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Prime Minister Narendra Modi made another “vocal for local” pitch on Sunday, urging citizens to buy only products made in the country. The Prime Minister said that if people were to buy only locally made products, and advocate the same to others, they’d be playing a role in strengthening India.
Made during the Prime Minister’s monthly radio address, Mann ki Baat, the call to buy “made in India” products forms the base of the government’s vision for a “Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)” to help the economy recover from the crippling coronavirus lockdown.
“If you buy local and become vocal for local, you are playing your role in making the country strong – this is also a type of service to the nation. Be it any profession, there is scope for service to the nation,” the Prime Minister said, adding, “People from all over India are writing, reiterating their support to the movement to make India self-reliant”.
People from all over India are writing, reiterating their support to the movement to make India self-reliant.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 28, 2020
Today’s “vocal for local” call by the Prime Minister assumes added significance against the backdrop of widespread economic backlash against China.
Traders across the country, including CAIT (Confederation of Indian Traders, which claims to represent seven crore traders) have called for the boycott of Chinese goods after the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers in eastern Ladakh.
Photos and videos of people burning China-made electronics and other goods have been widely shared on social media and, on Saturday, a group of Zomato employees burnt branded t-shirts to protest Chinese investment in the firm.
The government has also chipped in; state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd has been told not to use Chinese equipment for 4G upgrades and a railways contract awarded to a Chinese firm has been withdrawn over “poor progress”.
The Prime Minister, while not explicitly backing calls to boycott Chinese goods, said the people’s decision would contribute to a “Atmanirbhar Bharat“.
“No mission can be successful without the people’s participation. This is why we seek the cooperation of all for a “Atmanirbhar Bharat“. We will buy local and be vocal for local and this will help India become stronger,” the PM said.
China’s response to boycott calls has been guarded, with Chinese government mouthpiece Global Times predicting that a smaller economy cannot impose “sanctions” on a larger one and “India will suffer more losses if it launches a trade war against China”.
Meanwhile, earlier this month the Congress said the “vocal for local” call was another trick by the Narendra Modi government to divert attention from “real issues”. Senior leader Kapil Sibal pointed out the Prime Minister’s “rhetoric” failed to include even a roadmap for achieving this lofty goal.
With input from ANI


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Apple today announced third-quarter results for the 2022 fiscal quarter ending June 25, 2022, announcing a June quarter revenue was $83.0 billion, up 2 percent year over year, and quarterly earnings per diluted share of $1.20. Apple today published a file Third Quarter Results In the third quarter of fiscal year 2022 ending on June 25, 2022, Announcing a record quarterly revenue of $83.0 billion, up 2 percent year over year, and quarterly earnings per diluted share of $1.20. Apple reported that iPhone and services were the main driving forces behind record revenue for the June quarter, and the base of active installed devices reached an all-time high for all major product categories.
Apple’s third quarter results 2022
If you’d like to hear the audio version of Apple’s third quarter 2022 results, head over to Apple’s official website by following the link below.
“The record results for the quarter indicate Apple’s continued efforts to innovate, develop new capabilities, and enrich the lives of our customers,” said Tim Cook, Apple CEO. “As always, we drive our values, and we express them in everything we build, from new features designed to protect user privacy and security, to tools that improve accessibility, and are part of our longstanding commitment to creating products for everyone.”
Our June quarter results continued to demonstrate our ability to run our business effectively despite the challenging operating environment. “We set a revenue record for the June quarter, and our active installed device base is at an all-time high in every geography and product category,” said Luca Maestri, Apple’s chief financial officer. “During the quarter, we generated approximately $23 billion in operating cash flow, wanted more than $28 billion to our shareholders, and continued to invest in our long-term growth plans.”
Apple’s board of directors announced a cash dividend of $0.23 per share of the company’s common stock. Dividend is due on August 11, 2022 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 8, 2022.”
Filed Under: Apple, Technology News

domain: news


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Collectors buying up watches, coins and even vintage Hornby model trains | Daily Mail
The Daily Mail writes about the increased demand for collectables at auction during COVID-19 lockdown, with commentary from our experts at thesaleroom.com.
Read the full article here.
Find upcoming collectables auction catalogues on thesaleroom.com here.
Image: Mellors & Kirk


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The Hyundai accent has been around for quite awhile in the model line up and hasn’t been refreshed since the redesign debut at the 2005 New York International Auto Show. In fact, the Accent has been part of the U.S. automotive culture since 1994 when the car replaced its predecessor—the Hyundai Excel. The new entry-level sedan that debuted at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show is being called the Hyundai Verna.
2011 Hyundai Verna Debuts At 2010 Beijing Auto Show
Now the Verna may not be a familiar name to those of us living in the U.S., but it is one that Hyundai has used to market their small platform in other markets before around the world. The new Verna was developed for the Chinese market and will go on sale there later this year. If you are familiar with the new Hyundai Sonata, then this car is going to look very familiar—yet smaller. The Verna has what Automotive News calls “strong character lines” which are exhibited with the down swept front nose and protruding edge all on the side of the body. Another interesting point to note is that the Verna rides on a 101.2-inch wheelbase as apposed to the 98.4-inch wheelbase of the outgoing Accent.
Angular Front Exterior View - 2008 Hyundai Accent 4-door Sedan Auto GLS
The China Market car will be equipped with a 1.4- or 1.6-liter engine that will be matted to either a 5-speed manual transmission or optional four-speed automatic. The specifics for a U.S. car haven’t been announced, but according to Automotive News spokesperson Oles Gadacz has confirmed that a modified version of the car will reach the U.S. market, but no hints yet on which name the car will carry here. The expected time frame for the U.S. debut/redesign is for the 2011 or 2012 model year.
Be sure to stay tuned as AllSmallCars.com brings you more information on the developing small car line from Hyundai and the rest of the automotive world.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]


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Tech insurance disruption, a reality in 2018
Thursday, 03 22 2018, Category: Technology, Country: World
2018 could be the year where re/insurance industry disruption from technology giants becomes a reality as new entrants such as Amazon and Google threaten established models, heaping further pressure on traditional insurers, according to Clyde & Co’s Insurance Growth Report.
To remain relevant in coming years traditional players have to revamp models, particularly where tech giants already have monopolies on web-based ecosystems and potential re/insurance distribution platforms.
In 2017, InsurTech became a mainstream driver for insurance sector growth, as funding volumes rose by 36% to $2.3 billion, according to a recent Willis Towers Watson report.


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Apple appears to be gearing up for another September media event with Sept. 9 the big date, according to a report from All Things D.
It’s no big surprise considering Apple has used September as a window to announce new iPods and updates to iTunes. This event, which All Things D said will take place at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, will not include the much rumored Apple tablet, echoing other recent reports.
So what can we expect to see? Well, the most obvious things would be price and storage updates for the iPod Touch family. Considering that the Zune HD will drop on Sept. 15 at $220 and $290 for 16 and 32 GB models, Apple will likely double the storage of its current models to 16, 32 and 64 GB while likely keeping the $399 price point at the high end. There’s also the distinct possibility that Apple will introduce cameras for the iPod Touch and possibly the iPod Nano.
But what else might we see? Well, there are very interesting rumors of a social networking application that allows you to share your music with friends in real time, which would be tied to a new iTunes 9 update, according to the Boy Genius Report. The Boy Genius Report said the social application would tie your various social networks into one place and allow you to incorporate your iTunes music into your networks. The BGR also said iTunes 9 will come with Blu-ray video support.
And we might hear more about “Cocktail”, a new project Apple is reportedly working on with the big music labels to bring back the popularity of full albums by packaging them with extra content. This was first reported in the Financial Times.
And of course, one big question is whether Steve Jobs, who is officially back at work (at least part time), will lead the big press event. Now that would be a welcome sight and would be a bit of good press all by itself. We’ll know soon enough. Sept. 9 is just around the corner.
– Posted by Ryan Kim


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28-year-old Zimbabwean Jack Maseko was recently mugged by three men in South Africa - they wanted nothing but his mobile phone and the dreadlocks he had spent three years patiently cultivating. "I used to see people selling dreadlocks on the streets and didn't know where it came from," he told the BBC.
Dreadlocks can take several years to grow but many people do not want to wait and it is this need for instant long hair that is pushing the demand for ready locks in the black market, according to hairstylists. The thieves are quick and sometimes ruthless and will use anything from a knife to broken glass to steal the prized hair - known on the streets as a cut and run.
The gangs operate in Johannesburg but the practice has also spread to the coastal town of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. Shoulder-length dreadlocks are sold for between 200 rand ($23) and 700 rand ($80), while longer ones cost as much as 2,000 rand.
Most South Africans first heard of this phenomenon when the case of another Zimbabwean national Mutsa Madonko, who was attacked and had his hair shaved off outside a Johannesburg night club, made national headlines last month. He had apparently grown his locks for 10 years.


text: One business consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak is the delay of chemical company mergers and acquisitions. Nippon Shokubai is delaying its merger with Sanyo Chemical. The Japanese companies originally planned to complete their union, which would create a firm with about $4.7 billion per year in sales, in October. Now, they don’t expect to consummatethe transaction until April 2021. The companies say the “recent global outbreak of COVID-19 and the sharp decline in the oil and oil product markets” has caused too much uncertainty to complete the transaction right away. The pandemic has also delayed by a month SK Global Chemical’s purchase of Arkema’s functional polyolefins business for about $370 million. The companies now expect to close the deal May 11. Meanwhile, the composites maker Hexcel completely canceled its merger with the aerospace components firm Woodward, citing the health crisis caused by the novel coronavirus.


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New Zealand RIB maker Rayglass Boats will be making its debut at Seawork this year with a range of boats it aims to launch on the commercial marine market through distributor PB Europe.
Protector RIBs are available in a range of sizes and power, and visitors to Speed, which precedes the main Seawork event on June 12 on the Isle of Wight, will get the chance to try out a 11.5m Targa 380 with twin Mercury Verado engines.
Provisionally aimed at the leisure market and finding their place as support boats in the Olympics, Americas Cup and Sail GP events, Protector RIBs are now being launched on the European commercial market via Seawork.
“This will be our first step into commercial marine in Europe, the first event of the year,” says Andy Andrews, brand manager of Protector RIBs with the agent Ancasta Group. “We are bringing the Targa 380 to target coastguards, border force, the MOD – it’s a cabin RIB and Seawork will be our first input.”
The RIBs can do speeds of more than 50 knots in all sea states, he says, thanks to a special hull design.
“At that speed there is still no danger of the onboard equipment being smashed around or falling off its mount,” he says. “It’s an amazing seakeeping boat.”
It’s a result of 30 years’ R&D by the company in New Zealand, where the boats are built and where a new factory is to be opened by Christmas – a sign of faith in the future – and Andrews does not rule out a factory in Europe down the line.
“It’s the go-to police and harbour master boat in New Zealand,” he says, “it’s practically bullet proof.
“Stability comes from its hull design and high speeds are achievable in high seas as well – the larger boats have twin Mercury Verado 600hp engines, which have to be static – they are seven feet tall and 600kg each – so only the pod moves to avoid having all that weight moving around and destabilising it. And because of that you are not using excess energy either.”
The Protector RIB will be on the pontoon at Southampton at PB Europe, VA 37.


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UBMStudios, the world leader in digital events, environments and communities, is capitalizing on the rapid growth in Marketing-as-a-Service (MaaS). According to the BtoB “Marketing Services: What Marketers Want From Their Media Partners” research report, 55 percent of marketers have used b2b media companies for marketing services in the past 12 months. Additionally, CMO Survey’s August 2011 research shows that nearly 75 percent of respondents currently outsource marketing activities. These studies highlight that companies are making investments in outsourced marketing due to bandwidth and increased areas of marketing specialization.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/49987-ubm-studios-capitalizing-on-the-growth-of-marketing-as-a-service
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Trion World's popular MMO, Rift is getting a face lift through a new expansion pack. Called Storm Legion, the expansion promises to add two new continents that will triple the size of the existing world of Telara. The story-driven expansion will focus on Crucia, Queen of Storms, and the armies she hopes to bring through a gateway to the planes.
As explained on the expansion's official web site, Storm Legion will add three new raids and seven new dungeons. The add-on is planned for release this fall.
Trion had hinted at the expansion when it sent out an odd assortment of goodies, including a carpenter's level with the number 10 on it (the level cap rises from 50 to 60), the soles of four shoes (four new souls, one for each calling), and a rusty key ring with a gold key labeled Port Tempest (although the new city is Tempest Bay, according to the official site).
We'll get a first-hand look at the new Telara at E3 next week.
BOOM video 12921


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Over the last few months, following the farmers on Rhizosphere Farm I’ve developed a new appreciation for the work that goes into bringing food from the field to the table. It is hard work. Getting to know Matt, Terra and Max has given a face to our food and what it means to support local growers and those that work so hard to bring us our food.
I realize this is not the case for everyone. We all do the best that we can with the resources available to us and the budget that we live within. Whether it means buying our produce at the supermarket or from a local farmer. To be honest, it’s only been a few years since my own family really starting thinking about what we ate and where it came from.
About a month ago, I was invited by The Giving Table to join the International Justice Mission’s Summer campaign called, A Recipe for Change. They are working to bring to light the harsh working conditions in our own country’s tomato fields. Today, participating food bloggers will be sharing a recipe that includes slave-free tomatoes to raise awareness on this issue.
A little more in IJM’s own words…
Slavery is not just happening overseas. Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Molloy once called Florida’s tomato fields “ground zero” for modern-day slavery in the United States. In the past 15 years, over 1,000 people have been freed from slavery in U.S. tomato fields.
Recipe for Change–a campaign led by International Justice Mission in partnership with the Fair Food Standards Council and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers–is targeting three major supermarket chains this summer (Ahold, Publix and Kroger’s), and asking its CEOs to support the Fair Food Program. Corporations that join agree to pay a small price increase for fairly harvested tomatoes (1.5 cents more per pound), and promise to shift purchases to the Florida tomato growers who abide by these higher standards–and away from those who won’t.
Major fast food companies, like McDonalds and Subway, have already endorsed the Fair Food Program, but the largest U.S. supermarket chains have yet to support this collaborative effort to eradicate modern-day slavery.
Call to Action
Supermarkets can help eliminate slavery and other serious abuses from the tomato supply chain when they join the Fair Food Program. But in order to change its policies, CEOs need pressure from consumers.
Take 30 seconds, raise your voice, and sign your name to help ensure that supermarket tomatoes are slave-free! Link here.
And on to the recipe…
- 2 cups fresh corn
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 2 sprigs basil, julienned
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- In a large bowl combine corn, tomatoes and green onions. In a mason jar pour extra virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar. Shake well. Pour over corn, tomatoes and green onions. Gently fold in basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Click here for a list of more food bloggers spreading the word on this ‘Tomato Tuesday’.


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For those of you who aren’t on the up and up when it comes to car oriented events, no worries, I got your back. Nürburgring is a 150,000-capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. That was straight from Wikipedia because I didn’t want to botch it, you’re welcome.
Ultimately, Nürburgring has become THE standard of measure to which most cars are rated on their speed. To come in at the under the 6 minute mark is a huge deal—like the Nobel Prize of the racing community. I’m not being sarcastic either. I can’t drive to save my life, so these people are IMPRES-SIVE to me. It seems that Porsche announced back in April that they had no Nürburgring-aspirations. That’s since changed in a pretty big way.
According to The Drive—”Speaking to Australia’s Motoring at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Porsche Motorsport and GT vice president Frank-Steffen Walliser dropped a sly hint about how fast he expects the new GT2 RS can run around the famed Nordschleife. ‘This is the seventh generation of the 911. It’s all about sevens… It’s 700hp but it’s no seven at the Nurburgring.” Strong words considering they’ve reportedly yet to take the car on any official timed laps. “Wait and see. Give us some time and we will check it,’ says Walliser.”
Permitting the GT2 RS ends up coming in at under the seven-minute mark, it will be among some pretty badass cars—
To read the full article, head HERE
Lead image via Porsche.
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Funding difficulties have kept blacks from entering the tourism industry, but a budget to drive transformation has been created
When Khimbini Hlongwane (46) ventured into the tourism business three years ago, it was a path rarely walked by black entrepreneurs.
Whichever direction he looked, he saw an established white-owned business that he had to compete with in organising outings for foreign and local tourists, or a white-owned lodge to hire him to ferry visitors.
Having grown up in Maparule, a dusty village north-east of Hazyview and situated near the Sabi Sands Game Reserve’s Newton Gate in Mpumalanga, all of Hlongwane’s life has revolved around wildlife.
As an adult, he worked in private game reserves as a tracker and later as a tour guide.
Today, Hlongwane owns Vomba Tours & Safaris outside Skukuza in the Kruger National Park and takes foreign and local tourists to some of the exquisite sites in the province, including the park, the popular Panorama Route that boasts God’s Window in the Blyde River Canyon, and the historic gold-mining town of Pilgrim’s Rest as attractions.
He also organises tours to rural villages in the area.
“It’s been very hard,” Hlongwane said of his venture, “because this has been a white-dominated industry and pretty much kept away from blacks.”
According to statistics from the national department of tourism, there are still not enough blacks as shareholders and owners of entities in the tourism business.
In the few years that Hlongwane has been in business, it was only during the last festive season that he began seeing a surge in the number of tourists booking tours directly from his company.
“When we ask how they found out about Vomba Tours & Safaris, they say they were referred by other people and that has given me energy to push hard. There is that challenge as a black person that you have to prove you can do this right and white business often tries to downgrade my services,” he said.
“Big white-owned and international lodges support my business, but some give that support because they see me as a little underdog. I don’t need sympathy because I’m black … I need a platform to prove myself,” Hlongwane said.
He somehow believes that he would be better off if he was not running a tourism-related business because he would be able to express his views about racial tensions openly.
“It’s tough. I’m worried about the tensions between blacks and whites but I cannot go to Facebook and comment about things I see in this business,” he said.
The department of tourism commissioned a study on the state of transformation in the sector in 2017 after the introduction of the amended Tourism Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Sector Code in 2015.
The study, said departmental spokesperson Blessing Manale, found that only 13.6% of the 204 tourism entities surveyed had introduced blacks in their shareholding or ownership.
This is despite the fact that 80% of employees in the tourism sector are black.
Manale said it was also a struggle for black employees in the tourism sector to move up the corporate ladder, compared with white males.
“It is self-evident in the context of the tourism scorecard that transformation remains a major challenge facing the tourism sector, and the researcher has made recommendations to address such challenges. The findings of the study show that very few enterprises embrace the transformation agenda and certainly more needs to be done to address challenges enshrined in the report,” he said.
Manale added, however, that the number of companies that had shown an interest in taking part in an incubator programme for start-up black tourism enterprises in Mpumalanga, Limpopo, the Northern Cape and North West was increasing.
“This could be the signal that depicts an increase in new entrants, although it cannot be quantified,” Manale said.
The department has 54 545 tourism enterprises registered on its BEE portal, but their compliance with black empowerment was not good enough.
Only 44% of companies in the accommodation sector met BEE targets, 17% were in hospitality and related services while 39% were in travel and distribution.
“In comparison with a study conducted in 2012, the number of new black entrants who ventured into existing tourism businesses has slightly increased by 10%, while the number of black-owned businesses that ventured into the tourism sector remains the same,” Manale said.
Oupa Pilane – a co-founder of the R40 million Graskop Gorge Lift Company – said that lack of funding was a stumbling block for blacks to enter the tourism business.
Pilane’s company built a viewing lift that travels 51m down the Graskop Gorge, giving tourists a breathtaking view of the face of the gorge and waterfalls.
“If I hadn’t had R2 million cash, I could not have been part of this project. Funding institutions are there but their criteria are just too difficult for blacks to access the money,” Pilane said.
Manale agrees that funding difficulties have been key to keeping blacks from entering the tourism industry.
As such, the department had signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Empowerment Fund to create and manage a budget to drive transformation in tourism.
“The fund will not only assist small black-owned tourism enterprises to expand and grow, but also catalyse the rise of a new generation of youth, women and black-owned tourism industrialists to take the tourism sector to new heights,” he said.
The struggle for finance also hit Hlongwane. Since he did not qualify for finance to buy a minibus, he had to use his guile.
“I was forced to register in the local taxi association so that the bank could believe that I would have some income. I saved tips I got and applied for a personal loan just to convince the bank that I could pay its money back,” he said.


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On April 8, Beyoncé delivered some major news: She’s relaunching her Ivy Park athleisure brand in partnership with Adidas. Now, just a few weeks later, we have official proof that this collaboration is going to be iconic. In a series of Instagram posts, the Before I Let Go singer gave fans a sense of what to expect when the first Adidas x Ivy Park collection drops.
The first photo shows Bey wearing a red, long-sleeve bodysuit with the trademark Adidas logo in front. Meanwhile, she’s casually lounging on top of dozens (hundreds?) of Adidas sneakers.
In the second photo, she’s serving up looks against a floor-to-ceiling glass window, with endless rows of shoes laid out in front of her. While she didn’t confirm whether any of the kicks are part of her upcoming launch, it’s safe to assume that Bey’s personal shoe closet just multiplied by a couple hundred pairs.
She also shared a totally uncharacteristic selfie video in which we see her holding up her phone and zooming in on...her case? Interestingly enough, the black case features pink lettering that spells out “BEYLOVED.” Can we expect the new Ivy Park to feature “Beyloved” tees and leggings? Could she be dropping a hint about her next album title? Whatever it means, Bey’s caption, plucked from her hit song 7/11 — “Oohweebeebeefreakydeakythinkmeseeshepinkbikinirockthatkufidyethatshikinefertitiedgeskinky” — suggests that she’s very excited about something.
When Bey first announced that she’s teaming up with Adidas, she made sure to share how thrilled she was to partner with the classic sportswear brand. “This is the partnership of a lifetime for me,” she said in a press release. “Adidas has had tremendous success in pushing creative boundaries. We share a philosophy that puts creativity, growth and social responsibility at the forefront of business. I look forward to re-launching and expanding Ivy Park on a truly global scale with a proven, dynamic leader.”


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Happy meal toys can be just as hot as the real deal, according to the toys section of the popular Amazon store.
Happy Meal, the maker of Lightning McQueen toys, has announced it will offer its popular Lightning McQueen toys in the United States, the first time the company has ever done so.
The toys were first introduced in the UK in 2009, but are still considered by many to be the best gay sex toys available, according the company.
“Our Lightning McQuesens are great for couples and friends because they allow you to get to know your partner in a safe, fun way,” the company said in a statement.
“We want to help make your gay sex life even more fun, so we’re excited to bring Lightning Mcqueen to America.”
According to Happy Meal’s site, Lightning McQueueens can be worn in both positions, but some toys, including the Lightning McQuackles and the Lightning De-Quackle, allow both men and women to wear them.
Happy Food is the first major toy maker to offer these toys in a major US market.
The company has made Lightning Mcqueens available in Japan as well, but only for customers with Japanese credit cards, and not in the U.S. Happy Meals are currently sold in Japan at an introductory price of $69.99, which is not cheap.
In addition to the US launch, Happy Meal also announced that it will release a limited edition Lightning Mc Queen, the company’s first gay sex toy, in Japan.
Happy Dinner, a new line of toys, was launched last month, with a $79.99 price tag, which will be available at retailers in the US starting today.
Happy Desserts is another new line, which includes a Lightning Mc Quesen, a Lightning De Queue, a Happy Dine, and a Happy Fudge, each priced at $69 each.
The company has also started a partnership with the popular toy store The Good Life, which was able to get the toys to customers in the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Happy Meal also has a partnership that allows customers to buy the Lightning Quesens and Lightning De Queses for free through the site, as well as the Lightning Macquackles, which have a price tag of $59 each.
Happy Dinner is also available in Canada at a $14.99 introductory price.


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Will Bitcoin Diamond replace Bitcoin as Rank 1 Cryptocurrency?
Bitcoin Diamond (BCD) hard fork took place on block 495,866
The Bitcoin Diamond (BCD) hard fork on block 495,866 took place on 24th November 2017, at a time when Bitcoin was reaching for 12,000 USD. According to bitfinex.com, the value of Bitcoin is at 11,523 USD on 5th December 2017. It is not long ago when Bitcoin Gold hard fork occurred and Segwit2x fork cancelled due to lack of back up from the community. Bitcoin Diamond came to life under such circumstances showing unique character. “Will Bitcoin Diamond replace Bitcoin ?” is a question that runs on the minds of many at the moment.
Shown below is the process of occurring during and after a hard fork;
Privacy and BCD
Privacy is the primary concern of Bitcoin Diamond. The company officials highlights the priority given to privacy when advertising BCD. Bitcoin Diamond provides a solution to encrypt transaction details including amounts and balances of each and every BCD user. It promises fast transactions using the 8MB block size limit. This allows massive on-chain scaling with enough space to process all transactions at a faster pace. Also, by increasing the total supply of coins, BCD plans to lower the cost of participation threshold.
What makes Bitcoin Diamond unique?
Bitcoin Diamond clones the main Bitcoin blockchain splitting the Bitcoin funds on a 10:1 ratio. Those who are in possession of Bitcoins will receive 10 times more worth of Bitcoin Diamond.
The above ratio means Bitcoin Diamond plans to release 210 million crypto coins to the market. Bitcoin, Bitcoin Gold and Bitcoin Cash are capped at 21 million coins. Bitcoin Diamond website mentions 40 million BCD will be “automatically transferred into the community rewards pool as tributes and mining”.
BCD uses X13 hashing algorithm and allows anyone with a GPU graphics card to mine Bitcoin Diamond. This makes it justifiable and democratic as you do not need costly high-end ASIC computers which are necessary to mine Bitcoin.
Can Bitcoin Diamond replace Bitcoin according to Road Map?
The road map released by Bitcoin Diamond shows how serious they are in making this the Rank 1 cryptocurrency. The long-term plan of BCD is something of similar what Bitcoin planned during the early stages. Below is the potential plan released by the company;
The 2nd level of the plan is to release Bitcoin Diamond mainnet, nodes codes, API and wallet. This includes creating an open source code base in the GitHub repository. The upgrade will enable transaction and balance encryption along with NVIDIA and AMD GPU mining. The news made many miners happy in the local community.
More investors are watching with keen eyes to jump the ship, when Bitcoin Diamond replace Bitcoin as time progresses along with its rapid success.


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In its 100th year, with brands offering 923,000 rooms in close to 6,000 hotels in 113 countries and territories, Hilton is meeting the challenge of disruption in the hospitality industry by diversifying its brand offerings to meet the requirements of a new generation. Currently, one of every five hotel rooms under construction around the world is a Hilton and the company, which Conrad Hilton founded in 1919, plans to expand to nearly 20 additional countries by 2020.
Hilton bought his first hotel, the Mobley in Cisco, Texas, in 1919. It didn’t take long for him to acquire other properties in his home state and, in 1939, he built his first property outside Texas — Albuquerque’s Hilton Hotel (now the Hotel Andaluz). Since then, the Hilton empire has exported his blend of Texas hospitality and dynamic creativity around the world.
“It’s rare that any company gets to be 100 years old,” says Danny Hughes, Hilton’s executive vice-president and president, Americas. “Our 100th anniversary is one of innovation — very much a look forward rather than a look back.”
There is, however, a lot to look back on — in particular during the postwar period when affordable jet travel opened the world up to people of ordinary means. In those days, Hilton was modernizing his hotels with televisions, air conditioning and an early version of today’s Centralized Reservation System. The company opened its first European hotel, the Castellana Hilton in Madrid, in 1953. Other iconic properties quickly followed, such as the Hilton Istanbul and the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort (1955), the Nile Hilton in Cairo (1958) and the Cavalieri Hilton in Rome (1963).
With the new millennium, the travelling public has evolved and Hilton has responded by diversifying into numerous new brands that answer particular niche demands. In 2009, Hilton Worldwide launched its first new brand in 20 years — the affordable extended-stay offering Home2 Suites.
The past five years have brought a cascade of new brands: the premium Curio Collection by Hilton, which offers one-of-a-kind experiences, and the boutique Canopy by Hilton brand (both in 2014); the affordable, youth-oriented Tru by Hilton (2016); the unique upscale Tapestry Collection by Hilton (2017); the innovative, affordable micro-hotel concept Motto by Hilton (2018); and, most recently, Signia Hilton — a premium brand targeting meeting-and-event planners.
Hilton’s Canadian portfolio grew to 137 properties in 2018 (up from 113 the year before) and recorded gross sales of $900 million — up from $844 million in 2017.
“[In 2019], we have 170 hotels throughout Canada. It’s an area we feel very committed to; we see tremendous growth opportunities,” says Hughes.
The first Canadian Tru opened in Edmonton in 2018 and five more are scheduled to open in 2020.
“We’re actively looking to expand our Curio and Tapestry brands in Canada,” adds Vito Curalli, executive director of Sales, Canada, Latin America & International for Hilton Worldwide. “We open 10 to 15 hotels a year in Canada under various flags.”
This year, Hilton opened its first hotel in downtown Ottawa, a dual-branded Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites, as well as the Hilton Garden Inn Toronto/Brampton. And, another “very important” addition, says Curalli, will be the first Canopy property, opening near Bloor and Parliament Streets in Toronto in 2020.
“We know there’s a new wave of travellers looking for something unique and more local in nature,” he explains. “Hotels like Canopy will be reflective of the local neighbourhood. It will have a local coffee shop, locally sourced food-and-beverage [offerings]; and the artwork will be Toronto-centric. The Tru brand also speaks to that demographic of traveller, although it’s a little more whimsical — there are ping-pong and pool tables in the lobby. It’s more of a social environment. [Guests] don’t want to be in their guestrooms all the time — they want a social experience.”
Hilton has also pioneered technology solutions such as Digital Key, which allows guests to use their own mobile devices to choose their room, check in and open the door, and Connected Room, which allows them to not only control all the room settings with a single interface, but connect seamlessly with their own content platforms (including their personal Netflix account or Spotify playlists) from their room.
“We’re carrying on that tradition of being able to personalize everyone’s stay,” says Hughes. “Our loyalty and recognition program, Hilton Honors, is about earning rewards, but we’re also able to preload everybody’s preferences. We never want to lose the personal touch.”
The company has embraced a broader focus than guest comfort. Hilton now works to make sure it’s supporting local residents, businesses and the environment in all its locations.
“Conrad Hilton genuinely believed he could make a better world through travel,” says Hughes. To this end, in 2010, the company unveiled LightStay, a proprietary system developed to calculate and analyze environmental impact. The following year, it inaugurated Travel With Purpose — the company’s global corporate-responsibility strategy.
“We’ve launched our 2030 goals,” says Hughes. “We’re going to reduce our environmental impact in all our hotels by half — partly from seemingly small things. We’ve committed for all of our hotels globally to remove plastic straws by July 2019 and we’re actively working towards this goal with our properties around the world.”
Hilton is also working with meeting planners to help them understand their impact on the environment and to demonstrate ways to reduce their energy consumption, such as outdoor dining. “We’re finding more ways to use renewable materials, partnering with renewable-energy companies, moving to more environmentally friendly products in the guestroom and experimenting with bulk amenities,” Hughes explains. “We believe, as an individual traveller or a large group, people want to know they’re working with a company that’s conscientious.”
Through a program called Soap for Hope, “we’re recycling every single bar of soap,” Hughes says, adding “we’re cleaning them and sending them to countries in the world where a single bar of soap can save people’s lives.” Among other, larger targets are the commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 61 per cent, reduce water consumption and produced waste by 50 per cent and double the amount spent with local, small and minority-owned suppliers.
“Conrad Hilton said ‘Our mission is to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality’,” Hughes continues. Therefore, Hilton is celebrating its 100th anniversary by giving back to its many communities through “random acts of hospitality.” In Mississauga, Ont., this meant delivering surprises to nurses at the local hospital. Hilton Americas-Houston treated volunteers from the disaster-relief organization Team Rubicon during their work rebuilding hurricane-damaged homes.
“We feel very fortunate to have reached this milestone,” says Hughes. “But we’re at the top of our game. We’re very much reclaiming our position as leaders in innovation, but we’re also committed to being great partners in every place we operate. And we’re looking forward to our next century.”
Written by Sarah B. Hood


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Fisker Automotive, in Anaheim, announced the resignation of its namesake and executive chairman, Henrik Fisker. The company, which brought the $100,000+ Karma extended-range luxury sedan to market in 2011, ceased production of the car last year and has also postponed production of its second model, the Atlantic. In a media statement released Wednesday, the company said Fisker’s departure is “not expected to impact the company’s … continued progress as a pioneer of low-emission hybrid electric powertrain technology.”
The economic impact of vehicle sales in Orange County reached $9 billion last year – a 15% increase from 2011, according to the Orange County Auto Dealers Assn.’s Economic Impact Report released Wednesday. New vehicle sales totaled 173,342, used vehicles 76,700. OC’s most popular new vehicle last year was a tie between The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, which each took 4% of the pie, according to Edmunds.com. Combined, all four models of the Prius (including the C, V and Plug-in) claimed a 4.8% share in 2012.
Consumer Reports released its list of best used cars this week. The used vehicles it recommends in the $15,000-$20,000 range include the 2010-2011 Toyota Prius and 2011-2012 Hyundai Elantra in the small-car category, the 2011-2012 Toyota Camry (4 cylinder) and 2006-2007 Infiniti M sedans and the 2007-2008 Honda Pilot and 2009 Mazda CX-9 SUVs.
Harley-Davidson announced a new 2013 bike to help celebrate its 110th anniversary year. With a chromed-and-blacked, 103-cubic-inch V-twin and wheels framed with chopped fenders, the Breakout will be available at Harley-Davidson dealers starting today .
Star Motorcycles, in Cypress, unveiled its Bolt cruiser over the weekend. A modern, minimalist bobber, Bolt is a slim, single-seat machine that’s virtually chrome free.
Indian Motorcycle continued the slow tease of its highly anticipated Indian reboot. In Daytona last weekend, the Polaris-owned company showed the new Thunder Stroke 111 engine that will power the all-new 2014 Indian expected at dealers by year’s end.
Contact the writer: email@example.com or Twitter @OCRcarpenter


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We already knew Boiseans loved food trucks. But recently, there has been a deluge of them, doling out everything from Russian food to Paleo-friendly grub to Native America dishes. Once a month, foodies proclaim their love for the mobile kitchen by swarming to the Food Truck Rally, where a slew of wheeled food purveyors gather. The second Friday of every month draws all ages willing to stand in line in the name of quick-yet-yummy food. Organizers expanded the hours in August so more people can get their hands on some grub.
© 2020 Boise Weekly


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From: The Jakarta PostForeign tourists stayed in Bali for an average 8.75 days each last year, down from 13.6 days each in the previous year, an official says.
As consequence of the shorter stay, each foreign tourist spent only US$136.9 per day on average, or nearly $12 less than individual average spending in the earlier year.
Spokesman for the Bali administration I Ketut Teneng told Antara Friday the decline in the foreign holiday makers’ spending and length of stay had resulted in a lower quality of tourism industry on the island, although the number of tourists went up.
The provincial government data revealed that 2.38 million foreigners visited Bali in 2009, up from 2.08 million in the previous year.
Teneng said the underperforming tourism industry contributed to the province’s failure to meet its economic growth target of 5.74 percent in 2009. The province’s economy grew by 5.33 percent that year.
To make matter worse, the province’s export of handcraft also slid by nearly 2 percent to $262.9 million in 2009 from $268.05 million in 2008.


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A Co Down-based firm will announce it has secured 150 million dollars (£120 million) of new work to fit out cruise ships.
MJM Marine, an outfitting firm based in Newry, said the increase in business across a range of global clients, including the world’s largest cruise companies, will enable it to create more than 100 new jobs.
The new positions will take the firm’s workforce to in the region of 300 people. The announcement will be made on Friday on board the Celebrity Apex which was docked in Belfast.
It is part of Celebrity Cruises, a brand in the Royal Caribbean Group and one of MJM Marine’s trade partners.
MJM said its order book reaches across seven of the world’s leading brands, with delivery taking place in locations across the world including Singapore, across Europe and to the Bahamas.
Gary Annett, chief executive of MJM Marine, described a “really exciting growth trajectory” and new opportunities right across the business.
“The new roles are predominantly based at our headquarters in Newry and range from operations and project management to commercial and other business support roles,” he said.
“This represents a multi-million-pound GVA (gross value add) to the local economy in salary contribution and significantly more in value to the local and national supply chain.
“There are more than 500 cruise ships active at the moment with regular refit and upgrade schedules. We have visibility of the future requirements, so we are confident of a buoyant long-term project pipeline.”
Naoimh McConville, group managing director at Rathbane Group, MJM Marine’s parent company, added: “We are thrilled to announce the next phase of growth for MJM Marine. We are committed to strengthening our operations by investing for the future to make a positive impact for our people and planet.”
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She said they will be launching an extensive recruitment drive.
“Our people are the force behind driving innovation and delivering industry firsts, which is the platform for our strong culture and performance,” she said.
“We take pride in our record for securing repeat business and the development of collaborative client relationships, with brands who entrust us time and again with their refit work.”


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On the afternoon of November 20, VinFast has launched a series of materials, which includes two modules of Lux A2.0 and Lux SA2.0 have appeared at the Paris exhibition in old Longitudinal cars.
Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, in the context of international international integration, demonstrated that the competitiveness of Vietnam's economy has improved considerably. Reduction in the product has grown rapidly and Vietnam has been the leading export of agricultural products, seafood, woven fabrics, motto and electronics. In the past, although there are many good materials, but many things in Vietnam need to behave a flag; parent company abroad.
"We do not have many of our world-class competitive brands, especially in key areas such as automobiles, motorcycles, electric engines, agro-process and other businesses. I welcome VinFast in a very short time to create the first car value of cars, electronic phonics and conduct of the Vietnam brand through detailed research and major repository investment. International rates for sales service.
I recommend VinFast to have a plan to develop support businesses as well as research and development to expand the product. I would like VinFast to fulfill its obligations to consumers, and ensure environmental protection, industrial waste and waste to have a brand and a competitive car business. Vehicle representation is a profit business, and creates income for its & # 39; budget and many jobs for the people. By placing more advocacy of 4.0 technology to improve, becoming able to understand, they will take advantage of the opportunities that they can; at a quarter-to-business business in Vietnam, "said PM.
Also at the opening, Nguyen Viet Quang, leader of the Vingroup Group on the cost of the cars announced – what is public interest. In particular, the official price list of VinFast 1,818 billion dong cars with VinFast Lux SA 2.0 (SUV); VND366 billion for VinFast Lux A 2.0 (Sedan) and VND423 million for VinFast Thread.
But, at the beginning, VinFast also made a special promotion policy, with a special price of 1.136 billion with VinFast Lux SA 2.0; VND 800 million with VinFast Lux A 2.0 and VND 336 million with VinFast Fadil. The upper stages are not included VAT.
In addition, VinFast also generates ten thousands of service points in the ecosystem system for electric motorcycle products to serve customers across the country.


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One issue has come to divide the state’s legal cannabis industry in recent months: Aspergillus testing. Analytical Cannabis reached out to key figures on both side of the debate to find out why fungi testing has become so fraught.
In an email letter sent last week – seen by Analytical Cannabis – the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) reminded licensed labs that they are “required to accurately report testing results for cannabis batches.”
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recommended that cannabis be reclassified from Schedule I to the less restrictive Schedule III within the Controlled Substance Act.
Cannabis products in Oregon no longer have to be tested for Aspergillus fungi following a suspension order from the Oregon Court of Appeals.
State regulators in Colorado have issued another health and safety notice after “potentially unsafe levels” of total yeast and mold was found in a batch of cannabis flower.
The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation has recalled a whopping 62,799 products that weren’t compliantly tracked in the state’s digital trace and trace system.
The participants felt similarly about the safety of second-hand cannabis smoke.
The regulator detected the potential contamination during a routine inspection after reviewing the product’s testing documentation.


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Launching a brand is no easy feat. But it’s made quite a bit harder when faced with a global pandemic and while already operating in the public eye.
Influencer and fashion blogger Arielle Charnas, the founder and creative director of the Something Navy brand and store, confronted that set of conditions head on while opening her brick and mortar storefront along with the Something Navy brand, which launched in July.
It all began 11 years ago when Charnas started Something Navy, a blog, as a hobby in 2009 while enduring a break up. Eventually, it evolved into a full time career. Now, she has 1.3 million followers on her personal Instagram account with the Something Navy account clocking an additional 293,000 followers.
“I fell in love with putting looks together, documenting, styling and communicating with people from all over the world about fashion and style,” Charnas says.
After three years, she was able to quit her day job and pursue her passion full time.
“I started off with partnerships, which eventually required that I grow my team, followed by collaborations and eventually launching a Something Navy clothing line within Nordstrom,” she says.
Something Navy’s origins are in the blog world, through which Charnas built a community which, in turn, encouraged her to expand Something Navy into the fashion, lifestyle and media brand it has become.
“In 2019, I decided it was time to take the leap and bring Something Navy all in house and launch it on my own,” Charnas says, noting she had always imagined having a brand. “When the time came, I knew I had to move forward with the opportunity to create collections that celebrate style and the ‘Something Navy girl.’”
The “Something Navy girl” prioritizes both style and functionality as pillars of her wardrobe, according to Charnas. “She wants to wear fun, trendy clothing, without it being intimidating or exclusive,” she explains, adding that — for the most part — that kind of girl makes up the brand’s client base.
She and her team put community feedback to use while shaping Something Navy. “Something Navy is my aesthetic and my style, but I’m designing pieces for the Something Navy community,” Charnas adds.
Something Navy focuses on celebrating personal style featuring “classic and elegant pieces” that will help build the wearer’s confidence in their every day lives.
Launching a brand during a pandemic presented challenges, Charnas says, but with the help of her team, she was able to work through those that presented themselves and the brand launched in July.
At the beginning of the pandemic, her team made the “difficult decision” to delay the brand’s launch, which was initially scheduled for March.
While Charnas and her colleagues had been excited about taking the next step, they ultimately came to the decision that it was more important to launch the right way to ensure the experience was successful and safe.
“As a brand, we took a step back to reflect at what was going on in the world – between the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement – to make sure that not only were we keeping our team members and community healthy and safe, but we were taking action and prioritizing diversity and inclusion,” Charnas says.
The call they made to hold off was the right one.
Since the brand’s July launch, they’ve completed more than $12.5 million in sales and Something Navy has been projected to grow by 300 times in 2021.
“The overall business grew over 300% in 2020,” Charnas says.
One of the factors contributing to the company’s growth include different social marketing methods including their “See Now, Shop Now” tactic which drove 34,000 shoppers to the brand’s site in the first hour post-launch.
They also created a “VIP” customer community granting access to those who sign up to new products on the site 20 minutes prior to those items’ official drop, among other promotions.
“The power of the Something Navy online community has been incredible,” Charnas says. “After 11 years of forming relationships with followers and fostering this community it’s been amazing to actually learn from everyone, take in advice, create collections with that input in mind, and make clothing that we know the community actually wants.”
In 2020, Charnas experienced additional pandemic-related challenges outside of the brand’s launch — such as public criticism Charnas faced as a result of her actions during the onset of the pandemic.
“The beginning of the pandemic was a lot to take in,” Charnas says, noting that it was hard to take the criticism online and that she took time away from social media to reflect on herself and her actions.
“It was never my intention to hurt or offend anyone,” she says.“I was really open about everything that happened with my experience having COVID-19 and my response and reactions to it.”
“Throughout this experience one thing I’ve come to terms with is that I’m only human,” Charnas continues. “I have learned a lot of lessons (in 2020), but as an influencer with a large platform I recognize that I am held to higher standards and want to be a role model for my community.”
Thanks to what she has learned, she’s been using her platform more to speak out “about important topics” including the promotion of small businesses.
Charnas is also putting “a lot more thought” into her daily posts, she says.
While being in the public eye has proven to be difficult at times, her career is something of a fantasy come to life. She’s always wanted to share her love for fashion and styling with others.
“It’s a dream come true I get to do it as a career,” Charnas says.


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CAPE TOWN -- AfricaCom 2017 -- Africa will not get its first 5G services until 2022, trailing other regions on the rollout of the next-generation mobile technology, and is forecast to have only 2 million 5G subscribers by 2023, according to the latest research from Ericsson.
The predictions, which were unveiled at today's AfricaCom event in Cape Town, imply that African telcos will launch 5G services about three years later than operators in the most advanced markets.
They also suggest that 5G services will initially have a limited impact in Africa, accounting for a negligible 0.2% of the 990 million mobile subscriptions that Ericsson AB (Nasdaq: ERIC) expects to see across the continent in 2023.
The findings -- which were presented by Chafic Traboulsi, the head of Ericsson's networks business for the Middle East and Africa, in Cape Town earlier today -- point to the enormous challenges that still face companies building networks in Africa.
Chafic Traboulsi, the head of Ericsson's networks business in Africa, expects African operators to launch 5G services several years later than telcos in more advanced markets.
Addressing attendees after a heated panel debate, during which telcos clashed with government ministers from Namibia and Zimbabwe, Traboulsi blamed a lack of cooperation between different stakeholders for the slow rollout of mobile broadband technologies in Africa so far. (See Huawei, Telcos Clash With Policymakers in Cape Town.)
Some 30% of people worldwide still lack access to basic Internet services, Traboulsi noted, and most of them are in emerging markets in Africa. "There is no technology excuse for this," he said. "There are satellite backhaul and other [low-cost] solutions and we can't hide behind the technology and say it is too expensive."
"The key issue we have is that nobody can do it alone," he continued. "Open discussions have to be taken in countries where we want to increase Internet penetration."
The remarks at today's show came shortly after senior executives from South Africa's MTN Group Ltd. and India's Bharti Airtel Ltd. (Mumbai: BHARTIARTL) had also called for greater collaboration between telcos, government authorities and web companies entering African markets.
Ericsson archrival Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. raised similar concerns during a keynote presentation this morning. "How do we encourage governments to change and convince telecom operators and power companies to work together to spend the limited funds they have to promote a better connected Africa?" said Paul Michael Scanlon, the chief technology officer of Huawei's carrier networks business.
Referring to contrasting experiences in Europe and China as a warning, Scanlon said that overpricing of 4G licenses had inevitably slowed down the rollout of the technology in western European markets. "Six countries [there] spent €18 billion [$21 billion] on 4G licenses in 2014, while China Mobile spent $300 million," he said. "At the end of one year, there were 60,000 4G basestations in those European markets and China Mobile had 720,000."
One option for African operators may be to "re-farm" spectrum as customers migrate from legacy to next-generation network technologies. According to Ericsson's research, 2G technology will account for just 12% of all mobile subscriptions in sub-Saharan Africa by 2023, down from 49% today, with 3G and 4G networks serving an overwhelming 87% of customers.
"There is lots that will be done on capacity management and spectral conversion [but] the planning has to be done now if networks are to be ready," said Traboulsi.
Ericsson expects the number of mobile subscriptions in sub-Saharan African to grow from 700 million today to the 2023 figure of 990 million. Around 880 million of those subscriptions will be classed as mobile broadband, says the company, up from just 350 million in 2017.
This year did not begin the way most people expected it to, so what does the future of the telecoms sector look like in Africa in 2020? In this Connecting Africa online event, local analysts and industry stakeholders will discuss what African operators’ priorities for the year should be and the most significant market trends expected to dominate in 2020.
Will MNOs focus on sweating their current assets rather than investing in new technologies like 5G?
What impact will COVID-19 have on the continent’s networks?
What are the hot market trends in Africa when it comes to voice, data and mobile financial services?
The majority of 5G in Africa is still in the testing stage. However, as operators prepare their networks for the technology jump, what strategies are they deploying to ensure they gain the full value that 5G can offer Africa? This digital symposium will give you an insight into the opportunities and challenges facing Africa’s 5G rollout, with some country specific case studies unpacked.
How 5G-ready is African enterprise?
Is 5G a priority for in Africa, should it be? Or can operators and businesses focus on growing their 3G and 4G networks for enterprise instead?
What are the most significant enterprise business applications for 5G deployment on the continent, and where can 5G facilitate IoT applications?
Africa was the birthplace of Mobile Money and while it continues to rise in popularity, the industry is quickly evolving and launching more mobile-based financial services every day. In this Connecting Africa online event, local analysts and industry stakeholders will discuss how telcos are disrupting the financial services space and what the rise of Mobile Money 2.0 will look like for Africa.
From cash to mobile: heading towards a cashless society
Expanding MFS offerings beyond mobile money transfers
MNOs vs banks vs fintechs: an evolving competitive landscape
Unconnected and unbanked: fintech to improve financial inclusion
The rise of micro-loans and insurance through mobile platforms
Africa has the fastest growing population in the world and also the youngest, with 60% of Africans under the age of 25. It is clear that the next billion connected are going to be the mobile-only generation. This digital symposium will bring industry experts together to discuss Africa’s digital divide and how to get devices into the hands of young Africans and empower them to join the digital revolution.
Who’s Driving? The role of government & regulator, private tech companies, and public-private partnerships
Device affordability: are we reaching a tipping point?
Status check: Satellite vs Fiber and the enduring infrastructure gap
Exploring the wider societal and economic benefits of a connected, digitally literate continent


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saulgranda | Moment | Getty Images
A ban on plastic drinks stirrers, straws, and plastic-stemmed cotton swabs will come into force in England next April.
“Urgent and decisive action is needed to tackle plastic pollution and protect our environment,” Environment Secretary Michael Gove said in a statement Wednesday.
“These items are often used for just a few minutes but take hundreds of years to break down, ending up in our seas and oceans and harming precious marine life,” he added.
The ban follows on from a consultation which found that more than 80% of respondents supported a ban on the distribution and sale of plastic straws, with 90% backing a ban on drinks stirrers and 89% in favor of a ban on cotton swabs. The consultation ran from October 22, 2018 to December 3, 2018, and had 1,602 respondents.
Outlining details of the ban, the U.K. government said there would be exemptions to make sure that people with a disability or medical requirements could continue using plastic straws.
In practice, this means that while restaurants and bars will not be allowed to display plastic straws or “automatically hand them out” they will be able to provide them upon request.
Another exemption will apply to the use of plastic-stemmed cotton swabs for “medical and scientific purposes” where such items are “often the only practical option.”
The CEO of Surfers Against Sewage, Hugo Tagholm, said the charity welcomed the ban. “Stopping the production and distribution of these single-use plastic menaces will prevent them from polluting beaches nationwide,” he added. “It’s a really positive and bold step in the right direction in the battle against plastic pollution.”
Several major businesses are already looking to move away from using plastic in their stores. Fast food giant McDonald’s is rolling out paper straws to stores in the U.K. and Ireland, while upscale supermarket Waitrose now only offers paper straws in its cafes.
The issue of plastic pollution is a big problem. Europeans produce 25 million tons of plastic waste per year, according to the European Commission. Less than 30% of this is collected for recycling.


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Internet Explorer users who took an IQ test performed worse than users of other browsers, a new survey says.
In an attempt to highlight the relationship between choice of Web browser and one's cognitive abilities, Vancouver-based Web consulting company AptiQuant recently gave an IQ test to more than 100,000 people and monitored which browser was used, reports CNN.
Participants were voluntary, arriving at the company's Web site via various search engines. Subjects tested were from English-speaking countries, AptiQuant confirmed in its study.
Those who used sophisticated browsers like Opera scored "a little higher on an average than others," the company also noted.
Still, Internet Explorer is the most widely used browser in the world, with Firefox and Google Chrome not far behind, StatCounter reported in May.
Microsoft released its ninth version of Internet Explorer in March, with news that a tenth is already in development.


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Last week, Google made a major announcement stating that on April 21st they will be extending the use of mobile-friendly websites as a ranking signal and this update will have a “significant impact” on their mobile search results.
Google updates their algorithm 600+ times every year, and very rarely do they announce significant updates. And when they do announce their updates (i.e. Penguin and Panda) they announce the algorithm update within a couple days of implementation.
So announcing an upcoming update…two months in advance….this NEVER happens NEVER.
Google has been advising users on their Webmasters blog for a couple years now and been releasing a lot of tools to help webmasters with their responsive design. So, I figured something like this was coming, but not in this fashion.
In a recent interview at SMX West, Gary Illyes, a Webmasters Trends Analyst for Google, was interviewed for one of the sessions.
In this interview, Illyes was asked whether there would be any wiggle room in this update or is April 21st a hard deadline. He said that he couldn’t comment on the specifics but he said, “I will say April 21st is a very important day.”
So what does this mean for you? Well, if you haven’t updated your website to a responsive design, or implemented a separate mobile version of your website, Google is giving you eight weeks to get it done. If you don’t get it done, then expect some significant drops in rankings of your website in mobile search results. If you have a mobile website, then no need to worry! You are all set!


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Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in the U.S. will reach 110,000 units, a value of $3.3 billion, in 2003, if California sticks to its zero emissions vehicle mandate set for that year, a study by the Freedonia Group predicts. Sales will grow to 210,000 units — and a value in excess of $5 billion — in 2007, the company says. Despite intense marketing campaigns, sales of EVs have not reached the numbers anticipated a few years ago, the Freedonia study points out. Hampered by performance ...
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After being confirmed by the regulators in Gibraltar, along with the Maltese casino games (online) makers, Relax Gaming Ltd. has moved back to declare the inking of its content allocation, and it has been a month or more than that. The company has declared it to deal with the iGaming domain at the 1Win.
The headquarter is located in the suburb (Valletta) of Saint Julian, and the innovator utilized a press release to explain the most recent partner as his upcoming online casino, which was on live in 2018. The press release reported that there was a new alliance, which was to activate the website to offer a broader selection of various games from its portfolio, and it will also include some of the best video slots like – Snake Arena and five-reel Money Train. In addition to this, there will also be a large collection of third-party content, which will come from its Silver Bullet program.
Alliance with iGaming Domain at 1Win
This Relax Gaming Ltd. agreed to an identical arrangement at Tipobet365.com, which is known as a Turkish-language domain. Both of them agreed and came to the arrangement in August. Moreover, it announced that the 1Win could also get access to the Temple Tumble (six-reel) video slot. 1Win can also get access in addition to other games from the external developers, and they will be chosen as the partners because of the commitment to innovation and quality.


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Domino's Pizza Lowered to Hold at TheStreet (DPZ)
Domino's Pizza (NYSE:DPZ) was downgraded by stock analysts at TheStreet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Tuesday, Analyst Ratings.Net reports.
The analysts wrote, “Domino’s Pizza (DPZ) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from buy to hold. The company’s strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, solid stock price performance and impressive record of earnings per share growth. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including poor profit margins and weak operating cash flow.”
Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Analysts at Zacks reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Domino's Pizza in a research note on Monday. They now have a $77.00 price target on the stock. Separately, analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Domino's Pizza in a research note on Friday. They now have a $79.00 price target on the stock. Finally, analysts at Barclays raised their price target on shares of Domino's Pizza from $62.00 to $77.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. They now have an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $75.60.
Domino's Pizza (NYSE:DPZ) traded down 0.50% on Tuesday, hitting $72.15. 153,067 shares of the company’s stock traded hands. Domino's Pizza has a 52 week low of $55.75 and a 52 week high of $80.61. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $75.5 and its 200-day moving average is $71.96. The company has a market cap of $4.000 billion and a P/E ratio of 27.89.
Domino's Pizza (NYSE:DPZ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The company reported $0.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the analysts’ consensus estimate of $0.68 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $453.85 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $444.91 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.59 earnings per share. Domino's Pizza’s revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Domino's Pizza will post $2.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which is scheduled for Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.38%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 11th.
Domino’s Pizza, Inc (NYSE:DPZ) is a pizza delivery company in the United States.
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What you need to know
- Apple Stores in the San Francisco Bay Area will stay closed longer than most.
- Six counties in the are declared "shelter in place" mandates until April 7th.
- Only essential businesses will be allowed to remain open during that time.
Last week, Apple announced that it would be closing all of its retail locations outside of China until March 27th in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, some stores may have to keep their doors closed for a little longer.
Reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, six counties in the San Francisco Bay Area have issued "shelter in place" mandates, demanding that only essential businesses and services remain open and that all residents in the area stay home except for necessary travel. It is the strictest policy put in place so far in the United States to protect against the spread of coronavirus.
The mandate in all six counties begins at midnight, March 16th and will stay in place until at least April 7th. This new policy will extent Apple's original plan of keeping its retail stores closed until March 27th as many of its stores in the area are located within the counties under the new mandate.
Apple's own headquarters is also in one of the counties now under the mandate, as Apple Park rests within Santa Clara County. Last week, the company asked for employees of the campus to work from home if possible, and this new policy puts even more pressure on that effort.
The new policy set forth by the six counties demands that people work from home unless they provide essential services like public safety, sanitation, and medical services. Businesses such as grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies, and banks will remain open during the mandate, but others like restaurants will be limited to delivery and take out.
The mandate is currently set to expire on April 7th, but it could be extended once the situation is reevaluated.
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Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.


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Along with the name confirmation, NBC has also launched the new Peacock website, although it's not much more than a placeholder at the moment.
The service will be available on an ad-free subscription basis, as well as offered as a subsidized product through advertising. Peacock is scheduled to arrive to market in April, 2020.
NBC's streaming service now has a name
Arguably, NBC is considerably late to the streaming service party and will likely be even later by the time it does launch due to the likes of Disney and AT&T's WarnerMedia launching services in the interim. However, NBC is banking on its catalog as a means to attract users. Today, the company provided some more details on what Peacock will offer.
NBC had previously confirmed some of its most-watched shows will be included. A point reiterated today with "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation" provided as prime examples. NBC also confirmed it will offer a "world-class slate of originals" as well. This is in addition to feature films from multiple studios including Universal Pictures, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation, Illumination.
When the service does launch it will be populated with no less than 15,000 hours of content, according to NBC. Peacock will also come with content aimed at Spanish-speaking viewers, including "more than 3,000 hours" of Telemundo content.
NBC Peacock pricing unknown
While the name takes us one step closer to understanding the service, pricing is still a mystery. NBC has not provided any update on when pricing will be revealed other than stating "closer to launch."
Any new service can tout what it will offer but what's become increasingly apparent is price matters. Consumers now have a wealth of streaming services to choose from and the number is only going to increase as time goes on.
There's already been indications consumers are starting to feel the effects of so-called "subscription fatigue" and if NBC wants to penetrate those users, the price will have to be right. That's not only right for NBC, but right for the market in general, as well individual users.
If NBC goes down the really inexpensive route then it will find itself competing against the latest arrivals, Apple TV and Disney+. While if it opts for higher pricing then it runs the risk of going up against Netflix and HBO Max.
Of course, with ad-free and ad-supported tiers expected to be on offer, NBC might feel it can compete on both ends of the spectrum, equally.


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Brands need to build “trust capital” to thrive in the modern, kinship economy. Increasing personalisation and a new definition of value mean that trust is more important than ever, according to new research released by IHG.
The company has launched a blueprint to build trust with customers across different demographics and geographies. It says that building trust capital is now an essential corporate role.
Read the full story here:


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< Return To Hearing
Mr. Mitchell E. Kertzman
December 12, 2001
Mr. Chairman, Senator Hatch, and other members of the Committee, thank you for the chance to speak on this critical topic. The Proposed Final Judgment is woefully inadequate. It is a backward-looking document that fails to prevent Microsoft from abusing its monopoly position to increase costs and stifle new technologies -- not just for personal computers, but also for new technologies like digital televisions, cellular phones, game consoles, and personal digital assistants.
Microsoft has already announced its intent to expand its dominance beyond PC operating systems, servers, and applications to new devices and even personal information via its "eHome" and "Passport" initiatives. According to comments made by Microsoft President Steve Ballmer just last week, Microsoft is pursuing a "broader concept" for its client devices like the xBox and set-top box software. In his words, "[T]here's a bigger play we hope to get over time" by annexing all of these devices into the Microsoft empire. Microsoft's own demos and white papers show that it plans to establish its operating system as the software that would collect information streaming into the home and distribute it to each new device.
Microsoft has used and will continue to use its monopoly over desktop operating systems to deny competition in each new computing market as it evolves: first desktop applications, then internet browsers and servers, and now alternative devices ranging from smart phones to television set-top boxes.
By dealing only with a narrow category of Windows products, and failing even there to impose any significant restrictions, the Proposed Final Judgment fails to check Microsoft's demonstrated willingness to exploit its power over the operating system in order to dominate other market segments.
By way of personal background, I am the CEO of Liberate Technologies, a company making middleware software that enables interactive and enhanced television. Before joining Liberate, I was chairman and CEO of Sybase, then one of the world's ten largest independent software companies, founder and CEO of Powersoft, an enterprise software company, and chairman of both the American Electronics Association and the Massachusetts Software Council. I am also currently a director of CNET, Handspring, and TechNet.
Throughout my career, I have both partnered with and competed against Microsoft. I have been impressed by the power of its dominant platforms, but also concerned about the abuses that resulted from that dominance. I have seen Microsoft consistently use its power to block competition in new markets through at least three types of misconduct that the PFJ does nothing to deter: (1) Preventing original equipment manufacturers from supporting new technologies; (2) Tying commercial restrictions to investments; and (3) Blocking non-Windows-based industry standards.
(1) Preventing Original Equipment Manufacturers from Supporting New Technologies
My current company, Liberate, was originally Network Computer Incorporated, promoting computers and software that would operate via a network to significantly reduce the cost of computing. This model, like the Netscape browser, threatened the dominance of the Windows platform. But because the manufacturers of many new devices also manufacture desktop PCs, Microsoft was able to exploit its desktop OEM relationships to discourage competition. For example, Network Computer had an active relationship with Digital Equipment Corporation to develop a device running our software. Microsoft and Mr. Gates simply threatened the CEO of DEC that they would port Microsoft's NT operating system to DEC hardware only if DEC stopped development of a network computer, an offer DEC couldn't refuse. It's clear, and the courts have reaffirmed, that a monopoly simply cannot engage in this kind of
Such tactics forced us to exit this business, and the price of PC operating systems and applications remains as high as ever when all other computing costs have plummeted.
The Proposed Final Judgment focuses only on Windows products for desktop PCs and includes broad and ambiguous exceptions to its limits on retaliation. These loopholes would apparently let Microsoft get away with the kind of misconduct it perpetrated against Network Computer. The result would be to block or delay the development of new competitive devices and technologies. The remedy proposed by the non-settling states would, on the other hand, prevent Microsoft from engaging in this type of retaliation and unfairly extending its desktop monopoly to a wider array of software and devices.
(2) Tying Commercial Restrictions to Investments
Second, in investing the considerable proceeds of its desktop monopoly in new markets, Microsoft has extracted, or attempted to extract, exclusive or near-exclusive commercial distribution arrangements to block out competitors. In the interactive television industry alone, Microsoft has invested billions of dollars with leading cable and satellite networks. As recently as this week, Microsoft has again aggressively pursued this strategy with leading operators both here and in Europe. The strings attached to these investments often require networks to buy Microsoft's middleware, making it difficult or impossible for them to buy competitive products.
Microsoft's money is a heavy thumb on the scale, biasing choices of future technologies in its favor. As new-generation computers and small consumer devices often rely on networks for their interconnections, these investments in network companies set the stage for continued dominance of these new platforms as they evolve.
Again, the PFJ fails to even address the issue of such restrictive dealings outside the scope of desktop products. In contrast, the remedies filed last week by the non-settling states, while not barring new investments, would at least require that Microsoft give 60 days notice to permit a review of anti-competitive effects.
(3) Refusing to Support Non-Windows-Based Industry Standards
Microsoft has also abused its monopoly position by blocking industry-wide standards essential to the evolution of a new generation of network-based devices. In our industry, Microsoft has undermined Java as a standard for digital television, lobbying heavily to prevent U.S. and European standards bodies from standardizing on Java. As you know, Java lets developers "write once, run anywhere", permitting content to run across a wide variety of platforms rather than just on Microsoft's proprietary code.
As a second prong of this strategy to block, co-opt, or "embrace and extend" standards, Microsoft has refused to join with other technology companies in pooling its intellectual property, instead indicating that it will sue to block the implementation of standards wherever it can find a violation of one of its patents. Microsoft certainly has the right not to support a standard. However, they are exploiting their dominance in the PC market to distort standards elsewhere.
Third, by removing the Java Virtual Machine from its PC operating systems while the JVM is common elsewhere, Microsoft discourages developers from creating new "write-once, run-anywhere" content, undermines support for uniform standards, and drives developers to write to proprietary Microsoft platforms.
It is clear that Microsoft's foot-dragging and affirmative interference has slowed the deployment of digital television in the United States. Cable companies and television manufacturers both say that a gating issue has been the lack of a definitive standard for digital television, a standard that Microsoft's tactics have delayed and undermined. Microsoft's approach stands in direct opposition to the clearly expressed will of Congress and the interests of all Americans interested in richer and more varied television programming.
Yet again, the PFJ would do nothing to prevent these abuses. The remedies recently filed by the non-settling states -- by making available Microsoft APIs and certain types of code, opening access to the personal identification data captured by Microsoft Passport, and requiring the distribution of the Java Virtual Machine -- would promote technology interoperability and the development of universally beneficial standards while maintaining relatively open alternatives to Microsoft software and services.
The PFJ is a disappointment. Disappointing because it is weaker than the facts and the law of the case support, and disappointing because it will not limit Microsoft's plans to dominate new markets in the same way it has dominated operating systems, applications, and servers in the past.
I welcome this hearing, and hope that this Committee will continue to exercise vigorous oversight of this case to assure that the final outcome is in the best interests of American consumers.


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On a blistery night at Red Rooster in Harlem, New York, Marcus Samuelsson, the famed chef and media personality who runs several restaurants in New York City and beyond, has handed over his kitchen to visiting chef-owners Joy Crump and Beth Black of Foode + Mercantile, an eatery in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Hosted by HEINZ’s Black Kitchen Initiative, world-renowned chefs like Samuelsson are empowering up-and-coming Black chef talent to take over their kitchens, unlocking unprecedented resources to support their businesses.
“It was such a special night celebrating Joy and Beth’s vision, and we got to be a part of that thanks to the HEINZ Black Kitchen Initiative and its mission to help rising Black chefs through efforts like this Open Kitchen event,” Samuelsson shares with EBONY. The initiative provides up-and-coming Black chefs new opportunities, experiences, resources and exposure for their culinary businesses, which is currently one of the largest barriers to success in the American restaurant industry.
Specializing in elevated comfort cuisine, Samuelsson loved executive chef Crump’s pickled jumbo shrimp. “It was absolutely amazing,” he says. “I loved the entire menu, though, because it brought Joy and Beth’s Virginia flare to Harlem.”
Samuelsson is supporting female chefs throughout the Eastern seaboard. Chef Amaris Jones, Chick ‘N Jones owner and featured EBONY FWD chef, is the chef-at-large at Red Rooster Overtown, Samuelsson’s Miami-based location in the city’s historic Black neighborhood. “For Black chefs that have restaurants in Miami, which are many, sometimes people just don’t know that we’re here,” she shares. Collaborations with chefs like Samuelsson increase exposure for all.
Gearing up for the holidays, Samuelsson will be cooking with his son Zion. “It brings me so much joy,” he declares. “We cook a lot of sweet potatoes and pumpkins during the holidays. It’s fun putting our heads together to come up with different ways to use them. We love roasting and folding them into pancakes or mac and cheese.” The chef suggests incorporating pomegranates into your holiday menu. “They’re such a fun way to spruce up a salad or a rice dish.”
To keep from going overboard in the kitchen during the holidays, Samuelsson stresses that planning is key. “You should always think ahead and have dishes you can share,” he advises. Try prepping ahead of your festivities so meals can be easily popped into the oven ten minutes before guests arrive.
“I’ve found that for our family, the key to not stressing is to map out a combination of ingredient sources. [My wife] Maya will usually order our pantry items online several weeks in advance. Over the weekend, we’ll go to the farmer’s market as a family for our meats and fresh produce. Stock up early so that your essentials aren’t sold out!”
The post Marcus Samuelsson Is Celebrating Female Chefs at Red Rooster Harlem and Red Rooster Overtown appeared first on EBONY.


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- Intel Unveils 'Sodaville' Chip for TV Set-Top Boxes
- 3ality Shows Off '3D of the Future
SAN FRANCISCO - The third day of the Intel Developer Forum opened with science fiction, and ended with the steps needed to make that fiction a reality. Intel announced its next-generation "Sodaville" chip for TV set-top boxes, which will be based on the Atom microprocessor.
LeVar Burton of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Reading Rainbow" fame, opened the day's events by reminding the gathered developers to keep dreaming. Burton pointed to the communicator used in the original "Star Trek," and noted how that flip communicator eventually influenced the design of a flip cell phone.
Burton joined Eric Kim, vice president and general manager of Intel's digital home division, to present a future TV concept experience, which merged live viewing with DVR functionality, sharing, emailed content, and social networking, including a video call.
Burton reminded the audience that the dream must exist before the reality. "Do not be afraid to dream that big dream: What if? What if? What if? What are the contributions that you will bring to make that dream a reality?" he asked.
Last year, Kim and Intel announced the CE3100, an integrated system-on-a-chip that could be used in set-top boxes to integrate the Internet on TVs. The announcement was a bombshell of sorts, a surprise partnership with Yahoo and its Widget Channel. The combination created a sidebar to the HDTV experience, allowing users to access weather, stocks, and other widgets while video was running in the background.
"But putting PC on a TV doesn't work; we know, we tried it," Kim said. "People want an immersive TV experience on their television." People want the power of the Internet on a TV, but they want it "simple," Kim said.
What's needed is a pure Internet development framework, Kim said and the most popular version of that is Adobe's Flash technology. David Wadhwani, general manager of the platform business unit at Adobe, said that the company has opened Flash and removed all license fees, requiring only that manufacturers to open the platform to third-party developers, as part of the Open Screen initiative.
Wadhwani demoed Flash 10 running on an Intel processor, showing full-screen Flash browsing, not to a Web site, but to a custom screen designed by Disney.
The Sodaville processor uses an Atom core, and Intel has brought "Moore's Law" to shrink the processor to 45 nanometer technology. The Atom Processor CE4100, as it will be formally called, includes a 1080p video engine not to just decompress streams, but also recorded content supplied from another source, such as a hard drive. Intel doubled the speed of its 2D/3D engine, and added support for MPEG-4. The chip uses either DDR-2 or DDR-3 memory.
Intel also announced a reference platform and development kit.
Intel's Kim made the argument that devices like the television didn't really take off until there was both content and a business model ads that could support the format. Kim implied that IPTV, the technology behind the set-top box, was headed down the same path.
George Schweitzer, president of CBS marketing, claimed that people now don't watch TV, but manage video. CBS now has a TV widget. People now have more content than they know what to do with, he said. "The shows are out there, but we need to make it easier to find them," he said.
But the most compelling applications on the Internet are games, which normally require a game console like the Sony PlayStation 3. "But we know that there are an amazing array of Flash games on the Internet today ... so we know that consumers will enjoy playing Flash games on this device," Kim said.
However, Kim also said that Intel is "very intrigued" with actually playing older PC games on the CE device. "Suppose that PC games were regularly available by your TV service provider," Kim said. "Could this be beneficial to the service provider and consumers at home?
Not surprisingly, the answer was yes. Vikas Gupta, chief executive of TransGaming Technologies, announced TransGaming's service at gametree.tv, with such games as "Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3". Gupta said his firm is developing an SDK, and publishers can submit games to TransGaming to port the service to the TV platform. The business model supports purchase, rental, and subscription models.
Gametree.tv expects to launch in 2010, Gupta said. next: 3ality Shows Off '3D of the Future


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There’s been a lot of talk about Google’s new security certification, but what does ISO 27001 actually mean? How did Google earn it, and will it benefit your business? These are all important questions to ask, and equally important answers to know.
Simply put, ISO 27001 security certification is among the most internationally accepted independent security standards. Specifically, it is a standard that falls into an Information Security Management System (ISMS). This certification requires three different standards to be met. The first standard is an examination of information security risks that must note any vulnerabilities, impacts or threats. Second, there must be information security controls in place in addition to a fully-functioning suite of risk treatment methods that can be used against any unacceptable risks. Third, a management system that will meet future information security needs must be created.
Google opened itself up to an audit, conducted by Ernst & Young CertifyPoint, to prove that it met these requirements and was eligible for the ISO 27001 certification. To complete the audit, Ernst & Young CertifyPoint conducted an informal review of Google’s information security controls and risks as well as a full, in-depth audit. The final step of the audit involved multiple follow-up reviews to guarantee that Google’s information security practices were ongoing.
Upon meeting these requirements and having a successful audit, Google announced on May 28 that Google Apps for Business was now certified in ISO 27001. This announcement was a big deal for both Google and businesses.
Although Google’s cloud computing platform for businesses has had a favorable reputation since it first launched in 2006, many large businesses have held back from undergoing a Google Apps migration due to security concerns. But now that Google Apps for Business has ISO 27001 certification, these concerns should all but disappear. This new certification has caused many large businesses to realize that Google is able to make a larger investment in security than is an individual business, even a big corporation.
Eran Feigenbaum, Director of Security for Google Enterprise, says that when businesses look at this new ISO 27001 certification alongside Google Apps for Goverment’s SSAE 16 / ISAE 3402 audits and FISMA certification, they should be able to see that Google has a deep commitment to maintaining a high standard of security and to continuing to evolve its security practices. Feigenbaum notes that Google will further highlight this point by continuing to undergo third-party audits.
Knowing the level of security your business’ information enjoys is extremely important, regardless of the size or nature of your company. Your data is essential to the daily operations of your business, and thus it is necessary to know that it will remain intact and that it is not vulnerable to outside threats. Google’s new certification should ease these concerns and reassure businesses that the cloud is a safe, trustworthy place to store data.
Overall, Google Apps for Business’ new security certification, and the rigorous process to which Google submitted itself in order to earn it, should affirm Google’s ongoing dedication to information security in the cloud.


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The sale of Jimmy Buffett's 1963 Ford Falcon Convertible for $258,500 at the GAA Classic Car Auction in Greensboro, North Carolina, marks a significant moment in the world of classic car auctions and Jimmy Buffett memorabilia. This particular vehicle, once owned by the late beach music icon who passed away in September 2023, encapsulates more than just automotive history; it represents a tangible piece of the laid-back, beach-inspired lifestyle that Buffett so famously celebrated through his music and business ventures.
Buffett's Ford Falcon is not just any classic car. Its uniqueness is enhanced by the addition of a roll bar, an unusual feature for a convertible of its era but a practical modification by Buffett to transport his surfboard. This detail, along with the car's provenance and the inclusion of a signed guitar and one of Buffett's surfboards, significantly elevated its value and appeal at auction. The fact that it fetched a quarter of a million dollars—while not record-breaking in the classic car world—speaks volumes about the cultural value and emotional connection fans and collectors have with Buffett's legacy.