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Call of Duty has launched modern warfare on sales records, blowing the previous blockbusters out of the water and reaching $1 billion (£640 million) sales one day sooner than blockbuster films Avatar and Harry Potter, according to The Guardian.
The billion dollar game took sixteen days to make the enormous sum, following its November 8 2011 launch. Forbes reports that the game made its first $775 million in five days, has drawn down 7 million hours from players and broken the Xbox Live concurrent player record with 3.3 million playing the game online at once.
USA Today points out that the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Three's predecessor Call of Duty: Black Ops did not reach the milestone until late December 2010.
The game broke another record in its first 24 hours, taking $400 million to set a new entertainment launch record.
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick told Computer And Video Games: "Engagement of our Call of Duty audience continues to rise around the world.
"Call of Duty as an entertainment franchise has made an indelible mark on popular culture and its broad and continued success is further validation that audiences increasingly value interactive experiences over passive experiences."


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Livestock farming is terribly inefficient, whether you're raising animals for their meat or the food they produce, like eggs or milk. Rather than feeding grains to hungry people, we feed them to animals to produce meat, eggs and dairy products. It takes more than 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms) of corn to produce a single pound of meat, and cutting out that "middleman" is effectively increasing yield, since it means more calories going directly to hungry mouths [source: Fromartz].
Developing countries like China are eating more meat, which means our global food system is getting less efficient by the day. In China, the main grain that people eat is rice, but Chinese farmers are actually growing more corn for livestock than they are rice for people right now [source: Earth Policy Institute].
The United Nations even recommends shifting to a more plant-based diet to help combat world hunger. Animal agriculture accounts for 50 percent of water use worldwide [source: Oppenlander]. Not only is raising plant foods more efficient, but animal agriculture's environmental impacts are contributing to climate change, which will make it harder to grow food in the future [source: Carus].
However, people love meat and eggs, and they love cheese. As with reducing food waste, it's hard to show consumers a personal benefit to giving up something they enjoy to help people they've never met, but some scientists say that water shortages and a growing population will force all of us to eat about 75 percent less meat in the next 40 years as raising animals for meat and meat byproducts will become more and more expensive [source: Vidal].
There is no silver bullet to our worldwide food problems, but focusing on increasing efficiency and yields while reducing waste and the environmental impacts of food production are going to be the keys to feeding 9 billion people by 2050.

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BlackBerry 5G Android Smartphone with Physical Keyboard Coming in 2021
OnwardMobility has today announced new agreements with BlackBerry and Foxconn Technology Group subsidiary FIH Mobile Limited to deliver a new 5G BlackBerry Android smartphone with a physical keyboard in the first half of 2021 in North America and Europe.
Under the terms of the agreement, BlackBerry grants OnwardMobility the right to develop, engineer, and bring to market a BlackBerry 5G mobile device. “Enterprise professionals are eager for secure 5G devices that enable productivity, without sacrificing the user experience,” said Peter Franklin, CEO of OnwardMobility.
OnwardMobility will conduct product planning and market development for BlackBerry smartphones in North America and FIH Mobile will design and manufacture the BlackBerry devices under strict guidelines.
“BlackBerry is thrilled OnwardMobility will deliver a BlackBerry 5G smartphone device with a physical keyboard leveraging our high standards of trust and security synonymous with our brand. We are excited that customers will experience the enterprise and government level security and mobile productivity the new BlackBerry 5G smartphone will offer,” said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO, BlackBerry.
Working closely with OnwardMobility, BlackBerry and FIH Mobile will ensure world-class design and manufacturing of 5G BlackBerry devices.


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Tsukiji fish market to close, new market to open
December 11, 2012
For Tokyo locals as well as visitors, Tsukiji fish market has long defined the heart, soul and, most importantly, the stomach of this hectic metropolis.
But after 78 years in operation, the beloved Tsukiji fish market will close forever after 2013.
The Tokyo metropolitan government recently released its design for a new wholesale seafood market set to open in 2014.


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In an effort to reduce costs, food tech company Swiggy has started charging all users a “platform fee” of Rs 2 each order, regardless of the amount of the basket. The extra fees, which were first implemented for users in cities like Bengaluru and Hyderabad, are currently solely applied to food orders and have not yet been implemented on quick-commerce or Instamart orders.
According to reports, Swiggy has not yet implemented these fees in important cities like Delhi and Mumbai. Only for food delivery is there a platform cost. Whether or not they are Swiggy One clients, it differs from the handling fee assessed on Instamart orders.
Even though Rs 2 might seem insignificant, experts said it would generate a sizable enough corpus for Swiggy to reinvest back into its company as it currently delivers over 1.5 million orders daily. The tax, which went into effect gradually over the past week, is probably going to be expanded to other areas. That is especially useful for the company because it has accelerated its timelines for becoming profitable as investors continue to tighten their purse strings.
According to reports, the primary reason behind the move is the slowdown in the delivery business. “The company was no exception,” said Swiggy’s chief executive and co-founder Sriharsha Majety in an email to employees which mentioned the company slashing 380 jobs.
“The growth rate for food delivery has slowed down versus our projections (along with many peer companies globally)….While our cash reserves allow us to be fundamentally well positioned to weather harsh circumstances, we cannot make this a crutch and must continue identifying efficiencies to secure our long-term,” the email read.
Swiggy’s financial burn, which “is a lot more than” what Zomato was burning, will probably be reduced by the addition of new fees. Swiggy burned about Rs 3,900 crore in cash during fiscal year (FY) 2022, while Zomato burned Rs 700 crore. However, the latter had a larger market share.


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FDA Proposes Rule to Prevent Contamination During Food Transport
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a rule that would require certain shippers, receivers and carriers that transport food by motor or rail vehicles to take steps to prevent the contamination of human and animal food during transportation. Noting that the proposed rule will “help reduce the likelihood of conditions during transportation that can lead to human or animal illness or injury,” FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine Michael Taylor said, “We are now one step closer to fully implementing the comprehensive regulatory framework for prevention that will strengthen the FDA’s inspection and compliance tools, modernize oversight of the nation’s food safety system, and prevent foodborne illnesses before they happen.” The proposed regulation aims to establish criteria for sanitary transportation practices, such as properly refrigerating food, adequately cleaning vehicles between loads and properly protecting food during transportation. The agency will accept comments until May 31, 2014. See Federal Register, February 5, 2014.


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By Pet Product News Staff
Published: 2020.05.22 08:30 AM
Austin and Kat, maker of holistic wellness biscuits and tinctures for pets, is looking to deepen its market penetration within the specialty pet channels through a new distribution partnership with Packer Mellem Sales.
“As the pet CBD [cannabidiol] and wellness category continues to grow by leaps and bounds, it was paramount that Austin and Kat partnered with the best of the best,” said Kat Donatello, founder and CEO of Austin and Kat. “Having met [founder Rob Mellem] and members of his team in 2018, I jumped at the opportunity to work with Packer Mellem this spring. Their relationships, expertise, knowledge and commitment to the industry allow us to collaborate with retailers across the country and meet the needs of owners and their pets.”
Liz Schmitt, vice president of sales at Packer Mellem, said she is excited to move forward.
“Our team can’t wait to go see customers again, and we’re excited to bring them the healthy line of CBD wellness products from Austin and Kat,” Schmitt said. “Kat and her team make CBD easy to understand, and we’re looking forward to teaching independent pet stores about effective solutions for pets.”


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Great news for expectant X1 owners! BMW has announced that the US launch date for the BMW X1 has been moved forward and all X1s are being released immediately for shipment (if it’s still in European port) or delivery (if it’s already in the US or arriving soon).
Also, at least one X1 is now making its rounds at certain BMW events to drum up awareness and further promote the X1. Here is one that was on display yesterday at a Golf tournament held by Steve Thomas BMW.
The BMW bulletin reads:
The 2012 London Olympic Games are underway and BMW
We post inside the first videos of the 2013 BMW X1 (LCI facelift model) in action, starting with a summary video from BMW.
The sDrive28i RWD model starts in the US at $30,650, the xDrive28i at $32,350 and the xDrive35i at $38,450. Production of the 2013 X1 will begin in July.
sDrive28i / xDrive28i
2.0L TwinPower Turbo inline 4-cylinder engine (N20), with direct injection, double-vanos, valvetronic
240hp @ 5000 rpm
260lb-ft torque @ 1250 rpm – 4800 rpm
8 speed steptronic automatic transmission
0-60 in 6.2s (sDrive28i) and 6.3s (xDrive28i)
24 mpg city / 33 mpg highway / 27 mpg combined (sDrive28i) *preliminary EPA estimates*… CONTINUED
New BMW M6 Convertible and BMW X1 Sport Activity Vehicle to Make World Debuts at the New York International Auto Show.
The BMW M6 Convertible and BMW X1 Sport Activity Vehicle will make their World Debuts at the 2012 New York International Auto Show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center (655 West 34th Street at 11th Avenue) in Manhattan. The BMW M6 Convertible and BMW X1 and will be joined by the BMW M6 Coupe, BMW X6 M (North American debuts) and the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe (U.S. auto show debut) as the featured BMW vehicles in New York. The BMW i3 and i8 Concepts will also be featured providing a glimpse into the future of mobility.
The hotly anticipated BMW X1 Sport Activity Vehicle comes … CONTINUED
The BMW X1 and the Mini Countryman are similar in several physical dimensions, as well as its intended owner demographic. Here is a size and photo comparison between the two BMW made SAVs. The X1 is longer and has a longer wheelbase while also having a larger cargo capacity.
American fans of the BMW X1 SAV will soon get their turn as the X1 is expected to hit U.S. dealerships in late May to early June of 2011 according to our sources. The X1 has been on sale in Europe since Oct. 2009 and is produced at the BMW Leipzig plant. Its main rivals will be the upcoming Audi Q3 and Mercedes B-Class.
The X1 has been a sales success so far, recently overtaking the Audi Q5 as the top selling premium sports utility vehicle in Europe.
Catch all our X1 homepage coverage here: http://www.bimmerpost.com/x1/
Hartge has posted new photos of its X1 (E84) fitted with its quad exhaust system, wheels, and Hartge striping.
BMW’s X1 has been an undisputed hit in Europe so far. The X1 now tops the premium SUV class after overtaking the Audi Q5 as the top selling premium SUV for the first half of 2010 after selling 55,550 units through July. The X1 will arrive in US showrooms by Spring 2011. BMW sold 11,483 X1s in July 2010 alone.
The BMW X1 has been marketed as a lifestyle vehicle, perfect for those who lead both an active outdoor and social life. But, as this video shows, its xDrive system also makes it plenty capable for light rugged uses, such as navigating rougher terrain. A stylish lower slung SAV with some off-road capability


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Congress approved long-stalled free-trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea last week. Proponents say the action will create new export opportunities for U.S. manufacturers by lowering tariffs and removing other discriminatory barriers.
Chemical industry officials say the deals will enable them to create jobs by expanding sales in these key markets. “This is an historic step forward for the U.S. and our economy, as America has now made great strides in reestablishing its commitment to open trade, global markets, and leadership on high-standard trade agreements,” says Andrew N. Liveris, chairman and CEO of Dow Chemical.
“The U.S. is no longer sitting on the sidelines but is actively creating opportunities for business and job growth,” adds Lawrence D. Sloan, president and CEO of the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates, an industry trade group.
The White House says together the three agreements will boost U.S. exports by $13 billion per year and create tens of thousands of jobs. Most of the export increase is projected to come from the pact with South Korea, which is already America’s seventh-largest trading partner.
The agreement, the White House says, will give U.S. manufacturers “unprecedented access to Korea’s nearly $1 trillion economy.” More than half of U.S. chemical exports to South Korea will receive duty-free treatment immediately, with the remaining tariffs phased out within a decade.
The trade agreements were first negotiated during the George W. Bush Administration, but they languished for years over concerns by organized labor and some Democrats that they would hurt American workers and kill jobs (C&EN, Sept. 26, page 23).
The pacts will lead to “phenomenal job creation—the only problem is the jobs are being created in foreign nations,” Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.) said during the House debate.
But most lawmakers said the U.S. will benefit because countries such as South Korea impose far more barriers to U.S. exports than the U.S. puts on their products. “Our markets are overwhelmingly open to countries all around the world,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said. “Again and again, we find that our trading partners have significant barriers and are remarkably closed to us.”


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View every session through the yearly occasion
Star Stable Entertainment broke a complete lot of guidelines whenever it established in 2012. It created an on-line horse game, celebrity Stable, for females and women. It charged a registration cost and built its game that is own engine. Also it stayed online as opposed to scuba scuba diving into mobile by having a million other rivals.
вЂњPeople recommended us to not ever get it done,вЂќ said Fredric Gunnarson, the executive that is chief of Stable Entertainment, in a job interview with GamesBeat. вЂњWe made it happen anyhow.вЂќ
Above: Star Stable CEO Fredric Gunnarson and CMO Taina Malen
And it also ended up being a decision that is good the Stockholm business. Celebrity Stable has an user that is active in 180 nations and 11 languages. Six million people вЂ” about 98 per cent of them girls вЂ” have downloaded the overall game. The business does not disclose month-to-month active https://besthookupwebsites.net/imeetzu-review users, however itвЂ™s enough to aid a staff of 55.
вЂњItвЂ™s a girlвЂ™s game, and therefore had been a huge challenge in itself,вЂќ Gunnarson said. You might get boredвЂњIf it was just a game about horses. But thereвЂ™s tale inside it, type of like Harry Potter.вЂќ
The story takes place on a mystical island called Jorvik in the massively multiplayer online game.
Players can drive around on horses in quite a, 3D environment. ThereвЂ™s a force that is supernatural a wicked company attempting to get a grip on an area. You fight the wicked forces and carry on an adventure. You choose to go on quests which are continually updated. Up to now, the video game has received a lot more than 3,000 updates. And it can take 150 hours if you try to ride through all 17 levels. The tale is updated with brand brand new plot elements every Wednesday. At degree five, a membership is necessary.
Targeting girls many years 8 to 17 is tough due to the fact ChildrenвЂ™s that is federal Online Protection Act (COPPA) places lots of limitations on interaction. The name utilizes Crisp Thinking, a third-party social monitoring solution, to automatically moderate and monitor all talk to make sure an environment that is safe. Crisp Thinking prevents the sharing of information that is personal and filters out вЂњbad wordsвЂќ and trigger expressions.
Above: Star Stable
Once the game debuted in belated 2012, it had been in Swedish just. The US., and the rest of the world as the company got the kinks out, the market grew to Northern Europe.
вЂњI have daughters many years 8 and 11,вЂќ Gunnarson stated. вЂњAt house, we are able to talk about it. We now have a community that is vivid. Girls [in the grouped community] capture video clip, edit it, and also make stories from it.вЂќ
As time passes, fans have published a lot more than 150,000 videos on YouTube. The business is continuing to grow steadily, nonetheless it hasn’t raised cash.
вЂњMarketing is just a challenge,вЂќ said Taina MalГ©n, the marketing that is chief at celebrity Stable, in a job interview. вЂњFacebook comes with an age limitation of 13 or over.вЂќ
Still, the overall game has 182,000 followers on Facebook. When it comes to many part, celebrity Stable hinges on brand name ambassadors on the list of fans to spread your message. Tobbe Larsson (a world-renowned horse whisperer) and Reed Kessler (the existing reigning co-national champion when it comes to equestrian occasion U.S. Show Jumping) both take part in the overall game. They make appearances inside it making use of their characters that are own and talk to the players.
On Instagram, the amount of supporters has exploded 350 per cent to 50,000 supporters because the start of 12 months. Twitter has exploded 150 per cent to 5,800 supporters, and YouTube has exploded 200 % to 34,000 followers.
Are you aware that future, Gunnarson stated the organization will ultimately embrace mobile. Celebrity Stable Entertainment is taking care of companion apps on mobile phones, nonetheless they have actuallynвЂ™t debuted yet.
Above: given thatвЂ™s a horse celebration in celebrity Stable.


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Last year the Post Office embarked on an ambitious three-year modernisation scheme with a massive £1.34bn-worth of funding from the government. Network Transformation Programme director Neil Ennis talks exclusively to Convenience Store about how the initiative is progressing and what the Post Office has learned so far from the pilot schemes.
What’s the current status of the Network Transformation Programme and how is it set to progress?
”It’s just coming out of the pilot phase now and we’re hoping to start rolling out the programme at the end of August. We’re planning to modernise about 1,200 branches in the first 12 months, with the rest of the modernisation taking place over the following two years. By the end of the third year of the programme there will be 4,000 Main branches and 2,000 Local branches throughout the UK.”
How has the pilot scheme worked out?
”There have been 29 Main model pilots and 189 Local model plots, and consumer satisfaction has been 95% for both. For the first time I can remember, the Post Office is gaining new customers, with a 4% increase in Post Office sales in the Main model and a 9% increase in the Local model. Retail sales in stores that have piloted the scheme have also increased 8% and 9% in Main and Local models respectively. The Local model has attracted a lot of interest as it encapsulates most of the Post Office services in a 1.2m spot at the till, freeing up space elsewhere in the store.”
If you are interested in the Network Transformation Programme and would like to put your store forward for consideration, contact the Post Office at www.postoffice.co.uk/ find-out-more/about-us/register-your-interest
How will the Local model differ in terms of products and services?
”Having a Local model means that a store will be able to offer Post Office services whenever it is open. If a store is open 24 hours a day then it can sell postal services 24 hours a day. It will bring new customers to the Post Office - those who can’t necessarily get to it during normal office hours. The Local format post offices will offer a selection of Post Office services, rather than all of them. We’ve limited the services to those that can be completed quickly and are somewhat automated. We won’t be offering services that will take up a lot of time at the till and create a queue in stores.”
Recent Consumer Focus reports drew attention to privacy and service issues with the Local model during the pilot phase. How have you addressed these concerns?
”We’ve taken a whole new approach to training, especially with part-time staff. We’ve increased the amount of time we spend training people and have extended the window in which they can be trained. During the pilot scheme we realised that not all staff are present for normal working hours, and that some might be in the store only in the evenings or weekends, and we’ve adapted to meet that challenge. Through the pilot scheme we learned that privacy is an issue. To help customers feel more at ease, we’ve introduced a marking system that will ‘hold’ the next customer back. Perspex screens are now included as part of the Post Office Local model and they’ll help provide more privacy for the customer and more security for the retailer.”
Network Transformation Programme: the facts
The Post Office plans to transform about 6,000 branches, just over half of its 11,500 estate, to either Local or Main models. With £1.34bn support from the government, the Post Office plans to adapt 1,200 outlets in the first year and the rest over the following two years. The scheme is voluntary and the Post Office insists that anyone who doesn’t want to undergo the transformation won’t be forced to.
It is also making a compensation package available for any retailer who feels it is time to leave the Post Office. It says it will not close any branch before securing another location in the same area, though. Since news of the programme was announced 1,100 Post Office agents have expressed interest in leaving the network, compared with the average figure of about 700 every year.
Retailers who do decide to convert to the new models will be given financial incentive to help with the process. Those who convert to a main branch, which has a dedicated Post Office counter as well as offering services at the retail counter, can receive up to £45,000. Those interested in taking on the Local model, with Post Office services sold solely through the retail counter, can receive up to £10,000.
The programme has attracted a lot of interest, but what about retailers who are happy as they are, or who may want to leave the network?
”We are modernising only half of the network in this programme so that if anyone doesn’t want to change that’s no problem. We’re not going to force anyone to. Neither are we going to force anyone to stay with the Post Office if they don’t want to. So far, 1,100 of our agents, mostly independent retailers, have expressed an interest in the voluntary leaving scheme, which offers compensation. However, on an annual basis there are usually about 700 subpostmasters doing the same, so it’s not an inordinate number just because of the scheme. Nothing has been confirmed as yet, but I would expect everyone to want to explore all of the options available to them. We won’t close a branch before a replacement location has been found, but given the level of interest in the Post Office I don’t expect this to be an issue. If anyone does leave, it will simply create an opening for someone else to join the network.”
There have been concerns that the Local model could be installed in all 617 Tesco-owned One Stop stores, prompting the National Federation of Sub Postmasters’ George Thomson to warn against “getting into bed with Tesco”. Should independent retailers be worried?
”We won’t be offering the Local model on this basis. It will be a completely fair and transparent process involving the best store -regardless of whether they’re an independent, member of a symbol group, or part of a multiple operator. We expect some competition to offer these models, but we’ll be making decisions on the basis of the store being the best fit. This is a voluntary scheme for everyone, including us, and we won’t be putting it in any store that we don’t think can support it.”
Less than a decade ago, the Post Office was experiencing widespread branch closures and was under fire from the public and subpostmasters. To what do you attribute this turnaround?
”We’re on a growth agenda right now. For the first time in a decade we’re on a growth plan and we don’t foresee any major branch closures. We’re actively seeking more work, not just government contracts, and are looking to expand our services in all 11,500 branches. We won’t be closing any branches without ensuring that another will open in the same area and that communities are provided for. We hope to have the most stable Post Office network ever.”


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Travellers are being warned to exercise caution when booking a holiday tomorrow – one of the busiest days of the year for bookings – by booking an ATOL-protected holiday and looking out for hidden costs.
Dubbed ‘Sunshine Saturday’, tomorrow (6 January) is predicted to see a surge in bookings as it is one of the most popular dates to plan a holiday.
Many travel companies are also currently offering summer getaway offers and the UK Civil Aviation Authority, which runs the ATOL financial protection scheme, is urging consumers to check for ATOL and read the small print on bargain holiday deals.
Exclusive research conducted by ATOL for ‘Sunshine Saturday’ shows that our appetite to travel remains as strong as ever, with almost three in five of us (56 per cent) planning to go overseas this summer, and just over half (51 per cent) planning to go abroad more than once in 2024.
Around four in ten of us also said they would book a package holiday for their next big holiday.
The research also looked into our holiday booking habits, with almost one in ten of us (8 per cent) planning to research and book our next big holiday on the same day, while 20 per cent said they would take a more cautious approach by spending more than a month researching flights, destination and accommodation before finally booking.
Around two in five (18 per cent) said they would take more than a week to plan their holiday with just over one in ten (11 per cent) stating it will take them more than two weeks.
2023 saw a growth in bookings, driving holiday reservations back to pre-pandemic levels. Last year, ATOL-protected bookings made up around £27.7 billion in sales.
Ahead of ‘Sunshine Saturday’, ATOL has also issued a list of seven top tips for booking a holiday to ensure consumers won’t lose money if something goes wrong, as well as four tips for checking for hidden costs from an unfamiliar tour operator.
ATOL is currently running a campaign throughout January and February reminding people of the importance of checking for ATOL protection before they book their next trip abroad.
Consumers can check the ATOL website before booking and use its ‘check for ATOL’ tool to see if their holiday provider holds an ATOL licence.
Tim Johnson, Director at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said “Tomorrow, typically known as ‘Sunshine Saturday’ is traditionally the busiest day for people booking their holidays, with many travellers taking advantage of bargain deals. We’ve seen bookings grow significantly back to pre-pandemic levels, and that’s why it’s important to make smart decisions to avoid missing out on key financial protection, so by booking an ATOL-protected holiday, consumers know they can then relax, knowing they won’t be left out of pocket should their travel firm collapse. Our top tips will also help many travellers stay savvy and financially protected on their next package holiday.”
ATOL’s top tips to protect your 2024 holiday bookings:
Consider booking a package trip
Rather than organising flights and accommodation separately, that offers consumer protection and convenience. Consumers can easily check if their holiday provider is ATOL protected by using the Check for ATOL tool.
Do your research and look out for holiday fraud
Research your travel company and planned trip before you book, particularly if it is a company you haven’t travelled with before, and shop around with other providers to check it really is a good deal.
Check the web address is legitimate and has not been altered by slight changes to a domain name – such as going from co.uk to .org.
Don’t reply to unsolicited emails, texts, social media or calls with holiday offers. Links and attachments in emails may lead to malicious websites or download viruses.
Use a credit card for holiday bookings if possible
A credit card may provide additional protection for your trip, under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.
Book travel insurance
It can provide extra protection if the holiday doesn’t work out quite as intended. It can protect against a range of mishaps relating from cancellations, missed transport and medical emergencies through to items lost or stolen when travelling. The type of cover will vary so always carefully check the insurance terms and conditions for full details of cover.
Keep essential documents safe
Save and organise booking confirmations, receipts, copies of passports and insurance documents for easy access during your trip.
Look out for hidden costs and charges
For example, if you want to amend the booking before you travel or if you need to pay for extra baggage.
Stay updated on the latest travel requirements
This includes passport validity, visas, and entry restrictions using the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office website. Make sure you have the necessary documents and meet the health and safety requirements of your destination.
The article Consumers urged to check for financial protection as holiday bookings set to rise first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.


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Etisalat Nigeria today announced possible disruptions to its operations and services as a result of the current nationwide scarcity of petroleum products. Management stated that the company is working assiduously to minimise the impact given the circumstances. Read the rest of this entry
Nigeria’s most innovative telecommunications company, Etisalat Nigeria, today announced it will offer iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the biggest advancements in iPhone history, beginning on Friday, 14 November 2014. Read the rest of this entry
Nigeria’s most innovative telecommunications company, Etisalat, last weekend, commissioned a world class flagship Experience Centre in Abuja.
Speaking to journalists at the official launch of the Flagship Experience Centre, Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Matthew Willsher said the company constantly strives to deliver outstanding customer service at every touch point. Read the rest of this entry
Nigeria’s most innovative telecommunications company Etisalat is out to excite customers in the Nigerian telecoms market with a special video ringtone service called ‘Vringo’. The new product allows customers to customise their caller tunes by replacing it with a video clip of their choice, ranging from music, movie, and comedy to football and other sports.
Head, Digital Media, Etisalat Nigeria, Adia Sowho said the new product is to enable etisalat customers get as much pleasure as possible from their telephony experience.
“We’re committed to listening and responding to our customers to ensure that they are at the heart of everything we do. Our customers rely on us to develop innovative products that deliver value to them and ensure that they can derive as much pleasure as possible from our network,” she said.
Shedding more light on the product, Sowho said that the Vringo service also enables customersto share video ringtones with friends across multiple platforms. The service is compatible with Android, Java and Symbian devices and is available on WEB, WAP and also available as a mobile application.
Customers can opt in via SMS by sending “SUB” to 669 on an etisalat line. To de-activate, all a customer needs to do is text “STOP” to 669. The service is free for the first 30 days, after which customers will be charged a subscription fee of N 100.00 monthly.”
The application comes preloaded with a wide range of video clips including latest local and international music videos, movie clips, comedy clips, football clips and Etisalat specific content. While some of the content is free, however, premium content is available for downloads for a one off fee of N50 per download.
Most Innovative Network Etisalat Nigeria, today, Friday 19th July 2014 announced the judging panel for the second edition of its prestigious literary prize the Etisalat Prize for Literature. Chaired by renowned Nigerian writer Sarah Ladipo Manyika, the distinguished panel consists of award winning British/Sudanese writer Jamal Mahjoub, prolific Francophone writer Alain Mabanckou and writer and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga.
Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher said the judges for this year’s prize are some of the most respected individuals in the literary world and they will bring in diverse experiences and expertise to the judging panel. “What is most exciting is that we have a very diverse panel that will bring in their individual perspectives to the judging process. They are an accomplished panel with vast amount of experience in the creative writing world”.
Chair Sarah Ladipo Manyika holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and currently teaches literature at San Francisco State University. Her writing includes essays, academic papers, reviews and short stories. Sarah’s first novel, Independence, is published by Legend Press (London) and Cassava Republic Press (Abuja). Sarah was one of the inaugural Judges for Etisalat Prize for Literature 2013.
Jamal Mahjoub is an award winning writer of mixed British/Sudanese heritage. Born in London, he was raised in Khartoum where the family remained until 1990. He is also an award-winning novelist, translator and essayist. Jamal Mahjoub reflect on notions of ancient Egypt in modern life and art. He was awarded a scholarship to study in England and attended the University of Sheffield. He has lived in various countries including the UK, Denmark and currently, Spain. He writes in English and has published seven novels under his own name. In 2012, Mahjoub began writing a series of crime fiction novels under the pseudonym Parker Bilal.
Alain Mabanckou is considered to be one of the most talented and prolific writers in the French language today and the first francophone sub-Saharan African writer to be published by Gallimard in its prestigious “collection” called La Blanche. He is mostly known for his novels, notably Verre Cassé (BROKEN GLASS) which was unanimously praised by the press, critics and readers alike. In 2006 he published Memoires de porc-épic (Memoirs of a Porcupine) which garnered him the Prix RENAUDOT, one of the highest distinctions in literature written in French. His novels are published in more than fifteen languages.
Tsitsi Dangarembga is a contemporary African feminist. She published a short story in Sweden entitled “The Letter” and in 1987, she published a play in Harare entitled “She No Longer Weeps.” Her real success came at age twenty-five with the publication of her novel Nervous Conditions. This novel was the first to be published in English by a black Zimbabwean woman. In 1989, Nervous Conditions won her the African section of the Commonwealth Writers Prize. She had made many film productions, including a documentary for German television. She made the film entitled Everyone’s Child in 1996. It was shown worldwide at various festivals including the Dublin Film Festival. In 2006, she published The Book of Not: A Sequel to Nervous Conditions.
Now in its second year, the Etisalat Prize for Literature is the first Pan-African prize for debut fiction writers of African citizenship. The Prize was launched in June 2013 and has become one of Africa’s most prestigious literary prizes for fiction.
Zimbabwean NoViolet Bulawayo was the winner of the maiden edition with her debut Fiction novel Bom Boy. She received £15,000 in Prize money and a fellowship at the Unversity of East Anglia in the United Kingdom which she gifted to runner-up Yewande Omotoso.
Eleven year old award winning girl child education advocate, documentary film maker, conference speaker, and writer on Tuesday 8 July, 2014, payed a courtesy call to Etisalat Nigeria.
The courtesy call was made to the Youth Segment Team, in what can be described as a chat on Cliqlite, our child-friendly product, recently rolled out to the market.
The visit which lasted about 50 minutes had in attendance Wole Rawa, Director of Consumer Segments, Enitan Denloye, Director, Brands and Communication and the Youth Segment Team who were on ground to welcome Zuriel to Etisalat.
The Cliqlite tablet was the major subject during the chat. Idiare Etimomo explained the reason behind the product launch and stated the pros that come with the device while highlighting the security measures made available to ensure that kids using the devices are actually using it for the right purpose; learning while having fun.
In her remarks, Zuriel commended Etisalat for such innovation, especially for identifying with children at a time when child education in Nigeria was on the decline. She also told the team that Nigeria was her 4th country stop for her #FollowTheBallForEducation project, a campaign in support for Education among children which was launched in Brazil. The Campaign will cover countries like Brazil, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mauritius and South Africa in a bid to gather support and signatures from players, fans, government officials, organizations and ordinary people as she brings attention to the need for safe education for girls across Africa.
The ball signing session was also conducted at the Etisalat premises by Enitan Denloye and Oluwole Rawa.
Zuriel was later presented with a Cliqlite tablet from Etisalat.
In line with its innovative DNA and the desire to continuously delight subscribers with value offerings, Etisalat Nigeria has introduced two more plans on its Easybusiness package called Super BB and Super Data Plan.
Director Business Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Lucas Dada said the company is driven by the desire to continually grow customer loyalty through improved and innovative value offerings that help customers conduct their businesses locally and internationally at minimum cost and maximum satisfaction. “Easybusiness was introduced in 2012 as a strong value proposition for Small and Growing Businesses, offering free calls and SMS in a Closed User Group (CUG) as little as three at a competitive flat rate per month. We are driven to continue to find ways to make Easy Business the de-facto business mobile phone package for SMEs in Nigeria,”
This is why we are introducing two new plans under the easybusiness package. They are the Super BB and Super Data plans which come with the existing easybusiness premium variant bundled with a BlackBerry Complete plan and 200 MB data respectively,” he said.
For customers already on the Easybusiness premium plan, things just got better as Dada highlighted that there would be no need for them to dial additional codes to enjoy BlackBerry or data services, because “this enhanced bundle not only provides the convenience of an all in one package without the hassles of remembering and dialling different activation codes but also provides the opportunity for customers to make international calls at a highly subsidized rates”.
Drawing the line between the two offerings, the Director Business Segment added that the “Super BB is a stand-alone plan with features of easybusiness premium plan which includes close user group (CUG) minutes capped at 2500 and 100 CUG SMS bundled with blackberry complete and 30 international minutes to 14 destinations. The SuperData is a combination of the easybusiness premium plan which offers CUG minutes capped at 2500 and 100 CUG SMS, bundled with 200 MB and 20 international minutes to 14 destinations.”
Etisalat Nigeria Officially Announces iPhone 5s with 12-Month Warranty and Trade-in Program for Next-Generation iPhone
Etisalat Nigeria has announced the official launch of the iPhone 5s with 12-month warranty and a trade-in offer that will allow Etisalat customers exchange their iPhone 5s devices for the yet to be released next-generation iPhone. The iPhone 5s was unveiled at an event at the recently launched Gold Series Etisalat Experience Centre at Adeola Odeku, Victoria Island, Lagos, on June 16, 2014.
The Director, Retail Sales at Etisalat Nigeria, Charles Ogunwuyi, speaking at the event, described the partnership as a demonstration of the company’s commitment to providing customers with world class telecommunication services.
According to Ogunwuyi, “Our partnership with Apple Inc is a match of two innovative giants. It acknowledges our sustained investment in network infrastructure and capacity to ensure consistent quality of service. There is no doubt that the iPhone 5s will be at its best while running on the Etisalat network.”
A delighted Ogunwuyi highlighted that Apple Inc chose to partner with Etisalat Nigeria in acknowledgement of the quality of its network and service offerings that would optimise user experience on the iPhone 5s. He disclosed that the device is available at all Etisalat Experience Centres nationwide.
The Board of Directors of Etisalat Nigeria today announced the appointment of Matthew Charles Willsher as its new Chief Executive Officer. Willsher previously held the position of Chief Commercial Officer and Acting Chief Executive Officer replacing previous CEO, Steven Evans in August 2013. In under a year of his leadership Etisalat has recorded over 20% growth in its customer base, increase in spend per customer, significant strengthening of margins, and has maintained the No. 1 position on Customer Satisfaction.
Matthew Willsher, a physics graduate from the prestigious University of Oxford with a Masters in Management from McGill, started his career in brand management at Procter & Gamble. He joins Etisalat Nigeria with over 20 years in telecommunications. Prior to Etisalat Nigeria, he was Executive Vice President, Marketing at Etisalat Group from 2011 to 2013. He also served as Chief Marketing Officer and Head of the Consumer Business from 2008 to 2011 at Maxis, the leading telecommunications operator in Malaysia, an innovative operator that overtook the incumbent operator in Malaysia to become number one.
From to 2005 to 2008, he was Chief Operating Officer in CSL Limited, the largest mobile operator in Hong Kong; and before this, he spent 4 years at Telstra Australia where he occupied a number of leadership positions. Willsher’s blue-chip career also includes managing a range of consumer products for BT in the UK, leading marketing for BT’s mobile operator joint venture with LG Telecom in South Korea.
Mr. Hakeem Belo-Osagie, Chairman of Etisalat Nigeria said, “Matthew’s creativity and deep understanding of emerging markets has played a pivotal role in Etisalat’s strengthened market position in the highly competitive telecommunications industry. He brings with him the vision, passion and years of experience from diverse environments which have sustained the execution of our priorities providing superior customer experience, sustained network quality and increase in our operational excellence. We look forward to the continued leadership that he has brought to the company”.
Since joining the company in 2013 as acting Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria’s market position has been reinforced with an increased focus on sales channels, customer service, segment marketing and new self service-channels increasing operational efficiency. Willsher’s leadership has also realized a wide variety of innovative programs including the first loyalty proposition in the Nigerian telecommunication industry, Etisalat GEM; the first of its kind educational tool in the youth market, Cliqlite; as well as the launch of the new state of the art gold series flagship experience centres, a revolutionary retail experience driven by the essence of the Etisalat brand.
The operational performance of Etisalat Nigeria has also been substantiated with transformation of its IT operations being accredited with the ISO Quality Standard and continuous recognition as offering the best quality. The sustained investment in quality of service is evident in the sole exemption of Etisalat from the recent NCC ban on other telecommunication providers.
Etisalat Nigeria has continued to be a leading contributor to Nigerian culture and content promoting Music with platforms such as Etisalat Cloudnine and Nigerian Idol, Arts & Culture with Africa’s first pan-African prize for debut fiction the Etisalat Prize for Literature, and a focus on sustainable development joining the recently inaugurated Nigerian Regional Network of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).


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Sweetened fruit drinks are often marketed as a healthier alternative to non-diet soft drinks but are just as likely to cause weight gain and increase the risk of diabetes, researchers said on Monday.
"The public should be made aware that these drinks are not a healthy alternative to soft drinks with regard to risk of type 2 diabetes," Julie Palmer and colleagues at Boston University wrote in their report, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, is closely linked to obesity and has become more common worldwide.
The findings came from a look at nearly 44,000 black women in the United States who were checked from 1995 through 2005.
Those who said they drank two or more non-diet soft drinks a day had a 24 percent increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes than those in the study who drank fewer than one regular soft drink per month, the research team said.
Women who drank two or more sweetened fruit drinks per day had a 31 percent increased risk compared to those who drank fewer than one such fruit drink a month. Diet soft drinks, grapefruit juice and orange juice were not linked to a higher diabetes risk, the researchers said.
While pure orange and grapefruit juices also contain sugars naturally, they may have a different metabolic effect or may be more likely to be consumed as part of a meal, the investigators said.
Soft drinks and sweetened juices are often consumed between meals and may lead to snacking, they said.
An earlier study involving thousands of white women also linked diabetes to both soft drinks and sweetened juices, the report said.
Another study in the same journal found that eating fruits and vegetables seems to ward off type 2 diabetes, perhaps by preventing obesity or providing protective nutrients, including antioxidants.
A third study found that a low-fat diet does not seem to change the risk of diabetes.
"The common denominator that appears clear is that calories trump everything," Dr. Mark Feinglos of the Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina wrote in a commentary in the same issue. "And certain nutrients, like high fructose corn syrup, make it easier to overeat," he added.
"If you keep the calories low, you can probably eat almost anything, which is what the low-carb diets show us. Specific metabolic issues aside, an important reason that low carb works is because you don't eat a lot of calories."
(Reporting by Michael Conlon; Editing by Maggie Fox and Bill Trott)
Via Yahoo News from Reuters.


text: The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) will host a Sensory Forum coffee and science event, for the first time in Taiwan, in collaboration with the Coffee Roasters Guild, Coffeeland, and the Taiwan Coffee Association from 18 to 19 July. Over two days, attendees will learn about the sensory science behind the SCA Flavour Wheel, and the flavour implications of genetics and varieties in coffee. “This is our first ever event in Taiwan and a major step in the SCA’s efforts to connect with coffee professionals across Asia, and in this case, to engage in a true exchange of knowledge with members of the Chinese-speaking specialty coffee community,” says Peter Giuliano, SCA Chief Research Officer. “Our host sponsor will be Coffeeland, who have a state-of-the-art coffee training venue with the equipment and technology to enable us to deliver unique hands-on experiences to Sensory Forum attendees.” The Sensory Forum will feature industry led sessions from Giuliano , Molly Spencer of Monell Chemical Senses Centre, and Mackenzie Batail of the University of California. “Our commitment to sponsor and host the 2019 SCA Sensory Forum is to wholeheartedly invite coffee people from all corners of the world to share the common grounds and advance coffee knowledge,” says Cindy Wu, Founder of Coffeeland. Registration for the Sensory Forum are now open. For more information, visit www.sca.coffee Global Coffee Report has launched a LinkedIn Showcase page. Follow HERE for up-to-date news and analysis of the global coffee industry.


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Want to join the conversation?
During 2015, $ESS sold two apartment communities, Pinnacle South Mountain and Sharon Green, for a total of $308.8MM, resulting in total gains of $44.9MM. In March 2015, $ESS sold two commercial buildings for $13MM, resulting in gains of $2.4MM. As of December 31, 2015, $ESS had two consolidated development projects and six JV development projects.
The latest earnings report by $VZ shows how it is losing customers despite offering the unlimited data plans, a record for the company.
$BEBE is closing down all its stores by the end of May.
$WFC agreed to hike its payout in a class-action settlement over unauthorized accounts by $32 million to $142 million for its retail sales practices. The settlement will now include customers who were impacted as early as May 2002.


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Reno-Sparks home sales down sharply as houses stay longer on the market
Sales of existing homes in Reno-Sparks are down by a third from last year.
The number of existing homes sold in the once red-hot Reno-Sparks housing market continued to fall in October as houses stayed on the market longer.
Reno-Sparks reported 372 unit sales in October, down by nearly 35% from the same month last year when the area saw 475 unit sales, according to the Reno/Sparks Association of Realtors. The number is limited to existing homes and does not include new homes, condominiums, townhomes and modular or manufactured housing.
The Reno-Sparks housing market has been impacted by multiple interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve in response to surging inflation. The Fed raised rates once again in November, the sixth straight time that it has increased the federal funds rate.
The dip in unit sales marks an overall decline in home sale activity in Reno-Sparks. New listings were down by a third year over year in October with 420 units while new contracts were down by nearly 40% to 359.
Homes are also staying in the market longer.
Months supply of inventory, which indicates how fast existing inventory will sell out at the current pace of sales without any new inventory entering the market, has steadily risen this year. In October last year, for example, the metric was at a little over a month. This October, the market saw the metric hit 3.4 months.
RSAR President Sarah Scattini, however, noted that Reno-Sparks is still considered a sellers’ market.
“Anything less than a four- to six-month supply historically has indicated a sellers’ market,” Scattini said.
The median home price also ticked up slightly in October after four straight months of falling prices. The combined median sales price in Reno-Sparks was $540,000, up from $535,000 in September. Reno posted a median home sale price of $560,000, up from $540,000 from the previous month. Sparks reported a median home price of $521,500, up from $515,000.
Sellers on average, however, are no longer getting offers above the original listing price like they did last year.
“Homes in Reno and Sparks are selling for an average of 98% of their list price,” Scattini said.
Days to contract, which was at nine days last year in October is also up significantly year over year at 36 days.
Buyers, meanwhile, have more options in the market today. Active inventory for existing homes was at 1,265 in October, more than double the 621 units seen during the same period last year.
Although higher rates are dissuading more buyers from entering the market, the lower prices are encouraging some sales activity as well, according to the RSAR. The median sales price is down significantly from the peak, which reached $615,000 for Reno-Sparks and rose all the way up to $635,000 for the city of Reno alone.
“Homebuyers are taking advantage of the stabilizing market to buy attractively priced homes today with the understanding that they can refinance their mortgages when rates decline again in the future,” according to the RSAR.


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CDIA is pleased to announce Andrew Smith, Director of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Bureau of Consumer Protection, will be a featured keynote speaker at the 2020 CDIA Virtual Law & Industry Conference on September 24, 2020. Smith will address the FTC’s privacy priorities in his remarks, and elaborate on the Commission’s recent update and improvement of its data security orders.
“The Bureau of Consumer Protection at the FTC oversees large swaths of the consumer reporting industry, and we are honored to have its Director join us,” said Francis Creighton, CDIA President & CEO. “There is no one in the entire government who understands the industry and consumers’ needs more than Andrew Smith, and I’m sure our attendees will learn a lot from his presentation.”
REGISTER TODAY TO SECURE YOUR SPOT AT THIS MUST-ATTEND EVENT!
Attendees of the CDIA Law & Industry Conference will gain a lot from this year’s agenda, comprised of insightful, interactive sessions exploring the future of consumer reporting amid shifts in legislation, innovations in technology and evolving sources of consumer data.
For more information, and/or to register, please visit the 2020 CDIA Law & Industry Conference page, or contact us at email@example.com.
CDIA looks forward to seeing you there and encourages you to share this invitation with others in your company who may benefit from attending this event.
To view CDIA’s attendance policy, please click here.


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Some of the biggest names in IT including IBM, Microsoft, Google and Intel reported quarterly earnings this week, revealing a picture of the tech sector that, while not as gloomy as had been feared, is nevertheless mixed.
Just as tech stocks were starting to rise this week, dismal PC sales reports for the first quarter burst the very short-lived bubble, causing shares of IT companies to fall back to earth Thursday.
Though the tech IPO market has gone from a boil to a simmer, some companies in areas such as big data and cloud-related technology are plunging in.
Vendor earnings, market research reports and the International CES in Las Vegas this week highlighted the hardware arena, which appears to be a tale of two sectors with very different fates: PCs and mobile devices.
As the economy improves and at least some of the concerns about the so-called U.S. "fiscal cliff" are resolved, desire for new mobile, analytics, and storage technology will drive IT spending this year, according to market researchers and economists.
After a two-day outage, Internet access in war-torn Syria appears to be for the most part restored on Saturday, according to reports from several sources.
Some of the biggest names in tech reported quarterly earnings last week, and the resulting picture is not pretty. The main culprit for the weak earnings reported this week is a slump in the PC market, but uncertainty about the global economy is weighing down almost all sectors of tech.
Though tech stocks on the Nasdaq are up about 16 percent for the year, they were up about 25 percent for the year about a month ago.
Though market analysts have cut forecasts for global IT spending this year, they still expect overall increases.
Reports from software makers have helped keep up investor confidence in tech stocks despite continued uncertainty in the economy.
Tech stocks rallied Friday as markets rode a wave of euphoria over the U.S. Federal Reserve's commitment to buy bonds to boost the economy and as excitement over...
The tech-heavy Nasdaq retreated a bit Friday after a rally Thursday in which the exchange touched its highest point since 2000, after the dot-com bubble burst...
While Apple started out the week claiming a stock market record, the news was much bleaker for other manufacturers, like Dell and Hewlett-Packard, which face a...
The WikiLeaks founder speaks from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, calling on governments to stop persecution of political whistle-blowers.
A U.S. District Court judge has rejected a proposed settlement in a lawsuit that alleges Facebook violated users' rights by using their names and recommendations...


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I, along with most North Americans, have been following the Paula Deen story these past few weeks with morbid curiosity. For those of you who've been living under a rock this past week, it's the story of Lance Armstrong or Tiger Woods all over again. Celebrities are created or hired to represent a brand in the public space and drive media attention and revenue for their sponsors. Then, as most people do, they show a human weakness to which the public takes exception. The celebrities are unceremoniously fired in an attempt by those who have been milking their celebrity to distance themselves from the very creatures they created.
In Ms. Deen's case, during a legal deposition for a lawsuit filed by a former employee for a discriminatory and hostile work environment, she admitted to using the N-word during an alleged robbery by a black man. Of course, this was a Godsend to the legal team deposing her, who I'm sure tripped over themselves to make this information available to every news and social media outlet they could find. The explosion of public scorn was immediate and powerful, like a digital atomic bomb set off at the heart of the Internet.
The response from brands which hired or sponsored Ms. Deen was equally quick and certain. She was quickly fired from The Food Network, which she was widely credited for creating with her friendly and engaging persona. Brands such as Sears, J.C. Penney, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, Novo Nordisk, Smithfield Foods, and Caesars Entertainment all joined the The Food Network in running for the hills to distance themselves from the controversy. Her upcoming book, Paula Deen's New Testament: 250 Favorite Recipes, All Lightened Up, was unapologetically canceled.
Did the Food Network Have a Choice?
Negative public commentary on the network's Facebook page blew up with mostly negative comments, something that in today's socially-connected world, few brands have the fortitude or desire to fend off. An even bigger impact was felt on the corporate site, where the comments section below many of Paula Deen's recipes were taken over by those posting about the issue -- both pro-Deen and anti-Deen. The Food Network's flagship brand site became a political and social forum instead of a vehicle for the discussion of food and cooking.
When any employee or hired spokesperson creates such distress which affects the brand's public image, does the business have a choice but to distance itself? Is it the right thing to do? For the most part, the public seemed to support brands firing Ms. Deen but there remain many who are throwing their support behind her and against the brands that walked away from the woman whose celebrity they used to drive so much profit.
The Food Network was quite happy to make a dollar off of Ms. Deen when she was America's darling but quick to drop her at the first sign of controversy. In all those years, do you honestly believe that no one there understood her background or her religious, political, and social views? Should they not also receive some of the public's scorn? As they profited from Deen in the good times should they not stand by her during the bad times too? We expect this of our friends and family; why do we make exceptions for businesses?
Who Creates These Celebrities?
Whether they're hiring celebrities to host television shows or hiring them as spokespeople, businesses spend an exorbitant amount of money to create and promote the image of the icons that we're encouraged to admire. They create intricate cross-media promotions using branding, advertising, and public relations firms to create this "perfect image," an image we should worship and aspire to be. If they don't create the icon status, they certainly endorse, encourage, and even promote it. Businesses are making a public declaration that these personas are representatives of their brands.
When their chosen idols fail to live up to the public's moral expectations -- the very standard that the brand helped to establish -- businesses are quick to wash their hands of any wrongdoing and distance themselves by disassociating their brand with the disgraced spokesperson. With the dash of a pen, they absolve themselves of any moral or legal wrongs.
In most cases, the public applauds the brands for taking a stand, for offering their outrage as a sign of solidarity with current popular opinion. Overnight, these businesses go from the target of boycotts and public scorn to being celebrated for their moral stance. Just like that, they walk away from their part in building the false idol, while profiting from their actions.
Should Brands Not Be Held Accountable Too?
Why are sports athletes not forced to take a drug test before brands hire them as spokespeople, and then continue regular testing during their employment? Should their backgrounds not be vetted and potential red flags identified in advance? This is a common practice for many businesses when hiring senior executives or others in key internal or public-facing roles; why is it not mandatory for businesses that create and hire celebrity spokespeople?
Should the public not also focus their resentment towards brands for their failure to do so? Should the public not write angry letters and boycott the brands that fire their fallen spokespeople because they did not do their job in the first place? They build the pedestal on which most celebrity spokespeople sit, and then create the fanfare that draws our attention and worship towards them.
Why are celebrities not given personality or morality tests to determine their stance on race, abortion, or gay marriage before being hired to represent the brand? Given how quick the public is to condemn their idols for missteps, should this not be a common practice today? The reality is that the decision to hire spokespeople is often based more on their ability to promote or sell product than to actually represent the cultural identity of the corporation behind the brand.
All too often, businesses are well aware of a spokesperson's affinity for violence, a propensity to commit adultery, or controversial views on race and religion. The business gambles that its PR team and handlers will keep celebrity spokespeople in check, at least long enough for the brand to see a return on its investment.
If the public is going to hold celebrities to such high standards, should we not also hold the businesses that endorse them to similar standards? Was it not their responsibility to properly vet those they offer up as role models? And when these fallen idols are expected to make public apologies in order to win back our favor, should their sponsors not also be asked to perform those same acts of contrition?
Where do you stand on this debate?
Are brands that create and profit from celebrity spokespeople equally responsible to the public for their mistakes? Should these brands not stand by their spokespeople, to work together to ask for the public's forgiveness and rebuild the trust and relationship lost?


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We’ve literally JUST celebrated Christmas. I mean – it’s only been four days.Star Wars fan uses Christmas lights to turn house into epic tribute to Carrie Fisher
The decorations are still up and you’ve probably even got a bit of turkey leftover in the fridge.
So why, WHY, have supermarkets already started filling the shelves with Easter Eggs?
Customers up and down the country have taken their outrage to Twitter, understandably.
It all started in North Wales – where the first instance was photographed by a shopper at Co-op in Rhyl.Debenhams security guard soaked homeless man who was sleeping outside the store
She told the Daily Post: ‘Christmas Day was only three days ago, I couldn’t believe it when I saw Easter eggs out already, it’s commercialism gone mad.’
And we agree with you.
When questioned, a spokesman for the Co-op said: ‘Sales figures show that many customers want to buy Easter eggs early. We believe it’s right to offer our shoppers the choice.’
Just as we thought this was the only store getting a head start – Twitter users began sharing photos of their own local supermarket’s early offering.
Although traditional Easter eggs in larger packaging are still a rare sight this early on – Cadbury’s has already started selling its Creme Egg and Mini Egg brands again.
Twitter user Will Stone criticised Cadbury’s for releasing the chocolate even before the start of the new year.
Quite right, Will.
Things aren’t any better in Banbury.
The timing has rattled so many cages – especially as we would normally see the shelves jammed packed with Valentine’s candy in the first week of January.
I mean, there’s more than 100 days to go until Easter. Why the rush?
While the majority of us are horrified – it seems not everyone feels the same way.
Adam Fearon is one of a handful of people openly delighted at the return of the chocolate – mainly because some of it is only available for a short peroid.
We’re happy for you Adam – but you have to agree – it’s all a bit early for most of us.
Cadbury responded to our question with the following: ‘All of our Easter range will be available in major retailers after New Year’s Day.
‘However, as some stores know that people can’t wait to get their hands on the Cadbury Easter range, they may decide to stock the products earlier.
‘It is at the retailers discretion as to when they decide to stock the range.’


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Online local business search engine company Just Dial Ltd, that is slowly trying to morph into an e-commerce marketplace, posted 18 per cent increase in net profit for the quarter ended June 30, 2015 on account of higher traction from paid advertiser campaigns.
The Mumbai-based firm recorded a net profit of Rs 33.17 crore against 28.11 crore reported in the corresponding year-ago quarter.
Income from operations increased by about 25 per cent to Rs 168.62 crore from Rs 135 crore in Q1 FY15.
The profit growth was relatively slower due to higher tax payout ratio and higher employee-related expense.
"We witnessed another quarter of steady growth and profitability. Our Search Plus transaction platform continues to show good traction. Our focus is to enhance user experience through investment in back-end infrastructure and we are confident of commercially launching it in the next few months," said VSS Mani, MD and CEO of Just Dial.
The company conducted approximately 3,46,900 campaigns for its paid advertisers compared with 277,950 campaigns in the year-ago quarter, representing a growth of 25 per cent. Campaigns are essentially paid featured listings/recommendations on JustDial's search platform.
It added around 15,700 paid ads last quarter sequentially against 18,400 paid campaigns in the quarter ended March 31, 2015. This was the slowest net addition to paid campaigns in five quarters.
The number of total listings on Just Dial went up 9 per cent to 15.3 million (14.1 million), the statement said. On a sequential basis, it added 0.3 million new listings last quarter.
Just Dial's numbers were also aided by other income worth Rs 7.12 crore. This includes a write-back of excess provision for expenses of Rs 2.57 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2015, as per the company's notes to accounts. However, this other income was higher in the year-ago period and to that extent the growth in net profit was lower.
The company's adjusted operating EBIDTA margin (excluding quarterly ESOP expenses of Rs 7.18 crore) expanded by 800 basis points to 33 per cent this quarter while net margin was maintained at 19 per cent.
The firm added one new category under its Search Plus services to take the count to 25 against 24 at the end of March 31, 2015 and 20 at the end of June 30, 2014.
The company has been preparing to launch a separate platform for all these services which has got delayed and is now expected to be unveiled this quarter. The Search Plus services are currently live on its existing local search platform.
Search Plus combines Just Dial's search services with transaction-based ones such as online food delivery, groceries, wine delivery, doctors' appointments, taxi bookings and online purchases of electronics, among others.
With this step, Just Dial is transitioning from being purely a provider of local search and related information to being an enabler of such transactions. Currently separate set of firms cater to products related sales (e-commerce) and booking local services. Just Dial is trying to integrate both in a single platform leveraging on its deep penetration with local businesses service providers.


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It’s time to Break It Down!
There was a period in my lifetime when the phrase, “What’s good for GM is good for America” was thought by many to reflect the operational orthodoxy of our nation. The source of this perceived wisdom, if you would call it that, was said to be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of General Motors (GM). A little research reveals that, Charles Wilson did not exactly frame the comment the way it. was interpreted and subsequently communicated for years.
As it turns out, Mr. Wilson, President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s nominee for Defense Secretary, was asked during a 1953 Congressional hearing whether, if he were to serve in the capacity of Defense Secretary, he could make a decision averse to the interests of General Motors? After responding affirmatively, he went on to say that he:
“Could not conceive of such a situation “because for years I thought what was good for the country was good for General Motors and vice versa.”
So rather than a braggadocios assertion about the universality of the GM brand, Wilson’s statement was more like a little homespun humility about the degree to which he had immersed himself in his life’s work. Be that as it may, even had the erstwhile meaning captured the essence of some level of nationalistic fervor about the goodness and pervasiveness of GM, the page turned this week.
GM was founded in 1908, and from 1931 to 2007 held the distinction of having been the largest automaker in the United States. At that point Ford Motor Company surpassed GM in value. By 2009, the Great Recession had taken the ultimate toll on GM (and Chrysler).
The current company, General Motors Company LLC (“new GM”), was formed on June 1, 2009, following the bankruptcy of General Motors Corporation (“old GM”), which became Motors Liquidation Company. At that point GM Stockholders lost all of their investment.
On July 10, 2009, General Motors emerged from government backed Chapter 11 reorganization after an initial filing on June 8, 2009. Through the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) the US Treasury invested $49.5 billion in General Motors and recovered $39 billion when it sold its shares on December 9, 2013 resulting in a loss of $10.3 billion. The Treasury invested an additional $17.2 billion into GM’s former financing company, GMAC (now Ally). The shares in Ally were sold on December 18, 2014 for $19.6 billion netting $2.4 billion. A study by the Center for Automotive Research found that the GM bailout saved 1.2 million jobs and preserved $34.9 billion in tax revenue.
With that lengthy preamble about GM, which had reclaimed its perch as America’s most valuable automaker, the breaking news is that in successive weeks, Tesla caught and surpassed the country’s top two automakers, Ford, last week, and GM this week.
What exactly is Tesla? Just in case you’ve been under a rock, or in a Rip Van Winkle state of consciousness, Tesla, Inc. (formerly named Tesla Motors, founded in 2003) is a major American automaker, energy storage company, and solar panel manufacturer based in Palo Alto, California. Martin Eberhard, and Marc Tarpenning initially founded the company in 2003, although it also counts Elon Musk, JB Straubel, and Ian Wright amongst its co-founders. The company specializes in electric cars, Lithium-ion battery energy storage, and, through their SolarCity subsidiary, residential solar panels.
Tesla first gained widespread attention following its production of the Tesla Roadster, the first electric sports car, in 2008. The company’s second vehicle, the Model S, an electric luxury sedan, debuted in 2012 and is built at the Tesla Factory in California. The Model S has been the world’s best-selling plug-in electric car for two years in a row, 2015 and 2016.
While the message stands as important in its own right, it’s imperative to acknowledge exactly what it represents, and what it does not. Tesla is…”a global pioneer at the forefront of new technologies including electric vehicles, assisted driving, shared vehicles, digitizing real-world information, sustainable energy generation and scalable energy storage.” It is not outpacing Ford and GM in vehicle sales.
The company’s stock rose more than 7%, Monday of last week, increasing its market value to $48.69 billion. Ford’s market cap is $45.31 billion. This week, Tesla valuation was placed at $51.5 billion, topping GM’s $50.2 billion. The company has yet to turn a profit, and lost hundreds of millions of dollars just last year. However, a couple of days ago, it became the most valuable American automaker, surpassing GM with almost $10 billion in profit on nearly $10 million vehicles. Tesla for its part sold only 84,000 cars last year (with starting prices of $68,000).
The encouraging first quarter numbers come as Tesla ramps up for production of the new Model 3, its cheapest car to date. The vehicle, a sedan, slated to launch this summer, will have an entry-level price of $35,000, and has already garnered nearly 400,000 pre-orders from people who made payments of $1000 for reservations last year.
It should also be noted that Tesla has a long-running saga of production problems, and it has not come close to filling its ambitious and cleverly marketed goals. It not only sells far fewer cars than its rivals in Detroit, it also employs a fraction of their workforce.
The competition has responded to the dubious nature of some of Tesla’s advantages. GM’s vice chairman Bob Lutz had this to say:
“This is the ultimate bubble, which is doomed to bust. Tesla cars are fine, but the business model is not. The high cost of production is not recovered in the sale price. All legacy car companies will soon have a variety of similar electric vehicles.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, David Cole, an investor in Detroit automakers, and chairman emeritus of the Center for Automotive Research added:
“Its (speaking of Tesla) market cap is based on hype and promises versus substance.”
Of course Musk has heard it all. Not surprisingly, he has formulated what he considers a most apt answer, and framed his response in a tweet Monday afternoon:
“Tesla is absurdly overvalued if based on the past, but that’s irrelevant. A stock price represents risk-adjusted future cash flows.”
At this very moment Tesla and GM are both working on expanding their electric vehicle profile and perfecting autonomous vehicle technology. Navigant Research released a report Monday that says Ford is ahead of Tesla and others in the self-driving car race.
GM and Ford have a near century-long or more head start on Tesla. But there is no denying Tesla’s assault on the Stock Market is having an effect. It has made Musk one of the richest men in America and given him widespread influence across a number of arenas. Even critics who say Tesla could represent a technology bubble in the stock market acknowledge that the company’s success points to a new reality in the automotive industry that will reshape the experience of driving for most Americans. The story of the company’s rise illuminates the contemporary stratification of the American economy. Eco-friendly government tax credits, a boom in financial backing, and the promise of new school innovation coalesce to deliver, in Tesla, a badge for the drivers who can afford its imposing price point. “Don’t Look Now, but There’s a New Sheriff in Town!”
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Malaysian Palm Oil Council CEO Yusof Basiron said the French vote was a welcome relief for Malaysian palm oil farmers. MPOC believes the tax would put thousands of oil palm farmers out of work.
“Malaysia has come a long way in making its palm oil greener. So the conclusion is inescapable: When it comes to being sensible about climate change, Malaysian palm oil is second to none.”
Improving your diet starts with choosing foods that do not contain trans fats. “Palm oil can be considered a healthier alternative to trans fats with its perfect balance of saturated and unsaturated fats,” Chowdhury explained.
True, the nutritional facts label won’t look much different. But you may notice some distinct changes, such as the removal of the ‘Calories from Fat’ figure. Instead the focus is put on types of fats. That’s because volumes of science have debunked the myth that saturated fats are bad for us. Malaysian sustainable palm oil is also a healthier alternative because it is naturally free of trans fats.
Most of us agree that tans look great. But spending too much time in the sun may cause premature wrinkling, brown spots or skin cancer. A recent study found that a diet rich in carotenoids gives your skin a healthy color. This may be a healthy alternative to tanning.


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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Airbnb is cracking down on party houses throughout Charlotte, the booking website announced on Wednesday.
As a result, 20 listings across the city that have received complaints or otherwise violated the company’s policies on parties and events have been suspended from the Airbnb platform.
The action follows Airbnb’s policy change to ban parties at its listings globally until further notice.
According to Airbnb, the vast majority of hosts in Charlotte contribute positively to their neighborhoods and the local economy, and they also take important steps to help prevent unauthorized parties such as establishing clear house rules, quiet hours, and communicating in advance with their guests.
Last year, Airbnb announced a global ban on “party houses,” alongside a 24/7 neighborhood support hotline, where neighbors can call and reach a trained agent to share their concerns with anytime.
“As COVID-19 cases continue to rise throughout the state, it’s more important than ever that we all do our part to reduce the number of parties and large gatherings that could spread the virus,” said Viviana Jordan, North Carolina public policy manager for Airbnb.
In addition to the global party ban, Airbnb recently added restrictions on some bookings of entire home listings by U.S. guests younger than 25.
Additionally, earlier this month the company began banning guests without a history of positive reviews on Airbnb from making one-night reservations in entire-home listings on New Year’s Eve in Charlotte and throughout the country.
Last year, Airbnb expanded its manual screening of high-risk reservations that were initially flagged by its automated systems – a process designed to help the company try to stop reservations that may lead to unauthorized parties before they start. More than 40 reservations throughout Charlotte have been blocked since its launch.
Cox Media Group


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AHA Expands Heart-Check Mark to Include More Healthy Foods
Fish, nuts, and other foods that have heart-health benefits including the presence of “better fats,” monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, are eligible for certification immediately.
The American Heart Association is expanding and improving its Heart-Check Food Certification Program to allow certification of more foods with the healthier fats, including fish, nuts, and other foods higher in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The American Heart Association is also revising sodium allowances and implementing screening guidelines to limit added sugars and promote dietary fiber in certified products.
Fish, nuts, and other foods that have heart-health benefits including the presence of “better fats,” monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, are eligible for certification immediately. To allow food manufacturers time to reformulate their production processes, the updated requirements covering sodium, sugar, and fiber will be effective in 2014.
Now more companies can certify products to use the famed red-and-white Heart-Check mark, which has helped shoppers select healthy foods for more than 15 years. Recent research shows consumers are more likely to buy a product bearing the symbol.
“With these enhancements, the Heart-Check program will help consumers easily identify and choose even more heart-healthy foods for themselves and their families,” said Rachel Johnson, Ph.D., R.D., the Bickford Green and Gold professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont and an American Heart Association spokeswoman.
“The Heart-Check program brings benefits to those companies invested in the health of their consumers. Not only does it add a level of credibility and trust that other programs don’t bring, but certification aligns food products with a leading heart-health organization.”
The American Heart Association updated the program to align with the organization’s healthy eating and lifestyle recommendations and priorities identified as part of its 2020 goal to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent.
Fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, and research suggests that omega-3 fatty acids benefit heart health. The recommendations also suggest that the use of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can lower bad cholesterol levels and are beneficial to heart health when consumed in moderation.
The look and feel of the reputable Heart-Check mark is also changing. The criteria allows for inclusion of foods that are higher sources of “better” fats, while limiting negative nutrients such as saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, and sodium.


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in this issue
Services :: Distribution
Uralkali forms potash distribution joint venture in Malaysia
December 9, 2013 | Natasha Alperowicz
Uralkali (Berezniki, Russia), one of the world’s largest potash producers, announced today that its trading arm Uralkali Trading has concluded an agreement with the Federal Land Development Authority of Malaysia (FELDA) to create a joint venture for potash distribution. The joint venture will start operating from 1 January 2014 and will focus on securing potash deliveries to the plantations of FELDA and other government plantations in Malaysia and other countries. “This joint venture is another step to further improve our sales net in Southeast...
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At the PlayStation Experience, Rebellion released the first story trailer for Sniper Elite 4, which provides brand new story details for the mission "Italy 1943" and recounts the intricate machinations behind the Allied invasion of Italy.
In Sniper Elite 4, Karl Fairburne will help release the country from the shackles of Fascism, fanning the flames of resistance, and in doing so uncover a terrifying Nazi technology threatening the whole of Europe.
Narrative Designer Colin Harvey sets the scene for the game's thrilling World War 2 campaign: "In Sniper Elite 44, Karl is plunged into a country that's been under the yoke of Mussolini's Fascism for over two decades. Political opposition to the regime was either crushed early on or escaped abroad. Now, though, discontent is growing..."
The game is set to release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on February 14


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Official Mafia II game wallpaper.
... are very Grand Theft Auto while the ... recently released demo
by Lewis Leong (@lewisleong)
Tax season is here and while many dread doing their taxes, it’s not so bad with the right software....
by James Thornton
UPDATE: WhatsApp has come out with an easy way to chat from your computer. It's called WhatsApp Web...
A report published by GFI Software, a security software developer, revealed which operating systems...
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As reported by Doris Yu in TechInAsia (found here):
Indonesia-based iSeller, an omnichannel sales software-as-a-service player, announced that it has secured an undisclosed amount in its series A round of funding led by Singapore-based VC firm Openspace Ventures and Mandiri Capital, the VC arm of Bank Mandiri in Indonesia.
The capital injection will go toward business expansion including the acceleration of merchant acquisition and onboarding. The company is also doubling down on technology development to add additional omnichannel merchant solutions and features, it said in a statement.
Read more here.


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Bad news for Xbox One fans gamers as Microsoft announced that its upcoming Project Scorpio could be its final entry to the console market. As bizarre as it sounds the console generation is dying, at least as far as the software giant is concerned.
After what could be considered as confusing presentation at this year’s E3, the company’s position on console gaming is unclear. While they unveiled their newly upgraded console, they also announced a brand new console project.
According to Gamerant, Microsoft announced Project Scorpio just an hour after revealing the latest version of its console. This, however, did not put a dent on the console’s sales and even overtook its competition, which was considered a rare feat.
However, this announcement does mean that console gaming will go away completely. This was made clear by Microsoft’s head of Xbox games marketing department, Aaron Greenberg.
New Age Of Console Gaming
In an interview with Engadget, Greenberg stated that it is not the end of consoles but the console generation. Microsoft hopes that Project Scorpio will carry on the Xbox name into a new age of console gaming.
This “new age” is already apparent with Microsoft working on projects such as the Xbox One S and Project Scorpio. The goal is to create a family of consoles that can play the same games at different levels of efficiency and processing power.
This will make console gaming “look a lot like PC gaming,” which has been considered by the gaming community as “the master race.” Unlike consoles, PCs can play older games without difficulty and requirements other than the game’s age.
Platforms such as Valve’s Steam Digital Distribution have taken a huge chunk of the gaming market. Many developers have opted to release games on Steam due to digital downloads making the creation of physical copies irrelevant.
Is Project Scorpio really the future for the Xbox One? We’ll let the gamers decide on the future of console gaming.
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According to the information source Longhash, the number of bitcoins in the cold wallets of Coinbase’s US crypto exchange has reached nearly one million, threatening the entire crypto industry.
From January 1, Coinbase cold wallets contain 970,000 BTC worth $ 8 billion. If coins continue to arrive at the same pace, Coinbase portfolios reach 1,000,000 BTC by February.
Longhash notes that Coinbase is the undisputed leader in the number of stored bitcoins, but currency growth is observed on most other major trading platforms. Proponents of cryptocurrencies have long been concerned about this phenomenon, because relying on someone to keep their money comes down to keeping money in a central bank. However, all community attempts to encourage cryptocurrency owners to store coins independently do not lead to anything. Institutional investors also do not want to do self-storage.
Longhash researchers have noticed a sharp increase in bitcoins on the Huobi cryptocurrency exchange. Like many other researchers, Longhash analysts believe that Huobi is being actively used by the organizers of PlusToken’s large fraudulent pyramid scheme.


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Digital banking unicorn Revolut is allegedly looking to move its European payment functionalities to Ireland and Lithuania.
Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, companies are exploring the ways they can continue their operations as normal.
The UK-based challenger bank is looking to reposition its European payments to Ireland and Lithuania so it can continue to make use of the European passporting rights in the EU, according to an article from the Telegraph.
European passporting permits a company regulated in one EU member state to do business throughout the EU.
Revolut’s new chief executive Richard Davies told the Telegraph “Brexit is the initial cause but it’s also a reflection of the great customer appetite we’ve seen across Europe where we’ve got millions of customers and growing very rapidly.”
He went on to explain that due to having a strong European presence having multiple regulated entities for the regions is important.
Revolut still has a UK EMI licence and will use this to support customer in the country.
The digital bank also announced it would be opening credit offerings later in the year, the article said.
Earlier in the year, it was reported Revolut was eyeing a new funding round which would value the business at $5bn. It is not clear how much the company would be looking to raise but some places are claiming it would like to raise $1.5bn in a mix of equity and convertible loans.
Within the first month of the year, the challenger bank has released a number of new services. It recently launched a new interest rate on savings accounts for metal card holders and a customer loyalty programme which lets customers use certain airport lounges.


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As big technology companies edge their way into financial services, banks still have a few tricks up their sleeve.
In particular, regulated financial institutions benefit from their robust compliance and risk management divisions, specialists say. It’s a point that is underscored by PayPal’s recent decision in Mexico to stop holding deposits, ahead of a regulatory change.
“Banks, unlike most fintechs, are highly regulated,” says Giorgio Trettenero, secretary general of Felaban. “They have compliance, anti-money laundering and know-your-customer systems. And additionally, they are very prepared against cyber attacks and cyber threats.”
The focus on risk and compliance comes as big tech companies move into services that traditionally have been the domain of regulated banks – holding deposits in digital wallets, offering loans, facilitating payments. The shift is changing market dynamics dramatically, increasing competition for banks but also opening opportunities for regulated entities to work with big tech platforms.
For banks, dealing with regulations and compliance processes doesn’t just keep them on the right side of the law. It also drives business. Clients, especially corporate clients, value the confidence gained from dealing with a regulated financial institution.
A recent move by PayPal in Mexico underscores the relevance of regulation and compliance as big tech moves into finance. The global payments company is one of several technology companies that have told their Mexican users they can no longer hold money in their PayPal accounts. Instead, any balances will be transferred directly to users’ bank accounts.
For PayPal, the move is a step back from financial services, and a response to Mexico’s incoming Fintech Law, which introduces new requirements for institutions that hold deposits to register as a financial institution. Effectively, PayPal’s retreat from financial services in Mexico highlights how complicated it can be to become a regulated financial institution.
‘Hard-core risk management’
Establishing the full range of functions needed to become a regulated financial institution – from know-your-customer processes through to cybersecurity – requires enormous effort, said Daniel Kennedy, vice-president for digital banking at Scotiabank in Chile.
“When you think about the Apple Card, Apple launched the ecosystem, but it’s the bank behind it that’s managing the risk,” he said. “Big tech companies could buy that risk management capacity – they could hire a CRO. But the organization would take years to adapt to the hard core risk management practices that a bank has.”
But despite the power of regulatory backing, banks can hardly relax. A look at Brazil shows why.
There, digital platforms are navigating the country’s strict, but changing, financial services rules.
“The definition of financial services in Brazil is the collection, intermediation and application of money – that’s the concept provided by law,” says Larissa Arruy, partner at Mattos Filho. “It’s a broad concept and means many operators have to have a license.”
Often, big e-commerce platforms in Brazil, including large local retailers, partner with licensed banks to offer loans or payments services to their clients. As with the Apple Card, digital platforms save the time and investment needed to get a banking license.
But there are changes ahead.
Rubens Vidigal Neto, partner at PVG Advogados in Sao Paolo, says he is advising two large retailers who are working on getting a banking license.
“The market is changing a lot,” he said. “Many are trying to get a step inside the financial sector. Many retailers are looking at becoming a bank and offering more services.”
So what does that mean for the uneasy relationship between big tech and banks? David Schwartz, head of the Florida International Bankers Association, says it indicates a greater rivalry ahead.
“It’s going to be more that they’ll be competitors. Big tech have collaborated with banks on credit cards and payments in the past, but if they go down this path [of getting regulated] they’ll disconnect from the banks.”


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Ribbon cutting held for new Amazon fulfillment center
POOLER, Ga. (WTOC) - Your Amazon orders my soon arrive faster after the company cut the ribbon on a new Pooler fulfillment center Monday afternoon.
Amazon says a lot of the technology at this site is designed to get products to your doorstep quicker.
Amazon officials describe the SAV4 facility as the mid-point in the process between when you place an order online and when it arrives at your door.
Earlier Monday afternoon, WTOC got our first look inside this more than 600,000 square foot facility. This center is expected to create 1,000 jobs.
It has 4,000 robotic machines and is eventually expected to produce 4.5 million packages a week that will be shipped across the southeast.
The site will mostly handle electronics, books, and toys, according to Amazon.
The company announced this facility back in 2021 at what is known as the Pooler Megasite just off I-16.
It’s one of the latest industrial sites to open following last year’s announcement that Hyundai would build an electric vehicle production site in neighboring Bryan County.
Several local and state leaders were on hand touting the opening saying it is just another sign of growing economic development and industrial sites in this region.
“This is an area that is growing a lot. So one of the reasons this building was constructed is because we wanted to be closer and get quicker to our customers,” said Mauricio Garcia, SAV4 General Manager.
“This just isn’t your average distribution warehouse. You’ll see if you’ve never been in one. It really is state of the art. It’s the future of logistics, I think, in our state, but also across the nation, and across the world in this competitive environment, especially with workforce and other things,” said Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.
This facility launched last month and staff here say they hope to have it fully operational by the holidays.
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