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* Plan could see spin-off or initial public offering
* Money-losing business long seen as tough sale
* PPR shares rise nearly 2 pct
(Adds background, analyst and trader comments)
PARIS, Oct 8 (Reuters) - PPR will announce itsplans for a possible stock market listing or spin-off of book,electronics and CD retailer Fnac following a presentation tostaff on Tuesday, a source familiar with the matter said onMonday.
The plan will then be put to shareholders for approval atnext year's annual general meeting, the source said.
"PPR's board is due to meet tomorrow on the plan to splitfrom Fnac before it's presented to the brand's workers," thesource told Reuters. "The exit plan is not completely decided,it could consist of a spin-off or stock market listing."
PPR is exiting its retail businesses to focus on its luxurybrands, including Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, and sportslifestyle brands Puma and Volcom. It sold furniture retailerConforama last year and said last week it would update investorson plans to sell its Redcats mail order unit before Oct. 25.
Fnac, which has suffered as consumers turn to the Internet,saw recurring operating income drop 47 percent last year. Fnacswung to a loss of 7.5 million euros in the first half of thisyear while luxury profit rose 30 percent.
"Fnac has a good chance of attracting private equity orindustrial bids," a Paris-based trader said, citing a price ofaround 550 million euros ($718 million). "On the other hand, anIPO of Fnac would not be an easy thing to organize in thecurrent market mood."
The disposal of PPR's retail assets could boost the stock,depending on the price, as well as paving the way for luxuryacquisitions, the trader added.
Still, PPR has struggled to get bids for Redcats at thevaluation it wanted and bankers have long viewed Fnac as an eventougher sale.
"If you look at it in terms of electronics, they'redefinitely in trouble," said one Paris-based investment banker."Bookshops aren't in the best shape either."
Shares in PPR were up 1.7 percent higher at 123.75 euros by0733 GMT, the only gainers on a 1.4 percent weaker French CAC 40index for a rise of close to 12 percent this year.
Analysts at CM-CIC Securities put a value of 775 millioneuros on Fnac, or 6.1 euros a share, saying a spin-off was asuitable option given "the difficulty of selling this asset".
The analysts raised there price target for the stock to 150euros from 136 euros, adding it to their list of recommendedstocks with a "buy" rating.
PPR declined to comment.($1 = 0.7657 euros)
(Reporting by Pascale Denis, Additional reporting by ChristianPlumb and Blaise Robinson; Writing by James Regan; Editing byChristian Plumb)
Keywords: PPR FNAC/


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Nintendo recently announced that it will be developing Mario and Donkey Kong games for mobile smartphones and that these games will be free to play. In cooperation with DeNA, Nintendo plans to release the first games in March 2016. Details about the apps, including the names of the actual titles, remain a mystery. For now, the only mobile app we know anything about is Miitomo, so here’s hoping more details emerge soon.
The big N’s foray into the mobile market has met with widespread approval from fans and has also been healthy for the company’s stocks. Its decision to release its first set of mobile games for free is both a fan pleaser and a wise marketing strategy, as in-app transactions have proven in the past to be profitable endeavors. On the other hand, many gamers are wary of free-to-play games and dislike the idea of spending money in order to gain benefits in games.
@nintendolife freemium is a business model that needs to die!
— Richard Langworthy (@richardeane) November 11, 2015
“I don’t think Nintendo has a very smart mobile strategy,” complain fans as they buy another go in Badge Arcade. https://t.co/nFIgqiEz9j
— Jeremy Parish (@gamespite) November 11, 2015
Of course, players don’t necessarily need to spend money on freemium games in order to play. It just makes the game more convenient. And don’t forget, there are real people putting real time and effort into these apps. As a developer, it’s their right to make earnings from their products. Whether the practice of freemium is evil or not, money speaks louder than words. As long as players claim to dislike it while still making in-app purchases, companies will listen to the profits, not the tweets.

domain: news


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LG will unveil its first 5G smartphone at this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) on February 24 in Barcelona, Spain. The smartphone, which the company did not name yet, will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor. The chipset will be 45 per cent faster than the previous generation processor, the company said.
In the press release, LG said that its 5G-ready smartphone will come with something called ‘Vapor Chamber’ that will help it protect from excessive heat. According to LG, this technique ensures more heat-proof performance than existing heat pipes. The phone will be backed by a 4,000mAh battery.
North America, South Korea, and Europe will likely be one of the first few markets where LG will bring its 5G smartphone. In August, LG said it plans to launch a 5G smartphone US network operator Sprint in the first half of 2019. In Europe, LG said it has collaborated with several operators for the launch of its 5G smartphone.
LG is also rumoured to show off its G8 flagship smartphone at the same event on February 24. The high-end smartphone is expected to come with a secondary display that you can attach and detach, as per your convenience.
It’s also being said that the G8 will have some sort of touchless gestures, though we are not aware of how they actually work. Previously there were rumours that the G8 ThinQ could feature a 3D camera and a sound on display technology.
LG plans to announce several new smartphones on February 24. MWC 2019 kicks off on February 25 and will continue till February 28. Major companies including Sony, HMD Global (Nokia) and Oppo have plans to introduce new flagships during the annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) tech trade show.


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We present to you the top five navigation apps available on Android.
Portable navigation devices are passé, all thanks to the smartphones we have today and the applications available in both paid as well as free forms that people can use to navigate around the city as well as to far off places where internet connectivity is unavailable. When it comes to navigation Google Android has made available a slew of options and applications from both new and old app developers, so we present to you the top five navigation apps available on Android.
Some tablets and smartphones that lack active GPS scanners and chips might support the applications but would be useless because they don't provide data connectivity, so before purchasing paid apps make sure they are compatible with your device.
This is one of the most popular Indian mapping solutions that are available for users here. MapMyIndia is by far the most detailed mapping and navigation service with street level maps of 4000+ cities of India, house-level detail for 36 cities, 20 cities in full 3D and 6.3 million unique destinations.
With the MapMyIndia Navigator app, users can search places and mark their favorite locations, and can find places like restaurants, ATMs, hotels, hospitals and more by category or name. Users can then select and navigate to the destination chosen and save frequented destinations as favorites. Moreover, the application automatically generates a new route if the driver misses a turn. Users can shake their phone to instantly start navigation to their home address from wherever they are.
On major highways, the application notifies drivers when they exceed the posted speed limit. The MapMyIndia Navigator app switches to night-time mode automatically, allowing for safer viewing conditions while driving at night.
To make it possible such apps use data connectivity or internet connection.
Huawei and Samsung launched their flagship smartphones this week.
F8 is meant to be a developer conference, where discussion are held and presentation being presented about next big thing from Facebook.
Here we present to you five other smartphones which carry a similar or near about pricing as that of Q450.
With 4 GB RAM and Intel's quad core processor, it is said to be seven times faster than its predecessor.
The Mi Pad is Xiaomi's first tablet offering in the Indian market.
Samsung, had unveiled the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this month and both the phones are completely different from previous Samsung smartphones.
Both the phones come in three storage variants – 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB.
This week Xolo launched two new phones while Datawind made a comeback with three cheap handsets.
The company has also made it amply clear by posting several teasers of M1 Note on its Facebook India page.


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Apple & China UnionPay to Provide Apple Pay back to China
BEIJING — December 18, 2015 — Apple® and China UnionPay now declared a partnership to convey Apple Pay®, which transforms cellular payments with an quick, safe and personal way to pay back, to China. China UnionPay cardholders will be equipped to very easily add their bank playing cards to Apple Pay back on iPhone®, Apple Watch® and iPad®, furnishing added advantage and security to every day purchasing.
“China UnionPay is committed to marketing payment innovations and providing secure, handy mobile payment ordeals for its hundreds of hundreds of thousands of cardholders, aligning many parties in the market,” reported Chai Hongfeng, government vice president of China UnionPay. “We’re really thrilled to give Apple Fork out amid a numerous set of impressive payment options that work with China UnionPay QuickPass.”
“Apple Pay out has revolutionized the way thousands and thousands of individuals spend each and every day with their Apple iphone, Apple Watch and iPad,” claimed Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of World-wide-web Computer software and escort providers in Washington DC. “China is an particularly critical industry for Apple and with China UnionPay and assistance from 15 of China’s main banking companies, consumers will quickly have a hassle-free, private and safe payment practical experience.”
China UnionPay’s QuickPass and Apple Spend together will defend shopper payment information and facts through industry-leading payment tokenization know-how. Safety is at the main of Apple Fork out, so when you insert a credit or debit card, the actual card quantities are not saved on the machine, nor on Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Selection is assigned, encrypted and securely saved in a focused chip named the Safe Component on your system. Each and every transaction is also authorized with a one-time exclusive dynamic safety code.
Shelling out is uncomplicated with the contact of a finger and can take place in a person movement. In merchants, there’s no require to open an application or wake your show. With the modern NFC antenna design and style, simply just keep Iphone close to China UnionPay’s QuickPass-enabled POS terminals with your finger on Touch ID® to pay. With Apple View, just double simply click the aspect button and maintain the look at encounter up to the contactless reader to make a obtain right from your wrist. Browsing inside apps accepting Apple Pay back has in no way been much easier and there’s no will need to manually fill out prolonged account forms or continuously style in shipping and delivery and billing information and facts.
Apple Fork out will roll out to China UnionPay cardholders as soon as early 2016 soon after applicable checks and certification essential by Chinese regulators, with the DC escort services alone in compliance with the applicable national mobile payment and fiscal field criteria in China.


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New York (Dec. 2, 2003) - The nation’s businesses are getting better at uncovering fraud within their respective organizations, according to a comprehensive fraud survey conducted by Big Four firm KPMG.
Some 75 percent of those responding to KPMG’s fraud poll indicated they discovered some type of fraud at their organizations, compared to 62 percent of those responding to a similar survey some five years ago.
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The first ever Lightning-charged power bank has finally arrived thanks to the folks at Belkin.
Say goodbye to that Micro-USB cable you’ve been carrying around.
iPhone owners can now use the same Lightning cable that charges their iPhone to power-up Belkin’s new battery, dubbed the BOOST↑CHARGE Power Bank Lightning 10K. It’s also the first Lightning-equipped battery that meets Apple’s MiFi certification standards.
The new portable charger packs 10,000mah of battery power and two USB ports. One port charges faster at 2.1A, while the other port charges slower at 1A. You can recharge the bank with a regular Lightning cable or via a dock that’s sold separately.
Weighing in at just 8 ounces, the Lightning power bank is slightly smaller than a Plus-sized iPhone but it’s a good deal thicker. It comes in black and white color options and is priced at $59.99. Belkin is taking pre-orders for the 10k power bank starting today. Units are expected to ship to customers in August.


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Travel company sends 187 people on eight-day trip to Greece as Covid holiday experiment
12 April 2021, 11:05 | Updated: 12 April 2021, 11:15
A Dutch travel company is taking a group of tourists to a Greek Island to see if tourism is feasible during the coronavirus pandemic.
A travel company is taking almost 200 people to Greece today (April 12) to test how feasible tourism is during the coronavirus pandemic.
Dutch firm Sunweb is taking a group of 187 tourists to the Isle of Rhodes for eight days.
The trip will cost €399 (£344; $472) per person, which will be paid for by the tourists themselves.
The group will not be allowed to leave the resort, and they will have to quarantine for up to 10 days when they return home.
A whopping 25,000 people applied to be part of the experiment, and the tickets were awarded according to who applied first.
Successful participants needed to be between the ages of 18-70, and have no high-risk health conditions, reports the BBC.
Corina Gouderjaan, 51, told Dutch broadcaster RTL Nieuws why she had applied for a ticket, saying: "First I got corona and got very sick. Then I lost my job. So now what? I’m looking forward to doing absolutely nothing at a resort and recovering from this turbulent year."
The chosen tourists were tested for Covid-19 before their trip, and they will also be tested after.
If anyone tests positive for Covid-19 during the trip, they will have to quarantine at a Greek Covid hotel - which will be paid for by the company.
Frank van Oostdam of holiday sector association ANVR told RTL Nieuws: "The Dutch can’t wait to go on holiday abroad again and the industry wants to get going again as well.
"But it has to be done safely and in a coronavirus-proof way. I have total confidence that this initiative will show you can enjoy a carefree holiday with a travel company."


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|Day Low/High||23.59 / 26.08|
|52 Wk Low/High||9.04 / 34.14|
U.S. stock futures rise as investors await a key decision on interest rates from the Federal Reserve; FedEx sinks after issuing its second warning about fiscal 2019 profit; Google's new cloud-based video-game playing and sharing platform, Stadia, will be powered by chips made by Advanced Micro Devices.
Advanced Micro Devices shares extended gains in pre-market trading Wednesday after Alphabet said the chipmaker's Radeon GPUs, as well as its developer tools, will be used in Google's new video game streaming service Stadia.
Jim Cramer says there's a lot to like about this market, but he says we can't ignore that it's prone to trade-related woes.
Google wants to reshape how games are experienced with Stadia, its newly announced streaming service. But some gamers and industry watchers are scratching their heads over how well Stadia will work -- and how it'll stack up against Microsoft or Amazon.
Stadia will allow players to join games instantly without the need for a console.
At Nvidia's annual GTC conference, the company played up its partnership with Red Hat and the potential of a new analytics and machine learning software platform.
Semiconductor stocks are on the move. Find out why the ActionAlertsPLUS team chose Lam Research for its portfolio.
The positive outlook for the rest of 2019 by Broadcom CEO Hock Tan was lifting shares of many companies in the semiconductor sector.
Jim Cramer looks at Boeing, Dick's Sporting Goods and more -- and shows investors how to really understand the markets and stock-picking.
Nvidia and Mellanox have many common customers, and also a major common competitor in Intel.
A well-connected analyst just raised his 2019 estimates for Samsung's flagship phone line, citing better-than-expected demand in China and elsewhere.
It's time to buy using very wide scales.
AMD is not growing as fast as shareholders believe, yet its shares are still priced very richly.
Stocks were down Monday. A head scratcher. The explanation is blindingly clear.
Jim Cramer asks whether there aren't enough good things happening that we can sustain an advance without a China deal.
It's the group to buy every time you hear that trade talks might falter simply because it has much more going for it than just China or cellphones.
What might this mean for the charts and indicators?
TD Ameritrade trading strategy expert breaks down what retail investors did in February and what they should do after the trade truce deadline March 1.
The GPU giant just launched a new mid-range product that has done well in reviews. And it might be prepping a new high-end offering.
Spending on online ads is still growing at a healthy double-digit clip. Google, Facebook and Amazon will benefit, as should some smaller players.
Nvidia, AMD and Intel could be beneficiaries of a trade deal between the world's two largest economies.
Walmart and Papa John's were two stocks in focus on Tuesday, but semiconductor stocks could move on trade talks ahead of March 1.
I envision $25 as the biggest hurdle.
Things are about to normalize and they are going to normalize in gaming first and then the data center next.
The graphics chip giant's quarterly sales guidance was light, but its full-year outlook implies demand will improve meaningfully later in the year.
AMD, Nvidia and one other chip maker could benefit from Google's planned expansion.
You've heard the name Nvidia, but what does it actually do?
The big chipmaker and its CEO, Jensen Huang, need to reclaim investor trust on Thursday.
There are a number of good reasons to be bullish on chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc., including big gains in the fast-growing data center server market. But proceed with caution, with other companies in the sector facing slowing sales.
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Oculus Go is a standalone VR headset coming in early 2018 for just $199
This article originally appeared on our sister site, VRSource.com.
The Oculus Rift VR headset is going to be joined soon by a smaller brother that will not require the use of a smartphone or PC. The Oculus Go, revealed today as part of the Oculus Connect 4 developer conference, is slated to be released in early 2018 and will cost $199.
See also: Best upcoming Oculus Rift games
The announcement was made by none other than Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook, of course, is the parent company of Oculus). The Oculus Go headset is supposed to be very light and will have a high-resolution LCD screen, along with lenses that are supposed to offer owners “a wide field of view with significantly reduced glare”. Engadget added that the displays will have a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440
Oculus Go will also come with integrated speakers but it will stil have a 3.5 mm headphone jack. While the headset is a standalone product, developers who are making apps and games for the Samsung Gear VR (which uses Oculus tech) will be able to port those apps to the Oculus Go. The company says that the best of its mobile content will be available for the Oculus Go for its launch.
At the moment, that’s all we have on this new product, but Oculus promises more information will be revealed before it is released early next year.
Oculus also revealed information about another next-generation standalone VR hardware product, with the codename “Santa Cruz”. It showed off two positionally tracked controllers, with infrared LEDs, that will work with the inside-out tracking on the headset. This will reportedly allow the “Santa Cruz” hardware to offer owners “natural and unrestricted movement” while playing VR games. However, it may be a while before we see an actual consumer product with this technology go on sale.


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Barclays Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Braze (BRZE)
MacWilliams covers the Technology sector, focusing on stocks such as Five9, Gitlab, and Atlassian. According to TipRanks, MacWilliams has an average return of 16.0% and a 61.97% success rate on recommended stocks.
Braze has an analyst consensus of Strong Buy, with a price target consensus of $39.00, a 14.71% upside from current levels. In a report released yesterday, Canaccord Genuity also maintained a Buy rating on the stock with a $38.00 price target.
The company has a one-year high of $50.97 and a one-year low of $22.54. Currently, Braze has an average volume of 686.7K.
Based on the recent corporate insider activity of 83 insiders, corporate insider sentiment is negative on the stock. This means that over the past quarter there has been an increase of insiders selling their shares of BRZE in relation to earlier this year. Last month, Magnuson William, the CEO of BRZE sold 11,301.00 shares for a total of $335,074.65.
TipRanks has tracked 36,000 company insiders and found that a few of them are better than others when it comes to timing their transactions. See which 3 stocks are most likely to make moves following their insider activities.
Braze Inc is a customer engagement platform that powers customer-centric interactions between consumers and brands. The company provides solutions for Retail & E-commerce, Media & Entertainment, Financial Services, and Travel & Hospitality related industries.
Read More on BRZE:


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It seems the wait is over, and Frank Ocean’s new album is streaming on his website right now. After breaking the hearts of his fans many times in recent months, Frank Ocean could be back in the good books. The video of the makeshift workshop is back in action, and the spiral staircase is coming together.
Head to boysdontcry.co immediately to hear the tunes. Last time the stream only worked on Safari.
Apple a have just announced “ENDLESS” a film by Frank Ocean is now available on Apple Music for subscribers, we assume Australia will have to wait a little longer.


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When New York regulators were looking into ways to control Bitcoin in 2014, executives at Wall Street’s biggest banks were concerned that regulating cryptocurrencies would also legitimize them, posing a threat to the finance industry. As a result, they attempted to sow doubt.
But with the potential and acceptance of Bitcoin, in 2015, the New York Department of Financial Services began issuing licenses to Bitcoin businesses. Bitcoin now has over 75 million users, up from about 3 million people 7 years ago, and the number of digital currencies has skyrocketed. As per a report, 220 million people worldwide use cryptocurrencies.
The banking industry is now attempting to catch up. Banks would like to compete and profit in this new world. Their strategy consists of two parts: going to experiment with cryptocurrency offerings and pushing regulators to create rules that benefit banks. Some wealthy clients are being offered cryptocurrency investments. Others are considering Bitcoin trading desks. In 2019, JPMorgan even launched its own digital currency.
Instead of cautioning regulators about cryptocurrencies, banking industry representatives are now complaining that regulators have not acted quickly enough, costing banks precious time in their mission to compete.
Their initial skepticism, however, has cost them time. Around the traditional banking industry, a new financial world is emerging. Credit cards and loans are being offered by cryptocurrency start-ups. People and businesses all over the world are rapidly adopting digital currencies. Governments are also getting involved. El Salvador announced that it will accept Bitcoin as legal tender. And, following in the footsteps of other central banks around the world, the Federal Reserve is considering launching its own digital currency.
There are some top banks who have invested in Cryptocurrency, let’s have a look.
Ripple, a blockchain network, is among the bank’s investments. XRP is currently one of the market’s most valuable cryptocurrencies. The bank recognizes that cryptocurrencies have developed a fresh ecosystem that fiat currencies cannot replace. Standard Chartered PLC’s venture divisions, which are also part of universally systemically significant banks, revealed the existence of a cryptocurrency custodian in July 2020.
JP Morgan has prioritized the development of digital blockchain assets. When the company was founded, its onyx division had been under construction for 5 years and employed over 100 people. The JPM coin, a bank token, and link, a blockchain-based interbank payment network, are the division’s main products. Previously, the crypto was skeptical of digital currencies, but JP Morgan and the group gradually planned on trusted digital currencies for the benefit of their clients.
JP Morgan is now the first bank to create an existence in the metaverse, predicting a $1 trillion market opportunity. virtual property.
Barclays is not your average bank; it is one of the best in terms of investment, and it has revealed cryptocurrencies and their ability. According to Barclays, Bitcoin has a high potential for offering benefits from distribution and extreme volatility.
Goldman Sachs wasn’t always enthusiastic about cryptocurrency. It initially denied taking cryptocurrencies as an asset class, but later changed its mind. Its new report interviewed several crypto and finance experts to discuss the power of digital currencies as an institutional asset class in depth.
This shows that the acceptance of crypto and the benefits related to it is being released by banks and late but they are embracing cryptocurrency. Even though crypto doesn’t bring in substantial revenues for banks, they want to burn the bridge between them and the crypto world.
LCX AG is a company founded in 2018 and registered in Liechtenstein No. FL-0002.580.678-2. LCX AG is regulated by the Financial Market Authority of Liechtenstein under the registration No. 288159 as a trusted technology service provider.
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LCX AG © 2018-2024. All Rights Reserved


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Postal Department sees 45% growth in ecommerce parcel handling in 2014-15 IT and Communications minister Ravi Shankar Prasad states that the Department of Posts has handled cash on delivery of Rs 500 crore till March 2015, which crossed Rs 1,000 crore in December 2015, and expected to reach Rs 1,500 crore by the end of fiscal year 2016. The postal department has set up 48 new parcel processing centres in the last 18 months, and plans to add 9 more in the financial year. This has led to 45% overall revenue growth in the parcel segment by 45% during 2014-15 and more than 100% in the current financial year. Speed Post registered a 12.5% growth in the current financial year, up from 8.9% last year, bringing overall revenues of Rs 1,100 crore till this month. Amazon India’s booking increased from an average of 50,000 items every month last year to 300,000 per month in the current year; while Flipkart and Myntra’s bookings saw an increase from 15,000 monthly to 30,000-50,000 every month. The Indian postal department has the biggest network in the world, and digitising it will ‘redefine operations to tap into the ecommerce industry’ especially for last mile logistics and bring in revenue, Prasad added. Also read: Quartz’s The world’s largest postal network wants to become a bank - and it should *** 36,738 gram panchayats now have optical fibre cable laid out under NOFN/BharatNet Under the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) project, which has been now renamed to…
- Why did the Delhi High Court restrict use of Amitabh Bachchan’s image and voice? November 25, 2022
- Why did an Indian exchange, CoinDCX, publish its Proof of Reserves days after releasing its R2L ratio? November 25, 2022
- DPDP Bill, 2022 Has Received Good Response From Stakeholders: MeitY’s Ashwini Vaishnaw November 25, 2022
- Twitter Blocks Tweet of CJ Werleman’s YouTube Show Discussing Police Violence Against Indian Muslims November 25, 2022
- Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) says verify Aadhaar as ID proof using QR November 25, 2022
MediaNama’s mission is to help build a digital ecosystem which is open, fair, global and competitive.
The Structure and Style of a Dogma Community: Conspiracy theories and organized Twitter engagement on Sushant Singh Rajput
Studying the 'community' supporting the late Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR) shows how Twitter was gamed through organized engagement
Do we have an enabling system for the National Data Governance Framework Policy (NDGFP) aiming to create a repository of non-personal data?
A viewpoint on why the regulation of cryptocurrencies and crypto exchnages under 2019's E-Commerce Rules puts it in a 'grey area'
India's IT Rules mandate a GAC to address user 'grievances' , but is re-instatement of content removed by a platform a power it should...
Why ‘group privacy’ should be recognised, and how ‘non-personal’ data becomes a regulatory blindspot
There is a need for reconceptualizing personal, non-personal data and the concept of privacy itself for regulators to effectively protect data
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British web users now have a way to search for U.K.-specific content in privacy. Oscobo, a London-based search engine, launched last week. Its founders, who both ditched long term corporate careers, told Red Herring they became increasingly despondent with the way search engines were mining users’ data – and sought to create an alternative.
Fred Cornell worked at Yahoo for over a decade in London and Switzerland. “I learnt a lot, but I also saw firsthand what the industry does with personal information, and how it is being mined and sold and so on,” he says.
“They all seek to harvest your data, and I became uncomfortable with the whole scene, and especially since 2008/09 when the ad exchanges kicked in, I decided I wanted to do something about it and conceal privacy.”
Robert Perin, a longtime BlackBerry employee who knew Cornell since 2000, had grown similarly outraged at the state of online privacy. In 2013, backed by private funding, the pair began working on Oscobo, a Latin/Swedish name meaning, roughly, ‘not to probe’. On Wednesday, Oscobo’s site began receiving search queries. Cornell and Perin hope it can capitalize on a growing climate of privacy awareness in Europe and the US, in the wake of Edward Snowden’s revelations and the E.U.’s battle against Silicon Valley’s biggest players.
Across the Atlantic, DuckDuckGo, a similar search engine, has already flourished since its 2008 inception. This year it received over 3.25 billion search queries, which is a 74% increase on last year. Last month it topped 12 million daily queries for the first time.
Other engines have appeared since, such as Ixquick, Blippex and Startpage, while in Europe Swiss firm Hublee has been well-funded since its launch last year.
For now, though, Oscobo’s founders are happy to focus on the U.K. “Instead of going global we thought we’d hold on and launch here,” says Cornell. “London is probably the number one place to found a startup, and internet users in the UK believe in their rights and data privacy.” He adds that, if successful, the firm will seek to expand onto the continent later this year.
On the growing number of privacy search engines out there, Perin adds: “It’s not a Pepsi or Coke argument – there is room out there!”
For now privacy search engines only comprise a tiny part of the overall market. But it is changing rapidly, from 0.1% in 2014 to a projected 0.5% today. “We’re still talking about half a billion dollars in the next year or so,” says Cornell.
Above all, he adds, the social contract between provider and user that was present when he began in tech, has changed dramatically. “Back then it was very open,” he says. “It isn’t correct now, that when I leave someone’s website they can see what I’ve been looking at.
“Also, surveys done in North America and Europe tell us that people are increasingly concerned with their online privacy,” adds Cornell. “They are concerned about where data is stored, but we also see that people are concerned about what it is being used for. Who’s going to use that? Is it for targeted ads? Will I pay more for something? People really do not know what all this data is being used for.
“We think this is the year that people will really stand up and ask what their data is being used for.”


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Anyone who has dabbled in China’s online sphere would have heard the well-worn comparisons between Baidu and Google, and Alibaba and Amazon. On the surface Baidu looks very much like Google with search being the core pillar of its business and significant investments in AI, self driving vehicles and other things Google does. Yet Baidu’s relevance in China is fast diminishing with Alibaba’s ever-increasing significance quickly usurping many of the areas where Google leads outside of China. Here are seven of the reasons why:
1. Search: The most obvious comparison pundits make about Baidu and Google is search. However China Skinny research has found the customer journey of the average Chinese consumer to be starkly different than for consumers overseas. Whereas Google is the primary touchpoint for most online research in the West, in China it’s Alibaba. This is reflected in Alibaba’s digital advertising revenue which is forecast to total $16 billion in 2017, more than two thirds higher than Baidu’s $9.3 billion. Derived mainly through search, advertising revenue now accounts for 60% of Alibaba’s overall revenue.
Unlike in the West where brand.com sites account for a large share of online sales, in China over 80% happen on platforms. Around three quarters of all products sold on platforms happen on Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall which has seen them become the de facto source for researching products.
China’s ecommerce stores have 20-50 times more product information than the equivalent Amazon store and, coupled with extensive reviews, provide a comprehensive and reliable source for finding out about products. Baidu is much less trusted, with a reputation for opaque search results that rank based on payment, not on relevance. This has seen searches on Taobao for well-known products such as Nike shoes outnumber Baidu searches more than 10:1.
2. Innovation: When Google launched in 1998, its innovative and clean approach to search dragged the Internet from the dark clutches of Altavista, Excite and Yahoo results to something that was useful. Any study into the world’s most innovative companies is likely to include Google.
Much like Google came from nowhere to lead through customer-focused innovation, Alibaba did the same in China, toppling established players such as eBay. Unlike other categories such as search and social media, foreign ecommerce competitors were not blocked by the Government – meaning it was innovation, not Government protection that saw Alibaba take the lead. China Skinny tracks innovation across most categories in the China market and Alibaba continues to develop initiatives that sees it lead globally across a number of digital disciplines and integration.
3. Online Video: Video has become one of the most potent marketing channels both inside and outside of China and a boon for search revenue. When Google paid $1.65 billion for Youtube in 2006 many commentators considered it overpriced, however it is now considered one of the greatest tech acquisitions of all time, with a leading tech analyst estimating it to be worth over $75 billion today. With Youtube blocked in China, the market is led by Youku, which coincidently, Alibaba acquired the 80% it didn’t already own in 2015 for $4.6 billion.
4. Big Data. One of Google’s greatest assets is the data that it sources every time the logged in user watches a Youtube video, searches for something or writes in Gmail. Alibaba’s data capture arguably stretches even wider with their dominance in ecommerce, mobile payments and a wide-reaching series of other online and offline acquisitions. But one common theme both companies are using is the integration of customer data from their many assets, with AI to help make sense of it all and maximise the return.
5. Values: Google is well known for its ‘don’t be evil’ motto which it replaced with ‘do the right thing’ when it formed its parent company Alphabet in 2015. Whilst Google has some questionable tax practices, overall it holds true to its values – part of why it only has a tiny presence in China. Whilst both Baidu and Alibaba have had some negative press, Baidu last year for health product-related searches, Alibaba for selling counterfeits and driving widespread use of unsustainable packaging, Alibaba and its founder Jack Ma is a pioneer in China’s corporate social responsibility field through a myriad of causes including the environment, rural poverty, women equality, LGBT and even rugby union.
6. Social Media: Not all the similarities are positive. Both Google and Alibaba have had numerous failed attempts at making an impact in the social media space. Google has failed in a host of attempts since 2004 with Orkut, Dodgeball, Latitude, Google Buzz, and most famously with Google+. Similarly Alibaba has tried and failed on countless attempts to dethrone China’s social media giant Tencent. In saying that, Alibaba does own 32% of Weibo – a poor cousin of Tencent’s WeChat but still number two in China’s crowded social media sphere. It is also incorporating social elements into its shopping and payment apps.
7. ‘Light Weight’ Operations Like Google, Not Amazon
Much like Amazon, Alibaba has a cloud computing business, is in the entertainment game, invested in a high-profile newspaper, and has some interesting innovations around checkout-less retail stores. Yet unlike Amazon which spends significant sums on holding stock and end-to-end fulfilment, Alibaba’s core business is just a digital platform that cleverly passes those costs over to brands and vendors. As a result, Alibaba’s margins are a much healthier 63c in every dollar spent versus 0.5c for Amazon. Google’s margins are lower, but remain enviable at 30.3% and much more lightweight than Amazon.
In summary, next time you hear the ‘Baidu is China’s Google’ rhetoric, spare a thought for Alibaba which is becoming more like Google every day - with Chinese characteristics. But, like many things in China it is difficult to compare like with like as there really are no direct comparisons.


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Like any other multinational corporations, Apple has been through a lot ever since its inception. The company has faced numerous challenges including frauds of varying types. The giant technological company has learned from its experiences and has kept in place strict regulations and checks to make sure that they are not being victims of fraudulent activities from within and outside the organization. Although Apple has always been aware of scams outside the organization that ruined their name, they were more focused on assuring that no one from inside their organization could betray their trust by outsourcing their secrets or by other means.
However, Dhirendra Prasad, an Indian origin man, has now been convicted of fraud with the giant tech conglomerate. This man had not only managed to get extra cash from his ventures into the criminal world, he also was successful in tricking Apple into thinking nothing was wrong for several years until the fraud as uncovered. Apple has several checks put in place to ensure that such a situation does not arise, but Prasad had it all planned out and used his connections to get knowledge about the company’s methods for detection of fraudulent activities. An investigation by the IRS revealed the criminal side of the ex Apple employee.
Previous frauds and why this was concerning:
This is not the first type of fraudulent activity that Apple has come across, but it would not be wrong to say that this was one which could have impacted them a lot more adversely over the long term. Like other giant corporations Apple had been a victim of Counterfeiting, fake warranty scams, phishing scams, etc. Among other types of frauds, the Tim Cook led company has also been the victim of data breaches and hacking attempts. Such incidents are said to have led to data leaks including customer data and intellectual property of the company.
However, these scams were never significant enough to affect the logistics of the brand. In Prasad’s case, Apple lost millions of dollars over years of fraudulent activity. Although these millions of dollars are not likely to affect the finances of the giant company to a large extent, the more concerning matter is the nature of the fraud. This was an internal fraud which went undetected for numerous years. There are several questions which also arise from the results of the IRS investigation. This could potentially sign to the presence of other such scams which the company was not able to detect. The loopholes in the fraud detection procedures of the company might have benefitted other individuals apart from Prasad. With this discovery, it is more than plausible for the tech giant company to encounter and unveil similar scams that could have drained them of billions of dollars in total.
The Case against Dhirendra Prasad:
The case was registered as a result of an IRS investigation that found red flags in the tax records of Prasad pertaining to his employment at Apple between the years 2008 and 2018. Dhirendra was initially charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of tax evasion. Earlier in November last year, Prasad had pled guilty to the first and fourth count and as let off the other allegations at the time of the judgement. Prasad was responsible to procure equipment for the firm to handle the repairing of products under warranty. As part of his position, Prasad as given the power to make several autonomous decisions to help him work more efficiently. However, Dhirendra used his powers to benefit his own self rather than the company he as employed at. He admitted to overcharging the company for things which were never used and increasing the actual sticker prices on the bills.
The only thing that got him to three years of prison sentence and over $19 million dollars in fine was not paying taxes on the money he earned through his schemes. His case becomes an important lesson for future fraudsters to launder their money using the proper means. However, with actions from Apple to strengthen their financial security and the IRS looking around for similar cases, fraudulent activities are going to be a difficult carrier choice.


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The 42 m.p.g. Chevrolet Cruze Diesel, unveiled at Chicago's auto show, will start at $24,885. / Sean Klingelhoefer/General Motors
The engine produces 148 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission will be standard equipment. / Sean Klingelhoefer/General Motors
Chevrolet's new diesel-powered 2014 Cruze will offer 42 m.p.g. and surprising power this spring as GM tries to import Europe's favorite fuel-economy technology to the U.S.
The Cruze's 2.0-liter turbodiesel delivers more power and matches the highway fuel economy of diesels that have become cult favorites with Volkswagen buyers. The engine produces 148 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission will be standard equipment.
"We expect to offer more features and value" than the Volkswagen Golf and Jetta compacts, said Cristi Landy, Chevrolet's small-car marketing chief. "This car leverages our global capabilities to bring the technology to the United States."
Diesels power about 40% of Cruzes sold in Europe.
Prices start at $24,885, excluding the $810 destination charge. That's $795 more than the least-expensive Jetta with an automatic transmission.
Chevrolet hopes to make up for that with two years of free maintenance and such standard features as leather upholstery, 17-inch alloy wheels, hands-free phone capability, touch-screen controls and voice recognition. Chevrolet says the diesel Cruze out-accelerates the Jetta, hitting 60 m.p.h. in 8.6 seconds.
Production begins in Lordstown, Ohio, in April. GM builds the engine in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Sales should begin in May or June. Chevy will initially concentrate on markets where German automakers already sell a lot of diesels, such as the West Coast, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Denver. The car will be available in the whole country, including Detroit, within a few months. Landy expects to have plenty of capacity to meet demand, but won't say how many Chevrolet expects to sell.
Contact Mark Phelan at 313-222-6731 or at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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As the population growth increases, the economy is starting to stabilize, thanks to an influx of new residents.
“Median sales prices for both existing single-family homes and for condo-townhouse properties rose in Florida during the second quarter – and that’s a trend we’ve been experiencing for quite some time,”
– Eric Sain, Realtor | Palm Beach
With new businesses being drawn to the area, median sales prices for homes in the area have increased by 3.3% since last year. Condo sales prices are up 2.9%. That means if you’re a homeowner in Florida, then your equity has likely increased. This means it’s a great time to sell – a “seller’s market”. Unfortunately, it’s not a great time to buy, unless you’re in the market for buying a foreclosure. The inventory is low and finding a lower-cost home is difficult for first-time-home buyers. The rental market remains high, with rents going up each year.
Interest rates are holding steady around 4.0% for a fixed-rate mortgage.
Interested in buying a home? Speak with one of our home buying professionals and get personalized service to finding the right mortgage for you.


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According to a story from the Kansas City Star, $100 million will be spent to upgrade the Kansas City Ford Motor Co. Assembly plant in Claycomo, Missouri. The upgrade is necessary for the facility to build Ford’s new E-Transit van.
Since Coronavirus hit back in the Spring, we've been spending more time inside. Evidence proves that by the upswing in sales of pinball machines. One company in Illinois that makes them says it's sold five times more than usual.


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The Google Pixel 6 and its elder brother, the Pixel 6 Pro, are among the latest flagship smartphones on the market right now. Although the Tensor chipset is capable of handling all tasks easily, Pixel 6 does have a number of bugs we cannot ignore. One of them is the Google Pixel 6 freezing touch-input issue. Fortunately, Google is working on a patch to fix the problem.
Many Pixel 6 users are experiencing random freezing and touch response blocking for a few seconds at a time. Currently, affected users are waiting for a Google patch fix. One of the Redditors /u/micku7zu reported about this issue recently. When the “canPerformGesture” accessibility service permission is enabled on the device, the screen may pause for about 1-2 seconds whenever the battery level drops by 1 percent.
In that scenario, you’ll have to disable all accessibility services on the device manually. Despite the fact that this is a tedious manual process, there is nothing else you can do. As long as Google does not release a patch fix, this method will have to be used. You may have to disable all accessibility services, such as Voice Access.
Also, it has been clarified by Google in its reply to the Google Issue Tracker report that the problem has been resolved. Accordingly, the upcoming Pixel 6 patch fix is likely to resolve the device freezing and touch-input blocking issues.


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1973 Harley-davidson Touring on mail.2040motos
Harley-Davidson Touring description
1973 Harley FLH Dresser with Sidecar
Electric start only.
Cosmetically Challenged...Sat in Barn for years!
See YouTube video of Bike running:
Will ship worldwide...buyer pays all shipping costs.
Harley-Davidson Touring for Sale
Moto blogThu, 05 Dec 2013 00:00:00 -0800
Harley-Davidson has opened its first dealership in Vietnam, the world’s fourth largest market for motorcycles. Located in Phu My Hung in District 7 of Ho Chi Minh City, the new Harley-Davidson of Saigon opened its doors this past weekend with a full lineup of 27 models. Vietnam is one of the world’s largest markets with sales of 3.1 million two-wheelers in 2012, trailing only China, India and Indonesia.Mon, 17 Mar 2014 00:00:00 -0700
Harley-Davidson and Marvel surprised fans at the premiere of Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier in Hollywood, by inviting them onto the red carpet after it closed. Fans at the event were spontaneously selected to walk and experience the official red carpet and to check out a brand new Street 750 motorcycle along with the stars of the film, who autographed the bike for charity. The Winter Soldier star Chris Evans signs a new Harley-Davidson Street 750 at the premiere in Hollywood, CA. Following the premiere, Harley-Davidson will donate the bike to Concord Youth Theatre. In its continued partnership with Marvel Comics, Harley-Davidson had six motorcycles at the premiere along the red carpet, where fans took pictures and interacted with actor and musician, Tyler Posey, the official Harley-Davidson commentator and host.Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800
The Motorcycle Industry Council reported a 2.6% increase in motorcycle sales in the U.S. market for 2012. According to the industry group’s figures, American consumers purchased 452,386 motorcycles in 2012 compared to 440,899 motorcycles in 2011.
Harley-Davidson Touring by State
Harley-Davidson Touring by City
Harley-Davidson Touring by Color


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The music industry is shifting to a streaming model from a download model, spurring new high-res streaming services to prepare for launch and more audio hardware companies here at CES to support high-res streaming services.
Retailers at CES will also find a growing selection of car audio products that support various high-res formats, a growing selection of high-res home and portable products supporting studio-quality MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) audio, and more wireless-multiroom speakers supporting high-res playback.
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Attesting to the streaming shift, the RIAA reported that, in the first half of 2017, retail-level music-industry streaming revenues grew 48 percent to $2.5 billion to account for 62 percent of total industry revenues of $3.99 billion. Downloads accounted for only 19 percent of industry revenues in the first half, falling 24 percent during that time to $757 million.
The shift in consumer preference has also had an impact on high-res music downloads. “High-res downloads are holding their own,” said David Chesky, co-founder and CEO of download site HDtracks. “We feel the streaming pinch but nowhere as much as the industry standard.”
MusicWatch statistics also underscore the shift. Seventy percent of the Internet population ages 13 and older streamed music in the past month, or about 156 million streamers, based on Sept. 2017 data, said managing partner Russ Crupnick. That compares to 19 percent of the population that, in 2016, bought at least one music download, or about 42 million people, and they’re listening less to their downloads as “download listeners increasingly substitute streaming,” said Crupnick.
Streams To Come
With the shift, HDtracks plans to launch HDmusicStream, a streaming site featuring MQA-encoded music. It was originally targeted for a late-2016 launch. HDmusicStream will join Tidal, which launched an MQA streaming service in 2017 with titles from the big three music companies and independents. Groovers in Korea was expected to launch MQA streaming before the end of 2017. AndNugs.net, which offers high-res MQA downloads globally, is gearing up for a global MQA streaming launch through iOS and desktop players. In addition, Deezer made an “announcement of intent” to stream MQA in 2018, said MQA inventor MQA Ltd.
In addition, European streaming and download service Qobuz at CES is announcing its 2018 entry into the U.S. market from Europe. It offers more than 40 million CD-quality download titles and 1 million high-res download titles in such formats as FLAC, WAV and DSD. It lays claim to offering more high-res titles for download than any other site in the world. It will also offer 192/24 FLAC streaming in the U.S. at launch. The streaming and download titles will be playable on Mac, PC, iOS, and Android apps and through home audio products from more than 50 brands, a spokesman said.
In 2017, Pandora and Napster also announced intentions to offer high-res streaming, but the projects had not yet come to fruition by the end of the year following management changes.
Currently Tidal’s MQA streams are available through home-audio products from Bluesound, Cary Audio, Lumin, Meridian and NAD, with Esoteric products coming soon, said MQA Ltd. Tidal’s MQA streams are also available through Wi-Fi-equipped DAPs from Pioneer, Onkyo and Astell&Kern as well as through Tidal’s desktop app. Tidal is also testing an iOS app for its MQA service, MQA said. One U.S. smartphone, LG’s V30, already supports MQA streaming and features high-res DACs. An Onkyo-brand smartphone now sold out in Japan also featured MQA.
About 30 brands in all offer or have announced plans to offer MQA products, MQA Ltd. said.
The overall number of products capable of reproducing high-res files of any sort has likewise grown, with more than 80 suppliers globally offering almost 200 different devices released to date, said DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group. That’s up from 65 suppliers and more than 100 high-res products at the end of 2016.
Meanwhile, the amount of high-res music available has grown to more than 40,000 high-res albums globally as of late 2017, most available to U.S. consumers, the FindHDmusic.com database shows. Of that number, thousands of MQA-encoded albums were available to U.S. consumers for download in late 2017 from three online stores — HIGHRESAUDIO, 2L and Onkyo Music — from such labels as Warner Music, RME Premium Recordings, Sono Luminus, Unamas, and 2L, said MQA Ltd. In addition, Nugs.net provides MQA downloads globally of recorded concerts.
High-res music is available through more download sites than ever before, hitting 90 at the end of 2017, most of which are available to U.S. consumers, the FindHDmusic.com database shows. The sites include artist and music-label sites.
Some of the products that play those sites’ tunes will be on display at DEG’s Hi-Res Audio Pavilion at booth 14735 in the Central Hall, where music and services companies will also be represented. The display includes compatible smart phones and the first compatible car from a leading automotive OEM. The booth will also host special presentations, panels of award-winning producer and engineers, and artist guest appearances.
Still A Niche
Despite growing interest and availability, high-res audio is still a niche, said HDtracks’s Chesky. CTA statistics support that assessment. In its mid-2017 forecast, CTA forecast that high-res-capable home-audio receivers would account for 32 percent of 1.32 million receivers sold in 2017 at the factory level. That percentage will slip through 2012 to 28.6 percent of 1.31 million units sold.
Demand for high-res portable digital audio players, or DAPs, is helping reduce the rate of decline in portable media player (PMPs), CTA said.
CTA doesn’t track sales of high-res car audio head units, but at least three suppliers plan to expand their high-res car audio selections at CES. They are Kenwood, JVC and Sony. For their part, neither Pioneer nor Alpine offer high-res heads or plan to introduce them at CES. Clarion has a product but plans no new aftermarket car audio at CES.
Though sales of high-res products might not be growing rapidly in the home, the high-res designation serves a purpose, said Kevin Brannan, director of marketing for Onkyo, Integra and Pioneer home audio products. “It’s definitely a badge of quality,” he said. “The higher end DACs make everything sound better and handle whatever you put through it.” The three brands “are not slowing down” in their support of high-res home audio, and Pioneer and Onkyo will continue to offer high-res DAPs, he added.


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ANA's CEO Testifies on Industry Self-Regulatory Efforts for Behavioral Advertising
On June 28, 2012, ANA’s CEO Bob Liodice testified before the Senate Commerce Committee on the advertising industry’s self-regulatory program for online behavioral advertising. His testimony highlighted the work the industry has done over the past three years in developing the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) program, which has been cited by the Federal Trade Commission, Department of Commerce and the White House as a critical part of privacy protection.
The DAA consists of the Advertising Option Icon and an opt-out page. Our icon has been served in over a trillion ad impressions per month and more than one million consumer opt-outs have been registered on aboutads.info. We are also developing persistent browser tools for the major internet browsers and carrying out a major consumer education campaign.
Bob’s written testimony can be viewed here. The archived webcast of the hearing can be viewed here.


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CVS/pharmacy’s myWeekly Ad marks latest manifestation of ‘personalization’
CVS/pharmacy has officially taken the lid off of its new myWeekly Ad digitized circular program, which is powered by the retailer’s robust ExtraCare loyalty program.
Aside from being pretty darn cool technology, the new myWeekly Ad is a crystal clear example of CVS Caremark’s laser sharp focus on personalization.
As reported by Drug Store News, personalization is truly at the heart of every strategic initiative and key retail programming that the company is working on and is no doubt impacting every aspect of its retail operation.
The personalization efforts are manifesting across its entire enterprise — from how it is training its associates, to how it markets and communicates with its customers, to how it designs and merchandises its stores, to the pharmacy programs it is using to drive medication adherence.
The company’s commitment to personalization has no doubt been turned up a few degrees, but the reality is this has been in the works for years — ever since the 1997 launch of its ExtraCare loyalty program. Today, that program boasts more than 70 million active cardholder households and has become a deep well of rich shopper insights.
Yes, for CVS Caremark it is personal. The new myWeekly Ad is just the latest manifestation of its focus on personalization, and you can bet there’s more to come.
CVS Caremark awards grant to help support Special Olympics expansion
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark has awarded a $50,000 grant to Special Olympics to help expand the organization’s Healthy Young Athletes program, which provides healthcare services and support, early childhood intervention and preventive education to children with intellectual disabilities ages 2 years to 7 years old, the pharmacy retailer has announced.
Funding for the program was provided through the CVS Caremark All Kids Can program, which supports organizations that are helping all children on their path to better health. The funding will help Special Olympics expand Healthy Young Athletes into new geographies, doubling the number of Healthy Young Athletes events in the United States in 2013-2014.
"We are proud to support the expansion of Special Olympics’ Healthy Young Athletes program and to provide more children with access to important healthcare screenings that can help them on their path to better health," stated Eileen Howard Boone, SVP corporate philanthropy and social responsibility at CVS Caremark and the president of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust. "As we strive to build healthier communities, Special Olympics and CVS Caremark share a commitment to help improve the quality of life for children of all abilities and help them to be the best that they can be."
The funding from CVS Caremark All Kids Can will also support the development of a toolkit of resources that will be distributed to all Special Olympics programs. Additionally, new protocols for two health disciplines — FUNfitness (physical therapy) and Health Promotion (nutrition, sun safety) — will be added to the existing protocols in Healthy Young Athletes: Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes (vision), Healthy Hearing (audiology) and Special Smiles (dental) disciplines.
Healthy Young Athletes events will take place throughout the country, including in Arizona, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
CVS Caremark All Kids Can supports organizations that increase access to specialized medical and rehabilitation services and provide inclusive opportunities for physical activity, play and social enrichment. To date, All Kids Can has committed more than $60 million in support of nonprofit organizations that provide innovative programs and services focused on helping kids to be the best they can be, and has helped make a positive impact in the lives of nearly 20 million people.
Aetna taps former Walmart exec Dijuana Lewis to lead Consumer Products and Enterprise Marketing organization
HARTFORD, Conn. — Aetna on Thursday announced that Dijuana Lewis is joining the company as EVP responsible for the newly formed Consumer Products and Enterprise Marketing organization. In this role, she will be responsible for aligning consumer-focused businesses, products, services and capabilities to deliver a personalized end-to-end consumer experience that positions the company for long-term growth.
Lewis will report directly to Aetna chairman, CEO and president Mark Bertolini and will be a member of the company’s executive committee.
“The future of health care will be driven by consumers and the increasing role they will play in managing their health and healthcare finances,” Bertolini said. “Under Dijuana’s leadership, we will align and energize the resources, technologies, products and people we need to truly personalize the healthcare experience and deliver solutions that keep people well.”
Lewis will oversee strategic initiatives and capabilities including Aetna’s private exchange strategy, consumer experience, digital assets and marketplace informatics and analytics.
Lewis comes to Aetna from Walmart, where she most recently served as SVP healthcare solutions. In this role, she was responsible for developing the company’s strategic direction for health care solutions in the United States.


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Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., maker of Valium, one of the most prescribed drugs in America, is leading an unusual fight against a new Ralph Nader book criticizing the popular, controversial tranquilizer.
Hoffmann-La Roche isn't claiming the Nader book, called "Stopping Valium," libels the drug. But it complains that the book uses the name Valium to refer to similar drugs of other manufacturers, and in the process infringes its trademark.
If Hoffmann-La Roche doesn't actively protect its trademark, Valium--a $190 million product last year--could become another generically used term such as aspirin, linoleum or escalator, the company said.
Although trademark infringement suits by companies against its competitors aren't unusual, cases against publications for alleged abuse of trademarks are rare.
"Corporations such as Coca-Cola send letters to authors complaining about the use of 'Coke'," said attorney Brian Leitten. "Usually it doesn't get to the lawsuit stage." Leitten, a trademark expert, said he had never heard of another suit like Hoffmann-LaRoche's, but there could be a few obscure cases somewhere.
The Valium lawsuit, filed last week in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeks to stop publication of the book distributed by Nader's Public Citizen Health Research Group, and require the consumer organization to recall the 12,500 of 25,000 printed booklets already sold at $3 a copy.
The book discusses the potential for addiction to Valium and similar drugs by the millions of their users, dangers of using the drugs and promotion used by their manufacturers. A short preface to the book said the tranquilizer-type drugs produced by other companies are often referred to in the book as Valium for simplicity and when the specific Hoffmann-LaRoche product is used it will be distinguished by the trademark sign, Valium .
However, the health research group yesterday called a news conference to deny the allegations of the drug company that it is infringing the trademark Valium and to charge the drug giant with conducting a bookburning campaign.
The book used the term Valium "for the sake of simplicity" to refer to a group of tranquilizers in the benzodiazepine family, which the group says has the same effect as Valium, according to Sidney M. Wolfe, an author of the book and director of the Nader health group.
Wolfe said the lawsuit is an infringement of the group's First Amendment rights to free speech and press. The drug company didn't sue the Nader group on grounds that the information is false, because the book is truthful, Wolfe charged. A trademark infringement suit was the only way the company could attempt to stop publication of the material attacking Valium, Wolfe said.


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Pediatrix Medical Group Inc. pdx on Monday said it expects second-quarter net income of 77 cents to 80 cents a share, compared to the target of 84 cents a share in a survey of analysts by FactSet. The company cited lower patient volume and said it'll fall short of its 2008 earnings target. Separately, Pediatrix's board authorized the company to repurchase up to $100 million of its common stock through open market transactions.
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An Post fails to meet its target for next-day deliveries for second year
An Post has insisted it is providing a good service, despite a new report that shows its performance in delivering standard mail to homes and businesses around the country deteriorated last year.
The report by ComReg, the regulator of postal services, revealed the rate of next-day deliveries declined for the second year in a row, with An Post again failing to meet delivery targets during 2018.
The State-owned company is required to deliver 94pc of standard single items of mail posted anywhere in the country on the next working day and to deliver 99.5pc of such mail within three working days.
A new report by ComReg found An Post delivered only 89pc of post on the next working day in 2018.
The regulator said the worsening standard of service was mainly due to a decline in its performance in deliveries to the Dublin area.
The report was based on a survey carried out by Ipsos MRBI on more than 28,200 items of mail posted in 2018.
"It is a matter of public record that An Post's own quality measures has shown the company as performing strongly on national and international mail quality over a number of years," An Post's spokesperson said.


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San Francisco, May 26, 2021 – Sitecore® the global leader in digital experience management software, today announced that it has completed its acquisition of London headquartered Moosend, a SaaS-based marketing automation platform provider. The acquisition of the Greek technology start-up Moosend is a significant milestone in Sitecore’s evolution to become a SaaS-based digital experience platform capable of supporting the most sophisticated digital experiences.
The acquisition completion, which is part of Sitecore’s ambitious ongoing $1.2 billion growth plan, will complement Sitecore’s ability to power the personalization requirements of modern enterprises, with the integration of Moosend’s cloud-native, API-first, and modular marketing automation platform. In addition, Moosend’s platform includes complementary e-commerce capabilities that, alongside recent acquisitions of Four51 and Boxever, will offer even more power to seamlessly deliver targeted revenue-enhancing campaigns tied to cart abandonment, product recommendation, and promotions scenarios.
“The completion of our acquisition of Moosend is another exciting milestone for us,” said Steve Tzikakis, CEO, Sitecore. “As our third acquisition this year, we will continue along our ambitious journey to enhance and energize our customers’ marketing efforts. We’re now better positioned to support our customers in the effective deployment of measurable marketing campaigns, by further improving the automation of workflows across the entire customer journey. Our aim is always to provide our customers with faster innovation, less upfront investment and shorter time to value, and the completion of this acquisition ensures this.”
With the transaction closed, Moosend’s senior leadership team including CEO Yannis Psarras will join the Sitecore family, overseeing the technology integration and supporting customers and partners with the transition.
Sitecore intends to invest and grow in Greece, where Moosend was originally founded, and plans to increase headcount in the country over the next 12 months.
“Our team is excited to be joining such an ambitious and well-established brand and welcomes the additional capabilities the platform integration will offer our customers,” said Psarras. “Our customers and staff will greatly benefit from the new product capabilities made possible through Sitecore’s additional research and development resources, the scale of its marketing, sales, support resources and partner ecosystem and its recent $1.2 billion investment.”
The company announced plans to acquire Moosend at the beginning of May.
Sitecore delivers a digital experience platform that empowers the world’s smartest brands to build lifelong relationships with their customers. A highly decorated industry leader, Sitecore is the only company bringing together content, commerce, and data into one connected platform that delivers millions of digital experiences every day. Leading companies including American Express, ASOS, Kimberly-Clark, L’Oréal and Volvo Cars rely on Sitecore to provide more engaging, personalized experiences for their customers. Learn more at Sitecore.com.
Sitecore is a registered trademark of Sitecore Corporation A/S in the USA and other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.


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U.S. stocks fell for the fourth straight session on Thursday as weak labor data rekindled worries about consumer demand and the strength of the economic recovery.
Initial jobless claims rose to an eight-month high last week, and productivity growth slowed in the first quarter.
The (market) momentum already being on the downside, it is going to put some pressure, not so much on the dollar but definitely on the economic expectations for growth, said Marc Pado, U.S. market strategist at Cantor Fitzgerald & Co in San Francisco.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 49.73 points, or 0.39 percent, to 12,673.85. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> fell 6.74 points, or 0.50 percent, to 1,340.58. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> lost 7.51 points, or 0.27 percent, to 2,820.72.
We are seeing it hit oil, we are seeing it hit gold, materials. Those groups have been the market leaders. So even though it's good news in the long run if gasoline prices come down, the short term it is bringing down the energy stocks which really were the leaders of this bull market rally, Pado added.
Exxon Mobil Corp
U.S. crude futures fell 3.4 percent to $105.39 and ICE Brent futures lost 3.5 percent to $116.89, while silver tumbled to a 5-week low, on track for its biggest weekly slide since 1983.
Retail stocks were also on investors' radar as chain stores reported monthly sales, offering clues on consumer spending. Target Corp
The Thomson Reuters Same Store Sales Index registered a stronger-than-expected 8.9 percent rise for April, beating its final 8.2 percent estimate based on 25 retailers.
General Motors Co
Investors awaited company results from Kraft Foods Inc
Through Thursday, with 421 of the S&P 500 companies having reported, 68 percent had profits that beat Wall Street expectations, according to Thomson Reuters data.
(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)