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New Ariba CEO
Ariba last week replaced CEO Larry Mueller after only three months. His predecessor, company co-founder Keith Krach, is taking back the reins as interim head of the business software company. Ariba predicted that sales for the current quarter will drop 50 percent from last year, and the company said it plans more layoffs.
Lots of Travel
Online travel site Orbitz debuted as the biggest e-commerce launch since 1999, with 2.1 million unique at-home visitors during June, according to data from Nielsen//NetRatings. Orbitz said last week that it has more than 1 million registered users, and its travel sales so far total more than $100 million.
PC Sales Drop
Worldwide PC sales fell in the second quarter for the first time in 15 years, according to Gartner Dataquest. In a report last week, the research firm said 30.4 million PCs shipped worldwide in the second quarter, 1.9 percent fewer than the same period last year. Its the first time since 1986 that the worldwide PC market showed negative growth, according to Dataquest.
Let the Tunes Begin
Napster can resume its song swapping service over the Internet, a federal appeals court ruled last week. The court overturned a lower courts ruling ordering Napster offline.
A new virus has been discovered that can fill up users hard drives, delete files, distribute private documents, hide itself from typical virus scanners and propagate itself across the Internet using the Microsoft Outlook address book. The virus, dubbed SirCam, usually comes as an e-mail attachment with the file name “SirCam32.exe.”


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Tag: bambo adebowale
As countries position to take advantage of the opportunities in the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, we will examine Nigeria's preparations and if Africa's largest economy can adequately compete in the automotive industry. Bambo Adebowale, Chairman of the Auto and Allied sector of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce joins CNBC Africa for more.
Nigeria’s National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), says stakeholders are reviewing the country’s Automotive Policy Bill and Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan in other to resend both bills to the National Assembly. Meanwhile, the NADDC says the Auto Industry attracted N360 billion worth of investments in 2019. Bambo Adebowale, Chairman of Auto and Allied Sector at the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) joins CNBC Africa to discuss the prospect of Nigeria’s Auto sector.
Some auto-industry experts have welcomed President Muhammadu Buhari's rejection of the Auto Policy Bill, as they believe, the bill was not in the best interest of the country. Bambo Adebowale, Chairman Auto & Allied Sector at the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry joins CNBC Africa for more.

domain: news


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ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The Detroit Lions would like you to know that no, they do not have the most expensive beer per ounce in the NFL.
A study done by teammarketing.com said the price of beer sold at Ford Field is $0.67 an ounce, 14 cents higher than the No. 2 team in the league, Dallas.
That, however, is not true.
Ben Manges, the director of corporate communications for the Lions, disputed the findings of the study with the actual price per ounce of the beers sold at Ford Field. Jon Greenberg, the executive editor of Team Marketing Report, said in an email it was a miscommunication.
“A concessions person for Detroit told me their cheapest beer was $8 for a 12 oz. I double-checked with them a week later,” Greenberg wrote. “Now, the Lions DO have an $8 12-oz. beer, but it’s only in suites. We wouldn’t have used that in the survey had the concessions person told me that.”
Greenberg said his group uses only the cheapest beer sold at general concession stands for the study, even if it doesn’t sell the best in the stadium. That happens to be the case in Detroit.
Manges said 93 percent of the beers sold at general concession stands are 20-ounce drafts for $9 each, or $0.45 an ounce. Even if the study went by the cheapest beer sold in the stadium -- the $8.50 16-ounce bottle -- it would still equate to $0.53 an ounce.
Manges said only 6 percent of the Lions’ beer sales are those bottles. And less than 1 percent of the sales, Manges said, are the $11 16-ounce craft beers, which are $0.69 an ounce.
No matter the metric, Greenberg said Detroit has one of the more expensive beers in the NFL.
“Or at least on par with the most expensive,” Greenberg wrote. “The by-ounce stuff doesn’t mean much, because many teams don’t have choices. You don’t get to decide sizes. Some teams now offer small size beer, like MetLife Stadium. Many do not.”
The Lions offer the beers listed above, none in the 12-ounce variety at general concession stands.
If you’re curious, the most expensive cheap beer in the NFL is sold in Oakland, at $9.75 for a 20-ounce beer, according to the study. The cheapest cheap beer? Multiple teams sell a 12-ounce beer for $5.


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Walt Disney World turns 50 in October and the company announced big plans Friday to mark the occasion at all four Orlando theme parks.
Starting Oct. 1, Cinderella Castle will premiere a new paint job and lighting effects at night, which will make it appear to shimmer with jewels and gold ribbons. There will also be a nighttime light projection show that will tie in the other three theme parks and will run for 18 months, Disney said.
Epcot’s Spaceship Earth will have new lights that will shine across the reflective panels of the iconic globe, creating a night sky that is being called “a symbol of optimism.” The Epcot lighting package will remain permanently after the anniversary celebration ends, Disney said.
At Animal Kingdom, the Tree of Life will have “magical fireflies.” The Hollywood Tower Hotel at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will receive special upgrades that will evoke Hollywood’s golden age.
“At night, our four park icons are going to come to life with a magical iridescent glow, covered in pixie dust, that we call the beacons of magic,” said Dana Carlson, associate broadcast producer with Disney Live Entertainment.
Mickey and Minnie Mouse will also get new costumes that Disney dubbed “EARidescence.” The mouse couple will be clad in special iridescent attire, with gold shoes and bows, and sparkly patterns on their costumes similar to when Cinderella Castle is backed by fireworks.
Spreading the 50th anniversary event over 18 months could help thin out crowds eager to see the changes. The parks continue to limit occupancy to less than half typical levels due to the ongoing pandemic.
COVID-19 shut down the parks in mid-March before they reopened in July with limits on distancing, mask requirements. Disney did away with parades and fireworks to reduce crowds gathering. All park attendance is managed with an advanced reservation system, and Disney has stopped selling new annual passes.
The company hinted there will be more news coming for the anniversary event.


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Earlier today, YouTube released its April 2015 YouTube Ads Leaderboard, which recognizes the branded videos that received the most views over the last month.
Together, the 10 ads totaled 100.9 million views, consistent with March. However, at 212.3 minutes, April’s list had 27 percent more watch time.
Hyundai’s “Message to Space” was the clear winner, garnering more than 56 million views since April 9. The video centered on Stephanie, a Texan girl who doesn’t get to see her father much, on account of him being an astronaut. Creating the world’s largest tire track message, a fleet of Hondas drives through the desert, using their tires to write “Steph < 3’s you” big enough to be seen from space.
With Mother’s Day just around the corner, jewelry brand Pandora’s “The Unique Connection” focused on the bond between mothers and children. Since April 13, nearly 15 million people have viewed the sweet video, in which blindfolded kids correctly identify which women in a lineup are their moms.
All about women’s internal monologues while working out, Nike Women’s “Better for It – Inner Thoughts” ad comes with the tagline, “Don’t let you stop you.”
Another ad targeting female consumers, Dove’s “Choose Beautiful” follows women from all over the world as they decide whether to walk through a door labeled, “Beautiful” or one marked “Average.”
Teleflora, a floral wire service, reminds you to send flowers to your mom this Mother’s Day, like Ryan did. Because he’s a solider, Ryan doesn’t get to see his mom much; after a heartfelt video describing how special she is, Ryan delivers his mom flowers in person as a Mother’s Day surprise.
In another appearance by Nike, the sportswear giant second-most popular YouTube ad last month was all about golf and perseverance.
7. Foot Locker
Foot Locker tapped Manny Pacquiao to star in its “It’s Really Happening” ad two weeks ago, right before Pacquiao’s huge boxing match with Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
In this Avengers tie-in, Gillette promoted its razors in partnership with Stark Industries, the fictional enterprise owned by Iron Man.
BMW previewed its upcoming 7 Series vehicle, which boasts touchscreen and gesture command.
Purina’s Friskies makes the leaderboard for the third time with the latest video in its popular BuzzFeed collaboration.
Video consumption keeps increasing and Facebook is serious about a video-first world, encouraging us all to explore its full potential. Ian Crocombe, ... read more
Mike Andrews Ph.D is Chief Scientist (Forensiq) at Impact Radius, and is carrying out some fascinating work around digital marketing and ad ... read more
A new organization, The Coalition for Better Ads, has been launched to “leverage consumer insights and cross-industry expertise to develop and implement ... read more


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What would a Monday on Twitter be without the announcement of another worthless remake? This time it’s the 1999 cult classic “Cruel Intentions."
You’ve likely stumbled across the image of a contemplative Grimes, in a getup straight out of “Dune,” leaning against a street sign and reading “The Communist Manifesto.”
After the sun went down on Saturday at the Governors Ball music festival, headliner A$AP Rocky surprised the crowd awaiting his performance.
New York-based “postcolonial” fashion label Head of State showcased its Spring/Summer 2022 Ready-To-Wear collection, "Homecoming," on Day 4 of New York Fashion Week.
As Chastain smiled for the cameras, her arm around Isaac’s shoulders, the “Dune” actor slowly leaned down and kissed her upper arm. Twitter users lost their collective minds.
Kanye West and Drake have been on unfriendly terms for a while, but with both rappers dropping albums in the past week, this longtime feud is getting personal.
Move over Travis Scott Burger, there’s a new collaboration in town. Who better to become the next face of a global, viral campaign than the insanely popular K-pop powerhouse — BTS?
On Feb. 1, 2008, a California court handed over control of Britney Spears’ life and finances to her father, Jamie.


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Microsoft begins the hard sell for Vista
After a brief pause for celebration, it's back to work
Published 10:00 pm, Monday, January 29, 2007
NEW YORK -- Microsoft Corp. released the new version of Windows to consumers this morning, ending one of the most challenging periods in its corporate history and trying to get the world's computer users to take notice.
In New York on Monday, acrobats hung from the side of a building to form the Windows Vista logo, and Microsoft billboards illuminated Times Square. In Paris, the Champs-Élysées was lit up in Windows colors. In India, dancers performed around the Taj Mahal. In Australia, Microsoft used skywriting to garner attention.
And in Redmond, employees held a massive party at the company's headquarters. But Jim Allchin, the retiring Windows chief, made it clear that their work on Windows Vista isn't quite over. Now comes the task of selling it to the rest of the world.
"Get the thing that you love and start demo-ing it and start talking about it," Allchin told employees, encouraging them to show off what the company has done.
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It remains to be seen whether the average PC user will be so excited. In this era of the Internet, portable devices and video-game consoles, a revamped PC operating system doesn't generate as much interest as it did in the past.
Mac users might not be very impressed. Apple has been able to make much more frequent updates to its Mac OS X operating system during the past five years, getting to market with a number of key features before Microsoft did.
But Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said the company will probably sell five times as many copies of Windows Vista over the next three months as it sold of Windows 95 during the equivalent period, and twice as many as Windows XP.
Part of that is because of the sheer increase in the number of PCs in the world since the launch of those previous versions, he said. But he also pointed to other factors, including enthusiasm for Windows Vista among testers, as encouraging signs.
At a media briefing in New York on Monday, Ballmer called it "the biggest launch in Microsoft history." The company is also releasing a new version of its Office productivity software today.
Given Microsoft's market dominance, Windows Vista and the 2007 Office System are destined to be used by millions of computer users, particularly as they upgrade to new machines that come with Windows Vista pre-installed.
Windows is Microsoft's most profitable product, bringing in more than $10 billion for the company last fiscal year alone.
With Windows Vista, Microsoft is promising better security, plus features such as fast file-searching, improved home networking and better system performance. Microsoft has also given the program a new design, with a glossy look.
Analysts say it's important for the company to keep those flagship programs in a strong position to help make up for its emerging initiatives -- such as online services and its video-game console business, both of which are unprofitable.
"You've got some earnings momentum coming from these new products, which provides them with a bit of a tailwind as they venture forth into the online business and software as a service," said Rick Sherlund, a Goldman Sachs analyst who has covered Microsoft since the company's initial public offering. "It's comforting to know that the core business should be doing pretty well."
It might also help Windows Vista that a lot of PC users have been looking for a long time at its predecessor. Windows XP came out in 2001 -- a lifetime ago in the tech industry. A major 2004 update focused primarily on security problems.
"There's been really a pent-up demand of energy building," said Kevin Rollins, Dell Inc.'s chief executive. This past weekend, when the PC maker started taking orders for Windows Vista-based machines, it saw a 20 percent increase in traffic, he said.
Microsoft encountered numerous delays during Windows Vista's development and overhauled its processes to try to resolve problems.
The changes "are going to make us more agile," Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said in an interview. "So we're thanking our employees for sticking it through the long push and really giving us the basis to be more effective in the future."
But on Monday, at least, those employees were simply enjoying the moment.
They crammed shoulder-to-shoulder into six cafeterias to watch a live video feed of the events from New York, where children from one of the families that tested Windows Vista appeared with Gates and Ballmer to press a button and light up the Windows billboards.
"What other company is going to go take over Times Square?" asked technical account manager Aaron Boeger, 30, pointing at two large screens in the Building 34 cafeteria on the Redmond campus.
The Windows Vista promotional stunts began Saturday with a massive fireworks display over Seattle's Lake Union.
In an interview, Allchin said he was glad to be finally sharing the product with the world. He added: "I know if somebody uses it, they're going to love it."


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Colin Woodward joins as accessories-maker rises from 18th in Sunday Times fastest-growing private tech firms to fifth
Protective case manufacturer Tech21 has appointed a new global marketing director and a new business development director to oversee its next phase of growth.
New marketing director Colin Woodward has spent more than 15 years in the industry. He previously worked as director of planning, marketing and execution (EMEA) for HTC, and before that held various roles with Sony from 2000 until 2012.
Former Tech21 head of marketing Giles Tongue will also start a new role as business development director.
Jason Roberts CEO Tech21 commented, “We are delighted to be developing our international sales and continue with our ambitious strategy to ensure all consumers have access to exceptional protection at affordable prices.
“Strengthening our senior team will give the business the passion, drive and ambition to remain innovative and successful in this competitive market.”
Tech21 also announced that it had been named the fifth fastest-growing privately owned tech firm in 2014 by the Sunday Times, up from 18th the previous year.
It has also been listed in the SME Export Track list by the same publication.


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Schools and social assistance agencies face staffing shortages as they compete with businesses able to raise wages — and services are suffering.
The Treasury Department and the United Nations offered new protection for aid from sanctions meant to pressure the Taliban.
Until a new treasurer is selected, currency will continue to bear the autograph of former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
The limited supply of new and used vehicles is forcing some Americans to go to great lengths to find and buy them, including traveling to dealers hundreds of miles away.
Fears that a disrupted supply chain could wreak havoc on the logistics industry over the holiday turned out to be wrong as many Americans ordered early and shopped in stores.
Union members had rejected an earlier proposal in early December, prolonging a strike by about 1,400 workers at four cereal plants.
Mary Daly, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, wanted to withdraw economic help slowly. Now, she might support a rate increase as soon as March.
A key Democrat’s decision to pull support from the president’s sprawling climate and social agenda is rooted in the scope of the bill.


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MILFORD, Conn. — Splash Car Wash, headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, has announced in a press release the opening of its second Vermont location, an express wash located in Shelburne.
This marks Splash's second greenfield site opened this year, bringing the chain's total to 63 washes.
The Shelburne wash features a 145-foot tunnel outfitted with 30 self-service vacuums, half of which are located indoors, and are free of charge to customers.
NEW YORK — This integration demonstrates Rinsed’s ongoing commitment to supporting more DRB customers.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Club Car Wash expands its presence in southeastern Missouri with two new locations in Cape Girardeau and Sikeston.
MIAMI — This marks a significant sale for the company, which has international distribution.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Each year, The Wash Tub selects a local non-profit organization to support through the sales of Fiesta medals. Haven for Hope is this year’s chosen beneficiary.
TROY, Mich. — Automotive aftercare franchise launches partnership with Born In Detroit and Mission 22 and unveils museum exhibit.
LAGUNA HILLS, Calif. — In addition to certifying detailers in IDA specifications, the team will also SONAX-certify the detailers in paint correction — an advanced form of restoring old, faded, aging paint to its original shine.
There has been more new paint correction and protection technology introduced in the past 30 years than ever before.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — In her episode, Caitlyn Wurzburger reveals her love for chocolate chips, her career highlights and more.


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Airtel has established a strategic partnership with Nokia to deploy 5G and IoT applications for an undisclosed amount. According to sources, both companies will work together to establish a common 5G technology standard including management of connected devices.
As per the agreement, Airtel and Nokia will work together to drive the future roadmap related to 5G. The main focus will be to make a rapid progress in the deployment of 4G network connectivity. In a statement, Airtel disclosed that the deal will make optimum use of power, supply chain and other related parameters to deliver a high level of quality and reliability.
Responding to media, Abhay Savargaonkar, Director – Network Services (India and South Asia), Airtel revealed that the 5G and IoT applications have tremendous potential to transform lives. Moreover, the company us pleased to partner with Nokia to enable these future technologies for our customers.
If 5G is deployed, you will experience huge enhancement in peak data speeds, agility and network latency including the ability to tap new technologies such as network slicing. Hence, it will help mobile service providers to provide support for a wide range of customers. The 5G will establish connectivity with IoT devices and will be a real deal breaker for the development of smart cities.
It remains to be seen as to how the relationship between Airtel and Nokia will progress with the Finland-based company announcement of several Android and feature phones at MWC 2017. That said, the smartphone and network unit are separate entities and will not affect the 5G adoption process.
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Homeless people in OKC are creating beautiful bouquets ready for Mother’s Day with help from business-savvy students.
The Curbside Chronicle was chosen by eighth-grade students from Westminster School as the recipient of its class fund, built with proceeds from curricular experiences such as businesses they started in seventh grade.
With design guidance from the students and The Plant Shoppe, vendors who are homeless or at risk of homelessness are making and selling flower bouquets. They can be found in various spots throughout the city next weekend, or you can pre-order online until May 4. The Curbside Chronicle will also have three pop-up booths selling the blooms in The Plaza District’s DNA Galleries, Stella Nova Coffee on N Western and downtown’s Leadership Square on N Robinson.
The Curbside Chronicle organized a similar sale for Valentine’s Day, which saw 1,604 bouquets sold – providing more than 30 vendors employment opportunities assembling and selling the bouquets.
“After Valentine’s Day, we got a lot of positive feedback from the community and folks who wanted us to offer flowers during other times of year,” says Ranya Forgotson, program director of The Curbside Chronicle – a Homeless Alliance program. “When the students at Westminster reached out, we were thankful to be given the opportunity to grow the campaign.”
All proceeds from bouquets bought from Curbside vendors will go directly to that individual who is working his or her way out of homelessness.
“As part of our Community Service Learning program at Westminster, our eighth-grade class has learned a lot about poverty and homelessness – especially in Oklahoma,” says student Sarah Cate. “Partnering with The Curbside Chronicle on the Mother’s Day flowers program has really allowed us to apply what we’ve learned to help our community and people in need. Through our partnership, we’ve been able to help design the bouquets, determine a new location for where the flowers would be sold and even work to create a radio ad to help promote sales.”
Flowers can be pre-ordered at CurbsideFlowers.org and picked up at one of their pop-up booths listed above.
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G&K cutting 460 jobs
- John Vomohf Jr.
- Staff writer
G&K Services Inc. announced Friday it is eliminating 460 North American jobs in response to decreased customer volume.
The Minnetonka-based uniform rental company is laying off 340 workers and will not fill 120 open positions.
The cuts will affect about 60 jobs in Minnesota, including 30 at the company's headquarters in Minnetonka, G&K spokesman Shayn Carlson said. The company has 170 facilities in North America, including locations in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, St. Cloud and several other Minnesota cities.
“While decisions to eliminate jobs are difficult, we’ve taken additional actions to further streamline our operating costs,” G&K Chairman and CEO Richard Marcantonio said in a statement. “As we’ve stated before, we continue to manage our cost structure, realign staffing and control non-revenue generating expenditures in advance of increasingly difficult economic conditions.”
G&K (Nasdaq: GKSR) said the cuts will save it approximately $14 million a year.
The latest job cuts come on top off of another round of 200 layoffs the company announced in October.
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Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Wild West Express, train ride opens at Northtown Mall
(Photo credit- Northtown Mall's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NorthTownMall )
Northtown Mall is home to another new business. And, while that might be newsworthy alone it's the uniqueness of this new business that makes this issue big news for the mall.
The new business is a trackless train ride attraction that operates as Wild West Express. Wild West Express is geared towards children and offers rides around the mall for a set price of $3.50.
The Wild West Express Train can be boarded at a kiosk in the mall's first floor center court nearby the elevator and Baskin Robins Ice Cream Shop.
As of now, I am unable to locate a web site / page for the train business exactly. But more info maybe available from the mall's web site at-
Posted by Matthew Behringer at 6:10 PM


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Seeking solutions to West Centretown's 'food desert'
Community’s last full-service grocery store closed in 2006
Ottawa's West Centretown neighbourhood is a "food desert" whose residents need easier access to essential groceries, according to a new study.
Emilie Hayes, community engagement manager for Somerset West Community Health Centre, which produced the study, said families in the neighbourhood, which includes Chinatown, Little Italy, Rochester Heights and LeBreton Flats, have few options to buy affordable fresh food.
It would be really nice to have something that's closer to here that serves all of our needs.- Dale Marshall, West Centretown resident
She said the area's sole full-service grocery store closed in 2006, leaving residents with only smaller stores to fill their pantries.
"They're really looking for something that is more consistent, where they can get the food that they need, when they need it," Hayes told CBC Radio's All In A Day. "As opposed to having to wait each month or having to rely on programs and services that are just really trying to fill those gaps."
Driving not always an option
According to the study, West Centretown is considered a low-income area where nearly one-quarter of the housing is subsidized and many residents rely on public transportation to get around.
"It's much more difficult for [them] to hop in a car ... to go get all of their groceries," Hayes said. "And so having something close by in the neighbourhood that's affordable, it's really important for them."
The study proposes a few solutions.
While Hayes said her organization would eventually like to see a new grocery store open in the community, that remains a long-term goal. In the interim, the community health centre is looking at other options including "food kiosks," Hayes said.
"Whether that's a vending machine [or] an aisle in a neighbourhood store where we'll be able to provide fresh produce, dairy, breads and other kinds of basic staples."
Centretown West resident Dale Marshall said whether he goes east to Centretown or west to Hintonburg for his groceries, it's a 15-minute walk.
"I've definitely heard from other neighbours, other friends that live in the area, who all talk about the fact that we live in a food desert," Marshall said. "It would be really nice to have something that's closer to here that serves all of our needs."
Hayes said it's also important for people in the area to have access to options that are culturally appropriate.
According to the report, West Centretown is ethnically and culturally diverse. More than 50 per cent of its population are immigrants, while eight per cent are classified as refugees.
"What we've learned is how important culturally appropriate food is to one's health and well-being," she said.
With files from CBC's Joseph Tunney and All In A Day


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Mobile marketing provider Velti UK has been sold out of administration, securing 98 jobs.
Rob Harding and Nick Edwards of Deloitte were appointed to the companies comprising the group, Velti DR Limited and Mobile Interactive Group Limited, on 6 January.
Following their appointment, the joint administrators secured a sale of the business and assets relating to Velti UK’s mobile marketing business to GSO MMBU Private Company Limited. This buyer is an affiliate company of credit-oriented alternative asset managers GSO Capital Partners.
The sale ran parallel to an acquisition by GSO of Velti’s broader global mobile marketing business in the United States.
Harding said: “Following the Chapter 11 filing of certain of the broader Velti group companies on 4 November 2013, this sale ends a period of uncertainty for employees, customers and other key business partners.”
Surash Patel, senior vice president and general manager of Velti UK, added: “We are excited to be taking the business forward under the new ownership of an affiliate of GSO, who are supportive of our growth ambitions and truly value the innovative market leading solutions that we provide to our customer base.
“Following the sale, the mobile marketing businesses in the UK, UK and India will continue normal operations and will continue to fulfil all customer obligations/payments in line with normal schedules.”
DLA Piper assisted Deloitte in the sale process.
Rick Chesley, who advised from the US side, said: “We are delighted to have advised Velti plc and its subsidiaries, and subsequently the UK administrators, on the successful sale of the Group’ss MMBU assets.”
The Velti group’s non-mobile marketing operations continue to operate as usual outside of the insolvency proceedings under the control of their prior management.


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As cloud adoption continues to increase rapidly, concerns surrounding keeping files safe persist. Businesses in particular face real challenges when it comes to data security, often putting accessibility above all else and leaving data exposed as a result.
This all begs the question, do you know where your business data is? Are your files safe? Are your businesses using a secure file sharing solution, and perhaps more importantly, are your employees?
Even if you’ve answered yes to two out of three of the above questions, it’s the third that could be putting your data at risk.
According to a recent infographic by Maytech, in the past 12 months, 63% of employees have used personal email to send sensitive work documents, and 74% of those employees believe that their companies approve of this type of file-sharing behaviour. In addition to this, and perhaps even more concerning, the infographic also highlights the fact that 25% of businesses are fully aware that their employees are using ‘unofficial’ cloud file sharing solutions.
File sharing and data security
It seems education, then, is a necessity for both employers and employees alike, or the consequences of ignoring the implications of poor data security really could be dire. Both parties need to truly understand the risks involved and work together to minimise them and keep files safe.
The growing volume of sensitive corporate data (which, incidentally, often contains personal information from the general public) that is left insufficiently protected in standard sync-and-share service clouds could lead to significant security breaches.
According to Maytech’s infographic, 40% of businesses who suffered a data breach experienced the exposure of confidential information, and in 2011, the average cost of a data breach equalled £5 million.
Just last week, the Obama administration disclosed the breach of computer systems at the Office of Personnel Management, stating that the records of up to 4 million current and former federal employees may have been compromised.
But what do hackers do with this data? From identity theft to credit card fraud, to selling information on an extremely lucrative black market, their options are manifold.
What can businesses do to minimise risk?
In reality, they have two options:
As over the past few years, employees have grown accustomed to the convenience and efficiency offered by consumer file sharing, getting them to give up now is a non-starter.
The first option most businesses have is to implement a standard sync and share tool and encourage a consistent approach to its use. This option lacks enforced data security, however, and businesses who rely on these services often find they still experience security challenges after they’ve been implemented.
The second, and more robust solution, is to implement an enterprise grade data secure file sharing tool such as Maytech’s Quatrix® Business and enforce a zero tolerance approach to the use of unsecure alternatives. By using this approach, your risks will be considerably reduced without you negatively impacting your company’s productivity, and what’s more, you’ll be one step ahead of 66% of your competitors.
To us, it sounds like a no-brainer.
Maytech provides a global cloud platform for secure and reliant data transfer, wherever you are. We operate a global data network with hubs in Europe, America, China, UAE and Australia and comply with global security and privacy standards.


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Apple Recycles School Computers For Free, Any Brand
Apple has launched a free recycling promo that lets K-12 institutions, colleges, and universities with 25 or more computers could register before the end of June to recycle their old systems for free, AppleInsider reports. They don’t have to be Apple computers and there’s no limit to the number of computers that can be recycled. No purchase is necessary.
Apple says it will collect the systems itself, after they’re placed on pallets and shrink wrapped. All of the American computers it receives will be recycled within the country. A common criticism of the computer industry by activist groups is that obsolete computers are shipped overseas.
Recently, Apple Chief Steve Jobs posted a letter on Apple’s Website announcing its efforts at recycling old products and eliminating toxic substances from new ones.
Energy Manager News
- 18 Organizations Recognized for Cutting Parking Facility Energy Use
- ASHRAE Updates Lighting and Controls Guidelines
- RI Town Begins $620,000 Energy Efficiency Upgrades
- Don’t Write Off Energy Efficiency. It’s Just about to Have Its Day.
- Businesses Offered ‘Instant Rebates’ from Utility
- Rocky Mountain Institute Provides Energy Retrofit Course
- DOE Awards $600,000 for Building Energy Efficiency Projects
- 3Degrees Helps Companies Procure Renewables


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After 36 years, the world’s longest car bearing the name “American Dream” has been returned to its former glory.
In addition to being completely overhauled, it also broke the previous world record and became the longest car in the world on March 1, 2022.
The American Dream was first built in 1986 by famed automaker Jay Orberg, and measured 100 feet after some customization. In 2022, the legendary car is 1.5 inches long. On average, a typical car is 12 to 16 feet long.
The American Dream has a range of luxurious amenities such as a Jacuzzi, bathtub, water bed, mini golf course, several televisions and even a helipad with a capacity of 5,000 pounds. However, its length makes it difficult to park or drive on the roads.
Despite the novelty factor, the car was located in an abandoned warehouse. Fortunately, auto enthusiast Michael Manning came across the eBay listing for the car.
According to Guinness World Records, Manning could not afford to buy it, but he convinced the company that was selling the car to let him bring it to New York for restoration at his Autoseum.
Manning planned to solicit donations from the community for the restoration project but failed to raise sufficient funds. In 2019, Michael Dezer, owner of the Dezerland Park Car Museum, discovered and brought the car.
He then started with Manning the lengthy car restoration which cost over $2,50,000. Now the car is set to displacement at the Dezerland Park Car Museum in Florida, USA.
The vehicle made numerous appearances in films before eventually ending up in a New Jersey warehouse, where it sat for several years.


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By Kayla Smith
Midwesterners considering a virgin sacrifice to save themselves from frigid temperatures this winter can put down the knife.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that this year’s El NiÃ±o will blow a warm, dry winter over the Great Lakes.
The graphic accompanying the report shows that December through February will bring warmer, dryer temperatures to the Great Lakes region and a wetter, colder winter to southern states.
Among the advantages:
The 2014-2015 winter brought frigid temperatures and hefty snowfall, but thanks to El NiÃ±o things will be a little different this year, according to the U.S. Winter Outlook.
The Illinois and Indiana Sea Grant reported that last winter was the second straight year of 80 percent ice cover for the Lake Michigan.
These icy Midwest conditions resulted in local governments spending a ton of money on snow removal, according to the County Road Association of Michigan.
“The harsh winter in 2013-14 caused salt prices to soar for the 2014-15 winter, beyond anything we’ve seen in Michigan before,” said Monica Ware, the group’s communication and development manager.
The price increase was a result of depleted salt inventories. The effects of the price rise were seen across the Midwest, Ware said.
The County Road Association of Michigan serves 83 county road agencies. Revenues for county road agencies have been on a downward slide, while prices of services and resources continue to rise, Ware said. The past two winters have been tough on budgets.
Exhausted snow removal budgets couldn’t afford another snowy winter, even using alternatives deicers like sugar beets.
Salt prices are not secure for the fall yet, but El NiÃ±o may allow time for salt producers to get their product out of the ground and stored for harsher winters.
The downside: Certain winter sports may be hurting from a lack of ice.
Fishing spots in the Lower Peninsula may take longer to freeze over, said Jack Horning, the national sales manager of K&E Stopper Lures in Hastings, Michigan.
“First ice can be a tricky time of year, so be sure to take extra steps to insure your safety,” Horning said.
“Such as fish with a buddy, let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back. Taking along a life jacket, rope and ice picks is never a bad idea.”
Horning is not too worried about the warm winter. His shop generally makes more profit in the winter on a variety of winter sport apparel and products, he said.
“If you can get ice in West Michigan before Christmas that’s a huge deal,” Horning said.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, that’s not very likely. El NiÃ±o is expected to dry out the Midwest until the spring of 2016.
If it’s too warm in the south, northern lakes will generally develop deep ice more quickly, giving anglers an incentive to travel, according to Horning.
If predictions are correct and El NiÃ±o holds out, ice-anglers will have a warm, dry spring to get a jump on summer fishing.


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October 15, 2018 – Breakthrough, a pioneer in the field of transportation energy and information management, announced the creation of a new headquarters as part of the Shipyard development in the Broadway District of Downtown Green Bay. The announcement was made at a press conference hosted at Breakthrough’s current headquarters. Breakthrough President and CEO Doug Mueller was joined by representatives from the City of Green Bay, Perfoma, Inc. and Commercial Horizons.
“Breakthrough has been and will continue to be committed to the revitalization of Downtown Green Bay,” said Mueller. “We believe that this new headquarters, as part of the Shipyard development, will help us attract and retain the smart, passionate, and edgy talent we seek as Breakthrough continues to grow.”
Breakthrough plans to break ground in Spring of 2019 and move into the space early 2020. The approximately 40,000 square-foot building will house all Green Bay-based Breakthrough team members under one roof and will provide room for future expansion to accommodate the company’s continued growth. The new facility will also provide a Breakthrough Experience for the company’s valued clients when they meet in Green Bay to further their transportation energy and supply chain strategies.
“We are excited to bring the Breakthrough team under one roof with space to innovate, collaborate, and deliver cutting-edge solutions for our clients,” said Mueller.
Breakthrough will move all operations to the new location, vacating the current Depot location, but has plans to maintain its presence at the Technology and Innovation Center, located at Backstage at the Meyer.
To learn more about Breakthrough and its complete line of services, visit the Breakthrough website.
Breakthrough is a groundbreaking energy and supply chain management company, helping shippers around the world achieve transparency and remove distortion from their transportation supply chains. Using patented strategies and expert industry insights to improve supply chain efficiency, Breakthrough cuts energy costs and consumption while reducing emissions. In 2017, Breakthrough helped its clients eliminate more than 8.9 million gallons of diesel fuel from their supply chains and reduce their collective carbon footprint by more than 90,000 metric tons of CO2. The firm has received the prestigious “Winning Through Innovation” award from Unilever and is a five-time recipient of Procter & Gamble’s “External Business Partner Excellence Award.” Learn more at the Breakthrough website.
For more information, contact:


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The form that popular social media website Facebook uses to have family members report that a user has died is becoming widely used in pranks to lock users who are very much alive from using their accounts.
According to My Fox, when Facebook receives the completed form contending that a Facebook account user has passed away, it takes steps to lock down their account and proceeds to create a Memorial page in its place.
Because Facebook only requires an obituary as proof that the account user has died, pranksters are submitting doctored and phony obituaries with the user’s same name to create havoc for many account holders on the popular site.
For account users who have been the victim of the Facebook Dead prank, they have little recourse other than to contact Facebook authorities to alert them that they are very much alive and wait until Facebook responds.
That’s what happened to Ryan, who was dead for over a month.
Facebook has declared me dead, which is an issue all of itself (who the f— checks that? And does a ****** job as well). I have been attempting to get help from them for over a month to no avail. They will not respond to bug requests, emails, or anything. I have left a question on their Help Center which they clearly don’t check, only to be ignored (and to find out there are more people like me who have this issue). This might not be your standard fare but any suggestions? This is by far and away the WORST customer service ever, even if it is a free product. This seemingly could happen to anyone. Thanks!
“We try to take all necessary precautions when processing user requests and provide an appeals process for any possible mistake we may make,” Facebook said in response to the death prank.
There is no word if any prank victims plan on taking legal action against Facebook for prematurely closing their accounts.


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Kim Kardashian Dresses As Aaliyah For Halloween, Black Twitter Unsure If It Should Be Upset
As an Armenian American woman, is it OK for Kim Kardashian to dress up as a black woman?
October 30, 2017 at 9:37 pm
Every year, Halloween kicks off the holiday season in a fanciful way.
Most would agree that it’s the most creative holiday of them all, with people transforming into dreamlike creatures and anthropomorphic inanimate objects. The costumes are usually easy-going and fun, but the water can get a little murky, particularly when people begin to dress as beloved, real-life public figures.
Kim Kardashian West found this out when she kicked off her second day of Halloween week (apparently it’s a thing, complete with its own hashtag, #HallowKKWeen) dressed as the one and only “Babygirl” Aaliyah.
Baby Girl Aaliyah pic.twitter.com/5GUHkNJgNi— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) October 29, 2017
Aaliyah is an R&B icon that many black millennials and Generation Xers hold near and dear to their hearts. Even after passing away at the age of 22, over an entire decade and a half ago, many still recognize her birthday year after year. Too, new musicians still routinely talk about the singer’s influence on their music.
So, needless to say, when it comes to Aaliyah, people are very defensive. Black Twitter made that very clear after Kardashian West posted her costume.
This is offensive— Kelly (@vnyvsh) October 29, 2017
Kim Kardashian did Aaliyah so dirty tryna be her for halloween.... she needs to go sit somewhere💀 pic.twitter.com/7BjrE9W1yN— rissa 🍒 (@charissabacon) October 29, 2017
Legend or not Aaliyah is a black woman and you’re not. It’s offensive and you shouldn’t push this limit, but ok... 🙄— Blogger Cassie (@LAGrlCrookdSmle) October 29, 2017
But in a surprise turn of events, the majority actually praised or defended Kardashian West's costume.
Kimberly Kardashian West looks great dressed as Aaliyah. THAT is how you pay respect without doing Blackface. Great job @KimKardashian! ❤🙌🏾— Mr. Couture ⚜ (@MrCouture) October 29, 2017
My GOD, this is not offensive. She dressing as Aaliyah. She looks great!— Reese (@beachydivine) October 29, 2017
im black and i see no problem with this at all— s (@godIys) October 29, 2017
Wait black people can dress up like moana,Tinkerbell and other white characters but Kim can't?y'all need prayers— selma_malik🌈 (@SalsinaA) October 29, 2017
And a some were just simply confused.
why are people dressing up for Halloween when halloweens on the 31st?? Help— c: (@justbrandonlol) October 29, 2017
What do you think? Did Kim cross the line and culturally appropriate?


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No GFWL for Batman: Arkham City
Another relief for PC gamer. According to one tweet new Batman will not use GFWL: We’ve just received notice from Warner’s [sic] that Batman is Games for Windows but NOT a Games for Windows ‘Live’ title!”
In June box art for the game showed the GFWL logo, suggesting Rocksteady’s game would use Microsoft’s PC gaming frontend. Batman: Arkham Asylum used GFWL.


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Volkswagen warned over emissions test cheating “years ago”, German reports claim
Volkswagen was warned about cheating emissions tests several years ago by the company's own staff members and by one of its suppliers, according to German media reports.
The warning from internal engineers as far back as 2011 is said to have surfaced from VW's internal investigation into the scandal which has rocked the company, German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung claims.
A separate report in Bild am Sonntag said the investigation had also turned up a warning from Bosch from as far back as 2007. The company, which supplies parts to VW, said its software should only be used for company tests and not for normal driving, according to the report.
Volkswagen could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.
More than 11 million cars have been affected by the misleading emissions testing, forcing chief executive Martin Winterkorn to resign and cutting billions from the value of the company as at least 10 countries launched investigations into VW.
Switzerland yesterday took steps to ban the sale of its Euro5 diesel cars.
According to several reports, the European Central Bank has suspended buying any loans backed by Volkswagen from its bond-buying programme, in the latest fallout from the scandal.


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District Court denies certification and defendants’ motion for summary judgment in FDCPA class action
On January 26, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington denied a plaintiff’s motion for class certification and denied motions for summary judgment from defendants in an FDCPA case stemming from a consent order between one of the defendants and the CFPB. As previously covered by InfoBytes, in September 2017, the CFPB announced it had filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware against a collection of 15 Delaware statutory trusts and their debt collector for, among other things, allegedly filing lawsuits against consumers for private student loan debt that they could not prove was owed or that was outside the applicable statute of limitations. According to the consent judgment, the trusts were required to pay at least $3.5 million in restitution to more than 2,000 consumers who made payments resulting from the improper collection suits, to pay $7.8 million in disgorgement to the Treasury Department, and to pay an additional $7.8 million civil money penalty to the CFPB. In addition, the trusts were required to: (i) hire an independent auditor, subject to the Bureau’s approval, to audit all 800,000 student loans in the portfolio to determine if collection efforts must be stopped on additional accounts; (ii) cease collection attempts on loans that lack proper documentation or that are time-barred; and (iii) ensure false or misleading documents are not filed and that documents requiring notarization are handled properly. A separate consent order issued against the debt collector orders the company to pay a $2.5 million civil money penalty to the CFPB.
According to the district court’s order, the plaintiffs, who were sued by the defendants for failing to pay their student loans, alleged that the defendants filed fraudulent, deceptive, and misleading affidavits in order to obtain default judgments. The plaintiffs sought to include a class of those residing in Washington for which the defendants sought to collect a debt allegedly owned by one of the trusts. The district court, however, was “unconvinced” that any of the questions would generate common answers on a class-wide basis. For example, the question of whether the defendants’ employees filed false or misleading affidavits “cannot be resolved in one stroke,” the district court said, because the plaintiffs “cannot show by a preponderance of the evidence that the documents Defendants used in every debt collection action suffered from the same alleged deficiencies.” With respect to the defendants’ summary judgment motion, the district court determined there were genuine issues of material fact regarding the alleged violations of the FDCPA and state law in Washington. The district court denied the defendants’ motion for summary judgment, noting noted that “[a]ttempts to collect debts with false affidavits and without the necessary documentation to prove the claims is unfair or unconscionable and involves false, deceptive, and/or misleading representations in violation of the FDCPA.”
On January 11, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered a proposed stipulated final judgment and order against a defendant New York debt-collection law firm. As previously covered by InfoBytes, the Bureau’s complaint alleged that between 2014 and 2016 the defendant initiated over 99,000 collection lawsuits in an attempt to collect debts by relying on “non-attorney support staff, automation, and both a cursory and deficient review of account files,” in violation of both the FDCPA and the Consumer Financial Protection Act. The Bureau alleged the lawsuits contained names and signatures of attorneys despite those attorneys “not being meaningfully involved in reviewing the merits of the lawsuits,” including not reviewing pertinent documentation related to the debts, such as account applications, billing statements, payment histories, and the terms and conditions governing an account. Moreover, the defendant allegedly did not perform reviews of the contracts related to debt sales, despite filing lawsuits on behalf of debt buyers that have been accused of unlawful debt collection practices.
In order to continue with debt-collection litigation, for each collection suit, the settlement requires the defendant to possess documents with specific information about the debt, including the name of the original creditor, evidence that the consumer authorized the debt, the chain of assignment supporting any sale of the debt, and a break-down of how the debt amount was calculated. The defendant must also certify that the attorney whose name appears on the complaint reviewed the supporting documentation and ensure the complaint is consistent with that documentation. Any pending lawsuit in which the defendant does not certify its compliance with the specific information and meaningful attorney review requirements must be voluntarily dismissed. The also order requires the defendant to pay a $100,000 penalty to the Bureau.
In December, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court’s ruling holding an individual liable for violations of the FCRA, the TSR, and the CFPA after the defendant, who allegedly “played a central role” in the scheme — and other defendants — were sued by the CFPB for allegedly obtaining individuals’ credit reports illegally and charging advance fees for debt relief services. As previously covered by InfoBytes, the CFPB filed a complaint in 2020 claiming the defendants violated the FCRA by, among other things, illegally obtaining consumer reports from a credit reporting agency for millions of consumers with student loans by representing that the reports would be used to “make firm offers of credit for mortgage loans” and to market mortgage products. However, the Bureau alleged that the defendants instead resold or provided the reports to numerous companies, including companies engaged in marketing student loan debt relief services. The defendants also allegedly violated the TSR by charging and collecting advance fees for their debt relief services and violated both the TSR and CFPA by placing telemarketing sales calls and sending direct mail to encourage consumers to consolidate their loans, while falsely representing that consolidation could lower student loan interest rates, improve borrowers’ credit scores, and allow borrowers to change their servicer to the Department of Education. Settlements have already been reached with certain defendants (covered by InfoBytes here, here, and here). In August 2021, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California granted the Bureau’s motion for summary judgment against the individual defendant after determining that undisputed evidence showed that the individual defendant, among other things, “obtained and later used prescreened lists from [a consumer reporting agency] without a permissible purpose” in order to send direct mail solicitations from the businesses that he controlled to consumers on the lists as opposed to firm offers of credit or insurance. (Covered by InfoBytes here.)
In September 2021, the district court entered judgment in favor of the Bureau against the individual defendant. While the individual defendant objected to the judgment, the district court ultimately determined that the Bureau is entitled to a judgment for monetary relief of over $19 million as redress for fees paid by affected consumers. This restitution is owed jointly and severally with the student loan debt relief company defendants in the amounts imposed in default judgments entered against each of them (covered by InfoBytes here).
On the appeal, the 9th Circuit cited “undisputed” evidence demonstrating how the individual defendant “violated” the FCRA, TSR, and CFPA. According to the appellate court, the defendant “is individually liable for corporate violations of the CFPA.” The appellate court further noted that the individual defendant “‘participated directly’ in these deceptive practices and ‘had the authority to control them,’” had a “central role” in these practices,” was “‘recklessly indifferent to the truth or falsity of the misrepresentations,’ and did not attempt to verify the truthfulness of statements” regarding the companies he controlled.
On January 4, the CFPB and New York attorney general filed a complaint against a Michigan-based auto finance company accused of allegedly misrepresenting the cost of credit and deceiving low-income consumers into taking out high-interest loans on used vehicles. (See also AG’s press release here.) The joint complaint alleges, among other things, that the defendant based the price of a loan (and then artificially inflated the principal amount) and the payment to the dealer on the projected amount that may be collected from the consumer during the life of the loan (without factoring in whether consumers could actually afford the loan).
The Bureau and AG further argued that the true cost of credit is hidden in inflated principal balances in order to evade state interest rate caps. An investigation conducted by the AG found that while the defendant’s loan agreements in New York claimed an APR of 22.99 percent or 23.99 percent (just below the 25 percent usury cap), the defendant actually charged on average more than 38 percent (and on many occasions charged an APR in excess of 100 percent). These high-interest loans, the AG claimed, often caused consumers to accrue additional fees and become delinquent on their loans.
The complaint also alleged the defendant failed to consider consumers’ ability to repay their loans in full, engaged in aggressive debt collection tactics, and created financial incentives for dealers to add on extra products, such as vehicle service contracts. Add-on products generated roughly $250 million in revenue for the defendant in 2020, the complaint said, adding that these alleged deceptive lending practices lowered consumers’ credit scores and cost borrowers millions of dollars. The complaint further maintained that the defendant packaged the consumer loans into securities that were sold to investors on the premise that the underlying loans complied with applicable law. These alleged false representations, the complaint said, constituted securities fraud under New York’s Martin Act.
The complaint — which also alleges violations of the Consumer Financial Protection Act’s prohibition against deceptive and abusive acts or practices, New York usury limits, and other state consumer and investor protection laws — seeks, among other things, injunctive relief, monetary relief, disgorgement, and civil money penalties of $1,000,000 for each day of violations.
The defendant was previously targeted for violating consumer protection laws in 2021 by the Massachusetts attorney general, who announced a $27.2 million settlement to resolve allegations of predatory lending and deceptive debt collection practices. (Covered by InfoBytes here.)
On December 20, the CFPB announced a consent order against a national bank for allegedly mismanaging auto loans, mortgages, and deposit accounts. According to the Bureau, the bank allegedly engaged in deceptive or unfair acts or practices in violation of the CFPA by, among other things: (i) incorrectly processing auto-loan payments; (ii) assessing borrowers erroneous fees and interest due to technology, audit, and compliance failures; (iii) incorrectly denying mortgage loan modification applications; (iv) failing to ensure that unearned Guaranteed Asset Protection fees were refunded to borrowers who paid off their loans; (v) incorrectly denying mortgage loan modification applications and miscalculated fees; and (vi) charging “surprise” overdraft fees on debit card transactions and ATM withdrawals because, according to the Bureau, consumers “believed that if they had enough money to cover the relevant transaction when it was authorized they would not incur an [o]verdraft fee.”
Under the terms of the consent order, the bank is required to pay redress totaling more than $2 billion to allegedly harmed customers. Specifically, the bank is ordered to pay approximately: (i) $1.3 billion in consumer redress for affected auto lending accounts; (ii) $500 million in consumer redress for affected deposit accounts, including $205 million for illegal surprise overdraft fees; and (iii) nearly $200 million in consumer redress for affected mortgage servicing accounts. Among other things, the bank is prohibited from charging overdraft fees for deposit accounts when the consumer had available funds at the time of a purchase or other debit transaction, but then subsequently had a negative balance once the transaction settled. The bank is also ordered to pay a $1.7 billion civil penalty to the Bureau. CFPB Director Rohit Chopra released a statement following the announcement saying the order does not provide immunity for any individuals nor does it release claims for any ongoing illegal acts or practices.
The bank issued a press release stating that “[c]urrent leadership has made significant progress to transform the bank,” and noting that “the CFPB recognized that since 2020, the company has accelerated corrective actions and remediation, including to address the matters covered by today’s settlement.”
On December 13, the CFPB announced that it will distribute more than $95 million in redress to over 87,000 consumers harmed by a student loan debt relief operation. As previously covered by InfoBytes, the CFPB, along with the Minnesota and North Carolina attorneys general, and the Los Angeles City Attorney (together, the “states”), announced an action against the defendants for allegedly deceiving thousands of student loan borrowers and charging more than $71 million in unlawful advance fees. In the complaint filed October 21, 2019, and unsealed on October 29, 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the Bureau and the states alleged that since at least 2015, the defendants have violated the CFPA, the TSR, and various state laws by charging and collecting improper advance fees from student loan borrowers prior to providing assistance and receiving payments on the adjusted loans. The CFPB also claimed that the defendants automatically put loans in forbearance and submitted false information to loan servicers to qualify customers for lower monthly payments.
District Court stays action against remittance provider while Supreme Court weighs CFPB’s funding structure
On December 9, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York stayed an action brought by the CFPB and the New York attorney general against a defendant remittance provider until after the U.S. Supreme Court decides if it will review whether the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit erred in holding that the Bureau’s funding structure violates the Appropriations Clause of the Constitution. Last month the DOJ, on behalf of the CFPB, submitted a petition for a writ of certiorari seeking Supreme Court review of the 5th Circuit’s decision during its current term. (Covered by InfoBytes here.) The New York AG and the Bureau sued the defendant in April for allegedly violating the EFTA and its implementing Regulation E, the Remittance Rule, and the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA), among various consumer financial protection laws, in its handling of remittance transfers. (Covered by InfoBytes here.)
The defendant argued that the district court should hold off on deciding on its motion to dismiss per the aforementioned argument, but should nonetheless rule on its pending motion to transfer. The Bureau opposed the defendant’s request for a stay, countering “that a stay would not promote efficiency” since the issue of the Bureau’s standing would not affect the claims brought in the current action. The Bureau further asserted “that the public and the parties’ interest weighs against a stay, as it would hinder Plaintiffs’ enforcement of the consumer protection laws and make obtaining evidence down the line more difficult.”
The district court disagreed, stating that the Supreme Court may address the broader issue of the Bureau’s standing to bring enforcement actions in its decision, and that, regardless, the agency’s claims in the current action “are inextricably linked to CFPB rules and regulations, which themselves may be implicated by a Supreme Court decision should it grant the petition.” The district court stayed the case in its entirety and said that it will wait to decide on both motions until after the Supreme Court decides on the Bureau’s filed petition for a writ of certiorari.
On December 12, the CFPB announced a proposed rule seeking to identify repeat financial law offenders by establishing a database of enforcement actions taken against certain nonbank covered entities. Specifically, the Bureau proposes to enhance market monitoring and risk-based supervision efforts by including all final public written orders and judgments (including any consent and stipulated orders and judgments) obtained or issued by any federal, state, or local government agency for violation of certain consumer protection laws related to unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices in the database. Additionally, pursuant to Section 1024(b)(7) of the Consumer Financial Protection Act, the Bureau is also proposing that larger supervised nonbanks be required to submit annual written statements regarding compliance with each underlying order that is signed by an attesting executive with “knowledge of the entity’s relevant systems and procedures for achieving compliance and control over the entity’s compliance efforts.” Excluded from the registry will be insured depository institutions and credit unions, related persons, states, natural persons, and certain other entities.
Explaining that protecting American consumers is a shared effort spanning local, state, and federal authorities, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra stated that currently “readily accessible information is lacking about the identity of orders issued against nonbanks subject either to the CFPB’s market monitoring authority or to its supervisory authority across the various markets for consumer financial products and services.” The creation of a central repository of enforcement actions around the country for use in tracking and mitigating risks posed by repeat offenders and monitoring entities subject to agency and court orders will help the Bureau, the law enforcement community, and the public “limit the harms from repeat offenders,” the Bureau said in its announcement. The Bureau noted that it plans to share the database with other regulators and law enforcement agencies by making the registry public.
Comments on the proposal are due 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. The Bureau said the proposed registry would launch “no earlier than January 2024.”
On November 22, the CFPB denied a petition by a cryptocurrency lender to set aside a civil investigative demand (CID) issued by the Bureau last December. According to the Bureau, the lender (which states on its website that it is licensed by various state regulators to engage in consumer lending and money transmitting) and its affiliates market a range of products, including interest-accruing accounts and lines of credit. The CID informed the lender that a company representative was required to provide oral testimony at an investigational hearing into whether the lender's conduct is subject to federal consumer financial law, whether the lender had violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act and Regulation E, and whether an enforcement action would be in the public interest.
The lender petitioned the Bureau in March to modify or set aside the CID, arguing, among other things, that the Bureau lacks authority to investigate its Earn Interest Product because the SEC had previously made clear in a different matter (covered by InfoBytes here) that interest-bearing crypto lending products like the lender’s Earn Interest Product are securities. Accordingly, the lender contended that the Earn Interest Product fell outside of the Bureau’s jurisdiction. Furthermore, the lender asserted that in light of the SEC’s action, it stopped offering its Earn Interest Product to new U.S. customers and “began working to implement other changes by which current users would no longer earn interest on new funds in their Earn Interest Product accounts.”
In rejecting the lender’s arguments, the Bureau said that lender “is trying to avoid answering any of the Bureau’s questions about the Earn Interest Product (on the theory that the product is a security subject to SEC oversight) while at the same time preserving the argument that the product is not a security subject to SEC oversight. This attempt to have it both ways dooms [the lender’s] petition from the start.” The Bureau also emphasized that unresolved facts related to the lender’s Earn Interest Product make it impossible to determine whether any of the challenged conduct is subject to an exclusion from the Bureau’s authority under the CFPA or an exemption to Regulation E. The Bureau further noted that courts have established that the recipient of a CID cannot challenge an agency investigation by contesting facts that the agency might find, at least in situations “where the investigation is not patently outside the agency’s authority.”
On December 9, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered a final stipulated final judgment and order against a Delaware financial-services company operating in Florida and New York along with its owner (collectively, “defendants”) for engaging in deceptive acts under the Consumer Financial Protection Act related to its misleading marketing representations when advertising high-yield healthcare savings CD accounts. As previously covered by InfoBytes, the Bureau’s 2020 complaint alleged that defendants engaged in deceptive acts or practices by: (i) falsely representing that consumers’ deposits into the high yield CD accounts would be used to originate loans for healthcare professionals, when in fact, the company never used the deposits to originate loans for healthcare professionals, never sold a loan to a bank or secondary-market investor, and never entered into a contract with a buyer or investor to purchase a loan; (ii) concealing the company’s true business model by falsely representing that the consumers’ deposits, when not being used to originate healthcare loans, would be held in an FDIC- or Lloyd’s of London-insured account or a “cash alternative” or “cash equivalent” account, when in reality, consumers’ deposits were, among other things, invested in securities; (iii) misleading consumers into believing that the accounts their funds were being deposited into functioned like traditional savings accounts when in fact, consumers’ deposits were actively traded in the stock market or used in securities-backed investments; and (iv) falsely representing that past high yield CD accounts allegedly paid interest at rates between 5 percent and 6.25 percent prior to 2019 when in fact, the company did not offer CDs until August 2019, and “consumers’ principals was neither guaranteed nor insured.” The complaint noted that since August 2019, the company took more than $15 million from at least 400 consumers.
The settlement provides for a comprehensive consumer redress plan that would require defendants to refund approximately $19 million to approximately 400 depositors. Further, pursuant to the order, the defendants are required to return the money that each affected consumer deposited into a certain account in a manner consistent with the advertised terms of the product, namely, the principal along with an average per year interest rate of about 6 percent. The proposed order also permanently bans the defendants from engaging or assisting others in any deposit taking activities and requires defendants to pay a civil money penalty to the Bureau in the amount of $391,530.


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Bleacher report sports highlights news now, sports journalists and bloggers covering nfl mlb nba nhl mma college football and basketball nascar fantasy sports and more news photos mock drafts game. Top 50 countdown the best arizona wildcats athletes in, the star s zack rosenblatt is counting down the 50 best athletes on the ua campus right now with help from athletes coaches and those close to the program. Top 10 best classic cars to buy in 2017 autoguide com news, hagerty is an expert in classic cars and has come out with its list of best classic cars to buy for 2017.
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Facebook now has its own take on location sharing -- an optional feature that periodically broadcasts people's locations to their friends.
Google reported a 19 per cent increase in revenue for the first quarter, but results from its advertising business were mixed.
Internet users may soon start to see more ads that look like posts from Google+, but without visiting the social network.
In an indication that CEO Marissa Mayer is not yet seeing dramatic results from her efforts to turn the company around, Yahoo's sales dipped slightly in its first quarter, amid some gains in its search advertising business.
Aiming to play a bigger role in analyzing tweets and sharing the resulting insights with advertisers and other businesses, Twitter has acquired Gnip, its partner for the past few years.
Google has confirmed its acquisition of drone maker Titan Aerospace and hinted that the technology could be used for a lot more than providing Internet access to remote parts of the world.
Google is buying drone-maker Titan Aerospace in a move poised to advance its airborne delivery of data services and mapping applications, according a Monday report in the Wall Street Journal.
Websites that use encryption could be elevated in Google search results sometime in the future, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Better think before you post that Instagram selfie -- a government could want it.
Posts on Facebook that repeatedly urge users to like, share or comment on them are being targeted in a new effort to reduce News Feed spam, Facebook said Thursday.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Thursday cleared a path for Facebook's acquisition of WhatsApp to proceed, though it called on both companies to be mindful of their data collection policies.
In space, they say, no one can hear you scream. Some marketers feel the same way about Facebook.
Dropbox, the cloud storage and file sharing vendor, is expanding its scope into photo management and document collaboration.
Google wants to put its Glass headmounted computer system to work.
Facebook shareholders are taking the company to task for political contributions to politicians whose positions on issues such as gay rights and online piracy counter Facebook's.
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November 15, 2010 09:01 ET
Eloqua and TRUSTe Form Partnership
Eloqua Customers Can Take Advantage of Added Privacy Protections to Boost Conversion Rates and Revenue
VIENNA, VA--(Marketwire - November 15, 2010) - Eloqua, the leader in marketing automation solutions that dramatically accelerate revenue growth, has formed a strategic partnership with TRUSTe, the leading privacy trademark. Eloqua clients can now benefit from TRUSTe's slate of privacy services to enhance confidence among prospects and drive higher conversation rates and sales.
By working directly with TRUSTe, Eloqua customers can enjoy one-click access to industry leading data management solutions for the collection, storage and use of personal information online. Customers can turn to TRUSTe for auditing services to ensure their marketing campaigns meet with complex global data protection standards and take advantage of consumer privacy dispute resolution offerings.
Additionally, Eloqua users can attach the confidence-inspiring TRUSTe symbol of approval to e-mail communications, online forms and landing pages. Prospects know their data is secure when they see this recognized badge, leading to higher conversation rates and better end-to-end marketing performance.
"Protecting consumer data is the highest priority at Eloqua," said Joe Payne, CEO of Eloqua. "The partnership with TRUSTe cements our commitment to provide customers with best available resources for turning prospects into clients and driving revenue growth."
"Partnering with Eloqua gives TRUSTe the opportunity to further broaden online trust," said Chris Babel, CEO of TRUSTe. "The TRUSTe Web Privacy Seal immediately tells consumers that their personal information is being handled safely, encouraging consumer engagement and resulting in more qualified leads for revenue generation."
Dennis Dayman, Chief of Privacy and Security Officer at Eloqua, said: "Privacy regulations vary from country to country, government to government. We can help brands with global aspirations from getting bogged down in the minutiae of constantly changing privacy standards. Teaming with TRUSTe is another way Eloqua is making it easier for customers to build and deliver top-notch campaigns."
Eloqua helps clients dramatically accelerate revenue growth through Revenue Performance Management. Eloqua provides powerful business insight to inform marketing and sales decisions today that drive revenue growth tomorrow. The company's mission is to make its customers the fastest growing companies on earth. Thousands of users rely on the power of Eloqua to execute, automate, and measure programs that accelerate revenue growth. Eloqua's customers include Adobe, AON, Dow Jones, ADP, Fidelity, Polycom, and National Instruments. The company is headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, with offices in Toronto, London, Singapore and throughout North America. For more information, visit www.eloqua.com, subscribe to the It's All About Revenue blog, call 866-327-8764, or email firstname.lastname@example.org.
Thousands of companies rely on TRUSTe's leading privacy trustmark to enhance consumer trust, drive increased registrations and transactions, and comply with complex privacy requirements. Consumers know that when they see the TRUSTe seal, they can "Click with Confidence" because the certified website is responsible with their personal information. TRUSTe has certified more than 40 percent of the top fifty websites, including Facebook, Yahoo, Microsoft, eBay, AOL, Adobe, AT&T, Comcast, Disney, Weather.com, Apple, LinkedIn, Web MD, and Yelp. TRUSTe also certifies many of the top advertising and technology service providers for websites. For additional information on TRUSTe and its services, please visit http://www.truste.com.


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Cryptocurrency is Taking Off as a Way to Pay for Those Vacation Getaways
Latvian carrier Air Baltic, Branson’s Virgin Galactic, and Airfare website Cheapair.com are among these companies. Lastly, in June, Berlin-based booking site GetYourGuide started to accept dogecoin following its expansion in the US.
GetYourGuide’s CEO and co-founder Johannes Reck stated that his firm would accept other coins in the following period and transactions via cryptocurrency “will matter for travel.” He added:
“People want to put their crypto back into the system [and] travel is one of the biggest categories there is,” he added. “We take dogecoin now into the real world; you can apply it and get a real-world, kinetic experience.”
Younger generations have always been one of the most significant categories of travelers and they “are looking for modern ways to plan and book trips,” as the CEO and co-founder of upcoming travel app Elude, Alex Simon, states:
“The ability to purchase your airline ticket or hotel through bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies is inevitable […] Though the travel industry is antiquated, the new generation of travelers, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, will demand new forms of payments and alternative ways to purchase travel.”
(Gen Z comprises those born after the last century, and those born after 2010 are named Gen Alpha.)
Among other tourism players allowing cryptocurrency transactions, there is Nevada-based Resorts World Las Vegas property. The company partners with crypto exchange firm Gemini and Bobby Hotel in Nashville. Thus, guests can book their stays and other activities with cryptocurrencies via BitPay.
Although Expedia, an online travel agency giant, no longer accepts bitcoin, more than 700.000 Expedia Group accommodations are available on a crypto-friendly booking platform called Travala.com.
Through its partnership with Tripadvisor-owned Viator and food delivery company Zomato, Travala.com also offers thousands of bookable activities that can be purchased with cryptocurrencies. Travala.com describes itself as “blockchain-based” since seventy percent of the bookings are made by digital coins of more than 50 types, as CEO Juan Otero states. The firm currently sees more than $1 million a week:
“These are massive partnerships with some of the world’s biggest online travel brands, all of whom are embracing crypto […] Altogether, Travala.com offers over 3 million travel products, making us not just the biggest crypto-friendly [online travel agency], but one of the largest overall.”
The entrance of cryptocurrency in the game is changing the travel industry as well. Travel, a decentralized home-sharing network, is entirely built on the blockchain model launched by Travala.com in June, as Otero said:
“There isn’t a single corporate board that makes all the decisions. Instead, this new home-sharing network is driven entirely by its community through its ‘Decentralized Autonomous Organization’ that any host or guest can partake in.”
Since cryptocurrency is still quite volatile in terms of value, both consumers and travel suppliers prefer third-party processors that convert the digital tokens to fiat money at the time of purchase. Otero also said: “We generally see more credit card payments for travel when crypto prices are down versus when they’re sky-high,” which can be interpreted as consumers reserving their options.


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The school uniform for under £10
Britain's cheapest school uniform, costing £ 9.96 including shoes, was unveiled yesterday, triggering a price war in the High Street.
The outfit, on sale at Asda, includes a polo shirt, vest, sweatshirt, briefs, socks, trousers or skirt and black scuff-resistant shoes.
The price tag is for children from three to six, but larger versions are available at £12.96 for six to ten-year-olds and £13.96 for 10 to 12-year-olds.
Woolworths hit back by announcing it will sell school trousers and skirts for £2, shirts and blouses for £1, jumpers and cardigans for £2 and shoes for £8.
The half-term squeeze on prices comes amid concern that schools stop parents taking advantage of High Street offers by demanding a specific logo or trim that means clothes have to be bought from more expensive suppliers.
The practice came under fire in a recent Office of Fair Trading report which found it meant parents were paying an extra £45m a year. Research by Which? found the more expensive garments were often poorer quality than cheaper ones.
Angela Spindler, managing director of Asda's clothing wing George, said: 'Buying the back-to-school wardrobe puts a strain on any parent's purse. As we sell more school uniforms than any one else in Britain, we want to put more money back into our customers' pockets.'
Woolworths school uniform buyer Debbie Lauchlan said: 'There is intense competition for the £ 1bn back-to-school market and it's important for us to offer our customers the best possible value. School uniforms are cheaper than ever before and our quality standards have not been compromised.'
Asda has been accused of using sweatshop factories in the Third World to produce its bargain clothes. An investigation published by the War on Want charity in December alleged that workers in Bangladesh, supplying Asda, Tesco and Primark, were put in long hours for poor pay.
But Asda said: 'George sources everything it sells ethically. By using fewer suppliers its dedicated sourcing team now has long-term relationships with the factories it uses, all of which are regularly audited to make sure that they are working to both George's and the Ethical Trading Initiative's code of conduct.'
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TPBank launched 12 digital branches in 1Q17.
When UK-based fintech startup Scale360 set up a development centre in the heart of Thailand, it wanted to expand its reach in order to provide more customers with omni-channel solutions and innovative products in banking technology. One of the solutions Scale360 offers is the digital branch, and it has recently been working with a bank in Vietnam to help them connect with digital consumers.
From Vietnam to Singapore, more banks are setting up digital branches due to stronger regulatory support and strategic cooperation with fintechs. Customers are now trooping to these digital branches to open accounts and avail loans – transactions that were mostly done through physical branches – and banks are thrilled at how they are increasing customer transactions whilst reducing operational costs.
Over the past year Scale360 has scaled up its staff to over 125 people as it partners with more banks, including Vietnam’s TPBank which launched a dozen digital branches branded as LiveBanks in the first quarter of 2017. Customers could step into a LiveBank and tap on a machine to complete a transaction whilst an agent guides them through video instructions sent from a contact centre miles away.
“During the pilot period, most customers felt the digital branch was easy to use, had convenient banking hours and therefore would recommend its services to friends,” says Neville Molyneux, managing director at Scale360. “The feedback was positive, leading to an extension of the programme, with plans to open up to 50 digital branches by the end of the year.”
Offering the best of both worlds
TPBank and other Asian banks have discovered that digital branches offer the best of both worlds: Customers, especially in hard-to-reach areas, get access to a robust suite of traditional branch banking services whilst their retail operations slash costs by replacing expensive brick-and-mortar physical branches with digital branch machines.
“The introduction of our LiveBank service is an important element of our digital strategy,” says Dinh Van Chien, deputy CEO and head of retail banking at TPBank. “We aim to improve our customer’s experience with better accessibility to our products and services, as we need to adapt to fit our customer’s lifestyles.”
"Many banks are faced with the increasing cost of a branch network,” says Molyneux. “In urban areas branches are now under threat of being closed. In rural areas, there is plenty of white space, but banks are reluctant to commit millions of US dollar to open new branches. Deploying the digital branch helps banks reduce the operating costs normally associated with a traditional branch – real estate and staffing, whilst also cost-effectively extending opening hours,” he adds.
“From our understanding a traditional branch set-up in Thailand would cost around US$1 million. In the UK this could be between £3-5 million.
Scale360 Digital Branch list price will start at US$200,000, but of course final costs would depend on configuration and location. TPBank in Vietnam currently place their version in an existing shop or build a new unit. We have also developed a standalone ‘pod’ which could be deployed independently,” says Molyneux.
In smaller towns, digital branches can be used to give banks a presence where they may not be able to support a staffed branch. Molyneux says this is especially relevant in Asia where there are still a lot of under-banked or unbanked communities.
Meanwhile, in cities where rents are soaring and maintaining a physical branch presence is difficult, the digital branch can offer a more financially feasible option because it takes up less space and manpower to operate.
“In the UK, where branch networks have reduced dramatically, it will help reintroduce banks into areas where branches have been closed,” says Molyneux.
“The digital branch can be deployed in locations that offer convenient access, from deployment in existing branches to shopping malls, airports and high streets and more. As less real estate is required, it opens many more opportunities for banks to establish a branch where they may not have done so before,” he adds.
Retaining the human interaction
The explosion of digitisation initiatives in banking, led by fintechs, has greatly expanded the areas of mobile and Internet banking, but most banks choose to retain a large network of physical branches due to the high value still placed by customers on human interaction and branches.
An EY study on the future of retail banking last year found that more than half (55%) of people believed it is important to be able to speak with a real person at their bank round-the-clock. The same study further revealed that nearly half (44%) of people do not trust banks without branches and that more than half (55%) go to a branch or call when they want to purchase a product or get advice.
But Molyneux argues that the digital branch is the sensible alternative to physical branches – not mobile banking. The digital branch offers all products and services like a physical branch, as well as the one-to-one human interaction that most customers crave.
“We know that the smartphone has become the de facto way for people to book holidays and accommodation, call a taxi, order dinner – an app can define a brand’s success - and many brands have been able to make their service feel like a lifestyle choice,” says Molyneux.
“But when we thought about the importance of money, and banking, in people’s lives, trust becomes a huge factor. And are people really ready to trust all of their finances to an app on their phone? People want to be able to ‘touch’ their bank – or at least see its presence,” he adds.
Live video agents are the ace up the sleeve of digital branches, providing not only convenient assistance, but also creating a personal connection that lends confidence to Asian customers when conducting critical or high-value transactions.
“Being able to access specialist assistance on demand from loan or investment advisors helps banks maximise upsell opportunities whilst delivering enhanced customer service. Importantly it gives customers a physical link to their bank, retaining a human touch that helps banks build worthwhile relationships with their customers,” says Molyneux.
“This relationship also provides customers with security and reassurance that their bank is there when they need it most,” he adds.
Live video support is becoming a best practice among Asian banks dipping into the digital branch trend. In Singapore, DBS/POSB has launched new VTMs across nine locations, including Rivervale Plaza and Tampines Hub, with the option for virtual teller assistance via live-video streaming should customers need help when they apply for debit cards, enquire their balances, or obtain internet banking tokens.
Regulatory easing underway
Beyond Vietnam where it helped TPBank launch its LiveBanks, Scale360 is looking to expand its digital branch partnerships to banks in other Asian countries like Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan. The startup holds a sanguine outlook given the regulatory easing underway globally.
“We have found that central banks around the world are encouraging banks to become more digital and shed legacy technology,” says Molyneux.
“Regulators from Vietnam the UK, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, to name a few, are all working and are open to the enablement of digital banking and are actively supporting such initiatives. Fintech is driving around the globe,” he adds.
He adds that existing regulations are also being enhanced to allow new processes specific to digital banking such as electronic know your customer (eKYC), ID scanning, biometric ID verification fingerprint scanning, and allowing documents to be signed in front of a video teller.
Last year, Bank of Thailand, announced guidelines on eKYC and allowed banks to open accounts for customers via video conference under the condition that the digital branch made it clear the event was happening live and that the sound and video quality were clear enough to help identify the applicant and verify their identity as would be done face-to-face.
“It’s encouraging to see the regulators proactively supporting digital and fintech. It is evident that regulators in the digital age are finely tuned to changing customer needs,” says Molyneux.
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