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The growth plans of Under Armour Inc. (NYSE: UAA) suffered a setback following the outbreak of coronavirus last year, at a time when the sports apparel company was making progress in its efforts to come out of a long-drawn slowdown. But the company shrugged off the COVID blues in the second half and posted stronger-than-expected earnings since then.
In what could be the beginning of a much-needed recovery, the stock made strong gains this week, reflecting the positive second-quarter earnings, and reached a three-month high. Of late, performance has not been very impressive as the once-thriving stock maintained a perpetual downturn, except for a few short-lived rebounds.
The improvement is good news for shareholders, and the favourable valuation should encourage prospective investors to take the plunge. Experts are optimistic in their outlook on the stock, which is expected to grow by a third in the twelve-month period. Also, the management’s bullish guidance indicates the current momentum would be sustained during the remainder of the year.
The business entered a rough patch a few years ago, mainly due to the entry of new players into the American sportswear market and a challenging retail scenario. Also, certain initiatives of the management did not yield the desired results, like the partnership with Kohl’s Corporation (NYSE: KSS). Things have changed now, and the ongoing measures to strengthen the brand and boost e-commerce — under the new CEO Patrik Frisk – seem to be working.
The growth strategy centred around physical stores, rather than exploring multichannel opportunities, had invited criticism from stakeholders earlier. Probably, the company needs to focus more on innovation to stay relevant in a market that is ruled by the likes of Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE).
In the most recent quarter, the bottom-line bounced back into positive territory from last year’s loss as sales almost doubled across all business segments. At $1.4 billion, revenues were up 91% from last year and above the consensus estimate. Earnings, excluding one-off items, came in at $0.24 per share.
It is worth noting that the second quarter is traditionally a weak period for the company. Better pricing and a reduction in promotional activities contributed to margin growth this time. Earlier, the company had announced a restructuring plan to streamline the cost base for improving profitability and liquidity.
“From an owned store perspective, we experienced improved traffic trends and higher average selling prices in the quarter, driving better productivity and more normalized promotions. Longer-term, we remain focused on building the capabilities necessary to become a best-in-class retailer by creating incredible experiences in our full-priced brand house stores and better leveraging our factory house locations to drive greater overall profit,” said Patrik Frisk, chief executive officer of Under Armour, during his post-earnings interaction with analysts this week.
The stock traded higher in the early hours of Thursday, after closing the previous session up 7%, and stayed well above its 52-week average. The shares witnessed stable growth over the past twelve months, after slipping to the single-digit territory in the early weeks of the pandemic.
Looking for more insights on the earnings results? Click here to access the full transcripts of the latest earnings conference calls!
Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB) reported first quarter 2023 earnings results today. Net sales increased 15% year-over-year to $2.57 billion. Organic sales growth was 15%. Net earnings attributable to Campbell Soup
Fewer companies filed for initial public offering this year, compared to 2021 when the market witnessed a record number of IPOs. With only a few weeks left for the year
Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG): A few points to keep in mind if you have an eye on this restaurant chain
Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE: CMG) were down 3% on Tuesday. The stock has dropped 13% year-to-date but there is still a positive sentiment in general about its


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Marketing Automation Takes Flight
September 27, 2012
Marketing automation was once a practice surrounded by mystique – many companies had heard of it, but few knew what it was and how it could be used at their companies. However, the shroud surrounding marketing automation is being pulled back, and more companies are beginning to understand the strategy and realize the value it can bring to the table.
Take, for example, a recent survey conducted by Forrester Research. According to the report, 59 percent of companies are planning to increase the number of automated campaigns executed this year. There are still some skeptics of marketing automation, but they are in the minority – as few as 14 percent don’t plan on using marketing automation in 2012.
This is likely because automated campaigns alleviate a number of marketing pain points, ranging from sluggish response times to rising budgets. The Forrester [r]esearch further notes that 42 percent of marketers plan to use automation technology for sales and marketing alignment, while others will leverage it to generate relevant offers (38 percent) and customer engagement (57 percent).
Marketing automation can provide huge value to the companies using it, so it’s no surprise companies are increasingly incorporating these platforms into their operations. With marketing automation tools at the ready, best-in-class companies achieved 31.6 percent year-over-year revenue growth, data from the Aberdeen Group suggests.
This translates into a greater degree of trust for the sales and marketing department, with 86 percent of companies using this technology reporting a higher marketing budget this year.
When integrating a distributed marketing automation platform, it’s pivotal that companies consider all of their options. Different vendors produce distinct solutions that excel in a variety of areas and categories. One platform may not work for one company, but could be the perfect fit for a business in another industry.
With more companies integrating marketing automation platforms, businesses should keep their needs in mind as they shop for their marketing automation solution provider[s]. It’s crucial to consider both feature offerings and the customer service of the prospective vendor partner.

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VOL. 122 | NO. 136 | Monday, July 23, 2007
Trends & Analysis
Memphis Literacy Council Fundraiser Offers 'Taste of Cooper-Young'
By Andy Meek
OFFERING A TASTE: Richard and Evalee Grenamyer's Blue Fish Restaurant is one of several eateries in the Cooper-Young neighborhood participating in the "A Taste of Cooper-Young" fundraiser Thursday benefiting the Memphis Literacy Council. -- Daily News File Photo
Debra Hall was eating lunch with a co-worker on the outdoor patio at Young Avenue Deli, both of them relishing the trendy vista of Midtown's Cooper-Young neighborhood around them.
Hall, director of development and marketing at the Memphis Literacy Council (MLC), and Jon Devin, its director of program development, casually chatted about the multitude of restaurants sandwiched between Cooper Street and Young Avenue. The eateries, they noted, afford plenty of possibilities for their workday lunches.
Then the light bulb went off.
"Honestly, we kind of looked at each other and said, 'Wouldn't it be great if we had an event where we could incorporate all the food in the neighborhood?'" Hall said, recounting how this week's "A Taste of Cooper-Young" progressive dinner and fundraiser for the MLC came to be.
"It was a bolt out of the blue, but it was a pretty darn good idea, I think. And it kind of grew from there."
A taste for a cause
"Because of the high turnover in property management with apartments, we want to make sure everyone is aware of the program and to not let it fall through the cracks. We want it to stay on everyone's mind so that everyone knows we're there to help them. It's been a while (since holding an information session), and that's one of the reasons we wanted to get it on the front burner."
- Jackie Condrey
Investigator in the Shelby County District Attorney General's office
Midtown denizens will get to see just how much that idea grew when on Thursday, eight of the district's unique eateries provide various courses for their part in the evening's dinner. The event, which is a different kind of fundraiser for the MLC, involves participants carrying a punch card with them to each restaurant - where the card will be marked accordingly - before ending up at the MLC's facility for dessert, live music and an auction.
Participating restaurants will provide generally one course, be it an appetizer or entrée, with servings for 230 people.
"Basically, what we're going to do is we're giving people a chance to go around to all their favorite restaurants here in Cooper-Young and kind of get a taste," Hall said. "We'll have a silent auction at the literacy council featuring a lot of artwork from the artists and businesses here in the neighborhood.
"So really, for the price of the ticket, which is $50, you get food from eight different restaurants, you get a pre-dinner cocktail, you get post-dinner wine - so that's a pretty good deal. And you get to see one of the more eclectic neighborhoods in the city."
A growing neighborhood
That neighborhood - generally tagged with one of a host of adjectives along the lines of "trendy," "hip" and "bursting with character" - also happens to be in the midst of a protracted growth streak. This week's fundraiser is one example of that.
The night's festivities begin with cocktails at Burke's Book Store, which just so happens to be one of the newest additions to Cooper-Young.
The Cooper-Young Business Association recently moved into new digs at 2120 Young Ave., apparently to be closer to where the business-related action is in the district. And new ventures continue to seize available space, such as the pizza parlor being opened by Lou Savarin.
He opened his restaurant, Pie in the Sky, first in the 1990s, then, for personal reasons, sold it a few years ago. The new owners closed the eatery about a year ago, and Savarin now has decided to try again. This time it will be called Lou's Pizza Pie.
"I still love this neighborhood, and (the new restaurant) won't be any different than before," he said. "The menu's exactly the same, and the prices are the same as they were before."
The MLC, of course, is another of the Cooper-Young neighborhood's tenants. Founded in 1974, it operates via hundreds of volunteers who provide instruction to students.
The building, at 902 S. Cooper, is open from about 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, then on an abbreviated schedule Friday and Saturday.
"Whenever people can get to class," Hall said, "we want to be here."
Evalee Grenamyer, who owns the Blue Fish Restaurant in Cooper-Young with her husband, Richard, said this week's event will be a boon for the neighborhood. She especially hopes it goes well for the MLC.
"I'm really hoping that people from all over come to support this," she said.
Participating businesses include Tsunami, Blue Fish, Do, Beauty Shop, Cafe Ole, Young Avenue Deli, Celtic Crossing, Sweet the Exquisite Desserterie and Burke's Book Store.
"This neighborhood is so supportive of each other - this is not the case where everyone sees each other as competition," Hall said. "And everybody's excited not just to show off their own food, but the neighborhood as well - this is really a destination for food."


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The Japanese brand has announced its decision to shelve all plans of Yamaha cars in collaboration with Gordon Murray.
It has just come to light that development of all Yamaha cars with Gordon Murray Design has been put on hold indefinitely. Despite having several concept models showcased to the public in recent years, Yamaha has decided to drop plans to bring some cars to the market. On explaining the reason for this decision, the Japanese company has revealed that it would be difficult to deliver a USP for any of the models under the development with Gordon Murray Design.
The Sports Ride concept was debuted in 2015 at Tokyo Motor Show as the next car in collaboration with Murray after the Motiv.
Also Read - Fourth-Gen Suzuki Jimny Is Infeasible, According To C V Raman
In 2015 and 2013, the brand introduced two concept cars at Tokyo Motor Shows, the Sports Ride and Motiv concepts, respectively, which are both based around the modular iStream platform by Gordon Murray Design. The Sports Ride concept created quite a buzz for the use of carbon fibre in its construction and a composite chassis within its ultra-light two-seater structure that promised to deliver great rigidity, admired power-to-weight ratio and motorcycle-like driving experience. Details of the car were not unveiled though, it was reported to weigh below 900 kg.
“Cars do not feature in our long-term plans anymore. We could not see a way to develop either car to make it stand out from the competition, which is very strong.” said Yamaha spokesman, Naoto Horie at Tokyo Motor Show.
Also Read - Two Autonomous Suzuki Concepts To Debut At Tokyo Motor Show
Even though the well-known designer Murray has said that the modular iStream architecture could be used profitably to produce around 1,000 and 3,50,000 vehicles, Yamaha still confirmed that the projects would still be axed. The company revealed that although the sports car had a great appeal for them as enthusiasts, the marketplace is so difficult to go on proceeding the plans.


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Escorts First Quarter net Profit at 25.4 Crore
New Delhi, January 31, 2011
First Quarter sales at 827.7 crore, up 38 per cent
Tractor volumes up by 20 per cent
Agri Machinery Business grows 45 per cent
Profit Before Tax at 30.7 crore
Escorts Limited today reported a Net Profit of 25.4 crore for the first quarter of the 2010-11 financial year ending December 31, 2010, registering an increase of 9 per cent from 23.4 crore for the corresponding quarter last fiscal. The company’s Profit Before Tax (PBT) stood at 30.7 crore. Net Sales grew by 38% to 827.7 crore as against 600.2 crore registered in the corresponding quarter. As opposed to the preceding quarter, net sales up 24 per cent. EBIDTA for the first quarter of the year is at 43.8 crore higher by 25 per cent as compared to the preceding quarter. Escorts Limited follows an October-September fiscal year and the reported quarter is the first quarter of fiscal 2010-11.
The Agri Machinery Division recorded revenue of 773 crore, up 45 per cent from 534.1 crore. Tractor volumes are up by 20 per cent to 16,333 units as against 13,561 units in the corresponding quarter.
Speaking on the results, Chairman and Managing Director Mr. Rajan Nanda said, "Escorts' first quarter results of fiscal 2010-11 reflects a profitable quarter with increase in sales performance in the tractor segment. The industry is faced with rising inflation, which will be a test of our managerial initiatives to neutralize increasing costs. We will continue our focus on improving our product offering to our customers, deeper market penetration and increasing the efficiencies of our channel partners."
Mr. Nikhil Nanda, Joint Managing Director said, "Our results for the quarter are a demonstration of the company's thrust to grow the business. Whilst the sales growth has been steady, our focus will continue to be to improve EBITDA and manage the challenge of rising input costs. Financial charges have seen a downward trend and this is a reflection of several initiatives to improve fund management.
Our construction business is seeing growth in the year ahead and we are geared to participate in this opportunity. The railway business continues to hold promise, and several product initiatives are in the pipeline, which will support modernization plans of the Indian Railways. We look at 2011 as a year of new business opportunities, where new initiatives will strengthen our profitability and growth in all segments."
The reviewed accounts of the first quarter of 2010-11 ending December 31, 2010 has been approved by the Board of Escorts Limited.


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Earlier this month, Apple discontinued its 12-inch MacBook and, in doing so, finally took a serious step towards simplifying its notebook line. The 12-inch MacBook was undoubtedly a solid machine, but it’s hard to deny that its time had come.
At the same time, Apple just a few weeks ago also introduced some welcome enhancements to its MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models. Specifically, Apple added a True Tone display to the Air while also lowering its price point. The entry-level MacBook Pro, meanwhile, was graced with the Touch Bar and an 8th-gen quad-core processor.
Interestingly enough, Apple reportedly has some additional laptop revamps in the works. According to a report from the Economic Daily News, Apple is planning to introduce a brand new 16-inch MacBook Pro with a 3,072 x 1,920 display sometime this fall. As far as positioning is concerned, the report relays that it will be designed for true professionals looking for something in between an iMac and an iMac Pro.
It’s also rumored to be Apple’s most expensive laptop with a price somewhere in the $2,900 range. That’s a lot of dough, to be sure, but it’s no secret that power users have been clamoring for a larger notebook from Apple for years now.
Aside from the MacBook Pro, the report also adds that Apple will introduce revamped versions of its 13-inch MacBook Pro and 13-inch MacBook Air.
Notably, the rumors above align quite well with previous investor notes from reputed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Back in February, Kuo said that Apple was working on a MacBook Pro model with a display size in the 16-inch to 16.5-inch range. Kuo, at the time, also said that the new 16-inch MacBook Pro would feature a brand new design.
As a final point, it’s worth noting that there have been reports indicating that Apple over the next few months will slowly transition away from the butterfly keyboard design that has famously caused so many complaints among users.


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NFL players take the field wearing next-generation innovation for athletes at the highest level.
The Chicago Bears celebrate a return to greatness and rich tradition by elevating the significance of an important symbol on the Nike Elite 51 Uniform. To honor this renewed commitment, the thick white stripes of the George S. Halas era are restored to prominence on the sleeves, after getting smaller over the years. A revolutionary player, inventor and coach, the return of the GSH stripe represents the never-wavering memory of Halas’ impact on the Bears’ community. His legacy has never been stronger, and the bold stripes are a reminder of his legacy. In addition, the TV numbers move up to the shoulders, for maximum visual impact.
ELITE 51 Uniform Explore the next generation in superior lightweight performance. See the full innovation of the Nike Elite 51 Uniform. Launch the interactive tech sheet.
In addition to the new design aesthetic, the Bears have chosen to take full Nike innovation in the uniform including Flywire technology to reduce weight and provide a lockdown fit over the pads. The uniform is completely engineered from the inside out, creating a system where the baselayer, padding, jersey and pant work in concert with each other. A few of the new innovations include increasing sleeve articulation for better range of motion and integrating new four-way stretch fabrication to provide a streamlined shrink-wrap fit.
In addition to serving as the Bears on-field supplier for uniforms, sideline apparel, practice wear and baselayer, Nike will also provide men’s and women’s fan wear apparel. Athletes will also be able to wear the Nike Vapor Jet 2.0 Glove featuring the interlocking team logo on the palms.
LIGHTER - The Nike jersey and pant, wet or dry are lighter than previous versions
FLYWIRE TECHNOLOGY- Eliminates layers, reduces weight, and provides lockdown fit
ZONED MESH VENTILATION – Provides cooling zones for optimal thermoregulation
ZONED STRENGTH - High tenacity, stretch material, for lightweight lockdown strength.
CUT FOR MOBILITY – Four-way stretch, hydrophobic materials enable range of motion wet or dry.
STRETCH TWILL NUMBERS – Four-way stretch even on numbering system
CUSTOMIZABLE BASELAYER PADDING – Nike Pro Combat Hyperstrong baselayer with integrated lightweight, Deflex padding offering customizable flexible protection.
DEFLEX PADDING - Lightweight, flexible impact protection integrated into top “hit zone” areas
ALUMINUM D-RING BELT - Aircraft-grade aluminum D-ring belt reduces weight.
15 years since its initial release, the legendary Air Force One Linen returns this week.
15 years since its initial release, the legendary Air For...
The new agreement will run from 2018 until 2026.
Army Black Knights will wear the new “paratrooper” look on December 10.
Army Black Knights will wear the new “paratrooper” look o...
Inspired by the merging of ocean and land in Rio de Janeiro, the new NikeLab Air Zoom Legend x RT brings elements of Nike's past experimentation in boots into a new Chelsea boot.
Inspired by the merging of ocean and land in Rio de Janei...
This is a special Nike Zoom LeBron Soldier 10 PE for LeBron James.
This is a throwback-inspired KYRIE 2 PE for Kyrie Irving.
For the third year in a row, the Diamond Quest begins with all four schools in the College Football Playoff wearing Nike uniforms.
For the third year in a row, the Diamond Quest begins wit...
A closer look at Nike's "New York Made" campaign including a new Nike Soho store, an artist-designed basketball court and more.
A closer look at Nike's "New York Made" campaign includin...
NIKELAB CHI opens on December 1.
The Nike Detroit Community Store’s inaugural grant benefits the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan and more.
The Nike Detroit Community Store’s inaugural grant benefi...
Jordan Brand honors the 20th anniversary of Space Jam with the launch of DEFY, new take on the classic story to inspire a new generation to defy expectations.
Jordan Brand honors the 20th anniversary of Space Jam wit...
The Nike HyperAdapt 1.0 in Black/White-Blue Lagoon releases December 1.
The Nike HyperAdapt 1.0 in Black/White-Blue Lagoon releas...
NikeLab MA5 opens in Minami Aoyama, Tokyo on December 1.
Tiger Woods will lace up a new signature shoe when he returns to the course this week.
Tiger Woods will lace up a new signature shoe when he ret...


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MILAN — Japan is set to steal the spotlight at Pitti Uomo in January.
Longtime friends Jun Takahashi, founder and creative director of Undercover, and designer Takahiro Miyashita will both unveil their fall 2018 men’s collections with back-to-back runway shows on Jan. 11.
The event will mark the return of Takahashi at Pitti Uomo, where he showed his men’s collection on the catwalk in 2009, while Miyashita will host his first Takahiromiyashita The Soloist show outside Japan.
As reported, a day earlier, on Jan. 10, Brooks Brothers will stage its first runway show in the sumptuous Salone dei Cinquecento inside Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio, which will also house a brand retrospective open to the public from Jan. 11 to 14.
Pitti Uomo’s collaboration with both established and upcoming international labels is part of the trade show’s strategy aimed at imposing itself as the leading player in the men’s wear industry. Last June, the trade show teamed up with Virgil Abloh, founder and creative director of Off-White, and J. W. Anderson, with both showing their spring 2018 collections in Florence.


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Special Economic Zones
Are Africans benefiting from the billions China is spending on the world's poorest continent?
We look at China's role in Africa and ask whether Africans are benefiting from the billions the world's second largest economy is investing in the world's poorest continent.
Nnenna Obibuaku reports from the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Nigeria and we hear from Martyn Davies, chief executive of the consulting company Frontier Advisory in South Africa. Plus Neo Simutanyi, director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue in Lusaka, tells Justin Rowlatt that there are questions over what benefit Chinese investment brings to Africa.


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The founders of a popular Australian activewear brand have been forced to change their company’s name after receiving legal threats from a similarly-named business.
Butter Butter had risen to popularity since its 2020 launch due to its incredibly soft sports leggings made using recycled fish scales. Some customers had compared the fabric’s texture to body butter, earning the brand its namesake.
But a men’s skate wear brand in Perth called Butter Goods issued the business a cease-and-desist order a year ago over the similar names.
Two weeks ago, Butter Butter rebranded to Locionne (pronounced like lotion), again a reference to the brand’s soft products that have been described as lotion-like.
Michelle Huang and Elle Castellani, the brains behind Locionne and long-time friends from Melbourne, said they decided against fighting the legal demand.
“In the end we decided to rebrand,” Ms Castellani told news.com.au. “It has saved us six figures in legal fees.”
Locionne has been a hit with women across Australia, generating $3.2 million in revenue so far this year compared to just $5000 a month in the early days of 2020.
The pair have known each other for nearly five years and knew they wanted to do business together but it took Ms Castellani being made redundant for them to commit.
“Michelle and I asked each other do we want to let go of our jobs and dive head first, or did we want to do it slowly?” she recalled. “We took the plunge.
“No one had addressed concerns women had with leggings, like camel toes and muffin tops. When we launched, that was the hallmark of our brand.”
They splashed out $50,000, their entire life savings, to find a material that was soft and ideal to address these problems.
“We put all our savings into this, every cent we had at the time. It was definitely a huge risk, there was no back-up plan,” Ms Huang told news.com.au.
“We had everyone around us telling us be careful, this is not a good time to start a business with (the) Covid (pandemic) happening. We stuck by our guns.
“But everyone was working from home, activewear was all they were buying. At the time, eCommerce was a huge thing. When we started it really was the right time.”
The business partners started by storing all the clothes in every spare space available in Ms Huang’s parents’ home, but within a year, sales had picked up so much that they had to hire a warehouse.
Fast forward three years and they’re on track to hit $4 million in revenue and on their best day this year, they made an eye-watering $50,000 in sales.
They now have four staff members working for them and have signed a major deal to expand into the UK.
The Aussie mates also had a warehouse sale in July and they were blown away by the level of interest.
“We opened at 9am, there were girls apparently already huddled like penguins in their jackets from 6am in the morning,” Ms Huang said. “That day it happened to rain the whole day.”
The queue snaked around the corner and went for more than 200m, they said.
They have high hopes their stock will be even more popular on Black Friday on November 24.


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Bad news! One of the world’s top oil and gas supermajor is LEAVING Malaysia. 🙁 Shell confirmed on 9 April that its IT unit in Cyberjaya is moving to Bangalore, according to Sim Wie Boon’s report on The Rakyat Post. Lo said the move to Bangalore is not due to the falling ringgit value or oil prices but the decision made several years ago is rather due to the environment and ease to do business from a global perspective.
HAH! Make fun of Bangladesh summore la.
You mean Bangalore isn’t in Bangladesh??? Stupid CILISOS! But they’re not the only guys taking the brains of their operation away from Malaysia…
MyTeksi is going to Singapore to open an R&D centre, reported Digital News Asia.
“It was the logical choice for us when we first started planning this R&D centre – the conducive business environment and strong existing infrastructure is ideal for us to build and develop a global pool of talent,” – MyTeksi Group CEO and founder Anthony Tan.
But why is Shell’s IT service, which started and operated in Cyberjaya for over 13 years, and MyTeksi, an originally Malaysian business, moving out? Are there signs that Malaysia is not optimal for business as before? Let’s take a look at things we might be able to do to get some of it back.
1. Fill the skill gap and plug the brain drain
Even with plenty of job vacancies to go around, 62% of companies in Malaysia still can’t find employees with the right skills or good English language proficiency, World Bank reported. Nearly half of the managers surveyed, rated employees’ IT skills as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’. So that kinda leaves Malaysia with almost HALF our graduates either jobless or stuck in mismatched fields…. and India (a country with higher IT skills) with a Shell contract!
But Malaysia can’t be that bad, right? We have talented people! We just have a brain drain problem. While we’re aspiring to become a high-income nation by 2020, 64% of Malaysians are filling high-skill jobs overseas. But you know what makes us even more sakit hati? 15% of them are OVERQUALIFIED for their jobs!
Guess where their top destination is……….Singapore! Because of this, our annual net wages, compared to Singapore and other countries, are lower.
On top of annual net wages, Malaysia has poorer infrastructure compared to Singapore, so…
2. Make our infrastructure BETTER
On studies done by World Bank, Forbes, World Economic Forum, and others, Singapore’s economic rankings are pretty hard to beat. Sorry to compare. Promise last time.
The biggest areas of differences in business infrastructure point to the process of setting up a company, taxes, employing workers and cross-border trading. For example, in Singapore, it takes only 1 day and 2 steps to form a company, while in Malaysia, it takes 11 days and 9 steps.
3. Make GST a bit clearer can?
At this point, it isn’t even just consumers confused with GST. Even businesses don’t know whether costs are going up or down. Unfortunately, this sort of uncertainty makes it difficult for businesses to judge profits – and if you can’t judge profits, how to do business!?
Fortunately, RHB Research expects the dust to settle within 6 to 9 months after the rakyat grows accustomed to GST. In theory, GST’s multi-stage nature is supposed to allow Customs to aggregate pricing more accurately than before, in order to deter unscrupulous businesses, but even government units are conflicted about some of the implementations – to charge or not to charge. Speaking of which…
4. Stop with all the political complications
Recently our Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan told telcos he would haul them to court if they didn’t remove GST on prepaid top-up. But some reliable sources including MCMC itself that before GST, they all had a sit-down with MCMC and Customs…as far as the telcos understood it, it’s ILLEGAL if they don’t charge it. Even up till now, different news outlets report different outcomes for GST on prepaid.
Before that, it was Cadbury that had confused consumers, when Jakim supposedly found pork DNA in its chocolates. Needless to say, it affected poor Cadbury’s sales hugely. Even Indonesia and Saudi Arabia tested their stocks of Cadbury chocolates after the fiasco in Malaysia. After all that hooha, Cadbury was re-certified halal. Poor Cadbury!
We kept track of the times the authorities clamped down on random businesses – they include a banana leaf restaurant, a book store, a hotel pub, kek lapis businesses… and a t-shirt shop that keeps getting raided (authorities called UrbanTee a sex shop.. OMG)!
With all this controversy, how to do business!?
5. Remove mandatory Bumiputera quota
So what is this quota and where did it come from?
The quota sets a rule that 30% of business ownership is to be held by bumiputeras. It was put in place under the New Economic Policy (NEP), which stemmed from the May 13 Racial Riots (caused by a sharp division of wealth between the Bumis and non-Bumis). No one really knows how they came to the figure of 30%, but someone said that an economic body, set up to study the wealth problem just tossed around some numbers.
One of the CILISOS team-members can relate: his dad was moved overseas, just so that he can be promoted a few times before being brought back here, because of the quota. We know that the special position of Bumis are safeguarded under Article 153 of the Constitution and as every loyal Malaysian knows, the Constitution is supreme. However, perhaps the quota isn’t actually making them better?
“In 2006, Singapore Straits Times journalist Mafoot Simon did a study that revealed for the first time that – against popular belief – the Indian and Malay minority races have done better than the majority Chinese population in Singapore, in terms of proportional population mix, educational attainment, and increase in monthly household incomes.” – Malaysiakini
What do the Bumis themselves think of it? Hussein Hamid, a Malay current affairs blogger based in Australia, has this to say:
“Being a bumiputera is an embarrassment to anyone today because it denotes an unfairness within a society that tells you that birth, race and religion entitles you to being someone else other than what you are not – a first amongst equal. Today privileges of birth no longer hold any sway over civilized societies – be you a Sultan or the son of a Prime Minister. Everything that you want to be must be earned through hard work and decent labor.” – Hussein Hamid, on his blog
In fact, even our PM agrees with this (!). In 2011, he actually made a statement saying that Bumi quotas would eventually have to end.
LUCKILY – Ringgit dropping, so cheaper to do business here!
GOOD NEWS FINALLY! As you know, our ringgit is now the worst performing currencies in ASIA…. WOOHOO! JUALAN MURAH YO! The net effect of that is that it’s now cheaper for other countries to do business in Malaysia!
“Investors will be more encouraged to purchase from Malaysia – manufacturing, property, setting up an overseas business,” said FXTM Chief Market Analyst Jameel Ahmad.
And hey, whaddaya know, we got a customer here: oil and gas rigging equipment supplier KTL Global is relocating the bulk of its Singapore operations to Johor because we’re price competitive! We even found out from this economic comparison that Malaysia might be cheaper than China!
BUT is this the direction we want to take? Do we want to compete on price – or should we offer high value products and services? In Mahathir’s Vision 2020, he envisioned Malaysia becoming a K-based economy (K is short for Knowledge yo) and achieving high-income status.
Unfortunately, according to TIME Magazine, we’re stuck in the middle-income trap. We can neither offer the cheapest labour, compared to places like India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Vietnam, and other countries have leapt past us in technology advancement and skilled sectors. So maybe we shouldn’t care so much about SHELL leaving Malaysia, but MyTeksi searching for talent overseas? That’s one of our own brands looking elsewhere for good people. Aiyo.
“Najib realizes that excessive government interference in the economy is dampening investor sentiment and holding back Malaysian industry. (Malaysia) relies much more on foreign investment to drive industrialization. That’s not a bad thing – multinational companies provide an instant shot of capital, jobs, expertise and technology into a poor country. MNCs, however, aren’t going to develop Malaysian products; that has to take place in the labs and offices of Malaysia’s private businesses. But those businessmen have been content to squeeze profits from serving MNCs and maintaining their original, assembly-based business models ” – “Escaping the Middle Income Trap, August 2010, TIME magazine
In other words… JUALAN MURAH might be good for now, but it shouldn’t last forever la.


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Metal Label Sues Illegal Downloaders
Century Media Records is looking for compensation from 7500 fansNME reports that the German label has filed charges in New Jersey against the thousands of fans who illegally downloaded the latest albums by Iced Earth and Lacuna Coil.
According to reports 4,327 people who illegally downloaded Iced Earth's album 'Dystopia' and 3,136 users who stole Lacuna Coil's 'Dark Adrenaline' will be taken to court over the charges and they each face fines of up to $2900.
Jay McDaniel, who represents Century and two other media firms, told NorthJersey.com: "What many people don't understand is that it's the distribution that's the evil influence. It does the real damage and harm, not just to the client but to the culture industry, and to creative endeavours in general. Illegal downloading has reached epidemic proportions, as thousands of works are pirated on a daily basis through bit torrents that rob copyright holders of the value of their creative work."
He continued: "This kills the little producer and it has an extremely destructive effect on the entertainment industry. Record sales don't drive the music business any more – touring does. So illegal sharing of music on the Internet has killed an entire industry."


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New research has emerged which indicates that Apple iPhone users are more likely to cough up for online content.
The survey, conducted by Olswang, polled 1000 UK adults and 500 teenagers.
It emerged that 58% of the general population would be happy to pay to download a new film, and 40% would stump up dosh online for a film which is already out on DVD.
iPhone owners, however, produced significantly higher percentages of those willing to pay up. 73% and 54% respectively.
That’s because they’ve got money coming out of their ears, right?
Well, no. According to an article in the Guardian, the survey noted that while iPhone owners are generally more affluent, which adds something of a skew to the results, the difference wasn’t expected to be nearly that much.
The theory is that it’s so easy to buy on the iPhone, and users are so used to doing it, that they are more likely to take the plunge.


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They are a versatile fashion accessory and a staple in every woman’s wardrobe.
But now researchers say wearing ladies tights on your face could slash your risk of getting Covid.
One of the criticisms aimed at commonly worn face coverings is that they do not fit tightly enough to significantly block viral particles from being inhaled or exhaled.
As part of a new study, Cambridge University experts reviewed a variety of DIY hacks people have used to make masks fit better, including using rubber bands or tape.
Curiously, they found the most effective tactic was to wrap pantyhose around the bottom half of the face — on top of a mask.
This, the scientists said, could reduce the amount of viral particles by up to seven times more than a loose mask on its own, by sealing the gaps around the nose and mouth.
But recognising the social and physical implications of wearing tights on your face in public, they noted it was ‘unlikely to be tolerated for extended periods of time’.
The jury is still out on how effective mask-wearing is at reducing Covid infections at a population level, with conflicting results from both sides. Most scientists agree that they at least make a small contribution.
Tight-fitting medical grade masks, such as KN95s, are exceptional at blocking out the virus but they are often described as uncomfortable and are harder to acquire.


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Blooper: 'That dog is the key to all tornado formation!'
Egypt is in a state of emergency. Government officials say hundreds have been killed and thousands wounded in clashes around the country. Nikole Killion reports from Washington.
On Nikola Tesla's 158th birthday, it was the effort to build a museum in the influential scientist's honor that got the gift.
Elon Musk, the magnate and inventor behind electric-car company Tesla Motors, has pledged $1 million to the Tesla Science Cen...


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OpenSea has tweeted its support for the upcoming Ethereum merge. The marketplace clarified that it will not be supporting any ETH forks born out of the transition NFT marketplace platform OpenSea tweeted a comprehensive array of tweets on August 31 concerning the upcoming Ethereum merge. The platform asserted that it will only be supporting Ethereum
Luxury fashion brand Hèrmes filed for NFT and metaverse trademark filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on August 26 If approved, the brand will also be working towards launching downloadable software for the management of NFTs and virtual goods. Per a tweet published by licensed trademark attorney Michael Kondoudi, the renowned
Summary: Ticketmaster announced plans to launch a new non fungible token offering for fans. The ticket platform will tap Dapper Labs’ Flow blockchain to make this possible. Ticketmaster can now issue NFTs before, during, and after live events via the partnership. The pair previously teamed up for one-of-one NFT tickets during February’s Super Bowl match.
OpenSea’s Seaport will now support Polygon Users will be able to transact and trade NFTs by using MATIC, Polygon’s native token OpenSea, one of the leading NFT marketplaces, took to Twitter to announce the integration of layer 2 scaling solution Polygon on Seaport. Seaport Adds Support For Polygon OpenSea tweeted that the marketplace is ready
Pudgy Penguins’ strength in the bear market depths could indicate the collection’s blue-chip potential. The NFT collection has increased approximately 400% over the past 24 hours, according to Opensea data. Pudgy Penguins’ NFT collection has seen its share of ups and downs since the release of its collection in June 2021. The NFT project holders
Bored Ape NFT liquidation cascade is inevitable according to Web3 launchpad founder “DoubleQ” Many BAYC holders who deposited on BendDAO in exchange for $ETH are at risk of being liquidated. OpenSea NFT volume is currently at its lowest point in the last 12 months. The Bored Ape NFT holders are anything but bored right now
The new burn NFT feature launched by Phantom will help users to permanently burn spam NFTs The initiative has been launched to curb malicious activities on Phantom and bolster its security up a notch Solana blockchain-based Phantom wallet is amping up its security features by launching a new mechanism called “Burn NFTs” on its platform.
Tina.Org has called out celebrities for endorsing NFTs without disclosing their material connection with them The team had also sent letters to several celebrities, urging them to disclose their intent behind promoting such NFTs on social media Consumer watchdog/regulator Tina.Org popularly known as Truth In Advertising has recently published a statement calling out famous Hollywood
Barca studios have sold its 24.5% stake to Orpheus Media According to a tweet shared by Socios CEO Alexandre Dreyfus, the following acquisition will help boost web3, and NFT content development. Sharing more details, Dreyfus added that the firm will now be known as Barca Digital and Entertainment. In a recently published statement today, a
Magic Eden submits a proposal to launch the “ApecoinDAO” NFT marketplace The marketplace intends to provide utility to Apecoin holders by building a custom marketplace to trade and purchase NFTs. Leading Solana NFT marketplace Magic Eden has submitted a proposal to the ApecoinDAO to build a special NFT marketplace for $Apecoin users. Magic Eden Proposes
Summary: Meta’s digital collectible feature for creators and collectors expands its reach. More than 100 countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and the Americas will receive access to NFTs on Instagram. Support for Coinbase wallet and Dapper will follow the expansion. Users can connect to Instagram with other wallets like Metamask and Trust wallet
Leading Solana NFT Marketplace Magic Eden announces support for Ethereum NFTs The firm will also be adding comprehensive features to allow users to trade ETH NFTs and make payments in SOL/ETH or via credit cards. Magic Eden, the Solana-centric NFT platform is expanding its base and has recently announced multichain support for the Ethereum blockchain.
Summary: Blockchain-based sports engagement platform Socios.com announced a $100 million investment in Barca Studios. The capital injection is designated for the football club’s Web3 strategy investment. This could include blockchain services, NFTs, and digital asset operations, per today’s announcement. Socio.com owner Chiliz acquired a 24.5% stake in Barca Studio as part of the agreement. The
Tiffany and Co is spearheading a venture dubbed NFTiffs, enabling Cryptopunk NFT holders to turn their NFTs into a custom pendant The jewelry makers will issue 250 passes at 30 ETH, enabling these holders to get their Cryptopunks NFTs customized into bejeweled pendants. NFTs have taken the world by storm and have become one of
Miami City Mayor has announced a new NFT venture in collaboration with Time magazine, MasterCard, and Salesforce The city will be launching 5000 ethereum NFTs designed and created by 56 local artists The venture is set to bolster local businesses and help them earn more revenue. Miami City mayor Francis X Suarez recently unveiled plans
Linkedin Founder Reid Hoffman is all set to launch his NFT collection on Magic Eden The collection uses images generated by the OpenAl image generating platform Dall-E LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman took to Twitter to share his NFT initiative, adding that he is experimenting and creating NFTs via OpenAI powered image-producing platform called Dall-E. LinkedIn


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Bangladeshi products have complete duty-free and quota-free access to Canada since 2003 under the Least-Developed Country Tariff scheme
Bangladesh will continue to enjoy duty-free access to Canada market till 2034 as per a bill passed in Canadian parliament in June.
The Canadian government has extended duty-free market access to all developing countries that will benefit Bangladesh once it graduates from LDC status in 2026.
The market access, under the General Preferential Tariff (GPT) scheme, also includes relaxed rules of origin of apparel items and provides duty-free access to other products.
The new programme also proposes to extend this market access benefit based on labour and environmental compliance of the industries.
Welcoming the development, BGMEA President Faruque Hassan told The Business Standard that the Canadian parliament passed a finance bill on June 8, extending the GPT scheme until the end of 2034.
This policy decision will greatly support Bangladesh’s industry transformation towards a safer, cleaner, greener, and more sustainable workplace, as well as contribute to the overall infrastructure development in the country, he said.
“It’s time for us to take our bilateral trade to a new height, he added.
According to the EPB (Export Promotion Bureau) data, Canada was the 11th largest exporting partner of Bangladesh with a $1.72 billion export in FY23. Besides, the North American nation is one of the major markets for Bangladeshi apparel.
Bangladesh’s RMG export to Canada reached $1.55 billion in FY23, which was $1.33 billion the previous fiscal, showing 16.55% growth.
Faruque Hassan said, “We have a significant potential to further penetrate this market. With the GPT+ ahead, we should aim for a bigger pie and focus our efforts and resources to maximise this potential.”
Bangladeshi products have enjoyed complete duty-free and quota-free access in Canada since 2003 under the Least-Developed Country Tariff (LDCT) scheme which falls under the GPT.
“As the GPT scheme is being renewed every 10 years, the existing version of GPT is going to expire at the end of 2024,” said Faruque Hassan.
He also mentioned that the BGMEA has been actively pursuing the matter of a smoother transition after the LDC graduation takes effect with major trade partners.
“We have got positive feedback from the Australian Government officials regarding the continuation of duty-free market access after the graduation from LDC”, he said.
Shasha Denims Managing Director Shams Mahmud told TBS that this is good news for Bangladesh currently enjoys duty-free access to the Canadian market.
“However as Bangladesh fell under LDTC, we had to adhere to the rules of origin requirement where 25% value addition had to be shown to attain the GSP facilities,” Shams Mahmud said.
Now with the introduction of GPT+, all the restrictions will be replaced, he added.
These changes are promising for Bangladesh because the country strongly demonstrates that it fulfils all the criteria for social, environmental and safety aspects of the industry, Shams Mahmud opined.
Source: TBS News


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Bollywood superstar Ranveer Singh is all set to launch the iPhone 15 Pro Max in India on Friday, September 22, 2023. Singh took to his social media handle to share the news with his fans and followers. He posted a selfie on his Instagram story section with the caption, “Excited to be launching the #iPhone15 Pro Max in India at our very own Apple Store in BKC!” followed by an Indian flag emoji.
Ranveer Singh gears up to launch iPhone 15 Pro Max in India
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the most anticipated smartphone of the year, and Singh’s launch event is sure to generate a lot of buzz. The phone is expected to feature a new design, a more powerful processor, and improved cameras.
In terms of cameras, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to have a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor, and a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor. The phone is also rumoured to have a new Cinematic mode for video recording.
Coming back to Singh, the actor was last seen in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, starring Alia Bhatt. The film, which marked Karan Johar’s directorial comeback after 7 years, was released in July this year. He has a bunch of projects in his kitty, including the third instalment of a popular action-crime franchise, Don.
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Carphone says broadband sales 'in line' despite fall
Carphone Warehouse today said quarterly revenues at its TalkTalk broadband business fell 2 per cent despite a hike in its line rental charges.
The group said average customer spend for the division grew 5 per cent year-on-year in the three months to June 30 after it increased line rental costs from £10.50 to £11.25 a month in March.
Carphone, which said plans to spin off the broadband business were on track, reported the net addition of 47,000 new customers to TalkTalk in the quarter. This compares with 74,000 in the previous quarter and 36,000 before that.
Revenues at Carphone Warehouse's broadband division seem to be staying strong
The firm said TalkTalk traded in line with expectations, with sales down due to a decline in voice only and dial up customers.
Carphone said its acquisition of Tiscali UK completed earlier this month with the firm's 1.4million customers, when added to TalkTalk's 2.85million base, making the company the largest residential broadband supplier in the country.
The group sold its retail business into a joint venture deal with U.S. consumer electronics giant Best Buy last year and this is already being run as a separate venture.
It said Best Buy Europe saw like-for-like sales grow 5.4 per cent in the 13 weeks to July 4, helped by currency effects. Stripping these out the business grew revenues by 0.2 per cent in the period.
Chief executive Charles Dunstone said: 'Both our businesses have continued to make good progress, despite the economic climate, and we are able to re-iterate all the financial guidance we have given for the full year.
'In parallel, work progresses on schedule towards our proposed demerger.'
Mr Dunstone said the broadband provider had been helped by its position at the 'value end of the market.'
Within the division, business sales grew slightly, by 1 per cent, while residential revenues fell 3 per cent.
The non-broadband element of the company continued to shrink in the quarter, by 53,000 to 1.06million.
But Carphone said that the rate of decline in voice-only and dial-up customers halved compared to the previous quarter.
Broadband customer spend was also boosted by the company's drive to sell add-on packages - including faster downloads and line speed, call packages and computer security deals - for up to £4 a month.
Mr Dunstone said Best Buy Europe had also performed in line with expectations, with connections up 3 per cent year-on-year, which he said reflected continued growth in a weak European market.
Customers were drawn to high-end mobile phones with the latest technology, he added.
'High-tier and prepay phones continue to drive connections growth, but looking ahead, we expect today's high-tier phone features increasingly to cascade into the mid-tier range as technology becomes cheaper and touch-screen phones continue to gain popularity,' he said.
Total sales in the division were up 6 per cent in the period, to £773million, although this was just 0.7 per cent growth on a constant currency basis.
The firm said it expected the benefits of a weaker pound to ebb away over time. Best Buy Europe opened four Wireless World outlets during the quarter, which provide a wider range of products, including laptops, and have in-store technical support services.
It now has eight of these shops, amid a total of 2,450 outlets of which 218 are franchises.
Keith Bowman, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, said the Carphone figures 'ticked all the right boxes', with profits on track to meet full year estimates, rising market share and the demerger process running to plan.
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During 2013, toy maker Hasbro (HAS -0.93%) saw a $339 million decrease in its boys category that was a result of a strong 2012 for entertainment. The company makes toys to accompany major film and television releases and experienced a drop in Marvel and Beyblade sales with less excitement surrounding those brands during the year. With competitors Mattel (MAT -0.87%) and JAKKS Pacific (JAKK -1.02%) also leveraging entertainment, Hasbro has made plans to ramp up entertainment in 2014.
A slower movie year
Hasbro ended the year with lower revenue from entertainment aimed at boys.
The company partners with Marvel to make toys for its characters, television shows, and feature films. Marvel's The Avengers was released in 2012 and was the culmination of three other films that were released two years prior. It was also the year the Spider-Man franchise was rebooted, which led to a record year for the partnership. While the most recent year had Marvel films, it was not as profitable as the previous year.
2013 was also another year without promotion from a Transformers movie. During 2011, Transformers and Beyblade toys generated nearly $1 billion in combined sales. In addition to toy sales, Transformers drove revenue from royalties to $339.2 million during 2011. A year later revenue from royalties had declined to $302.1 million.
Hasbro's revenue peaked at year-end 2011, six months after the release of Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon. Transformers grew in 2013 as a result of a global television strategy. It is one of Hasbro's most global brands with more than 50% of revenue coming from sales outside of the U.S.
Moving forward, Hasbro has a multi-year entertainment slate that it hopes will improve sales of its boys' brands. During 2014, Sony Pictures will release The Amazing Spider Man 2. Marvel Studios will release Captain America: The Winter Soldier and the new franchise Guardians of the Galaxy. There is also a new Transformers film being released. Transformers toy sales spiked to a combined $1.6 billion during the years the movies were released thanks to the global success of the films that earned a total of $3 billion at the box office worldwide.
Brands spread out
Hasbro competitors Mattel and JAKKS Pacific also use entertainment partnerships to boost toy sales.
Mattel partners with Walt Disney to make toys, dolls, and accessories for princesses and other characters. In 2013 the company successfully launched toys based on Frozen and Planes. Mattel also began a new partnership with Marvel that could potentially take market share away from Hasbro.
JAKKS Pacific also produces top-selling Disney princess and fairy dolls that include Sofia the First dress-up and role-playing items. These items dominate the company's sales, and JAKKS has begun to expand its Disney business internationally into the Chinese and Latin American markets.
The major toy makers all have overlapping agreements with entertainment companies like Disney and Marvel, and it's clear that while having a popular brand will help boost sales it might not be a unique competitive advantage.
While Hasbro shares Marvel with its main competitors, the Transformers brand is a competitive advantage for the company. The movies are extremely successful globally, which has helped Hasbro's international sales. The company saw international revenue increase 5% in 2013 with emerging markets rising 25% for the year. Transformers has done well in the international and domestic markets during non-movie years. As the company moves into a year of entertainment, I expect the boys' segment to grow beyond the losses of 2013.


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NEW ORLEANS--When Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg used his Consumer Electronics Show keynote to demonstrate the company's Connected Me concept, which turns the human body into a bridge between gadgets, he was met with lackluster applause.
Part of the problem was the audience didn't fully grasp what Vestberg was trying to show. He was on stage holding a smartphone in one hand and the sensor for an audio system in the other. The data signal shot through his body, playing an MP3 from the phone on the speaker system. In effect, he became a replacement for a USB cord or Bluetooth connection.
People watching the presentation, however, were underwhelmed. The company showed it off at its giant booth at Mobile World Congress, and again this week at the CTIA Wireless show, where it largely went unnoticed.
But the project has fairly wide applications beyond turning a person into a human stereo system. People can shake hands and exchange digital business cards. Or you can tap your printer and have print out your document. Surprisingly, Ericsson is bullish about the technology, and Chief Marketing Officer Arun Bhikshesvaran believes it could go commercial as soon as next year.
Connected Me is just one of many projects that Ericsson has fostered over the years. It has been on a campaign to re-brand itself as more than just a supplier of telecommunications and wireless equipment. From its work with developers to its various media content services, the company has tried to establish itself as a cutting-edge company on par with any on Silicon Valley.
"Base stations are what people know of Ericsson," Bhikshesvaran said. "But at the end of the day, we're all about connecting people."
Connected Me evolved out of another project that was shown off at CES -- the tweeting tree. Ericsson wired up a tree with radio gear and proximity sensors and set it up to tweet messages about the weather or its "mood," depending in part on whether anyone was touching it or even just standing nearby.
That ability to sense people was the basis for the idea of transferring data through a human body. Since human bodies consist largely of water, there's enough conductive material to act as a conduit. An Ericsson representative said the process transmits less electricity than the human body already holds.
The company is looking at different applications. Bhikshesvaran said the company was exploring the notion that it could end up being a new biometric footprint, since bodies all possess a unique energy signature. The company hasn't quite figured that one out yet.
Or, he added, the technology could be paired with a fingerprint reader: tap the screen with your finger to confirm identification, and have the data shot through your body to your phone.
It sounds far-fetched, but Connected Me could come to you sooner than you think. With the proof of concept already out, Ericsson is talking to a number of potential equipment makers about getting this technology into their devices, Bhikshesvaran said. Initially, the company is looking at the smartphone, PC, television, and printer industries as logical adopters.
While there's interest, Bhikshesvaran wouldn't comment on whether any companies have committed to the technology. Overall, it could take 12 to 18 months to get a product out.
Ericsson, meanwhile, benefits from the potential to license the technology, sell more equipment, generate traffic, and gets the company closer to its vision of the "connected society."
It could also mean one less cord for you to carry around.


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In an unprecedented move, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warning letters today to companies selling products containing delta-8 THC. In total, the FDA sent out five warning letters to companies for violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act).
The violations include illegal marketing of unapproved delta-8 THC products as treatment for medical conditions, misbranding and adding delta-8 THC to food products. Back in September of last year, the FDA published a consumer update on their website, seeking to educate the public and offer a public health warning on delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, otherwise known as delta-8 THC.
Delta-8 THC is a cannabinoid that can be synthesized from cannabidiol (CBD) derived from hemp. It is an isomer of delta-9 THC, the more commonly known psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis. Delta-8 THC does produce psychoactive effects, though not quite as much as its better-known cousin, delta-9 THC. Many regulators and industry stakeholders are increasingly concerned about the rise in popularity of delta-8 products, namely because of the processing involved to produce it. Delta-8 THC is often synthesized using potentially harmful chemicals.
The FDA has a history of sending a lot of warning letters to companies marketing CBD products inaccurately and making drug claims. Earlier this year, they sent a number of letters to companies claiming that CBD can cure or prevent Covid-19.
According to Janet Woodcock, M.D., principal deputy commissioner at the FDA, they are getting more and more concerned about the popularity of delta-8 THC products sold online. “These products often include claims that they treat or alleviate the side effects related to a wide variety of diseases or medical disorders, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, nausea and anxiety,” says Woodcock. “It is extremely troubling that some of the food products are packaged and labeled in ways that may appeal to children. We will continue to safeguard Americans’ health and safety by monitoring the marketplace and taking action when companies illegally sell products that pose a risk to public health.”
The FDA sent warning letters to the following companies selling delta-8 THC products:
Once again, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a number of warning letters to companies selling hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) products. This time around, the FDA sent these warning letters to companies that had statements on their website claiming CBD is an effective treatment or prevention of Covid-19.
In this latest round, the FDA sent a total of seven warning letters to:
Earlier this year, a slew of preliminary research studies went viral for shedding light on promising signs that certain cannabis compounds could help treat or prevent Covid-19. The conclusions from most of that research is: It is still too early to tell if any of these studies will show evidence of cannabis treating Covid-19, let alone if they mean cannabis products can be used as a treatment or preventative for Covid-19. However, the research is significant and we should keep an eye on any developments that come from those studies.
The hemp-derived CBD market has a history of clashes with the FDA over health claims. Since the Farm Bill legalized cannabis with less than 0.3% THC back in 2018, the hemp-derived CBD market has proliferated, with all sorts of companies seizing the opportunity. Jumping on the health and wellness trend, companies incorporated this messaging into their marketing campaigns. Over the past four years, the FDA has issued dozens and dozens of warning letters and threatened enforcement actions to companies making unsubstantiated health claims about CBD.
While CBD definitely does have medical benefits, such as being used as an anti-inflammatory or anticonvulsant, preliminary research alone is not enough to say it does. Products need to be approved by the FDA with a new drug application (NDA) in order to make those claims. Therefore when companies make unsubstantiated health claims about their CBD products, like claiming it can prevent Covid-19, they are violating the FD&C Act by marketing “unapproved new drugs” or “misbranded drugs.”
The bottom line is companies that are marketing CBD products need to ensure that their marketing materials and labeling comply with FDA requirements and avoid making unapproved drug claims.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter to Curaleaf Inc., a multi-billion-dollar market cap company that is publicly traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange. The FDA determined, based upon a review of the company’s website and social media accounts (Facebook and Twitter), that several of Curaleaf’s cannabidiol (CBD) products are misbranded and unapproved new drugs sold are in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act1 (FD&C Act). The FDA also determined that Curaleaf’s “Bido CBD for Pets” products are unapproved new animal drugs that are unsafe and adulterated under the FD&C Act2. This action by FDA holds many lessons and cautions for companies already in or looking to break into the CBD market.
Unapproved New Human Drug Claims and Misbranding
The FDA identified a variety of statements in its review of the Curaleaf website and social media accounts that it said established the CBD Lotion, CBD Pain-Relief Patch, CBD Tincture, and CBD Disposable Vape Pen products as drugs. It is important to highlight that these claims were not made on the products’ label and, in some instances, referred to CBD generally. The FDA characterized these claims as demonstrating an intent to market the products for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease, as well as to affect the structure or any function of the body. For example, FDA asserted that Curaleaf made a variety of drug and disease-related claims that its products or CBD in general could be used:
To treat chronic pain;
To reduce the symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia;
As a natural alternative to pharmaceutical-grade treatments for depression and anxiety;
To address eating disorders;
To reduce the severity of opioid-related withdrawal;
To deter heart disease;
As an effective treatment for Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s; and
To kill breast cancer cells and counteract the spread of cancer.
The FDA stated that the Curaleaf products are not generally recognized as safe and effective for the uses described on their website and social media accounts and, therefore, the products are new drugs under the FD&C Act3. The FDA stated that, because the products have not received approval from the FDA, they may not be legally introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce.
The FDA further declared that the Curaleaf products are misbranded within the meaning the FD&C Act, because their labeling fails to bear adequate directions under which a layperson can use a drug safely and for the purpose for which it is intended. The FDA will frequently add this charge when citing a product marketed as an unapproved new drug. In its warning letter, the FDA noted that Curaleaf’s products are offered for conditions that are not inclined to self-diagnosis and treatment by individuals who are not medical professionals (e.g. Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, etc.). Therefore, the products would need to bear adequate directions for use, as well as obtain appropriate new drug approvals from FDA prior to being marketed as human drugs.
Unapproved Dietary Supplement Labeling
The FDA further concluded that Curaleaf intended to market their CBD products as dietary supplements. For example, under the disclaimer section of the Curaleaf products the FDA noted that it says that “Cannabidiol (CBD) . . . is a dietary supplement.” However, the warning letter reiterated the FDA’s longstanding position that CBD products do not meet the definition of a dietary supplement because they contain an active ingredient in a drug product that has been the subject of public research and drug approval by FDA. While the warning letter states that FDA is not aware of any evidence that counters the agency’s position that CBD products are excluded from the definition of dietary supplement, Curaleaf may present the FDA with any evidence that is relevant to the issue.
Further, the FDA noted that the Curaleaf products do not meet the definition of dietary supplement because those products are not “intended for digestion”. The CBD Lotion and the CBD Pain-Relief Patch products’ labeling states that they are intended to be applied directly to the skin and body, while the CBD Disposable Vape Pen is intended for inhalation. In addition, the CBD Tincture products contain a “Suggested Use” section on labeling that includes both edible and topical uses. According to the FDA, the addition of the topical use to labeling established that the tincture products are not intended for ingestion and therefore do not meet the definition of a dietary supplement.
Unapproved New Animal Drugs The FDA also concluded that Curaleaf’s “Bido CBD for Pets” products are unapproved new animal drugs as statements on Curaleaf’s website show that the products are intended for use in the mitigation, treatment or prevention of diseases in animals. For example, the company’s website states that its products will decrease dog separation anxiety, distressed feelings, anxiety and seizures, as well as reducing or stunting the growth of cancer, relieve muscle spasms and treat arthritis issues. The FDA stated that the products are “new animal drugs” because they are not generally recognized among experts qualified by scientific training and experience as safe and effective for use under the conditions prescribed, recommended or suggested in the labeling. In order to be legally marketed, a new animal drug must have an approved new animal drug application, conditionally approved new animal drug application, or index listing. As these products are not approved or index-listed by the FDA, these products are considered unsafe and adulterated.
What This Means to You
The FDA is paying close attention to companies marketing CBD products with unapproved drug claims for both human use and animal use. It is important for companies that currently market or are considering marketing CBD products to ensure that their marketing materials and labeling generally comply with FDA requirements and avoid making unapproved human or animal drug claims. Additionally, it underscores the fact that FDA will review more than just the label of the product, and will scrutinize statements made about the product on the company’s website and social media accounts to determine the product’s intended use. Even though the FDA is in the process of determining how to regulate CBD products, the agency will not withhold enforcement actions against companies that make unapproved drug claims, particularly those that FDA believes will steer patients from receiving approved treatments.
The receipt of an FDA warning letter may also potentially result in class action lawsuits based on state consumer protection laws or lawsuits by competitors under the Lanham Act or state competition laws. While the FD&C Act does not include a private right of action, publicly issued warning letters may form the basis of a claim that statements are false and misleading and actionable under state or other federal laws.
References to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act(FD&C Act).
Folks from around the country and the world tuned into the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) website as they held a public hearing on Friday, May 31. Manufacturers and suppliers asked the FDA to regulate CBD like food or dietary supplements, while the FDA seemed to want more evidence on the safety of CBD products before giving the greenlight.
Background On The Hearing
For the uninitiated, after President Trump signed the Farm Bill into law back in December 2018, Scott Gottlieb, now former director of the FDA, issued a statement the same day the Farm Bill passed, clarifying the FDA’s regulatory authority. In the statement, Gottlieb explained that Congress preserved the FDA’s authority to regulate products containing cannabis and its constituents under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act).
In April 2019, around the same time he resigned from the FDA, Gottlieb issued another statement, acknowledging the quickly growing industry throughout the country and total lack of federal regulatory guidance. This time around, Gottlieb laid out a handful of steps that the FDA plans on taking to address regulations around hemp and cannabidiol (CBD). Those included scheduling the public hearing for May 31, where written and oral public comments were submitted by stakeholders, sharing “their experiences and challenges with these products [hemp and CBD products], including information and views related to product safety.”
That statement also announced the formation of an internal agency working group to “explore potential pathways for dietary supplements and/or conventional foods containing CBD to be lawfully marketed; including a consideration of what statutory or regulatory changes might be needed and what the impact of such marketing would be on the public health.”
Fast-forward to May 31, the day of the public hearing, and all eyes in the industry focused on what all these stakeholders had to say to the FDA about CBD. The day started off with about two hours of oral comments, each speaker had roughly two minutes to deliver their thoughts.
Industry stakeholders representing cannabis businesses sang much of the same tune, clamoring for wise regulations on safety, testing, banking and interstate commerce, among other standards. NCIA Policy Director Andrew Kline’s comments included running through five major positions of the industry trade organization representing CBD companies. Those included recommending the FDA act quickly in setting up regulations, stressing the massive economic impact of the industry, saying that CBD products are generally safe, clamoring for voluntary, consensus-based standards and informing consumers of any potential risks. “The bottom line is this – an overwhelming preponderance of evidence indicates that cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds present minimal health and safety concerns,” Kline told the folks at the FDA. “Time is of the essence. Hemp-derived CBD products are in very high consumer demand and the industry is eagerly awaiting FDA’s regulatory framework for these products. We strongly recommend that FDA act quickly to clarify the regulatory environment because there is significant confusion in the market.”
Anna Williams, representing the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), stressed the importance of testing for contaminants and adulterants as well as advocating for national standards on lab testing, instead of the state-by-state network of different standards.
Patients & Public Safety
After industry stakeholders had their chance to speak, the FDA allowed a group of advocacy organizations representing patients time to speak. That included representatives for the Alzheimer’s Association and the American Epilepsy Society, both of which were hesitant to throw their full support behind CBD as medicine. Kevin Chapman with the American Epilepsy Society said he wants to see clear warning labels, testing standards, more clinical trials and more studies before the group is ready to form a position on using CBD as medicine. Keith Fargo with the Alzheimer’s Association supports clinical trials to study it more, but thinks CBD is risky for patients without serious evidence of efficacy. A representative from the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance also echoed similar concerns. They want to see labeling of drug interactions on labels of CBD products.
After those comments, some organizations had the chance to speak followed by comments from retailers and distributors. Patrick Bird, owner of PMB BioTek Consulting, spoke on behalf of AOAC International, where he primarily discussed public safety. He said they want cannabis products to be regulated with food safety in mind, asking for FSMA to apply to hemp products. They want to adequately ensure product safety with things like mandating HACCP plans, recall readiness, saying hemp products should be treated just like food products.
Retailers & Distributors
Peter Matz, representing the Food Marketing Institute, the trade association for the supermarket industry, said that regulatory ambiguity is a serious issue that needs addressing. “There is mass confusion in the marketplace for the public, suppliers, retailers and state regulators,” says Matz. “Demand for CBD products in human and animal use is growing rapidly. ¼ of American have already tried it. We are fielding questions from companies seeking clarity regarding the current federal regulatory framework.” He added, what many others also mentioned, that the FDA needs to move swiftly to provide a pathway to regulation.
Next on the docket came presentations from state government entities, including state departments of agriculture, followed by healthcare professionals. The state regulators that spoke mentioned a lot about food safety, standards, testing regulations, GMPs and things like that to protect consumer safety. “Currently states are struggling with the lack of sound scientific research available in CBD and long-term health impacts,” said Pam Miles, representing the Virginia Department of Agriculture.
One interesting aspect on their talks however was telling the FDA just how large their markets have gotten already and how they need guidance on how to regulate markets in their own states. Joseph Reardon, with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, said they already have about 600 farmers growing hemp and thousands of processors working with the product in their state. “We urge the FDA to resolve the statutory issues improperly establish a legal pathway for CBD products to enter the market place,” Reardon commented. He also asked that the FDA extend the written comment period from July to August. “We are simply looking for a regulatory framework on the extraction, production and reconstitution of CBD or cannabinoid related products.”
Healthcare & Research
Healthcare providers, and physician testimony also echoed a lot of the same concerns, including the lack of research done, concerns about effects on at-risk populations and concerns about use as ingredients in dietary supplements and food. Some of the presentations also highlighted the room for nefarious activity in an unregulated marketplace. Some went as far as to mention cases where they found CBD vape juices with DXM in it (the active ingredient in cough syrup), CBD products found to contain THC, as well as synthetic cannabinoids responsible for drug overdose deaths. Some advocates in the hemp and CBD community have equated these arguments similar to reefer madness.
The major takeaway from this hearing is that everyone wants to see more data. Researchers and healthcare providers want to study the efficacy of CBD used in medicine, regulators want public safety information, patient advocates want to see data about effects on at-risk populations, trade organizations want data to back up label claims and the FDA wants to see just how safe CBD really is.
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Think Outside has released additional drivers for its Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard. Think Outside says that the drivers make it the most widely compatible portable Bluetooth keyboard on the market. The new release includes version 3.0 for Palm Bluetooth, adding Palm users to the list of Pocket PC and Symbian users able to make use of the Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard.
Additionally, a beta version of Think Outside's new driver for Windows Mobile Smartphone will be available within the next 30 days. The new driver will support many Smartphone devices including the Motorola MPX220, i-mate SP3 and SP3i, Audiovox 5600, o2 Xphonell, DoPod 565 and Qtak 8010.
For more information on the drivers, head over to Think Outside's official website at www.thinkoutside.com.


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Global – A recent survey by Adidas has found that 51% of women are afraid of being physically attacked when they go for a run compared to 28% of men. To create awareness of this statistic, the sportswear brand made a film, The Ridiculous Run, showing the absurd lengths to which women have to go to feel safe while out for a jog.
The brand surveyed 9,000 runners across nine countries in order to understand men’s and women’s experiences and perceptions of safety while out on a run. The survey also revealed that 38% of women have experienced physical or verbal harassment and, of these, 56% have received unwanted attention or sexist comments.
The research indicates the need for a shift in attitude, but also action to create a safe environment – physically and mentally – for women to run. The study also revealed that while 62% of men recognise the issue, only 18% believe they have a responsibility to help women feel safe.
Adidas’ commercial illustrates the steps the brand is taking to address the issue and takes our report on Safety Fits one step further, showcasing how brands can offer support to vulnerable groups.
Consumers will reward with loyalty those brands that boldly address social issues


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The international jury of experts of the ‘Red Dot Award’ have declared the new ŠKODA Superb Combi the winner in the ‘Product Design’ category.
With its outstanding level of space as well as its modern assistance systems for safety, comfort and connectivity, the new-generation Superb moves to the upper end of the mid-size car segment.
With these qualities, the new Superb model range has made an excellent start and is being well-received by customers and trade press in equal measures. The top-of-the-range Combi has now convinced the high-level international jury of the ‘Red Dot Design Awards’ with its dynamic and confidently stylish elegance.
«We are delighted that the emotive design of the new ŠKODA models is being so well-received by our customers and trade experts,” said ŠKODA Head of Design, Jozef Kabaň. “Nowadays, everyday objects are seen not only as functional, but also in an emotional way». The new Superb Combi transfers ŠKODA’s new expressive design language into the mid-size estate car segment. At the same time, the new Superb Combi reaches a new dimension in terms of space and comfort. With a boot capacity of 660 litres, the Superb achieved top marks in its segment. With the rear seats folded down, the luggage compartment increases to 1,950 litres. Besides its generous interior, the spacious car offers a wealth of ‘Simply Clever’ features.
ŠKODA receives the ‘Red Dot’ for the ninth time. The first model of the long-established Czech brand to be adorned with the seal of quality was the Octavia Combi in 2006. In 2013, the new, emotive design language of the long-established company – as seen in the ŠKODA Rapid – was awarded the ‘Red Dot Award’ for the first time.
By A&D|2017-02-21T09:00:42+01:002 April 2016|NEWS|


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Leading influencer marketing platform Humanz has teamed up with Afreximbank to give the opportunity for three lucky social entrepreneurs to exhibit at Canex at…
In what seems to be a weird announcement, Nintendo is making a big splash about its latest Nintendo 3DS XL handheld console. But before you get excited, this has nothing to do with Super Mario Galaxy.
The big N made the announcement via Nintendo of America’s Twitter page. It features a video starring Nintendo of America’s president, Reggie Fils-Aimé, and the device in question.
Basically, this new Nintendo 3DS XL console (as far as we know) isn’t a hardware refresh, but it does have a snazzy galaxy-esque faceplate. The other big announcement was that the device will be retailing for US$199 and be shipping to the US this week.
The New Nintendo 3DS XL ‘galaxy’ has nothing to do with Samsung or Super Mario
US retailer GameStop has the item up for pre-order with a shipping date of 2 September.
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 29, 2016
There’s no word on whether the 3DS XL in its snazzy skin will be reaching South Africa, but the country will be getting a slew of brightly-coloured 3DS systems in the coming months.


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Welcome Mat: Home news, events around Metro Detroit
Year of Fire Monkey means reds, oranges at home
2016 is the Year of the Fire Monkey in Chinese Astrology. Local feng shui expert Dennis Fairchild says in Chinese astrology, “like spices, some years are ‘hot,’ others, not so much. In a Fire Monkey Year, people are driven and ambitious, so expect to see more people willing to take on risky projects or break protocol,” writes Fairchild in an email. Here are some other ideas for the Year of the Fire Monkey at home:
■Start at your front door, says Fairchild. “Clean your entry to welcome all the good luck that will come into your home and place of business in the new year. Wash, sweep, or vacuum the front steps, porch, entry hall, lobby – whatever the entry is where you live. Make this area clean, well lit, and inviting.”
■As a “hot” year, temperature-inducing colors rule: reds and oranges, as well as warm rosy terra-cotta. On your walls and with your accessories, “think ‘tropical jungle,’ where monkeys live, and things made from natural materials: cloth, nuts, clay,” says Fairchild.
■Feng shui luck this year comes from all things leather, says Fairchild. Think throw pillows, chairs, sofas, and ottomans. Emerald-dyed leather is big this year.
■Bring the outdoors indoors, Fairchild says. Buy furniture you can use both indoors and out, as well as plants for decoration. He says the lush round jade plant is 2016’s money magnet.
■Feng shui pays attention to floors. 2016’s Monkey Year prefers natural wood, bamboo flooring. For rugs, light, wood-toned sisal is a good choice, says Fairchild.
■Due to the ‘fire’ in this year’s Monkey, 2016’s feng shui decor is also all about light, Fairchid says. “Pendant lamps rule!” he says. “Think Tarzan, swinging from vine to vine; hanging items.”
Annie Sloan introduces Mini Project Pack
Chalk Paint founder and creator Annie Sloan is now offering mini kits for beginning DIY painters. Sloan’s Mini Project Pack lets customers pick two 4-ounce Chalk Paint colors, plus a mini-can of ‘Clear’ Soft Wax and a mini-can of ‘Dark’ Soft Wax, along with Annie’s own pure bristle paint brush. They’re available at Vera’s Daughter Home, 16849 Kercheval in Grosse Pointe and Holly’s Pigeon in the Parlour, 110 South Saginaw. Call (248) 634-7467.
Artloft opens Detroit location
Years ago, I bought some good friends a very cool metal sculpture for a wedding present called Jubilation. I bought it at one of the funnest store I could find in Birmingham: Artloft. Artloft – owned by Rachel Woods (pictured) – is known for its a whimsical mix of beautifully designed art, accents and home decor. And it now has a location in Detroit’s Midtown area. Artloft Midtown opened last year on Cass. It sells a variety items from artists and designers all over the world, including Michael Aram, Jonathan Adler, Carrol Boyes and Pablo Designs. Artloft is at 4160 Cass Avenue, Suite C, in Detroit and 123 W. Maple in Birmingham. Call (313) 818-0023 for the Detroit location and (248) 647-4007 for Birmingham. Visit artloftonline.com.
Detroit furniture maker competes on Ellen DeGeneres’ HGTV show
When Detroit furniture maker Kyle Huntoon first listened to the voicemail from funny lady Ellen DeGeneres’ production team asking if he’d be interested in competing on a reality show for furniture designers, he thought it was a joke. “I thought it was a prank call,” says Huntoon, a fourth-generation woodworker and owner of Hunt & Noyer Woodworks in Detroit. Soon, he realized it was the real deal. Huntoon, who is originally from the Jackson area, will face off against seven other furniture designers in “Ellen’s Design Challenge,” the second season of which premieres at 9 p.m. Jan. 18 on HGTV. Designers from all over the country compete in weekly challenges, making different types of furniture and vying for the $100,000 grand prize. For Huntoon – who couldn’t spill the beans on how he did – the experience was about more than being on a reality show competition; it was about presenting Detroit in a positive way. “I was happy to be representing Detroit and all the makers here and (wanted) to put a positive light on the national stage,” says Huntoon, who makes mid-century modern inspired furniture.


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KELOWNA, BRITISH COLUMBIA – You’ve heard of food trucks and food carts, well how about food bikes?
What’s being billed as North America’s first self-contained, fully operational street food kitchens are making their debut on Kelowna streets this week.
The concept, the brainchild of local entrepreneur Donnie Ungaro, is simple. Have a small, self-contained kitchen attached to a hybrid peddle/electric bicycle and ride it to different locations around the city to preparing high quality food for passersby with the proceeds going to partner charities while employing and training people in need of work as riders/cooks.
“Our motto is a play on that biblical phrase about teaching a man to fish. Ours is ‘Give a man a meal – he eats for a day. Teach him to cook – he eats for a lifetime,'” said Ungaro as he unveiled the first food bike at one of the three charity partners, Metro Central, on Thursday morning. The two other partners are Soles4Souls and the Kelowna Community Food Bank.
Ungaro said in addition to splitting the profits from each food bike among the three charities – an total amount amount that has been estimated at between $18,000 to $22,000 per seven-month season in Ungaro’s business plan, 20 per cent of the money the company behind the endeavour, Culinary Inc. Kelowna, makes will go to other local charities.
“We want people to know that they can change a life by what they have for lunch,” said Ungaro.
The self-contained kitchens will initially set up outside Metro Central on Water Street downtown and at other downtown locations and will be covered by Metro Central’s patio licence and a general mobile food concession licence.
While the first food bike was unveiled Thursday, another two will appear next Friday at the TedX event in Kelowna and by the end of the year, Ungaro hopes to have six on them on the streets of Kelowna and four in West Kelowna.
After that, the plan is expand the concept nationwide and into the United States as a franchise operation.
Find the entire article at kelownacapnews.com <here>


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Apple has again shown support for December 1st, World AIDS Day. They have even changed the color of Apple logo at some of their flagship stores. Apple is famous for supporting the project. Steve Jobs worked with Bono to get Apple products behind the cause and available to the masses.
Every day, 900 babies are born with HIV. (RED) works with companies like Apple to fight for an AIDS‑free generation by creating (PRODUCT)RED merchandise. A percentage of gross profits from the sale of those products goes to the Global Fund to help fund AIDS programmes in Africa. Since its introduction, (PRODUCT)RED has generated more than $215 million for the Global Fund — more than $65 million from Apple alone. You can help make an impact by purchasing a (PRODUCT)RED iPod or (PRODUCT)RED accessories for iPhone and iPad.
Recently, Jony Ive worked with Marc Newson on different products not only from Apple but other manufactures to be auctioned off at a one of a kind event. Hoping to raise as much as possible for the (PRODUCT)RED cause.


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When most people rent a hotel room, security is one of the factors they take into consideration. Along with knowing whether the hotel has room service, air conditioning, or free Wi-Fi, we want to know that we – and our belongings – will be safe for the duration of our stay. The more reputable the hotel brand and the better the location, the more secure we feel.
But what if you found out the lock system that secures your $400-a-night hotel room is vulnerable and can be hacked? What if an attacker could not only access your room, but every room in the building?
It sounds scary, but that’s the scenario F-Secure researchers discovered when they investigated a widely deployed hospitality lock system made by the world’s largest lock manufacturer, Assa Abloy. The discovery affects millions of locks in tens of thousands of hotels around the world, including locations run by well-known international chains.
Years ago, two of our ethical hackers attended an infosec conference in Berlin. The laptop of a fellow researcher was stolen from a locked hotel room while they were out. Intriguingly, there were no signs of forced entry. They reported the theft to hotel staff. But without a single indication of unauthorized room access (nothing physical and nothing in the software logs), the staff dismissed the complaint.
Our researchers’ curiosity was piqued. They decided to investigate whether it’s possible to enter a locked hotel room without the key…and completely without a trace. Finally, after more than a decade and thousands of hours of on-and-off research as a side project, they’ve figured out how to do exactly that.
Their target: a high caliber brand of lock known for quality and security.
“You can imagine what a malicious person could do with the power to enter any hotel room, with a master key created basically out of thin air,” says Tomi Tuominen, Practice Leader at F-Secure Cyber Security Services. He worked side by side with F-Secure’s Timo Hirvonen, Senior Security Consultant, to devise a way to exploit the software system, known as Vision by VingCard.
First an attacker needs to get access to an electronic key to the target facility. Literally any key will suffice, be it a room key or a key to a storage closet or garage. What’s more, the key need not be currently active: even an expired key from a stay five years ago will work.
An attacker will read the key and use a small hardware device to derive more keys to the facility. These derived keys can be tested against any lock in the same building. Within minutes the device is able to generate a master key to the facility. The device can then be used instead of a key to bypass any lock in the facility, or alternatively, to overwrite an existing key with the newly created master key.
The needed hardware is available online for a few hundred euros. However, it is the custom software developed by Tomi and Timo that makes the attack possible.
“Building a secure access control system is very difficult because there are so many things you need to get right,” says Timo “Only after we thoroughly understood how the whole system was designed were we able to identify seemingly innocuous shortcomings. We creatively combined these shortcomings to come up with a method for creating master keys.”
In addition, during their research Tomi and Timo found that the Vision software could be exploited within the same network to get access to sensitive customer data.
Tomi and Timo notified Assa Abloy of their findings in April 2017, and since then, have worked with the lockmaker’s R&D team to fix the flaws. Assa Abloy recently issued a software update and made it available to the affected hotels.
“Because of Assa Abloy’s diligence and willingness to address the problems identified by our research, the hospitality world is now a safer place,” says Tomi. “We urge any establishment using this software to apply the update as soon as possible.”
The duo will not be publishing full attack details, nor will they make any attack tools available. To date, they are not aware of any cases of this same attack being carried out in the wild.
Hospitality is a target industry in the infosec battleground. So what precautions should travelers take to protect themselves against these kinds of attacks when renting a room?
“My recommendation is that people should continue doing the things they hopefully are already doing,” says Timo. “That means don’t leave any valuables in your hotel room and use the door chain when you’re in the room or going to bed. If you haven’t been doing these things already, now might be a good time to start.”
Find out more from Tomi and Timo on the Cyber Security Sauna podcast.