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Mastercard is opening access to its blockchain technology via an API published on ‘Mastercard Developers‘. Mastercard hopes its blockchain solution will enable new ways for consumers, businesses and banks to transact. It claims it is key to the company’s strategy to provide payment solutions that meet all needs of financial institutions and their end-customers.
The company has applied for 35+ patents in blockchain. It has invested in Digital Currency Group, a collaborator which builds, incubates and seeds Bitcoin and blockchain technology-related initiatives.
Mastercard recently joined the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance to explore the possibilities of the Ethereum technology across a wide range of potential use cases.Many of these explore areas well outside the scope of Mastercard’s traditional payments environment. In addition, Mastercard is also working on new use cases with startups that are a part of its Start Path Global program.
“By combining Mastercard blockchain technology with our settlement network and associated network rules, we have created a solution that is safe, secure, auditable and easy to scale,” said Ken Moore, executive vice president, Mastercard Labs. “When it comes to payments, we want to provide choice and flexibility to our partners where they are able to seamlessly use both our existing and new payment rails based on the needs and requirements of their customers.”
Why Mastercard matters
MasterCard (www.mastercard.com), is the payments company. Like Visa, its primary competitor, its customers are partner banks and merchants (those businesses which accept payment with credit or debit cards). While card owners are not Mastercard’s direct customers, making it easy for consumers to use Mastercard services drives everyday commerce activities. These include shopping, travelling, running businesses and even managing finances. Facilitating these securely makes transacting more efficient for everyone.
The company claims to have the world’s fastest payments processing network. This connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories.
Mastercard and blockchain
Mastercard says it has tested and validated its blockchain. It will initially implement the technology in the business-to-business (B2B) space to address challenges of speed, transparency and costs in cross-border payments. In this context its blockchain technology will complement existing capabilities – including virtual cards, Mastercard Send and Vocalink – to support cross-border, B2B payment flows (account-based, blockchain-based and card-based).
The Mastercard blockchain claims four differentiators:
- privacy: by ensuring that transaction details are shared only among the participants of a transaction while maintaining a fully auditable and valid ledger of transactions
- flexibility: partners can use the blockchain APIs in conjunction with a wider suite of Mastercard APIs to create new applications; software development kits are available in six different languages.
- scalability: by reaching consensus between a trusted network moderator and network participants, Mastercard’s blockchain addresses commercial processing speed and extensibility
- the reach of the company’s settlement network that includes 22,000 financial institutions to move funds that have been committed on the blockchain.
The Mastercard blockchai solution
Mastercard believes its blockchain solution has the capability to power secure and seamless non-card payment transactions. These include business-to-business payments and trade finance transactions. In the latter, Mastercard would add yet another player, albeit one with a global reach that most banks cannot provide).
In theory, by using blockchain technology, Mastercard will offer the ability to power non-payment solutions, for example proof of provenance. This should support authenticate products across supply chains.
Why does this matter
ET has commented on the superfluity of ‘trade finance’ initiatives. IBM has come up with a different blockchain solution, appealling to banks to join.
With this proprietary blockchain, Mastercard aspires to create and move into new business areas. These may be ones that compete directly with its partner banks. The objective is sound: to make the commerce ecosystem easier, faster and safer.
The deep lesson to draw here is that blockchain has real potential to upset existing business models and business relationships. All those banks initiating blockchain trade finance to gain ‘first mover’ advantages may be displaced. By a credit card payments company! If this can happen in an industry as highly regulated as finance, and with such a highly dispersed player as Mastercard. Where else might it occur?


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Target: Data breach may involve 40 million accountsPosted: Updated:
The Secret Service said it's investigating a massive credit and debit card data theft at Target stores across the country that might involve tens of millions accounts.
Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary confirmed the agency was investigating, but declined to provide details.
The Minneapolis-based Target Corp. on Thursday morning said as many as 40 million accounts might have been impacted by the data breach between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15.
"We began investigating the incident as soon as we learned of it," Target said on its website. "We have determined that the information involved in this incident included customer name, credit or debit card number, and the card's expiration date and CVV (the three-digit security code).
"We are partnering with a leading third-party forensics firm to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident and to examine additional measures we can take that would be designed to help prevent incidents of this kind in the future. Additionally, Target alerted authorities and financial institutions immediately after we discovered and confirmed the unauthorized access, and we are putting our full resources behind these efforts. "
Target said shoppers should check accounts for any suspicious or unusual activity and if something appears fraudulent, REDcard holders should contact target and others should contact their respective banks.
A MasterCard representative referred questions to Target.
"I think they should at least tell the customers, 'Hey, this happened,'" said Phoenix-area Target shopper Pauline Arce.
Blogger Brian Krebs broke the news on his website, stating reliable sources told him Target is investigating a data breach potentially involving millions of customer credit and debit card records.
"I'm surprised to hear it from someone other than the company," shopper Melissa Ross said.
Krebs said the breach began on or around Black Friday and continued through Dec. 6, possibly as late as the Dec. 15 at Target stores nationwide.
Krebs said thieves can use stolen data from credit and debit cards, collected through point of sale machines, to create counterfeit cards.
If PIN numbers were used, they could reproduce stolen debit cards and withdraw cash from ATMs.
Krebs said it does not appear customers who used Target's website were affected by this breach.
Target has 1,797 stores in the U.S. and 124 in Canada.
Target Corp. said that customers who made purchases at its U.S. stores during the impacted period and suspected unauthorized activity should call them at 866-852-8680.
Copyright 2013 CBS 5 (KPHO Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

domain: news


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The Asian Games event officially revealed that a new version of the mobile game would be featured in the tournament, which had been teased previously.
A new PUBG Mobile game could be released shortly, and not for the reasons one might assume. Krafton has revealed that it is working on a new version of PUBG Mobile in order for the mobile battle royale game to be ready for an upcoming Asian Games. The new PUBG Mobile edition will be built in preparation for the Asian Games in 2022. The Asian Games event officially revealed that a new version of the mobile game would be featured in the tournament, which had been teased previously.
This is something Krafton has now confirmed in an announcement, along with a few other information about the new PUBG Mobile game. According to what we can determine, it’s being built primarily for the 2022 Asian Games and is being developed mostly by Krafton.
This would be a fascinating development for the mobile game, which was built by Tencent’s Chinese game company. As a result, concerns arose around the world, with nations such as India and others banning PUBG Mobile.
As a result, it would make sense for Krafton to come in now and create a version of PUBG Mobile that is more compatible and universal for all countries competing in the Asian Games in 2022. This is a crucial component that will allow PUBG Mobile to participate in the event.
PUBG Mobile strategic marketing development at Krafton Minu Lee said, “I’m glad that PUBG Mobile is selected as the official medal event at the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, which will be an opportunity for people from all over Asia to come together as one. I hope that fans and players will be able to unite through a new version on PUBG Mobile, which we developed with PUBG IP specifically for the Asian Games.”
PUBG Mobile is available in a variety of versions around the world. In most countries, the original PUBG Mobile game is available, followed by a slightly altered version in other countries that removes red blood and other elements, and finally country-specific variants.
China has its own version of PUBG Mobile called Peacekeeper Elite, which is only available in China. It has basically the same gameplay and style as the original, but it has been tweaked to comply with the regulations governing what content minors can legally consume.
In addition, when PUBG Mobile was outlawed in 2020, India has its own game called Battlegrounds Mobile India, which was released this year. According to what we’ve been told, that version of the game is produced completely by Krafton and is essentially PUBG Mobile with some tweaks to remove the PUBG logo.
With so many distinct versions of the mobile battle royale game on the market right now, it’s understandable that Krafton would prefer to build a universal new PUBG Mobile version that would be compatible with the forthcoming Asian Games in 2022. The teams must be able to compete utilising this game next year in Hangzhou, China.
The most pressing question is: what will be included in the new PUBG Mobile version? Will there be new features or other content in it as well? Presumably, this will merely be a new version of the game that is globally compliant with all countries participating in the Asian Games 2022, but will there be new features or other content in it as well?
It also makes us wonder whether the new PUBG Mobile game will be released as a full-fledged game for everyone or if it will only be used for the forthcoming Asian Games competition. If it’s largely comparable to the original game, it’s possible that it’ll only be utilised for the event.


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INDIA--NXP Semiconductors said Thursday it expects huge demand in India for its identification products as a result of the country's e-government, transport and financial inclusion projects.
Claus Hansen, NXP's Asia-Pacific senior director, sales and marketing said: "India is a bundle of latent opportunity."
Headquartered in Europe, NXP creates semiconductors, systems and software designed to deliver better sensory experiences in televisions, set-top boxes, identification applications, mobile phones, cars and a wide range of electronic devices.
Ashok Chandak, its senior director of global sales and marketing, said: "We expect 600 million unique ID cards, 50 million e-passports, 100 million health cards, 50 million transport and ticketing cards and 50 million banking cards likely to be issued over the next seven years."
The NXP executives were speaking at the Identification Summit 2009 hosted by the company Thursday for select media.
In India, NXP was the sole supplier of chipsets for the pilot of the Multipurpose National Identity Card Project (MNIC) in 2007, now integrated with the National Authority for Unique Identity (NAUID) under the government's Planning Commission.
The company expects huge demand from the government sector, with the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) coming into force and the India's National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) progressing in full swing.
NREGA seeks to enhance the livelihood of people in rural India by guaranteeing them 100 days of wage employment every financial year and within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of their residence. The NeGP seeks to make all government services accessible to the common man through common service delivery outlets.
NXP offers four kinds of identification offerings--near field communication (NFC) and services, radio frequency identification (RFID), smartcard products and infrastructure components such as ICs and modules for terminals.
Future is contactless
Hansen said NFC is emerging as an important application for mobile phones. Handsets with NFC can be used for keyless entry into one's car, to purchase tickets at toll-roads and in mass rapid transport systems, and facilitate banking transactions.
NFC is a short-range high-frequency wireless communication technology that enables data exchange between devices around 10 centimeters (4 inches) apart.
Mobile phone manufacturers are developing NFC-enabled handsets. For instance, the Nokia 6212C 3G handset featuring NFC lets consumers conveniently share content, access services and information as well as conduct payments and ticketing with one tap of the device.
Hansen said: "Identity cards that have a longer usage span need a contactless interface. Therefore, for e-governance projects like NUID, health cards, driving licenses and e-passports, contactless would be the natural choice."
Contactless is the interface of choice for the 21st century. Governments and banks are moving towards it," he added. NXP's contactless e-government chip has been used in 62 of the 71 countries where the e-passport scheme has been implemented, according to him.
Financial inclusion--the process of delivering affordable banking services to disadvantaged and low-income groups--also has wide scope in India, since banks cover only 39 percent of rural India.
The government has set up a US$125 million financial inclusion technology fund that seeks to bank these rural pockets with the use of new financial inclusion technologies using smart cards, NFC and mobile phones. NXP has been involved in several pilot financial inclusion projects.
Smartcards for railways
NXP also announced its secure microcontroller-based chip technology MIFARE DESFire was selected by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), an IT organization under India's Ministry of Railways. The technology will power contactless smart cards for automatic fare collection using automatic ticket vending machines (ATVMs) across various cities in India.
Indian Railways is one of the largest and busiest rail transport networks in the world, carrying over 18 million passengers daily. "Globally, 75 percent of all electronic tickets in public transport use NXP MIFARE technology," Chandak said.
CRIS developed an AVTM as part of an Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS). These ATVMs will be rolled out across five major cities in India--New Delhi, Secunderabad, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Pune. The project is expected to go live in September 2009.
Swati Prasad is a freelance IT writer based in India.


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The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) today joined other government agencies in launching a green public procurement project that will promote the use of environment-friendly products and services in the supply chain.
The launch was capped with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the “Pilot Project for the Implementation of Green Public Procurement among selected Government Institutions” at the Quezon City Hall.
Signatories to the MOU include Undersecretary Analiza Teh for DENR, Executive Director Estanislao Granados for the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Undersecretary Zenaida Malaya for Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Undersecretary Loreta Ayson for the Department of Energy (DOE), Industrial Technology Development Institute Dir. Nuna Almanzor for the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Dr. Nereus Acosta for the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI); Dr. Lilia De Lima for the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA); Antonio Kalaw, Jr. for the Development Academy of the Phlippines (DAP); Mayor Herbert Bautista for Quezon City local government, and Shantanu Roy for the International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN).
The DENR, DTI, DOST, DOE, PCEPSDI, DAP and IGPN form part of the Board of the National Eco-labelling Program of the Philippines-Green Choice Philippines (NELP-GCP), which promotes Green Procurement by educating institutional and individual consumers on using environment-friendly products and services.
In a speech read by Teh, DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje expressed optimism that the signing of the MOU would hasten the implementation of the Green Procurement Program in the public sector, which he described as the country’s biggest consumer of goods and services.
“With the MOU, and with government being the country’s biggest consumer of goods and services, we hope to encourage more companies, especially small and medium enterprises, to shift to environment-friendly business practices, provide choices by making green products and delivering green services not only for the government’s supply chain but for every consumer in the country as well,” Paje said.
The Green Procurement Program of the government was established by virtue of Executive Order No. 301 issued in 2004. However, Paje noted the difficulty of government agencies in implementing the directive “due to inadequate supply of environmentally-preferable products and services.”
Green procurement refers to patronizing goods and services that have less environmental impact, aside from considering their price and quality. The project is also seen to form part of government’s long-term solutions in adopting and mitigating the destructive effects of climate change.
Under the MOU, the DENR, DBM, PEZA, DTI, DOST, DOE and QC will undergo training on Green Procurement and enlist the participation of all officials, related offices, businesses and other stakeholders involved in their supply chain. They will also assist the PCEPSDI, which acts as the NELP-GCP Secretariat, in data gathering, report preparation, and promotion and advocacy campaign for the Green Procurement Program.
Meanwhile, the PCEPSDI, DAP and IGPN are tasked, among others, to conduct training on Green Public Procurement, ecolabelling, and other sustainable consumption and production tools; assist the participating government institutions in developing their Green Procurement Program; and document project implementation.
All parties to the MOU are also tasked to designate focal persons who will closely coordinate with each other on the implementation of the project.
Earlier, the PCEPSDI, a non-government organization acting as the NELP-GCP Secretariat, entered into a partnership with the IGPN, through the Japan Fund for Global Environment, to fund the five-month pilot project to train the DBM, PEZA and the Quezon City local government on the establishment of Green Public Procurement programs.
- Published: 13 January 2012


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T-Mobile has always played around with facts. Many people will come to their defense. However, the claims that they have better service than Verizon was their undoing. Verizon, instead of going to court, took their claims against T-Mobile to the National Advertising Division. NAD is part of the Better Business Bureau that reviews honest advertising. As of now, T-Mobile can no longer claim a faster network.
T-Mobile was using speed-testing sites like Ookla and Open Signal to back up its claims. Verizon’s major issue dealt with their unlimited plans offering. Verizon said that their claims for “faster, newer or better” than Verizon’s was misleading.
Verizon argued that customers experience slow downs (throttling) after a consumer passes their allotted monthly amount. Basically, a user will not receive the same speeds as they get closer to the end of the month. The recommendation from the board was that T-Mobile would have to cease using that claim. Also, they will need to discontinue commercials that feature such a claim.
The board, also, reviewed T-Mobile’s claim that they cover 99 percent of the geographical area as Verizon. T-Mobile is unable to support that claim as it only covers the same amount of people, not geographically. It encourages T-Mobile to modify their advertising to make that clearer.
T-Mobile has been using this claim for years. Verizon has been known to have the better service, but it is an expensive carrier. T-Mobile has connection issues even in populated areas such as Los Angeles. However, if the merger with Sprint continues, they may be able to stick to those claims.


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GM Recall Lawyers Investigating Serious Injury and Wrongful Death Lawsuits Following Accidents Where Airbags Failed
The accident lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk are reviewing potential claims for catastrophic injury or wrongful death involving a recently recalled GM vehicles, which featured a defective ignition switch that may have caused the airbags to fail.
Cases Reviewed for Injuries Following Airbag Failure in Recalled GM Vehicles
Potential GM recall lawsuits are being investigated for individuals involved in an auto accident while operating or riding in any of the following vehicles:
- 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
- 2005-2007 Pontiac G5
- 2003-2007 Saturn Ion
- 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR
- 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice
- 2007-2010 Saturn Sky
So far this year, General Motors (GM) has recalled more than 2.5 million vehicles after disclosing that certain Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn vehicles may have faulty ignition switches.
Evidence suggests that GM may have known about these ignition switch problems for years, yet failed to take adequate steps to warn consumers or address the defect.
GM Recall Notices Over Ignition Problems
Certain GM vehicles may contain ignition switches that are prone to suddenly shut the car off if heavy key chains are used, or if the ignition is jarred, such as may occur in an accident or if something strikes the ignition.
These ignition problems may cause the airbags to fail in an accident, increasing the risk of serious injury or death. GM has indicated that 13 deaths may be linked to the faulty ignition switches. However, a report by the Center for Auto Safety (PDF) suggests that there have been more than 300 deaths reported among occupants of the recalled GM vehicles where airbags failed to deploy.
Although GM officials previously told the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) that there was no pattern of problems or issue with the vehicles, they have since admitted that they were aware of the potential risk as early as 2001.
It appears that General Motors placed their desire for profits before consumer safety, with internal memos suggesting that the auto maker thought fixing the problem would be too expensive, despite concerns by parts suppliers and its own engineers.
GM Injury Lawsuits and Wrongful Death Claims
The GM recall lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are investigating potential injury lawsuits and wrongful death lawsuits following accidents that occurred throughout the United States involving a recalled GM vehicle, including Chevy Cobalt, Chevrolet HHR, Saturn Ion, Saturn Sky, Pontiac G5 or Pontiac Solstice models.
Recall notices were sent to many former owners of these vehicles, and it is important that any potential claims are reviewed as early as possible to ensure that the legal rights of yourself and your family are protected.
Free consultations and case evaluations are available to help determine if serious injuries or death following an airbag failure may have been caused by a faulty ignition switch in GM vehicles. Request a free consultation and claim evaluation.


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Minnesota regulators have ended the legal limbo that put the state’s CBD and hemp industry at risk.
The Board of Pharmacy voted Wednesday to clarify that trace amounts of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) found in hemp products do not violate the Controlled Substances Act.
“The hemp industry is saved because of the ruling of the Board of Pharmacy,” said Steven Brown, founder of the Minnesota Cannabis Association.
The board’s move addresses an issue raised by a far-reaching Minnesota Court of Appeals decision issued last September.
State and federal law state that hemp and its derivatives are legal so long as they contain less than 0.3% delta-9 THC. But the appeals court upended that definition and said the distinction between marijuana and hemp stops at the plant.
That meant hemp-derived CBD in a variety of products could be considered a controlled substance, and buyers and sellers could be subject to potentially serious criminal charges.
“This is a step in the right direction,” Susan Burns, a cannabis industry lawyer, said about the board’s decision Wednesday.
The federal Drug Enforcement Agency made a similar change when implementing the 2018 federal farm bill that defined hemp as different than marijuana and legalized its cultivation.
The pharmacy board also expressed support on Wednesday for establishing a state cannabis office and for creating a path to allow CBD in food and drink.
Separately, the future of delta-8 THC — a hemp-derived compound with effects similar to the delta-9 THC found in marijuana — will likely need to be decided by the Legislature.
Products containing delta-8 are unregulated and widely available in Minnesota and online; the state’s hemp industry wants to see it regulated.


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Today’s featured article is a mashup of all the interesting stuff happening in Internet land that this writer could locate (and deemed worthy of such a prestigious honor).
Amazon’s Quest for Web Names Draws Foes
Amazon is angling for control over the .book, .read, .author and various other TLDs; apparently not everyone is happy about it:
‘SimCity’ studio: Server woes ‘almost behind us’
All I can think of is that story about Mark Zuckerberg demanding that Facebook NEVER go down for fear of losing all their users.. I wonder if online gamers stop playing entirely when they can’t access their character:
And, speaking of Facebook:
Facebook App developers are weary of rapidly changing social media landscape
Not the greatest article (apologies to the writer, but hey, you know it’s true.. you wrote it!), but interesting extrapolations can be made.
-David Lindahl, filling in for Keith Duncan temporarily.


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A Nigerian fashion stylist has called out BBNaija star, Ka3na over severe maltreatment of her overworked workers and for owing them their entitlements.
Taking to social media, the fashion designer revealed how stressful the works were, and yet he was paid less and other workers weren’t even paid at all.
In a video released, he claimed that Ka3na blocked him on WhatsApp and stopped communicating with him over the debt.
Speaking further, he mentioned how Ka3na locked him inside a house for three days, alongside an asthmatic patient, and warned them not to touch her pure water.
He disclosed that initially when they started working for her, she promised to pay N40, 000 and later changed it to N30,000 them N20,000.
He further shared some of the works he did for the BBNaija star to confirm his allegations and to justify his stand.
Watch the video and see screenshots below;


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They also won 2 Papa Industry Awards yesterday as they approach landmark 100th site.
The pizza brand recently opened its 150th restaurant in the UK.
This really is a 'hidden gem' in the true sense of the word.
The pizza brand is fast approaching its landmark 100th UK site.
This is the Halal pizza brand's 153rd store so far.
This opening comes after launching in Blackpool last week.
Having only last week opened their landmark 150th store.
Having launched in 2017, they have plans of hitting 500 in next 5 years.
The UK's most successful fully Halal pizza brand closes in on 100th branch.
An authentic Italian cafe with 24 inhouse-made gelato flavours.


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Airbnb* is enabling anyone to rent rooms and vacation homes in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The list of places to rent, some of them even luxurious cottages, make no mention of the fact that they are in illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
The American Muslims for Palestine, CODEPINK, Jewish Voice for Peace, U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and U.S. Palestinian Community Network created an online petition to stop Airnbnb to list rentals in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank:
“As people who care about human rights and international law, we ask Airbnb to immediately stop listing vacation rentals in Israeli settlements, all of which were built on stolen Palestinian land and deemed illegal under international law.
Airbnb’s anti-discrimination policy states that they prohibit listings that promote racism, discrimination, or harm to individuals or groups, and require all users to comply with local laws.
Yet, listing vacation rentals in illegal settlements promotes structural discrimination, theft of Palestinians’ land, and direct violations of international law.
Through earning fees from settlement vacation rentals, Airbnb is directly profiting from the continuing occupation and dispossession of Palestinians.”
The major problem for people that are not familiar with the Palestine situation, is that Airbnb’s website does not differentiate between rooms in Palestinian cities towns and those in illegal Israeli settlements — its maps of the occupied West Bank display no differentiation between areas under Israeli control, and those under Palestinian control and it doesn’t even mention the illegal Israeli occupation of the West Bank.
The petition can be found in the website “stolehomes.org” with a lot of details. They are even helping people on how to create and send a personal message to Airbnb showing how outrage a person is with this situation. Here is an example:
Dear Mr Chesky,
We are horrified that Airbnb is allowing hosts living in illegal settlements in the West Bank to rent homes on Airbnb. In direct opposition to any claim to build community or connection through Airbnb, your company is profiting off the denial of Palestinian human rights, and helping to sustain the settlement economy.
These homes, let alone renting them through Airbnb, stand unequivocally in violation of international law. We call on you to cancel all rentals in these illegal settlements immediately.
The petition goal is to reach 15.000 signatures; so far there are almost 11.000.
To learn more click here: http://act.stolenhomes.org/
To sign the petition click here: http://www.stolenhomes.org/
* Airbnb was founded in August of 2008 and is based in San Francisco, California. In their website they are describe as: “A is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world — online or from a mobile phone or tablet.
Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and 190 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions”.


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A huge rush to buy gold and silver can be seen during Dhanteras on November 2. People can be seen in a line in front of jewellery shops buying gold and other precious metals. All the prominent markets of India can be seen garnished with attractive items.
The jewellery shops remained crowded throughout the day. Jewellery shop owners said that they are having a sigh of relief this year because sales have increased significantly this year. A jewellery shop owner from Delhi also said that the buying of jewellery has increased a lot more because the fear of the third wave of a pandemic cannot be seen among people.


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Get access to everything we publish when you sign up for Outside+.
It was no secret in the industry that LeMond Fitness was up for sale, and on Tuesday at the Health & Fitness Business Expo in Las Vegas, Hoist CEO Jeffrey Partrick confirmed to SNEWS that his company is the buyer.
“We’re hoping to close this week,” Partrick told SNEWS. He said Hoist has been toying with the idea of developing cardio equipment for a while and the company jumped at the chance to purchase a cardio brand they’re familiar with.
Partrick declined to say how much Hoist was purchasing LeMond for, but he said Hoist as a company has always admired LeMond’s products and the acquisition seemed like a good fit.
“We’ve known their products for a long time,” Partrick explained, noting that Partrick has worked with LeMond through the Southern California Busy Body Home Fitness stores which an investment group he led he purchased the stores back in 2009 when Busy Body filed for bankruptcy. “LeMond was a [vendor to] those stores. It’s a great company with great products, it just needs a home.”
Hoist will be that new home. If and when the deal is closed, Partrick said, LeMond’s headquarters will move into Hoist’s plant in San Diego, Calif. Partrick didn’t specify whether there would be any layoffs or new hires with the integration, but did say the deal would be good for business.
“It’s really a good thing for us,” Partrick said. “We just think it’s a good fit: Premium cardio products and premium strength products.”


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After a lull of a few years, Woodland's Shade Tree Plaza is filling up with anchor tenants -- and employment opportunities.
In-Shape Fitness opened Oct. 1 at 249 California St., filling the void of the vacant McMahan's Furniture, and Jan. 15 will mark the opening of Woodland's second Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market, inside the former Rite Aid.
The Neighborhood Market at 215 California St., is about half the size of Woodland's other Neighborhood Market, located at County Fair Fashion Mall on East Gibson Road. The store opened in June, occupying the former Mervyn's which went bankrupt in 2009.
Around 95 new associates were hired for the California Street store beginning in September, which will focus on pharmacy, grocery and produce. Of those, 12 have already been promoted to hourly supervisors.
Staff began stocking the 35,000-square-foot store last week to prepare for its grand opening -- at which local schools will perform the National Anthem.
"The thing we implemented from the get-go is that we are one team," said Store Manager Carolina Pratt. "(The associates) are building the store. This store is a community store. It's a different kind of customer service because they can talk to the customers by name."
Pratt began her career with Wal-Mart 15 years ago as a temporary worker in Yuba City.
The first Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market in California opened at the end of July 2012 in Huntington Beach. The store also occupies a former Rite Aid that had been vacant for two years.
There are at least seven markets open in the Greater Sacramento region, including Carmichael, Elk Grove, Granite Bay, Lincoln, Roseville and Sacramento.
The Markets are a smaller version of Wal-Mart's Supercenters, about one quarter of the size.
Follow Elizabeth Kalfsbeek at twitter.com/woodlandbeat


text: The National Center for Cinema and Animated Image (CNC) will devote in 2021 a budget of 4.2 million euros for its aid fund for video game creators, whose commission will be chaired by the writer Maxime Chattam, he announced Thursday. Since January 1, 2021, this aid fund has been exclusively managed and financed by the CNC. The aid is intended to support authors and creative companies in all phases of making a game: writing, pre-production and production. In addition to this assistance fund, companies in the video game sector also benefit from a video game tax credit, the rate of which is 30%. In 2020, it is “more than 200 million euros” of production expenses that could be achieved on French territory thanks to this device, indicates the CNC. According to a study carried out at the end of March for the Direction générale des entreprises (DGE), the CNC and the main unions in the sector (SELL, SNJV), the French video game industry concentrated around 5% of the value of global video game sales in 2018, or around 5 billion euros in a global market estimated at 95 billion.


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The Facebook-owned business has revamped its layout to spotlight these areas with a new set of tabs, the company revealed Thursday in its official blog.
The redesign isn’t really surprising, given that the company hinted at the changes when it tested different layouts in September. But for an app that doesn’t constantly cycle through different looks, interface changes like this speak volumes about what the company believes is important.
“This year, with the pandemic and much of the world sheltering in place, we’ve seen an explosion in short, entertaining videos on Instagram,” Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, wrote. “We’ve also seen an incredible amount of shopping move online, with more and more people buying online and young people looking to their favorite creators for recommendations on what to buy.”
He casts the new Shop tab as a place where inspiration and commerce meet, with an effect that could also help small businesses. Users can hit up the tab to find personalized recommendations, editors’ picks curated by Instagram’s @shop channel, shoppable videos and new product collections, among other things.
The point of the Reels tab, obviously, is to call attention to the nascent short-video offering.
Mosseri didn’t specifically reference TikTok, but the month-old Reels is largely viewed as Insta’s answer to the Gen Z social phenomenon. The rival consistently remains a popular app in Apple’s App Store, and Instagram has made no secret of the fact that it is exploring a deeper push into shopping.
Thursday was supposed to mark a decisive moment for TikTok, as the Trump-mandated deadline arrived for its Chinese-based parent company to sell the app to U.S. companies. But so far, there’s been no decisive movement against TikTok, prompting a late-breaking appeal from the developer to vacate the order.
On Thursday, the U.S. Commerce Department said it will not enforce an order shutting down the app, citing a previous opinion by a federal judge in Pennsylvania. Last month, the judge wrote that the Commerce Department likely overstepped when it tried to ban transactions with TikTok.
The app is still among Apple’s top 10 free apps.


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“Live out loud with no apologies!"
New York, NY (PRWEB) March 16, 2017
Tish & Snooky’s® MANIC PANIC® NYC, the creatively colored hair and cosmetics brand founded by punk rock visionaries Tish and Snooky Bellomo, is adding a new rainbow to its crew. MANIC PANIC® is delighted to announce the addition of Alix Clymer, founder of The Unicorn Tribe and owner of the upcoming Unicorn Tribe Salon, as its new Global Artistic Director.
As a six-time BTC One Shot Finalist and winner of the BTC Rainbow Shot of the Year in 2016, Clymer is a true artist. Leading The Age of The Artist movement, her vibrant passion for color and her, “Live out loud with no apologies!,” motto epitomizes the individuality at the core of the MANIC PANIC® brand. As its newest Global Artistic Director, Clymer will be responsible for leading the global color rebellion, advocating for individuality and artistic expression through use of MANIC PANIC® hair color.
“Alix’s spirit of rebellion, freedom and fantasy directly aligns with the MANIC PANIC® vision,” says Tish. “We have always been about expressing individuality and Alix couldn’t embody that more.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Alix to our growing team,” says Snooky. “We know she will be a tremendous asset and can’t wait to see where her colorful spirit takes us.”
Clymer has been published in numerous haircare media outlets including Modern Salon, American Salon and Behind The Chair magazines, and has a rapidly growing following on her Instagram pages @theunicorntribe and @alix_maya, which are dedicated to the “lost boys and girls of the art world.”
MANIC PANIC® was born on July 7, 1977, when sisters Tish and Snooky, were inspired to share their rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle with the world. Celebrating their 40th “Manniversary” this year, MANIC PANIC® continues to lead the color rebellion with cruelty-free hair dyes, cosmetics, accessories and more. Over the course of 2017, MANIC PANIC will be adding to its already extensive line with launches including the Hair Freshener Dry Shampoo, Coffin Dust shade extensions, Blue Lightning Bleach Kit and a line of professional hair color.
About MANIC PANIC:
Tish and Snooky’s MANIC PANIC®, began when the two New York City born sisters added some extra ambition to their rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. At the time, the sisters were singers in the original Blondie lineup and a few of the people who had helped to ignite the late 70’s punk scene. After four decades of evolution, MANIC PANIC®, has become the internationally renowned hair color and cosmetics company it is today. Beloved by celebrities, musicians, models and hairstylists from around the world, MANIC PANIC® offers everyone the opportunity to color their lives.
For more information, please visit http://www.manicpanic.com.


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Back in Q1, we said that the ASUS ZenWatch 2 and ZenWatch 3 would receive Android Wear 2.0 in the second quarter. Q2 has already passed and there is no release yet. It’s been delayed yet again and we have no word when the Taiwanese tech company will ever release it. Google even included the two phones in a list published last April of the next devices getting Android Wear 2.0. We’re not sure what happened here but we’re still waiting for good news.
You won’t experience Android Wear 2.0 on the ZenWatch 2 and ZenWatch 3 yet but it could be soon since ASUS Germany recently said the second-gen smartwatch will have it in July. The smaller 1.63″ version will get it first followed in August by the 1.45″ model.
We’re still expecting the Android Wear 2.0 update will roll out not only for the ZenWatch models but also for other smartwatches. ASUS seems to be still serious though with releasing the said update and we believe that.
To review, Android Wear 2.0 for smartwatches are expected to allow standalone apps to run. You can soon download apps directly to your wrist watch, enjoy Google Assistant, use better messaging, and take advantage of an enhanced user interface on the wearables. Some phones may even allow text messaging and Android Pay if there is NFC connectivity.
VIA: Android Police


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Thinking of buying a MacBook Pro? You should maybe wait a few days. Speculation is intensifying that Apple is planning to refresh its laptop range this Thursday, possibly including new connectivity technology from Intel called Light Peak.
The rumours have been fuelled by the fact that if you try to buy a MacBook Pro on Apple's US online store, the shipping date is three to five business days rather than the usual 24 hours. 9 to 5 Mac points out that it's a clever move by Apple with an aim of "cutting off the newbs who don't read the rumour sites".
We've just checked the UK Apple Store, and most of the models on there are still listed as shipping within 24 hours. We'll be keeping an eye on the product page to see if this changes today though.
AppleInsider is reporting that several of Apple's European resellers have been told to expect sealed-pallet shipments of new product as early as today, warning them the pallets must not be tampered with ahead of an official announcement. The same report suggests these resellers ran out of existing MacBook Pro stock earlier this month, and are waiting for a new supply.
Last week, Intel also contributed to the rumours of new MacBook Pros with a new advert for its second-generation Core processors, which appeared to show a new slimline MacBook Pro design.
Actual gossip on likely new features is rather thinner on the ground, but Intel is fingered here too.that Apple is set to make use of Intel's Light Peak connectivity tech in forthcoming products -- possibly including this week's new MacBook Pros. The big selling point: wired connectivity speeds of 10Gbps in both directions, leaving even USB 3.0 for dust.


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'I want to give them ownership in our company': BT boss to hand £500 worth of shares to each of its employees to rebuild morale
BT said all 100,000 of its staff would benefit from the 'yourshare' scheme, which will start in July 2020
BT is to hand £500 worth of shares to each of its employees as its chief executive tries to rebuild morale.
The telecoms group said all 100,000 of its staff would benefit from the 'yourshare' scheme, which will start in July 2020 and continue annually, costing £50m a year.
It is part of a push by Philip Jansen, who succeeded Gavin Patterson as boss in February, to revitalise the company as it ramps up its rollout of fibre broadband.
His move comes after a tough period for BT that has seen shares hit by an Italian accounting scandal and lacklustre performance.
The group is also in the middle of a difficult £1.5billion cost-saving programme that will see it lay off a total of 13,000 staff.
Jansen spent his first months touring the business, and the 52-year-old has said he wants BT to become a 'national champion' that employees are proud of.
'BT has lost its confidence a little bit,' he told reporters.
As part of the changes under way, Jansen said BT will also introduce a new logo.
He added: 'I want to make BT a company that exceeds our customers' expectations and does a brilliant job for the country.
'To achieve that, I'm going to start with our colleagues: the 100,000 people involved in developing and delivering the essential products and services that connect millions of people across the globe.
'I want to give them ownership in our company and a share in our success.'
Jansen oversaw a similar share scheme at his previous firm, Worldpay.
Shares fell 0.1 per cent, or 0.3p, to 204.9p.
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Justifying creativity is key in 2021 | WARC | The Feed
You didn’t return any results. Please clear your filters.
Justifying creativity is key in 2021
Tracking theories & ideas Creativity & effectiveness Account planning, strategic planning
Proving the impact of creativity is now a key priority for both clients and agencies, according to new research from LIONS.
This finding comes from responses by 1,500 brand and agency professionals to a survey by LIONS, the results of which were first shared at March’s Lions Live event.
Why it matters
Despite best practice indicating that brand building is essential to get ahead in recovery, an ability to justify investment before the fact remains elusive for many marketers. This points to an important area for upskilling.
- Showing the impact of long-term creative work was extremely or very challenging, say 61% of brand leaders. A slightly higher proportion (64%) of agency leaders say the same.
- Twenty-eight percent of brand leaders say there’s greater focus on proving the effectiveness of their creativity.
- “Our business has been negatively affected by the pandemic, so we are cutting the budgets to help the P&L”, says one marketer. “Media, brand activation and long-term equity driving initiatives are often the first to be sacrificed.”
- “Short-termism and the consequential questioning about the inherent value of investing in brand and creativity vs tactical price or offer advertising is a major challenge,” a network chief strategy officer reports.
- At the same time, the lockdown-induced need to buy online brought media and retail closer together than ever.
- Sixty percent of brands listed e-commerce as a top priority for the coming year, and 45% said social commerce was one of top three areas for experimentation.
Email this content


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It’s the time of year when I will generally be waxing rhapsodic about the new series of Huawei Buddy. But in the last year and a half, a lot has changed. I didn’t expect the Huawei Mate 40 Pro, especially after the last few releases of stunning yet throttled phones, to even come to Australia. But it is … and it also costs 2,000 dollars.
Huawei has probably gone from having the best phone cameras on the market in Australia to, well, still having the best phone cameras on the market. But for the majority of consumers, Huawei’s undeniably beefy hardware has become largely inconsequential because of the U.S. trade ban.
A short and overly simplistic lesson in modern history from Huawei.
President Donald Trump announced a trade prohibition between Huawei and U.S. businesses in 2019. This meant that these businesses would not be able to collaborate with or service Huawei and its goods to move forward.


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FFXIV 5.45 Hotfix – When Does Maintenance End?
Servers are down in FFXIV today, take a look below to find out why.
It’s safe to say that Final Fantasy XIV has been one of the most popular MMORPGs of the last two decades. Rivaled only by games like World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy has had a persistent and strong player base since its launch in 2010. Right now, it might seem like servers are down, but fret not—it’s all in service of the FFXIV 5.45 hotfix.
Announced last Thursday in a post to Square Enix’s official website, the scheduled server shutdown will be in effect from February 15, 10:00 p.m. PST to February 16, 2:00 a.m. PST. So if you were looking to farm items or complete some quests during that time, you are, unfortunately, out of luck.
The FFXIV 5.45 hotfix maintenance will affect all worlds in the game and, according to the website, “the Home World Transfer Service will be suspended 30 minutes before maintenance begins, and will be unavailable until maintenance has ended.” Additionally, an unspecified amount of features will be disabled in the Final Fantasy XIV companion app until maintenance has completed.
The new update will add new job quests, new side story quests, and multiple new chapters have been added to New Game+. There will also be new furnishings available for in-game houses and a few other miscellaneous cosmetic things such as new hairstyles and emotes. Battle system changes include a higher level cap for the blue mage, new blue magic spells, and new entries in the blue mage log.
While Final Fantasy XIV servers are down, you can check out our coverage of the recent announcement of FFXIV Endwalker right here. The new expansion is set to come out in Fall 2021 and we couldn’t be more excited. You can also read this article on the development updates to Final Fantasy XVI right here.


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Shares in iconic photography and printing brand Eastman Kodak have fallen by 25 per cent amid the news that a £103 million loan for "general corporate purposes" has been taken out.
Although Kodak was well known for its film photography technology for over 100 years, it has not made a profit since 2007.
Overall, shares have fallen by 66 per cent this year alone. In 1997 shares in Kodak were valued at $90 (£57), but on Monday had fallen to just $1.74 (£1.20).
Recently, the company has spent millions of dollars investing money into the business, with the recent loan of $160 million (£103 million) said to be worrying investors.
Speaking to Reuters, a spokesman from Kodak, Christopher Veronda, declined to comment on how much cash the company currently had, but pointed out that it had $957 million (£615 million) at the end of June.
A technology analyst for the Davies Murphy Group told the BBC that one possible lifeline for Kodak was the further sale of some of its patents. Having been in the business for a long time, the company has a rich heritage to trade from, selling around 10 per cent of its portfolio back in July.
Via BBC News.
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Amy has been writing about cameras, photography and associated tech since 2009. Amy was once part of the photography testing team for Future Publishing working across TechRadar, Digital Camera, PhotoPlus, N Photo and Photography Week. For her photography, she has won awards and has been exhibited. She often partakes in unusual projects - including one intense year where she used a different camera every single day. Amy is currently the Features Editor at Amateur Photographer magazine, and in her increasingly little spare time works across a number of high-profile publications including Wired, Stuff, Digital Camera World, Expert Reviews, and just a little off-tangent, PetsRadar.


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P2P player wants to mimic cash's anonymity
A Cleveland startup’s play in the crowded and noisy P2P market is to nudge the transaction as close to digital version of paper money as possible — without Venmo’s social tools or Zelle’s email model.
Mezu has launched a “instant withdraw” feature that supports Mezu balance transfers to bank accounts without fees. The company is targeting young people and consumers that have bank accounts, but have not built a substantial personal cash flow.
“People who need instant withdrawal are the ones who are paying for withdrawals,” said Yuval Brisker, CEO of Mezu.
The pricing would appear to be a swipe at Venmo, though Brisker positions Mezu as a P2P service that tries to remove identifiers, making the transfers similar to a cash transaction, whereas most P2P services rely on the connection between senders. Venmo did not return a request for comment.
“For people in the 18 to 35 group, every dollar counts; if you’re paying rent and want to pool funds into a bank account, you don’t want to pay fees to do that,” Brisker said.
Mezu's core technology is designed to address perceived privacy concerns around P2P apps. Mezu uses a location-based code, or token, to open a window for a transfer within a few feet of the parties for a few moments. There’s also a drop button for tips and donations with a longer window of a few weeks. The company has attracted financial backing from Draper Triangle Ventures, the Ohio Innovation Fund and JumpStart Inc.
It does not use a social feed to explain or describe payments, nor does it use email addresses, which Brisker considers an identifier.
“We’re moving close to a full digital cash solution, with no exposure of personal information,” Brisker said. “It’s a sign of the times … people want to use cash but be able to do it in a digital setting."
While not charging fees for withdrawals, Mezu is developing other financial services and premium options that will charge fees, though Brisker didn’t elaborate beyond that. “We are giving out a lot of things for free, but there is a plan to monetize what we’re doing,” Brisker said.
That diversification strategy would be similar to other P2P apps, which tend to be loss leaders. The apps focus initially on transfers but eventually try to use the P2P rails and enrolled base to offer more extensive fee generators, such as insurance disbursements, or recurring payments for subscriptions, or B2B payments for small or micro merchants.
Apple Pay has used marketing to try to build a more sustainable use of P2P for more uses; while Zelle’s strategy has always been to use P2P as a base for other financial services. As popular and recognizable as PayPal’s Venmo is, it’s still not turning a profit and PayPal is seeking ways to embed Venmo into retail shopping and other venues that can produce possible revenue streams.
“Venmo isn’t making money for PayPal yet and nobody appears to worry about that, although if PayPal gave free a.m. withdrawals perhaps some would start to worry,” said Tim Sloane, vice president of payments innovation at Mercator Advisory Group, who said Mezu could also face AML compliance challenges.
Brisker did not provide details on KYC or AML, though the company does collect some information from users during registration that are not part of the actual transaction.
When users create a new account or update any personal information, Mezu verifies the submitted information against third-party identity verification systems, and requires customers to use the same name, birthdate and address as their government-issued ID. Mezu also has transaction limits of less than less than $3,000 combined for a seven-day rolling period and less than $500 for any single transaction to an anonymous person.


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Pre-packs remain a controversial tool where the sale of the business is agreed prior to the company going into administration. The sale is completed by the administrators immediately upon their appointment. (Hence the term ?pre-packaged or ?pre-pack sale .) In this way, the business passes from the company in administration to the new owners without interruption and subsequent loss of business.
Cynics claim that a pre-pack is merely a vehicle promoted by insolvency practitioners as an opportunity for directors of struggling companies to simply dump their debts, and then immediately buy back their newly debt free businesses at knock down prices. They see pre-packs as an underhanded way for companies to shirk their responsibilities and leave landlords and suppliers high and dry. But as we’ve seen just this year, the pre-packs of Blacks and La Senza saved both the businesses and a very significant number of jobs.
In the first week of January, La Senza was sold through a pre-pack to an Arabian retail group. In the same week, Blacks, which owned 98 Blacks outlets and 208 Millets stores employing 3,600 staff, entered administration and completed a pre-pack sale to JD Sports. This was the second formal insolvency of Blacks within two years. Previously, in 2009, Blacks agreed a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) with creditors, where it closed 88 stores. Similarly, Focus DIY and JJB Sports had to enter a second insolvency procedure following a CVA used mainly to facilitate store closures.
Despite the very tough trading conditions that make it difficult for almost all retailers to just stand still, creditors may well ask, did the original CVAs of all these companies go far enough and was the company restructured into a viable trading business” The CVAs allowed the companies to negotiate with landlords to drop leases of closed stores and alter rent repayment dates, however they did not tackle the underlying trends of decreasing sales. Therefore these restructured companies were doomed to failure.
Research and experience shows that the business community as a whole benefits from the availability of pre-packs. In all cases, the insolvent business is sold to the party which offers the best commercial outcome for creditors. In many instances this will be an independent third party sourced on the open market: sometimes it will be the previous managers/owners. This approach ensures the preservation of jobs and that maximum value is obtained for all stakeholders, including creditors. In 92 per cent of pre-packs, all the employees of the business were transferred to the new company, saving jobs. Often the only alternative would be to close up operations and liquidate the assets.
In response to criticism of the pre-pack procedure, a consultation was launched in March 2011. This resulted in a proposed change in the law providing for a three-day notice period to creditors for sales to connected parties.
R3, the insolvency trade association, opposed the plans, arguing the three-day notice period could lead to a sudden loss of customers, suppliers and associated revenues for a company. It argued this might result in more directors opting for a liquidation, which would lead to significantly more job losses and reduced returns for both secured and unsecured creditors than under a pre-pack.
In a ministerial statement released on January 26, the government concluded that there will be no amendments to the current legalisation. While concerns remained about the use of pre-pack sales, the merits of the current process outweighed the drawbacks of changing the regime. Given the current economic climate and changing consumer patterns, we can expect to see more big name retailers restructured this way.
Carl Bowles is an insolvency practitioner at accountancy firm Carter Backer Winter LLP.


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Linux worm Darlloz targets Intel architecture to mine digital currencyMar 20, 2014, 12:00 (0 Talkback[s])
According to research firm Symantec, a new Internet of Things (IoT) worm was discovered last November. Dubbed Linux.Darlloz, the worm targets computers running Intel x86 architectures, as well as devices running the ARM, MIPS and PowerPC architectures, such as routers and set-top boxes.
Preloaded with usernames and passwords in order to crack into such systems, a new variation has now been found, which continuously updates and is now making money through the mining of cryptocurrency.
0 Talkback[s] (click to add your comment)


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Mattituck could be the latest North Fork hamlet to become home to a brewery.
Eastern Front Microbrewery owner Douglas Pearsall said he and his girlfriend are looking to convert an existing 70 x 31 foot storage building they are leasing on Westphalia Road into a brewery and 312-square foot retail space.
Mr. Pearsall said Monday that after several years of homebrewing at his Mattituck home, the time was right to break into the emerging craft beer industry on the North Fork.
“We decided to take a stab at it,” he said. “We live out here and like the idea of having [a brewery] in the middle of the wine trail. Not everyone drinks wine.”
Eastern Front Microbrewery is Pearsall’s first business. He currently works as a mechanic at a local marina and is using his technical skills to build his own brewing equipment, he said.
For now Pearsall said he is keeping mum on the details of the operation. That is at least until the Southold Town Planning Board approves Eastern Front Microbrewery’s site plan, he said.
A public hearing on the proposed brewery is scheduled for April 6.


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BANDUNG-Located in the Center of Islamic Center (Pusdai) of West Java (Jabar) Diponegoro Street Bandung, hundreds of new business entrepreneurs (WUB) showcased their products, ranging from fashion products, handicrafts to culinary.
The exhibition of products packaged in the WUB Festival of 2017 was opened by the Vice Governor of West Java Deddy Mizwar and attended by the Head of West Java Trade Service Hening Widiatmoko, Head of West Java Cooperatives and SMEs Dudi Sudrajat and Atalia Kamil, representing young entrepreneurs from the city of Bandung.
In the opening speech, Deddy Mizwar said, after successfully printing new business entrepreneurs, the next step is that these new entrepreneurs have to go up the class, using digital.
"New Entrepreneur should be ready to meet the digital era, inevitably must be able to take advantage of digital," he said, Tuesday (6/12).
He said the theme at this exhibition is New Entrepreneur is Ready to Welcoming the Digital Age, very compatible with the conditions that occur today, where almost all the activities of society can not be separated from the digital world.
So according to New Entrepreneur development should also be separated from the digital technology.
"Technology can not be rejected, which can not take advantage of technology, will certainly be crushed. So immediately open the net work as wide as possible, "said Demiz. jo


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There's an interesting rumor circling the deal corners of the Internet about
T-Mobile Black Friday Deals. According to a post on Reddit;
T-Mobile Black Friday Ad will be having free phones, bill credits with new
line activation, and UE Boom speaker for $99.00 (See details).
T-Mobile Pre Black Friday Deals
T-Mobile Black Friday Deals are NOT live yet. Following are our latest handpicked T-Mobile deals.


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Pelican State voters who took advantage of Cyber Monday deals at their favorite online retailers may have enjoyed their last tax-free Christmas shopping experience, so says Sen. Mary Landrieu.
During the final debate before the December 6 Senate runoff in Louisiana, Landrieu made it quite clear that she would once again vote for the so-called "Marketplace Fairness Act," a measure backed by President Barack Obama and powerful special interests that would allow states to collect sales taxes on online purchases from businesses in other states, if she returns to the upper chamber next year.
"[L]et me tell you where $800 million is lying on the table right now, which my opponent won’t vote for, and that is the Marketplace Fairness Act," said Landrieu, who pointed to the measure as an avenue to fund infrastructure. "The Chamber of Commerce, the business council, the shopping center, main street small businesses are put at a definite disadvantage because of taxes not being collected."
"If you’re looking for income, if you’re looking for income — which he’s probably not going to support any of, because he just wants to talk about infrastructure but do nothing about it," she said in reference to her runoff opponent, Rep. Bill Cassidy. "If you’re looking for income, I’d suggest we go to Marketplace Fairness first."
The Internet sales tax proposal, which 56 percent of Louisiana voters oppose, would impose tremendous regulatory burden on retailers, including small businesses, that sell their products online. The measure would put these retailers, many of which will have to raise prices to cover compliance costs, at a competitive disadvantage with traditional brick-and-mortar stores.
This, however, was just one of the tax hikes that Landrieu floated during the debate. The Louisiana Democrat expressed a willingness raise the federal excise tax on gasoline. And though she didn’t offer any specifics, she also clamored for higher taxes on Louisianans rather than fundamentally reforming the broken entitlement programs that are biggest drivers of federal budget deficits.


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Port aims to boost China trade
Sun | Local
Officials from the Port of Bremerton will declare the Port of Yantai a "sister port" at a ceremony in the Chinese city on Tuesday.
The signing of an agreement between the two ports is the highlight of a two-week trip to promote Kitsap County as an international trade area.
The Bremerton port's three commissioners and chief executive, along with Kitsap County Commissioner Jan Angel, Lt. Gov. Brad Owen and 14 others, are traveling to eight cities in China on what is billed as a "friendship mission." They arrived Saturday.
While there, the delegation will participate in festivities celebrating the 20th anniversary of the "sister state" relationship between Washington and Sichuan province.
Natacha Sesko, a Bremerton resident who is coordinating the trip as head of the Chinese Cultural Association, first brought Yantai to the attention of the port.
Located 475 miles southeast of Beijing, Yantai is part of a triangle that includes Shanghai, Seattle's sister port, and Tianjun, Tacoma's sister port. Each year it ships 18 million tons of cargo, mainly ore, chemical fertilizer and bulk grain.
Since Gov. Gary Locke appointed Sesko in August 1997 to represent the county on the state's Commission on Asian Pacific-American Affairs, Sesko has been working to promote China.
Born in Taiwan, she is known in China as a filmmaker, actress, singer and dancer. Locally, she has been in the news because of a dispute that she and her husband, Bill, have had with the city of Bremerton over a junkyard on their property.
Sesko said she talked to a Chinese government official in San Francisco, who mentioned Yantai wanted to partner with an American port. She presented the suggestion to Port Commissioner Bill Mahan.
A "sister port" relationship, while only symbolic, shows that the port is trying to increase its promotion of international trade as a way to offset the influence of government jobs in the county's economy.
While Kitsap's international trade movement has gained steam during the last year, the port has worked to promote it for almost a decade.
In 1996, the ports of Bremerton, Olympia, Shelton, Chehalis and Centralia joined to create the South Puget Sound Foreign-Trade Zone.
Companies within the zone can reduce or eliminate tariffs and other customs restrictions. Joining the zone cost the port $2,500.
"We've had that designation all these years and not much has happened with it," Mahan said. "The commission has said we made a wise investment in applying for the designation, but now we need to do something with it."
Taking advantage of the zone was difficult because Bremerton has no deep-water access capable of holding large container ships. That was until the Port of Bremerton signed an agreement in June with the Port of Grays Harbor, which will make it easier to move goods to and from the Washington coast.
Through the agreement, ships docking at Grays Harbor's deep-water facilities can send cargo via rail line, run by Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad, which links the two ports and eliminates the freighters' 1 1/2-day transit into Puget Sound.
The Grays Harbor port doesn't have a representative on the trip, but a commissioner from the Port of Tacoma is among the delegation.
Bremerton port commissioners said they don't expect to see an instant increase in Chinese imports, but the trip is an important networking opportunity.
Among the goods that could be exported is scrap metal from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Westech Aerosol Corp., a tenant at the port's industrial park.
The trip will cost the port between $5,000 and $10,000, although several corporations donated to it.
Washington is the third-largest exporter in the country and the state whose economy is most reliant on trade.
Sesko, who has lived in Kitsap County for 28 years, said she looks at the importance of trade with the Pacific Rim to the economies of Seattle and Tacoma.
"I think, why can't we function like other ports and bring in that kind of business?" she said.
Reach reporter Amy Trask at (360) 792-9227 or at email@example.com.


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We thought we’d heard it all from New York University’s leading diet dictator, Marion Nestle. When General Mills announced that it would use whole grains for its entire line of breakfast cereals, Nestle overlooked the obvious health benefits and instead went on an anti-corporate rant. This is no surprise, considering that Nestle is a frequent speaker at events organized by the Socialist Caucus of the American Public Health Association.
Last week, as the New York Times reported that university students are “consuming cereal as if their grade-point averages depended on it,” Nestle stepped up her rhetoric another notch. It seems the very thought of college kids (known for their late-night pizza indulgences) simply having access to cereal has her in a tizzy. Reacting to this scourge of cereal offered in campus dining halls, Nestle told the Times: “It’s asking far too much of late adolescents to exercise that kind of choice.“
So forget about picking a major, let alone a career. According to Nestle, college students aren’t even capable of choosing their own breakfasts. And this is hardly the first time Nestle has suggested that adolescents can’t be trusted to make their own food choices. Nestle told Food Engineering & Ingredients magazine that food companies should not advertise to children younger than “17 or 18 years.”


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DHL Explores the Future of Wireless IoT in Logistics
How 5G data networks will transform logistics operations
DHL has released “Next-Generation Wireless in Logistics”, a new Trend Report that offers a comprehensive look at the evolution of wireless networks and the future of the Internet of Things (IoT) in logistics.
Even before the current COVID-19 crisis, wireless communication technology was making headlines.
Much of the recent interest has focused on 5G mobile data networks that are being rolled out in many countries.
5G promises a host of benefits for end users, businesses, and telecommunications systems operators alike, including higher speeds, greater capacity, and tailored services for a new generation of smart connected devices.
Well-known technologies like WiFi and Bluetooth, and lesser-known technologies like Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellites have been enhanced for industrial use.
These next-generation wireless technologies will enable the next step in the communication revolution, moving towards a new world in which everyone and everything can be connected everywhere.
Building a fully connected future for logistics
In a recent survey of 800 supply chain leaders conducted by DHL, 60% of respondents stated that visibility of their supply chain is currently inadequate.
The top three key challenges among the respondents are achieving true end-to-end visibility, lack of a single centralized platform to drive IoT initiatives, as well as fragmented data collection from inherently heterogeneous supply chains.
The top three priorities identified shaping visibility strategies are end-to-end transportation visibility, inventory visibility, and the implementation of supply chain data analytics.
75% of respondents reported they intend to implement at least one next-generation wireless technology in the near future to achieve their visibility goals.
Markus Kückelhaus, Vice President Innovation & Trend Research, DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation said: “Logistics, will be both a major beneficiary of the IoT-enabled digital revolution and an enabler of it.
"Although some parts of the logistics industry are already smart and connected, next generation-wireless is set to usher in the next wave of IoT in logistics.”
In a future where everyone and everything is online everywhere, three key things will become possible for the logistics industry:
Total Visibility: Every shipment, logistics asset, infrastructure, and facility will be connected thanks to widely available networks and inexpensive high-performance sensors.
Wide-Scale Autonomy: All autonomous vehicles, whether indoor robots or logistics vehicles on public roads, rely on ultra-fast, reliable wireless communication to navigate and traverse their worlds effectively.
Perfecting Prediction: Data-driven prediction systems for forecasting, delivery timing and routing may no longer be constrained by latency and performance of wireless networks.
Explains Matthias Heutger, SVP, Global Head of Innovation & Commercial Development, DHL: “Large-scale connectivity is an extraordinary technological and social success story. While IoT is not new in logistics, with 20 billion connected devices already in use globally, this story is still only just beginning.
"A myriad of technologies are simultaneously advancing at a rapid rate, which are also cost effective and increasingly ubiquitous. They are now becoming more accessible which suddenly opens up vast opportunities for the development of applications and use cases at an unprecedented rate.
"We highlight how the potential associated with these technologies is fast becoming a fundamental part of the supply chain of tomorrow.”


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Why Is Baggage Really Delayed?
Call it a perfect storm of variables
According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, over 1.9 million bags were mishandled last year by U.S. air carriers. That’s more than twice the number of mishandled bags from the first half of 2021. Hell, Southwest lost thousands of bags alone in the month of December.
All of this to say: what was once considered a fairly rare occurrence has now become par the course where air travel is involved. Experts say things aren’t going to get any better, either.
According to a new report from Skift, the number of airline passengers is trending to surpass 2019 levels. That’s raised questions regarding existing infrastructure and whether or not it is capable of withstanding the rise in demand…which also extends to baggage processes.
“I would say disruptions in the system are going to become, unfortunately, more pronounced,” said Darin Juby, head of baggage transformation for Future Travel Experience, described as a “sort of think tank for air travel innovation comprised of industry professionals.”
Stuck Waiting at the Baggage Carousel? You May Be Entitled to Miles.
Both Alaska and Delta have a 20-minute baggage guarantee
The luggage debacle first emanated from a global lack of airport staff coming out of the pandemic. But the pertinacity of the problem into 2023 suggests that it’s more than just that. A lot of it actually has to do with outdated technology, coupled with the fact that there isn’t currently a standard way for airports, or airlines, to communicate with each other.
“From the time a passenger drops off luggage until the time of pickup, that bag goes through a system that typically is decades old. Despite advanced consumer tracking tech, most airlines still track bags with a paper tag that contains a barcode,” Justin Dawes wrote.
“While Amazon warehouses are full of robots organizing packages, airports still transport bags via conveyor belt and manual labor. While an online package can be traced along its route from start to finish, most air travel passengers are left wondering where their bags are until they finally lay eyes on them again,” he continued.
Further, once a bag is lost, it enters a separate, yet equally outdated, set of processes. “Many of the airports that have to deal with lost items do so with manual processes like spreadsheets and phone calls,” Dawes said.
For better or for worse, however, travelers seem to be adapting. According to one survey, 41% of Americans said they will avoid checking in a bag on upcoming trips. As for the rest? It is our sincerest hope they’re traveling with an Apple AirTag.
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In 2008 when the global financial crisis was brewing, Intercontinental Bank (the bank has been bought over by Access Bank) published a press release across major newspapers for several days. Its grouse was what it called a ‘demarketing’ campaign it claimed was launched by competitors who are bent on destroying the image of the bank.
While Intercontinental Bank ended up in the hands of Asset Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON. It later became clear that the bank had troubles with its books. However, its competition took advantage of the rumours to promote media stories that exacerbated its problems in the court of public opinion.
Well, this is 2016 and the concept and allegations of demarketing has been resurrected in another toga- marketing communications.
In case you are trying to see what demarketing has to do with telecoms market, do not look to far. About three months ago, the telecom category, the most active marketing sector in Nigeria, took a different direction in competitive trends.
The use of commercials to demarketing competition became a free for all approach at getting the word out. Just like creative accounting has no strict procedures on how figures are juggled to perform the magic; the category fashioned out a new strategy to demarket competitors.
The aim is to either win new converts to one’s network or irritate would-be movers to one’s ‘enemy’ that they develop founded and unfounded disdain for them.
While Etisalat had murmured its own darts, Airtel took the first shot at MTN. In a brazen manner, the company did a 60 seconds commercial to scale down the image of MTN as an ineffective network that its users must divorce themselves from to gain their freedom.
PageOne had written about it when Airtel launched the massive campaign. The message was calculated at taking a big shot at the biggest player. Our earliest article described the campaign as below:
With series of TV commercial and billboard advertisements, Airtel portrayed MTN’s customers as frustrated lots with no end in sight to their worries. In the TV commercial attached below, Airtel showed an MTN subscriber whose yellow-coloured bag took off and started running away from him. He followed the bag to an Airtel shop where a red bag was handed over to him.
To make matters worse, Airtel is now using the same recharge code with MTN ‘*555*1#’ telling customers that they can get five times value from their recharge.
While it was expected that MTN will retaliate, it was not clear when and how.
However, the recent Pulse campaign launched by MTN changed the narrative and approach of the response. While Airtel was combative and relatively malicious, MTN commercial was subtle, strategically relevant and domineering targeting all players in the game.
The TV commercial shot in a sci-fi, action and comic style portrayed MTN’s competitors as birds of the same feather who are always in unison looking for how to scheme the leader- MTN. Individuals in the commercial had discrete and nondiscrete colours on their dressing representing each competitor in the category.
The campaign’s copywriters wrote every spoken word in the script carefully to take individual shots at each competitor.
‘It doesn’t matter if they are popular (Glo) or they are not popular (Etisalat). It doesn’t matter whether they are cool (Etisalat) or ‘razz’ (Airtel). All they know is that they have a network that allows them to show the true character they have’
As regards the strategic importance, MTN’s approach to the game of demarketing finally launched the data war. It would make price of data services more competitive. While Glo, Airtel, Etisalat have all pegged their average mobile data subscription rates at NGN 1,000 for 1.5G, MTN wants to give 1G for 1G for NGN 1,000 for seven days validity. While Glo mobile still offers the cheapest data fares, MTN’s offer is a tempting one that makes it contend with Glo in retaining its customers from moving to Glo.
However, MTN was able to achieve this with a subtle campaign that did not lose the message by merely throwing stones at its competition.
If anyone has learnt any lesson it should be Airtel. Afterall, MTN is not the only one in the market, so why take a shot at them alone. It is even in a bad taste when the company in question is going through series of troubles with the government. But just like in war, in marketing anything is fair.


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Production will start next year in Queensland on Tidelands, marking Netflix’s move into original programming in Australia.
Nine Network-backed Stan is already commissioning high-end original series, most notably through its series reboot of Australian horror movie Wolf Creek.
Tidelands will debut around the world on Netflix services in 190 territories.
The ten-part show comes from Secrets & Lies prodco Hoodlum Entertainment, which is based in Brisbane. That series (pictured) was adapted for NBC in the US.
It will follow a former criminal who uncovers strange, half-Siren inhabitants living in hometown while investigating the discovery of the body of a local fisherman.
Secrets & Lies writer Stephen M. Irwin will write the 50-minute episodes.
Netflix has already invested in kids coproductions Glitch, Beat Bugs, Bottersnikes & Gumbles, Kazoops, Mako Mermaids: An H20 Adventure, White Rabbit Project and the upcoming Legend of Monkey, and has acquired Aussie dramas such as Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and The Code.
However, this marks the first time the streaming service has commissioned directly from the territory.
The news comes in the same week a report in the Australian press revealed Netflix has been quietly testing price hikes to its monthly subscriber fee.
The Australian government recently put in place rules that will see Netflix and other digital services become subject to existing goods and services taxes.


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Alice Springs is stepping into the spotlight of Government funding with the destination selected as the next focus of the $1.
4 million Red Centre digital marketing campaign.
Commencing from 15 April and running until the 12 May, the campaign will spiral images of local attractions and personalities to increasing awareness and visitor numbers into the region.
Tourism Minister Malarndirri McCarthy explained the campaign is running during a period where the Northern Territory and the marketing plan have received positive feedback and generating strong awareness.
According to the local Government, digital advertising has received up to 43,000 clicks since the campaign launched and up to 32.2 percent of interstate travellers are aware of the digital pictures compared to 26.9 percent last year.
There is a lot to see and do in and around Alice Springs being so close to some of the worlds best parks and reserves and the locally produced art is highly sought after by interstate and international visitors, Minister for Central Australia Karl Hampton added.
A further highlight for Alice Springs is on business events as well as tourism.
Source = e-Travel Blackboard: N.J


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Gurgaon-based power and energy company Exicom has won the bid for setting up electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. The bids were invited by India’s largest public sector energy conglomerate, NTPC for development of the charging infrastructure.
Energy solutions provider Exicom said it has won an NTPC tender for development of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EV) at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.
According to the tender, Exicom will setup the charging infrastructure comprising of 120kW and 50kW EV off-board DC chargers of CCS standard for e-buses. “The charging infrastructure shall comprise of 120 kW and 50 kW EV Off-Board DC Chargers of CCS Standard for Electric Buses,” a company statement said.
The company had earlier setup AC and DC fast chargers with Bharat specifications to charge the Tata Tigor and Mahindra e-Verito cars procured by EESL and has further expanded its offering by introducing high voltage GB/T, CHAdeMO and CCS compatible ‘Harmony’ EV chargers.
The company has been developing EV technology to establish sustainable mobility which is technologically advanced, emission-free, self-driven and sustained by a green charging infrastructure, it said.
With the Harmony chargers, Exicom aims to accelerate the adoption of electric mobility and make users experience even more convenient, safe and rewarding. It is a part of a next generation of smart EV charging solutions which boasts a number of state-of-the-art features.
In July, Exicom Tele-Systems became a core member of the Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN e.V.), an open coalition of world-class firms from the automotive sector and associated industries aiming to support and promote the Combined Charging System (CCS) as a global standard for electric vehicles (EV) charging. Through this membership, the company is aiming to foster advance standardization of CCS in other regions of the world including India.
Currently, CCS is the world’s only charging system that covers all charging scenarios with a single product.
Anant Nahata, Managing Director of Exicom said in the statement, “Winning this tender further strengthens our position as a market leader with largest base of deployed EV chargers in India”.