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Victor Yaw Asante
Ghanaian business chieftains would on 13th September 2017 meet their South African counterparts to network and explore business opportunities that exist in both countries.
The event, which is being organized by the Ghana South African Business Chamber (GSABC), is supported by First National Bank, one of the leading universal banks in the country.
Billed to be held at the residence of the South African High commissioner, it is expected to offer opportunities to members of the Ghana South Africa Business Chamber, as well as other corporate entities to build relationship that will be mutually beneficial to both parties in 2017 and beyond.
According to Victor Yaw Asante – Head, Corporate, Commercial and Investment Banking at First National Bank, “This event brings together Ghanaian and South African businesses to interact and identify common business opportunities. We are happy to be supporting the GSABC, and we believe that at the end of the event, we would have facilitated business opportunities for Ghanaian and South Africa businesses”.
“As a business-friendly bank with solid footprints across Africa, we want to facilitate cross border business. We have the expertise and skills to make Ghanaian businesses reach their full potential.
So whether your business needs working capital, asset finance or business advisory or connectivity to other African growth markets, we have the capability to provide these business solutions for whatever your business needs are. By partnering with First National Bank, we will ensure that your business reaches its full potential.”
Since the inauguration of the Ghana South Africa Business Chamber in 2008, trade between the two countries has grown tremendously.
President of GSABC, Ashley Rix said “this occasion is a great opportunity for companies who already have an interest in or are considering doing business in both Ghana and South Africa to interact with member companies and the entire Ghanaian business community. Our cocktail event for the year 2017 is expected to promote business interactions among members, the High Commission, other business chambers and the entire Ghanaian business community.”
The Chamber has a strong relationship with South Africa Trade Investment, as well as the South Africa High Commissioner to Ghana and so leverages these partnerships for the benefit of the members.


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Riskalyze replaces Lori Hardwick with Laurie Schultz at board chair and publicly tells her -- and the RIA industry -- it's moved the goalposts to a $1-billion valuation
The Auburn, Calif., firm's new chair already took one risk software firm to unicorn status and promises to 'do what it takes.'
November 24, 2021 at 11:12 PM
Lori Hardwick steps down as AI Labs president and steps up as a gunslinging paladin for Riskalyze and other firms in new gig economy consulting role
The co-founder went to the Tiburon CEO Summit in April and came away with four big consulting gigs that morphed into a new career
June 13, 2019 at 2:48 AM
Biz Briefs: SEC cracks down anew on RIA reverse churning ~ Envestnet borrows $350 million to buy its own stock ~ Fidelity is creating a crypto waiting list while exec questions crypto ecosystem
Fed up SEC is ready to take on all nonsense at once; stock shocks, Orwell's new name game; Fidelity hosts a line dance
November 18, 2022 at 2:56 AM
After Riskalyze raised a pile of cash, it went shopping for a chief technology officer and found him at Apex Clearing
The Auburn, Calif., risk software maker is undergoing a shift to enterprises and nabs Josh Gray from the Dallas firm.
August 10, 2022 at 2:25 AM
Envestnet just named an ESG head to meld 'wellness,' 'The Intelligent Financial Life' and 'sustainable investing' into a single nirvana -- that starts outside of the product realm
Ron Ransom earned CEO Bill Crager's trust as chief business development officer and now will define how Envestnet conducts itself as a global citizen and vendor of wellness.
July 27, 2022 at 2:27 AM
Envestnet and Edmond Walters end odd couple 'Apprise' relationship with buyout, but leave open the door to jointly pursue RIA-to-entrepreneur dashboard... later
The MoneyGuidePro owner and eMoney founder execute clean break with Apprise IP rebranded as 'Wealth Studio.' Walters off to the races with a startup and vague promise to collaborate later.
April 6, 2021 at 12:50 AM
Wealthfront's unlikely tapping of Sheila Bair and Tom Curry signals likely push to gain a bank charter, analysts say
The Redwood City robo-advisor's addition of two renowned former chief banking regulators brings legitimacy and guidance that could lead to a margin-fattening bank charter and help solve the robo-advisor's problem of high client acquisition costs.
December 31, 2020 at 4:37 AM
Envestnet turns to former FIS executive -- and replaces a CTO -- to help shape up the firm's disparate offerings into a unified whole around the concept of 'wellness'
The Chicago outsourcer gets Donna Peeples to harmonize products and marketing to move beyond the 'TAMP' label as Orion contends for market share with Brinker added.

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A few weeks ahead of its launch in Israel, Amazon is gearing up for local operations and among other things hooking up with Bank Hapoalim (TASE: POLI) in the small and medium-sized businesses sector. Sources inform "Globes" that tech giant Amazon and Bank Hapoalim are putting together an agreement, in which they will jointly offer services for establishing online stores for businesses.
Amazon and Bank Hapoalim will offer a joint package containing consultancy services, deliveries, and providing loans to businesses for the purpose of establishing the initial infrastructure for founding an online store. The sources added that founding a joint events arena is also being considered.
In addition to the agreements, sources inform "Globes" that Amazon's representatives also expressed great interest in Bit, Bank Hapoalim's payment app, and may have already conducted negotiations about using it. An agreement on Bit appears far from certain, among other things because the Bank of Israel only today published its decision on the way that the banks' payment apps will be allowed to operate with businesses in Israel in the coming years.
The question of loans and management of online stores is important for small and medium-sized businesses, which do not have large offices, and need experienced personnel with an understanding of the online platform, plus a sizeable initial investment. Sources in the sector estimate that an initial launch, including founding a store, studying the category and its pricing, photographing the products according to Amazon's precise requirements, and conducting campaigns and promotion, is liable to cost an average of $30,000. There are businesses that choose to do this by themselves, but a number of companies have already arisen in Israel that provide such store operation services themselves in return for payment, such as eCommunity and iCommerce, which provide ecommerce management services in general, and on Amazon in particular.
This significant measure comes on top of a meeting between Amazon and small and medium-sized businesses in cooperation with Bank Hapoalim, in which Amazon invited the businesses to sell through the local platform that it will launch soon. Amazon Global Selling manager Rolf Kimmeyer is currently leading Amazon's activity in Israel with an Israel and international team operating from Amazon's headquarters in Berlin.
Banks searching for backdoor to credit cards
The launch that Amazon is planning in the next few weeks in Israel is preoccupying not only the retail sector, but also the banking and financial system. Market sources say that Bank Hapoalim is not the only player among the banks and other financial institutions, among them the credit card companies, working towards cooperative ventures with Amazon. The sources explain that a large proportion of the banks and credit card companies are actively considering combining forces with Amazon, and want to create diverse channels of activity with it.
For example, Bank Leumi has now created the first such cooperation with Amazon in Israel, in which the bank will give a $20 benefit coupon during July for each purchase of over $50 on Amazon using a Bank Leumi credit card. As far as is known, other players in the credit card field have attempted to enter this niche themselves - Isracard and Max (formerly Leumi Card) - in order to obtain a similar agreement.
Amazon operates its own credit clearance mechanism, called Amazon Pay, so as a rule, it prefers to do the clearance by itself. "It is rare for them to connect with other companies for creating a discount coupon with an external credit company," a source in the sector said today.
Next week on July 15-16, Amazon will hold its annual Prime Day shopping holiday. On this day, it grants huge bargains and discounts to paying customers of its club. This year, Amazon announced that its shopping holiday would last for 48 hours, compared with 36 hours last year and less than that in previous years. Bank Leumi's benefit in July, which will reach a peak of purchases in the framework of Prime Day, is likely to encourage many consumers in Israel to buy through the platform, which also involves exposure to the brand ahead of the official launch.
In addition to this consumer benefit, Bank Leumi is also getting ready by making preparing and providing tools to its business customers ahead of Amazon's launch. Next Thursday, the bank will begin a series of lectures and training for its customers, and this is probably only the beginning.
Bank Leumi's interest in creating an affiliation among consumers with a new and powerful customers club is clear and similar to that of Bank Hapoalim. The two big banks have strong financial capabilities, and are trying to generate for themselves an independent connection with customers holding their credit cards. Israel Discount Bank and First International Bank still own their own credit card company - ICC-Cal, while Mizrahi Tefahot Bank never owned its own credit card company - it worked with all of them.
Bank Hapoalim and Bank Leumi, however, "lost" their credit card companies earlier this year - Isracard and Leumi Card (now Max), respectively, as a result of the reform aimed at increasing competition in the banking sector, under which they were forced to relinquish the credit card companies. They must now find a backdoor to the customers club they formerly held through their credit card companies.
Tension in the retail sector
Tension in the retail sector has reached a peak in preparation for the official launch of Amazon's local activity in Israel, which is expected in the next few weeks in order to take advantage of the shopping spree characteristic of the beginning of the new school year and the period before the Jewish holidays.
Suppliers and retail chains in spheres such as electrical appliances, gadgets, clothing, toys, cosmetics, and others are already getting ready with special stores. Amazon wants to concentrate as many suppliers as possible on the official launch date with active stores, depth bargains, and attractive promotions through banners and benefits.
In recent weeks, Amazon has been holding meetings and talks with a broad range of retailers and suppliers in Israel. Informed sources say that Amazon's representatives are teaching them to prepare for the official launch of the local website within weeks.
The company is also continuing the recruitment efforts that it began two and half months ago in the framework of its local delivery plan, which lets Israeli sellers use Amazon at their own expense to sell and supply orders directly to consumers in Israel. Amazon's goal is to create as extensive a portfolio of stores as possible by the launch date.
Max said in response, "We do not disclose details of our contacts with specific companies before an agreement is reached with them."
No response was available from Amazon.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on July 9, 2019
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2019


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Maui Ocean Center Re-Opens Seascape Restaurant and Expands Park Hours
Maui Ocean Center reopens Seascape Restaurant for lunch service daily from 11 a.m. through 3 p.m. beginning on Monday, April 5. The center has also expanded park hours from 9:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. as of Saturday, March 20.
Seascape Restaurant, known for its picturesque view of Māʻalaea Bay, island-inspired cuisine and cocktails, will begin phased reopening on Monday, April 5, 2021 commencing with lunch service from 11 a.m. through 3 p.m.
In support of local farmers and island sustainability, Chef Enrique “Henry” Tariga has created a new, seasonal menu with a sense of place.
Farm fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables including Hawaiʻi’s unique canoe crops, along with grass-fed ranch protein will be a staple. Fresh fish from Maui’s ocean will be sourced from Māʻalaea’s fishermen for a daily featured special with Chef Henry’s island-infused and locally harvested accompaniments.
“Menu favorites will be enhanced with signature Polynesian and Asian inspired recipes, without taking away their reason for popularity,” according to a restaurant announcement.
Food and beverage menus will be available via tabletop QR code in support of contactless health standards and will also direct guests to the Story of ʻAlaea Salt. This Hawaiian salt is included in many of the menu options and will be available for sale at both the restaurant and Maui Ocean Treasures gift store.
Children will have access to the virtual Keiki Ocean Education Classroom. Created for children in grades K-5, kids can watch up to 15 fun and informative videos including material on marine-themed creatures and stories, introduction to Hawaiian words and they can learn fun at-home crafts.
Under Maui Ocean Center’s ongoing initiative, Mālama kekahi I kekahi (to take care of each other), the Health and Well-Being program is designed to give confidence that safety and health initiatives are providing a park experience with peace of mind. This program will be extended into Seascape Restaurant, including required government and health authority mandated and recommended guidelines; including but not limited to face masks, thermal temperature checks, contactless sanitization stations, clearly marked social distancing reminders and ongoing sanitization.
Due to required restaurant capacity guidelines, reservations are strongly recommended and will be taken via Yelp only, beginning on Thursday, April 1, 2021. Maui Ocean Center’s exclusive Nā Hoa Kai members will have reservation access one day early on Wednesday, March 30, 2021.
Maui Ocean Center’s three-phase reopening has proven successful with average visitation rising since Jan. 15, 2021. With the introduction of required reservations and pre-purchased tickets, real-time data indicated our visitors wish to visit the park earlier in the morning and later in the day after snorkeling activities, or on their way to the airport for their late afternoon or early evening flights. “Although cautiously optimistic, positive sentiment appears to be increasing and average park visitors continue to be on the incline”, said Tapani Vuori, General Manager. “We are delighted to expand our park hours by half an hour in the morning and afternoon to 9:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. and reopen the ever popular Seascape Restaurant with a fabulous menu that supports our local farmers and future sustainability”, said Vuori.


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Remember the massive-screened Samsung Infuse 4G that was announced back in January? If not, that doesn't come as much of a surprise, as this phone has found a way to stay out of the rumor mill since then. It couldn't stay silent forever, though, and now it has finally surfaced in a Walmart circular, accompanied by a $178.88 price tag (presumably with a new two-year agreement on AT&T). Unfortunately, there isn't an exact launch date listed, only that it's "available May 2011."
I'm sure a quick spec rundown is in order, so here you go:
- 4.5 Inch Super AMOLED Plus screen
- 1.2GHz Hummingbird Processor
- 16GB Internal storage, SD Card slot
- 8MP Rear camera with 1080P video capture, 1.3MP front camera
- Android 2.2
As you can tell, this phone is nothing to turn your nose up at. But if AT&T/Samsung can drop this phone at a (rumored) price of less than $200, then why can't VZW do the same with the DROID Charge?


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NantHealth announces a fresh round of layoffs following its poor Q2 results. Some of the affected employees are being re-assigned to Allscripts as part of previously announced product acquisitions.
Speaking at the Allscripts Client Experience conference, National Coordinator for Health IT Don Rucker, MD discusses the need to give consumers more control of healthcare spending, explaining “We know how to do pay-for-value as consumers when we’re spending our own money. If there’s anything Americans are good at, it’s knowing how to shop.”
The Medical Society of Delaware is working with blockchain technology company Symbiont to develop a blockchain-based solution to address the challenge prior authorization requirements pose.


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The discount will apply only to the first 800 shares they are allotted in the flotation in May, and they must hold them continuously until the payment is made. Alternatively, investors may opt for a one-for-15 share bonus on their first 1,200 shares.
The second instalment date will be announced on Monday with the prospectus, but SBC Warburg, global adviser to the sale, has already said it will be in the 1997 financial year, so that payments can be made in two financial years, doubling the amount that can be put into Peps.
The 15p discount is separate from a promised discount to the offer price when the issue is sold in May. Retail investors will be given a lower price than City and overseas institutions pay.
The Government is planning to sell a minimum 51 per cent of Railtrack, with at least 30 percent of the shares intended to go to individual retail investors as part of incentive-based packages.
The pathfinder prospectus is expected to announce a sale of 100 per cent of Railtrack. Railtrack shares are expected to offer a dividend yield in the region of 7 per cent.
London loan market sources said Railtrack had agreed the pounds 2.35bn loan it needs for its core future financing with a syndicate of eight banks led by Barclays Bank's BZW Syndications.Reuse content


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Shares of Johnson & Johnson attracted brisk trading late Thursday following news that the company was found to have infringed on Boston Scientific Corp.'s patents.
The Nasdaq-100 After Hours Indicator, which tracks the evening action of the technology-heavy index's leading shares, was down 0.12 point to 1,533.68.
Johnson & Johnson JNJ, +1.03% shares were last unchanged at $64.02, after climbing as high as $64.35, following Boston Scientific's announcement that a Dutch appeals court has overturned a lower court ruling and reinstated an injunction against the manufacture, use or sale in the Netherlands of six Johnson & Johnson products that were found to infringe a Boston Scientific balloon-catheter patent.
Boston Scientific BSX, +2.03% stock got a 1% bump to $24.64 following the news.
Shares of Mair Holdings Inc. MAIR plunged 14% to $4.05 after its subsidiary, a regional-flight operator for bankrupt Northwest Airlines NWACQ Mesaba Aviation Inc. filed for reorganization under Chapter 11, the company said Thursday evening.
The Eagan, Minn.-based air carrier cited financial pressure stemming from Northwest's own bankruptcy as a reason for its filing. See full story.
Broadwing Corp.'s BWNG, -4.33% shares sank 3.5% to $4.90 after its subsidiary, Broadwing Communications LLC, said that John McLeod has resigned as chief operating officer, effective Nov. 6.
Shares of Waters Corp. WAT, +0.76% dropped 7% to $38.49 after the company lowered its third-quarter outlook. The maker of analytical instruments said that it sees third-quarter earnings of 43 cents a share on sales growth of 3%. The Milford, Mass.-based firm previously had forecast third-quarter earnings of 47 cents a share on sales growth of 8%.
Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call had forecast third-quarter earnings of 48 cents a share on revenue of $287 million.
RF Monolithics Inc. RFMI dove more than 10% to $5.49 in thin trading after the company swung to a quarterly loss. The wireless-solutions provider reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $202,000, or 3 cents a share, on revenue of $11.5 million.


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A new study, reported in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, finds that adhering to a new diet, developed by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, can significantly lower the risk for developing Alzheimers.
The MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet is a hybrid of two other diet regimens (the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets) previously found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular conditions, like hypertension, heart attack and stroke.
The study shows that the MIND diet lowered the risk of AD by as much as 53 percent in participants who rigorously adhered to the diet, and by about 35 percent in those who followed it moderately well.
“One of the more exciting things about this is that people who adhered even moderately to the MIND diet had a reduction in their risk for AD,” said Martha Clare Morris, PhD, a professor, assistant provost for Community Research, and director of Nutrition and Nutritional Epidemiology at Rush. “I think that will motivate people.”
The MIND diet is also easier to follow than, say, the Mediterranean diet, which calls for daily consumption of fish and three to four daily servings of each of fruits and vegetables, Morris said.
The MIND diet has 15 dietary components, including 10 “brain-healthy food groups” — green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil and wine — and five unhealthy groups that comprise red meats, butter and stick margarine, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried or fast food.
The MIND diet includes at least three servings of whole grains, a salad and one other vegetable every day — along with a glass of wine. It also involves snacking most days on nuts and eating beans every other day or so, poultry and berries at least twice a week and fish at least once a week. Dieters must limit eating the designated "unhealthy" foods, especially butter (less than 1 tablespoon a day), cheese, and fried or fast food (less than a serving a week for any of the three), to have a real shot at avoiding the devastating effects of Alzheimer's, according to the study.
"Even moderate adherence to the MIND diet showed a statistically significant decreased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease," says study author Martha Clare Morris, a professor of epidemiology at Rush University in Chicago. "Neither the Mediterranean diet or DASH had that benefit with moderate adherence."


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New Delhi. It is reported that the Indian government has banned 50 more smartphone apps that may be of Chinese origin. Although no official list of banned apps has been released so far, a report by ET Now has given this information by quoting sources related to the government. This is the first lot of apps banned by the government in the year 2022 after banning a total of 270 Chinese apps in the year 2020.
It is being said that a popular smartphone game named Garena Free Fire has already disappeared from the Google Play store and Apple App Store and hence it seems that this game may be included in the new list of banned apps in India.
Note that we are still awaiting official confirmation from the game’s distributor, Garena International. Also, so far neither Apple nor Google has issued any statement regarding the disappearance of the game.
320 Apps in Ban List!
Very little official information has been revealed about the complete list of banned apps. However, as per the ET Now report, the new list of banned apps mostly consists of clones of apps that were already banned in India from 2020. With 50 more banned apps, the total list of apps that have been banned by the Indian government can reach around 320.
Let us tell you that the Government of India had earlier banned many popular apps including Tiktok and PUBG Mobile. While PUBG Mobile somehow made a comeback in India, Crafton set up a new office and broke ties with its Chinese partner, but TikTok remains banned in the country.
Tags: tech news


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Sony on Wednesday was struggling to ensure access to game-related websites that went offline apparently because of unpaid domain name bills.
Mark Pincus, who founded Zynga in 2007 and gave up his CEO title less than a year ago, is now giving up all his operational duties at the company.
A 5-year-old San Diego boy has been commended by Microsoft for his security skills after finding a vulnerability in the company's Xbox games console.
Mozilla and Unity Technologies are collaborating to make it easier for developers to create games that will run smoothly in a browser without plugins, thanks to technologies such as WebGL.
Yahoo has acquired Cloud Party, a gaming company specializing in virtual worlds, in another deal to give the search giant more engineering chops.
French network operator Orange has acquired a minority stake in the Japanese company G-cluster Global, as it looks to accelerate its mobile gaming push.
A portion of the North American user base of "League of Legends" (LoL) had its account information compromised by hackers, according to Riot Games, the company developing the popular online multiplayer game. Passwords and credit card numbers stored i...
A new variant of the Ramnit financial malware is using local Web browser injections in order to steal log-in credentials for Steam accounts, according to researchers from security firm Trusteer.
Hoping to strengthen its services for mobile users, Facebook has created a new program to encourage third-party developers to build games that will run on the company's mobile clients.
Zynga will get "back to basics" and take a "longer term view" of its business after reporting that its user base has declined by almost a half in the past year.
Zynga CEO Mark Pincus pursued Microsoft's Xbox chief for several months and had no other candidates in mind for the top job at the social games company, a source at Zynga said Monday.
Facebook is phasing out its Credits virtual payment system and will be transitioning all games integrated into the social network to a new local payments API by Sept. 12, the company announced Wednesday.
Security researchers found serious vulnerabilities in the engines of several popular first-person shooter video games that could allow attackers to compromise their online servers and the computers of players accessing them.
Google I/O has not officially started, but the developers' show is already seeing some action. Two warring factions, the Resistance and the Enlightenment, are vying for control of various "portals" at key landmarks throughout San Francisco, which are...
Instead of charging directly at the player in the craggy martian landscape, as they might do normally, the aliens zigzag to take cover behind boulders and outcrops of rock, adjusting their approach as the hero opts for a less conspicuous route to his...
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Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is a summary of a current article from MarketingCharts, a Watershed Publishing publication providing up-to-to-minute data and research to marketers.
The average cost of a 30-second Super Bowl spot has exceeded $3 million in the past couple of years and is expected to hit $4 million this year. Recent surveys suggests that the ads are as big a draw as the game itself, but some other pieces of research looking at advertising effectiveness, online sharing, and brand rankings are questioning their effectiveness as a purchase driver.
NRF projects that 181 million Americans will watch the game this year. What should be enticing to advertisers is Kantar Media's finding regarding last year's game was that tune-out during the average commercial was just 0.7 percent, several times smaller than the average 3-4 percent for regular programming. In fact, Kantar says that last year, the average Super Bowl commercial had an audience size that was 1.6 percent bigger than the average audience for the game.
That tallies with survey results from VB&P, which found that 78 percent of respondents would prefer to watch the Super Bowl with, rather than without, commercials.
Also encouraging for advertisers is Nielsen's findings that from 2003 through 2013, viewership grew from 43.4 million to 53 million TV homes, while the percentage of households viewing the game making more than $100,000 per year concurrently grew from 14 percent to 26.8 percent. In other words, more than one in four households that watched the Super Bowl last year had incomes of more than $100,000.
Interestingly, while Bloomberg Businessweek reports that Super Bowl ad sales have outgrown viewership in the past few decades, the advertising cost of $35 per thousand viewers last year was actually in line with other prime-time TV programs.
But a number of findings question the value of Super Bowl advertising:
Do you agree or disagree that most Super Bowl ads are worth the cost?


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On Monday April 15th the European Council approved negotiating mandates for two potential trade agreements between the European Union and the United States. This is a procedural but important step in the process, as it signifies that the leaders of all 28 EU Member States have given their approval for the European Commission to act on their behalf to formally launch negotiations with the U.S. on two potential trade agreements – one on conformity assessment, and the other on eliminating tariffs on industrial goods. Launching these negotiations is a direct outcome of the meeting between President Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker last July, as articulated in the Joint Statement.
While this is certainly a significant development in transatlantic relations, it’s important to note that the mandates are narrowly drawn, intended to achieve what EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström described as “two targeted agreements that will bring tangible benefits for people and economies on both sides of the Atlantic”. The mandate for an agreement on the elimination of tariffs on industrial goods, for example, explicitly excludes agricultural products, a key interest of the U.S. and a hard-line for the EU.
Another area excluded from the mandates is specific reference to digital trade. While it is feasible that any final agreement may have bearing on digital trade, such an objective is not stated in the official negotiating mandate from the European Council. We think that is a shame and a missed opportunity to signal the importance of digitally enabled trade to economies on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as the shared commitment to combating unfair global trading practices by agreeing to baseline rules. SIIA’s views on what a trade agreement with the EU should include can be found here.
Promoting digitally enabled trade is in and of itself an important objective for both the U.S. and EU. Although it is difficult to quantify the impact of cross-border data flows and value of digitally delivered services, a 2014 Brookings study found that the U.S. and EU exports of digitally deliverable services represent a majority of total services exports between the two partners — over 72 percent for the U.S. and 60 percent for the EU. Given the $1 trillion bilateral trade relationship between the U.S. and EU, the economic importance of cross-border data flows cannot be understated.
Furthermore, as the world’s two largest economies, any agreement that the U.S. and EU can reach on rules for digitally enabled trade will have global implications. In an increasingly polarized digital world, it is critical to stand with allies, and the more we can write favorable digital trade rules, such as the USMCA’s Chapter 19 on digital trade which provides for a binding cross-border data flow obligation and prohibition against data localization, the better we will stand in competition with more mercantilist adversaries. The joint-statement from President Trump and President Juncker included a commitment “to join forces to protect American and European companies better from unfair global trade practices” including intellectual property theft and forced technology transfer. We welcomed this statement and would have liked to have seen that reiterated in the negotiating mandate.
It is worth mentioning that both the U.S. and EU are motivated to conclude an agreement quickly. In the EU, European Parliament elections will be held in May 2019 which will lead to the formation of a new European Commission. This new Commission is not likely to take seat until the Fall at which time they will be occupied defining their policy objectives, so there is pressure to make significant headway while the current Commission is in place. For their part, the Trump Administration is keen to reach an agreement that they can be showcased as a win in the run-up to the 2020 Presidential Election.
That said we remain supportive of EU-U.S. trade negotiations and will continue to advocate for a positive agreement being concluded that promotes fair trading practices and strengthens economic activity, including within the digital sector, on both sides of the Atlantic.
Jesse Spector is the Director of Technology Policy at the Software & Information Industry Association.


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On Friday’s episode of Digital Trends Live, host Greg Nibler and DT senior writer Parker Hall discuss the biggest tech stories of the day, including SpaceX’s successful Starlink satellite launch, Facebook’s plans for a cryptocurrency to rival Bitcoin, the Senate passing a bill to curb robocalls, a Game of Thrones finale wrap-up, Tech Briefs, and more.
Todd Richmond, the director of the Tech & Narrative Lab, joins the show to talk about what a connected Internet of Things could mean to the technologies that help us curb pollution.
Later in the show we welcome Peter Yared, chief executive officer and founder of InCountry, a company that ensures business security by keeping personal and compliance data in its country of origin.
Nibler then sits down with Brent Hieggelke, chief marketing officer of Crowdstreet, a real estate crowdfunding platform for accredited investors.
Finally, Nibler is joined by Ken Yeung, technology editor at Flipboard, to round out the show with their weekly Tech Briefs segment, where they discuss the biggest tech stories of the past week.
- SpaceX makes its 100th successful launch with a Starlink mission
- TikTok lives, Prime Day announced, and more | Digital Trends Live
- YouTube vs. misinformation, apps v.s App Store, and more | Digital Trends Live
- Tesla’s Battery Day, Blue Origin’s New Shepard, and more | Digital Trends Live
- TikTok saga, Microsoft buys Bethesda, and more | Digital Trends Live


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|Day Low/High||20.48 / 20.48|
|52 Wk Low/High||9.10 / 39.81|
Given the sidestepping of trade restrictions for the European chipmakers, they could be poised to fill the void left by larger U.S. competitors that have long been dominant in the region.
Apple has fallen back to Earth in recent months and made an impact on a number of companies in doing so.
Apple Inc.'s European suppliers nursed heavy losses in early Monday trading as tech stocks continued to extend declines amid a global sector sell-off sparked by Friday's pullback on Wall Street.


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Get Volvo’s technology package. It will cost you an extra $2,100. But it’s worth every penny — one of the few automobile options packages that actually give you value for dollar.
I’d wager that governments worldwide, once they understand the lifesaving, property-sparing effectiveness of Volvo’s package, eventually will mandate that all, or at least some, aspects of that technology be sold as standard equipment on all new passenger cars.
For now, the technology is “available,” an industry euphemism for pricey optional stuff, on Volvo’s 2012 S60 entry-level luxury sedans — the front-wheel-drive T5 and all-wheel-drive T6, the latter of which is the subject of this week’s column.
I should say the secondary subject, because the car, in this case, plays a supporting role to its optional and standard safety equipment. That might be a surprise to most of the buying public, thanks to the behavior of Volvo’s top executives, who’ve been all agog over their recent discovery that sexy styling helps to sell cars. They’ve been as giddy as teenage boys in a high school locker room, effusively chattering about the sleek shape and hot looks of their new S60, even wasting millions of advertising dollars to declare the car “naughty.”
Note to Volvo’s leaders: It matters little what you do to the exterior and interior styling of Volvo’s passenger cars. They will never be “naughty,” no more than replacing clerical garb with a suit and tie makes the wearer “naughty.” Naughtiness resides in the soul. And the soul of Volvo, since producing its first car in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1927, has been all about goodness — safe passage, reliability, innovation.
That is what we have in the optional technology package on the 2012 S60 T6 sedan. Imagine a car that automatically and fully applies its brakes a few feet before it otherwise would have slammed into a child (at least 31 inches tall) or adult who runs or steps into the path of the oncoming car. Volvo’s patented pedestrian-detection system, using a combination of cameras and radar, does that at speeds of up to 22 mph.
It did so in recent media tests in Northern Virginia. It did it again in what I am beginning to think is the most dangerous parking facility in the Washington metropolitan area — the Green parking structure at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington. Pedestrians, many of them outpatients going to or leaving doctor’s offices, routinely step into the paths of incoming or outgoing automobiles.
One such pedestrian leaving a VHC building in early April entered the garage, started walking in one direction, abruptly changed his mind and started walking in the opposite direction — directly in front of the S60 T6 that I was driving that week.
The car braked suddenly. I thanked God there was no car following me (a possible hazard with the pedestrian-detection system). The pedestrian continued moving, blessedly unaware of how close he came to being sent back to the doctor’s office, or to a hospital bed.
The pedestrian-detection system, as currently designed, isn’t perfect. There is, for example, the real possibility that automatically braking to spare a pedestrian could result in someone plowing into the rear of your car. And, as other tests have noted, it does not work in all conditions in sparing pedestrians, either. But it worked that time in the VHC parking structure. And for that, I’m willing to give it a green light for further development.
In conjunction with the pedestrian-detection system, the optional Volvo technology package also provides several other electronic notices for driver inattention — lane-departure and blind-spot warnings, impending-collision warning with automatic braking assistance, and front and rear parking proximity warnings.
Other car manufacturers, of course, have pioneered safety devices such as lane-departure and blind-spot warning systems. Volvo has integrated those with its pedestrian-detection system. As a result, in the matter of safety, it gets the nod here.
As for “naughtiness,” I wish Volvo and other car companies would dispense with that silliness, and I apologize here and now for my many columns over the years promoting the same stupidity. The reality is that there is not much hot, sexy or naughty about cars that can run at breathtaking speeds in a highly regulated world that voids their prowess, in which the availability and price of oil has become a literal matter of life and death, and in which traffic-congested roads and highways have become the norm instead of the exception.
That said, yes, the 2012 S60 sedan is probably the best-looking car ever penned by Volvo. Its turbocharged 3-liter in-line six-cylinder engine (300 horsepower, 325 foot-pounds of torque) is an absolute delight on roads where you can come close to exploiting its potential without going to jail, a hospital, or both. The all-wheel-drive system increases traction and, thus, driver confidence on wet, twisty roads.
In short, the 2012 Volvo S60 is a winner. But it’s less of one without the optional technology package. Get it. It could spare you heartache, headache, and a lot of unnecessary legal and financial pain.


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ALBANY, N.Y. — Senator Chuck Schumer followed up on his vow to keep what he calls the “kool aid” of underage drinking off of store shelves Friday.
The senator appeared at the Albany Boys and Girls Club to speak out against the legalization of powdered alcohol, also known as palcohol.
He says the product can be snorted, added to food and drinks, and is easily concealed.
Palcohol is currently going through a federal label approval process and Schumer said it could be on store shelves this fall. He wants to stop it from going on shelves, calling on the FDA to investigate and prohibit it from being sold.
Schumer said it is a dangerous product that will easily find its way into the hands of teens. And Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Justin Reuter says there is a whole other level of consumption here that nobody knows anything about.
He spends his days creating a safe place for the children of Albany at the club, and now he worries powdered alcohol or ‘palchol’ could be the latest threat to his kids.
“It’s going to hit the market, problems are going to occur, there’s going to be overdoses all over the place. I mean it’s scary,” he said.
Opponents of the product say it will lead to snorting, abuse, and is likely land in the hands of children.
But the makers of the product are fighting back in a video demonstration on YouTube.
“The last straw was Senator Schumer’s recent request to the FDA to ban Palcohol,” said Mark Philips, founder of palcohol.
In the video he denounces all allegations that his product is dangerous.
“All of those statements couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said.
But substance abuse experts like Laura Combs, Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator for Capital Region BOCES, still have their doubts.
“We don’t know the impact,” she said.
And she says the problem will occur when packages combining one shot of powdered alcohol are combined.
“Kids mixing a couple of the bags together along with alcohol, are you going to get a binge drinking situation?”
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau did briefly give approval to palcohol labels, only to take it back due to what it calls technical issues with the amount of powder in each package.
Schumer stresses the passage of the product is imminent, but says he will continue to call on the FDA to stop the product in its tracks before it reaches the hands of New York children.


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Assassin’s Creed Mirage will be the next entry in the franchise, Ubisoft confirmed in a tweet Thursday. The news came after multiple leaks of the game began showing up on social media.
The game publisher didn’t provide any other details aside from a promotional image of the game, saying more will be revealed at the company’s event, Ubisoft Forward, on Sept. 10 at 12 p.m. PT/ 3 p.m. ET.
Leaks about Assassin’s Creed Mirage showed up Sunday in a video made by French YouTuber j0nathan, who uploaded a video about the game. One Twitter account posted details from the video, saying the next game will take place in Iraq during the 860s and have fewer gameplay elements than the previous game, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, while being more similar to the first game in the series that was released back in 2007.
There were also some additional promotional images of the game posted on Twitter Thursday.


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New Medal of Honor 'not' a BC2 clone
The new Medal of Honor is definitely not a clone of Battlefield: Bad Company 2, BC developer DICE have assured.
Bad Company 2 has been with us for several weeks, and DICE are contributing the multiplayer mode to Medal of Honor, while EA LA work on the main bulk of the singleplayer experience.
Despite DICE's involvement in both games, however, we're assured that Medal of Honor's multiplayer mode won't be a copy of BC2's.
"It's just like if you went and saw one action move and then another one came out that year, you're not gonna say, 'Oh, I'm not going to go see that one.' If it was the same director, maybe you'd want to go see that other one even more," enthuses DICE's Gordon van Dyke.
- Borderlands 2 writer leaving Gearbox to join Freddie Wong's RocketJump production company
- Bloodborne will be harder than Demon's Souls and features procedurally generated dungeons
- Hearthstone users pass the 75 million mark, new expansion on the way says new report
- Square Enix unveils the Final Fantasy Type-0 Collector's Edition
- Life Is Strange arrives today
- SEGA cuts jobs in the biggest strategic shift since they binned the Dreamcast
- Big new update arrives for Frozen Cortex
- Introversion's Prison Architect will see its full launch this year, mobile version announced
- Ken Levine's next game is a first-person sci-fi title


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Apple is turning its considerable resources and expertise to manufacturing face masks for medical personnel amid the ongoing crisis.
It’s official: T-Mobile and Sprint have merged to create the New T-Mobile.
The latest Zoom update removes the Facebook SDK responsible for the app sharing data with Facebook, even if a user did not have a Facebook account.
iFixit has done another of their in-depth teardowns of a new computer and the results…
We’re done with talking about if it is a good idea to digitally transform, says ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott. Now the conversation has shifted to how quickly can you get me there.
Apple’s Safari web browser joins the Tor browser as one of only two that fully block all third-party cookies.
Firefox has announced the launch of a new Test Pilot program, Better Web with Scroll, aimed at improving the web experience for both publishers and users.
Apple has announced that developers can now include macOS versions of their apps as part of a universal purchase.
Apple may still release its AirPower wireless charging mat that was cancelled roughly a year ago.


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The second of Valve Software's promised three announcements this week is the logical follow-up to the first: living room PCs to run the company's upcoming Steam OS. This is not particularly new information--Valve has publicly stated that it has been working with a dozen or so hardware companies to develop computers for living room gaming. Valve co-founder Gabe Newell was at CES and E3 this year to meet with those OEMs, including companies like Xi3, which showed off its Piston box in January.
What's new, then is Valve's announcement that it is making its own "high-performance" prototype, which it will be putting in the hands of only 300 lucky testers by the end of this year--talk about a golden ticket. There are no other spec details for this prototype box, but Valve says it will be "upgradeable and open". There's no reason to believe that Valve is using proprietary hardware here that would make it functionally any different from a Linux box you could build yourself--especially with Nvidia's recent renewed commitment to development Linux drivers for its video cards.
Specs for Valve's Steam Machines program may not be one rigid set of requirements, as Newell has said that the company is targeting different classes of Steam Machines for different use cases. In an interview with The Verge at CES, Newell mentioned a Good-Better-Best structure for hardware, where the baseline would be low-cost machines that could perform video streaming but not have dedicated GPUs. In that interview, Newell indicated that the "best" class of machine would target high performance with quiet acoustics and a living-room appropriate form factor. Partner OEM Steam Machine boxes are anticipated to go on sale next year.
Valve's final announcement this week will come on Friday at 10am PST.


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Durban - The saga now commonly referred to as “the six-nine-nine cars” is far from over, and I’m busy investigating a few humdinger cases involving grossly inaccurate information on credit application forms, and a car sold as new when its registration history says otherwise.
But here’s a story of somebody who thought he had a good credit record but could not get a bank to finance a used car.
The 30-year-old, who asked to be identified only by his first name, Andrew, explained: “I’m trying to get vehicle finance but the only answer I get from financial institutes is that my credit scoring is too low or bad.
“I don’t have any judgments or defaults on my name, and all my current accounts are paid on time and up to date. The only thing that reflects on my credit report is that I have ‘39 enquiries’ but, as stated on my credit summary, ‘the enquiry that is recorded will not adversely affect your credit standing’.
“Please look into this matter, as I’m getting married next year, and this issue has been going on since last year, which has affected my life depressingly and my future progress in purchasing a vehicle and a house.”
“It’s like I’m blacklisted but I can’t see why.”
Since Andrew had attached his TransUnion credit report, I asked that bureau’s Carla Gilmour if she could shed light on why someone with an apparently good record was having such trouble getting credit.
“Based solely on the information contained in the consumer’s credit report, a lender would determine whether or not the consumer is in good standing,” she began.
“But each lender has their own policies and affordability assessments they use to arrive at a decision and it’s the lender’s responsibility to disclose to the consumer the reason for not granting credit.”
Gilmour confirmed that a “high number of enquiries” by various lenders could affect a credit provider’s willingness to approve an application, as the consumer would be considered “credit hungry”.
How ironic – the more someone tries to get credit, the less the likelihood of them getting it, as each enquiry noted on their record makes them appear more desperate.
Andrew responded: “If that’s the case, when I was shopping online for the best rates, in regards to finance, there was no product awareness or information stating that if you apply, it could affect your credit standing.
“According to my Trans-Union report, my scoring is high. Please check with finance houses for a justification and a solution.”
I was happy to oblige.
Trevor Browse, managing executive for Motor Finance Corporation at Nedbank, one of the lenders that turned Andrew down this year, said Andrew’s concern that his application was declined purely because of his bureau score was “unsubstantiated”.
“The behavioural score received from the credit bureau was average with no defaults or judgments reflecting. Factors that may have led to the application being declined include the fact that he applied for a 2006 vehicle, and a principal debt of R74 110, when the retail value of the car is R66 300, and the trade-in value is R56 200.
“As MFC we are unable to comment on the client’s concern regarding the number of enquiries to his bureau profile.”
MFC only made one enquiry when the application was received in May and the same bureau information was used when we received an updated vehicle finance request for the client in June.”
WesBank said Andrew had made four arrears payments on an account “a while back”, but that was not the reason for the decline.
“The equity on the asset – an eight-year-old car – he wants to purchase is very high,” a spokesman said.
“This means that the vehicle he is applying for is being sold for more than what the actual value of that car should be, and as such poses a risk for both the client and WesBank.
“The car is also bordering on the maximum age that we would consider for finance.”
“Therefore, considering all of these factors, not in isolation but a combined view, the application was declined.
“The customer can improve the odds for his application to be approved by choosing a newer car which is priced more appropriately. Also, he should consider paying a deposit, or increasing the deposit.”
Strange, then, that the only answers Andrew says he was given for the declines was related to his credit record, not the overpricing.
The National Credit Act states that on request from a consumer, the credit provider must give, in writing, the “dominant reason” for refusal.
Of course, the “pay a deposit or increase the deposit” advice brings to mind the “R699pm” Satinsky car deal, given that the thousands who were granted those bank loans paid no deposits at all.
Coupled with relatively high interest rates, they now pay hefty monthly instalments on less popular entry-level cars for the rest of a six-year term.
SATINSKY VICTIMS FOBBED OFF BY FINANCE DIVISION
Unlike Absa, which has been willing to discuss the individual “R699 per month” cases which I raised with them, Nedbank has clearly taken a view they will not.
Last week, I raised the case of Bradley Downs, who alleges the expenditure he declared to a Satinsky rep when applying for the deal is not what appears on his Motor Finance Corporation credit application, with the division.
For those new to this story, the deal saw consumers being supplied with entry-level cars by Satinsky, and then made to sign two contracts - one making them responsible to pay the full instalment over six years to a bank, and a second with a promotions company, in terms of which they’d get paid a monthly advertising fee for carrying advertising stickers on their car.
If they chose the cheapest car and drove more than 2000km a month, they could end up paying just R699 a month for that new car, it was claimed, thanks to being paid the ad fee.
The advertising deal has now collapsed, leaving them without the instalment subsidy they’d come to rely on.
Downs says he gave Satinsky a full breakdown of his expenses, but on the credit application, his expenses total a modest R3500.
He has since told an MFC staffer that his expenses figures were altered, but claims this did not go down well.
“I was told that it isn’t their problem as I signed the contract. They also stated that they do not take my expenditure into consideration, and when I asked how they determine affordability, the consultant became rude and aggressive,” he says.
Downs is not alone in alleging that his declared monthly expenses total was reduced in order for these loans to be approved.
So I asked MFC whether the bank had asked for proof of what was submitted by the applicants and whether senior employees had looked at the credit applications and identified red flags in the stated expenses.
I also asked what, if anything, the bank was doing to help people such as Downs.
This was the bank’s response: “Thank you for bringing Mr Downs’s concerns to our attention. We will contact the client directly to address his concerns.
“We understand that the non-payment of the marketing refunds that clients received from the Satinsky Group may place a strain on some clients.
“MFC clients affected by this unfortunate matter can send an e-mail to R699Queries @mfc.co.za and a dedicated team will assess each request and assist the clients where possible.
“MFC is not privy to nor involved with these agreements between the car buyer and the motor dealership as these are entered into only once the bank finance contract has been signed and accepted by the car buyer and the vehicle value paid out to the dealership.
“As such, MFC assesses the client’s application for finance based on the full vehicle value, full instalment amount and affordability within the responsible lending framework of the National Credit Act.
“At no stage is any form of dealership rebate, subsidy or lead fee factored into MFC’s financing decision. We encourage the affected customers to contact Just Group Africa to seek a resolution.”
MAKE THAT CALL
The National Credit Act entitles you to one free credit report a year. If you want another report in the same year, you will be asked to pay an admin fee of about R20.
Here’s some excellent motivation: According to credit bureau TransUnion, of those consumers who challenge their impaired credit status, 70 percent end up with the adverse listing being removed.
But less than one percent of consumers check their credit report annually, despite the free offer and the fact that they are likely to have unjustified blacklistings on their record.
Contact details of three major credit bureaus:
TransUnion: 0861 886 466.
Experian: 0861 105 665.
XDS: 011 645 9100.
If you disagree with a listing, lodge a dispute with the credit bureau. If, after 20 days, the listing remains, contact the ombudsman at 0861 662 837.
DID YOU KNOW?
A credit provider is legally required to ask a consumer for permission to view their credit profile.


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UNWTO has released its latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer figures and it has come up with some interesting cross-border tourism stats.
The Palestine Territories has come out at top of the list of fastest growing nations with a rise of 57.8%, albeit from a very low starting point.
The figures shows that destinations worldwide received 369 million international tourists (overnight visitors) in the first four months of 2017 – which is a huge leap, 21 million to be precise in terms of the same period in 2016.
The results are surprising which highlighted the fastest growing tourists destinations of 2017, based on the international arrivals. Countries such as Egypt and Tunisia, despite the socio-political turbulence in the scenarios have seen a higher graph in the tourism numbers. Along with Iceland and Vietnam, Mongolia is also emerging as one of the most prominent tourism destinations.
- Palestinian territories: up 57.8%. (400,000 visitors in 2016).
- Egypt: up 51%. (5.26 million visitors in 2016).
- Northern Mariana Islands: up 37.3%. (531,000 visitors in 2016).
- Iceland: up 34.9%. (1.79 million visitors in 2016).
- Tunisia: up 32.5%. (5.7 million visitors in 2016).
- Vietnam: up 31.2%. (10 million visitors in 2016).
- Uruguay: up 30.2%. (3 million visitors in 2016).
- Nicaragua: up 28.4%. (1.5 million visitors in 2016).
- Mongolia: up 28.3%. (404,000 visitors in 2016).
- Israel: up 25.1%. (2.9 million visitors in 2016).
Mark Bibby Jackson
Latest Travel News
- July 16 - August 15
- August 5 - August 14
- August 5 - August 29
- August 5 - August 28
- August 8 - August 15


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This just in: Outback pulled an Applebee’s
(and a Chili’s
and an Olive Garden
) by serving a four-year-old and two teenagers alcoholic beverages
. Your move, Friday’s.
Meanwhile, Walmart is feeling the holiday cheer—or maybe it’s anticipating a Tiny Tim Christmas—by announcing plans to bring back its layaway program
, which the retailer scrapped back in 2006.
Speaking of revenue, despite a continually poor economy and high unemployment levels, the summer box office set a new record this year, reporting a take of $4.4 billion
Another big number: 260 million. That’s how many watts of electricity Google’s global data centers continue to use—enough to power some 200,000 homes. Here’s its defense
Why stop now? According to The Holmes Report
’s 2011 global ranking of PR firms
, Edelman moved up the list to No. 1, from No. 3 last year. It also improved its fee incomes 20 percent to about $531.5 million. Weber Shandwick was No. 2 on this year’s list ($525 million), while Fleishman-Hillard ($505 million) took the No. 3 spot. (via PRNewser
Keeping those BIG numbers rolling in, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo has announced the social network now has 100 million worldwide active users
Costolo also promised big advertising growth with plans that will expand its ad model to allow brands and clients to reach a much broader audience. According to Adweek
, Costolo said that “the service has so many people (100 million active users) and so many tweets that it can show ‘a super-small volume of tweets to an active user’ and still create “monumental” ad inventory.’”
And I don’t know how much you’d spend on football tickets, but ESPN just reached a deal with the NFL to broadcast 17 regular season games for $1.9 billion a year
. Sure, they also get rights to the Pro Bowl, NFL draft, 3-D distribution and Spanish language and international broadcasts, along more than 500 hours of NFL-branded studio programing, but come on.
It’s a shame I won’t be able to watch any of those games, as my (in)DirecTV has been out for the last two weeks. But I can’t hold that against Deion. These spots are good. The guac, on the other hand, has a lot more in common with my current cable service.
Have a good weekend, everyone. Watch plenty of TV for me. I’ll have to visit Hulu—or cry in front of my flat screen. Probably the latter.
Maybe I’ll just go have a drink at Outback. Hope I’m young enough.


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LONDON — In the latest penalty against Meta for violating European privacy rules, the tech giant was fined roughly $275 million on Monday for a data leak, discovered last year, that led to the personal information of more than 500 million Facebook users being published online.
The penalty, imposed by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, brings the fines that the regulator has imposed on Meta since last year to more than $900 million. In September, the same regulator fined the company roughly $400 million for its mistreatment of children’s data. In October last year, Irish authorities fined Meta, which was previously called Facebook, 225 million euros, or about $235 million, for violations related to its messaging service WhatsApp.
The accumulating penalties will be a welcome sign to privacy groups that want to see European Union regulators more aggressively enforce the General Data Protection Regulation. The law was hailed as a landmark moment in the regulation of technology companies when it took effect in 2018, but regulators have since faced criticism for not applying the rules strongly enough.
Ireland has been under pressure because of the key role it plays in enforcing E.U. data protection rules. The country polices tech companies’ compliance with the 2018 law because companies such as Meta, Google and Twitter put their E.U. headquarters in Ireland. TikTok, which also set up a E.U. hub in Ireland, is the subject of another investigation there.
The fine issued on Monday stems from an investigation started last year by Irish regulators into reports that Facebook had not safeguarded its platform against being “scraped” for information, leading to the publication on an online hacker forum of data that included users’ names, locations and birth dates, in violation of rules that require companies to safeguard personal information.
Meta said in a statement that “unauthorized data scraping is unacceptable and against our rules.” The company said it had changed its policies to prevent such practices. Meta did not say whether it would appeal the decision, as it has for the Instagram and WhatsApp penalties.
Meta is not the only tech giant facing scrutiny. Last year, Amazon was fined nearly €750 million over its online advertising practices by regulators in Luxembourg, where it has its European headquarters. In January, Google was fined €150 million by French regulators because users were not given an adequate way to decline so-called cookie trackers used by online advertisers to trace a person’s internet browsing history.


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From Apple’s third-quarter results statement:
“We’re thrilled with record sales of 17 million iPads in the June quarter,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We’ve also just updated the entire MacBook line, will release Mountain Lion tomorrow and will be launching iOS 6 this Fall. We are also really looking forward to the amazing new products we’ve got in the pipeline.”
So there you have it, folks. Mountain Lion is due tomorrow, July 25th. Apple staged a similar release schedule last year with Lion (the day after Apple’s third-quarter earnings announcement).


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Apple’s September event, happening Tuesday, has traditionally been a big show, but it’s 2020.
This year there won’t be any crowds and there probably won’t be a new version of the company’s big moneymaker, the iPhone. Angelo Zino, an analyst at CFRA, said that’s because “there have been supply chain issues.”
Zino said Apple is probably going to announce an updated iPad and a new watch. A phone needs all kinds of chips and semiconductors for wireless connectivity, “whereas you may not need that in every Apple Watch,” he said.
Apple will probably debut its 5G-connected iPhone next month — not only because of the supply chain issues, but also because releasing the phone later may help Apple move more of them, Zino said.
“As you get closer to the holiday selling season, you’re almost guaranteed that demand should be stronger,” he said.
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Even before the pandemic, Apple was pushing products that were skimpier on the hardware, said Third Bridge analyst Scott Kessler.
“What Apple has really been doing is almost de-emphasizing the importance of the iPhone by increasingly investing and innovating in some of these other areas,” Kessler said.
Namely content, said Mike Smith, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Last year, Apple launched its video streaming service. This year, he said, the company may bundle its services — music, news, TV and cloud storage — and sell it as a single subscription.
“This is a way from Apple to transition from being a hardware company to a services company that also sells hardware,” Smith said.
With services, “you don’t have to rely on that traditional supply chain and distribution chain,” Smith said.
Plus, he said, bundling and hosting all that content would give Apple more information about its customers.


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- Exynos 2300 chip is said to be in the works
- A modified version of the chip may power the Google Pixel 8 Pro
- The chip is likely to be dubbed the Tensor G3
Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are said to be equipped with the next-generation Google Tensor G3 chipset, which is yet to go official. Samsung is known for releasing its Galaxy flagships with Exynos and Snapdragon chipsets in different markets. The Galaxy S21 series was made available on the Exynos 2100 and Snapdragon 888 chipsets. Owing to the power response of the Exynos chip, the Galaxy S22 and S23 series across the world are powered by Snapdragon chipsets.
A recent report said that while Samsung is working on the Exynos 2300 SoC, the company will not release Exynos versions of the Galaxy S24 line. The main features of the Exynos 2300 chipset have now been made public thanks to new information. A reconfigured version of the said chip is likely to be marketed as the Tensor G3, which will power the Pixel 8 series.
Also Read: Google Pixel 8 Pro design revealed from angles via CAD renders
Exynos 2300 specifications (rumoured)
The Exynos 2300 is said to have the “Quadra” codename. It is expected to include a prime Cortex-X3 CPU core operating at 3.09GHz, four ARM Cortex-A715 performance cores running at 2.65GHz, and four ARM Cortex-A510 efficiency cores clocking at 2.10GHz. For graphics, the chipset will come equipped with a Samsung Xclipse 930 GPU. The Exynos 2300 is also said to be equipped with a special core for One UI optimisation.
As mentioned, Samsung and Google could be working together on a modified version of the Exynos 2300. This chipset is likely to be dubbed the Tensor G3 and could power the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. To recall, the original Tensor chip was a modified version of the Exynos 2100, and the Tensor G2 SoC is a tweaked edition of the Exynos 2200.
Hence, it appears that Samsung did not officially launch the Exynos 2300 SoC. It is also being said that there may not be a commercial version of the Exynos 2400. However, the Galaxy S25 series, which is expected to debut in 2025, may come equipped with the Exynos 2500 SoC.
The Exynos 2500 is likely to feature two X5 high-performance cores, two Cortex-A7xx performance cores, four Cortex-A5xx efficiency cores., an AMD RDNA2 GPU, and a special One UI optimization core. It is also expected to include an NPU unit for AI and machine learning.
The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are expected to launch in October 2023. However, the Pixel Fold foldable phone and Pixel 7a are expected to launch through the Google I/O 2023 event in May.


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A Norwich brewer and a local barista join forces for a fresh new brew
- Credit: SIMON FINLAY
A Norwich brewer has joined forces with a local barista to launch an innovative new stout with a caffeine kick.
The team from Redwell Brewery has linked up with Norwich café Kofra Coffee to create a special beer combining roasted barley, chocolate malt and seasonal coffee from Central America.
According to the firms, the Kofra Stout has aromas of freshly brewed coffee, roasted malts, a light treacle sweetness, the taste of chocolate digestive biscuits and a smooth creamy finish.
The beer, which is being sold by retailers and pubs in 300ml cans, was launched this week.
Nate Southwood, marketing manager of Redwell, said: 'Our head brewer David Jones has wanted to brew a coffee stout for us since he brewed one at Helsingborgs Brewery in Sweden, so we got talking to Jose and Caitlin from Kofra in Norwich, who were equally excited about the prospect of brewing a collaboration.
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'They first came to the brewery and hosted a coffee-tasting session with us, which was fascinating, seeing people talk about and describe coffee with the same passion with which we talk about beer.
'We're just so excited to work alongside another local business to bring a collaboration of two different, yet similar crafts to the market and can't wait for people to try the beer.'
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Redwell Brewery – which produces craft beer at its site in Bracondale and runs four pubs around Norwich – recently opened a gin distillery at the Ten Bells, on St Benedicts Street.
Jose De Leon Guzman, of Kofra Coffee, based on Unthank Road outside Norwich's Roman Catholic Cathedral, said: 'Kofra was two years in the making and the primary idea has been to showcase the best speciality coffee we could get our hands on.
'Although we like to prepare and serve espresso-based drinks our heart is on filter coffee.
'The name Kofra comes from the Spanish word 'cofradia' which means brotherhood or society. We wanted to be known as a coffee brotherhood.
'The coffee we have chosen for the Kofra Stout collaboration with Redwell is a blend of two on season beans – 66pc is from a coffee from Guatemala Special Reserve Lot 2, a town called Huehuetenango, and the remaining 34pc is a coffee from the Costa Rica, a farm called Tarrazu.
'We only like to work with people that share the same passion as us about creating products that stand out based on quality and we could not be happier and honoured to work with the Redwell team.
'We are already looking forward to future collaborations.'
Do you have a business story for the Eastern Daily Press? Contact business editor Ben Woods on 01603 772426 or email email@example.com


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TMZ has learned the secret identity of the two beer bottles Steven Slater allegedly grabbed right before he activated the emergency slide and made his heroic escape -- Blue Moon.
According to multiple eyewitnesses, Slater swiped the two BMs during his theatrical departure on Monday -- the newest brew on the airline's in-flight beer list.
The bottles usually go for about $6 on board -- but we're guessing Slater got a very special employee discount.
Slater's Emergency Beer -- Twice in a Blue Moon
8/14/2010 10:10 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
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July 09, 2008 by Rachel Cericola
Those of you with a converter box coupon burning a whole in your pocket (or on the brink of expiration), may want to blow that thing on Zenith’s new DTT901.
This new digital TV converter box includes analog pass-through, which will allow viewers to pick up low-power TV stations.
“The CBA is pleased that Zenith digital-to-analog converter boxes are now offered exclusively with the important analog pass-through feature,” said Greg Herman, VP of technology for the Community Broadcasters Association (CBA). “We tested the new Zenith DTT901 in April and find it to be a sound solution for the millions of viewers who require the ability to receive analog as well as digital broadcast signals. Zenith has long been a major player in the digital TV transition, and we’re delighted that all new Zenith converter boxes have analog pass-through capability.”
The unit delivers a small footprint, at 8 x 7 x 2 inches. Aside from boasting energy efficiency, the DTT901 also comes with a remote control, which offers one-touch control over closed-captioning, access to a program guide, a sleep timer, and Second Audio Program info.
“Some people are surprised at the strong interest in converter boxes,” said Richard M. Lewis, Zenith’s senior VP. “We recognize that many consumers who require a converter box for digital channels also will continue to enjoy low-power analog stations after next February, and including the popular analog pass-through feature provides the means to achieve this important goal.”
Zenith’s DTT901 is available now. Without the coupon, it will cost you $59.95.
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Over the past 15 years, Rachel Cericola has covered entertainment, web and technology trends. Check her out at www.rachelcericola.com.
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Announcing our Feeds integration with Radar
–Originally posted on the Radar blog–
Earlier this year, we announced our integration with mParticle, which allowed mParticle customers like Via and SeatGeek to add location context and tracking to their apps with fewer than 10 lines of code. Today, we’re excited to announce that Radar is available as an mParticle Feeds integration.
With this server-to-server integration, mParticle customers can forward Radar Geofences, Insights, and Places events to mParticle, using those events to enrich customer data with location context and to build target audiences for location-based campaigns.
For example, a shopping app might build an audience of all users who have visited a Best Buy in the last 30 days:
Or, a travel app might build an audience of all users who are currently traveling:
mParticle customers can also forward events and audiences to integrations like Amplitude, Mixpanel, Urban Airship, Google Analytics, Amazon Redshift, and more.
A shopping app might connect Radar to Amplitude to understand where a user made an in-app purchase:
Or, a ticketing app might connect Radar to Urban Airship to send a push notification when a user arrives at a stadium:
mParticle customers can start using this integration today. Contact us for more information!
By: Ryan Sloan, Senior Software Engineer at Radar
Latest from mParticle
What’s new at mParticle, June 2018
To serve our customers in a rapidly-changing environment, mParticle is constantly expanding its ecosystem with new partners and integrations. These are the integrations we added in June 2018.
One-to-one engagement powered by machine learning
Learn how Overstock uses mParticle as the foundation for their AI-driven personalization engine, which allows them to deliver the right message, to the right customer, at the right time.
Meet with mParticle at TUNE's Postback 2018
Request a meeting with the mParticle team in Seattle from July 19 through June 20th.
Get started with mParticle today
Connect with an mParticle expert to discuss how to integrate and orchestrate customer data the right way for your business.


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Women’s footwear sales in Australia rose by an average of 7.3% in the last financial year to an annual rate of $8.1 billion, according to research firm Wollongong-based shoe and shoe industry data provider Footwear Brands Australia.
The figures represent the first year-on-year increase in women’s footwear since 2009.
In 2017, the average sales of women’s boots, shoes and shoes for men reached $2.5 billion, with the average shoe selling for $1,400.
Footwear Brand Australia chief executive, Rebecca McAllister, said the data showed that the growth in women-focused footwear and accessories was in part driven by an increase in the number of women wearing the items.
“As a society we’ve seen women wear the footwear and the accessories we wear, it’s a way of communicating to ourselves that we can look stylish and feminine without necessarily needing to be the most physically active member of society,” Ms McAllisters said.
“And with a growing number of young women opting for a more casual lifestyle, they’re looking to wear shoes that are more supportive, more functional and less bulky than what’s been available before.”
Footwear brands such as Aravon, Wolky, Wollocky, Arco and Ziggity all reported strong sales figures for the year, while brands like Footwear Australia’s latest Women’s shoe figures are up by an annual average of 8.3%.
Wollokogu-based footwear brand Ziggety, which was founded in 1882, has had strong growth in the past year, selling 1.2 million women’s footwear in 2017, up 12% from the previous year.
Women’s footwears are now one of the biggest categories of footwear sales, with women making up more than a quarter of shoe buyers.
Footwares that cater to women are increasingly popular with young women, Ms McWeever said.
Footware sales are also increasing in men’s footwear.
Footworks has reported strong growth, with annual sales increasing by 12.5% in 2016, to $1.1bn, according for Footworks Australian chief executive Stephen Jones.
Footwork products such as socks, shorts, socks with a heel, sneakers and flip flops are also on the rise, Mr Jones said.
The growth of women-centric footwear and footwear accessories has seen a rise in the amount of money women are spending on shoes, and women are now spending on footwear at a higher rate than men, Ms Jones said, adding that this was driven by the rise of the online retail industry and an increase of the popularity of women who were looking for footwear that was more functional.
“For women who are more physically active, this is an opportunity to go out and find a pair of shoes that can support that activity,” she said.
She said that the majority of women are not buying footwear from men’s brands, with female shoppers spending more on footwear online.
“Women are spending more time on social media, they are spending less time shopping at the physical retail store,” Ms Jones told ABC Radio Melbourne.
“So there is a shift in spending.”
Footworks Australia also said that women were spending more money on shoes online, with online shopping account for 17.9% of the company’s sales in 2016.
“We are seeing that there are women who shop online for a wider variety of brands and footwear,” Ms Williams said.
Australian women are buying more women’s clothing, shoes, boots and footwear, with footwear sales up by a higher proportion than men’s, Footwear Marketing chief executive and executive director Lisa Burt said.
Ms Burt told ABC Breakfast that the data also showed a shift away from men-specific footwear.
“The trend is for men’s boots to be a much more premium, more luxury type of shoe,” she told Breakfast.
“In terms of footwear, the trend is not as much for men as women buying more of the women’s-specific brands and there are a lot of women shopping for women’s styles in the men’s section, she said


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Petroleum products prices are expected to increase with effect from Friday June 08.
This is according to a press release issued by the Petroleum Fund on Thursday. The release states that the main reason for the increase is the current increases of crude oil price in international market which has resulted in the products experiencing unit slate under recoveries as well as drop in.
According to the release, pump petrol price will be increased by .75 lisente and .70 lisente per litre for petrol 93 and petrol95 respectively, and both grades of diesel (50 and 500 parts per million Sulphur will be increased by .65 lisente per litre while wholesale price of illuminating paraffin will also be increased by .40 lisente per litre.
The new retail petrol prices countrywide in all the zones are uniform and will be M12.35 for petrol93, M12.50 for petrol95, diesel (500) M12.80, Diesel (50) M13.05 per litre and domestic paraffin M9.05.
It continues to appeal to all retailers to charge proper prices because it is illegal to charge prices that are different from the officially published ones.
It states that there have been tendencies in the past by some retailers of charging prices above those set, saying that should not happen, and any retailer who will be found in contravention of this shall be prosecuted accordingly.


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Was wheat export ban the only option for India? | India Development Debate
In the wake of the sudden spurt in global prices due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, wheat prices have soared up by 40% worldwide. This led to an increase in exports from India in spite of production being lower. This mismatch in supply and demand forced the central government to prohibit the exports of wheat with immediate effect on the 14th of May. Meanwhile, wheat prices touched record high levels in the international markets. The surge in prices also comes on the back of the heatwave impact on the crop which is driving up domestic prices. Was a ban on wheat exports the only option for India? What will the global implications of the ban be? We discuss on the India Development Debate with Devinder Sharma, Food Policy Analyst, Ajay Dua, Ex Commerce Secy, Government of India and Nandakumar, Former Secretary, Food & Agriculture. Tune in!
© 2022 Bennett, Coleman & Company Limited


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2628 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, 269-381-9873
KALAMAZOO -- Most of Kalamazoo diner East Egg's breakfast offerings come from -- you guessed it -- eggs.
But eggs, whether scrambled or benedict, aren’t the restaurant's only forte. Since East Egg opened a year-and-a-half ago, it’s also been serving up a sweet and steaming breakfast alternative: homemade doughnut holes.
The holes, which come at five for $1.55, are made-to-order from a doughnut mix, deep-fried and then sprinkled with powdered sugar, cinnamon, or a little bit of both. When the donuts are served, they’re hot, with a slightly crunchy outside and a doughy, melt-in-your-mouth inside.
How fresh the doughnuts are can be surprising to some diners, said East Egg’s corporate chef, Richard Force, who also runs the kitchens of the Kalamazoo, Portage, Mattawan and Richland locations of the restaurant.
“They’re unlike anything they’ve ever had because they’re fresh right out of the oven,” Force said.
The donuts have also been been a good way for customers to get their morning fill without stopping for a full meal at the restaurant.
“People absolutely love them,” Force said. “We do a fair amount to go and a lot of people take them home with them.”
Although the doughnuts come from a pre-made mix, the chefs are still charged with getting the perfect consistency of doughnut mix and water before the batter is fried, and that makes all the difference, Force said.
“We have tried many different recipes, and we have it down to our secret recipe to see how much we need,” Force said.
The doughnut holes aren’t only a breakfast snack at East Egg -- they can be ordered at any time at the restaurant.


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Uber has been a great game changer in the taxi industry across the globe. Despite their efforts to create 15 000 jobs in South Africa over the next two years, there are threats to the company’s success in Cape Town. Journalist Shandukani Mulaudzi writes about some of Uber’s challenges and successes.
Africa should be worried about the future of its top economy. President Muhammadu Buhari is grasping at straws to save the Nigerian economy. Debts of Nigeria’s states are greater than the entire economies of Liberia or Burundi. The burning question is whether Nigeria is to Africa what Greece is to Europe?
Even though the world is becoming more inclined to accessing books using e-readers, some people still like the smell of a new book and the authenticity of actually turning the page. Andrew Berki, has made a business through selling collector’s books for as much as R30 000. Finweek contributors Mandy de Waal and Jon Pienaar spoke to him about his venture.


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A ‘Bin-Win’ situation: New campaign at London Festival showcases how innovative UK business recycles previously unrecyclable plastic
Unique bins being trialled at Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park to help revellers recycle troublesome plastics like bags, crisp wrappers and bottle lids they bring on site.
A new campaign is helping festival-goers to be even more environmentally minded this summer – thanks to unique British recycling technology that allows us to recycle previously unrecyclable plastic.
Single-use plastic is a hot topic around the festival season, as revellers leave behind mounds of unrecyclable plastic at music sites every year, of which a large amount is single-use food wrappers. Sixty British festivals have even pledged to go single-use free by 2021 – but outright bans don’t address the issue of what people bring on site and what to do with these often unrecyclable plastic items to keep them out of landfill and the eco-system.
A UK entrepreneur has an answer – and, with support from Barclays, it is proving to festival-goers this summer that many more plastics can be recycled, thanks to its patented technology.
Recycling Technologies – a tech-forward entrepreneurial company based in Swindon – has teamed up with Barclays to install 25 unique recycling bins at Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park, to collect and recycle almost all of the previously unrecyclable plastic that is brought onto site by the public . The special recycling bins will be on-site from 8th-11th July 2019, to support the festival's already strong, recycling efforts; with staff helping to direct festival-goers to the recycling points.
From snack packets to pots, plastic bags to bottle caps, these bins will accept various forms of previously unrecyclable plastic, which will then be taken to Swindon and turned into ‘Plaxx’, a raw material used to create more usable – and importantly reusable or recyclable – plastic items.
The bins are being trialled at Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Festival to show the technology's potential at a large-scale event, but it has applications anywhere single-use plastic is used and discarded.
If every recycling centre in the UK used Recycling Technologies machines, the percentage of plastic waste that is recycled in the UK would go from c10% towards 90%4
The campaign hopes to collect 4400 litres of plastic at the festival, saving it from being wasted – essentially giving plastic a second chance at life.
Existing plastic recycling systems are perfect for recycling mainly bottles, but Recycling Technologies’ unique system means that more plastics are turned back into new packaging and products – which keeps the plastic out of the ecosystem and ensures it continues to play a useful role.
Juliet Rogan, Head of High-Growth Entrepreneurs, Barclays said: “Barclays is proud to support Recycling Technologies, and other innovative high growth UK businesses. We know that great businesses are often created by coming up with ways of solving the really important problems that people care about, such as the damage of single-use plastic.
“This is why we’re working with Recycling Technologies on this new initiative to show people what is now possible with plastic – and that small actions such as recycling a plastic bag can have a huge impact on the environment. We want to help are keen to support many more high-growth entrepreneurs who create real social and environmental change – as well as growth and jobs for the UK economy.”
Elena Parisi, Sales & Marketing Director at Recycling Technologies said: “Plastic recycling is our business but also our passion – our machine turns plastic waste into high-grade, useful raw materials, which means it stays out of landfill and doesn’t harm the environment.
"Some plastics are vital to keep food fresh and healthcare safe, so our aim is to help ensure that this needed plastic is recycled. With the right support from companies such as Barclays, we can help plastic all across the UK get a second, third, fourth chance at life. We urge everyone visiting the festival this summer to bin the plastic they bring with them – and help do their part to make single-use a thing of the past.”
These bins are one of a line of initiatives to showcase the positive impact of small UK businesses that are using technology to solve societal and environmental issues. Over the next five years, entrepreneurs working with Barclays through the Unreasonable Impact programme will aim to add 16,000 jobs to the UK5
Barclays is committed to backing the UK through supporting SMEs and entrepreneurs, who represent the future of UK jobs and growth. Barclays helps start a new business every 4 minutes, and nearly one million small and medium-sized businesses have been provided with guidance, financial support and more, including 100 Brexit workshops across the UK. The bank also recently launched a £14bn lending fund, to help UK businesses navigate the next three years.
Notes to Editors
About Barclays, Backing the UK and Unreasonable Impact
When the societies where we operate succeed, Barclays succeeds. That is why, for over three centuries, we have risen to the challenges that our communities face, and played our part.
And our commitment to backing the UK has never been more important.
Amongst the one million UK businesses we support each day, we’re helping a group of high growth entrepreneurs aiming to solve some of the world’s biggest societal and environmental challenges.
These entrepreneurs see that dealing with these challenges can also be enormous business opportunities. And with our support, they can continue to scale their innovations to help to solve these challenges and create new jobs in the UK.
These solutions are as dramatic as the problems they address, whether it’s purifying air with nanotechnology, recycling previously unrecyclable plastics or creating low emission bio-fuel from waste cooking oil. Barclays is supporting these entrepreneurs through the Unreasonable Impact programme, which since inception in 2016 has supported 32 UK organisations, which in the next 5 years will aim to generate 16,000 new jobs.
This is just one of many examples of how Barclays is Backing the UK. Whether it be supporting growing UK business, launching a £14bn lending fund for SME’s, or delivering over 100 Brexit clinics in local communities; Barclays is committed to Backing the UK.
Barclays is a transatlantic consumer and wholesale bank offering products and services across personal, corporate and investment banking, credit cards and wealth management, with a strong presence in our two home markets of the UK and the US.
With over 325 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 40 countries and employs 83,500 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for customers and clients worldwide.
For further information about Barclays, please visit our website www.home.barclays
About Recycling Technologies
Recycling Technologies Ltd is creating value from residual plastic waste on a global scale. Recycling Technologies has developed a process to economically recycle mixed plastic waste – that is currently disposed of in landfill or incinerators – into a valuable hydrocarbon product, named Plaxx®, with multiple uses in the wax and petrochemical sectors. Award-winning Plaxx® can be used by polymer manufacturers to make new plastic thereby propelling plastic into the circular economy.
Recycling Technologies has an operational pre-production machine at Swindon’s Waterside Depot and opened an assembly facility in Swindon, from where its patented machinery will be mass produced. The RT7000 is modular and easily transported to enable waste operators and local authorities to recycle plastics at source, including plastics that are currently sent to landfill and incineration such as films, plastic bags, laminated plastics (i.e. crisp packets), and caps and closures.
Some of the UK’s leading experts in engineering, energy, waste management and commercial operations make up the Recycling Technologies team, advisory panel and board. With an innovative distributed approach, Recycling Technologies has the potential to quickly scale to a meaningful global presence in the world of plastics recycling. For further information, please visit recyclingtechnologies.co.uk
For media enquiries please contact:
Recycling Technologies Media Office
Tel: + 44 (0) 1189 497736
Barclays Group Media Relations
Tel: +44 (0) 207 116 9441