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No Match Found
“Blindsided” is cybersecurity’s worst-case scenario. The threat you don’t know about; the attack you don’t see coming; the hacker hiding undetected in your networks: unknowns are what can take a company down. Exposing them is what threat intelligence lives to do.
Companies in 2022 faced an array of threat actors: sophisticated advanced persistent threats, or APTs; ruthless cyber criminals; disgruntled insiders; a resurgence in hacktivism and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, and more. Geopolitics dominated the headlines and the cybersphere, even as threat actors continually shifted tactics and techniques and shared their tools, motivated by sabotage, espionage and money.
And in 2022, public and private sectors joining forces and sharing their intelligence bolstered organisations’ defences.
Our report “Cyber Threats 2022: A Year in Retrospect” examines the threat actors, trends, tools and motivations that captured the cyber threat landscape last year. It includes incident response case studies with direct and detailed insight into tools, techniques and procedures (TTPs) used in intrusions. We also provide detection logic throughout the report to assist your defenders when scanning your own systems and networks, to help you find malicious threat actors.
With context for what to expect in 2023 from the report, we strive, as always, to not only keep pace with hostile cyber activity, but to get ahead of it, and stay ahead.
Threat actors vary in motivation and sophistication, tailoring operations and opportunistic attacks in different sectors. In 2022, attacks in one sector cascaded to other industries and inflicted greater damage. That’s due to increased interconnections among increasingly digitised supply chains and industries.
Click on a sector to learn sector-specific motivations summarized by PwC Threat Intelligence from 2022 case studies and in-house analytics.
Military secrets and sophisticated technologies make this highly sensitive and important sector a prime target every year by cyber threats. But 2022 proved especially challenging as threat actors worked hard to penetrate A&D organizations and contractors, particularly in Europe. Their motives ran the gamut:
Espionage-motivated threat actors wanted research and development secrets as well as military plans and capabilities.
Saboteurs, hoping to weaken a rival’s defences, might try to inhibit research or halt production.
Ransomware attackers were willing to bet that high-value, defence contracting companies would pay to recover sensitive data. They often upped the ante by threatening to publish ransomed data on leak sites to collect from victims a second time.
The auto industry is speeding along on the digital highway, transforming rapidly and perhaps more completely than many other sectors.
Automakers must secure not only the software and hardware that make up their vehicles but also the factories that manufacture them. Their distributors and suppliers are targets, as well.
Ransomware operators hit the automotive supply chain worldwide in 2022 and posted information on leak sites from 75 organisations. Many of these incidents brought operations to a standstill and left manufacturers without needed parts or equipment.
We also saw evidence of espionage, including compromises resulting in threat actors stealing sensitive and proprietary information from victims.
The many builders, engineers and suppliers who must work together on construction projects increasingly use digital technologies to operate and connect. Each is vulnerable to intruders who seek primarily, in this sector, money and information.
Among ransomware leak site victims in 2022, 10% were in construction and engineering, making it number two among sectors. Only manufacturing suffered more ransomware-generated leaks.
Meanwhile, espionage agents sought to steal information or halt operations in the moment and to plant the seeds for doing so later. Their attacks stood to affect projects linked to government agencies, public infrastructure, and the public interest, including water and utilities, transportation, public buildings and even corporate facilities.
Knowledge is power. Espionage-motivated threat actors know this, and have targeted academia for sensitive data and research, as well as information on researchers.
Attackers have more ways to get in than ever before. Partly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, so much of learning itself now happens online, and school administrations have increasingly gone digital. Each new connection, device and platform expands the attack surface of educational systems and networks.
Ransomware attacks had an immense impact on this sector in 2022, and cyber criminals dominated headlines, as victims in many cases were forced to shut down operations while systems were being restored. Education’s traditional role as an open space for the free exchange of ideas and information may make the sector an easier target. We saw hundreds of schools’ data and systems around the world held for ransom in 2022.
Among the most critical of infrastructure and most important of resources, energy has become a prime target for cyber criminals and other threats. But the stakes rose in 2022.
Last year we saw espionage-motivated threat actors and saboteurs targeting energy producers and distributors as a complement to conventional warfare. The intruders had often positioned themselves in advance, breaching systems to gain a foothold in victim networks, gather information and plant malware for future use. Hacktivists also re-emerged and targeted energy sector organisations in 2022, often through DDoS attacks.
Ransomware attacks, too, increased, with actors frequently using double extortion to coerce victims. In exchange for the first payment, they’d decrypt the victims’ data. The second would keep them from posting the stolen data on leak sites or selling it.
Perhaps not surprisingly, money was the ultimate driver for threat actors targeting financial services (FS) in 2022. Ransomware hit FS hard in 2022: the sector accounted for 5% of all ransomware leak site victims. Cryptocurrency theft resulted in the loss of millions of US dollars, as well. And fraud was an ongoing concern as threat actors used cyber methods to buy items using others’ payment cards, hack into financial accounts, commit identity theft, and conduct other fraudulent acts.
But money wasn’t the only objective. Some used sabotage to slow and even halt financial transactions and stymie the flow of money, aiming to cripple economies. And threat actors continued to slip in to view sensitive financial data and systems.
Adversaries, eyeing the sensitive information that governments collect and maintain, carried out sophisticated attacks in acts of cyber espionage in 2022.
Saboteurs, too, were active. They attempted to disable or disrupt government services and destroy or manipulate sensitive information and communications. They also released disinformation and leaked data regarding high-profile events and issues.
Opportunistic cyber criminals, too, targeted the government. They followed headlines to launch ransomware attacks on public agencies and organisations. And as world events and tensions evolved, they injected themselves into geopolitical conflicts.
Healthcare perhaps faced the most peril from cyber threats of any sector, with people’s very lives potentially at stake. And as providers’ and patients’ use of technology grew, so did opportunities for theft and worse.
Espionage by those seeking personal and proprietary information remained a concern, as did sabotage that might shut down systems and compromise patient care. But ransomware posed the greatest threat in 2022.
The damage that threat actors can do is vast in a cyber attack: they can bring down entire networks, affecting patients, providers, third parties, operators, facilities and more.
Operational technology (OT) took center stage among cyber concerns in 2022 as factories continued to digitise, moving toward increased automation. Each new connection poses a new cyber threat, number one of which is ransomware.
A ransomware attack that freezes or shuts down a factory’s OT costs revenue and time, and could endanger workers. Cyber criminals are making use of these concerns, first striking and then attempting to extort for profit. Manufacturing companies ranked number one (15%) among ransomware leak site victims in 2022.
A production halt can ripple up and down the supply chain and exacerbate other shortages, as happened last year. Critical infrastructure, government, business, suppliers and distributors could all suffer losses.
On our 2023 watchlist: semiconductor manufacturing, as the US and others continue to impose restrictions. Cyber criminals are savvy about world events, and are certainly watching.
Research is the lifeblood of pharma, but it’s also a prime attractant for espionage.
As companies rely on technologies to advance their research and produce groundbreaking medicines ever more rapidly, they also create incentives for cyber criminals to break in and provide them with more avenues through which to do so.
Espionage-motivated threat actors abound, working to infiltrate laboratories via third parties, Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, cloud environments, software misconfigurations and more to view and steal sensitive and proprietary information and disrupt production.
The stakes go far beyond a product or pill, and even beyond such high profile projects as the development of new vaccines and other lifesaving treatments. Bad actors can also undercut companies’ profits and cause regulatory problems and reputational damage. In 2022, we saw them use ransomware to extort pharma and life sciences companies: Pay or suffer the consequences.
Threat actors want badly what professional services (PS) companies have: namely, a wealth of project and operations information as well as sensitive proprietary, personal and financial data about clients in the private and public sectors.
Threat actors often target PS organisations with fraud in mind, using these companies’ compromised networks to access their clients’ data. Or they may use access to email accounts to conduct convincing spoofing, phishing and social engineering campaigns.
But money remains a significant motivator in PS breaches. Among victim data posted to ransomware leak sites in 2022, 9% came from professional services, making it the third highest sector last year among ransomware leak site victims.
As more PS organizations use the cloud and other technologies, we expect to see threat actors work more diligently to compromise these services as well as to circumvent identity and access management (IAM) controls.
The retail industry is a cash cow for cyber criminals and fraudsters. As the use of contactless payments grew in 2022, we saw more widespread use of phony processing applications to steal customer data, including payment card information.
Threat actors may use customers’ credentials to gain access to their retail accounts and make fraudulent purchases of items that they then return for a refund to their own accounts — a popular tactic in 2022.
Attackers also may disable retailers’ online marketplaces for ransom, effectively shutting down business. The retail sector was the fourth hardest hit among ransomware leak site victims last year and accounted for 8% of all organisations leaked by ransomware threat actors.
Such a competitive industry is bound to have its share of cyber espionage, as well. As retailers and developers create and patent their own software and technologies in heated competition, they face the enduring balancing act of security vs. speed. Threat actors can then slip in to view companies’ proprietary information and their customers’ personally identifiable information (PII), payment information, and online behaviours.
Sports and entertainment has become a highly transactional, technology-driven, on-demand service — one that suffered an onslaught of cyber attacks in 2022.
Interrupting scheduled events can cost sports and entertainment organisations a lot of money. This includes content creators and owners, teams, venues and platforms. Criminals capitalized on this vulnerability, timing ransomware deployments to coincide with time-sensitive events. We anticipate more such attacks in 2023.
Threat actors pilfered from fans and subscribers, as well, intercepting their purchases to steal payment card information, for instance.
And they stole embargoed media, then leaked it for money or notoriety, as we saw in one widely publicised instance in 2022.
In the digital age, technology all but makes the world go around, making it a prime target for power-and-money-hungry cyber criminals and espionage-motivated threat actors.
Its omnipresent reach, extending into every sector, prompted threat actors to break into managed service providers, cloud service providers, and other widely-used services that provided access to users’ systems and networks.
Sophisticated cyber intrusions slipped into enterprise systems via software updates or systems maintenance tasks. Others used social engineering to exhaust security mechanisms and exploit users for granting access.
Then, lurking inside their victims’ networks, a range of threat actors stole proprietary secrets and personal data, disrupted supply chains, launched attacks and damaged trust along the digital supply chain.
This somewhat beleaguered sector suffered hits from a variety of threat actors, sometimes suffering punches from all sides in quick succession.
And because its data and telemetry contain much confidential intelligence, espionage-motivated actors focused keenly on telco, eager to scale their targeting and reconnaissance operations and enable future attacks.
The global supply chain links most critically in the transportation and distribution of raw materials and goods. The risks increased as companies connected more systems through operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS). We saw threats to transport and logistics not only grow, but also become more sophisticated.
The consequences could be dire. We saw an attack shut down one country’s entire railway system.
Supply chain and sector interdependencies in 2022 made it more and more likely that an incident might enormously affect not only the breached company but also its customers and third parties. Ransomware actors seized on this likelihood, often targeting transport and logistics firms in aggressive attacks.


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Portola Packaging, the US-based developer and manufacturer of innovative packaging solutions, is sponsoring the ‘Best packaging innovation’ category in the InterBev Beverage Innovation Awards.
Portola Packaging designs, manufactures and markets a full line of tamper-evident plastic closures, bottles and equipment for the beverage and food industries, as well as plastic closures and containers for the cosmetics industry.
Entries for the awards are now closing, and a panel of industry experts will meet in Orlando on 21 September to select the finalists and winners from over 100 entries in 12 categories.
The finalists will be announced and winners presented at a special InterBev Beverage Innovation Awards Gala Dinner on 23 September, as a highlight of the biennial InterBev trade show.
The InterBev Beverage Innovation Awards are a partnership initiative between the American Beverage Association, IBWA, Beverage Innovation magazine and FoodBev Media.
There's still time to enter the awards, book your seat at the Gala Dinner and to apply for category sponsorships.
- Douwe Egberts redesigns packaging to reflect UTZ certification
- GlaxoSmithKline repositions Revive from Lucozade to drive sales
- Rabobank identifies three forces driving the hybrid consumer trend
- Manufacturing > Processing
- Business > Events
- Packaging > Labelling
- Beverage > New Products
- Beverage > Water

domain: news


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Fall 2012 is quickly approaching, which explains why we’re being innudated with celebrity-designer collaborations (at least in terms of spokespeople and ads). The next? “The Help’s” Jessica Chastain, whose ad for the Yves Saint Laurent fragrance, Manifesto, was released today.
Last month, Jessica Chastain had said that “Yves Saint Laurent is a brand that inspires me deeply. Since it’s creation, the brand has conveyed strong values that I cherish, such as unwavering commitment, absolute love and feminine audacity. The new fragrance is an emblem of it all.”
Yves Saint Laurent is a longtime favourite of the actress, who’s been photographed in YSL on the red carpet. Whether she’ll be privy to the fashion house’s upcoming line before the rest of us remains a mystery, but we can probably assume she’ll be no stranger to the brand’s new line in terms of what she’s wearing in public appearances.
As for more celebrity spokespeople, it’s been a big week: after weeks of speculating whether Lana Del Rey will join forces with H&M, the news was confirmed. On Wednesday she was was confirmed as the face of the Fall 2012 line.
It’s a good time to be a celebrity with a penchant for fashion.


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Charles Koch, chairman and CEO at Koch Industries Inc., confirmed in a statement to the Wall Street Journal that his company is interested in buying newspapers, as long as they can be operated profitably.
Also, a former Chicago Fire players sells a Wicker Park condo, and @properties' co-founders start a title firm.
Print subscriptions at both major Chicago dailies continued to decline over the past year, sapping the publishers of a chief source of advertising revenue, even as digital circulations climbed.
The agency that runs McCormick Place and owns the Hyatt Regency there wants an end to a battle between Hyatt Hotels Corp. and the union that represents Hyatt employees.
Newsweb Corp. is building a facility in the northwest corner of the city.
The publisher of the Sun-Times and sister papers has talked to Chicago-area printers about giving them work it currently contracts out to Tribune Co., the printing companies said.


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American shoppers shunned stores & extended their online binge throughout the final weekend just before Christmas, adding to a package-delivery logjam that’s today trying to get to a crescendo.
Subdued Manhattan Greets Visitors During Holiday Season
There is a lot of material all hitting at as soon as, believed Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners. I believe it’s past the time for creative. They’ve to charge people extra to get it there.
With Covid-19 cases surging in the U.S., foot site visitors slumped nearly forty % from retail stores last weekend compared to the exact same period last year, as reported by data provider Sensormatic Solutions. Activity during Super Saturday along with Black colored Friday weekends was so low, actually, that the business enterprise has revised the forecast of its for the entire holiday season: It now expects in-store traffic during the six-week holiday period to fall between thirty four % as well as 36 % this season, worse than the twenty two % to 25 % drop it had been wanting substantially earlier in the season.
With crowd-wary shoppers opting to purchase online instead of in-store, the U.S. Postal Service is within the midst of one of its busiest holidays actually, threatening to postpone millions of packages that will not arrive in period for Christmas. On the site of its, the postal bureau cites unprecedented volume increases & small employee accessibility because of the impacts of Covid-19. The Washington Post reports some processing plants and flowers are now refusing to recognize new mail shipments.
Unlike United Parcel Service Inc. in addition to the FedEx Corp., the content place of work is accepting all the volume which is given to us, which is actually contributing to the issues of ours, the agency stated.
The U.S. Postal Service, as with the broader shipping sector, will continue to experience near-term strain on service performance across groups as it manages by way of a a historic shoot of holiday volume this specific season, the article office claimed to the statement. This negative influence is compounded from the temporary employee shortage because of the Covid-19 surge.
Retail watchers have been pertaining to the potential package delivery crunch as Shipageddon for several months, with big box and department stores encouraging Americans since October to buy on the internet and pick up gift curbside instead. They continued advertising the services this week, with Target Corp. permitting shoppers order as late as 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve but still pick up their order this- Positive Many Meanings- night.
Earlier: UPS Restricts Some Packages From Nike, Gap Amid Online Rush
At Best Buy Co., the company is actually turning to a new type of delivery driver to get packages to customers in time: the own employees of its. The electronics retailer this season introduced a service where workers drop off online orders at customers’ houses, with the service now in aproximatelly 85 % of U.S. stores, a best Buy spokesman said. It’s separate from the existing partnerships with Shipt, Instacart and Roadie already in place to attempt to meet soaring delivery demand.
Shoppers who got utilized to easy two-day shipping throughout the pandemic took to social networking to air their concerns as packages delivered throughout the post office appeared stuck in transit. Some shoppers lamented goal packages which appeared to go to the wrong cities for extensive layovers. Others requested to go pick up the boxes of theirs themselves. One well known meme depicting musician Drake reads: I don’t know who really needs to pick up this. But quit trying to track the package. It’s within God’s hands and wrists now. Phrases as usps delays and Usps gridlocked were trending as popular Google the various search engines phrases.
Mail Delivery As U.S. Postal Service Starts Review Of Package Fees
Amazon.com containers within a United States Postal Service facility contained May.Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
UPS as well as FedEx are shifting packages in the over night networks of theirs for last minute orders. Though they are following a playbook for this peak season of taking just the volume of packages they are able to deal with to stay away from frustrating their networks.
That makes the Postal Service the carrier of last option for most retailers. Furthermore, couriers that don’t have last-mile delivery service, including Deutsche Post AG’s DHL system and Pitney Bowes Inc., hand off of pre-sorted packages to the article office.
The on-time operation for the Postal Service was 86.1 % for parcels due to be shipped between Dec. thirteen and Dec. seventeen, according to ShipMatrix, which provides data on the package-delivery trade. That has been down from 95.4 % on your week ending Nov. twenty one. The on time measures have dipped just a little for UPS as well as FedEx but they’re still comfortably above ninety %.
The numbers will boost as most retailers cut off free shipping for orders following Dec. 18 and are actually having customers pay for express shipping for later on purchases, stated Satish Jindel, founding father of ShipMatrix. More people are going to end up going to stores in the very last days to make sure they bring home presents on time.
The deluge arrived last week and here it has subsided because individuals know they’re not going to get their packages on time, said Jindel, who predicted that the on-time operation for the Postal Service will rise to the mid-90s as the network of its gets flushed out this specific week.
Nevertheless, there could be in excess of a huge number of undelivered packages by Dec. twenty five, Jindel said, though it’s unknown precisely how a lot of those are gifts versus home items that individuals remain ordering due to the pandemic.
See Also: Dark Friday Gets Busted by Covid contained Sign of Retail’s Future
Buyers cannot point out they weren’t warned. On Nov. 19, the Postal Service announced due dates of Dec. fifteen for normal ground service as well as Dec. 18 for outstanding packages to arrive by Dec. 25.
Shipping delays are actually predicted given heightened need for digital shipping, said Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Poonam Goyal. This closer to Christmas, customers must think about in store pickup choices for online purchases to avoid delays, she mentioned.
Retailers have been working not easy to direct buyers to that feature this season. But the stress remains high: Businesses are trying to compensate for lost sales while in the coming of the pandemic, and so getting delivery bad isn’t an option.
Retailers’ performance throughout the pandemic, and particularly in the crucible of the Covid Christmas shopping months, has been absolutely nothing short of heroic, Mike Cassidy of Signifyd authored within a post substantially earlier this kind of month. But list is within for a reckoning. You can add Shipageddon and also the weak spot in retail’s fulfillment phone system to the summary of trends that this coronavirus pandemic has increased.


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Global Leader Chooses Derby’s Oberoi Business Hub For UK HQ
A German-owned global leader in smart logistics and warehousing have established their UK headquarters at a premium serviced office location in Derby’s Pride Park – paving the way for future growth.
EPG-Ehrhardt Partner Group has 19 locations and over 700 employees worldwide and provides a full Supply Chain Execution Suite to a broad range of warehousing, logistics and airport customers across the globe.
The company has opened its UK office at Oberoi Business Hub in Pride Park to take advantage of its close proximity to the road, rail and air networks. The Hub will also provide meeting and conference facilities as well as call handling services to support the existing team who operate across the country.
EPG’s newly-appointed country manager Gavin Clark explained: “Strategically, EPG see the UK market as one of the most important logistics markets and there is a strong commitment to continue to invest here and clearly focus on growth.
We recognised that Derby, and particularly Pride Park, is the ideal location for the UK base. Its central location in the country, excellent transport links and major developments on the doorstep such as the East Midlands Gateway will greatly facilitate our growth plans in the UK – both in terms of the customer portfolio and employee numbers.
Having operated in the UK for the past five years, we now have the premium office location, excellent meeting and conference facilities and call handling service support in place at Oberoi Business Hub to take the business forward and grow in the UK.”
Kavita Oberoi OBE, founder and managing director of Oberoi Business Hub continued: “We are delighted to welcome EPG to Oberoi Business Hub and look forward to working with them to achieve their growth plans through our serviced office accommodation and call handling support.
Serviced office accommodation is the perfect solution for a wide range of businesses from start-ups to international companies looking for a UK base particularly in terms of having the flexibility to grow and adapt in today’s fast-moving economy.
Call handling by a dedicated team is also an extremely cost-effective way of ensuring that a business makes the right first impression and never misses a call.”
EPG is best known in the UK for its Lydia Voice system, which optimises and speeds up picking operations using easy-to-follow voice commands but Mr Clark continued that the UK office opening coincided with EPG expanding its offering in the UK in line with the services available in mainland Europe and the USA.
The company will be rolling out its full Supply Chain Execution Suite to UK customers including Warehouse Management Software (WMS), Warehouse Automation Control Systems (WCS), Workforce Management (WFM), Transport Management Systems (TMS), voice and aviation solutions to optimise logistics processes – from manual to fully automated logistics environments – as well as airport operations.
He added: “It’s such an exciting product suite, Advanced WMS to Supply Chain Execution solutions and all with Voice, Vision and Automation options embedded.
I’m delighted that we will be able to show warehouse operators and business leaders the full EPG suite, which is already so successful in mainland Europe and North America, but in the UK with local support and delivery resources.”
The Oberoi Business Hub, founded by Kavita Oberoi OBE in 2012, provides a wide range of clients with both virtual and serviced office accommodation alongside call handling and meeting and conference facilities. Since its inception, the Hub’s physical space has grown from 2500 square ft to 25,000 square feet across 5 buildings at St Christopher’s Way Pride Park, Derby.
Please call us on: 01332 515102


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Last week, the United States and the European Union agreed to tariff reductions on several products aimed at improving trade relations that have been fraught by disputes involving the Trump administration’s Section 232 duties on aluminum and steel products and retaliatory actions associated with a long-running World Trade Organization dispute concerning large commercial aircraft.
In a joint statement, USTR Robert Lighthizer and EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan said the European Union would drop tariffs on live and frozen lobsters imported from the U.S. in exchange for the U.S. halving tariffs on a range of EU manufactured products, including glassware and ceramics, propellant powders, disposable lighters and some prepared meals containing fish.
The tariffs will be removed according to Most-Favoured Nation rules, meaning they will be dropped for all of Europe’s trading partners, retroactive to August 1. The change will be for a period of five years, subject to the approval of the European Parliament and the Council, but the European Commission has indicated it intends to make the reductions permanent.
The breakthrough marks the first negotiated tariff reduction between the two sides in more than 20 years but totals less than $300 million, a negligible amount in the context of the $800 billion two way trade between the U.S. and EU.
In making concessions on lobsters, which faced tariffs ranging from 8% to 20% depending on product form, and had been a particularly irksome matter to President Trump who has complained about Maine’s fishermen losing out to competing duty-free lobsters from Canada, the EU hopes the move will lead to progress in areas of greater economic impact, including aerospace, where the two sides have long been engaged in a bitter dispute over government subsidies.
“We intend for this package of tariff reductions to mark just the beginning of a process that will lead to additional agreements that create more free, fair, and reciprocal transatlantic trade,” said the joint statement.
That echoed a sentiment expressed earlier in the week by USTR Lighthizer about renewing talks aimed at eventually reaching a long-term agreement over aircraft subsidies with the EU. A WTO decision due later this summer is expected to decide the scope of EU retaliation against the U.S. for its state support to Boeing.


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Speculations and leaks surrounding the AMD RDNA 2 are piling up as we move closer to its rumored release date. Thanks to the triumphant success of AMD Navi, which launched way back in July 2019 with the Radeon RX 5700 XT and RX 5700 leading the charge, people have had a taste of AMD’s mid-range champions. Now they’re hungry for ‘Big Navi’ – the AMD graphics card that’s said to dethrone the reigning champ, RTX 2080 Ti.
As we’re nearing a year since the first AMD RDNA graphics cards hit the streets, we’re now anxious to know when we’ll see RDNA 2, and what it will look like. There have been a ton of rumors that have been surfacing, painting a picture of some incredibly powerful AMD graphics cards that might give Nvidia some much-needed competition on the high-end. Though, sadly, they may not all feature ray tracing support.
The good news is that it will be the graphics architecture behind the next-generation consoles, the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, so it’s safe to assume that new graphics cards are well on their way.
AMD hasn’t come out and officially announced many details about RDNA 2 or the supposed ‘Big Navi’ card that is rumored to be coming out. Although what could be the AMD Big Navi graphics card has been spotted in Linux driver recently, and AMD CFO Devinder Kumar himself said that AMD is “on track to launch our next-generation Zen 3 CPUs and RDNA 2 GPUs in late 2020”. They’re now expected to arrive before the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
We’ve got enough gossip, speculations and updates to tide us over until the AMD RDNA 2 cards hit the streets. So, we gathered all of them in one place. Be sure to keep this page bookmarked, as we’ll keep it updated with all the latest AMD Big Navi rumors and information.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? AMD’s hopefully high-end graphics card
- When is it out? Late 2020
- What will it cost? No one knows, but it probably won’t be cheap
AMD Big Navi release date
It seems like AMD Big Navi release date rumors have been everywhere since the very beginning of time – or at least since Navi rumors first started appearing in late 2018. However, here we are in 2020 still without a solid release date for AMD’s high-end graphics card.
Initially we had heard that Big Navi would be launching at Computex – but that show has been pushed all the way back to September due to Covid-19, so that’s a no go. But even if it did appear at the giant Taipei tech show, we probably won’t see it until the end of 2020 – think October or November.
At the AMD Financial Analyst Day back in March, Team Red said itself that it was targeting the end of 2020 for the launch of Big Navi. Kumar even reinforced this target release window, saying that AMD is “on track to launch our next-generation Zen 3 CPUs and RDNA 2 GPUs in late 2020”. While that feels like it’s still a long way away, these AMD graphics cards seem like they will arrive before the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Either way, we’ll get an AMD RDNA 2 graphics card release date when AMD is ready. However, because Computex did get pushed back, we wouldn’t be surprised if AMD came out of nowhere with a giant online-only event to show off the RDNA architecture any day now. Stay tuned.
AMD Big Navi price
AMD has traditionally enjoyed a reputation for providing more affordable products than their competition, but we’re not so sure that’s going to extend to Big Navi.
And to back this up, we’d like to point to the AMD Radeon VII. With this graphics card, AMD genuinely provided performance that was pretty close to what the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 provided at the time, while sitting with a price tag of $679 (about £540, AU$970), which was very close to the RTX 2080’s $699 (£649, AU$1,119) price tag at the time.
Now, since launching its Navi lineup, AMD has put some price pressure on Nvidia’s mid-range lineup, most notably baiting Nvidia into lowering its prices on its Super cards at the last minute. So, we might see something that challenges the RTX 2080 Ti for maybe $200 (£200, AU$300) less than that card’s MSRP, but don’t expect graphics card prices to drop to where they were before Nvidia Turing made everything more expensive.
AMD Big Navi specs and features
We have heard so many different rumors about what the ‘Big Navi’ card will eventually look like, but we’re only really diving into what’s actually feasible here.
What we know is that AMD is planning on dropping a 4K-ready graphics card that can handle ray tracing in 2020. That much comes directly from AMD CEO Lisa Su, who came out in an interview and said “I can say you’re going to see Big Navi in 2020.”That’s definitely a blunt way to tell us to expect the high-end GPU this year.
Then, during AMD’s financial day, AMD doubled down on RDNA 2 coming, with a slide saying that the top-of-stack graphics cards would not only provide “Uncompromising 4K gaming,” but that it will also feature hardware-based ray tracing and variable rate shading – two features already present in Nvidia Turing GPUs.
Unfortunately, we have to take this rumor with a grain of salt. Newer rumors suggest that only flagship variants of AMD’s RDNA 2 GPUs will feature ray tracing. It seems that the feature will now be reserved only for AMD’s high-end and enthusiast-grade Navi 2X GPUs. And, that’s apparently due to the lower-end and more mainstream options not having the capacity to support hardware-level ray tracing at an optimal frame rate.
Beyond that, we have seen rumors that suggest the RDNA 2 flagship will feature 80 compute units, which if each compute unit has the same amount of Streaming Processors (SPs) as the original RDNA graphics cards – we could see 5,120 SPs on a single GPU – but it could be even more.
Of course, that’s a lot of silicon to cool, and AMD’s current blower-style coolers probably wouldn’t be sufficient. Even in the transition from Pascal to Turing, Nvidia abandoned blower-style coolers in favor of more efficient dual-fan designs, and word on the street is that AMD could be doing the same thing.
What is perhaps more important is that the rumors are saying that Big Navi could be up to 30% faster than the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, which would frankly be amazing if true – that card can already destroy pretty much every game at 4K, so a further 30% boost could probably mean that we’ll see more accessible 4K gaming lower in the product stack.
At the end of the day, while we do have all of this juicy speculation, we don’t know what will ultimately end up being true and what won’t be. And, even if AMD Big Navi ends up blowing Nvidia Turing out of the water, it’s entirely possible that the RTX 3080 may be close behind. Either way, 2020 is going to be an exciting year for the best graphics cards.


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Cronier Wines again receive various GOLD Awards at the South African Women’s Wine Awards in 2018.
Get your hands on this special wine available from March 2018.
Wines that received Gold Medals at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Competitition 2018.
We are proud to announce that Cronier Wines has again received various GOLD Awards at the South African Women’s Wine Awards in 2018.
The South African Women’s Wine Awards are judged exclusively by women, whose endorsement serve as a recommendation to women wine buyers. We know women love our win…
A sneak peek of the new brand by Cronier Wines launching in 2018. The first wine to be released will be the Maison de Cronier Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2016, we can’t wait!
We are very proud to announce that the following wines have all received Gold Medals at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Competitition 2018.
• Cronier Wines Driebergen Reserve 2016 – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
• Cronier Le Mieux 2016
• Cronier Private Bin – Pinotage 2…
The Cronier Private Bin Pinotage 2016 has been launched by Cronier Wines in March 2018, and is available now for purchase. Get yours now!


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Aloft Asheville Downtown will collaborate with Hi-Wire Brewing Co. on Tuesday, Jan. 26, to present an evening of food and beer pairings in Aloft’s WXYZ bar. Dubbed Taste of the South Slope, the event, which benefits MANNA FoodBank, will feature four small-plate offerings from the WXYZ menu, each paired with a Hi-Wire brew.
The following pairings will be served:
· Death Defying Spring Ale paired with a winter festive salad.
· Bohemian Dark Lager paired with a bite-sized portion of Aloft’s four-cheese grilled cheese and a soup shooter.
· Firewalker Porter paired with Aloft’s pork sliders, which feature a Brussels sprout habanero vinegar slaw.
· Passion Fruit White IPA paired with a passion fruit gelato.
Chris McLain of Hi-Wire Brewing will be on hand to discuss the featured beers and how each pairs with its accompanying small-plate dish.
“It was really fun putting together a menu that combines our culinary team’s creations with the unique flavors of Hi-Wire’s beers,” says Emma Ledbetter, director of food and beverage for Aloft Asheville Downtown. “We are excited to be working with Hi-Wire and look forward to serving up our delicious food and beer pairings at the South Slope tasting event.”
Each pairing will cost $12. Guests may also try just the beer or the food for $6 per course. Guests who bring a nonperishable or canned food item will receive a $2 discount on each flight they purchase.
All donated food will go to MANNA FoodBank, a nonprofit organization that links the food industry with 248 partner agencies in 16 counties across Western North Carolina to help solve hunger.
“Our ‘Taste of the South Slope’ event will be a fun opportunity for hotel guests and locals to try some favorite Asheville brews paired with our delicious small plate offerings,” Aloft Asheville Downtown General Manager David McCartney said in a press release.
“More importantly, this event allows us to collaborate with one of our South Slope neighbors to give back to a very important cause,” he continued. “As so many people in our community continue to struggle with hunger, every little bit counts in helping them put food on the table. January and February are important need times for MANNA Foodbank, as they typically face lower levels of donations following the holiday season.”
The event is open to the public and will be held 5:30-7:00 Tuesday, Jan. 26, in the WXYZ lounge at Aloft Asheville Downtown, 51 Biltmore Ave.
For more information on the Taste of the South Slope event, visit the hotel’s Facebook page or call the hotel at 407-4302.


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As expected, The Sharper Image is going to relaunch as a virtual brand. Now we know that the launch will take place at CES 2009 with 20 new products.
This time around they appear to be focusing their efforts on devices like iPod-integrated audio systems as opposed to the crazy expensive massaging chairs and tiny microwaves we have come to expect from them over the years. However, the teaser site includes old products like the the iBeam—originally from 2006. So, based on that, I'm not getting my hopes up for anything new and exciting. Still, these products are expected to roll out to major retailers in 2009. [Sharper Image]


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ontainer Freight Stations (CFSs) and clearing agents are pushing the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) to issue a public notice to shipping lines so that the importers can endorse where they want their cargo to be cleared from.
Mr. Daniel Nzeki, Container Freight Station Association (CFSA) chief executive officer said that importers are required to write letters to Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) for endorsement as government agencies involved in clearing cargo puts in place guidelines to implement the presidential order.
These physical interactions, according to Nzeki, may expose importers to graft by some port employees. Kenya Ports Authority managing director John Mwangemi said that they have already started implementing the presidential directive.
In a roundtable meeting with the stakeholders, the newly elected governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir said; “We are pleased to find that there has been progressing but there needs to be a concerted effort by the KPA to limit excess bureaucracy and red tape that is hampering businesspeople from working.”
According to Nzeki, KPA should issue another notice to revoke an earlier one done in June 2018 that stopped importers from nominating cargo to CFSs of their choice. It partly read.
“This is to notify all shipping lines that containers destined to Mombasa for local clearance shall not be allowed to be nominated by clients or endorsement of Bill of Lading to any CFS”.
It further added; “The nominations shall be done by the KPA based on vessel rotation, volumes, and individual CFS capacity, therefore you are required to inform your clients in your various ports of loading accordingly”.
Shipping lines have been using the Through Bill of Lading (TBL) that identifies Athi River as the final destination of all Nairobi- bound cargo.
The Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association (KIFWA) national chairperson Roy Mwanthi told the Star on Monday that, “KPA is still playing games.”
“KPA must come out publicly and announce through a notice that the earlier directive has been vacated in compliance with the presidential directive,” said Mwanthi.
He said most shipping lines and importers are not aware that cargo can be cleared from Mombasa because KPA is yet to issue a notice on the same. The presidential directive has also not been gazetted.
Fred Seka, the President of the Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Associations (FEAFFA), said that the logistics sector welcomes the move by the government to allow the business community to commercially determine their preferred mode of transport from the port of Mombasa.
FEAFFA and other logistics stakeholders had raised concerns with the initial directive, especially on mandatory transportation of cargo using the SGR.
Although they had stabilized the logistics industry, the development of CFSs in the manner they did in Mombasa was largely unforeseen. The original idea, in 2007, was for the stations to earn profits by charging demurrages for cargo that was not cleared within the free storage period, which then stood at 7 days. Therefore, they were to serve as an extension of the port with a mandatory requirement for them to apply the KPA tariff.
The congestion was so serious that an estimated 60% of the cargo volume through the Port of Mombasa could not be cleared within the free storage period.
CFSs became lucrative and they proliferated very fast in a span of a few years, the number had grown to over 10 CFSs. The extra capacity they created gave KPA a breathing space to develop more infrastructural projects-new container terminal, extension and deepening of berths, and dredging of the channel to allow huge vessels.
This, in turn, increased efficiency at the port, and with the CFS business becoming more competitive, KPA gave importers leeway to nominate cargo to the stations of their choice.
The huge infrastructural development at the port and the acquisition of modern equipment by CFS operators meant that the demurrage model could not sustain their businesses. CFSs investment profile was estimated at over Ksh20 billion in 2017.
With no room for tariff adjustment, CFSs had to innovate to remain afloat. They then introduced tailor-made arrangements with their customers, largely serving as distributive points as well as storage areas for the already cargo cleared by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) through the offices they hosted.
Some CFSs allowed cargo to stay in their yards for up to 60 days. The CFSs became so popular among the importers that those with good marketing skills had over 80%of the cargo nominated to stations by importers themselves as opposed to the KPA.
The writer is an editorial consultant and can be reached via email@example.com


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Following Consumer Reports claim that the Ford C-MAX Hybrid and the Ford Fusion Hybrid both fall short of their fuel-economy claims, the EPA said that it will review the publications claims on the new Ford models.
Check out more news on the Ford Fusion.
Ford has now said that it is talking to the EPA on how it tests fuel economy performance on new vehicles.
“We will continue to talk on behalf of the industry with the EPA to determine if changes are necessary,” Joe Hinrichs, chief of Ford’s operations in North and South America, told reporters in Detroit. The EPA “has made changes over the last couple of decades as technology has changed.”
Ford isn’t asking the EPA to make any modifications to its mileage testing procedures, Hinrichs said.
In Consumer Reports tests the Fusion delivered an overall fuel-economy of 39 mpg while the Ford C-MAX Hybrid delivered an overall 37 mpg.
– By: Omar Rana


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Because even the oldest cryptocurrencies have only been in existence for roughly a decade, many elements of the industry are untested. That has led to ample opportunities for savvy investors to rake in a tidy profit, particularly as currencies like Ethereum and Bitcoin have rallied considerably in the past few months. However, it also means that another pool of investors harbors concerns about a cryptocurrency bubble. There are arguments on both sides of the debate, but when the cryptocurrency market tumbled last week thanks to a widespread correction, it set off alarms for many analysts. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and several other cryptocurrencies saw their prices drop by significant percentages in just a single day, prompting some to speculate that the fantastic digital currency rally might be over. Now, more than a week later, a number of these currencies have bounced back to levels approaching their earlier heights.
More Than 90 Top Cryptocurrencies Rebounded
According to a report by CoinDesk, over 90 of the leading 100 cryptocurrencies rebounded in the early part of last week after the major market correction on June 15th. At the same time, the rally coincided with an increase in market capitalization for the industry. After dipping below $100 billion during the correction, the total market cap for the industry approached $108 billion early in the week. The market cap is still below its all-time high of $117.2 billion from June 12th of this year. Nonetheless, the trend seems to be pointing toward quick growth: the total cryptocurrency market cap has gained more than 500% year-to-date as of the beginning of the week.
Fears of a Bubble
Some analysts are still concerned with a bubble. Bitcoin is sometimes cited as evidence that the industry has grown beyond its means and too quickly. The prominent currency has almost tripled in value since the beginning of 2017, reaching new highs several times and smashing through the $3000-per-coin barrier just weeks ago. During the market correction, the value of a single Bitcoin fell by hundreds of dollars. As of this writing, a Bitcoin is valued at just over $2450; while this is not as high as the record value, it is nonetheless a rebound from last week's lows.
Fears over a possible bubble and the long-term health of the cryptocurrency field have blocked many financial institutions from making investments in the area. Still, the customer base for many of the leading currencies has grown considerably. In fact, Bitcoin's user base and volume of transactions has grown so much that it has caused difficulties with the infrastructure of the cryptocurrency itself, leading to massive wait times for transactions to clear and higher fees. While the debate over how to remedy these issues continues, the growth of the cryptocurrency industry seems unimpeded.


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By Rachel Dotson
STE GENEVIEVE, Mo — Wine enthusiasts may not agree with Alwyn Dippenaar’s latest project, but that isn’t stopping him from trying his hand at aging wine in whiskey barrels.
Crown Valley Winery is planted among the rolling hills in Ste Genevieve, Missouri, and is known for its winery, brewery and distillery. Six-year winemaker at Crown Valley Winery, Alwyn Dippenaar’s new project is one of only a few that experiments with chardonel and Norton in whiskey barrels.
The concept isn’t very common amongst winemakers. Typically, wine is aged in American or French oak barrels made and toasted specifically for wine. The wine gains different flavors and aromas from the oak, which adds to the tasting quality of the wine.
Not only are whiskey barrels smaller, many winemakers believe that the darker toast of the whiskey barrel can have a major effect on wine flavor, Dippenaar said.
Dippenaar said he is experimenting with the concept as he goes.
“It’s got a charcoal character to it,” Dippenaar said. “That is why I need to keep tasting it and make sure (that flavor) doesn’t get too (strong).”
His experimental batch of 500 gallons has been aging for around six months. The barrels once stored whiskey that was scored at 95 out of a 100-point scale by Wine Spectator, Dippenaar said.
Crown Valley Winery offers 25-minute winery tours at 12 p.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. For information Crown Valley can be reached at 886-207-9463 or visit its website.


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The Blockchain Supply Chain Finance Market Research Report 2021 was recently published, which also includes forecasts for the blockchain market up until 2028.
Growth of 35% per year for the blockchain market
According to this report, the CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of the Blockchain Supply Chain Finance industry over the next few years will average 34.9%.
This means that annual growth is expected to be around 35%, which could lead to overall growth of 10 times the 2021 levels in 2028.
As the global economy recovers, Blockchain Supply Chain Finance industry growth is expected to undergo significant changes from 2021. While in 2021 it was a nearly $16 billion market, it could reach $130 billion in 2028.
The Blockchain Supply Chain Finance report provides demographics, insights, trends and details of the competitive landscape of this niche industry, and includes discussions of the impact and recovery from the pandemic.
It contains a comprehensive revenue analysis of various industry players for the period 2017-2022, the main ones being: IBM, Ripple, Deloitte’s Rubix, Accenture, Distributed Ledger Technologies, Oklink, Nasdaq Linq, Oracle, AWS (Amazon Web Services), Citi Bank, eLayaway, HSBC, Ant Financial, JD Financial, Qihoo 360, Tencent, Baidu, Huawei, Bitspark, and SAP.
In particular, China is the target market for this sector, in addition to the US, but the German, Japanese and Korean markets will also be of interest.
The sub-sectors included in the report are information technology (IT) solutions, FinTech, banking, consulting and financial markets.
As far as applications are concerned, the main ones are cross-border payments, trade finance, digital currencies and identity management.
The regions under consideration are the Americas, APAC (Asia/Pacific), Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The source is Precision Reports, which is a company that seeks to understand the patterns within which the market is moving in order to come up with better strategies.


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ByBrian R. Fitzgerald
Apple will sell a gold-toned iPhone, John Paczkowski at All Things Digital reports. That adds a third color to what has been a purposefully narrow color palette of black and white. (Yes, there was a time when the white iPhone was treated like a hard-to-find special edition.)
The gold iPhone rumor mills has spun furiously in recent days and looks to be a done deal. Paczkowski recounted the trail: from iMore to TechCrunch to 9to5Mac. According to ATD, people familiar with the matter say the gold color will be tasteful — “think champagne, not ingot” the post says — and will feature a white front.
MG Siegler’s article on TechCrunch goes into good (and sometimes funny) detail on why gold — a color that runs the risk of gaudiness. It’s a good question, considering Apple once offered a gold-colored iPod mini that didn’t last long. He also points out the awesome connection between the gold tone and the speculation about a fingerprint sensor, putting them together as Goldfinger.


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The world's second biggest PC-maker, Dell Computer, has posted net profits of $749m(£396m) for the fourth quarter, up from $603m a year earlier.
Dell has seen sales growth in its PowerEdge servers
It put it down to improved corporate spending on technology and consumer buying during the holiday season.
The US company, based in Round Rock, Texas, said revenue increased to $11.51 bn, in line with expectations, and up from $9.74bn on the previous year.
Dell has lost its spot as the number one PC maker to Hewlett-Packard.
The company highlighted growth in its PowerEdge servers, which rose 40% from the year-ago quarter, while revenue from storage products was 47% higher.
Dell's president and chief operating officer, Kevin Rollins, said the company expects first-quarter revenue of $11.2 bn.
The figures are in line with previous estimates
from Wall Street analysts.
Dell's shares fell 41 cents to $33.16 in after-hours trading, after closing the regular session at $33.57, down 12 cents.
Dell has expanded into printers, data storage systems, and cash registers in recent years.
In September it announced plans to take the process a step further by launching its own digital music players and TVs.
Dell slashed PC prices in August in hopes of stimulating sales.
Dell specialises in selling inexpensive PCs by shipping direct to consumers, cutting out the retailer.


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Metalline proudly announce main sponsorship of the Façade Awards 2021
Posted: 5th November 2021
Metalline, the UK’S principle fabricator of BOTH non-combustible aluminium Rainscreen and non- combustible aluminium insulated Spandrel panels, all fully tested and certified to Class A1 rating, is proud to be supporting the RCI Façade Awards 2021 as a main sponsor and celebrate of the very best in façade design across the UK from the past year.
About the Awards
Bought to you by the publishers of RCI magazine, and in partnership with the Metal Cladding and Roofing Manufacturers Association (MCRMA), this year’s event will focus on raising awareness of the critical role façades play in modern architecture. The award categories will look to reward excellence
in façade design and promote the importance of collaboration between product manufacturers and contractors.
Whilst this is the first year Metalline is sponsoring the awards, they believe that at such a crucial time for manufacturers and contractors alike, promotion of the industry and its achievements is imperative for the industry to grow with confidence. Darron Brough, Managing Director for Metalline, said “With the challenges businesses have faced over the last 18 months, it is important that we continue to support the Facades industry and celebrate the achievements of product manufacturers and contractors. We look forward to hearing how other companies have adapted during this difficult time and perhaps identify as an industry how we can continue to support each other.”
In addition to sponsoring the Awards, Metalline have also been shortlisted for 2 projects. The first category Metalline have been shortlisted for is “Best use of a rainscreen system using aluminium” . The project shortlisted in this category is “Project Apple – HMRC Regional Hub” which features an external envelope of geometric glass and aluminium facades that create an iconic feature within its surroundings.
Metalline have also been shortlisted for “Outstanding contribution of the year”. Darron’s ethos of providing outstanding products and excellent service has always been prominent to the success of Metalline. As Managing Director, Darron ensures the company will continue to provide both qualities in equal measure.
The in-person awards ceremony will be taking place on 19 November at The Midland Hotel in Manchester and will give those attending the opportunity for some long overdue networking, as we comfortably gather the way events used to be.


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GRAND RAPIDS – The holiday season is right around the corner and this year’s Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts’ annual Holiday Artists’ Market is celebrating its 25th year. The indoor fine arts and crafts market will once again feature the work of dozens of Grand Rapids’ accomplished creative talents.
Admission to the market is free to the public, and artists will be on hand to showcase a variety of beautifully crafted and unique handmade goods, including jewelry, fine art, housewares, clothing, bath and body products, and toys. Each featured artist was selected through a juried process, ensuring that only the highest quality goods will be on hand.
“I love to buy one-of-a-kind gifts for friends and family, and can’t imagine how I would get it all done without the UICA Holiday Market,” said Jenn Shaub, Holiday Artists’ Market artist and shopper. “From the unique jewelry that I find for my mom, to the great home goods for my sister’s house, it’s a fun way to meet and buy from artists. Congratulations to all of the artists and UICA staff who have handmade 25 years of holiday shopping splendor.”
The Holiday Artists’ Market will also feature a food and beverage court with local vendors, a gift wrap station, a snow globe making station for kids, a holiday tiny terrarium workshop for adults, and a photo booth. Shoppers will also be treated to live music from the Kent County String Band on Friday evening.
UICA members can take advantage of special early admission to the market on Friday, Dec. 6 from 3 to 5 pm, after which the market will be open to the public until 9 pm. On Saturday, Dec. 7, the market will be open to everyone from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“Our members love getting early admission on Friday,” said UICA Associate Director Megan Bylsma. “They get first pick of all the unique items as well as a chance to talk to the artists and hear the stories behind the work. The interaction between artist and community is what UICA is all about.”
On Friday, Nov. 1, UICA will release additional details about the Holiday Artists’ Market so visitors can better plan their visits, including the names and photos of some of this year’s artists and their wares, as well as what food and drinks will be available for purchase during the event.


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The Toys R Us locations set to close range from cities in New York and New Jersey to California.
See the rest here:
Here’s a map of the Toys R Us stores set to close across the US
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


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The Daily Dish (8/10/21)
Leafly is planning to list on Nasdaq through a SPAC merger with Merdia Merger Corp in a deal which values the Cannabis company at $532 million.
The company was founded in 2010 and has grown into a leading marketplace and resource. Existing shareholders of the company will own 72% of the new company with the deal expected to close in the fourth quarter this year.
Leafly offers a subscription based platform which has 7800 brands and 4600 retail customers with revenues in 2021 expected to be around $43 million.
Despite its recent success, the company experienced a turbulent 2020, with multiple layoffs and change in leadership. Yoko Miyashita took over as CEO in August 2020 and has focused on building a better online shopping experience.
HotelPlanner and Reservations.com are planing to merge and go public through an SPAC merger. The combined firm will be called HotelPlanner and will merge with SPAC Astra Acquisition Corp, which would value the company at $685 million.
The current talks comes as a result of online travel companies adjusting to the decline in demand due to the pandemic, amidst concerns that the Delta variant could halt the current rebound.
HotelPlanner, which already owns Meetings.com, expects to post record sales this year, which could even top 2019’s earnings. The combined company expects to generate $170 million in revenue this year.
HotelPlanner, which was founded in 2004, expects to use some of the money to cover transaction fees and composite existing investors with the company expected to have $105 million left in cash proceeds.
VIYI Algorithms announced that it would go public though a merger with SPAC Venus Acquisition Corp in a deal that values the firm at $400 million.
The transaction is expected to close by the third quarter, with the new combined entity called MicroAlgo. The company specialises in the development and application of customised central processing algorithm.
The company’s services include algorithmic optimisation, accelerated computing power, lightweight data processing and data intelligence services.
By integrating these algorithms with software or hardware, the company provides customers with comprehensive solutions that help them increase customer numbers, achieve direct cost savings and reduce power consumption.


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Lansing Made Brews Hit Area Store Shelves
The Lansing State Journal is reporting that Lansing Brewing Company is making its products available in stores. Currently, its Amber Cream Ale is released for retail sales and the Angry Mayor IPA will be available next month.
The LSJ article states that Horrock's, Quality Dairy, and individual party stores in Mid-Michigan are carrying LBC brands. Meijer will also begin carrying the brands in April. Six packs of LBC brews are set to price around $11.
For full details, visit this link to LSJ.com.


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Carnival Panorama which is the newest ship in the fleet will be sailing crew members back home in Asia.
Carnival Panorama to Sail Crew Members Back Home
It has been revealed by the crew that the Carnival Panorama cruise ship will be heading to Asia to take crew members back home. Apparently the caption and HR director of the vessel made a public announcement to the crew that the vessel will debark Filipino and Indonesia crew members in the home countries.
The ship which is the newest in the fleet will set sail from on April 18, 2020, and sail towards the two countries in Asia. Before departing, the vessel will take on crew members who are from those countries from other ships in the fleet.
What we’ve seen with other cruise lines is crew being transferred between vessels via lifeboats and tender boats from the ships. Then one or two ships in the fleet will sail the crew back to countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia as that’s where the majority of them are from.
Even though some ships around the world are sailing the crew back home, cruise lines are still organizing charter flights back but this as expected is very difficult due to travel restrictions and procedures in different countries.
Carnival Panorama is based on the U.S. east coast and is in fact the first new Carnival cruise ship to be based in 20 years. The third Vista-class ship only joined the fleet at the end of last year and has suffered from the coronavirus pandemic.
In early March before Carnival Cruise Line announced a voluntary suspension of operations there was a COVID-19 scare onboard and debarkation was held when the ship was ending a Mexican Riveria cruise in Long Beach, California. Thankfully a test came back negative but still caused major delays for the ship and guest booked on the following sailing, you can read more right here.


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Ford Motor Company Posts Strongest U.S. March Sales in Five Years; Fusion, Focus, Edge Post Record Sales Months
Ford Motor Company posts its strongest U.S. March sales in five years with 223,418 vehicles sold – a 5 percent sales increase over last March
Ford Fusion posts its best sales month ever at 28,562 vehicles
Ford Focus has its best March sales ever at 28,293 vehicles
Ford Edge has its best March ever at 14,058 vehicles
F-Series March sales of 58,061 are up 9 percent, its best March sales performance since 2007; EcoBoost accounts for 41 percent of the F-150 retail sales
Download Full Sales Release (With Tables)
DEARBORN, Mich., April 3, 2012 – Ford Motor Company posted its best March U.S. sales month since 2007 – with the Ford Fusion recording its best month ever, Ford Focus and Ford Edge achieving their best March ever and the F-Series showing the strongest March sales in five years.
Total company sales totaled 223,418 vehicles for March, a 5 percent gain over year-ago levels. Retail sales increased 11 percent for the month.
For the first quarter, Ford Motor Company’s sales were up 9 percent versus year-ago levels, totaling 539,247 vehicles sold. The increases were driven by the popularity of Ford’s most fuel-efficient models posting record sales months.
March sales highlights:
Fusion set an all-time monthly sales record, with 28,562 vehicles sold.
Focus delivered its best March sales performance ever, selling 28,293 cars.
F-Series sold 58,061 for the month – a 9 percent increase versus last March and F-Series’ best March sales performance since 2007. EcoBoost accounted for 41 percent of the F-150 retail sales, with all V6 engines comprising 56 percent for the month.
The Ford Edge had it best March sales month ever, with 14,058 vehicles sold.
Ford began selling its Police Interceptor Sedans and Utilities at the end of March.
During the first quarter:
Car sales at Ford Motor Company were up 8 percent. The fuel-efficient Focus was the biggest seller among Ford’s car lineup, with sales up 78 percent during this period, with 66,043 vehicles sold.
Utility sales totaled 150,415 vehicles, a 6 percent increase versus year-ago levels. Escape sales were up 5 percent, making it the strongest-ever first quarter start for Escape – America’s best-selling utility.
Ford Motor Company truck sales increased 11 percent, with 195,807 vehicles sold. F-Series pickups – America’s top-selling truck for 35 years – posted sales of 143,827 vehicles for the quarter, a 14-percent increase versus the same period in 2011.


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With the holidays right around the corner, retailers are getting geared up for all the sales they’d like to make to end 2014 on a high note. But Target is still dealing with the repercussions of the big data breach from 2013’s holiday season.
A survey released yesterday by CreditCards.com found that 45 percent of customers would “probably not” or “definitely not” shop at retailers that said they had computer breaches. And 48 percent of people said they’ll probably be shopping with cash, which means that they’ll have very fixed budgets. Once the cash is gone, the shopping stops, which will curb spending.
These aren’t good stats for retailers.
Between November 27 and December 15 of last year, credit and debit card information for 40 million customers was stolen from Target. There was a subsequent 5.5 percent decline in sales at the store. Target has since beefed up its security measures with new machines that make counterfeiting more difficult. But for customers, it’s a question of trust.
“As we enter the busy holiday retail season, we are focused on turning the page and delivering an outstanding holiday shopping experience to all Target guests,” a spokesperson for Target, Molly Snyder, told The Huffington Post.
We’re highlighting Target here, but certainly, it’s not the only company that has experienced a security breach. Home Depot, Kmart, Neiman Marcus and UPS are just a few of the others.
Consequently, this lack of trust isn’t the fault of any one retailer. It’s the cumulative effect of story after story about personal data falling victim to leak upon leak. Taken together, retailers have clearly not done a good enough job of explaining to the public what they’ve done to shore up those holes in their digital systems. Moreover, they haven’t been able to prevent other breaches.
“Customers, who are generally not concerned about security until a breach happens, are looking for transparency and timely responses to breaches, something companies can provide with enough preparation and foresight,” Forbes wrote this summer.
That article goes on to reference expert opinion that the best way to recover from a breach: “transparency and communication is key, as clients are often more concerned with how an organization responds to a breach than the fact that it occurred.” Looking back, there’s the question of whether all of these retailers have been as transparent or communicative as possible. Perhaps there’s a role here for an industry organization to play? Since this is an issue that a number of retailers are facing, maybe it’s time for the industry to take steps as a unit.


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Burger King is getting whopped over its plan to avoid U.S. taxes by fleeing to Canada.
People flooded the fast-food chain’s Facebook page on Monday with threats of a boycott after the company announced talks to merge with Canadian coffee and doughnut chain Tim Hortons. The combined company would be headquartered in Canada.
Burger King is just the latest American company to attempt a so-called tax inversion -- where a bigger U.S. company buys a smaller foreign firm in a country with a lower tax rate, renounces its U.S. corporate citizenship and then reincorporates in the other nation. Politicians and pundits have said the moves amount to little more than unpatriotic ploys to avoid paying taxes.
I say fine, Burger King. Shut down your US stores and enjoy Canada, eh?
Facebook huh..........I'm sure they are all libroids like you..........Libroids eat sprouts and BS, so Burger King dont cater to dummies like you anyway.........
Politicians and pundits huh..........once again, nothing but socialists......


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Before the pandemic, Egor Bond’s main source of income were the escape rooms he ran in Fairfax and Arlington. But when Covid forced him to shut down in March 2020, the self-proclaimed “innovator” had to get inventive to figure out another line of work. Bond already owned a 3D printer that he used for fun, and he remembered a particularly meaningful project he’d made with it—a replica of his father-in-law’s beloved French bulldog that he’d given him for his birthday. “I have never in my life seen him that emotional,” says Bond.
The experience helped inspire him to launch Bond’s 3D Studio in Fairfax. The business now prints all sorts of things, from mini architectural models to measuring cups specially made for the vision-impaired. But among the most popular offerings are Bond’s sculptures of people’s four-legged best friends.
Bond says customers tend to seek out the dog replicas as unique gifts, or as a way to memorialize their own deceased pets. It’s not unusual, he says, for clients to get emotional when they see the finished product, just as his father-in-law did. One woman, who had recently lost her dog, sent him a video of herself in tears after unboxing the statue. “People are not shying away from crying,” says Bond.
Today, what was once a hobby has grown into a full-fledged business with a staff of six and 14 3D printers. The process of creating the life-like figurines is quite labor intensive. The first step is making a model using photos, which requires up to three days. Next comes the 3D printing, which can take up to a week. Lastly, several more days are spent hand-painting the replica. The final products range from four to 16 inches.
Bond’s team has also printed replicas of famous pups, including Bo Obama and the Bidens’ German Shepherd, Champ. (Bond mailed the figurines to both families, but hasn’t heard back.)
Though his escape rooms are back open, Bond plans to keep the 3D studio up and running, too. He’s now a dog owner himself—to a cavapoo named Waffles—which he says has helped him better understand his clients’ strong reactions to the 3D pets. “I find it very satisfying,” he says.


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One of the best ways to ensure that the printing industry continues to find ways to flourish through the digital age is to continue to educate companies on the newest innovations. The 2012 Graph Expo, held in Chicago, was a perfect example of that tactic, as a combination of seminars and presentations brought vendors and business owners together.
This blog has previously discussed the Graph Expo, detailing various industry officials’ reactions to it. Decision-makers agreed that the event was successful, with a plethora of examples put forth on benefits from investing in laminating machines and quality binding equipment.
Many of the new machines that debuted at the Expo, though, are designed to be paired with those devices. For example, Master Bind demonstrated a foil stamping machine, which creates a professional and customized print on various binders. It stamps on intricately designed wording, a perfect detail that can make school yearbook covers stand out, or even corporate booklets.
Additionally, Formax showed the benefits of its new printer – the Color Max Color 7 Envelope Printer. According to a company spec sheet, the machine will produce full color output with three times the speed of traditional shuttle head printers, at one-third of the per-page cost. The Color Max doesn’t require heat or contact to create an image, which allows it to safely be used with pre-printed envelopes and windowed envelopes without damaging the window or marring the original image.
This product could be a good investment for many businesses, as direct mail is still a successful way to reach out to customers for marketing campaigns. Using devices that offer companies a way to create customized and personal designs will help them stand out from the competition.
Even with the push for organizations to move away from print, the Graph Expo further proved that, with the right devices, a business can create innovative and cost-effective documents.


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Large economies, such as the EU and India, have a key role to play in the global transition towards a circular economy and a lot to gain from stronger business cooperation and aligned legislation. The beginning of June will marked the first large International Circular Economy Forum in New Delhi, where panelists from India and the EU will exchange on the most pressing needs and potential benefits of working together towards a circular economy. The event represented an opportunity to identify, showcase, and celebrate circular initiatives in India across different focus sectors. The forum featured a futuristic approach for stakeholders to build and scale up a circular economy by providing a platform to share insights, network, and learn from other circular economy experts and practitioners.
The policy recommendation and action plan will be released on 18th July from 12:30 to 13:30 (CET).
12:30-12:35 Welcome address – ICCE
12:35-12:50 Overview of ICEF and Key Recommendations – Shalini Goyal Bhalla
12:50-13:05 Future of Circular Economy – Dr. Prasad Modak


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MG Siegler, a TechCrunch columnist, blogger, Google Ventures partner and self-proclaimed Apple fanboy, has some solid sources at Apple. Though he rarely comments on what Apple will or will not do, when he does you can bet your shirt he won’t make off-the-cuff remarks.
Today, Siegler felt compelled to take to Twitter and share with the world that a new Apple TV hardware could be arriving as soon as next month. The claim seemingly corroborates a sketchy GigaOM report that suggested the possibility of some kind of television-related product from Apple, based on leaked shipping records “from a top supplier,” labeled labeled ‘Set Top Boxes’…
“I guess those excited about a software refresh in a week are gonna be *really* excited when new Apple TV hardware is unveiled next month,” Siegler tweeted out this morning.
My own sources have been consistent since the start of 2013 about some kind of hardware-related Apple TV news before 2013 wraps up.
Additionally, Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac claims he independently heard that a new version of Apple’s set-top box is currently in development, “but our sources have not provided a clear picture in terms of a launch timeframe”.
Gurman adds more color to the reports:
It is unclear what the form-factor of this new device is. We’ve independently heard of Apple working on both a full-fledged TV set and a revamped set-top-box that is similar in form-factor to the current model.
But no matter the hardware design, we have been consistently hearing from our sources that Apple is thoroughly testing Xbox Kinect-like motion sensors for future TV-related products. When Apple plans to release motion-controlled TVs, however, is uncertain.
Siegler also joked that Apple analyst Gene Munster – infamous for his rampant Apple TV predictions – will likely be “disappointed that he’s wrong again on two counts”, referring to Munster’s “we still believe Apple is working on an actual television, think it’s going to be out in 2014” mantra.
Siegler’s October Apple TV claim matches up nicely with talk of new iPads next month. Should there be a media event next month, perhaps Apple will share some set-top box news.
We believe a major development on that front would warrant a dedicated press conference – unless it’s only a specs upgrade rather than a full-on TV set.
The software should let you play content purchased on the iTunes Store on other people’s TVs through AirPlay and includes other enhancements such as automatic device configuration over Bluetooth, custom subtitles, Conference Room Mode for presenters and more.


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Abstract : Finally, the Financial Service Agency took action in the last month of the year. However, the profound changes that have happened for the past ten months have re-shaped the Japanese digital currency market into a tripartite domination. The probability of Coincheck's return to the Japanese market is almost zero.
On December 19, ChainDD reported that according to news released by Nikkei, the Japanese Financial Service Agency (FSA) will approve Coincheck to be a registered trader of cryptocurrencies, under the Fund Settlement Law. At the same time, the report stated that the number of companies that are waiting for approvals from the FSA is over 200, instead of over 100 as previous reported. Monex Group, the parent company of Coincheck emphasized that the news has not been verified. However, the company has verified that the FSA is reviewing Coincheck's application. Furthermore, Monex has promised that all updates concerning Coincheck will be published on the official website in a timely manner, if deemed necessary.
Toshihiko Katsuya, President of Monex and current CEO of Coincheck stated that, “in 2019, we expect new players to enter the virtual currency trading industry and the competition will be fiercer. However, we are optimistic about the demand for virtual currencies. The medium-term demand for virtual currencies will go up. In the past, virtual currencies were only regarded as a type of assets but stable virtual currencies anchored to fiat money are emerging. Demand for ,making remittances and payments using virtual currencies is also strengthening.”The statement is an indication of Monex future increase in its stakes in the digital currency market.
Earlier on, ChainDD learned that at the end of October, Coincheck began to accept new account registrations of Japanese clients. Coincheck has resumed all its digital currency trading services on its platform since November 26, after suffering a hacker attack in January this year. It has also attempted to resume services including its leveraged trading, Japanese Yen deposits in convenience stores and payments for electricity by its customers using cryptocurrencies.
Radical changes: emergence of numerous big players and tripartite domination
Since Coincheck's incident, 16 licensed exchanges have jointly founded “Japan Virtual Currency Exchange Association (JVCEA)”, the primary self-regulator of Japan's digital currency trade.
During this time, CEO of bitFlyer, which is temporarily ranked number one in Japan, left his post as Vice President of the association in humiliation and started exploring overseas markets such as America and Europe. In addition, Zaif, a top five exchange suffered theft on its platform and was taken over by FISCO, another licensed Japanese exchange. SBI has made inroads in the blockchain market aggressively. GMO and DMM are catching up as well. BitTrade、BitARG and BITOCEAN have sold their licenses.
Externally, while these 16 licensed exchanges are experiencing all kinds of problems, external forces are making inroads into the Japanese market, leaving the Japanese platforms in jeopardy.
Since Japan is the only country in the world that issues legal trading licenses, all large global trading exchanges are taking aggressive measures to enter the Japanese market, including frenetically applying for, buying and selling licenses, acquiring business stake with technology assets, and shell resource replacement. Many have failed, including not only Chinese startups, but also American, British and Singaporean platforms. On June 27, the market invasion attempt by several big international exchanges was foiled again by Japan.
At the end, several big players emerged victorious. Yahoo acquired BitARG and Madison Holdings acquired BITOCEAN's shares, with BITMEX as the real buyer behind the scene allegedly.
Besides battles with other exchanges, Coincheck also needs to fight for customers with big players in social APPs, such as LINE, who has joined the race after sensing opportunities. Motivated by the success of AliPay, Line, the largest Japanese and Korean social APP has launched its online payment system and started its effort to foray into the digital currency market in an aggressive manner. Furthermore, in October, the FSA established the “China Financial Research Association”, focusing on analysis of Chinese online payment and Fintech companies. Just as ChainDD analyzed before, AliPay is the biggest winner in this wave of blockchain frenzy.
Furthermore, how many regulation-violating platforms are making a fortune in silence? Coincheck is still facing too many worthy opponents. (This article was published on ChianDD Chinese, author Yuki.)


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LOS ANGELES, 2015-9-1 — /EPR Retail News/ — Ralphs Grocery Company, and the entire Kroger family of stores, will hold open interviews on Tues., Sept. 15, for all veterans and their family members. Ralphs is hiring to fill an estimated 1,000 positions in its stores. Nationwide, The Kroger Co. is hiring to fill an estimated 20,000 permanent positions in its supermarket divisions.
Veterans and their family members need only to fill out on application online at https://jobs.kroger.com/ralphs/ by Sept. 13, and then return to a store on Sept. 15, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. (no appointment necessary).
Ralphs along with the entire Kroger family of stores hired more than 6,000 veterans in 2014, and has hired more than 29,000 veterans since 2009 as part of its commitment to active duty troops and the nation’s 23 million veterans through “Honoring Our Heroes,” a multi-faceted program the company designed to show its deep gratitude.
In addition, Ralphs along with the entire Kroger family of stores are proud to have helped the “100,000 Jobs Mission” surpass its original goal in January 2014, seven years early. The “100,000 Jobs Mission” is a coalition of more than 130 companies with the common goal of hiring more than 100,000 transitioning service members and military veterans by 2020.
“Ralphs is deeply committed to the nation’s veterans and their families, and we continue to seek out opportunities to honor heroes through career opportunities,” said Donna Giordano, president of Ralphs. “Ralphs is a place where you can come for a job and stay for a career,” she said, noting that the majority of Ralphs store managers started as part-time clerks.
“Ralphs is a company that veterans can be proud to work for because of its robust involvement in our local communities,” said Ken Boatner, a Sales Manager in Ralphs Marketing Department and U.S. Marine Corps veteran. “It has given me the opportunity to be part of a team and connect to something bigger.”
The online application requests an email address, employment history and education information and takes about 30 minutes to complete. Ralphs is asking applicants to input the hashtag #HonoringOurHeroes in the “Search by keyword” field at the top of https://jobs.kroger.com/ralphs/when applying online to be eligible for an in-store interview on September 15.
Through the Honoring Our Heroes program, Ralphs along with the entire Kroger family of stores have raised more than $11.9 million since 2010 to help support USO programs, which represents the largest cumulative gift to the USO in its nearly 75-year history.
About Ralphs Grocery Company
Ralphs Grocery Company was founded in 1873 and currently operates 209 supermarkets from its headquarters in Los Angeles. Ralphs is a subsidiary of The Kroger Co., (NYSE:KR), one of the nation’s largest food retailers, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more about Ralphs, please visit our web site at www.ralphs.com.
SOURCE Ralphs Grocery Company


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The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), or that group known in the United States for bombarding people with horrifying images of animal slaughter, has decided to take its anti-fur message to China with a much more subdued—and even classier—marketing approach.
PETA, which has become, as Adland puts it, a “terrible tarnished brand” in the United States thanks to its tacky, over-the-top ad campaigns, enlisted a top ad agency to rework its image in China. Ogilvy & Mather Beijing worked with the organization to devise a campaign that relied not on shock value or D-list celebrities in skimpy outfits, but rather on a highly stylized combination of physical and digital media meant to draw attention, but not disgust.
As you can see from the video above (warning: graphic images before 0:34), the company created billboards with animals whose “fur” was actually made up of thousands of needles, and every time someone pledged their support online, one of the needles changed into a hair. Chinese celebrities and public opinion leaders helped spread word of the campaign, which called on the general public through social media and video to vow not to wear fur.
This campaign came about at a time in which China has been in the news for a slew of animal-cruelty related incidents. In addition to taking the blame as the main market for endangered animal parts such as ivory, tiger skins, and rhino horns, the country is also known for particularly inhumane practices such as bear bile extraction. This summer, a group of Chinese tourists stirred an uproar on social media when they posted pictures of themselves catching endangered sea animals in the Paracels—and then, to readers’ horror, cooking them for dinner.
The issue at hand is not that Chinese people are inherently crueler to wildlife, but rather that there is simply a lack of education on the subject, which PETA is trying to change. According to a recent article in Tea Leaf Nation discussing Chinese tourists’ “assault on wildlife”, one of the reviled tourists on the aforementioned trip “bragged about eating an endangered giant clam at the Paracels, but also snapped pictures of a baby sea turtle, declaring: ‘We must take care of them!’”
According to the article, education and institutional oversight are the main factors needed to reverse this naiveté, and both will give way to gradual change:
In particular, the development of environmental conscience and practical know-how is a long institutional process that takes decades. In the 1950s, middle-class Americans dumped their trash on the ground after picnics. In recent decades, collecting one’s trash before leaving has become the norm there. Now, a similar shift is happening among middle class Chinese. There are stories like that of Chinese millionaire Wenyue Bing (翁岳兵), a scuba diving enthusiast who has taken on great personal expense to develop Chinese training programs for responsible tourism in the South China Sea.
As norms change, economic incentives remain arguably the most powerful drivers. For example, Beijing residents are already prodigious recyclers, hoarding and collecting every little bit of plastic, electric wire, paper, and other recyclable trash to sell at the end of the month.
PETA takes less of an “educational” approach in lieu of one based more on traditional advertising—through the use of celebrity endorsements and a highly stylized, technologically advanced campaign, being anti-fur becomes stylish and trendy. The campaign was highly effective in terms of response: the video states that 80,000 pledged their support online.
It is yet to be seen whether or not anti-fur attitudes will catch on as they have in the the United States, where fur sales have dropped by more than a third between 2002 and 2012. In the near future, this new wave of animal rights advocacy has its work cut out for it: as fur sales have slumped elsewhere, they have more than tripled in China over the past decade, and fashion designers have actually been using more fur in their collections as a result of rising Chinese and Russian demand.


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Official 3D images of the upcoming Samsung foldable phones Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 were recently revealed, which provide a clear look at the design of these versions.
The Korean giant is preparing to launch new versions of its foldable phones at an event to be held in August, according to the leaks that have come so far.
In official photos of the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3, the Galaxy Z Fold3 has a hole for the front camera, with a design that mimics the Galaxy Z Fold2.
The three-dimensional images also confirm the support of the Fold3 phone for the S Pen this year, but the leaks indicate that the pen comes with special features in this version.
The phone also includes triple settings in the rear camera with a vertical design that ends with LED flash, which are lower settings than the front in the Galaxy S21 Ultra, so it is expected that the phone will come with the same settings provided in the Galaxy Z Fold2 camera, which includes a camera with wide viewing angles, ultra-wide and tele-supports 2 to 3 times optical zoom.
On the other hand, the Galaxy Z Fold3 phone appears with a design that is thinner than the previous version when folded. The images also reveal the Galaxy Z Flip3 phone, which appears in the pictures with a dual-color design, and a dual camera, as well as a larger external screen. The phone also features a metal design with a glass cut in the screen location.
Note: The content of this news was written by Technology without limits It does not express an opinion Egypt today But it was transferred with its content as it is from Technology without limits We are not responsible for the content of the news and the custody of the aforementioned source.
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Why those Samsung batteries exploded
But I recalled it voluntarily.
Reports of the battery explosion on the 5 million Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone have raised concerns about its safety.
Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration warned passengers not to turn on or charge during their flight-
Even put them in checked baggage.
Some international airlines have imposed similar restrictions on travel using smartphones.
The Consumer Product Safety Board recommends that consumers stop charging or using the device.
\"Here is the information you need to know about lithium batteries that may power many of your Technologies ---
Why are they on fire sometimes?
What is lithium ion battery and why is it so popular?
The lithium ion battery is a little different from the basicAA battery you use to power the TV remote.
They are rechargeable and usually built directly into the device and rely on lithium as the primary fuel.
Lithium-ion batteries are particularly popular in devices such as laptops and mobile phones, because they store energy efficiently and charge slowly.
\"You will get a lot of oomph relative to the old technique of the same size ---
It\'s usually two to four times the voltage, \"explains Stephen Hackney, a professor of materials science and engineering at Michigan University of Technology.
How do they work?
Like almost all batteries, lithium-ion batteries work by storing energy and releasing it through a controlled chemical reaction.
Two electrodes for lithium ion batteries-
The place where power can enter or leave the battery.
An electrode called an anode is filled with negatively charged ions.
Another electrode called the cathode contains ions and lithium with positive electricity.
You can think of the anode and cathode, just like the positive and negative symbols you often see on the battery.
Lithium moves from cathode to anode when you use battery--
Lithium goes back to the cathode when you charge it.
There is a separator inside to prevent contact between the anode and the cathode, as this can cause accidents such as fire and explosion.
So what is the cause of the explosion?
The reason you can inject so much energy into lithium-ion batteries is that lithium basically \"wants to react to almost anything \"---
This could lead to explosive results, Hackney said.
But he says one of the most common causes of battery explosions is errors during charging.
Inside the battery-dependent device, the software tells them how much the battery should charge and how fast it should charge.
If these schemes are correct, it can disrupt the stability of some chemicals inside the battery and cause a chain reaction, which the researchers believe may result in a fire or explosion.
Overheating can also cause an explosion, which is why your phone may pop up with a warning that needs to be cooled when it gets too hot.
Another reason may be shoddy or rough treatment by users.
If unwanted materials, such as metal scrap, are accidentally placed inside the battery when it is made, they short-circuit the battery of the battery and cause the heat to get out of control.
Therefore, if the impact causes the separator to break between the anode and the cathode, the device may be dropped.
What happened to Galaxy Note 7?
This seems to be a manufacturing problem.
The company said in a statement on its UK website that the company reported at least 35 cases of batteries assembled due to \"very rare manufacturing process errors\" in anode and cathode contact
The company decided to temporarily withdraw from the market two weeks after the launch of the phone and provide a replacement for those who have already purchased the device.
How often do these types of problems occur?
According to Hackney, the good news is that they are very rare, especially in high school.
Terminal equipment when manufacturers pay close attention to production quality.
But there are already a lot of highprofilecases.
For example, as early as 2006, Dell recalled more than 4 million laptop battery packs due to burning problems.
On 2013, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was grounded by the FAA because of a fire caused by a lithium-ion battery used in the aircraft. And, a half-
Millions of floating skateboards were one of the most popular gifts of the last holiday season and were canceled this summer due to a lithium-ion battery explosion.
Are the regulators investigating these batteries?
The government and international organizations have already regulated lithium-ion batteries in many ways, which may be one of the reasons why we have not seen more explosions.
For example, the Transportation Department has regulations on how to safely transport batteries. Other U. S.
The regulations also require a variety of safety tests for batteries that end up with consumer goods, and the consumer goods safety board oversees many recalls involving lithium-ion battery products.
The agency is working with Samsung to formally recall the Galaxy Note 7 in the United States.