text:
According to the data for the first half of the current year, Ukraine’s steel pipe exports increased by 58.1% YoY to 880,060 tons worth a total of $1.070 billion. In June Ukraine’s steel pipe exports rose by 10.1% compared to May reaching 141,990 tons.In the first six months of 2011 Ukraine registered a 42.6% YoY…Details
More in Russian
Dear Sirs !
Thank you for the attention to Ukrainian Metal
Ukrainian Metal is the informational portal. We don’t sell nor buy metal, we just provide information for those who do.
If you want to buy or sell mining-metal products (steel, rolling, stainless, scrap, raw material, ore, iron, pipe, tube, BOF, metallurgy, metal, ferroalloy, alloy, channel, beam, section, coil, wire rod, sheet, plate, slab, bloom, l-section, h-beam, silicium, manganese, chrom, ferrous, non-ferrous, copper, alumina, aluminium, nikel, tungsten, cast, ) in Ukraine, place your offer here – https://metalukraine.com/trade-board. It is FREE.
Or you can
According to the data for the first six months of the current year, Ukraine’s metal product exports increased by 3.1%YoY to 12.587 million tons. In June Ukraine’s metal product exports declined by 2.2% compared to May to 2.43 million tons.In the given period, Ukraine registered a 9.7% YoY increase in its metal product imports to…Details
According to the data for the first half of the current year, Ukraine’s pig iron exports decreased by 1.9% YoY to 756,340 tons worth a total of $346.83 million.In June alone Ukraine’s pig iron exports rose by 26.5% compared to May, reaching 127,020 tons worth a total of $60.82 million. The main consumer of Ukrainian…Details
Leading steel pipe and railway wheels maker Interpipe has supplied seamless construction pipes to Bladt (Denmark). Bladt Industries is one of the leading manufacturers in the European market of wind turbines for offshore wind power generators. The volume of pipes supplied is 1,200 tons.Interpipe pipes will ultimately be used for the construction of wind power…Details
The Customs Union Commission ruled on July 20 to apply anti-dumping customs duties to metallurgical imports. Many of these imports are from Ukraine, whose government recently rejected Moscow’s proposal to become a member in its trade bloc.The Ukrainian products to be affected are metal fasteners and pipes. These anti-dumping measures had already been in place…Details
In 2011 Ukrainian metallurgical companies will increase production of flat steel by 5-8% compared to 2010 to 9.6-9.8 million tons, while the output of long products may go up by 5-7% compared to 2010 to 8.5-8.7 million tons.In 2011 Ukraine will import around 0.75-0.8 million tons of flat steel worth $910-940 million compared to 0.834…Details
ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih metallurgical plant reduced its roll output by 10.4% YoY to 2.363 million tons in January to June 2011.Steel output dropped by 13.4% to 2.652 million tons in the six months, while pig iron output went down by 14.6% to 2.274 million tons.Roll output in June went down by 17.3% YoY, steel output…Details
Ukraine reduced ferroalloy output by 19.6% YoY in January to June to 621,200 tons on weaker demand.Nikopol Ferroalloy Plant, the biggest of Ukraine’s three smelters reduced output by 15.8% YoY, to 406,000 tons. (Ukrainian Journal)
According to the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine, in the first five months of the current year Ukraine’s ferrous metal exports increased by 35.1% YoY to a total value of $7.811 billion, while exports of products made from ferrous metal went up by 78.8% to a total value of $1.194 billion.In the given period Ukraine…Details
According to the Ukrainian association of metal producers Metallurgprom, in August Ukraine’s crude steel production will reach 3.09 million tons.Pig iron output in Ukraine will reach 2.650 million tons in August, while production of rolled steel will rise to 2.840 million tons.In July Ukrainian metallurgical companies plan to produce a total of 3.07 million tons…Details
In July Ukrainian steelmaker Mariupol Ilyich Iron and Steel Works plans to complete the execution of seamless pipe orders prior to the permanent closure of its seamless pipe production facilities.This decision was taken by the company management in May, citing obsolete equipment and lack of seamless pipe orders, especially from Russian customers after the implementation…Details
UKRAINE&RUSSIA: STEEL-MAKING PIG IRON UKRAINE&RUSSIA: FOUNDRY PIG IRON UKRAINE&RUSSIA: ROUND BILLETS UKRAINE&RUSSIA: SQUARE BILLETS UKRAINE&RUSSIA: ROLLED WIRE UKRAINE&RUSSIA: SLABS UKRAINE&RUSSIA: REINFORCEMENT STEEL, CLASS A1, A3 Month Russian market, $/t, $1/RUR28.0785* min max May 709.51 983.31 June 689.38 983.31 Month Ukrainian market, $/t without VAT, $1/UAH7.9723* min max May 689.16 784.13 June 701.70 787.52 Month Export,…Details
ArcelorMittal’s Ukraine unit said steel production declined 26% in June from a year earlier as a blast furnace functioned erratically.Its output declined to 358,100 tons from 485,700 tons a year ago.Mr. Alexander Ioskov, who heads the production department at ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih, said in an e-mailed statement that malfunctions at the blast furnace had been…Details


text:
The delivery apps reshaping life in India’s megacities
From 7 a.m. until well past dusk, seven days a week, N. Sudhakar sits behind the counter of his hole-in-the wall grocery store in the south Indian city of Bangalore. Packed floor to ceiling with everything from 20-kilogram sacks of rice to one-rupee ($. 01) shampoo sachets, this one-stop shop supplies most of the daily needs for many in the neighborhood. It’s a carbon copy of the roughly 12 million family-run “kiranas” found on almost every street corner in India. The shop is located in the Whitefield district. It was once a quiet suburb, but it has become a major hub of the city’s growing IT industry. When Sudhakar, who is 49, opened the store 20 years ago, offices had just started going up. Thanks to a flood of construction workers, then IT employees, business picked up quickly. Today, his shop is surrounded by apartment blocks that house hundreds of workers in the nearby tech parks.
These days, the same technology industry that helped Sudhakar’s business thrive is presenting stores like his with a new challenge. A steady stream of delivery drivers lines up to pick up groceries from the “dark store”, a mini-warehouse in the city’s heart that allows for ultra-fast deliveries. Dunzo, a Bangalore-based startup runs the service. It is so popular that it has become a verb. Anyone in Bangalore who needs something transported across the city by a courier will “dunzo” it using the company’s app.
Dunzo lets users order pickups from nearby shops, but more recently it has pivoted into the rapidly growing market for instant groceries. It’s a highly crowded market. Borrowing from the playbook of Western companies like Instacart, Gopuff, and Gorillas, which deliver daily essentials right to your door, a slew of local firms are vying for a piece of India’s $620 billion grocery market, many of them now promising delivery times of just 10 minutes. In many cases, their goal is clear: they want to take over the kiranas’ dominant share of “top up” purchases customers make between larger bulk shopping trips.
They’ve got a long road ahead. Today, kiranas account for more than 95% of India’s grocery market, according to research published in March by the consulting firm Redseer. Modern supermarkets still account for only about 4%, even though they first appeared 30 years ago, and online groceries haven’t cracked 1% in a decade. Roughly two-thirds of India’s 1.3 billion people live in rural areas largely untouched by these more modern forms of retail.
But India’s megacities could see rapid change. The urban middle class has become addicted to online shopping thanks to years of aggressive marketing, steep discounts offered by e-commerce companies like Amazon and Flipkart, as well as a heavy dose covid lockdowns. Although they make up only a small percentage of India’s population, their spending power is substantial. In more affluent areas of major cities, the fight for India’s street corner is well under way.
Sudhakar dismisses the bustle of activity just across the street from his shop. He says he doesn’t see Dunzo or its ilk any threat. He admits that about half of his customers shop online and he is concerned about what this trend might mean for his business and others. He says, “It will impact us.” They have more investment. They have more money. They have a better network.”
An Indian institution
A kirana isn’t any old convenience store, says B.S. Nagesh, the founder of Trust for Retailers and Retail Associates of India(TRRAIN), a charity that supports retailers, said: They are closely integrated into their local communities and serve only a few hundred families. “Many of our ancestors grew up with the kiranas. He says that it is an extension of our kitchen. “The shopkeeper not only knows us by our names, but he also knows us by our families. He is more than a person who serves us. Tomorrow, if you have a need, he will actually help you out. Kiranas are an integral part of society .”
This close relationship allows kiranas credit to be provided to many customers. The shopkeeper will keep track of customers’ purchases in a small notebook called “bhai-khata” and then settle the balance on a weekly or monthly basis. Rajat Agarwal, a professor of management at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee says that informal credit is a large part of India’s economy. Cash flow is often a problem.
“It’s like doing a service,” says Narendra Gupta, who runs a kirana in Kolar, a small city about two hours from Bangalore, with his brother. Gayathri Prasad has been shopping at the Guptas’ kirana for 15 years and wouldn’t shop anywhere else. She says, “They are like brothers.” Prasad was without money for about a week, so the Guptas allowed her to take what she needed and then paid them back when she was able. Rachana Sharma, a sociologist at Guru Nanak Dev University, says that Kiranas cater for all classes. Sharma claims that modern retail stores often exclude the less-well-off.
The granularity with which these shops understand their shoppers would be the envy of any e-commerce data science team, says Agarwal. In a country with six major religions, 121 languages, and thousands of castes, each with its own habits, diets, and traditions, knowing your customers is essential. The items kiranas have in stock are matched to the locality. He says that without any data-mining techniques they are already doing their own analytics to understand their customers. Despite these unique strengths many companies believe kiranas have the potential to disrupt. India’s online grocery industry has grown quickly from a relatively small base, says Abhishek Gupta, a business consultant at Redseer, going from $500 million in 2016 to $5.5 billion by 2021. This growth was mainly due to urban Indians who started shopping online for bulk groceries. But now some sense an opportunity to eat into the smaller, more frequent top-up purchases that Gupta says make up 60 to 70% of the average kirana’s business.
Tapping that market requires an entirely different approach. Usually, goods bought online are stored in large warehouses near the city’s outskirts. It can take hours or days for customers to receive their goods. To get on the turf of kiranas, you need to build networks of smaller “dark shops” deep within the urban environment. This allows you to ship items much faster than a customer can walk to your local shop. Gupta says that “quick commerce” has disrupted the kirana spending. Redseer estimates that the segment could be worth $5B within five years. The opportunity has sparked a feeding frenzy. Zepto, a startup founded by a pair of 19-year-old Stanford dropouts, came out of stealth in November with a promise to deliver groceries in 10 minutes and has since raised a total of $360 million in venture backing. In December, Indian food delivery giant Swiggy said it would invest $700 million in its fledgling grocery business Instamart, and an online grocer called Grofers rebranded as Blinkit and dropped its conventional delivery service for a 10-minute guarantee. Ola, Uber’s main rival in India, joined the 10-minute craze in January, announcing plans to expand its network of dark stores to 500 over six months. Dunzo had already launched its Dunzo Daily service last June but announced in March that it would more than double its dark-store count to 200.
While slower to warm to the idea, the country’s largest online grocery company, BigBasket, launched a 10-minute delivery option in April. Three years ago, it tried out one-hour delivery for quick commerce, according to Seshu Kumar, the head of buying and marketing. However, the service was not successful. The pandemic followed. He says that kirana shops were closed due to lockdown restrictions in many parts of the country. Customers had no choice but to use e-commerce. While most people went back to shopping in person when the lockdowns eased, a significant portion of them kept their old habit. “Now, people are realizing that these 10-minute delivery startups, instant-gratification startups–they can actually replace the need of a local kirana,” says Vaibhav Khandelwal, CTO of Shadowfax, which provides logistics to a who’s who of Indian e-commerce companies.
It’s a massive logistical undertaking. Khandelwal estimates that there are several hundred dark shops in the country’s largest cities. Even though the company has a large footprint, it is difficult to ensure timely deliveries. This is due to the need for efficient packaging and cutting-edge demand forecasting. It is also important to know where the dark stores are located.
“The core of it is network design,” says Aadit Palicha, the CEO of Zepto. The goal is reach as many people as possible and keep delivery distances to an average of 1.8 km. While a traditional supermarket may stock thousands of products, quick-commerce companies have found that most customers buy from a smaller range. It’s a careful balancing act to ensure you can still meet customers’ needs, says Palicha, but his company has found that about 3,000 products is enough to cover almost all of a customer’s shopping basket.
Speed and selection aren’t the only important criteria, says Dunzo CEO Kabeer Biswas. People choose to stick with a shop because they are confident in the quality of its offerings.
“Most of our time in the organization is spent trying to figure out how we can deliver best produce,” he said. The company uses image recognition technology to automatically determine the quality of fresh goods. It is also working with Qzense Labs, a startup that produces sensors to measure the sweetness, ripeness, and spoilage of fruit.
These companies have a long-term goal that is ambitious. In March, posters started popping up around Bangalore featuring a picture of a refrigerator with the text “In loving memory of Sri Fridgesh Coolkarni, 1854-2022.” It was a guerrilla marketing campaign from Dunzo suggesting that instant groceries would soon make the fridge obsolete.
“You can decide what to make for dinner 10 minutes before you start cooking,” says Palicha. The aim is to fundamentally alter consumer behavior by removing the need to plan purchases, he adds: “When you give somebody a button to get something that they want in 10 minutes, they’ll press it a lot more frequently.”
For some, it seems to work. Arshad Ayub, 33, used to shop once a week at a large supermarket and rely on local stores for things like vegetables, milk, and bread in between. Since he tried Zepto in April, he has been transformed. “Instead of doing bulk shopping, now whatever is required on a daily basis, we just order and get it in the next 10 minutes,” he says. “I never had a situation where I needed something and I had to actually go to a local shop.”
It’s not surprising e-commerce companies are eager to get into groceries, says Arvind Singhal, founder of the India-based consulting firm Technopak, since grocery shopping accounts for two-thirds of the total Indians spend on merchandise each year. But that spending is spread across roughly 8,000 towns and 600,000 villages, the vast majority of which are well beyond the reach of online shopping. He says that while India’s food market is attractive in absolute numbers it is very fragmented and difficult to consolidate. “Anybody who claims that the kirana is threatened does not understand anything about India.”
Quick-commerce companies say they are focused on the affluent upper strata of city dwellers for now, but even then there are questions about the viability of the model. Redseer’s Gupta says that India’s large supermarket chains make pretax profits between 5 and 6%. This is despite having no delivery costs and being able to benefit from favorable supplier agreements due to their size. Even if quick-commerce companies can reach similar scales, they will still have margins of 2 to 3% due to their additional logistics requirements. They are far from profitability today. Gupta says that on average, they are losing 15 to 25 rupees on every 100-rupee order they receive.
Cracks are beginning to appear. Less than four months after announcing its foray into quick commerce, Ola has scaled back its ambitions, reportedly laying off 2,100 dark-store workers in April. And in March, Blinkit found itself so short on cash that it had to take a $150 million loan from food delivery company Zomato, one of its main investors.
Kirana owner Sharfuddin in his shop in Chamrajpet, a neighborhood in Bangalore. He took over running the shop from his father about 15 years ago.
It’s also not clear what problem they are solving, says Singhal, as most kiranas already take orders via WhatsApp and deliver to customers’ doorstep. He says that there is only one explanation for the global capital glut, which is looking for investment opportunities in an age of low interest rates. He says that the reason for this excitement is because of the unrestrained pressure of money, which is forcing these entrepreneurs not to follow economic logic.
There are no signs that the money taps will stop soon, according to Anand Ramanathan of Deloitte India. Investors have been throwing money at Indian startups for at least a decade, scrambling to get a foothold in a nation whose overall consumer markets could be worth $6 trillion by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum. “Do these models make money?” Is it sustainable. He says they are not even close.” “It’s all just an acquisition game .”
India has features that make it more suitable for quick commerce than Western countries. According to Zepto’s Palicha Indians are more likely to buy groceries than shoppers in the Western world. India’s crowded cities make it possible for large numbers of customers to be reached from one dark store. He says that this model thrives on density.
There is evidence that kiranas in India’s largest cities are feeling the pinch. Shopkeepers in a neighborhood bordering HSR Layout, a growing suburb in the south that has become a hub for startups, were unanimous in stating that online shopping was reducing their profits. Ashraf Puncheehar says business at his shop has dropped by 20% in the last six months. He says that new companies are opening every day. You can’t be a competitor .”
Although it is unlikely that kiranas will suffer a widespread death, there are some localized retrenchments. Aaron Shapiro, an Anthropologist at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, says that this could lead to “infrastructural extinction”. In the West, companies abandoned “unviable markets,” which were poor areas in order to open larger supermarkets. This led to “food deserts” that are places where residents don’t have easy access to affordable, healthy food. The phenomenon could have a unique flavor in India. Mohammed Ryaz, a regular customer of a kirana shop in Chamrajpet, said that the shop was a lifeline for less tech-savvy customers during lockdowns. He says, “These people are not educated–they don’t know how [online] to place an order.” Another concern is the impact of delivery drivers. More than 80% of India’s economy is informal, meaning workers have no official employment contract and aren’t protected by employment laws. For many Indians, gig work doesn’t differ from other options. However, gig workers still struggle with unpredictable wages due to sporadic work or incentive-based earnings, according to Aditi Surie, a sociolog at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements. She says that it can make people feel precarious. “You have no way of really calculating what is going to happen with your wages next month.”
A Dunzo delivery driver, who didn’t want to be named, said he doesn’t mind the work and regularly pulls 12-hour shifts. But it’s only really worth his time if he hits an incentive target of 21 orders a day, which boosts his wages by nearly 50%. He says, “It’s a waste if there are no incentives.” “All my efforts are gone in vain.” He typically hits the target eight to 10 days per month.
A helping hand
Why, if India already has a hyperlocal retail network perfectly tuned to the needs of every community, should anyone spend money building a new one? Many “kirana tech startups” have decided that there is no need. Instead, they are creating tools to help shops compete with modern retail giants. Prem Kumar, CEO at Snapbizz, a digital technology company, says that the network of kirana shops in the country is a national infrastructure comparable with the power grids and railroads.
His company’s products help kiranas track inventory, accept digital payments, and manage credit with customers and suppliers. The company offers basic services via a mobile app. However, it also rents bar-code scanners that can be combined with a handheld payment terminal and a touch-screen computer for checking out credit cards. Kiranas can place orders online using an app. The company also has tie-ins to major brands that offer promotions on products sold by the stores.
A key factor in designing technology for kiranas, Ravish Naresh (CEO of Khatabook), says that simplicity is key. The app acts as a digital copy of the notebooks that are used to track credit card purchases. The app automatically adds up debts and sends reminders to customers.
Other financial service providers want to tap into the kirana community. PayNearby offers kiranas a mobile app and a mini card reader that allows them to accept digital payments. CEO Anand Bajaj says that it also makes them neighborhood banks. Customers can withdraw cash, transfer money, purchase insurance and book travel tickets.
The kiranas have seen the most impact from the handful of e-commerce apps that allow businesses to connect with each other. These apps provide shops with an infrastructure to compete with the big retail chains. Sujeet Kumar, cofounder and chief executive of Udaan, said that traditionally kiranas have sourced their products from a network of distributors or wholesalers. Each takes a cut. The company negotiates favorable deals with producers by aggregating the demand for more than 3.5million kiranas. This allows them to cut out the middlemen and lower prices. Nearly all kiranas MIT Technology Review spoke with said Udaan and other B2B apps, such as Jumbotail or Jiomart, had helped boost their business.
Efforts to wrest control of the supply chain that feeds kiranas should raise some alarm bells, though, says IIHS’s Surie. She says that the informal nature of traditional distribution systems gives workers a lot of resilience and allows them to quickly change jobs as their circumstances change. Some companies could have a huge impact on the economic lives of millions by centralizing these complex networks into a few tech platforms that have little government oversight. She says, “They become the orchestrators for demand and supply and market forces.”
However, kiranas appear to have some allies as they fight for the street corner. Snapbizz’s Kumar believes that the wide range of technologies and services available to them could drastically change these micro-businesses. He says the kirana of tomorrow will be a “concierge to the household”–a one-stop shop that provides everything their customers need. He hopes this will allow them to flourish, not just for their own benefit.
” Kumar says that the network of kirana shops that we have today is the infrastructure to get essentials to the masses in this country. “As of now, there isn’t another viable option.”
I’m a journalist who specializes in investigative reporting and writing. I have written for the New York Times and other publications.

domain: news


text:
By Sam Benjamin
JA Contributing Writer
Black vendors from across the state of Mississippi pulled into downtown Jackson this past Saturday, August 21, to help circulate the Black dollar. The 7th Annual Mississippi Black Business Expo took place at the Jackson Convention Complex (JCC). Co-sponsored by the City of Jackson, this marks the second year that the Expo was held at the JCC.
Mike Davis, Manager of the City of Jackson’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC), said it was important that there be a venue to spotlight Black entrepreneurial talent.
“Our task at the SBDC is to tell Black businesses about the tools we have to ramp up their business,” he said. “This is the perfect venue to reach a lot of our businesses at one time. It’s why we participate.”
The 2020 expo was canceled as an in-person event due to COVID. But, it did take place virtually. Organizers said that although the threat of COVID loomed, they took precautions to make sure vendors and shoppers were safe.
“By the midway point of planning for this year’s expo, the numbers were down to less than 100 a day,” said MBP Steering Committee Member Trina Blaylock. “Then, the Delta variant hit, and numbers shot back up again. We had several vendors who elected to back out this year. But, we thought it was important to continue. We had masks and sanitizer on hand for anyone that needed it.”
It was seven years ago that entrepreneur, George “Chuck” Patterson was sitting around talking with a few friends over drinks. It was in the wake of the murder of Eric Garner and the conversation took on a somber tone, one of anger mixed with frustration. That group, which consisted of Funmi “Queen” Franklin and Sabir Abdul Haqq, felt something needed to be done to harness Black spending power. It was at that table that the idea for the Mississippi Black Business Expo was birthed.
“We wanted to figure out a way to help the movement,” Patterson said. “Economic empowerment for us was the road to take, flexing our Black dollars.”
The Mississippi Black Business Expo has served as an outlet for Black businesses and entrepreneurs to showcase their products.
Patterson founded the Jackson Black Pages in 2012. He says that, at the time, the number of Black businesses in the metro area was growing and consumers – who looked to support them – needed a way to find them in a quick and easy manner.
In 2019, the steering committee made the decision to become statewide. There were growing movements of Black business networking groups popping up on the MS Gulf Coast and in the Delta. Patterson says it was time to connect the dots between the organizations and take things to a new level. The goal, he says, was to have a comprehensive directory that connects all the Black businesses in the state.
“We started with a hardcopy directory, then to a website, then to an app,” he added. “Accessibility and convenience are our keys to driving customers to Black businesses. Need a carpenter, DJ, accountant, or chef? We want to be your source.”
The first expo, in 2015, was held at Tougaloo College and had about 75 vendors. It was also the debut of the first edition of the Jackson Black Pages. That first edition had about 100 businesses listed. This year’s expo boasted 167 registered vendors. The website now has over 600 Black businesses in its database and the directory has just over 500 listings. Each vendor received a copy of the 2021 edition of the directory at Saturday’s expo.
Patterson said the plans are to expand in 2022 to two events: one in Jackson in the spring and a second Expo in Gulfport in the fall.
Contact email@example.com if you’re interested in getting a copy of the new directory.


text:
The average pregnancy in France lasts 41 weeks; the global average is 40 weeks. It's a small difference, but enough of a nuance for online parenting site BabyCenter to spin out an additional week's worth of content to its French site. Since the Johnson & Johnson-owned site claims to reach 40 million moms across 14 countries, BabyCenter's editorial and tech teams craft unique content to target each of its markets. Shaping the editorial strategy for local markets requires firsthand knowledge from someone in touch with the zeitgeist of the place at hand, noted Linda Murray, svp, global editor in chief. "It's important to have someone in the country and a native speaker who understands the mindset of the market and the very practical differences of health systems, legal systems, culture and tradition," she said. Here's how BabyCenter tailors some of its editorial content and advertising across nine regions of the world.
The U.S. is one of the few countries in the world that doesn't have a national maternity leave program, so BabyCenter tailors content on maternity leave and childcare issues.
A recent sponsored blog series challenging the Hispanic tradition of children greeting adults with a kiss racked up 3 million unique visits in less than a week.
BabyCenter experiments with offline and cross-product advertising in this market. Johnson & Johnson's baby cream Penaten prompts moms to visit the site for parenting advice.
Moms can listen to traditional prayers, and there is a prenatal online class run by health professionals for those who would otherwise have limited access to healthcare.
Nearly one-third of Spanish women smoke, per World Bank, so BabyCenter has tips and strategies to get women to quit.
BabyCenter's content for the country with the highest rate of skin cancer includes sun care tips on keeping babies safe.
Moms can find articles on a prenatal class that applies the practice of haptonomie, which helps them bond with their babies.
There's a booming beauty industry in Brazil; hair and makeup content resonates with this audience more than other countries.
Baby naming in China is a big deal; parents believe it's an important factor in determining their child's future. Luckily, BabyCenter's got a tool for that.


text:
If you haven’t heard about the ongoing encryption showdown that has pitted tech giant Apple against the FBI, you’re probably not living on planet Earth. But here’s a quick breakdown: The involved parties are at loggerheads over an iPhone 5c recovered during the investigation of the San Bernardino massacre last December.
FBI is asking Apple to help it break into the phone by developing a special version of its iOS operating system, which would enable the feds to bypass security measures that protect against brute-force attacks. Apple is vehemently denying the request, maintaining that doing so will compromise the security of all iPhones and the privacy of its consumers.
The FBI has filed an order to compel Apple to unlock the phone, and Apple has managed to secure a February 26 extension to reply to the court order. The debate has once again driven a wedge between proponents of privacy and civil liberties on one end, and law enforcement agencies on the other.
Apple has garnered support from major tech firms such as Google, Facebook and Twitter, and privacy and civil liberties bodies such as EFF and ACLU. The FBI’s main backers are government authorities and bodies and – strangely – Microsoft’s Bill Gates.
Regardless of whose favor the battle will tip to, this new faceoff will prove to be a watershed moment in the now-two-decade-old Crypto Wars. Here’s my perspective of the different outcomes.
Apple gives in to FBI’s demand
In this scenario, Apple CEO Tim Cook comes to heel and orders the development of the FBiOS, FBI gets to brute-force its way into Syed Farook’s phone, and it lays its hands on the much coveted data that is stored on the device. I personally don’t think they’ll find much of import, because if the attackers were savvy enough to smash all their phones and computers before heading for the rampage, then they were probably smart enough to make sure that the iPhone wouldn’t leave any valuable trace of their communications.
But regardless of what is found on the phone, this will set a precedent for government agencies making similar demands to apple and other phone and software companies. There are already hundreds phones in the custody of local law enforcement agencies, and they’ll definitely want their shot at FBiOS to crack them open.
But the worst repercussion will be similar demands that other countries will make, especially authoritarian regimes that will want to use the technology to crackdown on dissidents and activists. Why should Apple deny one government access to iPhone data when it’s granting it to another? And of course, we live in a digital world where nothing remains secret. Who’s to guarantee that a weakened version of iOS signed with Apple keys will not find its way into the possession of malicious actors?
Apple will be dealt a big blow economically, as consumers will lose their trust in the brand and will opt for other companies that will not compromise their privacy.
Having coined the victory, FBI will take the next step, demand that Apple rolls back its OS security to the pre iOS 8 era, where breaking into phones was a trivial task. And after that will come demands for key escrows and wiretapping facilities… And before you know it, encryption and privacy for the average consumer will become a thing of the past.
But not for criminals and terrorist. They’ll develop plenty of ad-hoc and in-house encryption apps and software to hide their traces while darkly going about their devious business, and the feds will be none the better.
Apple wins the debate
In such a scenario, Apple wins the fight, the iPhone remains unlocked along with its secrets. The government abandons the case and goes looking for loose ends elsewhere – and there’s plenty of data and metadata to collect already since we’re in the golden age of surveillance – and they’ll find out that they already had all the information they needed.
Tim Cook will become a hero and known as the frontrunner for consumer privacy and security (Bill Gates will probably be shamed). Apple sales will skyrocket, and the company will make sure that the next version of iOS will have stronger encryption and will seal the gaps that can be take advantage of by legal or illegal means.
This outcome will also set a precedent and will mark a major victory for encryption proponents. It will drive government agencies a step further from their goal of gaining a foothold in secure communications, and the legalization of backdoors and key escrows will become a thing of the past. However they will not give up and will continue to try implanting backdoors in major products and software through overt and covert venues.
The coming days and weeks might see dramatic changes in balance of power in the encryption debate. But one thing’s for sure: Encryption is here to stay.


text:
Check out which companies are making headlines after the bell on Thursday:
Shares of Ulta fell more than 4 percent during after hours following lighter-than-expected guidance for the first quarter. Even though the beauty retailer posted revenue and earnings that beat estimates for its fourth quarter, Ulta's projections of $1.24 billion to $1.27 billion in revenue, the midpoint fell short of analysts' expectations of $1.27 billion, according to Thomson Reuters consensus estimates.
Zumiez shares tanked more than 12 percent during extended trading after the company reported first-quarter guidance that didn't meet analysts' expectations. Although the retailer reported an earnings and revenue beat, Zumiez's expectations for a loss of 17 to 21 cents for the first quarter sharply contrasted with Wall Street's projections for a loss of 3 cents, according to Thomson Reuters consensus estimates.
Finisar shares plunged more than 21 percent during after-hours trade following an earnings and revenue miss for its third quarter. The telecom equipment maker reported earnings of 61 cents a share on revenue of $381 million while analysts expected earnings of 62 cents a share on revenue of $390 million, according to Thomson Reuters consensus.


text:
Drew McCoy, the Executive Producer of Apex Legends at Respawn, has published a detailed statement about the future of the game. His update covers numerous topics, including the game’s rapid growth, Respawn’s missteps, and upcoming content. In fact, on that latter note, McCoy states that fans will see details for Apex Legends Season 2 at EA Play; the event planned by EA to run alongside E3 later this year.
Respawn’s Plans for EA Play Includes Apex Legends Season 2
“At EA Play in June,” explains McCoy; “we will give you the first details on what you can expect from Season 2. We’ve seen all the feedback on Season 1 and look forward to showing you the improvements we’re making.”
EA doesn’t plan on attending E3 this year. Indeed, it is one of several major publishers who have recently withdrawn from the event. However, they will instead be holding EA Play, a similar event dedicated solely to EA, which will run alongside E3. As an EA-owned studio, Respawn will be in attendance, no doubt presenting more details about their upcoming Star Wars game. However, they also have plans for Apex Legends Season 2; “For Season 2 you can expect a Battle Pass with more meaningful content,” says McCoy; “the introduction of a new Legends, the debut of a new weapon… and you didn’t expect Kings Canyon to stay the same forever, did you?”
According to McCoy, every new Season will launch with at least three things; a new Legend, a new Battle Pass, and “something new for the meta”. It’s notable that Respawn doesn’t appear to be attempting to compete with Fortnite with the speed at which they deliver content. In truth, that is likely a wise decision. Of course, Epic Games does have greater resources and a huge team working full-time on Fortnite. However, despite that, the studio has still recently come under fire for pressuring their staff to work extreme amounts of overtime in order to keep new content coming. (No doubt attempting to combat the game’s slowly declining performance.)
A Clarification About Star Wars and Titanfall
McCoy also clarifies that nobody from their Star Wars team is being re-tasked to work on Apex Legends. However, the studio is apparently delaying any future Titanfall projects; “It is important to understand that there are entirely separate development teams working on Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order,” he explains; “Additionally, in order to fully support Apex Legends, we are pushing out plans for future Titanfall games. No resources from the Apex Legends team are being shifted to other titles in development here at the studio, nor are we pulling resources from the team working on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.”


text:
The Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Division has checked Charter Communications for a series of ads ostensibly targeting AT&T’s DirecTV unit.
The NAD ruling is in response to a DirecTV complaint about a humorous 2015 TV commercial series, which featured former Saturday Night Live star Kevon Nealon as the buffoonish captain of an orbiting, anachronistic space vessel called “Satellite TV Headquarters.” (Editor’s note: The series, created by Pereira & O’Dell for Charter, is funny, any way you slice it.)
The NAD ruled that the series’ 30-second “Lever” ad included an “unsupported” claim that DirecTV customers “pay more for what [they] love to watch.” The NAD recommended the ad be discontinued.
“Humor and hyperbole do not relieve an advertiser of its obligation to support messages that their advertisements might reasonably convey—especially when the advertising disparages a competitor’s product,” the NAD said in a statement.
The government agency, whose rulings are non-binding, did support Charter on other rulings.
The NAD said there’s evidence to support a claim made by Charter in the series’ “On Hold” spot, which said satellite TV bills can double after the promotional period expires.
The NAD also ruled in favor of Charter in regard to another musical spot that was not part of the series called “Triple Play.”
For its part, Charter didn’t respond to FierceCable’s inquiry for comment. The NAD, however, said the cable operator accepted its recommendation—which is probably not a huge blow, since the campaign has already run its course.


text:
Google Confirms New Pixel Phones Inbound May 7 With Avengers Endgame Teaser
We know that Google is working on new smartphones for the Pixel family; after all, the company leaked specs on the Pixel 3a and 3a XL on its website. Details of those devices have also leaked that show the mid-range smartphones will cost around $500 with the Pixel 3a XL naturally being the more expensive version. Google is now teasing the devices and has confirmed the unveil date for the smartphones.
Google has a landing page celebrating Avengers: End Game and using footage from the film to tease the upcoming smartphones. The landing page for the video (which can be seen below) says "On May 7, something big is coming to the Pixel universe." May 7 is the same day that the Google I/O 2019 keynote will happen. That means the Pixel 3a devices will get official on stage.
Perhaps as big as the confirmation of a date for the unveiling of the new smartphones is the fact that Verizon will no longer have carrier exclusivity. This is great news for those living in areas where the Verizon network is less than ideal. The Pixel 3a and 3a XL will both be offered via T-Mobile stores according to Android Police.
As for specs on both devices, we will have to wait until May 7 to be sure, but rumors have given an idea of what the devices might offer. The Pixel 3a will reportedly have a 5.56-inch screen with 2160 x 1080 resolution, Snapdragon 670 SoC, Adreno 615 GPU, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and a 2,915 mAh battery.
The Pixel 3a XL is tipped for a 6-inch screen, Snapdragon 710 SoC, 12MP rear camera, and an 8MP front. Both smartphones will certainly have microSD card slots for expansion and rumors suggest that both smartphones will have versions with 64GB of storage.


text:
It’s a good bet that California’s holiday shopping season won’t be delightful – nor will to be frightful.
Sure, there’s a sleighful of worry as the annual gift-giving rush begins. There are economic gyrations and geopolitical uncertainties – domestic and international. Did I mention no easy and final cure for the worst bout of inflation in four decades?
It’s the kind of anxiety-building pattern that could let Scrooge-like thinking creep into most Californians’ shopping lists.
Curiously, some of that skittishness stems from business strengths. Think of inflation, for example. It’s a by-product of an overperforming economy. Low unemployment has boosted paychecks and employers’ labor expenses, which often are passed on to consumers.
So, times are relatively good for numerous folks in the Golden State. That’s enough economic underpinnings for a ho-hum shopping surge surrounding the ho-ho-ho season.
However, it’s by no means simple to build an upbeat year-end retail outlook. Take a peek at 12 economic variables that are shaping California’s holiday shopping spirits …
These factors set the overall tone for the holiday shopping season.
Sales momentum: California’s shopping cooldown is already underway. Retail sales fell at a 0.1% annual rate in the past year vs. a 5.5% average growth in the past five years. Last year’s holiday season saw sales jump 4.9% after a 12.6% surge in 2021.
Jobs, jobs, jobs: You need a paycheck to be a serious holiday shopper and unemployment has been low. The statewide rate averaged 4.6% this summer vs. a 6% 10-year average. Joblessness was 4.1% during the past year’s holiday season and it was 5.8% in 2021.
- REAL ESTATE NEWSLETTER: Get our free ‘Home Stretch’ by email. SUBSCRIBE HERE!
Raises: The size of paychecks also matters to retailers – and these aren’t gravy days. California pay rose 3.2% in the past year vs. a 3.5% 10-year average increase when measured by a mix of California wage swings and the employee cost index. Recent pay hikes also look small vs. 4.7% growth in 2022 and 4.4% in 2021.
Inflation: Just about every shopper feels the pain of a surging cost of living. The US inflation rate averaged 3.6% this summer – nearly a point above the 2.7% 10-year average, according to the Consumer Price Index. But it’s better than last holiday season’s 7.1% or 6.8% in 2021.
Bill paying: The rare late payment suggests Californians can afford what they bought. Consumer delinquencies run 1.1% of all debt statewide vs. a 2% 10-year average, according to the New York Fed. Yes, it’s up from last year’s 1% but that was essentially a historic low.
What retailers do with staffing says a great deal about what they think of the chances for big holiday sales.
Workers: Retail employment across California is up 0.4% in the past year past year. That’s on par with 10-year growth – a noteworthy advance considering all the business lost to online competition. The last big holiday hiring spree – a 3.1% jump in 2021 – was more restaffing after pandemic lockdown losses.
Salaries: California’s total retail payrolls grew by 4.7% in the past year vs. a 3.7% 10-year average. Merchants have to compete with other employer’s hefty pay raises to keep stores adequately staffed.
What shoppers think, rather than economic fundamentals, counts, too.
Optimism: Consumer confidence in California is up 2.5% this year – support for a modest shopping spree, according to the Conference Board. It’s better than last holiday season’s 7.7% confidence dip but it pals vs. a 41% jump in 2021.
Real wages: When to mash up pay hikes vs. inflation, it looks depressing. Consumer buying power fell 0.4% in the past year vs. an 0.8% increase on average over 10 years. Some solace may be found when noting 2.4% dips in buying power in the previous two years.
Net worth index: California wealth isn’t simply paychecks. So consider my measurement of stocks and house prices – up 8% in the past year when looking at the Nasdaq stock and FHFA home indexes. Yes, it’s below a 12% 10-year average. It’s also a sharp reversal from last year’s 8% loss.
The big picture
Consider the national economic backdrop, too.
Online shopping: The bane of every brick-and-mortar merchant continues to grab shopping’s sizzle. US “nonstore” sales grew 8% nationally in the past year – but that’s a slowdown from a 12% average since 2018.
GDP: The total business output of the US is surprisingly robust. Gross domestic product, a broad measure of economic production minus inflation, grew 2.9% in a year compared to a 2.3% average expansion since 2013.
The bottom line
Retailing gurus project meek but noticeable US sales gains this holiday season nationwide.
Yet those meager advancements may feel disappointing following two robust shopping sprees as the economy emerged from its coronavirus cobwebs. Ponder some highlights are various forecasts.
Look, most Americans are ready to shop with 74% of folks surveyed telling pollsters they’ll spend the same or more this holiday season, says Boston Consulting Group. And that’s why it will be a record-breaking holidays as the typical US shopper spends $1,652 on seasonal goodies, say the consultants at Deloitte.
Still, US holiday sales will be up just 3% to 4% vs. 2022, says the National Retail Federation. That growth is below 5.4% in 2022 and 12.7% in 2021 – but on par with a 3.5% average in pre-pandemic 2003-19.
And what’s being bought will change. Shoppers will spend 7% more on holiday gifts but 16% less on non-gift seasonal spending – think food or events – says the Conference Board.
But there’s one constant: online shopping grows. Nonstore buying will grab 19% to 20% of holiday sales vs. 14% in 2019 and 18% to 19% in 2022, says EY Parthenon.
PS: Score your holiday shopping confidence by taking an online quiz at https://bit.ly/holidayforecast!
Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at email@example.com


text:
Town centre plans unveiled for former Morrisons store
Dransfield Properties, the company behind the award winning Sanderson Arcade in Morpeth, Northumberland – has announced plans to develop a former food store building in the heart of the town.
The store at Stanley Terrace, neighbouring The Arcade, has been empty since Morrisons moved to its brand new landmark store at Low Stanners in Morpeth in July 2013.
Now a deal has been agreed by Morrisons and Dransfield Properties to purchase the building. Plans have been drawn up to develop and remodel the disused store and create three new retail units in the heart of the town centre.
The new development will create up to 100 new jobs as well as regenerating this key site and bringing a new range of retailers into Morpeth.
An application is due to be submitted early next month to Northumberland County Council and work could start in autumn this year with the new stores ready to open and trade by autumn 2016.
As well as redeveloping the store on its current footprint the plans include improving the layout and location of the disabled and parent parking spaces as well as creating an attractive glazed canopy along the car park’s central walkway.
The relocation of the Express Taxis office and a remodelling and extension of the Corbridge Larder at Sanderson Arcade are also proposed as part of the overall scheme.
Dransfield Properties is working with the architect who designed the Sanderson Arcade development, Gavin Ward of Dixon Dawson, to deliver a contemporary design for the building which ties in with the modern Morrisons foodstore and the more traditional style of the Arcade.
The new building has been designed on the store’s existing footprint with no loss of car parking, the building will have an attractive glazed frontage overlooking Dark Lane as well as the main town centre car park.
Managing Director of Dransfield Properties, Mark Dransfield, said: “This is an important site in Morpeth and we are delighted to be coming forward with an attractive and high quality scheme which will complete the final part of the jigsaw of the town centre development.
“We have been very encouraged by the feedback we have received so far for our proposals and look forward to submitting our planning application.”
For more information about Dransfield Properties visit www.dransfield.co.uk
Picture shows: an artist's impression of the redeveloped store.
For further information, contact:-
Public Relations Department, Dransfield Properties Ltd
Tel: 01226 360644


text:
A new management at one of India's oldest paint companies looks to revive the dormant paints brand as it readies for a stiff fight with rivals.
For readers of a certain vintage, the tag line 'Whenever you see colour, think of us' still has instant recall.
Even though the name of the brand may have itself faded from memory.
Now the brand behind the ad, Jenson & Nicholson, is making a comeback under a joint venture with the South-based Sheenlac Paints.
But the challenges that the second oldest paints brand in the country faces, as it dons the greasepaint for its second life, are many: a whole new generation of consumers that are not familiar with the label, new technology and an aggressive pack of competitors such as Asian Paints, Nerolac and Berger.
The brand has a tough fight ahead as established giants like Asian Paints or Berger have moved far ahead in terms of technology, service infrastructure and even marketing methods.
J&N however believes that it can bank upon a strong brand recall among the older generation and some residual brand equity among the paints dealers.
According to Sridhar K, CEO of J&N Paints, a joint venture between Jenson and Nicholson India (J&N’s mother company) and Sheenlac Paints, the key problem is availability and once this can be addressed, the brand can regain its former glory.
Set up in 1922, J&N was once considered a leader and innovator in the highly competitive decorative paints landscape in India. The J&N campaign in the mid-1990s made the brand a familiar name across the country, but the company failed to cash in on that.
Financial trouble dogged its production facilities and soon supplies began drying up and dealers turned to more reliable brands to service their customers. J&N paints soon disappeared from the shop shelves.
Sheenlac Paints will be bringing the product back into the market soon and is banking upon the residual brand equity of J&N. It says that it will ensure a smooth and continuous supply of products in the coming months.
“The dealers hold J&N in high regard and can associate with the brand. The only problem is supply which will be addressed,” Sridhar said.
Under the terms of the agreement, J&N’s mother company has transferred the managerial rights of its Sikandrabad (near New Delhi) factory to the JV while Sheenlac has done the same with its three plants in Chennai. The joint capacity for these four units stands at one lakh kilolitres per annum, which, according to Sridhar, is enough for reintroducing the brand in the initial stage.
Following an asset light model, Sridhar is not keen to open new plants but will outsource it to other manufacturers once demand starts building up in the consumer market. Thereafter, it will reach out to the 2,000-strong original dealer base of J&N where this brand will have higher brand equity as compared to the new age dealers.
It is for this brand recall value that the advertising tagline will be retained during the relaunch.
This is exactly the way to go forward, according to Ramesh Thomas, president of Equitor, a management consultancy firm. “The brand needs to be targeted towards those aged above 35 years as they are aware of the brand and thus will have a higher recall value,” he said.
Sridhar is not looking at a pan-India presence to start with. Instead J&N will be reintroduced in its eastern and northern strongholds first followed by the South and later, based on the response, the west.
The brand has plenty of challenges to contend with. First and foremost, according to industry officials as well as brand expert Sandeep Goyal, is the positioning.
“The brand is over 30 years old and the generation which was its primary consumer has moved on. The J&N brand as such has recessed in memory,” says Goyal.
As per Goyal and an industry official, the J&N brand, although held in high regard, is ‘a thing of the past’ and the newer generation, accustomed to the names like Asian Paints, Berger, Nerolac will view the brand as a newcomer. The other challenge is matching the value added services offered by competitors.
“In its heyday, J&N was known for market innovation. In fact they were the ones who pioneered the concept of recommending colour shades based on the interiors of a house. J&N was positioned not just as a paints manufacturer but a colour consultant,” Thomas adds.
An industry official added that it is this kind of value addition which dealers would expect from J&N now that it is trying to stage a comeback.
J&N is relying on its history of innovations to stake its claim on the future. It says that it was the first company to roll out plastic emulsion paints under the brand Robbialac way back in 1955 and the first to enter the organised powder coatings market in 1986. In 1996, it introduced InstaColor in-shop tinting system which offered consumers a choice of over 5,000 shades to choose from and which gave rise to the famous ad line.
However, some time in the early 2000s, the company hit a roadblock. It closed down two units at Naihati, West Bengal and Panvel, Maharashtra with subdued production in the Sikandrabad unit. Lower production impacted the supply chain and over the years eroded the brand’s value.
As J&N steps back into the limelight, it will have to tread carefully, making sure that the brand does not slip on its promises yet again. It will also have to get up to speed with customer expectations on service and technology. All that it can be sure about, as it gets back in the game, is that rivals will be keeping a close watch.


text:
Recently the IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act was signed by President Donald Trump to increase security protection for various devices that are used at businesses and homes. Wide varieties of daily appliances have been turned into internet-connected devices, and it is estimated that by 2025 there would be almost 41.6 billion IoT devices. According to the new bill, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) must make sure that they take stringent measures to increase the security of IoT devices. The use of IoT devices in daily life is on the rise, but at the same time, reports on devastating cyber-attacks on IoT devices are also increasing.
CTO of the ioXt Alliance, Brad Ree, is now working closely with the government organizations, top tech companies, and manufacturers to create a security standard that is universal for all connected devices. Recently in an interview, Brad had stated that the new law is seen as a huge milestone for the entire industry, and it was very important for all the private and public sectors to come together and create new security measures. As of now, the bill is mostly targeted at government purchases, but eventually, it is expected by retailers, operators, and the consumer ecosystem to make sure that they all follow similar requirements.


text:
"Hotel Wi-Fi is designed for easy and frictionless access," says Stephen Moody, Solutions Director, EMEA at ThreatMetrix. "Devices are connecting to insecure, non-encrypted Wi-Fi networks." The bottom line is this: use hotel Wi-Fi and you may be open to scams, hacks, viruses and malicious software attacks.
What's wrong with Wi-Fi?
The very nature of Wi-Fi, with traffic from all mobile devices broadcast loudly over the airwaves, makes any public Wi-Fi network insecure. "With a cheap Wi-Fi adapter and some free software anyone can listen in on all conversations your phone or laptop is having with the outside world," says Glenn Wilkinson, senior security analyst at SensePost.
"In general terms hotels have not implemented a network with business class segmentation," says Paul Leybourne, Head of Sales at Vodat International. "Many hotels also do not restrict the sites that guests can view, which leaves them wide open for external people to access."
Public and hotel Wi-Fi doesn't use WPA. "Any device that is connected to hotel Wi-Fi is effectively sending all data in clear-text, allowing a remote attacker to identify and extract information," says Adam Tyler, Chief Innovation Officer of CSID.
Why is hotel Wi-Fi considered especially risky?
"The sophisticated security systems usually in place on corporate networks are not present on these kind of connections," says Moody, who maintains that it's easier for cybercriminals to execute Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) and Man-in-the-Browser (MitB) attacks due to the lowered security standard.
A recent report from Cylance found a critical vulnerability in the ANTlabs InnGate product used by hotels. "This software vulnerability affects 277 hotels across 29 countries," says Andy Crocker, CEO of cyber security company Protect2020. "The vulnerability gives attackers the ability to monitor and tamper with data traffic from Wi-Fi connections and gain access to hotels' property management systems."
Who's intercepting hotel Wi-Fi?
Hotels are 'dirty' because of who's staying in them – you. "Hotel networks are very lucrative targets for cybercriminals," says David Emm, Principal Security Research at Kaspersky Lab, which last year published details of the Darkhotel espionage campaign that targets C-Level executives while they stay in luxury hotels.
"The criminal gang compromises hotel Wi-Fi networks and then waits for a victim to logon to the network, before tricking them into downloading and installing a backdoor, which in turn infects the device with spying software," says Emm.
This is the 'Evil Twin' hack. "Hackers set up a fake network to mirror the real, freely available one, users unwittingly connect to the fake network, and then a hacker can steal account names and passwords, redirect victims to malware sites, and intercept files," says Steve Fallin, Senior Product Manager at NetMotion Wireless.
Tools like the Snoopy drone and Mana can automate these attacks and target a large number of people simultaneously. "They have the ability to profile your device and figure out where you live and work," says Wilkinson, who invented the Snoopy drone to prove how easy it is to emulate a Wi-Fi network and trick smartphones into connecting to it – and then steal data.
"Unless your data is encrypted and sharing is turned off hackers are free to rifle through all of the data on your device or whatever is passing through your connection," says Fallin. The lesson is simple; assume all alien Wi-Fi networks are insecure.
Are some hotels riskier than others?
Absolutely – the higher class of guests, the better chance that hackers are about. "Hotel Wi-Fi comes with a particular risk as it is a likely concentration of valuable targets like business travellers," says David Chismon, senior researcher at MWR Infosecurity. "Upmarket hotels are still more likely to have high-value targets such as executives while Wi-Fi in business class lounges is also a highly tempting hunting ground for attackers."


text:
Chip production has officially moved into the 3nm era. Companies such as Samsung and TSMC have already started manufacturing chips manufactured using this technology.
It looks like TSMC will start producing iPhone 15 series chips with 3nm technology for Apple. While this was good for performance and energy efficiency, it had an impact on costs. When TSMC moves from making 7nm wafers to 3nm, the price will double.
The best chip manufacturer in the world, TSMC, will use the most advanced process to create the A17 Bionic chip that Apple makes for the iPhone 15 series. Simply put, the fewer processing buttons, the brighter the shades. in the chip. This means that more transistors can be placed inside the chip, making it more powerful and using less power. Because of this, more and more advanced processors are available every year.
For example, the iPhone 11 has a 7nm A13 Bionic SoC released in 2019 and each chip contains 8.5 billion transistors.
Both TSMC and Samsung want to start producing 2nm chips by 2025, and 1nm chips are likely to be available in 2030. While these changes bring many benefits, they also come with costs. The latest news suggests that TSMC wants to charge more than $20,000 for its 3nm chips. When the foundry moved from 7nm to 5nm, the price of the chip went from $10,000 to $16,000, an increase of 60%.
At first glance, these costs are meaningless to the end user, but the price will have to go up anyway. From there, the iPhone 15 and other high-end models will cost more.


text:
POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – That old Lowe’s slogan “Never Stop Improving” apparently doesn’t apply to a pair of Florida employees.
As many people are working part time jobs and extra shifts just to pay the bills, deputies say, Solomon Smith, 19, was pocketing their hard-earned cash.
Smith and his co-worker, Garrett Sivley, 18, used their access at the Lakeland Highlands Lowe’s to redirect paychecks to themselves, authorities said.
“Lowe’s security called us and says ‘We think someone is taking payroll data out of our computer system’,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
Sheriff Judd said Smith was the “mastermind” of the operation.
The pair is accused of changing the direct deposit information and sending the payroll funds to fraudulent bank accounts before moving the money to cash apps. Employees at two stores in Lakeland and one in Plant City were impacted.
According to the sheriff’s office, Smith and Sivley stole $11,795 from Lowe’s employees before the company notified law enforcement. No customer information was affected.
“We take this issue very seriously, and we immediately notified law enforcement and have continued to work closely with them on this ongoing investigation. We have also provided resources and support to associates affected,” wrote Maureen Wallace, of Lowe’s Companies, in a statement.
Smith and Sivley are now terminated.
“When we confronted [Smith] in the store, we took his cell phone and got a search warrant for that cell phone. Guess what we found? All kinds of evidence,” said Sheriff Judd.
As a result, detectives were able to link Smith to other crimes this year in Lakeland.
“Smith ‘utilized more than 30 personal identifications to create fraudulent banking accounts, email addresses, address changes, e-commerce accounts, or to change banking information,’” read a statement from the sheriff’s office.
Those identities were stolen during 20 car burglaries, some of which were armed, earlier this year in Lakeland.
“We would have never known that they committed all of these burglaries because we have photographs where he would garb up and hide himself to commit burglaries,” said Sheriff Judd.
Between the Lowe’s fraud and the car burglaries, Smith victimized 223 people, alleges Sheriff Judd.
Smith was arrested on dozens of charges, including grand theft, defrauding a financial institute, money laundering, armed burglary, and grand theft of a firearm.
Smith’s criminal history includes six felony charges and five misdemeanors. Smith was out on bond related to five open criminal cases.
Sivley faces charges of grand theft, computer fraud and gross fraud, among other charges.


text:
CUNA's November Economic Update examines rural America
CUNA has released the November 2019 edition of the Economic Update, sponsored by the CUNA Finance Council. In the November edition, Chief Economist Mike Schenk explores the disconnect between continued economic success national and the actual results of that success for everyday people.
“Healthy and generally improving economic conditions are obvious just about everywhere you look,” Schenk noted. “But that’s not to say there aren’t significant challenges. In fact, challenges and dislocations aren’t difficult to find.”
The November video also features:
- The lowest unemployment rate in the U.S in nearly 50 years
- Why branch location matters- especially for non-wealthy consumers
- Exceptional growth of rural America credit union membership and what that means for local and national economies
The November 2019 CUNA Economic update is available complementary to all CUNA members. To watch the video and other past updates, visit cuna.org/economicupdate.
Learn more from Schenk at this month's Credit Union Magazine feature, Serving struggling rural areas.


text:
Gwyneth Paltrow, 47, showed off her toned abs in a stylish cream ensemble at special screening of her new Netflix show in Los Angeles last night.
The award-winning actress is taking to the small screen with a documentary following her wellness and lifestyle brand Goop.
The Goop Lab follows Gwyneth and her staff as they explore unusual ideas in the quest for self-improvement.
For the special screening yesterday, Gwyneth posed for pictures in front of an eye-catching floral display in the shape of a woman’s genitalia.
The mum-of-two, showed off her svelte figure in a tiny cream crop top and a pair of matching high-waisted wide leg trousers.
Her toned abs were on full display in the stylish ensemble.
Wearing her signature blonde tresses in a sleek straight style over her shoulders, the Goop founder enhanced her natural beauty with simple and elegant make-up and a slick of light pink lipstick.
The actress, who is best known for starring in the Marvel franchise as well as appearing in Shakespeare in Love, which earned her an Academy Award in 1998, launched her lifestyle brand, which began as a newsletter, back in 2008.
It has since flourished into the brand we see today which features a lifestyle website, print magazine, podcast and wellness summit.
The company has also launched a number of products over the years including a make-up and skincare line, a fashion label and home decor items.
Always pushing boundaries, they recently caused a stir when they released a scented candle which was unusually named This Smells Like My Vagina candle.


text:
As the latest UK retail sales figures just about met expectations, Mike Ashley's Sports Direct International just about failed to do the same.
The sports retailer - currently considering a bid for struggling Blacks Leisure - said half year profits fell 1.7% to £99m, on revenues up 8.4% to £888.6m. But given the comparisons with last year's World Cup boosted comparative figures and the tough consumer environment, it was not a bad performance, and the company said it was confident of reaching its full year earnings target of £215m.
Within the sales figure, online revenues grew 85%, and its new premium Lifestyle business made a good start.
And the company has decided to take pity on poor Mike Ashley who receives no remuneration for his efforts as executive deputy chairman. It has decided that if its 2012 earnings reach £225m, it will ask shareholders to approve a "super-stretch executive bonus share scheme" (no idea either) for Ashley.
What this means is that Ashley will be granted six million shares - currently worth some £12m - if the earnings target and two other performance criteria are met. The shares will vest in 2018.
Meanwhile the company's shares have edged 2p lower to 197.5p, as the company said it would be "inappropriate" to restore regular annual dividends, given the current debt situation and "potential investment opportunities." Analyst Freddie George at Seymour Pierce cut his price target from 240p to 200p. He said:
Underlying pre-tax profits in half year to October 23 came in slightly below our expectation against difficult comparatives. Management, however, expects the positive underlying momentum to continue into the second half against easier comparatives and remains confident of achieving its target of £215m.
Following this update, we are not changing our forecast for 2012 earnings of £210m, although the company has a lot to make up in the second half. We are also concerned that the comment on the dividend in the chairman's statement indicates that they are considering potential investment opportunities, such as, we presume, Blacks Leisure. Net debt was reported to have declined by £30m in the period to £114m and is forecast at around £140m at April 2012. Because of concerns regarding acquisitions and forecasts, we are reducing our price target from 240p to 200p and retaining our hold recommendation.
We will keep our recommendation under review as the stock could well be one of the winners in 2012. The company will be a major beneficiary of the forthcoming Olympics and European Championships in 2012 in a difficult year, has opportunities for internet and international development and most importantly, will be a major beneficiary of capacity coming out of the market.
Meanwhile Moss Bros added 0.25p to 32.75p after issuing a positive trading update. It said like for like sales for the first 19 weeks of the second half were up 10.5% on last year. The company said it had a healthy cash balance, and had received the £12.3m proceeds from the disposal of Hugo Boss. Its first new format store - with hire, retail and bespoke fascia - in Canary Wharf in London was said to be trading well, and three more have opened in Liffey Valley, Meadowhall and Bluewater. More could be converted this year. Peter Smedley at Charles Stanley said:
We see real value here as Moss Bros self-help initiatives should overcome the pressures of the fragile UK macroenvironment.
As for the overall UK retail sales, they fell 0.4% in November, broadly in line with forecasts, while monthly increases in September and October were both revised higher, leaving retail sales 0.7% higher in the three months to November.


text:
WHEN APPLE cut its revenue estimate for the last quarter of 2018 because of unexpectedly slow sales of iPhones, markets convulsed. The company’s share price, which had been sliding for months, fell by a further 10% on January 3rd, the day after the news came out. Apple’s suppliers’ shares were also hit. This week Samsung, the world’s largest maker of smartphones by volume, which also sells components to other smartphone-makers, said its sales were weaker than expected for the quarter, too.
Analysts reckon that the number of smartphones sold in 2018 will be slightly lower than in 2017, the industry’s first ever annual decline. All this is terrible news for investors who had banked on continued growth (see article). But step back and look at the bigger picture. That smartphone sales have peaked, and seem to be levelling off at around 1.4bn units a year, is good news for humanity.
People have voted with their wallets to make the smartphone the most successful consumer product in history: nearly 4bn of the 5.5bn adults on the planet now have one. And no wonder. They connect billions of people to the internet’s plethora of information and services. Phones make markets more efficient, compensate for poor infrastructure in developing countries and boost growth. Yes, they can be used for wasting time and spreading disinformation. But the good far outweighs the bad. They might be the most effective tool of development in existence.
The slowdown does not reflect disenchantment; quite the contrary. It is the result of market saturation. After a decade of rapid adoption, there is much less scope to sell handsets to first-time buyers as so few of them are left. That hits Apple the hardest because, despite a relatively small market share (13% of smartphone users), it captures almost all of the industry’s profits. But Apple’s pain is humanity’s gain. The fact that the benefits of these magical devices are now so widely distributed is something to be celebrated.
What about the people who still lack a smartphone? Sales of 1.4bn units a year implies 2.8bn users who replace their handsets every two years, or 4.2bn who replace them every three years. The reality is somewhere in between, and replacement cycles are lengthening as new models offer only marginal improvements. Many phones are used for longer than three years, often refurbished or as hand-me-downs. So even with flat sales, the longer gaps between upgrades mean that overall penetration is still rising. People who already have phones benefit, too. For all but the most obsessive gadget fans, the slowing treadmill of upgrades comes as a welcome relief.
Does that mean innovation is slowing? No. The latest phones contain amazingly clever technology, such as 3D face-scanners and cameras assisted by artificial intelligence. But as with mature technologies such as cars or washing machines, extra bells and whistles no longer make a deep impression.
More important is that smartphones support extra innovation in other areas. Deploying apps and services on an immature platform whose prospects are uncertain is risky; on a mature one it is not. Smartphones thus provide a foundation for today’s innovations, like mobile payments and video streaming, and for future ones, such as controlling “smart” home appliances or hailing robotaxis.
As computers become smaller, still more personal and closer to people’s bodies, many techies reckon that wearable devices, from smart watches to augmented-reality headsets, will be the next big thing. Even so, finding another product with the scope of the smartphone is a tall order. The smartphone retains its promise as the device that will make computing and communications universal. The recent slowing of smartphone sales is bad news for the industry, obviously. But for the rest of humanity it is a welcome sign that a transformative technology has become almost universal.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline "Bad news for Apple. Good news for humanity"


text:
A HOSPITAL patient with a history of depression who went missing from his ward was found dead in a river a day later, an inquest heard yesterday.
John William Rogers, 63, of Llansawel, is thought to have plunged off a bridge to his death.
Pauline Mainwaring, assistant deputy coroner for Carmarthen, recorded an open verdict.
Sgt Paul Lewis said Mr Rogers, anin-patient at Carmarthen's West Wales General Hospital, had been reported missing onJanuary 2.
His body was spotted by a police helicopter crew lying in shallow water in the River Gwili the next day.
THE cost of making a call from a BT pay phone could rise by 10p, the company has announced.
The telecoms giant is trying out a new tariff which would see the current 20p for one minute 50 seconds increase to 30p for just under 15 minutes.
Planned BT calls increase blamed on falling revenue
BT blames the move on falling revenue from pay phones but says it will benefit those who make longer calls who are often onlow incomes.
A trial of the new 30p tariff is due to beginin 2,126 phone boxes in the south west - 1,950 in Devon and 176 in Cornwall.
Consumer confidence in food safety grows
PUBLIC confidence in food safety has risen despite a series of well-publicised scares.
Figures compiled by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) show the percentage of people concerned over BSE has dropped from 61% in 2000 to 42% last year, fears over the safety of meat have gone from 70% to 63% and concern about eggs has fallen from 26% to 20% over the same period.
There was, however, a significant increase in the number of consumers concerned about ready-made meals - up from 13% in 2002 to 17% last year.
Meanwhile, awareness of the need to eat five portion of a fruit and vegetables a day has risen from 43% in 2000 to 59% last year.
More people are also checking the salt content in products - up from 22% to 36% between 2000 and 2003.
Welsh love spoons presented to UN
A SET of Welsh love spoons has been presented to the United Nations Security Council.
The donation was made by the UK ambassador to the UN, Sir Emyr Jones Parry, originally from Mountain Ash.
Sir Emyr, 55, presented UN Secretary General Kofi Annan with the love spoons at the New York headquarters of the organisation.
He said, "There is not a better symbolism or a better way of drawing attention to a tradition and craftsmanship than Welsh love spoons."


text:
Tehran to host 1st Eurasian exhibition by end of year
The managing director of Iran's International Exhibition Company announced on Saturday that the Iranian capital is to host the first Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) exhibition by the end of the year, Trend reports citing IRNA.
The EAEU fair is to be held to introduce Iran's exports and production capacities, Iranian Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade quoted Bahman Hosseinzadeh as saying.
The exhibition is also aimed at boosting the volume of trade exchanges and promoting economic cooperation with the EAEU member countries, Hosseinzadeh said.
About the time of the exhibition, the official said a month before the end of the Iranian calendar year on March 21, 2021, is set for the EAEU fair.
He went on to say that the EAEU member-states are to have an active presence in Tehran exhibition.
As the official noted, holding an exhibition at such a level can prepare the ground for further joint cooperation among the states.
Hosseinzadeh described the Tehran EAEU exhibition as an ample opportunity for coming together to introduce Iran's trade and industrial capacities to the member states.
To create a proper chain from production to export, it is necessary to pay special attention to various international and regional demands, the official stressed.
Then, he underlined that the impacts of the sanctions will be lessened effectively when export capacities are created permanently in friendly states.
Tehran EAEU exhibition will help strengthen joint relations, attain economic convergence, and promote interactions, the official stressed.
As he noted, the EAEU exhibition in Tehran will improve Iran's economic diplomacy with the member countries.
The exhibition can also create new opportunities for Iranian businesspersons to develop non-oil exports, he added.
Hosseinzadeh said he is optimistic about the EAEU exhibition as it will have a positive impact on the country's economy in the future.


text:
Redesign still to come
Facebook emerged from a two-month 'lockdown' yesterday, during which the development team have been working on changes to the social media site. In a conference at Facebook's Palo Alto headquarters, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced several changes that will take effect over the coming months.
According to TechCrunch, "one of these will be a redesign, which is meant to unify the look of the site", which they speculate will make the user homepage and profile pages more similar to the Groups and Places pages.
Groups have changed dramatically since their original function, having been almost completely replaced by Fan Pages. The revamped Groups pages are now more similar to the little-used Friends Lists, in that users can 'map' their offline friendship group interactions and dynamics onto an online space, exclusive to members of the group.
Privacy has also come to the fore, with a new Application privacy dashboard that allows users to see which apps and games are accessing their information. Furthermore, the social network has introduced a data portability function, allowing users to download all their photos, videos, messages, notes, friend lists, profile information and more, as a zip file.
The move is a step towards transparency, with Mashable commenting, "this is a pretty big step for Facebook, a platform that has often been criticised for acting as a walled garden".
However, reports have surfaced recently that a syncing function on Facebook for iPhone has led to personal contact data sharing. As well as phone numbers that users have added manually, the phonebook contacts of synced iPhones are now being stored too. Facebook hastened to reassure the BBC that "this information is private and is not shared with any friends or any third party".


text:
While it’s been confirmed that sponsored locations will be coming to Pokémon GO, information regarding what locations might be making this brilliant business move has been slim.
However, earlier this week, some Reddit users discovered lines of code within the mobile app that suggested that Niantic and McDonald’s, one of the biggest brands in the world and one that’s partnered with Nintendo and Pokémon multiple times in the past, were working on a partnership within the game. And now, a “well-placed” source has told Gizmodo that it’s true.
According to the source, every McDonald’s location in an unspecified country in Asia is to become a Poké Stop or Gym as a result of the sponsorship. Naturally, one would expect this unspecified country to be Japan, Nintendo and Pokémon’s home country, but the fact that Pokémon GO isn’t out in Japan yet could lead some to believe otherwise.
While this partnership is only said to be happening in one country as of right now, it’s very possible we could see it expand into other countries later on. Other details regarding the partnership have been unspecified as well.
Additionally, CEO of Niantic John Hanke mentioned to The New York Times that the company has already signed off on some deals with certain retailers, and that official announcements regarding these deals are coming “in the future.”Leave a Comment


text:
Give away medical masks when you place an order. learn more
Global semiconductor sales in January totaled $25.5 billion, a 14 percent increase compared to January 2010, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). January chip sales increased 1.5 percent from December 2010, when sales totaled $22.4 billion.
SIA President Brian Toohey said growth in January reflects increasing semiconductor content in a wide range of products. "The impressive growth in semiconductor sales over the past year has been driven by strong demand across all major end markets as the products we use everyday become smarter, faster, and less expensive," Toohey said. "We are especially encouraged by this trend in the industrial and automotive sectors, which saw significant growth."
Chip sales to the industrial segment increased 50 percent, while sales to automotive grew 33 percent, according to the SIA. The integration of energy efficient tools and increased automation in industrial applications account for some of the growth in the industrial sector, the SIA reported.
In the automotive sector, increased demand for semiconductor enabled technologies can be attributed to emerging hybrid and electric vehicles, entertainment applications, engine controls, and navigation systems, according to the SIA.
The integration of semiconductors has increased across all other segments, including consumer, computer, communications and government, the SIA reported.
Chip industry researcher IC Insights based in Scottsdale, Ariz. said the strong chip demand in January and other economic data suggests that semiconductor industry will post stronger growth than many industry analysts forecast. For instance, the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 8.9 percent in January. Meanwhile, orders to U.S. factories climbed 3.1 percent in January, which is the highest growth in more than four years. In addition, the global purchasing managers' index (PMI) figure remains well above 50. A recovering economy will help drive growth in the semiconductor industry, according to IC Insights.
However, IC Insights noted that there is a "wildcard" that may have a negative impact on the overall economy and the semiconductor industry: the price of oil. If the price per barrel of oil averages around $100 or less in 2011, the integrated circuit market will see at least 10 percent growth this year. However, if oil prices surge past $100 and stay there, there will be added pressure on consumers and businesses, possibly dampening the current global economic recovery.


text:
Who needs to buy the Marvel films when you can assemble your own collection of Avengers props?
Well, someone with an awful lot of money doesn't have to. With "The Avengers" less than two months away from hitting theaters and the next Marvel film still another year off, Marvel has decided to auction off some of the key props from their various movies at C2E2 in Chicago next month.
The Hollywood Reporter has some details about the items that are going to be up for auction. Let's just say that you're going to need quite a few pretty pennies to pick up one of these badass props.
But at least Marvel will make it worth your while. The company is auctioning off such props as Captain America's costume and shield, the Iron Man Mark II "Autopsy" Suit that was later turned into Rhodes's first War Machine Armor, and Thor's hammer. The hammer is the cheapest item on the auction block, expected to sell for $4,000 to $6,000, while Captain America's outfit should fetch $20,000 to $30,000 and the Mark II will likely cost its owner upwards of $60,000.
Some other items up for grabs are a Red Skull prosthetic mask, a prop Cosmic Cube and a working Hydra tank built on a tractor frame. Those will likely come at a cheaper price tag than the Big Three props up for auction.
The event will take place on April 14 at C2E2. Los Angeles-based auction house Profiles in History will manage the sales. For even more info, head on over to Bleeding Cool.
Which one of these items would you mortgage your house for? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!


text:
Drive-Thru Only Grocery Store Opens in the Hudson Valley
A brand new store, with a new way of shopping, is open in the Hudson Valley.
On Monday, March 22, Farm Stores announced their Wappingers Location had officially opened. The announcement was made on Facebook. The store is at 8 New Hackensack Road, in Wappingers Falls. The store is drive-thru only. Since we're still in the COVID-19 pandemic, this business model could become the way of the future.
In August 2020 we reported the plans for the store to open in the Hudson Valley. According to a Facebook post, Farm Stores is set to open a location in the Hudson Valley. Farm Stores is a drive-thru convenience store. According to their website, Farm Stores carries a variety of items like fresh produce, dairy, baked goods, and household items. You never leave your car!
Besides the Hudson Valley, the closest open location is in Florida. Florida the state, not Florida, New York. But there are many planned locations for New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and even in Long Island. Rumor has it that Farm Stores will also open another location in the Hudson Valley soon.
Shopping at the story could be a little confusing for your first time. Since it's drive-thru only, you stay right in your car and someone comes out to take your order. Soon, there will be an app to order ahead of time. Keep reading to learn exactly how to shop at the first drive-thru-only store in the Hudson Valley.


text:
California-based HNC Software is expanding its consultancy services into the European markets.
Ruud Nijs, managing director of Europe, the Middle East and Africa for HNC, says: "Fraud losses in the UK and Europe are rising at more than 50 per cent every year, and many issuers are only achieving a fraction of their fraud prevention potential."
He says that half of the company's fraud consulting team has been redeployed to Europe. Their services include several fraud response modules, including health checks, fraud reduction workshops, fraud reduction reports and fraud reduction partnerships. Each of these modules offers a different level of service to card issuers so they can respond appropriately to fraud problems.


text:
According to Wall Street experts, the decline in used car prices could signify that inflation is easing. That’s good news, especially after another interest rate increase from the Federal Reserve, which was approved last week.
The Manheim Used Car Price Index was at 210.8 in August but fell to 205.9 in September. The index has declined nearly 13% this year so far. According to the consumer price index, used car and truck prices fell 0.1% from the previous month, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
Used car sales are often seen as a measuring stick for the rest of the economy, as many factors are tied to their performance, such as gas prices, consumer confidence, supply chain issues, and interest rates.
Inflation has hit a 40-year high, and according to analysts at Deutsche Bank, used car prices have risen at a similar rate. 2020 and 2021 saw prices increase 20% each year.
“For the ten years ending 2019, (pre-pandemic), used car prices appreciated at a 2% annual rate – consistent with overall inflation,” said Kevin Barry, Chief Investment Officer of Summit Financial in Parsippany, New Jersey. “For the two years ending 2021, the pace of increase was 10X the previous ten years,” the note from Barry read.
In an effort to slow the pace of inflation, the Fed has signaled plans to increase the rates to a terminal rate of 4.6% in 2023. This means another rate increase is likely in the future.
Even with the used vehicle value index trending in the right direction, Barry said there’s more work to be done before the Fed is confident that inflation is back in check. A drop of about 20% would bring the annual price increase trend to around 5%, which could be enough for the Fed to ease their interest rate hikes. It would need to drop by 25% to reach pre-pandemic levels of the 2% annual price increase.
“I believe that the Fed will increase interest rates until the index drops to 162, from 205 today,” he said.
Did you enjoy this article? Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions regarding this topic by connecting with us at email@example.com.


text:
The merged entity of BEDIA and IFSC, which will operate under the trade name Botswana Investment Trade Centre (BITC), is set to take off in April this year, said Kediretswe Pule, the Public Relations Officer in the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Pule said so far no employees are expected to be laid off as a result of the merger. He said that current employees will automatically be deemed to be employees of the new entity with continuity of employment in line with Section 28 of the Employment Act, which provides for such that in the event that a business is transferred from one entity to another.
“Since the activities of both BEDIA and IFSC are being subsumed under the BITC, unless contracts of employment are terminated prior to the merger, employees of both BEDIA and IFSC will automatically become employees of the new entity,” he said.
Pule added that the Government has also made an undertaking in Section 27 (3) of the BITC Act that no employees of either organisation will lose their jobs solely by virtue of the merger.
The unified investment promotion entity encompassing business facilitation and export development wings is expected to influence and promote economic efficiency, service delivery and improved policy coordination and shareholder oversight among others.
“The new umbrella body will consolidate the mandates of BEDIA, IFSC and the Brand Botswana Management Organisation (BBMO) since the three entities are performing related activities of Investment Promotion and Branding,” said Pule.
The merger is expected to position Botswana as competitive in the international environment for the promotion of investment and trade. The 35 IFSC-certified companies will continue to enjoy all their incentives and benefit from the one-stop shop set up favouring export development and trade.┬áHe said a board has been appointed that has been effective 3rd February 2012 and is currently recruiting.


text:
German tech startups and scaleups to watch in 2021
Germany is one of Europe’s leading startup powerhouses, attracting a record €8.1bn in venture capital funding so far this year.
French tech startups and scaleups to watch in 2021
€5.6bn in VC funding has been raised by French startups so far in 2021, up nearly threefold since 2015, and France has become one of the hottest tech hubs.
European tech startups and scaleups to watch in 2021
Europe’s startup scene is often overshadowed by Silicon Valley, but the continent is gaining ground with more than 70 tech startups valued at over $1bn.
UK tech startups and scaleups to watch in 2021
The UK is still Europe’s leading startup nation, attracting €17.2bn in venture capital funding in the first half of 2021.
The Netherlands' startups and scaleups to watch in 2021
In the first half of 2021, €3.8bn in venture capital funding was raised by startups in The Netherlands, which has a thriving tech ecosystem.
The European fintechs to watch in 2021
2021's shaping up to be another record year for European fintech. Which are the startups scaleups to watch?
The Spanish startups and scaleups to watch in 2021
Spain has a rapidly growing ecosystem of entrepreneurs, angel investors, early-stage incubators and venture capital funds.
The Latvian startups and scaleups to watch in 2021
Latvia has some real startup success stories in recent years. But who are they? And who are next generation startups to watch?
Sustain 100: the European sustainability startups to watch in 2021
Europe now boasts 800 climate techs and huge successes like Arrival, Northvolt and Oatly. But which other sustainability startups do you need to know about?
The Nordic startups and scaleups to watch in 2021
Nordic countries received €5bn in venture capital in 2020. Which which are the companies to watch in 2021?
The Parisian startups and scaleups to watch in 2021
These are the startups driving innovation in the heart of France — one of Europe's key tech ecosystems.


text:
Changan Ford invests RMB 800m to expand R&D center
Shanghai (Gasgoo)-Ford Auto is continuing to launch new products and research on new technologies in domestic market since its entry. It’s learned that Changan Ford held a start-up activity on new project development center in Chongqing on October 18th, announcing to invest a total RMB 800m to expand the center and further strengthen Changan Ford’s product development capabilities and testing abilities, so as to lift product qualities for domestic vehicles and promote technologies of key parts including engines and gearboxes as well.
Established in 2001, Changan Ford Project Development Center always provides technical supports for Changan Ford products. The center will invest in a series of auto testing and trial equipment, in accordance with Ford global project standards. The built facilities will greatly promote Changan Ford’s testing capabilities in vehicles, engines, gearboxes and parts. The operation of the mostly eye-catching wind tunnel laboratory, which is a globally advanced environmental and aeroacoustics lab, will promote Changan Ford’s development quality and efficiency greatly.
In fact, Changan auto made a five-year plan on domestic market in 2015, planning to invest RMB 11.4b to strengthen its R&D capabilities in the market and launch 20 models by the year 2020. The new plan will focus on self-independent R&D capabilities and promote progress in domestic products, alternative energy area and intelligent vehicles. The expansion on Chongqing Project R&D center is an important step in the new strategy, providing technical storage for the on-coming alternative energy era.
Gasgoo not only offers timely news and profound insight about China auto industry, but also help with business connection and expansion for suppliers and purchasers via multiple channels and methods. Buyer service:firstname.lastname@example.orgSeller Service:email@example.com


text:
Suneva Medical Raises $35 MillionThursday, January 9, 2014
Suneva Medical Inc., a San Diego cosmetic dermatology company, has raised $35 million in debt and equity capital.
A Series B equity financing round led by Polaris Partners brought in $20 million, and a $15 million loan came from HealthCare Royalty Partners.
Joining Suneva’s board is Brian Chee, managing partner at the Waltham, Mass.-based Polaris Partners — one of the country’s more active health care and information technology venture firms.
Suneva’s products include ArteFill, an injectable dermal filler that reduces the appearance of wrinkles, as well as ReGenica — a skin rejuvenation product that purportedly accelerates the body’s own cells to repair, renew and resist damage that comes from aging and environmental stress.