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As the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) soars, global companies are investing billions of dollars into the new technology to gain a competitive edge. But how does this investment into AI translate into higher revenue? This was the focus of a panel discussion at the AI Summit PH, and in an interview with CoinGeek Backstage, Albert Cuadrante talked about how companies can turn AI into ROI (Return on Investment).
For AI to properly function, you need to invest in data collection, management, and analysis, and the cost can be hefty, Cuadrante told CoinGeek Backstage. As such, companies need to start thinking about how to turn this investment into revenue, stated Cuadrante, the Chief Marketing Officer at the UnionBank of the Philippines.
The first aspect to focus on should be the data quality, Cuadrante told CoinGeek Backstage reporter Claire Celdran.
“First, the quality of your data is something you must invest in because garbage in, garbage out. AI just learns, so you need to feed the machines with the right data,” he stated.
The focus on the quality, source, authenticity, and reliability of data has become central to the development of AI in recent months. ChatGPT maker OpenAI is fighting dozens of lawsuits for copyright infringement as other AI developers grapple with navigating the murky waters of data harvesting.
Once a company has nailed the data aspect, it must leverage AI to meet the ever-evolving customer demands, Cuadrante says.
“That’s how you make money out of your [AI] investment; cater to the customer you acquire from the perspective of a lifetime relationship.”
UnionBank is capitalizing on AI in its digital banking initiatives. Cuadrante revealed that the bank was integrating the technology pre-pandemic, years before it went mainstream. AI has allowed the bank to personalize its customer experience to the individual needs of its clients.
“If you open our app, you might see a different interface from your friend because you have a different lifestyle.”
Cuadrante believes that AI will become ubiquitous in the future. While some companies are using it now for specific functions like marketing, he says it will extend to every facet of an organization, from hiring and HR management to daily operations.
Watch AI Summit PH 2023: Philippines is ripe to start using artificial intelligence
New to blockchain? Check out CoinGeek’s Blockchain for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about blockchain technology.


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The Creativity World Forum 2022, the annual gathering of the international Districts of Creativity Network will take place in Baden-Württemberg, online from July 18-20, 2022, and hybrid on July 21 at Hospitalhof, Büchsenstraße 33, 70174 Stuttgart.
Meet the AMCRS and a curated team of Virtual Production experts at the presentation “Sustainability with Animation and VFX” on July 20, 15:00 CET, online via Zoom.
Pixelcloud’s Jonas Kirchner and the Hochschule der Medien will be presenting their project “Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg VR” in the talk “Sustainablility in VR Games – practical examples” on July 20, 14:15 CET, online via Zoom.
Jan Adamczyk from Hochschule der Medien will talk about “Digital Locations” on July 20 at 16:00 CET, online via Zoom.
A “Virtual Get-together: 3D and VR-Experiences with Mozilla Hubs” will be presented by Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film in their ITFS VR Hub on July 20 at 19:00 CET. Enter the virtual Schlossplatz of ITFS VR Hub via the following link: work-in-vr.org. If you want to learn more about Mozilla Hubs, visit the workshop „How to create online social worlds for festivals and remote collaboration in Mozilla Hubs“ by the designers of the ITFS VR Hub, Allison Crank and Christophe Merkle, on July 21 at 14:15 CET (on-site in Lechler Room, Hospitalhof).
The results of the “DC Living Lab 2022” (organised by the MFG Baden-Württemberg on behalf of the Baden-Württemberg region (Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism Baden-Württemberg) will be presented on July 21, 15:45 CET on-site at the Plenum, Hospitalhof.

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Teams helping the fresh Cheque Hub is actually approaching more youthful mums inside the the trail supply fund that have air-high rates of interest
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The leading payday loan business was implicated from centering on positives claimants regarding the manage-as much as Christmas – after that “swiping” cash in their bank account once they neglect to pay back.
Staff are implicated of dealing with younger mums in the street to offer the fund that have air-higher rates, a worried whistleblower told the latest Week-end Mirror.
“If they’re pushing a pram we know they are probably getting taking guy work for and individuals for the work with are fantastic customers.”
All of our insider, a senior employee, said: “There can be a stating certainly acquaintances that where discover a pram there can be financing
The fresh new whistleblower indicated that the usa-possessed chain, which has numerous British locations, is actually allowed to grab currency, including work with costs, off customers’ bank accounts around Half a dozen Times twenty four hours once they can’t spend the money for short-title loans straight back.
“We all know the changing times he could be receiving masters and you can prior to they even understand he’s encountered the costs i have taken money away,” told you the insider.
“Somebody have been in the brand new shop inside rips once they understand it have no dollars left once its levels was swiped.
A small grouping of Week-end Echo undercover journalists posed since advantages claimants at the Cheque Centers around the Uk to establish the whistleblower’s states.
The brand new cash advance channels are included in a flourishing world worthy of ?step 3.5billion per year and being probed by the Authorities more says off “reckless lending so you can vulnerable people in community”.
Of several locations told all of our journalists they could provide money so you’re able to jobseekers claimants to your condition they were including getting man experts otherwise disability allocation.
The Cheque Heart advertises the loans into the literature an internet-based under brand new title “You would like Dollars for Xmas?” New representative Apr is 1, % and you will financing percentage is fixed at a consistent level regarding ?twenty five each ?100 borrowed.
Professionals helping the latest Cheque Hub many times confirmed to the reporters whom visited its shops over the Uk posing because the customers finding benefits which they would offer them money as time passes to have Xmas
Our whistleblower told you: “Some body struggling to find money merely bring they – prior to they are aware it he is inside a comfort zone, and you will returning to help you you to get more.”
In the about three Manchester stores, all of our journalists showed up without ID. They certainly were informed to incorporate a bank statement appearing advantages repaid.
However they must provide a beneficial debit cards therefore, the Cheque Hub could take the bucks straight back at the time experts was basically paid off into their membership.
Whatsoever new Cheque Centres we went along to, “swiping” was only mentioned by the group whenever a reporter expected in the event the money could well be automatically obtained from account.
Conditions and terms with the mortgage forms says: “Whenever we usually do not debit the complete count we’ll try to debit different lesser wide variety.”
Another reporter decided to go to a couple of twigs for the North London area plus one during the Hatfield, Herts, claiming she are into the jobseekers allocation, boy tax credit and you will boy work with. All of the provided to lend this lady money.
But young tough-up mums just who fail to pay-off new funds see professionals swiped just before they can pay for food and costs. Our very own whistleblower informed how one mother out of two failed to shell out the lady mortgage from ?650 but informed brand new Cheque Hub you to definitely her doing work hours got come reduced. She desired to initiate a payment plan. The organization declined, it absolutely was said.
The fresh whistleblower told you team received incentives getting drumming right up company. “We walk up and you will down the street, finishing people,” they told you.
The office of Fair trading given the brand new recommendations last week toward swiping, claiming it should maybe not occurs with no borrower’s informed consent.
A good Cheque Center spokesman said yesterday: “I functions within this OFT guidance to say the least. The fresh accusations generated aren’t organization methods and we’ll take a look at the something that is put give.”
The brand new Cheque Centre’s so-called points is a truly incredible illustration of just how uncontrollable such court financing whales are particularly.
A squeezing into the lifestyle criteria not seen just like the 2nd Community Combat, soaring time cost, slices within the advantages and dropping wages means a lot more people are pushed into payday loans Delaware the clutches of these vultures.
Our own studies have shown employees are forced to borrow typically an unbelievable ?325 thirty days just to buy the requirements for example food and temperatures.
For almost all new 12 months tend to usher-in a period out-of personal debt and you can care. However, you will see don’t worry into the bosses of your own Cheque Team regarding buying this new Christmas chicken.
With many really lax statutes governing legal loan sharks when you look at the Europe, the us government must create good for the vow it made this week.
This really is an industry powering riot. We are in need of step today so you can clamp upon their rogue means and you can a limit on the exorbitant rates to put good stop so you can personal debt agony.


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NEW YORK — Avon has hired away Prada Beauty’s senior executive.
This story first appeared in the March 4, 2003 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.
Jill Scalamandre, general manager of Prada’s beauty arm, Cosmetics International Distribution, is joining Avon April 1 as group vice president of global marketing. She will report to William Susetka, Avon’s president of global marketing.
Scalamandre succeeds Virginia Pagetti, who had been vice president of product development, but with an expanded role, said Susetka. Pagetti will become vice president of marketing transformation in Brazil, a Latin American initiative to link marketing and supply chain efforts.
“Jill is going to be here to help drive Avon’s global beauty agenda, which includes a comprehensive strategy as well as developing and marketing our breakthrough global beauty products,” said Susetka. Additionally, Scalamandre will have a hand in Avon’s advertising campaigns, “to ensure the message is consistent with brand-building efforts,” he added.
Before heading up the launch of Prada Beauty four years ago, Scalamandre had held senior marketing positions with Revlon, where most recently she was senior vice president of marketing for Almay. Under Scalamandre, Almay’s retail sales grew 36 percent in 1998.
Scalamandre said Monday that the power of the Avon brand, the company’s philanthropic programs and the opportunity to apply her mass and prestige market experience, drove her to the decision.
“It is a great opportunity to expand my own horizons and to work with Andrea [Jung, Avon’s chairman] and Avon’s highly accomplished team,” said Scalamandre. “Avon means a lot to women and it goes beyond the beauty products — it is all encompassing. There is a lot of power and a lot of energy in the company.”


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Genesis unveiled their luxury electric car ‘Essentia Concept’ at the New York Auto Show
Apr 05, 2018 | by Iqtidar Ali
Electric cars are the future for humanity and this realization has tempted traditional automakers. After the electric sports and hyper-cars (Tesla Roadster and Rimac) it’s time for the luxury segment to be electrified.
‘Essentia Concept’ luxury electric concept car is unveiled by Genesis Motors which is a luxury vehicles arm of the Korean car manufacturer Hyundai Motors Group. The automaker is aiming to bring the concept electric car to production by 2021.
New York International Auto Show is currently showing the beautiful concept electric vehicle at the show — if by any chance you happen to be in New York, you can visit the auto show and be electrified by the ‘Essentia Concept’ live using the details of timing and location here.
As Hyundai is accelerating their Electric-Vehicle mission by unveiling the Kona Electric CUV at the show as well the subsidiary Genesis Motors also came up with a great design that is to become a reality in not-so-distant future.
Genesis released the following video of the unveiling from the New York Auto Show and another video that is a teaser to ignite the senses (HD photo gallery at the end of post).
Manfred Fitzgerald, Global Head of the Genesis Brand said in a press statement;
We understand our obligation as a luxury car manufacturer to create objects of desire, sparking passion and inspiration by emphasizing a culture while exceeding expectations in terms of technology and connectivity, bringing our outside world seamlessly to the inside of the vehicle — This is what the Genesis Essentia Concept is all about, and we are thrilled to introduce our interpretation of an all-electric, two-door Gran Turismo here in New York.
While Essentia Concept’s exterior is a fine work of art and engineering — what I most like about the interior is the touch-screen which apparently spans the whole dashboard from left to right, from driver to passenger (HD photo below).
Until now we have been bragging about the Tesla center screens that are the largest in any vehicle segment till now — but that might change in 2021 with the oncoming of Genesis Essentia luxury electric car.
The below teaser video is also released by Genesis USA alongside the unveil at the New York International Auto Show.
The electric luxury concept has butterfly doors a symbol for luxury cars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis since long. The Genesis design team was able to achieve a super-low 50 inch roofline and a spcious GT style cabin by integrating a high-density battery pack in “I-shap” not a traditional rectangular bed across the chassis.
Currently the luxury automaker is silent on the battery-pack capacity but says the battery-pack consists of high-density cells. In the press release Genesis announces an estimated 0-60 time in 3.0 seconds in my opinion that should be the least for a luxury sports electric vehicle which yields the miracle of ‘instant torque/acceleration’.
Let’s enjoy these great photos of the Essentia Concept until we hear about it the next time.


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Thames Water bosses want to put up the average £354 bill to £426 over the next six years.
And other major firms are looking to put forward similar price increases by December.
But consumer campaigners have slammed the move.
Sir Tony Redmond, from the Consumer Council for Water, said: “We remain strongly opposed to Thames Water’s claim for an additional increase in its customers’ bills. Thames, along with other water companies, has benefited from higher than expected profits in recent years while customers’ bills have been increasing.”
MPs have ordered Ofwat, the water industry regulator, to “get a grip” of the situation, after its warning to Thames to reduce prices was ignored.
Sonia Brown, boss of regulator Ofwat, said bills should fall unless companies can justify rises.
She said: “We will step in if plans are put forward to us which we do not consider to be realistic.”
“Thames Water has been increasing bills while cutting investment. It is unacceptable”Charlie Elphicke, Conservative MP
Thames, which has paid £1.4billion to shareholders since 2006, says the above-inflation rises are needed to pay for investment.
But Tory MP Charlie Elphicke said the firm’s charges had risen 28% in six years while spending on new infrastructure had fallen 20%.
He said: “Thames Water has been increasing bills while cutting investment. It is unacceptable.”
The company made £145m profit in 2012-13 but delayed paying corporation tax.
Suppliers are set to submit plans for price rises by December, with South West Water, Southern Water and Anglian Water all saying they want to keep prices at or below inflation.
Thames says it will spend £1bn a year between 2015 and 2020 on infrastructure.


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NVIDIA (Nasdaq: NVDA) agreed to acquire Mellanox Technologies (MLNX) for approximately $6.9B in a push to expand its footprint in the high-performance computing market.
NVIDIA said Monday it will pay $125 in cash for each share of Mellanox through a deal, which is expected to close by the end of 2019, subject to approvals by Mellanox shareholders and regulators.
Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, said the transaction will allow the company to combine its accelerated computing platform with Mellanoxâs accelerated networking system to address the rising demand for data center-scale computing technologies driven by the emergence of data science and artificial intelligence.
âCombining our two companies comes as a natural extension of our longstanding partnership and is a great fit given our common performance-driven cultures,â said Eyal Waldman, founder and CEO of Mellanox.
The boards of directors from both companies approved the acquisition, which is expected to be accretive to NVIDIAâs non-GAAP earnings per share, free cash flow and non-GAAP gross margin upon the dealâs completion.
NVIDIA manufactures graphic processing units and Mellanox supplies Infiniband interconnect technology platforms and Ethernet products used in data centers and supercomputers.
Goldman Sachs and Co. and Jones Day respectively served as financial and legal advisers to NVIDIA in the transaction.Â Credit Suisse Group and J.P. Morgan Chase and Co. advised Mellanox on the dealâs financial aspect while and Latham & Watkins LLP and Herzog Fox and Neeman acted as legal advisers.


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According to the study, 12 percent of companies reported discontinuing their plans in the recent past. Eighty-four percent of companies that canceled their programs did so in the 1990s, with another 10 percent eliminating their programs in the 1980s. When asked why they discontinued the programs, companies most often pointed to program costs, and the fact that they now tie all employee reward to individual and company performance.
"The money once used in holiday bonus programs isn't going away altogether--it's being delivered in different ways," said Ken Abosch, Hewitt Associates global compensation business leader. "Companies have realized that tying bonuses to business results is a more powerful way to reward employees and improve performance. Increasingly, they are moving away from an `entitlement mentality' and toward a performance-based pay model."
Cash (And Food) Still King
Of the 36 percent of companies that do provide a bonus or gift to employees during the December holiday season, 37 percent provide the bonus in cash, 29 percent give the gift of food (e.g. turkey, ham, etc.), 26 percent host a holiday party and 24 percent give employees a gift certificate to a local retailer. Some employers provide more than one type of holiday bonus to employees.
The majority of companies providing holiday bonuses (59 percent) budgeted less than one percent of payroll expenses for the awards, compared to 9.3 percent of payroll budgeted for performance-based plans in 1999. The average monetary value of the bonuses and gifts varied by award type. Cash awards tended to have the highest value, with companies spending an average of $767 per employee. Companies hosting parties for employees spent an average of $52 per employee, while the average value of a gift certificate was $35. The average monetary value of an edible gift was $23.
"Some companies feel strongly about providing a holiday bonus to employees, and the programs are firmly entrenched in the companies' cultures," said Abosch. "Many do so out of tradition and the fact that employees expect the bonus, while others use the bonuses to improve employee morale or to simply say `thank you' to employees for a job well done."
le the traditional holiday bonus or company-provided turkey is still alive in the 1990s, 64 percent of companies today do not offer any type of holiday bonus, according to a Hewitt Associates study of holiday bonus and gift practices at 268 companies nationwide. In fact, the majority of large employers (52 percent) have never had a bonus connected to the holiday season.


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The announcement came as Facebook announced a price of US$38 per share for its record-setting initial public offering, which would give the leading social network a giant market value of $104 billion (83 billion euros).
Schrems however criticised the changes, saying they presented “one step forward, two steps back” — with users losing their legal rights over their online data and personal profiles.
The advocacy group has proposed changes at www.our-policy.org and invited users to comment — aiming for more than 7,000 comments, Facebook’s threshold within seven days to put the proposed changes up for a vote.
It said the number of comments “means that according to Facebook’s policy they are unable to make the proposed changes. We are now waiting for the first reaction by Facebook!” – Agence France-Presse


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AppleInsider is supported by its audience and may earn commission as an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner on qualifying purchases. These affiliate partnerships do not influence our editorial content.
Investment bank Piper Sandler has raised its AAPL price target to $450, up significantly from $310, on Apple "holding up extremely well" during the pandemic.
Lead analyst Harsh Kumar, in a note to investors seen by AppleInsider, says that the most notable item about the June quarter results was the fact that the global coronavirus health crisis had "little impact on [Apple's] core business."
Kumar originally forecast Apple June quarter earnings of $52.9 billion, with iPhone earnings of $21.57 billion. Apple actually reported results of $59.68 billion and iPhone revenues of $26.4 billion. He also predicted iPad and Mac revenues of $5.5 and $5.49 billion, respectively. Apple reported revenue of $7.1 billion and $6.6 billion for those two categories.
The fact that the iPhone segment grew 2% year-over-year came as a surprise and was likely driven by the iPhone SE, Kumar writes. The iPad and Mac businesses also benefited from ongoing distance learning and work-from-home arrangements.
With all of that in view, Piper Sandler is expecting 2021 to be a "banner year" for the Cupertino company. Kumar suggests that the slight delay to the "iPhone 12" launch timeline could even be a boon to Apple's performance in 2021.
Although Apple didn't guide for the September quarter, the analyst expects continued momentum for critical company businesses, including better-than-seasonal trends for iPhone sales from the December 2020 quarter through 2021.
Piper Sandler notes that Apple's revenue for the June quarter surpassed its own expectations in each product category besides Services, which came in slightly lower than its forecast. Kumar estimated revenue of $13.5 billion; Apple reported $13.2 billion for Services during the quarter.
The analyst also suggests that Apple's four-for-one stock split will "make its shares accessible to a broader base of investors," even as its balance sheet remains rock solid and its free cash flow generation is significant.
Kumar is bumping Piper Sandler's 12-month AAPL price target to $450, up quite a bit from $310. The increase is based on a 27x multiple for 2021 on an earnings-per-share forecast of $16.53.
Shares of AAPL were trading at $410.81 on the NASDAQ, up 6.77% in intraday trading. Apple's stock price jumped as high as 6.97% earlier in the morning after Thursday's earnings call.


text: Samsung is currently working on Android 4.1.2 update for the Samsung GALAXY Note, and also for the Samsung GALAXY S2. Actually, the update should still be rolled out in November. But it looks like Samsung can not keep the appointment. Unless that Samsung GALAXY Note Android 4.1.2 update coming today or tomorrow. Nevertheless, now a new Android 4.1.2 XXLSA leak has surfaced for the GALAXY Note.


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Mu Changchun, the head of the central bank’s digital currency research institute revealed the ideas on Chinese cryptocurrency. According to the expert, the new government project will focus specifically on people who live in areas that are not served by the existing banking system, commonly referred to as the “unbanked”. He further highlighted that around 800 million people are within this category.
According to Mu Changchun, the asset is intended to replace the existing fiat. As said by the representative of PBoC, the digital currency will however not cause negative consequences in the country’s monetary policy.
PBoC will begin the distribution of digital currency from commercial banks and other institutions. Subsequently, the latter will introduce a new financial instrument to the common public. Recall that earlier, a list of companies and organizations was provided that would likely help distribute the national cryptocurrency of China.
According to Mu Changchun, the digital currency will process small retail transactions and unlikely to compete with either Alipay or WeChat Pay.
However, Primitive Ventures’ partner Dovey Wan suggests that Alipay, Wechat, and Huawei are likely to participate in the digital Renminbi ecosystem.
To map out Chinese tech giants’ known/likely involvement in DCEP/Digital RMB 👇🏻
Wechat- invoice factoring, tax reporting, payment
Alipay- commercial banking, money market, payment
Huawei- hardware wallet, e2e networking, PBoC private cloud
Commercial banks are distributors
— Dovey 以德服人 Wan 🗝 🦖 (@DoveyWan) November 5, 2019
For example, Wechat company will be able to engage in factoring and tax reporting solutions, Alipay will concentrate on banking, capital markets, and payments. Huawei will be engaged in a hardware wallet development, E2E testing, etc.
With the launch of the digital Renminbi, Chinese banks and companies will be forced to compete in retaining their customers. This goal will be achieved through providing users with better service, created to serve using a new form of national money.
The Digital Renminbi Creation Plan
The digital Yuan is possibly the best response for PBOC to challenge the popularity of Bitcoin cryptocurrency, as the central bank is responding to the protection of its sovereign currency.
Digital Yuan is a stablecoin. According to Mu Changchun, in this regard, the country’s authorities may implore other “stablecoins” to comply with the rules for the circulation of cryptocurrencies established by China in the country.
Recall that earlier, Mu Changchun said that the cryptocurrency of the PRC will be very similar to Facebook’s stablecoin, known as Libra. At this moment both assets are rivals. According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the first launched stablecoin will be able to access 1.7 billion potential users.
At the same time, another country followed the example of China. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a Turkish politician serving as President of Turkey since 2014, said that by 2020 testing of the digital Turkish Lira will be complete.


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Last time I saw Kate Burns last year, she was about six months pregnant. Now Google managing director of UK, Benelux and Ireland is leaving the company to spend more time with that growing family. Best of luck, Kate! More details in Burns set to leave Google director role from Brand Republic.
The Original Search Marketing Event is Back!
SES Denver (Oct 16) offers an intense day of learning all the critical aspects of search engine optimization (SEO) and paid search advertising (PPC). The mission of SES remains the same as it did from the start - to help you master being found on search engines. Register today!


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Last Updated: May 12th, 2010
HTC likes professionally shot videos - they've released at least one for each new phone announced in the recent history.
We have no problem with that - we can appreciate a good quality HD video showing this desirable beast up close.
What we do have a problem with is how boring this video is. Evo is flying around the screen to some lounge music in the most mind-numbing way possible; there is no voice-over - just a rundown of the main features.
Last Updated: February 19th, 2014
HTC hasn't built up the best reputation when it comes to supporting its devices, but the company is working to change that. So far it has issued updates to the HTC One relatively quickly, getting KitKat out before Samsung. A few days ago, HTC took to Reddit to announce a new two year commitment to support new North American flagships with Android updates for two years. Now the company has made this promise official, enshrining it as part of its new HTC Advantage.
Last Updated: July 2nd, 2013
The HTC One is a neat-looking device, all smooth lines and clean design. But it could do with a little more flair, right? Well, a new color for the HTC One, dubbed Glamour Red has been announced. However, it's only going to be available through Phones 4u in the UK.
The red HTC One has been spotted a few times in the past, and will be joining the silver and black variants in mid-July.


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YouTube removes video that tests Tesla’s Full Self-Driving beta against real kids
YouTube has removed a video that shows Tesla drivers carrying out their own safety tests to determine whether the EV’s (electric vehicle) Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities would make it automatically stop for children walking across or standing in the road, as first reported by CNBC.
The video, titled “Does Tesla Full-Self Driving Beta really run over kids?” was originally posted on Whole Mars Catalog’s YouTube channel and involves Tesla owner and investor, Tad Park, testing Tesla’s FSD feature with his own kids. During the video, Park drives a Tesla Model 3 toward one of his children standing in the road, and then tries again with his other kid crossing the street. The vehicle stops before reaching the children both times.
As outlined on its support page, YouTube has specific rules against content that “endangers the emotional and physical well-being of minors.” YouTube spokesperson Elena Hernandez told CNBC that the video violated its policies against harmful and dangerous content and that the platform “doesn’t allow content showing a minor participating in dangerous activities or encouraging minors to do dangerous activities.” YouTube didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
“I’ve tried FSD beta before, and I’d trust my kids’ life with them,” Park says during the now-removed video. “So I’m very confident that it’s going to detect my kids, and I’m also in control of the wheel so I can brake at any time,” Park told CNBC that the car was never traveling more than eight miles an hour, and “made sure the car recognized the kid.”
As of August 18th, the video had over 60,000 views on YouTube. The video was also posted to Twitter and still remains available to watch. The Verge reached out to Twitter to see if it has any plans to take it down but didn’t immediately hear back.
The crazy idea to test FSD with real — living and breathing — childrenemerged after a video and ad campaign posted to Twitter showed Tesla vehicles seemingly failing to detect and colliding with child-sized dummies placed in front of the vehicle. Tesla fans weren’t buying it, sparking a debate about the limitations of the feature on Twitter. Whole Mars Catalog, an EV-driven Twitter and YouTube channel run by Tesla investor Omar Qazi, later hinted at creating a video involving real children in an attempt to prove the original results wrong.
In response to the video, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a statement warning against using children to test automated driving technology. “No one should risk their life, or the life of anyone else, to test the performance of vehicle technology,” the agency told Bloomberg. “Consumers should never attempt to create their own test scenarios or use real people, and especially children, to test the performance of vehicle technology.”
Tesla’s FSD software doesn’t make a vehicle fully autonomous. It’s available to Tesla drivers for an additional $12,000 (or $199 / month subscription). Once Tesla determines that a driver meets a certain safety score, it unlocks access to the FSD beta, enabling drivers to input a destination and have the vehicle drive there using Autopilot, the vehicle’s advanced driver assistance system (ADAS). Drivers must still keep their hands on the wheel and be ready to take control at any time.
Earlier this month, the California DMV accused Tesla of making false claims about Autopilot and FSD. The agency alleges the names of both features, as well as Tesla’s description of them, wrongly imply that they enable vehicles to operate autonomously.
In June, the NHTSA released data about driver-assist crashes for the first time, and found that Tesla vehicles using Autopilot vehicles were involved in 273 crashes from July 20th, 2021 to May 21st, 2022. The NHTSA is currently investigating a number of incidents where Tesla vehicles using driver-assist technology collided with parked emergency vehicles, in addition to over two dozen Tesla crashes, some of which have been fatal.


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YouTube no longer pre-installed on Apple products
Google and Apple failed to renew a five year licensing agreement due to the growing hostility between the two companies, according to the Associated Press. YouTube is being bumped from the menu of pre-installed apps in the next version of Apple’s operating system, which could be unveiled on Wednesday. Google has already created an enhanced app for iPhone and iPad users. The new app will allow YouTube to show advertisements along with the video clips which is currently not allowed by Apple and therefore will be a moneymaker for Google.
Burberry cuts forecast causing a slide in luxury stocks
Burberry cut is third quarter forecast today, indicating it would be at the lower end of its forecast, due to lower sales in its retail shops. This caused the stock to slide 18 percent, according to CNBC. Other luxury brands, including LVMH, Gucci and Hermes also fell in European markets this morning. The Dow was down 52 points on Monday closing at 13,254. Asian and European stocks are mostly down on Tuesday.
Treasury sells AIG stock
The US Treasury Department sold a large amount of American International Group shares on Monday, ending the government’s majority ownership of the company. According to the Wall Street Journal, the sale is a turning point for AIG which has recovered since its bailout from the government in 2008. The Treasury sold 554 million shares at $32.50 apiece for $18 billion. It was the fifth sale of AIG stock and reduced the government’s ownership to 22 percent, down from 92 percent in 2011. The price was above the $28.73 per share taxpayer cost basis. This means the government has fully recovered its $182 billion commitment to AIG.
Americans cut back on credit card use
Total consumer borrowing dipped $3.3 billion in July from June to $2.705 trillion according to the Federal Reserve. USA Today reports that consumer debt declined even though spending increased in July. The financial crisis has caused consumers to pare down their debt. Household debt has declined for 16 straight quarters. Four years ago Americans had $1.03 trillion in credit card debt. Than number is now 17 percent lower at $850.7 billion.
iPhone 5 sales could add half a point to GDP
Underscoring the importance of Apple to the US economy, sales of Apple’s iPhone 5 could add as much as half a percentage point to the US fourth quarter annualized GDP, according to JP Morgan analysts. CNBC reports that Apple estimates it will sell 8 million units in the fourth quarter. The units are expected to sell for $600 apiece. JP Morgan estimates that the sales of iPhone 5 could boost fourth quarter GDP by $3.2 billion, or $12.8 billion at an annual rate.
Federal tax hike reduces tobacco consumption
A tax hike enacted by President Obama has helped to reduce tobacco consumption, according to USAToday. The tax caused the federal cigarette tax to jump from 39 cents per pack to $1.01 on April 1, 2009. Since then the tax has brought in $30 billion in new tax revenue. The tax caused an immediate increase in the cost of cigarettes of 22 percent. Studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that about 3 million fewer people smoked last year. Tobacco use is down to 18.9 percent of the population, the lowest level on record. In 1990, 1 of every 20 teenagers smoked. That number is now down to one in every 71 students.
Catherine S. McBreen is President of Millionaire Corner. McBreen plans and develops content for Millionaire Corner. Catherine balances editorial content to meet the informational needs of both new and seasoned investors. She designs special monthly surveys on topical issues affecting the economic environment.
McBreen has a B.S. in speech communications from Northwestern University and a J.D. from DePail University College of Law. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the Illinois Bar Association, and the Chicago Bar Association.
Well-known for her expertise in the affluent and retirement arenas, McBreen is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. She has been quoted widely by the financial media, including The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, Research, Private Asset Management, On Wall Street, Reuters, Bloomberg News, The Dow Jones Newswires and Worth. Cathy has appeared as a guest on CNBC Closing Bell, First Business Morning News, Neal Cavuto at Fox Business News, ABC and CBS radio.
McBreen is co-author with Spectrem President George H. Walper, Jr. of the book "Get Rich, Stay Rich, Pass It On: The Wealth-Accumulation Secrets of America's Richest Families" (Portfolio, January 2008)
Catherine is the mother of four and is involved in many school and community events.


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Soaring levels of authorised push payments fraud in the UK are turning consumers off digital banking, according to research conducted by Visa
APP fraud occurs when someone is tricked into transferring money to a fraudster posing as a genuine payee. Total losses due to APP scams exceeded £239 million in the first half of 2023 according to UK Finance, and one-in-three of those surveyed by Visa reported having fallen victim to APP fraud.
The research conducted among 2000 UK internet users found that whilst nearly three fifths are confident in managing their finances, falling victim to an APP scam can change money management habits. Almost a fifth (19%) of those surveyed that have fallen victim to an APP scam say that the scam has decreased their confidence in digital banking, and more than a third (35%) say it had a negative impact on their openness to paying new payees.
Under new APP fraud reimbursement rules set to come into force in October, the onus will be placed on banks to more effectively combat fraud.
Mandy Lamb, managing director, Visa UK & Ireland, says: "Once fraud happens, the money is in the hands of the criminals. As well as the financial impact, distress, and inconvenience this causes to victims, there are knock-on effects in terms of lost savings, income and taxes, as well as funding wider criminal activity. Reimbursement is an important backstop, but fraud prevention must be our collective goal, in the financial services industry and beyond.”
Learn more about payments at NextGen Nordics on the 23 April 2024.


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A new study from digital marketing expert and founder of Digital Marketing Inc. Bryan Glynn and his team has found that most people do not realize how important their digital marketing is.
He told Fortune that one of the biggest reasons that people are not doing more with their digital campaign is they do not understand how important it is to have digital marketing on their website.
“There is a huge amount of confusion about how to best optimize your digital campaign,” Glynn said.
“Digital marketing has become an integral part of every marketing plan for all brands, from marketing to social media, so you really need to be focused on the fundamentals.”
Glynn, who founded Digital Marketing in 2008, has been a digital marketing guru for more than 25 years and has consulted with a variety of brands including Nike, Target, Walmart, Target Meats, and more.
He has more than 50 years of experience in digital marketing, ranging from traditional advertising to social networking to digital advertising for the fashion industry.
“It’s really a matter of focusing on the fundamental fundamentals and understanding the basic fundamentals of how to optimize your campaign,” he said.
When you get the basics right, people are much more likely to invest their time and money into your digital strategy.
The study, “Digital Marketing: How to Make Money With Your Digital Strategy,” from digital marketers and business owners from more than 10 countries found that 85 percent of respondents reported they are spending at least 5 percent of their business on digital marketing and 70 percent report they are at least 90 percent invested in digital.
Digital marketing is now a $3 trillion market in the U.S., with over $2.5 trillion spent on digital ads.
Glynn says that for digital marketers to make money online, they need to understand the fundamentals of digital marketing.
“You need to know how to use social media to attract and engage with your customers,” he explained.
“That’s really what it’s all about.
If you can’t do that, you’re going to fail.”
Digital marketing is an industry that requires a lot of research, and the study by Glynn’s team found that it takes an average of 1,600 hours to create a digital campaign.
“The research and the design of a digital strategy can take a lifetime, so we want to help people understand the most effective ways to do it,” he added.
To get started, Glynn recommends taking a digital business class, and starting with a digital ad and marketing campaign.
For more information on how to do this, check out the Digital Marketing article.


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The pandemic has ushered in a new era that focuses on customer-first services. Learn more at Ad Age Next: Retail, a livestreamed conference on April 20.
- Addressing the ‘home-working isolation problem’: Workspaces-on-demand are on the increase
- Future of TV Briefing: How publishers are taking a more active role in turning their articles into scripted TV shows and movies
- As more people turn to online shopping, legacy retailer Bed, Bath & Beyond leans into omni-channel digital strategy
- ‘An employee’s boss’: How HuffPost’s Danielle Belton will steer the newsroom after a tumultuous year
- Why Facebook won’t sell ads in its planned Instagram app for kids


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Stock splits are a bullish sign that management sees more room for growth. Although they technically mean nothing as to the operation of the company, the market still sees them as a positive development. Stock-split stocks are more affordable and more liquid, meaning there are more shares available to more investors.
But they really are a non-event. It’s like getting 12 slices of pizza at half the price of six slices at full price. Warren Buffett doesn’t like stock splits and won’t ever split Berkshire Hathaway’s (NYSE:BRK-A, NYSE:BRK-B). He jokes, “May you live until the (class) A stock splits.”
Because institutional investors heavily influence the actual trading of a stock, a split will likely have little bearing on the ultimate performance of the shares. There are also studies indicating stock splits have little real-world impact. Still, due to the emotional attachment retail investors have for them, companies continue to split their stock.
Below are three stock-split stocks that divvied up their shares for investors within the last year. Whatever the pros and cons of splitting are, these stocks still have more room to run.
Beverage maker Celsius (NASDAQ:CELH) split its shares 3-for-1 in November. The stock price fell from $150 a share to $50. At the time, Celsius was roaring ahead 55% in 2023. Since the split, the stock is essentially flat versus a 7.5% gain in the S&P 500. Although that seems to validate the lack of influence splits have, Celsius has long-term growth potential.
The company is capitalizing on the currently trendy “functional beverages” buzz phrase. Functional beverages have perceived health benefits, such as energy drinks, juices, plant- or nut-based drinks, teas and so-called “smart beverages.” Celsius beverages are both sparkling and caffeinated, and they are rapidly growing.
Sales more than doubled last year, which was on top of them doubling the year before. Revenue has grown from $22.8 million in 2016 to almost $1 billion over the first nine months of 2023. Gross margins widened from 40.3% to 48.1% while it posted net profits of $1.81 per share versus losses of $2.26 per share last year.
Part of the reason for the massive growth is its low overhead business model. Celsius doesn’t actually manufacture its beverages but rather gathers the ingredients and gives them to third-party manufacturers to put together. It also has a partnership with Pepsi (NASDAQ:PEP) for distribution of Celsius products that began at the end of 2022.
Although functional drinks could just be a fad, analysts foresee the market growing at a compound annual growth rate of 7.2% through 2030. That creates a $353 billion market opportunity. Look for Celsius to participate in a large portion of that growth.
Monster Beverage (MNST)
Speaking of beverages, energy drink maker Monster Beverages (NASDAQ:MNST) split its stock 2-for-1 back in March of last year. The shares also underperformed the benchmark index afterward, rising 9% compared to a 26% gain. Still, it’s got good long-term prospects as well.
Monster Beverages has been a monster growth story for over two decades. It went public almost exactly 21 years ago and has returned some 127,000%. In contrast, the S&P 500 offered up total returns of 688% during that period.
Energy drinks remain a growth category and Monster plans on expanding them further internationally while continuing to build out domestic markets. It’s also benefiting from its relationship with Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) and its bottlers. Monster has a long relationship with the beverage giant and continues to realize dividends from it.
One new avenue of growth will be in alcoholic beverages. Monster acquired the CANarchy craft brewer in 2022 and began rolling out products last year. It’s still a small business, but one that has potential for growth despite the overall decline in beer sales. Hard seltzer still has legs. Having numerous levers to pull at its disposal, MNST stock’s split shares will keep increasing in value.
Novo Nordisk (NVO)
After quadrupling over the past five years, Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) split its stock 2-for-1 in September. It’s one stock-split stock still beating the S&P 500 with total returns of 13% versus 10% by the index.
The reason for the Novo Nordisk juggernaut is its twin weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. They were adopted by celebrities and influences and sent demand soaring. The drugs captured massive market share in the process. The biotech is the leading maker of glycogen-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) therapies for diabetes and obesity. They have the pleasant side effect of helping you lose weight.
Third quarter net sales grew 29% over the first three quarter of 2023 driven higher by 167% gains in its obesity therapies. Ozempic sales are up 58% with a 59% market share but Wegovy, which was introduced a year ago, is soaring 492% higher. It has a 44% share.
Novo Nordisk is more than just its diabetes and obesity drugs but they are the main drivers of growth. They will likely remain so for some time even though other drug companies are introducing competing therapies. Which is why the biotech’s strong drug pipeline is key because they will help add to Novo Nordisk’s long-term growth.
On the date of publication, Rich Duprey held a LONG position in KO stock. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.


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- Cardiologists ranked 10 popular diets based on how healthy they are for your heart.
- The DASH and Mediterranean diets were top-ranked, with flexible choices and nutrient-rich foods.
- The keto ranked worst, for cutting out carbs like whole grains and including lots of high-fat animal products.
Sorry, keto and paleo fans — low-carb, high-fat diets are among the worst for a healthy heart, while flexible, plant-based diets are among the best, according to cardiologists.
The diets went head-to-head in new rankings from the American Heart Association, based on analysis from doctors, dietitians, and nutrition researchers. The committee looked at 10 popular diets, evaluating them based on nine criteria for a heart-healthy diet such as inclusion of whole grains, a variety of vegetables, healthy fats like those found in seafood and nuts, and avoidance of added sugar, oils, salt, and alcohol.
The diets were then grouped into four tiers from best to worst scores, in rankings published in a scientific statement published April 27 in the AHA journal Circulation.
The rankings are intended to help guide people, including medical experts, to make heart-healthy eating choices in the midst of confusing and sometimes contradictory information online, according to Christopher D. Gardner, Ph.D in nutrition science, chair of the statement writing committee, and professor of medicine at Stanford University.
“The number of different, popular dietary patterns has proliferated in recent years, and the amount of misinformation about them on social media has reached critical levels,” Gardner said in a press release. “The public — and even many health care professionals — may rightfully be confused about heart-healthy eating, and they may feel that they don’t have the time or the training to evaluate the different diets.”
Flexible, mostly vegetarian diets are best for your heart, doctors say
The highest ranking diet, with a perfect score, was the DASH diet. Specifically designed to lower high blood pressure and heart disease risk, the DASH diet emphasizes whole grains, lean proteins, and produces, while reducing red meat, salt, and sugar.
Other top ranking diets include the Mediterranean diet, based on traditional eating patterns in countries like Italy and Spain, and the mostly plant-based pescetarian and vegetarian diets with some fish, eggs, and dairy.
The high scores reflect the fact that these diets include plenty of plant-based nutrients and a variety of healthy options so people are more likely to stick to them regardless of their budget and preferences, Gardner said in the press release.
Vegan and low-fat diets can be healthy, but may be high in processed foods
Other plant-based eating styles like vegan and low-fat (or volumetric) diets were given similarly high marks for including lots of veggies and plant-based protein.
However, vegan diets have higher certain nutrient deficiencies, particularly protein, amino acids, and B vitamins, and require careful planning, the committee noted.
Vegan and low-fat diets also run the risk of relying on foods that are highly processed to fit those dietary preferences which can include too much added sugar, salt, or oils.
Very low-fat diets rank even lower on the list, since they also exclude heart-healthy foods like nuts and seafood.
Keto and paleo diets could be missing key nutrients for heart health
Low-carb diets ranked at the bottom half of the list, with the high-fat keto diet in the last dead, followed by the paleo diet based on the eating habits of pre-agricultural humans.
The diets clash with the foundational AHA guidelines because they eliminate or severely restrict many of the recommended foods, such as whole grains, fruit, and vegetables. As a result, low-carb diets often lack fiber, a nutrient associated with myriad health benefits such as lower risk of disease, healthy blood sugar and reduced cholesterol.
Low-carb and paleo diets also tend to rely heavily on animal products, and therefore include more saturated fat and cholesterol than the AHA recommends for optimal heart health, the committee noted.
While people may see short-term benefits such as weight loss and better blood sugar on low-carb and paleo diets, they may be ineffective over time, in part because people may struggle to follow them, according to Gardner.
“They are highly restrictive and difficult for most people to stick with long terms,” he said in a press release. “A diet that’s effective at helping an individual maintain weight loss goals, from a practical perspective, needs to be sustainable.”


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A burgeoning new Irish business that is aiming to bring period products into the twenty first century and reduce the use of plastic? We really do love to see it.
A new company called Riley, based in Schull in Co. Cork, has recently launched a subscription box service which aims to supply people who have periods with safe, premium-quality hygiene products that will do as little damage to the environment as possible. The business was set up by three Irish female entrepreneurs: Aine Kilkenny, Fiona Parfrey and Lauren Duggan.
The idea was born after an evening of wine by an open fire that was cut short by the pesky arrival of a period, and an unfortunate lack of tampons in sight. The next day the three women were discussing this annoying occurrence and began to wonder if there was a better way to manage periods than what they'd always known.
"We started to look for a solution. That led us down a shocking discovery path as it brought to light how much plastic waste we've been using for our periods since we were teenagers," the women explain on their official website.
"We became hooked on solving this problem after realising no one was going to do it for us. We were compelled to create an eco-friendly alternative that wouldn't harm our planet," they continued.
"Plus getting them delivered through our doors means we wouldn't have to call it an early night - a win-win." When it comes to a night on the vino, it's all about longevity, right?
Riley takes sustainability seriously - not only are their products made with 100% certifiably organic cotton, but the company can also guarantee that everyone involved in bringing Riley products to your door is paid a fair wage and has safe working conditions.
The company has also recently partnered with Development Pamoja, an Irish registered charity in Kenya which provides sanitary products to young girls who can't access them. It's also sponsoring doctor-led school visits to educate young girls in rural Kenya on menstrual health.
The purchase a pack of the very affordable Riley products for yourself or someone you love, simply visit the official website here.
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PUBG Mobile is one of the most popular mobile games in the market right now. Tencent Games, the makes of PUBG Mobile has confirmed what their latest update will bring. The update 0.10.5 will be bringing the stable version of the Vikendi map which was in beta till now. The new map is aimed at bringing new experiences to their player. The new map introduces a ton of new weapons, new suits, a snow bike, new jump locations and more. PUBG Mobile is also brought many updates to the Chinese New Year themed version including night mode for Vikendi Snow Map, and also a cooperative mode where players airdrop together and have mini quests like to defeat monsters and dragons to get new loot to help them win the game. All of this will be coming to the new Arcade mode soon.
What are the changes in the new version?
The update 0.10.5 promises to bring in a brand new zombie mode along with many new weapons including SMG guns. However, the biggest update that the users have been waiting for is a stable version of Vikendi map which is still in the beta stage. It will also bring in the night mode for the snow map. PUBG Mobile has not explicitly confirmed these features but the company says "bring better tweaks to the loot distribution in Vikendi".
The snow map Vikendi which is available to play right now in the version 0.10.0 update is in its beta version. Players have complained about gameplay lags, latency issues, and the kind of loot distribution on the map for the beta version. Players have reported being able to find weapons like SMGs on the map while finding AR and sniper rifles is a commitment. In a tweet, PUBG Mobile is said that they will be tweaking the loot distribution in Vikendi.
Here is a complete changelog that helps us clear things out.
PUBG Mobile Update 0.10.5 Changelog:
- Monster hunting mode
- Snow Bike
- Vikendi Weather
- Vikendi Stable Map
- FPP Driving
- New voices
- New Emotes
- Zombie mode
- MK-47 Mutant rifle
Players can expect to encounter hordes of zombies coming at them. Players will have to survive waves of zombie with each wave getting difficult and difficult.


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Research shows that a plant-based diet may lower prostate cancer risk and slow its progression if diagnosed. Fruits and vegetables rich in lycopene (the bright red pigment found in tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit) may be especially beneficial. Men who consume two or more servings of tomato sauce per week have 23 percent less risk of prostate cancer, compared to those having tomato sauce less than once per month, according to data from the Harvard’s Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts) also offer protection.
Milk and dairy products are linked to an increased prostate cancer risk due to the hormone insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I), saturated fat, and dairy calcium and protein. Red and processed meat and eggs are also associated with increased risk for prostate cancer.


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Jun 20, 2018, 07:25 PM IST
The battle between the two companies in men’s fairness segment is not new with HUL earlier complaining to the Advertising Council against Fair and Handsome campaigns.
Jun 20, 2018, 01:10 PM IST
Jain, who will join from August this year, will be L’Oréal India’s first Indian managing director after the French cosmetics giant entered in 1991.
Oct 17, 2017, 12:16 PM IST
A customer must keep four factors in mind while buying gold jewellery - measuring the purity of gold, understanding exchange policies that the jeweller offers, knowing the product warranty, and ensuring a transparent break-up of the bill. Here are a few things you should be aware of while buying gold to avoid being tricked.
Jun 18, 2018, 08:34 AM IST
The decision was taken at a meeting between commerce minister Suresh Prabhu and various stakeholders of gems and jewellery industry on Friday.
May 29, 2018, 07:27 AM IST
The natural segment of India’s personal care market is estimated to be worth `18,500 crore, or almost 41% of the total personal care market, consumer research firm Nielsen found.
May 27, 2018, 08:39 AM IST
Longing to wear a bridal lehenga created by famous designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee for your wedding; but can’t afford the Rs 7.5 lakh price tag? Want to carry a blingy clutch bag to the weekend kitty party, but are hesitant about buying it and cluttering up your closet? No longer are such fantasies beyond the reach of Indian millennials with more and more players in the online clothes and accessories rental space setting up shop and rolling out growth plans. Watch now and read the full story in ET Magazine, this Sunday (May 27).
JOBS IN Fashion/Cosmetics/Jewellery
May 26, 2018, 11:00 PM IST
Entrepreneurs and investors see long-term opportunity in companies that hire out designer clothes and expensive accessories.
May 21, 2018, 04:53 PM IST
Exports in April 2017 stood at USD 3.31 billion, the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) of India said.
May 17, 2018, 07:25 PM IST
Jewellery demand will persist in developed markets, however, the excitement will be in the emerging markets as their economies grow, according to the report.
May 14, 2018, 07:05 AM IST
According to a senior official at the I-T dept, the Delhi office of Income Tax(Investigation) has received a list of 55 entities from Mumbai.
May 13, 2018, 04:34 PM IST
The CEO of the world's largest diamond producer is bullish about the industry's growth prospects in India, despite the hit to consumer sentiment in the wake of the PNB fraud.
May 11, 2018, 11:54 PM IST
"With 3 million new jobs on the anvil, the banks should not hesitate to fund the industry efforts which are bonafide, transparent and above board," Prabhu said.
May 11, 2018, 09:13 PM IST
Punjab National Bank had detected fraudulent transactions at its Brady House branch in south Mumbai for several years from 2011.
May 10, 2018, 02:07 PM IST
The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) is organising a banking summit in the maximum city to discuss credit-related matters.
May 5, 2018, 11:15 PM IST
Classic white sneakers are back, with their cachet and business booming in India on the strength of renewed love for retro.
Apr 18, 2018, 10:55 AM IST
Currently, 10 grams of 24-carat gold is priced at around Rs 31,000 — higher than last year’s rates, which hovered at Rs 29,000.
Apr 16, 2018, 11:24 AM IST
Vimadalal said ALROSA has plans to launch its own brand of diamonds for the Indian market to be launched in 2019 or 2020.


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22 May 2019 | Speaking on the topic of “Beauty for Christ,” Dr. James Boakye Fordjour, an obstetrician-gynecologist, condemned the practice of skin bleaching at a health seminar for young women organized by the Mid-West Ghana Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church.
Skin bleaching for aesthetic purposes is practiced in the country, with a wide range of bleaching products on the market. The industry is considered lucrative.
According to an article published earlier this month by Ghana Business News, Fordjour said that skin bleaching destroys the melanin content in the skin and can result in skin cancer and other forms of cancer.
He advised young women in attendance to retain their natural complexion and avoid body “make-ups” to retain health, especially in old age.
Other presenters at the Adventist church in the town of Sunyani (Brong-Ahafo Region) focused on social media. Pastor Paul Twumasi Danquah, President of the Mid-West Ghana Conference, encouraged young people to use social media for evangelism.
Yaw Ofori-Amanfo, head of the Centre for Technological Education and Training (CTET) at Ghana Technology University, stressed that social media had both advantages and disadvantages, while cautioning that the latter could destroy the future of young people.
Danquah also discussed porn, advising young people to spend their free time reading the Bible and other Christian material.


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By Tonny Tugee
Kenya’s ICT sector has seen a 10.8% common annual development since 2016, making it one of many fastest-growing tech environments on the continent.
This success might be largely attributed to numerous improvements in our digital area, with the ICT sector on monitor to creating 250,000 jobs and contributing as much as 8% of GDP by the top of 2020.
Kenya has firmly established itself as a digital trendsetter in Africa, however how far have we come on our digital journey? Let’s take a look at some notable developments and partnerships which have been carried out and the way they might form the way forward for Kenya’s digital atmosphere.
Cellular fee platforms
After the launch of Safaricom’s M-PESA in 2007, Kenya has not solely emerged as a pacesetter in cell fee platforms however has additionally pushed its financial development by way of monetary inclusion.
Huawei has not too long ago partnered with Safaricom and different community suppliers to help the implementation of companies like M-PESA, a cell cash platform, M-TIBA, which supplies medical remedy by way of a cell well being pockets, and Fuliza – a service that lets customers with inadequate funds borrow cash to finish their transactions on M-PESA.
Over Kshs 6.2 billion in transactions had been processed in Fuliza’s first month, and its whole loans rose by 30% when the pandemic hit East Africa.
Microloan platforms like Fuliza have empowered tens of millions of Kenyans who would in any other case not have had entry to finance, and it, subsequently, comes as no shock that Safaricom contributed 6% to our GDP in 2020.
Different worldwide platforms have additionally taken discover, like dLocal, a number one cross-border fee platform which has expanded into Kenya and three extra African nations to permit funds on M-PESA and Airtel, making it simpler for retailers in Kenya to take their enterprise throughout borders and develop into new markets.
Connectivity is undoubtedly a cornerstone of digital transformation, and Kenya has many initiatives in place to grasp nationwide connectivity.
The Ministry of Data, Communication and Expertise has began establishing a 630 kilometre high-speed fibre optic cable that may profit communities, authorities, and companies within the North Rift area of Kenya in addition to promote cross-border commerce with South Sudan.
Airtel Kenya, the second-largest telecoms firm in Kenya, has partnered with Nokia to deploy 4G and 5G-ready infrastructure throughout Kenya.
SEACOM has partnered with Vodacom to succeed in extra enterprise shoppers throughout Africa, and Alphabet, Google’s dad or mum firm, introduced a roll-out plan for Undertaking Taara, which can present super-fast connectivity utilizing mild beams.
Google’s Loon undertaking can also be bringing connectivity to distant areas with stratospheric climate balloons, which has been considerably improved by a brand new AI climate navigation system.
These advances in connectivity will result in noticeable enhancements for Kenyan residents and companies with regards to entry to and the aptitude of any Web-reliant expertise.
This will even assist embrace extra folks within the nation’s rising digital economic system, enhancing schooling alternatives and employability.
Connectivity isn’t just mandatory for digital transformation; it could actually act as an financial catalyst – however provided that it’s quick and dependable.
Whereas Kenya is taken into account a continental chief in digital applied sciences, manufacturing’s contribution to GDP has declined during the last decade.
President Kenyatta has set out some formidable targets for manufacturing in his Huge 4 agenda, hoping to lift its GDP contribution from 9.2% in 2019 to twenty% by 2022. ICT adoption has been recognised as a key issue for enhancing the sector.
For instance, modernising instruments of operations, comparable to software programming interfaces (APIs), can provide staff management over a number of processes on a single digital dashboard, however this additionally requires the workforce to be digitally skilled.
The Kenya Affiliation of Producers has launched a coverage framework to enhance digital capabilities, foster competitiveness, and handle digital change in an inclusive method – which might be seen in its name for ladies to participate within the manufacturing business.
Kenya’s manufacturing business nonetheless has untapped potential, as a Syspro examine discovered that solely 11% of producers had been absolutely automated, so there’s a lot room for development.
70% of Africans rely solely on agricultural earnings, and with a rising inhabitants, farmers are struggling to maintain up with demand. Happily, digital instruments are starting to exchange guide processes and on-line commerce platforms are on the rise.
Safaricom’s Digifarm is offering small farmers with entry to finance, in addition to recommendation and data – all on cell.
Liquid Telecom has additionally partnered with Twiga Meals, a web based business-to-business meals market, to enhance farm productiveness by way of completely different agricultural sensors comparable to a climate station, soil moisture and temperature probes, and extra.
Technological enhancements within the farming sector may result in the creation of extra jobs, meals safety in addition to financial development. Some worldwide agritech start-ups have seen 110% development previously two years, which is why it’s clear that technological options are defining a brand new age of agriculture.
A brighter future
Kenya has all of the elements to fast-track digital transformation. It has a younger, tech-savvy inhabitants with a ardour for studying, and a longtime authorities able to supporting main IT initiatives.
Our cell platforms are empowering folks with financially inclusive companies whereas connectivity is starting to succeed in each nook of the nation. At this price, regardless of the difficulties of 2020, Kenya’s digital future appears to be like vibrant.
(Tonny Tugee is the MD for East and North East Africa, SEACOM).
The submit Kenya’s digital journey: The place are we now, and the place are we going? appeared first on Afritech Media.


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Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg, who ran the popular AllThingsD tech site for the past seven years, are breaking up with the WSJ. And with that, the AllThingsD brand shuts down as of today:
This is the last day of the All Things Digital site, which began life in April of 2007 as a year-round extension of the D conference we launched in 2003. Since then, we have published nearly 40,000 posts and attracted millions of loyal readers.
Starting January 2, we’ll have an all-new site and suite of conferences, with a different name and Web address, run as an independent company with great investors and partners. It’s likely that you’ll hear a lot about it.
But before we go — this will be our last post here, by the way — we want to say we are intensely proud of what we did on this tech and media news and analysis site. And as we reach the end, we’d ask you to indulge us in a moment of sentimental reflection.
AllThingsD was known for its conferences and its numerous scoops, something you’ll probably see at the new site, launching tomorrow.
9:00 // 9 months ago
Would Obama veto SOPA? An online debate builds among techies
- claim AllThingsD’s Arik Hesseldahl claimed in an article Monday that Obama would be likely to veto the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act because the president “likes the internet” and that a decision in favor of SOPA would strongly go against the president’s longstanding net neutrality policy.
- rebuttal However, TechDirt blogger Mike Masnick, who knows a thing or two about online copyright issues, says that Obama would likely sign it due to his need for election-year money from Hollywood — unless the bill becomes toxic to the touch, which Masnick says hasn’t happened yet. So, who’s right?
Read ShortFormBlog • Follow
20:35 // 2 years ago


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Photo via Beijing Cream.
In perhaps the most disturbing story to break over the weekend, the company in charge of organizing the Chutian Auto Culture Festival has been roundly criticized for using 5-year-old girls in bikinis in the show.
Zhang Ping, general manager of the event’s promoters 7-Wind Model Costume Company, defended the use of child models to the China Daily:
[She] said the goal was purely to help the children “boost their courage” and no organization or individual made money from the show.
Our colleagues at Beijing Cream also highlighted this particularly messed up comment:
“If you type the key words ‘children’ and ‘bikini’ into an Internet search engine, you’ll find tens of thousands of results for child bikini contests,” she said on Sunday. “It’s natural for kids to wear bikinis and other things they like.”
While, as Beijing Cream points out, this claim is patently false; Zhang is presumably referring to beauty pageants such as those featured in Toddlers and Tiaras which do feature bikini rounds, and have been widely condemned for sexualizing pre-pubescent children.
Zhang went on to blame the media for publishing pictures of the children, claiming this did far more damage than her hiring them to be photographed scantily clad in front of cars.


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Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) is chipping away at the Android market with a 9.63% share – a significant jump from 1.54%, seen in our March report. Gingerbread is still the leader with 71.10% of market share.
Google’s Android is a dominant force in the mobile Operating System (OS) market but it’s not without its challenges. The same versatility that draws in many developers leads to one of Androids greatest difficulties: fragmentation. Android is currently used by a range of manufacturers on a multitude of devices, each having different update schedules and processes. Rapid releases of updated Android versions leading to increased fragmentation has been among the main reasons new Android OS versions have failed to quickly gain traction in the Android market.
With Android’s latest update, Jelly Bean, starting to roll out, Chitika Insights is interested in investigating the current level of fragmentation we are seeing in the Android market since our last report in March. We had found that after three months on the market, Ice Cream Sandwich was generating only 1.54% of all Android web traffic. This posed a stark contrast to Apple’s mobile Operating System, iOS (Android’s biggest competitor), where over 90% of iOS users were operating on the latest two versions, compared to 4.5% of users on Android 3.0 and 4.0 combined.
To quantify our latest study, Chitika Insights analyzed a sample of tens of millions of mobile ad impressions all running some version of Android OS, spanning a one week time frame, from July 3 – July 9, 2012. Web market share is composed by calculating the proportion of Android impressions represented by each version of the operating system. The resulting distribution shows the current levels of fragmentation within the Android market.
As we found in our previous report, Ginger Bread still takes the greatest share of the Android market with 71.1%, up slightly from 69.01% in March. Available since December 2010, Gingerbread’s features like on-screen keyboard, power and application management, speed and efficiency, have helped in maintaining the top spot. However, Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) is chipping away at the market with a 9.63% share – a significant jump from 1.54%, seen in our last report.
So what’s the reason behind the surge in share for ICS? Google recently reported that ICS is now running on one in ten Android devices and sales for the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC’s One X (both running ICS) have been stellar. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 – also running ICS – has fared well in the tablet market, coming in second place among top tablets in the market behind the dominant iPad.
The growth seen for the latest version of Android’s OS may be halted with the recent release of Jelly Bean (4.1), announced on July 11. Said to have many new improvements for the user experience, Jelly Bean is now available as an update on the HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus and will be available on the new Nexus 7 tablet.
The current levels of fragmentation, in addition to yet another update making its way into the market, may cause more problems for developers struggling to create applications supported across all versions of the Android OS. Furthermore, given Android is open-source, older versions of the OS are still used in new Tablets and mobile devices and are not providing users with the latest and greatest updates and features available today – a source of confusion and frustration for consumers. Despite issues with fragmentation, Android’s OS is still a force in the mobile market. The latest data from Chitika Insights Internet Access Platform Tracker shows Android has a 46.8% share of smartphone traffic, just behind iOS with 49.9%.
We will continue to monitor and report news on the Android market as Jelly Bean continues to roll out.


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Whistle-blower reports to the ICO at record high in the last year – up 34%
The number of whistle-blower reports made to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) about potential data breaches and the misuse of customer information by organisations* is at a record-high, jumping 34% to 427 in the last year, from 319 the previous year, says RPC, the City-headquartered law firm.
Of the 427 whistle-blower reports that were made in the last year, further action was taken with 68 of these reports, including 23 being taken into consideration for investigations. In the previous year, 55 whistle-blower reports were considered for investigation by the ICO.
Whistle-blower reports have increased substantially in the two years since GDPR was introduced. RPC says that greater awareness of online fraud and other forms of data theft has caused more people to report businesses for not taking proper precautions with the data they hold.
RPC says that the ICO has actively been encouraging people to come forward with information on suspected mishandling of data.
Last year, the ICO announced it intended to issue £282m of fines to a major airline and international hotel group, for having put millions of customers’ data at risk. This is a substantial step change in the scale of fines that the ICO has been imposing.
Richard Breavington, Partner at RPC, says: “Whistleblowing is now a major risk for businesses that fail to deal with a data breach properly, or who have failed to take reasonable steps to protect the data they hold on their customers.”
“This makes it more important than ever for businesses who do fall victim to a data breach to respond quickly and to inform the ICO of the data breach if necessary, within the right deadline and ensure customers are informed when they are exposed to a major risk.”
“Whilst the ICO has indicated that it is exercising forbearance during coronavirus, businesses would be wrong to think that is a free pass.”
“With millions of employees continuing to work from home, businesses need to have clear practices in place. For example, recommending multi-factor authentication if employees are using their own devices for work and advising employees to update software regularly so it’s at a lower risk of being hacked into.”
Whistle-blower reports on data breaches to the ICO jump 34% in the last year
*Year-end March 31 2020, includes organisations


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Chris Christie, then the governor of New Jersey, called it a “critical decision” at the time he signed legislation to legalize online casinos in the state.
But, he added, “I am confident that we are ofering a responsible yet exciting option that will make Atlantic City more competitive while also bringing financial benefits to New Jersey as a whole.”
A decade later, online casinos in New Jersey have taken off. As the state celebrates 10 years of legal online casinos, New Jersey has seen over $7 billion in total revenue, leading to more than $1 billion in state tax revenue.
It all began with a soft launch on Nov. 21, 2013, setting up a full-go launch five days later. And the growth over that time has been … astounding.
Launch of NJ online casinos signaled ‘rebirth’ of Atlantic City
After Christie put pen to paper, Michael Frawley, then the chief operating officer for the Atlantic Club, praised New Jersey lawmakers. They “seized this moment,” he said at the time. And as a result, “New Jersey will be better for it.” Frawley added that this “reinvestment” in Atlantic City, spurred by online casino gaming, “will be remembered as a critical turning point for this proud town. We look forward to the renewed success this new law will surely bring.”
(It should be noted that the Atlantic Club was one of four Atlantic City casinos to close in 2014.)
Indeed, online casinos in New Jersey have helped keep the AC casino industry afloat, one of the many impacts NJ online casinos have had on the state.
“The focus has been on the rebirth of Atlantic City,” David Rebuck, director of the Division of Gaming Enforcement, said when the first online casinos went live in November 2013. “The thinking is that new revenue streams that could come about through more attractive play by casinos and the internet could generate that much more revenue.”
Online gambling presented itself as a way to assist in Atlantic City’s economic losses due to nearby competition and the Great Recession. In 2006, AC casinos stood as a $5.2 billion market, a total that dipped to $2.5 billion in 2015. Since then, the land-based industry has relatively rebounded and steadied, from $2.6 billion in fiscal year 2017 to $2.8 billion in fiscal year 2023.
A month before Christie signed off on legislation to clear the way for legal NJ online casinos, analysts from Wells Fargo projected that online gambling in the state could generate upward of $850 million in the “near term.” Safe to say that New Jersey has surpassed those projections. During fiscal year 2023, online casinos in the state generated $1.8 billion in total revenue. For perspective, the first full fiscal year of NJ online casinos featured $131.8 million in revenue.
No slowing down online casino gaming
When it comes to anything new, there is a fear of inevitable staleness. What’s hot now may not be the case next month, let alone in 10 years.
Online casinos in New Jersey have rebuffed that theory. In fact, the industry has only continued to spike up.
Mobile gaming launched in late November 2013 with 12 licensed operators. Including those final days of the month as well as December, NJ online casinos generated $8.4 million in revenue. You know what they did in October 2023 with 36 listed operators on the report? Try $166.8 million – the single-largest revenue month in the 10-year history of NJ online gambling.
That timeline obviously includes 2020, when the world shut down as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Atlantic City casinos closed down, thereby cutting out state tax collections on revenue. Online casinos, however, skyrocketed. From 2019 to 2020, NJ online gambling revenue jumped by over 101%, generated more than $970 million. A year later, that total spiked to $1.36 billion.
“The biggest surprise,” Ed Andrewes, CEO of Resorts Digital Gaming, told PlayNJ, “was how the market kept on growing after COVID-19.”
Such has been the case for the online casino industry in New Jersey since the first platforms went live. Those included still-existing operators such as Tropicana Online Casino NJ, Harrah’s Online Casino NJ and Borgata Online Casino NJ. It also included the long-since-departed Ultimate Casino and Betfair Casino, now known as FanDuel Casino NJ.
Much has changed since November 2013. Yet the trend remains the same: NJ online casinos are trending upward.
You see that by the fact the market continues to add new operators.
Look for Jackpot City Casino NJ to launch in the state in the near future.
10-year growth of online casinos in NJ
Just to paint a picture of that growth, consider the first year of online casino gaming in New Jersey.
Over the course of 2014, NJ online casinos generated $122.9 million in revenue. October 2023 topped that on its own with a record $166.8 million, putting the state at nearly $1.6 billion through 10 months this year.
Consider that October total: $166.8 million. Then understand that it took New Jersey 17 months to reach that mark in lifetime totals.
Since November 2022, online casinos in NJ have eclipsed $150 million in monthly revenue nine times in 12 months. Want to guess how many times the industry did that in the previous 108 months? Zero.
Lower that total a little more: NJ online casinos have been above $120 million 25 times over the past 26 months. The industry didn’t reach that monthly benchmark at all in the first 94 months. On top of all that, online casino gaming has generated less than $130 million just once since December 2021.
That’s growth. And it’s still growing.


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Apple isn’t talking about the iPhone 5S design yet, but the next best thing is chatter from iPhone case makers who are already planning on an iPhone 5S that looks a lot like the iPhone 5, but with one change that could force anyone upgrading from the iPhone 5 to buy new cases.
Last year we shared the iPhone 5 engineering sample which a case maker used to test the fit of new cases, and as we approach that same timeline with the iPhone 5S we are already seeing plans leak out that show what case manufacturers plan to do for the iPhone 5S.
These specific iPhone 5S dimensions and specifications aren’t linked up to a specific source, but as we learned in our behind the scenes look at how companies prepare for un-announced Apple products — at a certain point the rumors align enough to begin planning cases.
For the iPhone 5S, that time is now, at least at one “well-known third-party manufacturer,” who shared iPhone 5S blueprints with AppleInsider.
A set of images show the dimensions and expected iPhone 5S features, as well as those for the iPhone Light, which is what this case maker is calling the iPhone Light. The iPhone Light is the rumored budget iPhone that Apple could use to gain a bigger foothold in emerging markets.
The leaked iPhone 5S blueprints show the dimensions and thickness of the iPhone 5S and the budget iPhone. It’s not a surprise that the iPhone 5S dimensions are nearly identical to the iPhone 5.
The only difference is the listed iPhone 5S thickness which is 7.70mm in the drawing compared to 7.60mm on the iPhone 5, but this may be a rounding error, and not an overall sign that Apple will make the iPhone 5S thicker.
The images of the back of the iPhone 5S blueprints confirm that case makers are at least planning on an iPhone 5S with a dual-LED flash. The image above shows a pill-shaped flash next to the camera, which is different than the circle flash on the iPhone 5. One common iPhone 5S rumor is a better camera and a new dual-LED flash.
Apple offers a recommended keep-out area for the iPhone 5 flash, which is already tight on many cases. This area is supposed to remain clear of the flash to let it work without bouncing off a case. The image below from Apple’s iPhone 5 blueprint outlines the area that needs to stay open, and an example of how close some iPhone 5 cases already come to this area.
With this in mind, existing iPhone 5 cases might not work as well as new ones that leave more room for the flash to fire, especially thicker ones like iPhone 5 battery cases.
The cheaper iPhone Light is wider, taller and thicker than the iPhone 5S in these blueprints. If Apple plans to produce a cheaper iPhone it will likely appear in markets outside of the U.S.
These are not as detailed as the iPhone blueprints Apple shares with case-makers after announcing a new phone, which show many more measurements and details, but they do offer similar information.
The iPhone 5S is rumored for a fall release, with multiple sources pointing to September. If case makers are planning on iPhone 5S cases based on the current leaks, and with the uptick in iPhone 5S parts leaks, this timing fits past Apple launches.
Case makers aren’t always spot on with their pre-release iPhone designs, Hard Candy cases made 50,000 iPhone cases for the wrong design in 2011, and incorrectly predicted the launch of the iPad 5 last week. Overall these case makers keep a close eye on Apple products, because being first to market when a new device arrives can pay off.


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By John Richardson
FOR so many years, developed countries were able to limit the extent to which they had to incinerate, landfill and properly recycle plastic waste by shipping the waste to developing countries, mainly to China.
A Science Advances study highlights the extent to which the developed world depended on China as an easy “out of sight out mind” dumping ground for plastic rubbish:
Since it began reporting in 1992, China has imported 106 million MT of plastic waste, making up 45.1% of all cumulative imports. Collectively, China and Hong Kong have imported 72.4% of all plastic waste. However, Hong Kong acts as an entry port into China, with most of the plastic waste imported to Hong Kong (63%) going directly to China as an export in 2016.
But that option is no longer available following China’s decision to severely restrict its imports of plastic rubbish from early 2018 onwards. In theory, plastic waste can still be shipped to China. But in practice, meeting contamination limits of only 0.5% per tonne has created an economically insurmountable barrier for exporters.
The end result has been a 99% drop in China’s imports of scrap or waste polyethylene (PE), polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS) and other polymers so far in 2018 compared with last year.
Exports of plastic rubbish to other developing countries have been stepped up to try and compensate for the new China regulations. But other developing countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam don’t have the recycling facilities on anywhere near the scale of China to plug the gap.
It also seems certain that these countries will follow China in restricting imports of contaminated plastic rubbish because of the negative impact on the environment.
The Science Advances study thus estimates that if the new Chinese restrictions remain in place from 2018 until 2020, some 111m tonnes of plastic rubbish that would have been shipped to China will be displaced globally.
Will developed countries end up dumping more plastic in landfills? Certainly not in the EU, which is moving in the opposite direction. The European Circular Economy Package, which was released in June, involves major new restrictions on landfilling. The package states that:
As of 2030, all waste suitable for recycling or other recovery, in particular in municipal waste, must not be accepted in a landfill, except for waste for which landfilling delivers the best environmental outcome.
Obviously, plastic falls under the category of being suitable for recycling, with the Circular Economy Package linked to the EU Plastics Strategy, which was launched in January. The strategy has set to the target that all EU plastics packaging must be recyclable by 2030.
And forget incineration as a means of getting rid of this displaced plastic rubbish in the EU, as regulators remain very much against burning plastic because, according to the European Commission, it generates 400m tonnes of CO2 globally every year.
Recycling and redesigning plastics
What of the US, though, given the Trump administration’s policy of rolling back rather than increasing environmental legislation? Science Advances estimates that the US will account for 37m tonnes of the 111m tonnes of displaced waste plastic exports to China in 2018-2030.
But whatever rollback of regulations that allows more landfilling and incineration at a federal level could be more than compensated for by tougher rules in certain pro-green states such as California. There is also, of course, the possibility that President Trump will be out of office by 2020.
And globally, the Science Advance study further underlines the threats and opportunities faced by polymer producers because of the shift in public opinion and so legislation towards plastics. We have gone beyond a historic tipping point:
- Virgin polymer consumption in single-use applications will decline. This means that global growth will no longer be above global GDP, as has been the case in recent years. Consumption will instead will fall below the growth in GDP. PE, PET and PS will be especially badly affected because of their heavy use in packaging applications.
- The opportunity to make money will no longer come from building ever-more capacity virgin polymers capacity, based on access to cheap feedstock. Profitability will instead be driven by increasing mechanical and chemicals recycling capabilities. Companies will need to work with brand owners and retailers to redesign packaging to make virgin plastics more recyclable. And where this is impossible, polymer companies will need to invest in breaking down waste plastic into naphtha and transportation fuels – i.e. chemicals recycling through technologies such as pyrolysis.


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Jason Wilson, co-founder of Platial, in San Francisco on Thursday (iPhone photo by JD Lasica).
Platial helped pioneer place-based social networking
This is the first of a multi-part series on geolocation startups and services.
Target audience: Entrepreneurs, founders, startups, geolocation services, mobile ad networks, businesses, educators, journalists, general public.
For years, entrepreneurs, tech observers and funders have known two things about the geolocation space: It holds an enormous amount of promise, and it’s taking an awfully long time to get there.
Geolocation startups are hot in Silicon Valley right now, from Zkatter, a San Francisco-based startup from British young gun Matt Hagger that wants you to capture and share moments in real time through mobile video, to Findery, the venture-backed San Francisco startup from Flickr co-founder Caterina Fake that wants you to leave notes, media and digital objects for others at specific locations.
What’s my connection with geoloco? For the past half year I’ve been working on a geolocation startup called Placely (register for the beta here). We’re still early in development, so I’ll talk more about our plans for Placely in a future post. But today I think it’s worth doing a quick survey of how far we’ve come (not very) and how far we still have to go as geolocation gets ready for its closeup. Continue reading


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Latest Economic Resilience Fund opens for applications at midday today
The latest round of the “Economic Resilience Fund” (ERF) pandemic support from the Welsh Government opens at midday today.
The ERF Sector Specific Support (operating cost) package is targeted at Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure (HTL) businesses and associated supply chain businesses that will be materially impacted by a greater than 60% impact of turnover as a result of the restrictions introduced on 4 December 2020 until 22 January 2021.
Applications are due to open at midday and remain open for 2 weeks – or until funds are fully committed – which could be quite promptly going off the demand of previous funds.
You can access the application and more information on https://businesswales.gov.wales/coronavirus-advice/.
The funding, announced in December, is part of a live £450m package of support that the, hospitality, leisure and tourism sectors as well as their supply chain can access and will provide vital support to thousands of firms impacted by alert level 3 and 4 restrictions. The £180m is in addition to a £270m support package for businesses that pay non domestic rates, which includes non-essential retail businesses, and is being delivered via Local Authorities.
The separate set of grants linked to Non Domestic Rates aka Business Rates are being administered by local councils and are currently being processed, if the business has had a grant and is eligible this time on the sector support, it will get the payment automatically. We are told if businesses expecting the rates grant have not had a payment by the 20th then they should visit your local council website and apply.
The Welsh Government estimates that under the package of support a typical hospitality business in Wales with the equivalent of six full-time staff could be eligible to receive between £12,000 and £14,000 in total in this round alone, with the Welsh Government saying it “makes it the most generous offer in the UK”.
Economy Minister Ken Skates said: “Accelerating coronavirus rates meant we have had to make difficult but necessary decisions to protect people’s health and save lives. We know these decisions have a knock-on effect on our businesses and there is no doubt that latest restrictions mean very real challenges for firms who have already had to deal with so much.
“We are committed to doing all we can to protect our businesses during this very challenging time. Our package of support is the most generous in the UK and since the beginning of the pandemic more than £1.6bn of Welsh Government financial assistance has reached businesses.
“Many hospitality, tourism, leisure and non-essential retail businesses have already received payments of £3,000 or £5,000 in the last month and this additional funding will be absolutely crucial in supporting eligible businesses through the difficult weeks ahead.”
The amount a company can claim from the £180m sector specific fund will be calculated based on staff count and turnover. The fund is expected to support up to 8,000 hospitality, tourism and leisure firms impacted by the restrictions and potentially a further 2,000 in related supply chains.
An eligibility checker and calculator has been live on Business Wales since December to help businesses work out what support they can expect to qualify for in total and the detail they will need to make an application. Further guidance was also issued last week.
Since the end of October alone, more than 69,000 offers of support worth in excess of £230m have been made to businesses across Wales through the Welsh Government’s Economic Resilience Fund. Welsh Government stats say the ERF has already protected more than 125,000 jobs that might otherwise have been lost.
Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas, said: “We are fully aware, not least from our hospitality stakeholder group, of the impact of the restrictions that we have had to bring in. This was not the Christmas period that any of us had hoped for, but I would urge businesses to take advantage of the help available.
“We will continue to do everything we can to support our firms and our people through to the other side of this dreadful pandemic.”
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Archive for the ‘Interviews 2’ Category
1 CommentsPosted by faith on July 19, 2014 under Channel, Interviews 2
One of the most unusual names in the UK gaming market, Dino PC has now been supplying high-end hardware to gamers and enthusiasts alike for more than a decade. KitGuru took the opportunity to catch up... more.
4 CommentsPosted by Allan 'Zardon' Campbell on May 2, 2014 under Channel, Interviews 2
I recently had some time to sit down with AMD's Sasa Marinkovic -the Head of Technology Marketing, in the Client Business Unit. I have always enjoyed chatting with Sasa, he is a very intelligent, focu... more.
0 CommentsPosted by Jules on January 14, 2014 under Interviews 2
The launch of Kaveri is a strange one. Generally, when it comes to Intel, nVidia and AMD - launches are about 'burying the other guy' and delivering more ultra-realistic-cinematographic-technicolour e... more.
7 CommentsPosted by Carl Muller on July 12, 2011 under APU, Interviews 2
Intel’s Sandy Bridge series is powerful. No doubting that statement. But while most of the media attention has been focused on the 2500k and 2600k processors, that’s quite far away from what the a... more.
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