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📩 26/09/2023 11:43
Kaspersky has updated its Digital Footprint Intelligence service, which provides advanced protection for organizations against fake accounts on social networks as well as fake applications on mobile application platforms.
Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence is offered as a threat intelligence service that provides organizations with insight into their digital footprint, allowing them to identify potential security risks and vulnerabilities. The updated solution can now monitor, detect and remove fake accounts on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter, as well as fake apps on the AppStore and Google Play.
Cybercriminals are turning to impersonating companies by impersonating or trying to steal profiles on social networks and mobile platforms as an alternative way to target users. They can then sell fake products or pose as customer support representatives to persuade users to disclose sensitive data or visit malicious websites. Managers are also a tempting target for such attacks. Impersonating these people helps spread disinformation and sophisticated phishing campaigns.
By monitoring publicly available online sources and providing companies with detailed information about potential malicious activity, Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence helps businesses identify and eliminate threats before they negatively impact their users, brands, and revenue.
The service was further enhanced earlier this year by adding real-time alerts for Spear Phishing, which helps track phishing websites targeting brand company names, online services and trademarks.
Yulia Novikova, Head of Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence, said: “Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence, powered by the Takedown service, offers businesses more opportunities to protect their brand. “Together with other products in the Kaspersky Threat Intelligence portfolio, this service brings together all our experience to help organizations improve their security by providing actionable intelligence about potential threats and vulnerabilities.”


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By Ralph Forsyth
According to a recent Canadian Press article the Chinese government is not very happy with Canada: “China is threatening to use its considerable economic strength to penalize Canada following the Harper government's decision to bestow honorary Canadian citizenship on the Dalai Lama.”
Honouring dissidents is nothing new for Canadians. South African leader (and former prisoner and dissident) Nelson Mandela has also received honorary Canadian citizenship. What concerns some Canadians about the Chinese “threat” is the fact that after the United States, China is Canada's largest trading partner.
Amplifying the distress, is the desire of the
Canadian tourism Commission to acquire Approved Destination Status. ADS
enables select Chinese citizens to travel
for pleasure to countries with this status. Every country wishing to acquire
ADS must negotiate individually with the China National Tourism Administration
(CNTA) in order to be granted ADS.
Simply put ADS is a
must have if Canada hopes to attract more Chinese tourists.
Pulling the tiger’s tail might not be the wisest move if you want more Chinese visits, and many believe that Chinese tourism is the great panacea that will cure all our tourism-related problems. But recent evidence suggests that Chinese tourists spend the majority of their tourism dollars on gambling and high fashion shopping, and prefer discount hotels. According to Chinese tourism consultancy CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets special report, “Almost 70 per cent of their budget is allotted to this (shopping) activity. And they choose to finance this by cutting down on accommodation expenditure.”
If we dig a little deeper the question of why should we care about ADS begs to be asked. Chinese tourism as the next great revenue generator may be as big a myth as the existence of dragons.
The Myth of ADS
Early in 2006 Canadian
officials were boasting about our country’s imminent ADS status in negotiations
with China, but so far there has been no formal announcement. Negotiations are
still ongoing, however, there is no date in sight for such an agreement.
It’s understandable that
Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) officials might be excited and jump the gun
on an announcement; ADS could be a big step forward for any country wishing to
tap into a fast-growing Chinese outbound tourism market that boasts some
are 200 million Chinese today that are able to travel overseas. In 2005 outbound
tourist numbers reached more than 31 million and could reach 100 million by
2020. There are nearly 700 licensed outbound travel agencies in China out of
more than 10,000 agents. And according to the CTC,
Chinese visitor numbers will grow by 25-28 per
cent every year after a country receives ADS. Canada’s present annual growth is
about 15 per cent.

domain: news


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Android 13 will allow you to change profiles from the lock page
Android 13 has not yet been officially announced, and yet it continues to be talked about. According to our colleagues from the Android Police site, the next version of the OS will allow you to change the user profile from the lock screen. In addition, it will be possible to deactivate the activation of the Google Assistant with a long press on the Home button.
Android 13, which responds to the code name Tiramisu internally, has already revealed a lot of secrets about it. Indeed, we have learned that it will be possible to transfer music to a speaker by simply bringing your smartphone closer, while Bluetooth LE Audio will be fully supported by the OS.
Among other features unveiled in recent weeks, we found thatAndroid 13 could allow users to set language settings for each app, the famous Palingual feature, while the user will be able to choose the clock layout on the lock screen.
Change profile from the lock screen on Android 13
And speaking of the lock screen precisely, according to a source close to Google relayed by our colleagues from Android Police, Android 13 will offer a user profile switch from this screen (that is, the one where you enter the pin code and the password when starting the device). Via a drop-down menu, you can therefore choose between the different profiles saved on your smartphone or tablet. A feature that can come in handy on an Android tablet used by the whole family, for example.
It is also difficult to know whether this feature will be reserved only for tablets under Android 13 or not. Besides this switch, Android Police shared screenshots of a new setting. Indeed, this option will visibly allow you to deactivate the triggering of the Google Assistant by performing long press on the Home button. After doing some research, we were amazed to see that no such option was present on previous versions of the OS. This will now be the case.
As a reminder, Android 13 should also include a new energy consumption management system. Called TAR for The Android Resource Economy, this system aims to reduce the overall consumption of the battery and adapt it to the user’s needs.
Source: Android Police


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ADELAIDE, AAP – A Senate committee is set to hand down its findings on the impact of Holden’s departure from Australia and also on the broader relationship between car manufacturers and their dealers.
The education and employment references committee has been examining the impacts of Holden’s loss on its employees, dealers and car owners following the decision by US parent company General Motors to retire the brand at the end of last year.
Its terms of reference were expanded to include wider questions over how dealers are treated across the sector, prompting submissions outlining the “profound power imbalance” that exists between the producers and the people who sell their vehicles.
During the hearings, Australian Automobile Dealer Association chief executive James Voortman told the inquiry the problem was highlighted by GM’s decision to close down the Holden brand.
Despite most dealers eventually agreeing on terms, a number were upset at the level of compensation offered by GM.
“The franchising code of conduct and its weak dispute resolution mechanisms were no match for the Detroit-based Fortune 500 company,” Mr Voortman said at the time.
“Unfortunately, this issue goes beyond the actions of one brand.
“The relationship between manufacturers and dealers is characterised by a profound imbalance in power.”
The Senate report is expected to address those issues in its report due on Thursday, but its findings were pre-empted by the federal government last week when it announced major changes to franchising regulations in the auto sector.
Under the changes, car manufacturers face fines of up to $10 million for unilaterally changing contracts with dealers, providing insufficient compensation or reneging on warranties.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison compared his motoring plan to a news media bargaining code recently imposed on Facebook and Google.
“We expect big multinational companies to deal with Australian companies fairly and to do the right thing,” he said.
“They’re not allowed to come and ride roughshod and justify it on the changes to their business models for decisions taken in other parts of the world.”
In respect to Holden, some of the most damning testimony to the Senate committee came from former senior company executive John Crennan who said GM’s tactics were both “disrespectful and hurtful” and a “king hit” to dealers, owners and fans.
Mr Crennan, who also headed up Holden Special Vehicles and the Holden Racing Team, said no one could deny GM the right to exit the Australian market if it was no longer profitable.
“But I believe all stakeholders, past and present are certainly entitled to question what appears to be, to use a football term, a king hit behind play,” he said.


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LAHORE: Pakistan’s fan industry has failed to evolve as per global standards and has instead settled on low quality and low exports because its workforce refuses to change.
Workers fear that if they succumb to the changes, they might end up earning lower wages and may even lose their jobs, according to a survey conducted by the Lahore School of Economics.
Fan manufacturers belong to the light engineering industry. Due to resistance from the workforce, they manufacture fans under the traditional batch system.
The industry has historically focused on the domestic market. However, it started serving international clients in the last 15 years, with exports reaching $40 million in 2012, a figure which could be further enhanced.
The survey identifies the problems faced by the middle management of companies in the fan industry. These include inordinate expenses on monitoring quality, worker absenteeism and regressive wage practices.
Gujranwala and Gujrat are the two key cities that comprise a cluster which produces 98% of fans in the country. The sector is dominated by small and medium-sized firms, which according to the Trade Development Authority produces around 8 million fans annually valuing Rs20 billion. These firms have a total installed capacity of 10 million fans.
Much of the responsibility for the day-to-day management of production and quality is delegated to supervisors on the factory floor who have little or no formal training.
The survey says due to the weak middle management, the sector pays wages on the basis of number of units produced, which is called piece-rates. This is not considered best practice for a variety of reasons. The industry believes that such payment is responsible for quality issues because of which a large number of quality inspectors are hired.
However, the managers face a quantity-quality trade-off and they think they cannot get workers to complete export orders on time unless they use piece-rates to incentivise the workers.
The piece-rates may have other consequences, such as higher costs and hindering the adoption of new technologies. The survey says the workers are very comfortable with the piece-rate system and resist any changes to it.
For example, when one large fan manufacturer attempted to move from the out-dated manufacturing process to an assembly line to reduce both costs and defects, the workers refused to adapt to the new system. One reason was that it meant they would be reimbursed with periodic salaries instead of piece-rates.
The combination of piece-rates and batch production made it easier for the workers to take breaks during the day or even take days off for family commitments, odd jobs or seasonal agricultural work in villages.
Firms in the sector believe that if more women enter the workforce and take salaried jobs, the quality problems will be resolved. Under these circumstances, international buyers can also play a role in making changes to labour or wage practices as the firms in Pakistan have been responsive to buyers’ rules and regulations, the survey says.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2016.
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Advanced Micro Devices increased this week after the CPU giant revealed it was going to buy up to $4 billion of its own stock. Shares of the company ended up 2.4% higher at $76.23 shortly after the announcement.
AMD said they will pay for the repurchases through the money generated from operations “which has been increased by the firm’s strong results.”
The company will repurchase stocks in the market. AMD revealed the repurchase program has no ending date and might be suspended at any time.
“Today’s news reflects AMD’s confidence in our multi-year growth plan,” CEO Lisa Su said in a statement. “Our great financial results and increasing cash generation allows us to invest in the company and start returning capital to our shareholders.”
AMD gave modestly better-than-expected Q1 earnings last month and predicted solid short-term sales as increasing chip demand and better pricing during the semiconductor shortage.
Revenues went up by 92.7% to $3.45 billion, beating analysts’ predictions of a $3.2 billion while gross margins were marked at 46%, but 1 basis point higher from Q4 thanks partly because of “a larger mix of Ryzen and EPYC processor sales.”
In April, the company’s $35 billion deal to buy Xilinx was approved by both companies. The deal is expected to close later this year, subject to government clearances.


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The plaintiffs alleged that Apple instructed its retail store employees to deny warranty coverage for products that sustained liquid damage. Apple products, including the iPhone and iPod Touch, contain strips of paper inside them that change color when exposed to water. The strips are there to let Apple know when iPhones and iPods have taken a bath (or been dropped into a toilet), which leads to damage that isn't covered by Apple's standard warranty.
The problem, argued the plaintiffs, is that the paper, which was developed by 3M, often changed color when the iPhone or iPod was subject to moisture or humidity during the course of normal use. Apple disagreed with those claims, and denied warranty coverage to all devices it believed to meet the criteria for sustaining water damage. Consumers who were denied warranty coverage over the supposed liquid damage were then on the hook for the full cost of repairing or replacing their iPhone.
[ Apple customer satisfaction sags. Read Apple Slips, Samsung Gains In Satisfaction Rankings. ]
Apple typically warranties its products against manufacturer defect for a period of one year in the U.S., but the warranty does not cover damage -- including submersion in liquids -- inflicted by device owners.
The $53 million will be put into a fund for the approximate 153,000 members of the class who had been denied warranty coverage for this reason. Those involved in the lawsuit are eligible to receive up to $300 in damages from Apple, depending on the iPhone model in question. The lawsuit covers consumers whose iPhone warranty claims were denied before Dec. 31, 2009. That means older devices, including the original iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS are covered, but newer devices, such as the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPhone 5, are not. Details about how the funds will be dispersed or can be claimed have not yet been revealed.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs believed damages would have ranged between $31 million and $147 million had the case gone to a jury. Apple was able to settle for an amount closer to the bottom of that range.
Apple has gotten into trouble over its warranty practices in the past. CEO Tim Cook was forced to apologize to Chinese consumers earlier this year after Apple was accused there of shortchanging people on warranty claims and discriminating against Chinese consumers.


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Porsche is holding talks to acquire a 10-percent stake at Israeli-based supplier Mobileye for $150 million, according to the Calcalist financial news. Mobileye, a developer of safety technology to assist drivers, is looking for three to four new partners who together could pour in between $300 million and $500 million in the company in exchange for a 20- to 30-percent stake, Calcalist said.
Blackstone Group and Fidelity Investments are also expected to invest between $100 million and $150 million each into the company. The report said the company will approach current shareholders who might be willing to dispose their stakes to new investors.
Calcalist said the fresh investments into Mobileye could help set a valuation for the company ahead of a possible share offering on NASDAQ. Goldman Sachs currently holds the largest share in Mobileye at 25 percent.
Mobileye's safety systems include a windshield-mounted camera that takes images of what is in the vehicle’s front. The images are then processed by a chip made by STMicroelectronics, which then provides audio-visual warnings to drivers on a small device on the dashboard.
Warnings include those for avoiding vehicle collisions and those for avoiding passenger collisions. The system then automatically brakes prior to impact. Mobileye expects sales of its safety products to more than double annually in the next few years as carmakers aim to provide more safety features in their vehicles. [source: Reuters]


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It is only on April Fool’s Day that brands take the liberty to play a prank or two on their own customers out of sheer good fun. From a toilet on call to a floating co-working space to a master key for a hotel room of your choice, brands were at their creative best to pull a fast one on consumers.
Here are some instances when brands this year made lucrative offers to get the attention of their consumers, only to announce the day after that they had been pranked.
7Up, a soft drink brand, played a prank on Chennaihites this April Fool’s Day. The brand teamed up with Tamil actor Sathish Mutukrishnan to see whether people in Chennai are ‘cool or get fooled’ through pranks. The actor posed as a local taxi driver and drove around the town, pranking unassuming passengers.
Sathish’s antics in the cab with the passengers ranged from him being an intrusive cab driver who wanted to know everything that happens in their life, to one who wanted to share all the details of his love story with them. He tested the passengers’ patience by playing old songs, made tourists perform a pooja in the cab and even gave them marriage advice.
While some passengers fell for his pranks and thus became ‘Fools’, there were several others who adopted 7Up’s philosophy of being ‘Cool’. The ‘Cool’ category of passengers sang along with Sathish, laughed at themselves, and some even saw right through the hoax and recognised Sathish before he could prank them.
Kingfisher was back with the ultimate April Fool’s prank. The brand pulled a fast one by announcing the launch of a new product, Kingfisher’s Instant Beer mix. It almost felt like the brand was solving a need gap for beer drinkers.
The brand announced that Kingfisher will soon be available in instant mix sachets, which can be carried anywhere and used to make beer anytime simply by mixing it with water. They also provided a website link for the customers to register themselves for the exclusive first taste of the instant mix.
The brand announced on April 2 that it was a prank and there was no instant beer mix but told people they could go and grab a cold Kingfisher Premium and celebrate the good times.
Mad Over Donuts
Mad Over Donuts announced on April 1 that all customers who walk into their store between 2 and 4 pm will get one free donut. The offer, applicable across all Mad Over Donuts outlets across India, sounded like a prank. Only that it wasn’t. Walk-in customers on the said date and time did actually get rewarded with a free donut of their choice.
The brand donned on the role of a prankster and took all its customers by surprise. The online travel company launched a video, announcing the launch of a new product – the Yatra MasterKeyCard – a hotel key card that unlocks the door to a pre-reserved room in ‘any’ hotel. Set in a quirky setup, the video revolves around the narrative of a man hassled and annoyed about not getting the ideal hotel room. The video showcases the perfect solution for the ordeal, the man has to go through the Yatra MasterKeyCard, the smartest thing one can own, which gives him access to the perfect room adorned with customised service offerings anywhere and anytime.
But after all the happy promises, Yatra, like the mischievous friend, made this revelation that it was all a part of a prank. But all was not lost. Customers can enjoy massive discounts on their favourite hotels the entire day.
The brand pranked its viewers on April Fool’s Day with ‘ek desi’ surprise of English web series F.R.I.E.N.D.S
Comedy Central, an American pay television channel, celebrated the day with the best of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Crafting an insane laughter riot, starting 6am, Comedy Central aired the world’s highest-rated sitcom in a new avatar, with one character in every episode speaking in the conspicuous voice of a prominent Bollywood personality, that too in Hindi.
The series characters -- Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler and Joey -- had the voice with much gusto from some iconic stars of Bollywood, including Sonam Kapoor, Kajol, Kangana, Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Shah Rukh Khan in this string of rib-tickling episodes.
The travel brand Ixigo rolled out a fun and engaging contest, asking people to try and take a screenshot of a moving flight in a frame. Five lucky winners get to fly to a domestic destination under Rs 5,000, the travel site said on its Twitter handle on March 31. The next day, it put out another tweet, saying they had pulled a prank.
Ola cabs on April 1 initiated crowdfunding toilets for 20,000 people. The ride-hailing platform launched a nationwide crowdfunding campaign to build toilets across India to positively impact over 20,000 people. Launched under Ola’s ‘My Ride. My Cause’ programme, users would be able to contribute Re 1 per ride from April 1 until October 2. The brand partnered with Gramalaya, an approved key resource centre from the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, who would use the proceeds to build toilets for the underprivileged across India.
The announcement followed the launch of Ola’s April Fool’s video, “Ola Restrooms”, which aimed at building awareness around the need for accessible and hygienic lavatories in India. Highlighting the need for more public toilets in the country, the digital campaign introduced ‘Ola Restrooms’, a new solution that seeks to address the dearth of facilities. Known for its unconventional campaigns, Ola used the occasion to draw attention to a social issue and turn it into a cause-based initiative.
A Delhi-based co-working company, One Co.Work, recently released an April Fool prank video on “Row-Working”, a floating co-working space. The prank was to promote it as the coolest workplace in India.


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SAN JOSE (KPIX 5) — Holiday travel can be pricey, but for those with a flexible schedule who can to wait a week or two, travels agents say there are some amazing deals to be had in the lull between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“The Thanksgiving break is the most popular and busiest time to travel all year long,” said Nancy Ganz Lindley, owner of Travel With Me in San Jose. Travel to a popular place at a popular time and expect to pay a premium price she says. It is simply the law of supply and demand.
But in the weeks after Thanksgiving and before Christmas break, travel typically slows down. And that’s when consumers can find some good deals.
“Between the Thanksgiving rush and the holidays and school vacations, there’s a little bit of a lull there,” explained Ganz Lindley.
She says last-minute trips to New York or Maui for Thanksgiving could cost $1,200 or more. But two weeks later, the price drops dramatically to roughly $300.
The caveat is you have to be willing to buck tradition and travel during times when most people are at work or school. which is not an option for everyone.
“We typically try to do it on the holiday because the kids and grandkids work or go to school,” said Sandra Turner who plans to drive to Arizona for Thanksgiving this year.
Off-peak travel periods may be a good idea for people who feel like they need a vacation after the stress of the holidays. But for others, there’s no price that can be put on being together with family and friends for the holidays.
“I’m always excited to see my family. It’s not a burden. The holidays are a warm feeling to us,” said Linda Merle who is travelling to Memphis to visit family for Thanksgiving.


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Okta's (OKTA -3.03%) and Datadog's (DDOG -2.53%) offerings should profit from the sudden increase in demand for cloud solutions as many employees are required to work from home to try to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Both cloud specialists will release their next-quarter earnings this month, and their respective management will most likely discuss the effects of the coronavirus on their outlook. Thus, investors will soon have the opportunity to verify whether these companies' forecasts still justify their lofty valuations.
Okta: Cloud-based identity management
With the development of cloud computing, many employees access a growing number of applications hosted in several clouds to perform their tasks. That means these users need a different login and password for each application, which can become a burden... until Okta intervenes.
The company's workforce identity solution allows users to access their cloud applications in a secure way with only one account. Okta also offers a solution for enterprises to manage the identities of their customers.
Given the tailwinds cloud computing and cybersecurity represent, Okta has been growing its revenue at a fast clip. During its last fiscal quarter that ended in January, revenue grew 45% year over year to $167.3 million. And during the last earnings call on March 6, management increased its forecasted full-year revenue in the range of $770 million to $780 million, a 31% to 33% year-over-year growth, as it had indicated the coronavirus had not affected the company's businesses.
However, given Okta's high sales and marketing expenses (58% of revenue during the last 12 months), profits seem far away. Last year, non-GAAP (adjusted) operating losses amounted to $48.5 million. Management also forecasted non-GAAP operating losses to increase to a range of $57 million to $65 million this year. And you should keep in mind these non-GAAP results exclude important operating costs -- such as share-based compensation -- that reached $137.3 million last year.
With $465 million of cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments net of debt at the end of last quarter, the company can sustain these losses for a few years. But its lofty enterprise value-to-sales ratio around 23.6, based on the midpoint of revenue guidance, indicates that the market expects strong growth and improving margins over the long term.
Thus, during the next earnings call on May 28, investors should pay close attention to management's comments on the effect of the coronavirus on the company's growth rate and expenses.
Datadog: cloud monitoring
Datadog proposes several products that monitor the health and the performance of cloud infrastructures and applications.
The company has been increasing its revenue over the last several years thanks to the secular growth of cloud computing, but it has also been taking advantage of the cross-selling opportunities its different products represent.
For instance, over the last 10 consecutive quarters, existing customers spent at least 30% more than the prior year to consume Datadog's products. And during the last quarter, 25% of customers adopted all three of Datadog's core solutions, up from 5% one year ago. These cross-selling opportunities will increase, since the company has recently released its new security monitoring offering.
As a result, Datadog's growth has been spectacular. During the last quarter, revenue increased to $113.6 million, up 84% year over year. And during the last earnings call on Feb. 14, management forecasted full-year revenue to increase by 49%, based on the midpoint of its guidance range of $535 million to $545 million.
As Datadog's sales and marketing expenses represented only 40% of revenue, it posted a small non-GAAP operating loss of $5.4 million last year, and management expects a still-modest non-GAAP operating loss in the range of $20 million to $30 million this year. And in contrast with Okta, Datadog's operating costs excluded from non-GAAP operating losses remain modest -- $14.8 million last year.
Datadog can also rely on its large cash balance of $778 million (including cash equivalents, restricted cash, and marketable securities) at the end of last year, without debt, to sustain losses over many years.
Accordingly, the market values Datadog as a high-growth stock with an elevated enterprise value-to-sales ratio of 23.6, based on the midpoint of the company's full-year revenue guidance range.
However, management communicated its outlook on Feb. 14, long before the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11. Thus, investors should focus on revenue growth guidance during Datadog's next earnings call on May 11 to make sure the company's demanding valuation still corresponds to its expected spectacular revenue growth.


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According to a Reuters study, 70% of media leaders plan to focus on newsletters this year.
With tech giants like Facebook and Google continuing to dominate the market, publishers have figured out digital subscriptions to be a far more reliable source of revenue than advertising. But, they need to personalise their newsletter content to convert an idle moment into a regular daily routine and turn the curious into a consistent consumer. Studies show that personalised email newsletters perform better than those curated by an editor.
To effectively create newsletter content that is relevant and targeted to each audience, publishers must thoroughly understand their readers and leverage their knowledge. To convert and retain readers, publishers should continually refine their product keeping the audience experience in mind.
Publishers can also produce newsletters around topical events and target more specific audience groups. Using AI and machine learning can help determine the best time(s) to send newsletter editions. Further, publishers should experiment with newsletter design and layout to attract reader attention.
Discover the top organisations in your market and industry that have customers buzzing using YouGov BrandRankings
[6 minute read]


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Erbil Rotana welcomes new GM
Ghassan Dalal has been appointed general manager of Erbil Rotana, voted as Iraq’s Leading Hotel for the last four years in a row. A Lebanese veteran with over 20 years of experience in Canada, Egypt, Lebanon, Nigeria and Sudan, Ghassan will bring a unique depth of experience to his new position.
Egami joins Baie Lazare as GM
After leading Kempinski Hotel Aqaba Red Sea for two years, Masami Egami joins as the general manager of Kempinski Seychelles Resort – Baie Lazare, located on the south end of Mahé. Egami has had over 24 years of international experience in the hospitality industry from various chains such as Hilton, InterContinental and Le Meridien.
El Sherif heads business development
Conrad Cairo has announced the appointment of Tarek El Sherif as the new director of business development. El Sherif has more than 25 years’ experience in the hospitality industry. Set on the magnificent River Nile, the Conrad Cairo hotel is a stunning landmark in the heart of bustling downtown.
Eggerstedt joins IHG Doha as GM
InterContinental Doha The City has named Pascal Eggerstedt general manager of its 525-room luxury hotel and residences located in West Bay. Eggerstedt has been a part of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) since 1997 and brings to InterContinental Doha The City more than 22 years of experience in the hotel industry.
New faces at Ayla in Al Ain
Ayla Hotels group has appointed Tariq Aboudi to the position of group director of human resources and training for Ayla Hotels, Khaled Raslan (pictured here) as assistant director of sales and Hassan Bader as sales manager. Noha Fathy has also joined recently as the Al Ain-based hospitality group’s new marketing manager.
New head of sales joins HMH
Chris Bradley, a Canadian national with 16 years’ experience across the hospitality and consultancy sectors, has joined HMH from Hertz. He started his hospitality career in Canada before moving to the UAE in 2007 with IHG’s global sales team. He is now responsible for the bottom line of HMH’s 20 properties.
New BDM joins Park Regis
Betsy Cordova Lopez joins as business development manager at the Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel in Dubai, moving from the Dubai Courtyard by Marriott where she was employed in the sales department. Hailing from Peru and multi-lingual, Lopez has worked in Canada, England, Spain and Peru before moving to the UAE last year.
Baum appointed at Emirates Palace
As Emirates Palace’s new hotel manager Leon Baum will be overseeing the daily operations at the iconic Abu Dhabi property, and will play an active role in implementing key strategies and new initiatives. Baum brings 17 years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry to his new role, joining from Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul.
Ashor joins as Centro GM
Rotana has appointed Ayman Ashor as general manager of Centro Capital Centre, the third property in Abu Dhabi under the Centro Hotels by Rotana brand. A Dutch national, Ashor has worked for 20 years in several countries – Egypt, Netherlands and Germany – before his finally settling in the UAE six years ago.
Mc Donald joins as DOSM
Paul Mc Donald has joined Grand Hyatt Muscat as director of sales and marketing. He has had over 11 years of experience with Hyatt, having started his career at Grand Hyatt Dubai in 2003. He was later promoted to associate director of sales in 2008 and revenue manager for Park Hyatt Dubai in 2009.
New director of food and beverage
Emad Yousef brings 15 years of hospitality experience to his new role of food and beverage director at Park Hyatt Jeddah. Yousef has served leading hotel chains in the Middle East including Grand Hyatt Amman, Grand Hyatt Dubai, Hyatt Regency Taba Heights in Egypt and Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa in Kuwait.
New appointments in the Maldives
Coco Collection has welcomed Georgios Papazoglou and Elza Artiaga as new general managers for Coco Bodu Hithi and Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu respectively, as well as Shafa Shabeer (pictured here) as director of marketing at the helm of the marketing and PR team in the corporate head office in the Maldives.
Etihad makes new appointments
Etihad Airways has appointed Gianni Tronza (pictured here) as its new general manager for Switzerland. Tronza will lead the airline’s expanded commercial operations in Switzerland following the introduction of daily flights to Zurich in June 2014. Matthew Jennings has also joined Etihad as senior manager of public affairs, based in Washington, D.C.
Saade joins Courtyard as GM
After successfully opening Renaissance Tlemcen, Marriott’s first property in Algeria, Andre Saade has been appointed general manager of the Courtyard by Marriott Dubai Green Community, a position which also oversees the Marriott Executive Apartments Dubai Green Community. He has over 18 years of experience.
Corinthia appoints wellbeing expert
Corinthia Hotel London has appointed wellbeing expert Renée Blanchardt ND, BSc, Adv. Dip HSc, DRMTH as the new wellness manager and naturopath at ESPA Life. She has 20 years’ experience in Europe, Asia and Australia, and has graduated with a double science degree from the Australian College of Natural Medicine.
Luedeke joins Zabeel Saray
Yvonne Luedeke has joined Jumeirah Zabeel Saray as director of marketing and communications. A German national, Luedeke has over 19 years of hospitality experience from Germany, France, New York and the UAE. She will work with director of sales and marketing Robert El Khoury to lead the resort’s marketing and communications team.
Cathay gets new country manager
Cathay Pacific Airways has appointed Ashish Kapur as country manager UAE and Oman. Kapur replaces Brian Yuen, who has been appointed as general manager – in-flight services, Dragonair in Hong Kong. Kapur has accumulated 17 years of experience in passenger and cargo operations in the aviation industry, joining Cathay Pacific at New Delhi in 2001.
Rezidor grows ME team
The Rezidor Hotel Group has made three new appointments in the Middle East. Wiebke Siemering has been appointed as the area e-commerce partner manager. Marie-Laure Blaise joins as the B2B and B2C marketing manager for the Middle-East, sub-Saharan Africa and Turkey, and Ayse Ocal Abbas has been appointed area e-commerce marketing manager.
Habtoor makes F&B appointment
Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa has acquired the services of Neels Bornman, who will operate as the assistant food and beverage manager. Bornman has more than seven years’ experience in the hospitality industry and has worked with several leading brands in a number of exotic locations across the world.
Lanson Place appoints Benson Soo
Lanson Place Hospitality Management Limited has appointed Benson Soo as head of guest experience. Soo will formulate and analyse guest service improvement strategies and provide direction and initiatives to all Lanson Place guest service operations. Benson has more than 20 years of experience in guest service positions.


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Unga Group, a prominent food-processing company listed on the market, has unveiled its strategic plans to diversify its product portfolio by entering the sugar market. This decision comes as a pivotal step in its ambitious growth strategy, which aims to broaden its offerings beyond its primary products of maize, wheat, and porridge flour.
The forthcoming addition of sugar to the company’s repertoire underscores its commitment to adapting to evolving consumer demands and market dynamics. The sugar will be marketed under the well-established ‘Amana’ brand, which was first introduced in 2014. Currently, the Amana brand features an array of pulses, including renowned varieties like yellow, black, rosecoco, and nyayo brands of beans. Additionally, the brand offers other products such as green grams, basmati rice, and pishori rice.
As part of its extended vision, Unga Group is set to incorporate long grain rice into its portfolio, and in the near future, pasta will also join its lineup. These progressive introductions are expected to resonate with consumers seeking diverse and nutritious options in their culinary choices.
The strategic move to tap into the sugar market is particularly significant against the backdrop of concerns raised about the state’s influence within the cereal industry. Notably, the maize flour sector has been at the forefront of discussions, with soaring prices for the staple commodity reaching unprecedented heights, such as Sh200 per 2kg.
Isabella Ochola, the Chairperson of Unga Group, highlighted the challenges that the company has grappled with in its efforts to stabilize the cost of maize flour. The limited availability of maize stocks for both animal and human feeds, coupled with erratic rainfall patterns and rising input costs for production, have hindered progress in restoring price equilibrium. Ochola acknowledged the government’s initiatives, including grain imports and fertilizer subsidies, to boost maize stocks and production.
Despite these efforts, the classification of imported white and yellow maize without explicit guidelines has contributed to the complexities of the market. The dual utilization of maize for human consumption and animal feeds has strained supplies, leading to scarcity and escalating prices. Ochola emphasized the preference of Kenyans for white maize flour in their staple dish, ugali. She urged the government to consider a clear distinction, designating imported white maize exclusively for human consumption and yellow maize for animal feeds.
The endorsement of this classification by State Department for Crop Development PS Phillip Harsama underscores the potential benefits it could yield. By segregating maize varieties for distinct purposes, pressures on raw material supplies for both human and animal feeds could be alleviated. Harsama also highlighted the government’s encouragement for farmers to diversify by cultivating alternative animal feed and edible oil crops, thus addressing the existing local production deficit.
Joseph Choge, the Managing Director of Unga Group, elucidated the strategic intent behind the company’s product expansion. Choge emphasized the value of creating offerings that foster shared moments and experiences. As a fully integrated foods business involved in manufacturing, processing, and trade, Unga Group aims to cater to evolving market trends and dietary preferences.
The move to enter the sugar market and expand its product range reflects Unga Group’s commitment to innovation and adaptability. By addressing the evolving needs of consumers and capitalizing on changing market dynamics, the company remains poised to redefine its role in Kenya’s culinary landscape. This strategic evolution aligns with emerging market trends driven by heightened health consciousness and the growing demand for nutritious staple foods.
In light of these developments, Unga Group’s expansion efforts signal its readiness to embrace change and continue to serve as a significant player in Kenya’s food industry.


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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Farmers are looking forward to the spring planting season, but one Linn County farmer said he is worried about the number of truck drivers being stretched thin with a national shortage of drivers and an increase in demand for products because of the spread of the coronavirus.
Farmer worries about trucker shortage amid coronavirus outbreak
John Airy, a farmer near Central City, spent the afternoon working machines to help him prepare for the spring but said in the next few weeks he is hoping to start getting in orders of fertilizer and pesticides.
“It could be interesting with transportation when it comes to the point that we are applying a lot of fertilizer,” Airy said.
Gov. Kim Reynolds did lift restrictions on the number of hours truck drivers can work as well as the size of the amount of product they can haul. It’s something Airy said is great for business, but that there is another side on the supply chain.
“I know with the push at the grocery stores with extra sales in food, some of the processors and distributors have struggled a little bit,” Airy said. "Not at the availability of product, there is enough available, but getting the product distributed as volumes go up.”
“The whole country is probably going to hurt for qualified and good drivers,” John Roberts, a supervisor at Phillipps Trucking in Cedar Rapids, said. “It’s tough on the construction side and it’s probably tough over the road too.”
Roberts’ company hauls construction materials throughout the state of Iowa. He said it has been hard to find qualified drivers before this, and it will likely be harder in the coming months.
“Finding the cream of the crop is really hard to do, it’s really competitive out there,” Roberts said.
Mike Naig, the Iowa Agriculture Secretary, said that this isn’t an issue he is currently seeing, but said it is something that is on his department’s radar.
“Trucking is one of those that could be an issue, certainly, if it’s a workforce issue like employees getting sick,” Naig said.
Airy hopes to be in the fields in a few weeks but said a lot needs to happen first.
“We are looking at how the weather plays out this spring, and how long this COVID-19 hangs on for,” Airy said.


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Stealing a page from airlines, which use frequent-flier miles to entice passengers, a Michigan bank has started a rewards program for its customers.
Farmington Hills-based Michigan National Bank, the $9.6 billion-asset unit of National Australia Bank Ltd., last week began offering retail customers a chance to earn points toward discounts for bank products and services.
The Relationship Rewards program lets customers earn one point for every $100 of account balances. The minimum amount required to enter the program is $2,500, and that sum can come from loans or deposits, personal trust or brokerage account balances.
The smallest reward, for earning 360 points, is a free check order, valued at $10 to $20. Customers with 12,000 points can earn up to $400 off a mortgage origination fee.
Though incentives are not new in banking or financial services, Mark Harwood, Michigan National's manager of consumer services, said he believes the point system is rarely used by banks. Credit card companies and hotels have point systems to win rewards, but only a handful of banks have used similar programs.
Mr. Harwood said the idea for the program resulted from a consumer survey of several thousand customers and noncustomers who were asked what they would like from their bank. The impetus was to keep customers and sell them more Michigan National products, Mr. Harwood said.
First American Corp. started a point-system rewards program in 1996 that has been extremely popular, said Wendy Gamble, supervisor for the Nashville company's program, SelectRewards.
Ms. Gamble said customers win prizes ranging from golf balls and T- shirts to round-trip airfare on one of three airlines. For other rewards, customers pick items from a Service Merchandise catalogue.
Rodgers L. Harper, managing vice president of First Manhattan Consulting Group, said reward programs can be very good techniques for singling out profitable customers. "I think the notion of rewarding a customer for the right behavior is getting a lot more attention," Mr. Harper said.
The First American program is particularly good, Mr. Harper said, because it offers material items, which are better for attracting customers than price breaks on products. First American studied customer profitability to figure out a scale for granting awards and test-marketed the program on its employees, Mr. Harper said. First American's program was designed to attract new customers, according to Ms. Gamble.
Michigan National, however, is reaching out to a broad base of existing customers by starting the point system with a relatively low balance requirement. "We're not trying to target our super wealthy," Mr. Harwood said. "We targeted a large portion of our customer base."
A Michigan National competitor, however, said point systems are not the best way to attract or retain customers.
"I'm definitely a proponent of rewarding customers," said Michael Tierney, senior vice president for retail product management at Detroit- based Comerica Inc. "How you tactically do it is the question."
Comerica introduced two new packaged "relationship accounts" last November that reward customers with large deposit or loan balances by waiving certain fees or providing free checking. Mr. Tierney said he believes most customers find point-system programs too complicated.


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By CATHERINE KOZAK
Food trucks can now operate in unincorporated Dare County, but potential owners are hardly storming the gates to take advantage of the new opportunity.
Despite mostly positive responses and expressed interest from some entrepreneurs at public meetings held earlier this year, no one has yet come forward to seek a permit, says Dare County Planning Director Donna Creef.
?I haven?t had anybody make a formal application,? she said on Thursday.
But Steve Bonney and his wife Sue, owners of Stu?s Donuts which shares a space with Ketch 55 Seafood Grill in Avon, says he?ll be submitting an application in the coming weeks for a food truck serving cold sodas, gourmet hot dogs and North Carolina BBQ.
?That?s all we?re planning on right now,? he says. ?But the menu will evolve and change with time. We?ll be up in the front lot where we originally intended to be.?
After a public hearing at its regular meeting on March 19, the Dare County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a revision of a zoning amendment that allows food trucks in unincorporated Dare County, as long as they are associated with a food commissary.
With the revision, a food truck no longer has to be associated with a restaurant at its site, as the original zoning amendment had required. The units are subject to health department regulations and site plan approvals.
All eight speakers ? who included Bonney – supported the zoning change, saying it could diversify food offerings for visitors and give eateries more opportunities.
?It was a great public hearing,? Creef says, ?because there were local restaurants speaking in favor of it.?
In the past, there was concern that food trucks would cut into local restaurant traffic, and that the small operations had unfair advantages in overhead costs and taxes. But the growing popularity of the mobile eateries nationwide has come to make food trucks be seen less as competition, and more as an opportunity to expand and attract new customers.
The new zoning rules apply only to unincorporated Dare County: Hatteras Island, Manns Harbor, East Lake, Mashoes, Colington Island, and areas of Roanoke Island outside of Manteo.
Elsewhere in the county, each municipality regulates the use of food trucks through its own zoning rules. Nags Head, for instance, permits the mobile eateries at special events and is considering to allow more of them. But in general, food trucks on the Outer Banks have been few and far between. Eduardo?s Taco Truck on Ocracoke Island, parked by the Variety Store, and Taqueria Las Ahumaderas, parked near Sting Wray?s restaurant in Rodanthe, have been popular with tourists in the last several years.
Last summer, the Bonneys had purchased a food truck and had planned to sell hand-made donuts and hots dogs out of it, while parked at Ketch 55?s lot. But the Planning Board informed the couple that the zoning rules would not permit them to operate.
In working to address the Bonneys? situation last year, Creef had said then that it was evident that food trucks were defined differently, depending on whether it was an older or newer zoning district.
The new zoning makes the rule consistent in the unincorporated areas.
With written approval from the property owner, a single ?mobile food unit? is permitted on land in conjunction with a commercial structure or use. A food stand, whether permanent or mobile, may provide outdoor seating for up to eight people. A restroom must be available for the public to use if seating is provided. Parking for ten vehicles must also be available, but they can be in place for an existing business as long as the hours do not overlap.
Bonney says that, with the exception of some online comments, he?s heard only positive feedback from the community, and he expects to see more food trucks opening up on Hatteras Island.
?I think it?s something that will grow,? he says. ?There is plenty of room for all of us. I think we?re all in this together.?


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Rumors of an imminent all-in-one desktop update have been circulating for some weeks already, though how it will be equipped remains a mystery. With back-to-school just around the corner and holiday shopping to follow short thereafter, we likely don’t have long to wait.
AppleInsider has been reading the tealeaves and determined that the iMac is due for a refresh. Thereupon, distributors are whispering they have been told not to expected additional stock of either 21.5-inch entry level all-in-one desktop.
Further, the channel has been told to keep their inventories lean for the next few weeks and this is the same advice Apple gave just ahead of the recent Mid-2010 Mac mini (HDMI) refresh.
See also: Mac Pro stocks getting low
What’s in the guts…
It is believed that the surging Mac, iPad and iPhone maker has readied a dual-core Core i5, quad-core Core i5 and perhaps Core i7 configuration. The possibility of entry-level iMacs equipped Core i3 chips, a family of low-power mobile processors, is also perhaps in the cards.
Additionally, it’s likely that the refreshed iMacs will be the first Apple computers to ship with USB 3.0, which draws less power and is up to 10 times faster than v2.0 while maintaining backward compatibility.
Lastly, whispered murmurs of a touch-enhanced iMac have also been overheard, though it’s been some weeks since anything new on this front has been published.


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Princess Cruises, Los Angeles’ hometown cruise line, is further cementing its West Coast heritage with its newly released fall 2024 through spring 2025 West Coast cruise season.
Featuring more than 75 desirable cruise options to Hawaii, Mexico and the California Coast from three convenient ports—Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle—West Coast voyages are now open for sale.
“Whether travelers seek the treasures of the iconic Golden State, the natural beauty of Hawaii or the unparalleled spirit of Mexico, we have it all with our 2024 through 2025 cruise season,” said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises.
“Our West Coast expertise ensures our guests from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle have easy access to some of the most stunning destinations in the world all at amazing values and just a few minutes drive from their homes.”
Deployment highlights of the 2024-2025 West Coast season include more than 75 cruise options on 21 unique itineraries, visiting 28 destinations in seven countries, with roundtrip departures from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.
Sailings from the Port of Los Angeles
With four ships calling Los Angeles home, guests can choose from:
- Discovery Princess, one of the newest ships in the Princess fleet, sailing seven-day Mexican Riviera voyages with popular stops in Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta.
- Weeklong California Coast cruises onboard Discovery Princess, visiting Santa Barbara, San Diego and more.
- Grand Princess and Majestic Princess sailing on 10-day Baja Peninsula & Sea of Cortez adventures for those looking for more off-the-beaten path ports in Mexico.
- Grand Princess 16-day voyages the Hawaiian Islands, visiting Kauai, Maui, Oahu and the Big Island.
- Grand Princess and Sapphire Princess offering longer, relaxed 32- and 33-day cruises to the South Pacific and Hawaiian Islands, featuring exotic isles in Tahiti.
Cruise Under the Golden Gate Bridge with Cruises from San Francisco
Ruby Princess returns to the “City by the Bay” with roundtrip cruises to Hawaii, Mexico and the California and Pacific Northwest Coasts from San Francisco.
Added bonus, Ruby Princess will also sail on a 16-day Hawaiian Islands cruise roundtrip from Vancouver.
Voyages from Seattle, the “Emerald City”
Majestic Princess offers cruisers from Seattle an 11-day roundtrip cruise on a Classic California Coast itinerary with stops in San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and a late-night stay in San Diego.
Visit Cruise Critic to research and plan your future cruises, connect with other cruisers and share your passion for cruising.


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For years, security researchers have warned that unscrupulous hardware manufacturers or foreign governments could hijack the manufacturing process, installing backdoors into equipment that would be difficult to detect or stop. Now, we've caught the Chinese red-handed, and the fallout could be ugly.
An extensive report(Opens in a new window) from Bloomberg details how Amazon's investigation into deploying servers manufactured by Elemental Technologies led to the discovery of hardware backdoors smaller than a grain of rice. The chips had been hidden on Supermicro motherboards. You can see the "before" picture above -- the "after" photo, with the actual espionage processor (EPU?) is below:Click to enlarge.
After discovering the chips in 2015, the government spent three years investigating the situation. They've determined that the hardware creates "a stealth doorway into any network that included the altered machines. Multiple people familiar with the matter say investigators found that the chips had been inserted at factories run by manufacturing subcontractors in China."
There are two methods for performing this kind of hardware-based attack. One of them, which the US has historically used, is to intercept shipments and perform the modification in transit. The other is to build the modifications in from the beginning, which is what was done in China. US officials describe the attack as the most sophisticated supply chain compromise that we're aware of, ever. Everyone who bought and deployed servers from Elemental Technologies, which specialized in video compression technology, was impacted. And it's not just Elemental -- Apple, too, found its own servers had been compromised and severed relations with Supermicro in 2016 for what the company claims are unrelated reasons.It should be noted that Apple, Amazon, Supermicro, and the Chinese government all contest this story with various arguments about how it's wrong. Bloomberg notes that their denials are countered by:
[Six] current and former senior national security officials, who—in conversations that began during the Obama administration and continued under the Trump administration—detailed the discovery of the chips and the government’s investigation. One of those officials and two people inside AWS provided extensive information on how the attack played out at Elemental and Amazon; the official and one of the insiders also described Amazon’s cooperation with the government investigation. In addition to the three Apple insiders, four of the six U.S. officials confirmed that Apple was a victim. In all, 17 people confirmed the manipulation of Supermicro’s hardware and other elements of the attacks.
Under the circumstances, we'll be taking the word of Bloomberg over the word of some corporate flunkies trying to protect their own stock prices. Apple(Opens in a new window) and Amazon(Opens in a new window) have strongly denied the claims, and Bloomberg has strongly defended them. Given the potential implications of acknowledging you've deployed backdoored hardware, the companies in question have every reason to lie. For that matter, it's possible that the companies are under a national security agreement not to acknowledge these attacks to avoid tipping the perpetrators off that the US was aware of them at all. If such an agreement was made back in 2015 - 2016, it wouldn't have been suspended today just because Bloomberg went public (in fact, if you recall from the Snowden controversy, there were discussions about what program details could be discussed publicly even after news of their existence had formally leaked). Apple has gone so far to as to disclaim this as well, but Bloomberg isn't backing down either.We have to give you one additional quote from the Bloomberg piece, which goes into extensive detail in how the hack was carried out and why we're certain it's connected to the Chinese government. It deals with why companies were interested in Elemental Technologies servers in the first place:
Elemental servers sold for as much as $100,000 each, at profit margins of as high as 70 percent, according to a former adviser to the company. Two of Elemental’s biggest early clients were the Mormon church, which used the technology to beam sermons to congregations around the world, and the adult film industry, which did not.
These attacks are part of why the Trump Administration's embargo against China has targeted computer components. And it may help explain why most computer manufacturers had no luck getting themselves exempted from tariff considerations.Now Read: Trump’s Trade War With China Will Drive Up GPU Prices Again, Google’s Chinese Search Engine Reportedly Links Results to Phone Numbers, and China Attempted to Steal Micron Secrets


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Microsoft paid more than $US7 billion for Nokia's handset and services business, and the jury is still out as to what it means for its future. In the past quarter it boosted Microsoft's revenue but also ate into its profit.
Record numbers of new tablet users, and the first rise in fixed-line revenue in seven years, drove Verizon Communications' second-quarter revenue up 5.7 percent year on year, it reported Tuesday.
Google may be among the hopefuls vying to turn the New York City phone booths of the past into "communication points" of the future with free Wi-Fi and cellphone charging.
The U.S government can take action to slow the calls in other countries to abandon U.S. tech vendors following revelations about widespread National Security Agency surveillance, some tech representatives said Friday.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Web comments form crashed Tuesday morning in the hours before the agency's first deadline for submitting comments on its net neutrality proposal.
Weddings. Job promotions. News articles. Facebook thinks it knows what the best stories are to drop in your news feed. But some users might want to see things their own way.
Struggling to read small text on your iPad mini? There's a fix for that.
There's nothing like face-to-face meetings for really connecting with clients or team members, but with air travel becoming ever more expensive (and ever less pleasant), frequent in-person meetings are becoming less viable for many businesses. That m...
We're at an awkward stage as the age of network-streamed multimedia matures. Broadband and cell providers have only recently realized the public's enormous appetite for streaming video, VoIP, and the combination of both.
Given the importance of telephone systems, refreshing the technology can be daunting. However, for small and midsized businesses who consider upgrading from a PBX to VoIP, the benefits are clear and, with proper planning, the implementation is not ve...
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission and its allies have several options, with most of them difficult, after a U.S. appeals court struck down most of the agency's 2010 net neutrality rules.
After six months of contentious debate over U.S. National Security Agency surveillance programs, prompted by leaks from former government contractor Edward Snowden, the third week in December may have marked a major turning point.
Intel's acquisition of mobile network assets from silicon vendor Mindspeed Technologies will give the chip giant what it needs to extend the Intel architecture throughout mobile operator networks, helping the carriers upgrade hardware and roll out ne...
In-flight cellular in the U.S. may be closer to reality than some consumers realize, with foreign airlines poised to extend services they already offer elsewhere. But evidence from overseas suggests the odds of being trapped next to a chronic caller ...
Anyone who dreads hearing one end of a loud phone call all the way from Anchorage to Miami, take heart: The plan to allow cellphones on planes could fail in more ways than an overbooked flight at a snowbound airport on Christmas Eve.
Whitepapers about telecommunication
Carphone Warehouse is the largest independent telecommunications retailer in Europe with over 2,000 stores and 10 million subscribers across 8 countries. Connected World Services, its B2B division, recently looked at how to build a predictable and dependable retail sales platform that was both error-free and have greater visualisation across multiple platforms. Find out how!
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Crypto Market Week in Review (6 May 2022)
Bitcoin began the week at $38.5K and consolidated between the $38,000 and $39,000 range for most of the week while awaiting the Fed announcement of a 50 basis point hike on Thursday. The crypto market reacted to the news by rallying 5%, giving hope that the hike had been priced in. Things took an awry turn right away though with crypto prices erasing all previous gains to drop 10% from this week's highs.
Meanwhile, Thursday, after a huge sell-off of tech stocks, saw the dow Jones lose 1000 points, its largest single-day loss since 2020.
In the Altcoin market, Dogecoin and Shiba Inu couldn’t resist the macro-economic downturn despite what some might call solid fundamental growth. Shiba launched its metaverse and allowed the use of Shiba Inu token to buy lands, while Doge was accepted as a means of exchange for the purchase of a basketball team.
Transaction Costs Ought to Be Lowered – Vitalik Buterin
Ethereum's co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, opined that Layer-2 (L2) network transaction costs should be drastically reduced to about $0.05.
This tweet came as a reply to a screenshot of Ethereum’s L1 and L2 transaction prices, which Ryan Adams, the commentator of the famous podcast, "Bankless" posted. Ryan had mentioned that the cost of transactions on the Ethereum network was quite inexpensive, all thanks to the scaling of the L2 network. However, Buterin had other thoughts.
He uncovered that Ethereum had plans underway to improve scalability and decrease network overload and gas fees using proto-danksharding.
Proto-danksharding is a proposed upgrade of the ETH network, which would simplify the previously used ‘sharding’ design. This advancement, which he discussed in a blog post, is set to happen at an undisclosed time in 2023 after the long-anticipated Merge.
Shard chains are used to promptly and evenly distribute information on the network, which will consequently lessen its overload. Ethereum L1 presently averages $3.26 for a transaction, which should go down drastically when the upgrade is implemented. So far, merely one L2 network meets Buterin’s standard, which is Metis at $0.02 for a transaction.
SEC Signals Crypto Crackdown with Beefed Up Enforcement Arm
News from the Securities and Exchange Commission revealed that the regulatory body is adding 20 new positions to its newly-formed Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit. The unit is tasked with enforcing securities laws in all aspects of crypto and is seen as necessary in protecting investors.
This has not stayed well with many investors, as they have taken to social media to pour their discontentment. One of these people is Hester Peirce, one of four SEC commissioners, who asserted that the SEC is a regulatory body and should have a limited role in crypto enforcement.
The SEC chairman, Gary Gensler, has not been silent about the growing influence of cryptocurrencies. Last year, he affirmed that cryptocurrency players were abiding by the securities laws and should stay within the circumference of legality.
He was fixed on having crypto players register with the SEC. Still, he has taken things a step further by initiating a crackdown on several cryptocurrency sectors, notably staking, DeFi, and NFT markets.
Unsurprisingly, this is coming shortly after the European monetary body announced a clampdown on virtual asset service providers with a compulsory know-your-customer mandate for their users.
Crypto-Backed Loan Taken by Coinbase
Coinbase, the largest crypto exchange in the United States, has received a loan from Goldman Sachs. The amazing thing is that the collateral for this loan was provided entirely in Bitcoin.
According to Bloomberg, this unique collaboration between Coinbase and Goldman Sachs serves as a bridge between cryptocurrency and traditional finance. Although the USD equivalent of the received loan was not divulged, it was backed up by a percentage of the entire cryptocurrencies owned by Coinbase (almost 4,500 BTC).
An interesting feature of this transaction is the 1-day risk management that requires Coinbase to increase its BTC collateral value if the price dips.
Earlier in March 2022, Goldman Sachs also revealed that it made the first-ever over-the-counter crypto transaction with another well-known player, Galaxy Digital.
These recent developments serve as stepping stones to the widespread acceptance of Bitcoin and crypto as a whole.
Gucci Joins the List of Luxury Brands That Accept Cryptocurrency
According to a report from Vogue business, luxury brand, Gucci, has decided to follow up on its Web 3 and Metaverse endeavors. This new development involves in-store payments for their goods with cryptocurrency starting from the end of this month.
The major cryptocurrencies that would be accepted include Bitcoin, DogeCoin, Ether, Shiba Inu, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Wrapped Bitcoin, alongside a series of USD-pegged stablecoins.
This offer will be pilot-tested in five cities in the US as the brand wants to establish early dominance in the nascent space.
Several reports also point to Gucci staff already undergoing training to embrace this new technology. The payment process will be through a QR code sent to the customer’s email, enabling them to make payments through their crypto wallets.
Many high-end brands have been around the Web 3 space, with LVMH, and Phillipp Plein being two of the recent ones. The former released an exclusive collection of watches a while ago, which can only be bought using Bitcoin.
*This communication is intended as strictly informational, and nothing herein constitutes an offer or a recommendation to buy, sell, or retain any specific product, security or investment, or to utilise or refrain from utilising any particular service. The use of the products and services referred to herein may be subject to certain limitations in specific jurisdictions. This communication does not constitute and shall under no circumstances be deemed to constitute investment advice. This communication is not intended to constitute a public offering of securities within the meaning of any applicable legislation.


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Thirty five of the UK’s most talented and ambitious graduates have been accepted on the Entrepreneur First scheme, which will provide them with the skills, tools and potential funding opportunities to launch a successful, high-growth start-up.
The budding entrepreneurs who have secured a place on the inaugural scheme will benefit from a rigorous programme of training and world-class mentoring from some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs.
With unrivalled links with City businesses, investment opportunities and enterprise support, the City of London Corporation, as a core sponsor, will continue to provide practical support for Entrepreneur First over the next two years.
Entrepreneur First’s Kick-off Weekend will take place at the City of London’s Innovation Warehouse, Smithfield on 31st March and 1st April.
Over the a two day event, the cohort of 35 budding entrepreneurs will be trained and supported by key members from the London entrepreneur community. This comes as the participants prepare to launch their own businesses in September 2012.
The City of London Corporation will also host a launch reception at the Guildhall in the City for the 35 entrepreneurs on the programme on 5th April 2012. Stuart Fraser, Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee, will host the reception.
Stuart Fraser, Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee at the City of London Corporation, says, “Small businesses will provide the vast majority of new jobs in the coming years, therefore it’s vital that budding entrepreneurs and high-growth ventures are nurtured. We are already seeing bubbles of innovation, with Tech City an example. However, if London’s positioning as a global business hub is to be maintained, this success needs to be further propelled through pioneering programmes like Entrepreneur First.”
To stimulate small business and economic growth, the City of London Corporation spearheads an array of initiatives, supporting around 640 small businesses in 2011 alone and has seen David Cameron (pictured above) visit a number of key initiatives over the past year.
The capital, skills and expertise of the City are often leveraged to deliver these initiatives, which include:
Angels in the City – delivered in partnership with London Business Angels, this scheme aims to generate over £10m of new Angel investment per annum for Tech City start-ups and create 200 jobs annually.
Ready to Supply the City – this programme helps SMEs in the City and surrounding boroughs become ‘tender ready’ and increase their share of the £13.3 billion City supply chain.
Local Procurement Charter – the City of London Corporation’s Local Procurement Charter requires developers to procure at least 10% of its services locally.
Matt Clifford, CEO, Entrepreneur First, comments, “Entrepreneur First was founded to encourage the UK’s brightest graduates to create their own high-growth start-ups and to give them the support network that they will need to make these businesses a success. Britain’s corporate and entrepreneurial community will play a major role in delivering this support and Entrepreneur First simply could not exist without its backing.
“We are therefore delighted to have the City of London Corporation as a core sponsor of Entrepreneur First. We’re excited by what this support will mean for the Entrepreneur First cohort and are looking forward to working closely with City of London Corporation in the coming months.”


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Four leading truck manufacturers will take the stage again at the Microlise Transport Conference next week. Hosted by Motor Transport news editor Chris Druce, the Truck to the Future panel will discuss key issues affecting the road transport industry and its future. Members of the panel will include: Daf Trucks UK business planning director Laurence Drake; MAN Truck and Bus MD Thomas Hemmerich; Mark Grant, aftersales director at Scania GB; and Iveco UK product director Martin Flach. Registration is still […]
With the news that the UK is to get its first platooning trial underway next year with DAF supplying the vehicles, MT took a closer looks at the feasibility study published alongside the funding announcement itself to understand how the technology might work. Produced via a partnership between the Transport Research Laboratory, Ricardo and Transport and Travel Research, the 100 page-plus document lays out the groundwork that will inform the £8.1m trial and lists some of the challenges ahead and […]
The winners of the 2012 MAN Everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards were announced yesterday (17 May) at a lunch ceremony held at The Savoy Hotel in London, with Wincanton general manager Lynne Watson taking the coveted Woman of the Year Award. Now in their fifth year, the Everywoman Awards help to raise awareness of women who are excelling in this non-traditional sector by championing role models and showcasing the breadth of opportunities available to women in the logistics industry. […]
European truck manufacturers have been hit with a record €2.9bn (£2.5bn) fine after they colluded for 14 years on truck pricing and on passing on the costs of compliance with emissions rules.


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Obsidian also looking at using Kickstarter for funding
Obsidian, the team behind Alpha Protocol and Fallout: New Vegas is considering the prospect of using Kickstarter to help fund a project.
The amazing success of Double Fine's Kickstarter project Obsidian's Chris Avellone asked the if fans would want to see an Obsidian project on Kickstarter on Twitter receiving as much as 1000 hits every second according to the microblogging social network.
Double Fine managed to secure three times their required budget of 400,000 USD withing 24 hours of launching their Kickstarter campaign.
Obsidian are taking suggestions from fans over what they would like to see out of a potential Kickstarter-funded projects over Twitter and their official forums.
Thanks Develop Online.
- Harmonix announces A City Sleeps, their new music-driven shooter
- Shadow Of Mordor trailer introduces the unique orc character, Ratbag
- Saints Row IV coming to next-gen consoles
- Saints Row: Gat Out Of Hell is a new standalone expansion
- First details of Telltale's Game Of Thrones series arrive
- SEGA unveils the new definitive Total War: Rome II – Emperor Edition
- Prison Architect alpha build 24 arrives
- Bayonetta 2 gets a final release date
- Deep Down now delayed until 2015


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Today Canalys released statistics on “Wristwatches,” a muddled category that includes both smartwatches and “basic watches.” Canalys doesn’t describe what they consider a “basic watch.” More than likely Canalys has added “basic watch” to water down Apple’s massive market lead.
View the original article here: In Q2-21 Apple Remained the Clear Leader in Smartwatches and likely to Spike higher with the release of Apple Watch 7
The article was originally posted on Patently Apple.
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Why tested business continuity plans are important in a crisis
A business continuity plan is a set of procedures for maintaining business functions or quickly getting them back up and running in the event of some sort of major disruption — a natural disaster, loss of power, cyberattack or a pandemic. “All businesses should have a business continuity plan because every one of them could be affected by disruptions,” says Carly Devlin, managing director, Clark Schaefer Consulting. “Without a business continuity plan, it could take longer than necessary to recover or the business might not recover at all. The pandemic has been a test for all businesses, and already there are organizations that are likely not able to come back when this ends.” Smart Business spoke with Devlin about business continuity plans, what they should include and how to ensure they’re helpful when a disaster strikes.


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The markets of Sadarpur in Faridpur are getting filled with early winter vegetables. However, the price of vegetables is still beyond the reach of marginalized and low-income families. Common buyers are suffering under severe pressure as they are unable to market the 1000 rupee note as per the demand. The prices of daily necessities such as fish, meat, rice and pulses are already skyrocketing, and it is not even possible for people to eat vegetables to make up for it. They feel that urgent steps need to be taken regarding daily commodities.
In upazila Sadarpur Bazar, Saesat Rashi, Kalikhola Krishnapur, Baburchar, Piyazhkhali and other markets, you can see eggplant 70, Patal 70, Radish 60, Bean 90, Barbati 70, Tomato 120, Carrot 120, Bitter gourd 100, Horseradish 70, Dhundal 50, Kakarol 80, Raw Papaya 40, Full Kopi 100, Cabbage 60, Kachurmukhi 70, Cucumber 55, Potato 50, Onion (Desi) 120, Onion (Imported) 90 Taka, Garlic (Desi) 240, Garlic (Indian) 140, Chilli 150 Selling per kg. Apart from this, radish greens are being sold at 20 rupees, 20 rupees per rupee, 25 rupees per rupee, 35 rupees per rupee, 40 rupees per raw banana, 80 to 100 rupees per medium size gourd, 40 to 50 rupees per slice of sweet pumpkin.
A vegetable seller named Rani said that winter vegetables have arrived in the market early this time. The price of vegetables is higher in the market. The reason is that winter vegetables are not fully in season yet. As a result, they are more expensive. He also said that the prices of vegetables remain high until winter comes.
A buyer named Yaron of Sadarpur market said that there is no condition to buy fish and meat. We are not in a position to eat rice and vegetables. Everything is double the price. No one understands the pain.
Other years at this time, if the price of rice, pulses, fish and meat was high, I would have been able to buy vegetables, but this year, because the price of vegetables has gone up, I have fallen into trouble, said Azad of Shyampur, a buyer of Saat Rashi market. Prices of essential goods are often increasing. There is no price control for any product. Traders are increasing the price whenever they want. We feel that urgent steps need to be taken regarding daily commodities.


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Hyundai plans 17 electric vehicles by 2025 in commercial vehicle segment
South Korean automaker Hyundai has announced its plans with regard to the electrification of commercial vehicles in the coming years.
The automaker has revealed that it is planning to produce as many as 17 models of electric commercial vehicles, which will be made market-ready by the year 2025. By the mentioned timeline, Hyundai is aiming at the expansion of its commercial-vehicle line-up to include seven battery-electric models and ten fuel cell models.
However, Hyundai has not disclosed the total investment involved in the planned electrification of commercial vehicles.
Going by some of the details announced by Hyundai, the 17 electric commercial vehicles which will become market-ready by 2025 will include a few models planned for use specifically in the country’s capital city Seoul. More explicitly, the models that will become operational in Seoul will include at least one battery-powered bus and one fuel cell-powered bus.
However, in announcing its plans to launch 17 electric commercial models, Hyundai has not shared any information about the specific number of different-sized electric buses, electric trucks, and electric vans that it will develop. The drive technology to be used for the various segments of commercial vehicles has also not been revealed. Nonetheless, against the backdrop of the recent model announcements made by Hyundai, it is projected that the automaker will apparently launch the battery variants on the market.
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IFSEC International, the world’s most influential gathering for security professionals, has always provided an ideal opportunity to launch new products and the timing of this year’s show could not have been better for Essentra Security and its business partner, Magicard.
Visitors to IFSEC International 2015 were among the first in Europe to see a preview of the new ground-breaking Magicard Helix re-transfer ID card printer with built-in visual security.
Sue Woodcock, Marketing Manager for Essentra Security, said: “We had a much larger stand at this year’s IFSEC and the extra space allowed us to offer live demonstrations of the long list of innovative features which have been built into the highly impressive Helix ID card printer. As Magicard’s Global Dealer of the Year 2014, we were delighted to be entrusted with introducing this ground breaking printer to the European market. Judging by the interest shown by visitors to our stand over the three days of the show, the Helix is likely to be one of the most popular printers that we will supply and support over the coming months.”
The Magicard Helix is the world’s first re-transfer printer which can apply a secure visible watermark to each card during the re-transfer process. Using an evolution of Magicard’s highly acclaimed HoloKote security feature, the Helix is able to exploit the wavelengths and lens effect of the re-transfer film to fluoresce under UV lighting conditions.
Essentra Security also took the opportunity to introduce a number of other new ID solutions recently been launched by other leading card printer manufacturers. The new Datacard SD160 card printer, an extension of the proven SD series is designed to deliver a combination of affordability, security and simplicity. Also, the Evolis Avansia re-transfer printer, targeted at users who require very high quality card printing and is capable of issuing more than 140 single-sided colour cards per hour.
Also on show on the stand were ID card solutions offered by HID and Zebra, as well as new Swiftcolor SCC-2000D SCC-4000D inkjet models which provide the option to print onto both paper and plastic.
2015 is already proving to be a highly successful year for Essentra Security. News that the company has been entrusted to play a key role in the provision of a new generation of smartcard printers throughout the healthcare service, has underlined Essentra Security’s position as Europe’s leading distributor of card printers, systems and accessories. The contract to supply the new card printers was awarded by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), the national provider of information, data and IT systems for health and social care. The key objective of the contract is to refresh and modernise the existing estate of smartcard printers used for authorising and issuing Smartcards to staff who need to access NHS systems, that require this authentication. Essentra Security is fulfilling the project in partnershipwith prime contractor SCC through the commoditised IT hardware and software (CITHS) framework, and Ultra ID manufacturer of Magicard ID card printers.
Essentra Security and Magicard will also be working together to ensure timely delivery of the Enduro+ custom printers which will be installed across all regional health service establishments throughout England and Wales. The project will modernise the estate of smartcard printers used for authorising and issuing smartcards to staff who need to access National Health Service systems that require authentication.
Simon Jones, Commercial Director for Essentra Security, said: “We highly value the partnerships we have established with leading manufacturers such as Magicard. They enable us to play a key role in the supply chain by delivering competitively priced ID solutions first time and on time. The good news is that our ability to achieve this objective has been further enhanced by our recent move to Essentra PLC’s principal European distribution hub in Kidlington. This has allowed us to substantially increase our investment in our stock holding across a wide product range, ensuring we can continue to deliver the highest possible levels of service to our customers, as well as create a platform to meet the future needs of the market as it expands.”


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Garment sector workers were wary about going into the Rana Plaza factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh on April 24, 2013 after a huge cracks became visible in the building. But the factory’s owner told workers they would be docked pay if they didn’t go inside and work, so many did. Later that day, the building collapsed, killing 1,129 people.
Bangladesh is just one country that exports garments to consumers in developed countries. Cambodia, China, El Salvador, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and Vietnam are all major exporters. And these other countries have experienced their own disasters, if not on the extreme scale of what happened at Rana Plaza. Just a few months after that disaster, two were killed and seven injured in a shoe factory collapse in Cambodia. In 2012, a fire at a garment factory in Pakistan killed nearly 300 people. China has seen two deadly factory fires this year: one at a shoe factory in January that killed 16 people, and another at an underwear factory in March that killed 11 and injured 15.
But it took more than 1,000 people to die before any real change came to Bangladesh’s garment industry. “It did take a disaster with the scope of Rana Plaza to really force brands to deal with these issues in their supply chain because of the risk it created for their public image,” Theresa Haas, communications director at the Workers Rights Consortium, told ThinkProgress. A 2005 factory collapse that killed 64 in Bangladesh “generated many promises from the brands, but failed to bring about any real change,” Haas noted. “We’ve known about safety problems in the Bangladesh industry for years.”
Given the potential for terrible public relations, on the other hand, Rana Plaza has actually produced tangible action. More than 150 companies, including many European retailers like H&M and Carrefour, have signed the Bangladesh Accord for Fire and Building Safety that pledges widespread inspections and resources for upgrading safety conditions. Meanwhile, 26 American and Canadian retailers, among them Walmart and Gap, are pursuing their own less binding plan.
The current focus on Bangladesh stems not just from the Rana Plaza disaster, but also from the uniquely dangerous conditions in the country’s clothing factories, according to Haas. “The garment industry there is particularly unique and dangerous with respect to fire and building safety issues,” she said. Bangladeshi garment workers are the lowest paid in the world, so retailers moved in quickly to take advantage of the low labor costs, causing the industry to grow incredibly fast. That meant factories sprang up in any available buildings, “many and most of which were not built safely or for the purpose of housing commercial factories,” she said. The buildings are usually high rises, reaching as high as 16 or 17 stories, and workers put in very long hours that strain the electrical systems.
All of these factors make conditions particularly prone to collapses. Rana Plaza was may have been the deadliest, but it was not the first or the last. The Spectrum sweater factory collapse in 2005 killed 64 workers and more than 100 people were killed in a factory fire in November of 2012. Ten were killed in a fire late last year, well after Rana Plaza. In the wake of April’s tragedy, an engineering team found that three-fifths of the country’s garment factories are vulnerable to collapse.
But there are plenty of workers in other countries in need of better conditions. The steps being taken today in Bangladesh –- especially the Bangladesh Accord for Fire and Building Safety — could spread to those other places once they take hold.
“Once the accord has been up and operational in Bangladesh for some time and the program is in place, we will certainly look to expand it to other countries,” Haas said. She said it could be easily replicated in these other countries, many of which have strong workers rights organizations that could participate and qualified people to assist in implementing it. The retailers have the ability to ensure factory inspections and the necessary renovations take place. “There’s really no reason why the accord or an accord-like structure couldn’t be put into place in other countries,” she said, although it does of course depend on retailers’ willingness to make commitments outside of Bangladesh.
But while the accord may do much to address safety conditions, Sabina Dewan, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, argues that it is just one step in many that need to be taken in the garment industry. The accord “sets an interesting precedent for what companies should and could be doing,” she said. “But the issues go well beyond workers’ safety.” For example, workers in 15 of the top 21 countries that export garments to the United States make just a third of what would amount to a living wage. And in five of them, wages have actually declined in real terms over the last decade by an average of about 15 percent, even as workers’ productivity has risen. “The most effective way of addressing wage issues is through strong collective bargaining and through unions, and in some of these countries it’s still very difficult to unionize,” she said. Raising wages will require easing workers’ ability to organize as well as better enforcement of these countries’ existing labor laws. “If there’s any big lesson we learned from Bangladesh, it’s that it’s possible for companies to foot the bill for better worker safety, and we need to look at more than just worker safety,” she said.
Haas pointed out that the accord will help improve working conditions beyond safety by changing the financial picture. “It creates a binding obligation on brands and retailers to make it possible for their factories to afford the necessary renovations and repairs,” she said. Without that, factories have been under extreme pressure to produce at low prices with very quick turnarounds, “which makes it impossible for factories to meet supply chain demands while complying with the codes of conduct that brands supposedly want them to meet” on workers’ conditions. The accord eases that financial strain.
But while it may make improvements Bangladesh, “what that doesn’t really do is lead to any kind of permanent policy change and enforcement change,” Dewan argued. There are many avenues for that kind of change, from the international level to the national level to the local level. At the international level, she pointed to the G20 pressuring governments, and the United States Bureau of International Labor Affairs “is pushing very hard to get these issues on the G20 agenda,” she said. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has a Better Work program that, similarly to the Bangladesh accord, brokers deals between workers, retailers, and governments, but “the ILO is a big multilateral body that can have a much more tangible impact if it works with governments,” she said, and “it has a much bigger role to play.” She also said that USAID could start incorporating labor issues into its work and the U.S. could use its trade partnerships to call for strong labor protections.
At the national level, governments will “have to go beyond just ratifying ILO [labor] conventions and have better enforcement and actually change the way they think about these issues,” she said. That would require a shift from focusing on attracting retailers with cheap labor to pushing for good jobs and good pay as a way to boost consumer demand within their own borders. And it will also require raising minimum wages, instituting better protections for workers rights as well as protections against discrimination and for women’s rights, and easing unionization.
“We need to make sure we fight harder to make sure it doesn’t take a Rana Plaza in order to bring about tangible change,” Dewan said.


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January saw PocketGamer. biz publish the annual Global Markets report, which casts a spotlight over 10 vast regions where the mobile sector is thriving.
From Latin America to Africa, we’ve mined data and expert opinion on regions established and emerging.
Here we profile a studio from each, choosing the development outfits leading the pack, helping shape the future, or that typify their region. Some are famed rising giants; others grassroots start-ups. But they all have one thing in common; they are each distinctly a product of their own region.
Region: Russia and Eastern Europe
Studio: Game Insight
Location: Various across the region
Why it matters: One of many vast operations founded in Eastern Europe and Russia, Game Insight brings together the work of 17 studios and some 800 game developers, releasing across mobile and social platforms as each grows in Russia.
Ultimately, Game Insight’s outlook is a global one — as is the case with most outfits in the region — but increasingly, it is noticing an opportunity closer to home, where it perceives games made for players brought up on cut throat strategy games will prove financially rewarding.