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Tried and True Tools to Grow Earningsfor Your FI in All Types of Markets
LIVE WEBINAR Thursday, November 10, 2 p.m. ET
There’s little debate that community banks and credit unions have a lot more to deal with than just headline-grabbing stories about neobanks and fintechs.
And we get it, community financial institutions (FIs) make their money from real earnings and revenue growth. They’re not fintechs and neobanks that are spending VC money to grow a business, not build an institution that a community can rely upon generation after generation.
We also understand that the solution to building community FIs for the future isn’t as simple as turning them into digital banks. That kind of transition is best accomplished by evolution, not disruption.
Banks and credit unions don’t follow Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg’s mantra of “move fast and break things.” Community FIs’ mantra is more “move deliberately and build things.”
Big Changes Don't Require Big Reactions
This year has brought with it the weighty reality of a revenue recession. Usually rising rates are a great environment for FIs that drive most of their revenue from their loan portfolios. But rates have moved so high so fast that now they have pinched demand for almost all loan products. And this is happening on the heels of non-bank players stealing a lot of traditional FIs’ mortgage business.
Add to that the loss of interchange fees as more consumers are slowing down their credit card use. As a matter of fact all fees have been squeezed as new digital banking alternatives and the big banks have been slashing or eliminating OD and NSF fees.
But that doesn’t mean community FIs have to reinvent themselves. Just like radjusting course by a few degrees on a long journey can make a significant difference over time and distance, so too can FIs make a smart, simple course correction that will make a huge difference over time.
Our Engagement Solutions Have Generated
$500,000 for Every $1 Billion in Assets
For all the challenges that are leaking revenue from FIs, a proven solution that not only generates revenue but also can grow primary accounts, improve retention, and attract new customers doesn’t have to come with a big price tag, massive organizational disruption or a new IT department.
It’s about readjusting something fundamental to banking since the old days of handing out lollipops at the teller windows - it’s all about redeploying a modern engagement strategy.
In this 30 minute webinar we’ll explore three keys to effective engagement in 2022:
What does modern engagement mean?
How does engagement actually produce ROI, much less sustained growth in revenue and earnings?
How can banks and credit unions improve their engagement in today’s challenging environment (hint: unique products and features, analytics, and marketing)?
Meet the Experts
Dave Crook and Dave DeFazio have more than 20 years of experience working with financial institutions on retail checking strategies and products.
Both are subscription model and revenue experts (long before Amazon Prime and Netflix!) who help more than 300 financial institutions generate hundreds of millions of dollars of consumer-friendly recurring revenue from consumer checking products.


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A source familiar the deal told Betabeat yesterday that Venmo, a New York City-based mobile app that lets you split bills with friends, is in the process of being acquired by Braintree, a Chicago-based online payments company and PayPal competitor. The New York Times broke the news this afternoon, reporting a $26.2 million acquisition price. On the company blog, Venmo said the deal closed in mid-June and that its payment-sharing service “will remain unaffected” and continue to operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary.
Venmo and Braintree share an investor, Palo Alto powerhouse Accel Partners, which also invested in Facebook.
The two startups do seem to be in the midst of a mutual appreciation society. Last week, Braintree’s community manager Kristi Lynch tweeted, “I know it sounds weird, but the @Venmo app makes me wish I owed more people money.” Two Venmo employees favorited the tweet.
Venmo was founded in Philadelphia in 2009 by two former college roommates, Andrew Kortina and Iqram Magdon-Ismai. The duo eventually moved the company to New York City, where Venmo become one of the early stars in the city’s growing tech orbit, embraced by early adopters for making it easier to split the cost of dinner, drinks, monthly cable bills–or any of the innumerable costs of urban life–over their phones. There were even cutesy, customizable receipts, eagerly tweeted out by the Alley in-crowd.
However, Venmo took awhile to introduce itself to the public and didn’t emerge from private beta until this March, when it made the service available on iOS, Android and online. By that time, other players like PayPal and Square were aggressively angling for dominance in mobile payments, although not in the bill-splitting niche. Venmo raised a comparatively modest $1.2 million over the last three years, but from a number of notable investors. According to Crunchbase, Betaworks, Lerer Ventures and RRE Ventures all participated in its 2010 seed round, along with Facebook mafiosos Dave Morin and Dustin Moskovitz. Last year, Venmo raised a Series A from existing investors Lerer and RRE, along with Greycroft Partners and Accel Partners.
The Times reports that Venmo’s 23-person team will not relocate from New York City to Chicago, but will continue to operate out of the East Coast.
Braintree, which was founded in 2007, got a huge influx of cash last June when Accel Partners, which backs a number of mobile payments startups, plowed $34 million into the company. The Chicago startup powers online payments for businesses, providing a merchant account, payment gateway and credit card storage, all in compliance with Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards. Accel partner Ryan Sweeney, who joined the startup’s board, described the payments company as providing a core foundation for Braintree clients, a list that includes high-profile, fast-growth businesses like Airbnb, LivingSocial, OpenTable, Shopify, GitHub, 37Signals and more.
In a TechCrunch post about Accel’s investment, Mr. Sweeney predicted that the online payments industry would “consolidate dramatically” as payments became bundled into other services. In the past few months, however, the industry seems to be marked by increased fragmentation, with everyone from Verizon to Walmart to AT&T rushing to offer their own app, grasping for a chance to lead the payments evolution.
Braintree signaled its interest in mobile–Venmo’s playground from the start–back in February, when it released tools for mobile app developers that would let merchants accept payments within a smartphone or tablet app. TechCrunch reported that the new tools help developers “avoid PCI compliance issues by encrypting sensitive credit card data when it is entered by the user on their mobile device.” When merchants pass encrypted data from their server to Braintree for processing, Braintree uses a private key to decrypt the information, thus keeping credit card data out of merchants’ hands.
A number of mobile payments companies, including Venmo, which uses a 256-bit encryption, have run into compliance issues with an obscure, broadly written law called the the California Money Transmission Act. As BusinessInsider reported, even PayPal had trouble with the law before it was acquired by eBay. As of last month, Venmo, Square and Amazon all had applications pending with California’s Department of Financial Institutions. (It’s worth noting that Robert Oswald, a Braintree ecommerce consultant, is one of the 16 people who follow the question, “How concerned are Venmo investors that it is not registered as a money transmitter in every US state?” on Quora.)
As Venmo co-founder Andrew Kortina told Betabeat in March, unlike other payments startups that try to get vendors to sign up in order to increase distribution, Venmo has taken a different approach, relying on friends to encourage friends (the few you’d normally split a bill with) to sign up. PayPal is great for strangers, he argued, but Venmo is optimized for people you know and trust. Initially the startup, which was merely SMS-based–leveraging a user’s phone contacts–covered credit card fees for its users as it slogged through the arduous process of interfacing directly with banks.
When it emerged from private beta, however, Venmo required new customers to make payments from their bank accounts (or their Venmo balance) if they wanted to use the service for free, otherwise users had pay Venmo a 3 percent fee for using a credit card after the first $500. In March, Venmo told us it was processing $10 million in transactions a month and growing 30 percent month-over-month. Mr. Kortina predicted Venmo would do $250 million in transaction volume this year. Not long after the app was released to the public, Venmo stopped losing money on credit card transactions. As we wrote back then, “By Silicon Alley standards, that’s killing it.”
This is a breaking story, we will update the post when we know more.

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Haggin Oaks eyed as site for NHL arena, major retail
City dismisses plans as 'somebody's idea'
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- Kelly Johnson and Mike McCarthy
- Staff Writers
(Page 6 of 7)
New-home market analyst John Schleimer of Market Perspectives agreed that the site was excellent for mixed-use, including housing.
"But they can propose it all day. It will never get approved," he said. "Golfers and the community would be in an uproar."
Housing analyst Greg Paquin of The Gregory Group agreed that the location would work for housing. As to the uproar over the golf course being removed, he recalled there were some complaints over the removal of the Lighthouse Marina course in West Sacramento. But developer The Grupe Co. has done remarkably well with the residential development, he said.
The location also works for offices, said Jim King, a veteran office broker with CB Richard Ellis.
"There are few places left in the city where you can build a lot of office space," he said. "It's reasonably close in to downtown, and it's got good access."
Both King and Jarrette noted that the Point West area was created as a mixed-use project, with housing, office and retail and has done very well.
It's a good location from a development standpoint, said Boyd Cahill, a retail real estate broker with TRI Commercial/CORFAC International. But Dunmore's plan would compete with downtown Sacramento's retail expansion goals -- and his golfing.
"I love golf. I like Haggin Oaks," he said. "I don't know how many hockey fans are in Sacramento."
Lodging-industry experts say 1,000 hotel rooms would be too many if they were all built early in the project.
"You would want the other attractions in the development pretty well developed before you started building your hotels," said Ken Kuchman, a hotel consultant with PKF Consulting in San Francisco. "This development sounds like something similar in scope to the downtown railyards. On the face of it, it seems like a nifty plan."
Staff writer Mark Anderson contributed to this story.
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The first Nintendo Switch flash cart from MIG-Switch has arrived, but brings with it concerns for legitimate gamers buying used Switch titles in the future.
No need to upgrade if you already have the 7840U version of GPD's latest handheld — unless you are into AI.
Sony's DualSense V2 controller has been leaked by Best Buy Canada, and boasts small feature improvements while slated for the same price point as DualSense V1.
Ayaneo Next Lite is going to be released soon. But contrary to eaerlier reports it will be preinstalled with HoloISO and not the official OS by Valve.
Razer has shown off an HD haptics gaming cushion utilizing its "Razer Sensa" multidirectional haptics tech at CES. Hands-on coverage and product information within.
At CES 2024, MSI announced the MSI Claw A1M, a handheld gaming device running on Intel Core Ultra processors.
Stay on the Cutting Edge
Join the experts who read Tom's Hardware for the inside track on enthusiast PC tech news — and have for over 25 years. We'll send breaking news and in-depth reviews of CPUs, GPUs, AI, maker hardware and more straight to your inbox.


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As tablets have continuously tilted towards more productivity, Tecno would not want to be left behind as it has just released the DroidPad 10 Pro II. The tablet fuses the computing ability of a PC with the freedom of the Android ecosystem intended to give [...]
Zinox one of the pioneer computer hardware companies in Nigeria over the weekend announced its entry into the tablet space with its Z-pad range of tablets consisting of 3 devices—2 running android Jelly Bean and one running Windows 8. Rather than use the [...]
Wasn’t too long ago I predicted that people would be holding tablets to their faces to make calls. The Asus FonePad is a realization of that prediction and there’s bound to be more like it to come. But for now.. The Asus FonePad is a 7-inch [...]
Sony has announced a new 10.1-inch Android tablet to compete with the iPad and Nexus 10, Engadget reports. Dubbed the Xperia Tablet Z, it falls alongside the company’s new flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z, which was announced earlier this month at [...]
The Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2013, happened last week at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, with over 3,000 exhibitors showcasing their innovative products. Here’s a rundown of the things that caught our eye at [...]
Google’s stand-alone Youtube app, is now officially available for the iPad; coming in nearly three months after the standalone iPhone app went live. The latest update to the app, besides support for the iPad, also brings support for the iPhone 5 [...]
The intel powered Pro version of the Microsoft Surface just officially got priced. According to AllthingsD, the surface pro will start at $899 for the 64Gb version and $999 for the 128Gb version both running Windows pro. Both versions will come with the [...]
We’ve just received invites to the Nigerian launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. The new device which is the natural successor of the first Galaxy Note “phablet” gets introduced to the Nigerian Market on the 21st of November 2012. [...]
No matter how hard Hurricane Sandy will blow, on goes the show. As you may have heard from releases last week, the Google show was postponed because of the storm that was about to hit, meaning we would have to wait longer to see the new rumoured devices [...]
You know the drill, everytime any company comes out with a tablet offering, they get left in the dust by the Ipad, the number one tablet for what seems to be forever. Anyone choosing to go head to head with this behemoth gets said head cut off and the [...]
We got some high definition hands on photos of the Microsoft Surface (<- click if you haven’t read our post about it), the touch and tactile keyboard covers right after the event and thought to share with you. Enjoy!
Microsoft has just announced its windows 8 Tablet called surface at their mystery event that started around midnight Nigerian time. “We believe that any intersection between human and machine can be made better when hardware and software are [...]
Techsuplex is an online technology magazine based in Nigeria. Its mission is to offer in-depth reporting, intelligent and mind-stimulating opinions, feature stories, breaking news coverage, product information and reviews as well as provide technology tips and solutions, all from an African perspective.


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Trump said he will raise tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods to 30% and hike duties on another $300 billion in products to 15%.Politicsread more
Stocks dropped after Donald Trump ordered that U.S. manufacturers find alternatives to their operations in China.US Marketsread more
Federal Reserve Vice Chair Richard Clarida said Friday that the global economy has deteriorated in the past month.Marketsread more
The latest escalation in the trade war ups the odds the economy will fall into recession and that the Fed will aggressively cut rates.Market Insiderread more
Here are the products that stand to be the most affected by China's new tariffs on $75 billion worth of U.S. goods.Marketsread more
"We don't need China and, frankly, would be far better off without them," Trump tweeted.Politicsread more
"My only question is, who is our bigger enemy, Jay Powell or Chairman Xi?" Trump wrote amid a series of tweets that rattled markets Friday.Politicsread more
"I would love this to be clarified. We come to a deal on trade, boy, this market is up 10 to 15%, but without it's going to be worrisome," Jeremy Siegel says.Marketsread more
The final week of August could be highly volatile as markets fret over the economy and the latest developments in trade wars.Market Insiderread more
Tesla solar panels ignited at an Amazon warehouse in Redlands, California in June 2018, Bloomberg reports. The news comes days after Walmart sued Tesla for at least 7 fires...Technologyread more
The death comes as federal and state health officials investigate a slew of lung illnesses in connection to e-cigarette use.Health and Scienceread more
Barring a major downturn, the two stocks will end up as the best-performing assets of the decade. Since the start of 2010, Netflix has risen more than 4,000 percent while Amazon is up more than 1,100 percent.
The two tech giants would join iron ore, the Nasdaq Composite, the Nikkei 225 in Japan and gold as the top-performing major assets throughout one decade since 1970 on Wall Street, according to Alpine Macro, a research firm based in Montreal.
Source: Alpine Macro
"A reoccurring phenomenon in our investment lives is that every decade there seems to be a big winning asset class or market," Alpine Macro chief global strategist Chen Zhao said in a note. "The question is, what will be the next big winner in the coming decade? Unfortunately, no one can predict that with any precision. However, all the previous winners share some common attributes."
"First, they are the result of major economic shocks," he said. "Second, they are often the least expected asset classes or markets."
Gold prices ended the 1970s more than 10 times higher than where they were at the start of the decade. Gold is seen as a hedge against inflation, which more than doubled in the U.S. during that decade, Federal Reserve data.
In the 1980s, the Japanese Nikkei 225 surged by a multiple of 6, or about 500 percent. Japan's benchmark stock index rose as the country became a manufacturing and economic powerhouse. A subsequent asset price bubble has left the country struggling.
The Nasdaq Composite, meanwhile, benefited from the dot-com bubble in the 1990s as consumers widely adopted the internet, which led to the emergence of several online companies.
The Chinese boom was the best macroeconomic story on the globe in the 2000s, leading to high demand for industrial metals like iron ore. Iron ore is used to produce iron, which is used in buildings, furniture, cars and other goods. Iron ore rose by nearly 500 percent in between 2000 and 2007, just before the financial crisis.


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Rare'sredesigned website now has a countdown clock on it, which is set to end the same day Microsoft has scheduled its media briefing. Not much is revealed on the teaser website, only the phrase "One in a million," which suggests this could be related to Xbox Live. The studio recently changed its logo as it celebrated 25 years in the industry.
IGN will be on hand the day of the event to bring you any breaking news. Be sure to check back here on Monday, June 14 at 10 AM PST.
If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, learn more.


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South Africa has tightened regulations for processed meat products to try to avoid a repeat of the listeriosis outbreak in 2017 and 2018. A total of 1,060 cases were confirmed and 216 people died.
The largest ever reported outbreak of listeriosis included an alert in mid-June 2017, a peak in mid-November 2017, and identification of the outbreak source in mid-February 2018. It was traced to a ready-to-eat (RTE) processed meat product, called polony, made at a plant in Polokwane run by Enterprise Foods, which is owned by the multi-national corporation Tiger Brands.
Program of inspections
The new regulations follow an agreement between the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Department of Health (DoH) on final publication of the rules for processed meat products. The rules, which are intended to enable inspection of processing plants, will be enforced by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS), a body that reports to the DTI.
It applies to the handling, preparation, processing, packaging, refrigeration, freezing, chilling, labeling, marking and storage of heat treated and RTE processed meat products and includes microbiological and food safety related requirements of these items.
The NRCS is setting up a regulatory program of inspections throughout the country to enable government and industry to detect any food safety issues early.
Canned meats, raw boerewors, species or mixed species sausages, poultry meat and red meat including cattle, sheep, goat and pig that are untreated or treated so the product still looks like a normal raw carcass, cut, portion or pieces whether fresh or frozen are covered by other legislation.
After a stakeholder consultation, the rules for processed meat products, was gazetted on Aug. 8 and are scheduled to go into force this month.
“This denotes an era of governance where there is effective multi-sectoral collaboration to protect our people from environmental dangers whilst at the same time protecting food and job security,” said Minister of Health, Dr. Zweli Mkhize.
Potential food safety agency
The aim is to effectively regulate categories of processed meat products that are considered high risk so the health and safety of consumers is protected. The DTI will work with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) to coordinate enforcement of the legislation as part of the Agricultural Product Standards Act.
Officials from DTI, DoH and DALRRD will also consider creating a dedicated food safety authority for South Africa.
Minister of Trade and Industry, Ebrahim Patel, said it was an important step to ensure consumers are protected against harmful foodborne bacteria.
“Our food industry is important to the country’s economic development and job creation. Jobs in the food industry must be secured through measures that provide consumers with appropriate protection. We have agreed that a task team comprising of officials from the three departments (dti, DoH and DALRRD) be nominated to consider a dedicated food safety authority for the country.”
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)


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A Target retail chain logo hangs on the exterior of a Target store in December 2013 in Watertown, Mass. A massive data breach at Target Corp.
Consumer confidence in the U.S. unexpectedly dropped in March to a four-month low, indicating household spending may be slow to pick up from a weather-related setback earlier this year.
A Senate bill would replace mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with a new federal agency. * Banks, affordability advocates question measure to dismantle Fannie, Freddie.
WASHINGTON - Addressing gay and lesbian concerns, the Obama administration Friday moved to expand health insurance access for same-sex couples and close a loophole that threatened to leave some HIV/AIDS patients without coverage.
UberX is closing the so-called insurance gap, a major issue in the ongoing debate over whether Colorado and other states should authorize ride-sharing services.


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One of the first posts at The Grid was an interview with Bart Alexander, chief corporate responsibility officer at Molson Coors
, in which Alexander explains why the beer brewing giant is building sustainable practices much more deeply into its operations than ever before. Alexander reports that it came down to two factors: 1) the broad public sense that embracing sustainability is “what’s expected of well-run companies,” that their brand value, in other words, depends on being seen as responsible corporate citizens; and more importantly 2) money. More specifically, that “the cost of goods is a huge driver of whether we have a good year or bad year.” The raw materials in a six-pack of Coors Light are as susceptible to volatile energy and commodity markets as the stuff in your gas tank is, and making smart decisions about efficiency and stewardship simply makes good business sense. (Full disclosure: MillerCoors, a joint venture of Molson Coors and SAB Miller, sponsors MNN's Beverages
In the interview, Molson Coors’ Anderson provides an example of the company’s newfound environmental crap-giving: a series of pumps and reservoirs delivering water to its brewery that used to run all the time, needlessly and wastefully, and now don’t. The brewery now uses less energy and less water. Anderson gives every indication that the brewery decided to do so primarily, if not exclusively, because it saves money.
So here’s my question: What difference does it make why they chose to shut off the pumps when they aren’t needed? Does it create less of a reduction in energy use if they don’t first come to some enlightened moment of awareness that it was just plain wrong to waste water and power? Of course not. And I’d argue moreover that this line of argument traps sustainability rather too tightly in a moralistic box — one that insists the right (green, altruistic, unselfish) intent must precede action; that intent, in the end, trumps action. It suggests that corporations are right to tuck their sustainability initiatives into the “Corporate Social Responsibility” silo and pay little attention to them when they're making the big dollars-and-cents decisions.
This question of intent and action — and in particular of the way sustainability’s unintended consequences are win-win for the planet and the bottom line — is worth exploring in more detail. And as in so many things sustainable, many of the clearest examples are in Germany.
In particular, I was blown away during a recent visit to Hamburg by the amazing innovations I found there
, particularly in the business sector. Stay tuned for the next week or so and I'll unveil three lessons in how Hamburg became a model city for sustainable business without much in the way of stating its intent to do so.
To discuss motivations 140 characters at a time, follow me on Twitter: @theturner.


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As studios look for fresh ancillary revenue streams for films, virtual reality may prove to be an easier means of making money with exhibition than any controversial premium VOD window.
This morning, Imax and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced a new virtual reality co-financing and production agreement to develop and release three premium, interactive VR experiences based on some of the Burbank, CA studio’s upcoming tentpoles including Justice League (opening Nov. 17), Aquaman (Dec. 21) and a third untitled experience. One experience will be released per year, beginning with Justice League VR which will debut during the late 4Q.
The WB titles will debut in an exclusive window in Imax VR centres before being made available to other VR platforms, including in-home and mobile devices. At the beginning of the year, Imax threw the doors open to its first VR Centre across from the Grove in Los Angeles. On average VR experiences go for $10 or $1/minute. To date, the venue has clocked 15K admissions with five more centres in New York, California, the UK and Shanghai opening this year. Largely the centers attract millennials, with the average estimated time spent at the venue being one hour. Essentially the Imax VR centres vie to cater to that demo which doesn’t break their piggy banks for expensive in-home VR equipment. Some of these new Imax VR venues will be located inside Regal and AMC multiplexes.
Analysts have made huge forecasts on VR’s explosion. Deloitte Global estimates that VR chalked up $1 billion last year with a third of that coming from content revenue such as games. Others predict that inclusive of hardware and content, VR could mushroom to a $162B global industry by 2020 by International Data Corporation.
“It’s fitting that with Imax and Warner Bros.’ shared history of launching Hollywood movies in Imax theatres, today we’re entering into our first studio deal to bring original VR content to the multiplex,” said Imax Corp. CEO Richard L. Gelfond in a statement. “A key component of our vision for VR is to help usher in the first wave of high-end blockbuster-based content. Justice League and Aquaman feature some of the most beloved characters on the planet, providing iconic properties to launch this effort. This type of premium content will introduce audiences to virtual reality in standalone and multiplex-based Imax VR centres as well as other platforms.”
“We are excited to be partnering with Imax to develop and deliver premium VR experiences, and believe that capitalizing on Justice League and Aquaman characters from our well-known DC properties will broaden the appeal of this fast growing technology,” added Ron Sanders, President, Warner Bros. Worldwide Home Entertainment Distribution. “Using content and characters from these upcoming films and incorporating creative direction from some of Hollywood’s most innovative filmmakers will help us to bring a groundbreaking experience to audiences and consumers who are hungry for a cutting-edge virtual reality experience.”
VR experiences available at the LA-based Imax VR centre include Skydance’s first two VR projects, Archangel, a story-driven shooter experience, and Life VR, based on the Ryan Reynolds-Jake Gyllenhaal film in addition to Sony’s The Walk and ILMxLab’s Star Wars: Trials on Tatooine. Also pilot Imax VR centers will soon feature Ubisoft’s Rabbids VR-Ride, Eagle Flight and upcoming Star Trek: Bridge Crew.
Imax has been betting big on the future of VR. At the end of 2016, they formed the Imax VR fund which sought to create 25 VR experiences over the next three years targeting event style productions. In addition, Imax has been co-developing a VR camera with Google which is scheduled to be completed next year. The large format exhibitor also recently teamed with Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, MGM, Westfield, Bold Capital Partners and Steven Spielberg who are the first-round investors in VR developer Dreamscape Immersive. Plans are to launch a VR multiplex in the fall at Westfield’s Century City Mall in Los Angeles.
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Swedish mobile network giant Ericsson and Chinese rival ZTE have settled their patent infringement disputes, Ericsson said in a statement on Friday.
Apple scored a hit in an ongoing patent brawl with mobile handset giant HTC with a US trade authority ruling the iPhone maker has rights to features using one-tap screen commands.
(AP) -- Samsung Electronics Co. is free to sell its Galaxy tablet computers in Australia after the country's highest court Friday dismissed rival Apple's appeal in its global patent battle.
(AP) -- Apple Inc. won a small victory on Friday in its global patent battle with rival Samsung, after Australia's highest court temporarily extended a ban on sales of Samsung's Galaxy tablet computers in the country.
(AP) -- Samsung Electronics Co. is closer to selling its new Galaxy tablet computer in Australia after a court on Wednesday overturned a ruling that sided with Apple's allegations Samsung had copied its iPad and iPhone.
Taiwan-based mobile handset manufacturer HTC has been dealt a setback in its patent infringement claim against Apple, after an initial ruling by a US trade authority sided with the California-based tech giant.
The heir apparent of South Korea's Samsung Group will attend a memorial service for late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs despite an ongoing legal battle with the US technology giant, a source said on Sunday.
A Dutch court refused Friday to grant Samsung an injunction banning Apple from selling iPhones and iPad tablets in the Netherlands, dealing the South Korean electronics giant a defeat in its global patent battle with its ...
A court has temporarily banned Samsung from selling its new Galaxy tablet computer in Australia, another setback for the South Korean electronics giant in a global patent battle with Apple Inc. that accuses it of slavishly ...
American computer giant Apple claimed on Monday that Samsung Electronics' latest tablet computer infringes on patents relating to touch screen technology.


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Retailers are hoping the first Easter without any social restrictions since 2019 combined with a mini-heatwave will provide a much-needed boost to the sector.
Shopper footfall is predicted to rise by 6.2% over the break compared with the weekend before, and by 13.3% on Saturday, according to analysts Springboard.
High streets are expected to see the greatest uplift, at 17% on Saturday.
The predicted rise would mean that footfall in retail parks will be just 1.4% below the 2019 level and 11.6% down on high streets.
Although footfall in shopping centres is not forecast to increase as much as in high streets, the gap from 2019 will be smaller at 8.4%, which is due to a poorer performance in shopping centres in 2019.
Springboard director of insights Diane Wehrle said: “High streets and retail parks are likely to benefit more than shopping centres over the weekend as a whole.
“High streets will be supported by the forecast warm and sunny weather which will draw people to outdoor destinations, and shoppers are likely to head to retail parks to purchase garden products and food and groceries for home entertaining of family and friends.”


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Every week, mobilegamer.biz brings you the latest on who’s moving where. But first, a word from sponsor Games Jobs Direct:
Supercell: The Clash maker’s new Seattle-based North America studio has hired Amy Ackermann as engineer. She moves over from Stray Bombay, where she was principal software engineer, and has previously worked in engineering roles at Blind Squirrel, Riot and Amazon.
Tripledot Studios: Scopely’s lead match 3 designer Sergey Evchenko has moved to become level design director at Tripledot. Evchenko has previously worked in game design roles for Socialpoint, Playrix, G5 and others.
Socialpoint: Danika Wilkinson has been promoted to director of UA. Wilkinson steps up having joined Socialpoint as product marketing manager in 2019, and has since served as head of marketing for new games at Take Two-owned studios Playdots and Socialpoint. She has also previously worked as UA manager at Genera Games.
Playtika: Ziv Levavi is now VP of VIP, customer support, community and social at Playtika. Levavi steps up from his role working on Bingo Blitz VIPs at Playtika.
Rewardify: Veteran games exec and Doodle Jump creator Matt Turetzky has joined the play-to-earn casual gaming firm as president. Besides his work at Lima Sky on Doodle Jump, Turetzky has also worked in senior roles at Mattel, Disney, GSN Games and RealNetworks/Gamehouse.
Voodoo: The hypercasual firm has promoted Alexander Shea to become its new head of strategic partnerships. Shea moves up from his prior role as head of publishing.
Ten Square Games: The Fishing Clash maker has promoted Ionut-Gabriel Solomon to product owner, moving up from lead games designer. He has also previously worked at Ubisoft in testing and level design roles.
Miniclip: Govind Cacciatore has been promoted to the role of business development manager. He steps up from his prior role as bizdev associate.
Popcore: Burak Aydemir has moved from Udo Games to Popcore as game developer. Aydemir has also worked at Dalek Games.
King: Patryk Kowalski is now C++ software developer at King’s Barcelona studio, and joins having worked previously at Nokia, Arringo, Ascent and iSoftBet.


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Under the plan, the former BAE defence systems site in the town will be developed by Evander Properties with funding from BA Pension Fund and Waitrose will fit out the warehouse.
The complex will comprise 360,000 sq ft of warehousing, 50,000 sq ft of office space and will support plans to expand the chain in the north.
Waitrose aims to double its estate in the north over the next five years. Until six years ago its most northerly branch was in Newark.
Since then it has embarked on the biggest period of expansion in its history, with seven new stores in the north west, including Manchester city centre, as well as ones in Yorkshire, the north east and Scotland.
The Chorley site will be its fifth regional distribution centre. The current most northerly one is at Bardon, Leicestershire.
A formal planning application will be submitted to Chorley borough council next week.
David Jones, the grocer’s supply chain director, said: “We’ve made no secret of our plans to take the Waitrose brand to more people in more places and we’re currently still under represented in the north, a key area for our growth ambitions.
“This new regional distribution centre will provide a vital platform for future expansion and unlock significant opportunities for us to open more shops in the north of England and Scotland.”


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BEIJING (Reuters) - Major Chinese ports have started clearing goods from the United States on Monday, as new tariffs on U.S. imports have gone into effect, three sources told Reuters, as atrade spat between Beijing and Washington escalated into an outright war last Friday.
Customs officers had delayed the clearance of some U.S. goods on Beijing's penalty list last Friday, as they waited for official instructions from the central government on whether to start collecting the new import tariffs.
Local customs at the port of Qingdao have let through American products they held up on Friday, and imposed higher tariffs on the goods, according to a trader briefed by a customs official at the port.
Shanghai customs has also started collecting new tariffs as of Monday on imported fruits and wine, among other U.S. products on the new tariff lists, two custom brokers told Reuters.
China's General Customs Administration did not reply to a fax seeking comments.
Beijing had said that China's punitive tariffs on U.S. products would immediately take effect after America imposed penalties on Chinese goods worth a similar amount.
However, the absence of an official confirmation earlier Friday afternoon had caused confusion in the markets, leaving customs at major ports in limbo.
Later that day, China's foreign ministry spokesperson announced that China has begun implementing new tariffs of 25 percent on some U.S. goods including automobiles and soybeans.
Customs at the port of Dalian, where the ship Peak Pegasus was currently anchored carrying 70,000 tonnes of U.S. soybeans, have updated their tariffs for the U.S. goods on Beijing's list to the higher levels, according to a soymeal buyer briefed by a customs official at the port.
The Peak Pegasus caused a stir on Chinese social media as it raced to reach China before the tariffs started on Friday and remained berthed at Dalian and fully laden as of Monday afternoon, according to Eikon data.
It is unclear whether the soybean cargo, which did not arrive until after the penalties took effect, will pay the 25 percent higher tariff.
(Reporting by Hallie Gu, Yawen Chen, and Josephine Mason; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)


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The open source cloud computing project OpenStack has hit its stride, backed by vendors like IBM, Rackspace, HP and Cisco it has emerged as the open source alternative to Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google and VMware.
Read this white paper by Kevin Craine to discover how mobile capture can improve the effectiveness of your organization's processes. Discover the top 10 questions to ask before you make your investment in mobile capture.
In this KnowledgeVault, see how an open hybrid cloud can leverage your existing IT investments in hardware, software and training-allowing you to build a cloud in an evolutionary way, reducing costs and risks.
Gartner research's latest Magic Quadrant shows that the cloud infrastructure as a service (IaaS) market worth $16.5 billion, and its led by Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform
Amazon Web Services has begun rolling out its own collaboration and enterprise apps on its cloud, but it will have a difficult time gaining market share against competitors Microsoft and Google in this realm.


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- Telecommunications Giant Vodafone Leaves the Libra Association
- Group of Central Banks Assesses Developing Central Bank Digital Currencies
- South Korea Might Impose 20 Percent Tax on Cryptocurrency Profits
- Report: Terrorists Increasingly Use Crypto to Raise Funds Anonymously
- Canadian Securities Administrators Subject Crypto Exchanges to Securities Laws
It is no news that the traditional financial market is being gradually disrupted by the advent of cryptocurrency; but the main point of interest in the crypto market right now as J.P. Morgan launched a its own stablecoin JPM Coin, is whether or not this new digital coin by an enormous tradtional financial institution will disrupt the existing financial markets and, perhaps more importantly, the stablecoin market.
Despite the crypto wariness and skepticism of the chief executive officer of J.P. Morgan, Jamie Dimon, the colossal renowned bank has already started experimenting with blockchain technology. First in their crypto rollouts is a private permissioned version of the Ethereum blockchain called Quorum. After a period of working further with blockchain technology, the bank rolled out another innovative idea, a stablecoin dubbed JPM Coin.
While there are several stablecoins in the market like Gemini Dollar and Tether, this is the first time a traditional financial institution is creating its own stablecoin. The JPM Coin is designed to help reducing clients’ counterparty and settlement risk. According to the bank, this initiative will go a long way to decrease capital requirements and enable instant value transfer.
Like every other stablecoin, JPM Coin will be backed by the firm’s desired fiat currency. Currently, there are speculations on how well the virtual coin will fair against the US dollar but the firm is yet to decide on the currency to back JPM Coin. There is also a high probability that the coin would be backed by different fiat currencies such as Euro (JPMEUR), Yen (JPMJPY), and as stated the US dollar (JPMUSD).
Although it is slightly different from the conventional stablecoins, JPM Coin operates in virtually the same principle as other stablecoins. It is issued, transferred and redeemed as just about any stablecoin out there. The digital coin will be issued on the firm’s blockchain, Quorum, which has proven to be a step higher than the Ethereum blockchain. Quorum is designed to operate both private and public segments. A stablecoin controlled by a private blockchain may offset the stability in the market.
Should this test go as planned, this will show institutions out there that they do not need to rely on public blockchain; sooner or later, you might find the crypto market flooded with private stablecoins. Well, we can’t say with certainty that JPM Coin will cause any disruption yet, at least not until it can widen its horizons above the firm’s clients to include a bigger pool of institutional and private investors. The virtual coin which is proposed to offer lots of benefits and use cases is also speculated to take on Ripple in the crypto market.
Until proven otherwise, we still doubt a private and permissioned stablecoin has what it takes to pull institutional investors from public blockchain towards private blockchain, which just might be the antithesis of the original vision behind crypto.


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Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission has initiated a move to set up a full-fledged mobile handset testing laboratory in the country with a view to encouraging the emerging local mobile handset manufacturing industry.
As part of the move, the BTRC department concerned is working to outline a proposal in this regard to get approval from the commission, sources said.
Officials of the commission has already discussed the issue with the posts, telecommunications and information technology minister Mustafa Jabbar informally and managed to get positive response from the minister.
Currently, BTRC conducts on random basis a very few tests of mobile handsets which are assembled in Bangladesh but mobile handset manufacturing and assembling entities are supposed to get certificate from the internationally accepted testing laboratories.
The commission should have a full-fledged testing lab in line with the government’s move to promote mobile handset manufacturing and assembling plants in Bangladesh in different way including providing tax rebate and subsidy on export of handsets to be assembled in Bangladesh, an official of the commission told New Age last week.
To encourage local handset assembling industry, the government in the fiscal budget fiscal of 2017-2018 has reduced customs duty on mobile parts by 24 percentage points to 1 per cent and doubled the tax on handset imports to 10 per cent.
Then again in the fiscal year 2018-2019, the government imposed 2 per cent surcharge on imports of mobile handsets and reduced import duty on raw materials for handset manufacturing.
Establishing a full-fledged handset testing laboratory would not only help the government to regulate the sector but also reduce mobile phone assembling or manufacturing entities’ hassle in availing approval from internationally accepted labs for accreditation by sending handsets to them.
Apart from that, establishing an internationally accepted mobile handset lab in Bangladesh would also be helpful as the country’s mobile handset manufacturers and assemblers would subsequently move on to export products from Bangladesh.
The commission would gradually take approval from the authorities concerned in the export destination countries so that the lab’s accreditation becomes valuable for the handset manufacturers.
Setting up such a testing laboratory would also help saving foreign currencies as it requires around $1,000 per handset model to be tested in an internationally accepted accreditation firm.
Before marketing of any handset it requires to go through a range of test including mobile application testing, hardware testing, battery (charging) testing, signal receiving, network testing, protocol testing, mobile games testing, mobile software compatibility testing and its requires wide range of equipment to conduct such tests.
BTRC, in line with the government’s policy to help develop local manufacturing industry, issued a policy allowing assembling and manufacturing of mobile handsets in the country on August 30, 2017.
Five entities have so far got approval from the government for setting up mobile handset assembling plants in Bangladesh with the latest one — Al Amin Brothers, a local mobile handset importer.
Four other licensees are: local handset manufacturers Walton, Symphony and I-Tel and global tech leader Samsung.
A number of other companies are in the pipeline for receiving approval from the government.
As per the available data, mobile importers bring 2.50-3 crore mobile handsets to the country in a year through legal channel to meet a growing demand for the handsets from the country’s 15.41 crore mobile phone users.
Besides, another 50 lakh mobile phones enter in the country annually through illegal channel.
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New York Times' Ad Revenue Returns to Decline
Second-quarter advertising revenue at The New York Times Co. fell 4.1% from the quarter a year earlier, a decline driven by sagging print-ad sales, the company said Tuesday.
The drop is a return to the long-term pattern for the Times, where an ad-sales increase in the first quarter broke a three-year streak of ad-sales declines. The company said then that it expected to see ad sales go back to declines in the second quarter.
Overall second-quarter revenue was off 0.6% to $388.7 million, compared with $391.0 million in the second quarter of 2013.
Operating profit for the quarter slipped 21% to $55.7 million from $70.7 a year earlier, with costs up 5.2% partly because of increased marketing outlays.
Despite the declines in revenue and profit, the Times reported a 3.4% boost in digital advertising revenue to $41.5 million in the second quarter. Digital sales reached $79.3 million in the first six months of the year, up from $77.1 million during the same period last year.
Referring to digital advertising as a "long-term growth driver of our business," the company singled out its sponsored articles as a bright spot online. "We are particularly encouraged by the growing success of Paid Posts, our native advertising solution, which we launched in January," Times CEO and President Mark Thompson said in a statement.
During an earnings calls later Tuesday morning, Mr. Thompson noted that "client demand and reader engagement" of Paid Posts was "encouraging" in the second quarter. Digital video advertising is expected to double in 2014 compared with the prior year, he added, though he also acknowledged that video sales remain modest overall.
In May, the Times hosted its first NewFront presentation to preview its slate of digital video programming to ad buyers.
Ad sales in print led the company's overall decline in revenue. The company blamed limp sales on "secular forces" affecting print advertising. "Tech advertising was very weak in print, but very strong in digital," Meredith Kopit Levien, exec VP-advertising at the Times, said as an example.
The Times also reported growth in circulation revenue, which was up 1.4% on the strength of its new digital products, including subscription apps like NYT Now, Times Premier and NYT Opinion, all of which rolled out this year. Digital circulation revenue totaled $41.7 million in the second quarter of 2014, the company said, up 13.5% compared with a year earlier.
It added 32,000 digital subscribers in the second quarter, an 19% increase over the quarter last year. Digital subscribers now total 831,000.
Times executives noted that apps drove the growth in circulation but declined to break out subscription numbers for individual products.
The company was disappointed in the number of subscribers added to its core digital subscription package, according to Denise Warren, exec VP of the Times' digital products group. She blamed this partly on cannibalization from the subscription apps, as well as the ongoing shift among readers from desktop to mobile devices.
But the Times also said it needs to better market the new subscription products. Its initial offer for NYT Now, an iPhone app where Times editors select top stories from not only the Times but also other sources, "didn't quite resonate how we would hope," Ms. Warren said. The company is now testing alternative offers, she said.
The company is trying to solve a "marketing puzzle" in its promotion of the new subscription apps, Mr. Thompson added.
When the Times introduces a cooking app this fall, it will be free to start, with the aim of building a large audience before the Times begins charging readers to access it, the company said.
Meanwhile, revenue from other sources -- such as events, the Times' online retail store and content licensing -- rose 7.7%, the company said.
Revenue from other sources, such as events, rose 7.7%, the company said.
Mr. Thompson said the Times plans to enact the recommendations of its internal Innovation Report, issued this year to help strengthen digital readership. "We saw continued growth in digital advertising and circulation revenues during the quarter," he said, "but know that we still have more work to do to transform our business and deliver long-term sustainable revenue growth for the company."
The Times expects ad revenue to decline by a percentage in the mid-single digits in the third quarter and circulation revenue to remain flat, the company said.
When asked during the earnings call when the company plans to emerge from its self-described transition period, Mr. Thompson remarked: "We are doing stuff here where we're on our own. We're doing things no one has tried in our industry, so it will be difficult to be precise."


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Some 422 million households have fixed broadband
Broadband adoption continues to grow at an impressive rate despite the challenging economic climate, according to the latest industry figures.
The number of household broadband connections continues to grow robustly, and one in five households worldwide will have a fixed broadband connection by the end of 2009, numbers just released by Gartner indicate.
Broadband adoption rates are seen as important because they can reflect the economic competitiveness of a country or region.
The Economist Intelligence Unit research director Manoj Vohra has been quoted as saying that for every 10% rise in broadband penetration there is a 1.3% rise in GDP (gross domestic product), evidence that stems from a 2009 World Bank study.
At the end of 2008, 21 countries had broadband connections in at least 50% of homes, Gartner reported. “In many countries, the rates are much higher; the highest penetration being in South Korea at 86%.”
Counts for the UK suggest levels have reached 63%, a number that just places it in the top ten. Earlier this month the Broadband Forum announced its latest broadband statistics which suggested the UK was ranked sixth in terms of the take up of broadband services, with some 17.8 million connections.
Broadband household penetration in UK is expected to reach 71% by 2013, analysts with Gartner are predicting.
While adoption has slowed in Western Europe and is said by the Broadband Forum to be running at around 1.64% in Q2 2009, emerging economies are driving growth.
China is edging ever closer to the 100 million mark and has an estimated 93.5 million subscribers, a 23% increase over figures for last year.
Gartner predicts that over the next five years, the emerging markets of China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Latin American countries, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa will collectively provide twice as many new consumer broadband connections as mature markets, when numbers will top 135 million against 62 million connections, in developed territories.


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VIRTUAL REALITY is one of the 5 categories of Digital Lab Africa Call for projects.
The virtual reality category is open to any content offering an immersive experience to the audience, on any type of device (computer, smartphone, headset..), using immersive technologies (360°, virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, 3D interactions… )
Examples: VR documentary experience, virtual museum visit, immersive video game…
South African Twist @NewImages Festival 4-8 April, 2018 NewImages is a place of discovery and experimentation within everyone’s reach, but it is also a meeting place for professionals of the virtual reality and immersive technologies industry! This year the festival honours the African continent and especially South Africa. Tegan Bristow, director of the Fak'ugesi African [...]
Digital Lab Africa is pleased to partner with the Berlinale Africa Hub that will showcase the 4 VR experiences directed by the participants of the 1st DLA 48h VR Film Jam in Johannesburg. The Berlinale Africa Hub (Feb 16-21) at the EFM is coming back for its second edition! Thanks to a very successful first [...]


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In case you didn't hear, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are rolling in a wee bit more dough these days after selling out the entire reserve of their new wine line within hours.
So just how did the 49-year-old Moneyball actor celebrate? Well, by spending some of those earnings on furniture!
Pitt, an avowed architecture aficionado who debuted his own furniture collection last fall, was snapped checking out some interior-design stores in Paris, accompanied by a female companion who helped him suss out some of the items.
The actor flew to France earlier this week for the launch of his and Jolie's new wine, a rosé from their new Miraval line, which is produced at their 1,000-acre estate in Correns.
Within five hours, all 6,000 bottles of the rosé had been snapped up by online buyers.
With such runaway success, here's hoping the actor-cum-design enthusiast and his ladylove have designs to release a follow-up line of vino sometime soon.


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Canned goods overflow one local elementary school as they plan to help others during the holidays.
Marlow Elementary participated in their annual Samaritan canned food drive to put food on the table of those who need it.
Kim Kizarr, Principal at Marlow Elementary, said she continues to be amazed by the students and families with giving hearts.
“Every year I say there is no way we will top that food drive and every year I continue to be amazed by our students and their families’ giving hearts,” Kizarr said.
The school completed their annual Samaritan canned food drive earlier this year to ensure they were able to complete it as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to linger.
“We put out a list of needed items for the Christmas baskets and then put out a challenge for two weeks,” Kizarr said. “The one class out of 34 that brings the most items will win a pizza party.”
The school challenged one another to bring in items needed.
“The last few years we have included $1 = 1 item, which helps the Samaritans buy items for the food baskets that they might not receive,” Kizarr said. “This year I was a bit worried about what the drive would look like due to being in November and the pandemic.”
According to Kizarr, the students and their families rose to the occasion.
“We had amazing participation,” Kizarr said. “We had 7,634 items brought and $2,335 donated.”
Cricket Holland, from Samaritans, said they are grateful for all which was brought in during the drive.
“The kids would bring their change and put it in a bottle everyday and bring canned goods,” Holland said.
This food drive has occurred for several years with Marlow Samaritans.
“For us, as the Marlow Samaritans, they do this every year and have for several years,” Holland said. “The high school also has a competition and the high school raised over 2,200 cans of food for us.”
Several of the schools in Marlow got involved and provided food for their pantry.
“We couldn’t put on our annual Christmas food boxes without the support that we get from the Marlow Elementary, our middle school and our high school kids, we just couldn’t do it,” Holland said. “What they do provides enough food for families to kind of have a supply in their pantries, the whole month and into January, because we don’t give out again until the end of January. Couldn’t do it without them.”
Holland said it’s a privilege and a joy to get to help so many people with the hardship placed on so many families.
“When you add up over 10,000 cans of canned goods and we know we’re going to have at least 300 families,” Holland said. “What we try to do is provide enough meals for them — about 40 to 42 meals are in those boxes.”
Holland said they will give out the food on Dec. 19 to families.
“Our community rallies behind us and rallies behind the families who are in great need,” Holland said.
According to Holland, The Marlow Samaritans was formed exactly 40 years ago.
“It started out helping people with utilities, food got added into it gradually, we also do Christmas toys — then about 14 years ago, maybe 15 the food part really took off,” Holland said.
According to Holland, the food for the project was stored at the home of Bill Carter in the beginning stages.
After doing Thanksgiving for a while, the group went to doing Christmas boxes.
From outgrowing the Marlow grade school cafeteria to put boxes together, the First Baptist Church opened up their Life Center for the past 10 years.
“In 2010, a building was purchased for us, enlarging our pantry,” Holland said. “Then partnering with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, we were able to purchase things … at a reduced price through them.”
Those in need of a basket can sign up beginning Saturday, Nov. 28. Sign ups run through Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Due to COVID-19, those who have signed up will be able to drive thru and pick up their box and go.
Marlow Samaritans is located at 214 West Main.


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Microtransactions will not be used in all of EA’s future games, the publisher’s chief financial officer has said.
As reported by Polygon, speaking at the Wedbush Technology Conference, Blake Jorgensen clarified comments made last week that suggested EA would use microtransactions in all of its future games, by stating that this was not actually the case.
He further clarified the core of the microtransactions business would be in the mobile space, rather than other platforms such as console.
"I made a statement in the conference along the lines of ‘We’ll have micro-transactions in our games’ and the community read that to mean all our games, and that’s really not true," he said.
"All of our mobile games will have micro-transactions in them, because almost all of them are going to a world where they are play for free."
During the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference last week, Jorgensen had been quoted as stating the business model would be adapted to all of the publisher’s future titles and become a much bigger part of the EA business.
"We’re building into all of our games the ability to pay for things along the way, either to get to a higher level to buy a new character, to buy a truck, a gun, whatever it might be, and consumers are enjoying and embracing that way of the business," he said.
The EA exec also discussed how the publisher was working on backend technology to further take advantage of the business model, and that is was bringing the service in-house.
"If you’re doing microtransactions and you’re processing credit cards for every one of those microtransactions you’ll get eaten alive," he said.
"And so Rajat’s team has built an amazing backend to manage that and manage that much more profitably. We’ve outsourced a lot of that stuff historically; we’re bringing that all in-house now."


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TAMPA, Fla. — While gas prices across the state of Florida have fallen somewhat during the past couple of weeks, drivers are likely to soon see a spike in prices after the state gas tax holiday expires Tuesday.
According to AAA, once the holiday ends on Nov. 1, prices are poised to jump by 25 cents, which is the discount amount drivers were seeing for the whole month of October.
"While Halloween is traditionally a time for filling bags with candy, drivers may also want to fill their gas tank to take advantage of current prices at the pump," AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said in a statement. "Pump prices will likely rise 25 cents overnight, when the state gas tax expires on Tuesday morning."
Back when the state tax holiday was implemented on Oct. 1, gas prices dropped around 22 cents on average within just a couple of days – falling from $3.39 to $3.17 per gallon.
But that was a bit short-lived because OPEC announced plans during the first week of the month to cut its oil production rate. That sparked a 17-percent oil price hike.
AAA reports gas prices averaged $3.33 per gallon for the month of October, which is about 6 cents less than what the price was on Sept. 30. And while gas prices across the Sunshine State declined 7 cents last week, the prices will be going up starting Tuesday.
Most expensive metro markets, according to AAA:
- West Palm Beach-Boca Raton ($3.47)
- Gainesville ($3.40)
- Naples ($3.38)
Least expensive metro markets, according to AAA:
- Pensacola ($3.14)
- Crestview-Fort Walton Beach ($3.14)
- Panama City ($3.21)
Ways to save gas:
- Combine errands to limit driving time.
- Shop around for the best gas prices in your community.
- Pay with cash. Some retailers charge extra per gallon for customers who pay with a credit card.
- Remove excess weight in your vehicle. Every 100 pounds taken out of the vehicle improves fuel economy by 1-2 percent.
- Drive conservatively. Aggressive acceleration and speeding reduce fuel economy.


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We’ve seen how mobile killed traditional music, draining sales from retail CD stores. Console games appear headed for the same fate. Worldwide revenue for handheld console makers fell during the second quarter of this year, pushing companies like Nintendo and Sony into third place behind the first-place Apple App Store and No. 2 Android-based Google Play.
According to a joint report by research firm IDC and app analytics company App Annie, consumers spending on mobile games in the Google Play store rose during the quarter as Android games picked up 1.6 percent of the market between the first and second quarter of 2013. The Google Play store has taken steps to attract more gaming dollars by tailoring its service for developers…
“At least on a symbolic level, Google Play pushing Nintendo and Sony down into third place suggests that Google’s games strategy is on the right track,” writes AllThingsD. Apple continues to lead everyone, drawing the majority of mobile gaming revenue.
In a recent interview with AllThingsD, Google Play project manager Greg Hartrell said 75 percent of Android users play games. Hartrell pointed to wider global availability of Google Play, coupled with increased offloading of some game development tasks to the company’s cloud and multiplayer services for the heightened revenue.
However, a third effort – adding new ways for game developers to collect money from players – is also important. Although those tactics include direct carrier billing – something Google is very good at – the process doesn’t approach the frictionless commerce enabled through Apple’s iTunes.
The dual reports also note just how prevalent iOS/Android devices are among console gamers. Around 40 percent of Nintendo and Sony game console owners in the U.S. also own one or both of the mobile gaming platforms. Around 22 percent own either an Android smartphone or tablet, while 25 percent own an iPod touch, iPhone or iPad.
These findings were not surprising, but effectively an eventual statistical certainty.
Although console games generate more revenue per user, there are just 200 million handset consoles. Compare that to a whopping 1.25 billion smartphones and another 180 million tablets.
While shipments of Nintendo 3DS machines and Sony Vitas actually increased between the first and second quarter, revenue from the games fell.
In other words, while more consoles were sold, the games which act as the razor blades of the industry just could not keep up with the avalanche of free or nearly free mobile alternatives.
Speaking of controllers, Apple with iOS 7 is introducing an all-new support for third-party MFi game controllers, pictured above and below.
Three types of controllers will be supported: a standard and extended form-fitting controller where your iOS device sits inside the controller letting you access both its screen and the controller elements and an extended wireless controller, which is a controller that wirelessly connects to an iOS device or Mac.


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Press Release: Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) platform Stratis’ support to private and public blockchain solutions, Ethereum and Hyperledger, opens the ecosystem to mainstream adoption
Bitcoin Press Release: Bull vs Bear – Play the World’s First Bitcoin Tournament. March 23rd, Curaçao N.V. – Innovative Bitcoin betting game Bull vs
Press Release: CherrySwap has announced a successful $3 million raise, as well as integration with the OKExChain ecosystem. 17th March 2021, Silicon Valley, United
Friday 12th March 2021, St John, Antigua – Poltergeist Exchange has partnered with GHOST by McAfee to bring a private stable coin and privacy dex
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LVMH storms back with surge in first-quarter sales
Wednesday 14 April 2010
LVMH, the world's largest luxury goods group, has signalled that its well-heeled customers are splashing the cash again with a surge in first-quarter sales.
The maker of Louis Vuitton handbags and Hennessy cognac attributed a 13 per cent jump in underlying sales, compared to consensus of 7 per cent, to distributors restocking following a slump in demand last year and a recovery in consumer demand for its products globally.
City analysts also cited its "excellent" performance in Asia and a "strong rebound" in the US and Europe.
The Paris-based company delivered double-digit underlying revenue growth across all its divisions, which it said was "even more remarkable when compared to the first quarter of 2009 which itself had shown strong growth".
Its best-performing two divisions were watches and jewellery, and wines and spirits, which delivered like-for-like sales growth of 34 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.
The Paris-based company attributed the "record organic revenue growth" at its watches and jewellery division to restocking by retailers and strong demand for brands, including its Tag Heuer watches and Chaumet jewellery. LVMH said: "The success of the new products presented at the Basel [Switzerland] Watch Fair this year confirmed the momentum of LVMH brands."
Total sales at the group jumped by 11 per cent to €4.47bn in the first quarter.
LVMH said its wine and spirits division, which makes Moet & Chandon and Ruinart champagne, benefited from a renewal in orders from distributors.
Melanie Flouquet, an analyst at JP Morgan Cazenove, said: "The biggest surprise stemmed from wines & spirits up 20 per cent organically on easy comps but a much higher restocking than hoped for. This division is critical to further margin expansion at LVMH as it suffered most in 09 and is a meaningful contributor to group profit."
Sales of Hennessy cognac were buoyed by the Chinese new year in Asia in February.
The group's delivery of underlying revenue growth of 13 per cent smashed City expectations of about 7 per cent.
Analysts at Citi said that following the "solid first-quarter performance" it expected the consensus for 2010 operating profit of €3.57bn at LVMH to "nudge up" by between 3 and 4 per cent.
The group's fashion and leather goods units also impressed with underlying sales up 10 per cent, lifted by continued strong demand for its Louis Vuitton bags. The company said: "Louis Vuitton continues to deliver an exceptional performance, sustained worldwide by the growth of its historic lines and by the success of its latest innovations."
However, LVMH said the outlook for the strength of the global economic recovery was "uncertain".
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Rihanna 'nude pictures' claims emerge on 4Chan as hacking scandal continues
Slough train station deaths: Woman and child killed after being 'pushed in front of train'
Kim Kardashian 'nude photos' leaked on 4chan weeks after Jennifer Lawrence scandal
'F*ck it, I quit': KTVA reporter Charlo Greene quits live on air in spectacular fashion
Jennifer Lawrence: Leaked 4Chan sex video branded 'fake' by users
Scotland could still declare independence – even without referendum, says Alex Salmond
Scottish referendum results: Cross-party consensus collapses amid Tory-Labour spat on the 'English question'
Hilary Mantel 'should be investigated by police' over Margaret Thatcher assassination story, says Lord Bell
Plebgate MP Andrew Mitchell called officer a 'little s**t', claim court documents 'exposing ex-Chief Whip's 'record of abusing police'
Archbishop of Canterbury admits doubts about existence of God
Labour Party conference: Ed Balls to set out plan to freeze child benefit to balance books
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text: OnePlus 6 is one of the most anticipated smartphones of the year. It has already been confirmed to launch in India on May 17. The smartphone is said to feature a 'notch', latest Qualcomm processor and may also cross the Rs 40,000 mark this time. The firm has also given some details on features such as alert slider's camera integration, screen gestures and more. Here is everything that is expected to come in the OnePlus 6. Check it out.


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Trains May Help Ease Supply Chain Issues to Montana in New Deal
KSL TV (Salt Lake City) reported today that there may soon be some relief coming to the shipping bottleneck that is choking inventory levels on everything from electronics to home goods. The solution involves a 200-year-old innovation that helped tame the West... trains.
How could this help Montana?
A deal was reached between the Long Beach Port Authority, Utah Inland Port Authority, and Union Pacific Railroad that could eventually help alleviate the shortage of some products in Montana. According to KSL's report,
All cargo destined for the Intermountain West will be shipped to Utah by train before being distributed to its final destination by truck, according to a press release from Union Pacific.
Shipping officials quoted in the article noted that most of this cargo is currently transported by truck from Long Beach to individual cities in western states like Utah, Idaho, Colorado and Nevada. With the new agreement, cargo will be shipped from Long Beach by rail to Salt Lake, then distributed by truck to its final destination.
Trains are more efficient than trucks.
No offense to any of my truck driving friends and family, but according to data, trains are far more efficient than trucks when it comes to transporting large amounts of stuff. The Association of American Railroads, a rail industry trade group, claims:
- One train can carry the freight of hundreds of trucks.
- Rail freight is 3 - 4 times more fuel-efficient than shipping by truck.
- Trains can move 1 ton of freight 480 miles on one gallon of fuel.
OPINION: Obviously, we need trucks. Final destination delivery by train is impossible for most retailers. The mall isn't located on a rail spur, nor is your neighborhood grocery store. And there is a 100% chance that an Amazon train won't be stopping by your front door either. This new deal to start running more trains from the Port of Long Beach to Utah appears to be a great option. Let the truckers take it from there.
CHECK IT OUT: Here Are the 77 Most '70s Things About 1977


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Lousy Labels: Health Hype
Millions of Canadians are trying to do the right thing for themselves and their families by buying healthy food.
But how much can they rely on the health information on food labels?
More and more, companies are slapping hollow claims on their products to drive up sales -- and obscure potential health risks.
In this year's Top 10 countdown of Lousy Labels, Erica Johnson finds the truth behind the latest buzzwords on food packaging.
It will make you think twice before filling up your shopping cart.
To those of you who have questions about the CBC carrying ads about products Marketplace investigates: CBC has Advertising Standards policies, which can be found at http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/docs/policies/ads/. The approval process for commercials is supervised by CBC's Advertising Standards Department, which operates independently from CBC News.
Thank you for your comments. Please be assured that all mail is read and shared by senior program personnel. However, the amount of mail we receive makes it impossible for us to respond to everyone individually. The Marketplace team moderates comment boards Tuesdays to Saturdays during regular business hours. The comment board is open for 14 days following the initial broadcast.


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Monday, November 15, 2010
New Warning Labels for U.S. Cigarettes; Big Tobacco on the Rampage
Philip Morris Intl. sues Uruguay and Brazil.
Lots of developments on the nicotine front these days. On opposite ends of the news spectrum, so to speak, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced plans to slap new and much more graphic warning stickers on cigarette packs--while elsewhere in the world, the world’s major tobacco companies got busy fighting tougher regulations on cigarette marketing. Meanwhile, the state of California has set limits on the marketing of e-cigarettes, disallowing companies from promoting the nicotine inhalers as “smoking-cessation devices.”
So let’s get busy. In the first significant change for cigarette advertising in 25 years, the FDA, freed by Congress last year to regulate tobacco products, will select nine new designs from among 36 contenders for new, far more graphic warning labels on cigarette packages. The new warning labels will begin appearing in about a year. To view the contenders, go to www.fda.gov/cigarettewarnings.
But will new, grisly images of dying smokers and rotted lungs really make a difference to the roughly one-quarter of adult Americans who still smoke? “I am pleasantly shocked that [they are] doing this,” Stanton A. Glantz, a tobacco researcher at UC San Francisco, told the Los Angeles Times. “There is no question but that strong graphic warning labels work,” he said. “Right now we have the weakest warning labels in the world. Now we will be right up there tied for the strongest.”
No so fast, counters John F. Banzhaf, the executive director of Action on Smoking and Health and a George Washington University law professor. In the same L.A. Times article, Banzhaf said he was “quite disappointed,” stating that the agency “has done nothing more than exactly what Congress told them to do, and not one iota more.” So far, the FDA has banned advertising in magazines for young people, nixed the marketing ploy of handing out free samples on the street, and forbidden tobacco companies from marketing cigarettes by using the words “light” or “low-tar.”
Perhaps a more important result of Congressional approval of FDA oversight is that Medicare has now changed its rules to include smoking cessation products for covered beneficiaries. Previously, only people dying of lung disease were approved for smoking cessation products—a bit late in the disease cycle to do anybody much good.
According to a variety of estimates from government and research agencies, as many as half a million Americans die prematurely from smoking-related diseases. The Department of Health and Human Services has lately been stymied by a smoking rate of about 20%, basically unchanged since 2004. In 1965, about 42% of Americans smoked. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has a stated goal of bringing smoking levels down to 12% by 2020.
That will not be an easy target to hit. And neither Congress nor the FDA nor HHS can count on anything amounting to cooperation from the cigarette giants. The New York Times, in an article by Duff Wilson, notes that worldwide cigarette sales rose 2% last year, as cigarette companies increasingly shift their marketing efforts toward a hunt for new customers in developing countries. The aggressive nature of the worldwide cigarette marketing push was underscored this year when Philip Morris International sued the governments of Uruguay and Brazil, claiming that those countries had enacted tobacco regulations that were excessive and a threat to the company’s trademark and property rights.
Dr. Douglas Bettcher of the World Health Organization’s Tobacco Free Initiative accused the company of “using litigation to threaten low- and middle-income countries.” Philip Morris subsidiaries are also filing suits in Ireland and Norway over display advertising prohibitions. (Philip Morris USA, a separate division, is not involved in these lawsuits, and did not join with R.J. Reynolds and other tobacco companies in filing suit against the FDA last year.)
In the New York Times article, Wilson writes:
Companies like Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco are contesting limits on ads in Britain, bigger health warnings in South America and higher cigarette taxes in the Philippines and Mexico. They are also spending billions on lobbying and marketing campaigns in Africa and Asia, and in one case provided undisclosed financing for TV commercials in Australia.
As tobacco expert Dr. Cynthia Pomerleau points out on her blog, low smoking rates among women in the developing world make them a particularly tempting marketing target for the tobacco industry. Pomerleau, research professor emerita in the University of Michigan’s Department of Psychiatry, also reminds us that “the real goal here is not to remove health warnings altogether—health warnings have actually worked well for them by legitimizing the claim that if people choose to smoke, it’s not their fault—just to prevent them from dominating the package and actually becoming salient.”
It is important for the industry, says Pomerleau, to publicize “effects that can be achieved or problems that can be addressed by smoking.” In this respect, Pomerleau is concerned about the likelihood that the tobacco industry will seize upon the relationship between smoking and thinness as the wedge for sales campaigns aimed at women. “If it worked in the U.S., why not in Africa or Asia or South America?”
And finally, under a consent judgment worked out with California state Attorney General Jerry Brown, the Florida-based Smoking Everywhere company, a distributor of electronic cigarettes, has agreed not to target minors in its advertising, or to make claims that its products are safe alternatives to tobacco. The move comes shortly after the FDA announced plans to regulated battery-powered e-cigarettes as new drug delivery devices. Smoking Everywhere distributes e-cigarettes manufactured in China. The consent judgment also bars the company from selling its products in vending machines, and requires the products to contain warning labels about the dangers of nicotine.
And don’t forget: Thursday, November 18 marks the 35th annual Great American Smokeout.


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On the menu: a fancy salad, a 16-ounce New York steak, a baked potato with all the fixin’s, roasted asparagus, and dessert — all accompanied by a pint of ale and, for the last time at a restaurant in Carlsbad, a fine cigar.
The Cigar Grotto is planning a cigar send-off for Nov. 1 at Hennessey’s Tavern in Carlsbad. In September, the City Council unanimously approved a ban on smoking at the outdoor patios of all Carlsbad restaurants, and the ban takes effect Nov. 2.
A state law passed in 1988 prohibits smoking inside bars and restaurants, but many cities still allow it outdoors. Encinitas, Solana Beach and Del Mar have also prohibited smoking in outdoor dining areas.
It’s a trend some people would like to see continue.
“I’m confident it will be state law down the line,” Solana Beach Mayor Joe Kellejian told the Carlsbad City Council in September. His city was the first in San Diego County to adopt the outdoor ban in 2009.
Carlsbad’s ordinance prohibiting outdoor smoking points out that secondhand smoke is an “annoyance, inconvenience, discomfort,” and a health hazard in the same category “as most toxic automotive and industrial air pollutants.”
But there will always be smokers. And cigar aficionados are especially unhappy about Carlsbad’s outdoor ban.
“We have been hosting cigar socials on the third Thursday of the month for 11 years at (the) Carlsbad Hennessey’s,” said DeeDee Engels, who owns the Cigar Grotto in Oceanside with her husband, Gregg Engels.
The events attract 60 to 70 participants, she said, and for special occasions, sometimes it’s standing room only.
The Engelses also hold cigar dinners at restaurants in Oceanside, Vista, Bonsall and San Diego, she said, and those will continue.
DeeDee Engels said she was “shocked” by Carlsbad’s decision to ban outdoor smoking.
“It’s a slap in the face to all these particular business owners that have brought so much life, ambience, traffic and revenue to the city,” she said.
Hennessey’s is just one of several downtown Carlsbad restaurants affected by the ban.
Mas Fina Cantina, in the 2700 block of State Street, has a small outdoor dining area where people often smoke cigarettes.
“They won’t be allowed” after the ban takes effect, said Jennifer Lewis, a bartender at the cantina. “There’s been some discussion, and people aren’t too happy about it.”
The Pizza Port on Carlsbad Village Drive and Dini’s Bistro on Carlsbad Boulevard also have outdoor dining.
A survey of Carlsbad residents and visitors by the Vista Community Clinic in 2011 showed that most people prefer outdoor smoking not be allowed.
That survey showed that 94 percent of the 581 respondents prefer to eat in non-smoking outdoor areas, and 87 percent said they think cities should have laws prohibiting smoking in outdoor dining areas.


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Anuga 2023 draws to a close this afternoon in Cologne, Germany, we’re reflecting on some of the important discussions that Coombe Castle has had with our business partners over the course of the most prominent international trade fair for the food and beverage industry sector.
As the UK’s rollover deal ends this year, with the implementation of bill C-282 in place, it would make it very difficult for continued access for UK’s dairy industry through the traditional routes, instead moving access to Canada’s producers who will not be incentivised to maximise imported product sales. This will not only affect UK businesses but a large number of Canadian SMEs who are reliant on our country’s unique products.
Ben Hutchins, Coombe Castle’s Sales Director, commented:
“It was great to meet Kevin Hollinrake MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business and Trade. We discussed our dairy export business and, in particular, the challenges with the UK:Canada trade negotiations whereby if there is no quick resolution, the substantial trade we have built with our partners: Tree of Life Canada and Finica Food Specialties Ltd. for over 40 years will not be possible from January.”


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flutterwave scandalflutterwave: A Deep Dive into Financial Controversy
Table of Contents
In the dynamic landscape of financial technology, Flutterwave has emerged as a prominent player, providing innovative solutions for seamless online transactions. However, recent developments have cast a shadow over the company, giving rise to the “flutterwave scandalflutterwave“ In this comprehensive exploration, we delve into the controversy surrounding Flutterwave, shedding light on the key issues and their potential implications.
A Brief Overview
Flutterwave, founded in 2016, quickly gained traction as a leading fintech company, offering a range of services such as payment processing, money transfers, and digital banking solutions. The platform facilitates transactions across borders, catering to businesses and individuals alike. With a user-friendly interface and a commitment to financial inclusion, Flutterwave garnered praise and trust from its user base.
The Emergence of the Scandal
The Flutterwave scandal erupted in [insert date], when reports surfaced regarding alleged malpractices within the company. While the details remain murky, it is essential to explore the primary facets of the scandal to grasp its magnitude fully.
One of the primary allegations involves payment irregularities within the Flutterwave system. Users have reported instances of unauthorized transactions, billing errors, and delays in fund transfers. This has led to growing concerns among businesses and individuals relying on Flutterwave for their financial transactions.
Data Security Concerns:
The scandal has also brought to light potential lapses in Flutterwave’s data security protocols. Users express apprehension over the safety of their sensitive information, raising questions about the platform’s commitment to maintaining robust cybersecurity measures.
Customer Service Challenges:
Another dimension of the controversy revolves around customer service challenges faced by Flutterwave users. Complaints regarding unresponsive support, delayed issue resolution, and lack of transparency in communication have fueled discontent among the user community.
In the wake of the scandal, flutterwave scandalflutterwave has issued statements addressing the concerns raised by users and the public. The company acknowledges the issues and emphasizes its commitment to resolving them promptly. Flutterwave’s response includes:
Investigations and Audits:
Flutterwave has pledged to conduct thorough investigations and audits into the reported payment irregularities. The aim is to identify the root causes of these issues and implement corrective measures to prevent their recurrence.
Enhanced Data Security Measures:
To address data security concerns, Flutterwave has outlined plans to enhance its cybersecurity infrastructure. This includes implementing advanced encryption protocols, regular security audits, and collaborating with external cybersecurity experts to ensure the utmost protection of user data.
Customer Service Overhaul:
Recognizing the challenges faced by users in accessing timely and efficient customer support, Flutterwave has committed to overhauling its customer service systems. This includes increasing support staff, implementing user-friendly communication channels, and providing regular updates on issue resolutions.
Implications for Users and Businesses
The flutterwave scandalflutterwave has undoubtedly raised red flags for users and businesses relying on the platform for their financial transactions. As the controversy unfolds, it is crucial for stakeholders to consider the potential implications:
Flutterwave faces the daunting task of rebuilding trust among its user base. Transparent communication, swift issue resolution, and tangible improvements in service quality are imperative for restoring confidence in the platform.
Users and businesses affected by the scandal may start exploring alternative fintech solutions. Competitors in the market may seize the opportunity to attract disgruntled Flutterwave users by highlighting their own commitment to security, reliability, and customer satisfaction.
The flutterwave scandalflutterwave may attract regulatory scrutiny, prompting authorities to assess the company’s compliance with financial regulations and consumer protection standards. This, in turn, could influence the fintech industry’s regulatory landscape.
Faqs about flutterwave scandalflutterwave
Q1. What is the Flutterwave scandal about?
Ans: The Flutterwave scandal pertains to alleged payment irregularities, data security concerns, and customer service challenges reported by users, raising questions about the company’s operational integrity.
Q2. How is Flutterwave responding to the scandal?
Ans: Flutterwave has responded by initiating thorough investigations into reported irregularities, enhancing data security measures, and committing to a comprehensive overhaul of its customer service systems to address user concerns.
Q3. What are the potential implications for users and businesses?
Ans: The flutterwave scandalflutterwave may lead to a loss of trust among users, exploration of alternative fintech solutions, and regulatory scrutiny, highlighting the need for the company to rebuild confidence and navigate industry challenges effectively.
In conclusion, the flutterwave scandalflutterwave has unveiled a complex web of issues, ranging from payment irregularities to data security concerns and customer service challenges. The company’s response and subsequent actions will play a pivotal role in determining its future trajectory. As users and businesses navigate the aftermath of the scandal, the broader fintech industry remains vigilant, drawing valuable lessons on the importance of transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.


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January 19, 2017
Partnership enables FICO to provide rapid notification of confirmed fraud to Ethoca for immediate resolution through Ethoca’s global network of merchants
TORONTO, Ontario, Canada; San Jose, CA – January 18, 2017 – Ethoca, the industry standard for collaboration-based technology solutions that enable card issuers and online merchants to increase card acceptance and stop e-commerce fraud and disputes, today announced a partnership with Silicon Valley analytic software firm FICO. Card issuers using the industry-leading FICO® Falcon® Fraud Manager will be able to easily connect to Ethoca’s Global Collaboration Network to maximize the recovery of card-not-present (CNP) fraud losses and avoid the costly, inefficient chargeback process.
Card issuers face increasingly high volumes of costly fraud claims and dispute cases that strain operati ...