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Indian UPI Expansion: Sri Lanka and Mauritius to Welcome UPI Launch on February 12th
India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is gearing up for its debut in Sri Lanka and Mauritius on February 12, marking another milestone in its global expansion. The move further strengthens the network's presence internationally, adding to the growing list of countries where the payments system is either accepted or integrated with their own fast-payments networks.
The launch event, scheduled for 1 PM on February 12, will witness the participation of prominent leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, who will join via video conferencing. Central bank governors from the respective countries will also be present at the event. Notably, alongside the UPI launch, RuPay card services will also be introduced in Mauritius.
Highlighting the significance of the occasion, the Indian government stated on February 11, "Given India's robust cultural and people-to-people linkages with Sri Lanka & Mauritius, the launch will benefit a wide cross-section of people through a faster and seamless digital transaction experience and enhance digital connectivity between the countries."
The launch will enable the availability of UPI settlement services for Indian nationals traveling to Sri Lanka and Mauritius, as well as for Mauritian nationals visiting India. Moreover, the extension of RuPay card services in Mauritius will empower Mauritian banks to issue cards based on the RuPay mechanism, facilitating card usage for settlements both in India and Mauritius.
In recent years, Indian authorities have been actively promoting the use of the rupee and its payment systems on a global scale. In July 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced the establishment of a mechanism for settling global trade in rupees. Last year, India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to link the UPI with the UAE's Instant Payment Platform (IPP), followed by Prime Minister Modi's announcement during his visit to France that Indian tourists would be able to make rupee payments using UPI from the iconic Eiffel Tower. Additionally, in February, India and Singapore entered into a pact to connect the UPI with Singapore's fast payments system, PayNow. Discussions are also underway with Indonesia, as well as countries in Latin America and Africa, for further collaborations and integrations.
This expansion of UPI into Sri Lanka & Mauritius not only reflects India's commitment to fostering digital connectivity and financial inclusion but also signifies a significant step towards realizing its vision of a globally recognized payments ecosystem rooted in innovation and efficiency.


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[China, Beijing, June 10, 2021] The fast-growing ultra-high-definition (UHD) industry represents huge economic opportunities for many countries around the world, but wherever media sees growth, we also see a need to copyright protections. Digital media copyright (DMC) has been a topic of legal and legislative interest for quite some time, but the UHD industry in particular has recently turned its gaze to digital rights management (DRM). DRM is an exciting new field that goes beyond traditional copyright law and focuses on how technical standards and new technologies can be used to enforce copyrights for digital media. The advancement of DRM is also proving to be instramental for collaboration and growth within the UHD industry.
Just this week at the China Content Broadcasting Network (CCBN) 2021 DRM Summit, many prominent companies from the Chinese digital content industry, including Tencent, iQIYI, and Youku, joined together with HiSilicon (Shanghai) to release a DRM Proposal for Digital Media Copyrights Protection. Headed by the ChinaDRM Forum, the Proposal calls on industry organizations to work together for a healthy, robust digital media industry in China.
HiSilicon has played an important participant in Chinese DRM, supporting the formulation and promotion of digital rights protection technical standards. As a member of the executive committee of the ChinaDRM Forum, HiSilicon also supported the creation of standards for the Chinese digital copyright industry standard system, and served as the leader of the ChinaDRM Forum's super-distribution copyright protection technology work group and the leader of the ecological environment research work group to head the development of DRM standards for over-distribution of audiovisual content. In fact, HiSilicon's Hi3751 V620 was the first chipset in the industry to pass ChinaDRM's hardware certification when it was first launched back in 2017. In the TV and STB fields, eight of HiSilicon's chipsets have also passed these hardware certifications.
HiSilicon works with carriers, terminal vendors, and solution providers to promote the implementation of
ChinaDRM technology based on domestic cryptographic algorithms in the audiovisual industry. In ChinaDRM and
domestic cryptographic technologies, HiSilicon is the largest STB and TV chipset provider both in terms of
technical support and production volume. Further industry collaborations like this proposal will help to
continue advancing digital rights management in China.
The proposal is as follows.
DRM Proposal for Digital Media Copyrights Protection
In order to further implement the spirit of the General Secretary's edict on intellectual property protection in China, and as per the Copyright Law of the People's Republic of China which came into effect on June 1, 2021, we parties in the audiovisual content industry of China hereby propose the following guidelines to which we will abide. This Proposal aims to increase the supply of quality audiovisual content, innovate service models, enhance content protection, and protect consumers' interests.
1. Audiovisual service organizations will respect and abide by the Copyright Law of the People's Republic of China and relevant laws and regulations, foster differentiated innovation in services for quality content, and enhance copyright protection.
1) Quality audiovisual content services, such as cloud premiere and advanced VOD, will be gradually switched to smart terminals of security levels higher than the hardware specifications required by industry standards.
2) 4K/HDR or higher audiovisual content experiences will be delivered to consumers through smart terminals with security levels higher than the hardware specifications required by industry standards.
2. All parties in the industry chain of quality audiovisual content consumption terminals will further improve the technical level of copyright protection for terminals, and accelerate the R&D and production of terminals complying with the security levels higher than the hardware specifications required by industry standards, to better support the experience of the consumers.
3. Organizations engaged in production, academia, research, and application related to audiovisual content copyright protection technologies will further improve R&D support for audiovisual service institutions and quality audiovisual content consumer chip and equipment manufacturers, to reduce the difficulty and cost of deploying high-security copyright protection technologies in terminal products.
4. Consumers are urged to respect copyrights, raise awareness of copyrights protection, and use audiovisual terminals that meet copyrights protection requirements.

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the new website is ready
Date 14 September 2018
Faymonville have a new website
Informative, fresh, modern – that’s the new website from Faymonville. The digital presentation has been completely revised and newly structured. The advantages of the new website are the informative quality, the dynamic structure, the user-friendly navigation, the strong pictures to illustrate and the optimal display on all devices. Discover product information, news and interesting facts about the special and heavy haulage. It’s worth taking a look at www.faymonville.com
MultiMAX single-drop trailer for G & G Specialized Carrier in U.S.
Seven Stars Limited Transport 90t Mill Shell 1000kms from Mombassa Port to Tororo, Uganda
MONPE Ventures moves huge suction pile
To move a huge suction pile, Ghanaian customer MONPE Ventures put together its orange ModulMAX axle lines from Faymonville.


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The issue of employability and job security amidst these challenging times, with reference to specific organisations.
Alistair Lee, Niamh Mackenzie, Fraser Morrison and Abby Roberts (edited by SJ Crossan)
The Coronavirus does not pick and choose who to target – everyone is at risk. Therefore, on March 23rd, the UK went into full scale lockdown, three days after the Government put in place restrictions on select businesses. This lockdown has had a detrimental effect on almost every business, and thus has affected their employees in turn. A few months ago, before the COVID-19 outbreak and the World Health Organisation declaring a worldwide pandemic, most people would never have heard of the word ‘furlough’. Now, it is on everyone’s lips. It is critical for organisations to deal with their staff in the correct manner when it comes to their job. If not, their livelihood is at risk and their family’s livelihoods are at risk, particularly if they cannot take advantage of the Government’s furlough scheme.
Some companies have understood this and dealt with their employees correctly and efficiently, while some most certainly have not. People do not forget. If an organisation comes out of this pandemic looking worse for wear, due to their negative actions, it certainly will not recover quickly – if ever.
Virgin is one of many companies to handle this situation extremely poorly. Richard Branson has never been particularly liked by the people of the UK, plus he owns an airline – one of the most disliked types of organisations due to their price hiking. Therefore, this pandemic could have been used to gain some trust back – instead, it has done quite the opposite. On March 26th, Virgin Atlantic Airways said they would reduce their daily flights by 80% amid the drastic decline in travel owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Like many organisations, this steep decrease in business led Virgin to look at where they could cut costs to try and save the business. They decided to do this through their staff. Employees at the UK airline have been forced to take eight weeks of unpaid leave over the next three months. Amid backlash from this decision, Virgin released this statement:
“An increasing number of countries are now closing their borders – most significantly, the US, where a travel embargo from the UK comes into force on Tuesday (17th March). Though this was expected, it has accelerated the sharp and continual drop in demand for flights across Virgin Atlantic’s network, meaning immediate and decisive action is needed… Today, Virgin Atlantic will put drastic measures in place to ensure cash is preserved, costs are controlled, and the future of the airline is safeguarded.” (The Street, 2020)
While this seems a fair and logical response on the surface, if you delve a bit deeper, you begin to understand why it is so horrific that Virgin are not paying their staff while they’re on leave due to COVID-19.
Virgin Atlantic boasts revenues of £2.8 billion, with the Virgin Group as a whole commanding revenues of over £19 billion. (Virgin Annual Report, 2018). In addition to this, Richard Branson has a net worth of $4.4 billion (Forbes, 2020). In 1971, Branson was convicted and briefly jailed for tax evasion. This experience has not changed his attitude however, since in 2013, he described himself as a ‘tax exile’ having saved millions in tax by ending his mainland British residency and living in the British Virgin Islands. (The Daily Telegraph, 2013). And it is not just him personally that is doing this – his entire business empire is owned by a complicated series of offshore trusts and companies. If he were to liquidate all the company’s assets, he would pay extremely little in tax.
When you consider all the above, does Virgin’s statement seem fair and logical now? A multi-billion-pound organisation owned by a multi-billionaire who lives on his own private island that can fetch up to $87,500 per day, asking for a £500 million bailout from the Government (funded by taxpayer money) just so they can pay their staff doesn’t seem particularly fair and logical.
Denmark, Poland and France have all refused to bailout tax haven-controlled companies. The UK should do the same – refuse to pay the £500 million and tell Richard Branson to dig deep into his particularly selective pockets.
Virgin are not alone, however, when it comes to receiving criticism for their approach to dealing with staff during these strange times. British pub chain, JD Wetherspoon have recently received a lot of backlash from their questionable approach to the COVID-19 pandemic. The chain insisted that it could not afford to pay its staff during the crisis until the government had reimbursed the company for their wages (Davies, 2020). Tim Martin, founder of the company, sent a video out to his employees explaining the situation and the approach that the company had chosen to take after the government had called for all pubs to be shut to reduce the spread of COVID-19 (Ng, 2020). The employees were told that they would only be paid for the hours that they had worked up until 22nd March 2020 and that no further pay would be given until the furlough scheme had been put in place. The government had announced that they would pay 80% of staff wages up to £2,500 (Munbodh, 2020). However, this left many employees worried, due to the fact this could take until the end of April (Davies, 2020). Martin told his 40,000 employees that if they needed a wage, then they should consider taking on work with Tesco (Munbodh, 2020), causing considerable anger from employees who felt that they were unappreciated and being “abandoned” by their employer. Not only were Martin’s employees left questioning when they would next receive a wage, but many of the company’s workers were even stripped of bonuses that they had already managed to achieve (Ng, 2020).
The company received a lot of backlash online for this approach to the situation, with many members of the public vowing to “boycott” Wetherspoons pubs in the future once they have reopened for business (Brown, 2020). Piers Morgan, co-presenter of Good Morning Britain, posted on Twitter “Don’t go to Wetherspoons,” in response to Martin’s attitude towards the Covid-19 Crisis (Ingate, 2020). One member of the public even responded to the company by leaving a message for Tim Martin by graffitiing one of the Chain’s many pubs, The Postal Order. The words “pay your staff” and “pay up” were sprayed onto the windows of the pub in red and white paint (Ng, 2020). Photos of the vandalised pub, which were shared online, received a lot of support from individuals who condemned Tim Martin for suggesting to his employees that they should take on employment with Tesco following the closure of his pubs (Ng, 2020). A strike movement was also formed by a group of Wetherspoons employees called ‘Spoon Strike’ and the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) and demanded that the company give them full pay. In a statement released by Spoon Strike, they wrote “Whilst other companies such as Costa have promised their staff eight weeks fully paid, Wetherspoons have left over 40,000 people without their next pay date. With no means of paying for rent, bills or food, and no warning” (Ng, 2020).
Following the large wave of backlash that Tim Martin and his company received, Mr Martin later announced that the first payment for his workers under the government job retention scheme would be made on 3rd April ‘subject to Government approval, and weekly thereafter’ (Brown, 2020). However, many members of the public are still shaming Martin, who is supposedly worth over £40million (Munbodh, 2020) for his initial response to the crisis and continue to vow to “boycott” Wetherspoons pubs once they have reopened for business.
The impact on the employment market in the UK is not all negative, however.
One example of initiatives that have been employed to help protect workers is a free online training scheme for furloughed individuals. The Department of Education run initiative offers online training courses for workers who are furloughed in order to “ improve their knowledge, build their confidence and support their mental health so they have skills they need to succeed after the coronavirus outbreak” (BBC News, 2020). The hope is that it helps to mitigate some of the impact the crisis will have on a post lockdown employment market, by facilitating the growth of workers during the pandemic.
Regarding individual firms that are looking after their staff during the crisis, the Co-operative Group are a fantastic example. To show their appreciation for their key workers keeping shops stocked and the nation fed, they have rewarded over 7,500 staff with an extra week worth of pay in addition to doubling their staff discount. The hope is to help to ease the financial burden they face during lockdown and to reward staff for going “above and beyond” during lockdown (Derby Telegraph, 2020). This shows that not all employers are looking to shirk away from the issues surrounding their workers’ rights – some are bolstering them and trying to offer a more supportive and robust working relationship during these trying times.
Ford’s UK division have also been taking steps to protect their workers by considering the duty of care that they have towards them. Despite March normally being one of the busiest months of the year for car sales, Ford’s UK boss Andy Barratt prevented any of his dealerships from ordering new cars. Barratt stated that cash liquidity was important in these financially pressing times and in order to prevent mass furlough he insisted that the cash reserves were better use keeping staff employed. The firm have opted to pay staff until at least June, where they will review the situation and take necessary steps from there. This will protect the rights of employees and their financial security, with Ford stating that; “All dealers need to focus on, is keeping their people safe, keeping their business viable and the revenue they need in return to keep those things going.” (Chaplin, 2020). They have not only done this for financial reasons – the company recognised that there is a great level of stress put on workers in the months of April and March to shift all of this new stock but they decided it was more important to protect the mental and physical health of employees and as a result, they have instructed that staff should work from home where possible. This shows a great awareness of the duty of care that Ford have for their staff, taking action to support their financial wellbeing, in addition to physical and mental health of their staff in these uncertain times.
After the initiative of companies such as The Co-op and Ford, the UK staple that is Boots have followed suit.
Boots is one of the largest retailers in the UK, both in terms of revenue and number of shops. Boots have around 2,500 shops and employ over 63,000 people across the United Kingdom – these range from local pharmacies to large health and beauty shops.
Due to the recent COVID-19 breakout, many shops and retailers have been forced to shut. Like other pharmacy chains, Boots have been designated as an essential retailer which is why they have remained open during this worldwide pandemic. However, staying open opens a whole new can of worms – particularly when it comes to keeping employees and customers as safe as possible, all the time.
To make sure that Boots employees are fully protected, they have put many factors in place to protect and support their staff, to take care of their customers by providing a consistently high service, and to also protect their business. By taking these measures, it ensures a safe, secure employment through difficult trading conditions. Some of the measures that have been taken by Boots to comply with their duty of care for their staff and customers include:
- Flexible hours to cope with increased demand
- Closing stores for one hour each day to clean and sanitise surfaces
- Plastic visors provided for staff
- Masks/aprons/gloves provided
- Workers always asked to remain two metres apart throughout the day
- Maximum of 3 customers allowed in the shop at the one time to maintain social distancing
- Perspex screens put up at counters.
Boots are in some ways in a different trading position than many other companies across the globe. Their role is to provide healthcare to customers and to make sure patients receive vital medical products. Their employees benefit from this, but in turn they also have to now work in difficult and unsafe conditions with the COVID-19 situation, so Boots have to make sure they provide as much personal protection to safeguard their employees and customers, and to let them continue to trade effectively.
Boots employees do not have the risk of being put on furlough or being made redundant. They provide an important service and their employees are classed as Front-Line Workers, who have the permission under Government guidelines, to carry on working at their normal place of work. Because of these conditions, Boots employees feel that they continue to have job security, and do not have the worry of losing their income as many others do, through these difficult circumstances.
Instead of closing stores and pharmacies, and putting employees in insecure positions, they have created jobs out of this situation. Due to the high demand of prescriptions being delivered to patients aged 60 and above, they have had to recruit more than 400 new drivers for the pharmacy delivery and collection service, where prescriptions are collected from doctors’ surgeries. This has been done to cope with unprecedented demand but overall it is a major benefit as many people may have been made redundant and are grateful of having the opportunity to take on a different role, whilst also helping to provide support for people in need. They have also created jobs in their warehouses and distribution centres due to a significant increase in its online business.
In the coming weeks, the lockdown measures may or may not be lifted. However, even if they are, there will be several restrictive measures put in place and thousands of businesses will still not be allowed to open. This means that organisations will need to continue to support their staff as much as possible, and if they are not currently supporting staff to the best of their abilities, they will need to start doing so. It is as simple as that. For what is a relatively short period of time to take a financial hit by paying staff in full, while not bringing in any revenue, it is a drop in the ocean when you consider the potential long term impact of millions of customers boycotting the business because of the way they treated their staff during this pandemic.
Copyright Alistair Lee, Niamh Mackenzie, Fraser Morrison and Abby Roberts, 28 April 2020


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The Sonic the Hedgehog creator, SEGA, is in hot water after allegedly threatening to fire roughly 80 staff members after they unionized mid-way through October.
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) alleges in an unfair labor practice filing that Sega of America failed to bargain with the union before telling employees their jobs would be given to others from Japan and Europe.
This comes after SEGA proposed gradually eliminating all temporary employees on Nov. 6, according to Kotaku. Employees learned they were on the chopping block through a forced meeting, potentially violating union regulations.
These union regulations require Sega of America to communicate with the union, instead of heading to employees directly. According to reports, several employees on the firing line are members of the Allied Employees Guild Improving Sega (AEGIS-CWA) union, thus leading to the CWA taking action.
The AEGIS-CWA currently represents 200 employees throughout Sega of America, and as of July. 11, became the largest “multi-department union” in the gaming industry. If layoffs were to proceed, Sega of America would lose 40 percent of its unionized workforce.
This isn’t a foreign issue in the gaming industry—layoffs have spread far and wide over the past year. At every stage of game development and publishing, there have been substantial layoffs throughout November alone.
Game engine developer giant Unity announced there would be substantial layoffs in the coming quarter. Amazon Games also dropped a staggering 180 employees this week.
Even the esports side has seen a dramatic amount of layoffs with 100 Thieves reducing its workforce for a second time this year. On the production side, streaming giant Twitch saw 400 layoffs in March due to increased competition in the landscape.
By the looks of it, this trend will continue to happen with multiple companies on different levels of the gaming industry.


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What is going on with the Ford Broncos?
Ford delayed production of the Bronco off-road SUV due to issues with its hardtop supplier, Ford marketing manager Mark Grueber previously told Car and Driver. Every two- and four-door hardtop model built was affected, and in December Ford said the replacement roofs are now available.
Are Broncos reliable cars?
Is the Ford Bronco Sport Reliable? The 2022 Ford Bronco Sport has a predicted reliability score of 82 out of 100.
Are Ford Broncos in production?
Last month, Ford Authority reported that 2022 Ford Bronco production was scheduled to begin at the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant on December 15th, 2021. However, sources familiar with the matter have told Ford Authority that 2022 Ford Bronco production has now been pushed back five days to December 20th, 2021.
How many Broncos have been delivered?
OVER 25,000 FORD BRONCOS HAVE BEEN DELIVERED SO FAR After confirming 25,000 deliveries, the long awaited Ford Bronco family that already exists on the road is officially growing.
What is wrong with Bronco roofs?
MotorTrend reports that some owners of hardtop Broncos have reported quality issues with the roofs. Owners have made a few complaints. For example, some said the headliner was peeling from the roof despite being relatively brand-new. Others have said strands of fiberglass stuck out of the roof panels.
What is wrong with the Bronco hardtop?
The defective Bronco hardtops began to change appearance when exposed to extreme water and humidity. Instead of being a uniform smooth surface, some hardtops changed to a honeycomb pattern with discoloration. The company made a point of saying the hardtops will be “scrapped,” so they disappear forever.
Are 2021 Broncos reliable?
Are Ford Broncos Reliable? The Ford Bronco enjoys above-average reliability ratings. Cars.com gave its 2021 model a rating of 4.8 out of 5.0, and 100% of the drivers on its site recommend it. Meanwhile, the car owners on RepairPal gave its models a 4.1 out of 5.0.
Why is it so hard to buy a Ford Bronco?
The Ford Bronco can’t catch a break. Ford has stopped taking customer reservations for the new SUV because of increased demand and production issues, as first reported by the Detroit Free Press. Through July, about 3200 Broncos have been sold, Ford communications chief Said Deep told Car and Driver.
How many 2021 Broncos have been sold?
To date, Ford has received more than 125,000 orders for the Bronco, which debuted as a 2021 model, with 190,000 people having put down $100 refundable deposits.
How many cars were destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire?
At last count, Barth said 1,381 vehicles were destroyed in the fire on Dec. 30. Some were parked in driveways or inside garages, but many were left on neighborhood streets.
How many cars were destroyed in the crash at BMW dealership?
LAKESIDE, Calif. ( KGTV) — Half a dozen cars were destroyed when a BMW crashed into the car lot of a BMW dealership in Southern California on Wednesday. California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials say the 20-year-old driver suffered a medical issue. The driver hit the curb and launched into the air, taking out six cars, including two Corvettes.
How many burned cars were left behind by the Marshall fire?
Tow truck drivers in Boulder County started work Friday morning to clear neighborhoods of more than 1,300 burned cars left behind after the Marshall Fire. Video Player is loading. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window.


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Women spend more time and money in gaming apps
According to Flurry, “the mobile gaming audience is not what it used to be”. By that, they mean that women are dominating. In their analysis of a selection of mobile games that have reached at least 1.1 million devices, Flurry found that women dominate men in three key areas. Women spend more money on in-app purchases, they spend more time in gaming apps and they are more loyal.
– Women make 31% more in-app purchases than men;
– Women spend 35% more time in gaming apps; and
– Women have a 42% higher 7-day retention rate.
“While the broadening of the mobile gaming base may not be welcome by hardcore male gamers, it brings good news to advertisers seeking to reach their audience,” writes Simon Khalaf, president and CEO of Flurry, in a blog post.
“In fact, advertisers are shifting billions of dollars in advertising to the mobile platform with the hopes of reaching the audience that is glued to smartphones and tablets 24/7/365.”
In terms of overall gaming, the Entertainment Software Association’s latest Essential Facts report found that almost half (48%) of U.S. gamers are female – the closest the genders have ever come to parity. It was only a few years ago (2006/7) when men made up the majority (62%).


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In the newest results (First Quarter 2009, released May 19, 2009), The American Customer Satisfaction Index is reporting that Hilton Hotels has passed Marriott Hotels in customer satisfaction. The ACSI ranks different types of businesses each quarter in customer satisfaction. This quarter they ranked hotels, airlines, cable television, fast food, and utility companies. The hotel scores come out once per year. You can read the full report at their website.
Hilton scored a 79 (a 1 percent increase) while Marriott scored a 77 (a 1 percent decrease). Hyatt’s scores have plunged 5 percent since last year and now two budget brands (Choice Hotels and Best Western) actually scored higher. Wyndham scored the worst of any hotel. Here are the 2009 rankings from best to worst:
Overall, despite the rough times that hotels have faced in the last year, the average score in the industry remains unchanged. However, that is mainly due to guest’s satisfaction with the budget hotels. Both Choice Hotels and Best Western had a 7 percent increase since last year.
Our take: Guest are certainly demanding more and it shows. While it is great to see that overall satisfaction is unchanged, it is tough to see that the budget brands are passing the luxury hotels. Once luxury brands lose guests to budget brands, it is very difficult to get them back. What do you think? Is your hotel losing guests to another brand? Post your comments below!
The article talks about how guests are finding much better deals on hotel rooms now then ever before, especially at luxury hotels. But the most important part of the article is the section titled ‘Guests Notice Cutbacks’. From the article:Hotels cannot hide all the cutbacks. Some frequent travelers say they’re starting to notice little things. From the article:
Some amenities — such as a bottle of water in the room or a newspaper delivered to the door — are gone. The quality of complimentary food and beverages has diminished in some club rooms or lobbies, or at hotel managers’ guest receptions, they say.
Because many hotels have cut their staffs, frequent travelers say they’re waiting longer to check in and out, have rooms made up and have cars retrieved by valets.
“There are fewer people to provide basic services, answer questions and make suggestions for restaurants and activities,” says Howard Knoff, an education consultant in Little Rock.


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For the second week in a row the Edmonton Eskimos are facing an undefeated opponent. This time around, the 4-0 Eskimos host the 3-0 Calgary Stampeders, marking the first relevant Battle of Alberta game in at least three seasons. Before you settle in to watch what promises to be a defensive showdown, consider these five things.
Check out photos from the Mom, Pop and Tots Fair held at Northlands Expo Centre in Edmonton on March 9, 2012. The fair is a two-day event for new and expectant parents where they can find products and services geared to their needs.


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In the end, it happened, although earlier than expected. Microsoft has announced that Xbox One X (the most powerful and best-performing model in the Xbox family) and Xbox One S All-Digital (the model without an optical drive) are officially out of production. A choice that surprised players and retailers, but which appears a natural path in view of the imminent launch of Xbox Series X, the next generation console expected to be available this Christmas.
The first rumors began circulating a few days ago, after some big names in online distribution, such as Target and Amazon USA, started reporting some Xbox One models (including Xbox One X) as discontinued or limited availability products. A first timid response from the Redmond company came from Xbox Console Business Planning Lead, Dan Tavares, who denied the Xbox One production stop on Twitter, explaining that in reality there was only a misunderstanding. In fact, it seems that the company has simply changed the SKUs, i.e. the identification codes of the individual products, thus generating the absence of the online product for these retailers. In other words, the alarm seemed to have gone away, yet something changed in a few hours.
Then the official confirmation
A few hours after the denial of Tavares, Microsoft has released an official statement in which it confirms the effective closure of the production of two of the three Xbox One models currently on the market, Xbox One S All-Digital and Xbox One X. A significant twist for the company, especially after Microsoft has reassured its users, claiming that it would continue to support the current generation hardware for a long time, at least until the first two years of existence of the Xbox Series X. It is clear that the support refers more specifically to the games that will arrive on both Xbox platforms, but this decision made by the Redmond company remains unexpected.


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Fashionistas in for treat
FRESH from the titillating Cape Town Fashion Week, fashion lovers are in for another treat. This time all roads lead to Mpumalanga where some of the big fashion names in South Africa will showcase their designs at the Mpumalanga Fashion Week.
The four-day fashion jamboree will take place at the White River's Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre from August 31 to September 4.
The show, which is now in its third year running, has previously attracted bad publicity for mismanagement, bad planning and debt of about R2million.
This time the show is under new management and organiser Thami Njoko said they had managed to salvage the event.
"We are trying to put up a very big show this time," she said. "We will have more than 15 designers. We want to create a platform for young and up-and-coming designers to get exposure.
"This is a fantastic opportunity to put Mpumalanga firmly on the fashion map. Mpumalanga is a stylish province and has the ability to fuse quirky vintage style with sculpted, fashion-led design.
By incorporating reputable designers such as Bongiwe Walaza, Palesa Mokubung, Sister Bucks, Hip Hop Fashion, John Sithole and Nhlanhla Nciza, we are able to send out a positive message about the show," Njoko said.
This year will also see fashion designers from countries such as Mozambique and Swaziland taking part in the event.
The line-up also includes Sello Medupe and Simphiwe Hlophe. Penny Lebyane, one of the directors, is also on board.
Njoko added that they were also looking to forge a buyer-designer relationship where they will also host retail buyers.
Their aim is to equip the new designers with the skills, in a sustainable way, to run their own fashion business, or at least to understand how to form part of the larger picture.
He added that they had partnered with Mpumalanga Tourism, Da Gama Fabrics, Comair and Southern Sun, among others to make the event a memorable one.
"This is not only about fashion. The event also has a tourism spin. We want people to come and experience Mpumalanga."
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Two of Northern Ireland’s leading independent retailers took part in the first ever street market in Downing Street to promote Small Business Saturday.
NIIRTA members Joe Quail of Quails Fine Foods from Banbridge and Laura Brown of Arcardia Deli from South Belfast were selected from millions of small businesses across the UK to be amongst the Small Business Saturday Top 100 invited to Downing Street.
NIIRTA Chief Executive Glyn Roberts who was in Downing Street with Joe and Laura said: “I am absolutely delighted that two of our members made it into the Small Business Saturday Top 100 and were invited to Downing Street to meet the Chancellor.
“They represent the very best of Northern Ireland’s expanding and confident independent retail sector.
“Every citizen of Northern Ireland must play their part in Small Business Saturday by supporting their local shops, restaurants, hairdressers, bars and cafes.
“ Last year Small Business Saturday helped to bring an extra £10 million to local small businesses in Northern Ireland.”
Joe Quail said: “Being in Downing Street is all about showcasing the fantastic Northern Ireland local produce my company sells and highlight the huge contribution independent retailers make to the local economy.”
Laura Brown added: “As a small family run business it is a huge honour to be in Downing Street.
“We have some world class independent retailers in Northern Ireland and it was wonderful to represent them.
“The first Small Business Saturday last year was an exceptional example of collaboration and co-operation with small businesses teaming up in communities around the UK,” explains National Campaign Director Michelle Ovens.
““We always said we wanted this to be the start of something amazing; a regular event that shines a light on small businesses throughout the UK in a way which is hugely beneficial to both the local and the national economy.
“Small Business Saturday reinforces that message and demonstrates the level of diversity, innovation and talent that is active within our small business sector.”
Speaking about Small Business Saturday, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, commented: “Small business owners deserve our support.
“They are the ones who take the risks to create new opportunities and new jobs, that show off the UK’s ingenuity and innovation.”


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Innotech Wins TAdviser IT Prize 2022 Award
Innotech (part of T1 Group), a leading supplier of innovative business digitisation solutions, has won the National Information Technology Award in the Corporate Sector TAdviser IT Prize 2022 in the Import Substitution: VC Service of the Year nomination. Innotech was given a special mention by the panel of experts for creating the DION Russian corporate communications platform.
Based on the world’s best practices and approaches, DION is a Russian corporate communications platform with the stringent security requirements. The platform ensures failure-free operation and absolute data confidentiality: DION is a cloud system, with the data stored within the customer company.
Perfect functionality makes DION fully compliant with the current market requirements. Up to 1,000 peers can join the same conference, with no restrictions as to the number of virtual rooms and the conference duration.
The platform functions also include:
- Screen and video streaming;
- Event recording;
- Microphone and user control during the conference;
- Noise suppression on the basis of neural networks;
- Changing the background during live streaming;
- Lobby and restriction of access for attendees;
- Guest login without creating an account or registration;
- Text chat;
- Raising hands.
DION has low requirements for the communication channel and ensures stable connection so that users can join a conference from anywhere in the world. The platform ensures stable connection — video and sound are not interrupted even with unstable Internet connection. One of DION’s important advantages is its unlimited geography, and the product’s mobile application can be installed on any operating system and device.
Innotech began working on the platform in 2021 and presented the solution at the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum on 16 June 2022. Today, DION already has more than 50,000 accounts and more than 1,000,000 events. The platform is included in the Register of Russian Software.
“Today DION is both a communications platform and an important tool for corporate management. It allows companies to significantly change business operations by reducing formalities and increasing efficiency. We are glad our product was released to the market when it was most needed and is currently in high demand. Industry recognition is the highest reward possible. It also brings in a huge responsibility. We fully realize this and will continue our efforts to improve our product and collect feedback from its users. We aim to provide the most comfortable user experience possible”, Dmitry Kharitonov, CEO of Innotech commented.
TAdviser IT prize is a national information technology award in the corporate sector established by TAdviser. The award organisers select the most efficient IT projects, monitor the achievements of companies and industry professionals.
The award ceremony took place at the TAdviser SummIT site in Moscow on 29 November.


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Tech Content Writer
As we inch closer to 2023, we can see rapidly how the fintech industries are rapidly evolving by embracing digitalization. The advancements made in the finance industry have now completely replaced the traditional methods of banking with tech solutions making things easier, faster, and more streamlined.
The innovation in the fintech sector has resulted in a great shift in the traditional financial methods and services that has led to drastic changes in how these financial companies operate. Not to mention that the entire financial services landscape has been completely revamped by innovation as people are now getting better access to financial products and services with improved fraud prevention, thus offering financial institutions newer opportunities to grow.
Fintech businesses are now leveraging the latest technology trends for keeping up with the growing financial pressure and maintaining a sturdy revenue. Going forward it is anticipated that the world will see changes in the way people interact and maintain their financial transactions.
The top fintech trends are expected to shape businesses, consumer demands, user experience, and much more in the upcoming year. Let’s check them out.
Top 5 Expert-Predicted Fintech Trends Of 2023
With 2023 right around the corner, it’s time for us to analyse the top fintech trends that are all set to dominate the financial services industry in the years to come.
1. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one such thing that has found itself in the list of top tech trends time and again. AI is gradually becoming the best technology globally utilized for its superiority in image and speech recognition, voice assistants, navigation apps, and automation, in the fintech and banking industry.
With bank revenues exceeding national income, it is no surprise that why banks are now speedily embracing AI. As per a recent survey, it is projected that AI will reduce the banking operations cost by 22% by the end of the year 2030. AI is also well poised for dealing with the growing incidence of financial fraud threats and cybercrimes. By leveraging the services of a reputable financial software development company, fintech businesses can build smart systems and chatbots for giving customers the convenience they demand.
2. Blockchain Technology
Blockchain and its intriguing potential have remained the center of attraction for businesses across the globe. The financial sector has remained a forerunner in tapping into the power of blockchain for its numerous benefits. Blockchain has played a vital role in the transformation of financial services, right from cryptocurrency storage and trading to online payment.
Blockchain has several underlying capabilities, the notable one being applying it for cross-border payments. Currently, international funds transfers tend to be quite expensive and protracted. But with blockchain technology, such issues can be addressed as it would increase the security and speed of international payments, and that too at a lower cost. Research suggests that almost 45% of people are already utilizing blockchain technology for making overseas fund transfers.
3. Credit Scoring and Embedded Digital Fingerprinting
Banks, online lenders, and other types of financial institutions require effective and efficient ways for analyzing their potential clients, loan applications, scam prevention, and getting the pre-loan approval process automated. These are time-consuming tasks and has a got the potential for high-margin error.
New fintech technologies like AI-driven credit scoring and digital fingerprint makes the process more cost-effective and faster. With digital fingerprinting, banking institutions can quickly get the key customer data directly from the website and feed the data into detailed customer reports and profiles.
This data can include everything right from the type of device used by the customer, their location, ISP, cell phone type, etc. Again, with smart credit scoring banking institutions can compile additional data like IP analysis, social media details, geodata, spending power prediction, income, etc more accurately and quickly and decide whether they can be trusted for offering credit amount or not.
4. Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL)
In recent years, the concept of ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ has become an online trend that allows customers to split their payments into EMIs. Although, the ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ services initially began with fashion brands but now banking and financial institutions are also exploring the same allowing customers to purchase goods through virtual cards.
Virtual cards are now at the forefront of the fintech revolution as it has helped in business expense management. These cards are now becoming increasingly popular because they are offering customers robust security measures to eliminate misuse by fraudsters and hackers. They are also reinventing ways how fintech companies handle expenses and financial transactions.
5. Payment Innovations
Fintech industry all these years have seen the latest advancements in payments technology. These include contactless payment, mobile payments, smart speaker systems, mobile wallets, identity verification technology, machine learning, and AI for security.
The biggest trend seen in payment innovation is the upsurge in the utilization of mobile payments during the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, it is anticipated that Gen Zers will be a prominent driving factor for payment system disruption.
6. API Implementation
API stands for “application programming interface” that allows banks and other financial institutions to get their database services linked with external applications. It just works like a bridge except that it doesn’t require a middleman for sending confidential data. API implementation in banking and financial institution makes transparency and security better.
It keeps the data of the customers and banks secured and end-to-end encrypted. API banking has several benefits including improved efficiency, better financial savings, increased profit, shorter transaction processing time, and others. These are the reasons why API adoption is being widely adopted in the banking industry in recent years.
To sum up
Effectively leveraging technology in finance will help businesses to collect revenue faster, optimize cost and avoid making wrong investment choices. Banks and other financial institutions are now fine-tuning their strategies which implement driving wider adoption of automation in the banking sectors and financial institutions.
Even if you are not a part of the fintech industry, fintech will still have a profound impact on your business. The fintech trends we discussed will open up new opportunities for both customers and business leaders alike. It will ensure safer digital payments with complete standard compliance in the upcoming years.


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Our CMO Paul Neto shared his thoughts about privacy, compensation and data usage with The Next Web’s (TNW) 10 million visitors recently. His article, called “Your customers don’t want absolute privacy — just fair compensation for their data”, explores the current consumer landscape when it comes to things like privacy, data ownership, and corporate responsibility. He addresses these issues through the lens of the data and insights we uncovered by tapping into to users of our MSR app.
So what did our users have to say over the past year about privacy, sharing their data and the value that they place on it? Quite a lot it turns out. In the article, Paul states several statistics we uncovered:
- 74 percent of our audience said they were either somewhat or extremely concerned about the protection of their privacy
- 61 percent indicated that they probably or definitely would share more data if they felt their privacy was protected
- 77 percent said they would share more if “corporations were being more transparent in how they were using the data”
- 73 percent said they probably or definitely would share more if they were being paid fairly for their data
So what is it that really makes consumers tick? Paul writes: “My hypothesis is that none of these issues are independent of one another and to optimize for the best results, you need to address each one reasonably well.” But the data doesn’t stop there. Measure decided to dive in deeper and explore these issues in more detail. We asked our users to rank things in importance such as protecting privacy, getting paid fairly, data control, transparency, and others. Again, the results were surprising, but Paul says each issue doesn’t operate independently in the consumer’s mind.
He concludes: “There has been a fundamental shift if the digital ecosystem where we as individuals are taking the stage as the primary stakeholders. While companies and brands exist to make money, there is a realization that if you take care of people, and empower them, everything downstream becomes mutually beneficial, you just need to figure out what consumers really want, and if you get it wrong, be relentless trying to figure it out.”
For the complete article visit: https://thenextweb.com/podium/2019/11/01/your-customers-dont-want-absolute-privacy-just-fair-compensation-for-their-data/


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No, you didn't read that wrong. Intel's 11th generation integrated graphics will pack in more than a teraflop worth of computing power, the company announced today. That means you'll actually be able to play plenty of PC games without the need for an…
Selling location data collected by mobile phones has become a lucrative business, according to a report that noted location advertising sales are expected to reach $21 billion this year. At least 75 companies receive anonymous, precise location data from applications with the location services feature activated. Several of those outfits claim to track 200 million […]
Computer hardware maker Super Micro Computer told customers on Tuesday that an outside investigations firm had found no evidence of any malicious hardware in its current or older-model motherboards. From a report: In a letter to customers, the San Jose, California, company said it was not surprised by the result of the review it commissioned […]
From GDPR to antitrust to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, Europe is always looking over Silicon Valley’s shoulder.
Google hasn’t released consumers from its filter bubble — the package of personalized search results it delivers — despite having promised to do so, according to study results from DuckDuckGo. Most participants saw results unique to them, the researchers found, which could not be explained by changes in location, time, by being logged into Google, […]
Samsung’s latest Note has even more to reveal.
The developers of Fallout: New Vegas put the FPS RPG in sci-fi. Yes, please.
Despite the OnePlus 6T supporting Verizon’s network, don’t expect a formal partnership soon.
Its rainbow lights make me incredibly happy.


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Continued milk production expansion key to 28% jump in Dairygold’s turnover
Continued milk production expansion was one of the key drivers which saw Dairygold’s turnover jump by 28% in 2017.
This information was revealed as Dairygold – which claims to be Ireland’s largest farmer-owned, dairy co-operative – published its annual results for the year which ended on December 31, 2017.
The results confirmed that the co-op recorded an operating profit of €32.4 million last year (2016: €17.5 million), which was generated from a turnover of €965.5 million.
It also delivered earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of €52.8 million in 2017.
At year end, the net asset value of the business was €335.5 million, up €28 million on the previous year. As well as this, the net bank debt was reduced by 10% to €79.6 million.
Commenting on the 2017 results, Dairygold’s CEO Jim Woulfe said: “I am pleased to report that Dairygold delivered very strong financial results in 2017, buoyed by a robust performance across all its businesses.
“A solid foundation of dairy investment has delivered increased milk processing capabilities and is enabling sustained business development.”
Milk production volumes up 8.3%
Dairygold claimed that its turnover was positively impacted by continued milk production expansion on milk suppliers’ farms and strong global dairy markets during the year, despite a slowdown in the last quarter.
The co-op’s milk volumes rose to 1.3 billion litres in 2017 – an increase of 8.3% on the previous year; it also represents a cumulative volume increase of 55% since 2009, it added.
As global dairy market returns last year were significantly stronger than the previous year, Dairygold’s average milk price was 37.6c/L in 2017 – an increase of 10.6c/L year-on-year. This jump in price was primarily driven by butter returns, the co-op explained.
Continuing, the statement from Dairygold said: “However, from early Q4 2017, the global market was returning significantly less than the milk price paid to producers – a situation that has continued in Q1 2018.
The main factor was the rapid deflation of the butter bubble, which went from a high point of €7,000/t in August to less than €4,000/t by year end.
“Despite market fluctuations and weakening returns towards the end of 2017, Dairygold held its milk price to ensure that milk prices did not drop at any time over 2017 – a welcome position particularly after the challenging market conditions that prevailed in 2015 and 2016.”
‘A milestone year’
Dairygold chairman John O’Gorman explained that he was pleased to see the co-op’s members continue to “fulfil their on-farm ambition, encouraged by improved dairy market returns, while the society continued to evolve and strengthen its position”.
He also noted that 2017 was a milestone year for Dairygold, with a record volume of milk supplies.
We achieved a key goal to ensure all milk supplied this year is from SDAS (Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme) farms and we also celebrated the official opening of our Nutritionals Campus in Mallow.
Increased farmer demand for feed and fertiliser to support expanding production on-farm was the key driver of an increase in turnover year-on-year in Dairygold’s agri business.
But, last year proved to be very challenging for cereal and grain growers. In line with its co-operative ethos, Dairygold added that it paid its suppliers leading prices for their grain during the 2017 harvest.
Meanwhile, the co-op’s retail business reportedly delivered another solid performance – with increased turnover driven by product categories such as builders’ and farm hardware.
Over the next two years, Dairygold has confirmed that significant investment will be made primarily in its Nutritionals Campus in Mallow, Co. Cork, to enable the production of a range of value-added dairy nutritional products.
Concluding, Dairygold CEO Jim Woulfe said: “The organisation continues to focus on its ambitious value-added and growth agenda.
“Business agility and strategies focused for long-term opportunities will be key drivers for the continued growth and success for Dairygold.”


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The start of the recession spelled troubled times for the motor trade with an endless list of industry casualties, redundancies and closures but whilst most sectors have continued to suffer immeasurably in the current climate, the motor trade industry has been enjoying unprecedented growth.
Whilst forecasters are predicting the recession to continue for a significant while yet, insurance brokers predict this growth to continue in 2013.
Investment in new vehicles
Whenever an economy is struggling a sure-fire signal is the reluctance to purchase new vehicles but recent statistics make for promising reading for the motor trade industry with UK consumers purchasing 12% more cars in 2012 than they did in 2011.
This is a significant increase from the 5% predicted at the start of the year by The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders who have since had to re-evaluate their initial forecast, with motorists clearly prepared to invest in new vehicles.
Protection from Insurance brokers
So what is the secret of success in the industry?
Well it’s largely down to motor trade insurance companies who have provided enough protection to be adaptable in these economically challenging times.
With a large range of vehicles more attainable than ever before, both new and used cars are now more affordable than ever, which in-turn has led to the increase of sales in dealerships.
As interest rates continue to fall and a vast amount of financing options available, it comes as no surprise that 70% of new cars were purchased via some finance agreement.
There is a flip-side to this however. Some dealerships, reluctant to offer such a wide range of financing options for customers, have been forced to close due to insufficient motor trade insurance policies which are key to their long-term survival.
But as long as there are dealerships open to flexibility the motor trade industry should continue to thrive and look forward to a successful 2013.
Compare Crazy is a motor trade insurance and business comparison site dedicated to providing small business owners information and access to products and services that will save them hundreds of pounds on the cost of running, promoting and operating their business.


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Biz2Credit’s cloud-based platform gives entrepreneurs and small business owners access to a network of more than 1,300 prescreened lenders. Financing, which ranges from $5,000 to $5 million, can be arranged in as little as 24 hours for lines of credit, expansion loans, working capital and other uses.
“Biz2Credit is transforming how small and midsize businesses obtain capital,” said Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com, a subsidiary of the American Institute of CPAs. “We know CPAs play a critical role in financing decisions for their clients. Through our partnership with Biz2Credit, CPA firms will be able to provide even more support to clients and leverage the service for their own financing needs, too.”
While small business financing has eased since the recession, only 34 percent of small businesses were able to access all the funding they needed, according to a National Federation of Independent Business study. Since Biz2Credit draws on such a large pool of potential lenders, it increases the odds of success and lower rates for qualified applicants.
“Our relationship with CPA.com recognizes that CPAs are key partners for small businesses and startups, and that they play a significant role in lending decisions,” said Rohit Arora, co-founder and CEO of Biz2Credit. “The average small business owner spends 33 hours preparing and processing a loan application, and we think that’s time better spent building the business. Our application takes four minutes or less to fill out using a smartphone, tablet or laptop.”
Biz2Credit will become part of CPA.com’s Partner Solutions, a lineup of best-in-class services that CPA firms can offer clients seeking business efficiency, flexibility and better financial insight into their operations. For CPAs, these services can lead to new lines of business outside the traditional tax and audit areas
Biz2Credit uses state-of-the-art encryption and other cybersecurity best practices to keep data safe.


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Does VW ID California have a chance of being called the Type 2 van of the future? In this article you can find an answer.
The Volkswagen Type 2 is one of the most iconic vans that the automobile sector has seen. This one of a kind van has been in production for around five decades all across the globe on four different continents.
This van was introduced in the post-World War II era in an effort to assist the struggling German economy. However, over time, Type 2 became synonymous with a workhorse utility vehicle.
What Is ID California?
VW ID California will be an all-electric van that will be released in the US market soon, and Type 2 fans will undoubtedly love it because of the resemblance between the Type 2 and ID California is uncanny.
So, is it a mere coincidence or has VW played wisely by launching a van in the footsteps of one of its most successful products ever?
The VW ID California is expected to be a variant of the ID Buzz vehicles. It will, however, differ from other ID Buzz models in that it will be a camper van.
Its Been A Long Time Coming
While the company first announced the ID Buzz vehicles in 2017, fans have been anxiously awaiting the launch of these electric vans, which have given people who previously loved the VW brand high hopes, owing to the high standards VW had set with the Type 2.
World’s First Electric Camper Van?
Even though fans have been waiting for the van for over three years, it is expected that the VW ID California will become the world’s first electric van with a camping feature, surpassing the Nissan NV200, which is expected to be based on the famous Nissan Leaf electric vehicle.
It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the first time VW has offered a California-badged camper van.
As strange as it may sound, these camper vans have never been offered in the US market, despite the fact that California is a US state and the name implies that the United States will be the first market to receive such a van.
Will ID California Be Able To Match The Success Of VW Type 2?
This brings us to the next and most important question: whether or not VW ID California will be able to replicate the success that the VW Type 2 achieved.
For a myriad of reasons, it may be premature to respond to this question. The first and most obvious reason is that the VW Type 2 was a utilitarian vehicle that could easily go places, which is all that is required from a camper van.
Being an electric van, the ID California will feature instantaneous torque that might make it an even better off-road capable camper van than the Type 2 but the big chunky batteries will put additional weight on the van making it beefier which can somehow restrict the overall capability of the ID California.
Another major impediment to VW ID California’s success could be the issue of range. While the original Type 2 could easily be refilled with a jerrycan, the ID California will not be able to travel as far.
This may be disheartening for those who have high hopes for the VW ID California, but as with all other EVs, this is something VW will struggle with, at least initially.
It’s too early to say whether or not VW ID California will be able to match the might of the VW Type 2, but we have high hopes because VW, as a reputable brand, understands exactly what its clients want when purchasing a camper van, and that knowledge is likely to be transferred to ID California as well.


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When the California attorney general's office announced a privacy settlement with DoorDash this week, the press release raised eyebrows for referencing an old California law most privacy professionals don't think much about these days. The California Online Privacy Protection Act of 2003, known as CalOPPA, was a cutting-edge law for its time that has largely been eclipsed by modern data privacy rules — namely the California Consumer Privacy Act.
So, why is this decades-old statute part of this 2024 enforcement action?
With the continuous commotion raised by new state privacy laws across the U.S., it is easy to forget how far data privacy standards have come. There was a time, not so long ago, when even the basic practice of posting a privacy notice on a website was voluntary — and a lot less complicated.
But a large percentage of the content of Google's privacy notice — and DoorDash's and every other public policy out there — is driven by explicit regulatory requirements. Very quickly in their history, external-facing privacy policies became a tool for communicating with privacy oversight bodies. Arguably, regulators became the primary audience for increasingly formalized privacy policies, while separate practices matured around delivering layered notices and privacy portals to provide individuals with a better understanding of their privacy.
Requiring detailed posted privacy notices was a game changer, not because it led to more informed consumers, but because it provided a hook by which regulators could enforce privacy promises via general consumer protection laws like the Federal Trade Commission Act.
Section 5 of the FTC Act prohibits unfair and deceptive practices that harm consumers. One of the ways the U.S. Federal Trade Commission can prove a website operator has engaged in a deceptive act or practice is by showing that the operator's privacy notice was false, misleading or incomplete. At a basic level, if a website operator claims in its privacy notice that it does not sell or share personal information with third parties, but in fact does so, the FTC can sue the operator for deceiving consumers and violating Section 5 of the FTC Act. Simple misrepresentations and even omissions are also potential violations of the deception prong of Section 5. All 50 states have similar consumer protection laws, known collectively as UDAP statutes.
This legal path undergirded the first two decades of privacy enforcement in the U.S. As privacy practices matured, the FTC also relied on other types of deception, and increasingly on theories of unfairness.
Even as California modernized its privacy law, CalOPPA remained in effect. When the California attorney general investigated DoorDash's privacy practices, including its alleged sharing of personal data with a marketing cooperative, CalOPPA was the relevant hook for basic omissions from the company's privacy notice.
The major takeaway of the DoorDash case under the CCPA is that using data as part of a marketing cooperative counts as a "sale" and therefore must be disclosed along with an opportunity for consumers to opt out.
Under CalOPPA, the takeaway is even more basic. If your company shares personal data with third parties, even as part of a collective arrangement, this fact must be disclosed in your privacy notice. As the attorney general alleges, during the relevant time period, the company's privacy notice never explained "that other businesses — like marketing co-op members — could contact DoorDash customers with advertisements for their businesses."
The case serves as a good reminder of privacy basics, including the basic lesson to "think like a regulator" when writing and reviewing your privacy notice. Material omissions are not just a problem under laws like CalOPPA that require specific disclosures. The FTC has brought numerous privacy cases based on omissions, including the Goldenshores flashlight app case.
Last month, the FTC issued an explicit warning to AI developers about misrepresentations and omissions related to personal and confidential data. Pointing to its Everalbum case, the FTC took pains to mention that "what a company fails to disclose to customers may be just as significant as what it promises. The FTC can and does bring actions against companies that omit material facts that would affect whether customers buy a particular product — for example, how a company collects and uses data from customers." As consumers become increasingly concerned about the use of their data for training models, and other possible AI harms, updates to disclosures will be needed.
Writing detailed privacy disclosures may be an old idea, but spotting omissions is an exercise in constant vigilance.
Here's what else I'm thinking about:
- Signs point to… unfair surveillance advertising. With a major consent order against the security software firm Avast this week, the FTC is continuing to build its case that some commercial activities related to consumers' web browsing behavior are unfair under Section 5 of the FTC Act. Not only should this put individual firms on notice — especially when remedies include data disgorgement and USD16.5 million in consumer redress payments — but the FTC's expected NPRM on commercial surveillance and data security will likely seek to make the argument that similar harmful practices are widespread in the market, and therefore should be banned completely under its forthcoming trade regulation rule. Relevant to the Avast order are alleged failings related to notice, choice, data retention, and properly aggregating and de-identifying tracking data before selling it to third parties.
- What changes to kids' privacy protections are coming? In addition to the hubbub around federal bills like the Kids Online Safety Act, the FTC is revising its implementation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. IAPP Westin Research Fellow Andrew Folks, CIPP/US, unpacked the big takeaways in the proposed updates to COPPA. Relatedly, I sat down with two kids' privacy experts on a recent LinkedIn Live on the same subject.
- A new report on AI governance best practices. The Centre for Information Policy Leadership released a report based on qualitative interviews with 20 companies, mapping their AI governance programs to CIPL's own Accountability Framework. The report highlights emerging trends in AI governance, which could serve as helpful benchmarking for other organizations seeking to launch robust programs.
- 25 Feb.: The deadline to submit speaking proposals for the IAPP Privacy. Security. Risk. 2024 conference in Los Angeles, scheduled for 23-24 Sept.
- 27 Feb., 17:30 ET: The Future of Privacy Forum hosts its 14th annual Privacy Papers for Policymakers event (U.S. Capitol Visitor's Center).
- 29 Feb., 9:00 ET: The Data Transfer Initiative hosts a summit on Empowerment through Portability (National Union Building).
- 6 March, 11:00 ET: George Washington University's Digital Trade and Data Governance Hub hosts a book talk titled Our Next Reality: How the AI-powered Metaverse Will Reshape the World (virtual).
Please send feedback, updates and material omissions to email@example.com.
“California Privacy Law,” now in its updated fifth edition, provides businesses, attorneys, privacy officers and other professionals with the practical guidance and in-depth information to navigate the state’s strict policies.
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Nicole Scherzinger, 44, Rocks Tiny Black String Bikini With Cheeky Bottoms While In Portugal: Photos
It’s no secret that Nicole Scherzinger has an amazing figure and she proved that in her latest Instagram post. The 44-year-old posted a slideshow of photos of herself wearing a black string bikini while on the beach in Portugal. She looked stunning in the two-piece that featured a tiny top and matching high-rise bottoms.
Nicole posted the slideshow of photos with the caption, “Sun-day Bun-day Fun-day.” Nicole’s bikini featured a triangle top with extremely tiny panels on the chest which revealed ample cleavage.
She styled the top with matching bottoms that were low-rise in the front but high in the back. The side-string bottoms were super cheeky, putting her bare butt on display. She accessorized her look with a pair of black rectangular sunglasses and wet, beach waves.
Nicole has been on a roll with swimsuit photos lately and just recently she posted a montage video from a lake trip when she wore a plunging V-neck brown bikini top with high-waisted distressed denim shorts.
View this post on Instagram
Her tiny waist was on full display in the outfit while she stood on top of a paddleboard and posted the video with the caption, “Hey! Happy Labor Day from my family to yours!”
Aside from her brown bikini, she recently posted a slideshow of photos wearing a blue two-piece with the caption, “Worry less. Paddle more. #lakelife.”
In the photos, Nicole wore a blue Melissa Odabash bikini featuring a low-cut, scoop neck top with spaghetti straps that revealed ample cleavage. Her incredibly toned six-pack abs were on display while a blue patterned sarong was tied around her waist. She topped her look off with a pair of oversized gold aviator sunglasses.


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Hyundai Motor back to profit in fourth-quarter with SUV sales boost
SEOUL- Hyundai Motor Co made a fourth-quarter profit after a loss from last year, owing to brisk SUV sales as with the Tucson and Palisade models.
The net profit of the South Korean motor company for the October-December period came in at 839 billion missing the estimate given by analysts of 998 bullion.
However, the operating profit came in at 1.24 trillion won, over the analyst average of 1.06 trillion won.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field.


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Overall industry trends reveal that cyber security reliance on proxy services peaked during the COVID-19 crisis, especially in the most heated months from March to May 2020. This was impacted by the increase of malicious domains, ransomware attacks, and malware during this destabilising period (1).
To ensure the highest protection standards for a company, it is useful to examine how security experts leverage proxies against various online threats. Andrius Palionis, VP Enterprise at Oxylabs, discusses the different ways in which both cyber security experts and brands are enlisting proxy services to improve business security and build a piracy-free online landscape...
Computer virus and botnet research
To defeat the enemy, you must know the enemy. The same rule applies to cyber warfare. Cyber security companies are employing proxies to obtain capabilities to fully understand how viruses operate. The proxy-powered crawling infrastructure allows analysing the logic behind the virus system by following and examining the online trace of potentially malicious links, which can lead to harmful sites.
These webpages pose risks of cyber attacks and thefts of sensitive personal information such as passwords or credit card numbers through phishing, malware distribution, brand impersonation, and traffic diversion. Having the online reach provided by proxies can help find, recognise, and block those malicious sites.
To add, proxies can also be used to research botnets. This is done by installing a piece of malicious code on a virtual sandbox and then letting the code execute, which in turn connects the machine to the C&C (command and control) module. By using proxies, researchers can pretend to be just naive Internet users, at the same time tracking and analysing aspects of bot controller communication.
By the time you finish reading this sentence, there will be 12 million emails sent. Most of them are harmless taking the shape of annoying spam, yet some carry more danger. Common threats that accompany emails are malicious URLs or malware attachments. Engaging with such emails can open an entire pandora box of troubles. For example, opening an infected link can automatically download malware to computers and smartphones or lead to phishing sites designed to steal users’ personal information.
In this case, proxies can be employed to scan all the inbound emails and test them for potential harmful links or attachments. If the protective system identifies harmful email content, it is blocked before reaching the recipient. To this day, it is one of the most risk-free email protection solutions.
Thirty billion dollars is a respectable sum of money. That is the GDP of Estonia. That is also the amount that the US economy loses to online piracy each year. Every illegally downloaded film, audio file, game, or e-book adds up to these damages to the economy and creative industries. Currently, the short end of the stick goes to online streaming, which makes up more than 80 percent of piracy activities.
Using the right proxy services can aid in building a piracy-free online landscape. Most often, proxies are used to monitor and verify the streaming content online for copyright infringement. Proxy-powered systems are enabled to find illegal material more effectively, and in the long run, prevent it from further distribution.
Every year brands lose hundreds of billions of dollars due to counterfeiting and there is no sign that this trend is improving.
The most affected are the fashion, beauty, and pharmaceutical industries operating in the US and European markets. Major companies face the grim reality of seeing their carefully curated stamps used across inferior quality products circulating on widely accessible e-commerce sites.
Constant brand vigilance is essential to manage these damages. One of the prominent techniques to protect brands and diminish financial losses is to track down fake items online as quickly as they appear and take them down.
Proxies can provide the needed resources to scrape the sites, which are most likely to showcase counterfeit consumer goods. The usual suspects are e-commerce websites, marketplaces, and auction sites. Effectively identifying fake production online empowers companies to be proactive in protecting their brand and hard-fought market share.
Future of cyber security
The online space’s current situation is like a never-ending cat and mouse game between cyberbullies and online security specialists. One side continually strives to outdo another, coming up with more innovative and complex ways to predict the opponent’s patterns and activities.
In this environment, only the forward-thinking companies strategizing to keep three steps ahead can expect to thrive. For this reason, it is essential to follow the time tested prevention models and determine the likelihood of future attacks against your business. This information can set up the most effective and innovative strategies to outsmart the next cyber attacker.
The most exciting part about the cyber security field’s developments is that the full protective potential has not been harnessed yet. Observing the world’s leading companies specializing in safe Internet, it is evident that the use of proxies is not going anywhere, given their wide range of protective uses.
The global research community is also focusing on AI technologies, which are often fuelled by the data obtained supported by proxies. All of these signs strongly indicate a proxy-powered cyber security future.
- (1) Source: Interpol
- (2) Source: Global Brand Counterfeiting Report


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Area first responders shop for Toys for Tots
Local police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, U.S. Marines and bikers went on a holiday shopping spree for a good cause.
They were shopping for toys for children in need on Thursday morning at the Wal-Mart in North Versailles Township for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program.
“The holiday season is always an important time for the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office to reach out to less fortunate families,” county Sheriff William P. Mullen said. “We hope the program affects far more than the families gifted with presents for their children. We hope all participants are drawn to a deeper, more rewarding sense of community during what can be a difficult time of year.”
“It’s a very worthwhile endeavor and I’m glad my police department is involved,” North Versailles police Chief Vincent DiCenzo Jr. said. “A lot of my officers ” me included ” participated in the Toys for Tots motorcycle drive in September.”
The money used to purchase the toys was raised through the 22nd annual Western PA Pittsburgh Toy Run on Sept. 11. Funds were raised by motorcyclists donating to participate in the run.
“The money raised goes to charities in Southwestern Pennsylvania,” said John Bumba, president of the toy run. “In addition to Toys for Tots, we raise money for Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau.”
The bike run raised a little more than $5,000, and $3,300 of that was used for Thursday’s Toys for Tots purchases. The remaining funds will go to the children’s bureau.
Wal-Mart also donated a generous amount for Toys for Tots.
After the toys were purchased Thursday morning, they were loaded into a military vehicle to be taken to the Naval Operations Support Center in North Versailles Township.
Marine Corps Forces Reserve Sgt. Ron Strang said the toys are distributed to area non-profit organizations to give to local families and at open house events.
“We’re one of the largest distribution centers on this side of the country,” he said.
While the county sheriff’s office did its own similar program, Tree of Hope, for numerous years, it partnered with the Marines for distribution and collection of toys during the past few years.
“Allegheny County Wal-Marts have helped us financially, not only by opening their doors to let us shop, but by giving us financial aid through grant monies,” county Deputy Sheriff Jason Tarap said. “The grant money is utilized to purchase toys to provide a needy family a Merry Christmas.”
He said the North Versailles Wal-Mart was chosen this year because of the outreach of the township police.
“We’re happy to have them here this year,” said Melissa Held, manager of the North Versailles Wal-Mart. “It’s great for the community and the associates involved. It’s nice to give something back.”
“There’s a lot of children out there whose parents are on hard times and their parents don’t have money to fulfill their children’s dreams,” Bumba said. “It’s important for us to make sure every kid can have a good Christmas.”
Those participating in Thursday’s Toys for Tots event were Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, North Versailles police, Fire Department of North Versailles, Marine Corps, Allegheny County Housing Authority police, Wal-Mart employees and the toy run committee.


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Apple has unleashed a day of Black Friday discounts. Today you can save £81 on an Apple computer or £35 on an iPad, with free delivery. Huh. That's not so much Black Friday as drizzly-grey Friday.
This week is popularly quoted as the busiest week of the year for online shopping as shoppers buy presents in time for delivery before Christmas. We don't know why everyone's so previous -- that's what 24-hour garages are for. UK present-buyers were expected to spend to £22.4m every hour on Monday alone. £22.4m is enough for six Apple products.
Only kidding -- they're not quite that expensive, especially not today. An iPad starts at £394, knocking £35 off the usual price. The costs £174, knocking £15 off. Buying an today will save you a paltry £11.
If you have your eye on something bigger, there's £81 off across the board in laptop and desktop computers. There's also free delivery on all items in the offer today, which offers further savings on cheaper items that Apple normally levies a charge for. Deals also benefit from 4 per cent cashback if you go to Quidco first.
Sadly there are no deals on the, but assorted accessories have been discounted, with up to £20 off iPad cases and up to £50 off speaker docks.
Meanwhile, Amazon's Black Friday week continues to delight and disappoint shoppers. Deals currently up for a grabs include a compact camera, but many Amazonian bargain hunters are frustrated with the speed that deals disappear.


text: Some industrial experts have pointed out that the frenetic development has revealed industrial defect. LED Lights industry is facing shortages in core technology, missing standards and stagnated capital. Simply relying on incandescent light prohibition policy is far from enough. The products and building of channels are the basics for development.All in all, the goal is to open up LED lighting market and push led high bay to civil use market. Enterprises need to shift the way of thinking and adjust their methods to make outstanding products and build Internet channels. It’s the same in every sort of business that efforts should be made first in order to earn money.


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Ashley Knox, Senior Marketing Director, with the South Plains Mall joins Terri Tells You for the latest updates on The Cheesecake Factory and when everyone can expect to go try it out!
Ashley announced the Cheesecake Factory was coming to Lubbock back in August and the building has gone up quickly even with the rainfall we have been seeing. She says, “The General Manager has already moved to Lubbock and is immersing herself in the community. They are hiring about 250 folks to work at the restaurant which is great for the unemployment rate in Lubbock to keep it low, and the restaurant will bring in more shoppers to the South Plains Mall and it will also provide money to the local economy.”
The restaurant has an open date set for December 4th, so right after the Thanksgiving holiday and just the perfect time to get shopping done.
Knox tells us, “Cheesecake Factory is really good about getting people in and seated and allow them to enjoy the experience and then the employees are great at getting ready for the next guests so there shouldn’t be too much of a wait.” Which is great news for anyone looking to try one of their 50 types of cheesecake or something off of their unique menu.
Stay excited Lubbock, the time will fly by.


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Apple generates a lot of news, and it can be hard to keep up. If your mind was on other things this week, our Saturday-morning roundup of Apple-related headlines will bring you up to date.
If you’d like to get regular roundups, sign up to our newsletters. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news stories.
(Apple) Watch this space
Apple is usually quite good about announcing things when they’re ready. Rather than promising the earth and then quietly removing all references to the earth from its website a year and a half later – the Peter Molyneux approach, I call this – Tim Cook likes to leap on stage, demo a new product and then smugly reveal that pre-orders will begin when he finishes his sentence. Or maybe a few days later.
(Okay, there was AirPower, which was very much a Molyneux-style project. But that was out of character.)
Last month’s September extravaganza mostly fit the template, with pre-orders for the iPhone 13 handsets and for both the iPad mini 6 and ninth-gen iPad beginning promptly. But the announcement of the Apple Watch Series 7 was weirdly vague, saying only that the new wearables would become available “later this autumn”. Come on Apple, be specific.
With Apple’s next event looming this month, it’s faintly embarrassing that it hasn’t yet cleared the decks from the last one – but this week we heard rumours that the Series 7 is almost with us. The leaker Jon Prosser reckons pre-orders will begin on 8 October, with deliveries arriving a week after that. This fits with our observation that the Series 6 is largely sold out, suggesting that Apple is winding up ahead of the next device’s launch.
To which we can only say: about time.
News in brief
Apple has decided to let users review and rate its own preinstalled iOS apps – and those users haven’t held back. Translate and Podcasts have both come in for punishing feedback.
It’s time for Apple to wave the white flag and switch from Lightning to USB-C, argues Anders Lundberg in our weekly Different Think column. This follows last week’s news that the EU has proposed legislation to standardise phone chargers.
Apple should stop taking itself – and the iPhone – so seriously, says Jason Snell.
There’s been lots of speculation about when Tim Cook will retire, ever since he revealed in an interview that he doesn’t intend to be at Apple in ten years’ time; a month ago we covered the claim that he simply wants one more major category launch before quitting the day job. The rumour mill roused itself again this week when it was reported that Cook had bought a new $10m house eight hours’ drive from Apple HQ. Is he preparing to wrap things up?
Macs are cheaper to own than PCs, according to researchers. Now that’s a counterintuitive conclusion – until you hear that the study was commissioned by Apple.
I love Safari in iOS 15, says Michael Simon, and he reckons you will too.
Apple recently appeared to let slip that it has fewer than 20 million paying subscribers for its TV+ service across the US and Canada, compared to more than 35 million for Disney+ and more than 70 million for Netflix. A trade union charges different fees for streaming services with below and above 20 million; Apple indicated that it qualified for the lower fee.
The Macalope analyses Google’s airtight legal defence: that Apple is better.
Video of the week
Despite app-tracking transparency, iPhone apps continue to track users, according to the Washington Post. It found that the type of data gathered about a user’s device could be used to ID individual iPhones – even after users explicitly asked apps not to do so. Meanwhile, in Android 11, app permissions automatically reset for unused, older apps.
In the video embedded below, Ken Mingis and Michael Simon join Juliet Beauchamp to discuss iPhone versus Android privacy measures and the way that fingerprinting affects users.
Software, bugs & problems
Only a week after hitting the shops, the new iPad mini has been hit with a widely reported screen problem. Known as ‘jelly scrolling’, the issue causes one side of the display to refresh more quickly than the other, resulting in a wobbly effect when scrolling through text-heavy screens in portrait orientation. Apple has since claimed such behaviour is normal, which suggests a recall is unlikely.
Bad news for those who jumped straight into iOS 15: bugs continue to be identified, including a concerning one where photos saved to the Photos library from iMessage could be automatically deleted if certain conditions are met – one condition being the original message’s deletion.
Speaking of iOS 15 and its associated bugs, on 29 September Apple issued the second version of the iOS 15.1 beta to developers. This beta version addresses a problem with masked unlocking of the iPhone with the Apple Watch, among other things.
The new version of Safari – Safari 15 – can be installed on Macs running Big Sur or Catalina. Unfortunately some Mac users are reporting serious problems with Safari 15, including difficulties loading some sites.
An angry developer has released details of four vulnerabilities that he says Apple was aware of (because he flagged them) but never acknowledged – and only one of them was ever closed.
Another security concern emerged this week, this time related to Apple Pay. A video demonstration showed that it is possible to make a £1,000 Visa payment from a locked iPhone. It’s only possible if a user has set up a Visa card for Apple’s Express Travel feature, but researchers were able to trick a locked iPhone into believing it was near a ticket barrier and fooled it into making a payment. All a bit concerning…
And that’s not all. There was one more warning issued this week: apparently AirTags can be manipulated in such a way that they can lure unsuspecting finders to phishing websites.
iFixit, a repair site famous for its tear-downs – in which it completely and wantonly dismantles a device to reveal its innermost secrets – has torn apart the iPhone 13 Pro and discovered something alarming. The screen and the rest of the phone are linked by matching serial numbers, which means Face ID stops working if you replace the screen. Following last month’s video leak exposing Apple’s anti-repair persuasion tactics, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the company has little regard for the right to repair.
The rumour mill
The iPhone 13 has barely launched, but rumours are already swirling around the iPhone update coming next year – which may be a little more dramatic. The latest report claims the iPhone 14 will offer a completely new design and no mini model.
New screen sizes ahoy: the latest macOS beta indicates that Apple is preparing for displays that offer more pixels. The devices in question are probably the new 14in and 16in MacBook Pro models.
Talking of new MacBooks, hopes are high for the next version of the MacBook Air, which is expected to receive a design overhaul in 2022. The respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo this week published an investor note predicting that the new Air would go into production next summer.
Is Pro Mode about to make a comeback? The optional battery-busting, high-performance feature appeared in beta versions of macOS 10.15.3 last year, then vanished before the public launch; now something apparently similar called High Power Mode has been spotted in a Monterey beta.
David Price rounds up all the new Apple products we expect to launch in October 2021.
Apple deals of the week
I’ve embedded a list of the best current Apple deals below, but other than that, we’re done for this week. See you next Saturday, enjoy your weekend, and stay Appley!
Top 10 Apple Deals
Apple 11in iPad Pro (2021, M1, 2TB) – Wi-Fi + Cellular
Now: £1,314.16 (£584.84 off)
We’re not sure if Amazon will bring back the £639 discount we saw in October on this iPad Pro M1 variant, but almost £600 off is still an excellent deal. See our review of the 11in iPad Pro with M1.
Adobe Creative Cloud – All Apps (1 Year)
Was: £49.94 per month
Now: £39.95 per month (£119.88 off)
Adobe’s slashed 20% off its Creative Cloud subscription prices. The offer ends 14 April.
Apple AirPods 3
Now: £159 (£30 off)
The AirPods 3 offer better battery performance, an updated design, and support for Spatial Audio and Adaptive EQ. Save £30 from Amazon.
Smarty 12GB data SIM-Only
Was: £8 per month
Now: £4 per month (50% off for 3 months)
Grab three months of 12GB data for just £4 per month. If you’re after more data, you can see all its plans here. You can cancel anytime.
Apple iPad mini (2021, 6th gen, 64GB, Cellular)
Now: £464 (£155 off)
This is the best deal we’ve seen on the iPad mini you can get the 64GB Cellular (RRP £619) for just £464 – which is less than the RRP for the Wi-Fi model!
Apple MacBook Air, M1, 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 256GB (2020)
From: John Lewis
Now: £887 (£112 off)
Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm)
Now: £229 (£90 off)
Bag the last gen Watch 6 for under £300 at Amazon’s Spring Sale!
Apple Watch Series 6 (44mm, Cellular)
Now: £349 (£160 off)
Amazon’s just slashed £160 off the Watch Series 6 with Cellular connectivity as a part of its Spring Sale.
Apple 10.2in iPad (2021, 256GB, Wi-Fi)
Now: $429 ($50 off)
Save $50 on the latest regular iPad. It’s a great affordable slate that’s perfect for web browsing or video calls.
Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard for iPad Pro 11
Now: £115.99 (£74 off)
Save an excellent £74 on this Logitech keyboard for the iPad Pro 11 – this is currently the best discount we can see. The Combo Touch works with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd gen models.
Now: £79.60 (£19.40 off)
Grab this set of Apple AirTags for just under £80 – that’s a saving of roughly £9 per AirTag, which costs £29 separately.
Apple Watch Series 7 (GPS, 41 mm)
Now: $279 ($120 off)
The Apple Watch Series 7 has a solid $120 discount in Amazon’s Prime Day sale, making it one of the best prices around.
Beats Solo 3 Headphones
Now: £99 (£80 off)
Get £80 off the Beats Solo3 Wireless on-ear headphones (which we gave four stars in our review). They’re available in a range of colours.
Apple AirPods Pro with MagSafe charging case
From: John Lewis
Now: £189 (£50 off)
Amazon’s excellent £64 saving on the AirPods Pro from March is no longer available. Multiple sites are selling for £189 (a £50 saving), including AO and Laptops Direct – but we’d go with John Lewis on account of its two-year guarantee.
Apple Watch SE 2021 (44mm, GPS)
Now: £239 (£60 off)
Get a great saving on last year’s Apple Watch SE from Amazon.
Now: £53.99 (£11 off)
Want a more affordable alternative to the Apple Pencil? Check out the Logitech Crayon, which works with all iPads from 2018 and later.
Apple iPhone 12 mini (256GB)
Now: £619.99 (£109.01 off)
The 256GB iPhone 12 mini has over £100 off from Amazon.
Apple iPad mini (2021, 6th gen)
From: Currys PC World
Now: £464 (£15 off)
A handy saving on Apple’s new iPad mini model for 2021, but note that this price applies to the Starlight colour finish only. eBuyer is matching the deal on certain colours.
Apple iPad Air (2022, 256GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular)
Now: £557.62 (£11.38 off)
KRCS has knocked money off the 2022 iPad Air. You will find savings across the whole range.
Apple MacBook Air, M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 512GB (2020)
Now: £1,099 (£150 off)
An excellent deal, this. Save money on the MacBook Air with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU from Very. The discount applies to the silver version only.
This deal is only slightly better than Currys who has the silver model for £1,099.97. John Lewis had the same deal, but it is currently out of stock there.


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According to perezhilton.com
Thanks to artists like Adele and Eminem, the music industry is seeing its highest comparison numbers since 2004!
What exactly do we mean by that? We mean sales are higher than the previous year. That hasn't happened in seven years!
The industry has Adele and Em to thank for the extra push.
Adele's 21 has sold 3.8 million units! Astounding! And Eminem pulled his weight too with an impressive 2.7 million.
Congrats, music industry! You're soundtracking the world's emotions, and your accountants can shut up now!