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Increasingly we are seeing that non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are here to stay and not the fad that some thought. These tokens, which can represent any kind of digital goods, from artwork to in-game items, are traded on the blockchain, allowing owners to ensure the goods’ authenticity, and making them an ideal technology to assure digital ownership.
Consumers seem to be convinced already: according to NonFungible.com, which tracks many of the sales of NFTs, $754m of NFTs were traded in Q2 2021, an increase of 3453% year-on-year. Crucially, the number of buyers is also increasing faster than the number of sellers — a sure sign of the tokens' desirability. As a payments provider to many of the NFT marketplaces, Checkout.com has keenly observed the growth of this space and we’re particularly excited to see the global nature of both the creators and the buyers.
As we watch brands innovate new ways of reaching customers with NFTs, I spoke to key leaders operating in the NFT space about what this technology means for ownership, value and the future of ecommerce.
One of the key differentiators of NFTs is that their authenticity can be guaranteed on the blockchain. Some of the biggest NFT sales have been of digital artwork and collectibles, an area that was hard to monetize previously.
Patrick McLaren, COO at Nifty Gateway has seen this transformation firsthand: “NFTs present an opportunity for true ownership of digital goods for probably the first time,” he said. “What we're seeing is an unprecedented opportunity to own different types of digital media and art where it wasn't previously possible.”
This assurance of provenance is also highly attractive for high-value items, where proof of digital ownership can be passed on through generations, explained tech futurist and Chief Metaverse Officer of the Futures Intelligence group, Cathy Hackl. “For luxury and legacy brands, NFTs just make sense. These items are very coveted and expensive — in the future, high net worth individuals are going to want some type of digital ownership.”
That’s why Hackl encourages the luxury clients she advises to think about the future: “How do we really look at digital goods and NFTs as something for the longer term, not just as a one-off marketing activation?”
For digital creators, NFTs open up whole new revenue streams. Instead of only being able to sell a digital file once, as in a traditional marketplace, creators can set the terms of secondary sales using smart contracts. For example, many artists will receive a percentage each time the NFT is resold. This creates a whole new marketplace dynamic.
“NFTs and crypto is a way to drive value to the creators rather than just the middleman,”
Jess Houlgrave, Chief of Staff, Checkout.com.
Nick Tran,TikTok’s Head of Global Marketing, sees a wealth of opportunity for all sorts of digital creators: “You see people who post content on YouTube, and the hope is they become well known and they monetize that through ad revenue: that's been this consistent model. What we're looking at is how do we shift the balance of ownership into the hands of the creators themselves, because if they create a compelling video, they should be able to monetize that, and allow fans to celebrate that.”
This also means that creators in places without a market infrastructure in place are able to participate. “We're talking about people being able to all access the same pool of art or digital collectible, from all around the world,” says Patrick McLaren. “NFTs act as a little bit of an equaliser of value. I can sell my NFT regardless of the fact that I'm from an economically depressed region, and I get the same opportunities.”
There has been intense conversation about the energy-intensive process of minting NFTs, on “proof of work” protocols like the current Ethereum blockchain. And as NFTs become more mainstream and engage with mass-market artists, entertainers and brands, this discussion will only intensify.
Dapper Labs’s Flow protocol, which, as a “proof of stake” protocol, expends far less energy than many others, sees a high level of interest in this aspect of their work. As Mickey Maher explained: “We're one of the first stops for any of those content providers to talk to about NFTs, so I would say at least 50% of those conversations, we have to talk about the environmental impact of what we're doing versus what other chains or entities are doing.”
The physical world is no longer the only game in town. It’s becoming clear that younger generations are happy to pay for items that have no tangible form at all. Mickey Maher, SVP of Partnerships at Dapper Labs, says: “The ability to capture social capital in a digital format is much greater and larger than you could ever do in a physical format. So you can conceive that the digital Air Jordans for this generation might be more valuable than the physical Jordans.”
“The crypto space can be an enormous equaliser and, it's created some really powerful connections for people as well bringing that community together,”
Jess Houlgrave, Chief of Staff, Checkout.com.
Nick Tran points out that NFTs also foster connections between consumers: “One thing that I've seen in the NFT space that I didn't see in the brand world...is the sense of community. You recognise these little niche groups popping up over the love of a specific NFT,” he says, citing the popular NFT collectible craze for Cryptopunks, in particular, one pictured wearing a purple hat.
Ultimately, NFTs’ growth show the rise of digital ownership as important in its own right. This will become more important as more resources are put into building the metaverse (roughly speaking, an alternate, digital world, where real people are represented by digital avatars owning digital goods).
Cathy Hackl sees an exciting future for brands in the metaverse, where virtual personas are just as important as physical ones: “It's a whole new way to connect and build loyalty.” She also notes the potentially disruptive nature of this shift: “Many brands in our physical world might not translate in the same way they do in the virtual world. But there's going to be a rise of different brands that are metaverse-native, that are created there. How does a brand become “a brand in the metaverse”? I think that's a really interesting conversation.”
Thanks to our NFT experts, Cathy Hackl, Tech Futurist and Chief Metaverse Officer, Futures Intelligence Group; Mickey Maher, SVP of Partnerships, Dapper Labs; Patrick McLaren, Chief Operating Officer, Nifty Gateway; Nick Tran, Head of Global Marketing, TikTok, for speaking with me.


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14:55 04th Dec, 2014
Saavn Teams Up With Twitter To Bring A Tweet-Powered Radio Service
The service will take requests for songs from users who tweet to the @SaavnRadio account
Indian music streaming service Saavn has partnered with popular social networking service Twitter to power its tweet-powered radio service. The company will take requests for songs from users who tweet to the @SaavnRadio account, which will be used to compile the playlist.
The company claims it has over 10 million monthly active users, with half of its traffic being driven by its radio service. The station will mix in tracks users are sharing on Twitter from the service, but Saavn says that specific requests will be prioritized over social shares.
“Music streaming has always been an inherently social service, we [at Saavn] already see lots of activity from users worldwide and identified a natural opportunity to create a radio station. This puts the power of programming into our users’ hands,” said Rishi Malhotra, co-founder and CEO of Saavn.
The company says it will integrate more social features into the rest of its service next year, but adds that it wants to grow to a certain scale in order to do so. One of the upcoming features will be a collaborative playlist, which a closed group will be able to build, in order to make music streaming more social.
“Saavn is the perfect company to work with as we look to contribute to music accessibility and music discovery for our international users, particularly in the Asian market, in an age where social sharing has no borders,” said Arvinder Gujral, Twitter's Director of Business Development for India and Southeast Asia.
The two parties began discussing the collaboration in September, and a speedy implementation then followed. Saavn offers a Spotify-style ad-supported free version or a subscription based ad-free model for its music streaming and radio services.
- Bobble AI bullish on growing business via regional content; announces dedicated keyboard in Malayalam
- Acer India launches business PC at Just Rs 9999
- TCL 4K QLED with Hands Free AI TV Pre-booking Coming Soon at Reliance Digital
- Linksys India Launches VELOP MX5300 WIFI 6 Mesh System
- Acer introduces Nitro 5, its first 10th Gen Intel® Core™ Gaming Laptop
- Barco Introduces New Series of Advanced Video Processing and Presentation Control Systems
- NETGEAR Orbi RBK50 Mesh System to Augment Your Home Wi-Fi Network for Improved Work Efficiency
- Motorola announces its new flagship in India with the Fastest, Loudest, Boldest; motorola edge+
- Surface Pro X, Surface Pro 7 and Surface Laptop 3 are now available in India
- Genelec Announces 1235A: Classic Heritage, Cutting Edge Performance

domain: news


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Irdeto, the company behind one of the most notorious DRM and anti-cheat solutions for PC games, Denuvo, has announced that it’s bringing its technology to Nintendo Switch in an officially-authorised effort to combat the platform’s rampant piracy and emulation issues.
With brand-new Switch releases frequently winding up pirated and playable on PC-based emulators on day one, or in some cases even before release, the company claims its place as the first “security partner” on The Nintendo Developer Portal will allow developers to better protect themselves from piracy of Switch titles.
While that’s seemingly a huge positive for developers on Switch, the Denuvo name carries with it a bad taste among the PC gaming community thanks to widespread belief that it negatively affects game performance and the fact that it accesses users’ systems on a far deeper level than just about any other PC software or middleware. While there’s no real verdict on just how problematic Denuvo actually is, or how those same issues might manifest in a Switch game, this new is still sure to raise a few eyebrows.
“As gamers, we know first-hand how piracy negatively affects the gaming industry. We’re thrilled to be part of the Nintendo Developers Portal, so that we can provide the latest technologies to help fight this issue for Nintendo Switch players and developers,” said Doug Lowther, CEO of Irdeto on the news. “We witness an increasing need to protect against emulation on PC from game launch, our solution is a must-have for publishers to monetise the games fairly on this platform and also not impact PC game sales.”
We're thrilled to announce that our top-tier protection technologies are officially accessible as authorized #NintendoSwitch middleware on the #Nintendo Developer Portal! ???


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Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. has been presented with the Firearms Manufacturer of the Year award by the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers.
The award was present to Ruger Vice President of Sales and Marketing Chris Killoy at the Association's 39th Annual Meeting. It marks the sixth consecutive year that Ruger has received the award.
NASGW Wholesaler members evaluate the performance of manufacturers on distribution policy, marketing, sales and promotion, logistics and operations, and NASGW and industry support.
"We are extremely pleased and grateful to receive this award once again," Killoy said. "We continue to strive to meet the needs of independent wholesalers and the demands of their customers, the retailers and consumers, through development and timely delivery of innovative new products. We also focus on marketing promotions and communication tools that will benefit distributors of Ruger firearms as strong wholesaler support and cooperation are vital to our success. We thank NASGW members for their continued business and support."
For more information, go to Ruger.com.


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Users everywhere nominated their fave apps, and now it’s time to find the best one.
The Microsoft Store has a lot of hidden gems on it; perhaps too hidden for their own good. Now, the Redmond giant wants to cast the spotlight on some of the best apps on the platform by allowing users like yourself to vote for the ones you think are best.
The 2022 Microsoft Store App Awards are Open for Voting
You can now pitch in what you think is your favorite app on the special Microsoft Store App Awards Office Form. Remember when Microsoft asked you what your favorite Store apps were? Hopefully, you got your answer in, because now you get to choose who takes home the award.
There’s a quite a lot of apps in the runnings, some of which have been superstars in enhancing the Windows experience. There are too many to list here, but if you do head in, you’ll get to vote in three categories: File Management, Utility, and Open Platform.
There are bound to be some apps on the list that you’ve never heard of, but don’t fret. Each category has direct links to the apps that appear in the category, so if you want to give your precious vote to the absolute best, you can give the candidates a try and see which one you love the most.
A Much-Needed Celebration of Microsoft Apps
When you go to download a new app for Windows, how often do you go to the Microsoft Store? If you can’t remember the last time you went app-hunting at the store (if at all), this is likely why Microsoft is holding this award ceremony in the first place.
What happens to the winning apps? Microsoft doesn’t say. However, there’s a good chance the company will advertise its presence on the Microsoft Store, letting people know that the store is more than just a pretty icon on everyone’s systems.
Which Microsoft Store App Is Your Fave?
Microsoft asked for your fave apps, and you responded. And now, it’s time to vote for the best, so be sure to cast your vote for the apps that made your life easier.


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Elizabeth Banks apologises for live snake reward program for wine
American actress and co-founder of canned wine brand Archer Roose, Elizabeth Banks, has apologised for and retracted her offer of a live snake of the brand’s choice for anyone who bought 100,000 cases of her wines.
Yes, that is an actual sentence I have actually just written. And no, I didn’t make this story up on the spot ‘for a laugh’.
Elizabeth Banks, of The Hunger Games fame, has apologised for and retracted her canned wine brand Archer Roose’s offer of a live snake mailed to every consumer who purchased 100,000 cases of the brand’s wine.
“You win some, you lose some,” Elizabeth Banks, Chief Creative Officer of Archer Roose, said in a statement. “Not everyone can appreciate truly great business ideas.”
“At our core, we’re a risk-taking company,” commented Marian Leitner-Waldman, Co-Founder & CEO of Archer Roose. “And I think offering free snakes to perfect strangers has taught us some very valuable lessons. Needless to say, we are very excited about the new reptile-free Archer Roose Rewards program.”
Banks captioned a video statement on her Instagram page, “We are announcing, with heavy hearts, that we are shutting down the @archerroosewines Snake Rewards program. We appreciate your understanding as we navigate these legally murky times. In its place we are offering a new and improved rewards program with the link in my bio. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
View this post on Instagram
So no, you won’t get a live snake in the mail if you order 100,000 cases of canned wine from Archer Roose, but the brand has released a new rewards programme, namely Roose Rewards.
“The Roose Rewards program is a complimentary rewards plan, in which customers can accrue points, bonuses, and unlock other exclusive member perks by reaching Enthusiast, Insider or Adventurer status,” per a press release.
Rewards include cashback, early access offers and exclusive merch. But no snakes. We think.


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A draft decree proposing a ban on the sidewalk sale of alcohol has been criticized as ill-conceived and unfeasible.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade, which is drafting the document, also proposed banning liquor sales to pregnant and breastfeeding woman and people who exhibit “signs of being drunk and/or diseased due to alcohol abuse”.
A ministry official, who asked to remain anonymous, said the draft document "reasonably" proposed a ban on alcohol sales in schools, governmental offices and hospitals.
“But it would be difficult to ban alcohol sale on the sidewalk because street food has become a major part of the consumer culture,” he said. “Such a ban may be possible in some countries, but not in Vietnam."
According to those who wrote the bill, drinking has a long history in Vietnam and plays a major role in the culture. Vietnamese often drink on special occasions like New Year's, death anniversaries, funerals and gatherings of friends and family.
However, a society can only hope to establish a healthy relationship with drinking when it does a good job of regulating the production, trade and consumption of alcohol.
Excessive drinking is harmful to one's health and has been the cause of many traffic accidents, in addition to having a great impact one's ability to work, according to the drafters.
Besides banning alcohol sales on sidewalks and to certain groups, drafters also proposed banning the online and vending machine sales of beer and liquor.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam has produced 2.02 billion liters of beer so far this year, a 6.5 percent increase over last year. The country ranked third in Asia in beer consumption after China and India in a 2011 survey by the Japanese brewer Kirin Holdings.
The proposed ban on the sale of alcohol on sidewalks and to specific groups prompted several controversies.
Vu Vinh Phu, chairman of the Hanoi Supermarkets’ Association, said the draft decree is simply unfeasible.
“It is not much different from similar unfeasible drafts we've seen in the past, including an 8 p.m. curfew on alcohol sales, a calendar regulating the use of on vehicles with odd or even license numbers and a plan to disqualify narrow-chested people from obtaining a license to drive a motorbike,” he said.
He said new policies should focus on other urgent issues like traffic safety, environmental pollution, and food safety--issues that kill thousands of people every month.
“Lawmakers don't address these significant problems but propose impractical policies instead,” he said.
Phan Chi Dung, an official at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, was also doubtful about the draft’s feasibility.
Sidewalk beer sales should be regulated more closely, but only in terms of hygiene, he said.
“Identifying a drunk person or a pregnant or breastfeeding woman is complicated. Currently, there is no criteria for this identification,” he was quoted by news website VietNamNet as saying.
He said lawmakers should have consulted experts in this area before coming up with the proposal.
“It would be very difficult to monitor and enforce this ban if it took effect. At issue here is the self-awareness of the sellers and buyers.”


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Kaltura, developer of the first open source video platform, (www.kaltura.com) announced today that it has appointed its former VP Strategy, Leah Belsky, as European General Manager, and is significantly increasing its European operations in order to meet rising demand for Kaltura’s technology among media companies, universities and enterprises in the region.
Kaltura’s European customers already include leading organizations such as AstraZeneca, SAP, AkzoNobel, Nestle, Groovy Gecko, PinkTV, Glam Media, Durham University, Copenhagen Business School, Danish State University and Library, and Siemens; in addition, two leading European broadcasters are currently implementing the Kaltura platform.
“We are extremely excited to bring the promise of open source video to Europe full-force,” said Ron Yekutiel, Kaltura Chairman & CEO. “Online video is rapidly transforming the way people work, learn and entertain; it has become an integral part of any organization’s activities, and a key tool for communication and engaging one’s audience. Unlike other proprietary and closed solutions, Kaltura’s open and flexible platform enables customers to deploy out-of-the-box products and to easily and affordably customize them to fit their specific needs and workflows and integrate them with other enterprise systems.”
Kaltura’s European headquarters are based in London. “Kaltura started exploring the UK market a year ago with a few sales consultants. Given the rapid growth and potential we saw with the UK broadcasters, universities and enterprises, we recently decided to invest heavily in Europe, opening a new London headquarters right next to Tech City, with a full operational and sales team,” said Leah Belsky, Vice President & General Manager Europe, Middle East and Africa. “European organizations are rapidly seeing that with Kaltura’s open source approach they get the flexibility to create custom solutions that weren’t previously possible.”
A month ago, Kaltura launched the London Video Meetup as a place for the online video user and developer community to explore the future of media. https://www.meetup.com/londonvideo/
Kaltura offers a robust video platform and applications for media companies, educational institutions and enterprises, supporting video management publishing, transcoding, metadata processing, monetization, analytics and more. Kaltura applications include a robust media management application, an out of the box YouTube-like portal (Kaltura MediaSpace™), as well as integrations with SharePoint, Blackboard, Moodle, Sakai, Drupal and more. The company’s MediaSpace application also serves as a Corporate Tube for enterprises looking to enhance their internal and external communication, and as a Campus Tube for universities to leverage for teaching, learning, social campus activities and more.
Kaltura also offers a slew of additional solutions, and integrations with 3rd party systems, via its Kaltura Exchange – a global marketplace for publishers, developers, technology companies, and service providers to share and trade in video applications and services connected to the Kaltura platform.
Kaltura provides the world’s first Open Source Online Video Platform, transforming the way people work, learn and entertain, using video. Kaltura’s platform engages hundreds of millions of viewers, offers next generation learning for millions of students and teachers, and improves productivity and interaction among millions of employees across the globe. Kaltura’s features and products enable to easily deploy video in any website or any web platform. Kaltura’s free community-supported open source software is available for download at www.kaltura.org. Kaltura’s commercial software and applications can be ordered and obtained at www.kaltura.com along with Kaltura services such as streaming, hosting, transcoding, analytics, ad serving, support and maintenance packages, and professional development. For more information: www.kaltura.com, www.kaltura.org and https://exchange.kaltura.com/.


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With smartphone sales in Nigeria growing 81% year-on-year in 2021, thanks to pent-up demand driven by digital adoption and the entry of new Chinese OEMs, we take a look at the key highlights of the country's smartphone market in 2021.
Chinese mobile phone maker Transsion, which has dominated the African mobile market with its brands, TECNO, itel, and Infinix captured over half of the smartphone sales in Nigeria in 2021, with almost a 60% market share.
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A growing number of lawmakers, frustrated that CBD has been left unregulated for so long, are working to add language to the 2023 farm bill they believe will clarify things for hemp growers, CBD processors, and consumers.
As things currently stand, the legal hemp and CBD industries are in a state of flux while we wait on the FDA to figure out how to regulate things. The FDA's lack of movement since the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp cultivation and distribution has created a number of problems:
- Product labeling inconsistencies
- Unnecessary crop destruction
- The introduction of alternative cannabinoids.
Alternative cannabinoids are becoming especially problematic for the simple fact that some of them have psychoactive properties, giving manufacturers the ability to create psychoactive products that do not contain THC. The most well-known among these alternative cannabinoids is Delta-8 THC.
Working on a Bill
Earlier this year, a group of lawmakers teamed up with hemp industry stakeholders to begin crafting legislation they could add to the 2023 farm bill discussion in hopes of adding it to the final bill congress will eventually vote on. A priority among the lawmakers is to eliminate some of the "unjust" and "ridiculous" requirements hemp growers and CBD manufacturers must now adhere to.
For example, the distinction between industrial hemp and marijuana boils down to THC content. Unfortunately, the current volume measurement is a percentage based on dry weight. There is also no distinction between unharvested hemp plants and consumer-ready products.
Why is this a problem? Because a hemp plant that contains more than 0.3% THC by volume (dry weight) is actually considered marijuana by law. The grower is not allowed to harvest a plant in that condition. Rather, it must be destroyed. Changing the law would allow growers to harvest plants with a higher THC concentration with the understanding that they will go to processors who will extract the cannabinoids and then dispose of the leftover plant material.
Lawmakers also want to increase the THC threshold for hemp and change the dry weight measurement to a total volume per unit, thereby eliminating one of the loopholes some manufacturers utilize to include higher concentrations of THC in otherwise legal CBD products.
Bringing Much Needed Clarity
Industry leaders want to see other changes that would facilitate better CBD regulation included in the 2023 farm bill. Without getting into details, the idea is to bring some much-needed clarity to what we do. Lawmaker efforts have strong support within the industry, among everyone from hemp growers to CBD retailers.
Here's hoping that legislation sponsors attack the labeling problem as well. Here at Yammy, we make every effort to guarantee that our products are properly and accurately labeled. We are committed to making sure our customers know exactly what they are buying when they purchase CBD drops, oils, gummies, CBD Vapes, etc. from us.
Not every manufacturer and retailer feels the same way. Unfortunately, there are those industry players who make little to no effort to guarantee accurate labeling. That is why it's so important to find reputable retailers from whom you can buy your CBD products – and stick with them.
We invite you to take a look at our inventory of CBD products. Every product we sell meets or exceeds all federal and state regulations. Our products meet the highest industry standards for quality and purity. If you ever have a question about something you buy from us, don't be afraid to ask. In the meantime, we'll keep an eye on how lawmakers are doing with their attempts to better regulate CBD through the 2023 farm bill.


text: The mystery of the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto has been a topic of discussion in the cryptocurrency community for years after he/she/they mysteriously disappeared. But a website, created on June 29th, states that Satoshi is back. Satoshi Nakamoto: Bitcoin’s Decade-Long Mystery Who is Satoshi Nakamoto? That is the mystery that has plagued the cryptocurrency...The post Did Satoshi Reappear to Write a Bitcoin History Account? appeared first on NewsBTC.


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Commercial broadcaster Nippon Television Network Corp. said Friday it will acquire online video service provider Hulu LLC’s business in Japan for an undisclosed amount.
The transaction is expected to be completed in early spring, and NTV will provide the subscription video on demand service in Japan under the Hulu brand using the same platform, the Tokyo-based broadcaster said.
Los Angeles-based Hulu started offering the service in Japan in September 2011. It currently offers subscriptions for unlimited viewing of content via Internet-connected devices such as televisions, personal computers and smartphones for ¥980 per month.
“Nippon TV is looking forward to succeeding Hulu’s business as a new path to deliver content through the Internet,” NTV President Yoshio Okubo said in a statement in English. “We feel a big potential in the brand and service Hulu has created.”
Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins says Hulu had grown to a point where it believed the best path forward was to sell its Japan business to a strategic buyer.


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I've said it for months: There is no Googlephone. At last, the "industry analysts" so often consulted by reporters at newspapers have come around to sharing my point of view, according to a story in the New York Times. Google is, indeed, working on cell-phone software, including an operating system. But all this software, I believe, is a sideshow. Before you get all excited about the prospects of a Google phone OS, remember: Google is all about advertising. Always has been, always will be.
So why is Google wasting programmers' time working on an operating system? Microsoft, its archenemy, offers wireless carriers a bundle of its Windows Mobile operating system and applications, chiefly email and calendar software, designed to run on top of it. Microsoft's search, too, is baked in. To compete with that, Google needs to offer a similar bundle. There's nothing about Google's wireless offerings that require an operating system; on PCs, Google does quite well running in a Web browser on top of any OS. The operating system, then, is just a competitive tool to shut out Microsoft.
Gadget enthusiasts, naturally, remain fixated on feeds and speeds. What will Google's new operating system be based on? (Linux, the Times says.) What applications will it run? (The usual sort.) These are not the questions to ask. The key question is whether Google will be able to saturate cell phones with enough advertising to subsdize the cost of handsets and monthly service fees.
Let's stop talking about the Googlephone, or the GPhone, for a moment, and consider this: Apple, in an accounting move, currently spreads the revenue for an iPhone over 24 months from the time you buy it. The cost of the handset, then, works out to just under $17 a month. Could Google conceivably sell $17 of advertising a month per user? Google, with 495 million users worldwide, is expected to rake in $14 billion in advertising, which works out to about $2.40 per user per month. So clearly, it's a long way off. Then again, wireless ads, in theory, would be much more personalized and targeted, and could thereby command higher prices.
The bottom line: If you love the iPhone right now at $399, imagine how much more you'd love it if it were free. That's the true promise of a Google phone.


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Remember when the MacBook Air came out and everyone marvelled at how thin it was? That’s such old hat these days.
Acer (ASIYF) has just announced what it claims is the world’s first laptop that’s less than one centimeter (0.39″) in thickness. Not by much, mind you—the new Swift 7 is precisely 9.98mm thick.
That’s even thinner than Hewlett-Packard’s (HPE) Spectre, which HP currently markets as the thinnest laptop out there. The Spectre is 10.4mm thick. Both laptops weigh around 1.1kg (2.43lb).
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Apple’s (AAPL) current MacBook Air is relatively girthsome with a thickness of 0.68″ and a weight of 2.96lb. Of course, that model is reportedly set for a refresh this month along with many of Apple’s other devices.
Acer’s world’s-thinnest claim is debatable. Lenovo (LNVGY) has also used the IFA tech show in Berlin to reveal its new Yoga Book, which is just 0.38″ thick.
The Yoga Book has a peculiar keyboard, though—dubbed the “Halo Keyboard,” it’s actually a touchscreen with a “rough” surface and haptic feedback. Lenovo calls the Yoga Book a tablet rather than a laptop, though some observers disagree.
For more on laptops, watch our video.
The Swift 7, which has a 13.3″ screen, has a proper keyboard, along with a full-fat Intel (INTC) Core i5 processor (the Yoga Book uses the lower-powered Atom chipset). Acer is claiming a nine-hour battery life, though it’s probably best to wait for real-world tests to see how that bears out.
The Swift 7 will come out in the U.S. in October, priced from $999. Lenovo’s Yoga Book will also be available in the U.S. from October, priced at €499 ($556) for its Android iteration and €599 ($667) for the Windows version.


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The Healthtech Times is a weekly newsletter covering healthtech news from Canada and around the globe. Subscribe to H|T using the form at the bottom of this page to ensure you don’t miss out on the most important healthtech news every week!
DNAstack has launched a new tool for scientific and medical communities to share and discover knowledge about the genetics of COVID-19.
Efforts to get at-home test kits for the COVID-19 coronavirus are ramping up quickly, and two more health industry startups are bringing their own products to market, with both Carbon Health and Nurx starting to ship their own in-home sample collection kits.
Telus, Alberta partner to launch virtual doctor services to supplement provincial healthcare system(BETAKIT)
This week, the Government of Alberta and Telus Health announced a new partnership giving Albertans access to virtual healthcare services, including doctors.
San Francisco-based Quit Genius, which provides stop smoking services to NHS trusts in the UK, secured the cash injection in a series A funding round led by Octopus Ventures.
As the COVID-19 pandemic escalates around the world, Canadian businesses are taking steps to help flatten the curve and support customers through new offerings.
India launches WhatsApp chatbot to create awareness about coronavirus, asks social media services to curb spread of misinformation(TECHCRUNCH)
India is turning to WhatsApp, the most popular app in the country, to create awareness about the coronavirus pandemic and has urged social media services to tackle the spread of misinformation on their platforms.
Smart ring startup Oura raises $28 million from Google’s Gradient Ventures, Square, and Forerunner Ventures(VENTUREBEAT)
Oura, a Finnish startup that creates a smart activity- and sleep-tracking ring, has raised $28 million in a series B round of funding from Google’s Gradient Ventures, Jack Dorsey’s Square, and Forerunner Ventures.
Maple to launch COVID-19 screening for Ontario residents, free virtual clinic platform for doctors(BETAKIT)
Virtual care platform Maple will provide online COVID-19 (coronavirus) screenings with a live physician to all Ontario residents.


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China announced on Monday that it will impose export controls on certain metals widely used in the semiconductor industry, escalating the ongoing battle over access to high-tech microchips between China and the United States. The new controls will require exporters to obtain permission to ship specific gallium and germanium products. China stated that the measures are aimed at protecting national security and interests.
This move by China comes as the United States reportedly considers implementing new restrictions on the shipment of high-tech microchips to China. Additionally, the United States and the Netherlands are planning to further limit sales of chipmaking equipment to Chinese companies in an effort to prevent the technology from being utilized for military purposes.
The export controls imposed by China, which will take effect from August 1, will apply to several gallium-related products, including gallium antimonide, gallium arsenide, gallium metal, gallium nitride, gallium oxide, gallium phosphide, gallium selenide, and indium gallium arsenide. Furthermore, they will also apply to six germanium products, including germanium dioxide, germanium epitaxial growth substrate, germanium ingot, germanium metal, germanium tetrachloride, and zinc germanium phosphide.
Exporters will be required to obtain export licenses through the prescribed procedures, and those found exporting these products without permission or exceeding the permitted volumes will face penalties, according to China’s commerce ministry.
Germanium, in addition to its use in the semiconductor industry, is also utilized in infrared technology, fiber optic cables, and solar cells.


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How times have changed. Towards the end of the Bush administration, W. drove the economy into a steep recession by signing into law the Democrats’ minimum wage hikes, then handed it off to the Obama administration who promptly waged economic jihad on us small business owners. Since President Trump took over he’s been fundamentally restoring our economy and the results have been nothing short of a miracle.
From the perspective of the anti-business financial propagandists, a 7% unemployment rate under Obama is a “recovery”; under Trump, a 3.5% unemployment rate is “heading into a recession”. Any logical thinker can see how dishonest and disconnected from reality this perspective is.
The Trump economy has added more than 1.6mm jobs than expected; that's quite a miss by "experts".
A 3.5% unemployment rate is insane. If you followed the economy during the Obama regime then you recall the manipulation of the labor force participation rate numbers to lower the unemployment rate. People were literally giving up and leaving the workforce en mass which idiotically reduced the unemployment rate.
Trump waived a magic wand and now people are rejoining the workforce, which in theory should increase the unemployment rate.
The unemployment rate will decline if people exit the labor force, meaning workers retire or give up on the American Dream. As the labor participation rate declines, unemployment will decline.
That’s how BLS methodology works.
Under Mr. Obama, that trend was clear and his supporters sought to explain it away with demographic changes. That was partially true. Baby-boom retirements assuredly contributed, but it wasn’t the full picture.
When labor force participation and the equally important but less-cited employment-population ratio rises, and yet unemployment continues to fall as people enter the labor force, it’s a far stronger labor market.
Put plainly, it’s real.
To Obama, it does seem like magic, but in reality people are jumping back into the labor pool because business is booming, driving up demand for workers. This demand is so high that elderly and ex-felons are being pulled back into the workforce. Another labor source are people leaving the welfare rolls. If you can fog a mirror, you can get a job in the Trump economy.
There is no scenario where the labor demand we’re experiencing, along with the bone-dry labor force, signals a recession.
Ivanka Trump had an interview a few weeks ago with Steve Hilton where she highlighted a few points on manufacturing. One interesting point that’s lost among the anti-business propagandists is we have 500,000 VACANT MANUFACTURING JOBS. Another incredible stat is every month ~70% of new jobs are from workers not in the workforce. This is amazing.
Because the demand for labor is high, and the available workforce is small, wages have been rising as businesses are forced to compete for labor.
For you college professors or Bernie supporters who don’t understand this basic concept, if you have a smaller available workforce, but you really need to hire a new employee with a particular skill, when someone becomes available you’re going to offer them more money to entice them to work for you. However, someone else may offer more, forcing you to be more competitive, raising the value of that employee even more.
Wages are rising while the anti-business financial propagandists and Bernie Sanders tells you it's going down. In fact, the low wage jobs are experiencing the strongest gains. This is the free market at its best.
Sadly, this boom is not experienced by those with degrees of no value, like gender studies. These degrees were useful when digital media outlets were hiring writers for “orange man bad” articles, but as they continued to lay off staff, the only saving grace for these unskilled graduates loaded up with debt is Starbucks. Unfortunately for them, anyone can operate a latte machine. Even Bernie Sanders can make a coffee.
Household income continues to increase while Bernie Sanders tells you it's going down.
“Real median household income—the amount earned by those in the very middle—hit $65,084 for the 12 months ending in July. That’s the highest level ever and a gain of $4,144, or 6.8%, since Mr. Trump took office.” @WSJ pic.twitter.com/Sna9DHbnyV— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) October 2, 2019
The draining the labor pool is great for the economy and those looking for employment, but it’s a real problem for many of us business owners. During the Obama administration I could walk outside and throw a rock and hit someone available with the skills I needed. Those days are gone, and it’s a reason why you see dips in some business confidence surveys.
“Although small business hiring dipped a bit in September, thanks to the lack of qualified workers, many owners are still committed to creating new jobs and raising compensation to attract and retain workers,” said NFIB’s President & CEO Juanita D. Duggan. “Owners want to create more jobs, but fewer did in September, because they can’t find workers to fill them.”
Fifty-seven percent of owners reported they are hiring or trying to hire. Of those owners, 88% reported finding few, if any, qualified applicants for the open positions.
Thirty-five percent of all owners reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, which is a historically high number. In construction, 56% had job openings, while 37% reported openings in manufacturing and 38% in retail.
Despite the labor shortage, a seasonally adjusted net 17% of owners are planning to create new jobs. Not seasonally adjusted, 18% plan to increase total employment at their firm and 6% plan to decrease total employment.
Owners are continuing to raise compensation, with a seasonally adjusted net 29% of owners reporting raising worker compensation and net 18% of owners are planning to do so in the next three months.
“Hiring has slowed down, but it’s due to the inability to find qualified workers, not because of a lack of customers,” said NFIB’s Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “The strong labor demand is a clear indication that small business owners are optimistic about prospects for the economy.”
The Obama regime left the country with a "brain drain", where college graduates can barely form complete sentences beyond "would you like medium or blonde roast?". In the Ivanka Trump video above she talks about this problem and much needed jobs training initiatives.
How is the President doing this? Does he have a magic wand that Obama thinks is required to create this boom for which he (Obama) takes credit? No, he simply does what any business owner will tell you is the key to business growth: get government the hell out of the way. President Trump continues to slash regulations, pushed for tax cuts, and abracadabra we’re in a boom.
Globally, the President is bringing business and investment back to the United States (more jobs) by pulling up the roots of the globalists that turned America into a consumer-economy with China as the manufacturing floor. By utilizing tariffs to stop dumping and to begin the process of decoupling dependence, and establishing trade agreements with countries that compete with China, American companies are being liberated from the rule of the CCP and moving to surrounding Indo-Pacific partners or back to the United States.
This restructuring of global supply chains is long lasting because it requires massive investment to move production and years to reap a return. President Trump has brilliantly opened an escape hatch for business to flee China under the guise of working out a trade deal; a deal we know China will never sign. Once these businesses leave, they will never return. With every passing day and for every business that leaves, the pressure exponentially increases on China.
How is China under pressure? Unlike the United States, China can’t sustain itself and must import food, energy, and raw materials. Their currency is as worthless as toilet paper and can’t be used to import goods. Therefore China desperately needs USD to survive. That’s fine when they were the world’s manufacturer, but as businesses flee (because of Trump’s pressure) those dollars are not flowing and must burn USD reserves to survive. Trump has them in the biggest Chinese finger-trap in history where their own moves work against them.
As they burn USD, their currency devalues. That’s fine for the United States because the goods we’re still importing from China are remaining cheap (low inflation). This directly contradicts the perpetual propaganda from the financial news shows and anti-business pundits who desperately want you to believe that the tariffs on China are hurting American consumers. It’s not even spin; it’s a straight-up lie gobbled up by an audience stupid enough to watch them.
While they burn their USD, the dollars coming in continue to dwindle because business continue to leave. It’s so bad that China will not let the wealthy move their USD out of China.
-- tweet removed by Silicon Valley communists --
Meanwhile, the United States continues to move forward with trade agreements to replace China. It’s important to understand that we should not have drama to this degree with China. China should be to the United States as your coffee vendor or telephone system is to your business. If you must switch vendors it should be a mild nuisance.
On Monday the United States signed two trade deals with Japan.
Trump described the deal, dubbed the new U.S.–Japan Trade Agreement, as a huge victory for both countries, especially America’s farmers. The deal will grant U.S. growers significantly more access to the Japanese market.
Japan is the third-largest agricultural market for U.S. exporters, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). In 2018, the United States exported 13 billion dollars worth of farm products to Japan, including corn, beef and beef products, pork and pork products, soybeans, and wheat.
The White House says over 90 percent of United States agricultural imports into Japan will be duty-free or receive preferential tariff access.
Alongside the agriculture deal, the U.S.–Japan Digital Trade Agreement was also signed. There is 40 billion dollars worth of digital trade between both countries.
The deal was first announced at the August Group of 7 summit in Biarritz, France. At the U.N. gathering last month, the two countries signed an agreement-in-principle.
Trump has long complained about America’s large trade deficit with Japan, which came to 58 billion dollars last year.
Japan is the fourth-largest U.S. trade partner after China, Canada, and Mexico. And in August, the country surpassed China as the largest foreign holder of U.S. government debt.
Japan was also the third-largest source of foreign direct investment in the United States in 2018.
This trade deal opens up access to Japan for our farmers, who despite the false narrative by the anti-business financial propagandists that farmers are ready to storm DC with pitchforks, have been strongly supporting Trump. Great for the American farmers, great for Japan, and not good for China.
The President initiated and delicately led the exodus out of China. It’s important not to rock the boat and businesses need time to set up shop elsewhere and migrate operations without upsetting China, and he’s been managing this spectacularly. In the end I believe this entire ordeal will make a lot of businesses smarter because they’ll have more appreciation for contingency, and will make the United States economy more stable. One lesson us businesses owners learn early is never leave your operations vulnerable by being dependent on a single vendor.
There’s a lot more to the intense pain of China being administered by President Trump, but the point for this article is President Trump has his boot on the neck of Xi and is breaking apart the globalist stronghold on the world’s economy.
Beyond China, there’s a few more shoes to drop that will further fundamentally restore the United States economy, like the USMCA to replace NAFTA, and post-BREXIT European trade agreements. With China hurting, they’re importing less and that’s having an effect on the European economy. The anti-business financial propagandists and Never-Trump clowns blame Trump, of course, but you can ignore their squealing. Fact: the US economy continues to grow, is durable, and is stable.
One final thought, I believe President Trump will go for another round of tax cuts and payroll taxes. I’m sure you can imagine how hot the 2020 election season will be six-months out; now think about President Trump proposing and pushing for Congress to pass tax cuts at his massive rallies smack-dab in the middle of the most intense election ever. Imagine the pressure on the do-nothing Republicans and Democrats in red states being forced to deal with them. Nobody knows how to apply pressure at the right places better than Trump, so I’m getting giddy thinking about this.
Our economy is the strongest and hottest in the world, global slowdown or not, giving us great leverage over China any other negotiations.
-- tweet removed by Silicon Valley communists --


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The upgraded 2019 Mazda CX-3 was unveiled at the 2018 New York International Auto Show, and what a grand debut it was. This class–leading subcompact crossover SUV, which is already one of the most agile, fun-to-drive vehicles in its segment, features a number of enhancements that further increases the gap between the Mazda CX-3 and its competition.
One of the most welcome upgrades are this SUV’s redesigned seats, which are now about as ergonomically advanced as automobile seats can be. Speaking of seats, full leather upholstery is available for the first time in this subcompact marvel. Another in-cabin improvement is the significantly increased storage area, made possible thanks to the incorporation of a space-freeing electronic parking brake.
Every Mazda CX–3 near Olympia, WA already features an exceptional SKYACTIV®-G 2.0-liter gasoline engine, but Mazda Motor Corporation has gone ahead and upgraded this power plant’s exemplary fuel efficiency and refinement. On the subject of this newly enhanced powertrain, the Mazda brand also introduced the new SKYACTIV®-X, the world’s first commercially available gasoline compression-ignition engine. This groundbreaking power plant will be introduced with the 2019 model lineup, and the Mazda brand expects it to be 20 – 30 percent more efficient than the current engine.
The changes made to the 2019 Mazda CX-3 and the introduction of the SKYACTIV®-X engine are part of a broader initiative called Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030 (SZZ 2030). With SZZ 2030, the Mazda brand has set an ambitious goal of seeing its vehicles’ 2010 CO2 emission levels reduced by 50 percent when 2030 arrives. An aggressive target indeed, but if anyone is up to the challenge, it’s Mazda Motor Corporation.
For more information regarding the 2019 Mazda CX-3 and SZZ 2030, visit our leading new and pre-owned Mazda dealer near Gig Harbor, WA!


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Over the last few weeks, Gamescom has been giving frequent updates on the status of its 2020 event. This week, Gamescom began revising its plans, looking to expand on digital content while a final decision on whether or not the physical event will go ahead.
Gamescom is one of the biggest gaming events in the world, with attendees reaching record highs in 2019. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, organisers are updating their plans for 2020. The event isn't due to take place for another five months, but a decision on whether to cancel the physical event or not will be made in mid-May.
In view of #COVID19, existing digital formats such as #gamescom: Opening Night Live and gamescom now will be significantly expanded. Whether #gamescom2020 will take place as usual or as a digital gamescom will be determined in mid-May.
— gamescom (@gamescom) March 31, 2020
In the meantime, Gamescom is expanding its digital presence this year. Opening Night Live, hosted by Geoff Keighley, is being expanded this year and additional livestreams are also being planned and should go ahead whether the in-person event is cancelled or not.
If a physical event is possible, then more details on that will also be announced in May. Those who already bought tickets for the event will be able to get a refund, so expect more details on that too.
KitGuru Says: We have no idea how long the current situation will last, so it is likely best to hold off on travel plans and events for the next few months at least. E3 has been cancelled, so it would be a shame to lose Gamescom too, but health is always most important.


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Uber is cutting three thousand additional jobs, closing 45 offices worldwide as the company struggles through the pandemic period. The ride-hailing company has now reduced its workforce by 25%, making these layoffs one of the largest in the wake of the pandemic. The shutdown will affect offices including Ubers prominent Pier 70 office in San Francisco. Where it has been working on projects like self-driven cars and flying vehicles
The move is part of the company’s attempt to save costs in costs and deal with the economic impacts of the pandemic. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told staff in an email on Monday that Uber’s rides business is down by around 80%.
The coronavirus pandemic has shaken the entire economy over the past couple of months. Most companies are experiencing a precipitous drop as consumers continue to stay at home. One of the largest layoffs The silicon valley companies have recorded mass layoffs in the period. Besides Uber, Lyft and Airbnb have recorded mass layoffs. Lyft let go of 17% of its workforce last month and Airbnb laid off 25% of its staff earlier in May.
Weeks ago, Uber closed down its Eats closed down its business operations in eight markets including Egypt, Ukraine, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Romania, Honduras and Czech republic. However, the closure is pegged on stiff competition in said markets. That do not offer a clear route to become among the top online food delivery operator.
“Having learned my own personal lesson about the unpredictability of the world from the punch-in-the-gut called COVID-19. I will not make any claims with absolute certainty regarding our future,” Khosrowshahi wrote in the email.
He further added that the company is making hard choices to move forward and build again with confidence.
Along with cutting jobs, Uber is also shuttering offices and winding down some of its side projects. It’s closing roughly 45 offices worldwide. The company said Pier 70’s staff and projects will fold into Uber’s Mission Bay campus, which is yet to open. A
Along with that, Uber has also made management changes. Uber promoted Andrew Macdonald, who was head of global rides, to lead “mobility,” and Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, who was head of Uber Eats, to lead the delivery unit.


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Channel 4 is using Limelight’s Orchestrate Content Delivery platform to deliver content via its All 4 on-demand service to different device types.
“Ten million viewers expect broadcast quality viewing of their favourite programs at any given time on their phone, tablet or laptop,” said Jonathan Smith, Limelight group vice president for EMEA.
“We take pride in making sure Channel 4 can give their audience a consistent broadcast quality experience, regardless of the demand and the sometimes unexpected traffic spikes.”
ICYMI: Microsoft confirms plans to bring cloud gaming to smart TVs, announces streaming stick… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
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DTVE: the week in view – Why has Patrick Drahi just invested £2.2 billion in BT? digitaltveurope.com/comment/why-ha… https://t.co/p7MRaUUcWX
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Google Under Antitrust Scrutiny in South Korea
South Korea is considering whether Google is violating antitrust laws, the country’s Fair Trade Commission said—a fresh headache for Google parent Alphabet in a key Asian market. ...
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Promotional products specialist Nick Manning, owner of Recognition Express Guildford, has won the company’s top sales award two months running.
Nick was presented with crystal trophies by Recognition Express managing director Nigel Toplis for achieving record sales during the months of May and June.
Since Nick started the business four years ago he has built up a strong customer base and has seen steady growth. In the first three months of the new tax year 2011/12 his turnover equalled 50% of sales for the whole of the previous year and May was his best ever month, followed by an even better performance in June. Sales for those two months were more than three times those of last year.
Said Nick Manning: “I believe the reason we are doing so well is because we give old fashioned, personal service. Before every one of those orders was placed I met with the customer face to face to find out exactly what their requirements were and recommend some suitable products and then delivered the products to the required spec and, most importantly, on time. Customers really appreciate a supplier they know they can rely on and as a result we build up a relationship based on trust and top quality service.
“I also do a lot of networking – in those record months almost a third of the sales came as a result of getting out and about meeting people at networking events over the years.”
On congratulating Nick for his achievement, Recognition Express managing director Nigel Toplis said: “Beating a personal best sales figure in one month is excellent – but to do it on two consecutive months is outstanding. Nick’s success goes to prove that if you work hard and give customers what they want, when they want it there’s a lot of good business out there to be had.”


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While Epic’s antitrust arguments against Google had many similarities to those in the company’s earlier case against Apple, the verdicts could not have been more different. A federal jury took only a few hours of deliberation Monday afternoon to determine that Google had an illegal monopoly in the markets for Android app distribution and in-app billing services.
The jury unanimously answered “yes” to all 11 questions on the verdict form, indicating that Epic had proven those monopolies existed in every worldwide market except for China. Google “engaged in anticompetitive conduct” to establish or maintain the monopoly and illegally tied the Google Play store to the use of Google Play billing, according to the verdict. The jury also agreed with Epic’s arguments that programs like “Project Hug” and agreements signed with Android phone OEMs represented an “unreasonable restraint on trade,” harming Epic in the process.
With the verdict set, US District Judge James Donato will hold hearings next month to determine the best way to remedy Google’s anticompetitive monopoly power. During the trial, Epic did not ask for monetary damages but asked that it and other developers be able to introduce their own Android app stores and use their own billing systems on Android devices “without restriction.”
The verdict came after closing arguments where Epic lawyer Gary Bornstein argued that Google’s actions “led to higher prices for developers and consumers, as well as less innovation and quality.” In his closing arguments, Google lawyer Jonathan Kravis said that the Android maker is effectively constrained in the mobile app market by Apple and that “Android phones cannot compete against the iPhone without a great app store


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Jarden Releases Prelim Results for Q4
January 25, 2012,
RYE, N.Y-Jarden said it expects revenue of $1.725 to $1.735 billion for the fourth quarter of 2011 and approximately $6.68 billion for the full year and segment earnings of $205 to $210 million and $785 to $790 million for the fourth quarter and the full year respectively.
"Based on preliminary results, our record fourth quarter performance capped off another record year for Jarden in terms of both revenue and segment earnings, despite the mild weather experienced in the fourth quarter," said Martin E. Franklin, executive chairman.
James E. Lillie, CEO of Jarden, said, "We were pleased that we continued to build on our solid performance in 2011 to deliver strong results during the fourth quarter, despite macro concerns and the unseasonably warm weather. As we have stated before, in any given year unusual weather patterns can negatively impact many of our 'seasonal staples' businesses. Despite the late start of winter weather this season, it is too early to predict the impact, if any, on 2012."
Other Articles By Author
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2017 State of the Industry Report
Cautious Optimism, Mixed Results
Many expected 2016 would be a banner year, but the political and economic climate softened consumer confidence. It was also a year consumers spent more lavishly on home remodeling rather than decorating.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- TJX Unveils First U.S. Homesense Store - In a time when retailers are reducing store counts, TJX continues to get physical.
- Ikea’s Fluid Spaces - The retailer’s new intros reflect multifunctional rooms.
- N.Y. Home Fashions Market Preview - Textile textures get soft and cozy, colors warmer.


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If you’re the type to read Apple event slogans, next week “Far Out” Event certainly feels… space-y. This has led Apple tipsters to revive theories that Apple maybe working on satellite features for emergency communications – both for iPhone and possibly rumor Apple Watch Pro. Since the Apple Watch Pro is supposed to be a competitor to Garmin, the satellite features could make it a real contender in the multisport GPS watch space.
Apple needs to do a lot to be truly competitive in this space. Autonomy of several days and build muscle sustainability are numbers 1 and 2 on the list. The competition – Garmin, Polar, Coros – can do tricks around the Apple Watch in both of these areas. But if there’s one area where Apple already leads, it’s emergency call and fall detection.
Reliable emergency communication is important and potentially lifesaving for intrepid adventurers. GPS and LTE connectivity has improved over the years, but there are still many remote areas where you cannot get a signal. Even experienced hikers, campers, and endurance athletes can get lost in these circumstances or find themselves at a dead end if they injure themselves in a cellular dead zone. That’s why many have satellite phones or Garmin inReach Devices, which are portable two-way satellite communicators that also have location sharing capabilities. These devices, however, can be bulky and add weight when athletes almost always prefer to stay light and nimble.
The problem right now is that Apple’s emergency contact features depend on LTE connectivity. This makes it more reliable in everyday situations than for outdoor enthusiasts. Likewise, Garmin has fall detection and emergency contact features on many of its smartwatches – but they also rely on your phone for signal or must be paired with an inReach device.
Right now, some high-end multisport watches do have satellite functionality. The thing is, they focus more on improving location accuracy than on emergency communication. Watches like the Garmin Fenix 7 and the Vertix 2 Choruses use dual frequency satellite communication or multiband GPS. GPS originally had two frequencies: L1 for public use and L2 for military purposes. However, there is a new frequency called L5. It’s not 100% yet, but watches that support dual-frequency satellite communication offer improved location accuracy in harsh environments. They just can’t relay that information yet unless your phone is also receiving a signal.
A smartwatch that could have both LTE and satellite connectivity for emergency communications and location sharing? It’s not hard to see why this would appeal to outdoor enthusiasts.
Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that the first iteration of the Apple Watch Pro will get satellite functionality. In his most recent To light up newsletter, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman noted that while Apple had internally discussed adding satellite functionality to Apple Watches, it “would make sense for a future version of the new, more rugged Apple Watch Pro.”
It’s a little disappointing, but not totally unexpected. Even though Apple is able to build hardware that supports satellite connectivity, it still has to play around with wireless carriers. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed the feature is over for the iPhone 13, but Apple couldn’t understand the end of the business to make it a reality.
Still, it’s a tantalizing prospect given that Apple has yet to catch up on battery life and durability by days. Of course, it also depends on the so-called Pro who does well enough to obtain a second or third iteration. But if Apple can make it work? Now this would make a lot of noise.


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(basemetals) In addition to increased demand, buyers reported particular difficulty securing low-grade briquettes and broken cathodes in Rotterdam, pushing the market to a premium over high-grade material. Metal Bulletin assessed low-grade cobalt prices at $33.20-34.50 per lb, in-warehouse, on Wednesday August 15. High-grade prices settled $0.25 per lb cheaper on the high end of the range at $33.20-34.25 per lb on the same day. Low-grade cobalt business was reported as high as $35 per lb midweek, with the majority of business, bids and offers either side of $33.50 per lb. By comparison, the highest high-grade sale was reported at $33.70, again with most indications either side of $33.50, but far less interest in material. In addition, market participants spoken to by Metal Bulletin indicated that the low-grade market was trading with a differential between flat (as had been the case for the previous Friday’s assessment) and a premium of as much as $1 per lb compared with high-grade. “There’s an undeniable shift [in the grades],” a trader said. “The scarcity [of broken cathodes and briquettes] has been hidden by negative sentiment, but [the scarcity] is here to stay.” Broken cathodes and briquettes have been the forms of cobalt metal most sought after by the booming battery sector over the past 18-24 months, but no increase in their supply is in the cards. Despite that, cobalt prices have fallen continuously since May, with cheap selling from China meeting weak summer demand elsewhere. Consumers have since been purchasing only their minimum required volumes, and typical spot sales have amounted to between 1 and 5 tonnes in recent weeks. But market participants have regularly commented that underlying fundamentals are unchanged, with demand robust and material – especially sought-after broken cathodes and briquettes – in tight supply. At the same time, additional supply from China has meant improved availability of cut cathodes, and increased competition for sales where customers can accept material from a variety of brands. “I’m more worried about selling cut cathodes [than broken] because of the pressure coming from Chinese material – it’s harder to compete,” a distributor said. “There are a lot more suppliers holding cut cathodes and a lot more suppliers keen to sell their cut cathodes than their chemical grade inventories. [That means] on average, high-grade is at a discount,” a second trader said. Sources also reported a marked increase in demand – both in the number of inquiries and their associated volumes – in the first half of the week, with buyers finding larger clips hard to come by. “It’s difficult to buy good broken [cathodes]. Sellers would prefer to offer off-grade, and it’s hard to get big tonnages; you end up getting bits and pieces from different sellers,” a third trader said.
Some buyers said they had a preference for buying prompt material but added that they would accept October units in order to secure their required volumes before prices rebound. Reading into the bullish signs of tight supplies and a recovery in demand, market participants cautiously labled the market as at, very close to or already past the bottom. “I said I’d buy at the bottom, but that time may have already passed,” a buyer said. “I’m not even sure I could buy below $34 today.“ “I’d buy at $33, but I haven’t found a kilo. I bid a few traders [at that price] and they rolled their eyes,” a second buyer said. “You always see the largest volumes at the top and the bottom of the market… all indications are that we have hit the bottom and there are just a few stragglers keeping it down.“ On the whole, cobalt prices continued to fall in the first half of the week, with the apparent recovery in demand not enough to offset cheap availability from China and negative sentiment. Low-grade and high-grade prices were down 1.2% and 1.6%, respectively, on August 15. “We continue to get unsolicited offers from the Chinese on account of cashflow pressures,” the second trader said. “Europe is tight, but there is material coming out of Asia.” Bearish cues from elsewhere in the metals markets are also keeping sentiment down, a fourth trader said.“The scrappies, or anybody who’s long cobalt, nickel or copper, are still offering cheap material,” this trader said. And after an unrelenting decline in prices since May, some customers are still holding out to see if cobalt prices fall any further. Other buyers have yet to return from their summer break. “Not everything is translating into business yet; buyers are taking their time and in some cases delaying,” the second trader said. “The summer lull is slowly coming to an end, and at some stage, the consumers will have to come in and cover, but I don’t really sense the sentiment change just yet.“


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An eagerly anticipated event by foodie enthusiasts from around the country, the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2018 featured a wide range of celebrations and programmes across the city. Held every March, this festival draws in over 250,000 attendees with Australian hotels in and around the Melbourne CBD including those belonging to brands such as Oaks Hotels & Resorts, offering easy access to event venues.
This year, the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival also showed its support for the MEL&NYC Festival which began in June and concluded in August. Celebrating and highlighting the cultural connections between New York City and Melbourne, the festival hosted a number of food and wine-related events with a special focus on the Big Apple. As part of the programme, foodie experts from both Melbourne and New York were also in attendance, hosting or getting involved in events across the city.


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The Mojave Truck Stop, in a landmark move towards sustainability, has announced it has entered an exclusive biodiesel partnership with Phillips 66. This collaboration underscores The Mojave Truck Stop's commitment to providing renewable fuel options for the trucking industry.
Located strategically off US Highway 58 and Minard Trail in Mojave, CA, The Mojave Truck Stop has quickly emerged as a beacon of innovation in the trucking world. With this partnership, it is poised to set new standards for environmentally conscious travel centers.
Under the terms of the agreement, The Mojave Truck Stop will exclusively pump Phillips 66 biodiesel at its fueling stations, ensuring that customers have access to high-quality, renewable fuel. This commitment signifies The Mojave Truck Stop's dedication to reducing carbon emissions and promoting renewable energy solutions.
"We are excited to join forces with Phillips 66 to offer our customers access to high-quality renewable fuels," said Rich Marshall, co-founder of The Little Red Hen Travel Centers. "This partnership aligns with our mission to provide sustainable solutions while delivering top-notch services to truckers."
Amir Faquir, co-founder of The Little Red Hen Travel Centers, added, "Our collaboration with Phillips 66 underscores our commitment to environmental stewardship and innovation. Together, we aim to drive positive change within the trucking industry."


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Did you know 60% of fraud originates from mobile devices? And while 80% of mobile fraud comes from downloaded apps, an even more harmful scam has emerged … “SIM Hijacking”.
Let’s Talk About The New HIPAA Safe Harbor Act And How It Impacts Cybersecurity In The Healthcare Industry
After an unprecedented year of cyber threats and HIPAA enforcement, recently ratified changes to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act include some really good news!
When attacks occur, it presents an opportunity for competing companies to come out of the shadows and start pointing fingers. But that’s not what happened this time. By now, companies have started to realize that this can (and probably will) happen to anyone. The ones who weren’t impacted by the Kaseya breach may have been better prepared, but it was more likely they were just lucky.
According to the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, there are 30.2 million small businesses in the United States, making up 99.9% of all businesses in the country. Due to such a sizeable percentage, any discussion about cybersecurity statistics should focus on small businesses.
Companies must remain vigilant in today’s era of data breaches and ransomware attacks. Learn the proper steps to prevent, detect and recover from ransomware, and you can minimize its impact on your business. Use these tips to keep your organization’s information assets safe and stop a ransomware attack before it starts.
Some companies think they are too small to worry about experiencing a ransomware attack. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) may let their defenses down, thinking cybercriminals have bigger fish to fry. This couldn’t be more wrong!
While phishing and vishing are becoming more publicized, physical social engineering attacks—where the attacker is standing right in front of your employees—are still flying “under the radar.”
Ok … so you’ve got all the bells and whistles when it comes to network firewalls and your building’s security has a state-of-the-art access system. You’ve invested in the technology, but what about your employees?
The onslaught of COVID-19 in 2020 caused the American public to become increasingly dependent upon technology. Cybercriminals took advantage of this fact, and as a result, instituted a new type of pandemic: a cyber pandemic.
The world of password security is a tricky one because many of the best practices for password security are not at all practical and therefore rarely used. Considering all the accounts we need to secure with passwords and all of the rules regarding effective password hygiene, it can certainly feel that it’s almost impossible to keep up!


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Vi (Vodafone Idea) today announced the industry-first Self-KYC process in India. Under this new process, buyers can get new prepaid or postpaid SIM cards without visiting the retail store and going through the physical KYC process. Vi’s Self KYC system is based on DoT-mandated guidelines and enables customers to access a new connection anytime from anywhere with the added advantage of SIM delivery at the doorstep.
Users of Vi Self-KYC can buy a Vi Prepaid or Postpaid SIM card from the comfort of their home, order a new SIM online, select their desired plan, and do self-KYC to receive the SIM at home. The Vi Self-KYC service has already been rolled out for all postpaid customers in Kolkata and Karnataka service areas, and it will be gradually rolled out at the pan-India level for both prepaid and postpaid customers in the coming days.
Vi Self-KYC Steps
- Visit the Vi website and select the desired plan.
- Select a number of your choice.
- Place your order, through OTP authentication on your alternate mobile number.
- Follow simple steps on Self-KYC, which includes Aadhaar authentication on the UIDAI site.
- Capture a live photo and live video of a minimum of 10 seconds to complete the digital verification process.
- Place the order. SIM cards will be provided free of cost.
- You will receive a SIM card at the doorstep, post successful OTP authentication.
“We have always gone the extra mile to bring innovative products and offer convenience to our customers helping them to get more and do more with Vi. Our Self-KYC solution is a Digital India initiative – one of many firsts that Vi has been bringing to simplify, enhance and enliven the lives of our valued customers,” said Abhijit Kishore, COO, Vodafone Idea Limited.


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Orkin Sets Up Three New Franchises in South America
Atlanta, GA – International pest control firm Orkin has established three new international franchises in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Belo Horizonte, Brazil; and Asuncion, Paraguay.
All three new franchises will offer commercial and residential pest control and termite services in their respective markets.
The three new franchises currently operate pest control businesses and will convert those existing businesses to Orkin’s standards.
“This will allow them to take full advantage of the Orkin brand and its franchise support to grow and further develop their markets,” the company said.
Each new franchisee traveled to Atlanta, Orkin’s global headquarters, for initial training at the company’s award-winning training center in May.
Founded in 1901, Orkin specializes in pest control services and protection against termite damage, rodents and insects through more than 400 locations.
The company currently serves approximately 1.7 million homeowners and businesses in the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Central America, South America, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Asia, the Mediterranean and Africa.
Orkin, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rollins International Inc., also collaborates with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and eight major universities to conduct research and help educate consumers and businesses on pest-related health threats.
States With the Least Carbon-Intensive Economies


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Our West Sussex distributor has swapped singing sheep for thoroughbred horses in the oil-rich Middle East.
Universal Trailers are riding the crest of a growing export trade to Oman, Saudi Arabia, Dubai and other centres.
For when it comes to racehorses as well as football clubs Middle Eastern owners can afford the very best.
Now the firm, based in Billinghurst, is helping to ensure that the best horses are carried in style.
Universal Trailers is forging strong links with the rapidly growing equestrian industry in that part of the world.
One wealthy Arab recently asked that his trailer be shipped in the same container as his other new purchase, a Bentley limousine.
"Interest in horses is huge in the Middle East and the potential for business out there is massive," said director Mark Betts.
The company has received some unusual requests in the past.
In 2009 they provided a trailer for a humorous TV ad for the new VW Passat which showed sheep singing as they were being transported.
The ad was shot near Canary Wharf and Universal Trailers had to make certain amendments to the trailer to achieve the desired effect of the sheep with their heads sticking out of the side as the Passat cruised past.
Andrew Reece-Jones, the Design Engineering Manager, was delighted with the burgeoning export opportunities in the Middle East.
As well as being sold through a network of 50 UK distributors, the trailers are also exported all over the world with distributors across mainland Europe and as far afield as Australia and New Zealand.
Mr Reece-Jones said: "The growing export market in the Middle East is great news.
"Our trailers have the well-deserved reputation of being very sturdy and long-lasting trailers. They are well engineered.
"It is gratifying that we are doing well in a market where our hallmark of quality is appreciated."
Universal Trailers was established as a family business in 1982 and is now one of the UK’s largest retailers of new and used trailers. A key factor in the new Middle East trade is that the West Sussex firm is a major distributor for Ifor Williams Trailers, which are manufactured in North Wales.
The first hint at the potential came in 2007 when a Sussex woman with links to equestrian sport in Bahrain asked Universal if they could supply a single trailer for an exhibition.
Mr Betts said: "We did that, and it attracted far more interest than was initially imagined."
In the past couple of years trade has grown substantially and the HB610 twin-axle models, designed to carry two horses or up to five ponies, have been among the most popular.
"The most recent one has gone to Oman for Arab racehorses and the previous one went to Dubai for endurance horses," said Mr Betts.
A consignment of two new HB511 and one HB506 trailers for larger horses have also gone to an equestrian centre and three more HB505s are due to be shipped out very shortly.
"Through our Middle East contact we have also sent a consignment of used horse trailers to Libya, but they specified we must not send any green ones because that was Colonel Gaddafi’s favourite colour," added Mr Betts.
"The level of interest in equestrian sports including endurance racing and polo is massive and some of the horse shows are enormous," he said.
The trailers are shipped out from Southampton, and are transported in containers, which presents some problems for Universal as space is so tight.
"To get them into the containers we have to remove the wheels, mudguards, axles and springs, and in one recent case we had to use the springs almost as skis underneath to squeeze the trailers in," said Mark.
Another common request from their Middle East contact is for the trailers to be packed to the roof with horsefood, tack and other equestrian products, which Universal Trailers arrange through local dealers.
Left - Tom Betts. Right - Mark Betts. Tom ran the London Marathon on April 21st.
News » Winning export race


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Ready to rip out some spines for the umpteenth time? The series that broke
new ground for the fighting genre in 1992 with its copious quantities of
blood and gore is returning for another deathmatch before the year is out,
Bloody-Disgusting can confirm. In a conference call with investors, Midway president David Zucker made an off-hand reference to the game being part of the company’s 2008 lineup. When contacted for comment, a Midway representative confirmed that a new MK is on the way. “The next installment in the MK franchise is in development and is currently scheduled for 2008,” B-D was told. Unfortunately, the Midway rep was unwilling to confirm any specifics just yet, such as which systems this latest carnage-packed chapter will appear on.
Given its history of hitting every platform imaginable with its biggest titles, Midway is almost certainly going to lead with PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but Wii and handhelds — even cell phones — are likely to receive their own versions. We’ll have more on the game as it develops.


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Back when the Kelvin, a countertop home coffee roasting appliance, launched on Kickstarter in March of 2018, their promo video made a simple but powerful statement:
“The roast of the bean, the most important factor in our coffee’s flavor, has always been completely out of our control.”
While that’s a bit of an exaggeration – there are plenty of home roasting machines available at the click of a button – the idea of a simple, small countertop appliance was enough to entice me to back the Kelvin. With an estimated ship date of December 2018, I had hopes I’d be roasting my own coffee beans by Christmas.
Two years later, I’m still without my Kelvin. When I’d checked in last August with the CEO of IA Collaborative (the company behind the Kelvin), Dan Kraemer told me via email he expected shipment in November, but another Christmas came and went and still no Kelvin.
But this week, a light at the end of my coffee roasting tunnel appeared in the form of an update that said the Kelvin had entered full production.
Now that most parts are made for mass production, the team will begin assembling roasters and loading onto pallets to be shipped in the coming weeks. While our team was testing roasters from pilot production, our manufacturing team was preparing the Kelvin packaging.
Anyone familiar with the hardware crowdfunding knows delays are almost expected nowadays. Still, a year and a half delay is a long one, especially when it seemed much of the research and development of the product appeared completed by the time it showed up on Kickstarter.
I shouldn’t complain too much. Some products never make it to the customer, and other delays can take the better part of a half-decade (I’m looking at you Spinn), so just getting a product you backed on Kickstarter nowadays, no matter how delayed, can feel like a win.
While it might be a couple years later, here’s to hoping I’ll be roasting beans by Christmas.


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The USDA announced additional pandemic assistance to hog producers who sold hogs through a negotiated sale during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new program, the Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program (SMHPP) is part of the USDA’s larger initiative to address gaps in previous assistance for hog farmers.
USDA is offering SMHPP because packer production was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through employee illness and supply chain issues, which led to fewer negotiated hog sales and lower market prices. Producers who sold hogs between April 16, 2020 and Sept. 1, 2020 may be eligible to apply.
“Previous pandemic assistance used flat rates across the hog industry, and this didn’t take into account the various levels of harm felt by different producers,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “We worked closely with industry partners and USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service to target assistance to hog producers who were hit the hardest during the pandemic. This is one more example of our efforts to provide new, broader, and more equitable opportunities for farmers, ranchers and producers.”
The Department has set aside up to $50 million in pandemic assistance funds through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act for SMHPP. The FSA will begin taking applications on Dec. 15.
SMHPP payments will be calculated by multiplying the number of head of eligible hogs, not to exceed 10,000 head, by the payment rate of $54 per head. FSA will issue payments to eligible hog producers as applications are received and approved.
For more information on who is eligible and how to apply, visit farmers.gov/smhpp


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reporter's notebook CENTURY CITY, Calif.--Anne Sweeney, president of Disney-ABC Television Group, opened her speech with a line probably more optimistically befitting the times than literally true.
"The beauty of our company is that we love chaos," she tells techies, movie and music executives sipping their morning coffee in a posh Century City hotel ballroom. "We embrace change as a part of life."
As the Disney executive associated with bringing small versions of "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" to Apple Computer's video iPod, she speaks of change with some authority. With a recent series of small but consistent steps, the TV and film world has put itself squarely on the often-painful digitalization path traveled by the music industry over the last five years.
Yet at the Digital Entertainment and Media Expo conference, held in the shadow of MGM's tall office tower here this week, it's utterly clear how much has changed. A similar event five years ago would have been peopled primarily by technologists promising to overturn the hegemony of old-media dinosaurs, with record label executives looking like the hunted, if they were in attendance at all.
Today, old-guard media feels far more in control of this particular technological cycle, even if it is one of chaos and change. Sweeney is joined at this conference by executives from other studios, record labels and TV stations. Few claim to have a definite picture of tomorrow's market. But it is clear that the start-ups and technology companies here see their futures as dependent on amicable relationships with those media titans.
Ask Conrad Teran, president of iSeeTV, a start-up that?-like an increasing number of companies in the past six months?-has allowed anyone to distribute video content online. Teran says this kind of alternative channel allows experimentation, amateur programmers into the business, and professionals to test commercial pilots and other shows without network support.
He's also quick to ask clients if they have advertising, sponsors or money. One of his first clients is a Clear Channel radio station that's turning its audio station into video.
The old giants "are still a big part of the game," Teran said. "They will never be irrelevant."
In many ways, the TV and video industries face the same challenges that record labels faced in 2000 and 2001. Consumers have begun experimenting with digitally downloaded versions of industry content, and early adopters' expectations already far outstrip what the content companies are willing to provide.
File swapping of movies and TV shows is widespread. Just as in the early days of the digital music business, the reluctance of TV and movie studios to provide a wide variety of online content has led to less-than-satisfactory official download services such as Movielink and CinemaNow.
Apple's iTunes store has provided a taste of one possible future for authorized downloads, but its available content has been scant and of poor quality compared to a DVD.
In 2000, that was recipe for consumer rebellion, as peer-to-peer shortcuts like Napster allowed pent-up demand for digital content to explode onto the Net, devastating any illusions the music industry had about its own future.
This time around, content companies have accumulated a half-decade of court support. Record labels and movie studios have filed thousands of lawsuits against individual file-swappers. Even if they've failed to stop file-swappers wholly in their tracks, it is now clear to parents and would-be swappers that copyrighted content isn't legal to download without permission.
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling has put peer-to-peer networks on the defensive; most are now seeking to make peace with content companies. And technology entrepreneurs remember the scores of now-defunct dot-com companies whose plans to revolutionize media distribution foundered on a lack of support from record labels, movie studios and TV networks.
Not that this makes life easy today for old media.
Just as transformations in the music business have made life difficult for retail music stores such as Tower Records or Sam Goody, the prospect of changes in TV and movie distribution is causing indigestion all the way down Hollywood's food chain.
Advertisers have been worried that Disney's relationship with Apple might lead to a further erosion of their ability to reach viewers. Theater owners, represented at this week's conference by the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO), have been fighting bitterly against the prospect of moving DVD releases and on-demand Internet viewing to more closely match theatrical release dates, an idea championed by Disney Chairman Robert Iger.
"At some point, that shrinking (release) window would dramatically affect cinema admissions," said NATO executive director John Fithian. "If the industry were to convert to simultaneous release on DVD, or with downloads, that would have devastating impact on the cinema industry."
There's plenty of chaos and change to go around. But the digitalization of Hollywood and its TV siblings is underway, and already taking a very different path than its musical predecessors.


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Sustainability as a Horror Story?
Today the Confederation of British Industry has revealed that 95% of its members are concerned about energy prices. This follows an EEF survey which showed 80% of senior manufacturing executives thought limited access to raw materials was already a business risk – for one in three it was their top risk and two of the executives I interviewed for my forthcoming Greening the Supply Chain ebook flagged security of supply of raw materials as amongst their key sustainability risks.
This is interesting as, when I interviewed 18 senior sustainability executives for The Green Executive about 3 years ago, security of supply didn’t come up and I only mentioned it in passing under ‘rising costs’. For the record, the biggest concern was brand protection/competitiveness in the market place. Likewise, shareholder pressure wasn’t an issue during those interviews, but it has moved up the agenda in the meantime.
I have come to the conclusion that the business case for sustainability is constantly changing, but not in a zero-sum-game/squeezing-a-balloon type way where some drivers rise and others fall. No, drivers like legislation and customer demand are still there, still important and in many cases getting more important, it’s just the other factors have emerged and grown.
I’ve struggled all morning for a suitable analogy and the only thing I can think of is one of those early schlock horror movies like The Blob, where the ‘monster’ just keeps growing and pushing its tendrils out and into every corner. Like in those movies, the drivers for sustainability will catch up with you no matter what you do or where you try to hide. Some companies stand there screaming like a horror movie victim and get engulfed, but the heroes see the creature as a chance to prove their worth, show some leadership, ingenuity and bravery, and live to save the day.
With threats like this, we need more heroes!