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Ford is known for giving consumers the unexpected, and the American carmaker has done it yet again. Despite a multitude of major tweaks to the Ford Edge crossover for the 2015 model year, Ford has made the decision to keep the 2015 Ford Edge pricing exactly the same as it was for the 2014 model. This allows consumers to enjoy new and improved features for a great value.
Starting at an MSRP of $28,100 (not including an $895 destination charge), the 2015 Edge gets an updated platform, a bit of a facelift, and a standard 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine that churns out a healthy 245 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque. If this great value isn’t enough for you, then the model’s Sport trim is sure to impress you. Though the Sport has exchanged its old engine for a 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged V6 EcoBoost engine, which generates over 300 horsepower, its price has only gone up $500 since last year’s Sport model, making it a true bargain.
When the 2015 Edge hits showrooms in the first quarter of 2015, it will be the first Ford in the U.S. to come standard with an EcoBoost engine. To be there when Ford makes history, be sure you come in to Morristown Ford when the new crossover makes its debut!
We here at Morristown Ford always knew Ford is such an iconic brand that it would one day end up in the Smithsonian. To be specific, Ford is participating in a two day festival at the Air and Space museum in order to demonstrate some of their innovative new technologies. With some of the most impressive safety and performance features in the world, Ford was a natural choice.
According to Ford, this is an opportunity for the public and academic institutions to see the inner workings of the automaker’s complex engineering, and also an opportunity for investors.
“Ford has a rich history of developing industry-first technology,” said Bill Coughlin, president and CEO, Ford Global Technologies, “and for that effort, and to be recognized by such a prestigious institution, is a great honor for our team.”
Taking center stage at the Ford Smithsonian exhibit was the new inflatable seatbelt system. Rear-seat belts have been designed to inflate with cold compressed gas during an accident in order to better protect passengers. By providing advanced protection of the face and chest area, the dangers of driving have been exponentially reduced.
One of the custom Mustangs Ford showcased at SEMA.
It’s been a big year for the Ford Mustang. 2014 marked the muscle car’s 50th anniversary and the launch of the model’s new generation. We’re not surprised in the least, then, to see that Ford brought over a dozen custom Mustangs to the 2014 SEMA show going on right now in Las Vegas.
Top aftermarket builders including Galpin Auto Sports, Petty’s Garage, MRT, and others all brought their own take on the new Mustang. Though many will focus on the 5.0-liter V8, Ford says the spotlight is on the all-new 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, which sets new standards for efficiency and performance and offers a whole new platform for turbocharging specialists.
At Morristown Ford, we’re most excited by the Mustang from Petty’s Garage. It has a Roush supercharged V8 and sports Richard Petty’s famous blue paint as well as the No. 43 from his NASCAR days. It’ll be auctioned off by Barrett-Jackson to benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp, which helps chronically ill children attend summer camp!
The all-new Ford F-150 has already revolutionized the new car industry—and it’s not even out on the roads yet! But the new aluminum-infused truck has already done something very important: it’s helped the Ford Motor Company create many new jobs recently, bringing hope and stability to many people and families in America. Ford recently added 850 more jobs to the Rouge Center to help facilitate new F-150 production.
“As customer anticipation for the all-new F-150 continues to build, today we are bringing on 850 new jobs to help meet the market demand for the toughest, smartest, most capable F-150 ever,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of The Americas. “The new truck sets new standards for the future of tough – right down to how it’s built.”
In 2011, Ford pledged to the UAW to add at least 12,000 jobs to the economy before 2015. With two months to go, they have already added over 14,000 jobs, proving that the American economy is as enduring and resilient as the Ford F-Series trucks themselves. Support Ford job creation yourself when you come see us at Morristown Ford today to check out the American automaker’s great truck lineup!
Ford is looking to ready 50 students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for the future of the car industry. The American carmaker recently announced a brand new Blue Oval STEM Scholarship program, which will provide $500,000 in scholarships over four years to these lucky students.
“This new scholarship demonstrates our continued commitment to STEM education by investing in talented students who represent the future of the automotive industry,” said Fields. “For 30 years, long before anyone even talked about STEM fields, Ford was a leading force in promoting science, math and technology. This scholarship takes our commitment to these disciplines even further.”
Selection for this scholarship, along with the renewal process, will be administered through the SME Education foundation and will be available specifically to students who participated in three of Ford’s STEM programs—Ford Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics, Ford Next Generation Learning, and Ford High School Science and Technology Program (HSSTP).
For more information about Ford’s new Blue Oval STEM Scholarship Program, or to apply to participate in the HSSTP program, send an email to email@example.com. If you have any other questions regarding scholarship options from Ford, contact Morristown Ford today!
Although European automakers seem to have a near monopoly on the supercar market, there’s just something about American muscle. Take, for example, the Ford GT. The original GT40 is a racing icon, having dominated 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1966 and 1969 with four consecutive wins. The more recent Ford GT was so great that even Jeremy Clarkson had to buy it—that’s the guy who normally loves to quip and bash American cars in every other episode of Top Gear, mind you.
So wouldn’t it be great if Ford could come back to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and prove that it’s still got it? Well—it just might. According to Road and Track, all signs point to a GT return to the 2016 GTE-Class for the legendary race, which means the Blue Oval-badged car would compete against the likes of the Corvette, Ferrari 458 Italia, Porsche 911, and others.
And it won’t just come back as a racing car. Motor Trend claims that Ford will unveil a new 2016 GT to celebrate the car’s 50th anniversary—likely at the Detroit Auto Show. We can’t wait for it, here at Morristown Ford!
It’s a somber time for Ford as we say goodbye to Irma Elder, the first woman in Detroit to own a Ford dealership. She passed away on Sept. 30th at age 84.
Irma came to the United States from Xicoténcatl, Mexico in 1946. She grew up in Miami, Florida, and lived there until her eventual move with her husband, James Elder, to Michigan in 1963. In Detroit, James Elder ended up the owner of Troy dealership, but he died in 1987. This is when Irma picked up the dealership herself and turned it into the success it is today. While she still owned it, it was one of the largest female-owned businesses in the country.
Just this year, Irma earned a lifetime achievement award from the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers. She was also honored this year by the Michigan Women’s Foundation, and has received the Ford Motor Co.’s President’s Award. The company has expanded into eight other Michigan dealerships and into Florida with several other stores. The original Troy dealership has made the #7 spot on the Crain’s Detroit Business list in 2013. The list of accolades goes on and on, showing how remarkable a person Elder was during her fruitful life.
Today we’re saluting Irma Elder here at Morristown Ford and recognizing her strength, hard work and determination, which built a business that made history.
The Ford F-150 has always been one of the most popular and best-selling pickup trucks on the market. The new 2015 F-150 model is anticipated to be just as successful, in part thanks to the fact that it is entirely made out of lightweight aluminum. The F-150 still has its traditional design, but the new aluminum body has decreased the vehicle’s weight 700 pounds, which is extremely significant.
ABC 7 News reports that “the lighter weight also allows Ford to use smaller engines. But that doesn’t mean you’ll lose performance.” So have no fear: the new body will not take away from the F-150’s capabilities, and it will still be able to haul more than other trucks in its class.
The truck will also be equipped with a V6 turbo engine, which will allow for enhanced fuel economy. Fox News reports that the fuel economy will improve “between 5 and 20 perfect.” Exact fuel economy ratings will be released as the truck’s long awaited debut in December grows nearer.
A December debut, huh? Sounds like the perfect Christmas gift! Tell Santa you want a lightweight 2015 Ford F-150 from Morristown Ford this year!
If you’ve driven long enough, you’ve had a few scares behind the wheel. Though we do everything we can to make sure that we arrive safe at our destination, it’s nice to know when we are driving a car that’s on the leading-edge of safety technology. Drive a Ford Focus and you’ll have that peace of mind.
The latest development to go in the Focus has to do with preventing skids. Skids can happen so fast, other than somehow possessing psychic abilities, it would seem impossible to truly prevent them. While Ford may not be able to tell the future, a recent safety improvement to the Ford Focus puts them that much closer.
This technology, called Enhanced Transitional Stability, constantly analyzes a number of conditions. These include how quickly the driver has turned the wheel, the position of the steering wheel, and the speed of the car. Based on these factors, the ETS technology will then decide, according to its algorithms, if a skid is inevitable. If it indeed makes this determination, it will automatically apply the brakes to whichever wheels need it in order to avoid a skid. The fascinating part is, this can happen without even the driver suspecting it.
Morristown Ford has the Focus and many other great models. Test drive them today!
In the battle between heavy-duty trucks, the ultimate question has always remained the same throughout the years: what truck can tow the most stuff?
According to Ford, it’s the Ford F-450. According to Ram, it’s the Ram 3500. Ford claimed a max towing capacity of 31,200 pounds and Ram claimed 30,000, and while basic math would suggest Ford won the battle, Ram took issue with Ford’s numbers.
Ford’s tests were made using internal standards, while Ram used the Society of Automotive Engineers J2807 towing standards. Fair enough. Ford went back to testing, which required about 400 pounds of additional weight in the pickup than before.
The new number? Still 31,200 pounds. We think that settles it. Check out the Ford F-450 at Morristown Ford.
“We leave no doubt with customers that the F-450 pickup truck has best-in-class towing of 31,200 pounds— whether tested using our own internal towing standards or SAE J2807,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president for Global Product Development, in the company’s release.


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German members of Coalition for Better Ads demand more control for European rollout
Cracks are appearing in the Coalition for Better Ads as German members have started demanding more of a voice in the discussions.
The coalition was established last year to combat the use of disruptive and annoying ads on publisher sites that have been blamed for the rise of ad-blocking. Members include Google, Procter & Gamble, GroupM, Axel Springer, U.S. ad associations, the European Publishers Council and other European trade bodies. Members pay between $20,000 and $100,000 to belong to the coalition.
U.S. and European members are in agreement over the need to root out bad ad experiences, but the process for how decisions are reached isn’t balanced enough, according to German advertising bodies BVDW and OWM, the equivalents to the Association of National Advertisers, Interactive Advertising Bureau and 4A’s.
BVDW and OWM wrote an open letter to the coalition on Oct. 26 requesting a “European Chapter,” in which they control the areas of regulation that will affect digital media markets in Europe.
Google will launch a Chrome browser next year that blocks non-compliant CBA ads like autoplay videos with the sound on, a move that’s fueled rumors that Google is leading the coalition and using it as a front to drive its own agenda. Google has denied that’s the case. Last week, the 4A’s, IAB U.S., and ANA wrote a letter to the coalition calling out the need to commit to a coalition-based framework, not one imposed by individual browsers; and calling for actions like safe harbor for member publishers and advertisers from any ad blocking or filtering that participating browsers or tech companies may have.
But the German ad bodies have objected to certain parts of the proposals and want more autonomy over decisions that will effect European markets. They also want to set up an independent budget for Europe.
“The German associations see the central monitoring committee currently proposed by the cited three U.S. associations (Better Ads Experience Program) as highly problematic,” BVDW and OWM stated in their letter. “The European advertising market, just as any other regional advertising market in the world, should not be controlled in this way by the U.S. This advance in the form of certification with costs and control by the U.S. is rejected by the German partners.”
The requested European chapter would give coalition members more independence to implement the better ads program in each market, wean countries off banned ad formats and adjust standards depending on market nuances.
Europe’s digital media and advertising markets are highly fragmented. Markets less advanced than the U.S. and U.K., like Poland and Ukraine, are more reliant on ad formats like pop-ups, which the coalition has identified as failing to meet its better ads standards. A concern is that countries like this will face more severe economic risk if ad formats like pop-ups end up being pulled, so they may need a different approach from the U.S. to removing ads deemed unacceptable by the alliance.
German media’s relations with U.S. tech companies is fractious, so it’s somewhat unsurprising that it’s German associations that are leading the appeal, though other European countries including France and Italy have verbally approved it, according to sources.
So far, the coalition has communicated via conference calls, though European members are not always apprised of the agenda beforehand, nor do they know who is being represented on the calls. There is also no visibility of the allocation of budgets, according to a source close to the situation.
“The current plans threaten to put the CBA into a [skewed] position,” Tina Beuchler, OWM chairwoman and digital and media director for Nestle Germany, said in the open letter. “No gatekeepers must emerge that — even if they act with the best intentions — could at a later point abuse their dominant position. The joint goal is simply too important.”
A coalition spokesperson responded that the views of all members, including BVDW and other Europe-based trade associations and companies, “have and will continue to inform” the coalition’s discussions and actions.
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Private data breaches are nothing new and could even be considered common place in today’s digitally connected world. We’ve all heard about them on our nightly news feeds…. and some of us have even become unwitting victims of data breach scams. So what’s changed in this world of high-value data and the cat-n-mouse game being played by Hackers and IT soldiers ?
Hackers are becoming more targeted in choosing their victims…. choosing them based upon their perceived customer demographic as well as their perceived lack of security . They’re looking at Car Dealerships very very hard these days.
How hard are they looking at dealerships these days ? Sonic and Asbury Automotive join a growing list of car dealerships that have been successfully breached by Identity Thieves .
Referencing an October 2014 article via Dealer Marketing Magazine – Scott Joseph wrote : ” Dealers may think that car dealers are less likely to be targeted by hackers but I would argue that , in fact , car dealerships would be gold mines for hackers. Not only do dealerships have credit card numbers , but they also have every piece of information anyone would need to essentially hijack a person’s life. The fact that there has yet to be a dealership breach reported in the national news might only be because news agencies focus on major breaches , or possibly it’s simply because hackers haven’t figured it out yet. ”
Who get’s the blame when hackers successfully penetrate a business’s data ? Hint : It’s not the hacker .
Dealership owners and managers must realize that consumers do not hold hackers accountable for the loss of their personal information – they hold the business itself responsible. When Target Department Store was successfully breached and lost millions of customer’s personal information in December of 2013 consumers were outraged – at Target . Even after Target’s exhaustive investigation , successful conclusion to the breach and very public announcement to consumers that “the problem has been fixed” ….. consumers have not forgiven Target. Target finds itself in an uphill battle a year later to reassure their customers all while juggling a new level of scrutiny from the FTC .
What can a Dealership do to protect their customer data and by extension themselves ? Start by securing your network : Today’s gold-standard in network security is having a true Cloud based platform , Advent Resources Inc. , as an example , uses a route based VPN tunnel that’s fully encrypted at every stage . Each Advent Resources client has a private ” Data Tunnel ” between their store and Advent’s Cloud – with no outside accessibility at any point along the pathway.
Ask your DMS provider for a comprehensive review of the Security Protocol for your store. Follow those “Do’s and Dont’s ” to the letter …. and always be aware . They’re watching you .


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A group of Filipino tourists in Beijing, China, were duped into buying PHP1 million (US$19,044) worth of jewelry that turned out to be fake.
According to the group, their tour package had a day allotted for shopping at shops selling jewelry and alternative medicines. The group said jewelry was being offered at a discounted price and was backed up with a “certificate of precious stone identification”, GMA News reported.
The group made their purchases believing that there was no problem. However, when they returned to the Philippines and had the jewelry checked, they discovered that the gems were made from glass and had fake documentation.
One of the victims said there was a penalty if they didn’t enter the store that was part of their tour package. The group said they will not file a case against their travel agency, but they wanted to warn other tourists to be cautious when buying things in other countries.
The group also urged their travel agency and tour guide to give detailed reminders in their tour that can be understood by fellow Filipinos.
This is not the first incident of Filipino tourists mistakenly buying fake jewelry. In May 2017, a Filipino man in China purchased “precious” stones costing over PHP1 million that turned out to be fake.


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In light of the ongoing Coronavirus situation and the challenges we face within our industry worldwide, I wanted to reach out and give an update on the Audiotonix Group and our individual businesses a
DiGiCo is pleased to announce two new I/O Racks, the A164D Wall LCD and A168D Stage, for its acclaimed 4REA4 processing engine for networked audio in installations, at this year’s ISE show in Amster
NAMM 2020 sees DiGiCo reveal the latest in its new generation of Quantum consoles, the all-new Quantum338. Like Quantum7 and Quantum5, Quantum338 represents a dramatic leap forward in power and connec
DiGiCo is delighted to announce the new DMI-KLANG at NAMM 2020, an immersive in-ear mixing expansion that can be mounted directly into DiGiCo consoles, equipped with DMI slots.
DiGiCo is pleased to announce the debut of its new Quantum 5 console at NAMM 2020, with orders being take now for delivery later this year.
Leading UK production company, SFL, employed the ground-breaking immersive 3D mixing technology from German in-ear monitor specialists, KLANG, on the main stage at the last ever Soul Survivor festival
New details shared on SD7 Quantum’s Spice Rack and Mustard, plus L-ISA control and Dante 64@96 DMI card updates announced
New offerings shown in Orlando will include Mustard and Spice Rack, an updated Dante DMI card, SD12/SD10 software upgrades, and more
Prolight + Sound 2019 sees DiGiCo showcase new software upgrades for the SD12 and SD10 which take both consoles to a completely new level.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada - April 2019 - With NAB 2019 just around the corner, DiGiCo announces that it will be spotlighting a number of innovative new products on stand C7408 from April 6-11. Among these are


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Why should you oppose AT&T’s bid to kill traditional home phone service in its Illinois territory—even if you don’t own a landline? First, it might be helpful to know what the phone giant wants out of legislation in Springfield.
AT&T is pushing two bills: Senate Bill 1381 and House Bill 2691. Those bills would:
- Ditch the “Obligation to Serve” requirement. Current state law requires AT&T to offer service to all customers in its Illinois territory. But AT&T’s plan would strip the state of that authority, ceding jurisdiction to federal bureaucrats. That would open the door for the company to end traditional home phone service (landlines) for customers, potentially cutting them off from affordable phone choices and reliable connections to emergency services.
- Abolish low-cost calling plans. Illinois law mandates that AT&T offer the low-cost “Consumer’s Choice” plans, which were created by CUB under a legal settlement with the company. These phone deals are currently under a state-mandated price freeze, capped at about $3-20 a month, but AT&T wants permission to drop them.
5 reasons why AT&T’s plan is bad for consumers
1) Millions of Illinoisans depend on traditional home phone service. For many seniors, rural residents and low-income families, traditional phone service is the most reliable, affordable lifeline to vital services such as 911, home security and medical monitoring. AT&T’s legislation would leave some families and retirees stranded in a telephone void, where cellphone service is inconsistent at best. Not only could that cut them off from communicating with loved ones, but it could also leave them dangerously disconnected from first-responders.
2) AT&T’s plan would be expensive. AT&T wants to kick people off the low-cost Consumer’s Choice calling plans, and that will directly lead to increased phone bills. AT&T’s business model is to force customers onto more expensive Internet-based or wireless substitutes.
3) AT&T’s plan is unreliable. Traditional home phone service doesn’t go out during power outages or suffer from dropped calls.
4) AT&T’s plan is anti-competition. In many parts of the state, telecom competition is anemic, and AT&T’s plan would limit it even more. Stripped of traditional phone service, customers could be forced to choose expensive and less-reliable wireless phone service, computer-based telecommunications or bloated cable “triple play” packages. A multi-billion-dollar company shouldn’t be allowed to restrict telecom choices, especially for people who depend on home phone service.
5) AT&T’s plan isn’t necessary. AT&T, which made $13 billion in profits last year, is a healthy company and shouldn’t turn its back on some of its most loyal customers—many of whom are most in the need of reliable, affordable home phone service.
What can you do?


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SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Having trouble finding a Covid-19 test? Well, the Biden administration has officially made that easier by unveiling the website you can now use to order free at-home Covid-19 tests. Californians are rushing to get theirs, but can the US Postal Service keep up with demand?
The holiday season may be over, but the USPS will likely be busier than ever, tasked with providing testing to anyone who wants one. But how long will it take?
READ MORE: Record winter drought in the Sierra
The USPS website is live with at-home Covid-19 testing at your fingertips.
“All it took was my name, mailing address and an email,” said Scott Cantrell of Sacramento. “It took about 45 seconds to complete.”
Households can order a maximum of four tests, which Dawn Olson did right away.
“Now let’s see how long it takes to get them,” she said. “That’s the magic question.”
READ MORE: Semi-trailer truck hits train trestle in Marysville
With more than 19,000 postal workers sick or quarantined due to Covid-19, communities are facing mail delays because of the Omicron variant.
So how will the Postal Service handle the demand? According to the American Postal Workers Union, more than 7,000 temporary workers have been hired and 43 centers have been set up to pack and ship tests. The postmaster general says the agency is ready to deliver.
“I sent the link to everyone I know,” Olson said.
Olson, a hospital employee, said access to testing is crucial for peace of mind and her salary.
“If you don’t have a test to show you’re negative, you can lose work,” she said. “I’m just going to keep hope alive.”
NO MORE NEWS: Close. Biden and Governor Newsom will meet on Tuesday to discuss supply chain challenges
We contacted the Postal Service to ask if they had seen any delivery delays in our particular area and how they planned to alleviate local staffing shortages. We haven’t had a response yet.


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Hongkong International Terminals (HIT) has announced the launch its new Remote Reefer Container Monitoring System allowing for continuous automated remote management of refrigerated containers.
HIT has implemented the system to provide greater visibility and accuracy on container conditions such as temperature, humidity and CO2 levels.
Leonard Fung, managing director of HIT, said the upgrade should to enhance the terminals’ operational efficiency and occupational safety, enabling it to capture growing business opportunities in the cold chain logistics market.
'To stay ahead of the ever-changing market landscape, HIT has long been investing resources in bolstering its competitiveness through technological innovation, operational excellence and facilities improvement,' said Fung.
'The launch of the Remote Reefer Container Monitoring System is itself a cornerstone signifying the importance of digitalising terminal operations.
'This will go a long way in enhancing the holistic operational efficiency and competitiveness of our terminals while reaffirming the city's leading status in the cold chain logistics industry.'
The port of Hong Kong has over 8,000 reefer points and in 2020 Hong Kong handled around 900,000 TEU of reefer containers in 2020.
Fresh produce worth more than US$3bn arrives in Hong Kong annually around 60 per cent of which is then transported onward to mainland China.
The System has been fully deployed at HIT, COSCO-HIT and Asia Container Terminals (ACT), the biggest coverage of its kind in the Greater Bay Area. Prior to this, reefer workers had to go on-site to check reefer conditions and alarms regularly.


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Uber rented a cruise terminal for its holiday party and threw a raging silent disco
Uber may be only five years old, but it sure knows how to throw a holiday party like the rest of the Silicon Valley giants.
For Uber's bash, the ride-hailing company rented out the Pier 27 cruise terminal in San Francisco and transformed it into a silent disco party. There was an open bar, a donut station, and plenty of headphones passed around so employees could groove.
Even Uber's CEO Travis Kalanick made an appearance with a special guest, who clearly won best in show.
Here's some of the highlights from Uber's silent disco.
- Akasa Air takes to the skies, flagged off by Civil aviation minister
- As FIIs come back, India's forex reserves rise by $2.4 bn
- Markets to keep a close watch on US and Indian inflation data
- Demand for tablets drops as online schooling ends
- Reliance Industries will be hosting its 45th AGM this month — all your need to know


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Why did the arrival of the Oreo doughnut take this long?
In June, coffee giant Tim Hortons introduced the U.S. to the Oreo Donut — a chocolate doughnut filled with vanilla cream and topped with Oreo cookie crumbs, according to InsideTimmies.com. And although we're a little ticked off it didn't land in Canada first, we're happy to say the Oreo doughnut will make its way to Canadian stores on July 7. Oh, and there's an Oreo Iced Capp to go with it.
So far, lucky mouths who've had the chance to try the doughnut have nothing but good things to say on Twitter and Instagram.
The cookie-doughnut creation (which, if we close our eyes we can already taste in our mouths) has about 420 calories, 33 grams of sugar and absolutely no vitamin A or C. And as of now, it will be considered the least "healthy" doughnut on the Tim Hortons menu beating out the good old sour cream glazed doughnut, which has 340 calories.
If Tim Hortons and Oreo coming together sounds familiar to you, that's likely because you recall last summer's "Duelling Donuts" contest, which came down to The Oreo Borealis (yes, an Oreo doughnut) and the Tortoise Torte (which ended up winning the title). So we aren't wondering too much where this idea came from.
Would you eat one? If not, we'll take your serving.
Get more food and drink ideas on Pinterest
Also on HuffPost


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Galway Gardaí have urged cyclists to remember to ensure the security of their bikes and to take appropriate safety measures on the road.
Gardaí have advised cyclists to lock their bikes to an immovable object using two locks, a D-Lock and a Cable Lock in an area with good natural surveillance when parking.
As an added precaution bike owners should record the frame number of their bike and take a clear picture of it.
This will be of great help in proving your ownership of the bike of it is ever stolen and later recovered.
This was some of the advice given by gardaí at a recent event at Galway Technical Institute where gardaí promoted bike safety and security.
When cyclists are on the they are advised to stay safe by wearing a high-viz vest and helmet, and by ensuring their bikes have good front and rear lights.


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The 2019 amfAR Gala Cannes featured the usual array of models, actresses and musicians. But this year, the annual gala made headlines because it served as the official launch of the new Giambattista Valli x H&M collection. Everyone from Kendall Jenner to H.E.R. was outfitted in the tulle-focused collab, which partially drops tomorrow (the full collection won’t be available until November 7).
Those not on promotional duty embraced some OTT silhouettes. Dua Lipa stood out in a fiery Valentino haute couture gown and Sara Sampaio’s feathered Armani Privé also made quite a statement. And the naked dress is still going strong with several peekaboo pieces popping up on the gray carpet.
Check out the slideshow above to see who wore what at the gala.


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French cosmetics giant L'Oreal SA (LRLCY.PK), Thursday said its first-quarter sales grew 9.4 percent, mainly on a strong demand for its products in emerging markets, especially Asia Pacific, combined with "remarkable" sales growth for luxury products.
Chief Executive Jean-Paul Agon said, "These first months augur well for the year, as all divisions and all geographic zones are expanding. The worldwide cosmetics market remains strong, and trends are favorable for all brands."
Sales from new markets, which includes Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa and Middle East, improved 14.1 percent. This growth was bolstered especially by Asia Pacific, where sales surged 22.6 percent.
On the European market Agon said "In Western Europe, in a sluggish market context, the group is growing and improving its positions. Finally, the new initiatives in Eastern Europe are beginning to pay off."
Sales increased 2.3 percent to 1.95 billion euros in Western Europe, while Eastern Europe sales grew 1.5 percent to 360.0 million euros.
North American market also showed signs of recovery with sales advancing 13.1 percent to 1.26 billion euros.
L'Oreal said sales for the first-quarter grew 9.4 percent to 5.64 billion euros from 5.16 billion euros last year. On a like-for-like basis, sales increased 6.4 percent.
The consumer products division sales grew 7.2 percent to 2.77 billion euros, while L'Oreal Luxe business posted an impressive 17.8 percent sales growth.
"L'Oreal Luxe is achieving remarkable growth, bolstered in particular by the dynamism of Lancome, the success of the designer fragrances, and the vitality of Kiehl's," Agon said.
Moving ahead, based on the strong first-quarter results, L'Oreal expressed confidence it would outperform the market in 2012 and achieve growth in both sales and profits.
LRLCY.PK is trading at $24.50, up 3.42%.
by RTT Staff Writer
For comments and feedback: firstname.lastname@example.org


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Welcome to another edition of The Friday 5 with Steve Greenfield, Founder and CEO of Automotive Ventures, an auto technology advisory firm that helps entrepreneurs raise money and maximize the value of their companies.
I hope everyone has been enjoying the Automotive Ventures March Madness contest on LinkedIn, where you get to vote for which automotive technology company is most likely to achieve a $1 billion dollar exit someday.
We’re down to the Final Four candidates, and the bidding has been furious. Beyond bragging rights, I’ll have the winning company join us right here on the Friday Five. So far, a couple of our companies have rallied incredibly strong voting support on LinkedIn.
- Digital Retailing provider Digital Motors rallied over 600 votes in this last round.
- DealerPolicy (Carwave) received 350 votes, while A2Z Sync rallied over 200 votes.
- The last contender in our Final Four is FuseAutoTech who received just under 100 votes.
At this point it looks like Digital Motors is the favorite to take the final crown. But as they say, it’s never over ‘til it’s over, so make sure you make each of your votes count on LinkedIn!
Enough about March Madness. Let’s dive into this week’s technology deals.
No Friday 5 would be complete without a healthy dose of special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know well that the popularity of SPACs, also called blank-check companies, has soared in the last year. While 2020 saw 248 SPACs go public, raising $83 billion dollars, this year already has recorded 298 SPAC IPOs, garnering $97 billion dollars.
That means since the beginning of last year there are nearly 550 SPACs hunting for merger targets with a total of $180 billion dollars to spend.
The SPAC boom is fueling the strongest start for global M&A since 1980. Deals worth an aggregate $1.3 trillion dollars in the first quarter surpass levels of the dot.com boom at the turn of the millennium.
Needless to say, markets are hot. And we’re going to see a lot more M&A activity over the remainder of the year in the auto tech space.
If you’re a regular viewer, you’ll know that in addition to SPACs, the online retailer space is red hot.
Last week we announced here on the show big news about the Carvana of the UK, Cazoo’s, upcoming public listing at a $7 billion dollar valuation. We also reported that Clutch, the Carvana of Canada, raised a significant funding round.
Another week, another country. This week’s news comes out of Mexico, where online used car retailer Kavak.com has reached a $4 billion dollar valuation after raising $485 million dollars in new funding, making the company one of the most highly valued startups in Latin America.
Kavak, which was founded in 2016 and is backed by Japan’s SoftBank Group, became Mexico’s first tech “unicorn” last October when it reported a valuation of more than $1 billion dollars.
The new capital injection will help Kavak, an online platform for buying and selling second-hand cars operating in Mexico and Argentina, launch in Brazil over the next couple of months.
The online retailing phenomenon has caught fire internationally. We’ll see if other countries follow suit with similar news over the coming months.
This week, Self-driving truck startup TuSimple Holdings announced that it was targeting a valuation of more than $8 billion in its U.S. IPO.
The company, which first unveiled the IPO plans in March, said it aims to raise about $1.3 billion dollars by selling about 34 million shares between $35 dollars and $39 dollars apiece.
This week, WaveSense announced a $15 million dollar investment round from Rhapsody Venture Partners and Impossible Ventures for its ground penetrating radar technology that can be used to help a self-driving vehicle more accurately determine its position and navigate.
There is a growing demand for automakers to equip their vehicles with advanced driver assist systems (or ADAS) to increase safety, including autonomous highway driving capabilities. These systems are supported by cameras, radar and lidar sensors and are used today for such features such as Adaptive Cruise Control or Lane Keep Assist.
However before an autonomous vehicle can safely navigate on the highway or any other road, the vehicle requires a high precision, or high definition map of its surroundings. Unlike a typical map that’s used for turn-by-turn directions, these maps have extremely high precision and help a self-driving vehicle know its exact position in the world.
The HD maps are created using mapping vehicles equipped with cameras and lidar and other sensors which drive a route to collect the raw data used to build maps.
However map data can also be supplemented using data collected from ground penetrating radar, which is what WaveSense is developing. The company’s GPR technology works by sending an electromagnetic pulse directly into the ground below the street. The radar measures unique reflections from solid objects and changes in soil properties deep in the ground, including pipes, roots, rocks, and soil. The reflections of underground features can be used to generate a supplemental basemap for autonomous vehicles.
Companies to Watch
And on to our Companies to Watch!
Every week we highlight interesting companies in the automotive technology space to keep an eye on. If you read my monthly industry intel report, I showcase a few companies each month, and we take the opportunity here on the Friday Five to share some of those companies each week with you.
Today, our companies to watch are RapidRecon and AutoAPR.
Our first company to watch is RapidRecon, which was founded in 2010 by founder Dennis McGinn.
In today’s competitive and velocity-driven market, time is precious, margins are compressed, and there’s no room for error. Dealers need a solution to measure and manage their car reconditioning processes.
Rapid Recon provides dealers with data-driven metrics that allow them to identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks, locate their cars, and provide the transparency and accountability dealers need to reduce friction between departments and personnel. Dealers using RapidRecon become more efficient, speed up reconditioning time, and increase inventory turn and profitability.
If your team is still using a spreadsheet, whiteboard, or your fingers, to track and manage auto reconditioning, your process leaks time and money that’s wrecking retail gross and inventory turn.
Everyone on a dealer’s staff can manage car reconditioning on the fly. When someone completes their work they move the vehicle into the next step with a click of a button, automatically generating a text or email notification to the next person in line, alerting them the car is now ready for their attention.
Rapid Recon gives dealers more selling days, improved inventory turns and higher profit margins.
Our second company to watch is AutoAPR, was founded in 2014 by co-founders Dan Congrove and Dan Mayer and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
AutoAPR helps dealers to convert anonymous website visitors into showroom customers. AutoAPR empowers dealers to capture leads and close deals.
Website visitors receive a realistic look at their monthly payments, based on their personal history and the vehicle selected.
Dealers receive the customer’s information on the AutoAPR dashboard, allowing dealers to continue the conversation after they leave your website.
AutoAPR is built for your dealer team to start more conversations and close more deals than any other lead source.
Dealers are using AutoAPR to accelerate their online sales with more qualified leads.
So that’s your weekly Friday 5, a quick wrap-up of the big deals in automotive technology over the past week.
It’s an exciting time to be in the automotive space, with a ton of deals going on. Make sure you stay tuned in each week to stay up to date on the auto industry’s technology M&A activity. I’ll keep my fingers on the pulse of deals being done, so I can share updates with you.
If you’re an early-stage automotive technology entrepreneur looking to raise money, or an entrepreneur who wants to chat about the best timing and process to sell your company to achieve the best outcome, I’d love to discuss it with you at email@example.com.
People often ask me why I’m affiliated with CBT News.
Besides having an outstanding, extremely talented, and hardworking team up here at the studio, I greatly appreciate the valuable role that CBT News plays in the automotive industry.
Every day, I eagerly look forward to my morning email from CBT News to ensure I’m getting the most up-to-date and relevant information on the industry.
I encourage you to tune in to CBT News to ensure that you’re getting the automotive news that matters.
Did you miss enjoy this week’s episode of The Friday 5? Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions regarding this topic at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Sweet Surrender celebrated it's 25th Birthday today with a party at the store near Ming Avenue and Ashe Road.
The boutique bakery invited the public out to celebrate with a cake walk, face painting, and cake for everyone to enjoy.
"When we first started 25 years ago, there were two of us," said owner Kim Fiorini. "I was the janitor, I was the bookkeeper, I was the baker, I was the basket maker."
Fiorini's staff has now grown to 30 people that help her keep the sweet shop up and running.
"The sweets are out of this world," said Brad Ferris.
Sweet Surrender's cakes have gained national attention, being featured on The Food Network and twice in Oprah Magazine.
Pat Brumback first tried a slice of cake from Sweet Surrender more than two decades ago and she has been a customer ever since.
"The Italian cake is my very favorite," said Brumback. "I come over and I buy a piece of cake, take it home and make my husband split it with me, otherwise I'd eat the whole cake."
Fiorini says she has always wanted to make her store feel like an extension of her home.
Many want Panorama Park to get restrooms
If you want to enjoy the amenities at the Panorama Park Trail, you're in for a treat.
Political ads not a hit with voters
With the November general election two weeks away, candidates have unloaded a handful of advertisements calling out their opponents.
Volunteers help downtown Bakersfield stay safe
The BPD is getting the extra eyes and ears needed to help beef up safety downtown.
Governor Brown: California needs long-term...
Gov. Jerry Brown says he will focus on a long-term strategy to cope with California's water problems if he is re-elected in November.


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Many have accused CD Projekt Red of releasing the game while knowing it was still was riddled with bugs, but one of the developer’s producers has now pushed back against that claim.
Source Code Leaked
The source codes for “Cyberpunk 2077” and “The Witcher 3,” both games from Polish developer CD Projekt Red, have seemingly begun to leak online.
That data was first threatened in February when ransomware hackers claimed to have recovered the source codes, as well as internal “documents relating to accounting, administration, legal, HR, [and] investor relations.” They then threatened to send CD Projekt Red’s public image “down the shitter even more” unless the company was able to “come to an agreement” with them.
The “even more” part of the hackers’ statement is a reference to the fallout CD Projekt Red faced over its buggy launch of “Cyberpunk 2077.” Among widespread criticism and speculation that CD Projekt Red knowingly released an unfinished game, Sony announced in December that it was pulling the game from the PlayStation Store and offering full refunds to buyers.
At the time of February’s attack, CD Projekt Red said it wouldn’t “give in to the demands nor negotiate with the actor, being aware this may eventually lead to the release of the compromised data.”
This past week, reports surfaced that the alleged hackers were asking for $10,000 donations to unlock each game’s source code. Now, a flurry of internal videos of “Cyberpunk” have been shared online.
Internally-Made Gag Reel
One video stirring up the most controversy was seemingly made by the developers themselves and is a gag reel of bugs that were in a pre-released version of the game.
With that video now circulating across the internet, many have been quick to renew their criticism against the game, saying the video is proof that CD Projekt Red knew just how buggy the game was prior to launch.
OOF, that’s not gonna help them defend their court cases against both let down buyers and pissed off (frankly defrauded) shareholders.— Jukantos (@Jukantos) June 6, 2021
I can’t shake the feeling that this disaster will slowly but surely break CDPRs back. I just can’t see them recovering from this one.
In fact, even PC Gamer noted, that the “optics aren’t great considering the absolutely dismal state Cyberpunk 2077 launched in.
“The developer’s internal videos are indistinguishable from those made by fans post-release,” writer Natalie Clayton added.
CDPR Producer Defends Gag Reel
In a now-deleted tweet, CD Projekt Red Producer Slava Lukyanenka both pushed back against the growing criticism and seemed to confirm that the current set of leaks are, in fact, real.
“The video is a fun composition of bug material collected by QA and developers through years of development,” he said. “How exactly [does it prove] your point?”
Many others online have also echoed his argument that the existence of the gag reel does not prove that CD Projekt Red intentionally released a buggy game.
“They were bugs from different stages in development, not on the final release,” one Twitter user said. “This won’t do anything to them if people look into it for 3 seconds.”
They were bugs from different stages in development, not on the final release. This won’t do anything to them if people look into it for 3 seconds— colin (@Fridgemuffin09) June 6, 2021
Instagram Testing New Tools To Verify Users Are Over 18
The new tools include AI software that analyzes video footage of a person’s face to verify their age.
Instagram Cracks Down on Underage Users
Instagram is testing new features in the United States to verify the age of users who claim to be over 18 years old.
According to a statement from Instagram’s parent company, Meta, the tools will only apply to users who seek to change their age from under 18 to over 18. The platform previously asked for users to upload their ID for verification in this process, but on Thursday, it announced there will be two new methods for confirming age.
One of the strategies was referred to as “social vouching.” Using this option, people can request that three mutual Instagram followers over the age of 18 confirm their age on the platform.
The other method allows users to upload a video selfie of themselves to be analyzed by Yoti, third-party age verification software. Yoti then estimates a person’s age based on their facial features, sends that estimate to Meta, and both companies delete the recording.
According to Meta, Yoti cannot recognize or identify a face based on the recording and only looks at the pixels to determine an age. Meta said that Yoti “is the leading age verification provider for several industries around the world,” as it has been used and promoted by social media companies and governmental organizations.
Still, some question how effective it will be for this specific use. According to The Verge, while the software does have a high accuracy rate among certain age groups and demographics, data also shows it is less precise for female faces and faces with darker skin tones.
Issues With Kids on Instagram
Meta argues that it is important for Instagram to be able to discern who is and is not 18, as it impacts what version of the app users have access to.
“We’re testing this so we can make sure teens and adults are in the right experience for their age group,” the company’s statement said.
“When we know if someone is a teen (13-17), we provide them with age-appropriate experiences like defaulting them into private accounts, preventing unwanted contact from adults they don’t know and limiting the options advertisers have to reach them with ads,” it continued.
These changes come as Instagram has been facing increased pressure to address the way its app impacts younger users.
Only children 13 and older are allowed to have Instagram accounts, but the service has faced criticism for not doing enough to enforce this. A 2021 survey of high school students found that nearly half of the respondents had created a social media account of some kind before they were 13.
The company also recently came under fire after The Wall Street Journal published internal Meta documents revealing that the company knew that it harmed teens, including by worsening body image issues for young girls and women.
See what others are saying: (The Verge) (The Wall Street Journal) (Axios)
Elon Musk Threatens to Fire Employees Unless They Work in Person Full-Time
The world’s richest man in the world previously suggested that the popularity of remote work has “tricked people into thinking that you don’t actually need to work hard.”
“If You Don’t Show up, We Will Assume You Have Resigned”
On Wednesday, Electrek published two leaked emails apparently sent from Elon Musk to Tesla’s executive staff threatening to fire them if they don’t return to work in person.
“Anyone who wishes to do remote work must be in the office for a minimum (and I mean *minimum*) of 40 hours per week or depart Tesla,” he wrote. “This is less than we ask of factory workers.”
“If there are particularly exceptional contributors for whom this is impossible, I will review and approve those exceptions directly,” he continued.
Musk then clarified that the “office” must be a main office, not a “remote branch office unrelated to the job duties.”
“There are of course companies that don’t require this, but when was the last time they shipped a great new product? It’s been a while,” he wrote in the second email.
Later on Wednesday, a Twitter user asked Musk to comment on the idea that coming into work is an antiquated concept.
He replied, “They should pretend to work somewhere else.”
The Billionaire Pushes People to Work Harder
Musk has a history of pressuring his employees and criticizing them for not working hard enough.
“All the Covid stay-at-home stuff has tricked people into thinking that you don’t actually need to work hard. Rude awakening inbound,” he tweeted last month.
Three economists told Insider that remote work during the pandemic did not damage productivity.
“Most of the evidence shows that productivity has increased while people stayed at home,” Natacha Postel-Vinay, an economic and financial historian at the London School of Economics, told the outlet.
Musk is notorious for criticizing lockdown mandates and went so far as to call them “fascist” during a Tesla earnings call in April 2020.
Not long before that, Tesla announced that it would keep its Fremont, California plant open in defiance of shelter-in-place orders across the state.
In an interview with The Financial Times last month, Musk blasted American workers for trying to stay home, comparing them to their Chinese counterparts whom he said work harder.
“They won’t just be burning the midnight oil. They will be burning the 3 a.m. oil,” he said. “They won’t even leave the factory type of thing, whereas in America people are trying to avoid going to work at all.”
That same day, Fortune published an article detailing how Tesla workers in Shanghai work 12-hour shifts, six days out of the week, sometimes sleeping on the factory floor.
See what others are saying: (CNBC) (Electrek) (Business Insider)
Apple Raises Worker Pay as Unions Gain Ground
The company’s vice president of people and retail was caught trying to dissuade employees from unionizing in a leaked video.
Labor Squeezes Apple into Submission
Apple announced Wednesday that its U.S. corporate and retail employees will see a pay increase later this year, with starting wages bumped from $20 per hour to $22, though stores in certain regions may get more depending on market conditions.
Starting salaries are also expected to increase.
“Supporting and retaining the best team members in the world enables us to deliver the best, most innovative, products and services for our customers,” an Apple spokesman said in a statement. “This year as part of our annual performance review process, we’re increasing our overall compensation budget.”
Some workers were told their annual reviews would be moved up three months and that their pay increases would take effect in early July, according to a memo reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Furthermore, they were told the increased compensation budget would be in addition to pay increases and special awards already received within the past year.
Feeling squeezed by low unemployment and high inflation, tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have changed their compensation structures in recent weeks to pay workers more, and Apple is the latest to bend to market pressure.
Unions Gaining Traction
On Wednesday, The Verge received a leaked video of Apple’s vice president of people and retail, Deirdre O’Brien, explicitly dissuading employees from unionizing.
“I worry about what it would mean to put another organization in the middle of our relationship,” she said. “An organization that does not have a deep understanding of Apple or our business. And most importantly one that I do not believe shares our commitment to you.”
She vocalized more anti-union talking points, like the idea that the company will not be able to make important decisions as quickly with a collective bargaining agreement.
O’Brien has been personally visiting retail stores over the past few weeks in an apparent bid to combat budding union activity.
Apple stores in three locations — New York, Georgia, and Maryland — are currently pushing to unionize, with the latter two set to vote in elections on June 2 and 15, respectively. In response to these efforts, Apple has hired anti-union lawyers, given managers anti-union scripts, and held anti-union captive audience meetings.
In the United States, unionized workers make about 13.2% more than non-unionized workers in the same sector, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
As of Wednesday, Apple’s shares had fallen 21% since the start of the year, but sales grew 34% last year to almost $300 billion.


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The Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (MECD) through its agency, SME Corp. Malaysia organised the 2023 MSME Sustainability Series: Charting the ESG Path for MSMEs and Business Matching for High Growth Industries from 26 – 27 September 2023. It was part of the continuous effort to provide MSMEs with the understanding on importance of sustainability as well as environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices to facilitate their transformation into future-ready businesses. The Seminar was officiated by YB Datuk Ewon Benedick, Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development at the Setia SPICE Convention Centre on yesterday.
The MSME Sustainability Seminar was attended by almost 250 participants including MSMEs from various sectors mainly in the manufacturing and services sectors, business associations, chambers of commerce, anchor companies, researchers as well as Ministries and agencies including the Penang State Government. The Seminar focused on MSMEs in the northern region, targeting high-growth industries such as electrical & electronic (E&E), medical devices, oil & gas, and aerospace. The Seminar, which is the third session conducted by SME Corp. Malaysia this year, provided invaluable knowledge to MSMEs on the importance of ESG practices for business. The key topics included the fundamentals of ESG, the development of ESG strategy, implementation at firm level and sustainability reporting.
YB Datuk Ewon Benedick during his keynote speech said, "Moving forward, MSMEs need to integrate their business operations with aspects related to sustainability or application of ESG as it is becoming more significant and will be the future trend in Malaysia. Large firms, multinationals (MNCs) and Government-linked Companies.
(GLCs) have begun adopting ESG practices as one of the criteria for making investment-related decisions and the procurement of selected supplies or services in their business operations, hence SMEs should take the same steps to gain continuous market access, remain in the existing supply chain, expand their market through participation in new supply chains or attract investment, as well as to meet the increasing demand of ESG elements from stakeholders".
"The Government, with strong support from the corporate and private sectors, is committed to continue and provide assistance as well as facilities to encourage SMEs in adopting ESG practices. The comprehensive SMEs' sustainability ecosystem has been developed by SME Corp. Malaysia, comprising six (6) basic components namely awareness and education, SME ESG Assessment, policy support, market access, standard & compliance, and financing & incentives", said YBhg. Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Bernard Giluk Dompok, Chairman of SME Corp. Malaysia in his opening remarks.
Meanwhile, YBrs. Encik Rizal bin Nainy, Chief Executive Officer of SME Corp. Malaysia said, "This Seminar is part of an awareness campaign under the PKSlestari programme. PKSlestari is an initiative by SME Corp. Malaysia to encourage and accelerate the adoption of ESG practices among MSMEs by developing an SME sustainability ecosystem. Understandably, it will take some time for SMEs to acquire the relevant knowledge and expertise to drive sustainability in their operations. Nevertheless, SMEs should start their efforts in this direction by taking small but sure steps and this Seminar will help to chart their journey towards a sustainable industry, to foster long-term value creation for the companies and their stakeholders”.
In addition, the Programme also featured a Gallery Walk for MSMEs to display, highlight, and promote their products and services to the public and business community. Participants also gained the opportunity to partake in the Business Matching Sessions on the second day, which featured 17 anchor companies. The Business Matching Sessions were organised as an avenue to facilitate linkages of potential MSMEs to large companies, MNCs, GLCs and hypermarkets.
During the opening ceremony, YB Datuk Ewon Benedick also witnessed two (2) MoU Exchanges between SME Corp. Malaysia and the Securities Commission of Malaysia (SC) as well as between SME Corp. Malaysia and Alliance Bank Malaysia. The MoUs with SC paved the way for cooperation to facilitate greater access to capital market financing for MSMEs while the collaborative partnership with Alliance is a joint effort to further raise awareness, build capacity and assist MSMEs to accelerate the adoption of ESG practises in their businesses.
Also present during the 2023 MSME Sustainability Series: Charting the ESG Path for MSMEs & Business Matching for High Growth Industries were YB Senator Puan Saraswathy Kandasami, Deputy Minister of MECD, YBhg. Dato' Sri Suriani binti Dato' Ahmad, Secretary General of MECD, YBhg. Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Bernard Giluk Dompok, Chairman of SME Corp. Malaysia, and YBrs. Encik Rizal bin Nainy, Chief Executive Officer of SME Corp. Malaysia.


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All India Postal Employee Union, Gr-C is the major constituent of National Federation of Postal Employees - The biggest Federation of the Largest Postal Network of the World highlighting the principles of unity and struggle for the advancement of postal workers
Monday, 25 February 2019
The Post’s role in tapping Africa’s e-commerce potential
22.02.2019 - With a population of more than 1.2 billion people, Africa is the second most populous continent on the planet behind Asia. However, according to a 2018 UNCTAD report, the region’s online shoppers (at 21 million in 2017) accounted for only 2 percent of the global e-commerce customers, meaning there is considerable potential for expansion.
The UPU is working steadfastly to help Posts seize this opportunity – one it seems they are ideally positioned to fulfil. The 21,700 post offices and 138,000 post agents in Africa represent an expansive distribution network that can offer immense support to Africa’s e-commerce growth.
“The Post has the comparative advantage of its global network. Posts have an extended physical network infrastructure covering both rural and urban areas and therefore have the opportunity to reach and connect more people than other delivery agents,” says Leolinda Dieme, Africa Regional Expert for the UPU’s Development Cooperation Directorate.
With more Posts diversifying their product portfolios, this network spans more than just the physical web of 677,000 post offices worldwide, explains the UPU’s Expert for E-Commerce Operational Integration, Fredrick Omamo. Posts also offer financial and electronic networks, which are key components for facilitating e-commerce transactions.
“Since the untapped e-commerce potential in Africa is so huge, postal supply chain stakeholders in Africa have to integrate e-commerce into their operations right now or they might miss the train. As ever more business traffic is generated through online transactions, the window of opportunity is fast closing for many African Posts if they do not embrace e-commerce,” he urges.
According to Dieme and Omamo, African countries have several key challenges to overcome if they want to capture the market. They need to introduce regulatory frameworks that safeguard the Universal Service Obligation – or the provision of an affordable basic service for all citizens – and fair competition. They also need to prioritize postal development in their national budgets and to modernize their postal infrastructure. Countries must also work together to set up de minimis thresholds, cross-border merchandise return policies and improve logistics infrastructure to ensure goods can be transported across the region, including by rail, road, sea and air.
The UPU is working on getting the region’s postal operators up to speed with the global online market.
Dieme and her colleagues in the UPU’s Development Cooperation Directorate are working with African countries so they can meet international operational standards for e-commerce through the Operational Readiness for E-commerce project, helping them to evaluate postal processes and provide guidance on international standards, quality of postal services, and the exchange of electronic data required to collect and distribute e-commerce items worldwide.
“Once we do our on-site evaluation and complete a compliance report with recommendations, countries, in need of financial support, have the possibility to use the UPU Quality of Service Fund to make necessary investments for compliance. We also have a special fund dedicated to the least developed countries which we use for procurement of IT equipment, licenses and vehicles to meet the minimum operational requirements for e-commerce,” she says.
The Quality of Service Fund finances development projects directed at improving the quality, reliability and durability of the postal network.
At the regional level, Omamo says there is a big opportunity to drive South-South cooperation. This is something he and his cross-cutting team of UPU experts are trying to achieve with the UPU’s Ecom@Africa initiative. The project will see leading countries in the region establish integrated cross-border e-commerce ecosystems provided by postal operators through physical e-commerce fulfilment centres, or ‘hubs’, interfaced with online e-commerce platforms.
UPU experts have identified potential hubs by analysing big data on postal exchanges and pinpointing countries that have conducive regulatory conditions and investment climate to support the project. So far, Tunisia, Côte D’Ivoire and Ethiopia have all signed on, agreeing to establish fulfilment centres that would serve surrounding countries. Eventually, they will also work on establishing virtual marketplaces that will interface with each other.
Omamo stresses that Ecom@Africa is not a postal project, but a national infrastructure project requiring commitment and support from governments and key postal supply chain stakeholders, such as customs and airlines. He hopes the initiative will sensitize governments to the need to develop and integrate the e-commerce logistics and payment network across the continent.
“Regional organizations such as the African Union are already starting to think about integration. Nearly 50 countries have already signed an agreement to establish an African Continental Free Trade Area. This would greatly galvanize the south-to-south cooperation and boost intra-African trade which is currently still less than 20 percent according to recent reports,” he adds.
“Africa is lagging behind in e-commerce, but with a young population, this represents an opportunity for the continent to come up with innovative initiatives and solutions that can overcome existing structural deficiencies. Africa can leapfrog into the digital world and create its own development path,” he says.
As a member of the United Nations family, UPU is working to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the postal sector. The UPU’s work on the development of e-commerce relates to Goal 8 on decent work and economic growth.


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Home Depot is looking to hire 525 workers in Norfolk to prepare for spring, which is the company's busiest selling season.
Students, retirees, veterans and reservists are encouraged to apply. For the latter two groups, Home Depot's online military skills translator can help match skills learned in the military to jobs within the company.
In all, the company plans to hire 80,000 people in advance of spring.
More information is available here.
Candidates can apply online.


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Guinea Pig face mask christmas trending 2020 face cover- 2 size Available for Adult and Children - Gift for mom and for daughter ShopByMartin. From shop ShopByMartin. 3.5 out of 5 stars (2) 2 reviews. Sale Price. It turns out that people on social media weren't the only ones bashing First Lady Melania Trump's Christmas decorations. In newly released tapes, apparently recorded without her knowledge, the first lady could be heard complaining about having to focus on the White House Christmas decorations amid criticism regarding President Donald Trump’s policy of separating families who illegally.
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Christmas trending. The annual event, which kicks off on Nov 13, won't have a Christmas Village this year – but there’s now a 360-degree online alternative if you want to check out the sights at home. “Traditional Christmas fayre, such as mince pies, Christmas cake, Christmas puddings and the like have been on the wane for the past three years, and I expect that people will continue to want new, innovative and quirky this Christmas too,” says Paul Hargreaves of Cotswold Fayre.. “I’m not sure they will want to be reminded that they didn’t manage to have a holiday in 2020!” Check out this list of the most popular Christmas gifts of 2020 to see if there's something special for the men, women, or kids in your life. While some of the trending gifts are under-the-tree.
Christmas is trending. It’s social moments and trends that let us understand audience intent. It’s rising interests and topics that enable us to align and drive brand in the category. And it’s changing behaviour that identifies triggers and motivations we can influence. Hence, we are always looking at the data. It just turned fall, but Hallmark is looking ahead to Christmas with 40 new holiday movies that start on Oct. 23. Millions of viewers look forward to Hallmark’s holiday offerings, and its. Christmas is trending . It turns out it’s not just a spike of memes or jokes across a few days. In fact, over the last 90 days in the UK, there have been 525K mentions of Christmas on social according to Brandwatch. An astonishing 1423% up on the previous 3 months – which actually includes December and Christmas last year!.
Hashtags for #christmas in 2020 to be popular and trending in Instagram, TikTok. Best Popular Hashtag to use with #christmas are #christmasmood #christmasjoy #christmasday #christmaseve #christmasparty #christmasgifts #santaclaus #christmascheer #christmastime #christmastree. email@example.com. US Warehouse: 🏢11923 NE Summer St STE 845328 Portland, Oregon, 97250, USA 🏢Canada : 422 Richards St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2Z4 (FOX NEWS) -- If you feel Christmas trees are too tall and thirsty, this holiday trend is fit for you — and your tiny apartment. Welcome to the world of succulent trees, the fad that involves.
Christmas is an amazing holiday for the whole family. It reunites every family member together and they spend a great week together bonding again. This is the only holiday that gives us hope that we still didn’t lose all our traditions. Queen Elizabeth will reportedly be "canceling" the annual Royal Family Christmas plans, amid ongoing coronavirus concerns. According to Closer Weekly, a source close to the 94-year-old monarch claims that the Queen is worried that "it’ll be very risky" to hold any holiday gatherings. This news comes as the United Kingdom has seen a spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past month, per CNN. Trending: Christmas-Themed Pop-Up Bars. words: Francine Cohen. Photo Credit: Gabi Porter. NEHS ga-DOL hah-YAH POH. That’s Hebrew for “a great miracle happened here” and it’s something that.
Christmas Trending Dancing Santa Claus Dance Challenge Boys Girls Kids Xmas T-shirt Shirts Cheap Price Buy More Save More!🛒 - Buy 2+ products discount 10%, - Buy 4+ products discount 20% - 📦 Shipping costs start at: Buy 2 products or more and you will save on shipping. US$5.99 for the first apparel item and US$2.50 for each add apparel item. Jakarta - Ucapan Merry Christmas dan selamat Natal jadi trending di media sosial khususnya Twitter. Banyak warganet yang menuliskan pesan penuh kasih dan perdamaian melalui cuitan mereka.. DIY Christmas trends for 2019. Popular trending crafts handmade business owners can sell at holiday bazaars, Christmas markets, and craft fairs.
TRENDING: Dolly Jolly Christmas. Sponsored By. Categories: WFORTV. Singer, songwriter Dolly Parton shares that she will be in a Christmas movie this holiday season. 19 days ago. Latest Videos. firstname.lastname@example.org. US Warehouse: 🏢11923 NE Summer St STE 845328 Portland, Oregon, 97250, USA 🏢Canada : 422 Richards St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2Z4 Succulent Christmas ‘trees’ are trending this holiday season. 0 shares. If you feel Christmas trees are too tall and thirsty, this holiday trend is fit for you — and your tiny apartment. Read Full Article. Local News. View More Local News . October 19. Supporters, protesters react to Vice President’s visit.
Dec 13, 2019 - Explore Marisa Smith16's board "Trending christmas gifts" on Pinterest. See more ideas about Best friend gifts, Diy birthday gifts, Birthday gifts for best friend. Every day leading up to Christmas, you want to download free Christmas desktop wallpaper with greetings. In this post, we've gathered beautiful Merry Christmas greetings cards pictures background wallpapers for your desktop.. Trending ; in Christmas, Wallpapers. 20 Merry Christmas Greetings Card Pictures Wallpapers. by RT December 3, 2018, 3. Articles on Christmas news from Christian News Headlines. Trending hot topics and popular Christmas headlines stories.
Vintage is an inevitable part of the Christmas holiday after all, it is a celebration of tradition and family, so most of us have a box of old Christmas ornaments somewhere in the attic. So instead of spending a fortune on entirely new Christmas decoration add some spirit introducing old decorative ornaments with a fresh twist.


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Obama cites Austin's tech focus as a model for U.S. cities
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During Thursday’s tech trip, President Barack Obama repeatedly said Austin could serve as a model for other U.S. cities.
He said the schools, universities and entrepreneurial spirit all contribute to Austin’s thriving technology culture. At Manor New Tech High School he cited the national companies such as Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) and General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) establishing local tech centers.
“Folks around here are doing something right,” Obama said. “I’ve come to listen and learn.”
Later in the day, he mentioned several local companies to illustrate his point.
One of them, Pflugerville-based Community Cars Inc., was founded by CEO Stacy Zoern and first reported by the Austin Business Journal in early 2011. The company develops a vehicle called the Kenguru that it plans to sell for about $25,000.
“There was a young woman who is in a wheelchair and physically disabled but is just incredibly inspired to make sure that she’s not in any way confined by that situation,” Obama told workers at Applied Materials Inc. (Nasdaq: AMAT). “And she’s basically designed and is now manufacturing a car that people in wheelchairs can just drive their wheelchair right into the car and start driving.”
Community Cars is scheduled to produce 250 vehicles this year, Zoern has said.
Christopher Calnan covers technology, finance and clean energy for the Austin Business Journal. Subscribe to the Energy Inc. newsletter
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Wednesday, June 26, 2013, 10:20 AM ET|Posted by Will Richmond
SVOD services like Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime Instant Video are all the all the rage these days and a core part of their popularity is their ever-expanding library of TV series. No question, binge-viewing a TV season or series on an SVOD service is now one of life's little pleasures.
In SVOD's wake, one technology that always seems to get overshadowed is the DVR. But, according to data from NPD, watching TV shows on DVRs is actually more than twice as popular as watching them on SVOD services like Netflix. When asked how they watched TV shows in Q1 '13, viewers cited DVR/TiVo 42%, and SVOD 16%. As seen in the chart below, DVR/TiVo was in third place, after linear viewing on the TV network itself.
Admittedly, the data is impacted by the fact that Netflix only has prior seasons of TV shows ("Arrested Development" being the obvious exception), whereas if you're a pay-TV subscriber, ALL TV series are available for recording. It's also worth noting that a little less than a third of U.S. households now subscribe to Netflix, whereas over half now have a DVR. One last interesting point is that free VOD/PPV from pay-TV operators was cited by 18% of viewers, a nod to pay-TV operators' years-long efforts to push VOD.
When it comes to movies, DVR popularity outpaces SVOD by almost 2 to 1, with DVR viewing at 36% of how movies were watched vs. 19% for SVOD. More surprising for movies however, is that viewing via owned DVDs or Blu-ray discs was tied for first place at 59%. And rented DVDs/Blu-ray from a kiosk was at 21%, another indicator that the format continues to live on, despite Netflix's urgency to switch subscribers to streaming-only.
In the blog post discussing the data, NPD's SVP, Industry Analysis Russ Crupnick notes the data shouldn't be read as "disc good, digital bad" but rather that many consumers have "yet to catch up with where distributors, services and retailers want them to be." I think that's well said. As has also been shown by the failure of 3D to catch on despite all the TV industry's best efforts, it is still the consumer who will decide which new formats to adopt, and at what pace to do so.
Video Research Around the Web
- Netflix Extends Lead in U.K. Amid Boom in Subscription Streaming Services Variety
- YouTube Videos Featuring Young Children Get Triple The Views Of Videos That Don’t (Study) Tubefilter
- Roku and Amazon Now Control Nearly 70% of U.S. Streaming Media Player Market Multichannel News
- Americans Want to Pay $21 for All Their Streaming Services Combined, Poll Finds The Hollywood Reporter
- TV Long View: The Mind-Blowing Amount of Time Americans Spend Watching TV The Hollywood Reporter
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The Vertu Aster has sapphire glass, Dolby speakers, and a $6,900 price tag
Buying a smartphone off-contract isn’t cheap these days — especially not if you buy from luxury handset maker Vertu. The company’s latest offering is the Aster, an Android-powered device with a sapphire glass screen, front-facing Dolby stereo speakers, and an incredible $6,900 price tag.
With the Aster, Vertu is combining the high-quality materials it is famous for with cutting-edge specifications that allow the device to compete with the likes of the Galaxy S5 and the LG G3. So in addition to its titanium chassis and 117-carat sapphire glass, users get a 4.7-inch 1080p display, a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 801 processor, and a 13-megapixel Hasselblad-certified rear-facing camera with dual LED flash.
The Aster also offers a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, NFC, Qi wireless charging, and a 2,250mAh battery.
Prices start at $6,900, but if you want to swap the leather back for snake skin, the price rises to $9,100. It goes up again to $9,700 if you want your device wrapped in ostrich skin. Vertu is launching an online customization service — kind of like Moto Maker for the Moto X — which will allow customers to choose which combination they want.
One of the reasons why the Aster is more affordable than siblings like the $10,300 Signature Touch is that it comes with just six months of Vertu’s concierge service as opposed to 12. If that doesn’t put you off and you feel the need to spend crazy amounts of cash on a phone, you can order the Aster now from Vertu’s online store.


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In a recent letter to New York District Judge Valerie Caproni, Kering again refuted June claims by eyewear boutique Selima Optique Inc. that it’s possibly labeling eyewear made in China as “Made in Italy,” and said it’s preparing to push for a dismissal of the entire case before discovery can even begin.
“The plaintiff’s entire complaint is based on the demonstrably false premise that defendants’ luxury eyewear products are made in China,” counsel for Kering said in the letter. “As defendants explained to the plaintiff prior to the filing of this action, but for a few minor exceptions, all of the defendants’ luxury eyewear products, including those at issue here, are made in either Italy, France or Japan.”
Selima Optique claims it received in October one pair of Yves Saint Laurent eyeglass frames that were stamped “Made in Italy” on one temple piece, while the other was stamped “Made in China,” leading it to question Kering as to the source of its YSL eyewear, as well as its other brands such as Gucci and Stella McCartney.
Under Italy’s 2009 “Made in Italy Law,” in order to be labeled as made in the country, a product has to be entirely made in Italy, from sourcing to assembly.
Selima claims it’s been damaged by Kering’s allegedly false labeling as a wholesale consumer and a competitor that manufactures its own line of luxury eyewear. The amount it is seeking is unspecified.
Kering described a simple labeling mistake stemming from the company’s manufacture of Puma eyewear in China that affected 21 pieces of legitimately Italian-made eyewear, which were split between “a small number” of wholesale customers, according to the letter.
“Upon learning of these mislabeled units, defendants immediately contacted plaintiff and the other accounts to explain and to resolve the issue by offering an exchange at no charge, and certificates of origin to any retail consumer certifying that the mislabeled units were, indeed, made in Italy,” Kering explained. “Defendants’ other wholesale accounts readily understood the mistake and exchanged the mislabeled units. Plaintiff, on the other hand, responded by demanding compensation and threatening to file a class-action lawsuit and “arrange for a press conference at the time of filing.’”
Kering went on to claim that Selima said before filing the lawsuit that it was expecting “considerable media interest” in its allegations, but Kering nevertheless rejected the “unreasonable demand” Selima made for compensation.
While Kering said it expects to seek a full dismissal of Salima’s claims, which it described generally as “lacking factual merit” and “legally defective,” it didn’t close the door on the possibility of settlement, but on its own terms.
“Defendants are willing to engage in early settlement discussions with the sole goal of plaintiff dropping this litigation and issuing a corrective statement that its publicly filed and damaging claims are factually erroneous,” Kering said.
It added that it would refuse any settlement that included compensation to Selima.
In the same letter, Selima said no settlement talks have taken place, but it is “prepared to explore possible resolutions.”
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KONA I, a leader in smart card and technology platforms, has teamed up with IDEX Biometrics to bring a biometric smart card to Japan. The...
IDEX Biometrics has announced a strategic partnership with KONA I, a leading smart card and technology platform firm based in South Korea.


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The South Korean company is working on the next device to be launched on the market. But it won't be LG G7: they're aiming for a more "iconic" name
The start of Mobile World Congress 2018 is approaching and the strategies of the various companies that will participate are starting to take shape. Samsung will most likely present the new Galaxy S9, while Huawei should launch the new Huawei P20, the first smartphone with three rear cameras. AND LG? The South Korean company that last year had amazed with LG G6, the first smartphone to mount a screen with aspect ratio of 18:9 and a bordeless design, it would seem to be still in high seas.
Many expected the presentation of the G7, successor to the previous model and capable of taking the same revolutionary path traced so far by LG. But from the latest rumors it would seem not to be so. The LG G7 will most likely not make its debut either during MWC 2018 or at a later event. The smartphone doesn't exist, or at least it doesn't exist under this name. LG would be working on a new device to be presented soon (a smartphone with top-of-the-line features), but it won't be called LG G7. The South Korean company has decided for a rebranding in the hope of raising the fortunes of its smartphone division.
What will the next LG smartphone be called?
After the failure of the LG G5, a modular smartphone that failed to meet the expectations of users, the South Korean company has experienced a period not easy. And not even an excellent device like LG G6 has made users change their opinion. And for this reason LG would be ready to change the name of the series, looking for something that is more "iconic". The rebranding had already been done by LG in 2013, when after the launch of the Optimus it had decided to call the next model LG G2. And this year will most likely happen something similar. According to some rumors, the new name should consist of two numbers and one letter. It is likely that LG will adopt a solution similar to the V, accompanied by progressive numbers of 10 (V10, V20, V30). Among the plausible ideas is LG G10.
How will LG's top-of-the-line smartphone
Few doubts, however, about what will be the features of the smartphone. Being a top of the range, it will not be possible to ignore the new Snapdragon 845 chipset, supported by at least 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal memory. At the back there will be the classic LG dual camera with the second sensor dedicated to wide-angle photos. The main sensor will be similar to the one present on the LG V30 with a 1.6 focal aperture. As for the screen there will be a display with an aspect ratio of 18:9 and QuadHD+ resolution. LG's work on space optimization will continue and the bezels will be even thinner.


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At its annual user conference later this month, IBM Lotus will try to stem the undercurrent of uncertainty rippling among Domino die-hards.
The company's message: Domino isn't going away.
Expect IBM Lotus to deliver a heavy dose of strategy at Lotusphere, including a more clear definition of where the two product lines -- Domino and Workplace -- are heading.
Ever since Lotus introduced Workplace, its open-standards, modular collaboration platform based on J2EE, some users saw the writing on the wall for Domino. Executives, however, insist that the plan isn't to do away with Notes and Domino -- which has more than 100 million users worldwide. Instead, they're pledging ongoing support and will outline a Domino upgrade road map that takes shops through 2005.
"Through successful product updates, we're bringing [users] to the same architectural components as Workplace," said Ken Bisconti, Lotus' vice president of Workplace products. He stressed that Lotus will ensure that the thousands of custom-built Domino applications will continue to be viable.
In fact, Bisconti said, Lotus is deliberately taking "baby steps" on the path to functional parity among the product lines. Some users may even be moving in the Workplace direction without really realizing it.
Bisconti pointed to server consolidation and the Smart Upgrade features delivered in ND6, as well as IM integration, online awareness and a portal-like interface offered in ND6.5, as enhancements designed to bring Domino users to "the same ultimate destination" as Workplace.
ND7, due out late in 2004, will move even closer. It will give businesses the ability to use DB2 -- rather than the traditional NSF database -- as the Domino data store. (Workplace runs atop DB2 and WebSphere.) Ultimately, the option of using a relational database with Domino should mean a faster e-mail client, letting end users benefit from improvements in maintaining views and clearing caches.
ND7 will also feature changes to Domino Designer and WebSphere Studio, including better rapid application development (RAD) capabilities. Plus, it will deliver disconnected mail support for managing e-mail data offline.
At Lotusphere, attendees are also likely get a first look at ND8, though it isn't due for delivery until 2005. In that release, users will enjoy enriched calendaring and scheduling, as well as a new portal interface. The main upgrade perk, however, will be the ability to integrate third-party J2EE-based applications -- such as customer relationship management (CRM) software -- in Domino.
Bisconti said those who fear Domino's demise are those who don't fully understand Lotus' strategy and have fallen prey to Microsoft's attempts to discredit it.
Matthew Henry, a technical architect for the advanced technology team at Greenville, S.C.-based manufacturer Kemet Corp., thinks Lotus is trying to rebound from a major PR blunder. He's looking forward to seeing how the message plays at Lotusphere.
"The fear is strongly there," Henry said. "Two years ago, I walked out of [then-Lotus general manger] Al Zollar's speech at Lotusphere saying 'Domino is dead.'"
But Henry has had a bit of a change of heart after getting a sneak peek at the forthcoming enhancements, including ND7. "I was really fearful when I first heard about what they were doing [with Domino and DB2]," he said. "But they get it. They really, really do."
Getting it isn't the issue -- explaining it clearly is, according to Sara Radicati, president and CEO of Palo Alto, Calif.-based messaging research firm Radicati Group.
"We think they're going to create a ton of confusion in the market, confuse customers and the install base completely," she said. "It's been articulated poorly, as a strategy."
Radicati also said that Workplace sales are sluggish, though Lotus officially says it's pleased with the product line's market penetration.
Bisconti said that existing Domino shops should familiarize themselves with Workplace -- specifically the administrator perks and the Java programming environment -- and create a plan for their organizations to leverage the components it contains. But Lotus isn't pitching Workplace to the Domino installed base, he said. Rather, the target is new customers and existing IBM portal users.
Lotus executives are also expected to talk frankly about their Workplace plans at the user show, including this year's two anticipated releases. In the second quarter, Lotus is expected to issue Workplace 2.0, which will feature a fifth component -- collaborative document management -- as well as the new Workplace Builder, a RAD tool for creating portal-based applications. Workplace 2.5, scheduled for the fourth quarter, will add a disconnected client for offline support and will also enable users access via mobile devices.
Ultimately, however, users will have to decide how to interpret the Lotus message. Will they see a bright functional future for Domino, or an attempt at damage control?
Nathaniel Kanner, a senior systems analyst with New York-based law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLC, thinks Lotus is "trying to gently ease us into the J2EE world." But despite the user hesitation, this Domino developer isn't sure that's such a bad thing.
"The more technology I learn, the better it is for me," Kanner said.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Interview: Lotus GM addresses WebSphere worries
Article: Workplace keeps going vertical


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We shouldn’t be fearing the “rise of the robots” but rather embracing it, according to the latest research from U.K. banking giant Barclays.» Read More
The pound's powerful rally over the past year seems to have come to an abrupt end and some see the currency faces a further drubbing.
Putin earlier signed an order banning or limiting imports of agricultural products from countries which have imposed sanctions on Russia.
Wednesday's news cycle indicates hings are a real mess again in Europe.
The Netherlands' prime minister has called a halt to the search for remains of victims of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 disaster in Ukraine.
August is the month when, many Russians believe, things often go wrong for the country, could this August be about to repeat the pattern?
U.K. policymakers are set to woo the burgeoning bitcoin industry, with a new study looking at the opportunities involved with the technology.
British shop prices fell at their fastest rate since December 2006 driven by "fierce" retail competition, the BRC said.
Gold-colored Bugatti's cruise along London's streets. "The season" during which rich Arab boy racers come to flaunt their cars is upon us.
Weak manufacturing data for Germany has raised concerns its economy is losing steam, hit by an aggressive Russia and a stagnant euro zone.
Germany's benchmark stock index entered correction territory on Wednesday, hit by weak data and the worsening situation in Ukraine.
U.S. giant Walgreen announced a near-£6 billion ($10.1 billion) deal to buy the remaining stake in U.K. drugstore chain Alliance Boots.
The leader of Scotland's campaign for independence failed to turn a television debate into a victory for his cause.
Italy's economy unexpectedly slid back into recession in the second quarter as GDPt shrank 0.2 percent from the first three months of the year.
A two-year rally in the debt of struggling euro zone countries may have defied all sense and logic but now the popular trade may have come to an end.
The banking arm of Dutch financial giant ING beat earnings forecasts in the second quarter of the year.
Australia awarded a contract to Dutch firm Fugro to search the sea floor where missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is believed to have crashed.
Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev threatened to retaliate the grounding of subsidiary airline Aeroflot by banning European flights to Asia over Siberia.
The haul includes 1.2 billion username and password combinations and more than 500 million email addresses, security researchers say. The NYT reports.
A man has been arrested at Manchester Airport on suspicion of making a hoax bomb threat on board a commercial airliner, according to local police.
Business leaders in Europe are more optimistic than at any time since 2009, despite the failure of Portugal's largest bank.
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Cyber Monday has become “redundant” now, as most consumers choose to shop online, so the shopping period needs a “rebrand” says Styloko.com’s CEO, Shannon Edwards.
The president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Suma Chakrabarti, explains what's needed in terms of a deal when it comes to fixing climate change.
Famed naturalist and broadcaster, David Attenborough explains why society needs to put its faith in scientists who analyze climate change and praises President Barack Obama’s words on the topic.