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VW Group, Tata Motors end
talks on emerging markets cooperation
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[August 10, 2017]
By Andreas Cremer
BERLIN/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Cooperation
talks between Germany's Volkswagen Group and India's Tata Motors about
joint development of a car for emerging markets have ended amicably, the
two companies said on Thursday.
The collapse of the talks is a further blow to Volkswagen's (VW) efforts
to develop a cheap vehicle platform for Asian markets, after an earlier
alliance with Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp <7269.T> also fell apart.
In March Tata Motors and VW announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
for a long-term partnership to explore joint development of products for
customers in India and other markets.
The German group's Czech arm Skoda, commissioned by VW to lead the talks
with Tata, was exploring a possible entry-level car platform together
with the Indian manufacturer, using Tata's AMP vehicle platform as a
basis, a VW group source said.
Skoda dropped the idea of developing the AMP platform on fears that it
would need significant further investment to meet future crash-test and
engine emissions requirements and would instead explore parent VW's MQB
platform for possible further savings, said the source, who declined to
"The two companies have come to the conclusion that at the present point
of time the technical and economic synergies cannot be realized in the
desired way," Skoda said on Thursday, confirming a Reuters story.
"We have evaluated the technical feasibility and degree of synergies for
the envisioned partnership. We have concluded that the strategic
benefits for both parties are below the threshold levels," said Tata
Motors Chief Executive Guenter Butschek, the German automotive and
aerospace industry veteran who joined the Indian company last year.
[to top of second column]
Ballpoint pens are seen during Volkswagen Group annual news
conference in Wolfsburg, Germany, April 28, 2016. REUTERS/Fabrizio
But the two automakers, which also studied joint development of components, did
not rule out the possibility of collaboration in the future after holding what
Skoda called "constructive talks" over the past five months.
Foreign carmakers like VW, General Motors <GM.N> and Fiat Chrysler <FCHA.MI>
have struggled in India where more nimble rivals such as Maruti Suzuki <MRTI.NS>
and Hyundai Motor <005380.KS> have cornered two thirds of the market.
Tata, which is also struggling to boost sales, has been trying to turn round its
loss-making domestic business by modernizing its products, improving efficiency
and streamlining its organization.
In May General Motors said it would stop selling cars in India from the end of
this year, drawing a line under two decades of battling in one of the world's
most competitive markets where small cars make up the bulk of sales.
India is expected to become the world's third-largest car market by 2020 but
passenger vehicle sales have slowed in recent months due to policy changes and a
new nationwide sales tax.
The collapse of talks with Tata also deals a blow to VW's efforts to
decentralize power within the group in the wake of the diesel emissions scandal
and assign greater responsibilities to the individual brands and business
regions for vehicles and technology, another source at VW group said.
(Reporting by Andreas Cremer in Berlin and Aditi Shah in New Delhi; Editing by
Georgina Prodhan, Greg Mahlich)
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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If an alien with an accounting degree touched down in America, it might conclude that we’re a weird cult that spends 11 months living frugally and four crazy weeks buying tons of stuff we don’t need. It wouldn’t be entirely wrong, either. Retailers make around a fifth of their sales during the holiday season — close to half a trillion dollars — when the ratio of frivolous to necessary purchases spikes. It’s not unusual for large chains to operate in the red from New Years’ Day through Thanksgiving and then make it all up in those crazy weeks.
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the single most manic, delirious shopping day of the year and, of course, the official beginning of the holiday-buying frenzy. Holiday binge-buying has deep roots in American culture: department stores have been associating turkey gluttony with its spending equivalent since they began sponsoring Thanksgiving Day parades in the early 20th century. And to goose the numbers, they’ve always offered huge promotions too.
Liquidity moves markets!Follow the money. Find the profits!
Black Friday relies on a few simple retail strategies that, with tons of customer data and forecasting software, have become fairly precise. One method is to sell everything as cheaply as possible and magnify a tiny profit through volume. Other stores mark down only a few high-profile items — even selling them at a loss — in hopes that customers will also throw a few full-priced items in their carts. Regardless, Black Friday is essentially a one-day economic-stimulus plan and job-creation program. Retailers use TV commercials and deep discounts, rather than tax breaks and infrastructure spending, but the effect is the same: billions of dollars, which would otherwise never be spent, make their way into circulation.

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By Avi Salzman
Humana beat second quarter earnings expectations, posting $2.35 per share, against expectations for $2.25. But its members are using more medical services, and the company’s retail medical benefit ratio (benefit expenses as a percent of premiums) rose to 83.5% from 82.1% That trend is expected to continue through the year, the company said.
“The company lowered EPS guidance for the year ending December 31, 2012 (FY12) to a range of $6.90 to $7.10 versus its previous estimate of $7.38 to $7.58. This reduction in FY12 EPS guidance primarily reflects higher-than-previously expected individual Medicare Advantage benefit ratios associated with new members and increased utilization for both new and existing members”
Bernstein Reaerch analyst Ana Gupte wrote that the company’s retail Medicare business appears to have been mis-priced:
“It was increasingly clear that HUM Management had been aggressive and mis-priced their Retail Medicare book of business for 2012. This had led to very weak Retail MA margins for 1Q12 and the company had recently been more forthcoming on the underwriting issues.
Other insurers have also been paying out a higher percentage of premiums to pay for medical care, but Humana’s acknowledgement and weaker guidance clearly shocked the Street.
Shares are down 15% in midday trading. Aetna, which had opened in the black, is down 2.4%. United Health (UNH) is off 3% and Wellpoint (WLP), which also posted weak guidance last week, is down 3.7%.


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You have searched for L'Oréal
LAST UPDATED : 31 Jan 2017, 12:57 IST
- LOréal India offers improved parental benefits policy
New Delhi, Jan 31 () LOréal India today said it has improved parental benefits policy which includes 26 weeks of maternity leave, 12 weeks adoption leave, 2 weeks paternity leave besides other facilities, in a bid to attract and retain employees.
- Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Technology has opened up our cinema to everybody
Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who is the brand ambassador of L'Or'al Paris and will represent the cosmetic giant at the upcoming 69th Cannes Film Festival, says technology has taken the Indian cinema on a global voyage with 'accessibility just a click' away.
- L’Oréal India gets new CMO
MUMBAI: L’Oréal India has appointed Shalini Raghavan as the Chief Marketing Officer for its Consumer Products Division (CPD). With over 15 years of experience in the beauty industry, Raghavan joins L’Oréal from Hindustan Unilever (HUL), where she worked in leadership roles in marketing and business development of brands such as Lux and Lakmé, and was recently the Global Brand Director (Asian and African) of Dove master brand. At L'Oreal, Raghavan will be responsible for driving overall marketing capability and strengthening of digital initiatives to build a strong strategy for the company's CPD brands which include L’Oréal Paris, Garnier, Maybelline New York & NYX Professional Make up. She will work towards creating an innovation pipeline and brand development for L’Oréal India at the country level. A company statement said Raghavan will report to Jean-Christophe Letellier, MD - L’Oréal India. Letellier said, “Shalini is an experienced marketing professional with a deep insight into the beauty business. Her international experience and knowledge of building organizational capacity in strategy, innovation and marketing will be prized as we look to grow our presence across the country.”


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Azerbaijan can completely stop importing agro products
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 13
By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:
Azerbaijan has all the opportunities to completely stop importing agricultural products, the former agriculture minister of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Rajab Orujov, told Trend on March 13.
Presently, the main agricultural product imported to Azerbaijan is grain, according to him.
"This is due to the fact that the quality of grain produced in Azerbaijan, particularly wheat, does not correspond to food standards. However, this is not linked to natural factors, as wheat was historically grown in Azerbaijan," Orujov said.
The expert noted that the reason is non-compliance with agro-technical measures in the production of cereals.
"There is a need to improve the agro-technical measures in the production of cereals. It is necessary to apply innovative technologies, to carry out proper care for crops, " the expert said.
He noted that Azerbaijan has all the necessary natural conditions for growing not only wheat, but also soybean, corn and sugar beet.
"It is just necessary to strengthen the selection work, carry out the proper care of the crops. And if these norms are met, then Azerbaijan can completely abandon the import of agricultural products and use the potential of the Kura-Araz lowland, where most of the country's irrigated areas are located. This will allow us to get harvest twice a year, "Orujov said.
In 2017, Azerbaijan imported 1.2 million tons of wheat, which is 25 percent less than in 2016.
In 2017, Azerbaijan produced agricultural products worth 6.58 billion manat, which is 4.2 percent more than in 2016.
(1 USD = 1.7 AZN on March 13)


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About.me is a website that allows users to put up a digital business card with links to the social media profile. The About.me website features a large picture as the wallpaper to give your digital business card a bit more personality. About.me was sold to AOL two years ago and now the founders have bought it back.
About.me co-founder Tony Conrad said that he believes the startup could thrive faster in an autonomous setting.
?I think we can build it so much faster, and so much better, by making it independent again,? said Conrad in an interview with The New York Times. ?There?s no obvious leverage in being part of the AOL media network, and there?s no synergy and integration.?
Conrad and About.me co-founder Ryan Freitas will get full control of About.me this week. When About.me was acquired by AOL, the deal was done very quickly. On the same day that I wrote about About.me exiting beta, it was the same day that I wrote about the acquisition.
I believed at the time that AOL acquired About.me was for the talent. About.me was the second company that AOL acquired which was founded by Conrad. The other company AOL acquired that was launched by Conrad was called Sphere.
Conrad did not say how much he spent to buy back About.me, but he said that it was a fraction of what AOL had paid to acquire the company. He added it simply became a “cost center to AOL.”
About.me is announcing that they have raised $5.7 million in financing this week with investors like True Ventures, Google Ventures, Founder Collective, CrunchFund, and Ron Conway. AOL will retain an 8% ownership in About.me
See our previous coverage of About.me here.


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So ends the saga of Emap (LSE: EMA), one of the biggest magazine companies to ever exist in UK. It has sold off its remaining division, the B2B media unit, to PE firm Apax and Guardian Media Group for 1 billion pounds ($2 billion), two weeks after it finalized the sale of its consumer magazine and radio operations. Emap was founded in 1947 as a newspaper company in East Midlands. The B2B unit organizes conferences and exhibitions and publishes magazines including Retail Week and Construction News.
FT: Apax is thought to want to merge many of the Emap titles with its Incisive Media business, while GMG has been keen to expand into the events and exhibitions side while also incorporating broadcast into their publishing side.
Bloomberg: The company in June completed the sale of a 49.9 percent stake in Trader Media Group to Apax, allowing Guardian Media to pursue acquisitions.
Reuters: This is below the 2.2-2.3 billion GBP analysts had recently estimated Emap might fetch. However, that was also before sharp declines across the UK media sector amid the credit market turmoil and concerns about a downturn in consumer spending and mixed signals over the outlook for the advertising industry.
More details in the release and acquisition offer document. (PDF link). It seems from the language that both Apax and Guardian intend to make more acquisition in the B2B media space, both in UK and internationally, to add to the existing Emap B2B portfolio (the joint temporary acquisition entity is called Eden Bidco). “In Apax and GMG, Emap will have two very supportive shareholders with a deep understanding of the UK and global media industry, an extensive network and the appetite and financial resources to further consolidate the business media industry both in the UK and internationally.”


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Italian food lovers can learn how to make an authentic pizza, taught by celebrity TV duo Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi.
The pair has teamed up with Heineken UK's premium imported Italian beer Birra Moretti to host two pizza and beer making evenings.
Birra Moretti is used in the pizza base, where it reacts with the yeast to make it more crispy.
Katie Caldesi commented: "We want to teach Italian food lovers how to make genuine Italian margherita pizza, with a special ingredient — Birra Moretti," said Katie Caldesi, "This premium Italian beer is the perfect accompaniment to two Italian passions — great food and great conversation, which is why we love it."
The £28 sessions will take place at the Caldesis' cookery school and restaurant La Cucina Caldesi in Marylebone Lane, London, on 11 June and 13 August.
For more information email email@example.com.


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Chocolate firm eyes Gulf markets
A small UK chocolate company has big ambitions in the Middle East.
La Trinity Chocolates, a UK company that markets speciality Belgian and Swiss chocolates, visited Dubai in May to explore business opportunities in the region.
The company was part of business delegation led by UK Trade and Investment, an organisation that aims to promote the interests of UK businesses.
Kim Augustin, managing director, La Trinity Chocolates, is optimistic that her company’s range of chocolates and sweets, which include sugar free products, could sell well in the region. “I am not exporting at the moment. I am here to get a feel for the place, to look for potential clients and perhaps look at opening stores in our own name,” Augustin said.
“We sell most of our products on the Internet at the moment but with regard to the sugar-free products we have had a huge presence in the UK and want to get into outlets such as Harrods and Harvey Nichols.”
La Trinity Chocolates is looking to market its products through various channels, including retail, the food service sector and the hospitality industry. As part of her fact-finding mission, Augustin visited some of Dubai’s malls, looking for outlets that could sell the company’s products, and also checking for potential competition.
After discovering that the UAE does not appear to have many specialist chocolate shops, Augustin is optimistic that there could be a niche for La Trinity Chocolates. “I visited all of the malls and one thing I noticed is that they don’t have actual chocolate shops,” Augustin said. “Even the duty free shops did not have a big presence of luxury chocolates.”
La Trinity Choclates was founded in 2004 with the aim of selling high quality and speciality chocolates, including products suitable for diabetics. The company’s chocolates are also healthier than many mainstream products by being free from hydrogenated fats and other additives.


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Microsoft Partner Guardian Computer Invests In Security, Cloud Offerings
Wade Tyler Millward
‘We’re not predicting a bad year. But it’s going to be a flat year,’ Guardian Computer President Jean Prejean tells CRN in an interview.
Microsoft cloud and security offerings, upgrading customer license types and growing a practice with cybersecurity vendor Cynet are some of the areas where Guardian Computer is investing in 2023.
Jean Prejean, president of Metairie, La.-based Microsoft partner – a member of CRN’s 2022 Managed Service Provider 500 – told CRN in an interview that her company is still plenty busy despite feeling some of the effects of the economy.
“We had great growth from ’21 to ’22. But our forecast for ’23 is pretty flat,” Prejean said. “We hired three people in ’22. If we hire anybody, it’ll be at the end of the year. We just don’t see big growth this year. … We’re not predicting a bad year. But it’s going to be a flat year. … But we feel lucky. ’23, if we can get through just flat, we will take it. You’re never going to have all good years.”
Microsoft, Cynet Partner Guardian Computer On 2023 Investments
There are multiple signs of IT spending slowing in certain areas. A recent Wall Street Journal poll put the odds of a recession in the next 12 months at 61 percent. Gartner projects worldwide IT spending to increase 2.4 percent year over year – to $4.5 trillion – less than half of the growth forecasted the previous quarter. And the recent news of layoffs of more than 40,000 people from Amazon, Microsoft and Google looks like proof of a slowdown in technology demand.
Still, Prejean sees opportunity in speaking with customers about the value of using the entire Microsoft product suite. She still comes across customers paying for Zoom when they already pay for Microsoft’s Teams collaboration application, she said.
Upgrading customers to E3 license types from lower level licenses is an opportunity for Guardian, as is educating customers on where they need to invest more in their security posture, she said.
Prejean herself has invested in getting members of her 11-employee staff more Azure and security training.
“A company came to us, one of their doctors had left a laptop in the back of their car while they ran into the store,” Prejean said. “Well, the car got broken into, and the laptop was gone. And now they’re faced with (six digits) … in legal bills and stuff. And it’s like – how easy is that to prevent? I mean, just putting encryption on the hard drive, which is easy peasy. So many don’t have encryption.”
Here’s more of what Prejean had to say.


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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s largest contract semiconductor foundry, mentioned at present that it plans to construct a complicated chip foundry in Arizona with assist from the state and the United States federal authorities.
The announcement follows a Wall Street Journal report earlier this week that White House officers have been in talks with TSMC and Intel to construct foundries within the U.S., as a part of its effort to cut back reliance on chip factories in Asia. Based in Hsinchu, Taiwan, TSMC offers chip parts for lots of the world’s largest semiconductor corporations and its U.S. purchasers embody Apple and Qualcomm.
White House reportedly in talks with Intel, TSMC to construct superior chip foundries within the US
The plant, scheduled to start out manufacturing of chips in 2024, will allow TSMC’s American clients to manufacture their semiconductor merchandise domestically. It will use the corporate’s 5-nanometer know-how and is anticipated to create 1,600 jobs and have the capability to provide 20,000 wafers a month.
The U.S.-China commerce struggle, nationwide safety issues, geopolitical unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic have all underscored the shortfalls of counting on foundries positioned overseas and worldwide provide chains.
The U.S. authorities has reportedly been in talks with TSMC for months, although one sticking level for the corporate was the excessive price of constructing a brand new foundry. TSMC chairman Mark Liu instructed the New York Times in October that the challenge would require main subsidies as a result of it’s costlier to function a manufacturing unit within the U.S. in Taiwan.
In at present’s announcement, TSMC mentioned “U.S. adoption of forward-looking funding insurance policies to allow a globally aggressive surroundings for a vanguard semiconductor know-how operation within the U.S. will probably be essential to the success of this challenge.”
The firm expects to spend about $12 billion between 2021 and 2029 on the challenge, with development slated to start subsequent yr.
TSMC already operates a foundry in Camas, Washington, and has design facilities in Austin, Texas and San Jose, California.


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- SEEKING GROWTH AS HARVEY THE LABEL REBRANDS ADELAIDE STORE -
Adelaide based brand, Harvey the Label, proudly announce their flagship store’s recent rebrand as Seeker Store.
For Harvey Labels Director and Head Designer, Mim Harvey, Seeker Store represents the recent growth of the Harvey the label brand.
The fashion retailer is well known in both Australian and International markets, with stockists across Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
Mim Harvey says, “I have had such a great response from opening my first Harvey the Label flagship store.
Seeker Store will continue to derive of my namesake brand, Harvey the Label and our fast fashion stock brand Seeker...
(the store name change) was a natural progression really. Quite simply the store has given us the opportunity to expand as a company.”
Since it’s humble opening on Rundle Street, July 2017, Harvey Labels have expanded their team, and look to introduce a new label in the upcoming months.
“Now we have so much more exposure, we have to remain reactive to the Australian and International market’s demand.
It’s such an exciting time for myself and team. We love what we do and are so glad we get to do it here in Adelaide,” says Mim Harvey.
The Rundle Street store, will continue to stock both Harvey the Label and Seeker brands.
Seeker Store is now open at 237 Rundle Street, Adelaide.


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Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT) has acquired a Netherlands-based corporate travel agency marking the group’s first foray into Continental Europe.
The acquisition of privately-owned, Business Travel Development (BTD), represents the third new country FLT has bought into this financial year – after acquisitions in Mexico (July) and Malaysia (November) – and has expanded the company’s footprint to 14 countries, including New Zealand, US, Canada, South Africa, Singapore, India, China and UAE.
FLT launched in the UK in 1995 and expanded into Ireland (by acquisition) in 2014.
FLT managing director Graham Turner said the BTD purchase gave the company a cost-effective, low risk entry to a key global market.
“Having a company-owned presence in the Netherlands strengthens our proposition for national and multi-national clients and gives us a platform for further growth in the country and in Europe more broadly,” he said.
“Future opportunities include the launch of a dedicated SME offering, to complement the FCM business and possibly a leisure travel offering in the longer term.”
BTD generated more than EU10.3million (over AU$15 million) in revenue in the 2015 fiscal year.
Meanwhile, FLT’s price fixing dispute with The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) looks set for the High Court after the Federal Court granted the ACCC the opportunity to appeal its decision to overturn a ruling against the retailer.
Flight Centre successfully appealed a 2013 Federal Court decision that ruled FLT had breached the law by insisting airlines not offer prices directly to travellers that were lower than those available on its website between 2005 and 2009.
However, the High Court has now agreed to hear the ACCC’s appeal against that appeal, which resulted in a refund of the $11 million penalty, plus interest, News.com.au reported.
ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said: “This case raises important issues for the application of competition laws in Australia in the future, as online offers are increasingly being made directly to consumers by both agents and their principals.”
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Huawei is rumored to launch the Mate 10 as well as the Mate 10 Pro in the coming weeks, and now we have some more details about the alleged devices.
Recently, some promotional materials were leaked revealing details about the device, including some images of the handsets.
The report reveals some important details about the devices. The report says Mate 10 includes a 16:9 ratio display, with curved edges but without any rounded corners, while the Pro features a 18:9 ratio and will look similar to the Galaxy S8/S8+.
Both devices are rumored to come with a fingerprint sensor on the back along with a dual-camera setup on board for photography. The images also show that Mate 10 will come with a Kirin 970 processor along with a 4,000 mAh battery and IP67 certification making it dust and water resistant. The images doesn’t show anything about certification for the Pro variant, but it’s highly likely that it will come with it as well.
The company is expected to unveil both devices, along with the Lite version of the handset, on October 16th. We’ll find out official details about all the Mate 10 variants next month.
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Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.


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Federal Communications Commission chair Ajit Pai has asked all carriers and internet service providers to extend theiramid the pandemic until June 30. It comes after the major carriers not to cut off services to customers through June.
“Hundreds of providers have stepped up to the plate to keep Americans connected to communications services in this time of need,” Pai said.
Almost 200 providers signed the original 60-day pledge in mid-March, with the terms being:
- Companies will “not terminate service to any residential or small business customers because of their inability to pay their bills due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic,
- “waive any late fees that any residential or small business customers incur because of their economic circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic, and
- “open … Wi-Fi hotspots to any American who needs them.”
- Colleges That Require Coronavirus Screening Tech Struggle to Say Whether It Works – The New York Times
- Colleges That Require Virus-Screening Tech Struggle to Say Whether It Works – The New York Times
- Gender Equality in Tech (GET) Cities Expands to DC to Diversify the Tech Ecosystem – Yahoo Finance
- Turkey Widens War Tech Hunt by Tapping Pakistan’s China Ties – Bloomberg
- Tech recruiting lessons in the Covid-19 era – Information Age
- Virtual tech event highlights local STEM professionals during WHAT I CAN BE! Tech Career Showcase – Herald-Mail Media
- Accenture’s Tech Push Makes It World’s Most Acquisitive Company – Bloomberg
- Tech Hosts Duke for Senior Night – Men’s Basketball — Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets – Georgia Tech Official Athletic Site
- No. 22/19 Tech set for final home game, takes on Cards – VT hokiesports.com


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Investing.com – Gold futures reversed losses to end Friday's session mildly higher as traders continued to mull the timing of a Federal Reserve rate hike following the release of solid U.S. nonfarm payrolls data.
The Labor Department reported that the U.S. economy added last month, slightly lower than forecasts for an increase of 223,000, but still consistent with strong employment growth. The remained unchanged at 5.3%, in line with expectations.
, a component of the jobs report that the Federal Reserve has said must rise, ticked up 0.2%, also matching forecasts after stalling in the previous month.
The data did little to alter expectations for a September rate increase by the Federal Reserve, but it tempered speculation for multiple rate hikes before the end of the year.
The , which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, eased to 97.66, after touching three-month highs of 98.42 earlier. The index ended the week with gains of 0.18%.
The greenback has been boosted recently by expectations that the improving U.S. economy will prompt the Federal Reserve to raise short term interest rates as early as September.
for August delivery on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange hit an intraday low of $1,081.40 a troy ounce on Friday before recovering to end the session at $1,094.10, up $4.00, or 0.37%, for the day.
For the week, prices of the precious metal declined $1.00, or 0.09%, the sixth weekly loss in the past seven weeks, as ongoing expectations that the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates at its September policy meeting weighed.
Gold fell to a five-and-a-half year low of $1,072.30 on July 24 amid speculation the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in September for the first time since 2006.
Expectations of higher borrowing rates going forward is considered bearish for gold, as the precious metal struggles to compete with yield-bearing assets when rates are on the rise.
Also on the Comex, for September delivery rose 14.4 cents, or 0.98%, on Friday to settle at $14.82 a troy ounce by close of trade. On the week, silver prices tacked on 7.1 cents, or 0.52%, the second straight weekly advance.
Elsewhere in metals trading, for September delivery shed 0.8 cents, or 0.36%, on Friday to settle at $2.332 a pound after tumbling to a session low of $2.313, a level not seen since June 2009.
For the week, copper prices dropped 2.3 cents, or 1.31%, the sixth consecutive weekly loss, amid growing concerns over the health of China's economy.
Government data released on Sunday showed that for July rose 1.6%, above expectations for 1.5% and up from 1.4% in June.
The fell by a more-than-expected 5.4% last month, underling concerns over the health of the world's second largest economy.
On Saturday, data showed that the country’s narrowed to $43.0 billion last month from $46.5 billion in June, compared to estimates for a surplus of $53.3 billion.
slumped 8.3% from a year earlier, worse than forecasts for a decline of 1.0%, while dropped 8.1%, disappointing expectations for a drop of 8.0%.
A slowdown in domestic demand indicated a recovery in the broader economy remains fragile and may need further government stimulus.
The Asian nation is the world’s largest copper consumer, accounting for almost 40% of world consumption last year.
In the week ahead, investors will be looking to Thursday’s U.S. retail sales data for a further indication on the durability of the economic recovery. Speeches by Fed officials on Monday will also be in focus.
Meanwhile, copper traders are looking ahead to a raft of Chinese economic data in the week ahead, including reports on industrial production, fixed asset investment and retail sales.
Ahead of the coming week, Investing.com has compiled a list of these and other significant events likely to affect the markets.
Monday, August 10
Federal Reserve Governor Stanley Fischer and Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart are to speak; their comments will be closely watched.
Tuesday, August 11
The U.S. is to release preliminary data on unit labor costs.
Wednesday, August 12
China is to publish data on industrial production and fixed asset investment.
Thursday, August 13
The U.S. is to produce data on retail sales, initial jobless claims and import prices.
Friday, August 14
The euro zone is to publish preliminary data on second quarter economic growth as well as revised data on consumer inflation.
The U.S. is to release data on producer prices, industrial production and consumer sentiment to round up the week.
- U.S. Employment Costs Surge
- UAW Strike to End Following Tentative Deal with General Motors
- Prices for Goods and Services Increase Beyond Expectations
- GDP Soars 4.7% Thanks to Rise in Consumer Spending
- New Home Sales in the U.S. Rise Amid Skyrocketing Interest Rates
- Reports: X/Twitter Shrinking Worsens Following Rebranding
- Reports: Amazon Testing Humanoid Robots for Warehouse Operations
- Elon Musk’s X/Twitter Announces Subscription Tiers


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QVC GC on NPEs, social media and more.
You've probably flipped around the channels late at night and come across QVC. Perhaps you were captivated by the shopping deals on the screen in front of you, or perhaps you wondered why people would shop from their TV when they have computers, tablets and smartphones. Well, QVC may have started as a television shopping channel, but it has expanded in recent years into many different channels -- and many different countries. InsideCounsel recently had a chance to speak to Larry Hayes, general counsel for QVC, about the challenges of that expansion, as well as other topics, including patent trolls and the rise of social media.
QVC started on television, but has expanded onto the Internet and now mobile and social platforms. "Each platform has independent challenges," says Hayes. "My team works with all the business areas to address the legal needs." These include advertising compliance, the challenges of disclosures on smaller devices, and the legal issues that arise from social platforms. The key, he says, is to work with the business unit and figure out a way for the sales teams to adopt legal disclosures to fit those needs.
12 noteworthy in-house career moves
A strong GC/CEO relationship brings the company immeasurable value
Toward a more diverse workplace
The challenges of social media are legion, but Hayes cites its real-time nature as being one aspect that causes disruption. "There's no time to huddle and decide how to do things in a methodical manner," he explains. "It's real time, so we have to monitor it closely." Branding and trust are very important to QVC, he says, so the goal is to provide customers what they want in a way that is real and consistent with the brand.
The company started in the U.S., but in the last 20+ years has expanded into Italy, Germany, the U.K., China and Japan, and will soon move into France. In these countries, Hayes says, the goal is to manage existing operations and expand the company's international presence. But there are legal challenges. "Things that are simple to implement in one country are tougher to implement across boundaries," he explains, citing laws in Germany, for example, that require a co-determination right when implementing a new HR system.
The legal department at QVC works with the business teams in each country, laying out strategies to use when entering markets. Television is highly regulated, after all, so QVC needs to obtain licenses and other qualifications. The legal team is integral to this important business process, laying the groundwork before the business unit dives in.
QVC has a large trademark portfolio to manage, and it must get ahead of the game in areas that are fertile for expansion. Hayes cites issues with individuals squatting on domains or trademarks as an example of challenges facing expansion.
Hayes is also acutely aware of the patent troll issue, as the retail sector is a big target for non-practicing entities (NPEs). He says that QVC has faced its share of cases over the years, and notes that recent Supreme Court decisions could make a difference in the way NPE cases are handled. "The big issue in the NPE area is that certain people know how to game the system. They realize it is expensive for companies to respond to these suits, and they price settlements close to what it would cost to defend them.... We need to look at the law and achieve balance."
Hayes says that we should be talking more about damages, as the damages that NPEs seek bear no resemblance to the value of their patents -- if those patents are even valid. "Is a consumer purchasing a product because of the functionality on a shopping cart? No, but the NPEs are pricing it as if they are. No business would pay those amounts if this was a commercial product," Hayes says. And he would know, after all.
Copyright 2014 Summit Business Media. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).


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Karl Lagerfeld Hotel Macau to Open in 2017
Karl Lagerfeld, the renowned Chanel designer, has signed a deal with a Macau casino operator to design and create his first hotel. The hotel is set to open in 2017 in the gambling enclave of Southern China.
Lagerfeld will design the entire hotel and commented that he thinks it’s a great idea. Macau is the only region in China where gambling has been legalized. It is estimated that in 2012 Macau produced around $38 billion in gambling revenues which is six times more than the Las Vegas strip.
The Lagerfeld hotel will be situated within the Lisboa luxury development. The complex is also set to include a Versace inspired hotel to be designed by the Versace fashion label. This is not the first project outside of fashion that Lagerfeld has under taken, having already designed a pool in Monte Carlo and two luxury suites for a hotel in Paris. Lagerfeld even designed a Diet Coke can and Magnum Ice Cream.
Lagerfeld is aiming to giving the hotel a 19th century style but it will be modern and he hopes to make it feel personalized and intimate. Lagerfeld went on to comment that “I make rooms where I would like to sleep. It’s as simple as that.”


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Check out the November 2019 issue of The Shop magazine to read “Understanding Side Impact Airbags” — a MUST READ article for every automotive trimmer.
The Shop Magazine felt it was important that they re-published the article in their latest issue, which will be distributed for free throughout the 2019 SEMA Show.
We’re excited to have this article made available to every attendee of the show. Upholstering car seats equipped with airbags is not just another repair job, it’s a responsibility. Trimmers who don’t understand how airbag seams work or have the tools to properly sew them put their customers’ lives in danger.
Fortunately, we have people like Joseph in our industry who are willing to share their knowledge and expertise with us. It would be a shame for any trimmer to find this article too late.
Please pick up The Shop magazine to read “Understanding Side Impact Airbags” and share it with your colleagues. You can also read a free digital copy by clicking here.


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Viewers of the successful South Korean Netflix show “Squid Game” have become interested in Korean food, resulting in profit for Toronto’s Korean restaurants.
Toronto café and bakery, Savorology Artisan Bakery, have especially profited from Squid Game through selling some of the food presented on the show.
The bakery is bringing Squid Game fans into their shop by selling dalgona candy, which is a Korean honeycomb toffee that can be molded into several shapes.
According to a Oct. 8, Instagram post from the bakery’s account, “You can get a free dalgona candy with any purchase at Savorology. One bill of one person can get one candy.”
Forget Me Not Café located in Toronto, is also partaking in the Squid Game hype by selling dalgona lattes, which is a combination of double espresso, sweet cream and dalgona candy, according to their Instagram.
Ronnel Estrada, a huge supporter of Squid Game believes that the show increased his interest in Korean food.
“After watching Squid Game, one dish that stood out to me was the rice dish,” says Estrada. “Seeing how the dish was presented on the show and how the characters enjoyed every bite of it convinced me to go to my local Korean restaurant to try the dish.”
The show also introduced him to dalgona candy, and it even convinced him to attempt to make the candy himself.
“I have tried making dalgona candy, but every time I attempted to get the proper colour or texture, I always fail,” says Estrada.
Not only have cafes profited off Squid Game, but a Thornhill, Ont. escape room is also participating in the excitement around the show.
The event, hosted by 4FunToronto, is a Squid Game themed “action escape room” where multiple environments are created to allow members to participate in similar challenges to the show.
Justin, an event coordinator from 4FunToronto says, “As the show is number one in the world right now, we feel that it left a lot of people saying, ‘I wish I could do that!’ Our company enjoys putting on amazing experiences for people and we are glad people can now enjoy this in real life.”
Dalgona latte at Forget Me Not cafe
Video made by Vale Vasquez/RSJ.


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Take-Two DNF lawsuit takes shape
Take-Two have finally revealed the details of their upcoming legal tussle with 3D Realms over the demise of Duke Nukem Forever, ShackNews stumbling across court documents explaining the publisher's gripes.
Apparently, the case surrounds a prospective Xbox 360 version of the now dead FPS, Take-Two claiming that a deal was in place that would have allowed them to create the port. With 3D Realms and Apogee refusing to undertake this development, Take-Two say that they were planning on finding a new developer for this console outing.
3D Realms, meanwhile, were reportedly obliged to provide the source code to enable this port - but didn't - and now the entire project has of course collapsed. Take-Two also claim in the new filing that 3D Realms have rather more money than they're letting on, the complaint suggesting the firm has money stashed in off-shore accounts.
Take-Two believe 3D Realms / Apogee should be able to use this money to fulfill their obligations to them over DNF. "3DR has been in nearly a dozen lawsuits (including against Warner and Fox). We're always innocent, and we always win. This one is no exception. Give it a year, then the truth will come out," responds 3D Realms/Apogee founder Scott Miller.
- Final Fantasy Type-0 HD gets a new trailer
- Bungie deconstructs their latest Destiny patch, hints at what is coming next
- DayZ creator Dean Hall could join UK studio Improbable
- Shadow Of Mordor arrives on last-gen consoles
- David Braben apologises for ditching Elite: Dangerous's offline mode, outlines refund criteria
- Microsoft celebrates the 1st birthday of the Xbox One with free access to Sunset Overdrive
- Hacker group leaks account details for thousands of PSN, Origin, Windows Live and 2K Game Studios accounts
- RedLynx promises online multiplayer is coming to Trials Fusion early next year
- Valve reworks their Steam Early Access developer guidelines and rules


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UK Consumer Law Reform and its Effect on Businesses
As it currently stands, the murky world of UK consumer law is laden with pitfalls and vague legislation. This harbours a breeding ground for businesses to avoid certain codes of conduct in the comfort of knowing that very little can be actioned to bring companies to court for various misdemeanours. The fact that a new reform is being considered heavily implies that it is greatly needed, and the research corresponds accordingly.
What the current legislation says
Currently, if a corporation is to be challenged, it must be taken to court in order to action anything. This is a lengthy, drawn-out process which is also costly and even when there is a result in favour of the opposition, the business or corporation is not obligated to pay out. So, the incentive rarely exists. The court also possesses no powers to impose any civil monetary penalty for breaches of consumer law. The government states in their own words that the process is “lengthy, complex and costly and even if they [i.e. regulators] are successful there are no financial sanctions for civil breaches of consumer protection law and few civil sanctions for frustrating the enforcement process.”
Given the difficulties of going to court, regulators prefer – wherever feasible – to seek a negotiated settlement with firms, generally backed up by voluntary pledges. Those commitments, however, are not directly enforceable. This implies that if a company fails to keep its pledges, the regulator’s sole choice is to file a lawsuit – the exact thing it was attempting to prevent.
The suggestions signal that the government is willing to take significant action to expand the powers of the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) now that it has reclaimed control of domestic consumer protection law following Brexit. If enacted, the proposed reforms would be the most significant overhaul of the UK consumer protection framework since the establishment of the CMA in 2014.
What does the new legislation say?
The magnitude of the potential changes to the consumer law enforcement regime is perhaps most striking. The CMA strengthening its consumer law enforcement toolkit allows them to directly institute corporate fines of up to 10% of worldwide turnover in an attempt to instil renewed confidence within consumers.
The proposals would bring the CMA’s consumer protection enforcement powers closer to those available for violations of competition law, resulting in a significantly increased concentration of power in the CMA at a financially demanding moment in British economics post-Brexit.
The proposed new consumer enforcement framework will be more consistent with the CMA’s and other sectoral regulators’ authority to enforce competition law. Instead of going to court, the CMA (and perhaps other sectoral regulators as well) will be able to investigate and make an early judgement that will be binding on the firm in issue. This ruling may include an order to cease the irregular behaviour. It may also involve a civil monetary penalty of up to 10% of worldwide sales, with the goal of correcting the illegality and discouraging others from participating in similar patterns.
If the regulator thinks that a firm has failed to comply or give adequate information during an inquiry, it will be entitled to levy a civil penalty of up to 1% of yearly turnover, with an additional daily penalty of up to 5% of daily sales if non-compliance persists (again, without having to go to court). Such penalties might be applied in addition to the greater fines indicated above for violations of consumer law. The government is also contemplating making it possible to directly enforce voluntary commitments or imposing civil fines when a firm fails to comply.
In theory, the new legislation looks imposing, but will it hold true to its word in the implementation?
What we can deduce is that businesses will, of course, be entitled to challenge judgments by regulators determining that they have violated consumer legislation, just as they may appeal decisions made under the competition system. However, by eliminating the need to go to court, the proposed amendments will considerably strengthen the CMA’s hand, as well as the hands of other sectoral regulators with consumer enforcement powers, such as the Financial Conduct Authority. The government states that the policy aims to be “transforming our competition and consumer policies to make it best in class”.
Will it happen – and if so, when?
The two major concerns are whether the government will pass legislation to enact these reforms and, if so, when they will go into effect. Concerning the first point, it is worth noting that previous governments’ track record of delivering on apparent pledges to increase the enforcement powers of consumer regulators has been irregular. For example, the UK government established provisions in the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008 to empower consumer regulators to levy civil monetary penalties. However, these provisions were never utilised for that purpose; they were used instead to allow civil fines to be imposed for various other purposes, such as breaches of environmental law.
Overall, it is believed that these reforms are more likely than not to be implemented in some form – and that consumer-facing firms should be prepared for a tighter regulatory environment (bolstered by additional reforms – see further below). However, this might take several years.
Has Brexit affected consumer rights?
With the UK having now officially left the EU, the UK’s consumer protection regime (which derives partly from EU law and partly from UK-specific law) continues to align with that in place across the EU.
As a result, it is doubtful that UK consumers and/or companies have seen any immediate impact on consumer rights legislation and safeguards in the UK as a result of Brexit. It is crucial to emphasise, however, that Brexit has significant consequences for UK law.
The UK government is awaiting further developments on the potential reforms that are due to come to a conclusion by the 1st of October 2021, and the results remain to be seen until then. Whether or not there will be any implementation depends largely on the results. Should the go-ahead be given, there will also be framework development to attempt efficient implementation of the new proposals.
 UK consumer law reform: will the tough talk be matched by action?, 2021
 UK Government consults on major shake-up of competition and consumer law regimes (part 2), 2021


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From left to right: Craig Jackson, Andy-Reid, FCCS-Best of Show Winner David Flinn, Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega, Dustin Willams and TJ-Hunt
(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Barrett-Jackson.)
This past weekend, the 2023 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction recorded the highest attendance for an opening weekend in the auction company’s history.
Families and young enthusiasts flocked to Barrett-Jackson to take in the excitement of Family Day presented by QT on Saturday and the Future Collector Car Show presented by Meguiar’s on Sunday, according to a press release.
The Scottsdale Auction continues through Sunday, Jan. 29, with both automobilia and collector cars auctioning from the world-famous auction block.
“After the incredible year we experienced in 2022, breaking hundreds of world auction records and shattering our own previous sales records, it’s incredible to see this level of enthusiasm from the hobby as we kicked off our 2023 Scottsdale Auction this weekend,” said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “Our opening weekend saw the highest attendance we’ve ever welcomed at WestWorld over the first two days of our event, and I can’t wait to see what this week’s action brings.”


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“Big Weed” in the press
Asheville Citizen Times – Ganga-preneur talks ‘Big Weed’ at Malaprop’s
May 21, 2015
D’Agnese, an Asheville journalist and author, says that while others took a wait-and-see attitude to avoid risk, Hageseth jumped in without a roadmap and, as a result, his business is poised to become “the Starbucks of pot” or its equivalent as laws change around the nation as they now seem destined to.
Deadline Hollywood – Green Man Cannabis Founder Christian Hageseth Headed For Reality Series With High Noon
May 19, 2015
High Noon Entertainment and Dan Farah’s Farah Films have put in development an unscripted series on Green Man Cannabis founder Christian Hageseth and are currently shopping the project to cable networks. The companies secured life rights to Hageseth, who’s described as the new face of the emerging legalized marijuana industry in the U.S.
The Cannabis | Denver Post – The Cannabist Show: He wrote ‘Big Weed,’ and she makes Wana edibles
May 4, 2015
Here’s what’s happening on The Cannabist Show, episode No. 9, featuring guests Christian Hageseth of Green Man Cannabis (and the new book “Big Weed”) and Nancy Whiteman of Wana Edibles.
Salon – Marijuana is my business: My wild adventures in the legal pot trade
May 3, 2015
Excerpt from “Big Weed: An Entrepreneur’s High-Stakes Adventures in the Budding Legal Marijuana Business” by Christian Hageseth.
NPR, KQED Forum – What If California Legalized Marijuana?
April 24, 2015
When Colorado legalized recreational marijuana last year, it opened the floodgates to $700 million in legal sales, orchestra “weed concerts” and the world’s first pot credit union. So what would California look like if it legalized recreational marijuana use? Christian Hageseth joins a panel of experts to discuss this topic.
Book Reporter – Christian Hageseth on America’s Relationship with Marijuana and Why the Industry is on the Brink
April 23, 2015
According to Hageseth, the marijuana industry is on the brink of a revolution. Here, he explains how America’s perception of pot has changed since the ‘30s and why it’s high time we start taking the drug seriously.
KGO 810 News Ronn Owens Show
April 22, 2015
Brian Copeland fills in for Ronn Owens. This hour Brian spoke with Christian Hageseth, author of “Big Weed” and founder of Green Man Cannabis.
MSN Food & Drink – Forget the Winery: Country’s First ‘Weedery’ to Open Soon
April 21, 2015
The destination is the vision of Christian Hageseth, author of the book “Big Weed: An Entrepreneur’s High-Stakes Adventures in the Budding Legal Marijuana Business” and founder of the marijuana brand Green Man Cannabis, which has two locations in Denver.
KING5-TV New Day Northwest – Big Weed looks inside the marijuana industry
April 21, 2015
Christian Hageseth speaks with Margaret Larson about what Oregan can learn fro Colorado about the legal marijuana industry With the topic of marijuana sweeping the nation and states dealing with the transition to legality, many people are curious about the effects this booming industry will have economically on the nation and how it works.
The Street – Big Pharma and Tobacco Companies Will Benefit From Cannabis Boom
April 20, 2015
For non-marijuana users, April 20th may be just like any other day. But for pot enthusiasts, 4/20 is somewhat of a “marijuana holiday,” says Christian Hageseth, founder of Green Man Cannabis and author of “Big Weed.”
Yahoo! Finance – Colorado’s getting closer to getting its first ‘weedery’
April 20, 2015
America’s got wineries and breweries and later this year it could get its first weedery. Christian Hageseth discusses the marijuana industry, “Big Weed” and the world’s first weedery with Yahoo! Finance.
Nasdaq – Expect Big Tobacco, Big Pharma to Eventually Cash in on ‘Big Weed’ – Presented by: The Aol. On Network
April 20, 2015
The pot holiday ‘4/20’ is a major sales boost for marijuana vendors similar to the way St. Patrick’s Day lifts beer sales, said Christian Hageseth, founder of Green Man Cannabis and author of ‘Big Weed.’
The Brian Lehrer Show WNYC – How to Sell Marijuana (Where It’s Legal)
April 20, 2015
Christian Hageseth, founder of Green Man Cannabis and the author of Big Weed: An Entrepreneur’s High-Stakes Adventures in the Budding Legal Marijuana Business (Palgrave Macmillan Trade, 2015), shares what he has learned about the legal marijuana business.
Publisher’s Weekly – PW Picks: Books of the Week, April 20, 2015
April 17, 2015
Big Weed: An Entrepreneur’s High-Stakes Adventures in the Budding Legal Marijuana Business by Christian Hageseth, with Joseph D’Agnese (Palgrave Macmillan) – In this lively look at the evolution of legal marijuana, Hageseth, founder of the company Green Man Cannabis, describes going from a complete newcomer in 2009 to a respected industry figure and multiple Cannabis Cup winner.
Publisher’s Weekly – Book Deals: Week of April 14, 2014
April 11, 2015
Foundry’s Yfat Reiss Gendell brokered deals for two new memoirs, including Christian Hageseth’s “fish-out-of-water” story, about his five-year journey from “marijuana novice to winner of top honors at the Cannabis Cup,” which is, per the agent, the “Oscars for pot.” Emily Carleton at Palgrave Macmillan bought North American rights in a “lively” auction.
Kirkus Review – Big Weed
February 15, 2015
Hageseth is an old-school drug warrior’s worst nightmare: an affable, articulate venture capitalist who argues that correcting prohibition’s folly will benefit both investors and society at large.
Publisher’s Weekly – Big Weed Starred Review
February 2, 2015
In this lively look at the evolution of legal marijuana, Hageseth, founder of the company Green Man Cannabis, describes going from a complete newcomer in 2009 to a respected industry figure and multiple Cannabis Cup winner.


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You may have noticed a number of rainbow reactions popping up on your Facebook timeline recently.
To celebrate Pride Month, the social media site have introduced a brand new emoji reaction to celebrate LGBT Pride Month.
However, the brand new reaction won't pop up on your Facebook feed automatically. In order to unlock it, you need to like the LGBTQ@Facebook page and after five minutes, the reaction should be available for you to use like so:
As well as the new rainbow flag reaction, Facebook has launched a series of other pride-themed additions, including frames for profile pictures and filters.


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It appears that Electronic Arts is gearing up for a Battlefield 2018 reveal later this month. A new hidden counter has appeared on its official website, suggesting that the new Battlefield game will be unveiled on May 23rd.
Unfortunately the source code of the website does not reveal anything additional, other than a counter (that will most likely go live at a later date). Moreover, the current catch phrase/moto for this Battlefield game is “Battlefield will never be the same.”
Now this could also be related to extra content for Battlefield 1, though this seems unlikely.
From what we know so far, Battlefield 2018, which may be titled Battlefield V, will have a single-player campaign. The game will come out this October and will be playable at EA’s E3 event, EA Play 2018.
Stay tuned for more!


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It’s not rare to find Cuban, Greek, Mexican, Indian and Thai food all on the same block in Bay Area cities. For many, this would make it reason enough for restaurants in the area to be placed on Yelp’s list of Top 100 Places to Eat in 2018.
Well, sorry to break the news Bay Area foodies, but only two restaurants made the cut.
At No. 15, lies the family-owned Falafelle in Belmont. With its vegan wraps, hummus and veggies, the 5-star rated restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday and is located at 1035 Ralston Ave.
Another family-owned establishment, Petra Middle Eastern Cuisine in Livermore also made the list at No. 44. Described as a “taste of Jordan,” it’s kababs, lentil soup and cardamom tea are a few of Yelpers’ favorites. It is located at 4524 Las Positas Road.
Not only do these restaurants have finger-licking food, but their customer service is also highly rated, according to Yelp.
The Mercury News reports that more Bay Area restaurants are not on the list because most people who visit Yelp, review little cafes or delis, instead of restaurant chains and other big establishments that fill the Bay.


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Google Expands Its Bounty Program to Include 3rd-Party App Bugs, Data Privacy Violations
Google has dramatically expanded its bug bounty program to include non-Google Android apps in Google Play with 100 million or more installs, as well as data privacy issues in any app. Google will work with developers' own bug/vulnerability bounty programs, but will pay out bounties in addition to those of developers. Google will also use reports of security vulnerabilities through the new program to improve its automated scanners that look for security issues in all apps uploaded to the Play Store. Google is also starting a new program called Developer Data Protection Reward Program (DDPRP) that will offer similar rewards for people who find proof that an app in the Play Store is violating Google's policies on data privacy. Google will pay up to $50,000 to people who identify situations where user data is being used or sold unexpectedly, or repurposed in an illegitimate way without user consent.
Feb 20, 2018
Google today released Google Pay, the revised payment application and service that replaces Android Pay. Google Pay encompasses most features of Google Wallet and Android Pay in a single app, allowing people to use Google Pay to make payments online and via mobile devices.
Apr 4, 2018
Facebook today made significant changes to its platform as it continues to deal with the fallout from the Cambridge Analytica breach. To start, the company now believes Cambridge Analytica was given improper access to the data of as many as 87 million people, mostly U.S.
Aug 9, 2019
Apple is expanding its bug bounty program to solicit security vulnerabilities from security researchers. The program will now be open to all, not just researchers on pre-approved list.
Apr 12, 2017
Google has partnered with a small number of financial institutions in order to ease the process of signing up for Android Pay. Several banks, including Bank of America, Bank of New Zealand, Discover, mBank, and USAA, now let customers add debit/credit cards directly to Android Pay from within the mobile banking app.
Oct 23, 2017
Google today made good on its promise back in May to release a tool for improving online and in-app payments. Pay with Google allows people to pay with any card on file, including the card they might have associated with Android Pay, Google Play, YouTube, or Chrome.
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UBA leads to boost economic growth through consumer loans –
Pan-African financial institution, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, underscored its unwavering commitment to supporting business and financial inclusion in Africa through its line of consumer loan products.
It has been clearly demonstrated that credit remains a major economic stimulus and engine of growth; but this has been largely inaccessible to the informal sector which dominates African economies and to small businesses which are the main engine of growth.
Therefore, the bank has further deepened its consumer loan product offerings with the aim of providing services that will empower customers, thereby boosting economic growth on the continent.
UBA’s head of consumer loans, Anant Rao, said the bank is focusing on this critical aspect, in line with its first customer philosophy, which is to make sure customers are happy at every touchpoint.
Speaking at a virtual media talk Wednesday attended by a diverse group of journalists and editors from across Africa, he said: âUBA places great importance on consumer loans because of their role. active in economic development. At UBA, we recognize that customers are important to economic growth, which is why our various offerings are positioned to support them in this regard. These loans were developed by the bank with the aim of meeting the financial needs of the clients and being part of their daily life. “
“And that is why consumer credit is very essential to us, as it is the category of financing focused on individuals and households, which includes personal loans extended to people who use the funds for individual or family purposes. as well as home and auto loans. ; this is why, today at UBA, we make the following loan products available to our clients: UBA Personal Loan; Credit card; Advance to retirees; student loan; Automatic loan; Asset financing; Financing of insurance premiums; UBA Mortgage among others, âcontinued Rao.
He took the time to talk about UBA’s Click Credit, a much loved and accepted facility that instantly makes money available to clients with payroll accounts within minutes. âAvailable to all salaried clients, the Click Credit product is an instant loan without any form of documentation, paperwork or queues and is available within seconds of request. In fact, anyone with a mobile phone can borrow from UBA, âsaid Rao, adding that the product is also accessible through USSD, Leo, U-Mobile and Internet Banking.
While stressing that UBA will use consumer credit as a means to meet all the financial needs and aspirations of a family across Africa, the head of consumer banking took the time to talk about the innovations. which drive the activities of the bank, in particular mobile banking services, Internet Bank, USSD, LEO, Kastle among others.
United Bank for Africa Plc is a leading pan-African financial institution, providing banking services to more than twenty-one million customers, in more than 1,000 business offices and customer contact points, in 20 African countries.
With a presence in the United States of America, UK and France, UBA connects people and businesses across Africa through retail; commercial and corporate banking; innovative cross-border payments and remittances; trade finance and ancillary banking services
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SAN JOSE, Calif. – McAfee has announced the launch of its online protection service providing personalized and unified experiences focused on identity and privacy – the protection areas that matter most to people. McAfee’s new approach to online protection makes it easy for people to protect themselves with simple, intelligent protections, including some that will engage automatically.at is new? With an emphasis on providing identity and privacy for all, the new McAfee service is full of enhancements, including McAfee Identity Protection Service delivered via the new web-based McAfee Protection Center to over 28 million McAfee® Total Protection and McAfee LiveSafe customers; McAfee’s industry-first Protection Score available in 32 countries; and a completely redesigned all-in-one mobile app – McAfee Security – which is being launched in over 245 countries globally.
Together, these announcements indicate a major shift in the company’s strategy to deliver an integrated and intuitive online protection service to protect people rather than point products that secure devices. This also reinforces the company’s ongoing commitment to redefining security by empowering people to confidently and freely live online and protect their information across all online activities however and wherever they choose to connect. McAfee’s simple and intuitive end-to-end solutions are designed to provide broad online protection and peace of mind to consumers and their families.
“We are proud to offer comprehensive and personalized ‘set it and forget it’ solutions, allowing customers to carry on without having to worry about their information getting compromised,” says Terry Hicks, EVP of McAfee. “Unlike disjointed applications, McAfee delivers a single, intuitive solution that protects you and your families’ personal data and privacy, everywhere you go. We are thrilled to be bringing this to the marketplace.”
Industry-first Protection Score
McAfee’s new Protection Score is the first of its kind in the online protection industry. It’s available to over 28 million McAfee customers in 18 countries and is planned to expand to 32 countries by the end of 2021. Protection Score measures the strength of consumers’ security and provides personalized recommendations to help fix weaknesses, remediate data breaches, and improve overall protection. The higher the score, the safer you are online.
Key benefits include:
- See how safe you are online: Measure the strength of your online protection with a real-time evaluation.
- Protect any weak spots: Personalized feedback helps you improve your overall online security and address any data breaches.
- Protection made easy: Simple instructions make it easy to set up your protection so you can get the most out of your subscription.
For people to feel in control of their online privacy, identity, and security, it is key is to have protection capabilities integrated and connected across platforms, instead of via separate apps or experiences that don’t talk to each other.
McAfee’s online protection service includes redesigned, engaging experiences on Windows PCs, Android and iOS devices as well as from any web browser.
McAfee Identity Protection Service
The all-new McAfee Identity Protection Service has launched in 18 countries and is planned to expand to 32 by the end of 2021 granting over 28 million McAfee® Total Protection and McAfee® LiveSafe™ customers the ability to know whether their personal information, like bank account and credit card info, is on the dark web.
Key benefits include:
- Proactive, guided protection to help guide customers to the best choices for prevention and keep them in the know should additional action be needed.
- Early detection allows customers to take advantage of detection times an average of 10 months earlier than similar monitoring services and stay ahead of data breaches before they can become an identity fraud issue.
- Always-connected experience onsmartphones, laptops and tablets, at home and on-the-go.
Expanded monitoring that brings benefits to customers across multiple countries. The personal info McAfee can currently help customers monitor includes email addresses, phone numbers, and Social Security Numbers (in the United States). By the end of 2021, monitoring is expected to include additional identifiers, including government ID numbers, credit card and bank account numbers, passport information and more.
McAfee Protection Center
McAfee introduces a convenient portal, McAfee Protection Center, that allows consumers to protect their personal information and online accounts from any device and any web browser. McAfee Protection Center can be accessed anytime and anywhere with an active McAfee Total Protection or McAfee LiveSafe subscription.
McAfee Security App
McAfee has completely redesigned its mobile solution to provide people with simple, all-in-one security with advanced privacy and identity protection, everywhere they go. Unlike disjointed applications that feel bolted on, the new mobile app protects customers’ personal data and privacy, and provides security in a single, integrated solution. The Android app is now live in 145 countries worldwide to start, including India, Russia and Italy. The iOS app, and additional countries across the Americas, Europe and Asia, are expected to follow later this year.
The McAfee Security app offers consumers easy to use, all-in-one protection for up to 5 phones, PCs or tablets.
App benefits include:
- Keep data and location private with an encrypted Wi-Fi connection
- Monitor and alert customers when their personal information is found on the dark web
- Actively protect against malicious links, websites, and phishing scams
- Deliver timely alerts before connecting to unsafe networks
- Ensure your device’s software is up to date (iOS only)
Over 28 million current McAfee mobile security customers will receive the update to their current McAfee Security apps to take advantage of the advanced protection capabilities, including VPN and Identity Protection, at no additional cost. Not all features are available for all devices and locations. See System Requirements for additional information.
Privacy for All
McAfee Secure VPN is now automated and integrated in our online protection service making it easier than ever for consumers to protect their personal info when away from home. By encrypting their internet traffic, consumers can keep their credit card and personal data safer from prying eyes on public Wi-Fi.
- Automatic protection – On Windows Home/Pro, Android, and iOS devices McAfee Secure VPN helps people stay private as their VPN can turn on automatically for public Wi-Fi, protecting account credentials, search habits, and more.
- Integrated protection – On Android and iOS people no longer need to install a separate app for VPN protection as McAfee Secure VPN is now integrated in their mobile security app.
- Global coverage for enhanced performance – Throughout this year McAfee has invested in adding additional server locations around the world so there is always a server close by. By the end of 2021, McAfee Secure VPN customers will be able to connect to servers in 50 countries around the world as well as in 14 regions in the USA and 3 in Canada.


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Divisadero Street, San Francisco’s busy central thoroughfare that was once dotted with check-cashing joints and decrepit laundromats, has undergone a transformation.
Openings this month will bring the next wave of businesses drawing liviely crowds on nights and weekends with Wine Kitchen, from Commonwealth and Spruce veterans Greg Faucette and Jason Limburg, and the Mill, Four Barrel Coffee’s collaboration with Josey Baker Bread. Bi-Rite Market’s second outpost is slated to open in the spring, and the Barrel Head Brewhouse, which just signed a lease at 1785 Fulton St., is aiming to open before the end of the year.
Retailers Rare Device and San Franpsyco recently opened, contributing to the explosive popularity of the corridor fueled by Nopa, MiniBar, Little Star Pizza, Regazza, Mojo Bicycle Café, the Independent, and several other newer businesses.
“This neighborhood is no longer a hub for check cashing and doing the weekly laundry loads,” said Mollie Poe of Pacific Union Real Estate, a resident who has done multiple deals in the area.
Once deemed part of the Western Addition, the street is now considered the main drag of the up-and-coming North of the Panhandle neighborhood. Rebranded as NoPa a few years back, the area is flourishing, as rents have been rising and retail options have multiplied on every side of the street over the past year.
“It’s still in its early days, but the interest in the area is enormous and developers are really keen on cultivating it,” said CGI Retail’s Carol Gilbert. “It’s increasingly on the bar and restaurant radar. And new businesses are doing really well.”
Read more: San Francisco Business Times NoPa neighborhood flourishes amid business boom


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News, analysis and tips on the Google Android operating system, and devices and apps that use it.
Looking for phones? CNET's reviews of the best phones include photos, video, and user reviews.
T-Mobile's 3G-enabled Prism 2 sports a 1GHz processor, a 3.2-megapixel camera, and a 3.5-inch screen.
The mobile carrier seems to be moving toward carrying its own line of high-end smartphones.
As Microsoft brings the curtain down on Nokia, check out these classic Nokia and Ericsson phones reimagined as smartphones.
Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty also says no other company comes close to Apple's brand loyalty in the mobile market.
The iPhone has come a long way since it debuted on June 29, 2007. CNET looks at how it changed the face of mobile devices -- and talks with some of the people who still (mostly) love it.
Since Google's co-founder took charge in 2011, he's had the search giant thinking bigger than ever. What to expect at Google I/O this week? Even if it's nothing mind-blowing, it's all according to plan.
Since taking over Yahoo in 2012, Marissa Mayer has bought companies at a breakneck clip. Yahoo's mobile czar, Adam Cahan, says the reason is simple: because they had to.
Starting today, LG Escape users can now update their handsets to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
The Jelly Bean version of Android is now available for AT&T subscribers who own the Samsung phone.
The Android Jelly Bean 2 update begins rolling out for the budget-friendly smartphone.


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KOCHI: With markets closed, locals are exploring other ways to sell fish. Most of them have started to orders through WhatsApp
and deliver at consumers’ doorsteps. They are mostly selling freshly caught fish from the Kochi backwaters and inland fishermen.
Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), which has been working with self-help farmer groups (SHGs), has been hand-holding the Kadapuram freshfish welfare sangham to deliver fresh fish to households. “It works through WhatsApp. Around 9am, the details of available fish with picture and cost will be shared. This goes to nearly 750-1,000 people. During the lockdown period alone, the SHG earned Rs 1.6 lakh by delivering 51kg of fish to nearly 350 households every day,” said KVK project coordinator Shinoj Subramannian.
He said that KVK is helping fishers develop an app which will then be linked to the KVK website. “This is aimed to reassure the customer of the fish quality
. There are a lot of groups selling fish but we have to just ensure its quality. One of the main challenges of youth getting into this business is that there is already a large network of fishermen and traders in the fisheries marketing sector but not much stress is being given to quality. So we advise newcomers to stress on quality.
The SHG had started with making manure from fish waste. Almost 30-40% fish waste is accumulated in the fisheries sector and it is often dumped somewhere in the waters. We trained them to make manure which is being sold in our Farme Shoppe at the CMFRI office.
A group of young men have started a Varapuzha fish hub, which sells only freshwater fish. “Two of the partners who are in the Gulf helped develop a website and we have activated a WhatsApp group too. We collect fish from the farmers at Varapuzha, Kadamakudy and nearby places. Though we have just started only a couple of days ago, we have been able to cater to many as we ensure quality. We sell different varieties of pearl spot, anchovies, crab
, tilapia, etc.,” said Jilish George, one of the owners.
He said that during the initial lockdown days, the catch from his Chinese nets were sold in the neighbourhood because of fear of wastage.


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The farmers of Damurhuda upazila of Chuadanga are farming summer tomato with scaffolds instead of using traditional tomato farming method.
As using this method yields more tomato, the farmers have cultivated tomato in 22 hectares of land in Damurhuda, which is twice the area used in last year.
According to the district agricultural extension department, 15 to 22 tonnes of traditional tomato can be produced in a hectare of land, while the farmers expect to produce 30 to 50 tonnes of summer tomato per hectare this year.
This new variety of tomato, which is more productive and tastier, is grown for eight months in a year. The soil of Chuadanga is fertile and suitable for tomato cultivation.
In the new method, saplings are grown in a seedbed. Then the field is ploughed and covered with polythene. Saplings are planted after making small holes in the polythene.
Once the plants grow larger, those are placed on scaffolds for support. Fruits hang from the scaffolds.
As tomato is mainly a winter vegetable, the summer tomato is sent to various regions of the country. Each kilogram of this preseason tomato is sold at Tk60 to Tk90.
Lutfur Rahman, a tomato farmer at Damurhuda upazila, said, "This year, I spent Tk50,000 to plant hybrid tomato in three bighas of land. I hope to make a net profit of Tk1 lakh."
Nazrul Islam from Keshobpur village in the upazila said, farmers are interested in growing this variety of tomato, because it is very profitable.
"In this method, tomato is less damaged as it does not touch the ground," he added.
Mukul Ali, a farmer from Karpasdanga village, said, "The price of tomato is better this year than that of last year. So far I have sold 50 maunds of tomato at Tk60 to Tk90 per kilogram. The shape and weight of the tomatoes are also good."
Sufi Md Rofiquzzaman, additional director at the agriculture extension department, said, "Summer tomatoes are being produced under different projects. In the past, farmers did not produce this variety of tomato. However, they have recently become interested in producing it. We are providing all types of assistance to them."


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Full speed ahead to success: With the live-action adaptation of the popular anime "One Piece", Netflix may well have pulled off one of the year's big surprises. The series entered the Netflix charts at the top spot, even overtaking the previous records of "Stranger Things" and "Wednesday".
With the live-action adaptations of "Death Note" and "Cowboy Bepop", Netflix has previously attempted to adapt well-known anime - but to no avail. Thus, there was a lot of skepticism among fans when the streaming service announced an adaptation of the popular pirate adventure "One Piece". As of August 31, however, these fears have vanished into thin air, as the series is making viewers excited: Luffy and his friends have a high average rating of 83 points on RottenTomatoes and are currently ranked number 1 on Netflix in more than 84 countries - something that no series has ever achieved before.
Now, of course, there's the question of when One Piece Season 2 will follow: Due to the tremendous response, a continuation of the series is very likely, but might still be a long time coming. Hollywood is currently still on strike and the budget may be a factor as well: The adaptation is considered one of the most expensive series ever and, at $18 million per episode, is even outshining "Game of Thrones".
Either way, "One Piece" should ensure that people are more at ease when it comes to future anime adaptations: "Avatar: The Last Airbender" is to get a new series next year, while "Pokémon" and "My Hero Academia" are also on the streaming giant's schedule.


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Dokkan Brugghús, the first brewery in the Westfjords, is set to unveil its first beer over the first weekend in June, an Icelandic holiday known as Fisherman’s Day, RÚV reports. The brewery is located in the harbor town of Ísafjörður.
“The area’s unique. We’re in the Westfjords where there’s no brewery in a 400-kilometer radius—that’s unique in and of itself,” said Valur Norðdahl, who is involved with the brewery’s management. Hákon Hermannsson, one of Dokkan’s founders, says that the eventual plan is to have a guest room on the premises so that visitors can enjoy overnight stays as well as brewery tours and tastings. In the meantime, however, Bruggan’s first beers are expected to be sold in restaurants around the Westfjords starting this weekend.


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In a bold move aimed at safeguarding consumers, the FCA added 145 digital asset companies, including major exchanges Huobi-owned HTX and KuCoin, to its warning list.
This decision follows the FCA’s expansion of regulations to include cryptoasset service providers, regardless of their geographical location.
Cracking Down on Crypto
The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has taken a decisive step in its efforts to safeguard consumers and regulate the growing crypto industry.
We’ve issued 26 new #FCAwarnings to unauthorised and clone firms in the last 7 days.
— Financial Conduct Authority (@TheFCA) October 6, 2023
On Oct. 8, the FCA expanded its warning list of non-authorized firms, adding 145 digital asset companies, including prominent exchanges Huobi-owned HTX and KuCoin. In the statement, FCA asserted:
“Promoting financial services or products without our permission is forbidden. Avoid dealing with these firms.”
In the UK, companies engaged in cryptocurrency operations must either be registered with the FCA or have obtained provisional permission to operate. Jayson Probin, the FCA’s lead for cryptocurrency financial promotions, emphasized in July that failure to comply could result in legal prosecution.
Failure to comply with FCA rules may lead to severe consequences, including website takedowns, substantial fines, and even legal action. Lucy Castledine, the FCA’s Director of Consumer Investments, emphasized the watchdog’s commitment to promptly identify and address crypto firms that breach the expanded rules, stating,
“We aim to be swift in calling out crypto firms that breach our expanded rules.”
Huobi and KuCoin Respond
Huobi and KuCoin wasted no time responding to their inclusion on the FCA’s warning list. A spokesperson for the former asserted that the firm “does not operate or market its services or products in the UK.” However, it’s important to note that the FCA’s jurisdiction extends to any company dealing with UK consumers, regardless of geographical location.
KuCoin’s CEO, Johnny Lyu, expressed the company’s commitment to complying with laws and regulations in each country they operate in. Despite being headquartered in the Seychelles and restricting operations in certain regions, the UK is not among the places they exclude.
The FCA’s warning list holds value for consumers as it assists in identifying companies that require caution. The agency emphasized in its statement that engaging with unapproved firms can potentially lead to losing access to critical services like the Financial Ombudsman Service or the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which can prove detrimental if complications arise.


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Mercedes is now faced with a recall in Germany as well. The large SUV GLS is affected.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Federal Motor Transport Authority and Mercedes-Benz have launched a recall campaign for the 167 series GLS. Currently, 133,816 vehicles from model years 2017 to 2022 are affected worldwide.
The causes are defective latches of the seats in the third row due to uninstalled or incorrectly positioned springs within the components. Because of this manufacturing defect, the seat backs can collapse in the event of an accident and not properly restrain the occupants in a potential crash. According to the NHTSA, this increases the risk of injury. According to the authority, the defective parts come from the supplier Brose North America.
These models are affected by the recall:
( total: 133,816 vehicles, USA: 59,574 vehicles, Germany: 4,397 vehicles)
In the affected cars, the third row of seats is checked in the authorized workshop; if necessary, their backrest is replaced. The recall can be found at the NHTSA under the case number 22V-732, at the Federal Motor Transport Authority under the reference number 012211 and the manufacturer code 9391001.
Mercedes has to improve 133,816 GLS copies. The backrests of the third row of seats may not be properly fastened in the affected vehicles, which poses an increased risk of injury in the event of a possible accident.


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PITTSBURGH - MedSage Technologies, a technology company that sells patient management systems to HME companies, is rolling out a software product that tracks a sleep apnea patient’s progress and supply needs.
On a regular basis, MedSage’s software dials the home of an HME patient and, using the prerecorded voice of the supplier, asks questions about compliance and supply needs.
The CPAP product is MedSage’s second patient management system after a respiratory medication tracking system that has already won eight to 12 HME customers.
The company’s president, Bill Kaigler, said that more than 80% of the end-users who answer a call from the pre-recorded voice reply to the software’s questions.
“They’re not just not hanging up,” said Kaigler. “They are answering questions and ordering meds through the system.”
Replenishment, say boosters, is one of the great untapped reoccurring revenue streams. Medicare, for example, pays $750 per year for a new CPAP mask every quarter, new tubes, new filters and new headgear.
But 95% of the HME suppliers Marcus Kruk and his sales team at HME Services, another replenishment specialist, have contacted over the past year are not set up to recontact patients on a regular basis.
“If that dealer has 1,000 [CPAP] patients, once you have deducted the cost of goods and my charge, and also the shipping charge, they’ve left $356,000 on the table [if they’re not contacting the patient],” said Kruk.
In the past year, HME Services has begun working with 32 different companies and 6,000 patients. Most of the company’s 338 employees work out of the call center, dialing patients on a regular basis.


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New DRM tech makes subscription content portable
Microsoft is apparently working
on a new digital rights management (DRM) technology for its own upcoming music service. At least one feature of the new rights management tech will be a "time bomb" that could make subscription content portable:
Published reports have indicated that Microsoft is busy readying a secure clock DRM technology dubbed "Janus." Janus enables songs distributed under a subscription model to be transferred to portable devices, with a built in "time bomb" that enables songs to expire in the event that a customer's subscription lapses.
Of course, it's unlikely that any kind of DRM will find support in the enthusiast community. However, it will be interesting to see whether the potential for portability will make subscription-based music services more attractive than traditional online music stores. Consumers may not feel the need to own music if they can rent access to massive song libraries at reasonable prices.


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Should you’re dreaming of mendacity on a sunny seashore this summer season after weeks caught indoors, perhaps your hopes aren’t completely quashed.
European tourism ministers have pledged to assist the business, which makes up 10 per cent of the EU’s GDP.
Nevertheless, they need the bloc’s exterior borders to remain closed till mid-June, leaving many within the continent’s hospitality sector uncertain about what to anticipate.
The journey business is determined to recoup losses from coronavirus shutdowns, whereas authorities are cautious of opening up too quickly amid fears of a second wave of infections.
The EU, in the meantime, is making an attempt to make sure that the reopening of nations’ borders and resorts is coordinated.
Greece can be among the many first to kick off its vacationer season, opening its resorts from June 15 and resuming worldwide constitution flights to common places in July. It insists that security stays a precedence.
“Pattern coronavirus testing can be performed on our guests and our normal well being protocols can be adhered to, with out them, nonetheless, overshadowing our vibrant solar or the pure beauties of Greece,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis mentioned in a televised handle to the nation on Wednesday.
The Greek announcement got here as EU tourism ministers agreed to do “no matter it takes for the fast and full restoration of European tourism”.
Mitsotakis mentioned guests could be topic to pattern coronavirus testing and “our normal well being protocols can be adhered to”.
The federal government imposed a lockdown early in Greece’s outbreak, which has been credited with protecting the variety of deaths to comparatively low ranges.
To encourage tourism, Greece can also be lowering client taxes on transport from 24 per cent to 13 per cent, which can result in cheaper boat, airplane and bus tickets through the vacationer season.
Italy can also be making strikes to entice vacationers by saying that each one its airports might reopen on June three for nationwide and worldwide flights.
Some resorts have been getting ready for this second.
“The actual turning level would be the opening of our borders as a result of, for folks like us, whose prospects are 60 per cent foreigners, it is essential to know after they’ll be capable of take holidays in Italy,” mentioned Christofer De Zotti, supervisor of the Seashore Resort Lodge Mondial in Jesolo, east of Venice.
Final week, the European Fee proposed a gradual lifting of journey restrictions all through the bloc.
Presently, France is barely permitting important journey from overseas and whereas its seashores are open, sunbathing is banned.
Slovenia has for its half mentioned it plans to supply €200 vouchers to its residents to induce them to vacation of their dwelling nation quite than overseas.
In Spain, overseas holidaymakers usually tend to be allowed again to the nation’s islands earlier than its greatest cities. The nation has seen certainly one of Europe’s strictest lockdowns and the foundations are step by step being relaxed on a region-by-region foundation.
Barcelona, which has been hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, has simply begun to re-open its parks and seashores, however solely to residents.
And a few are discovering advantages in a quieter city life.
“It’s extra charming when there are fewer folks,” mentioned native resident Emma Praes. “Usually I don’t come to those seashores, I normally go extra to the Costa Brava or the Costa Dorada.”
Whereas governments need to assist tourism, hygiene and social distancing should function extremely in any doable vacation this yr.


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No.160 / Oct 17, 2022
Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, donated 100% of the company’s ownership to environmental organizations and non-profit foundations. Patagonia, a global outdoor brand in the United States (U.S.), is famous for donating 1% of its sales to environmental protection organizations every year. Patagonia has actively engaged in environmental protection and promoted slogans related to the environment. Their environmental philosophy, “eco-friendly”, is gradually becoming a trend, and many consumers’ interest in eco-friendliness is increasing. As a result, companies are building eco-friendly images to increase sales and generate profits by gaining people’s attention.
However, poor justification for environmental protection may damage brand’s image. Last June, Patagonia launched a new brand campaign. It was an advertisement called “Patagonia doesn’t sell trends.” Some said that 20% sale during the Spring/Summer (S/S) season and influencer marketing seem to be leading the trend. In this way, the contradiction of brands that emphasize public interest value for the environment is related to greenwashing. Greenwashing is a combination of “whitewashing”, which means covering up unpleasant facts, and “green”, which means the natural environment. The word “greenwashing” was first used in American magazines in 1991 to criticize the case of promoting the brand through exaggerated advertisements or unproven claims. It is a situation that exaggerates eco-friendly practices for profit while deceiving consumers. As such, the controversy over greenwashing occurs mainly in the fashion and food and beverage industries. For example, Starbucks Korea held a reusable cup event to celebrate its 50th anniversary. There was a counterargument that the purpose of the event was confused by promoting plastic while shouting eco-friendly, but Starbucks said it intended to encourage the use of reusable cups. However, reusable cups are made harder and thicker than disposable cups, resulting in more greenhouse gas emissions. An Environmental Protection group in Canada, CIRAIG also released a study that said, “It is meaningful to the environment that plastic tumblers should be used more than 50 times and stainless-steel tumblers should be used more than 220 times.”
Then, how should we cope with this situation? Professor Lee Eun-hee, who introduced “Seven Types of Greenwashing”, argues the need for accurate ingredient labeling and the disclosure of relevant evidence. She also talked about the greenwashing guidelines proposed by the British Competition Markets Authority (CMA) saying it is important to prepare a check to help the brand disclose clear information. It collects examples for setting brand’s greenwashing criteria and recommends correcting the brand’s inappropriate advertising phrases. The essence of greenwashing surveillance is to reduce environmental pollution and add to environmental conservation efforts. Brand practice begins with transparent disclosure of information. Modern consumers behave prudently with the temptation of brands. Consumers need numerical and quantified information to identify ingredients, not a logo. Objective figures, such as nutritional information written on a canned beverage or a calorie chart attached to mayonnaise, have more power than logos. If production planning and the production process are transparently disclosed, consumers will directly judge brand’s authenticity. Consumers need continuous attention and an information-gathering capability, not thoughtless purchasing of eco-friendly products. People should be alerted to the existence of greenwashing and try to make wise consumption for the earth.
By Kim Da-hye, AG Reporter


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New Zealand is revamping its regulations for medical devices to replace the country’s Medicines Act 1981 and its associated regulations.
The proposed regulations mark a significant change for medical devices, which are not fully regulated under current rules.
The agency noted that the current regulations are “dated and inflexible” and reflect the policies of the 1970s when the types of products requiring regulation were simpler.
“The change to full pre- and post-market regulation will be significant, as will any cost recovery,” according to Ministry of Health documents.
Under the proposed regulations, devices would be approved based on their risk classification. Postmarket monitoring by the license holder and the regulator also would be required.
Approvals would be subject to new conditions, such as duties for a responsible person designated for each product. Companies may also need to provide more information on products, and could be subject to new penalties such as warning letters, bans, fines, prosecutions or extra conditions on licenses.
“The implications of some of these changed requirements — e.g., the ability of the regulator to license for longer periods — are likely to reduce compliance costs,” the documents note.
Along with new approval regulations, a framework is needed for regulatory oversight of clinical trials for all therapeutic products, the documents say. They point out that trials of medical devices and some cell and tissue therapeutic products do not currently require approval.
The effects of the new regulations on product availability and pricing “is expected to be slightly favorable.” Flexible approval methods are expected to encourage innovative products, and the extra compliance cost for many devices could have little effect on product pricing.
The document discusses three options for export controls of devices:
A bill outlining the new scheme is expected to be introduced to the country’s parliament later this year, with implementation taking place over several years. The move follows the halting of the Australia New Zealand Therapeutic Products Agency project, and it will “look to align with international standards where appropriate,” said the Ministry of Health.