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Good luck to our shrimpers
Published: Monday, April 18, 2011 at 10:28 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, April 18, 2011 at 10:28 a.m.
The regular shrimp season is still weeks away, but local shrimpers are on the water today hoping to net enough of the delicious shellfish to bring optimism to an industry in dire need of it.
“My boat's going out,” said Samantha Sevin of Chauvin. “I am hoping we will convince people the seafood is OK, hoping it will give a little boost to have fresh shrimp.”
The state has opened some waters to shrimpers beginning today.
The mini-season will allow shrimpers to ply their nets for five days, giving them some indication of what is to come during the normal season.
State officials have said their research shows a large presence of white shrimp that remained inland over the winter, a crop that shrimpers should be able to harvest this week.
In doing so, they will be able to benefit from an industry that has suffered much uncertainty in the past year.
They will also be able to deliver some reassurance to shrimp consumers that Louisiana's seafood is safe to eat and free of oil.
Since last year's Gulf oil spill began, local seafood producers and suppliers have worried that national perceptions about the lingering effects could diminish demand for their product.
Some of those fears have proven true. Surveys have found consumers elsewhere do have new concerns about how clean and safe Gulf seafood is.
A successful return to providing the excellent product they have supplied for generations could go a long way toward defeating those perceptions.
We know the seafood here is clean and safe and, of course, as delicious as ever. We know that the government has tested and tested in the months since the spill, making sure that the seafood caught in the Gulf and in the adjacent inland waterways is not tainted by the oil.
But people who still think of the Gulf as a gooey mass of oil and trapped wildlife might be a bit slower to get the message.
That is understandable. We are here. We know people who fish those waters and eat what they catch. But farther away, where the enduring images of the oil spill might still be at the front of people's minds, concern about the safety of the seafood is understandable.
To allay that concern, some Gulf states, including Louisiana, are embarking on ad campaigns aimed at touting the quality of our seafood.
But this shrimp season could be a great place to start. And though the season itself is not under way just yet, this week's mini-season could be a great sign of things to come.
Editorials represent the opinions of the newspaper, not of any individual.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Like it or not, Apple is a trendsetter, albeit it isn’t the primary to return out with a product or technology. So when it repurposed its MagSafe branding to hide magnet-assisted wireless charging, it had been expected that some manufacturers would imitate sooner or later. It’s no surprise, either, that one among those would be OPPO. The smartphone maker has admittedly been at the forefront of charging technologies for smartphones, and its new MagVOOC tech is its latest plan to maintain that lead.
The disadvantages of current wireless charging technologies are mostly well-known by now. Devices need to be positioned correctly on the surface, and therefore the charging coils can’t be too far apart. The latter is being addressed by “air” charging that’s still in development, while the previous is being solved by the new generation of magnetic wireless charging solutions.
OPPO MagVOOC, a bit like Apple MagSafe and Realme MagDart, utilizes magnets to properly align a phone’s wireless charging coil to the charger. This ensures that it’ll always snap into place perfectly regardless of how you place the device.
OPPO’s showcase at the Smart China Expo 2021 revealed three MagVOOC wireless flash charging products. There’s a typical wireless power bank, an ultra-thin flash charger, and a charging stand that the corporate says reduces 60% of the preparation time when trying to charge a phone. However, OPPO didn’t enter detail about how briskly its MagVOOC charging tech is.
The company also revealed in-car phone connectivity technologies at the event, including a digital car key that lets owners use their OPPO Find X3 or OPPO Watch 2 to unlock their cars. The devices also can be wont to remotely access some car functionality, like turning on the air-con or sounding the horn. However, OPPO didn’t mention when these technologies are expected to hit the market.

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Top Columbus women-owned businesses by revenue
Kokosing Cos. is the highest-grossing women-owned business in the Columbus region with $400 million more in 2018 revenue than the company coming in second, King Business Interiors.
Revenue ranges from approximately $442 million to $10 million for the top 10 companies. No. 10 on the list is Advanced Engineering Consultants.
Stay up to date with the region’s thriving business scene. Subscribe to Columbus CEO’s weekly newsletter.
The oldest company to make it into the top 10 is Velvet Ice Cream, which was founded in 1914 and remains family-owned as well as women-owned. The women-owned cusinesses Leaderboard survey garnered a total of 36 responses this year.
Here's the full Leaderboard ranking of women-owned businesses for October 2019.
The CEO Leaderboard features selected topics each month. The February Leaderboards will feature Central Ohio general contractors and commercial real estate leases—a new category for 2020. The deadline for inclusion in those surveys is Nov. 15. If you want your Central Ohio company to be considered for an upcoming Leaderboard, contact Columbus CEO at 614-461-5109 or firstname.lastname@example.org.


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One of the problems with comparing the performance of different supermarkets over the festive period is working out where to begin.
Given all the big grocers largely sell similar (if not the same) products, are mostly located all around the country, and, broadly speaking, sell to the same type of consumers, measuring sales should be an easy task. It’s not.
Industry figures, out earlier this week, showed that J Sainsbury led the way over Christmas. Or did it?
Kantar Worldpanel data revealed that Sainsbury’s grew both sales and market share over Christmas – the only one of the so-called “Big Four” to do so. For its rivals, the picture was less strong. Tesco sales fell 2.7pc in the 12 weeks to January 3, while Asda fell 3.5pc and Morrisons lost 2.6pc.
But Kantar data doesn’t necessarily give a true picture of what’s going on. It focuses on total sales, calculating a total till roll for the period covered.
For a retailer like Morrisons, which has been closing stores and selling convenience stores in the past year, comparing total sales this Christmas to total sales last Christmas just doesn’t make any sense.
The same has been true for the Co-op Group in recent years, as it has been closing and selling larger superstores to focus on its convenience store offering.
Co-op is one retailer that has turned the corner in this regard however, at least when it comes to Kantar figures: in the 12 weeks to January 3 it enjoyed a 1.4pc rise in total till roll.
Part of the problem comes as a result of the fact that Kantar data, although highly respected in the industry, is based on a survey, as opposed to actual numbers. As the research house makes clear on its survey – but is rarely reported – its findings are based on monitoring the grocery purchasing habits of 30,000 households across the UK. Critics have also pointed to the fact that those 30,000 families are paid for their time, and suggested that as such, higher-end consumers, who do not necessarily need the extra money, are less likely to take part.
The knock-on effect is that the figures could be skewed towards lower-end retailers and the discounters. This might also mean that the seemingly inexorable rise of Aldi and Lidl might have been overstated.
For its part, Kantar emphasises that its sample is demographically representative. But still.
So, if the independent data cannot wholly be relied upon, perhaps we should use like-for-like sales provided by the retailers themselves? A metric beloved of the retail chief executive, like-for-likes compare the difference between stores that were open a year ago to those open in the period. In the US, they are much more sensibly known as “same-store sales”.
The trouble is, although these figures may be same-store, they are far from the same between retailers.
On a like-for-like basis, it would appear that Tesco was the winner. Its like-for-like sales climbed 1.3pc in its UK business, compared to a 0.2pc rise for Morrisons, and a 1.8pc fall for Sainsbury’s. Asda has yet to detail its performance, as it is part of US retail giant Walmart.
But, Asda apart, like-for-likes are confusing. Tesco’s figure relates to the six weeks ending January 9; Morrisons the nine weeks to January 3; and Sainsbury’s the 15 weeks to January 9. So any attempt to compare the three is almost pointless.
The same is true when comparing retailers' performance this year to last – as chief executives are prone to changing the metrics.
Take Tesco. The strong like-for-likes disclosed on Thursday by the UK’s biggest grocer relate to the six weeks to January 9. But the same figure a year ago – which was down 0.3pc – related to the six weeks to January 3. Why? The retailer gave no explanation.
So who was the winner? The honest answer is: it’s difficult to say. The data available does not allow for accurate comparisons, and so picking a winner is impossible.
One grocery chief executive I’ve spoken to in the past few days says that he tries to ignore the market data, and instead concentrate on what his retailer is doing financially. That focus is probably sensible. Obsessing over the potentially skewed public data of his rivals could drive one to insanity.
Beginning of the end?
When news of Volkswagen’s emissions predicament first broke in late September, many expected the German manufacturer to be the first of many to become embroiled in the ruse.
Cynics suggested that, if executives at one marque had been manipulating emissions data, then the problem was probably endemic throughout the industry. However, VW’s rivals had, to date, managed to avoid fulfilling that particular prophecy.
That was until Thursday, when it emerged that French anti-fraud detectives had raided several sites belonging to popular manufacturer Renault.
The subsequent denial and share price movement are, in a way, almost beside the point. Because this looks like it will be the moment when, rightly or wrongly, the emissions scandal goes from involving one company to, potentially, an entire industry.
And if emissions are involved, what else? Safety data? Fuel consumption metrics? Before long, it could be the case that sceptics are pointing to all sorts of promises made by manufacturers which may or may not be accurate.
If that does happen, and I appreciate that’s a lot of ifs, then the car industry could be in the same reputational position as the banking industry was in the financial crisis or parts of the food chain were during the horsemeat scandal. That is a place in which it does not want to be, because it will take years to leave.
Surely it would be better for all manufacturers to carry out root-and-branch checks of what may have gone wrong, and if there are looming errors, to confess now.
It may be the case some of the more savvy marques have already done this, and are sitting on their clean bill of health, safe in the knowledge that they will not be drawn into any scandal.
For those that have not, Renualt’s plight is surely the necessary signal needed to take the next step. The future health of the car industry is at risk if they do not.


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We did some quick math here at Fuel Freedom Foundation, and we can say, without hesitation, that there are thousands of flex-fuel vehicles on the road in Sacramento and its environs.
Attention soccer moms in your GMC Yukons, and dads in your Chevy Silverados and Ford F-150s! This is a deal you can’t afford to miss.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 12, five gas stations in the Sacramento area will sell E85 ethanol fuel for 85 cents a gallon, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. See what they did there? E85 all over the place!
Here are the five participating stations:
- Shell: 5103 Fair Oaks Blvd., Carmichael, CA 95608
- Shell: 730 29th Street, Sacramento, CA 95816
- Shell: 3721 Truxel Road, Sacramento, CA 95834
- Shell: 800 Ikea Court, West Sacramento, CA 95691
- Oliver Gas: 1009 Oliver Road, Fairfield, CA 94534
Our friends at San Diego-based Pearson Fuels are sponsoring the promo. The five stations are the newest outlets for E85 in a network that spans California. (We wrote about Pearson and its business model a couple months back.) Check out Pearson’s release for more information.
There are some 1 million flex-fuel vehicles in California, built to run on E85, a cheaper, cleaner-burning fuel than gasoline that also emits fewer toxic pollutants that foul the air and fewer greenhouse-gas emissions that warm the planet. Since there are about 2.1 million people living in the Sacramento metro area, 5.4 percent of the state’s population, we can extrapolate that there are roughly 54,000 FFVs in the area.
So get thee to the pump, and tell your FFV-driving friends!
Even after Wednesday, when E85 resets to its usual price, consumers will still see a benefit. It’s usually 25 to 30 percent cheaper than regular 87 octane.
Even if you don’t own an FFV, you can enter our contest to raise awareness about the benefits of E85. You could win a $50 Amazon gift card!


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Apple Opens Haywood Mall Location Saturday!
The wait is over and my bank account officially broke. Well, maybe not broke, but I have definitely considering picking up a part time job at Haywood Mall to fund my habits.
Apple will open its second SC retail store this weekend, Saturday July 10th, 2010 at Haywood Mall in Greenville.
To bad I just made my recent purchase at BB Mobile, but will definitely visit when the opportunity presents itself.


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Ekushey Boi Mela-2021 concluded on Monday, two days earlier than the previously announced date, with publishers claiming huge losses.
The decision to hold the fair amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic had brought some relief to the publishers, as it is considered one of their most profitable occasions for their business. But, in the end they are left out with massive losses due to plummeting sales, with some claiming sales below 20%.
The number of publications fell dramatically as well.
According to data by Bangla Academy, a total of 2,640 books have been published in this year's book fair, including 64 books published on the last day. Last year, the number of published books was 4,919.
Many publishers are claiming to be forced to use their savings to meet the cost of paying sales staff, stall construction and decoration.
Touhidul Islam Pranta, stall in-charge of Anya Prokash, said, "Compared to last year, we did only 12% business this year. You can't even think of raising costs with it."
"In addition, due to various incoherence, including lockdown, the cost of transportation for 25 workers has doubled. Overall, it was not possible to raise the cost. Discussions are underway on how to pay the staff's dues," he added.
Terming this year's fair a book fair of maintaining continuity, Farid Ahmed, president of Bangladesh Gyan O Srijonshil Prokashak Samiti, said, "We wanted the fair to maintain that continuity in the golden jubilee year of independence. But the publishers themselves might not have wanted the book fair if they had known that this would happen."
Asked about the amount of loss in the fair, he said, "According to Bangla Academy, last year's book fair had a turnover of Tk85 crore. This time it will be around Tk12 to 15 crore. This time, only a few stalls have done business worth Tk10 lakh."
Farid said publishers want the government to buy books from them in order to recover the loss.
"We are not seeking loan facilities like other sectors. We want the government to buy books from us and keep the publishers afloat. There are various government departments where books are needed. The government can do it if it wants."
Initially, publishers were optimistic about the crowd of book-lovers coming to the fair. However, as the Covid-19 situation intensified across the country, sales started to fall. Publishers are blaming the early closure of stalls for their loss.
Sales Executive of The University Press Limited (UPL) Md Jarif Hossain said, there has been some sales during the final days. But sales plummeted in the earlier days.
"We came and left with no buyers coming. The fair closed at such a time when everyone usually comes," he said.
In the face of such a situation, several publications have closed their stalls during the lockdown.
"Although we didn't have to close our stalls, we failed to sell one-fifth of the last year's sale amount," he added.
Among the state-run publications, several stalls of Bangla Academy and their permanent sales outlets have sold books worth Tk44.64 lakh at this year's book fair [excluding the last day].
Ratan Kumar Banik, stall in-charge at a government publications and sell centre, owned by the Department of Printing and Publishing, said, "Last year I sold books worth more than Tk2 lakh on the occasion of the book fair. This year, I sold books worth only Tk30,000, while it cost Tk55,000 to complete the stall."
Amar Ekushey Boi Mela, usually held in February, was postponed till late March this year considering the Covid-19 situation in the country. After a long delay the fair began from 18 March with plans to conclude on 14 April. However, amid the rise in Covid-19 infections in the country it ended two days ago on Monday.


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PARIS — France's Carrefour, the world's second largest retailer after Wal-Mart Stores Inc., said Wednesday that second-quarter sales grew 6.7 percent at constant exchange rates, despite a drop in its hypermarket sales at home.
Sales in the three months through June 30 advanced to 23.72 billion euros, or $37.08 billion, from 22.37 billion euros, or $30.16 billion, in same period last year, below most analysts' expectations. Excluding new openings and acquisitions, sales in the quarter grew 2.2 percent.
Dollar figures have been converted from the euro at average exchange rates for the applicable periods.
Sales in the key French market, which generates half of Carrefour's sales, advanced only 0.5 percent, hamstrung by consumer worries about the economy and high inflation. Sales in French hypermarkets dropped 2.4 percent, Carrefour said.
José Luis Durán, Carrefour chief executive officer, told a conference call Wednesday that he was unhappy about the performance in France and that he would immediately implement measures to try to stem the drop.
He underscored how difficult the current climate had become. "We can't count on the environment, we need to attack," Durán said.
He said Carrefour would accelerate promotional activity in its French hypermarkets while also speeding plans to transfer its Champion supermarkets to the Carrefour Market brand in France.
"Being cautious doesn't mean that we are not ambitious," said Durán, who added that Carrefour would also concentrate on building business in its growth markets in Eastern Europe, South America and China.
He said Carrefour, whose largest shareholder is LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton chief Bernard Arnault and Colony Capital, would proceed with plans to spin off its property. He did not offer a timetable.
Durán forecast that operating profits in the first half would grow 5 percent. Durán last month cut Carrefour's full-year guidance, citing deteriorating market conditions in France.
He said that the situation has "not worsened" in July and that activity linked to the seasonal sales period "was starting pretty correct."
Sales in Europe outside of France grew 3.7 percent, boosted by an acceleration of 8.3 percent in sales in Spain. In Asia, sales grew 4.1 percent, while sales in Latin America advanced 27.4 percent. In Eastern Europe, sales gained 20 percent, with spectacular growth in Poland and Romania.
Carrefour released the figures after the market closed here. Its stock closed up 2.41 percent to 34.45 euros, or $54.18, in trading on the Paris Bourse. The stock, which was trading above 50 euros, or $78.63, in early April, has come under pressure recently on poor consumer spending in France.
"We are not happy about the stock price," Durán said. "There are opportunities in this environment."
A grooming moment between @tanfrance and @antoni last night at the The LGBT Community Center Trailblazer Awards honoring Anna Wintour, Ricky Martin and more. See more photos at WWD.com #wwdeye (📷: @lexieblacklock)
“It was a very surreal feeling. It wasn’t like we were in the studio together coming up with it — it’s more like he discovered it and loved it. I didn’t let myself get my hopes up, but then it happened it was very exciting,” said singer-songwriter @nombe on discovering that @pharrell would be using his song, “Cant Catch Me” on his HBO documentary series “Outpost.” The German-born singer — named Noah MacBeth — talked to WWD about feminism, using art as a platform for political expression and personal style. Read more on WWD.com #wwdeye (📷: @jilliansollazzo)
This season, denim is going west – in influence. Brands like @fathersdaughterla (pictured here), @tommyhilfiger Jeans, @levis and more are opting for raw, top-stitching styles. (Styled by @thealexbadia; 📷: @ryanplett)
20-year-old British singer @jorjasmith_ made her debut at Coachella last weekend. We caught up with her and talked about her love for Amy Winehouse, working with Kendrick Lamar on the “Black Panther” album and her fashion philosophy. Read the interview on WWD.com #wwdeye (📷: @katiedaisyla)
Supermodel @helenachristensen teamed up with longtime friend and designer @camillastaerk on a joint @paredeyewear collaboration. The lineup features three styles and 11 offerings, all of which embody a vintage feel. Get all the details on how they celebrated the collab on WWD.com. #wwdaccessories #wwdeye (📷: @slovekinpics)
“It’s a hard industry to keep motivated, as well, so finding different subjects and people is what makes it worth it – when you’re like, oh, I’ve met great people, I feel like I’ve done something good, and I feel proud of having done this,” said French actress Stacy Martin on being grateful for the variety of roles she’s take on. Read @ktauer’s full interview with Martin on her her latest film “Godard Mon Amour.” #wwdeye (📷: @danieldorsa)


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Cybersecurity specialists Noam Rotem and Ran Locar from security firm vpnMentor recently discovered an exposed database belonging to Fieldwork, an operations management software firm for small and medium-sized companies. Full research is available at the following link.
Experts claim that they discovered a large amount of exposed data stored in the database. The compromised information included full names, phone numbers, email address, payment card details, among other Fieldwork customer data.
“We contacted the company immediately after we discovered the incident,” cybersecurity services experts say. “The Fieldwork IT security team behaved very professionally and efficiently; less than twenty minutes after reporting the leak, the database had been secured”, the experts added.
The most relevant thing about the find is an automatic login link that allowed any user to access the company’s backend system; records in the backend included sensitive customer details, as well as multiple data about the company’s administrative activities.
According to the experts, the database was exposed for about thirty days. In addition, experts found that access was possible to access the company’s user portal, a potentially dangerous factor, as threat actors could access all customer records stored by the company. As if that wasn’t enough, hackers could block the company’s access to these accounts by simply making some changes to the backend.
The International Institute of Cyber Security (IICS) cybersecurity services experts believe that, in the event of a threat actor using the information exposed, potential fraudulent actions would have a significant impact on both for companies that work with this software as well as for Fieldwork.
“When a hacker manages to infiltrate a company’s systems, the chances of compromising a company’s operations are immense. In addition, suspending its activities would cost the company thousands of dollars in losses, not to mention the possibility of confidential customer data reaching the wrong hands,” the researchers added.
He is a well-known expert in mobile security and malware analysis. He studied Computer Science at NYU and started working as a cyber security analyst in 2003. He is actively working as an anti-malware expert. He also worked for security companies like Kaspersky Lab. His everyday job includes researching about new malware and cyber security incidents. Also he has deep level of knowledge in mobile security and mobile vulnerabilities.


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SEO News: Blekko Removes Content Farms From Index
As the debate around search engine spam continues (in particular reference to Google and the countless spam sites carrying AdWords ads, although they diverted attention away from it nicely before the FutureSearch conference by accusing Bing of stealing their search results), the increasingly popular Blekko search engine has taken the rather bold step of removing content farms from its index altogether.
Originally reported in TechCrunch, Blekko confirmed the move yesterday by announcing that they have removed the top 20 spam sites from their index, basing their choices on users spam click results (i.e. what sites or pages their users most regularly marked as spam).
The move began as an expirement, as Blekko allowed users to remove certain sites from their search results using hashtags; after collating the data, Blekko’s CEO Rich Skrenta and his team took the decision to remove the 20 most negative hashtag marked websites permanently.
The timing of this move is almost certainly related to yesterday’s FutureSearch conference, as well as Google’s recent announcement that their spam target for 2011 included content farms. It’s worth noting however that despite Google’s recent anti-spam algorithm update, most of the sites removed by Blekko still remain in Google’s index. This is no particular surprise, as we think Google’s update was based far more on pushing down those sites that scrape content from others, and feature low levels of original content, rather than being aimed at so-called content farms.
Whether or not Google releases another update to target content farms remains to be seen, but if they do, it will be interesting to note what they classify as a content farm in relation to spam. Will eHow.com remain in Google’s index for example? The site, which is one of the biggest revenue earners for Demand Media, was probably the most high profile site to be classified as spam by Blekko (and has subsequently been removed from their index).
The complete list of sites removed from Blekko’s index is:
activehotels.com // allexperts.com // answerbag.com // buzzillions.com // chacha.com // copygator.com // download3k.com // ehow.com // encyclopedia.com // experts-exchange.com // fixya.com // freewebs.com // naymz.com // networkedblogs.com // petitionspot.com // robtex.com // shopwiki.com // thefreedictionary.com // wowxos.com // 123people.com


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TOKYO -- Taiwan's premier technology trade expo, Computex Taipei, has stepped up a public relations campaign to woo Japanese companies looking to relocate advanced production away from China, seeking an opportunity in the trade war between the U.S. and the mainland.
The Taipei Computer Association, one of the Computex sponsors, has set up a product promotion center staffed with Japan experts. The center launched a Japanese-language website in March containing information about motherboards and other Taiwanese-made modules.
"Headquarters once said putting out the information in English is enough, but the coronavirus crisis and the U.S.-China frictions have changed that thinking," said Akira Yoshimura, the computer association's representative in Japan.
Computex, which has been held since 1981, unites the island's contract electronics manufacturers with non-Taiwanese clients. The event is usually held every May or June so that manufacturing deals align with the Christmas shopping season. This year's event has been canceled due to the pandemic but the organizer has continued an online publicity campaign.
Even as mainstay products shift toward smartphones and Internet of Things equipment, the expo still draws over 40,000 attendees yearly.
But mainland China has hosted an increasing number of similar expos in recent years, causing some observers to say that Computex is losing relevance.
However, Taiwanese tech companies started repatriating production from China a few years ago due to growing labor costs on the mainland. The economic and political frictions between the U.S. and China have accelerated that trend.
As a result, the volume of Taiwanese products made entirely locally has grown again, a fact Yoshimura wishes to advertise.
"I've told headquarters to include the words 'Made in Taiwan' in the information for goods produced at Taiwanese factories," Yoshimura said.
About 4,000 Japanese buyers attend Computex annually, putting Japan among the leaders in terms of the nationality of the purchasers. China-free products will become a key selling point for this contingent, given the Sino-U.S. tensions.
Taiwanese tech firms can fulfill contract manufacturing orders from Japanese clients in a flexible manner, said Takanobu Yoshino, who heads Taipei-based Pangoo, which advises Japanese companies looking to do internet and technology business in Taiwan.
Taiwan offers other advantages, such as mechanisms to protect intellectual property as well as a Japan-friendly mood among residents. Though the island's market and manufacturing capacity are nowhere near the size of China's, they fit tech clients that are not in pursuit of scale.
"There are more companies in Taiwan than in China that are willing to support mass production of IT equipment on a small scale," Yoshino said.


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It's 10:30 a.m. Do you know where your printers are? In most enterprises, the answer, sadly, is "No." Even worse, IT's inability to locate and track printers is costing companies thousands -- even millions -- of dollars a year.
A new product from Netaphor Software could change that. SiteAudit is an agentless printer lifecycle management tool that runs on Windows 2003 Server and scans networks using standard protocols, back-channel communications, and device- and vendor-specific identifiers to find "direct connect" printers that often get missed, said Brian Anderson, Netaphor's vice president of sales and marketing.
Midsize enterprises are undercounting their inventory of multifunction devices, with direct-connect printers, scanners, faxes, and copiers accounting for much of the missing gear. The number of undercounted printers varies from company to company, but Netaphor site surveys show an average of 2 to 3.5 employees per printer, with 35 percent to 50 percent of a company's printers direct-connect devices, Anderson said.
Vijay Anand, IT director at Wonderware, a business unit of Invensys PLC, said SiteAudit found 70 previously unknown printers on his company's network -- a 23 percent boost to the 300 printers the company was aware of.
"These were machines that were under the radar. People had purchased and expensed them and the IT department didn't know," Anand said.
In some cases, the printers were attached to machines that handle sensitive information, such as payroll or human resources data. In other cases, employees may have added a personal printer to avoid walking "five cubes down" to the nearest network printer, he said.
The undocumented machines can become invisible cost centers for companies, Anderson said. In one case, SiteAudit discovered that a company's third most-used printer was a low-end, HP LaserJet that was being tapped for more than 20,000 copies a month, despite a manufacturer's rating of no more than 5,000 copies a month. That kind of increased load leads to higher per-page costs, more malfunctions, and a reduced lifespan, when a high-volume printer with lower per-page costs was needed, he said.
With tough new regulations like Sarbanes-Oxley cracking down on information loss, there are also serious compliance issues arising from data and information loss from unregulated printers, scanners, and faxes, Anderson notes.
SiteAudit is available Monday and costs $5 per seat. Netaphor is working with BMC Software to integrate SiteAudit with BMC's Atrium CMDB later this year. BMC customers should be able access printer data through that company's Remedy platform by the third quarter, 2006, Anderson said.
This article was revised from its original version to reflect correct statistics from Netaphor. InfoWorldregrets the error.


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The authorities have announced a strict seven-day lockdown in Khulna district, a COVID-19 hotspot, amid an alarming surge in coronavirus infections and deaths.
Train services and public transports will remain shut during the lockdown starting on Jun 22, Khulna's Deputy Commissioner Helal Hossain has said.
"All vehicles, including easybikes and three-wheelers, will also remain grounded,” he said.
The deputy commissioner said drug stores in the district and city would be allowed to remain open throughout the lockdown. All other shops, markets, shopping malls, and coaching centres will be shuttered, reports bdnews24.com.
However, shops selling necessities and raw materials can stay open from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm every day. Hotels and restaurants will only be allowed to offer takeaway or online delivery services.
All types of tourist spots, resorts, community and recreation centres will be closed. However, manufacturing industries and factories will be exempt from the lockdown restrictions.
"No-one should leave the house without an emergency. Everyone must wear a mask when they are outside,” said Helal.
Employees and officers of both government and private offices will be allowed outside during office hours, provided they carry their ID cards.
Bangladesh is currently in the grip of a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Border districts have been hit particularly hard by the latest wave.
On Sunday, Khulna reported 32 fatalities from the coronavirus illness, the most among the eight divisions in the country, while logging 763 new cases.


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The Winchester rifle is an American icon, the gun that won the West. Hundreds of fans of these rifles and other antique arms will be in town for the annual Winchester Arms Collectors Association Cody Show.
“It’s the biggest Winchester show that we have,” said show manager Vinny Martin.
The show runs for three days, starting on Friday at the Riley Arena. Exhibitor hours are 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. Early entry passes are available, allowing holders to peruse the tables as vendors, set up 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday. Admission is $8 for general admission, $20 for a three-day pass and $35 for early entry. WACA members and kids under 12 get in free.
The show is a staple of Cody’s summertime events calendar and has been coming to town for 44 years. A maximum of 330 vendors can set up and around 320 of those tables have already been spoken for.
In addition to arms-making, Winchester has also dabbled in consumer goods, providing another niche for collectors of the company’s products.
“We’ll have original boxes of ammo, Winchester calendars, can openers and roller skates,” Martin said.
The Sharps Collectors Association, which focuses on the single-shot Sharps rifle, also participates in the event, ensuring that examples of those famed long-range guns will also be on hand.
Whether to buy or just to look, Martin encouraged the public to attend.
It’s open to all,”he said. “Enthusiasts and collectors alike.”


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Not so long ago President Trump told the workers to not sell their houses and move after GM announced 1,400 employees would no longer have a job. Aprox 8-900 left. Since then almost 5,000 jobs have been or will be created.
Oh and that GM plant? Making Electric trucks, next year electric cars, and now will be making electric tractors and the battery packs here in Ohio. Plus GM started building it's battery plant across the street. At first they thought 5,000 total jobs, but it may be closer to 10,000 when all is said and done.
This Article from the Business Journal.
LORDSTOWN, Ohio — Foxconn announced this morning that it has signed a contract manufacturing agreement with Zimeno Inc., which does business as Monarch Tractor, to build “next-generation agricultural equipment and battery packs” for the tractor at its plant here.
The announcement was made by Hon Hai Technology Group, the Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer that does business here as Foxconn Ohio.
In May, Foxconn assumed manufacturing operations at the plant after completing an asset purchase agreement with Lordstown Motors Corp. The agreement with Monarch Tractor is the first contract manufacturing engagement by Foxconn here.
“Leveraging Foxconn’s manufacturing strengths, worldwide network of industry leaders and supply partners, and our new partnership with Monarch Tractor, Foxconn is positioned and eager to contribute to the ongoing and future success of Monarch Tractor, its products and its customers,” said Young Liu, chairman of Hon Hai Technology Group, in a statement. “This partnership reflects Foxconn’s growing center of gravity for autonomous electric vehicle production and the potential that can emerge from forward-thinking collaborations.”
Full-rate production of Monarch Tractor’s MK-V Series is scheduled to begin in the first quarter. This will follow production of Monarch’s Founder Series in the fourth quarter at Monarch Tractor’s plant in Livermore, California, the companies said..
“Creating the industry’s most advanced tractor demands a manufacturing partner with the experience to quickly scale and execute with precision,” said Praveen Penmetsa, co-founder and CEO of Monarch Tractor.
Monarch Tractor describes itself as “working to utilize 21st-century technology to empower farmers by enabling profitable implementation of regenerative, sustainable and organic practices. The company has produced what it calls “the world’s first fully electric, driver optional, smart tractor, enhances farmer’s existing operations, alleviating labor shortages, and maximizing yields.”
Hon Hai Technology Group, founded in 1974, is the world’s largest electronics manufacturer.


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Shopping mall landlord Vicinity Centres has bought back the remaining half of Sydney mall Chatswood Chase for $307 million, at a hefty 45 per cent discount to the price it traded that stake on to Singaporean sovereign wealth giant GIC six years ago.
The $307 million price tag for the 49 per cent stake also represents a 6.5 per cent discount to the value of the 51 per cent stake that ASX-listed Vicinity had marked in its June accounts for the shopping centre 8 kilometres north of the CBD.
At first blush, the deal pricing neatly tracks the correction that has moved through the retail property sector, well ahead of other commercial property areas such as office. But those discounts also show the correction may be close to the bottom, giving confidence to big players they can invest further in major holdings.
“Premium retail assets such as Chatswood Chase are a key pillar of our strategy and are an important enabler of resilient income growth and sustained value accretion through cycles,” Vicinity chief executive Peter Huddle said on Tuesday.
Vicinity, whose largest shareholder is Rich Lister John Gandel, the direct co-owner of its largest mall, Chadstone in Melbourne’s south-east, already has plans under way for a $620 million upmarket makeover at Chatswood Chase. That project would boost the lower ground dining and fresh food courts while adding a rooftop “office village”.
“Chatswood Chase is an iconic asset with strong growth potential. Our redevelopment plans represent one of the most exciting and transformational projects to be undertaken in Australian retail property today and for the foreseeable future and will reinforce this exceptional asset as northern Sydney’s premier retail destination,” Mr Huddle said.
Vicinity is funding investment in its north shore mall through debt and the sale of some smaller assets, such as the 50 per cent stake in a Melbourne mall it sold for $134.5 million in June. On Tuesday, it also said it had divested Roxburgh Village in Victoria to JY Group for $123 million, a deal brokered by CBRE. Both those transactions were sold at premiums to their book value.
Citi analysts noted that Vicinity had retained the right to nominate another purchaser for the second stake in Chatswood Chase and might well look to engage an institutional investor at some point during the redevelopment.
“We see the transaction as a positive recycling out of lower growth mature assets into higher growth core retail developments at Vicinity’s Chatswood Chase asset,” Citi analysts wrote.
Vicinity’s pre-existing 51 per cent stake in Chatswood Chase was valued at $341.7 million in its June accounts, on a 5.5 per cent yield. Six years ago, Vicinity had struck a $1.1 billion asset swap deal with Singapore’s GIC as it looked to Amazon-proof its portfolio.
Under that 2017 transaction, Vicinity traded over the 49 per cent stake in Chatswood Chase, valued at $562.3 million, to GIC, while taking a 50 per cent stake in three of Sydney’s most prized inner-city retail destinations: the Queen Victoria Building, The Galeries and The Strand Arcade.
Vicinity’s moves are a rare sign of activity amid a broader chill that has swept across the commercial property sector. Deal-making fell to its lowest level for a third quarter in more than a decade, MSCI figures showed this week.
The lack of price discovery has thwarted activity broadly, with buyers and sellers holding back as they await certainty on the effect of rising rates on valuations.
Deal volume totalled just $8.2 billion in the third quarter, down 64 per cent relative to a year earlier, according to the Australia Capital Trends report his week from MSCI Real Assets.
Year-to-date, volume was $27.8 billion, a decline of 55 per cent, with the office sector faring the worst.
“Pricing is of course the major obstacle for deal flow this year, especially as Australia has not seen the same corrections as some overseas markets,” Benjamin Martin-Henry, head of Pacific real assets research at MSCI, said.
“However, prices have adjusted overseas and deal flow is still muted compared to last year, so prevailing economic and geopolitical issues are also having a significant impact on investor confidence.”
Sales of retail assets tumbled 51 per cent in the third quarter relative to a year earlier, with total activity for the year to date down at a similar rate of change. Inflation and rising interest rates have done no favours to consumer spending and, in consequence, to discretionary retail, MSCI noted.
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Freightwaves, September 23, 2022
Rules would require publicly traded companies to track supply chain emissions.
The Securities and Exchange Commission proposed a set of climate disclosure rules in May. In turn, the trucking industry responded with concern about the potential impacts of the regulations.
To gain other perspectives on how the climate rules could affect trucking companies and their relationships with retailers, FreightWaves interviewed Amy Haddon, vice president of global marketing and communications at Schneider Electric, and Jim Wetekamp, CEO of risk management software provider Riskonnect.
In a public comment to the SEC, Schneider Electric said, “While the disclosure of scope 1 and scope 2 emissions is vital for investors’ understanding of climate-related risks on business operations and revenue, disclosure of scope 3 emissions is also essential, as most emissions lie in this area for nearly all companies.”
This question-and-answer interview was edited for clarity and length.
FREIGHTWAVES: How do you think the proposed climate disclosure rules could impact the supply chain industry?
WETEKAMP: “The SEC climate rules would require publicly traded organizations to report their climate risks and greenhouse gas emissions to investors and the public. The emissions disclosure requirements would include scope 1, scope 2 and scope 3 emissions, if the scope 3 emissions are ‘material’ or the company has a target to reduce emissions across its supply chain.”
HADDON: “Publicly traded owner-operators of freight, shipping and logistics companies will be expected to disclose their own climate risks and emissions. As these businesses are part of other companies’ supply chains, they will likely need to be prepared to disclose the same information to their customers, as their operational scope 1 and scope 2 emissions form part of their customers’ scope 3 emissions.
“The recent global supply chain disruptions experienced because of COVID-19 are also likely to drive additional scrutiny on the supply chain industry and its ability to weather climate-related impacts, making risk disclosures and resilience in this sector increasingly important.”
FREIGHTWAVES: Why does Schneider Electric believe including scope 3 emissions disclosures is important in the proposed climate rules?
HADDON: “Scope 3 emissions make up the bulk of most companies’ GHG emissions. [The Carbon Disclosure Project] has found that, on average, scope 3 emissions are more than 11 times higher than a company’s direct operational emissions. Scope 3 has also historically been the hardest emissions category to measure and manage. We believe it’s essential to encourage action on scope 3 if we are to make meaningful progress on emissions reduction and climate change.”
FREIGHTWAVES: What challenges do you think will arise between shippers and retailers related to scope 3 emissions?
WETEKAMP: “Companies typically work with a very large number of partners across the value chain — often in the thousands or tens of thousands. Complicating matters, the data that companies need to calculate scope 3 emissions usually lives outside of the reporting organization with its many suppliers, vendors, distributors and other trading partners.
“Measuring emissions is new and not yet standard practice, which adds to the challenge, especially for small businesses. It’s a big job to collect and analyze value-chain partners’ energy-use data.
“Complying with the SEC’s requirements will be costly. That added pressure could strain relationships between shippers and retailers.
“To successfully report on scope 3 emissions, the reporting organization must collect energy and fleet data and miles traveled to calculate emissions. On top of this, reporting organizations would be responsible for determining what proportion of emissions belongs to them, based on their share of the supplier’s total output.
“This work is manual, repetitive and time consuming, and shipper and retail teams are already stretched thin. The amount of data and work needed to meet the proposed disclosure requirements are well beyond what a team of people can reasonably manage without the help of software.”
Read the full article in Freightwaves >>


text: The coronavirus pandemic has left touring musicians and the venues they visit shut out of their primary source of income for a future with no end in sight. Luckily, Bandcamp has thrown them a lifeline with a campaign aimed at helping them get through these difficult times. The online music marketplace waived its revenue share in two artist-focused campaigns over the past several weeks that have raised a combined $11.4 million for artists. “We decided to waive our revenue share to help raise awareness about the importance of supporting artists impacted by the pandemic and get some much-needed funds into artists’ pockets,” Bandcamp CEO Ethan Diamond told CNN. “Musicians have been hit especially hard by the pandemic, with tours and shows canceled for the foreseeable future, and with such a major revenue stream drying up entirely overnight, we knew that supporting artists in the coming months would be an urgent priority for anyone who cares about music and the artists who create it.” Fans buying music and merchandise through Bandcamp will help many artists be able to do simple things such as pay their rent and buy food and other essentials, the company said. And payments are processed within 24-48 hours, meaning there are fewer middlemen to deal with before getting paid. Artists who benefited from the drive told CNN the help was significant. “Bandcamp has been a great place for artists and labels to sell their music, long before this situation,” Mac McCaughan, co-founder of label Merge Records and member of band Superchunk, told CNN. “But their willingness to waive their fees even for a couple days is huge. They are champions of independent music in all its forms.” Touring musicians have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic, as live shows can be a significant source of income for many artists. In addition to ticket sales, artists are able to promote new records while out on the road and sell merchandise. “It means so much,” Third Man Records co-founder Ben Swank told CNN. “It shows how important art and music is in everyone’s life. It’s a balm, and even though everyone is hurting financially at the moment, fans want to support the music they care about directly and personally. That’s really meaningful.” McCaughan is making sure to pay it forward, as he has used some of the money to donate to Durham FEAST, which provides meals to children and families around Durham, North Carolina, who are experiencing food insecurity during the pandemic. Despite helping direct millions of dollars toward artists, Bandcamp isn’t done yet – it has two additional campaigns planned on June 5 and July 3 to continue to support their artists. “As a company built around the idea of supporting artists directly, we’re always looking for new ways to make that happen, and with the situation changing daily, we’ll continue paying close attention to how the pandemic impacts artists over the next few months and will be considering similar campaigns, features, services or other initiatives that will help support artists,” Diamond said. “I have to say a silver lining is that there is a focus on artists right now, and it’s nice to see so many efforts from livestreaming to the Bandcamp initiatives directly benefitting musicians and putting more means of control directly into their hands,” Swank said. “Even if an artist has a label to help support and elevate them, right now that direct connection for artists to fans is more important than ever,” he added. Merge Records and Third Man Records are among the many labels that are giving 100% of revenue generated through Bandcamp directly to its artists, and both McCaughan and Swank say they want the fans to know how much they appreciate their support in these trying times.


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Watch sales within LVMH are expected to grow between five and seven percent this year according to the group’s head of watchmaking.
Speaking to Reuters at the recent groundbreaking ceremony of Hublot’s manufacture extension at Nyon, Switzerland, Jean-Claude Biver said the group’s watch sales were set to be in line with growth expected across the Swiss watch industry.
“For the Swiss watch industry as a whole, I see five to seven percent sales growth this year. For us, it will be about the same".
Commenting on potential growth within China, Biver suggested some LVMH brands would have to adapt in order to succeed saying: "The Chinese don’t like sports watches like those made by TAG Heuer or Hublot very much, for them they don’t carry prestige, but this is going to change. Meanwhile, we may adapt a little to their taste”.
Biver also mentioned that watch sales in Europe were still being supported by visiting Chinese, Russian and Brazilian tourists – a trend he said would continue this year.
Also speaking to Reuters at the event, Hublot chief executive Ricardo Guadalupe explained the CHF 20 million investment in the Hublot’s manufacture was to increase the percentage of in-house movements being offered in Hublot watches.
"In about three to five years, 75 percent of our mechanical watches will be equipped with our proprietary movements, against about 30 percent currently”.
Guadalupe added that the Nyon site was large enough to support another extension in the coming years should the brand’s growth rate continue.


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Nigeria’s First Digital Economy Diagnostic Reveals a Vibrant Entrepreneurial Ecosystem but Rural Areas are still without Internet Access
ABUJA, November 28, 2019 – The World Bank Group today launched its first Nigeria Digital Economy Diagnostic Report during an eSummit hosted by the government. The report reveals that although Nigeria is the largest mobile market in Sub Saharan Africa with a strong mobile broadband infrastructure and a vibrant digital entrepreneurial ecosystem, the lack of infrastructure and connectivity in the country’s rural areas is a key challenge.
The government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan for 2017–2020 (ERGP) recognizes the need for a digital-led strategy to make its economy more competitive for the 21st century. In line with this goal, the Digital Economy Diagnostic reveals that the country has made several positive developments in the digital space including high-speed Internet via five underwater international links. This has significantly reduced constraints in terms of international bandwidth usage and prices, as well as boosting network capacity.


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The East of England Co-operative has built partnerships with 140 local suppliers, supporting the local economy, reducing food miles and achieving a £15 million turnover in 2014.
What the judges thought
- This programme is the very definition of local fair trade: fair trade for local producers who in turn are fair employers.
- This is an inspirational model with impacts at local level that can be replicated and scaled.
- A culture that emphasises the importance of relationships is embedded across the whole company.
Social and business impacts
- Has created or safeguarded more than 300 jobs across the region.
- £34 million has been ploughed back into the local economy through payments to suppliers.
- In 2014 Deli To Go was introduced in more than 30 stores, supplying 100% local produce, boosting sales and reducing waste.
- Sourced Locally turnover in 2014 reached almost £15 million, a 21% uplift on 2013.
Inspirational project Sourced Locally has secured the livelihoods of hundreds of small food businesses and farmers, creating jobs and ploughing millions of pounds into the local economy.
The deceptively simple programme buys locally sourced food products at scale directly from small producers, providing them with a new route to market through East of England Cooperative stores. This has created genuine partnerships with suppliers, many of whom had been struggling to survive.
Sourced Locally has been a resounding business success, helping the retailer achieve an additional £15 million turnover last year and giving suppliers the chance to reach more customers with fresh, locally sourced foods.
The story in detail
“ The East of England Co-operative stood out because of their passion, uniqueness and engagement, which clearly runs through the business, to deliver strong and sustainable local communities from which the SME supply side is fully benefiting. ”
Local partnerships tackling food waste
The scheme has reinvested £34 million back into the local economy through payments to suppliers and has put more than 2,750 local products on East of England Co-op shelves (an increase of around 500 products in the last year).
Most products are delivered by producers direct to stores, rather than using a distribution centre. A dedicated Sourced Locally team works with producers, aiming to match their produce to stores within a 30 mile radius of their operation. This not only increases the number of producers that are able to be involved, but reduces food miles and waste, as deliveries can be made as required. The scheme also enables producers to team up on deliveries.
The support and business opportunities offered to Sourced Locally suppliers have helped them stay in business, protected and created jobs and supported the local economy.
Growing sales for 'Sourced Locally' products
A 2013/2014 supplier survey confirmed that three-quarters of the producers believed the scheme had positively impacted on their financial performance. For three out of five, it had also helped them to secure existing jobs. Among those who had taken on new employees, an average of three new jobs per supplier had been created as a result of the scheme.
Since its launch, Sourced Locally has provided a point of difference for the retailer by encouraging new consumers, who are specifically interested in buying local produce, into its stores. Between January 2014 and January 2015, Sourced Locally sales grew by 21%.
In 2014, Deli To Go was introduced in over 30 stores, supplying 100% local produce. The impacts of this £600,000 investment were a sales uplift of 14%, an average increase in basket spend of 13% and reduced waste.
As well as boosting sales, Sourced Locally has supported the Co-op’s reputation as a local, ethical and responsible independent retailer. Its success is based on creating a profit for the supplier, a profit for the Co-op and providing produce at a realistic price for the customer.
What the East of England Co-operative's Executive Officer said
“With Sourced Locally we celebrate local food in our stores every day, bringing locally produced food and drink direct from over 140 farmers and producers to the shelves of our stores and ploughing those profits back into the local economy. We have saved food miles, cut down on waste, encouraged local suppliers to work together, launched ‘Deli to Go’ which offers 100% locally supplied deli products and created new outlets for local businesses.
“We believe every encouragement should be given to those who work so hard and with such passion and dedication to bring great tasting food and drink to our tables." - Roger Grosvenor, Executive Officer – Retail


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"In a surprise move, SGI has hired Red Hat's Hal Covert to
become chief financial officer, just four months after he started
his last job."
"Covert joined Red Hat in March after stepping down as CFO of
graphics software powerhouse Adobe Systems."
"Covert was seeking a new challenge, said Red Hat spokeswoman
Melissa London. "The prospect of heading back to (Silicon) Valley
and turning SGI around is really appealing to him," she said."
"Red Hat is the highest-profile business based on the Linux
operating system, which SGI has moved to embrace as well. Neither
company, however, is financially flush. Red Hat expects
profitability midway through next year, while SGI is in the middle
of a years-long recovery effort to restore its former status as one
of the world's cutting-edge hardware designers."
Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which QuinStreet receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. QuinStreet does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.


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PPC Hero and Hanapin Marketing are proud to announce a fantastic line-up of speakers for Hero Conf 2012. We are looking forward to hearing these industry-leading experts share their PPC knowledge in Indianapolis on April 16 & 17. Stay tuned for further information and visit www.heroconf.com to register or sign up for Hero Conf alerts/updates.
*Hero Conf 2012 Speakers:
Andrew Goodman- Founder and President of Page Zero, a full-service marketing agency.
Follow on Twitter @andrew_goodman
Brad Geddes- Founder of Certified Knowledge, an online paid search training and toolset provider.
Follow on Twitter @bgtheory
Crystal Anderson- Spearheads the Paid Search division at Seer Interactive.
Follow on Twitter @CrystalA
Elizabeth Marsten- Director of Search Marketing at Portent Interactive
Joe Kerschbaum- Vice President of Clix Marketing
Follow on Twitter @JoeKerschbaum
John Lee- Director of Client Services at Clix Marketing
Follow on Twitter @John_A_Lee
Joanna Lord- Director of Customer Acquisition & Engagement at SEOmoz
Follow on Twitter @JoannaLord
Kevin Lee- CEO and Co-Founder of Did It
Follow on Twitter @Kevin_Lee_QED
Lisa Raehsler- SEM/PPC Strategy Consultant at Big Click Company
Follow on Twitter @lisarocksSEM
Marc Poirier- Co-Founder and CMO of Acquisio
Follow on Twitter @marcpoirier
Marty Weintraub-CEO and Founder of aimClear
Follow on Twitter @aimclear
Matt Umbro- Senior PPC Specialist at Exclusive Concepts, Founder of PPC Chat
Follow on Twitter @Matt_Umbro
Matt Van Wagner- President and Founder of Find Me Faster
Follow on Twitter @mvanwagner
Melissa Mackey- Search Marketing Manager at Fluency Media
Follow on Twitter @Mel66
Nate Jeo – Paid Search Operations Manager at Overstock.com
*List is subject to change
If you are a vendor interested in sponsoring Hero Conf, please click here: https://www.ppchero.com/hero-conf/pages/Sponsors.html
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The biggest trend among smartphones in 2017 was extra-wide 18:9 aspect ratio displays. Samsung and LG got things started back in the spring, and even Apple hopped on the trend earlier this fall with the iPhone X. But if you’re looking for budget handsets with one of those super-tall screens, the best you can do right now is the Honor 7X at $199. At least until Alcatel got in the mix.
By leveraging the capabilities of its parent company TCL, which happens to be the third largest TV maker in the world, Alcatel is planning on bringing the price of phones with extra-wide displays down to just $100.
This development is just one part of Alcatel’s roadmap to reorganize its phone portfolio, which begins by implementing a new BMW-style naming system that starts with the $100 1-series before moving up to the glass-backed 3- series I saw at CES 2018, and then topping out with the upscale 5-series. Alcatel made no mention of a possible 7-series, as you might expect from the company’s borrowed naming conventions, but I wouldn’t put that designation out of the equation just yet.
In addition to extra-widescreen displays, which will be featured on Alcatel’s entire range of phones, customers can also expect every handset to come standard with a fingerprint reader and USB-C ports for charging.
Alcatel’s goal is to help simplify its offerings, while still ensuring that even its least expensive phones come equipped with important basics. Unfortunately, other specs such as CPU, RAM, and storage have yet to be decided, with Alcatel promising to reveal full details for its revamped lineup at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in late February.
Even the resolution and number of cameras on a particular phone line is still in flux. In Las Vegas, Alcatel was showed off a 5-series that had dual front selfie cams, but just a single shooter in back, alongside a more affordable 3-series equipped was a dual rear cam setup.
It’s a little frustrating to see Alcatel tease these phones so far out without actually committing to anything concrete, but then again, it’s hard to really complain about seeing previously high-end tech make its way down to less expensive devices either.
We’re live from Las Vegas at CES 2018! Click here to read our complete coverage.


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Nearly five million convention attendees hosted, more than double that last year
LAS VEGAS (JANUARY 31, 2022)
Las Vegas welcomed 38.8 million visitors in 2022, according to research
published today by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
(LVCVA). This represents a 20.5 percent boost from 2021.
Conventions also continued to ramp up in 2022, the first full calendar
year of tradeshows and meetings since the pandemic, hosting nearly 5
million meeting attendees. That is more than double the 2.2 million
convention attendees in 2021. Hotel occupancy for 2022 also came in at a
strong 79 percent, with weekend occupancy at 89 percent and midweek
occupancy a 75 percent. Las Vegas leads the nation in overall hotel
occupancy, which averages 63 percent.
Travel to Las Vegas was boosted by several major sporting events, such
as the NFL Pro Bowl in February and Draft in April, a full season of the
Las Vegas Raiders, and international soccer games that featured global
giants Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona, Juventus FC, Chelsea FC and others.
Travel to the destination also become more accessible with the lifting
of final international travel restrictions paired with the addition
three new airlines and 36 new markets at Harry Reid International
Las Vegas looks forward to a strong 2023 with $3.2 billion in major
development planned throughout the resort corridor. Fontainebleau Las
Vegas is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2023 with 3,700 rooms
and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. The $2.17
billion MSG Sphere at The Venetian is under construction and scheduled
to open the second half of 2023. It will feature 17,500 seats, an
exosphere with 580,000 square feet of programmable lighting and the
largest and highest-resolution LED screen on earth.
Several renovations and reinvestments will also occur in 2023, including
room remodel at New York-New York and The Mirage rebrand to Hard Rock
Hotel as well as renovations to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
Major international sporting events are also on tap for the Greatest
Arena on Earth this year, including the NFL Pro Bowl (Feb. 5), L’Etape
by Tour de France (May 7) and the inaugural Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand
Prix (Nov. 16-18), which will launch its inaugural event in Las Vegas.
Super Bowl LVIII will arrive at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11, 2024.
The 2022 visitation data generated by the LVCVA’s Research Center is
available HERE . To learn more about the LVCVA, visit LVCVA.com
and www.vegasmeansbusiness.com .
DECEMBER 2022 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ABOUT THE LVCVA
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with
marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination
worldwide and with operating the 4.6 million square-foot Las Vegas
Convention Center (LVCC). With more than 150,000 hotel rooms and more
than 14 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space in Las Vegas
alone, the LVCVA’s mission centers on attracting leisure and business
visitors to the area. The LVCVA also owns the Las Vegas Convention
Center Loop, an underground tunnel designed by The Boring Company and
the Las Vegas Monorail, an elevated 3.9-mile system with seven stops
throughout the resort corridor. For more information, go to
www.lvcva.com , www.visitlasvegas.com  or


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PB UnionPay Lifestyle Debit Card Offers Greater Mobility in 160 Countries and Regions Through Quality and Secure Cross-Border Payment Services
UnionPay International reaffirms its presence in Malaysia by inking a first-of-its-kind partnership with Public Bank, the third largest bank in Malaysia. The PB UnionPay Lifestyle Debit Card, launched in December 2016, is targeted at customers and businessmen who are frequent travellers to Asia.
PB UnionPay Lifestyle Debit Card is issued upon opening of PB UnionPay Savings Account, giving Cardmembers a range of perks and benefits. A Cardmember can access the Priority Lane at Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in Kuala Lumpur and Kuching, Malaysia to expedite the submission and processing of Visa application. Besides, up to 30% discount is offered to these Cardmembers in 50 selected business districts around the world. PB UnionPay Savings Account offers 0.5% p.a. flat interest rate and MYR10 monthly cash rebate for accounts with a minimum of MYR10,000 month-to-date average balance and no over-the-counter transaction for the month.
In conjunction with the launch, Public Bank is offering complimentary access to Plaza Premium Lounge Malaysia to partake a host of facilities that will make travelling more comfortable and satisfying.
Public Bank entered its 50th year of operations in 2016 with a total group asset of MYR363.76 billion at the end of 2015. With an extensive reach to its customers via a network of 259 well-distributed branches and over 2,000 self-service terminals in Malaysia, this partnership aims to provide Public Bank’s customers with greater mobility within the region and worldwide through the use of its quality and secure cross-border payment services.
“We are excited to have Public Bank on board as our strategic partner for our issuing in Malaysia,” said Wenhui Yang, General Manager of UPI Southeast Asia. “UnionPay International is fully aligned with Public Bank’s focus on providing the most efficient services to its customers through the innovation of new banking services, and we believe that this partnership will put us in a good position to serve the needs of consumers and businesses in Malaysia.”
“We are proud to be the first local bank in Malaysia who had launched UnionPay Card, which offers various solutions to fit our customers’ financial and lifestyle needs. With the expanding business alliances between China and Malaysia, Public Bank continues to progress and expand in order to become the first choice of expatriates and students from China for their banking service needs as this card serves them well in the 160 countries and regions that accept UnionPay cards, including of course China and Malaysia,” said Dato’ Chang Kat Kiam, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Public Bank.


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China’s Geely challenges Tesla with launch of premium electric car brand
Luxurious grand tourer previews electric future for Korean luxury brand as it nears its UK launch
Genesis has been..
Flagship performance-focussed crossover will be faster than a Porsche Taycan 4S
Kia says it is taking “electric..


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AccuTech Marine Propeller announced a new business relationship with Back Cove Yachts of Rockland, Maine.
“Both companies were already successful. We felt as though developing a business relationship would improve upon that for both companies,” AccuTech sales and marketing manager Gilles Dionne said in a statement.
AccuTech said it will maintain an inventory of propeller and shafts specifically for all current Back Cove models. Propellers for obsolete models are also being inventoried.


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Apple and IBM to help cable guy arrive quicker
Apple and IBM, once the most unlikely of allies, on Wednesday announced the first fruits of a partnership aimed at developing new mobile software—and selling more mobile devices—to business customers.
Amazon debuts mobile payment app and card reader (Update)
Amazon is taking direct aim at mobile payment systems such as Square by introducing the Amazon Local Register, a credit-card processing device and mobile app designed to help small business owners accept ...
Smartwatches to star at Berlin IFA electronics show
Smartwatches look set to dominate this year's IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin, which opens Wednesday, stealing the limelight from smart phones and tablet computers.
Samsung's mobile chief keeps his job despite profits dive
Samsung said Monday the head of its faltering mobile business would keep his job despite an alarming decline in profits, as the electronics giant announced a year-end personnel reshuffle.
Google completes takeover of Motorola Mobility
Google closed Tuesday its $12.5 billion deal for Motorola Mobility, a key manufacturer of smartphones and other devices that puts the Internet giant in head-to-head competition with Apple.
Facebook touts advertising milestone
Facebook said Tuesday that more than a million businesses now advertise at the leading social network.
Google cleared in Oracle suit on patents (Update)
Google won a major victory Wednesday as jurors sided with the Internet giant in a high-stakes court battle over patents with business software titan Oracle.
Your smartphone: a new frontier for hackers
(AP) -- Hackers are out to stymie your smartphone. Last week, security researchers uncovered yet another strain of malicious software aimed at smartphones that run Google's popular Android operating system. ...
Oracle, Google gird for trial on Android dispute
Oracle and Google are digging in their heels as they prepare for an upcoming trial.
Samsung phones cleared for US government use
Samsung Electronics Co. said Tuesday some of its Galaxy mobile devices were approved by the National Security Agency for use with classified U.S. government networks and data, a boost to the company's efforts to expand in ...
Smarter ads for smartphones: When they do and don't work
Brands spent $8.4 billion on mobile advertising in 2013, and that number is expected to quadruple to $36 billion by 2017, according to eMarketer. But do mobile display ads—those tiny banner ads that pop ...
Sony's quarterly loss balloons on mobile woes
Sony's losses ballooned to 136 billion yen ($1.2 billion) last quarter as the Japanese electronics and entertainment company's troubled mobile phone division reported huge red ink.
Twitter boss launches global cash register service
Twitter's co-founder outlined plans to make cash registers a thing of the past on Thursday as he held a global launch for new software that he said would help small businesses grow.
IBM invention helps eliminate fraudulent behavior in the cloud
IBM today announced it has patented a technique that helps online and cloud-based businesses improve their ability to eliminate fraud by analyzing browsing behavior to determine whether customers are who they say they are ...


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A photo has turned up online the claims to be the SIM card tray for the new iPhone 5. The tray looks very much like the one used on the 4S with minor differences suggesting, if there’s any validity to the photo, a similar form factor to the current iPhone.
The Instagram app has hit 50 million users and most of them are on the iPhone. Between the two available versions of Instagram, the iPhone version is more popular for now.
Apple is reportedly rejecting apps that have Dropbox functionality. The tip comes from developers who are seeing their apps rejected if they integrate support for Dropbox.


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But the bankruptcy rate is still 20% above the lows reached in 1997, and remains higher than at any time between 1995 and 2001.
BDO still sees the number of failures rising again over the next two years, to their highest levels since the early 1990s. It predicts business failures will fall 5.4% this year, after a sharp 6.6% decline in the second quarter.
For once manufacturing is staging a comeback, with failures falling 10% thanks to the cheaper pound and a recovery in the US economy.
This still leaves one in 40 manufacturers going under this year, a bankruptcy rate twice the national average.
And, ominously, BDO also sees a sharp 15% rise in failures in the bigger services sector, as consumer spending comes off the boil.
The mixed economic picture is reinforced by new data from the housing market.
Property website Rightmove says asking prices have fallen 0.6% in the past month, including a 2.8% slump in London. Average homes in London are now worth less than a year ago.
But demand nationally is increasingly outstripping fresh supply, which must temper fears of a prolonged downturn. Some 31,700 more properties came off the market last month than were put up for sale.
Eyes will turn to the US Federal Reserve this week.
Although it is expected to leave interest rates on hold at 1%, markets will be reading chairman Alan Greenspan's accompanying statement closely for further signs on the outlook for the world's biggest economy.
This summer's sharp rise in long-term borrowing rates appears to be slowing consumer spending.
And recent data shows the recovery has yet to start lowering the jobless rate.Reuse content


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GM NEEDS TO LOSE ITS HEAVY LOAD
July 16, 2008
General Motors (GM) announced this week that it will reduce truck production, shed jobs, cut executive salaries, freeze base salaries, eliminate health care benefits for retirees over 65 and sell assets. The reason GM is clawing just to hold on is more complicated than high gasoline prices hurting GM's truck and SUV sales. This is the story of a company so weighed down by a labor union that it's desperately trying to avoid extinction, says Investor's Business Daily (IBD).
- It's a business that, by contract, once had to pay 2,300 workers at its shuttered Oklahoma City plant their full salaries and benefits for doing nothing.
- The New York Times reported two years ago that workers in the Jobs Bank still showed up at the plant, then spent their days reading, watching television, playing dominoes or chatting.
- The Oklahoma City shakedown was not an isolated incident; more than 12,000 union workers from all three domestic car makers have entered into the easy-chair, featherbed world of the Jobs Bank since 2005 and have been paid for not working.
The United Auto Workers have long been a millstone bolted around the necks of GM, Ford and Chrysler, says IBD:
- Bloated deals have provided unionized auto workers with an average wage of nearly $65 an hour while Toyota gets by paying its workers about $45 an hour.
- These union contracts -- not poor quality, inferior design, or mismanagement -- cost GM an additional $2,500 for each car it builds.
GM can either pass the costs on to consumers or absorb the losses. But no matter which decision GM makes, the company finds itself in a death spiral. At higher prices, GM cannot compete; if it eats the costs, it loses money, says IBD.
Source: Editorial, "GM Needs To Lose Its Heavy Load," Investor's Business Daily, July 15, 2008.
Browse more articles on Economic Issues


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- Dogs that talk: Researchers seek $10K for ‘No More Woof’ technology
- 1,000 firefighters called to battle stubborn Big Sur wildfire
- Black Friday brouhaha: Millions of Target shoppers hit by credit card theft
- Britain orders airplane to rescue citizens from violent South Sudan
- Mega Millions winner emerges as Georgia mom, in ‘disbelief’
- ‘Duck Dynasty’ Phil Robertson suspended ‘indefinitely’ for gay comments
- John Podesta eats crow: ‘I apologize to Speaker Boehner’
- U.S., China race to finish line on ‘invisibility cloak’
- Obama ‘cavalier’ in hiding foreign aid order, judge rules
- Prince Charles: Muslims are driving Christians from Mideast through persecution
By Andrew P. Napolitano
Fourth Amendment says Obama is not at liberty to collect metadata
Independent voices from the The Washington Times Communities
Topic - National Retail Federation In Washington
Just two days before Christmas, marketing manager Margi MacDuff was ebullient, talking on the phone from the Huntington Mall in Barboursville, W.Va., where shoppers were out in last-minute fury.
The recession that crippled the past two years of holiday shopping has abated, and consumers are shopping a bit more, researchers say, while looking for the best deals amid worries that a full-scale economic recovery is not here.


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Because of customer complaints, Ikea Tampa is removing the frustrating self-checkout lanes that had customers waiting in long lines to leave the store.
Shoppers will no longer be required to scan each of their items by hand, according to a story in the Tampa Tribune.
Retail stores have installed the self-checkout lanes as a money-saver since they do not require as many employees to help people scan and pay for their purchases.
"It wasn't as efficient as we originally hoped," Ikea spokesman Joseph Roth told the Tribune.
Tampa is not the only city having trouble getting out of Ikea. The company is converting many of its self-checkout lanes companywide.
Ikea opened in Tampa in May of 2009.


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Samsung And Verizon Offer Developer Edition Galaxy S IIIBy cheatmaster 09:41 Wed, 14 Jul 2021 Comments
Samsung and Verizon have announced their plans on selling a special developer edition of the Galaxy S III in the US that will come with a bootloader that can be unlocked by the user. The phone will be srecent without a contract for $599. Do note that the phone will still be locked to Verizon's network.
As you may be aware by now, the Verizon version of the Galaxy S III is the only one that ships with a locked bootloader. Through this developer edition, those who want the freedom to mess around with their phone and still be on Verizon's network now have an option, albeit an expensive one.
There is no information as to when this version of the phone will be available but it will be srecent through Samsung's developer website.
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AUBURN HILLS, MI – Grocery store employees have been the unsung heroes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Healthcare workers, police, fire and EMS personnel and others have also been essential, but at least one Michigan business is taking the time to single out those who have worked to keep the supply chain steady during a time when they are needed most.
Sea Life Michigan Aquarium, Michigan’s largest aquarium, is offering complimentary admission for all grocery store workers on weekdays from Jan. 19 through Feb. 26 as a token of gratitude to the unsung men and women battling the coronavirus pandemic head on.
The Grocery Store Hero Appreciation Days free one-day admission can only be redeemed online and is valid for weekday visits, Monday-Friday, using this link: http://bit.ly/3sdLION.
“These grocery store workers are unsung heroes, tirelessly dedicating countless hours in our country’s time of need, and it’s not lost on us that they do so at the risk of their own health, and sacrificing time with their own families,” said Hayley Anderson GM of SEA LIFE Michigan.
“In our small way, we hope this can bring a little more joy into their lives; and an opportunity for our nation’s grocery store workers to spend a day enjoying carefree family fun.”
Each grocery store employee can bring up to four guests who will receive 50% off admission as well. When arriving at the attraction, grocery store heroes must show their online ticket and their employee ID or valid pay stub to signify their work as a grocery store employee.
Sea Life is the world’s largest family of aquariums and includes 10 aquariums in North America.
The Michigan location is inside Great Lakes Crossing Mall in Auburn Hills and features hands-on exhibits, a 180-degree underwater ocean tunnel and more than 250 species including sharks, jellies, stingrays, and two rescued sea turtles.


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23 January 2015
Welcome to 5 Minute ADTEKR, your five minute speed read of news and analysis from the past week. Short and sweet, this series will highlight key news, developments, trends and predictions in a bite-sized format.
Your speed read for this week:
Headlines: What’s in the news?
- Open sesame – E-commerce behemoth Alibaba announces major investment in Chinese adtech firm.
- Open market – Snapchat asks advertisers to pay $750,000 per day to advertise on its platform.
- Trendsetters – Venture capitalists pile into online trend-spotter Takey.
- ObamaTech – President announces plans for tougher online privacy rules.
- Passage to India? – Twitter acquires “dropped-call” marketing start-up in bid to tap Indian mobile market.
- Google watch out? – Google is currently by far the biggest player in digital advertising. However, with the re-launch of its cookie-free, “people-based marketing” programme Atlas, Facebook may be set to erode that dominance. This article explores that possibility, and looks at other potential rivals to the big two in online marketing.
- Fighting the adblockers – A tech blogger sets out the “bad economics” which he claims beset the digital advertising industry. Of particular concern is rising user rejection through ad blocking technology. Possible ways of preventing this include suing the companies providing the blocking technology and getting browsers to disable their extensions. However, ultimately, the blog argues, it is up to advertisers to raise their game.
- Advertising Epics – Youtube’s list of the most watched video ads of last year suggests that adverts are getting longer, lasting in many cases over two minutes. This blog suggests it’s time for some quality control.
- Lowering the banner – This article asks whether there is a future for banner advertising online, and argues that we need a fundamental rethink of their place in the marketing mix.
5 Minute ADTEKR was last modified: January 27th, 2015 by


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Renault has launched a new longer-range version of its Kangoo Van Z.E. and an all-new electric Master Z.E. at the Brussels Motor Show.
The new Kangoo Van Z.E. boasts a theoretical range of 168 miles, which is 50% more than the outgoing model and — says the firm — the longest of any electric van.
Both vans are available with new, faster charging technology which promises to improve the usability and appeal of electric vehicles.
Kangoo Van Z.E. update
The latest update features a new Z.E.33 33kWh battery pack and a new R60 44kW motor. Combined, these help to increase the range of the electric Kangoo to a specified maximum of 168 miles. Faster charging will also be possible. A new 7kW 32A charger will be available that can fully charge the Kangoo in just six hours.
The new Kangoo Van Z.E. will go on sale in Europe from the middle of 2017.
New Master Z.E.
Large electric vans are thin on the ground at the moment. So urban operators interested in reducing their carbon footprints and avoiding the cost and hassle of running diesel vans that are essentially unsuited to such operations may be interested in the new all-electric Master.
It uses a larger R75 57kW motor but will be powered by the same Z.E.33 33kWH battery pack as the Kangoo. This inevitably reduces range somewhat, but Renault says the new Master Z.E. will be capable of up to 124 miles between charges. That’s pretty respectable.
As with the Kangoo, a full charge from Renault’s 7kW Wall Box charger will take six hours. I guess 13A charging will also be possible, albeit at a much slower pace.
The Master Z.E. will go on sale in the European market at the end of 2017.
What’s next for electric vans
It’s interesting to see how rapidly electric vehicle ranges are starting to increase. The Renault ZOE is now available with a Z.E.40 battery that gives this small car a range in the region of 200 miles.
Longer ranges were always inevitable as the technology matured — I suspect faster charging is the next logical step. I’m sure we’ll start to see this over the next couple of years.


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May 5 is World Password Day, an annual effort to encourage safe password practices.
The World Password Day 2016 theme is multi-factor authentication (MFA) – also called two-factor authentication (2FA) or two-step verification – which provides an extra layer of security to your online activities.
The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), a proud champion of World Password Day, strongly encourages you to get involved today by checking out these resources:
“It’s time for some #realtalk,” a World Password video featuring Betty White
NCSA’s new Tips for Passwords and Securing Your Accounts
A blog post by Per Thorsheim, founder of PasswordsCon and new STOP. THINK. CONNECT. partner, discussing recent research on password-changing practices
“Every Behavior Has a Cost – Keep Password Policies Simple,” a blog post by Lance Spitzner, director of SANS Securing the Human and NCSA board member.
For additional information about passwords, visit passwordday.org and follow #PasswordDay on social media.


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Synergy Capital Managers is pleased to announce the completion of an investment in Darl Pharmaceuticals Limited by Synergy Private Equity Fund LP (SPEF). Darl is a fast growing pharmaceutical integrated value chain business with presence from production to last mile.
Since inception in 2010, Darl has consciously evolved into a strategic player in the supply chain for production and distribution of own-manufactured and contract manufactured pharmaceutical products across Ghana. Darl is focused on building a best-in-class integrated pharmaceutical operation establishing a dominant position in the market.
The investment in Darl is the first by SPEF in Ghana and the fourth overall since its first close in September 2014. This investment will enable the company undertake the expansion of its business including increasing manufacturing capacity and distribution footprint nationally.
Mr. David Ado, promoter and CEO of Darl Pharmaceuticals commenting on the investment said “ We are delighted about the investment of Synergy Private Equity Fund in Darl. With our current expansion, we expect to more than quadruple revenue within a year and further entrench our position in the market. Our goal is to be the number one brand in the pharmaceutical industry, offering unique selling experience using a rich talent of human resource. We know we can achieve our goal and attract more resources to enable us enter the sub-region.
In Darl, the Manager believes it has found value managers with a proven capacity to grow business as they have built the company from start-up to its present position achieving commendable year-on-year growth in the process. We are convinced that the company has great potential to establish a market leading position in the pharmaceutical industry in Ghana.
According to Akintoye Akindele, Partner, Synergy Capital Managers “Darl is a very interesting opportunity for us. We find the founders very impressive and they show the commitment that is required to build this franchise into a leading pharmaceutical business not just in Ghana, but also across the region in the future. We are very excited to partner with them to build a world-class business”.
Ghana represents an important market for us and we continue to see very attractive opportunities across numerous industry sectors. We are working to complete a couple more investments in Ghana in the coming months.


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Hewlett-Packard Tuesday announced a pay-per-use utility pricing model that uses automated metering technology to measure the percent of each CPU actually used on an HP Superdome server.
With this pricing model, customers will be charged for actual server usage on a monthly basis.
According to HP, this direct link between IT costs and business demand is ideal for enterprises with seasonal activity or unexpected new business opportunities, as it enables them to have computing capacity available while paying for IT power on an as-needed basis. This means that over the long haul, customers can have additional processors instantly available during periods of high activity, without worrying about them laying dormant during slower times.
Irv Rothman, president and chief executive officer for HP Financial Services, notes “This gives customers the financial flexibility they need to respond promptly and effectively to cyclical changes in demand and directly align IT costs with the revenue the technology helps to generate. Today’s announcement is more proof of HP’s commitment to offer customers flexible capacity and cost structures to minimize risks today — and maximize business agility for tomorrow’s rapidly changing needs.”
The metering technology reads the actual usage for each CPU and charges the enterprise for the processing power used. CPU utilization data is automatically collected, encrypted, and then securely transmitted to HP’s billing engine.
The equipment devices and automated metering technology physically reside at the customer site.
The pay-per-use model is being offered through HP Financial Services as part of HP’s suite of On Demand solutions. The On Demand solutions provide customers reserve capacity, instant availability, and payments based on actual metered usage.
HP’s pay-per-use offering is currently available in North America and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. It is expected to be available in the Asia-Pacific region shortly.
HP has offered on-demand, usage-based active CPU metering and pricing since the Superdome server launched in September 2000. It claims to be the only technology company offering pay-per-use capacity metering for UNIX servers.


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LG has announced that it’s bringing two of the leading cloud gaming services, Google Stadia and Nvidia’s GeForce Now, to its newest TVs later this year. Stadia is expected to be available in the second half of the year after the 2021 lineup of OLED, QNED, and NanoCell TVs start shipping — with GeForce Now coming sometime later.
The news signifies a continued expansion for both services. Google has promised that Stadia will come to Google TV (including the latest Chromecast) in the first half of 2021. Last week, Sony announced its 2021 lineup of TVs. They all run Google TV, so it’s a safe bet that you’ll also be able to find Stadia on those when they ship in a few months.
As for GeForce Now, it’s currently available on the Nvidia Shield platform, Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, Android, and (in beta) on Safari for iOS and iPadOS. But it’s not shipping natively on any TVs, so LG is among the first in that regard.
While LG is only promising that they’ll come to the 2021 models at launch — which have a new “Game Optimizer” area of settings that conveniently brings together the options that gamers care about most, like refresh rate, input lag, and more — the fine print in LG’s press release (via 9to5Google) suggests that Stadia will also come to 2020 models running webOS 5.0 later this year.
Update, 7:31 PM ET: Added that Stadia will come to LG’s 2020 TV sets as well, later this year.


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BlackCloak Unveils New Deception Technology to Catch Cyberattacks Targeting Executives & High-Profile Individuals
Proprietary deception engine built into the industry’s first Concierge Cybersecurity & Privacy Platform™ empowers members to protect privacy, personal devices & homes from cyberattack
Orlando, FL, November 15, 2021 — BlackCloak, Inc., the first Concierge Cybersecurity & Privacy™ Protection Platform for Executives and High-Profile Individuals, today officially unveiled proprietary deception technology to catch adversaries’ brazen attempts to exploit a member’s privacy, personal devices, or home networks.
Commonly referred to as a honeypot, BlackCloak’s deception technology lures attackers interacting with a service by simulating a real-world home network. Cybercriminals and advanced attackers will then be enticed by the potential data that appears within their reach. Once the attack is detected, BlackCloak’s deception technology automatically alerts the company’s Security Operations Center (SOC) to investigate and intervene before damage is done.
“Our members are increasingly exposed to sophisticated cyberattacks. Hackers are diversifying their preferred attack vectors beyond corporations and supply chain partners to include executives, high-net-worth individuals and high-profile individuals, many of whom have easily exploitable vulnerabilities in their personal digital lives,” said Dr. Chris Pierson, BlackCloak Founder & CEO. “Advanced deception technology increases our ability to proactively detect, mitigate, and respond to threats before they manifest. It is the perfect complement to BlackCloak’s other concierge cybersecurity and privacy services.”
BlackCloak’s deception engine, which has been live with existing customers since earlier this year, has already spotted suspicious activity within home environments. The leader in digital executive protection is the first cybersecurity and privacy company to deliver enterprise-grade honeypot technology to consumers.
“BlackCloak’s design and implementation of deception technology into the personal lives of corporate executives further strengthens their concierge platform,” said Bob Ackerman, Co-Founder of DataTribe. “The ability to know an adversary might be lurking inside the footprint of their digital home independent of other common controls is game changing.”
BlackCloak is a leader in digital executive protection on a mission to protect digital lives. To do so, the company is engineering a holistic, SaaS-based cybersecurity & privacy platform with a concierge experience. BlackCloak works with real people to safeguard their personal and corporate reputation, finances, and information using technology that secures their homes, devices, and online presence. Focusing on high-profile individuals with limited time and a lot to lose, BlackCloak makes sure everything they do is frictionless and discreet.
Recently, BlackCloak obtained its SOC II Type II certification. The company also operates a US-based security operations center (SOC) composed of veteran privacy and threat intelligence professionals. Earlier this year, BlackCloak closed an $11 million Series A from prominent cybersecurity investors DataTribe, TDF Ventures, and TechOperators.
BlackCloak protects corporate executives and high-profile individuals from cybersecurity, privacy, financial, and other reputational risks. Used by Fortune 500 companies across all industries, the BlackCloak Concierge Cybersecurity & Privacy™ Platform is a holistic solution including mobile and desktop apps as well as concierge support. Executives and high-profile individuals get peace of mind knowing their family, reputation, and finances are secured. Companies rest assured that their brand, intellectual property, data, and finances are protected against threats coming through executives without having to invade their personal lives. Learn more at www.blackcloak.io, follow them on Twitter @BlackCloakCyber, or watch the product video.