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last month uncovered the personal information of nearly 1
According to Capital One, the breach on July 19 led to the hacker gaining access to personal data related to credit card applications from 2005 to early 2019 for consumers, applicants and small businesses. The personal data disclosed included names, addresses, dates of birth, credit scores, transaction data, social security numbers, and bank account numbers.
According to Capital One, about 140,000 social security numbers and 80,000 linked bank account numbers were reported. And for Canadian credit card customers and claimants, about 1 million Social Security numbers. However, Capital One said the hack revealed no credit card account numbers or credentials.
In response, Capital One announced it would notify customers and credit card applicants whose data was disclosed in the breach, and the Department of Justice announced that a Seattle-based engineer was being sued for theft.
Learn if you've been affected by the Capital One privacy breach and what you can do to protect yourself.
How to Determine if Your Information Was Stolen
Capital One has advised that customers affected by the hack are affected. You can probably expect a letter in the mail – or maybe an e-mail or a phone call – from the company if your data has been disclosed. At the moment, Capital One does not have a website that you can check for yourself other than the Equifax tool that was released to see if you were part of the data breach.
Be wary of e-mails and phone calls from fraudsters posing as Capital One or government officials asking for credit card or account information or your social security number.
What Capital One Is Doing Against the Hack
Capital One claimed to have fixed the exploit of the hacker used to access the data and worked with the federal prosecution authorities on the violation. The bank announced that it would appeal to customers involved in the hack and provide free credit monitoring and identity protection to customers affected by the breach.
How to Monitor Your Credit Report for Fraud
You do not have to wait for contacting Capital One: you can now take multiple steps to look for fraud.
Monitor your credit reports. Receive a free credit report each year from the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. (Note that Equifax recovers after its own.) Look in your report for unusual or unfamiliar activities, such as: For example, after the appearance of new accounts that you have not opened. Watch your credit card accounts and bank statements for unexpected charges and payments.
Sign up for a credit monitoring service. Select awhich will constantly monitor your credit reports through major credit bureaus and notify you when unusual activity is detected. To facilitate monitoring, you can set up fraud alerts that notify you when someone tries to use your identity to create credit. A – or you can use a free service such as . Capital One said it will provide free credit monitoring and identity protection to all affected customers.
What if you suspect you are a victim of fraud or identity theft?
Once you suspect your ID has been stolen, you can take steps to stop unauthorized indictments and restore your identity.
Place a fraud alert. If you suspect fraud, contact each of the credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The warning notifies creditors that you have been the victim of fraud and tells them that you are indeed making new loan requests on your behalf. Placing a fraud alert does not affect your credit rating.
Contact fraud departments. For any business or credit card company that believes that an account has been opened or charged without your knowledge, contact the Fraud Section. Although you are not responsible for any fraudulent charges on an account, you must report suspicious activity immediately.
Freeze your balance. If you do not want to prevent anyone from providing credit without your permission and requesting loans and services on your behalf, you can freeze your balance. You must apply for freeze at each of the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. To apply for a new balance, you must once again freeze your balance with any credit bureau. You can either apply for a temporary release of the frost or let it thaw permanently.
Document everything. Keep copies of all documents, issues and records of your conversations about the theft.
Create a recovery plan. The Federal Trade Commission has a useful tool for reporting identity theft and restoring your identity through a personal recovery plan.


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Symform earlier this week welcomed Second Century Ventures (SCV), the venture capital fund of the National Association of REALTORS (NAR), as a strategic investor in the company. SCV joined Symform’s $11 million Series B round of funding from 2012, which included financing from Longworth Venture Partners, OVP Venture Partners, and WestRiver Capital.
According to a press release issued this week by Symform, Matthew J. Schlitz, the companys CEO, briefly discussed the reasoning behind the new partnership. “Symform is disrupting the multi-billion dollar global cloud data backup market with our unique decentralized solution,” Schlitz said. “Our strategic partnership with Second Century Ventures will put our unlimited cloud storage offerings into the hands of the member base of NAR, the largest trade association in the United States. This investment is an important validation of our model, and is additional momentum as we build the world’s largest virtual datacenter.”
Symform is known for offering mid-market customers and IT resellers cloud storage and backup solutions. The company will use the SCV financing to power product development and accelerate the adoption of Symform. The announcement caps a record-setting year for Symform, as the company’s Global Cloud Storage Network now reaches active users in 160 countries that trust Symform to store over 7 billion data fragments.
As part of the investment, Constance Freedman, managing director of Second Century Ventures, will join the Symform Board of Directors. As managing director at SCV, Freedman will manage all aspects of the fund, from cultivating investment opportunities to helping portfolio companies achieve their strategic goals.

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NEW YORK — Scorned by its former parent, Fingerhut is back in business.
The general merchandise catalog was mailed out to customers in November 2002, and six more editions have since been mailed. Before November, Fingerhut’s last mailing was in January 2002, the same month that Federated Department Stores announced it was selling the entire Fingerhut unit.
As reported, Thomas Petters of The Petters Group and Ted Deikel, Fingerhut’s former chief executive officer, joined forces to form FAC Acquisitions to buy the core Fingerhut catalog operation from Federated. Their purchase was announced in June 2002. The price wasn’t disclosed at the time, but investment bankers pegged the value of the core Fingerhut operation at no higher than $100 million.
The former Fingerhut operation contained assets such as the family of catalogs operated under the Arizona Mail Order division, which included Figi’s, Bedford Fair, Willow Ridge, Old Pueblo Traders and Brownstone Studios. The Arizona division was purchased by J.P. Morgan Partners, the private investment arm of J.P. Morgan. Terms were not disclosed, but investment bankers pegged the J.P. Morgan purchase at no more than $150 million.
Popular Club Plan, the last of the Fingerhut components under Federated jurisdiction, was sold to management last year. The only other direct-to-consumer catalog operation that Federated has is its Bloomingdale’s by Mail catalog.
Under terms of the Petters/Deikel purchase agreement, the two acquired the Fingerhut name, Web site, inventory and miscellaneous equipment as well as its distribution center and other facilities in St. Cloud, Minn.; the Minnetonka, Minn.-based headquarters, and the data center in Plymouth, Minn.
Federated bought Fingerhut for $1.7 billion in 1999, but the acquisition never impressed investors and later proved costly when credit delinquencies surpassed expectations. In January 2002, Federated announced it would either sell or close down the operation.
According to a spokeswoman for The Petters Group and Fingerhut, "This is still very much a start-up operation. The company was completely shut down when we bought it."
She said the new Fingerhut was targeting the same customer base as before, but not necessarily the identical customers who bought from the old operation."Some we can’t mail to because we did not purchase the accounts receivables. That was sold to someone else," she explained.
Fingerhut.com is a live site that went into operation in November, and sells "pretty much everything" offered in the catalog, she said.
The company is hoping to increase the frequency of its catalog, now sent out about once every two to three weeks. The company does not disclose the total count of its customer base, but the spokeswoman described the catalog’s circulation as "significant."
Earlier this month, Fingerhut said it received a $100 million senior secured line of credit from CIT Business Credit’s Retail Finance Group, made up of a revolving line of credit secured by inventory and a bridge loan for consumer installment receivables.
Gary Prager, executive vice president at CIT, said in a statement: "We are delighted to work with Fingerhut in supporting this acquisition. This transaction reinforces CIT’s commitment to support the catalog and retail industries."
Fingerhut said the financing facility will be used to finance inventory and receivables and for working capital.
Deikel said in a statement: "Now we can focus on growth and profitability."
Fingerhut still offers credit to its customers, only now those credit accounts are managed by CompuCredit.
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews
“Stranger Things” is getting a new cast member for season 2. Meet @sadiesink_, the 15-year-old who will be joining the Netflix series for its new season. You may recognize her from “The Glass Castle” with Brie Larson and Woody Harrelson, but the Texas native’s next role goes in an entirely different direction. She describes her character, Max, as “a rough and tumble skater girl [who] becomes friends with the boys at school.” The second season debuts on October 27. (📷: @jgreenery) #wwdeye
Amid the Harvey Weinstein controversy, there’s another sector that’s being put under the spotlight for sexual abuse: the modeling industry. While rumors about abuse and sexual harassment of female and male models — and the photographers, agents and others who perpetrated it — have circulated within the fashion world for years, model @cameronrussell started posting stories from models on Instagram last week about abusive situations they’ve encountered — from sexual harassment and molestation to attempted rape. Over 75 have weighed in so far. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. #wwdnews
To celebrate its 16th anniversary, @dylanscandybar tapped designers and celebrities to create mosaics out of candy. The mosaics will be auctioned off to support the philanthropic cause of each participant’s choice. Pictured here is the mural created by @aliceandolivia's Stacey Bendet. For a first look at some of the other artwork being unveiled tonight, go to WWD.com. #wwdeye
The annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Pacific Palisades this weekend drew Kate Hudson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laura Dern and more. See pictures of the star-studded event on WWD.com. (📷: @chelsealaurenla) #wwdeye
In his new book “Hollywood Royale,” Andy Warhol’s Protégé Matthew Rolston celebrates the Eighties revival of Hollywood glamour. Featuring more than 100 portraits taken by Rolston from 1977 to 1993, the book contains photos of icons like Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and @drewbarrymore, pictured here in 1991. “Hollywood Royale,” out today, will be accompanied by an exhibition opening at Los Angeles’ Fahey/Klein Gallery on March 1. #wwdeye
"Nowadays when life is not so happy with everything going on in the world, I think people come to me for a little bit of whimsy and color and fun." - Designer Rebecca De Ravenel on her cult-favorite jewelry line. (📸 : @vsteves) #wwd40
“Everyone is talking about how the retail industry is struggling, but I think it’s an incredible time because brands who are doing something different and innovative are setting themselves up for the future,” said @adamgoldston, who founded the luxury athletic brand @apl with his brother @ryangoldsten. The Goldston’s are part of WWD’s 40 under 40: a group of industry notables. See the rest of the list on WWD.com. (📷: @vsteves) #wwd40
@eyeswoon blogger Athena Calderone debuted her first-ever cookbook, “Cook Beautiful,” which is heavily centered on the presentation and visual expression of food. Pictured here are her miso glazed carrots from the book. Get the recipe on WWD.com. (📷: @johnny_miller_) #wwdeye


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Things are moving fast in the metaverse. Depending on who you speak to, this futuristic virtual world is either the next big thing in marketing or an overhyped fad. No matter which camp you reside in, the fact is that marketers are experimenting at a rapid clip. There will be successes and failures. The Drum will curate the biggest things happening in the metaverse every Friday in this new series: “This week in the metaverse.” And so, without further adieu, here’s what you need to know from this past week.
Are they or aren’t they? Meta says it's continuing to lay the groundwork for new operating system. Meta (previously Facebook) announced earlier this week that it’s pushing forward with the development of a new operating system, which will ultimately support its AR and VR technology used to access the metaverse. According to Bloomberg.com, the announcement was made to refute a previous claim — published by The Information — that Meta had in fact halted production of its new operating system.
Samsung channels its inner Sims. Samsung launched its own virtual store, modeled after its brick-and-mortar flagship store in New York City’s Meatpacking District. The new store is based in Decentraland, a VR world where individuals and organizations can use cryptocurrency to purchase virtual real estate. The tech company also introduced “My House,” a virtual domestic experience — akin to The Sims or Animal Crossing — wherein users’ avatars kind of just wander about their customizable home, giving people in the real world a quick taste of what life might look and feel like in the metaverse.
Barbie collaborates with luxury fashion company Balmain to launch a series of NFTs. Barbie will never, apparently, go out of style. Since her debut in 1959, she’s demonstrated a remarkable ability to evolve with the times. This week, the French luxury fashion label Balmain announced that it had partnered with Barbie to launch a new collection of apparel and accessories – as well as three exclusive NFTs. The tokens will feature Barbie and Ken avatars bedecked in gear from the Barbie-Balmain collab. Mattel Creations will host the bidding for the NFTs between January 11 and 14.
Let there be gadgets: talk of the metaverse dominates the 2022 CES. Time to stock up on your metaverse gear! The latest and greatest in VR technology was on full display at this year's CES. Panasonic, for example, unveiled MeganeX, a portable VR headset that reportedly weighs around eight ounces; far less than the average model. It also became clear during the event that the metaverse will very soon become be a full-body experience: HaritoraX showcased a $270 “motion tracking device,” which will allow users to map their physical movements onto their avatars' in the metaverse. Next up: the 360-degree treadmills used by gamers in "Ready Player One"? We wouldn't be surprised.
Terrorism researchers warn of “potential dark side to the metaverse.” No one ever said it’s going to be good vibes only in the metaverse. While CES attendees giddily demoed new gear and generally bubbled over with enthusiasm about the virtual future of humanity, a team of researchers published a grim warning in Yahoo News about how the metaverse might be leveraged by bad actors in the future. “Although it is still under construction, [the evolution of the metaverse] promises new ways for extremists to exert influence through fear, threat and coercion,” the team of terrorism researchers claim. “Considering our research on malevolent creativity and innovation, there is potential for the metaverse to become a new domain for terrorist activity.” The authors note that the metaverse could potentially serve as a valuable resource for future terrorists seeking to recruit new members ot coordinate with comrades. We may also find ourselves in a world in which terrorists aspire to inflict damage on virtual targets (which, according to the authors, could “take a psychological toll and result in real-world harm”).


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As Sony continues to push some of its exclusives PlayStation games to PC, it now appears the games are published under a PlayStation PC LLC and no longer PlayStation Mobile. The change was noticed on the forum Resetera and The Verge discovered the company was filed in April.
Sony is bringing God of War to PC gamers in January 2022 and it also plans to bring Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection to the platform in the same year. Already, some of the best PlayStation exclusives such as Horizon Zero Dawn and Days Gone are available on Steam.
While speaking on bringing PlayStation games to PC earlier this year, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan “there’s an opportunity to expose those great games to a wider audience and recognize the economics of game development, which are not always straightforward,” in an interview with GQ. “The cost of making games goes up with each cycle, as the calibre of the IP has improved. Also, our ease of making it available to non-console owners has grown. So it’s a fairly straightforward decision for us to make.”
Head of PlayStation Studios Hermen Hulst also revealed in a PlayStation blog post in June that “we do value PC gamers” and Sony “will continue to look at the right times to launch each game.”
Image: Days Gone on Steam


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NYU Alumni Connect October 2017
October 15, 2017
NYU Contracts Bookstore Operations to Follett in Order to Save Students Money
As a part of its ongoing affordability initiative, New York University has contracted with a national bookstore company, Follett Higher Education, to operate the NYU Bookstore. Follett has a demonstrated track record of being able to offer textbooks at lower prices and estimates two-million dollars in savings for students.
The fall 2017 official NYU Bookstore Collection of apparel and gifts has arrived. This online look catalog features some of the newest items available at the store and online. NYU alumni can save 15% off their apparel and gift purchase, just show your NYU ID at the store or enter your number in the comment field online. Share your NYU pride at home, in the office, and around the world!
NYU Alumni Magazine: Fall 2017
The latest issue of the NYU Alumni Magazine is now online. Head home with composer Alan Menken (ARTS ’72, HON ’00), check out the Violets’ Guide to Holiday Shopping (at NYU alumni-owned businesses, of course), learn what NYU is doing to smooth the entry into both civilian and academic life for veterans, and much more.
Be Part of the Momentum
George (CAS ’96) and Blanca Tapia (CAS ’98) met as undergrads. Upon making their gift to NYU, their three children asked why they did so. George and Blanca used the opportunity to share how NYU changed their lives and the importance of giving back.
“We told them of the amazing experiences and great people we met there. As such, they've grown to love the University through our stories and annual visits to the campus. We let them know how good it felt to give something back knowing that it would benefit others to have their own amazing experience.” Inspired, their children decided to make their own gifts to NYU. “We asked why they did that and the response was, ‘I want to help others go to NYU,’ ‘NYU is where we ALL started and I want to help people go there.’ And I can't remember who yelled it, but one of them said, ‘Now WE are all NYU!’”
Photos from Recent Alumni Events
Events for NYU alumni—like NYU alumni who traveled to Budapest, pictured on the left—take place almost every day at locations in the New York City metro area, across the US, and around the world. Check out photos from recent events on Flickr.
Chemists Get Step Closer to Replicating Nature with Assembly of New 3D Structures
A team of New York University chemists has created a series of three-dimensional structures that take a step closer to resembling those found in nature. The work offers insights into how enzymes are properly assembled, or folded, which could enhance our understanding of a range of diseases that result from these misfolded proteins.


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Are the tides turning on US used vehicle prices?
In the wake of increased vehicle production, wholesale used vehicle prices in the United States were down in April, according to the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index (MUVVI) reported by global automotive services and technology provider Cox Automotive.
In April, prices dropped 3% month-over-month at the US wholesale auctions of vehicle remarketing specialist Manheim. Prices have been elevated since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 which spurred lockdowns that slowed down vehicle production and resulted in supply chain issues.
Things do look like they are turning around, however. In 2020, prices rose by 7.8% on average, in 2021 (+32.9%), and in 2022 (+8.3%). Considering the first four months of 2023, prices are down approximately 7.3% compared to the same period in 2022.
In terms of price, the most recent data from Cox reported a used vehicle listed price of $26,086 in February. “We’ve experienced eight straight months of year-over-year declines, averaging 8.3%, and it’s likely not over yet,” Cox senior manager of economic and industry insights Chris Frey said in a release.
“Prices have been falling, but the tight supply might be providing some price support,” added Cox Senior Economist Charlie Chesbrough, explaining that “used prices may fall further, but it seems unlikely a massive decline will happen given the supply situation.”
Although the Manheim Index is an excellent indicator of pricing trends in the used vehicle market, it should not be considered indicative or predictive of any individual remarketer's results. Annually, it applies statistical analysis to its database of more than 5 million used vehicle transactions.
For more on what is taking place throughout North America, download your free copy of the Global Fleet eBook on the region.


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Here’s some bad news for those making the argument that China’s solar industry is being illegally beefed up with low-interest government loans. Five key Chinese solar and wind companies -- Suntech, Yingli Green Energy, Trina Solar, JA Solar and Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology -- have only tapped $866 million of the nearly $30 billion available to them in Chinese government credit lines.
In other words, China’s biggest (and lowest-priced) solar companies have only tapped about three percent of the credit made available to them from the China Development Bank through 2010, according to a Wednesday report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
While the report doesn’t contain much information about how much more those companies may have drawn in 2011, it does find “little to suggest that such loans were far below market rates,” according to report author Jessica Ng.
Ng’s report backs up some of Greentech Media’s own calculations on the divergence between anti-Chinese solar rhetoric and financial reality. Back in September, we reported that Suntech had drawn down less than 10 percent of the $7 billion available from its China Development Bank credit facility. Not only that, but Suntech appears to have been paying between four percent and five percent on its loans, which hardly qualifies as unfairly low interest rates.
Those two facts would appear to deal a blow to the trade allegations against China being made by SolarWorld and an unnamed group of solar companies that manufacture their products in the United States. The U.S. government opened an investigation into the allegations earlier this month, buoyed by numerous reports that China has provided from $30 billion to $40 billion in credit to key solar companies over the past two years or so, potentially at very low interest rates.
But money pledged does not equal money drawn down, as Wednesday’s report makes clear. As for individual companies, the report states that Yingli Green Energy Holding had drawn down 4 percent, or $78 million, of its $5.6 billion credit line as of June 30; Trina Solar had taken $66.5 million of its $4.7 billion as of the end of 2010; Goldwind had drawn down $457 million of its $6 billion credit line as of last year; and JA Solar reported that it hadn’t drawn on any of its $4.7 billion in credit.
Any way you look at it, these kinds of statistics appear to undercut some of the key claims in the case being made by SolarWorld and its compatriots against their Chinese competitors. That’s not to mention the arguments being made by Chinese firms and their U.S. partners that a trade war will only increase the price of solar power for all concerned.
In other words, just because Solyndra couldn’t survive against cheap Chinese competition doesn’t mean we should raise prices for everyone else.


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BJG Electronics welcomes Vincent Panuccio as VP of Cable Operations. Panuccio, an industry veteran, will guide BJG’s wide-ranging cable operations that include value-added assembly, cable design, and manufacturing across the US.
BJG adds further depth to its leadership bench.
RONKONKOMA, NY – Oct. 4th, 2022 – BJG Electronics Group (BJG) announced today the addition of Vincent Panuccio to its senior leadership team as Vice President of Cable Operations. Panuccio is an industry veteran who brings skills and experience well suited to BJG’s growing cable systems group, including operations in Connecticut, Montana, and California. Panuccio will report to BJG’s CEO Glenn Davidson and will be based in BJG’s Connecticut value-added cable center.
Panuccio’s industry experience includes leading the cable manufacturing and cable assembly operations from 2008 to 2020 at Times Microwave Systems in Wallingford, CT, and his skills include lean manufacturing, quality leadership, and plant management. Before Times Microwave, Panuccio held various roles at Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Syntac Coated Products.
Panuccio will assume full responsibility for BJG’s wide-ranging cable operations that include value-added assembly, cable design, and manufacturing across the US, and says, “I am delighted to join BJG Electronics as they expand their focus and capability around high-performance cable solutions and look forward to working alongside a strong team of industry leaders.”
BJG’s CEO Glenn Davidson noted, “We are fortunate to have attracted an outstanding leader for our cable business at a time when customers are demanding one-stop, value-based solutions for their interconnect needs. Vincent’s background and experience will quickly bring value to our team and help BJG meet growing customer demands for quick-turn, high-performance interconnect systems.”
About BJG Electronics Group
BJG Electronics Group is a value-added distributor and manufacturer of high-reliability electronic components headquartered in Ronkonkoma, NY. The company’s six locations in the US are certified to ISO9001:2015 & AS9100:2016 and are committed to delivering consistent, on-time delivery with its deep inventory of assembled and component products. With 32 franchised lines, over 300,000 unique part numbers, and 125,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space, BJG’s comprehensive product offering provides standard and engineered solutions supporting harsh environment interconnect and electromechanical requirements. BJG is an approved supplier to the world’s leading defense, commercial aviation, and space OEMs. For more information, visit www.bjgelectronics.com.


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Coffee & Social Media
Starbucks does it. So does Jumpin Goat Coffee Roasters, Dave’s Coffee, Melitta, Caribou Coffee and Gloria Jean’s Coffees, to name a few. Are you among the numerous coffee businesses that are taking advantage of social media and networking sites—such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook—to connect with existing and new customers and to share your brand experience?
Today, social media is widely used for marketing, to gather news and information, for research and to connect with other professionals. In fact, in a Business.com survey, nearly 65 percent of respondents reported using social media as part of their normal work routine, including
reading blogs, visiting business profiles on sites like Facebook or LinkedIn, or using Twitter to find information and/or to communicate about business-related matters. Micah Walker, regional development manager for Gloria Jean’s Coffees International, believes that the social media phenomenon is making our world a smaller and more exciting place to live, work, connect and socialize over a cup of coffee.
“The coffee industry should be taking notice of this wave of new social media in a big way,” says Walker. “Social media systematically addresses one of the major global trends in retail today, which is enhancing speed and efficiency of information to your marketplace.” At Gloria Jean’s Coffees, many of their 37 operating markets are using Facebook events, tweets and even YouTube to introduce new marketing campaigns, build brand awareness and interact with their national and global guest networks online, live and 24-seven. Gloria Jean’s also takes the networking aspect of social media and applies the concept to its own global portal, which they call Gloria, where the company’s 20,000 team members and franchise partners connect and share ideas live through forums.


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Million Archives -
Former portfolio manager at the University of Chicago endowment and current CIO of Blocktower Capital, Ari Paul, was reported to have made the largest-ever speculative play using BTC options during December of 2017. The contracts, which will expire on Dec. 28, 2018, are almost guaranteed to close as a total loss.
Ari Paul’s Record Options Position Set to Soon Flop
The options were purchased for nearly $ 1 million when BTC was trading for approximately $ 16,200, 12 months ago.
The call options have a strike price of $ 50,000, meaning that BTC would have to spike by over 1,400 percent in the next two and a half weeks in order for the contracts to retain any value, as they will expire to be worthless should prices fail to sit above $ 50,000 as of Dec. 28.
The $ 50,000 calls were purchased for $ 3,600 each. Twitter-based cryptocurrency commentator Bambouclub recently posted that contracts for $ 40,000 calls are currently trading for $ 9.60 on Deribit, estimating that Paul has already eaten a more than 99.73 percent loss.
Should the tides turn in Paul’s favor, the contracts would entitle him to 275 BTC value at $ 50,000 each, equating to $ 13.8 million worth of crypto.
Apparently-Doomed Options Position the Largest Taken on Ledgerx
During December of 2017, Ledgerx chief executive officer, Paul Chou, confirmed the position, adding that such was the largest options trade to have been placed using the company’s platform.
While protecting the identity of the trader who placed the position, Chou described the trade as being indicative of increased institutional demand for cryptocurrency, stating: “Without a doubt, there are institutions out there that are looking at these types of trades or have done these types of trades,” adding that the trader behind the position was “not an individual.”
On Dec. 22, 2017, Business Insider reported that “people familiar with the matter” had revealed that the seven-figure position had been made by Blocktower Capital. The report also cited a tweet posted by Blocktower co-founder Ari Paul, stating “I wonder who bought these?” that was accompanied by a winking smiley and a link to Wall Street Journal’s coverage of the trade.
Options Position Taken to Manage Risk
In an interview with CNBC that was published on Dec. 26, 2017, Paul confirmed that he had made the trade, stating: “I think it’s not quite as interesting as people make it out to be.”
Paul stated that the position had been taken in the interest of managing the risk of his fund’s portfolio, adding that he “wouldn’t recommend for most people to buy these options.”
“I manage a cryptocurrency portfolio and I’m trying to give investors access to the upside, but I’m also very focused on risk management,” Paul continued. “So these calls are a way for me to capture upside exposure, while actually owning less bitcoin [and] reducing my downside risk.”
What is your response to the apparently impending wipe-out of Blocktower’s record sized options position? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Images courtesy of Shutterstock
At Bitcoin.com there’s a bunch of free helpful services. For instance, have you seen our Tools page? You can even lookup the exchange rate for a transaction in the past. Or calculate the value of your current holdings. Or create a paper wallet. And much more.
The post $ 1 Million BTC Options Position Set to Expire on Dec. 28 appeared first on Bitcoin News.
U.K.-based startup Trustology, which develops storage solutions for digital assets, has raised $ 8 million in funding and we’ve got the news in this edition of The Daily. We also look at the SEC’s decision to fine another crypto company for breaching U.S. securities laws and HTC’s decision to have Brave as the default web browser on its Exodus 1 smartphone.
Crypto Security Startup Raises $ 8 million
London-headquartered crypto startup Trustology has received $ 8 million in seed funding in a round led by Two Sigma Ventures, Reuters reported. The company develops a technology that helps investors enhance the security of their digital assets. According to CEO Alex Batlin, Trustology plans to use the capital to expand globally and provide support for more cryptocurrencies.
The product offered by the British company is designed to secure crypto assets. It provides investors with a simple solution to safeguard the private keys that give them access to their cryptocurrencies – hardware security modules. These are specialized processors that store passwords and digital keys.
Alex Batlin noted that Trustology’s product had been initially designed for banks but the startup is currently focusing more on crypto hedge funds and individual investors. He commented:
The original thinking was we would build the tech and sell to the banks. They are not moving as quickly as we are and we have quite a lot of demand from individuals, as well as crypto funds.
According to Matt Jacobus, a venture partner at Two Sigma, similar solutions are needed to develop a larger trading ecosystem around digital assets for institutional investors. Blockchain technology developer Consensys also participated in the funding round.
SEC Fines Cryptocurrency Fund Coinalpha
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has gone after another crypto company that, according to the regulator, sells securities without registration. The SEC, which has determined that Coinalpha does not qualify for an exemption, has fined the cryptocurrency fund manager and issued a cease and desist order on Dec. 7, 2018.
The California-based Coinalpha Advisors, registered as a Delaware limited liability company, had been operating two digital asset funds – Coinalpha Falcon and Coinalpha Index, Finance Magnates reported. According to an announcement by the commission, the owners of the company have agreed to pay a civil money penalty of $ 50,000.
Coinalpha also agreed to halt its offerings and pay back the fees it had collected from customers. The digital asset fund has already raised more than $ 600,000 from 22 investors in five states. The company has also promised to conduct a review of its online platform and marketing materials.
Although the regulatory status of cryptocurrencies in the United States is still unclear, the SEC has already fined and issued cease and desist orders to a number of crypto businesses after concluding that securities laws apply to the tokens they were issuing.
Brave Is the Default Browser on HTC Exodus 1
Privacy-oriented web browser Brave, which supports opt-in ads and cryptocurrency payments between users, has been announced as the default browser on the new HTC Exodus 1 phone, according to posts on crypto forums and social media. The application supports a crypto tipping system which relies on Brave’s basic attention token (BAT) and enjoys growing popularity in the crypto community.
HTC has made its new smartphone available for buyers willing to pay in cryptocurrency. The device, which has been advertised as a blockchain-powered phone, can be purchased with three major digital coins. It has been offered at fixed prices in bitcoin core, ethereum and litecoin – 0.15 BTC, 4.78 ETH, and 19.84 LTC (around $ 500 at the time of writing). However, a message on HTC’s website reads “This product is currently out of stock.”
The news comes days after the launch of another blockchain smartphone called Finney, which has been developed by Sirin Labs. The device has an integrated cold storage cryptocurrency wallet and can be purchased on the company’s website for $ 999.
What are your thoughts on today’s news tidbits? Tell us in the comments section.
Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Trustology, HTC.
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Marriott, the world’s largest hotel company, said it identified a data breach in its Starwood reservation system that may have exposed the personal information of up to 500 million guests.
WSJ.com: US Business
The information of as many as 500 million people staying at Starwood hotels has been compromised and Marriott said Friday that it’s uncovered unauthorized access that’s been taking place within its Starwood network since 2014.
The company said that credit card numbers and expiration dates of some…
Officials in Ecuador say it will cost the small South American nation $ 550 million to respond to the influx of Venezuelan migrants.
Paris Hilton has yet to return the VERY expensive ring Chris Zylka gave her when he got on bended knee earlier this year, but it may just be a matter of time before she has to fork it over. Sources close to Chris tell us, he bought the ring –…
California dairies collected $ 10.5 million in emergency federal aid for losses caused by the trade war ignited by President Trump’s tariffs on steel and other products, according to federal data.
The beleaguered sector was by far the biggest recipient of U.S. Department of Agriculture “market facilitation”…
Tekashi69 is full of s**t if he thinks he was cheated out of a $ 3.6 million deal by his former booking agency … so says a rep for the agency. Tekashi went on an all out assault on MTA Booking during an interview on “The Breakfast Club”…
A big pile of debt comes due at Tesla on March 1 – $ 920 million worth. But starting in two weeks, the company has a chance to make it disappear.
The debt is in the form of convertible bonds, a special kind of instrument that can be converted into shares of Tesla stock under certain conditions….
Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Kucoin has announced it has raised a combined total of $ 20 million in series A funding. Taking part in the Kucoin founding round were IDG Capital, Matrix Partners and Neo Global Capital.
$ 20 Million for Kucoin Exchange
Opened for cryptocurrency trading in September 2017, Kucoin reports it now has more than five million registered users, coming from over 100 countries. It is the 52nd most popular venue in the world by trading volume, with close to $ 600 million of cryptocurrency traded a month. Full details of the Series A deal have not been released yet, so it is impossible to calculate what valuation it was based on.
“This is truly a dynamic and significant partnership,” commented the exchange’s CEO Michael Gan. “The combined forces of IDG Capital, Matrix Partners, and Neo Global Capital will help Kucoin grow substantially, expand understanding and adoption of cryptocurrency for millions of potential users, and help these users more efficiently find the best products available in the crypto-world no matter where on the planet they may exist.”
Expanding Across the World
The capital is earmarked for helping the exchange with a number of developments. Firstly, Kucoin Platform 2.0 is expected to go live in Q1 2019 and allow the exchange to scale and add new features such as stop orders, upgraded APIs and a dust collector. The company will also hire more customer support staff to offer ‘concierge-level’ service to traders. And a large portion of the newly secured funds will help expand the Kucoin research team.
Kucoin, which entered Australia two months ago, will also leverage the new capital for a global expansion with targeted marketing and advertising campaigns. The company said that in the coming months it will expand in different markets, with Vietnam, Turkey, Italy, Russia and all Spanish-speaking countries as the main focus for growth in Q4 of 2018. It estimates that a total of 10 global markets will be up and running by Q2, 2019.
Where should Kucoin expand to next? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Images courtesy of Shutterstock.
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Having experienced firsthand the waste, power abuse and nepotism that malign the United Nations from within, I am not usually a fan of its conferences.
I am, however, a big fan of organic produce and composting, so my interest was piqued earlier this month by news that the International Conference on Organic Agriculture and Food Security was being held in Rome, in connection with a meeting of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Committee on Food Security.
More on composting later. First, I have to confess my delight at seeing organic farming attracting global attention as more than just an expensive predilection of guilt-driven urban greenies.
Besides helping to feed the world’s mushrooming population, it has been confirmed that organic agriculture can offer a harvest of benefits, including safer food, less exposure of farmers to toxic chemicals, less use of costly fertilizers, more absorption and sequestration of carbon dioxide, and improved soil quality for future generations.
This comes as very good news to my family, since we buy organic and low-chemical foods whenever possible. While some shoppers go out of their way to find the cheapest produce available, we have the opposite affliction. We’ll walk twice as far and, if necessary, pay twice as much, for organic products.
No, we can’t be sure that the foods we buy are truly organic, nor do we believe that an “organic” label offers a magic potion for health and longevity. But we do believe that organic farming is the only approach to agriculture that can be truly sustainable over the long term.
We also believe that the best way for lowly consumers like us to bring about change is to vote with our cash. If we, and millions of like-minded people buy more organic produce, stores will stock more of those products and, in turn, more farmers will consider switching to soil- and health-friendly agricultural methods.
Apparently we’re not the only ones spending more to get less chemicals.
“In 2006, the organic market was estimated at nearly $40 billion (2 percent of food retails) and is expected to reach $70 billion in 2012,” according to the conference report released following the Rome meeting.
The FAO defines organic agriculture as “a holistic production management system that avoids use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and genetically modified organisms, minimizes pollution of air, soil and water, and optimizes the health and productivity of interdependent communities of plants, animals and people.”
Consider the paradoxes
So what’s there not to like?
Unfortunately, most of the industrial farming systems that dominate agriculture worldwide promote practices that do just the opposite. And with the world’s population expected to increase from today’s 6.2 billion to 9 billion by 2050, we’re going to need a lot more food produced in a much more environmentally sustainable way.
The purpose of the Rome meeting was to consider the role organic agriculture is playing, and can play, in global food production, and to consider the paradoxes that now stand in the way of achieving global food security.
According to the conference report, our global food supply is sufficient to feed us all, and yet 850 million people still go hungry. In addition, even as the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has increased, grain productivity has declined. The costs of these agricultural inputs have risen as well, but the prices farmers get for their commodities continue to drop.
The report also notes that despite an abundance of easily accessible information on health and eating, nutrition-related diseases are increasing.
But perhaps the most challenging paradox is that “industrialized food systems have environmental and social costs that threaten food security, e.g., occupational deaths through pesticide poisoning, farmers’ suicides due to debts, and loss of millions of jobs in rural areas,” according to the report.
Concern over these challenges has now spread worldwide. The Rome meeting attracted 350 participants from more than 80 countries, as well as representatives from 15 international nongovernmental organizations, 30 national NGOs, 24 research institutions, 31 universities, eight private companies and nine farmer associations.
Reading through the issue papers that came out of the meeting (available at: www.fao.org) it is clear that today’s mass-production, industrial agriculture focuses too much on quantity and too little on quality. Time to bring farming back to the Earth.
“Current food models are creating problems for the future and the new environmental and macro-economic challenges will mostly hurt vulnerable populations,” warns the report, adding that organic management can mitigate some of these problems, including climate change and industrialized food systems.
Regarding the most vulnerable, the report notes that because organic agriculture requires 30 percent more labor input per hectare, organic management offers greater employment opportunities than industrial approaches to agriculture. It also helps to alleviate poverty by contributing to rural development and revitalization, and by generating more equitable trade, through fairer wages and non-exploitative work that increases local people’s control over local resources.
Organically managed farms also offer greater environmental sustainability. More careful husbandry of the soil means less erosion, which means less carbon is lost into the atmosphere. “The carbon sequestration efficiency of organic systems in temperate climates is almost double compared to conventional ones, when the total of above and below ground biomass of cash and catch crops and weeds is calculated,” according to one of the issue reports.
Another major advantage of organic agriculture is that fossil-fuel-based nitrogen fertilizers are not used. In contrast, a nonorganic, 100-hectare stockless arable farm in the United Kingdom “consumes 17,000 liters of fossil fuel annually through fertilizer inputs,” notes the same report.
By not using chemicals, organic farming also increases water security, ensuring better-quality drinking water from both ground and surface sources. As well, organic management reduces the need for irrigation, because organic matter in soil helps retain water.
In addition, since organic farming depends on crop rotation and the use of diverse species, it plays a key role in conserving a broader range of plant species (or agrobiodiversity), for future generations.
No doubt petrochemical companies and major agro-business firms will insist it isn’t possible for organic farming to produce enough food to feed the world. But models cited at the conference suggest otherwise. “Organic agriculture has the potential to secure a global food supply, just as conventional agriculture does today, but with reduced environmental impact,” the report maintains.
As the report notes, however, the crux of the issue is political will.
Unless governments worldwide make a concerted effort to subsidize and educate farmers, multinational agrobusiness firms will continue to seduce farmers into dependence on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Given the latter, a few corporations will be the richer, but our air, water and soil, and our rural communities and meals, will be all the poorer.
Plastic and misplaced silverware
Unfortunately, I’m not (yet!) a farmer, so for now I’ll continue to vote with my wallet.
But being a big fan of Earth, there is one other thing I can do: I can compost.
Composting is a tangible thing I can do to reduce garbage and recycle, and it’s one of the most satisfying eco-efforts available, because it’s 100-percent effective: Everything you put in the compost, except bits of plastic and misplaced silverware, becomes useful output.
Until recently, though, we lived for two years in a place where we couldn’t compost, and each garbage day I felt twinges of guilt and frustration, seeing perfectly good compost go out with the “burnable rubbish,” as kitchen waste is classified here in Japan.
Then last month we moved to a place with a small garden. Hallelujah!
One of the first things I did was to set a compost bucket into the ground next to the back wall. Now, instead of sending off several kilos of kitchen waste each week to be incinerated, we pass it all to the worms, molds and microbes that will, within a year, turn our coffee grounds and fruit skins into rich, black soil.
All we need now is a coffee bush and an apple tree, and we’ll have a zero-waste breakfast loop.


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After weeks of voicing his support of the Amazon workers’ union drive in Alabama, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) is headed to the state’s city of Bessemer on Friday to meet with the workers in the last days before the union vote.
“I am proud to stand in solidarity with Amazon workers in Alabama who are fighting for better wages and better working conditions,” Sanders tweeted on Thursday. “If they win, they will improve the lives of workers at the warehouse in Alabama and all over this country.”
Ballots for the union vote are due on Monday.
Sanders was an early proponent of the union drive, having voiced his support for the workers’ efforts since November, when they filed to hold a unionization vote. Last week, he held a hearing about the union drive with testimony from one of the union organizers. He called on Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to testify, but Bezos declined.
Had Bezos accepted, Sanders said he would have asked: “Mr. Bezos, you are worth $182 billion — that’s a B…. You’re the wealthiest person in the world. Why are you doing everything in your power to stop your workers in Bessemer, Alabama, from joining a union?”
Sanders has repeatedly emphasized his belief that, if the Amazon workers vote to unionize, it will be a “shot heard around the world,” benefiting workers far beyond Alabama. And even before the vote has ended, the unionization effort may already be having an effect. More than 1,000 Amazon employees across the country have reportedly contacted the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union about unionizing their workplaces. And Amazon workers in Baltimore, New Orleans and Denver have reportedly started talking about forming a union.
Amazon leadership is not so pleased about these developments. The company has likely already spent millions of dollars on aggressive union-busting efforts in Alabama and has recently further ramped up its already-repressive surveillance of workers. On Wednesday, the company attempted to fight back on Twitter.
“I often say we are the Bernie Sanders of employers, but that’s not quite right because we actually deliver a progressive workplace,” tweeted Dave Clark, an Amazon executive. “If you want to hear about $15 an hour and health care, Senator Sanders will be speaking downtown. But if you would like to make at least $15 an hour and have good health care, Amazon is hiring.”
Clark faced immediate backlash for his statements, with many pointing out the company’s almost innumerable inhumane working conditions. Amazon workers are regularly deprived of breaks, to the point that some pee in bottles for fear of pausing to use the bathroom. They suffer extremely high injury rates at the factories. They fear getting fired at any moment. They risk getting COVID and dying, thanks to unsafe conditions. They face surveillance of their every move both in the workplace and on social media groups. They are often compelled to work through swelteringly hot temperatures inside the factories, or they are forced to endure so many overwhelmingly inhumane conditions at once that they die by suicide or have suicidal thoughts.
“Paying workers $15/hr doesn’t make you a “progressive workplace” when you union-bust & make workers urinate in water bottles,” tweeted Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisconsin).
As support for the workers from politicians and the public grows stronger, and as more Amazon employees consider unionization, the company appears to be spooked — and its near-constant invocation of its $15 hourly minimum wage seems to be its main line of defense.
The official Amazon News account’s best defense against Pocan’s tweet, for instance, was telling. “You don’t really believe the peeing in bottles thing, do you?” it tweeted in response to Pocan, implying that the company’s employees are lying. As many labor reporters have found over the years, the lack of bathroom breaks is actually an extremely common complaint among Amazon workers.
As a labor reporter who covers Amazon extensively…I can say Amazon delivery drivers not having a time or place to pee is one of the most universal concerns I hear about https://t.co/pG81MDf5TU pic.twitter.com/h3pGhOok1y
— Lauren Kaori Gurley (@LaurenKGurley) March 25, 2021
“Bernie Sanders is going to Alabama to support workers & Amazon is freaking out,” wrote Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan). “Here’s why: Workers are required to scan an item every ~11 seconds = ~300 items/hour & sometimes peaks. Corporate profits are coming before the safety + human dignity of their workers,” she wrote.
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Tencent-backed online lender WeBank has just issued a new credit card product that specifically targets micro-and-small enterprises.
WeBank said that the “WeBank Enterprise + Card” (微众企业+卡) is a “digital bank card especially designed for micro and small enterprises (MSE’s),” that aims to help resolve their financing difficulties and reduce operating costs.
According to WeBank its clients will be able to apply for the product online via its “WeBank Enterprise Aipu” app, and obtain approval for issuance within as little as three minutes.
The “Enterprise +” card will provide reduced interest rates for loans to MSE’s, as well as discounts on services costs and processing fees.
The release of the card arrives amidst a push from the Chinese central government to expand financing for smaller private businesses in China, in a bid to keep the economy on an even keel in the wake of COVID-19.
Digital lenders backed by the tech giants are playing a key role in these efforts, with the Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Daily previously lauding WeBank for its “exemplary financial inclusion.”


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The pet industry – led by the expansion of animal health – is expected to see significant growth through 2030.
Brain surgery and nanotechnology are part of the future of healthcare, not only for humans but also for animals: trends indicate that pets receive increasingly sophisticated care, an image of the treatment given to their human companions .
This trend, along with a recent increase in the number of pets (as well as the expected increase in meat production), heralds a boom in the veterinary healthcare market for the next decade, driving investment in scientific medical training, equipment and facilities such as clinics.
How Pets Became a Long-Term Investment
Pet ownership has soared during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a study by US bank Morgan Stanley showing that the number of pets in the US alone increased by at least 5 million between 2019 and 2022.
The bank predicts a 14% increase in pet ownership by 2030 in the United States alone and a similar trend has been observed in Europe.
“Everyone is moving to cities and yet the rate of mental illness is higher. At the same time, there is a pet boom. And pets are known to alleviate depression and reduce anxiety,” said Junko Sheehan, CEO and founder of the European veterinary network UNAVETS, adding that longer life expectancy has also had an impact on this number, because older people need pets. company.
With the increase in the number of pets, the willingness to spend on their needs has also proven to be resistant to crises.
Although the cost of living has skyrocketed over the past two years, spending on pet needs, including premium and personalized pet food, accessories, as well as pet health service companies, has increased considerably.
“We found that people are really willing and very focused on their pet’s health care, and sometimes they even spend more on their pet’s health care than they do on their own health care,” Sheehan said of your experience in Europe. “They would rather take their dog or cat to the vet and will give up the money for a better vacation or give up the exam itself. »
The pet industry’s resilience to economic downturns shows that the benefits for the industry are likely to be long-term, analysts say. It’s not just a play on words: In business, a “long tail” strategy involves making huge profits by selling durable, hard-to-find products in small quantities to a large consumer base, rather than selling large quantities of a few products. common. products.
“Overall, the pet category continues to be an attractive and defensive investment, both in food and products, as well as in veterinary, insurance and other services, investing in the relatively low-risk pet sector,” said Simeon Gutman , Morgan equity analyst. Stanley.
A closer look at the European market
There are around 340 million pets in Europe and its veterinary market is valued at around 40 billion dollars (36.52 billion euros) and is growing rapidly. The largest markets are in the United Kingdom and Spain, the latter offering 6,000 practices and veterinary hospitals and clinics. Germany, France and Italy are also important markets.
Although the market is largely dominated by a few large players in the US and UK, continental Europe is still in the early stages of consolidation and the market remains highly fragmented.
“When you look at the percentage owned by a group, that percentage is still very low,” Sheehan said. “And I think that’s where the opportunity exists for investors.” »
The European veterinary market is the second largest in the world and is expected to grow 6.4% by 2027, according to a 2022 study by market research firm Renub Research.
What’s the latest in pet health?
The veterinary healthcare sector is expected to grow over the next decade, thanks to a combination of greater knowledge about animal welfare, the growing prevalence of animal diseases and the rise in preventative care driven by the vaccines sector.
A report from The Business Research Company predicts annual growth of 7.5% for the global veterinary market, from $180.32 billion (€164.62 billion) in 2022 to $195.77 billion ( 178.72 billion euros) in 2023, potentially reaching more than 320 billion dollars (292 billion euros). ). billion).
“You can do everything from a pacemaker for a dog to a hip replacement… we see brain surgeries and tumor removal,” Sheehan said. “And even chemotherapy, for example, for cancer in dogs and cats, when maybe in the past you would have euthanized your pet and that would have been the next option. »
As the industry increasingly integrates technology, with the regular use of equipment such as CT scanners and MRIs, prices are expected to increase. One reason is that “there is a global shortage of veterinarians,” Sheehan said.
At the same time, veterinary specialization plays an increasingly important role, with veterinarians becoming increasingly specialized in different areas of healthcare.
“We have neurosurgery, oncology, cardiology, dermatology, orthopedics and internal medicine,” Sheehan noted.
Pet insurance is also expected to see rapid growth, according to Morgan Stanley, noting that the sector saw 26% annual growth between 2017 and 2021 in the United States alone.
In Europe, the market is smaller, but it is growing quickly: it was worth 3.2 billion dollars (2.92 billion euros) in 2021 and is expected to grow 9.2% per year and reach 6 billion dollars ( 5.48 billion euros) in 2028, according to a study. report from Blue Weaving Consulting.
Another report from Market Data Forecast estimates the current size of the European market at just under a billion dollars (910 million euros), but expects it to grow by more than 12% per year until “2028”.
“If a specialist, a CT scan or an MRI is needed, which can be quite thorough, pet owners feel more comfortable doing that with insurance,” Sheehan said. “So I hope that insurance continues to be a driver, a leading indicator, of how we see the level of health care for pets continue to evolve. »


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Consumers need to be vigilant on internet privacy
President Trump on Monday signed a resolution that rolls back internet privacy regulations adopted in October under the Obama administration.
The Federal Communications Commission rule, scheduled to take effect later this year, was designed to give consumers greater control over how internet service providers such as Charter, Comcast, AT&T and Verizon share information.
Essentially, it would have prohibited internet service providers from selling information about your online activities to advertisers. It would have required explicit consent from consumers if data were to be shared or sold.
The ISPs said the Obama administration measure was unfair, since Google and Facebook, among others, already sell information to third parties. But consumer groups argued that while customers can stay away from certain websites, they have little choice when it comes to ISPs.
The legislation signed by the president, in effect, preserves the status quo. Currently, even though it’s permitted, most ISPs don’t sell customer data to advertisers.
But with the door now clearly open, that likely will change. And the tactics used could become more aggressive and invasive. Also, because it came in the form of a Congressional Review Act resolution, the new legislation prevents the FCC from putting any similar restrictions in place in the future.
In January, all the major ISPs promised that if they start selling private data, they’ll give customers a chance to opt out. But how, or when, that option will present itself, remains unclear. It could be as obscure as a single email, or a little-noticed website posting.
Customers who don’t want their ISPs sharing information will have be vigilant about seizing the chance to opt out.


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Japan should reduce energy consumption and establish an environmentally sustainable society, according to a Danish energy conservation expert.
Jorgen Stig Norgard, a professor at the Technical University of Denmark, said his country has managed to maintain energy consumption at the same level as that of 30 years ago by adopting a drastic energy-saving policy, but energy consumption in Japan has meanwhile been growing over the past decades.
“I think Japan has the technological capability to make efficient products (to save energy),” Norgard said in an interview with The Japan Times during a recent visit to Tokyo.
Norgard and Bente Lis Christensen, a sociologist and ecologist, coauthored “Managing Energy — Managing the Home” in 1982. A chapter was added to the book covering developments since its publication, and a translated version was published here in April under the title “Energy to Watashitachi no Shakai” (“Energy and Our Society”).
The book explains in plain language and with humorous illustrations how people can save energy in everyday life and achieve an environmentally sustainable society.
Although 20 years have passed since his book was written, Norgard said it is still relevant in his country, as well as in Japan and other industrialized nations.
“We can live with very low energy consumption,” Norgard said. “From the environmental viewpoint, it is very necessary to reduce our energy demand dramatically.”
In the book, Norgard describes a “high energy society” lifestyle, in which an increasing amount of energy is consumed in accordance with economic growth.
He then outlines a “low energy society,” in which energy consumption is greatly reduced by altering living habits, such as utilizing improved insulation and more efficient use of household electric appliances.
He advocates a simple, enjoyable lifestyle that places greater value on leisure and work quality than high income and economic growth.
In 1976, the Danish government predicted that electricity demand there in 2000 would be three times that of 1976.
Alarmed, Norgard and other researchers submitted an alternative energy plan to the government, suggesting that it promote conservation to establish a society with low energy consumption.
The Danish government adopted the alternative and has taken such measures as subsidizing insulation systems and promoting energy-efficient electric appliances. The government also ruled out nuclear power as an energy source in 1985 and set a target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least 20 percent from 1988 levels by 2005.
“We have a choice (for a better future). We should not just try to estimate or guess what the future will be, but we should decide which future we want,” Norgard said, adding he is still critical of inadequate energy-saving policies in his own country.
As an example of effective measures to reduce energy consumption, Norgard suggested that Japan apply a labeling system to let consumers know the efficiency level of electric appliances.
The system was introduced in the European Union in the early 1990s based on a proposal made by Denmark and the Netherlands.
Manufacturers are obliged to attach labels that rank their products’ energy efficiency.
Although Japan introduced a labeling system to show the efficiency of electric appliances in 2000, it is not mandatory and the labels are only found in catalogs, not on products.
Norgard emphasized the importance of consumer awareness of energy conservation and said that consumers have the right to know how much energy is used by the equipment they own and use.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.


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The best creative hits the connection point between the message, the media, and the tools. When these three components work together, creative is most effective. Here are best practices for achieving creative success and moving the sales needle through sound.
For the first time, in partnership with Nielsen Catalina Solutions, Westwood One is unveiling results from a men’s personal care brand sales effect study. Here are the key findings.
One powerful way to create recognition and emotion is through sonic branding, the strategy of using sound to differentiate brands. Audio signatures, familiar voices, iconic taglines, brand anthems, jingles – all are examples of sonic branding that use sound creatively and effectively.
AM/FM radio delivers quantifiable results for brands. It reaches a massive audience, influences consumers when they are looking to spend money, and drives sales. What makes it so effective?
With the holidays in full force, retailers and consumers are getting into the spirit. The National Retail Federation reports that an estimated 164 million people are planning to shop Thanksgiving weekend alone. 66% of shoppers are venturing out to take advantage of deals and promotions while 26% consider it a tradition to shop this weekend. Others look at it as simply something to do over the holiday weekend.
Nielsen studies prove radio advertising creates lasting impressions for brands. Effectively improving top of mind awareness through radio campaigns can generate strong ROI. If they remember the ad, they’ll remember the brand.
In a first for the audio space, Westwood One announces the industry-wide Westwood One ROI Guarantee, ensuring advertisers positive return on their AM/FM radio investments.
The wireless industry is one of the most competitive business markets in the U.S. Its major players are constantly engaged in a tug of war over new and existing customers. The potential merger of T-Mobile and Sprint will cause a new marketplace dynamic. In this environment, making sure advertising reaches consumers effectively is imperative. Enter AM/FM radio.
NextRadio is the free smartphone app that lets consumers see and hear live, local radio. If a phone has an activated FM chip, the app allows the consumer to listen to live, local over-the-air radio. Westwood One is excited to be the first American radio network to embrace this powerful interactive platform and offer brands and agencies NextRadio mobile advertising solutions and ROI measurement.
As we get ready to celebrate Labor Day, we look ahead to some of the biggest retail holidays on the calendar. October through December is a busy season for shoppers and advertisers can use AM/FM radio to reach the masses and generate dollars.


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Last month, pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (JNJ 1.01%) announced a change that investors never saw coming. The company plans to split its pharmaceutical and medical device business from its legacy consumer health business. Fool contributors Rachel Warren and Toby Bordelon discuss the terms of the split in this segment of Backstage Pass, recorded on Nov. 19.
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Rachel Warren: It's really crazy. Johnson & Johnson, last Friday, made this breaking news announcement. This is a company I talk about a lot. I'm a shareholder of Johnson & Johnson, but after more than 130 years in business, during which time it's grown to control something like a few 100 subsidiaries across its consumer health, pharmaceutical, and medical device businesses, management announced the company is splitting up.
Like you said, Toby, this comes on the heels of a number of massive companies announcing splits, including Toshiba and GE. For anyone who doesn't follow this company closely, up until this point, Johnson & Johnson's business has been divided into three key segments.
There's its pharmaceutical business, which has historically been its fastest-growing business and from which it generates the most revenue. This includes products ranging from its COVID vaccine to the immunosuppressive drug, Stelara. Then there's its consumer health business, which is probably one of the most well-known to consumers, and that includes brand names like Band-Aid, Tylenol, Neutrogena.
Finally, there's its medical device business which includes a range of products like surgical vision products and wound closure products.
Johnson & Johnson is going to be doing something that I don't think investors or analysts thought coming. It's going to be splitting its consumer health business from its pharmaceutical and medical device businesses. The product of the split is going to be two separate companies, both of which will be publicly traded, and both of which will be dividend payers.
The pharmaceutical and medical device company will be one company, and that will retain the well-known Johnson & Johnson name, and the newly independent consumer health company will be the second company, and that has not had a new name or management announced as of yet.
When management announced the deal, they said "the planned separation will create two global leaders that are better positioned to deliver improved health outcomes for patients and consumers through innovation, pursue more targeted business strategies, and accelerate growth".
The goal being the new consumer health company which "would be a global leader with iconic brands and products to touch over a billion lives every day." Johnson & Johnson, the pharmaceutical/medical devices giants would remain "a global leader in healthcare focused on major unmet medical needs and advancing the standard of care."
Essentially, management is saying the separation is designed to enhance operational performance, give them more strategic flexibility, and benefit both patients, consumers, as well as stakeholders. The new consumer health company is expected to separate from the pharmaceutical/medical devices company within the next 18-24 months.
There's still some time before that happens. The current CEO, Alex Gorsky of Johnson & Johnson, he's transitioning that role to Joaquin Duato, the current Vice Chairman of the company's executive committee as of this coming January. The new CEO would continue to lead the new Johnson & Johnson once the separation happens.
Toby Bordelon: So the current CEO, is he sticking around at all or is he just totally retiring?
Warren: There was a previous change announced that he was going to be handing the CEO role over to Joaquin and that is continuing as planned.
Bordelon: So that's not related to breakup necessarily?
Warren: It's not related, but it's continuing ahead. Joaquin is essentially going to be in charge of the company from January, and then he'll continue to lead the Johnson & Johnson company after the split takes place and as of yet, we don't know the management structure for the yet to be named consumer health side.
A lot go over here in terms of transaction details. As I mentioned, the product of the split, you'll have two independent companies, both of which will be publicly traded.
The company said the transaction is intended to qualify as a tax-free separation for U.S. income tax purposes, targeting a plant separation at 18-24 months, subject to a variety of conditions, including final approval by the board of directors.


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Third time is a charm. Viva Technology (or “VivaTech” for short) hosted its kick-off press conference to present this year’s event. And this year is going to be quite special for TechCrunch as well because we’re hosting a Startup Battlefield Europe at VivaTech and a Hackathon.
LG today announced an updated version of the V30 smartphone and it comes with a supercharged camera powered by a third-party AI system. LG turned to EyeEm to add new features to the camera. Now, thanks to the EyeEm platform,
Welcome to LG’s new smartphone strategy. A new flagship every year, followed by an incremental upgrade six months later. It’s a strange approach that’s sure to annoy early adopters, but LG’s certainly not the first to adopt the strategy — it’s in-line with the sort of thing OnePlus, among others,
And this year is all about business. While the Samsung Galaxy S9 is going to be announced tomorrow at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Slashleaks shared the official promo video for the Samsung’s upcoming flagship device.
Some founders toil for years to secure a meager seed round. Others seem to go from launch to a massive fundraise in no time. Why is that, and how does one get into that second group? There’s no single formula, of course. But data indicates it helps to be famous,
24Abraham Lincoln famously said that “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth,” but looking around these days, you would be forgiven if you thought representative democracy had already been buried alongside Washington, Jefferson, and Roosevelt.
If coffee be the food of innovation, pour on. Give me excess of it that, surfeiting, the appetite may sicken, and so die. And if you wish to pour me coffee, do so from the Rite Press, a clever hack on the traditional French press that adds a few features that even high-end models don’t have.
Can programming be a craft? I was thinking about this as I was reading Matthew Crawford’s excellent book The World Beyond Your Head. Much like Crawford’s earlier work Shop Class as Soulcraft, he argues that craftsmanship is an activity that doesn’t just provide us with satisfaction,
TechCrunch Startup Battlefield is headed to VivaTech in Paris on May 24th to find and feature the best early-stage startup across Europe! In partnership with VivaTech,
JD.com, the Chinese e-commerce giant that is Alibaba’s closest rival, is raising giving its logistics spin-out business a huge boost after it announced that the unit is raising $2.5 billion. JD Logistics, which became a standalone business last April,
Outbrain, the network known for distributing garbage clickbait articles and ads on sites across the internet, is now going to offer a premium product that ensures that the articles recommended to folks at the bottom of their screens will be less garbage. Onstage at the Code Media conference,
One day in the fall of 1990, or maybe it was ’91, I discovered a box my cousin had left at our house. In the box was a black cassette tape with a grubby label. On one side, recorded in long play mode to fit it all,
Forget water parks, roller coasters and tourist-trap cities, the number one attraction on Earth is its landscapes.Why travel thousands of miles, spending thousands of dollars and your precious time away from the real world to wait in a line?
北京2014年7月8日电 /美通社/ -- 7月4日，中英人寿与凤凰网联合主办的“星星点灯·关爱留守儿童公益计划”五周年启动仪式暨中英人寿与凤凰网“美丽童行”公益项目战略合作发布会在北京隆重举行。
Motorola 這家傳統手機大廠，經歷過被 Google 收購之後，之前已經宣佈被聯想集團收購，最近終於完成收購程序，正式成為聯想旗下的一個品牌，繼續其壽命。繼續閱讀了解更多。


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Teva Strikes Two Settlements Over ‘Pay-For-Delay’ Agreements
A California Court has secured four major settlements worth $70m with pharmaceutical companies over allegations of entering into collusive pay-for-delay agreements, including two with Teva.
You may also be interested in...
The AAM has filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction to prevent the implementation of Californian legislation banning ‘pay-for-delay’ deals. The law is due to come into effect in January next year.
US off-patent industry association the AAM has blasted as unconstitutional a groundbreaking California law banning so-called ‘pay-for-delay’ deals under which brand companies pay rivals to keep generics off the market.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) should “examine whether makers of biologic medicines are using strategies like ‘pay for delay’ to hinder or delay biosimilars from entering the market”, according to an open letter from US Senators Chuck Grassley and Amy Klobuchar to the US antitrust regulator.


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The new streaming offering is for the Xfinity web clients. The NOW TV bundle costs $20 per 30 days and features a subscription to Peacock Premium, in addition to over 40 live channels and greater than 20 free ad supported TV (FAST) channels. More than 40 live cable entertainment channels, together with A+E Networks, AMC Networks, and Warner Bros., are included in Now TV. There aren’t any local broadcast TV or sports channels, plus 20 plus integrated free, advert supported tv channels from NBC, Sky and Charter.
USA, as well as scripted from Syfy, to Peacock ahead of later, is a little incomprehensible. The redesign of the corporate’s intranet site required promotional materials. A flyer, app icon, digital signal and mouse pad desk drop had been used to introduce the model new function to company employees.
Streaming Sport Is Not Going To Change Much With Showtime
The security of your data in the cloud is increased with OneLogin’s single sign on integration with Comcast. Now TV will include a 20 hour DVR and access to three concurrent streams. As a companion to broadband, TV might be one thing that we will have.
During a session at the JP Morgan Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference on Tuesday, the president and CEO of Comcast Cable mentioned that it was a streaming product that supplied the most effective of the company. NBCUniversal, led by CEO Brian Roberts, is building on technology developed for Sky’s Now TV platform as a part of its latest direct to consumer providing. There must be plans to maneuver CNBC’s content material to E!
Now TV has a bundled subscription to Peacock Premium with ads. More than forty live channels are included within the service for $20 a month. 20 plus free, advert supported TV channels from NBC, Sky and Xumo Play are part of Discovery’s portfolio. A subscription to Peacock Premium is included.
It has a quantity of tiers, including a top finish one with sports programming, which is totally different from the new U.S. offering. The offering was cited as a key streaming asset by NBCUniversal execs after they lost out on Disney’s control of Sky. The primary drawback is that NOW TV is just out there to web customers. It does not appear dangerous for $20/mo because the Peacock Premium subscription is worth $5/mo by itself. If you’ve a TV antenna on prime of that, you will get NBC, ABC, FOX and different channels that are not on Comcast’s service.
You get a Peacock subscription on prime of that. According to Variety, there isn’t any gear installation or cancellation fees to cope with. You need to click on on the link to get to the account.
The Head Of Global Music At The Newly Formed Company Iag Was Named Govt Vp
If we fall short, make issues better. Now TV is a superb starter video service, priced attractively, however still might be financially constructive for us. The announcement of Now TV comes at a pivotal time for the media big. We offer simple, skilled qualityseo analysis and criticalseo monitoring for websites. By making our instruments easy to grasp, we have helped hundreds of small enterprise homeowners improve their online presence.
You can get Discovery, as well as 20 built-in FAST channels from NBC, Sky, and Xumo Play. There is a 20 hour cloud DVR and three concurrent streams for the common TV channels with a subscription to Peacock Premium. It is in all probability going that NOW TV is an attractive option for customers who do not want to pay for cable or other reside TV streaming providers. Popular TV is an everyday cable package for $50 per 30 days. Video TV continues to go online regardless of fast growing streaming competitors for traditional media players and customers cutting the twine for traditional cable TV packages. The addition of Peacock’s premium subscription a $4.99/month value is notable considering that the streaming service would now not be included free of charge beginning on June 26.
Sky’s low finish streaming product builds on Sky’s Now TV platform, which is billed as a cheaper version of Sky’s other higher end streaming packages. As a part of the package of fast broadband Internet speeds and cell phone choices, the new streaming package deal might be marketed. The president and CEO of the company mentioned that they have been uniquely positioned to construct and deliver streaming entertainment choices in distinction to anything on the market. VideoNuze is a web-based source for authentic evaluation and news on the online video trade. NBC News NOW and Sky News are two of the FAST channels that prospects have entry to.
Customers can sign up or cancel at any time, and TV does not require an additional set prime box. Now TV, which can price $20 a month, shall be announced in the coming weeks. A&E, AMC, Hallmark and Warner Bros. are some of the stay channels that might be included in the new streaming offering. A subscription to Peacock Premium and 20 channels of built-in FAST channels from NBC, Sky and Xumo Play are included. The low finish of the united states market will be the target of Now TV, a $20 a month streaming video product that can include linear TV, FAST and subscription video on demand channels. There are greater than 40 traditional channels on the NOW TV service.


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Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten just announced today it would launch a joint venture with Indonesian media conglomerate Global Mediacom to run a e-commerce platform service in the country. Rakuten takes 51% stake in the joint venture which is capitalized at USD4.3M. The joint venture will start the service in the latter half of this year and invite Indonesian SMEs to launch their own e-stores.
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First the Yahoo-Koprol deal and now this, seems everybody’s starting to take notice of the Indonesian market. In my experience Indonesian people tend to have the entrepreneurial gene so there should be no shortage of e-stores for this service.
Not the first to cater to this segment (the well-regarded tokobagus.com launched several years back http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/04/29/arnold-sebastian-introducing-online-business-schools.html ), but it’ll be interesting to see how rakuten’s backing factors in, and their approach to security/fraud & localised trading practices (ie. haggling)


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Local alpaca farm hosts open house
Published 10:13 pm Wednesday, March 30, 2011
A local alpaca farm will open its barn doors soon to allow the public the educational experience of learning about alpacas.
Cornerstone Farm Alpacas will host its “shearing day” April 8 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 26298 Spivey Town Road in Windsor. The event will include demonstrations of spinning, weaving and felting, craft items for sale, concessions by the Isle of Wight 4-H Club and music by local bluegrass and gospel band Route 58.
Alpacas are gentle animals that have fur called fiber, according to a press release from Chris Wingard of Cornerstone Farm.
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“Alpaca fiber is softer, stronger and warmer than wool,” he said. “People are always amazed when they touch our alpacas — their fiber is like cashmere. We hope that people will realize the potential that alpaca fiber has in the U.S. textile industry and support their local farms.”
Cornerstone Farm is one of more than 100 alpaca farms in the United States. It was founded in 2004 with three alpacas. It now has more than 40 alpacas and offers sales, breeding, consultation and natural alpaca yarn.
Admission to the shearing day event is $1. Children 4 years old and younger are free.
“When people come to Shearing Day, they see the entire process of getting fiber of an animal to turning out an end product. They watch fiber artists use alpaca fleece in many different ways and they learn the important part it plays in our world,” Wingard said.
For more information on the farm, visit www.cornerstonefarmalpacas.com.


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Will Overregulation Stifle the Good of Cryptocurrencies?
Cryptocurrency and FinTech companies have been longing to establish themselves as a mainstream investment. Luckily (so far), the government has yet to pass any legislation that has worked against the organic growth of this newer segment of the financial sector. This may change shortly, however, as Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) recently announced a plan to introduce legislation that would regulate cryptocurrencies and Initial Coin Offerings (ICO). Despite the resolve of legislative bodies to regulate these new digital assets, there are two major obstacles that must be addressed before an efficient legislation can be put in place. The first obstacle is the creation of a regulatory framework that works across all levels of government. The second, and perhaps more challenging obstacle, is to monitor the usage of cryptocurrencies for illegal activity.
Before going into the challenges of regulating cryptocurrencies, it is important to understand what cryptocurrencies are and how they work. A cryptocurrency is defined as a digital asset that can be used as a payment method to purchase goods and services. To keep track of transactions, cryptocurrencies use a technology known as the blockchain. A blockchain works as a distributed ledger in a peer-to-peer network where crypto transactions are recorded and validated. This means cryptocurrency transactions are decentralized and do not need a financial institution such as a bank, as the middleman. Both cryptocurrencies and the blockchain are protected by strong cryptographic algorithms.
Before 2016, cryptocurrency and blockchain technology were at the fringe of the investment world. It was only after Bitcoin, the most popular and widely used cryptocurrency, reached a high-value of almost $20,000 per unit that digital currencies started making headlines in mainstream news outlets.
It created a gold-rush fever among investors and speculators hoping to find the next exciting monetary concept. While Bitcoin prices crashed throughout 2018, there is still interest among investors in cryptocurrencies and the technology behind it. However, the conflicting guidelines among government institutions and the lack of security for investors makes it somewhat unattractive as an investment vehicle.
One of the main issues surrounding the regulation of cryptocurrency is its classification as an asset. Are cryptocurrencies a commodity, security, or property? Whose jurisdiction does it fall under? The answer depends on which regulatory body you ask. Financial organizations across the federal government have different stances on how to classify the digital asset.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) considers cryptocurrencies acquired during crowdfunding campaigns, aka ICOs, as securities and subject to their regulations. On the other hand, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) classifies cryptocurrencies as a commodity. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) categorizes and taxes cryptocurrency as property. Lastly, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN) and the U.S. Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) view crypto as a fiat currency.
The lack of clarity in how to approach cryptocurrencies as an investment can result in loopholes that could allow individuals to commit fraud or unintentional transgressions by investors seeking to comply with the law. Congress has previously asked the SEC to clarify its regulations on cryptocurrencies. It has also asked the IRS for more comprehensive guidelines on how to report profits earned on cryptocurrency. The lag in clearly defining parameters may cause legitimate blockchain innovators to take their ventures abroad. If the federal government decides to intervene, will they be able to devise a framework for regulation that is clearly defined and consistent across the board?
Another major issue that investors face is the use of cryptocurrency for illegal activities. While many are attracted to the decentralized and anonymous nature of cryptocurrencies, these same qualities can make them a double-edged sword when it comes to regulatory compliance. Cryptocurrencies have gained a reputation as facilitators of illegal purchases on the internet’s “black market.” They can also be used to launder money and evade taxes. To this end, the government has started investing in tools that will help track cryptocurrency transactions.
There are also hackers who utilize malware to illegally obtain cryptocurrency. One example of this, is when bad actors utilize crypto-jacking malware, which uses the processing power of another computer to mine cryptocurrencies. It is expected that the usage of this malware will rise throughout 2019. In other instances, hackers utilize ransomware threats, which are a form of malware that encrypts files on an infected PC and make demands for the victimized user to pay a ransom fee in cryptocurrency. This method is also expected to be prevalent throughout 2019.
We also must ask, what can be done to better secure cryptocurrency exchanges? We have already seen cases where exchanges have been breached by hackers resulting in the loss of millions of dollars in cryptocurrencies.
For better or worse, the government now seems intent on helping to bring cryptocurrencies into the mainstream as a legitimate investment. However, if the aforementioned issues are not addressed, prospective investors may shy away from cryptocurrencies. Conversely, overregulating the crypto market may also push away investment, so any new laws must toe the line between necessity and redundancy. Furthermore, needless regulation may compel fintech innovators to implement their technology in other countries if our cryptocurrency laws become too stringent or convoluted.


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Confusion on Monday morning: reports of a 'revolutionary plan' at Adidas AG turn out to be fake. An Adidas AG spokesperson confirmed to FashionUnited that the press release in question had not been sent out by the German sportswear company.
On Monday morning, a press release was picked up by various media outlets which read that Adidas AG appointed a new co-CEO, Vay Ya Nak Phoan - a former Cambodian garment worker and the leader of a union. In addition, the press release stated that Adidas was going to start paying wages and severance payments to Cambodian garment workers as well as set up a guarantee fund for the entire production chain. Adidas AG was also said to have signed a Pay Your Workers agreement.
It is unclear at present who sent out the release.
This article was originally published on FashionUnited.NL. Translating and editing into English: Veerle Versteeg.


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KUALA LUMPUR (April 19): Proton dealers on a visit to a Geely 4S centre in Shanghai were informed of the overwhelming response for the Geely Boyue, on which the upcoming Proton sport utility vehicle (SUV) is based.
In a statement, Proton Holdings Bhd said its dealers recently visited the Shanghai Jinxi Automobile Sales and Service outlet, where they had the opportunity to view a "model outlet" firsthand.
During a briefing session to welcome the delegates from Proton, the outlet's General Manager and Dealer Principal, Xu Zhi Ming, said the Geely Boyue SUV had been particularly well received by the public, selling over 30,000 units a month.
"For those who have booked, they would need to wait a good six months (to get the car),” he said, adding that Boyue had surpassed other SUVs in terms of sales in the same segment.
Xu also said for a newbie in the SUV market, the response from the public had been overwhelming, with the Boyue being one of the fastest growing brands in China.
He expressed hope that the Malaysian public would experience the same joy and experience that the SUV had given to consumers in China. — Bernama


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Apr 16, 2013 Paradies Opens Goldberg’s Café and The New York Times Bookstore Award-winning concessionaire Paradies recently
celebrated the opening of Goldberg’s Café and The New York Times Bookstore on
Concourse E at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). This
innovative and attractive location combines a local Atlanta favorite Goldberg’s
Café with the most popular name in best-seller lists, The New York Times.
Award-winning airport concessionaire Paradies
and global shapewear leader Spanx celebrated the opening of the first-ever
airport SPANX store located in Terminal E of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International