Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Hafız İbrahim Abdunnebi stated that Sudan’s meat exports increased 4 times thanks to a livestock facility operated by a Turkish company.
Minister Abdunnebi drew attention to the fact that Sudan’s meat export, which was 4 thousand tons last year, increased 4 times in the first half of this year, reaching 16 thousand tons thanks to an animal facility built and operated by a Turkish company.
Before his visit to Turkey next week, Minister Abdunnebi stated, at the ministry building in the capital Khartoum, that Sudan’s relations with Turkey, which came to a standstill, are starting to return to normal after the visit of the delegation led by the Deputy Chairman of the Sovereignty Council, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, to Turkey in May.
Referring to Turkey’s important role in the region and especially its deep-rooted relations with Sudan, Abdunnebi stated that they wanted to export Sudanese meat to Europe via Turkey, as he said in his meeting with Turkey’s Khartoum Ambassador İrfan Neziroğlu last month.
Stating that there are some conditions set by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) for exporting animal products to other countries and they do their best to implement these conditions, Minister Abdunnebi pointed out that the meat of animals in Sudan is of very high quality as it is naturally grazed on pastures.
Abdunnebi stated that, as the transitional government, they are trying to develop important issues related to livestock such as laboratories and quarantine centers. Stating that they will receive support from Turkey for modern devices, animal health and treatment, Abdunnebi said that after making the situation ready according to international standards, Sudanese meat will start to be exported.
Explaining that they will meet with new investors and invite them to their countries during their visit to Turkey, Abdunnebi emphasized that Sudan can open up to the European market with Turkey’s experience.
In addition, Abdunnebi pointed out that with the effect of removing Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and the removal of some of its debts, the economic pressure on the country has been lifted.
A high-level Sudanese delegation, along with other officials of the transitional government including Chairman of the Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, will be conducting an official visit to Turkey at the end of the month.


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VanErman releases new album
By Christy Hart-Harris
ANGOLA, Ind. — Rhon VanErman's "Christmas — The Reason" album was released on Nov. 20 through iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, www.rhonvanerman.com and Angola, Ind. businesses Coachlight Coffee Shop, Hair Happening, Accents and Rockin' Productions.
The album showcases VanErman's renditions of such Christmas classics as "What Child Is This?,""Away In A Manger," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Silent Night" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing."
VanErman will be performing next weekend in conjunction with a release of the CD on Nov. 29 at The Old Mill Shoppes in Fremont, Ind. at the Christmas Artisan Festival at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. A booth for meet and greet in between performances will also be available.
On Dec. 1, VanErman will be at the Satek Winery in Fremont from 2-5 p.m. with performances at 2 and 3:30 p.m.


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uTest Announces Record Third Quarter Including 300% Revenue Growth Year-Over-YearCrowdsourced Testing Leader Secures $13 Million C Round; Records Best-Ever Quarter in Growing Customer Base; and Launches New Platform Functionality (November 09, 2010)
BOSTON, MA -- (Marketwire) -- 11/09/10 -- uTest, the world's largest software testing marketplace, today announced that it saw a 300 percent increase in year-over-year revenues in its recently-ended third quarter. During this period, uTest also closed a $13 million C Round of financing -- one of the largest investments ever made in a crowdsourcing company. In addition, as the tester community and customer base continue to expand rapidly, uTest also launched new functionality in its testing platform, including social sign-in, dynamic reporting and integrations with more bug tracking systems.
Customer, Community and Company Growth
During the third quarter of 2010, uTest grew its marketplace, and successfully:
- Signed more than 120 new customer deals, including innovative category leaders, such as The Associated Press, The BBC, The Container Store, Urbanspoon, Box.net and Liaise
- Raised a $13 million C Round of financing, led by Scale Venture Partners, bringing uTest's total funds raised to more than $20 million across three rounds since the end of 2007
- Acquired 2,500 new software testers, growing its community to 30,000+ professional testers from 168 countries
- Added Scale Venture Partners Managing Director Sharon Wienbar to its Board Of Directors
- Conducted the "Clash of the Career Sites," in which more than 500 testers from 22 countries discovered nearly 700 bugs in the web and mobile apps of Monster, CareerBuilder, SimplyHired and Indeed; see articles in TheNextWeb and TechTarget for details
New Features & Functionality
- Social Sign-In: Studies show that visitors connected through social media tend to engage more than non-connected visitors. To make it faster and easier for testers to access their uTest accounts, now any tester can log in to the uTest platform using their social media credentials from their Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn accounts.
- Integrations with More Bug Tracking Systems: Tight integration with a company's in-house systems is critical to minimizing overhead costs. Thus far, uTest has supported integration with Bugzilla, Jira, and Rally. This quarter, uTest added support for Mantis and Jira Studio, and improved support for Rally.
- New Attachment Viewer: Video and image attachments are critical to making bug reports easier for customers to understand and visualize. To make viewing attachments more efficient, uTest added a new attachment viewer that works within the platform. Now anyone can view video and image attachments with a single click.
- More Interactive Reports: Customers can now build their own dashboard with their favorite reports. uTest makes it even easier to focus on the reports that matter the most to customers; for example, they can now choose to view reports as either interactive charts or tables of hard data.
- More Precise Tester Selection: Making it easier to select testers for private test cycles ensures customers can more precisely match their web, desktop, and mobile app testing needs with the right members of the uTest global community. uTest now makes it easy to search for the right testers and handpick the best candidates.
"The market for mobile apps is exploding which is driving the need for rapid, real-world application testing," said Doron Reuveni, uTest CEO. "With iPhone, iPad, Android and BlackBerry apps vying for media attention and consumer dollars, launching high-quality apps is more critical than ever for companies of all sizes. Our third quarter results are a testament to the fact that we're enabling our customers to get their apps to market faster and for a fraction of the cost of traditional outsourced software testing companies."
About uTest, Inc.
uTest is the world's largest marketplace for software testing services. The company provides real-world testing services through its community of 30,000+ professional testers from 170 countries around the world. Thousands of companies -- from young startups to global software leaders -- have signed up for the uTest marketplace to get their web, desktop and mobile applications tested. More information can be found at www.utest.com or the Software Testing Blog at blog.utest.com.
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text: XO Group Inc. (NYSE: XOXO, www.xogroupinc.com), formerly The Knot, Inc., the premier media and technology company devoted to weddings, pregnancy, and everything in between, today reported financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2012. First Quarter Summary Results Total revenue for the first quarter was $29.8 million, up 8.1% compared to the prior year. The results were again led by local online advertising, and publishing and other, which grew 20.1% and 15.9%, respectively, year over year. National online advertising declined 3.5%. The e-commerce and registry businesses were also down, 1.7% and 10.2% year over year, respectively. For the quarter ended March 31, 2012, gross margin improved by 275 basis points over the prior year partially due to improvements in the e-commerce business as it recovered from the inefficiencies related to back-end system improvements initiated last year. The Company’s operating profit was $0.6 million compared to an operating loss of $1.1 million in the prior year quarter. The $1.7 million increase in operating profit was due to revenue growth and improved gross margins across all business lines which were partly offset by an increase in expenses including compensation, investment in Ijie.com in China, and rent. Net income for the quarter was $0.4 million or $0.02 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $0.7 million or a loss of $0.02 per diluted share in the prior year quarter. The Company’s balance sheet at March 31, 2012 reflects cash and cash equivalents of $68.7 million, down $8.7 million from $77.4 million at December 31, 2011. Cash declined during the first quarter, primarily due to the repurchase of 1.4 million shares of common stock for $12.7 million and capital expenditures of $0.6 million. “We entered the year with strong momentum in the local online advertising business and our magazine business, which continued throughout the first quarter, although our national online advertising and e-commerce businesses continue to be challenged. We are working to drive profitable growth across the Company even as we invest in new products for our audience and advertisers,” said Chief Executive Officer David Liu.


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Corn Jumps as Global Inventories Shrink: Commodities at Close
(Businessweek) – The Standard & Poor’s GSCI Spot Index of 24 raw materials rose 1.1 percent to settle at 671.84 at 4 p.m. New York time, led by grains and energy.
The UBS Bloomberg CMCI gauge of 26 prices gained 0.8 percent to 1,630.64.
Corn jumped to a three-week high after a government report showed global inventories will drop more than expected as the worst U.S. drought in more than 50 years cuts output by the most since 1996.
Worldwide inventories on Oct. 1 will be 117.27 million metric tons, down from 123.95 million predicted a month ago and 131.54 million estimated this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. Reserves as a percent of consumption will fall to 13.7 percent, the lowest since 1974. Stockpiles in the U.S., the largest grower and exporter, will fall 37 percent to 15.73 million tons from last year.
Corn futures for December delivery rose 5 percent to $7.7325 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade. Earlier, the price reached $7.76, the highest for a most-active contract since Sept. 17.
Soybean futures for November delivery climbed 1.7 percent to $15.485 a bushel the biggest gain since Sept. 28.
Wheat futures for December delivery rose 1.9 percent to settle at $8.86, the largest increase since Sept. 28. The price gained for the fourth straight day, the longest rally since late August. The grain has climbed 41 percent since
Natural gas jumped to a 10-month high after a government report showed a U.S. stockpile increase that was below analyst forecasts.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, gas futures for November delivery rose 3.7 percent to $3.604 per million British thermal units, the highest settlement since Dec. 1.
U.K. gas for same-day delivery fell as imports from Belgium climbed to the highest since February.
The price dropped 1.2 percent to 64.75 pence a therm at 4:27 p.m. London time after reaching 66.15 pence yesterday, the highest since Feb. 10. Month-ahead gas slipped 0.3 percent to 63.65 pence a therm. That’s equivalent to $10.24 per million Btu.
Crude oil advanced after the fewest number of Americans in four years filed first-time applications for unemployment benefits and on concern that tension between Syria and Turkey will disrupt shipments from the Middle East.
On the Nymex, oil futures for November delivery rose 0.9 percent to $92.07 a barrel.
Brent oil for November settlement increased 1.2 percent to $115.71 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange.
BP Plc, which this week booked a supertanker to ship North Sea crude to South Korea, bought a fourth Forties cargo today. It didn’t manage to buy Russian Urals blend in northwest Europe for the third time in four days even after raising its bid.
Daily exports of the 12 main grades of North Sea crudes for loading in November will jump to the highest in five months after the completion of field maintenance.
Heating oil jumped to a six-month high as U.S. distillate stockpiles decreased more than expected last week.
On the Nymex, heating oil for November delivery advanced 1.4 percent to $3.2571 a gallon, the highest settlement since March 19.
Gasoline futures for November delivery fell 0.1 percent to $2.9556 a gallon.
Copper futures rose the most in two weeks on signs of improving prospects for demand after South Korea and Brazil cut interest rates and U.S. jobless claims fell.
On the Comex in New York, copper futures for December delivery gained 0.9 percent to $3.7515 a pound, the biggest increase since Sept. 27.
On the London Metal Exchange, copper for delivery in three months climbed 0.9 percent to $8,239.50 a metric ton ($3.74 a pound). Nickel, aluminum and tin gained, while lead and zinc fell.
Gold futures rose, tracking gains in commodities, after U.S. applications for jobless benefits dropped, and South Korea and Brazil cut rates to bolster their economies.
Gold futures for December delivery rose 0.3 percent to $1,770.60 an ounce on the Comex in New York. The price has climbed 13 percent this year.
Silver futures for December delivery fell 0.1 percent to $34.082 an ounce.
Platinum futures for January delivery advanced 0.7 percent to $1,689.60 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange, ending a four-session decline. Palladium futures for December delivery rose 0.2 percent to $650.90 an ounce.
Sugar futures tumbled the most in 11 weeks on mounting concern that that worldwide production will outpace consumption.
On ICE Futures U.S., raw sugar for March delivery tumbled 3.8 percent to 20.45 cents a pound, the biggest slide since July 26. The price has dropped 12 percent this year.
Arabica-coffee futures for December delivery fell 1.7 percent to $1.6075 a pound. Earlier, the price touched $1.603, the lowest since Sept. 7.
Cocoa futures for December delivery dropped 0.9 percent to $2,351 a ton. Earlier, the price touched $2,341, the lowest since July 31.
Cotton for December delivery fell 1.9 percent to close at 70.71 cents a pound, the biggest drop since Sept. 21.
Orange-juice futures for November delivery climbed 2.1 percent to $1.136 a pound. Earlier, the price reached $1.1995, the highest since Sept. 24.
Cattle prices declined the most in two weeks on speculation that U.S. beef supplies will increase as higher corn costs spur feedlots to send more animals to slaughter.
On the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, cattle futures for December delivery fell 0.5 percent to $1.25925 a pound, the biggest drop since Sept. 26.
Feeder-cattle futures for November settlement declined 2 percent to $1.438 a pound.
Hog futures for December settlement fell 0.8 percent to 77.5 cents a pound. The price has dropped 8.1 percent this year.
To contact the reporter on this story: Patrick McKiernan in New York at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Steve Stroth at email@example.com


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Medical Cannabis Legislation in Cyprus
The worldwide view on cannabis has seen significant transformation, with many nations acknowledging its medical benefits. As a forward-thinking EU member, Cyprus has introduced laws to oversee the medical usage of cannabis. This article delves into Cyprus’s legal provisions concerning medical cannabis in Cyprus.
Cyprus has long valued the medicinal use of plants, with medical cannabis legalization aligning with global trends. The path to legalization was marked by the 2019 amendments to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law of 1977 , facilitating controlled medical cannabis use.
Cyprus’s main law on medical cannabis is the “Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law of 1977.” Updated in 2019, it now permits the growth, importation, and exportation of cannabis for medicinal, and research uses, influenced by the rising scientific evidence of cannabis’s therapeutic attributes.
As per the revised law, medical cannabis production and sales are stringently managed. The Cyprus Pharmaceutical Services under the Ministry of Health is in charge of the licensing and monitoring of entities in the medical cannabis sector .This meticulous regulation ensures only approved individuals and organizations participate in medical cannabis-related ventures, ensuring clarity and responsibility.
To venture into Cyprus’s medical cannabis sector, entities must acquire relevant licenses from the Cyprus Pharmaceutical Services. The licensing scrutiny includes an in-depth assessment of the aspirant’s qualifications, security protocols, and adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Approved entities receive licenses for cultivation, refinement, and distribution, with a strong emphasis on maintaining quality standards.
Access for Patients
Cyprus’s laws recognize the curative properties of medical cannabis, aiming to provide patients with dependable cannabis-based treatments. Specialized healthcare providers can prescribe medical cannabis for particular ailments like chronic discomfort, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis. This patient-focused methodology underlines the government’s pledge to promote its citizens’ health through regulated cannabis consumption.
As an EU member, Cyprus’s medical cannabis rules correspond with EU standards, paving the way for international cooperation and commerce. The Cypriot government is proactive in EU discussions, ensuring its position at the vanguard of methodical and data-driven cannabis regulation.
Cyprus’s legal environment for medical cannabis showcases a progressive, data-driven stance. By recognizing cannabis’s medicinal value and embedding it within its legal structure, Cyprus harmonizes patient needs with stringent regulatory oversight. With the global medical cannabis domain expanding, Cyprus serves as a paradigm for methodical and open regulation, adding to the global discourse on medicinal cannabis advantages.
Our Law Firm with its expanding activities can cover all of our clients legal needs in every City of Cyprus offering legal solutions all over the island.
For more information contact us directly.


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Spotify recently announced that it will be making some changes to the free service that it currently offers music lovers, which includes halving usage for free users to 10 hours per month and students are already debating a rise in music piracy and illegal downloading.
The Student Room has hosted a ‘Spotify Discussion and Playlists’ thread since December 2008 (2 months after it launched) and to date there have been almost 2000 separate posts by students discussing what they like about the service and sharing their best playlists.
However since the announcement that there will be some major changes to free users’ access the discussion has turned to whether they will continue to use the service or find alternative options to listen to their music.
Early comments from students when the service launched in 2008:
“Spotify is really good, very nice piece of kit and a great range of tracks” – lodzinski
“I found Spotify today. It allows you select and listen to any music you want instantly: type in the artist, select the track, and the track will play. No downloading, no waiting to buffer. And best of all it’s completely legit.” – Ekpyrotic
“Okay this does seem pretty good. What’s the catch?” – Mr Snips
What students are saying since the changes were announced:
“It’s ridiculous, I doubt many people will opt to pay. Most will just move elsewhere.” – didgeridoo12uk
“It’s a bit of a bummer, most people will just start downloading illegally again.” – Madjackismad
“Somehow, I blame Nick Clegg for this. Bit peeved but I have paid for Spotify before and I would probably do it again, I think it is worth the money.” – Fission_Mailed
Latest poll results from The Student Room indicate that 12% of those that use Spotify will upgrade to the premium version while 20% will quit Spotify completely and find an alternative. For 39% of the students polled this means resorting to downloading music illegally.
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Xiaomi intends to begin mass-producing smartphones outfitted with its under-display camera know-how next year, the company announced today. This is technically the third technology of the know-how Xiaomi has developed, the corporate says, though the primary and second variations it produced have but to search out their approach right into a mass-market shopper system.
According to Xiaomi, its newest model of the know-how works by permitting the selfie camera to see via the gaps in the show’s sub-pixels, that are the crimson, inexperienced, and blue dots that mix to make every pixel. Xiaomi says that the realm of the show above the camera has the identical density of pixels as the remainder of the display screen, so it could actually “perfectly disguise” the selfie camera beneath. It provides that the selfie camera itself ought to match the efficiency of extra typical front-facing cameras.
Although it says that the display screen space above the camera ought to match the “brightness, color gamut, and color accuracy” of the remainder of the show, Xiaomi’s weblog put up doesn’t point out whether or not the panel itself is OLED or LCD, or what sort of decision we will anticipate it to be.
Smartphone producers have been teasing under-display cameras for a short while now, however to date the know-how is but to see correct commercialization. Xiaomi and Oppo each launched the know-how again in June final year, and Oppo confirmed off a working prototype that month at MWC Shanghai. However, Engadget reported on the time that the impact wasn’t excellent, and that the realm of the display screen above the camera appeared extra pixelated than the remainder of the display screen. Vivo had additionally deliberate to indicate its tackle the know-how in an idea telephone at MWC this year earlier than the occasion was cancelled as a result of coronavirus.
Xiaomi may not find yourself being the primary smartphone producer to carry the know-how to a mass-market system, although. Earlier this month, ZTE stated it will be launching a smartphone with an under-display camera on September 1st known as the ZTE Axon 20 5G. However, it’s presently unclear whether or not the system will launch outdoors of China.


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Israeli infrastructure group Tahal expects to make revenues of $370m over the next seven years by selling agricultural products from a vast collective farm it has built in Angola.
Tahal and a local state-owned partner will manage 300 private farms of 10 acres each, raising grain, vegetables, fruit and livestock, paying a franchise to the Angolan government, according to an agreement signed this month, the company said.
The seven-year operation concession came after Tahal finished a $207m contract with Angola’s agriculture ministry to build houses, roads, chicken coops, and waste, water and power infrastructure at the 5,000-hectare site in the Quiminha region 70km east of the capital Luanda.
The project reproduces the model of the Israeli moshav, or cooperative agricultural settlement, Tahal told Israeli business publication, Globes.
Tahal, a subsidiary of Netherlands-based Kardan NV, will be entitled to the entire proceeds arising from the sale of the agricultural products, estimated at an average of $52m annually for the duration of the agreement. Output will reach 60,000 tons of products per year, and will be sold in Angola, Tahal said.
Under its agreement, Tahal Angola must supply all equipment necessary for the operation of the project, employing managerial and professional teams, and to pay a franchise fee to the Angolan government.
Image: Aerial view of the Quiminha farm development in Angola (Tahal)


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Few of us can escape the issues surrounding body image - it's a topic that we pore over, at the gym, in front of the mirror, with friends, and alone. And it's not just us mere mortals, either. Recently, celebrities including Adele, Chloe Moretz, and Misty Copeland have all spoken out about their body ups and downs.
So three cheers for Dove, who are spearheading a new campaign, along with other brands including Superdrug and SimplyBe, to encourage various industries to reflect more reality and diversity in their work.
The Be Real Body Image Pledge, which launches today, is designed to encourage people to portray body image in a responsible way, and comes after the 2016 Dove Global Beauty and Confidence Report found that 89% of women in the UK with low body-esteem will avoid important life activities – such as seeing family or leaving the house – if they don’t feel good about the way they look. And nearly all girls (88%) admit to stopping eating or not seeing a doctor when they don't like the way they look.
The impact of being constantly bombarded by body and appearance related messages can have far-reaching consequences on women and girls, causing them to doubt their abilities and opt-out of fundamental life activities.
The brand, who are known for using 'real' women in their ad campaigns, want to stop this, and hope the pledge will become a national movement, improving the body confidence of girls everywhere.
Commenting on the launch, Mary Glindon, MP, Co-Chair of the Be Real Campaign says, ‘It’s clear that body image anxiety, caused by the unrealistic standards of beauty we see in adverts, magazines and social media, has a direct impact on women’s health and self-esteem."
While it's clear there's still much to be done when it comes to improving body image among women and men, we think this is a pretty great start.


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By The COAST Reporter
Bamburi Cement PLC has defied economic challenges in the first half of this year to register its pre-tax profits to Ksh621 million up from Ksh124 million in the first half of 2022.
The significant increase is driven by topline growth and cost containment measures implemented during the review period.
The significant rise in profits before taxation led to a 260 percent increase in cash generated from operations to Ksh2.8 billion from Ksh1.8 billion for the same period in 2022.
Commenting on the impressive performance, Bamburi Cement Group managing director Mohit Kapoor noted that despite the high inflation and the weakening shilling, which impacted on production costs, the company remained committed to deliver strong results.
“The 2023 first-half performance is a clear demonstration of our reliance, adaptability, customer focus and operational efficiency. We remain consistent in providing quality products and services through innovation to bolster topline growth as well as maintaining effective cost management measures that have resulted in business stability even with the unforeseen challenging occurrences.”
At the same time, a tax settlement in Uganda affected the net profits, which dropped to Ksh88 million from Ksh95 million recorded in the first half of 2022.
On the outlook, Mr. Kapoor remains optimistic, underlining that Bamburi Cement is well positioned to remain profitable as the company continues to execute its operational strategies and commercial excellence to enhance positive results growth.
In his comments on the results, Bamburi Cement Group chairman Dr. John Simba said: “As a market leader, our vision and business strategies remains top-notch to deliver quality product and services while ensuring shareholder value. We remain steadfast in our efforts to drive positive performance in the second half of 2023.”


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Seattle-based librarian and author Nancy Pearl's second what-to-read-next book, "More Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment and Reason," has been...
Seattle-based librarian and author Nancy Pearl’s second what-to-read-next book, “More Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment and Reason,” has been picked by NBC’s “Today” show as its most recent book-club selection.
Thriller writer Lisa Scottoline made the selection on yesterday’s show.
“More Book Lust” follows Pearl’s breakout hit, “Book Lust.” Both books are published by Seattle-based Sasquatch Books.
“More Book Lust” contains more than 120 new reading lists, with categories that include “Me, Me, Me: Autobiographies and Memoirs” and “Dewey Deconstructed.”
“Book Lust” was a surprise hit for Sasquatch, selling more than 80,000 copies.
Since retiring last year from the Seattle Public Library, Pearl’s reach has steadily expanded. In addition to her “Today” show stint, she now occasionally reviews books on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition.”


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Cybercrime ‘costs’ $445 billion a year
LONDON - Reuters
Cybercrime’s damage on the global economy is around $445 billion, a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) says.Cybercrime costs the global economy about $445 billion every year, with the damage to business from the theft of intellectual property exceeding the $160 billion loss to individuals from hacking, according to research published on June 9.
The report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said cybercrime was a growth industry that damaged trade, competitiveness and innovation.
A conservative estimate would be $375 billion in losses, while the maximum could be as much as $575 billion, said the study, sponsored by security software company McAfee.
“Cybercrime is a tax on innovation and slows the pace of global innovation by reducing the rate of return to innovators and investors,” Jim Lewis of CSIS said in a statement.
“For developed countries, cybercrime has serious implications for employment.”
The world’s biggest economies bore the brunt of the losses, the research found, with the toll on the United States, China, Japan and Germany reaching $200 billion a year in total.
Losses connected to personal information, such as stolen credit card data, was put at up to $150 billion.
About 40 million people in the United States, roughly 15 percent of the population, has had personal information stolen by hackers, it said, while high-profile breaches affected 54 million people in Turkey, 16 million in Germany and more than 20 million in China.
McAfee, owned by Intel Corp, said improved international collaboration was beginning to show results in reducing cyber crime, for example in the takedown last week of a crime ring that infected hundreds of thousands of computers known by the name of its master software, Gameover Zeus.
A study by Rand Corp. and commissioned by the security firm Juniper Networks found a well-organized, multibillion-dollar underground economy that has become “a playground of financially driven, highly organized and sophisticated groups.” The evolution of cybecrime creates new challenges for security professionals trying to protect computer networks, says Nawaf Bitar, Juniper’s general manager for security.


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Ducati Monster 797 & Ducati Multistrada 950 launched in India
14/06/2017 - 18:52
Ducati India has launched two motorcycles in India today, the Ducati Monster 797 and Ducati Multistrada 950. The motorcycles were unveiled globally at EICMA 2016. Ducati Monster 797 led e
Ducati Multistrada 950 & Ducati Monster 797 launching in India on June 14
22/05/2017 - 18:11
Ducati Multistrada 950 and Ducati Monster 797 were unveiled at EICMA 2016. Ducati India has confirmed the launch of the Ducati Multistrada 950 and Ducati Monster 797 on June 14, 2017. The Ducati..
Ducati's upcoming model Indian line-up price list revealed - Report
29/04/2017 - 10:38
The upcoming Ducati motorcycles were showcased at World Ducati Week and EICMA 2016. A report in Bikewale reveals that Ducati India is set to launch the Ducati Monster 797, Ducati Scrambler Desert..
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The Volkswagen Group could part ways with Ducati for EUR 1.5 billion. Volkswagen, as per Reuters’ sources, is looking for buyers for Ducati, an iconic Italian brand acquired by Audi in April 2012...
Ducati Monster 797 showcased at BIMS 2017
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PG Tips owner Unilever splashes out £300m for Starbucks' special teas label Tazo
Unilever is snapping up Starbucks' specialty tea brand Tazo for £293million.
The Anglo-Dutch owner of PG Tips said the brand had a strong position in the fast-growing market, while Starbucks wants to focus on its premium Teavana line.
Tazo sold around £85million of its specialty black, green and herbal teas last year, mostly through grocery stores in the US and Canada.
Tazo sold around £85million of its specialty black, green and herbal teas last year, mostly through grocery stores in the US and Canada
Kees Kruythoff, president of Unilever North America, said: 'Tazo is a perfect strategic fit for our US portfolio. It presents a fantastic growth opportunity.'
Starbucks said it would invest in developing its Teavana brand – having sold £1.2billion of the product in its own stores during the past 12 months.
Teavana includes black, matcha, iced and Moroccan mint green varieties.
The sale was announced as Starbucks cut its profit forecast and posted disappointing sales of £4.4billion.
Bosses said sales had been hit by hurricanes in the US as well as slower service with workers juggling mobile ordering.
Unilever has been snapping up smaller, healthier brands.
In September it bought British organic herbal tea business Pukka Herbs, while last month it bought Brazilian organic food business Mae Terra.
The Flora and Hellmann's maker also owns tea brands Lipton and Pure Leaf.
Kevin Havelock, Unilever's president of refreshment, said: 'Tazo's artfully crafted specialty teas perfectly complement our global tea business.'
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ROCHESTER — Hitachi Business Finance has launched a new website hitachibusinessfinance.com. The website is the final piece in transitioning the company to its new name, formerly known as Hennessy Capital.
The global identity of Hitachi Ltd. is incorporated throughout the new website, all while giving a look at the selection of financing solutions offered by Hitachi Business Finance, according to Division President and COO Mike Semanco.
“The new website has been designed to provide a user-friendly experience with improved navigation and functionality, and allows current and prospective clients better access to detailed information on each of our unique lending products,” said Semanco.
The resource center, a new section, Semanco said, was added to incorporate the various educational pieces the company has assembled including case studies and articles. In particular, the capital conversations blog has been refreshed, and will feature timely and relevant financial and business information.


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By Emily Nicolle on Wednesday 21 February 2018
Anyfin promises to help users refinance their loans, just by taking a photo.
Stockholm-based fintech Anyfin has closed a €4.8m Series A fundraising round, led by Accel and Northzone. The platform is aiming to redress Sweden’s approximate €20bn in outstanding unsecured consumer debt by enabling users to refinance existing loans by taking a photo of their loan statement.
“In the Nordics and across continental Europe, consumers are paying way too much for finance – often in excess of 25% annually on part payments and credit cards, even those with good credit scores,” said Mikael Hussain, CEO and co-founder of Anyfin, who previously spent seven years at payments fintech Klarna heading up their credit risk and decision science efforts.
Consumers can send Anyfin a photo of their loan statement by various media channels, including SMS, email or Facebook Messenger. Anyfin then uses publicly available consumer data, alongside AI and modern digital technology, to reply with an option for refinancing their loan at a better price. If accepted, the platform will also take care of settling the existing loan for them, ensuring that the terms of the new loan mirror the existing one.
Hussain continued, “Anyfin makes it as simple as possible to refinance a loan, setting a new standard for fairness and transparency and giving consumers the rate they deserve.”
Currently only available in Sweden, Anyfin hopes to use the investment to accelerate the platform’s growth by building its balance sheet, user acquisition, partnerships, staff and product development. Its founders launched Anyfin in November last year, after previously holding leading roles at other Big Tech firms like iZettle and Spotify.
Seth Pierrepont from Accel will join the board as part of the investment. He commented: “We were immediately impressed by the Anyfin founders and their vision to create a financial services brand on the side of the consumer.
“Combining their knowledge in credit risk and expertise in consumer finance products, they have built a powerful yet simple way to offer a better consumer refinancing experience across Europe.”


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In support of a new product launch, legal technology company Casetext sought to make a huge splash at the ABA Techshow conference. However, the best conference sponsorship opportunities were sold out.
“As a technology company, we move fast,” said Faith Storey, Growth Marketing Lead at Casetext. “But conference sponsorships are often sold months in advance. We secured the budget to invest in the conference less than a week before it started. Obviously, at that point, the best on-site inventory was already taken –– and we couldn’t justify the cost for the placements that were still available.”
With just a few days to go before the start of the conference, Casetext needed a quick-turn solution that would deliver results...
Casetext partnered with AdQuick to procure a last-minute solution to boost awareness at the conference: transit billboards. Within 48 hours, the AdQuick team executed a tailor-made program including custom, full-motion truck billboard ads designed to grab the attention of conference attendees. The ads ran on an 8-hour, hand-drawn route designed for maximum coverage throughout every day of the conference. The route also looped around major law firm offices in the city before and after conference hours, in order to maximize every dollar.
“We needed a solution that was quick, easy, cost-effective, and surgically-targeted,” said Storey. “AdQuick checked all those boxes. And our CEO was impressed that I was able to execute this campaign on such ridiculously short notice.”
Casetext’s product launch gained immediate traction, thanks to their precision-targeted and high-impact promotion. The campaign generated 2.2x their goal number of social shares, and new business generated during the conference amounted to a 329% ROI.
“AdQuick definitely saved the day,” said Storey. “I was the hero of the launch!”
Casetext is a legal technology company that develops tools to help attorneys efficiently provide high-quality representation. Casetext offers a comprehensive legal research platform used by over 7,000 law firms. The platform includes CARA A.I., the original search-by-brief legal research tool. In 2020, Casetext introduced Compose: first-of-its-kind technology that assists attorneys in drafting motions by providing tailored arguments, legal standards, and case law.View More Case Studies


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COVID-19 has drastically impacted consumers and altered their spending behaviors, causing a significant increase in global e-commerce. According to Transport Topics, “global e-commerce sales are expected to exceed $4 trillion this year compared with $3 trillion in 2019,” as detailed in a logistics trend report.
Shoppers have shown hesitation to go into crowded stores, and as a result, online shopping and pursuing pick–up orders have become their tendency. According to Hartford and Reed on Talk Business and Politics, “retailers expect sales to rise in the second half of 2020, which supports strength in freight demand while nonessential freight demand improves.”
There are many transportation opportunities this holiday shopping season as consumers attempt to steer clear of the virus and shop earlier to avoid product shortages. Logistics companies should keep in mind that an extended peak in freight demand is expected and will require tens of thousands of local drivers.
However, since a large number of companies have lost drivers due to the pandemic, many have been influenced to raise driver pay. As summarized by the CEO of Indianapolis-based driver recruiting firm, DriverReach, companies are implementing this incentive in hopes to attract drivers and meet the dramatic surge in e-commerce demands.
E-commerce purchases are likely to continue into the holiday season. The implication of this for freight carriers is a continuation of “pandemic retail spending patterns” that ultimately leads to capacity constraints, according to Transport Topics. To address shortages in availability and meet increasing e-commerce demands, retailers should diversify their carrier network.
While the delivery volume to distribution centers and directly to consumers keeps rising, states Transport Topics, “e-commerce growth is great news for most trucking businesses.” Trucking demand is determinant on inventory restoration, so a rise in e-commerce means increased shipment opportunities.


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Bhutan and Bangladesh Discuss How to Overcome Pandemic's Impact
24 March 2021
An official meeting between Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 24 March 2021 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, emphasized boosting trade, connectivity, and cooperation in energy between the two South Asian nations.
Prime Minister Tshering visited Bangladesh on 23-25 March 2021 as the Special Representative of His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, King of Bhutan, for the celebration of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Father of the Nation of Bangladesh, and the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Bhutan noted that the visit is “an exceptional gesture of friendship and goodwill that so happily exist between the two countries.”
Boosting trade and transport
On 24 March, Prime Minister Tshering and Prime Minister Hasina held official discussions. Their meeting acknowledged the impact of the pandemic to the bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Bhutan. In December 2020, the two countries signed a Preferential Trade Agreement. They agreed that all-out efforts must be made to overcome the pandemic’s negative impact, and highlighted the need to hold the Commerce Secretary Level Meeting and Foreign Office Consultation at the earliest possible time. Foremost on the agenda is the amendment of the standard operation procedure on the use of inland waterways and the finalization of the Transit Agreement Protocol.
They also called for enhanced private sector cooperation, and urged their Chambers of Commerce to explore innovative ways of doing business. Both leaders also promoted the use of the riverine route among importers and exporters for the transport of goods as an alternative to using the road route.
They also agreed to explore the possibilities of rail connectivity through the recently inaugurated Chilahati-Haldibari rail inter-link between Bangladesh and India.
Prime Minister Hasina reiterated that Bangladesh’s seaports are open to Bhutan. Bangladesh’s strategic geographical location opens up trade opportunities in the region for all countries in the SAARC, BIMSTEC and BCIM to be connected by road.
Trilateral Energy Cooperation
Noting the substantial progress made in the signing an MOU among Bangladesh, Bhutan and India on trilateral cooperation in hydropower, Prime Minister Hasina and Prime Minister Tshering called for a Secretary-level meeting among Bangladesh, Bhutan, and India to move forward with the discussions. Bangladesh and Bhutan also agreed to explore the potential of bilateral cooperation in this sector.
Read the full Joint Statement.


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When Credit Suisse received a lifeline from the Swiss central bank, banking companies were subject to increased caution, which led to a decline in futures for Canada’s major stock index on Thursday. Nevertheless, rising commodity prices also helped limit losses.
At 6:56 a.m. ET (1056 GMT), the S&P/TSX index futures were down 0.2% while their American counterparts were neutral.
Financials, Canada’s largest sector by weight, had lost nearly 2% in the previous session.
The sudden failure of the U.S.-based Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank (NASDAQ:SBNY) and the recent decline in the stock price of Credit Suisse have rattled financial markets worldwide.
Credit Suisse announced it would borrow up to $54 billion from Switzerland’s central bank to calm the markets and boost investor confidence.
Canada’s benchmark index recorded its worst showing in over four months on Wednesday.
Before the markets open, investors will watch for a flurry of economic data coming out of the United States, such as weekly jobless claims, monthly import prices, and February home starts.
Back home, Canadian wholesale trade data for January is due at 8:30 am ET.
Gold prices were slightly up compared to the previous session when oil prices had fallen to 15-month lows.
Commodity-linked stocks account for nearly 31% of the Canadian benchmark.
Individual equities include First Quantum Minerals (OTC:FQVLF), which runs the Cobre Panama mine and has restored operations at the mine to normal levels, according to Franco-Nevada Corp., a royalty and streaming corporation specializing in the gold industry.
Alimentation Couche-Tard, a chain of convenience stores, announced that it is in exclusive talks to acquire certain retail assets from TotalEnergies, a French energy firm, for 3.1 billion euros ($3.29 billion) in cash.


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Major animation studios filed a motion to dismiss an antitrust suit filed against them by their former employees. The defendants Disney, Sony, DreamWorks, and Blue Sky argued in the filing that the plaintiff animators brought the suit five years after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2010 began scrutinizing arrangements to freeze wages and not poach employees in the industry. Moreover, the defendants further claimed the allegations that the studios would collude to suppress wages was “implausible” when the DOJ’s probe began and after companies like Disney had settled related private litigation, according to the filing.
The filing further said that
“[i]n an effort to manufacture new claims not covered by the High-Tech lawsuits, plaintiffs assert that animation studios, other than High-Tech defendants Pixar and Lucasfilm, also participated in the alleged conspiracy. However, plaintiffs’ attempt is futile as a matter of law and comes far too late. The statutes of limitations for their claims expired long ago.”
The lawsuit filed in last September alleged the defendants conspired to illegally suppress animators wages since 2004 under non-poaching agreements.
Previously, Intuit Inc. and Lucasfilm and Pixar units of Disney settled similar claims for $20 million while Apple, Google, Intel, and Adobe settled for $324.5 million which was rejected by the court as too low. The tech companies appealed the rejection.
A hearing for this motion is scheduled for March 26.


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Despite the convenience and instant gratification of digital purchases, the amount of PlayStation 5 users who prefer physical releases outweighs those who prefer digital downloads. That’s according to data shared by Global Sales Data (GSD), which reveal that physical PS5 titles have consistently outsold their digital counterparts every month following the PS5’s initial debut in November 2020. That was the only month in which digital (950,000) sales managed to outrank physical (840,000).
From GamesIndustry.biz’s coverage:
The company found that retail has consistently outsold digital, with 51% more boxed games sold than downloads by the end of August.
November 2020 was the only month where full-game downloads have outperformed retail sales at 950,000 units compared to 840,000. After this, PS5’s retail games have consistently outsold digital every month.
And the gap has widened over time. In December 2020, five retail games were sold for every four downloads. By the end of August, this had increased to three boxed games for ever two digital.
In total, 10.14 million boxed games were sold for PS5 between launch and end of August. December, January, June, July and August all saw more than one million games sold within the month.
Meanwhile, 7.51 million digital games were sold during the same period — and no single month saw more than one million sales.
Video games consultant Sam Naji speculates that PS5 gamers prefer a physical product due to the relatively high cost of premium titles, which are priced at $69.99. Another reason that physical games continue to be desirable is that they can be lent or sold.
Source: Global Sales Data (via GamesIndustry.biz)


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As the igaming industry continues to grow, companies must evolve to meet the needs of the modern day player. The TVBet team explains why it is crucial to keep an eye on the latest trends sweeping the sector.
A report from Grandview Research has predicted that gambling market is expected to reach $127.3bn by 2027, with an average annual growth rate of 11.5 per cent.
This growth forecast has stemmed from the growing popularity of online bookmakers and the “freemium online casino business model” that attracts players with no deposit bonuses. This has been fuelled further by the large adoption of smartphones and low-cost internet data plans which are driving the market towards potential growth.
At the same time, nothing stands still; many areas are being transformed and modernised under the influence of time, the demands of society, fashion, etc. The igaming world must also evolve and meet the needs of the players.
So as we edge closer to the end of a year, we wanted to look at some of the trends across the igaming space – highlighting what we believe to be the biggest disruptors in 2022.
Legalisation becomes more crucial than ever
Scam casinos are now a thing of the past. 20 years ago, online gambling was in its early stages, and licensing and regulators weren’t as prominent as they are now. Therefore, the very first gambling operators could freely change the odds of games, lie about the offered bonuses, or even refuse to pay large amounts.
Today, gambler cheating can potentially lead to a permanent ban or even imprisonment. There are dozens of institutions and bodies that are responsible for regulating gambling platforms and issuing licenses.
Many online gambling testing companies also check if the operator has tampered with the game algorithm. So, today and in the future, the license is a must-have of the casino or bookmaker.
In our opinion, the most highly respected and respected regulators are Malta Gaming Authority, Curacao Gaming License, UK Gambling Commission, and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. But while the practice of local regulation is spreading more and more, in order to operate legally in a certain country, it will be necessary to get a local license.
Crypto payments are overtaking traditional banking methods
The adoption of cryptocurrency payments has long been driving further growth across the igaming industry. Ethereum, Bitcoin and other coins are now becoming a mainstream payment method across both casino and sports betting as most players choose to use digital money instead of e-wallets due to the benefits they offer.
Live dealer games will continue to become more popular
It goes without saying that TVBet is firmly in favour of live dealer games becoming ever more popular. But from an igaming industry-wide perspective, players are searching new ways to get the most realistic gaming experience – something we believe can be offered through live dealer games.
These types of games enable players to feel like they are in one of the most luxurious casinos, all from the comfort of their own home. Punters can chat with live dealers in an online chat and in some games, chatting with table neighbours is possible as well.
The organisers provide broadcasting from different angles and ensure great sound quality. All these features make games with live dealers so “real” – and for those who have missed the social aspect of brick-and-mortar casinos over the last two years, this is key!
It is worth paying attention to betting on live games with TV presenters from TVBet. Although the players cannot communicate with the presenters, they are nevertheless attracted by the online streaming format, which guarantees randomness and fairness of the outcomes as well as an extensive betting line which is, of course, a strong interest for our players.


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Starbucks has expanded its Mercato lunch menu to 200 stores in Sacramento, bringing the grab-and-go bistro line to 950 locations in the West and Chicago.
Widening the footprint of Mercato makes good on a company promise to beef up its food selections. During a shareholder meeting in March, the chain said it planned to double its food business by 2021. When the company launched Mercato, it said the chain had grown its food business by 1.5 times since 2013.
The Mercato menu debuted last year in Chicago. It has since grown to 950 stores in Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco and Sacramento. The so-called “marketplace” menu features grab-and-go salads, sandwiches and sides made fresh daily. All items are priced under $10.
The Seattle-based coffeehouse company said its culinary team researched ideas for the menu by visiting restaurants and grocery stores all over the country to “look at what people were eating.”
The result was a menu of “thoughtfully prepared” foods made with handpicked breads, cheeses, veggies, grains and greens.
Items include a Roasted Turkey & Dill Havarti Sandwich, Grilled Chicken & Cauliflower Tabbouleh, Honey BBQ Sriracha Chicken Sandwich and a Cubano Sandwich.
Surplus food is donated to local communities through a partnership with Feeding America.
Contact Nancy Luna at [email protected]
Follow her on Twitter @FastFoodMaven


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This is the year that “chat bots” will take off. Powered by artificial intelligence, cyber helpers are popping up on websites across the travel industry – from Radisson Blu Edwardian’s concierge “Edward”to Lufthansa’s “Mildred”, who will help you to find the cheapest flight.
Chat bots speak to you via instant messaging platforms such as Facebook Messenger. KLM’s will tell you when it’s time to check-in, ping you a boarding pass and change your seat if you ask nicely.
The tech isn’t perfect yet – Marriott’s first chat bot, launched in March last year, was killed after it started private-messaging people to ask if they wanted to book a hotel. It has since been disciplined and given a job in the Marriott Rewards department. Other companies employing chat bots include Aeromexico, Booking.com, BA, Expedia, Hyatt, Icelandair and Skyscanner.


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Somerset County Cricket Club has announced its groundbreaking partnership with Trade Nation will continue for at least another 12 months. After an incredibly rewarding 2020, Trade Nation has increased its investment further and is coming on board as Somerset County Cricket Club’s Principal Partner for Vitality Blast.
The two organisations launched a first-of-its-kind collaboration in 2020 to bring cheer to Somerset’s thousands of members and supporters, while also raising awareness of Trade Nation’s uniquely transparent approach to trading the markets.
With cricket being played behind closed stadium doors, it was more important than ever to provide fans with the best match day experience from the comfort of their own homes. That’s why, in partnership with Trade Nation, Somerset County Cricket Club launched the brand new Vitality Blast experience including dedicated match day commentary, huge prize giveaways, and innovative new content otherwise unseen on the county circuit.
Trade Nation also donated thousands of pounds to a number of local charities, including the Children’s Hospice South West, Portishead RNLI, Somerset Disability: VI & Super 1s Cricket, St Margaret’s Hospice Care, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and Devon Air Ambulance, through match day activations.
“Last year’s innovative and ground-breaking partnership was extremely successful and both parties are looking forward to building on those accomplishments in a way which will benefit everyone involved,” said Somerset CCC Commercial Directorm, Caroline Herbert, “We are all really excited to see how this partnership will evolve and grow in 2021.”
Trade Nation CEO, Stuart Lane, added: “Trade Nation’s partnership with Somerset CCC has been hugely rewarding and we’re very excited to build upon the success of Vitality Blast in 2021.As a company, we pride ourselves on offering market-leading experiences, so it’s been fantastic to partner with Somerset while they’ve recreated the joy of cricket matches with their innovative live streaming technology. This partnership has been a perfect fit for Trade Nation and the trading platform we offer, and we can’t wait to see what else we can achieve together.”
Trade Nation will continue to be the club’s Official Vitality Blast Live Stream Partner and Official Digital Highlights Press Conference Partner. The Trade Nation logo will also once again appear on the club’s LV= Insurance county championship shirt.


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Back in June of 2013 MakerBot was acquired by Stratasys. At the time, MakerBot was to be managed as their own entity, allowing the company to continue operating without any major adjustments. This allowed Bre Pettis to continue implementing his strategy for growth while Stratasys worked behind the scenes to prepare for a future which now included the world’s most popular desktop 3D printer brand.
As with many acquisitions, however, the acquiring company eventually will leverage their resources and technology to realize a refined business strategy. We saw these steps initiated when Bre Pettis stepped aside to head up Bold Machines and Jenny Lawton was promoted to take his place. It then turned out that Lawton was only a temporary solution as the company slowly began rolling out their integration strategy. Lawton has recently been replaced by a man who has been with Stratasys/Objet for over a decade, Jonathan Jaglom.
Jaglom, whom I had the pleasure of meeting this week at Inside 3D Printing in NYC, seems to be a man with a plan to further leverage the assets of Stratasys to MakerBot’s advantage, both from an intellectual property and talent standpoint. Oftentimes when an acquisition takes place, there are unfortunately individuals laid off. Overlap between positions within a company and conflicting visions often are the cause. There is no doubt that Stratasys has been disappointed with the recent fourth quarter numbers coming out of the Makerbot division, which saw only a 7% year-over-year rise in sales. This may have unfortunately led the company to lay off a large number of employees today.
An anonymous source within the company emailed us Friday afternoon informing us of these layoffs, and subsequent employees have posted on Reddit about the move.
“All my friends at MakerBot just got laid off,” explained one employee. “They say there is currently private security escorting about 100 people out of buildings in their industry city complex in Brooklyn.”
Motherboard confirmed the magnitude of this layoff from an anonymous source:
“It’s about 20 percent of staff. Everyone suspected that something would be coming with the new CEO, and that there would be restructuring coming.”
Twenty percent of the workforce would equate to approximately 100 employees, and is likely a move to cut costs and streamline operations between both Stratasys and MakerBot. This number is apparently just an estimate, and we have not confirmed these numbers with the company.
“It’s consolidating with Stratasys, so it’s economies of scale and looking at duplicate positions and consolidating,” an employee told Motherboard. “We have a new CEO, so he has a different plan in mind.”
MakerBot has since released the following statement saying:
“Today, we at MakerBot are re-organizing our business in order to focus on what matters most to our customers. As part of this, we have implemented expense reductions, downsized our staff and closed our three MakerBot retail locations.
With these changes, we will focus our efforts on improving and iterating our products, growing our 3D ecosystem, shifting our retail focus to our national partners and expanding our efforts in the professional and education markets.”
It’s certainly an unfortunate event, but likely one which has been planned for some time now, and may have been somewhat expected within the company. As for closing their three retail locations in New York City, Boston, and Greenwich, CT, this is also a very surprising move on their part. Hopefully for those who have been laid off, there will be opportunity within the industry elsewhere as the market continues its rapid expansion.
I Let us know your thoughts on this news. Discuss in the MakerBot forum thread on 3DPB.com.
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BOLOGNA, Italy — The man behind the Eataly food empire is opening a massive attraction — part permanent trade fair, part agro-food theme park — that aims to create a showcase for excellence in Italian food.
Eataly’s owner Oscar Farinetti hopes Eataly World, opening Nov. 15 in Bologna, will boost tourism and even food exports. The experience is designed to increase demand for Italian food along with brand loyalty and consumer interest in the 150 or so food businesses represented.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Eataly already has nearly 40 stores worldwide, the newest one in Los Angeles. The company intends to list a 30 per cent stake on the Milan stock exchange in 2018 or 2019.
Visitors to Eataly World can follow food production from field and stall right to their plates. They’ll see grain growing in the fields, milled into flour, processed into pasta and served at the table. Workshops will show how to refine rice and hunt for truffles, along with cooking classes for making fresh pasta, sorbetto or pizza.