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Are “Selfies” an Endangered Species? Vacation Photographers on the Rise
The Premium Destination in Europe for Professional Vacation Photographers has launched!
With more than 1 billion people predicted to be travelling the world in 2014, demand for professional vacation photographers is growing. Cue the launch of TripShooter.com, a website specialising in professional vacation photography across Europe.
More than 1 billion people are predicted to be travelling the world in 2014 – a 5% growth from last year. And vacation photography – already known as “destination photography” in the wedding industry – is experiencing sharp growth too, with the launch of a new European-wide website, TripShooter (www.tripshooter.com), at the start of this year.
While individual photographers have offered vacation photography services on a mostly individual basis for the past few years, TripShooter represents the first time that so many professional photographers across Europe have grouped together to offer vacation photography services under a common brand.
“It’s an exciting time,” says Jade Riviére, co-founder of the website TripShooter. “We’re living in a time when we are saturated with beautiful images – in advertising, on websites – and people value those kind of visual memories highly. Particularly travellers – because they are traditionally the ones who love to have special photographs of their trip to share with family and friends.
“But travellers can’t take these amazing photos and be in the photo all at once. They can try with ‘selfies’, but they can be a bit unflattering. And sometimes they can also miss experiencing the moment when they’re looking at it from behind the lens or contorting to get in their own shot. That’s where we step in.”
“We’ve hand-picked amazing professional photographers from right across Europe,” says Ms Riviére. “And the results so far have been amazing. People love the experience of being photographed on vacation – it allows them to feel a bit special while travelling – and their photographers have great skills at making them feel comfortable. Most importantly, they’re bringing home photos that make them feel like they’ve really experienced the city. It’s an amazing and very unique souvenir.”
TripShooter currently offers vacation photography services in more than thirty European cities. Travellers to Europe can make bookings directly on the website www.tripshooter.com – 01.23.2014


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EU payment card fraud nets 1.5 billion euros a year to cybercriminals
Although the total number of payment cards (debit and credit) issued in the EU in the previous 12 months reached over 726,000,000 – card fraud has actually been on a decline in recent years due to technological advances that have increased the security of transactions.
However, Europol reports that there remains a very active criminal market in payment card fraud in Europe, pulling in around 1.5 billion euros a year for the organized crime groups involved.
The wide adoption of EMV (Chip and PIN) technology in the EU has been a key driver for reducing domestic “card-present’ (CP) fraud. Chip and PIN technology offers stronger security features than conventional magnetic strips, both for the physical card (unlike magnetic strips, the chips cannot be easily duplicated), for the technological infrastructure behind the transaction, and for the cardholder whose confidential data is more secure.
However, the level of illegal card-present transactions carried out overseas has seen a sharp increase as criminals target the weak points of the system by committing crimes using non-EMV compliant cash machines and payment card terminals in countries such as the USA, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Russian Federation, Brazil and Mexico.
Organized crime groups upgrade their criminal techniques relatively quickly, producing devices to bypass the latest anti-skimming technology and exploring other ways to rip off EU consumers and industry.
As “card-not-present’ (CNP) transactions do not benefit from the same security enhancements as Chip and PIN cards, CNP fraud is on an upward trend. In the period analysed, around 60% of losses to card fraud, totalling around 900 million euros, were caused by card-not-present fraud.
Credit card information and bank account credentials are some of the most actively traded “goods’ on the Internet’s underground economy and this stolen data is used to create cloned cards which are used to make fraudulent card-not-present online purchases with EU suppliers.
Most of the credit card numbers misused in the EU come from data breaches in the USA. Major investments by EU industry in the 3D secure protocol have increased the security of transactions, however not all transactions are protected with it on an EU or worldwide level.
Since the vast majority of such criminal activities take place online in multiple countries, often involving numerous parties, the most effective law enforcement solution is to task specialised cybercrime teams with such cases.
In the last year, Europol provided support to EU law enforcement authorities in hundreds of international investigations into payment card fraud. The new European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), which officially launches this week at Europol in The Hague, will be the focal point in the EU’s fight against cybercrime, contributing to faster reactions in the event of online crimes. It will support Member States and the European Union’s institutions in building operational and analytical capacity for investigations and cooperation with international partners.

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NORCROSS, GA (August 17, 2007) – Unisource Worldwide, Inc., has announced the appointment of industry veteran Earl Hatch as business manager of its paper sales in Oklahoma.
Hatch, who has more than 37 years of paper and printing industry experience, has been associated with Unisource since 1978. Since 2001, he has excelled as sales manager of the company’s paper business in Oklahoma City, OK, and he will continue to manage that territory while supervising the statewide Oklahoma sales force.
“Earl Hatch is a key member of our management team,” said Tim Rodman, Unisource’s Southwest Area Vice President, Sales – Paper. “He has a wealth of sales management experience, and his leadership will be invaluable as we grow our paper business in Oklahoma.”
Hatch’s previous industry experience includes working for S.D. Warren/SAPPI, a Boston-based paper manufacturer, and operating his own printing business. He also held positions as chief operating officer and president with the Roach Paper Company.
WhatTheyThink is the global printing industry's go-to information source with both print and digital offerings, including WhatTheyThink.com, WhatTheyThink Email Newsletters, and the WhatTheyThink magazine. Our mission is to inform, educate, and inspire the industry. We provide cogent news and analysis about trends, technologies, operations, and events in all the markets that comprise today's printing and sign industries including commercial, in-plant, mailing, finishing, sign, display, textile, industrial, finishing, labels, packaging, marketing technology, software and workflow.


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The unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy Note9
The Samsung Galaxy Note9 was officially launched on the 9th of August, and we were there to see it.
By 5pm, #unpacked was trending at No 1 on Twitter yesterday as Samsung hosted its Global Unpack Event to launch the new Samsung Galaxy Note9, its new flagship phone, worldwide. In South Africa, the event was held at the swish Marble restaurant where guests and media were wined and dined on David Higgs’ sumptuous fare while tuning in to the live unveiling of the new-generation phablet in New York.
Referred to as 'the world’s most advanced smartphone' by Samsung CEO DJ Koh, this is a phone that’s outstanding in its storage capacity, camera functionality, battery power and performance.
'This is the most powerful Samsung phone,' said Drew Blackard, Director: Product Marketing. The smallest memory storage, with 6GB of RAM, is 128GB, which Blackard says is the equivalent of 670 hours of movies and series, while the largest is 512GB with 8GB. A MicroSD added to the 512GB version will give you 1TB of memory.
The all-day battery
Running on a 4 000mAh cell, the size of this smartphone’s battery may be the most compelling reason to get the Note9. While it certainly can last you the whole day, whether it indeed will deliver on that promise comes down to what you use this phone for. The confirmation, at the launch, of the rumour that Fortnite would now be available on Android, starting with the Note9, was an opportunity also used to demonstrate that this can be a gaming phone. Not only will streaming be smoother and quicker, thanks to the 10nm 64-bit Octa-core processor, but the phone’s water-carbon cooling system prevents over-heating during heavy usage, like gaming.
A PC in your pocket
The Note9 can also virtually be used as a computer. Product Marketing Director Jonathon Wong demonstrated this when he showed in his presentation how the Samsung Dex experience means that the Note9 is a device that can give users a “PC-like experience”, simply by connecting it to a monitor with a single HDMI adaptor. For creatives, this allows for a Dual Canvas experience, co-developed with Adobe, enabling them to create artwork that they can zoom in on (to add finer detail) on a separate “canvas”, simultaneously.
The Note9’s camera adjusts to external light conditions, taking clear, beautiful images day and night, plus it comes with slow motion technology. While the dual-aperture camera’s capabilities are a huge plus, it’s the instant flaw-detection technology that makes it a soaring cinematic success. It instantly picks up niggles like a smudge on the screen or someone blinking while the picture is being taken. Moreover, Scene Optimiser means that different shots get different colour modifications.
This is the largest Note – for now (Koh speculates that by 2020, '6 inches will be the bass line for smartphones'). Its 6.4” Quad HD+ Super AMOLED screen and resolution make it clear, crisp and a perfect canvas to create from or on which to watch videos. It’s available in four colours: Metallic Copper, Lavender Purple, Midnight Black and Ocean Blue.
The S Pen
The stylus has Bluetooth connectivity, making it the “ultimate remote control”, says Wong. A presentation, for example, can be niftily controlled with just a few inconspicuous clicks of the S Pen. The same applies to the camera, which enables for hands-free image-capturing that doesn’t compromise on composition.
BFFs with Bixby
As Samsung’s digital assistant become a more scalable AI platform, it responds to queries in a more conversational and personal way as it learns your preferences and proclivities.
*The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is now available for pre-order. (In stores 24 August.)


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The Samsung Galaxy Note8 has apparently started getting the final Oreo update even before the Galaxy S8 series (which has been testing an Oreo beta for a while now). The tech giant hasn't officially announced the roll out yet, someone over at Reddit posted screenshots of their Android 8-powered Note8. This suggests that this is probably a soak test and only if that goes smoothly Samsung will begin wider rollout.
The unit that got the update is Exynos-powered. The update carries a build number of R16NW.N950FXXU2CRA1.DM, and bumps the Android security level to January.
We also got a partial change-log for the update. Take a look:
NO, still waiting :P
I've taken part in the S8 Oreo Beta project. Nice touch that Samsung involve their faithful customers in sharing their software development. Oreo so far? Not seen much difference TBH, we'll see when the finished result gets rolled out.
Better late than never, they're doing a decent job updating a lot of their phones to the latest version.


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A French company is currently developing a medicinal spray that would curb the spread of the new Corona virus in the nose, so that it does not spread to other body organs such as the lung.
According to the French newspaper “Le Point”, the company “Vetribio” is in charge of developing the product so that it fights the virus as soon as it enters the nose.
And the company stated that this spray fights infection during the first and early stage, thus preventing the situation from getting worse.
This company has been developing medical equipment in France for 25 years, and it is estimated that the inhaler provides a protection period of 4 to 6 hours.
Ravi Shrivastava, who is the founder and general manager of the medical company, says that nearly 90 percent of “Corona” injuries occur through the nose.
He added that the aim of this spray is to prevent the virus from entering the body, by neutralizing it as soon as it enters the nose.
And since the nose will be immune to the virus through this “barrier”, the possibility of complications at the level of breathing, after infection, will be low, according to the official.
To ensure the effectiveness of this spray, experiments were conducted in the laboratory under the supervision of the University of Toulouse and obtained a certificate from the “Tipo Bio” scientific body. The French company stated that the inhaler will be available in pharmacies soon, and its price ranges between 8 and 10 euros.
The company started producing the inhaler, but its capacity at the present time could only produce 150,000 units per month.
Vitry Bio contracted with Bio-Cog, which invested one million euros to set up the production facility, in order to raise the production capacity to 1.5 million per month, by January 2021.


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The new Redmi 12C from tech giant Xiaomi has been released in South Africa, aimed at consumers looking for powerful performance at an affordable price.
The smartphone boasts standout features like an immersive display, a long-lasting battery, advanced and responsive fingerprint sensor, dual camera, memory extension and a powerful loudspeaker.
Xiaomi has priced the Redmi 12C is one of the most powerful smartphones within its price range, at a R2999 recommended retail selling price.
Powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 processor, the Redmi 12C offers an exceptional user experience at a fraction of the cost of high-end devices. The device is also capable of up 1TB storage extension, allowing for smoother operations, quicker app starts, and more storage space for content.
It comes with an advanced and responsive fingerprint sensor, a large 6.71″ HD+ display and sleek 20.6:9 aspect ratio, for a more immersive experience when reading, watching videos, and gaming.
It has a 50MP main camera which comes equipped with powerful HDR and Night mode for clearer city nightscape pictures.


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echo interview with Aksel Ringvold, General Manager of Hilti Schweiz AG
elipsLife echo: As a globally successful player, Hilti has remained a family business. Has this fact contributed to its success?
Aksel Ringvold: Yes, it has. And I’ll tell you why. When it comes to planning, family ownership lets you take a long view, much more so than is the case with listed companies. At Hilti, we focus on the long term, not on short-term profit optimisation. In addition, we’re still shaped by a culture that goes back to the company's founder. This guides and shapes our working lives. For example, there’s a person at Hilti whose only job is to nurture and implement our corporate culture.
Where are your key markets?
Hilti pursues a global strategy. We have more than 120 subsidiaries worldwide and basically operate the same business model everywhere, with field service, engineering and support. In terms of market share, we’re strongest in Europe, where the focus is on German-speaking countries. That being said, Hilti is also strong in the USA and we’re also building up our position in countries outside Europe.
What are the biggest challenges currently facing the Hilti Group?
The construction industry, including we as construction suppliers, is currently caught in a real storm. We’re experiencing a severe shortage of raw materials. This means that steel production, for example, can no longer keep up with world demand. The consequences are rising prices and supply bottlenecks. To make matters worse, we’re facing massively higher prices for sea and air freight and a shortage of electronic components. So far, Hilti has come through this crisis relatively unscathed, thanks to a very professionally organised supply chain.
What’s the longer-term outlook?
When it comes to the long-term horizon, I prefer to talk about the opportunities out there. One important topic is certainly productivity for the construction industry in general and specifically the opportunities associated with the ongoing digital transformation of the business world. The question is how we can use our solutions to help our customers navigate these changes as productively as possible and so earn more money.


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LAS VEGAS — LenovoEMC unveiled at ISC West its px2-300d and px4-400d, double-drive and four-drive desktop network video recorders (NVRs), which utilize Milestone Systems’ Interconnect for central surveillance operation across geographically dispersed sites and multiple NVRs.
The NVRs support up to 16 analog cameras through the addition of a 16-channel PCIe card accessory. The product, which is available in scalable 4TB and 8TB configurations, also offers hybrid support for up to 20 IP cameras. Other features include RAID protection, UPS support and data replication. It also supports motion detection, email alerts, mobile viewing via iOS, Android & Windows Phone, according to a company release.
Additionally, the devices include support for the Milestone Interconnect feature, which allows the network storage devices to be interconnected with Milestone’s XProtect Corporate software.
“Utilizing the Milestone Interconnect feature, the new LenovoEMC NVRs can now become part of a larger geographically dispersed surveillance network for enterprises as well as smaller business entities,” said Andrew Hugo, director, storage product marketing, Lenovo Enterprise Product Division.
The new LenovoEMC NVR with Milestone Arcus, an embedded video surveillance platform that runs on Linux, Mac OSX and Windows related operating systems, is bundled with camera licenses and software update plans for easy deployment out of the box and future feature and performance updates, according to a company release.
“The LenovoEMC NAS products were the first Milestone Arcus embedded devices in the industry,” Lars Nordenlund Friis, vice president of incubation and ventures at Milestone Systems said. “The importance of Milestone Interconnect to address installations with many sites and very high camera counts is proving significant with Milestone Arcus solutions, allowing the end user to take a dynamic approach to what capabilities are needed where and when — in essence, unlimited scalability.”
Owners of all existing LenovoEMC px Series network storage products, desktop and rackmount models, can upgrade to the new Milestone Arcus VMS as a download application.
Users of existing LenovoEMC px series of deskto and rackmount network storage devices can download the Milestone Arcus VMS from www.lifelineapps.com. The downloadable version of Milestone Arcus will include two demo camera licenses that will work for 30 days.
To learn more about the product visit lenovoemc.com or stop by the Milestone Systems booth (#20060).


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Google, an American multinational technology company took a big step in its business stricture. The company which is well known for its great service Google Search Engine announced a new order it exists in as the company’s business stricture is concerned. A new company by the name Alphabet was created recently by Google, and now the famous Google is going to exist as Alphabet’s subsidiary.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the Google’s co-founders announced in a blog post that the structure of Google has changed. Having operated the search engine and other products for years, it’s going to have some of them as Alphabet, the parent company, takes over the control of others. Search, maps, apps, YouTube, Android are some of the businesses Google will continue to control while Fiber, Nest, Calico are some of those that will be controlled by Alphabet.
Page said the new order would make business simpler. “This new structure will allow us to keep tremendous focus on the extraordinary opportunities we have inside of Google,” he announced in the post. “Our company is operating well today, but we think we can make it cleaner and more accountable,” he said. “The whole point is that Alphabet companies should have independence and develop their own brands.” He added.
Mr Brin will be the president of Alphabet while the chief executive will be Mr. Page. Sundar Pichai, the Google’s senior vice president, will become the CEO of Google as Eric Schmidt, the current Google chairman, will become the executive chairman of the holding company. Some like the new chief financial officer, Ruth Porat, will retain the post in both Alphabet and Google.
The online technology giant has made a big change in its business structure. As Page said that the change will ease up the focus on opportunities, many expect an improvement in Google’s businesses. Alphabet being the parent, its also expected to be among the giants offering the services, just the same league Google has been.


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RadioShack closing 1,100 stores following a dismal holiday season
NEW YORK — RadioShack plans to close as many as 1,100 stores across the nation as its troubles continue to grow.
About 30 RadioShack stores operate in the Pittsburgh region. The company did not release a list of stores to be closed.
The struggling electronics retailer made the announcement on Tuesday while reporting a wider quarterly loss after a disappointing holiday season. Its stock tumbled 14 percent in midday trading.
CEO Joseph Magnacca said the closures would leave RadioShack with more than 4,000 stores in America, including more than 900 dealer franchise locations. The company didn't immediately identify which stores will be closed or how many jobs would be affected.
A call to the company, based in Fort Worth,was not immediately returned.
The closures represent just the latest setback for RadioShack, which is fighting to update its image and compete with the rise of online and discount retailers. In addition to slashing costs and shuffling management, for instance, RadioShack has been renovating its stores with a more modern look.
“Since I joined the company, it has been clear we need to change the conversation about RadioShack,” Magnacca said during a call with analysts.
He pointed to the success of the company's Super Bowl ad as an example of “exactly the kind of disruption we needed.” The spot poked fun at its outdated image by showing characters from the 1980s including Alf, Chucky and Teen Wolf ransacking its store. Magnacca also outlined various efforts the company is taking, such as revamping its product mix and working to identify trends in electronics earlier.
Still, he conceded that the turnaround push is taking longer than expected because the company was “weak” in many areas and “just broken” in others. In addition, the latest quarter's performance was hurt by a slowdown in customer traffic and increased promotional activity.
Sales at stores open at least a year — a key indicator of a retailer's health — sank 19 percent.
The company said that the stores targeted for closures are being selected based on location, area demographics, lease duration and financial performance.
For the three months ended Dec. 31, RadioShack Corp. lost $191.4 million, or $1.90 per share. That compares with a loss of $63.3 million, or 63 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding certain items, the company lost $1.29 per share. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected a loss of 16 cents per share.
Revenue declined to $935.4 million from $1.17 billion. Wall Street was looking for higher revenue of $1.12 billion.
RadioShack reported a full-year loss of $400.2 million, or $3.97 per share. In the prior year, it lost $139.4 million, or $1.39 per share. Its adjusted loss was $3.04 per share. Annual revenue declined 10 percent to $3.43 billion from $3.83 billion.
Shares of RadioShack fell 38 cents, or 14 percent, to $2.34. The stock is down about 22 percent in the past year.
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Nokia's 6212 with Bluetooth NFC: Let the pairing revolution begin!
Thomas Ricker|@trixxy|April 15, 2008 5:16 AM
Bluetooth-enabled Near Field Communication. If you remember the video we showed you way back in March of 2007, the combo makes device pairing and transferring content like photos, video, music, calendar data, contacts, etc. as easy a touching the phone to a NFC-enabled picture frame, cellphone, speaker, or headset like Nokia's own NFC-variant of the BH-210. It will also work with NFC payment systems. According to Jeremy Belostock, the Head of Near Field Communications at Nokia, "NFC-capable handsets such as the Nokia 6212 classic are set to change the way mobile phone users interact with devices and services in their surroundings." You said it Jeremy, you said it. Expected to start shipping in Europe and Asia in the Q3 for about €200.


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General Motors and Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) recently reached a significant milestone in the hands-free driving world—more than 34 million miles driven with Super Cruise™* engaged on General Motors vehicles. GM teamed with Trimble to develop a reliable way to maintain in-lane positioning for hands-free driving, putting safety top-of-mind.
Trimble’s precise GPS technology enables a vehicle to maintain its lane position in a variety of environments, including inclement weather conditions, including rain, snow, fog and more, which often challenges other sensors. GM’s Super Cruise, the world’s first true hands-free driver assistance system, uses Trimble RTX® (Real-Time eXtended) technology to deliver high-GNSS accuracy corrections since it introduced the technology in 2017 on the model year 2018 Cadillac CT6.
“Trimble RTX has been in commercial use for more than 10 years and in 2018 was the first precise point positioning correction service to log miles in a commercial autonomous driving system. It works with Super Cruise to help a vehicle maintain its lane position, bringing more consumers access to a more enjoyable and convenient driving experience,” said Patricia Boothe, senior vice president of Autonomy, Trimble.
Standard GPS signals can have a margin of error up to 25 feet, which is not suitable for vehicles that require precise absolute position information to maintain lane-level positioning. Trimble’s RTX technology removes errors in GNSS satellite data broadcasts to improve location accuracy on our roadways.
“Super Cruise is a life-changing technology, allowing customers to experience hands-free driving on compatible, mapped roads nationwide. The technology is a collaborative effort internally and externally to bring this advanced driver assistance technology to life,” said Mario Maiorana, GM chief engineer, Super Cruise. “Trimble Autonomy has been a valuable collaborator in bringing Super Cruise to our customers.”
*Always pay attention while driving and when using Super Cruise. Do not use a hand-held device. Requires active Super Cruise plan or trial. Terms apply. Visit cadillac.com/supercruise for compatible roads and full details.About GM
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is a global company focused on advancing an all-electric future that is inclusive and accessible to all. At the heart of this strategy is the Ultium battery platform, which will power everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, can be found at https://www.gm.com.About Trimble Autonomy
Trimble Autonomy delivers leading positioning and orientation technology to major industrial markets worldwide. This approach to autonomy is built on decades of engineering expertise, system intelligence and field-proven solutions, covering billions of acres and millions of miles. Trimble’s autonomous technology enables advanced action in any environment, designed to meet the unique needs of our customers no matter where they are on their autonomy journey. For more information, visit: autonomy.trimble.com. About Trimble
Trimble is an industrial technology company transforming the way the world works by delivering solutions that enable our customers to thrive. Core technologies in positioning, modeling, connectivity and data analytics connect the digital and physical worlds to improve productivity, quality, safety, transparency and sustainability. From purpose-built products to enterprise lifecycle solutions, Trimble is transforming industries such as agriculture, construction, geospatial and transportation. For more information about Trimble (NASDAQ:TRMB), visit: www.trimble.com.


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The Ford-Tesla electrical car charging contract places stress on GM
DETROIT – A surprise deal between Ford engine And Tesla Advances in EV charging technology and infrastructure could put new pressure on other automakers’ EV strategies.
The merger of the two competitors will give Ford owners access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers in the US and Canada starting early next year. More importantly, Ford’s next generation of electric vehicles — expected by mid-decade — will use Tesla’s charging connector, allowing Ford vehicle owners to charge on Tesla superchargers without an adapter.
related investment news
The agreement makes Ford one of the first automakers to explicitly connect to the network.
Ford CEO Jim Farley and Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the deal Thursday during a live audio discussion on Twitter Spaces. On Friday morning, Farley acknowledged the duel would pose challenges for Ford’s rivals.
“I think GM and others are going to have a big decision to make,” he said on CNBC’s Squawk Box.
Farley’s comments related to which electric car charging plug should be standard in the US. A charger called CCS is now the industry standard. Tesla vehicles and their Supercharger network use what is known as NACS. Other vehicles can use both, but require an adapter.
“The CCS is a great standard, but it was essentially created by some kind of committee, and I think GM and others are going to have a big decision to make,” Farley told CNBC. “Do you want fast charging for your customers? Or do they want to stick to their standard and charge less?”
Ford shares rose 6.2% on Friday to close at $12.09 a share. Shares of Tesla were also up 4.7% on Friday to end the week at $193.17.
The Ford-Tesla deal could be short-term negative for GM, Stellantis and other automakers that don’t have access to so many fast chargers said to be critical to expanding EV adoption, said Tom Narayan, an analyst at RBC Capital
“The news today is obviously positive for Ford shares (and potentially negative for GM/STLA in the near term), but ultimately we believe this should be viewed as a long-term play by Tesla,” Narayan said in a Friday investor note.
Tesla states that it has around 45,000 Supercharger connections at 4,947 Supercharger stations worldwide. The company does not disclose how many there are in the US. The US Department of Energy reports that the country only has about 5,300 CCS fast chargers.
General MotorsWithout specifically addressing Farley’s comments, the company said Friday that it “believes open charging networks and standards are the best way to enable EV adoption across the industry.” GM said it was working with a group of company and SAE International, formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers, to develop and further refine an open connector standard for CCS, which he says is important for “building an open network for fast charging” across North America.”
The Detroit-based automaker has announced several partnerships with providers of electric vehicle charging stations and has called for more government support for this infrastructure.
Ford is “completely committed” to a unified US charging protocol that includes the Tesla plug connector, Farley said Thursday.
When Musk announced the deal with Farley, he hinted that other automakers could also use the Tesla Supercharger network the company’s charging ports.
“Working with Ford and maybe others can make it the North American standard. I think consumers will benefit from that,” Musk said Thursday.
An all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E is charged at a Tesla Supercharger station.
Tesla has already talked about opening up its private network to other electric vehicles. White House officials announced in February that Tesla had committed to opening 7,500 of its charging stations to non-Tesla EV drivers by the end of 2024.
Public EV charging is a big concern for potential buyers, and no automaker other than Tesla has successfully built its own network. Instead, they’ve announced partnerships with third-party companies that have often proven unreliable and frustrating for owners.
Most US drivers log vehicle miles from home to nearby locations. But EV buyers who want to make longer car journeys or don’t have access to a garage with a charger often worry about access to reliable, public charging facilities.
The problem is getting worse: At least one in five attempted charging by drivers failed last year, according to a study on public charging published by JD Power last year.
According to a separate new study by JD Power, Tesla’s superchargers were rated top in terms of overall customer satisfaction.
Wall Street bullish
Rod Lache, an analyst at Wolfe Research, called the deal a “win-win” as it more than doubles Ford customers’ access to fast chargers and increases utilization of the Tesla network.
“For Ford, access to the Tesla network helps solve a major problem for its electric vehicle customers who would otherwise have to turn to third-party charging providers,” he said in an investor note on Friday. “Meanwhile, attracting Ford customers to Tesla will help increase network utilization, a key driver of profitability.”
Jim Farley and Elon Musk
The deal is a big boost in access to fast chargers for Ford and its customers, Morningstar analyst David Whiston said. He added that it “puts some pressure on other long-established automakers, but if you’re someone like GM, I don’t think you need to panic.”
Whiston said he would like to know more about the deal, including costs, duration and other details that were not disclosed.
A Ford spokesman said more information about the agreement would be announced once Tesla’s chargers open to Ford owners early next year.
– CNBC’s Michael Bloom, Lora Kolodny and John Rosevear contributed to this report.
Clarification: This story has been updated to clarify that SAE International was formerly known as the Society of Automotive Engineers.


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In a recent investigative report, the garment worker advocacy group, Labour Behind the Label has exposed widespread human rights violations in the supply chains of major retailers operating in Pakistan. The report, developed in collaboration with human rights law firm Global Rights Compliance, paints a grim picture of the industry, citing instances of minimum wage breaches, enforcement of excessive working hours, negligence towards health and safety concerns, and lack of compensation for injured or deceased workers.
Factories affiliated with global brands such as Gap, Adidas, Asda, H&M, Marks & Spencer, Puma, Levi’s, Primark, Boohoo, and Inditex (owner of Zara) were all implicated in the findings. Surprisingly, these companies, despite claiming rigorous social auditing processes, were found to be sourcing products from suppliers mentioned in the report, highlighting a significant gap in their supply chain monitoring.
The report revealed that these factories exploit workers by employing them in less formal arrangements, a practice aimed at cutting costs and reducing risks. Alarmingly, more than a third of the surveyed workforce earned less than the minimum wage due to these informal work arrangements.
Health and safety concerns were also raised, with workers reporting hazardous conditions, including exposure to cotton dust and fumes. Shockingly, one worker’s death due to workplace conditions was allegedly concealed by factory management, and the family received no compensation.
Lara Strangways, the head of business and human rights at Global Rights Compliance, expressed serious concerns about the findings. “The findings of this report should be an urgent wake-up call to brands, showing gross failings in their due diligence processes to identify human rights and labour rights violations in the making their products.”
“Social auditing is failing to pick up violations and is clearly not fit for purpose. Brands must act with urgency to reassess their approach to sourcing and engage in discussion on appropriate remedy with the labour movement.”


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Publishing is changing fast. More and more books are being sold digitally. Amazon.com isn't just the a huge online seller of books, but is stepping into publishing itself.
Authors are also embracing the web and social networking as a way to reach their readers.
Is it smart to put all your faith into the web -- or should authors try more of a hybrid strategy?
Bestseller Bob Mayer on PR for Authors in a Chaotic Publishing World
"Ninety percent of books fail because authors fail to promote it." That's what bestselling author Bob Mayer said at the 2011 Pacific Northwest Writer's Association conference. "They think the publishers will do all that," Mayer said. "They can't." Mayer advocates that authors take their PR and publicity seriously, because unless you get a six-figure advance, publishers won't typically spend much promoting and publicizing your book. This lack of publicity support has pushed many authors to lean hard on blogs, websites and social media. Mayer said this is a flaw in strategy. "Have a purpose on social media," Mayer said. "Why are you on it?" He suggests setting concrete, measurable goals, not just with social media, but with anything an author spends time on.
Book Buzz - Building Relationships is Key to Publicity for Authors
Liz Berry wants to put the networking back in "social networking." The executive director of ThrillerFest and says, "It's social networking, not 'pimp my book.' It's meant to meet people and build relationships." Authors are putting too much faith in the viral power of social networking, Berry said, thinking they'll tap the viral power of the internet. "An author I know had 6,000 downloads of his free first chapter," Liz said. "That's a ton, right? Huge." Total sales related to those 6,000 downloads? "Seven." The real viral power, Liz said, is more old-fashioned: building relationships and tapping into word of mouth.
How the Web is Changing Publicity for Authors
Public relations and publicity is critical for any author, since they make their living being in the public eye and getting the attention of readers. You can't do that one-on-one alone -- you have to talk to the press, be on the web and use social media like Facebook and Twitter. Heather Drucker, associate director of publicity for HarperCollins, took the time to talk about how the web and social media are changing things for authors.
Public Relations for Authors - Barry Eisler
Barry Eisler doesn't just write about spies, assassins and tough guys. He used to be an actual spy for the CIA, and he earned his black belt at the Kodokan International Judo Center in Japan. His thrillers have been translated into twenty languages and have won the Barry Award and Gumshoe Award. Eisler is expert at how authors today can't just write sit at a desk and write their books. They have to get out there -- in person, on the web and in the mass media.
Job Profile - Book Publicist
Book publicists work on behalf of authors to publicize new books -- whether printed on paper or sold digitally at sites like Amazon.com -- doing everything from helping craft author bios and websites to organizing book tours, arranging for media interviews and scheduling authors on radio and television shows. Many book publicists work directly for publishers, usually in major publishing centers like New York City and London, though there are book publicists who work for PR firms or on a freelance basis.
How to Get a Job as a Book Publicist
If you love books and dealing with the press, a job as a book publicist might be for you. Here are the details on education levels, salary ranges and typical job duties for a book publicist, whether you're working for a publisher or as a freelance publicist for authors.
How to Maximize Social Media for Public Relations
Social media is a great tool for public figures and the public relations field, and especially important for authors and publishers today. While mass media -- TV, newspapers, radio and the internet -- can reach incredible amounts of people, it's a one-way message. There's no dialogue, no feedback, no interaction. Social media like Twitter make it personal. They make it social. You can connect with the press and public in ways that mass media simply can't let you do.
Tips from the Field: Heather Drucker, Book Publicist
Book publicists work with publishers, authors and the media. Most of the jobs are centered around publishing hubs like New York City and London, though there are freelance book publicists. Heather Drucker is an Associate Director of Publicity for HarperCollins based in New York City.


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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is reporting that there are more than 150 suspected local cases of gastrointestinal illness linked to the consumption of raw oysters, likely caused by norovirus. At this time, Public Health is warning consumers not to eat raw oysters from Laguna De Guerrero Negro, Baja California, Mexico; Laguna Manuela, Baja California, Mexico; and Bahia Salina, Sonora, Mexico because they may be linked to outbreaks of norovirus illnesses in California. Before eating raw oysters, consumers should ask the vendor/restaurant where the oysters were harvested.
Public Health is currently working with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to investigate and confirm the source of this cluster of gastrointestinal illness cases. If you believe that you became sick from eating or drinking something, please file a report by clicking here.
In San Diego County, health officials said Thursday that they had 69 confirmed and probable cases. Other cases were reported in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.
The FDA alert is also for consumers in California who have recently consumed oysters in San Diego or Los Angeles County restaurants sourced from Sociedad Acuicola GolPac (MX 06 SP) harvested from Bahia Salina, Sonora, Mexico on 12/18/2023 or 12/27/2023.
The FDA is advising restaurants and food retailers not to serve or sell and to dispose of oysters and consumers not to eat oysters from Sociedad Acuicola GolPac (MX 06 SP) harvested from Bahia Salina, Sonora, Mexico on 12/18/2023 or 12/27/2023 because they may be contaminated with norovirus.
Oysters contaminated with norovirus can cause illness if eaten raw, and potentially severe illness in people with compromised immune systems. Food containing norovirus may look, smell, and taste normal. Consumers of these products experiencing symptoms of illness should contact their healthcare provider and report their symptoms to their local Health Department. Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fever may be associated with gastroenteritis infections caused by this organism.
People of all ages can get infected and sick with norovirus. The most common symptoms of norovirus are diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. Other symptoms include fever, headache, and body aches.
A person usually develops symptoms 12 to 48 hours after exposure to norovirus.
Most people with norovirus illness get better within 1 to 3 days.
If you have norovirus illness, you can feel extremely ill and vomit or have diarrhea many times a day. This can lead to dehydration, especially in young children, older adults, and people with other illnesses. Symptoms of dehydration include decreased urination, dry mouth and throat, and feeling dizzy when standing up. Dehydrated children may cry with few or no tears and be unusually sleepy or fussy.
Anyone who becomes severely dehydrated should call a healthcare provider.
Norovirus: Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Norovirus outbreaks. The Norovirus lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Norovirus and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $850 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. Our Norovirus lawyers have litigated Norovirus cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a number of food products and restaurants.


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Enterprise Mobility: RIM PlayBook: BlackBerry Tablet Takes a Run at Apple iPad Dominance
Research In Motion, its storied BlackBerry franchise facing challenges on multiple fronts from the likes of Apple's iPhone and Google Android devices, needs to reinvigorate its brand and establish a presence in new market segments. To that end, the company is offering up the 7-inch PlayBook tablet, which will compete with the Apple iPad, various touch-screens running Google Android, and the upcoming webOS devices from Hewlett-Packard. For business users, the PlayBook offers tight integration with BlackBerry devices, handsome hardware, front- and rear-facing cameras, and security. As a consumer device, though, RIM may have some distance to cover before it can truly become a tablet competitor on the scale of Apple or Samsung. For starters, the collection of apps available for the PlayBook remains smallcertainly much smaller than the hundreds of thousands of apps available for both the Apple and Google platforms. Second, the lack of native apps for email and calendar could dissuade those users who don't own a BlackBerry. RIM is promising future software updates that will tweak bugs and add new features but in the meantime risks the PlayBook being seen as half-baked or unfinished. That being said, the PlayBook looks and feels unique, thanks to its QNX-based operating system. RIM also decided to make the case touch-sensitive, with menus reacting to any finger-flicking along the device's edges. The PlayBook may be suffering some mixed early reviews, but at least RIM's offering something that's not cookie-cutter.


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Major vegan and vegetarian meat brand Quorn may be answering the prayers of veggie children — and drunk adults — by launching dinosaur-shaped nuggets.
The 21-year-old vegetarian found herself craving the childhood dinner-time classic, and felt it necessary to ask Quorn to step in and launch its own meat-free dinosaur-shaped nuggets.
“I am missing out on eating nuggets shaped like my favourite creatures, but I am a vegetarian, so I can’t eat the real dino nuggets,” Chey wrote. “Everyone would like them, for example: Kids & adults. I can confidently say adults would like them, because I am an adult… damn dudes, I just really want some dino nuggets to cure my depression.”
I drunk emailed Quorn about a couple of months ago begging them for dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets to “cure my depression”. ?? (I do really want dino nuggets though ngl) pic.twitter.com/zroUJq8QcZ
— Chey☁ (@pronounced_shy) November 16, 2018
Though the intoxicated Twitter user may not have expected it, Quorn replied – and seemed to be a fan of her idea. The company’s Customer Support Team first apologised for taking months to reply, “[excuse] our dinosaurs for the late reply as they are getting old and rusty,” it noted, before revealing, “they really liked your idea and have convinced us to look into it!!!”
Thrilled, Chey — a veggie since the age of ten — shared the exciting reply via Twitter, which received almost 29,000 likes in November.
Speaking to Femail – a column for UK national newspaper the Daily Mail – Chey explained how spontaneous her email was, and how surprised she was to receive such a positive response.
Chey explained that – whilst intoxicated – all she could think was “just that I wanted dinosaur chicken nuggets.” She told her friends that she planned to email the major company, and when getting ready for bed, sent the email. “I remembered sending the email the next morning, I wasn’t blackout drunk,” she added.
If Quorn decides to launch new dinosaur-shaped nuggets, they could likely be vegan. The company, which recently opened the largest meat-alternative factory in the world, already offers vegan chicken-style nuggets.
It also revealed over the summer that many of its new products will be plant-based, investing £7 million into research and development to create more foods without any animal products at all.


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Instagram tests a model new ‘Memory’ Story prompt to encourage customers to re-share old posts, possibly to re-ignite engagement amid declining private sharing on the platform, much like Facebook’s ‘On this present day’ characteristic. Twitter Blue, the micro-blogging platform’s premium subscription service, has been launched in India at a month-to-month price of Rs 900 for cellular users and Rs 650 for web customers. Digit.in is among the most trusted and popular technology media portals in India. At Digit it’s our goal to assist Indian technology customers decide what tech merchandise they want to buy. We do this by testing thousands of products in our two check labs in Noida and Mumbai, to reach at indepth and unbiased buying advice for tens of millions of Indians.
I went to the Honor booth at MWC, and there I obtained to see the corporate’s newest flagship offering — Honor Magic 5 Pro. The vast majority of these new jobs have been created since the PLI scheme came into impact in August 2021. The information is based on the three vendors and the businesses within the Apple ecosystem. We are about leadership – the 9.9 sort Building a leading media firm out of India.
It is amongst India’s prime sources of breaking cellular news, and a know-how category chief among early adopters, savvy technophiles, and informal readers alike. Page three Latest Technology News and Daily Updates on Gadgets 360. Get trending tech news, cellphones, laptops, reviews, software program updates, video games, internet and other techno… Despite exiting the Indian smartphone market, Honor has been making some nice smartphones for the opposite international markets. I obtained a chance to spend a while with the company’s Honor Magic Vs foldable, and here are my impressions. MySmartPrice is a gadget analysis destination the place we assist customers to find the best merchandise at the most effective price for product classes like mobiles, laptops, electronics, TVs, house home equipment, audio merchandise and so forth.
Cellular World Congress 2023: Cellular Operators Make Strides In The Direction Of Internet Zero, Gsma Report Reveals
Indian cell and net customers speak in 30 languages and around 1,600 dialects. Soon after Twitter users begin raising the concern, the microblogging website Twitter apologized and mentioned it was working to fix the problem. If you have people from varied areas internationally, then this feature will assist you to to communicate with the WhatsApp consumer in numerous languages, without really learning the language. IOS helps around forty languages and Android helps around 70 functions.
Paytm Funds Bank Turns Into First To Launch Upi Lite Feature: All You Have To Know
Analysts predict the AI tech might be a major driver for future growth for the tech trade, which has been grappling with slowing demand amid recessionary fears. WhatsApp is working on a brand new scheduled group call feature which is in a position to enable users to plan their group calls in advance. Cred CEO Kunal Shah revealed his salary starnewsagency.in while replying to a user on Instagram. Shah claims that he only earns Rs 15,000 per 30 days as the company is not but worthwhile. Looking for a free Disney+ Hotstar subscription to look at IPL? These postpaid plans from Airtel and Vodafone-Idea are offering free OTT subscription with knowledge and calling benefits.
The Means To Use Different Languages On Whatsapp: Ideas And Tricks
Iterating its dedication to consumer-centric approach, OPPO, a number one global smartphone brand, has launched its … The Poco C55 is a 4G gadget, which should not be disappointing contemplating it’s nonetheless difficult and fairly costly for smartphone corporations to supply 5G telephones beneath Rs 10,000 section. Infosys says companies can use its 5G services for remote-guided vehicles, drone-based real-time analytics, high-definition media and video analytics. The Poco C55 is a 4G device, which shouldn’t be disappointing contemplating it is nonetheless troublesome and fairly costly for smartphone firms to supply 5G telephones underneath Rs 10,000 section. Canada introduced a ban on the usage of the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok on government-issued devices because of considerations over privateness and security dangers. Approximately 50,000 meals are being served in a day to the purchasers via IRCTC’s e-catering companies.


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SecureEnvoy has joined hands with PasswordBank to allow users access multiple cloud services at the same time using their mobile phones. This collaboration will help users access cloud services such as Google Apps, Office365, and Salesforce.com at the same time using mobile phone-based two-factor authentication.
As the cloud security is becoming an increasing concern, so does the need for two-factor authentication as it offers a safer way of verifying the identity of a person using a password and another one-time password, which adds an extra layer of security compared to authenticating users with just passwords.
“Enterprises can either choose to install an application on employees’ smartphones, as well as other types of devices that creates the one-time passwords or use text messages to distribute them,” said Steve Watts, co-founder and sales director at SecurEnvoy.
“The popularity of using an application versus text messages to distribute the one-time passwords differs greatly in different parts of the world. In Europe, the split is about 60-40 favoring SMS, while the application route is favored by a large majority of U.S. users. In many other parts of the world, including South America, India and Africa, SMS dominates, he added.”
Cloud security is rapidly becoming an increasing issue of concern, which is quite evident from the incident that happened with Gizmodo writer Mat Honan whose iCloud account hacked, with all his devices remote wiped, and Twitter account flooded with inappropriate posts.
What does all of this tell us about cloud security? Is it just a freak occurrence or something that should concern everyone who uses the consumer cloud? The fundamental problem with the cloud is that you are essentially at the mercy of your cloud provider. No matter how much cautious you become, this problem stays. So, the best thing cloud providers as well as users can do is to gear up for any situation.


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Audi’s profits rise
Audi recorded higher second-quarter operating profit, as gains from record luxury-car sales outweighed the impact of spending on technology and foreign expansion, Gulf Daily News has reported. Volkswagen’s flagship division, accounting for over 40% of VW group profit, is setting up production facilities in Mexico and Brazil, aiming to assemble more cars outside Germany than within its home country for the first time in 2014. Operating profit edged up 1.5pc in the quarter to EUR1.36bn ($1.8bn), reflecting growth in sales of models such as the A8 high-end saloon and the Q7 three-row sport-utility-vehicle, Audi said. Audi’s investment drive, based on a five-year record EUR22bn budget to fund model, plant and technology projects, is weighing on the carmaker’s profitability.


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Charney Increases Stake In American Apparel
Acquires Additional 15.78% Of Stock
Dov Charney, the recently deposed CEO of Top 40 supplier American Apparel (asi/35297), says he has increased his stock in the company he founded to nearly 50% of the organization’s total shares. Charney had owned 27.2% of the company’s shares when he was removed from his role as CEO two weeks ago, and he acquired an additional 15.78% of the company’s shares on Friday.
That transaction, which brings Charney’s total shares of American Apparel to 42.98%, was secured for Charney through a loan agreement with hedge fund investor Standard General. Under the agreement, Standard General would buy American Apparel stock and then would lend Charney the money to buy the stock from the investment firm at an annual interest rate of 10%. Late Monday, Standard General reported to the SEC that on Thursday and Friday it purchased 27.4 million shares, which it sold to Charney. On Monday, it bought an additional 1.5 million shares, or less than 1% of the company's shares.
Following the company's annual meeting on June 18, the American Apparel board voted unanimously to replace Charney as chairman immediately and "notified him of its intent to terminate his employment as president and CEO for cause.”
Now, as Charney is fighting to regain control of his company, American Apparel’s board this past weekend adopted a so-called poison-pill strategy for one year. The tactic was put in place by a special committee of the board, which said it would limit the ability of any shareholder "to seize control of the company without appropriately compensating all American Apparel stockholders."
"They now have an out-and-out war going on with their former CEO and by far largest shareholder," said Lloyd Greif, chief executive of investment banking firm Greif & Co., to the Los Angeles Times. "If he is at 43%, he is within spitting distance of actual control."
Charney has been a member of the Counselor Power 50 since the list's inception in 2006. American Apparel ranks as the 14th-largest supplier in the industry, and reported its promotional market revenues for last year as $99.2 million.


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Yesterday Ford unveiled their newest CUV for the European market, the Kuga. The great looking CUV follows Ford’s new “kinetic” design theme. The Kuga also draws inspiration from the Iosis X Concept CUV that was shown last year.
The stylish Kuga is set to go on sale in Europe by the middle of 2008 and will be powered by a 2.0L Duratorq TDCi and a six speed manual. Ford is still working on the details for the other powertrains that will be offered.
Once again Ford of Europe gets a better vehicle than we have in the US. If this is what our Ford Escape/ Mercury Mariner looked like the Honda CR-V would probably not be the best selling SUV in the US.
Full Story: Autoblog


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I have a bad feeling about this
Musk reportedly eyes cutting 10 percent of Tesla jobs over 'super bad feeling' about economy
Elon Musk is reportedly looking to cut thousands of jobs at Tesla over concerns about the economy.
The Tesla CEO said in an email to executives he has a "super bad feeling" about the economy and needs to cut 10 percent of jobs at the company, Reuters reported Friday. The electric carmaker had almost 100,000 employees as of the end of last year. Musk reportedly made his comments in an email with the subject line "pause all hiring worldwide."
The email comes days after Musk in multiple emails demanded all workers at both Tesla and SpaceX return to the office full-time for a "minimum" of 40 hours a week or resign. The New York Times reporter Ryan Mac noted that some predicted this would be the "pretense for a mass layoff."
Musk is still in the process of purchasing Twitter, though the deal is not yet complete. He has reportedly discussed the possibility of job cuts at the company, which has already instituted a hiring freeze.
A number of experts have warned of a possible recession on the horizon. After recently being asked on Twitter if he believes a recession is coming, Musk said, "Yes, but this is actually a good thing. It has been raining money on fools for too long. Some bankruptcies need to happen." When asked about Musk's "super bad feeling" about the economy and plan to cut jobs on Friday, President Biden said, "Lots of luck on his trip to the moon."


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The world is now ready to embrace the bold new technology of Metaverse. Today, Metaverse can be described as a full-fledged world with built-in avatars using augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). The metaverse is not something that is born in 2022. The industry has grown a lot in recent years. Interestingly, the word “metaverse” was first introduced in Neil Stevenson’s novel “1982,” describing a virtual place where characters flee to escape the real world.
Inspired by the concept, industry experts, researchers, and scientists have created a magnificent technology that we now call Metaverse. It has gone through a long journey with inventions like VR machines in 1956 to the latest wearable gadgets like headsets that support AR/VR, which provides the user with a unique experience.
Metaverse is changing the landscape of several industries, including the gaming industry.
Metaverse redefines gaming
With each passing day, Metaverse reaches new heights and advances to meet user expectations and provide them with a realistic experience. With its ability to provide an immersive visual experience, the gaming industry has embraced this technology on a large scale, transforming the way gamers experience virtual worlds.
Although large organizations control the traditional esports gaming industry, Metaverse can help other emerging companies establish a decentralized atmosphere where players can have diverse choices and are well rewarded.
This will also include the play-to-earn (P2E) game segment, which rewards players with incentives and rewards for each level cleared.
ALSO READ: Play to Win: Can You Really Earn Crypto Playing Games?
Also, most Metaverse game companies are willing to disperse these incentives in the form of crypto and NFT. The ability to spend this currency on in-game purchases is now becoming standard.
E-gaming will become more participatory with the addition of AR and VR, thanks to Metaverse. The same technology can be used to produce video games where the main character can go shopping, buy property, attend meetings, and perform a myriad of other tasks.
Metaverse Growth and Prospects
Metaverse is already one of the hot topics among gamers, especially Gen-Z. As India is one of the countries with the largest population of young people, Metaverse will be the biggest gaming platform in the coming years.
In 2022, globally, $120 billion has already been invested in Metaverse, as reported by McKinsey & Company. The fact that big tech giants are changing their names and acquiring virtual reality companies clearly indicates that this technology is the trend of the future.
Also, innovations are underway to provide gamers with VR headsets and other wearable gadgets to provide a distinctive experience.
Until a few years ago, playing popular games was a luxury thing in many parts of the world. The main reason behind this was the reliance on heavy hardware like expensive GPUs and CPUs. But with the advancement of Metaverse and blockchain, gamers can participate in cloud games with a large number of players.
ALSO READ: The Future of Gaming: Rise of Dynamic NFTs in Play-to-Earn Games
Gamers with a fondness for crypto and NFTs can now earn rewards through P2E games and also sell/buy assets in virtual worlds. Personalization and avatars are available for each participant, giving them a sense of freedom and creativity.
Gen-Z spends 80% of their time online, making them a potential user base. The gaming industry in India is expected to reach $2.8 billion according to the Deloitte report. Hence, in the coming years, many companies will cater to their audience with games based on Metaverse creating a standard for Indian youth.
Although Metaverse is still nascent in India, pioneers in the gaming industry are making extreme efforts to embrace this trend.
This intersection of gaming and the Metaverse will create a platform for interoperability of virtual worlds while creating NFTs and cryptocurrencies to facilitate in-game purchases, making it a win-win situation for gamers and gamers. creators.
(The author is the co-founder of FanClash, an esports fantasy gaming app. It provides tools for users to create their own tournaments, connect with other players, and play fantasy leagues on major esports matches.)
Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs and views expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this website are personal.


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The boss of technology manufacturer Foxconn says suicides at his factories were caused by workers' "personal relationships and family disputes" – and not because of working conditions.
Between 2010 and 2012, a number of suicides and attempted suicides by workers at the Chinese company made headlines.
At a meeting with investors, chief executive Terry Gou said that with 470,000 workers, scale alone made a number of suicides inevitable.
He added that 90% of the suicides "had to do with personal relationships or because of family disputes".
Referring to Foxconn's largest business unit, called Hon Hai, Mr Gou said: "If it's bad for Hon Hai it's also bad for me."
The company has manufactured everything from iPads and iPhones for Apple, to Playstation and Xbox for Sony and Microsoft.
During the shareholder meeting, he also reassured investors that he was trying to reinvent the company to reach beyond product assembly.
The company has hired thousands of researchers to look at cloud computing services and electric cars.
He also hinted at an attempt to strike a manufacturing deal with Facebook, which now owns virtual reality technology Oculus Rift.
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President Donald Trump has made no secret that he wanted the North American Free Trade Agreement gone. A year of on-again-off-again negotiations without a clear view of an endgame has demonstrated the pact's staying power.
The survival of NAFTA was hardly a given exactly a year ago, when negotiators from the U.S., Canada and Mexico gathered at a hotel in Washington. Their task was to start hammering out a fast update to the 24-year-old pact, which governs $1.2 trillion in trade.
Trump wasn't backing down from his threat to withdraw from the deal. Still, heading into the opening round of talks, business leaders were hopeful the U.S. would push for a modest revamp that would bring the deal into the 21st century on issues like digital commerce and intellectual property.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the U.S. wanted a deal by January, suggesting the administration might settle for a quick makeover. That would likely have satisfied Mexico and Canada, both of which supported the idea of a tariff-free continent.
But when U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer took the stage on the first day of negotiations, it was clear he wasn't interested in a "mere tweaking." The veteran trade lawyer from Northeast Ohio (he was born in Ashtabula) proclaimed that NAFTA had failed for "countless" Americans, costing manufacturing jobs. The U.S. would be looking for a host of major changes — foremost among them, a reduction in America's trade deficit.
Within weeks, Lighthizer unveiled a series of demands designed to "rebalance" trade on the continent, including a hike in the amount of regional content required in cars, and a "sunset clause" that would automatically terminate the deal in five years unless the nations signed back on. Mexico and Canada swiftly rejected the ideas, with some commentators suggesting they were "poison pills" intended to kill the talks.
But 12 months after Lighthizer put his counterparts on notice, the talks continue. The U.S. and Mexico are pushing for a breakthrough on cars, hoping that could pave the way for a deal before Mexico's new president takes office Dec. 1. However, the nightmare scenario for companies — a U.S. withdrawal — hasn't come to pass.
"The lesson is that it's always more complicated and it takes longer than you think," said William Reinsch, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who served as a senior trade official during the Clinton administration. "You can't just by fiat suddenly decree that we're going to go back to 1955 and everything will be made here."


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EnterCoin has recently launched as a unique cryptocurrency, backed by a sustainable business model. It is creating an infrastructure for eco-friendly cryptocurrency mining and solutions for the financial excluded population.
Please read the white paper for more information.
EnterCoin (ENTRC) is one of the first eco-friendly cryptocurrencies that recently hit the market. Soon after its debut, EnterCoin will be launching the first mining facility powered by solar energy. It is known that a typical cryptocurrency mining process for other coins like bitcoin require an excessive amount of electrical power energy which is harmful to the environment.
EnterCoin is more than just a cryptocurrency. It is a movement in the right direction with focus on sustainability.
Ethically sourcing cryptocurrency is something that has not been realised until now. EnterCoin introduces real solutions to real-life problems. The idea is to serve the community and support entrepreneurs to accomplish their goals, hence enable them to improve the economy in their local communities.
The cryptocurrency market is growing with hundreds of different ICOs all offering something different. Blockchain technology has changed the world of digital currency forever. EnterCoin wants to utilise this technology to create a borderless world using cryptocurrency and its applications.
In 2018, EnterCoin will release Smart Contract business applications that aim to solve problems with money transfer, accounting, supply chains, and day-to-day business processes. These are all explained in more details on their services page.
EnterCoin is a facilitator in the implementation of the digital banking system by Bitstine Limited, incorporated in the United Kingdom. The complete banking solution will feature prepaid card solution; cross-border transaction; P2P and B2B payments; and Fiat currency cash-out option. It is a challenger bank for the unbanked worldwide, taking out the hefty transaction fees and the complexities of traditional banking whilst being legal and compliant.
EnterCoin is an ethical, sustainable solution for banking, entrepreneurship, businesses, and communities.
Visit their home page to know more about this revolutionary project.


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That was just a month ago. As of this week, though, Luckin Coffee hasn't just surpassed Starbucks in location count in China: it's absolutely left it behind.
That's because Luckin now has 4,910 locations scheduled to open in China, with a total of 4,500 scheduled to be open by years end, compared to Starbuck's 4,300. So, to be clear: Luckin has, at years' end, 200 more locations than Starbucks and another 400+ in the works.
The two massive coffee chains changed places in early November when they both listed around 4,200 locations in China. But since then, Starbucks has added just around 100 locations compared to nearly 700 for Luckin.
Mapping the new locations reveals that Luckin's latest locations tend to be in more remote areas not already services by Starbucks, signaling a slight departure from the coffee startup's early strategy that looked more like a block-and-tackle the opposition roadmap. The chain is also reportedly eyeing the Middle East as a new expansion territory in 2020.
About the Data:
Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales.
- It's official: Luckin' Coffee now has as many Chinese locations as Starbucks
- How Luckin Coffee is about to beat Starbucks at its own game in China
- Luckin Coffee now has 3,348 locations in China as it closes in on Starbucks. Next stop: Middle East.


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MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Tallman Group has announced it is now selling Fontaine heavy-haul trailers at all nine of its locations.
Tallman became Fontaine’s Ontario distributor for platform trailers last April.
“We are continuing to see tremendous growth and interest in the Fontaine product lineup as it offers our customers the opportunity for more payload. Now, we are excited to be able to offer our customers the Fontaine Heavy Haul trailers they have been asking for,” says Ray Veeneman, manager, business development, Tallman Group.
“We are delighted to partner with Tallman Group in the Ontario market,” added Dan Rosen, vice-president of sales and marketing for Fontaine Heavy Haul. “They are committed to serving their customers with local, ready-to-work inventory and support.”
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Bank Shot: Mavs Announce 'Chime' As New Uniform Sponsor
DALLAS - A few days ago, DallasBasketball.com's Dalton Trigg visited with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, and among the subjects broached in the visit was the concept of a new uniform sponsor.
A source then told DBcom that the sponsor to replace the departed "5Miles'' is a bank. Shortly thereafter came a news report along those lines ...
Then came the announcement of a Friday evening press conference to be staged before tonight's visit from the Blazers. The plan: Mavs owner Mark Cuban and CEO Cynt Marshall were to be at the podium to make the sponsorship announcement at 6:30, just before coach Rick Carlisle's usual 6:45 media session.
That's still on ... But first, an announcement via Mavs.com:
The Mavs announced today a multi-year strategic partnership, including the official Jersey Patch sponsorship, with Chime, the leader in US Challenger banking. Beginning tonight, the Chime logo will be featured on the left front shoulder strap of all four official Dallas Mavericks jerseys on the court and on authentic jerseys for purchase in the Mavs Hangar. The partnership also includes exclusive category rights and multiple advertising, promotional and community-focused initiatives.
“The experience that Chime has developed for their members is truly setting the standard in financial services, similar to what we strive to provide to MFFLs (Mavs Fans For Life) more than 41 nights a year at American Airlines Center,” says Cuban.
Brad Townsend suggests that the arrangement will be top-five in the NBA in terms of how lucrative it will be for the Mavs, who are among the clubs that have worn the sponsorship shoulder patch since 2017, when the NBA began a program that figured to add $100 million in revenue to the league's coffers.
The 5Miles deal was reportedly worth $5 million annually to the Mavs, with both parties agreeing to end the arrangement last summer, at which time Cuban said, “As the NBA continues to evolve into a global phenomenon, we look forward to finding a partner that can put the Mavs at the forefront.”


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Li Auto, Inc. (LI)
|Net Income (ttm)||4.32M|
|Day's Range||38.90 - 41.49|
|52-Week Range||16.86 - 41.49|
|Price Target||42.12 (+3.3%)|
|Earnings Date||May 25, 2022|
Li Auto Inc., through its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells new energy vehicles in the People's Republic of China. The company provides Li ONE, a six-seat smart electric sport utility vehicle that is equipped with smart vehicle solutions, navigation on ADAS, and automatic emergency breaking functionalities. It also offers sales and after sales management, and technology development and corporate management services, as well as purchases manufacturing equipment. The company was formerly known as Leading Ideal Inc. and chan... [Read more...]
In 2021, Li Auto's revenue was 27.01 billion, an increase of 185.62% compared to the previous year's 9.46 billion. Losses were -321.46 million, 112.0% more than in 2020.Financial numbers in CNY Financial Statements
According to 25 analysts, the average rating for LI stock is "Buy." The 12-month stock price forecast is 42.12, which is an increase of 3.26% from the latest price.
Shares of LI stock are trending after Li Auto announced it has received more than 30,000 reservations for its electric SUV. The post LI Stock Gains on News of 30,000 Li L9 Reservations appeared first on...
The U.S.-listed shares of Li Auto Inc. LI, +6.63% 2015, +5.90% ran up 4.5% in premarket trading Friday, after the China-based electric vehicle maker said it received more than 30,000 orders for its Li L...
BEIJING, China, June 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Li Auto Inc. (“Li Auto” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: LI; HKEX: 2015), a leader in China's new energy vehicle market, today announced that the orders for L...
These growth stocks may look cheap now, but give it 5 years and they'll be some of the biggest names in their sectors. The post 5 Growth Stocks to Buy for 5-Bagger Returns in 5 Years appeared first on I...
According to the All-in-One Guru Screener, a Premium feature of GuruFocus, Chase Coleman (Trades, Portfolio)'s Tiger Global Management and Andreas Halvorsen (Trades, Portfolio)'s Viking Global LP have s...
Chinese EV stocks are in the green today following an announcement that the Chinese government may extend EV tax redemptions. The post Why Are Chinese EV Stocks NIO, LI, XPEV Climbing Higher Today?
BEIJING, China, June 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Li Auto Inc. (“Li Auto” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: LI; HKEX: 2015), a leader in China's new energy vehicle market, today unveiled Li L9, the Company's f...
BEIJING, China, June 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Li Auto Inc. (“Li Auto” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: LI; HKEX: 2015), a leader in China's new energy vehicle market, today announced that it will host a l...
Investors expect Li Auto to grow faster now that China is easing lockdown restrictions in some districts.
Investors Await Fed Decision; Cheniere Energy, Dollar Tree, Li Auto In Focus | Stock Market Today
Treasury yields continue to trend sharply higher. Investor's Business Daily has been helping people invest smarter results by providing exclusive stock lists, investing data, stock market research, educ...
Li Auto's results from last month looked even better this week when compared to one of its biggest Chinese competitors.
It seems as if the pandemic peak in China has passed and that most workers took full leave in the.
Last week's story about Tesla laying off workers doesn't quite tally with the facts.
U.S.-listed Chinese technology stocks rose on Monday after a report that regulators in China are concluding a probe into ride-hailing giant Didi Global raised expectations of easing crackdowns on the co...
Chinese electric automakers see boost from post-COVID optimism, good metrics
Yahoo Finance Live anchors Julie Hyman, Brian Sozzi and Brad Smith discuss what's driving investor sentiment in Chinese electric automakers.
In the world of electric vehicle investing, Tesla is still king. However, these three electric vehicle stocks could take real market share.
Overlooked value stocks that can deliver robust returns once temporary macro-economic headwinds are navigated. The post 7 Overlooked Value Stocks to Buy Before Wall Street Catches On appeared first on I...
Chinese EV stocks NIO, LI and XPEV are rising today after reporting better-than-expected delivery figures for May 2022. The post Chinese EV Stocks NIO, LI, XPEV Gain on May Deliveries appeared first on ...
Chinese automaker Nio reports May EV sales constrained by Covid as rivals XPeng and Li Auto gain ground
Nio's sales were up just 4% year over year as the company struggled to build and deliver vehicles amid the latest Covid outbreaks.
Shares of Li Auto Inc. LI, +3.25% climbed 2.6% in premarket trading Wednesday, after the China-based electric vehicle maker returned to year-over-year growth in monthly deliveries. The company said it d...
BEIJING, China, June 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Li Auto Inc. (“Li Auto” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: LI; HKEX: 2015), a leader in China's new energy vehicle market, today announced that the Company deli...


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Recently, Contemporary Logistics in China: Revitalization Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic was officially released worldwide. It was edited by the Modern Logistics Research Center of Nankai University and published by Springer, a world-renowned technology publishing company. As China's first and only report on the development of China's logistics industry issued overseas, it has been published 12 times, with more than 100,000 downloads, serving as a key platform for the world to learn about China's logistics market and policies.
The report has been collected by international research institutes such as Stanford University, the National Library of Australia, the National University of Singapore, etc. Professor Rick Blasgen, Chairman and CEO of CSCMP, Professor John Langley of Pennsylvania State University, and other scholars have spoken highly of this report in their reviews.
This year's English report consists of 11 chapters. The first chapter analyzes the new requirements and development orientation of China's logistics industry during the period of the 14th Five-Year Plan. It then analyzes the development environment and characteristics of China's logistics industry from an macro perspective, including China's logistics market, logistics facilities and equipment, and technology, as well as regional logistics. It especially presents the characteristics and key areas of logistics in China, including transportation logistics, manufacturing logistics, commercial and trade logistics, as well logistics of agricultural products. Finally, it discusses the hot issues in the development of China's logistics industry.
The Modern Logistics Research Center of Nankai University is a national innovative research institution jointly established by Nankai University and the National Development and Reform Commission, integrating teaching, research, talent cultivation and consulting services. For 20 years in a row, the Center has released Contemporary Logistics in China (Chinese edition), an annual report on the development of China's logistics industry, with a total of nearly 6 million Chinese characters. The reports have been published nearly 40,000 copies, with 15,000 citations.
Link to the report: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-19-5833-5
(Edited and translated by Nankai News Team)


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Family-Owned Distillery in Frederick Helps Fight COVID-19
Frederick, Md. — The family-owned distillery led by father-daughter team Angel Rivera and Crystal Rivera was supposed to have launched the soft-opening of their high-quality artisanal Puerto Rican diaspora rum called Clandestino in late March, followed by the official grand opening of Puerto Rico Distillery (PRD) in Frederick, MD early in April.
But since mid-March, when the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak reached Maryland, this startup distillery moved their production from rum to hand sanitizer to do their part in helping the community.
"We were supposed to do a soft-opening in March-April and official opening in April. We have been producing rum since March. When all this began, we moved the production from rum to hand sanitizer."
The first batch of hand sanitizer came out last week and quickly sold out. They are now taking pre-orders online for the second batch of hand sanitizer and are limiting to two 12-ounce bottles per customer on a first-come, first-serve basis. A limited amount of one-gallon bottles is available for purchase to first responders and non-profit organizations. They are also selling their high-quality signature rum Clandestino online. Currently, they have curbside pick-up and delivery on Saturdays within a 30-mile radius from the distillery.
To learn more about the PRD, visit PuertoRicoDistillery.com for more information.
To pre-order their hand sanitizer or purchase a bottle of Clandestino, visit their online store by clicking here.
About Puerto Rico Distillery
Puerto Rico Distillery specializes in sugarcane moonshine rum, affectionally known as Pitorro in Puerto Rico. This high-quality artisanal Puerto Rican diaspora rum is close to impossible to find it anywhere outside of Puerto Rico.
Pitorro is a rum distilled from sugar cane that for centuries has been enjoyed by Puerto Rican families and friends.
PRD aims to share the unofficial national spirit of Puerto Rico and its rich traditions. This family-owned distillery is led by father-daughter team Angel Rivera and Crystal Rivera.
About Clandestino - Puerto Rican Born, Maryland Made Rum.


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Do you have $1,000 burning a hole in your pocket? Then Apple has a deal for you.
Samsung is ready to unpack a new Galaxy smartphone Wednesday. Apple is expected to follow suit, with its 10th-anniversary iPhone, next month.
The US International Trade Commission on Tuesday said it will look into Qualcomm's complaint that Apple is violating its patents in some iPhones.
Apple on Tuesday reported stronger-than-expected results for the past quarter, with higher revenues and profits, delivering a boost to its share price.
Apple's next iPhone is coming. But when, exactly?
Apple fans, don't fear. The iPhone maker has finally jumped into two of the hottest tech trends of the last two years—augmented reality and voice-activated speakers, with a promise to dominate these markets pioneered by ...
Details about the new anniversary iPhone are starting to emerge, and here's a big one: The price is likely to start at about $1,000.
Samsung Electronics is investigating claims by a German hacking group that it fooled the iris recognition system of the new flagship Galaxy S8 device, the firm said Wednesday.
Baseball games will soon arrive on virtual-reality headsets.


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This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Smaller Farmer's Markets Fan Out
This week's Los Angeles Times Food Section produces an special issue focused on farmer's markets. This year they not only update the masterlist of Farmer's Markets area but also includes a special survey of the smaller, neighborhood markets.
Susan LaTempa writes, "But at the smaller markets, that mission — bringing fresh produce to city dwellers while making it possible for small farmers to sell directly to consumers at retail prices — is thriving. As it turns out, Culver City is mid-sized — an Accord, not a Mini Cooper. L.A.'s smallest, the Saturday morning Los Angeles (Harambee) farmers market on Crenshaw, often has a mere half-dozen booths and just one farmer."
We've always been intrigued by the small vans that sell produce in the neighborhoods around Normandie and 2nd Street. Anyone else seen those?
Perhaps the Food section will solve this LA food mystery for us yet.
photo credit: Lori Shepler / LAT)


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COSCO US, a shipping agency having its headquarters in Shanghai, China is reported to have been hit by a cyber attack on Tuesday this week. The company has issued a press statement to its customers which confirmed an attack on its digital assets affecting the ocean water carrier’s communication in the American region only.
COSCO which stands for China Ocean Shipping Company is basically a shipping and logistics service provider operating with 1114 ships around the globe. The press statement of the company says that the attack has forced Cosco to disable its email and telephone systems and shut down connections to other regions.
Some media resources have said that the breakdown could have been due to ransomware attack. But the company’s American business unit hasn’t confirmed it yet.
Business operations such as the vessel operations are performing well and a spokesperson from COSCO has confirmed that the said services weren’t affected.
Last year, Danish shipping company Maersk came under NotPetya ransomware attack causing a financial damage of $200–$300 million. Later, law enforcement forces from the UK and US said that the attack was launched by some state-funded actors of Russia.
In this case, the investigation is still underway and so the nature of the attack is yet to be confirmed.
As most of the shipping companies are still using legacy IT infrastructure they are touted to be extremely vulnerable to cyber attacks. And hackers are said to be using these security gaps to launch attacks in order to invade their IT assets.
So, before the world asks what’s next, it’s high time the shipping companies make a comprehensive effort to raise their cyber defenses against the prevailing cyber threats.
Note- Cosco has confirmed that none of its critical data has been compromised.


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One benefit of Vietnam's strong response to Covid-19 -- it has recorded no deaths—and early reopening of its economy has been its continued rise as a supply chain destination. It has has reportedly netted a manufacturing deal from Panasonic, which is moving 800 jobs from Thailand.
While Apple is also said to have picked Vietnam as the place to develop a "brand-new" headphones product link 🔒
Vietnam is also pushing ahead of post-Covid tourism link
And, in e-commerce, it is predicting $35B in annual by 2025 -- that would be 10% of all retail sales linkRead more...


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Shares of Nike (NYSE: NKE) were in freefall today with the wider market as the world’s largest sportswear company announced on Saturday that it would close stores in North America, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand until to March 27 in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
The news came as a number of other retailers like Apple and under protection have taken similar measures, while some chain stores have reduced their opening hours. Nike’s decline corresponded to the S&P500 today, which has collapsed as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread across the United States, forcing the closure of schools and businesses and hammering the consumer economy.
Today, Nike ended down 11.6%, which was slightly better than the S&P 500’s 12% decline.
Nike noted that its stores in Japan, South Korea and most of China are still open, but it’s clear the company, one of the world’s biggest consumer brands, will take a financial hit. . the consumer discretionary The sector is particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic, as consumers in much of the world are urged to stay home to help control the spread of the disease. In other words, physical retail sales, excluding basic necessities like food, are expected to fall sharply in the first half of the year. Meanwhile, the cancellation of virtually all college and professional sports for the foreseeable future is also limiting brand visibility.
Nike should be in a better position than many of its competitors as the company is very profitable, has a strong balance sheet and is a well-known brand that will endure after the current crisis. The company has also gone to great lengths to create its own direct-to-consumer sales pipeline, which includes the SNKRS and Nike apps, where they have seen strong growth in recent quarters.
Nike stock is now down 32% since the start of the coronavirus-related selloff, roughly in line with the S&P 500’s 28% decline. Although Nike’s bottom (as well as the market’s) may months away, the stock should be a good buy on a recovery. One of the advantages of a bear market is that it allows investors to grab high-quality companies at discounted prices.
10 stocks we like better than Nike
When investment geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay off to listen. After all, the newsletter they’ve been putting out for over a decade, Motley Fool Equity Advisortripled the market.*
David and Tom have just revealed what they believe to be the ten best stocks for investors to buy now…and Nike wasn’t one of them! That’s right – they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.


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When you’re craving a fizzy drink but trying to be healthy, reaching for diet versions containing artificial sweeteners, instead of sugar, can seem like the safest bet.
But a new large-scale review has found there is “no compelling evidence” that artificial sweeteners are better for health than their sugary counterparts. In fact, due to the lack of reliable research in this area, the study, published in the BMJ, says potential harms of artificial sweeteners “cannot be ruled out”.
Although several artificial sweeteners are approved for use in food and drink, evidence around their potential harms and benefits is limited, the researchers said.
To better understand the impact of consuming artificial sweeteners, the review analysed 56 studies comparing health impacts of children and adults with either no intake, low intake or high intake of sweeteners in their diet.
Measures included weight, blood sugar control, oral health, cancer, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, mood and behaviour. Studies were assessed for bias and certainty of evidence.
Overall, there seemed to be “no statistically or clinically relevant differences” between those exposed to artificial sweeteners and those not exposed, or between different doses, the researchers said.
They specified “no good evidence of any effect of non-sugar sweeteners was found for overweight or obese adults or children actively trying to lose weight”.
And conversely, some studies suggested children actually increased in body mass index if they consumed sweeteners, instead of sugar.
However, the researchers stressed that the quality of evidence in many of the studies was low, so confidence in the results is limited and more research is needed.
Until we know more, your best bet could be to cut down on all fizzy drinks, both regular and diet. NHS dentist Claire Stevens previously told HuffPost UK even low or no sugar fizzy drinks can damage teeth because they contain carbonic acid, which is erosive.
“Drinking cold and through a straw will minimise erosive damage,” she said.