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While concerns still loom about growth and profitability at the maker of disappearing-photo app Snapchat, interest in the IPO is undeniable
Reliance Jio has already ordered some 600 cars for its own fleet from makers such as Mahindra and Hyundai to kickstart the service
Uber, however, will continue to support its exitsing payment options like cash and credit card apart from Paytm wallet
A former Uber engineer's blogpost has revived the call to boycott the app-based cab aggregator's services. Here's what you need to know
Uber Technologies can't afford to lose a billion-people-plus market to a local incumbent and so the ride-hailing company has introduced a service in India to suit tastes here
Intro: Italy-born, London-bred, NY-based media man Mainardo de Nardis tells us why nobody is interested in the story of media agencies, and more
UberHIRE is launched in nine Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai and Pune
Before granting the extension, the transport department, on Friday, seized around 30 cabs that were continuing with ride-sharing services
A look at what could possibly happen from today
The stories of brands Airbnb and Uber as they transformed from obscurity to the fastest-growing startups in history by sales, market value, and number of employees
UberEATS was launched as a delivery pilot in Los Angeles in 2014
Meru Cabs has added three new categories – hatchback, sedan & SUV – as separate services and revamped its mobile app, Meru Cabs to compete with Ola and Uber
Fleet operators may have added more than half a million vehicles over the past 2 years; sales expected to rise 25% this year
The veteran taxi service is going in for a big dataled revamp to sharpen its communication. Is that enough to stave off Uber, Ola and the rest?
More than 31% of the overall rides in New Delhi were on UberPOOL compared with 20% in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai
Here are other wars from the business realm that waged on Twitter in 2016:
From the newsroom of The Economic Times
From BE's News Desk ›
- Jack in the Box Worldwide adds PurO Life to its kitty
- Vodafone wants to offer 'More fun to you' with its SuperHour ad campaign
- Watch the spot: Amitabh Bachchan endorses H P Nanda's iconic company Escorts
- Gangs of 'hassipur': In conversation with MEC's T Gangadhar
- Infographic: All you need to know about Gen Z
- “Friends, Romans, countrymen…”
- Coming soon: Paper Boat chikkis. Yay or nay?
- Can Maruti and millennials be BFFs?
- Meru puts IBM on the driver's seat. Here's why
- Will KFC manage to hatch its success code in India?


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Ulta Beauty has been flying high and among the many factors at play is its loyalty program and subsequent database, which chief executive officer Dave Kimbell often highlights during earnings presentations.
But it wasn’t always this way, as he told Carol Hamilton, the group president of acquisitions for L’Oréal USA, during a wide-ranging conversation between the two executives.
“We had some work to do on it. You may remember, we had two different programs. They were complicated and we didn’t have the data organized. Our team in our stores in particular didn’t really understand the importance so we worked hard to invest in that and drive that part of our business going forward before because we like loyalty. That’s important, right?” he said of the beginnings of the loyalty program soon after the company was founded.
“We wanted people to be loyal to Ulta Beauty, but we also wanted to understand their behaviors to dive in deeper,” he continued. “We had the opportunity to really understand consumer beauty enthusiast purchase behavior better than anybody. So we moved down that path and one of the biggest things we did was get our teams excited about it in our stores to understand the importance to see the value that it added.”
That work has paid off with 40 million members of the loyalty program called Ultamate Rewards and 95 percent of sales going through it, while the data trends have led to the development of programs such as it retail media network, UB Media, to offer brands addressable advertising leveraging its Ultamate Rewards members.
“It’s been a great journey, but like I said, we’re not done and we’re going continue to invest,” added Kimbell.
Away from analytics, Hamilton went on to ask Kimbell what his secret weapon was
for really understanding the consumer as a person, not as data only, to which his answer was his army of store associates.
“We have over 50,000 store associates,” he said. “They are a massive source of insight beyond the data to understand what they see every single day as they’re engaging in all different guests across the country.”
There’s also a Beauty Board made up of 10,000 beauty enthusiasts that Ulta reaches out to almost every week asking questions, to understand not just what’s going on with beauty, but what’s going on in their lives.
The latter has been particularly helpful during the global coronavirus pandemic and also the current period of economic uncertainty, according to Kimbell.
“We ask them questions all the time and we really increased that during the pandemic when we wanted to understand not just what was going on in makeup but what was going on in their lives and about what’s ahead of them, what’s the economic outlook, how are they connecting with others in a time of uncertainty and so we continue to do that,” he said. “Most recently with the economic certainty what’s the role of inflation, how are they thinking about it.…It certainly helps us understand our strategy.”

domain: news


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Huffington Post launches Brazil edition
US online news aggregator The Huffington Post made its debut in Brazil Tuesday with the launch of a Portuguese-language edition, its first in Latin America.
The site—www.brasilpost.com.br—is being produced in partnership with the Abril Group, one of the region's leading media companies.
"With more than 100 million Internet users and more than 50 million smartphones, Brazil is as hyper-connected as any country in the world," said Arianna Huffington, who founded the original site in 2005.
"In a country as large and diverse as Brazil, the Brasil Post will welcome all voices—politicians, business leaders and academics alongside students, activists and artists—and will be a hub where all Brazilians can come to share their passions or simply cross-post from their own blogs and add a new distribution channel to what they're already writing."
The 'Huff Post' also has editions in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United Kingdom. There is also a French-language version for readers in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.
Spain's El Pais launched a Portuguese-language web portal last year but a planned Brazil edition of The New York Times did not get off the ground.
© 2014 AFP


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Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says:
“Retail is going through a really tough time with job losses and shops closing, as the Resolution Foundation report highlights. Usdaw is calling for an industrial strategy for the sector to level the playing field between online retail and the high street. We remain disappointed that the Government has so far offered little more than warm words.
“We need to invest in our high streets to create thriving community hubs and while we recognise diversification is an option, we still believe that retail and shopworkers have a key role to play. We need to tackle high rents and rates, alongside car parking charges that discourage shoppers. We also need to value shopworkers and the customer service they provide with better pay, secure hours and give them a say in the business through their trade union.
“The report’s findings on the reemployment of redundant shopworkers should be a wake-up call. When the worst happens, Usdaw is there to challenge the business case for redundancies, seek redeployment opportunities and help our members find work with other employers or through union training, reskilling and lifelong learning. It is time for those retailers who refuse to engage with trade unions to change their attitude and treat their staff with dignity and respect.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers)
is the UK's fifth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with over 420,000 members. Membership has increased by more than one-third over the last couple of decades. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
Usdaw’s strategy for the future of retail
is based on three key strands:
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news
- A new economic framework to support and develop the sector, including a comprehensive review of commercial rents and business rates; reform of tax laws, and closing the gap between CEO pay and workers.
- Tackling the issues affecting workers in the retail sector including minimum pay of £10 per hour; minimum contract of 16 hours (for those who want it), and the right to an employment contract that reflects actual hours of work.
- Ensure retail jobs are viewed as ‘real jobs’ by getting a commitment from employers and government to invest in skills within the retail sector; a robust strategy on how to deal with automation, and a seat for Usdaw on the Expert Advisory Panel on High Streets.
and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion


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Google Pay redesigned: makes money management more seamless & secure
By Pavithra R
Google Pay, simplifying payments online, in-store and between friends, has announced a major step forward in its quest to make money simple, secure and helpful. The company has announced launching a re-designed Google Pay app on Android and iOS.
The new app is designed around consumers relationships with people and businesses and helps users save money and gives insights into their spending. Instead of showing a stack of cards or a long list of transactions, the new Google Pay app focuses on the friends and businesses the user transact with most frequently. Users will have the provision to pay, see past transactions and find offers and loyalty info organized around conversations. It also incorporates split the bill, where user can spit expenses with more than one person and keep track of who’s paid in a single place.
The re-designed Google pay is built with multiple layers of security to keep your money and information private and safe. The app alerts when making payments to strangers and has advanced security. It also gives transparency and control to choose the privacy settings that right fits the customer. When a user signs up, he or she can choose whether to use transaction history to personalize their experience within the app. That setting is off by default.
Google pay helps save money and redeem offers without the hassle of clipping coupons or copying and pasting promo codes. If the user chooses to connect bank account or cards to Google Pay, the app will provide periodic spending summaries and show trends and insights over time, giving complete visibility to finances. It understands and automatically organizes spending enabling transaction searching in new ways.
The company in 2021 is planning to give users the chance to apply for a new kind of digital bank account with trusted financial institutions. The firm is working with trusted FIs to create Plex, a new mobile-first bank account integrated into Google Pay. Plex Accounts are offered by banks and credit unions (CUs) and include checking and savings accounts with no monthly fees, overdraft charges or minimum balance requirements and help consumers meet their financial goals. Starting in 2021, 11 banks and CUs, including minority-owned depository banks, in the U.S. will start offering Plex Accounts in Google Pay.
Google Pay ensures consumers that it will never sell data to third parties or share transaction history with the rest of Google for targeting ads. More than 150 million people in 30 countries use Google Pay every month.
IBSi Daily News Analysis
November 29, 2023
How Financial Cybersecurity landscape will evolve in 2024 with banking Trojans and direct payment attacksRead More
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PROPERTY: Cash is King As Buyers Compete Amidst Shortage Of Homes in Top Cape Areas
Recent Western Cape Business News
With homes now literally selling within days of coming onto the market, it seems that it is cash that is king in ruling the roost when it comes to buyers contending for what has become a rather scarce pool of property in the Cape’s hot spot areas.
That is the word from Samuel Seeff, chairman of the Seeff group who says that according to data from Propstats, the Cape metro attracted some R10.3 billion in cash deals for the year covering July 2014 to the end June this year. This equates to almost 60% of the total value generated across the Cape metro.
The hot spot areas where cash buyers are most prevalent include the Atlantic Seaboard, City Bowl and Southern Suburbs along with areas such as Hout Bay, False Bay and Blouberg that have all seen more cash buyers in recent years.
The Atlantic Seaboard is of course in a league of its own when it comes to the high volume of cash buyers and Ian Slot, Seeff’s managing director for the area, says that over 70% of all transactions over the past year have been cash deals. This translates to a hard cash investment of just over R3.97 billion of the total value of almost R5.122 billion in real estate sales over the last year.
Sales in the R20 million-plus trophy home sector amount to an even more impressive 80% of the almost R2 billion in value generated across the Atlantic Seaboard, says Slot. Most of these were local Cape buyers who invested some R830 million (about 28 of the 38 trophy homes sold) into the area with cash sales ranging to R42.5 million for a Bantry Bay cliff-side apartment, sold by Seeff.
In the City Bowl, just over half of the deals concluded over the last year were cash sales, says Slot. This translates to about 402 of the 753-odd units sold, just over R1.2 billion of the total of around R2.03 billion in sales generated across the area.
Stand out areas include the V and A Waterfront that has seen a significant rally in sales over the last two years with some 84% of all deals concluded for full cash including a Pembroke apartment sold by Seeff for R22.75 million to a Capetonian cash buyer.
Over the same period, almost 70% of all deals in Camps Bay and even Sea Point were cash transactions, says Slot. In Clifton, basically all of the deals over the last year were for full cash ranging to R100 million for a home recently sold by Seeff. In Bantry Bay and Fresnaye, over 80% of all transactions were cash deals.
In the Southern Suburbs, inclusive of the Constantiaberg area, the cash trend too is particularly evident at the top end of the market, says James Lewis, managing director for the area. Full cash transactions account for about 47%, or 763 of 1639 units sold over the last year. This means a cash investment into bricks and mortar in the area of almost R2.955 billion of the total value of sales of just over R5.66 billion.
Here too, says Lewis, the top R20 million-end has seen more sales and resulting cash coming into the market over the last year. All, but two of the twelve sales worth R363.7 million were cash transactions, about 60% of which were local Capetonian buyers.
On the other side of the peninsula, more than half of the 300-odd units worth just over R1 billion sold in Hout Bay were to cash buyers, adds Lewis. Here too, it has been mostly local Capetonian buyers investing their cash into property in the village.
On the False Bay peninsula, just over 60%, or 279 of the 455-odd sales were cash deals according to Gary Grobbelaar, chief executive officer for Seeff’s operations in the area. This translated to almost R630 million in hard cash invested into the market here. This, he adds, has been largely driven by rising prices in other areas of the peninsula attracting downscaling cash and out of town buyers to the area.
On the western side of the city, the greater Blouberg area too has seen an increase in cash invested into property in the area according to Clinton Martle, managing executive for the area. Some 629 of the around 1679 deals concluded across the region over the last year were cash transactions. This accounts for just under 40% of all deals.
On the whole it certainly says something for the confidence that buyers have in the Cape property market if they are prepared to invest hard cash in bricks and mortar here, says Seeff. These cash-rich areas are also seeing a less than 7% difference on average between the asking and selling prices.
On the Atlantic Seaboard, the current price gap (average difference between the asking and selling prices) for the last year now stands at around 7.9% and at 5.9% in the City Bowl, both areas that are still seeing significant stock shortages.
For the Southern Suburbs, Hout Bay and False Bay areas, the price gap is at 7%-9%, but in the Blouberg area it is now just 4.5% on average, says Seeff.
The key advantage of buying cash is that it propels you to the top of the list of competing buyers and puts you in a much stronger bargaining position. For the seller, it generally means a relatively quick deal as these transactions are usually not linked to a buyer having to first sell a property.
Our branches in these hot spots are sitting with waiting lists with up to 50%-70% cash and credit ready buyers just waiting for the next available listing. With the high selling season fast approaching, the time is right for those still looking to take advantage of the good selling conditions, concludes Seeff.
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Google introduced new features for its search app in a move to increase its safety and privacy credentials in light of ongoing pressure over its practices to access user data.
JK Kearns, group product manager, announced a new setting allows users to delete the last 15 minutes of their history in the Google Search app on iOS, with the option coming to the Android version before the year-end.
Another tool adds “extra protection” for those who share a device by asking for additional verification, such as a user’s password or two-factor authentication, before accessing the full search history of a Google account.
Kearns reminded users of the possibility to completely disable activity tracking or set a function for automatic removal of their search behaviour in Google.
The executive also highlighted its encryption method used for the Google Search app, “so hackers and other malicious third parties can’t see what you’re searching for”, adding the company “never sells the information about what you searched for to third parties”.
Google’s practices related to the handling of user data led to a lawsuit in the US seeking at least $5 billion for alleged illegal collection of information from users surfing the internet privately through the company’s browser, a claim the company “vigorously” defended earlier this year.Subscribe to our daily newsletter Back


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The conference for online creators transformed its annual gathering into a year-long online offering.
Pulling off a successful virtual event is no easy task, especially when there are thousands of attendees to cater to, but it can also present opportunities to rethink your entire event strategy. Such was the case for VidCon, an annual conference for digital creators that typically attracts 75,000 attendees. It was one of the first events canceled due to Covid-19 last March. But rather than cancel outright, the organizers decided to transform the four-day, in-person conference into a summer-long digital program.
It proved successful enough that VidCon was soon expanded into a year-long online offering. In the end, its 2020 numbers far surpassed that of previous years.
In this episode of Eventful: The Podcast for Meeting Professionals, Jim Louderback, general manager and senior vice president of VidCon, speaks with Northstar Meetings Group’s associate editor Elise Schoening about how they created new opportunities by embracing digital. Louderback discusses the process of bringing an event of this size online, including how to generate engagement opportunities with such a large gathering (4:00), how to tailor content to a truly global audience (6:10) and VidCon’s new metrics for success (12:05).
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SAO PAULO, Nov 7 (Reuters) - TIM Participações SA , Brazil’s second-largest wireless phone company, on Tuesday reported third-quarter net income of 279 million reais ($85.3 million), up 51.6 percent from a year earlier, as customers continued to shift away from pre-paid plans in the strengthening economy.
Profit at TIM, which is controlled by Telecom Italia SpA , beat a Thomson Reuters consensus estimate of 261 million reais. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization rose 17.2 percent to 1.527 billion reais, after normalizing for tower sales and other items, above a consensus estimate of 1.481 billion reais.
TIM, like competitor Telefonica Brasil SA, is focusing on post-paid growth and other higher- and medium-end offerings to boost profits as the country begins to emerge from its worst recession in a century. TIM has rapidly expanded its 4G consumer base in recent quarters, which has allowed it to charge customers more due to increased data usage.
Post-paid accounted for roughly 28 percent of the user base in the third quarter, up from 20 percent a year ago.
Post-paid connections increased 64 percent, while pre-paid connections grew 39 percent. Average revenue per user rose 8 percent from a year earlier in the post-paid segment and 4 percent for pre-paid.
Usage of 4G eclipsed older networks for the first time, with the company more than tripling the number of cities covered by its 4G network compared to a year ago. ($1 = 3.2713 reais) (Reporting by Gram Slattery and Jake Spring; Editing by Leslie Adler)


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“No Strings Attached,” the new album from boy-band sensation ‘N Sync, became the first album in history to sell more than 1 million units in one day.
According to estimates from its label, Jive, the album racked up first-day sales of 1.1 million copies Tuesday, nearly shattering the record for first week sales of an album.
Even more stunning, Wednesday’s sales of “No Strings Attached” also topped an estimated million units. Label sources told Daily Variety that the second-day sales dropoff was a mere 3%. At that rate, the album could conceivably sell in a week all 4.2 million copies of the album that were printed in its initial run.
“This was the largest first two-day sales we’ve ever seen,” said Stan Goman, chief operating officer for the Tower Records retail chain. He noted that ‘N Sync’s numbers were roughly three times greater than those for the Backstreet Boys’ “Millennium,” which held the record for most sales in one week: 1.13 million units. “We expect the momentum to continue,” he said.
The only other album to sell more than a million units its first week out was country superstar Garth Brooks’ “Double Live” (Capitol), which moved 1.085 million copies in 1998, to eclipse the previous first-week record of 950,000 copies set by Seattle grungemeisters Pearl Jam’s “Vs.” back in 1993.
The Whitney Houston-powered soundtrack to “The Bodyguard” (Arista) posted one-week sales of more than 1 million during the holiday season of 1992.
“The ‘N Sync album did the biggest first-day sales in our history — more than two times what the Backstreet Boys did,” said Musicland spokeswoman Dawn Walberg. “Second-day sales weren’t as high, but they were still phenomenal and we expect them to continue.”
The phenomenal success of ‘N Sync is another feather in the Jive Records cap. Last year, the BMG-distributed label had the No. 1 selling album of the year — the Backstreet Boys’ “Millennium.” ‘N Sync became part of the Jive family in December, leaving BMG-owned RCA after issuing the albums ” ‘N Sync,” which has shipped 10 million copies, and “Home for Christmas” (2 million).


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Central West stay-at-home orders lifted
Great to see the stay-at-home orders for the Orange City Council, Blayney Shire Council, and Cabonne Shire Council areas lifted this week.
Orange City Council, Blayney Shire Council, and Cabonne Shire Council have reverted to the same restrictions as the rest of regional NSW.
I want to thank people in these local communities for their co-operation and patience during the stay-at-home restrictions for the past week which I know were frustrating and difficult at times.
Business Connect here to help
Small businesses affected by the current COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions are encouraged to seek free-of-charge advice from the NSW Government's business advisory service Business Connect.
Business Connect has advisors across the state who are ready to help businesses navigate the current situation.
We know many small businesses across NSW area are doing it tough at the moment.
While some businesses have had to shut their doors to comply with the Public Health Orders, others are experiencing reduced foot traffic and challenges with cashflow, paying rent and wages.
However, Government support is available, including Business Connect. All of the advisors have previously owned small businesses and they can advise business owners on ways to make it through this health pandemic and plan for the future.
There are new webinar topics addressing issues being faced by business owners during this difficult period, including dealing with disputes, starting your own online store, cash flow essentials and building a more resilient business.
The webinars are a great way for all small business owners to upskill and learn from experts, with other key day-to-day topics, from cyber security to social media marketing.
In addition to helping small businesses, Business Connect can also assist medium enterprises and in some circumstances, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations, if eligible.
For more on Business Connect visit www.nsw.gov.au/businessconnect.
For more information on the support measures for businesses visit www.service.nsw.gov.au/campaign/covid-19-help-businesses.
Local schools help power NSW
Great to see three public schools in the Bathurst Electorate selected to take part in an innovative new pilot program to explore the potential for schools to use solar panels and batteries to generate electricity for themselves, and create enough to supply electricity to the state's energy grid.
Lyndhurst Public, Mandurama Public and Black Springs Public will be among the 25 schools included in the program.
The pilot project aims to assess the benefits and costs of the large-scale implementation of solar PV systems and batteries, together with other initiatives that can reduce demand on the energy network.
In NSW, we have 2,200 public schools and by producing solar energy, schools will benefit from lower energy bills, and batteries will store any excess solar energy for later use or it can be sold to the energy grid.


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Green consumer trend in Kenya has seen Eco-Tourism Kenya (EK) spurred to produce a Green Directory who sales have consistently risen since the production of the first copy. The directory is a guide to holidays, services, green products and recycling options in Kenya and East Africa.
Ecotourism Kenya launched the first Kenyan directory in January 2008, and sold 1,500 copies. In November 2008, 2,500 copies of the edition were distributed in international and local workshops, seminars and shops in Nairobi. The second edition has just now been published, and a third directory is due in October.
The organization, founded in 1996, exists to promote sustainable tourism in Kenya, but its move to alert consumers to the greenest of green options is now taking on a life of its own. The directory catalogues a growing number of producers and suppliers, who according to the organization, have realized their responsibility in sustaining the environment for future generations. It contains information on the eco-rated facilities and corporate members of Ecotourism Kenya. It also provides listings of “green” products and services in Kenya, and recently in Tanzania, including services for water conservation, solar energy, wind energy or using recycled or 100 per cent natural materials. In addition, it contains a list of recycling and incinerating firms in the country.
It is designed, says the content manager Grace, “to help people make green choices”.
For many Kenyans, it’s an aide that is way overdue. Householders searching for ways to dispose of household waste other than open fires that are contributing to toxin levels in Nairobi and its food chain six times higher than legal limits in Europe are often stuck behind a lack of information on the alternatives.
Likewise, the guide now spells out water recycling options, exactly as the country grapples with annually deepening water shortages.
Over time, the green directory has added green events while looking to widen its scope to the larger East Africa.
Written by Stella Kabura for African Laughter
Newer news items:
- Kenya takes to the sweet taste of the avocado market - 01/03/2012 13:17
- Farmers stay in teabags as trade policy slashes the market - 01/03/2012 13:15
- Kenya still short as world maize prices fall - 01/03/2012 13:10
- Coffee set for prolonged surge in prices on short harvests - 01/03/2012 13:08
- Turmeric emerging as a cure-all - 01/03/2012 13:06
Older news items:
- New research proves beetroot as health super food - 01/03/2012 13:03
- Eastern farmers move back into cotton on price revival - 01/03/2012 12:46
- Precious gums emerge as new sector for north-east - 01/03/2012 12:45
- Wfp rolls out training and funds to source smallholder maize - 01/03/2012 12:36
- Kenyan farmers to get trained on greenhouses in south africa - 01/03/2012 12:30


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Do not call list won't stop all robocalls
Posted February 26
Signing up for the National Do Not Call Registry can put a stop to many telemarketing phone calls, but it's not a fail-safe.
Many robocalls from companies can still get through on cellphones despite the best efforts of consumers and federal officials, who are working to crack down on delinquent marketing companies.
Richard Berman, who recently added his cellphone number to the national list, said it hasn't kept companies from calling.
I'm still getting two or three calls a week on my cellphone," he said. "It's really very annoying."
The Federal Communications Commission prohibits telemarketers from using automatic dialers to call cellphones, but some brazen companies call anyway. Charities and political candidates aren't monitored by the FCC, either, so those calls are still permitted, as well as calls from companies with which you have an existing business relationship.
"The problem is that enforcing the rules on unwanted marketing calls is tough," Consumer Reports' Margot Gilman said. "Some unethical companies go ahead and call you anyway, even if you are on the Do Not Call Registry."
Consumer Reports says there are several ways to handle the calls. First, hang up immediately without pressing buttons. Auto-dialers can register button pushes and may keep calling.
Consumers without caller identification should report the number to the Federal Trade Commission online.
People can also use a new service called Nomorobo, which identifies and hangs up on robocalls.
"Check with Nomorobo.com to see if your carrier has the simultaneous ring feature that enables the service," Gilman said.
Only a few carriers currently offer the free service.
To sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry, consumers can register by calling 1-888-382-1222 from the phone number they wish to register or going to DONOTCALL.gov.
Consumers must have an active email address to register through the Internet.


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This follows Tesco Bank’s new range of cashback remortgage products, including the £1,000 cashback range and capital raising of up to 95%, launched last week.
Customers currently on the Help to Buy scheme in England and Wales, and looking to fully repay the Help to Buy equity loan, will now be able to benefit from the full range of remortgage products on offer.
The move comes as the Help to Buy scheme reaches its fifth year and a number of borrowers will be looking to switch their mortgage provider.
Tesco Bank mortgage customers benefit from the bank’s commitment to outstanding customer service, competitive rates and the ability to collect Clubcard points on their monthly repayments.
Julian Hartley, director of mortgages, savings and loans (pictured), said: “As we reach the five year anniversary of Help to Buy, many borrowers are reaching the end of their interest free period.
“We are thrilled to be in a position to open our full range of remortgage products, including 95% LTV and those offering cashback, to those looking to move from the Help to Buy scheme.”


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The impact that British wine has made both domestically and in international markets has been spearheaded by its sparkling wines. But what of English still wine? For too long it has played second fiddle – obtaining the right fruit ripeness from the unpredictable British climate, and also making wine at a competitive price point have not helped. But there are now so many examples of top quality still wine made on these shores that wine scribe Justin Keay decided to take a closer look, visiting a number of estates over the summer and focusing on two in particular – Balfour and Tillingham – that have approached still production from opposite ends of the wine spectrum.
“Street food has become so fashionable – perhaps because it reflects the authentic soul of a given region. I was inspired to cook this recipe after enjoying delicious lamb meatballs on the streets of Athens.” This is how Raul Diaz introduces his latest food and wine recipe matching meatballs to the classic Greek wine variety Agiorgitiko in the latest of his monthly food and wine pairing series.
It is arguably in its white and red wines that the Luberon really starts to show its Rhône credentials with both wine styles made from a wide selection of varieties where the emphasis is very much on bringing out the freshness, acidity and balance in the wines. In part two of The Buyer debate, in partnership with Wines of Luberon, we ask wine buyers, sommeliers and importers to taste and assess a selection of white and red wines and give their overall impression of where they see the opportunities for Luberon in the UK.
Until two weeks ago, life for winemaker Simon Waghorn in New Zealand’s Astrolabe was more normal compared to his counterparts in any other country. Jacinda Ardern’s hardline stance and the Kiwis’ natural geographical isolation meant that Covid had had little direct impact on the country. If anything the pros probably outweighed the cons. But recent outbreaks have given the country a harsh reality check. Writing for The Buyer, Waghorn explains what effect the pandemic has had on a Marlborough-based wine estate and how he is adjusting to the ‘new normal’.
Riesling is one of the top grapes favoured by those in the wine trade – and for good reason. It is totally unique in its ability to withstand extreme cold, produce TDN and make such a vast array of wines with little or no need to be blended with any other varietal. David Rosenthal from Chateau Ste Michelle in Washington State, Erni Loosen from Dr Loosen Estate in the Mosel, Sam Barry from Jim Barry Wines in the Clare Valley, and Jean-Frédéric Hugel from Famille Hugel in Alsace, each discuss three of their new wines and what makes them special while Geoffrey Dean tastes.
Ask the average UK wine buyer to give their views on the Rhône and they could probably spend a couple of minutes talking about the region and why its various styles of wines taste the way they do. But could they do the same for the wines of Luberon, made in the south eastern extreme of the region? To help widen buyers’ knowledge of Luberon wines and what they could offer the UK, The Buyer teamed up with Wines of Luberon to bring together a panel of sommeliers, wine importers and merchants to taste and assess the opportunities for the region in the premium UK wine market. In part one of our two part report the buyer’s shared their first impressions of the region and then focused in on Luberon’s rosé wines and the opportunities for them in the UK. Part two will examine the region’s red and white wines.
Tenuta Sette Ponti is a Tuscan estate that may not be on everyone’s radar, but it soon will be, argues David Kermode. Guided by the vision of its owner Dr. Antonio Moretti, it is fast expanding with its two sister wineries Poggio al Lupo in Maremma, and Bolgheri’s Orma almost fully organic now and receiving rave reviews – the latter being favourably compared to its illustrious neighbours Sassicaia and Ornellaia. Kermode spoke to the estate and tasted the latest vintages of the wines.
There’s so much more to being a chief winemaker than tending vines and fermenting grapes – ask Patricio Celedón, chief winemaker at Chile’s Viu Manent. As he reflects on the pandemic, that hit Chile later than a lot of countries, Celedón tells us how his biggest challenges are logistical, with bottles, cardboard and wooden boxes all in short supply; as is agricultural labour – a side effect of the government’s aid bonds scheme. But it’s not all doom and gloom, Viu Manent has made some fundamental changes to the way it produces wine as well as advanced a new wine project that was on the back burner – but pulled it forwards thanks to the unexpected downtime.
If you have watched any of the episodes from the SAS Who Dares Wins show on Channel 4 what makes it so gripping is not just seeing how average men and women tackle the SAS training course, but the techniques the former SAS officers use to get the candidates to open up about why they are really taking part in the programme. Mirroring is very much one of them, where you literally repeat back what someone has said. Here Harry Crowther explains why using simple mirroring techniques can have a dramatic direct impact on wine sales and the bonds you can instantly create with customers.
It seems only yesterday that wine scribe Chris Wilson decided to put his money where his mouth is and make his own wine, setting up what has become Cambridge’s first ever winery, Gutter&Stars. After the rave success of his inaugural wine ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ Bacchus 2020, Wilson launches his second wine, ‘Hope is a Good Swimmer’ Pinot Noir 2020 which also harps back to his days as a music journalist. With orders to fulfil, fruit to check and sun to pray for, what else is on his To Do list? A TV interview and, weirdly, this is the thing that concerns him most.
Bordeaux Day 2021 offers two days of trade tastings divided between London and Manchester – on September 8 and September 9 respectively – to give as many buyers as possible the chance to take part in what is being billed as an “unique insight into modern Bordeaux, showcasing the quality, diversity and fantastic value that the region and its wines have to offer”. To help get you in the mood here we talk to Jonathan Ducourt, of Vignobles Ducourt, one of the region’s oldest producers about how it is more than moving with the times with its switch to organic production and working with with newly approved grape varieties in the region.
As winemaking in Hungary improves with an increased focus on terroir so the country’s ‘other’ grape, Hárslevelű, is coming into its own. Hárslevelű has always played second fiddle to Furmint, but that is changing as Justin Keay discovered during one of the year’s more ambitious wine tastings. Having tasted the grape in a variety of styles he then spent more time with his favourite six wines to really get to understand this grape and why it has an exciting future ahead of it on the international wine stage.
September 7 will be an important date for the British wine industry as it will be the first opportunity the sector has had to come together and celebrate not only the latest wines, styles and innovation across the domestic wine scene, but also, for many, it will be their first formal tasting since March 2020. Here WineGB’s head of marketing, Julia Trustram Eve, looks back at an eventful year behind the scenes across the British wine industry and just why everyone in the sector is so excited about being able to show what they are doing at RHS Lindley Hall on September 7.
For too long considered merely an adjunct to the Languedoc, Roussillon has over the past 20 years uncoupled itself and started celebrating its true identity. With a very different climate, topography and culture to the Languedoc, the wines of Roussillon have started truly celebrating this uniqueness – benefitting from the shift to increased production of dry table wines, and an influx of winemakers from outside the region. President of the Circle of Wine Writers, and a world expert on the region, Rosemary George MW, opens up on what fascinates her about these wines and what gems wine buyers can discover both from the long-standing talent and the new generation of vignerons.
Throughout this new series of interviews with some of the world’s top winemakers we have heard differing stories of how vignerons have coped during the pandemic – the lessons learned and what changes they are implementing as they face the future. But what of winemakers in China? What has been the experience in the country where the virus started? For Emma Gao, winemaker at Silver Heights, she has helped the winery’s expansion both at home and abroad, experimented with new cuvées including her first Pet Nat and taken home some fundamental truths about wine’s place in the grand scheme of things.
The summer of 2021 will be remembered by the international wine community for the devastating fires that have wreaked havoc across so many of the world’s most famous wine regions. Over the last few days thousands of hectares of forest, and potentially hundreds of hectares of vines have been caught up in wild fires across Provence and large parts of south east France, wreaking havoc as they teared across the land. Here, in an impassioned opinion piece, Stephen Cronk, owner of Mirabeau describes what it has been like to feel the brute force of nature and how close he, his family and team came to losing their new Domaine property and why we all need to wake up to the dangers of climate change and take real, effective action.
The London Drinks Competitions pride themselves on being as close to judging beers, wines and spirits as the people who choose to buy them do. Whether it is a busy drinks buyer for a major supermarket, a sommelier for a top Michelin restaurant or a bartender looking for the latest hip spirit for their back bar. For each product is judged on their quality, their value for money at that price point and what the packaging and design looks like. The separate 2022 awards are now open for London Wine, London Spirits and London Beer and if you enter by August 31 you can take advantage of super early bird pricing.
Champagne expert Robert Walters believes that Champagne producers talk a lot about terroir while at the same time blend it away in the name of house style. But is Champagne house style simply part of the shiny facade of luxury brand marketing, or does it go deeper than that? Tom Hewson speaks to Alice Paillard and Charles Philipponnat about what makes good house style in Champagne and how they try and achieve complexity and personality in a multi-vintage, multi-vineyard blend.
Ahead of next month’s specialist tasting in London of over 100 wines from some of the finest and most sought-after crus of Barolo and Barbaresco we talk to Matteo Ascheri, president of the Consortium for the Protection of Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Dogliani, about this iconic, world famous wine region, and the challenges and opportunities there are in ensuring its wines are as relevant and coveted as they have always been, whilst also keeping ahead of changes in viticulture and winemaking styles to ensure it is making wines the market and consumers want to drink.
“Seeing a brand grow and develop, emerge from some rough sketches and bringing clients ideas to life though visual storytelling will always excite me.” It’s also why Jodie Newman has decided to jump into the deep end and leave the security of a strong, safe job – as head of creative at Frexienet Copestick working on leading brands as Freixenet itself and I Heart Wines – to set up her own design agency for the drinks industry. Here, as part of our Onwards and Upwards series shining the spotlight on individuals looking to make big changes in their career, she sets out what her agency will be able to offer and what for her is a winning wine or spirits design.


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Sea of Thieves update news includes Friends Play Free initiative
Microsoft has announced that Sea of Thieves is getting an update this week.
Not only will servers go offline for scheduled maintenance, but when they come back online, fans will have a new perk.
Friends Play Free is a new Xbox One initiative that all current Sea of Thieves owners will be able to use this week.
Starting later today following server downtime, Sea of Thieves players will be able to invite friends to play with them for free.
Sea of Thieves maintenance begins at 10am in the morning and will last until 2pm, GMT.
During this time the Xbox One game will be unavailable due to its online nature.
However, when maintenance is completed at 2pm, Pirates will be able to start dishing out free codes to their friends.
Microsoft has not confirmed if they will be releasing patch notes for after the server downtime, or if this update is limited to just backend maintenance.
Sea of Thieves players will be able to invite up to three friends to try the game for free until February 13.
At this time, the free event will be over, and access will go back to those who own a copy of Sea of Thieves or have an active Xbox Game Pass.
Here’s more from Microsoft, who confirmed in a recent statement: “Friends Play Free” is the perfect opportunity for existing Sea of Thieves players to take the wheel, set sail for new horizons and show their friends just what it means to Be More Pirate.
“And for the uninitiated who’d like the chance to experience a slice of the pirate life for themselves, just find a friend who’s already played and ask them nicely to send you one of their codes.
“Plus, anyone who redeems a Friends Play Free code will receive a 35% discount when they buy the game digitally on Xbox One or Windows 10 PC between February 6-27.
“To get players even more excited, we’ll have big news to share on March 20 – the one year anniversary of Sea of Thieves – so stay tuned then for what’s revealed.
“Sea of Thieves “Friends Play Free” is open to anyone with an Xbox One or Windows 10 PC. Xbox One players will require Xbox Live Gold to play (sold separately).”
Developers Rare are also putting together a playlist for those who will be new to the game, which will be available from Duke in the tavern.
This will be a time-limited Mercenary Voyage offering a mix of quintessential Sea of Thieves activities.
“These special voyages will take you and your friends on an epic quest to find the treasure of the notorious Rum Runner.
“Crews who complete their voyage will be handsomely rewarded and will also be able to get their hands on special Mercenary cosmetics to act as lasting mementoes of their grand adventure.”


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With 2019 being the first time attending Dealer Support Live, Bi-silque has very high expectations that this could bring dealers closer to the company and result in significant business growth. Bi-silque will also take this opportunity to grow and innovate even more; this is a very important year for the company, as it is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Therefore, it’s more important than ever for the company to be one step ahead of future market needs.
This year, Bi-silque has been focusing on developing new and innovative products. Earlier in 2019, the company launched a new writing board panel with a glass layer of 0.25mm thickness, with no equal in the market. Bi-silque has also launched a new board marker that is unique due to its innovative gel ink type, providing an excellent and smoother writing experience.
Sustainability has also been a significant concern for the company this year. Under the motto ‘Together for a Sustainable Future’, Bi-silque has been working on several initiatives via the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social and environmental. As part of these initiatives, the company is embracing even more sustainable products, improving manufacturing processes and distribution and adding more social engagement.
And the company’s innovations don’t stop there. The Cradle to Cradle Certification is one of its most prestigious product-related innovations; at this moment, Bi-silque has eight product families certified, which makes the company the visual communication company with the most Cradle to Cradle Certified™ products in the market. This year, Bi-silque is working to get the highest level of this certification in most of its products: the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Gold.
Don’t forget to follow Dealer Support on Twitter!


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By Josh Partridge, Head of EMEA at Yahoo
TV viewership continues to skyrocket, with CTV at the forefront of that growth and consumer engagement. This is largely due to the expanded availability of its offerings with scaled targeting and the low cost of streaming services. Recent predictions claim that the global connected TV market size is expected to reach $289.03 billion in 2028.* The industry will continue to be shaken up as competitors rush to stake their claim, so there’s no doubt that CTV advertising is set for a huge transformation over the coming years.
Some of the key ways we’ll see the industry evolve include marketers gaining a better understanding of how to measure audiences, even greater fragmentation within the industry, and the unlocking of innovation through creativity skyrocketing.
Taking the lead on measurement
For many years, TV has grappled with how best to measure audiences. Traditional linear TV is in decline, with most consumers now moving towards streaming services. To continue to reach the audience metrics, the industry needs to move towards ad-supported versions of services such as Netflix and NOW TV.
With new and emerging CTV companies wanting to show how valuable their platforms are, the industry is also seeing how critical transparent reporting really is. As a result, we’re seeing a renewed importance placed on measurement for marketers.
A key way for marketers to see how successful their strategies are is to look at how often purchasing decisions are made in relation to an ad. While measuring this will always be important, this year will elevate the discussion around value exchange – more specifically, the strength of a brand’s offering to entice the consumer to connect and form a relationship. True brand loyalty and trust will be of vital importance – for example, the incentivising of consumer signups, which will also unlock first-party data.
Bridging the physical and digital divide
Contextual targeting tools are maturing at an exponential rate, meaning marketers can better connect with audiences, including within CTV and video environments, enabling scalable buying opportunities for more relevant ads to audiences watching across different screens. By levelling up the contextual experience for CTV, ads will be more successful.
Context includes things like what device a viewer is using – if watching shows on a TV screen through an interactive device like a console, there’s much more scope for things like gamification or direct purchases, which also may lead to an immediate purchasing decision. If advertisers fail to reach viewers in a suitably contextually relevant way, they risk impacting how successful their ad could be.
Another way for brands to get consumers to engage when they see an ad is through pulling engagements from digital spaces back into the physical world. Tactics like the use of QR codes, which have recently re-emerged, can help to bridge the divide across big screen TV and smaller digital screen opportunities.
These allow consumers to use their phone to scan a code which will help consumers navigate through the purchasing journey more easily and is more likely to drive action in the moment than rely solely on a brand building exercise.
Brave new worlds: the power of immersive
Thinking even bigger, CTV may soon go beyond interactive to become immersive, leveraging technologies such as VR and AR, giving consumers the ability to experience environments in new ways and once again blurring digital formats.
Virtual environments and what will become the ‘metaverse’ represents an exciting opportunity for CTV. Advertisers and publishers should be thinking now about how to leverage 3D content production technologies to scale their experiences easily across both 3D and 2D content – for both passive and interactive viewing.
All in all, those who are able to effectively capture and harness insights will be in a strong position when targeting consumers. However, the true winners will be those brands that then use CTV to engage audiences in creative and innovative ways – taking advantage of powerful, new technologies in their toolkits, and being smart in how they combine it with their wider digital and linear marketing strategies.


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LewdGamer's Favorite Summer Wonder Festival 2018 Figurines
One of the biggest Japanese garage kit showcase events, the summer Wonder Festival 2018 has come to an end and LewdGamer has selected their favorite figurines a
Kame Paradise is Now Available on DLsite
Fans of Dragonball hentai will be pleased to hear about this latest release on DLSite, Kame Paradise.
BULMA ADVENTURE 2 Now Available on DLsite
Doujinshi manga creator YamamotoDoujinshi has released a sequel to his adventure game based on Dragon Ball, BULMA ADVENTURE 2 on the English DLsite.
Dragon Ball Parody Eroge BULMA ADVENTURE, THE KAME ISLAND Available on DLsite
YamamotoDoujinshi has released a short adventure game based on Dragon Ball called BULMA ADVENTURE, THE KAME ISLAND on the English version of DLsite.
LewdGamer's Favorite Winter Wonder Festival 2017 Figurines
LewdGamer takes a look at figure selections from the winter Wonder Festival 2017 and picks favorites for your viewing pleasure.


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Just a couple of weeks ago, Samsung had launched a trio of new fitness bands in India. They were globally launched and later were announced for Indian audiences. One of those was the Galaxy Watch Active. Now, it seems like its updated model would be coming soon as well. New renders surrounding the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 are here.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 leaks
New leaks surrounding the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 have surfaced the web. According to the reports, the device will be launched with a large AMOLED screen without the rotating bezel. Additionally, it will also come with a microphone on the right side, sandwiched between the two buttons and a leather strap. It will come in two dial sizes, 44mm, and 40mm. What’s more, is that you will also get WiFi and LTE models with 237mAh and 340mAh battery, respectively.
The watch is also said to come with ECG support. This will allow users to take an electrocardiogram right from their wrist, capturing heart rhythm in a moment when they experience symptoms like a rapid or skipped a heartbeat and helping to provide critical data to physicians. Adding on to it, the smartwatch will also support fibrillation or Afib notifications. This will be done by occasionally checking heart rhythm in the background. There will also be Fall Detection which utilizes a next-generation accelerometer and gyroscope to identify when hard falls occur and send the user an alert.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 launch date and price
Samsung has already announced that it will be launching the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 series on August 7th. It is expected that the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active will also be launched alongside the smartphone. Stay tuned to Mr. Phone to get notified of all the buzz in the smartphone world.


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Price rises help water firm United Utilities drive revenue higher over last four months
Water company United Utilities saw its revenues increase over the last four months as its latest price hike kicked in.
The firm, which delivers water to businesses and households in the north west of England, said the revenue rise was partly offset by a previously announced £20million customer discount applied to this year’s bills, as well as higher operating costs.
Water companies have to submit a business plan to regulator Ofwat every five years to have their prices approved, with the next cycle starting in 2015.
Revenues flow: United Utilities said it is trading in line with expectations and remains confident of hitting its 2010-15 targets
In March, Ofwat said some companies qualified for a fast-tracked price review after they submitted their plans in December, but not United Utilities.
The company had proposed a £6.6billion investment plan for the next regulatory cycle, arguing it had more environmental issues to address than other water firms, but Ofwat disputes £1.1million of this amount.
‘We will continue to engage closely with our regulators, before the draft and final determinations from Ofwat later this year,’ the company said.
United Utilities has agreed to keep customers’ bills below inflation until 2020.
The company said it had reached the top quartile of Ofwat’s range of performance targets and will ‘continue to deliver improvements in customer service, underpinned by good operational performance’.
It plans to maintain a flat level of investment for the next financial year.
The company said it is trading in line with expectations and remains confident of hitting its 2010-15 targets.
It plans to raise its dividend by two per cent above the inflation rate until at least 2015. Net debt it similar to levels on 31 March, despite increased capital investment, the company said.
In May, the company posted a 10.8 per cent rise in full-year profits to £389.5million, thanks to cost cuts and a four per cent price increase. Revenue edged up from £1.64billion to £1.7billion.
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(PCM) Workers at a DHL shipping location in Pathum Thai Province, just outside of Bangkok in Thailand recently discovered several parcels that contained human body parts. More specifically, infant body parts that included an infants skull, internal organs and a few pieces of human skin.
Thai police reveal that it was an American citizen who was attempting to ship the body parts over to the U.S. from Thailand and the parts were preserved in formaldehyde and sealed in plastic bags.
According to CNN, infant body parts are often times sold on the black market in Thailand as some individuals who practice black magic believe that supernatural powers come from infant body parts. They believe that possessing these items can ward off bad luck, provide protection and even harbor business success.
The police have also revealed that they have been in contact with the American buyer and no charges have been filed in this case. The unidentified American buyer claims that he made the purchase of the infant body parts at a nighttime flea market and paid about $100 for the three parcels. Authorities are on the search for the seller, however the buyer was unsuccessful at leading police to the actual flea markets location.


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With 140 UK retailers already on our ‘critical’ watchlist, and our recent research highlighting over 13,700 retailers experiencing 'significant' distress in the 11 weeks to 17 December 2012, a 35% increase from the third quarter, news of the administration of the third major retailer in less than a week will create a serious new year hangover for landlords across the country and employment in the sector.
It can also only serve to damage consumer confidence in the retail sector further in the months ahead.
More top news
A court has ruled that the original coffin in which Lee Harvey Oswald was buried belongs to his brother, not the undertaker's that sold it.
Manic Street Preachers lyricist went missing nearly 20 years ago but mystery still surrounds exactly what happened to him.
Deputy Prime Minister admitted he wanted to hit David Cameron on more than 20 occasions on late-night chat show 'The Last Leg'.


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Various journalists, economists, and the central bank of Estonia have voiced concerns that bitcoin is a Ponzi scheme. In 2013, Eric Posner, a law professor at the University of Chicago, stated that "a real Ponzi scheme takes fraud; bitcoin, by contrast, seems more like a collective delusion." A 2014 report by the World Bank concluded that bitcoin was not a deliberate Ponzi scheme.:7 The Swiss Federal Council:21 examined the concerns that bitcoin might be a pyramid scheme; it concluded that, "Since in the case of bitcoin the typical promises of profits are lacking, it cannot be assumed that bitcoin is a pyramid scheme." In July 2017, billionaire Howard Marks referred to bitcoin as a pyramid scheme.
Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc.2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.
Bitcoin is a new currency that was created in 2009 by an unknown person using the alias Satoshi Nakamoto. Transactions are made with no middle men – meaning, no banks! Bitcoin can be used to book hotels on Expedia, shop for furniture on Overstock and buy Xbox games. But much of the hype is about getting rich by trading it. The price of bitcoin skyrocketed into the thousands in 2017.
Regulatory Risk: Bitcoins are a rival to government currency and may be used for black market transactions, money laundering, illegal activities or tax evasion. As a result, governments may seek to regulate, restrict or ban the use and sale of bitcoins, and some already have. Others are coming up with various rules. For example, in 2015, the New York State Department of Financial Services finalized regulations that would require companies dealing with the buy, sell, transfer or storage of bitcoins to record the identity of customers, have a compliance officer and maintain capital reserves. The transactions worth $10,000 or more will have to be recorded and reported.
"While crypto markets have seen rapid growth, such trading platforms don’t seem to be well-enough prepared in terms of security," said Hong Seong-ki, head of the country's cryptocurrency response team South Services Commission. "We’re trying to legislate the most urgent and important things first, aiming for money-laundering prevention and investor protection. The bill should be passed as soon as possible."
Investigations into the real identity of Satoshi Nakamoto were attempted by The New Yorker and Fast Company. The New Yorker's investigation brought up at least two possible candidates: Michael Clear and Vili Lehdonvirta. Fast Company's investigation brought up circumstantial evidence linking an encryption patent application filed by Neal King, Vladimir Oksman and Charles Bry on 15 August 2008, and the bitcoin.org domain name which was registered 72 hours later. The patent application (#20100042841) contained networking and encryption technologies similar to bitcoin's, and textual analysis revealed that the phrase "... computationally impractical to reverse" appeared in both the patent application and bitcoin's whitepaper. All three inventors explicitly denied being Satoshi Nakamoto.
Bitcoin Trading Volume to get a Boost as Goldman Sachs Onboards Clients & with Bakkt Launch CoingapeGoldman Sachs is Signing up Customers for its Bitcoin Trading Product: Report CCNBitcoin [BTC] derivatives trading facility to be rolled out by Goldman Sachs for their clients AMBCrypto7 things to know and the best place to open a restaurant? Sorry, it's not […]
Unfortunately, these new highs for Bitcoin were so far from the past figures that the price was very volatile. The volatility was fueled by rumors of poor security on Mt. Gox exchange, which was part of about 70 percent of Bitcoin transactions of the time. This was likely a contributing factor in the drop of Bitcoin’s price from $1,230 on Dec. 4, 2013, to $750 by Dec. 7.
Stefan Thomas, a Swiss coder and active community member, graphed the time stamps for each of Nakamoto's 500-plus bitcoin forum posts; the resulting chart showed a steep decline to almost no posts between the hours of 5 a.m. and 11 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time. Because this pattern held true even on Saturdays and Sundays, it suggested that Nakamoto was asleep at this time, and the hours of 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. GMT are midnight to 6 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (North American Eastern Standard Time). Other clues suggested that Nakamoto was British: A newspaper headline he had encoded in the genesis block came from the UK-published newspaper The Times, and both his forum posts and his comments in the bitcoin source code used British English spellings, such as "optimise" and "colour".
Bitcoin turns 10 — how it went from an abstract idea to a $100 billion market in a decade CNBCBitcoin is 10 years old today — here's a look back at its crazy history Business InsiderFactbox: Ten years of bitcoin Reuters10 years later, we still don't know what Bitcoin is for Telegraph.co.ukIt's Bitcoin's 10th Birthday. Here's What People Are […]
In January 2012, bitcoin was featured as the main subject within a fictionalized trial on the CBS legal drama The Good Wife in the third-season episode "Bitcoin for Dummies". The host of CNBC's Mad Money, Jim Cramer, played himself in a courtroom scene where he testifies that he doesn't consider bitcoin a true currency, saying "There's no central bank to regulate it; it's digital and functions completely peer to peer".
In the early days, Nakamoto is estimated to have mined 1 million bitcoins. Before disappearing from any involvement in bitcoin, Nakamoto in a sense handed over the reins to developer Gavin Andresen, who then became the bitcoin lead developer at the Bitcoin Foundation, the 'anarchic' bitcoin community's closest thing to an official public face.
In 2013 and 2014, the European Banking Authority and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), a United States self-regulatory organization, warned that investing in bitcoins carries significant risks. Forbes named bitcoin the best investment of 2013. In 2014, Bloomberg named bitcoin one of its worst investments of the year. In 2015, bitcoin topped Bloomberg's currency tables.
In July 2013, a project began in Kenya linking bitcoin with M-Pesa, a popular mobile payments system, in an experiment designed to spur innovative payments in Africa. During the same month the Foreign Exchange Administration and Policy Department in Thailand stated that bitcoin lacks any legal framework and would therefore be illegal, which effectively banned trading on bitcoin exchanges in the country. According to Vitalik Buterin, a writer for Bitcoin Magazine, "bitcoin's fate in Thailand may give the electronic currency more credibility in some circles", but he was concerned it didn't bode well for bitcoin in China.
The whole process is pretty simple and organized: Bitcoin holders are able to transfer bitcoins via a peer-to-peer network. These transfers are tracked on the “blockchain,” commonly referred to as a giant ledger. This ledger records every bitcoin transaction ever made. Each “block” in the blockchain is built up of a data structure based on encrypted Merkle Trees. This is particularly useful for detecting fraud or corrupted files. If a single file in a chain is corrupt or fraudulent, the blockchain prevents it from damaging the rest of the ledger.
Speculation drives numbers. Many Bitcoin users are holding onto their bitcoins in hopes of selling them off for an enormous profit one day. With news articles portraying Bitcoin millionaires as lucky kids who got in early, you can’t really blame them. For example, if you had spent your $5 latte money on 2,000 bitcoins one morning in 2010, they would be worth about $5.4 million today. Makes you really wish you’d managed your Starbucks budget better, doesn’t it?


text: Japan Approves Microsoft Activision DealPS5 28 March, 202329 March, 2023The Japan Fair Trade Commission has reviewed the Microsoft Activision deal and has approved the merger. The regulatory body states that it is “unlikely to result in substantially restraining competition” in the country. The number of countries that have approved Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard now includes Japan, Serbia, Chile, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia.Approval of Microsoft Activision merger continues to build momentumIt might seem that Sony’s country of origin having no problem with the merger would add to Microsoft’s case. But it’s really not too surprising that the JFTC came to this conclusion given the dominant position of both Sony and Nintendo in the Japanese market compared to Xbox. This is primarily why the regulator, as revealed by a press release, will “not issue a cease and desist order” on the proposed Microsoft Activision deal.It also looks more likely that the merger will be approved in the UK, where it has faced a lot of scrutiny by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). In a provisional ruling, the CMA says that the additional evidence it has seen suggests that Microsoft would incur significant losses if it were to make Call of Duty exclusive to Xbox platforms.That said, further investigation of the deal by the CMA will continue until a final report is released on April 26. Japan’s approval of the deal in addition to this provisional ruling are welcome news for Microsoft as it continues to seek approval of the deal from the US Federal Trade Commission.The post Japan Approves Microsoft Activision Deal appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.


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The most affordable adventure motorcycle in India, Hero Xpulse 200 was also the very first motorcycle in the country to features Bluetooth-enabled turn-by-turn navigation. Not only is the bike a capable off-roader, but it is now also a tad more refined than the previous in its BS6 version which means highway speeds are now comfortable. Express Drives lived with an Xpulse 200 for some months to find if it is the all-rounder that it promises to be.
Hero Xpulse 200 is powered by a 200cc, oil-cooled, fuel-injected BS6 compliant engine that is good for developing 18 hp of power along with 16.45 Nm of torque.
The BS6 compliant Hero Xpulse 200 is currently priced in India at Rs 1.15 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The bike primarily goes up against the likes of Royal Enfield Himalayan in the segment that has recently received its 2021 update along with a price hike of Rs 10,000.
Engine – 199.6cc oil-cooled, 4-stroke, single-cylinder OHC
Power – 17.8 bhp at 8,500 rpm
Torque – 16.45 Nm at 6,500 rpm
Suspension – 37 mm telescopic (F)
10-step adjustable (R)
Brakes – 276 mm disc (F)
220 mm disc (R)
Tyres – 90/90-21 (F)
Wheelbase – 1410 mm
Seat height – 823 mm
Ground Clearance – 220 mm
Kerb weight – 157 kg
Fuel capacity – 13 litres
LCD instrument panel with smartphone-enabled navigation
Price: Rs 1,15,230 (ex-showroom, New Delhi)
Rally kit – Rs 38,000
Last month, Hero MotoCorp announced that sales for the Xpulse 200 surpassed 10,000 units in Kerala. In January, the company marked crossing a production milestone of 10 crore units and rolled out six 100 Million Edition two-wheelers including Xtreme 160R, Splendor Plus and more. The company also announced during the event that it will now be launching 10 products every year.
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Olive Garden Releases its Own Wine Collection
Source: Olive Garden
Olive Garden customers can now order a bottle of wine to go with their favorite to-go order, with the Italian-American chain launching their own wine collection.
According to TODAY, their line of Italian-made wines start at $15 and are only available at Olive Garden.
A spokesperson for the restaurant told TODAY, the wines are being sold in states where alcohol pickup or delivery is currently legal, revealing the service is currently being offered at over 750 Olive Garden’s in 40 states.
According to TODAY, “The wines include Head-to-Head rosé, a merlot blend called Red Blend Porta Vita, a slightly effervescent red wine called Roscato Rosso Dolce and two sweet moscatos: Pink Moscato Blend Confetti and Moscato Primo Amore.”


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Ardwulf's Lair has an update on World of Darkness, the upcoming MMOG from CCP. They say the game uses the Vampire: The Masquerade setting and "will have a focus on player politics and social interaction." Word is the game is due in 2012 at the earliest, and they have an NSFW ShakyCam trailer from the presentation of the game at The Grand Masquerade. Thanks Massively.
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News CGI copyright © 1999-2018 James "furn" Furness &
All rights reserved.
Chatbear v1.4.0/blue++: Page generated 21 April 2018, 15:58.


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Mazda recalls 75,000 carsBy BOBRICKY 01:04 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 Comments
Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) on Thursday filed a fresh recall for 75,000 cars in Japan to replace air bag inflators made by Takata Corp.
A Mazda spokesman, who spoke to reporters under the condition of anonymity, said the recall followed an order to expand a multi-million-vehicle recall in the United States.
Of that, about 38,000 had previously been called back for investigative purposes in December, the spokesman said.
Mazdaâ€™s latest move follows similar actions taken last week by Honda Motor Company and other automakers as part of an expanded recall by Takata to comply with demands from US auto safety regulators.
Mazda said it would make a corresponding filing in the United States on Thursday.
To date, the tally for Takata-related recalls stands at 811,000 vehicles globally, Takata Corp said.
Takata is at the centre of a global recall of tens of millions of cars for potentially deadly air bag inflators that could deploy with too much force and spray metal fragments inside vehicles.
Regulators have linked six deaths to the component so far.
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The Hawkshead Relish Company have launched a Limited Edition Jubilee Jam to commemorate the 2012 celebration of Elizabeth II 60 year succession to the thrown
Lyth Valley damsons and English Rose Liqueur have been combined to produce a regal flavour, encapsulating a British taste experience.
Whilst the damsons; peculiar only to the Lake District embrace Cumbria’s unique heritage, the Rose Liqueur embodies the symbolism of the nation as a whole in this commemorative condiment.
Hawkshead Relish based in the Lake District is recognised with over 40 Great Taste Awards for their handmade creations as well as a host of other accolades.
Their commitment to regional provenance ensures all the ingredients are sourced locally and cooked in traditional open pans without any artificial components.
Mark Whitehead the Managing Director, said:
“2012 is a very historical year for Great Britain.
“We felt that we (as a speciality producer) wanted to create something which was very much part of the spirit of Jubilee celebrations as well as part of us and Cumbria, what better way for us to do that than conjure a commemorative condiment”.
The Limited Edition preserve is on sale in specialist independents throughout the UK and the Hawkshead Relish website throughout 2012.
Kate Nicholson (Sales Manager) said: “We have received a huge amount of interest in the Jubilee Jam from overseas.
“It seems the world wants to join in on UK’s celebrations as well as enjoying the latest Hawkshead Relish conception.”
The new relish will launch with an RRP of £2.60.
For more information click here to visit the website.


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Alibaba's $14 Billion Shopping Event Crushed Cyber Monday -- Weekly News
Looking to keep on top of the latest headlines in small business, innovation and tech? Check out our Weekly News recaps posted every Friday AM -- a quick summary designed to keep you current.
Move over Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Alibaba's annual online shopping event in China this week hit record sales, surpassing $14 billion in a single day. Find out how 'Singles Day' sales compared to last year.
Snapchat announced that it gets 6 billion daily video views, closing in on Facebook's 8 billion. However, our Geoff Weiss writes that these metrics can be misleading when it comes to real reach and monetization.
And Mark Zuckerberg just awarded a high school student $400,000 in a special annual Silicon Valley awards program. Our Laura Entis explains more about the science competition and the 18-year-old's winning project, one which beat out more than 2,000 applicants.


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After finally approving a cruise line earlier this month, The Port of Palm Beach has run into an obstacle with the city of Riviera Beach.
The city`s planning and zoning committee has denied a request for a permit to renovate an existing port building into a passenger terminal for Crown Cruise Line of Boca Raton. The port approved the cruise line operation Oct. 4.
Davender Kant, who oversees planning and zoning as director of community development for Riviera Beach, didn`t return telephone calls Friday. But city and port officials say the port`s request for a permit was denied because of concerns about the impact on traffic and safety on Riviera Beach.
``I should have known with city government you can`t count your chickens before they`re hatched,`` said Sandy P. Klein, port commission chairman and an avid supporter of the cruise line. However, Klein said he expects the Riviera Beach City Commission will override the planning and zoning committee`s decision at its meeting Nov. 6.
Klein said the port already had met the city`s requests, allocating an additional $140,000 for a total of $390,000 in capital improvements. The port plans to renovate a port warehouse into a passenger terminal, plant trees and shrubs, add a drainage system and improve the electrical system.
Despite the planning and zoning committee`s action, port commissioners said the city probably would work out its problems so the port warehouse can be renovated.
``I would assume the City Commission would go ahead and give it to us anyway,`` said Blair J. Ciklin, port commissioner.
Dr. Stanley L. Weiss, the port commissioner who at the last port meeting changed his vote to support the cruise line, said, ``I would think whatever their objections are would be a temporary thing. They`ve had their just cause for complaints in the past, but the increased income from a cruise ship operation should outweigh any problems the city should have.``


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Only green addicts buy electric cars: Peugeot CEO
The lack of a dense charging network, the limited operating range of electric cars as well as uncertainties surrounding the long-term price of electricity, are hindering a broader adoption of electric cars, Peugeot Chief Executive Carlos Tavares said. This is the reason Peugeot decided to develop vehicle platforms which are capable of including fully electric, hybrid or just combustion engines.
Electric cars likely to get same power specs
India has the potential to become one of the largest EV markets in the world, with the governmen...
Warren Buffett-backed BYD to supply EV parts to rivals
BYD, founded as a mobile-phone battery maker, has been growing by expanding into new b...
2020 to be a big year for Mercedes-Benz; auto company plans to launch 10 luxury cars in India
The premium automaker plans to cater to electric car, super sportscar, SUVs and limousines.
Why don't people buy environment-friendly products like green crackers and cars? Here is a clue
According to a research conducted by University of East Anglia (UEA) and University of Leeds, people skip green products because of doubts over performance ability associated with green products, whereby consumers perceive them as being less effective.
Old electric car batteries may help cut costs of storing power
Relectrify, which is holding talks with battery manufacturers and distributors, sees potential to eventually help improve performance of batteries for the auto sector, in addition to energy storage.
Want environment minister to explain proposal to introduce EVs: SC
The authorities were also required to provide charging points for electric vehicles at public places like malls and petrol pumps. Bhushan also said that under the scheme the authorities were required to promote sale of electric vehicles by providing subsidies.
A green drive: Climate crusader Bill Gates buys an electric Porsche Taycan; says he prefers EVs over fossil fuel cars
Porsche Taycan starts at $185,000.
India’s electric car ambitions could stumble on lack of lithium
India’s EV production will rely on imports from China of lithium chemicals used to make cathodes and battery cells, according to Jasmeet Singh Kalsi, director at Manikaran Power Ltd., which is exploring setting up India’s first lithium refinery. “China has a thriving lithium chemical, battery cathode, battery cell and EV supply chain. India has none.”
Mercedes Benz plans electric car debut in India
The company will initially import the EQC to India, but has also started to explore plans of assembling electrics at its factory in Pune as sales of the first green car begin and others get planned, Martin Schwenk, MD & CEO of Mercedes in India, said.
Carmakers can’t turn out EVs cheap enough to convert Indians
Mahindra’s e-KUV is Rs 8,25,000, compared to its next cleanest car-- a petrol variant priced at Rs 6,50,000.
Can CAFÉ push electric vehicles?
The transportation sector is said to comprise about 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Reduction of emissions from motor vehicles, which comprise about 90% of the sector, is thus paramount for the attainment of the target.
Tesla hits $100B; Musk must sustain for big payout
The milestone comes less than a month after Tesla’s stock crossed $420, the infamous price at which Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk had tweeted he would take the electric car maker private.
Porsche bets rich Indians will pay to show off electric cars
Local duties in India make imported luxury cars about 2.5 times more expensive than what they cost in Europe -- a reason cited by Elon Musk for ignoring the market so far -- but that’s no deterrent for prospective buyers, accordion to Pavan Shetty, director at Porsche India. But, Porsche is planning to start selling its electric Taycan model in India next year.
Copyright © 2020 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service


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Last month, Samsung cut prices of its Ultra HD TVs by up to $1500 dollars, following price cuts from Sony. After the introduction of cheaper Ultra HD TVs at IFA 2013, Samsung has decided to cut prices even further by $1000 on the 55 and 65â€ť F9000 models.
The UHD price war continuesPrices on Ultra HD TVs are falling drastically, and it is pretty amazing to observe as a consumer. Some of the second-tier TV brands started putting pressure on prices earlier this year, and Sony, Samsung, and LG later decided to cut prices by up to $1500 dollars.
Samsung has cut the prices on its F9000 TVs again
Only one month has passed since the last price cuts, and now Samsung is cutting prices even further, following the announcement of cheaper Ultra HD TVs from LG and Sony at IFA 2013.
The 55â€ť 55F9000 was introduced this summer with a $5500 price tag that was later cut to $4500 in August. And now it has been cut even further to $3500. The 65â€ť 65F9000 was introduced at $7500, later cut to $6000, and now cut to $5000. The new prices match those of the new entry-level LG and Sony models.
The price cut have not yet reached Europe where the TVs are still available at the old prices. We have not been able to get a comment from Samsung regarding the new price cuts.
Despite the extreme price cuts, some TV makers still sell 4K TVs considerably cheaper. The cheapest 4K TV available is Seikiâ€™s 39â€ť 4K TV that sells for less than $700.
- Source: HDGuru


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4 anti-fraud technologies make online shopping and banking safer
Online banking and shopping has never been so popular, thanks to the global pandemic and the convenience of doing these tasks 24/7 from the comfort of your own home.
Unfortunately, the increase in transactions has come with an unwanted companion: an increase in fraud.
Online fraud includes false or illegal transactions using stolen payment or identity information. There is also a “friendly fraud,” where a customer asks the payment provider to reverse payment for an item or service received, resulting in costly chargebacks for the merchant.
Experts estimate that online retailers spend 7% of their annual turnover to process an average of 10% of fraudulent transactions. The hardest hit sectors are airlines, IT / electronics retailers, and money transfer services.
Fraud also hurts consumers, as anti-fraud measures can slow or even stop honest transactions. Residents of countries with a high percentage of fraudulent transactions can find themselves on the blacklist of online retailers and financial institutions that have too often been burned.
Several Israeli companies have developed sophisticated anti-fraud technologies to protect both sides and make it easier to eliminate bad actors. We take a look at four of them here.
As mentioned above, friendly fraud occurs when consumers dispute the charges for something they have received, rather than returning the item. Maybe their child bought it without their knowledge or maybe it was an impulse purchase that they later regretted.
Either way, the merchant is charged a chargeback fee, unless they can prove the purchase was legitimate. Last year, the friendly fraud cost traders some $ 125 billion.
Eido Gal and Assaf Feldman founded Riskified in 2013, offering a one-time chargeback guarantee. Today, she works with three of the top 10 e-commerce companies and has processed over a billion orders.
“When the order information gets to Riskified in real time, we decide within a second or two whether to accept or reject the order, using sophisticated machine learning models,” says Elad Cohen, vice president of science data at Riskified.
“We only get paid for the orders we accept. If we are wrong, we pay the full chargeback fee.
Riskified’s service cuts the costs of fraud by up to half, says Cohen. “Our fees are considerably lower than their chargeback fees and they don’t have to pay someone to do it in-house. “
But the main benefit is that Riskified’s automated process increases order approval rates by up to 20%. This is because human risk assessors tend to err on the side of caution, rejecting suspicious transactions or even blacklisting entire countries.
“For customers, we make e-commerce much more accessible,” says Cohen.
For merchants, additional services include using the data to build a case for banks to challenge friendly fraud, determine if a customer is abusing free return or special offer privileges, and more.
With more than 650 employees – two-thirds in Israel, the rest in New York, and smaller branches around the world – Riskified went public last July and works with clients like Acer, Trip.com and Ticketmaster.
Justt is another Israeli startup that helps global merchants tackle fake chargebacks with smart technology.
Founded in 2019 as AcroCharge, Justt uses machine learning and domain-specific technology to report incorrect chargebacks and creates bespoke solutions to collect and submit evidence on behalf of merchants.
The company says its personalized, fully automated approach eliminates 85% of friendly frauds while eliminating the need for internal chargeback mitigation programs.
Founded by Israeli tech industry veterans Roenen Ben-Ami and Ofir Tahor, Justt recently raised $ 70 million in funding as it expands, now encompassing around 110 employees.
One of Justt’s clients, digital payments giant Melio, reports that its mitigation team was able to recover around 30% of false chargebacks before implementing the automated solution. The success rate then tripled.
“Justt’s hands-off solution integrates with our card processor, allowing us to move from the never-ending task of fighting chargebacks to conquering our core business goals,” said Matana Soreff, vice president risk and compliance at Melio. Justt customers only pay a fee after the funds have been collected.
“The chargeback system is fundamentally unfair, but many traders see their losses simply as the cost of doing business. At Justt, we believe there is a better way and that online sellers need someone in their corner to navigate this archaic system, ”said Tahor, CEO of Justt.
Cybercriminals are increasingly trying to squeeze the elderly out of their savings, taking advantage of the lower level of digital literacy of the elderly.
By using phone calls or texts (to hide unfamiliar voices) masquerading as a grandchild in need of emergency money, they can steal credentials to open a new account or persuade the victim to log into their bank account and then resume it.
After determining that 40% of confirmed fraudulent credit card applications involved someone aged 60 or older, BioCatch recently launched its Age Analysis fraud prevention solution for top 50 financial institutions among its 100 customers in 20 countries. .
BioCatch was founded in 2011 on the basis of military machine learning technology to authenticate identities using behavioral biometrics – how you type, move a mouse, or manipulate your smartphone. Even small differences in behavior suggest that a hacker, not the account holder, is at the keyboard.
“When you apply to open a bank account online, you enter a lot of information. The typing pace is different if you do it from memory or if you are looking at a piece of paper, ”says BioCatch vice president Cyber Oren Kedem.
“American Express – first our client and later an investor – uses BioCatch to detect when users who apply for a credit card are reading information from elsewhere, a common fraud phenomenon.”
Knowing that typical cybercriminals are much younger than their victims, BioCatch has trained its age analysis software to report behavioral biometric data that does not match the alleged age of the requester.
“We know how a person born in 1949 behaves online and how a person born in 1989 behaves online. If there is a mismatch, we alert the customer. We see that the age detection is pretty accurate, ”says Cohen, especially when someone is trying to open a new account.
“We’re not actively stopping anything. We don’t blame the bad guys. We collect data invisibly and provide information that enables the customer to make the decision to approve, deny, or ask the requester to contact customer service.
BioCatch has over 200 employees, with R&D in Israel and offices in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
Identiq was created in 2018 with the idea of creating a peer-to-peer network that allows merchants to validate the identity of new users.
“Let’s say you sign up for a ridesharing service. They put you in a car with a stranger and need to know who you are, ”says Marketing Director Shmuli Goldberg.
“Beyond the risks of credit card fraud, account theft and identity theft, it’s also a matter of trust and security. If you can rest assured that this is a real person, a lot of the problems with fraud and bad actors go away, ”says Goldberg.
“We do this by allowing our customers to verify your identity with businesses that already know and trust you and have your IP address and credit card number, such as your video streaming service or delivery business. grocery store. “
Identiq’s algorithm-based solution keeps user details anonymous and is compliant with both GDPR and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
“We use multi-party computation, a well-known branch of cryptography that ensures that we can run a computation on the data we both have without either of us exposing it to each other,” Goldberg told ISRAEL21c.
Working under the covers during the registration process, Identiq’s scalable solution can process hundreds of millions of requests simultaneously and instantly.
“Trusted users benefit from a seamless experience. They are not treated as scammers, there are no more validation numbers or one-time verification fees. In the 1% where something doesn’t match, we alert the customer that we’ve never seen that person with a credit card before.
Identiq works primarily in large B2C industries such as ridesharing, financial services, retail, travel, gaming, dating and social media.
“We can be used not only when creating an account, but also before a customer places a large order or reactivates an existing account. A good user is expected to have a range of businesses in all industries that know that user’s name, email address and phone number, ”says Goldberg.


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On June 30st, U.S. Ambassador to the Swiss Confederation Suzan “Suzi” LeVine visited a group of game developers representing the Swiss game industry, and special guests from industry, politics, and education. Among them were many SGDA members eager to meet the charismatic Ambassador. The first item on the agenda was a roundtable discussion about various topics concerning game development in Switzerland: they ranged from questions around the kind of games developed in our country, what it’s like to study game development in Switzerland, the use of game strategies for public outreach, if there are possibilities for future collaborations with the U.S. Embassy, or what networks/economic ties in game development there are between the U.S. and Switzerland.
The Ambassador argued that game development is important “as a playground for innovative ideas and cutting-edge technologies“. Following the roundtable, the guests had the opportunity to get in touch with Suzan LeVine in a very interesting Q&A session. After all, she is no stranger to technology. Before taking up her position as the United States Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein on June 2, 2014, Suzan LeVine worked at Microsoft Corporation from 2009-2012 as Director of Strategic Partnerships for Student Developers and Director of Communications for Education. LeVine’s early career centered on software and the Internet. From 1993-1998, she worked as a Product Manager for Microsoft where she helped launch the final versions of MS-DOS and Windows 95.
Suzan LeVine was impressed by the meeting with the game developers, which she referred to as “a dynamic group of young entrepreneurs in game design, some of whom have already been very successful internationally” in her remarks for this year’s Independence Day. At the end of the meeting, Matthias Sala from the SGDA handed over a compilation of Swiss games as a present to the Ambassador. It was a fantastic opportunity to foster the ties between the U.S. Embassy and the Swiss game industry, and we hope that many interesting collaborations will spring from this first contact.