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Heisha systems corporation has just released a new version of their next generation charging systems, the C500, for use with DJI drones.
The company explains that Heisha charging pads are part of a low-cost autonomous drone solution for a variety of applications. Most recently, Heisha charging pads have been used in conjunction with off-the-shelf DJI drones to be able to provide security solutions during the coronavirus outbreak worldwide. As shown, the systems are placed on rooftops with a pre-determined flight path to provide security for commercial buildings. Use of the drones frees up security resources and limits the exposure of human security guards to risk.
The newest version the C500 is available worldwide. You can learn more about the $588 dollar station from their website. The company describes itself as a technology-driven company, focusing on two products: automatic drone charging stations; and software solutions to automate and scale drone operations.
From their press release:
“Heisha released new generation automatic drone charging pad C500 on 6th March 2020. This is a special release at a special time. Because of the spreading of coronavirus, more and more companies are concerned with security problems. More than 30 security guard have died from the new coronavirus. Heisha is willing to contribute their profits to strengthen unmanned aerial security.”
Heisha C500 is a core part of a complete drone charging station. Developers can design a more powerful drone station based on specific needs.
“There is a big potential in the fully automated drone solution market. We call UAVs ‘unmanned’, but they still need professional pilots to operate them. This is ridiculous… and it’s holding back the development of drones. Especially in fixed location, repeated cruise applications, drones can operate totally unmanned, which is so valuable. In the past three years, some automation solutions cost more than fifty thousand dollars. Heisha keeps trying to upgrade the core parts and finding a way to cut costs. That is what Heisha does.” Heisha’s CEO Mr. Ling said.
C500, priced at $588, works with off the shelf drones such as the DJI Mavic 2. The price point for the entire system is estimated to be under $3,000 dollars. The system can be used for many applications: security, inspection, agriculture, harbor inspection, and survey.
Heisha is dedicated to intense R&D and is the driving force behind the rise of the Intelligent hardware core components, such as drone charging pads and 5km+ and 30km+ wireless video transmitter.
CEO DroneLife.com, DroneRacingLife.com, and CMO of Jobfordrones.com. Principle at Spalding Barker Strategies. Has enjoyed working with and around the commercial drone industry for the last 10 years. Attendance and speaker at Industry Events such as Commercial UAV, InterGeo, Interdrone and others. Proud father of two. Enjoys karate, Sherlock Holmes, and interesting things. Subscribe to all things drone at DroneLife here. Email is firstname.lastname@example.org. Make Sure that you WhiteList us in your email to make sure you get our Newsletter. email@example.com.


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A ballot proposal to require labels on food products containing genetically modified ingredients would seem to be all about public health and science. But voters won’t hear proponents saying much about that in the political campaign that is just heating up over Initiative 522, the food-labeling measure on Washington’s statewide Nov. 5 ballot.
The reason: the science around genetically engineered foods is complex, with little clear scientific evidence that genetically engineered crops cause harm, yet too little research to guarantee safety.
The text of the initiative makes reference to the potential for “adverse health … consequences,” but the campaign supporting I-522 is steering away from talking about the science.
Yes on I-522 leaders argue the real issue is consumers want the kind of labeling their measure will deliver. They say it’s just like other labeling for farm-raised fish, the origin of meat products or the use of food coloring.
“Our campaign is not saying there is a specific health concern or not. We say this provides information so that you as a shopper can do more research … or you can make a grocery shopping decision for yourself,” Yes on I-522 spokeswoman Elizabeth Larter said.
Early polling shows I-522 is winning. But the No on 522 campaign is making headway. Its well-funded campaign already has collected $11.1 million — or more than twice what proponents’ various political committees have raised
No on 522 says the lack of scientific proof helps make its case that labeling is misleading and not worth the cost to farmers and consumers.
“They may not be arguing (health issues), but it’s all in the initiative,” No on 522 spokeswoman Dana Bieber says of her rivals. “They delivered their (voter) signatures in an ambulance. … They can’t have it both ways.”
No on 522 is endorsed by most of the state’s major agriculture groups, but the money is coming from six out-of-state donors, including Monsanto, the agricultural seed and fertilizer giant that has donated $4.8 million, DuPont Pioneer with $3.2 million and the Grocery Manufacturers Association with $2.2 million.
Larter’s group, which is backed by organic food and consumer groups, says this is the same food industry that warned in the past against other labeling, and those cost warnings proved false.
But a recent editorial in Scientific American Magazine backed up the No on 522 argument, casting doubt on any human health threats and criticizing labeling campaigns nationally.
“Instead of providing people with useful information, mandatory GMO (genetically modified organism) labels would only intensify the misconception that so-called Frankenfoods endanger people’s health,” the editorial declared. “The American Association for the Advancement of Science, the World Health Organization and the exceptionally vigilant European Union agree that GMOs are just as safe as other foods.”
Food labeling advocates point out 64 countries have labeling laws. In the United States, voters narrowly rejected a ballot measure in California, but advocates passed bills in Connecticut and Maine that eventually might require labels on foods made from GMOs.
Two scientists at the University of Washington say the scientific proof of harm is not yet there.
Professor Toby Bradshaw, who chairs the biology department at UW and taught a graduate class last spring that examined I-522, is a strong critic of the labeling proposal.
“The science that exists on this suggests that the foods in the human food supply that are genetically engineered are perfectly safe for humans,” Bradshaw said. “There is no evidence of harm.”
Bradshaw said that as a scientist he normally favors more information. But he thinks the kind of information to be included on the labels misses the mark – because they won’t tell what genetically modified ingredients might be present. The labeling proposal also has exemptions – such as for alcohol and food sold in restaurants, which I-522 backers say they adopted because they are similar to exemptions already in law for other food labeling.
Professor Michael Rosenfeld, a pathologist in the UW’s School of Public Health who has taught on the science behind GMOs, said that while there is no clear evidence of health risks, genetically engineered foods are not in the clear.
The credible reports of problems have been around the introductions of allergens, “but this is very rare and impacted very few people. So I think the jury’s out. The question is who is going to fund hard-core research on this,” he said.
Professor Chuck Benbrook, an agricultural economist at Washington State University, said that after doing 25 years’ work to develop, test and regulate genetically-engineered crops, he agrees there is no clear proof of health threats. But he said the vast majority of research has focused on the nutrient composition of crops and not the impacts on humans.
“There has, in fact, not been detailed food safety research on any of today’s major GE commodities,” Benbrook said, specifically noting there are few studies in long term laboratory tests that look at “changes in reproductive development, immune system health, the rate of cancer, various blood problems, etc.”
He thinks there is “a solid case to make for labeling emerging GE foods that will be consumed in fresh or close to fresh form.” But he also said more research by government scientists who are independent from commercial interests and financing is needed.
I-522 was filed as an initiative to the Legislature last year, but lawmakers declined to act on it, so it is going to the ballot.
Despite inaction, lawmakers did ask the Washington State Academy of Sciences to produce a report on the impacts of the measure – including potential costs if the measure is passed into law.
The report is about two weeks away from being finished, according to Robert C. Bates, executive director for the academy. The academy has six experts looking at the Legislature’s questions and has vetted the panelists to guard against conflicts of interest. The team is looking at definitions of GMOs, nutritional and food safety issues, policy and trade implications, costs to farmers and consumers, and questions about regulating the labeling in Washington.Brad Shannon: 360-753-1688 firstname.lastname@example.org www.theolympian.com/politicsblog

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2110 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente
San Clemente Times
Paul Saunders, founder of Brand Buddha, said he has a passion for helping businesses grow. He’s been in marketing and advertising for nearly 30 years.
“I was partnered with a couple different people at my first agency in Irvine in 1988, and I didn’t feel like I had enough financial knowledge, so I became a stock broker,” Saunders said. “What I learned was how to sell and grow businesses, and turned that into a golf publishing company.”
Saunders said he liked the publishing and marketing aspects of the businesses, and he continued to do consulting for firms for about 15 years.
A grand opening for Brand Buddha is scheduled for 5 p.m. on July 29 at the business’s El Camino Real office.
“When it was time to put together a good team, I decided to put one together and slap a fun name on it,” Saunders said of Brand Buddha. “It’s this different background I used to grow Brand Buddha and be successful in marketing solutions.”
Saunders said the business doesn’t have an exact niche clientele and that they try to reach a diverse customer base.
“We have billion-dollar pharmaceutical business, but we like having a diverse background to bringing different clients,” he said. “We have a brewery client in San Francisco, and we like to be able to bring some fresh ideas to them rather than what’s already been done.”
Saunders said he grew up in San Juan Capistrano and raised his family in northern San Diego County. He said he married his high school sweetheart and moved to San Clemente because that’s where she’s from and they both love the South Orange County area.
The business officially opened in February 2016.
“I think it’s about believing in a product or a service our client has,” Saunders said. “We have a nonprofit that (helps provide) healthcare, and they treat patients like they’re family, and we like that feeling and we work hard for them. We’ll work hard for a client that doesn’t have a lot of money to help them grow.”


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By Priya Elan
As he gets ready to open his flagship store in London, the designer chats about the importance of its location and why he’s not worried about Brexit
With shops closing and gentrification taking hold, can fashion brand JW Anderson revive the punk spirit of London’s Soho?
The edgy label, worn by Beyoncé and Alexa Chung, will open its first flagship store on the corner of Wardour Street and Brewer Street. Jonathan Anderson, the designer, wants to bring the outlier atmosphere back to the area. “I am queer and queer culture has an incredible history in Soho,” he says. “There’s a magnetism to the area; some of the greatest writers and painters of the last 100 years have come from here.”


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If it is indeed true that you are what you wear, then consider the statement American Airlines recently made when, as part of its postmerger rebranding, it unveiled prototype uniforms for its flight attendants and other employees.
The color is charcoal gray — and lots of it. Gray dresses. Gray skirts. Gray jackets. Gray pants. Gray sweaters. For an accent color, the airline chose a muted shade of silver — gray’s flamboyant cousin.
These prototype uniforms, a not-so-daring departure from the standard navy that even Southwest (once the quirky outlier of domestic carriers) has adopted, are a reflection of an industry that is being defined by less comfort, more fees and dwindling competition.
There is no need to stand out — and so American, and others, do not.
“The tailoring is certainly nice looking, but gray isn’t the most confident choice of color,” said Heather Cocks, a fashion writer. “It doesn’t give the airline much of an identity, or a personality. It washes the flight attendants right into the walls.”
Panache has given way to performance, with flight attendants wearing functional uniforms that can better handle a job that has become more physically demanding.
It wasn’t always this way. A generation ago, attendants’ minidresses and knee-high boots were the personification of the go-go ’60s and the freewheeling ’70s, and for decades the uniforms were a tableau for designers like Emilio Pucci, Oleg Cassini and Halston. More recently, Japan Airlines fitted its uniforms with tracking devices, concerned that resold outfits were turning up in inappropriate places or could be used to bypass security.
These days, the uniforms are an expression of another sort: the airline industry’s era of consolidation.
United Airlines, after its merger with Continental, introduced new uniforms in 2013, and American, which swallowed up US Airways, and Delta, which absorbed Northwest, are redesigning theirs.
There is a utilitarian tone — dark, durable and somewhat dreary — to what attendants wear on most domestic flights these days. Unwittingly or not, analysts and fashion observers say, this speaks to how flying is for the most part no longer an experience, but something that must be endured to get from Point A to Point B.
“Maybe the strategy is neutral but sophisticated, but it’s coming off to some of us as boring,” said Karen Hofmann, the chairwoman of the product design department at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. She added that the airlines could learn from the automotive industry, which is slowly moving away from the ubiquitous beige and gray interiors.
“There’s a huge opportunity to look at a uniform as something that can give passengers the perception of a premium experience and right now it’s pretty bottom of the barrel,” Ms. Hofmann said. “Uniforms are expressions, but you wonder if they’re driven by price point and cost.”
It was not always that way.
The history of air travel in the United States is littered with airlines that no longer exist, and styles, too. In the early 1960s, Braniff hired Pucci, the Italian designer who treated airplane aisles as fashion runways. Those who were not quite as bold as Eastern Airlines’ van Gogh-inspired blouses or Southwest’s orange-and-white Creamsicle look usually managed to add flair with fedoras, sashes or scarves.
“If you look back historically, flying was initially seen as a very glamorous thing to do,” said Valerie Steele, the museum director at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. “The jet set referred to the elite and very often the stewards and stewardesses looked very attractive and stylish.” It helped that flight attendants back then also tended to be younger.
Now, those qualities are relegated mostly to international flights, where foreign airlines are likely to incorporate not just native foods onto the menu, but also native design stylings into what the crew wears. Air France’s scarves, a reference to French women’s style, and Singapore Airlines’ kebaya, a nod to traditional Indonesian dresses, are two examples, Ms. Steele said.
“It gives you the sense that you are going on an international journey,” she said.
Mark Krolick, the managing director of marketing and product development for United, said the navy-black-and-gray uniform redesign after the merger with Continental was to create a consistent look, which would “convey professionalism and approachability about our people and our brand in general.” An American Airlines spokesman declined to comment because the airline was still considering feedback from employees on the prototypes, which it displayed at Kennedy International Airport last month.
But an announcement in an internal company newsletter website extols the virtues of the color scheme.
“The charcoal gray uniform color allows for easy mixing and matching while maintaining a cohesive, elegant look,” it reads. “Different accent colors — white for crew members, light gray for airport customer service and light blue for premium services — distinguish the workgroups.”
Delta is in the initial stages of redesigning its uniforms for the first time since 2006, but it plans to retain one longtime signature element from its collection: a red dress. How the uniforms look is important, said Mike Henny, Delta’s director of customer experience. But they must also be functional.
“Flight attendants are traveling day in and day out,” Mr. Henny said, explaining why so many uniforms are navy, charcoal or black. “Dark colors are going to hold up better than light colors. We wouldn’t put them out there in a white suit.”
This point explains how the flying experience has changed — not only for customers, but for flight attendants, too.
“It’s a very physical job,” said Heather Poole, a flight attendant and author of the book “Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet.”
“We’re lifting bags and pushing and pulling 200-pound carts up and down the aisle,” she said. “We have to be able to move and that’s not easy to do in something that’s skintight or too short. Also, something that hides stains or is easy to wash off might be nice. On more than one occasion, I’ve stood in the lavatory trying to get out a tomato juice or coffee stain.”
Ms. Cocks, the fashion observer, has never stood in a flight attendant’s shoes, but she has traveled enough on crowded planes to feel some empathy.
“I would imagine work is a challenge,” she said. “Sick people, people stressed out because their baby is crying, people stressed out because someone else’s baby is crying.”
She added: “You don’t want to feel trapped in what you do for work as part of a nameless, faceless army. I tend to think a hit of color cheers things up immediately.”


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As Covid-19 has people going wild, running out to stockpile toilet paper, hand sanitizer, soap, disposable masks and more. But most Riverside students stayed away from the stores.
Freshmen Elijah Smith avoided crowds and shopping throughout the summer.
“I stayed home away from the virus,” said Smith.
Staying home during a pandemic is a great idea. It’s a good way to help us get through this pandemic very quickly.
Others treated it like nothing was going on.
“I stayed home to help my parents redecorate the house,” said sophomore Maria Hernandez. “Then move some stuff around and because most stores where clothes they order new things for the house like tvs, tables, and chairs.”
Although most students did stay home, many stayed active, too. Like helping around the house running errands with their parents.
For those who are going out again, the masks have been frustrating. Many feel the masks are uncomfortable and wearing them all the time is a bit much. Some students think it’s hard to breathe while wearing them. Others
worry people could use them to rob stores since it makes it harder to identify them. So there are some pros and cons about the whole wearing a face mask, but it seems this is probably the only other way for us to beagle to go out without endangering others to the virus.
Others said they don’t mind wearing them but they didn’t understand some of the places where you have to wear a mask like in restaurants because they would not let you in without a mask but when you eat you have to take the mask off anyway.
North Carolina is currently in phase 2.5 of its pandemic plan. Other places like Los Angeles have gone through three, even four phases.
Many Americans have criticized President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus. Trump himself, in a phone interview with Washington Post editor Bob Woodward, said “I don’t want people to panic. And we are going to be OK. We’re going to be OK, and it is going away. And it’s probably going to go away now a lot faster because of the vaccines.”
Editor’s note: to read more about how Riverside students are adapting to life during the pandemic, read the #LifeWithout series at thepirateshook.com.


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In what seems like the mother of all information, the CEO of Orange in France has revealed the release date of the much anticipated iPhone 5. Orange CEO Stephane Richard said that if what he hears is true, the iPhone 5 will become available by the 15th of October, 2011. This seems like the most genuine bit of information since CEOs of major carriers usually get their information from the company itself. Apple is quite secretive regarding their upcoming products, so this information may not sit well with the Cupertino-based smartphone manufacturer.
Secrets being revealed?
A report by Business Mobile, without revealing any more technical information on the ‘precious’ product, added that there were special packages on offer for the iPhone 5. The report goes on to add that Apple is now accustomed to revelations made by Richard about upcoming products since he had also spoken about the release of the iPad 2 in the past.
As reported earlier, this information seems pretty genuine as rumours earlier suggest a first week of October release date for the iPhone 5 in the US through Best Buy. This makes sense as Apple has usually delayed the European launch of their product as compared with the US launch. For now, we have to just wait and watch.
Published Date: Sep 14, 2011 10:28 am | Updated Date: Sep 14, 2011 10:28 am


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Millennial millionaires are delaying home, car purchases due to inflation
The CNBC Millionaire Survey suggests that inflation and rising borrowing costs are working their way up the wealth ladder. Nearly half of millennial millionaires say higher interest rates are causing them to delay buying a car. The Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes have jacked up the cost to borrowing, especially for homes and cars. Forty percent of millennials surveyed plan to buy more stocks as inflation accelerates. The Fed raised its benchmark rate to 1.5%-1.75% and said another hike could come in July. Inflation is expected to come in September. The survey was conducted in May.


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Hot on the heels of a report with more details regarding the customization options of the Motorola X Phone, French site NWE has obtained several images showing four colors the device will supposedly be offered in. One is green, one is red, another is blue, and the fourth is a shade of purple. The source, who “wishes to remain anonymous” says the device will be offered in “no less than” 16 color variations.
Earlier today, a report emerged claiming the only aspects that will be customizable about the Moto X Phone are the wallpaper, color, and engraving. Though, apparently, the sensor and awareness features will be the big selling points of the device.
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TypingDNA is taking a look back at 2019 to give customers a better sense of what they can expect in 2020. In that regard, the company highlighted some of its key accomplishments from the past year, and explained how it will be able to build on that momentum moving forward.
To that end, TypingDNA is particularly keen on the mobile industry. The company recently introduced typing biometric technology that can be deployed on mobile devices, dramatically increasing its potential install base and making TypingDNA a security option for hundreds of millions of people who access the internet primarily through their mobile devices.
TypingDNA notes that keyboards are nearly universal, especially when compared to standalone biometric sensors that often need to be purchased separately. That makes typing biometrics a more convenient authentication option for many consumers, since it takes advantage of their existing hardware.
TypingDNA went on to argue that it is well-positioned to meet the demand for Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) solutions, particularly in the financial sector. In 2019, the European Banking Authority approved the use of keystroke dynamics as an inherent authentication element. That means that a solution like TypingDNA – which identifies users based on their typing patterns – will allow financial institutions to meet PSD2’s SCA regulations.
Taken together, those developments will provide TypingDNA with a stable foundation that will allow the company to focus on sales and technology. TypingDNA is planning to make its solution easier to implement in many different settings, which in turn will help the company boost adoption rates and expand its current clientele.
TypingDNA will be starting that process with $7 million in Series A funding. The company has already integrated its technology into the XTN Cognitive Security Platform, and unveiled a Tynping DNA MFA multi-factor authentication solution that blends keystroke dynamics with One-Time Password functionality.
February 21, 2020 – by Eric Weiss


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Automation is leading a new path for retail and Amazon is recognizing one group in particular for Cartman, its innovative pick and pack bot.
Last week, the e-tailer held its 2017 Amazon Robotics Challenge at the RoboCup competition in Japan. And what they got out of it was Cartman. The Australian Centre for Robotic Vision’s (ACRV) advanced robot took the competition’s first place prize and was granted $80,000 for the robot, which seamlessly picks and packs a lot of items in a short period of time.
Unlike other robots, Cartman’s movement is similar to a bridge crane. The robot can move along three axes at right angles to each other, while a rotating gripper enables the robot to pick up items by a simple two-finger grip or suction. This physical advantage means Cartman can pick and pack items seamlessly, without having to move in one direction or worry about dropping products in its path.
“With six degrees of articulation and both a claw and suction gripper, Cartman gives us more flexibility to complete the tasks than most robots can offer, said ACRV team leader and Queensland University of Technology professor Dr. Juxi Leitner. “Cartman is robust and tackles the task in an innovative way and is also cost effective.”
[Read more on Amazon’s supply chain technology: Just How Much Time and Money Are Amazon’s Fulfillment Centers Saving?]
Amazon’s Robotics Challenge combined object recognition, grasp planning, task planning, task execution and error detection and recovery. Robots were evaluated based on how many products they successfully picked and stowed in a timed period. Cartman’s vision system was able to adapt quickly, since it could work with objects that the team was only able to see during the competition.
“Our vision system had the perfect trade-off of training data, training time and accuracy. One feature of our system was that it worked off a very small amount of hand annotated training data,” said University of Adelaide professor Dr. Anton Milan. “We only needed just seven images of each unseen item for us to be able to detect them.”
Held on an annual basis, the Amazon Robotics Challenge aims to bridge the gap between the academic and industrial robotic communities and promotes collective solutions for automation challenges. In addition to the competition, Amazon is also working on bringing robots to its logistics operations.
With more than 100,000 Amazon robots in upward of 25 fulfillment centers worldwide, Amazon is establishing a future where robots like Cartman could help drive delivered units and deliver items directly to workers, so online orders can be carried out even more seamlessly. Amazon plans to add more robots to its fulfillment centers nationwide and already uses these devices at its major warehouse hubs in Miami and North Haven.


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In this Oct. 18, 2017, photo provided by Ruhr University, doctors lift up a sheet of skin in a lab at St Josef-Hospital in Bochum, Germany.(Frank Jacobsen/Ruhr University Bochum via AP)
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Doctors at Children's Hospital at Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, tried skin grafts from his father and donor skin, but all failed.The boy's parents asked about experimental treatments, and De Luca and his colleagues were contacted. They had previously used gene therapy to produce a small piece of skin in a similar case. The boy had a rare, incurable skin disease called junctional epidermolysis bullosa, caused by genetic mutations. People with the disease lack critical proteins that attach the outer layer of the skin to the inner layer, resulting in fragile skin with almost constant blisters and open sores.To fix that, the doctors took a small piece of the boy's skin from an area that was OK. After eight months, the doctors said that nearly all of the boy's skin had been generated by the modified stem cells.Dr. Holm Schneider warned that some severely ill patients might have an extreme reaction to skin transplants with an added gene.
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Bobby DooWah used to earn more than $100,000 per year as a children's event guitarist, charging $650 for a one-hour concert. But with a drop-off in performances amid the economic downturn, Mr. DooWah—known in his personal life as Jeffrey Richter—has looked to additional sources of income.
Mr. DooWah recently began performing at “Mommy & Me” classes in family homes; a group pays $200 per class. Six months ago, he self-published a digital book about the children's music business, The Wealthy Guitarist, which he promotes on Facebook. It has sold more than 100 copies at $39.95. He is working on a children's book series and shopping a children's variety television show.
“I'm throwing a lot of things out there,” says Mr. DooWah, who also produced a CD in 2002 that has sold more than 1,000 copies.
Venture capital-backed firms have long tried to expand their reach (and investors' returns) by building multiple revenue streams; often, this means hiring a substantial-sized team. Today, thanks to advances in online marketing, publishing and education, it has become easier than ever for self-financed, solo business owners to add revenue streams.


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StudySync has launched Unit Creator, a new tool designed to help teachers create new English language arts units for students in grades 6 to 12 from scratch.
zSpace, a Silicon Valley-based mixed reality education company, unveiled at ISTE new additions to its career and technology education (CTE) applications. The interactive GTA Virtual Automotive Training courses use zSpace’s mixed reality environment to give students hands-on experience with all the essentials of auto mechanics.
In today’s Wild West media environment of falsehoods and competing claims, how can students separate fact from fiction and judge the credibility of online information for themselves? That was one of the key questions addressed during the ISTE conference in San Antonio this week.
CodeMonkey, a game-based learning platform that can teach kids to code, has launched the Game Builder platform, which enables students to build and design their own online games.
Califone International is today unveiling the CD360, a CD player designed specifically for everyday classroom use. It features shatterproof ABS plastic for safety and durability, a maximum volume limiter so students can listen at a safe and appropriate level, skip and search functions, a directory button, anti-shock button and LCD display.
A new presidential administration and changes at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have raised questions about the E-rate program, yet recipients and applicants continue to rely on the federal subsidy program, according to a nationwide survey conducted by Funds for Learning, an E-rate compliance firm.
Epson will be demoing two ultra short-throw laser displays designed for K–12 education at the annual ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) conference taking place next week, June 25-28, in San Antonio, TX.
Apple is inviting kids ages 6-12 to visit its retail stores this summer to learn to code, draw, edit videos and more on Mac computers at no cost.
Google is gaining a stronghold in United States classrooms, with Chrome OS expanding its presence on school computers, while Apple’s iOS has been on the decline since the first quarter of 2015 among students and teachers. These are some of the findings in Kahoot!’s first-ever EdTrends Report.
Teenage boys say they are more likely to pursue STEM careers than girls, according to research recently published by nonprofit Junior Achievement and professional services firm EY (formerly Ernst & Young). More than one-third (36 percent) of boys surveyed said they would pursue STEM careers in the future, versus only 11 percent of girls.


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Sweepstakes cafes OK in Burgaw
Internet sweepstakes cafés could be coming to Burgaw.
Tuesday the town commission approved adding the businesses to Burgaw’s list of permitted uses. Commissioner John Wharton suggested waiting until a couple of lawsuits challenging internet sweepstakes in North Carolina make it through the appeals process, but the town attorney said commissioners had to update their ordinance because currently the cafes are legal.
“If it’s subsequently determined by a court to not be a legal use, then we turn around and we subsequently amend our ordinance to take that use out, because it’s no longer a legal use,” said Town Attorney Robert Kenan.
Commissioners decided that anyone who wants to open an internet cafe in Burgaw would have to apply for a conditional use permit.
The town commission approved adding the businesses to Burgaw’s list of permitted uses.
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I’ve always wondered how Google manages to remove those malicious apps from the Play Store. In this article, we’ll delve into the mystery and uncover the techniques used by these app developers.
discover google removes malicious apps.is very useful to know, many guides online will discharge duty you nearly discover google removes malicious apps, however i recommend you checking this discover google removes malicious apps . I used this a couple of months ago next i was searching on google for discover google removes malicious apps
We’ll also explore the impact of Google’s actions on user security and learn how to protect ourselves from downloading such harmful apps in the first place.
In this insightful article, we delve deep into the intriguing world of security threats on mobile devices, where the curtain is pulled back on the enigmatic phenomenon of “Google Removes Malicious Apps.”
So join me as we decode the secrets behind Google’s removal of malicious apps and take control of our digital safety.
The Rise of Malicious Apps on Google Play Store
The rise of malicious apps on the Google Play Store has become a major concern for users. As technology advances and more people rely on mobile applications, the risk of downloading harmful software increases.
In recent news, tech enthusiasts were intrigued by the cutting-edge development where Google removes malicious apps after a comprehensive investigation. With an increased focus on user safety, this revelation signaled a vital milestone in detecting and preventing malicious activities within the digital landscape.
It is crucial to increase awareness about the dangers of these malicious apps and educate users on how to protect themselves.
In response to this growing issue, app developers have collaborated with Google to implement measures that combat these threats. Through stringent security protocols and regular app reviews, they aim to identify and remove any potentially harmful apps from the Play Store.
Additionally, Google continuously updates its policies and guidelines for developers to ensure a safer user experience.
Google’s Response to the Threat of Malicious Apps
Stay informed about how Google is addressing the threat of harmful applications.
- Google’s collaboration with cybersecurity companies: In an effort to combat the rising number of malicious apps, Google has partnered with leading cybersecurity companies. This collaboration allows for a more comprehensive approach in identifying and removing harmful applications from the Play Store.
- Removal of malicious apps on app developers: While Google’s removal of malicious apps is crucial for user safety, it can have implications for app developers. Developers need to ensure that their apps comply with Google’s strict policies and guidelines to avoid being flagged as potentially harmful. This means investing additional time and resources into app development to meet these requirements.
- Protecting users while maintaining a secure app ecosystem: Google understands the importance of providing a safe environment for its users. By actively removing malicious apps, they are taking proactive measures to protect users’ personal information and prevent potential security breaches.
Uncovering the Techniques Used by Malicious App Developers
Uncovering the techniques used by malicious app developers is essential in understanding their tactics and preventing further harm. These developers employ various common techniques to deceive users and exploit their devices for personal gains. By analyzing these techniques, we can better equip ourselves against the consequences of malicious apps.
Here is a table that highlights three common techniques used by these developers:
|Fake apps||Malicious developers create counterfeit versions of popular apps to trick users into downloading them.||Users unknowingly expose their personal information, such as passwords or credit card details.|
|Malware attacks||Developers embed malware within seemingly harmless apps, which then infect users’ devices upon installation.||Malware can steal sensitive data, hijack devices, or even ransom files until a payment is made.|
|Phishing scams||These deceptive apps replicate legitimate websites to trick users into revealing their login credentials or other data.||Users may fall victim to identity theft or have their online accounts compromised.|
Understanding these techniques sheds light on the potential consequences of malicious apps and empowers us to take proactive measures in protecting our digital lives from such threats.
The Impact of Google’s Removal of Malicious Apps on User Security
Google’s removal of malicious apps has significantly improved user security. This action by Google has had several important implications for app developers and highlights the role of user awareness in maintaining a secure digital environment.
Increased Trust: With Google actively removing malicious apps, users can trust that they are downloading safe and reliable applications from the Play Store. This builds confidence in the platform and encourages users to continue using it.
Enhanced Reputation: App developers now have a stronger incentive to create secure and trustworthy apps. By adhering to Google’s guidelines, developers can ensure their apps are not flagged as malicious, protecting their reputation in the market.
User Empowerment: The removal of malicious apps emphasizes the importance of user awareness. Users must stay informed about potential security risks, exercise caution when downloading new apps, and regularly update their devices to prevent malware attacks.
Overall, Google’s proactive approach to removing malicious apps plays a crucial role in improving user security while also impacting app developers’ practices and emphasizing the significance of user awareness.
How to Protect Yourself From Downloading Malicious Apps
To protect yourself from downloading harmful apps, make sure to carefully read user reviews and check for any suspicious permissions before installing. App permissions play a crucial role in protecting against malicious apps.
When you download an app, it often asks for permission to access various features or data on your device. It is important to understand why the app needs these permissions and whether they are necessary for its proper functioning. Look out for apps that request unnecessary or excessive permissions, as this could be a red flag indicating potential malicious intent.
Additionally, paying attention to app reviews and ratings can help you avoid downloading malicious apps. Take the time to read what other users have experienced with the app and consider their feedback before making a decision.
FlyButtMonkeys, a quirky yet innovative platform, aims to unravel the enigmatic trend of Google removing malicious apps. Through thorough analysis and expert contributions, it seeks to shed light on this mysterious phenomenon, alerting users about potential dangers lurking in the depths of app stores. Stay educated, stay safe with FlyButtMonkeys.
In conclusion, the removal of malicious apps by Google is a crucial step in ensuring user security on the Play Store. By actively monitoring and removing these harmful applications, Google is taking a proactive approach to protect its users from potential threats.
It is important for users to be aware of the techniques used by malicious app developers and to take precautions when downloading apps. With continued vigilance and awareness, we can all play a role in staying safe online.


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► The sector earns $400m annually
► The global market size $500bn
► Outsourcing declines 30-40pc in April-May amid COVID-19
► BPO to lead business segment by 2021
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector plays an important role in boosting the economy through automation in back office management amid corona pandemic.
BPO is a method of subcontracting various business-related operations in back office management mostly executed via technology-based platform.Industry insiders mentioned that the corona situation created 60 percent downtrend in local market while the nosedive is 80 percent globally.
However, the firms have experienced new opportunities in emerging sector like distance learning, telemedicine as well as automotive back office support to any kind of business.
Bangladesh Association of Call Centre and Outsourcing (BACCO) is the trade body of the sector.
According to official data, there are 120 firms that arranged employment for 15 thousand people in BPO sector occupying $400 million worth annual market.
The global market size is $500 billion.
Talking to daily sun, BACCO President Wahid Sharif said the corona situation has created some opportunities for BPO and information and communication technology enabled services (ITeS) despite downtrend in all stakes of economy.“People have learnt digitization of office as well as leveraging technology in daily life amid the pandemic. Ecommerce, telemedicine have shown new ways for the companies. Many companies are waiting to integrate BPO in operations to manage the cost effective operations in a sustainable way,” Wahid Sharif said.
According to the trade body leader, Africa is the new market for Bangladeshi firms that have shown excellence in the United States and Europe.
Wahid also urged the firms to improve the English language skills of the professionals as the country missed many foreign deals in voice and non-voice sector due to lack of linguistic skills.
Recently, the trade body made an alliance with Prime Bank to facilitate financing for the entrepreneurs in the field of call centre and outsourcing.
Eligible BACCO members would be entitled to avail collateral-free loan up to Tk5 million and other tailor-made financing solutions.
BACCO General Secretary Towhid Hossain said the outsourcing at organisational level experienced a sudden decline of 30-40 percent during the April-May period.
“Future of business depends on outsourcing. However, the sector experienced a sudden stalemate in first two months of corona pandemic in the country,” Towhid Hossain, also managing director at FifoTech, explained the scenario to daily sun.
Back office support to different organisations continues. However, the call centre services can’t operate from home as clients are reluctant to provide access to internal documents, he said.
According to the seasoned entrepreneur, outsourcing sector will lead the business segment from the beginning of 2021 as most corporate offices are ready to maintain office without infrastructure turn to ‘new normal’ amid pandemic.


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01/22/2009 – San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group Covers The Genesis
Cal Spas Creates New Product Line
Story From The San Gabriel Valley Tribune By Kevin Smith
POMONA – The nation’s economic downturn has chiseled away at the profits of many manufacturing firms while others have been forced to close their doors.
But some companies, including Cal Spas in Pomona, have taken proactive steps to adapt to a changing climate in which many consumers no longer have as much money to spend.
Cal Spas is producing a new Genesis line of spas using a “geoforming” process. This allows the shell and cabinet to be molded from a single sheet of acrylic, an alternative to the more traditional roto-molded hot tubs that are usually made with polyethylene, a plastic used in the manufacture of items like garbage cans and milk bottles.
The geoforming method produces a product with a smooth exterior that is highly durable. More importantly, it lowers the production cost and allows Cal Spas to sell the units for much less than traditional spas.
“All of our spas are built with the same quality but this creates a lower price point,” said Shiva Noble, Cal Spas’ executive vice president. “The average price for a spa is $7,999, but these will go for $2,999 to $3,499. They still give you hydrotherapy and warm water therapy, but they are much more affordable to purchase.”
Cal Spas’ patented 110 Dually system allows the new line of single-motor units to offer the performance of two pump heads and “plug and play” convenience.
The Genesis series features round, corner, bench and lounger models.
Noble said consumers who typically buy hot tubs have not been as adversely affected by the economic downturn because most of them are middle to upper middle-class buyers and above.
“The economy has really not affected them so much, but at the same time they are being a little more conservative and they’re not letting go of their dollars as easily as before,” she said. “ They want to pay a lower price for the same product.”
Richard Giss, a retail analyst with Deloitte & Touche, said businesses across the spectrum are rethinking their marketing strategies and, in many cases, revamping their product lines to keep consumers coming back.
“You don’t need to look any farther than the auto industry, which has suffered 20, 30, and 40 percent decreases in sales,” he said. “And the housing market has suffered a big downturn in sales.”
Many Americans who couldn’t keep pace with their rising mortgage payments lost their homes to foreclosure, impacting sales of such items as furniture, appliances, carpeting, paint, wood and a variety of other products.
Headquartered in Pomona, Cal Spas was founded in 1979. The company has evolved to become the world’s No. 1 manufacturer of home resort products, including hydrotherapy hot tubs, swim spas, gazebos, indoor/outdoor saunas, barbecue islands/carts/drop-in grills, outdoor fireplaces and firepits.


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In a liquid navy dress with a killer deep-V neckline and exposed back from Michael Lo Sordo, actress Ana de Armas kicked various butts as James Bond’s sidekick in the film No Time To Die, and with his latest creation the designer has another insidious villain in his sights. Lo Sordo is the latest Australian fashion identity to collaborate with enduring women’s fashion brand Witchery for their annual White Shirt Campaign, which has raised more than $14 million for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) since 2000.
“With the Bond dress there is a feeling of strength,” Lo Sordo says. “I want people to feel empowered when they wear my white shirt for Witchery. They will be wearing something that is simple in style but is part of a big and important message. I have had family members that have been ill from this.”
For the classic long-sleeved shirt with round hemline, point collar and button-down front, Lo Sordo replaced Bond girls such as Pussy Galore, Honey Ryder and Xenia Onatopp on his mood board with equally strong and stylish Australian women, such as Maggie Tabberer and Ita Buttrose.
“I wanted to find a way to speak to the Witchery customer with a piece that was pared back, no fuss and classic. And when you think of classic, women such as Ita and Maggie T come immediately to mind.”
Last year Toni Maticevksi was the first designer to collaborate with Witchery on the White Shirt Campaign, creating a structured shirt which had to go into reproduction following strong sales.
“It was the fastest-selling white shirt in the campaign’s history,” says Witchery managing director Simon Schofield. “We are hoping for a similar response to Michael’s shirt and are so grateful that he was willing to work with us.”
In 2019 the White Shirt Campaign raised $1.4 million, with COVID-19 contributing to lower figures in 2020 with $335,600 raised and in 2021, where $537,700 was donated to the OCRF.
Through the campaign Witchery is the single largest fundraiser for the OCRF, which draws attention to the sixth most common cause of all cancer deaths in females. With no early detection test for ovarian cancer, it has a lower survival rate than both breast and cervical cancer.
“There is so much attention around Michael at the moment that we are sure we can raise more money this year, especially without the lockdown restrictions of last year,” Schofield says.
Expect more collaborations from Witchery in coming months, following the Lo Sordo team-up and the attention received by their recent capsule collection with Paris-based Australian designer Kym Ellery.
“It’s a space that we are really interested in and offers us greater opportunities to work with the wider Australian fashion industry,” Schofield says. “We are working with another designer that will hopefully be announced towards the end of the year.”
For Lo Sordo, the Witchery collaboration is an exciting way to explore producing designs on a larger scale, while basking in the James Bond afterglow and preparing for Afterpay Australian Fashion Week in May.
“The Bond success just rolls on and I am so grateful for these opportunities in a tough industry,” he says. “I tend to work on a smaller scale that has more in common with slow fashion, so being able to tap into a larger market working with all the resources at Witchery’s disposal was outstanding. I feel like this is my time, and I am happy to be able to help others along the way.”
The Michael Lo Sordo x Witchery white shirt ($129.95) goes on sale at Witchery stores and online from April 19, with all proceeds going to the OCRF.
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The 2014 BMW i3 isn’t a good option if you’re in the market for a second-hand electric car, according to Consumer Reports.
The popular magazine recently released a list dubbed “Used Cars To Avoid Buying” — the 2014 model year of the popular electric city car featured prominently on it.
Worth noting, though, is that BMW had quite a number of other (non-electric) models make the list as well — so the issue doesn’t seem to be with the company’s approach to electric vehicles (EVs) itself, but rather with company-wide reliability deficits. (As many will note, many German auto manufacturers have had issues with reliability and quality in recent times.)
Green Car Reports provides more:
The list includes 2006 through 2015 models that have a record of below-average reliability. The ratings apply to specific model years of a given vehicle, because even a general pattern of good reliability can be interrupted by lapses during specific model years.
…While Consumer Reports says the i3 has below average reliability, the carmaker’s 5 Series sedan was determined to be “much worse than average” across model years 2006-2008, 2010-2012, and 2015.
The i3 wasn’t the only electric car on the list either. The 2012, 2013, and 2015 versions of the Tesla Model S all have “much-worse-than-average” reliability, according to the magazine.
Despite heaping praise on the Model S when it was new, Consumer Reports last year pulled its coveted “recommended” rating for the car, owing to that increasing evidence of that below-average reliability. Another used electric car to avoid is the 2013 Nissan Leaf, staffers say.
The issues with used Nissan Leafs appear to be mostly limited to the 2013 model year, though, as the 2014 model year is rated as possessing “better than average” reliability and the 2015 model year as having “average” reliability.
Do any owners/buyers of used BMW i3s, Tesla Model Ss, or Nissan LEAFs have anything to say about their vehicle’s reliability?


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That Apple products are beloved by consumers is well known. Recently, I wrote about how Apple was also making inroads into businesses. This week brings news that the Apple is increasingly winning over another sector entirely: the U.S. government.
NYT Bits reports (citing The Loop) that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is throwing their BlackBerrys overboard, opting for Apple products instead. Though NOAA already put some 3,000 BlackBerry devices in circulation among its 20,000 workers, it will only be supporting the devices until May 12. NOAA CIO Joe Klimavicz cited the cost of Research in Motion’s software as the chief reason for the switch.
Klimavicz told the Times that he considered switching the agency over to Android devices, but that ultimately the uniformity iOS won him over. Google hasn’t been totally shafted by the agency, though; it uses Google Apps for Government to manage its email, calendars, docs, and so on. (Though it’s not a government agency–quite–Halliburton this week also jilted BlackBerry in favor of the iPhone. )
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports that apple might soon be fielding another huge government contract soon: The U.S. Air Force is considering buying up to 18,000 iPad 2s for its flight crews. A notice posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website cited an interest in buying up to that number of “iPad 2, Brand Name or Equal devices.” An Air Force spokeswoman said that the tablets would help cut down on manuals that can together weigh up to 40 pounds. (Commercial airlines, incidentally, are ahead of the Air Force on this.) An RIM spokesperson said that “[t]he BlackBerry PlayBook remains the only tablet certified for use by U.S. government agencies”–but it’s unclear how long that will remain the case, given the Air Force’s apparent interest in iPads.
In many ways, Apple and Washington make for a good match. There was that feisty Obama/Jobs encounter. Apple has a special store with special prices for government agencies and employees. And it would be a marriage between financial peers: this summer found the U.S. treasury and Apple with about the same amount of cash in the bank, around $75 billion each.
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The commission, for Mouton's 2006 vintage, was announced yesterday at the opening of an exhibition of previous labels at the Wolfsonian-Florida International University, on view through March 8. Château Mouton Rothschild has featured an original artwork every year since 1945; previous artists include Miro, Chagall, Braque, Picasso, Dali, Warhol, Bacon, Haring, and Balthus.
Freud's label features a simple line drawing of a potted palm and a zebra's head.
The artists receive no payment for their contribution other than cases of the Bordeaux-region wine.
Look for more on Freud's Mouton label in next week's In the Cellar column.


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EPA Raids Corporation Suspected of Illegal E-Waste Dumping
Agents with the EPA and Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently raided Executive Recycling as part of an investigation into the export and illegal dumping of e-waste abroad, reports The Denver Post.
Executive Recycling markets itself as recycling e-waste in the U.S. in an environmentally correct way. But last November it became the focus of a 60 Minutes investigation on hazardous materials being exported and illegally dumped in China.
At the time, the company responded and said it was the “victim of others who have obtained electronic and computer products from our company and then acted irresponsibly.”
The EPA bans the overseas export of electronic waste that contains toxic materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium and polyvinyl chlorides.
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Friday, June 22, 2018 - 838 hours ago
The value added tax (VAT) on using internet will be reduced by about 5 per cent at the end user level, which will be effective from July 01, 2018. The assurance came from a meeting between Finance Minister AMA Muhith and Telecom and ICT Minister Mustafa Jabbar yesterday.
The current VAT on internet usage is 15 per cent and it will be reduced to 10 per cent following the VAT cut. Chairman of National Board of Revenue (NBR) Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan and Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) President Syed Almas Kabir were also present at the meeting held at the Economic Relations Division (ERD) office of the Ministry of Finance.
Talking to The Independent, Telecom and ICT Minister Mustafa Jabbar said they have solved all the problems in the IT and telecom sector and fulfilled all the demands of the industry.
He said the finance minister would declare the changes in parliament and the new announcement would encourage specially the young people of the country.
The ICT Minister further said the meeting also resolved problems of those who are assembling mobile telephone sets locally.
“We are happy with our achievements,” he said after the meeting.
The trade bodies of digital services have been urging the government to withdraw VAT for the last seven years but are yet to find any positive response from the policymakers. At present there is 15 per cent VAT for using internet through internet service provider’s connection and 21.75 per cent VAT and duty for use through mobile phones, which will come down to 10 per cent and 16.75 per cent respectively after the VAT cut in July.
But 5 per cent supplementary duty and 1 per cent surcharge will remain same on top of the VAT for mobile internet use, said Syed Almas Kabir. There is no supplementary duty or surcharge on internet use from internet service providers’ connections.
Industry insiders said the government now earns about Tk 1,100 crore from VAT on internet, adding that if the government sacrifices this amount for two years, the boost would allow this sector to fetch Tk 5,000 crore every year.


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By and large, almost all the latest cellphones carry a touchscreen display and some kind of ho-hum touch-based UI with them these days. Don’t these trying-hard companies see that they are only strengthening the brand they are attacking with their half-baked jabs at innovation? Or is it imitation? It seems like everybody’s trying their best to make an iPhone killer, and miserably fails, each and every time. But ‘ole Samsung’s latest offering begs for a second look, a chance to impress. Samsung introduced a new phone, called the Samsung Instinct, to be made available for a still undisclosed price.
As you can see, the Samsung Instinct has a large, touch-sensitive display and it runs on a custom UI made by Samsung from the ground up taking data convergence into focus. It will also offer local haptic feedback, built-in GPS and Sprint TV. This is Samsung’s first direct strike at Apple’s iPhone, as well as against a lot of other touchscreen-based devices that have been popping up lately. I’m sure Samsung hopes that the Instinct won’t stink but will it have what it takes to be a real iPhone killer when it’s finally released? We will see.


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This New Alexa Feature makes it Less Machine more Human
May 6, 2017, 1:30 p.m. By: TeamAdmin Edit
Amazon last week announced that it’s updating Alexa with a new feature that will make it sound more human as well as expressive.
The Speech Synthesis Markup Language that Alexa supports now enables the developers to modify the tone of its voice along with its timing and emotions. This amazing update will enable Alexa to whisper, emphasize and beep inappropriate words that the developer chooses.
Though many might find it difficult to understand the actual use of the whispering Alexa but surely a more human voice sound equals a delighting user experience.


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BMW M2 India Launch, Mercedes-AMG GT S Roadster, Bajaj Dominar Price
PUBLISHED ON: May 15, 2018 | Duration: 2 min, 52 sec
BMW is all set to bring in the M2 to India and we have all the exclusive details on that front. Mercedes-AMG has revealed the GT S Roadster and it looks absolutely superb. We give you more details on that front. Finally, Bajaj has announced yet another price hike on the Dominar and we tell you all about it.


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Today, blockchain infrastructure company Paxos closed a $300 million Series D round of funding, one of the largest ever among cryptocurrency and blockchain startups
New Raise Is To Help Scale Operations
Paxos, a major cryptocurrency corporation and PayPal’s crypto partner, has completed a huge fundraising round shortly after securing tentative approval to join a national trust bank.
On Thursday, the company reported a new $300-million Series D funding round taking Paxos’ valuation to $2.4 billion. PayPal Ventures, Declaration Partners, Mithril Capital, Senator Investment Group, Liberty City Ventures, WestCap, and other previous Paxos investors participated in the new funding round.
Paxos will use the newly raised funds to continue investing in enterprise-grade infrastructure, expand operations, and strengthen its commitment to regulation, security, and enforcement.
Paxos also intends to create the Paxos National Trust Bank in the near future, following preliminary approval from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency last week. The business has also applied to the Securities and Exchange Commission for a clearing agency registration and is seeking a Major Payment Institution license in Singapore.
We're thrilled to announce – we've raised $300M in our Series D with a valuation of $2.4 billion, making us one of the fastest growing fintech startups in the world. Read more here: https://t.co/nAQvt8GkwB
— Paxos (@PaxosGlobal) April 29, 2021
Related article | Paxos Grills Customer for Using a Bitcoin Mixing Service
Charles Cascarilla, co-founder and CEO of Paxos, said that demand for the company’s enterprise solutions has increased above the company’s projections.
In an interview with The Block, Carscarilla cited the company’s existing performance and opportunities as to why it’s raising more money now. It’s not so much price-based, but rather tied to the number of inbounds it is getting from large potential clients. The firm—known for powering the crypto trading offering for PayPal and Venmo—has several similarly sized clients it is engaging with seriously, according to Cascarilla, who cut his teeth as a hedge fund executive during the financial crisis.
“We want to be able to invest in the team and the platform” he said. “Those clients want to make sure we are well-capitalized. These are the things we want to take advantage of in that window of opportunity.”
“We want to transform as many assets as possible and re-platform them into the blockchain-based world,” he added.
Paxos, which was established in 2012, is a major industry player that allows users to tokenize, ownership, exchange, and settle digital assets. Paxos has released stablecoins such as Paxos Standard, which is pegged to the US dollar, and PAX Gold, which is backed by gold.
PayPal partnered with Paxos last year to enable users to buy, sell, and keep cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), Ether, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin. Paxos also aided PayPal-owned payments company Venmo in its recent introduction of cryptocurrency trading.
Paxos announced in October that it would power the back-end of PayPal’s crypto offering, providing the liquidity and regulatory capabilities for crypto buys and sells. While Paxos’ native exchange itBit has sat on the lower end of crypto exchange rankings, it has seen significant growth since it stuck the deal. And new deals could lead to further growth.
Related article | PayPal Forays into Crypto Market as Bitcoin Price Explodes Past $12,400
Featured image from Medium, Charts from Tradingview.com


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LIVINGSTON, NJ – A large production crew with its own huge craft services food truck is visiting Livingston today to film a commercial at 16 Handles, which serves frozen yogurt and smoothies and is located within Town Center. Though the commercial is being filmed at Town Center, the production crew is set up across the street in the parking lot next to Karig’s Livingston Hardware and is using the adjacent church as its headquarters.
While members of the crew declined to offer information on what company the commercial is being filmed for and when it will air, locals working in the area who wish to remain anonymous have said the ad is for a new internet company.
A member of the production crew told TAPinto that the ad will focus on small business, which is why this store was chosen. She added that “Livingston is a really nice place to visit and film.”
She also said that the “film commissioner has been very nice and accommodating.”
A note on the 16 Handles website says, “We will be closed Wednesday 5/25/2016 for store maintenance. Thank you.”


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Shoppers in Castlebar will get free car parking over the two weeks running up to Christmas after councillors agreed to use their General Municipal Allocation money to pay for any loss occurred.
The free parking is expected to come into effect on December 8 and last until Christmas Day, with all of the council-owned car parks in the county town to be made available to the public. The proposal to provide free parking was made by Fine Gael councillor Ger Deere and unanimously supported by all his council colleagues.
“Morale is very low in the town,” the Fine Gael councillor told last week’s meeting of the Castlebar Municipal District. “We used to do it [free parking] in the past and we must do it again as a gesture to businesses who are going through a horrific time.”
Mayo Council Council’s income from parking charges was significantly impacted during the current year, but Iarla Moran, the Head of the Castlebar Municipal District, agreed to introduce free parking if it was paid for with the councillors’ GMA monies. The councillors had agreed earlier in the year to set aside €13,500 in GMA funds for a Christmas event, but as none can go ahead this year, the money will instead go towards promoting the free parking this Christmas.
During the meeting, Cllr Michael Kilcoyne called on other council-owned car parks in the town to be opened up for shoppers, especially at the weekends, while Cllr Cyril Burke said it was important that as many shoppers as possible are able to come into Castlebar before Christmas.
While stating she fully supported free parking for Christmas, Cllr Donna Sheridan asked how other districts paid for parking, saying she felt that the GMA funding would be better going towards clubs and businesses.
Cathaoirleach of the Municipal District, Cllr Blackie Gavin welcomed the decision to allow for free parking this Christmas and suggested that the old Castlebar barracks should be also be used for parking. He added that the most important message to the public was to shop local.
However, Cllr Al McDonnell said that while free car-parking is a help to businesses he felt that online shopping was a great worry for them this Christmas.
“I was in a rural area [outside Castlebar] for about ten minutes and two vans passed, one was Fastway and another one came a few minutes later and that was DHL.They weren’t delivering letters, they were delivering items bought online and there’s a strong possibility they weren’t bought in Castlebar or Ireland. Therein lie the problems the business people face,” he said.


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Spammers are moving on from mass e-mail blasts to targeted attacks using social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, Cisco security executive Tom Gillis said Monday.
The social networking site LinkedIn has been blocked in China, a move that analysts say is tied to Chinese government efforts to suppress mention of a "Jasmine Revolution" on the Internet.
The average, everyday Twitter or Facebook user likely won't have much need for HootSuite, a Web-based social media management application. But power users -- especially those who rely on and manage multiple Facebook pages and Twitter accounts for the...
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Criminals are using a Zeus botnet to pillage Charles Schwab investment accounts, a security researcher said Friday.
Online bank account users should not ignore the threat posed by obscure data-theft Trojans such as 'Bugat', 'SpyEye', and 'Carberp', security company Trusteer has warned.
Networking site LinkedIn is being used as the lure for a huge spam campaign designed to infect UK and US businesses with the data-stealing Zeus/Zbot Trojan, Cisco has reported.
A third of US SMEs claim to have experienced malware or virus infection as a result of staff using social media websites, Panda Security's first Social Media Risk Index survey has found.
Apple could be making plans for a big role in mobile Near Field Communications (NFC) with the recent hiring of Benjamin Vigier as its product manager of mobile commerce.
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- Apple CEO Tim Cook meets with Chinese official after iCloud attack
- New European Commission, approved by Parliament, will focus on the digital domain
- Camels, sleds and trikes: Seven odd Street View vehicles
GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
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In late April, Barnes and Noble announced a partnership with Microsoft that would, among other things, spin off the bookseller's Nook tablet and eReader business into a separate company, with some investment from Microsoft. Since then, there's been lots of speculation that Barnes and Noble's next Nook tablet could run on Windows 8 or Windows RT.
This week, Digital Trends reports, via unnamed sources, that Barnes and Noble will hold a press conference in late September in New York City, to officially announce and demo the next Nook tablet. The article speculates that the next Nook product could also be the first that will run on Windows 8. Previous versions of the Nook have had a modified version of Android 2.3 running things inside.
Barnes and Noble and Microsoft have already admitted that the bookseller will create a Nook app for Windows 8 but so far details of that app have yet to be revealed. However, linking the app to a Nook tablet that runs on either Windows 8 or Windows RT would certainly be a logical next step.
Barnes and Noble recently cut prices on the current versions of the Nook tablet, as well as the Nook Color, most likely in preparation for a new Nook tablet model.
Source: Digital Trends | Image via Barnes and Noble/Microsoft


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Tune into the tube: TVs are a steal
On Black Friday, televisions tend to be really inexpensive because they may not be top-of-the-line, de Grandpre says. "You are getting kind of a trade-off," he says.
Prices for high-end televisions tend to drop in January, leading up to the Super Bowl, de Grandpre says. Historically, DealNews research shows there have also been excellent sales on high-end models in mid-December. But in years past, sometimes the best deals did not appear until January, he says.
If you're looking for the centerpiece for your home theater, "I think you want to shop both times," he says.
Part of the reason television prices fall in January stems from the seasonality of some products, says Marks. Traditionally, that's when new products are introduced and older models are discontinued.
Even with the December/January high-end TV boom, DealNews is predicting record-low pricing for TVs on Black Friday. The company expects 42-inch 1080p LCD TVs to be available for as low as $109 in door-buster deals and the 60-inch 1080p LCD HDTV to be the best Black Friday door-buster this year, with a price as low as $549.
Smaller TVs have bottomed out in pricing, so the better deals will be on larger TVs. While the 60-inch is expected to drop to the best price this season, deals will also be found on 55-inch and 70-inch LCDs, according to DealNews.
It's interesting to note that even with all these deals, televisions likely aren't going to be under the Christmas tree. De Grandpre says people tend to buy TVs for themselves, not as gifts.


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Fire damages several cars at Monroe Co. car auction business | News
Investigators determined that a fire started in two wrecked vehicles at a Monroe County car auction business late Monday night.
Firefighters responded to the Coparts Auto Auction on Highway 411, just south of Madisonville, shortly after 10:30 p.m. In all, officials confirmed that the fire damaged three tractor trailers, a camper, and trailer.
No one was hurt in the incident.


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Website design and e-commerce platform provider Wix.com (NASDAQ:WIX) reported results in line with analyst expectations in Q4 FY2022 quarter, with revenue up 8.13% year on year to $355 million. Wix made a GAAP loss of $39 million, improving on its loss of $111 million, in the same quarter last year.
Is now the time to buy Wix? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free.
Wix (WIX) Q4 FY2022 Highlights:
- Revenue: $355 million vs analyst estimates of $351.9 million (0.9% beat)
- EPS (non-GAAP): $0.61 vs analyst estimates of $0.10 ($0.5 beat)
- Management's revenue guidance for upcoming financial year 2023 is $1.52 billion at the midpoint, in line with analyst expectations and predicting 9.72% growth (vs 9.34% in FY2022)
- Free cash flow of $38.6 million, up from negative free cash flow of $22.6 million in previous quarter
- Gross Margin (GAAP): 63.7%, up from 60.7% same quarter last year
"In the face of a dynamic macroeconomic environment this year, we shifted our focus toward tightening spending and becoming more efficient in the execution of our priorities. Through all of this, we continued to lead through innovation. We released hundreds of new products and features throughout 2022 to improve our platform for self creators and partners. Among the most notable releases this year were Wix Blocks for developers, our new Wix Editor, Wix Portfolio and our new AI Text Creator," said Avishai Abrahami, Wix Co-founder and CEO.
Founded in 2006 in Tel Aviv, Wix.com (NASDAQ:WIX) offers a free and easy to operate website building platform.
While e-commerce has been around for over two decades and enjoyed meaningful growth, its overall penetration of retail still remains low. Only around $1 in every $5 spent on retail purchases comes from digital orders, leaving over 80% of the retail market still ripe for online disruption. It is these large swathes of the retail where e-commerce has not yet taken hold that drives the demand for various e-commerce software solutions.
As you can see below, Wix's revenue growth has been solid over the last two years, growing from quarterly revenue of $278.1 million in Q4 FY2020, to $355 million.
Wix's quarterly revenue was only up 8.13% year on year, which might disappoint some shareholders. We can see that the company increased revenue by $9.24 million quarter on quarter accelerating up on $581 thousand in Q3 2022.
For the upcoming financial year management expects revenue to be $1.52 billion at the midpoint, growing 9.72% compared to 9.29% increase in FY2022.
In volatile times like these we look for robust businesses with strong pricing power. Unknown to most investors, this company is one of the highest-quality software companies in the world, and their software products have been the default standard in critical industries for decades. The result is an impressive business that is up an incredible 18,152% since the IPO. You can find it on our platform for free.
What makes the software as a service business so attractive is that once the software is developed, it typically shouldn't cost much to provide it as an ongoing service to customers. Wix's gross profit margin, an important metric measuring how much money there is left after paying for servers, licenses, technical support and other necessary running expenses was at 63.7% in Q4.
That means that for every $1 in revenue the company had $0.64 left to spend on developing new products, marketing & sales and the general administrative overhead. While it improved significantly from the previous quarter this would still be considered a low gross margin for a SaaS company and we would like to see the improvements continue.
Key Takeaways from Wix's Q4 Results
With a market capitalization of $4.75 billion Wix is among smaller companies, but its more than $244.7 million in cash and the fact it is operating close to free cash flow break-even put it in a robust financial position to invest in growth.
We liked to see that Wix guided for revenue growth next year to continue. And we were also glad that the revenue guidance for the rest of the year exceeded expectations. On the other hand, revenue growth was quite weak. Zooming out, we think this was still a decent, albeit mixed, quarter, showing the company is staying on target. The company currently trades at $83.55 per share.
Should you invest in Wix right now? It is important that you take into account its valuation and business qualities, as well as what happened in the latest quarter. We look at that in our actionable report which you can read here, it's free.
One way to find opportunities in the market is to watch for generational shifts in the economy. Almost every company is slowly finding itself becoming a technology company and facing cybersecurity risks and as a result, the demand for cloud-native cybersecurity is skyrocketing. This company is leading a massive technological shift in the industry and with revenue growth of 70% year on year and best-in-class SaaS metrics it should definitely be on your radar.
The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.


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The long and winding road to the upper levels of autonomy, namely Level 4 and Level 5 vehicle automation, are far in the future.
That means automakers should be thinking more about how to drive revenue through ADAS rather than placing future bets on fully self-driving cars. In order for carmakers to successfully drive revenue from ADAS features however, they’ll have to start moving towards a model whereby these types of features, from automatic emergency braking to self-parking, are available for purchase on a wider range of vehicles.
Mike Ramsey, senior research director of automotive and smart mobility at research firm Gartner, says automakers should take a close look at Toyota, which he noted has been very active in promoting ADAS features at any trim level for not very much money. “They’re not forcing you to get the highest trim level to get the safety systems,” he said. “What many of the other OEMs have done is only made the ADAS features available at the top end of the market.”
He said by adopting this scheme of ADAS features solely for premium models, automakers have limited the amount of revenue they could be taking in. “They’ve taken the perspective that if you want this $3,000-$4,000 option, you have to have all this extra stuff and it works out to if you want these capabilities, it costs $10,000-$15,000 more to the base model,” Ramsey said. “That really limits the market but this will change because OEMs will start implementing things like AEB and lane keeping in a much broader array of vehicles.”
There are also the benefits to automakers that economies of scale bring because when the technology proliferates across vehicle lines, it will become less expensive to implement. Ramsey pointed to navigation features as an example of a feature that used to be a top trim level option and which now available on base models. “OEMs got more revenue when it was spread across the market, as that technology proliferated,” he said. “Right now, the most advanced systems are only available on a tiny handful of systems and I do think that, over the next five years, almost all of the revenue related to automation or driver assistance systems is going to be in safety and comfort and almost none of it will be in the full autonomy area.”
Adi Pinhas, co-founder and CEO of Brodmann17, a developer of perception software for automated driving, said ADAS functions are not an obscure feature in the car but highly visible to the consumer.
Because of this, they have become an important differentiator for automakers and these functions are highly attractive to drivers because they promote safety, such with automatic emergency braking, convenience with self-parking and fuel savings while employing adaptive cruise control. “These premium functions cost in the hundreds of dollars,” he said. “The required hardware for Level 4-Level 5 cars costs in the order of $20,000, which is not practical for passenger cars and so you have situations like with Daimler, which recently announced that it will stop developing Level 4-Level 5 passenger cars.”
Pinhas noted all carmakers see these ADAS functionalities in Tesla models and understand that automated driving is the future and they have to close the gap. Furthermore, once drivers have these ADAS functions in their car, they would look to have these same functions and more in his/her next car. “So, again, it’s a gap that all automotive OEMs need to close with BMW, Audi, GM and others,” he said.
One of the additional challenges automakers will face when using ADAS to drive revenue derives from the often confusing terminology they use to describe their features. “There’s no good naming convention, so when people are shopping for them, they have no idea what the features do,” Ramsey said. “It’s extremely difficult to tell if the car has them or not, or how to search for them.”
He argued that if there was more of a common naming system for these technologies, there would be a much wider proliferation of them, because the benefits of features like AEB are “significant, and proven”. “There could be very significant benefit in terms of revenue from ADAS features but automakers are not realizing it, because these features are not packaged in a way that allows the entire market to take advantage of them,” he said.
Pinhas also agreed with that sentiment, noting in many instances, the use of different terminology for ADAS technology is owing to partially supported functions and beyond. “This creates dangerous confusion, as is the case with Tesla’s automated driving capabilities being called ‘Tesla Autopilot’,” he noted.
He pointed out the autopilot terminology over-inflates the function of the technology and severe accidents have happened because consumers expect it to be able to control the vehicle without constant manual control, which is not the case.
Overall, Pinas argued that ADAS technologies can be a strong revenue driver with electronics now being the main differentiator in the car. “Beyond that, the European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) is publishing new standards every year,” he noted. “If an automotive OEM would like to keep its five star safety rating, it needs to support these ADAS functions.”
He explained some regulators are also considering safety features like AEB for elderly drivers. “So, for automotive OEMs, it becomes less about the few additional hundreds of dollars needed to install AEB in their cars and more about their ability to sell the cars at all if they don’t meet these requirements,” Pinas said.


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VinFast to move corporate headquarters to Singapore
Vietnamese automaker VinFast will move its headquarters to Singapore.
The transition is part of the company's preparation to enter the U.S. market, which includes a $4 billion factory in Chatham County.
"We feel that Singapore is a jurisdiction that will give investors more confidence," VinFast CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy told Reuters in an interview.
Singapore is an attractive place to do business, thanks to low corporate taxes and an English-speaking workforce. The company is looking to build confidence in investors and consumers, as it rolls out its electric vehicles in the U.S.
VinFast will open its first American showrooms this year. The company is also planning an initial public offering of stock. Thuy declined to give a timeline for the IPO in the Reuters interview.
Thuy joined Gov. Roy Cooper and other state leaders in March, when VinFast announced plans for an electric vehicle manufacturing plan in Chatham County. The automaker will break ground later this year on the 1,900-acre facility at the Triangle Innovation Point megasite in Moncure. The state has promised VinFast more than $300 million in incentives in exchange for hiring 7,500 workers when the plant opens.


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2020 Cross Country Preview CalendarSeptember 5, 2019
The FIM Federation has published a preliminary calendar for the 2020 Cross Country World Cup and has announced the inclusion of the 2021 Dakar Rally in the 2021 Cross Country Championship.
The news was announced at a meeting of key auto and motor sports organizations: the FIA, FIM and the Cross Country Rally Commission. Other important news is the addition of new categories to the Dakar rally since 2020: RallyGP (professional and experienced riders), Rally2 (beginners) and Rally Adventure Trophy (independent riders without technical support). Changes are made to increase the safety of each participant.
Cross Country 2020 Preview Calendar:
Abu Dhabi Rally (March 20-26);
Kazakhstan rally (May 24-29);
Silk Road Rally (July 3-17);
Rally Sertoyns (September 2020 – still claimed);
Rally Morocco (October 8-13).
In the near future they promise more information about the inclusion of the Dakar rally in the Cross-Country 2020 World Cup.
- Green Ferrari collection put up for sale
- Volkswagen accused of unfair competition
- Hybrid hypercar McLaren Saber showed on patent images
- Hengchi 1 electric sedan production begins in China
- Volkswagen Group uses Audi brand to catch up with Tesla in electric vehicle production


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See what El Pasoans said about Black Friday on social media. Tweet your updates with #EPBlackFriday.
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5 things you missed: Apple releases iOS 7.1, Tumblr allows updates by phone, more
Apple has released iOS 7.1, now available on smartphones and tablets. That and more in what you missed in technology today. Full Story
(Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez/AFP/Getty Images)


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Brand Endorser Ranveer Singh commented, “I am excited to announce my association with Nutella. Nutella has always held a special place in my heart. I’ve been a fan ever since I was a child and my love for it has only grown over the years. I am stoked to be part of the Nutella journey in India and help bring alive their vision of making tasty breakfast and desserts.”
By coming on board as a brand representative for India, the superstar will promote the Nutella brand across digital and offline marketing channels as well as be an active part of their various campaigns.
Nutella® India made the announcement in collaboration with the pan-India star Ranveer Singh’s social pages through an entertaining video, where the actor is seen engaging in a rapid-fire round on ‘what comes to my mind when….’ and proclaims his love for the brand.
In addition, to celebrate the association and the announcement, Nutella in India is also doing an online limited-edition Nutella jar featuring Ranveer Singh on the label as a giveaway to fans of Nutella and the star. Interestingly, the jar is packaged in a box which when scanned under a curated Instagram AR lens, triggers the actor in an augmented reality avatar on top of the box and is seen delivering a special message on this collaboration.
Speaking on the collaboration, Zoher Kapuswala, Marketing Head, Nutella brands, Ferrero India Pvt Ltd. said, “We are delighted to have Ranveer Singh onboard as our brand endorser for India market. His personality exemplifies energy which is in absolute sync with the brand’s ethos. This, combined with his famous love for Nutella makes this announcement even more exciting for us. Leveraging the actors strong connect with our consumers, we have a lot of exciting engagements lined up with Nutella®”
Ranveer Singh will be seen in an exciting campaign for the brand’s famous “World Nutella Day” celebrated all over the world on 5th February for the India market. To celebrate the occasion this year, Nutella® India is inviting fans to ‘Flip the Pancake’. The Bollywood superstar, whose love for Nutella is no secret, will be launching the World Nutella® Day celebrations this year with fans, spreading some cheer and Nutella smiles. The campaign will be launched on the brand’s social pages of Instagram and Facebook as well as YouTube channel @NutellaIndia. Here, fans of Nutella can participate, post videos, and celebrate the day with Ranveer Singh & Nutella and get a chance to win some exclusive gifts.


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Mark Lowenstein has a good write up of where Android is falling a bit short, and makes the case that Google should work with operators to provide distinct Android experiences for all devices across each operator, rather than the current OEM free-for-all.
My perspective is a little different. The 100 variations thing didn’t really work for UNIX vs. Windows 20 years ago, and it could be a big problem for Android vs. iPhone (or even BlackBerry) in the future. Microsoft had a similar problem with phone hardware inconsistencies resulting in quite a few dogs running Windows Mobile. The inconsistencies turned off consumers, and consumers tended to associate any bad experiences with the platform rather than a particular phone model. Google’s now at risk of having a multiple of the Microsoft Windows Mobile problem as both hardware and the software experience are modified by OEMs and/or operators.
While Google does provide financial incentives to operators that use the core Android experience, it hasn’t been enough to contain the proliferation of variants. The problem is that the OEMs are working so hard to differentiate their devices, that they can’t pass up the custom UI experience play. To date, operators have been pretty darn happy about mandatory data plans on very capable and inexpensive Android phones.
If Google were to alter it’s strategy to work with each operator on a distinct variant of Android and have the operators each force the OEMs to synch with their own model – it still wouldn’t help app developers or consumers at scale. Is the innovation advantage in having each operator go in a slightly different advantage worth the consistency loss? My take is that in this case, the answer is no.
In the long run, Apple devices are going to continue to be the easiest to develop on and the most attractive to the majority of consumers as long as they have a big consistency advantage. That’s a positive cycle that will be hard to match.
What does the current state of Android proliferation mean to companies building mobile apps? It means that a fraction of the problems of J2ME and BREW are still alive and well on Android: namely that all complexity and custom-work that goes into an Android app is more expensive than it would be on a platform like iPhone, since it must be is multiplied across device resolutions, UI models, and keyboard configurations and tested in these different situations. This means that a least-common-denominator approach is the right way to go for anything that’s not considered a key component of the unique user value or a major differentiator in the app experience, and the vast majority of the hard engineering and product work should be put into those few valuable features that will make or break the product experience.