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Bermuda is riding a wave these days, buoyed in part by increased air and cruise visitor numbers, visitor spend and the changing face of visitor demographics.
The island is about to get a little more wind in its tourism sails, too, thanks to the America's Cup sailing race, where the top sailors on the world's fastest boats will battle for the oldest trophy in international sport on Bermuda's Great Sound.
Qualifying races start on May 26, and top challengers will meet the defending champion Oracle Team USA in a series of races beginning from June 17 to 27.
Packages range in price and length, depending upon dates selected. General admission tickets for grandstand seating and spectator boats are sold out for the final weekend.
Tour operator Roadtrips reported "a few packages left" in hotels and guesthouses.
However, even before November 2014 when Bermuda was selected as the host of the 2017 America's Cup, there was evidence that tourism on the island nation, less than two air hours from key gateways on the U.S. East Coast, was beginning to curve upward after flatlining for a number of years.
It began with dissolving the Department of Tourism and creating the Bermuda Tourism Authority in 2012, moving tourism marketing into the private sector.
New marketing initiatives aimed to position Bermuda as a year-round Atlantic island and to rebalance the proportion of air vs. cruise arrivals began to bear fruit as visitor numbers started to climb, along with air capacity and hotel occupancies.
Victoria Isley, the BTA's sales and marketing officer, delivered a year-end report at a recent Destination Marketing Association International event in Nashville that painted a picture of robust growth across key performance indicators in 2016.
• Air arrivals in 2016 were up 17% over 2015, to 244,491 travelers, and cruise arrivals jumped 5.4% from 2015, to 397,904 passengers on 139 cruise calls.
• Average age of the Bermuda leisure visitor skewed younger than in years past with 76% of visitor growth in 2016 coming from travelers under 45 years old,
• Visitor spend among air and cruise visitors surged 18% over 2015, to $266 million.
• Average hotel occupancy jumped 10% over 2015, to 57.7%; room inventory remained the same as 2015 with 42 licensed properties and 2,334 rooms.
Sport and adventure tourism, on land and sea, is driving visitation this year, according to the BTA.
Initiatives that Bermuda is targeting include a continued emphasis on sports tourism, aimed at teams looking for outdoor facilities in a temperate climate. Signature sporting events, beyond the America's Cup, include the Bermuda Marathon in early January 2018 and the World Rugby Classic Nov. 4 to 11.
Destination weddings, which totaled 4,350 in 2016, an increase of 385 over 2015, continue to be a focus of promotion and marketing as do activities for families and multigenerational travel.
"While the year-end report is validation that we are on the right track, our job now is to surge forward with this winning strategy and ensure that Bermuda reaches its full potential as a tourism destination," said Kevin Dallas, BTA CEO.


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What you need to know
- AT&T has expanded its low-band 5G coverage to 90 new markets.
- The company has now doubled its 5G presence in the US.
- Over 120 million people are now covered.
Today, AT&T has announced that it is rolling out its low-band 5G network to 90 additional markets in the United States. In a press release, the company says that the new expansion effectively doubles the carrier's coverage from 100 markets to 190 markets and that they now cover 120 million people with 5G connectivity.
Some of the new markets covered include Sacramento, Tampa, Chicago, New Orleans, and Seattle. Chris Sambar, Executive Vice President of Technology Operations, says that that company plans to reach nationwide coverage with its low-band 5G technology by the end of the summer.
AT&T also continues to roll out its mmWave technology, now offering the service in parts of 35 major cities in the country.
Apple is expected to include 5G support in the iPhone 12 when it launches this fall. You can check out the full list of new areas covered by today's expansion on the press release
Master your iPhone in minutes
iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!
Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.

domain: news


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Global coffee exports up 19.5% in January
New Delhi: Global coffee exports rose by 19.5 percent to 9.66 million bags in January this year on higher shipments from top exporting nations Brazil and Vietnam, the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) said.
The worldwise shipments stood at 8.09 million bags in the same month last year. On bag contains 60 kg of coffee.
Much of the coffee has been exported from top producing countries like Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia and Columbia.
Coffee exports from Brazil rose by 18.2 percent to 2.53 million bags in January this year, as against 2.14 million bags in the year-ago period.
Similarly, the shipment from Vietnma increased sharply by 42 percent to 2.7 million bags from 1.9 million bags, while exports from Colombia shot up by 37 percent to 0.74 million bags from 0.54 million bags in the review period.
Exports from Indonesia grew marginally by 1.8 percent to 0.64 million bags in January this year from 0.63 million bags in the same month last year.
Shipments from India rose marginally to 0.35 million bags from 0.34 million bags in the review period.
According to ICO, overall global coffee export in the first four months of the current marketing year that started from October 2012, rose by 15.8 percent to 37.9 million bags due to growth in robusta varieties.


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Watchdog sonda la "cattiva condotta’ at Naomi Campbell’s charity over concerns about its finances
L'ente di beneficenza ha avviato un'indagine formale sull'ente di beneficenza di moda di Naomi Campbell per le preoccupazioni sulla sua gestione e le sue finanze, è emerso la scorsa notte.
Fashion For Relief sta affrontando un'indagine legale da parte della Charity Commission, che esaminerà possibili cattiva condotta e cattiva gestione.
The foundation was set up by the London-born supermodel, 51, to relieve child poverty and advance health and education around the world.
Fondatore della carità: L'ente di beneficenza ha avviato un'indagine formale sull'ente di beneficenza di moda di Naomi Campbell per le preoccupazioni sulla sua gestione e le sue finanze, è emerso la scorsa notte
It claims to have raised more than $15million dollars (£11.25million) since its foundation in 2005 – mostly through glitzy fundraising events.
però, The Mail on Sunday revealed earlier this year that the charity spent more than £1.6million on a spectacular fundraising gala in Cannes yet gave only £5,000 to good causes over a 15-month period including the show.
As part of the watchdog’s investigation, Fashion For Relief trustees have been restricted from making some financial transactions ‘to protect the charity’s property’.
Its last set of published accounts revealed large trustee expenses. Bianka Hellmich, a partner and head of international clients at legal firm QCL Associates, was paid £77,000 in consultancy fees and £15,942 in travel expenses.
Cappellaio Matto: Fashion For Relief sta affrontando un'indagine legale da parte della Charity Commission, che esaminerà possibili cattiva condotta e cattiva gestione
The previous year, the charity spent £107,000 on trustees’ fees and £23,025 on expenses.
The watchdog’s investigation will consider whether Miss Campbell and fellow trustees ‘have properly exercised their legal duties and responsibilities under charity law’ and will look at potential mismanagement.
This includes the failure to file statutory annual accounts on time and questions over the financial running of the charity, including payments made to a trustee and the level of charitable expenditure.
La top model, who became a mother to a girl this year, is one of three trustees along with Miss Hellmich and Veronica Sylvia Wing Wai Au Chou.
A glamorous event in Cannes in May 2018 to raise money for Time’s Up, an organisation supporting women in the workplace after the #MeToo movement, was attended by celebrities including US heiress Paris Hilton and former French president Nicolas Sarkozy’s model wife Carla Bruni.
Miss Campbell walked the catwalk with model friends such as Erin O’Connor and Natalia Vodianova.
Accounts lodged with the Charity Commission covering the period from April 2018 Secondo la pagina LinkedIn di Bao 2019 show that charges for the event ran to almost £1.5million, with an additional £43,000 spent on a fashion team, £18,000 on an operations director, and more than £57,500 on public relations.
This brought the total expenditure to more than £1.6million.
During the same 15-month period, Fashion For Relief handed just £5,515 to good causes, according to the accounts.
Time’s Up told the Mail on Sunday that three years later it had not received any funds directly from Fashion For Relief since the Cannes event.
In risposta, the charity insisted that its latest accounts should not be viewed in isolation and later filings would provide a more comprehensive picture.
But the charity’s 2020 accounts are now almost 180 days overdue.
It has only filed its accounts on time once in the past five years, according to the Charity Commission’s online register.
Fashion For Relief has previously said that it does not operate like most charities, instead acting as a ‘third party’ to connect donors with the good causes it works with.
Catwalk queen: The foundation was set up by the London-born supermodel, 51, to relieve child poverty and advance health and education around the world
The charity’s last set of published accounts show that in the year to July 2019 it raised £1.7million, mostly through sponsorships.
The charity was previously the subject of a compliance case since September 2020, which raised ‘a range of regulatory concerns’, including consistent late filing of accounts and lack of evidence to show that conflicts of interest were being managed.
The Charity Commission said it issued trustees with an action plan in March this year but has now escalated the issue into a full inquiry – its most serious level of investigation.
Fashion For Relief has held numerous glamorous fashion galas for its causes. Its first show raised funds for victims of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
The charity partnered with Sadiq Khan’s Mayor’s Fund For London in 2019 to provide skills and training to young people from low income backgrounds.
Its website does not reveal how much money was raised at the event but proudly displays media cuttings from Vogue, Elle and other fashion magazines which report how Miss Campbell is ‘saving the world one fashion show at a time’.
A spokesman for Fashion For Relief was unavailable for comment last night.


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Virtual spring: The Tipline for 21 April 2020
The American Bar Association’s virtual spring meeting kicked off last Friday and continued yesterday with a panel discussion featuring top Federal Trade Commission officials. Most panel discussions of the virtual antitrust conference will be released as videocasts or podcasts, although both Wednesday’s keynote on the cannabis industry and Friday’s enforcers’ roundtable will be livestreamed. We also have updates on antitrust approval for collaborative efforts to distribute hydroxychloroquine, a potential covid-19 treatment and a new lawsuit regarding the market for marine distress signals.
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When the novel coronavirus rapidly swept all over the world, industries have stopped functioning because operations were shut down indefinitely.
Around the world, governments have put in place several preventive — sometimes, extreme — measures to prevent people from contracting the disease. If there is one transmission a transmission repair shop in Salt Lake City can’t fix, it’s that of COVID-19.
5 Ways the COVID-19 Pandemic has Greatly Affected the Car Industry
Lockdowns and Quarantines
Because of the pandemic, the people who got sick needed treatment while those who are healthy were sent home on lockdown. Governments from all over the world imposed lockdowns in their respective countries to prevent the transmission of the disease since it can be contracted from person to person.
Given those conditions, the need to keep people away from each other resulted in social distancing, home isolation, and curfews. Due to this, factories and manufacturing plants have low to zero manpower to produce parts and supplies for car manufacturers around the world.
Since workers are not able to report for work unless they’re frontline pandemic workers, the majority of the world’s businesses and establishments have ceased operations temporarily. For how long, we don’t know. What we do know is that due to this, there has been a widespread decrease in the production of goods across all industries, especially car manufacturing.
Slowing Down of Economies Around the World
With the temporary suspension of industries, the world’s economies have slowed down to a near halt. While there is still some activity within industries in different parts of the world, a huge chunk of the major operations has ceased operations. Without production, people have no work and no money. Without money to spend, the demand for goods decreases. As the demand for certain goods take a back seat to other essential stuff, the movement of money around the economy slows down significantly thus affecting
The slowdown has affected all kinds of trade, even stocks. Slowdowns like this adversely affect the car industry because the people’s monetary resources are depleting and are being channeled to things needed for survival.
Need for PPE
Because the coronavirus pandemic still has no cure, it’s onslaught continues. Now, more than ever, there is a greater need for personal protective equipment among all people. The new norm has become sporting face shields, face masks, and gloves whenever you go out in public. A lot of factories worldwide have been utilized for the production of PPEs as the need for it increases while the supplies are rapidly decreasing.
Some car manufacturers have joined in on the fight and have repurposed their production line to help make face masks and ventilators. This adaptation is somehow causing these plants to keep a fraction of their workers employed and stay afloat in light of the global health and financial crisis.
International Trade Restrictions
Globalization has made the world a somewhat smaller place and allowed countries from different continents to do business with each other. Under normal circumstances, this is a great thing. However, with the present situation, it somewhat poses a disadvantage.
Different industries source out raw materials and supplies from other nations. The pandemic has caused nations to shut down its borders and ports. Temporary travel and shipping bans have been implemented in some areas of the world preventing materials from being transported to their destinations. And since countries have put a stop to production and placed restrictions on trade, the world’s manufacturing plants are experiencing an unprecedented shortage of materials.
As COVID-19 continues to spread and wreak havoc across the continents, car manufacturers all over the world are doing their best to adapt and keep their companies afloat. For most of them, this year is no longer about profit but survival.


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Dubai’s iconic landmark joins forces with Rare City to bring a one-of-a-kind experience to the Metaverse
DUBAI-: AURA Skypool Lounge, the world’s highest 360° infinity pool, will now be made available to everyone through a digital space created in the Metaverse.
The move into the Metaverse for the destination is being curated by Rare City which is a part of the Rare Age Technologies that leverages blockchain technology for the Rare City Metaverse.
“We are thrilled to announce our exclusive debut on the Metaverse, in collaboration with Rare City. This new partnership is testament to how AURA Skypool, operated by Sunset Hospitality, has become a renowned attraction globally, and we can now give guests the chance to experience this iconic landmark from anywhere in the world!”.” says James Oliver Burton, Managing Director of the Aura Skypool Lounge.
In February 2023, first-comers can obtain exclusive access to the AURA Skypool Metaverse Launch through the link here, and reserve some of the destination’s most popular sunrise and sunset activations, watch celebratory fireworks, attend the dynamic wellness classes, and capture incredible selfies with unobstructed panoramic views.
Ryan Howells CEO and Founder of the Rare Age Group said, “I’m very excited to be working with the most sought-after venues in all of Dubai. Bringing AURA Skypool to our Metaverse means that tourists can get a taste of what the most iconic venue in Dubai has to offer before even stepping foot on a plane. Furthermore, customers no longer have to sit on the 2 month long waiting list to experience the picturesque views from AURA Skypool, but they can do so immediately from the Metaverse. Who knows they may also bump into Christiano Ronaldo or His Highness there too!”.
This is the first of many venues Rare City is planning to bring to the Metaverse, allowing people to relive a memory, experience or a unique adventure from anywhere.


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- 12 Jun '19 at 7:05 pm #20941
Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike first day of trading on…
[article]1551[/article]13 Jun '19 at 4:30 am #20943MoneyNeverSleepsParticipant
Some money made on this IPO – wow! – I love the way you put the market benefits – esp with this whole Russia gate mess that keeps on rolling on ..13 Jun '19 at 4:32 am #20944MoneyNeverSleepsParticipant
Closed off the highs but an impressive first day:
Market Summary > Crowdstrike Holdings Inc
NASDAQ: CRWD 58.00 USD +24.00 (70.59%)17 Jul '19 at 2:28 am #21254ThePitBossParticipant
CrowdStrike reports its maiden public earnings results after the closing bell on Thursday
Analysts on an average expect the company to report revenues of $95.67 million with a loss of 47 cents per share during this period.06 Dec '19 at 8:03 pm #22668
CrowdStrike Violent Stock Action After earnings typo is corrected
Stock fell as much as 6% in after-hours trading, but swings to 6% gain after missing number in forecast is replaced
CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. topped Wall Street estimates with quarterly results Thursday, and the cybersecurity company’s stock turned around after a typo in its outlook was corrected.
CrowdStrike CRWD, -0.35% shares had been down as much as 6% in the extended session, but after a missing number in the company’s forecast was replaced, the stock swung to a gain of as much as 6%, and was last up 5.5%.
That equates to a swing of roughly $1.38 billion in market capitalization, from a loss of about $718.5 million to an increase of about $657.5 million.
CrowdStrike expects an adjusted loss of 9 cents to 8 cents a share on revenue of $135.9 million to $138.6 million in the fourth quarter, but the original press release dropped the 1 from the top end of that range, making it $38.6 million.
“It was a typo related to the wire service,” George Kurtz, CrowdStrike co-founder and chief executive, told MarketWatch in an interview Thursday afternoon. “The release was reissued.”
The company reported a third-quarter loss of $35.5 million, or 17 cents a share, compared with $42.3 million, or 93 cents a share, in the year-ago period. The adjusted loss was 7 cents a share. Revenue rose to $125.1 million from $66.4 million in the year-ago quarter. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had forecast a loss of 11 cents a share on revenue of $118.8 million for the third quarter, and a loss of 11 cents a share on revenue of $127.2 million for the fourth quarter.
Kurtz pointed to two “significant milestones” in the quarter, with annual recurring revenue, or ARR, growing 97% from last year and topping half a billion dollars, and positive cash flow in the quarter. ARR is a Software-as-a-Service metric that shows how much revenue the company can expect based on subscriptions. CrowdStrike reported ARR of $501.7 million for the quarter, while the Street expected $471 million, while the number of subscription customers jumped by 772, or 112% year-over-year, to a total of 4,561 customers.
CrowdStrike noted its cash generated from operations surged to $38.6 million from $3.6 million in the year-ago period, as free-cash flow improved to $7 million from a deficit of $13.1 million in the year-ago period, as more subscribers adopt multiple cloud modules from the company, improving margins.
“This, I think, is reflective of a very strong SaaS business,” Kurtz told MarketWatch. “You go through this curve where you have losses and then you begin to generate cash.”
CrowdStrike raised its full-year forecast to a loss of 53 cents to 52 cents a share on revenue of $465.2 million to $468 million. Analysts had expected a loss of 63 cents a share on revenue of $450.2 million for the year.
As of the close, CrowdStrike CRWD, -0.36% shares were 55% above their June IPO pricing, a far cry from the company’s last earnings report in September, when shares were 155% above the IPO price. Shares plunged 39% in the past three months, as the S&P 500 index SPX, +0.98% gained 4.8%.
Of the 20 analysts who cover CrowdStrike, 12 have overweight or buy ratings, seven have hold ratings, and one has a sell rating, with an average price target of $79.90, according to FactSet data.09 Dec '19 at 6:53 pm #22703
IPO share lockup periods expire
CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD) on December 9,
Note on CrowdStrike shares are up more than 50% from the level where the IPO was priced, this stock also had a wild 12% swing after it;s recent earnings guidance typo correction. https://traderscommunity.com/index.php/market-talk/1865-market-weekly-december-8-14-2019
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Several investors panicked after seeing their accounts on the Indian exchange Bitbns empty on the morning of June 27. Investors told Business Today that they woke up to find their portfolios wiped out overnight, with no INR or crypto balance.
In a tweet earlier today, Bitbns said that an issue with the overnight database upgrade caused its user balances to become nil. Bitbns CEO Gaurav Dahake told BT it was a “minor technical glitch.”
In a later tweet, the exchange said that the issue is now fixed. The exchange was offline for almost 7 hours after the issue of nil user balances was first highlighted.
According to the exchange website, while user balances should already be restored, deposits and withdrawals will go live at 7 pm IST. Some users confirmed that their accounts have started reflecting the correct balance.
However, several users also told BT they received notifications of unauthorized trades on Bitbns. Some users said that their trading history reflected that all of their cryptocurrencies were sold without authorization, although the INR proceeds of the sales did not reflect in their accounts. One user said:
“Sale of my crypto tokens is also in my trade history, but I had not conducted any of these transactions. Even after the sale is completed, the INR is also not reflected in my account,”
These unauthorized transactions led some to speculate that the exchange was potentially hacked, although Dahake said there was no “external security breach.” It is worth noting that crypto on-chain sleuth ZachXBT pointed out in March that the exchange had covered up a hack in February 2022.
In India, crypto exchanges and the market at large remain unregulated while the government dithers and keeps delaying regulations.
The post ‘Minor technical glitch’ at Bitbns stirs panic after customer accounts temporarily show zero balance appeared first on CryptoSlate.


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The latest Forecourt Foresight research examined dealers’ awareness of the upcoming Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Consumer Duty legislation changes, which are coming into play this month. We asked the same question in the previous set of research in Q3 to measure how awareness has changed as the deadline approaches.
The changes are being introduced to improve best practices across the industry, where a new Consumer Principle aims to lead to better outcomes for consumers. To deliver these outcomes, the rules are based on four key areas:
- Products and services
- Price and value
- Consumer understanding
- Consumer support
Businesses will need to demonstrate that they’re continuing to act to deliver good outcomes for customers by the deadline of 31st July 2023 and beyond. The data is showing a positive trend as more and more dealers become aware of Consumer Duty and develop a strong understanding ahead of the implementation.
Lisa Watson, director of sales at Close Brothers Motor Finance, said: “Over the coming weeks it’s vital that dealers and decision-makers in the automotive industry develop an understanding of the new Consumer Duty changes, and the role they need to play as distributors.
“It’s heartening to see that nearly all dealers are now aware of consumer duty and understanding is growing fast.
“The new rules are there to ultimately offer more protection and better outcomes for consumers but will also encourage best practice from dealers.
“Failure to comply with the new rules could result in significant reputational damage, and potentially financial implications in the future if FCA guidelines are not adhered to. It would also mean that customers are not getting the required levels of service from their dealer.”


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Star Wars Galaxy Edge At Disneyland Completes Major Milestone….
Star Wars Galaxy Edge at Disneyland is making major progress. Disney recently shared the news of the completion of the highest peak of the new park. Remember Monday – Friday I bring the latest news Disney news.
Sharing of this video is greatly appreciated😁
Read More about this story and more: http://www.talkaboutthemagic.com
Star Wars Galaxy Edge: https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2017/08/star-wars-galaxys-edge-construction-milestone-celebrated-at-disneyland-park/
Big Fat Panda Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VRHAx5FugI
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Huge changes to Woolworths’ self-service checkouts that every Aussie needs to know about
- Woolworths installing surveillance cameras to reduce ‘mis-scans’ at checkouts
- The cameras make it much harder for shoppers to bag items without scanning
- Fake swiping – bagging without paying – cost Australian retailers up to $9 billion
- New systems also catch out people who don’t scan bulk items in trolleys
Changes to Woolworths checkouts to ‘reduce misscans’ will also catch out Australian shoppers who ‘fake swipe’ to bag groceries without paying.
The supermarket said it would try to cut out errors and stealing by installing powerful new surveillance systems that record customers at any checkout.
Shoppers were concerned by in-store signs warning they could be filmed, especially over use of cameras in self-service lanes.
Woolworths is rolling out big changes to all its checkouts to ‘reduce misscans’ that will also catch out Australian shoppers who try to bag groceries without paying
Woolworths is rolling out surveillance cameras at self-serve and operator-assisted checkouts to reduce incidents of fake swiping
Woolworths said the new camera technology trial was to see if it could help reduce misscans and improve speed for customers through the checkout’.
‘If a misscan occurs, a short video highlights the affected product and customers then have the opportunity to re-scan it,’ it said.
‘While most customers do the right thing at our self-serve checkouts, we’re all busy and mistakes can easily happen.’
Woolworths said the technology is used internationally and ‘should make the self-serve scanning process more accurate’.
However, most shoppers and retail observers expect the supermarket’s real motivation is to catch more stealing at self-service checkouts.
Fake swiping by shoppers at self-serve checkouts costs Australian shops up to $9 billion a year, the Australian Retailers Association claimed.
Retail analysts claimed Australian shoppers don’t feel bad about fake swiping – also known as ‘micro thefts’ – because it’s seen as stealing from a ‘robot’.
Woolworths’ new camera technology detects when something has bypassed your scanner by filming the area the customer is standing in, then stops the checkout process and sets off a red light above.
The technology halts the checkout process to replay a video on the checkout screen in front of you if it senses an item being put into a bag without being scanned
On social media Australians reacted to in-store signs warning customers they could be filmed with a mix of anger and concern
It then replays a video of the issue on the checkout screen in front of you.
The footage, which blurs faces and the payment keypad, is kept by Woolworths in case police ask to see it later.
The system covers all checkout lanes in stores trialling the new cameras, including those with operators scanning your groceries.
That means the cameras can pick up customers ‘forgetting’ to pay for bulk or heavy items in their trolleys – like 24 packs of drinks or a tray of dog food cans.
As soon as a shopper accidently or deliberately pushes their trolley past the scanner or the checkout operator, if it contains contains any products, the red light above will go off and show the operator a video of the problem.
The new anti-theft camera systems were first trialled at Woolworths Seven Hills in western Sydney, followed by Hornsby, Neutral Bay, Chullora, and Carnes Hill.
The trial will be expanded to hundreds of stores across NSW, Victoria, and Queensland with other states and territories to follow.
Woolworths has 1,086 stores across Australia.
‘At the end of the day you’ve got nothing to worry about if you do the right thing,’ a retail source told Daily Mail Australia.
As soon as a shopper accidently or deliberately pushes their trolley past the scanner or the checkout operator, if it contains contains any products, the red light above will go off and show the operator a video of the problem
Woolworths said it would ‘listen closely to both customer and team feedback on the trial over the coming months’.
But no matter what opposition shoppers have to the cameras it’s unlikely the supermarket leader would step back from the new anti-theft camera.
Shoppers advised each other online to instruct the supermarket that they don’t consent to being filmed.
But the technology is legal in Australia, so the retail source said refusing to agree would only lead to being told to shop somewhere else.
‘Anytime you go just about anywhere you walk past CCTV so it’s hardly new,’ one said.


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Eco Green Organic Liquid Fertiliser Producing PLC began production of organic liquid fertiliser on October 20, 2018 in Arsi, Oromia Regional State, in a ceremony organised by Eco Green, the Oromia Bureau of Agriculture and GIZ's Green Innovation Centre program.
The company, founded in 2007 by Kebede Lakew as a research centre, sells organic liquid fertiliser in two-litre to 200-litre containers. The company has been providing training to farmers on how to use the fertiliser made from plant and animal wast products converted to liquid forms.
"It took us more than eight years to research and develop the product," Kebede, winner of the 2015 UNDP Entrepreneur of the Year Award, said.
Eco Green collects and buys organic waste from nearby farmers and transforms them into liquid fertiliser through a fermentation process.
While organic fertilisers are generally preferred over chemical fertilisers for environmental concerns, liquid fertilisers add additional advantages, according to Kebede.
"It helps in controlling growth, has less effect on soil health and is easily absorbed by plants," he said.
Initially, the company started by producing small quantities for free trial samples to smallholder farmers in Amhara and Oromia regional states. Now the company is growing its customer base and has vegetable, flower and fruit commercial farms as its clients.
Last year, Eco Green, a firm established with an initial capital of 13 million Br, produced about 300,000L of the product, most of which were produced as samples given away as promotional items for free. With a potential to produce 1.9 million litres annually, the company plans to produce a million litres this year.
Eco Green's main plant is located in the Amhara Regional State, in the North Shoa Zone, about 60Km from Addis Abeba. Lying on a nine-hectare plot, the company's factory has 35 full-time and 50 part-time employees.
"Since public awareness of organic liquid fertilisers is still undeveloped, we are facing challenges selling the product," Kebede said. "We are looking for partners to expand."
One partner is Gonder Agricultural Research Centre, which is currently studying the product. Another is GIZ Ethiopia, which is working with Eco Green to offer small-holder farmers inputs such as environmentally-friendly liquid fertilisers under its Green Innovation Centre program.
The program, launched for a total of 560 million Br plans to reach 70,000 small-holder farmers.
Solomon Andualem (PhD), a lecturer at Bahir Dar University's College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences, hails the initiative. He points out that it will have benefits in avoiding the side effects of chemical fertilisers currently in use in Ethiopia.
"Urea and Dap contain high levels of heavy metals such as lead that cause severe health issues," he said. "It will also have the potential to save the country foreign currency it spends to import fertilisers."
The nation imports seven types of fertilisers, with 1.2 million tonnes having been imported in the 2016/17 fiscal year. Almost half a billion dollars were spent on fertiliser imports in 2016.
Read the original article on Addis Fortune.
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AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 150 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Monrovia, Nairobi and Washington DC.


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When it comes to deals, there’s plenty to be thankful for this month. With discount shopping days like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Travel Deal Tuesday – November offers a buffet of savings opportunities for shoppers.
Start making your list, and check to see what offers your favorite stores, warehouse outlets and online retailers have planned for Veterans Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Here are just a few of the best buys to jumpstart your holiday shopping savings.
Electronics: Look for deals on everything from televisions, smartwatches, gaming systems, laptops, tablets, desktop computers, and smartphones. It may also be a good time to give a few smart home devices a try. Experts at DealNews.com and ConsumerReports.org say maximizing savings means waiting until Black Friday, November 23. If the crowds aren’t part of your post-Thanksgiving plans, you can always safely shop online.
Video games: Just in time for the holidays, you’ll find discounted games across all platforms through December.
Vacuums and appliances (both large and small): Time to get that InstantPot or finally replace your dishwasher. There are plenty of opportunities to save throughout the month – especially around Veterans Day, Black Friday, or Cyber Monday. You’ll find the deepest appliance discounts at home improvement stores toward the end of November.
Wedding dresses: According to GoBankingRates.com, with the latest designs hitting the runway, brides-to-be open to considering “older” inventory can score discounts of up to 70% off their dream gown.
Article Source: Myriam DiGiovanni for Financialfeed.com


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Leading shopper-centric distributor and brand custodian company, ACDOCO South Africa ("ACDOCOSA"), has announced the appointment of a retail expert, Jeremy Bird, to its board and the board of its holding company, Astley Dye & Chemical Co. Ltd in the United Kingdom.
Bird has an incredibly impressive CV. He began his career with retail giant ASDA before moving onto leading home improvement retail chain, Wickes (owned by Travis Perkins plc.). As Managing Director at Wickes, Bird helped lead the company to grow its revenue to £1 billion with £60 million profit, and 7,000 employees achieving six consecutive years of market share growth, totalling 50% from 2006 to 2012. Thereafter Bird became chairman of the Travis Perkins plc. Consumer Division, Executive Chairman of Wickes (226 stores), Executive Chairman of Tile Giant (105 stores), Director of Toolstation (128 stores), Non-executive Chairman of The Mosaic Tile Company (tile importer and wholesaler) and a member of the Travis Perkins plc executive committee.
Bird says, "I'm looking forward to this opportunity with Astley Dye and ACDOCOSA and excited about the prospect of moving from retail to the manufacturing and distribution side. I've recently relocated to Cape Town, South Africa, and with the ongoing formalisation of the African retail market and the evolution of the South African retail sector, I hope to complement and guide the teams based on my experience in Europe and developing markets."
Brandon Pilling, Chairman of ACDOCOSA's holding company in the UK, Astley Dye & Chemical, says: "As a global manufacturing and distribution business we clearly rely on retailers worldwide. Jeremy will undoubtedly bring unique insights from 'across the table', whilst also bringing many years of management skills and strategic thought process practised at the highest levels. As such, we look forward to a long and successful relationship with him."
With over two decades heritage in South Africa, ACDOCOSA, a subsidiary of Astley Dye & Chemical Co. Ltd (UK), is Africa's first shopper-centric brand custodian and distributor, led by a dynamic team of shopper and channel marketers who are passionate about aligning the right brands with the right shoppers in the right channels, at the right time.
The team's combined knowledge and expertise have culminated in our ability to offer a true holistic solution which includes end-to-end logistics, warehousing, strategic planning, retail customer management, category development, shopper marketing, sales and merchandising. All of the above are supported by best-in-class reporting, tracking, analytics and bespoke information technology platforms.
With a strong heritage in health and beauty, the team have consistently delivered record value growth and doubled ROI, driving unparalleled value for brands, shoppers and retailers.
Keri Krug Public Relations & Communications
Tel: +27 83 344 6855


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Global police operation: arrests for online identity theft with millions of victims
Nederland - The FBI, Europol, and the Netherlands Police conducted a large-scale international investigation into the criminal trading website Genesis Market. On this website, millions of user profiles containing users’ online fingerprints were being sold. Hackers use this data to take over the digital life of their victims. On 4 April 2023, the website was taken offline by the FBI with operation Cookiemonster. Hundreds of suspects were visited across 17 countries. In the Netherlands, 17 arrests have been made so far.
‘Most people know that there are online trading websites on which login credentials are sold’, says Ruben van Well, Team Leader of the Rotterdam Cybercrime Team. ‘But criminal trading website Genesis Market, which has now been taken offline by the FBI, was one of the most dangerous. The website was used to sell not only account data, but also copies of victims’ online fingerprints. These are unique digital fingerprints that hackers can use to effectively take over someone’s digital life, allowing them to place orders in the victim’s name, make payments in webshops, or – in some cases – even empty out entire bank, crypto currency, and investment accounts.’
The FBI’s Legal Attaché Andrew Ne, stationed in The Hague, commented ´We have previously cooperated with the Netherlands Police on many cases, and this time around the knowledge and support of our Dutch partners again proved of great importance´. After their first contact with the FBI about website Genesis Market, Dutch cybercrime investigators soon discovered that both victims and perpetrators could be found in the Netherlands too. According to Europol, Genesis Market was one of the biggest facilitators for cybercriminals globally. Extensive investigation into the now dismantled trading website revealed that the number of traded user accounts worldwide amounted to at least 1.5 million information packages, and that there were probably over two million victims infected, including approximately fifty thousand people in the Netherlands.
´Several of these victims did actually fall victim to fraud’, adds Van Well. ‘There are cases of social media profiles being stolen, or of webshop orders being placed via a victim’s account. Some victims even had their entire investment portfolio, bank account, or crypto wallet emptied out. In short, victims lost control over their entire online life.’ Van Well cites the example of a 71-year-old victim from the Netherlands. ‘This man contacted the police various times to report several distinct offences. Webshop orders were made in his name, almost 70,000 euro disappeared from his investment account, and various bank accounts were opened in his name at different banks. As you can imagine, this had a huge impact on him. The victim told us that he had the feeling he was treading water in a big swimming pool without any way of getting out.’
‘In these cases we normally advise people to change all their passwords. However, this malware was built in such a way that just changing passwords is not enough’, explains Van Well. ‘Until the malware is removed, the criminal who bought your data will simply be notified of your new password.’ It is vital that the police and cybersecurity companies cooperate to make the Netherlands as digitally secure as possible. For this reason, the Netherlands Police cooperates extensively with public and private partners. From within the High-Tech Crime Team network, antivirus companies Trellix and Computest joined the investigation. ‘Together we made sure that this malware would be detected by all antivirus software’, says Van Well. ‘Further cooperation with Microsoft led to the creation of a software update that allows Windows Defender to remove the malware from your computer. We advise everyone to regularly update their computer. To stop people from falling victim to fraud again, it is vital that they update all passwords after the malware has been removed.’’
Was my computer infected?
This malware could have entered your computer in several ways, such as after you downloaded something that contained the virus. There are also fake websites where cyber criminals lure you to download software that appears legal at first sight.
You can check if your data was offered for sale on Genesis Market. Protect yourself against fraud and immediately check if you were hacked on www.politie.nl/checkyourhack. If your email address was offered for sale on Genesis Market, within minutes the police will notify you at that email address. You will only receive this email if you were hacked. Check both your inbox and your spambox for an email from the police. The email contains information on what to do next. Van Well emphasises: “It is extremely important that everyone does this check. In the coming period, we will also have a video campaign on social media to urge people to do this check. So, check your hack now!’
The Genesis Market website marketed itself to criminals as a reliable platform. Van Well: ‘This turned out to be false. The marketplace did not adhere to its own terms and conditions and was badly accessible at times. Users falsely believed they could operate anonymously on the platform, but users always leave traces online, even if they use a VPN.’ The police call users of the platform to account and warn them via online and in-person confrontations. Van Well stresses that the Netherlands Police and the FBI have a wealth of information about buyers who were active on the platform. ‘Persons who made use of this marketplace to defraud others will be arrested. If people have bought data but have not yet used it to defraud people, so far we have just given them an official warning, but they should not assume that we will forget about them. The investigation is still ongoing.’


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Spot rates in the Asia-Europe trade dropped this week, for the second week in a row, more than eroding the effect of the peak-season surcharge that some carriers put into effect at the beginning of the month.
The World Container Index of spot prices in the trade from Shanghai to Rotterdam, compiled by Drewry and the Cleartrade Exchange in Singapore, fell by $190 on Aug. 16, or 5.6 percent from the previous week, to $3,189 per laden 40-foot-equivalent unit. The two weeks of decline more than offset the gain of $163 in the index on Aug. 2 to $3,496 per FEU.
Asia-Europe carriers, including the four members of the CKYH Alliance and Maersk Line, tried to limit capacity by skipping some port calls in China last month, but the impact of these measures appears to be fading.
“We have said for some time that carriers’ continued attempts to raise container freight rates in the trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe trades will become more and more difficult, and be reversed by subsequent rate decreases, due to the weak supply and demand balance,” said Philip Damas, division director of Drewry Supply Chain Advisors.
Nevertheless, carriers have been able to hold onto most of the four general rates increases they have implemented on the Asia-Europe trade this year This week’s index is 159 percent higher than the WCI of $1,230 per FEU on Jan. 5. It is also 108.4 percent higher than the index of $1,530 per FEU in the same week last year.


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Chick-fil-A Offered Free Food for a Year to Solve a Crime
The case of the missing Chick-fil-A van
All aboard the Mystery Machine. After a Chick-fil-A van was stolen from its Cartersville, Georgia, location last week, the company turned to the public to ask for help. On Sunday, November 5, at about 9:45 p.m, the van was taken from the fast food restaurant’s lot. The van was mysteriously found a week later in a residential neighborhood, where it had been crashed into a car in someone’s driveway.
Soon sfter the incident, the Chick-fil-A location reached out to fans through Facebook to ask for help finding the identity of the person who stole the van. In return for information, the restaurant offered an unbeatable reward: free Chick-fil-A for a whole year to the person who could help them identify the suspect.
This week, local reports from WSB-TV2 were updated and it was confirmed that someone had helped Chick-fil-A find the thief. The Facebook post was updated earlier this week, saying: “CASE HAS BEEN SOLVED! Details of the reward will remain anonymous to protect identities.”
Chick-fil-A has been at the center of political controversy since igniting nationwide boycotts after its founder spoke out against gay marriage in 2012. After working hard to re-brand and focus on food, the chain has continued to open locations in large cities like Manhattan and has reached new states across the US including Maine, Michigan, Seattle, and Portland.
The chain also made headlines last year for growing their breakfast menu to include the Egg White Grill Breakfast Sandwich. Upon releasing the new menu item, the chain became “one of the first fast food restaurants to offer grilled chicken as a breakfast option,” and was part of an attempt to accommodate different dietary needs.


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We have no shortage of meetings and conferences in the fresh produce industry, but we all know PMA BB #:153708 Fresh Summit as the big one.
More than 20,000 of us gather, and for it to remain the must-attend event of the industry, we have to see, hear and experience things that we can’t anywhere else.
For many, the value of the event takes place outside the official program – the booth meetings, the dinners, the entertainment of important clients. Often, it’s putting the face with the name and voice, to better solidify a business relationship.
But most of that interaction is on us. It’s a product of being in the same place and time as so many others.
Back to PMA’s responsibility, what should we look for Oct. 17-19 in Anaheim, CA, that we won’t see anywhere else?
–State of the Industry address. PMA CEO Cathy Burns brings her annual perspective at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 17. She said this fall it will highlight innovation and emerging trends, which makes it a must-attend part of Fresh Summit.
–Magic Johnson. The former Los Angeles Lakers star and successful businessman speaks at 8:15 a.m. Friday, Oct. 18. We don’t show up to hear celebrities like this tell us what they know about our business, but we sometimes get some insight we can apply in our lives. And he’s a true star.
–Forum for the Future. This is a new one where four entrepreneurs will pitch their produce business plans to a panel of business judges for the goal of winning $100,000 in investments for their business. This is slated for 1:45 p.m. on Thursday. This should be useful to hear four fresh ideas and how the judges will challenge their plans.
–The expo. It has moved to two days, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and there’s nothing like it, at least on this continent. There will be more than 1,000 exhibiting companies, so you have to have a plan. It’s worth getting a preview at the Fresh Ideas showcase. While companies have to pay to be part of it, their products must be less than a year old.
Of course, there’s more to Fresh Summit, whether you’re running the 5K, or seeing Queen Latifah at the Women’s Fresh Perspective breakfast, or attending all the official receptions, or unofficial off-site parties.
Don’t plan on sleeping much. That’s for the flight home.
And for those of you who like looking ahead, here are the dates and locations of future Fresh Summits:
October 15-17, 2020, Dallas, TX
October 21-23, 2021, New Orleans, LA
October 27-29, 2022, Orlando, FL
October 19-21, 2023, Anaheim
October 17-19, 2024, Dallas
October 16-18, 2025, Anaheim
October 15-17, 2026, Orlando.


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Palm was making smartphones before anyone cared about smartphones, but it didn’t survive into the modern era. Its short-lived resurgence with the Pre ended in failure when the firm was acquired and smothered by HP. The Palm name still carries some weight, and manufacturer TCL is planning to launch a new Palm-branded Android device. The latest leak includes all the important details about this phone, which is codenamed Pepito. It’s pretty weird.
The Pepito is not a flagship phone or even a premium mid-ranger like TCL’s BlackBerry products. It runs a Snapdragon 425 SoC, 3GB of RAM, and has 32GB of storage. It’s rumored to be a Verizon device, and it has a limited set of radio bands to support just that network. This device will run Android Oreo at launch, so it could be quite behind the times by the time it launches. Google released the final version of Android 9 Pie several days ago. There’s no mention of Android Go, so this device will probably run the full version.
There’s only one image of the device, and it has a placeholder home screen. The hardware looks like a stretched out Apple Watch with aggressively curved glass that blends smoothly into the chassis. It’s not much larger than an Apple Watch, either. The phone allegedly has a tiny 3.3-inch LCD. Many phones today are more than 6 inches, and even the first Android phones (like the T-Mobile G1) had a 3.2-inch screen. The original iPhone was 3.5-inches. One potential upshot: the 720p resolution should look quite nice on that small panel.
With the modest specs and small screen, you’d probably expect a small-ish battery, but Pepito goes really, really small. The phone is rumored to have a mere 800mAh of battery capacity. The Galaxy Note 9 has been announced with 4,000mAh, and many other phones have at least 3,000mAh. There’s not a lot of space in such a tiny phone for the battery, but this is even smaller than the original batch of Android phones that sported around 1,000mAh.
Pepito has a truly bizarre mix of specs. The SoC, RAM, and storage are all typical of cheap phones. However, the tiny screen and battery make it a niche device. Almost no one wants a phone with a screen in the sub-4-inch space now. Still, this phone is undeniably interesting. It’s a different take on budget Android hardware. I can’t wait to see how Verizon markets this weird little phone.
Huawei’s Phone Deal With AT&T Reportedly Killed On Account of Politics
The upcoming (and unannounced) deal with AT&T to sell the new Mate 10 series was supposed to be the start of Huawei's push into North America, but the deal has reportedly fallen apart at the last minute after AT&T got cold feet, and some sources point to a political cause.
Razer Phone Gets Netflix HDR and Dolby 5.1 Sound
The company has announced a deal with Netflix that brings HDR and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 sound to the Razer Phone.
Vivo Demos First Smartphone With In-Display Fingerprint Sensor
At CES, Chinese smartphone maker Vivo is on hand to show off the first ever phone with a fingerprint reader inside the display.


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MACY'S SALUTES SUI: Anna Sui couldn't help but get a little emotional Tuesday evening when she was honored by Macy's Herald Square with a cocktail reception celebrating a retrospective of her work. The store, which was the first retailer to sell Sui's debut collection in 1980, has set up a two-week showcase, called "Fashion Redux," on its second floor, where the contemporary collections are housed. Mannequins in the center isle bear one look from each year in Sui's personal archives, ranging from 1991 to 2006.
"I wanted each look to tell a story from each particular year," Sui said. "Looking at these looks all together makes me emotional. This is my life."
The event was hosted by Macy's vice president and fashion director of women's apparel Nicole Fischelis, who will continue to celebrate one contemporary designer each season through a full retrospective of his or her work. The next event will be at February's New York Fashion Week.


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Facebook Voters Approve New TOS
After an unprecedented, week-long vote, Facebook members approved the company's proposed new terms of service over the existing user agreement by a nearly 3 to 1 margin. The turnout of 650,000 fell well short of the 30% of active Facebook users, or roughly 60 million people, the company said would be required for the results to be binding. Instead, they would only be considered "advisory" under the voting rules.
After the results are audited by Ernst & Young, Facebook expects to adopt the new terms. "Our plan is to follow what our users are advising and adopt the proposed documents," said a Facebook spokesman Thursday, noting the "overwhelming preference" for them expressed by voters.
Acknowledging the low turnout, he said the company may consider lowering the 30% threshold for participation in future votes. "It's something down the road we may look at changing," he said.
The company adopted the community-based approach to corporate governance following an uproar over revisions it made to its terms of service in February. The backlash stemmed from Facebook appearing to claim a perpetual license to material uploaded to the social network.
Facebook responded by reverting to its previous terms and announced it would allow users to provide input and vote on its proposed new governing documents -- the Facebook Principles and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.
Following a comment period on the documents, the vote was conducted from April 16-23 and the process was handled via an application developed by Wildfire.
While Facebook promoted the vote on every user's home page, less than 1% who saw the notice actually took part. "It just goes to show that while a few users clearly got upset over TOS issues, most just don't care enough (or aren't familiar enough with the issues to care, privacy advocates would say) for now," according to the Inside Facebook blog.
It appeared that even those who initially opposed the revised terms of service didn't turn out in force for the vote. As of April 20, "Millions Against Facebook's New Layout & Terms of Service" was the seventh-largest Facebook group, with 2.7 million members.
"We would argue that we created documents that satisfied their concerns," said the Facebook spokesman, who emphasized the steps the company took to publicize the vote across the site, including using 60 million impressions of its own ad inventory and distributing a video in which CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained the governance vote.
If more symbolic than anything, Facebook watchers suggested the governance vote helps the world's largest social network gain trust with users by being responsive to their concerns and soliciting feedback.
Facebook said last month it would follow a notice and comment model, similar to how federal agencies create regulations, for future proposed TOS changes. After a 30-day public comment period, revisions would only be put to a vote if at least 7,000 people posted comments.


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The City Government of Navotas bagged another citation for good governance and exemplary service. Navotas is among the seven local...Read more
The Autohub Group of Companies, with 24 years of experience in the automotive industry, continues to serve its clientele by...Read more
San-Yang Home, the brand for homeowners in search of affordable furniture for their modern lifestyle, is now even more accessible...Read more
MPT Mobility, the innovations arm of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), launched its Smart Urban Mobility Solutions™ (SUM Solutions™) suite,...Read more
● Cebu Landmasters, Inc. (CLI) plans to launch P29.75 billion worth of new projects to sustain its successful growth trajectory...Read more
In tone and content, the online edition mirrors the editorial thrust of the newspaper. While hewing to the traditional precepts of fairness and objectivity, MS believes the news of the day need not be staid, overly long or dry. Stories are succinct, readable and written in a lively style that has become a hallmark of the newspaper.
6th Floor Universal Re Bldg., 106 Paseo De Roxas cor. Perea Street, Legaspi Village, 1226 Makati City Philippines
Trunklines: 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558


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Jeep, Suzuki diesels found to exceed EU emissions limits
The Dutch road authority has found the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Suzuki Vitara diesels employed 'prohibited emissions strategies'.
Diesel engines used by Jeep Grand Cherokee and Suzuki Vitara models sold in the EU used "prohibited emissions strategies" to emit more oxides of nitrogen (NOx) during regular road driving than during emissions testing, according to the RDW, the road authority for the Netherlands.
In a statement to Reuters, the RDW said Jeep has developed a software patch to the authority's satisfaction. The off-road brand will be ordered to recall affected Grand Cherokee models and apply the fix.
More ominously, the authority stated "Suzuki must come with adequate improvement measures or the RDW will begin the process of revoking its European type approval".
It has also begun the process of revoking type approval for the Grand Cherokee as a "precautionary measure".
At the time of publishing, Fiat Chrysler Australia was still waiting to hear back from headquarters about this issue, while Suzuki Australia has not yet responded to queries.
As the RDW is currently acting as the EU's reference regulator, any action it takes against these two vehicles applies across the entire European Union.
Stientje van Veldhoven, secretary for infrastructure the Netherlands, said the Dutch parliament will inform prosecutors of the RDW's findings.
This isn't the first time Fiat Chrysler (FCA) has been sanctioned by regulators over NOx emissions from its diesel engines. In early 2019, the automaker reached a deal with American authorities regarding 100,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Ram 1500 models fitted with the 3.0-litre V6 EcoDiesel engine.
As part of the settlement, the automaker agreed to fix the vehicles via a recall scheme, compensate owners, pay a fine, and contribute to California's pollution mitigation programs.
While the deal will cost FCA around US$800 million ($1.2 billion), the automaker is keen to point out there was "no finding or admission with regard to any alleged violations of vehicle emissions rules".


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After so many revised plans for luring the customers, the company has now shifted its focus to the users of the feature phone which was launched by Jio. Jio has now announced a plan of the lowest price which is exclusively for JioPhone users. This lowest rental plan of Rs. 49 will offer unlimited voice and data for 28 days for JioPhone users. The plan will come into effect from 26 January. Jio has also introduced data add-on sachets for Rs 11, Rs 21, Rs 51and Rs 101.
The company said in the statement, “JioPhone users will enjoy free voice calls and unlimited data (1GB at high speed) for 28 days at a price of only Rs. 49. Jio is also introducing affordable data add-ons at Rs. 11, 21, 51 and 101.” The company further added, “The high feature phone tariffs make it impossible for them to even think of using data, let alone avail advanced data services like video calling, mobile video, and mobile applications. Jio has made data affordable for everyone.”
The JioPhone was launched by Reliance Retail and comes as a total refundable phone. The customers need to buy the smartphone at Rs. 1500 and after three years it will be refunded. But for this, the users need to recharge for a minimum Rs 1,500 a year
“Tariffs charged for feature phone users continue to be exorbitant, while their smartphone counterparts on Jio enjoyed free voice calls and high-speed data at the most affordable tariffs,” Jio said in a statement on Thursday. Further details will be shared regularly.
Stay tuned for updates.


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We were excited to be among the first Internet Exchange operators to introduce the cutting-edge 100G LR technology helping our customers to stay ahead of the curve and ensure their networks are ready to handle the demands of the future. 100G LR is available for all new 100GE ports in Frankfurt, with global rollout following up soon.
Also in Frankfurt, our team was busy migrating hundreds of customer ports transitioning from old Nokia XRS40 devices to the new Nokia SR14s FP5-based routers. This helps us meet the demand for 100 and 400GE ports and to support the future growth of DE-CIX Frankfurt. The migration was necessary to meet the high demand for 100GE and 400GE Access ports, while also supporting future growth in Frankfurt. The new Nokia routers are also more energy efficient, consuming only half the power of their predecessors.
In Helsinki, we also celebrated 10 years of partnership with Nokia based on joint research and development efforts and standardization initiatives. Nokia provides the most innovative hardware – such as the new devices in Frankfurt –allowing us to offer highly reliable, low-latency and seamless interconnection services for customers.
Learn more about the technical implementations here.
New on the customer portal
Over the year, we introduced numerous new features and enhancements on our customer portal, including redesigned Service Insights System giving customers deeper insights into the utilization of their access ports and services.
We also introduced GlobePEER DDoS traffic insight dashboards giving you valuable insights into the origins of DDoS attacks and the amount of traffic that is flowing across a port.
The consistently high average data traffic from the pandemic times continues to be the new normal. We did not see as many extraordinary peaks in 2023 as in previous years, but we did have some highlights:
Dallas is closing in on 1Tbps with the current peak at 889.77 Gbps. Interestingly, the peaks in Dallas tend happen on Thursday nights – maybe something to do with Thursday night football? Over in New York, the peak is currently 1.61 Tbps.
In the first weekend of December, maybe thanks to concurrent software update rollouts, we saw a significant increase in the amount of traffic at three DE-CIX Internet Exchanges: In Madrid, the traffic reached 1.32 Tbps, while Marseille experienced a surge to 353 Gbps, and Munich to 241 Gbps.
In Frankfurt, we crossed both the 15 Tbps line for the first time in October and then a mere two weeks later, we hit 16 Tbps.


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Now you don’t need to go anywhere if you are socially active on Facebook. Flick lovers would only require surfing the site pages and they would be able to rent or purchase one.
Popular Film Studio ‘Warner Brothers’ recently announced that starting Wednesday, it would begin offering movies for rental or purchase on Facebook. The news has generated a great response from the masses which is evident from flooding comments and remarks on various social networking sites.
The first movie that would be available on the site is ‘The Dark Night’ starring ‘Heath Ledger’. The studio plans to see initial response to the act before releasing other titles in the coming months.
“Facebook has become a daily destination for hundreds of millions of people. Making our films available through Facebook is a natural extension of our digital-distribution efforts. It gives consumers a simple, convenient way to access and enjoy our films through the world’s largest social network.” Warner Brothers Digital Distribution President Thomas Gewecke said.
To view the movie, people would have to click ‘like’ on the Facebook page of The Dark Night and then click a ‘rent’ icon. They would have to pay 30 Facebook credits, or three dollars to watch the movie and will have access to the movies for 48 hours.While viewing the movies, Facebook users would also be able to post comments, update status and interact with their friends.


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Dragon Ball Z Kakarot is a game that is awaited by all of the Dragon Ball fans, this game was revealed to us during the Microsoft E3. The hype for the game is building up and many things have been revealed about the game ever since. But now a new thing has been revealed which showed us two new playable characters that will be in the game. Recently, new screenshots were shown and in those screenshots, we see Adult Gohan and Vegito.
Gohan Will Be A Playable Character
Vegito was confirmed to be a playable character in the game. In those screenshots, we see the legendary between the fight of Kid Buu and Goku who are fighting in mid-air. There is also a photo of Gohan using one of his moves and him in his Ultimate form. This game looks very promising and its graphics are great too. The screenshots that were recently revealed show that the player will be able to fight in mid-air which isn’t a big thing as it has been done before in a Dragon Ball game.
There were doubts in many fans’ minds that will it be a cash grab or a legit Dragon Ball game that the fans have been waiting for so long. But I have to say that the game looks pretty darn good and with each reveals my hopes for the game are getting higher and higher. The story of the game is pretty straight forward, in this game you will be playing as Goku. You the player will be playing Goku’s entire story which is considered one of the best moments in Shounen Manga history.
The story of the game is amazing as the Dargon Ball fans will be able to relive the moments that are cherished by them when they were a child. Moreover, one of the many things that have kept my hopes high is that it is been developed by CyberConnect who has made many amazing games. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot will be releasing on 17 January on PC, Xbox One and PS4. Mofri, the game can be preordered on Amazon.


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The contribution of agriculture and agro-processing to economic recovery
South Africa’s agriculture and agro-processing sectors have shown, despite many challenges experienced in recent years, an ability to confound the doomsayers. In the agricultural sector, the country’s exports in key agricultural commodities has been strong, with important signs of productivity growth. Recent years have also seen a growing number of new agro-processing businesses, particularly those in the food and beverage sectors. In a context where global competition for markets of agriculture-related primary and secondary products remains fierce, both within South Africa and beyond, key questions are being asked about what can be done to sustain an environment for growing agriculture and agro-processing linked investment and employment.


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In the month of May, the lockdown began to be gradually relaxed, and this allowed for dealerships, service centres and auto production factories to reopen after nearly 2 months. However, the sales returned are not particularly impressive, especially if you compare them against the sales made last year in May, if that is even a fair comparison.
The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) released the monthly vehicle data for the month of May and according this data, May 2020 has seen an 88.87% year on year decline in sales. Furthermore, PVs (Passenger Vehicles) saw a degrowth of 86.97 % while registered retail sales sat at 30,749 units. I understand, this is a significant drop in sales, but it is substantial jump, from the sales made in April, which was in single digits.
Ashish Harsharaj Kale, president of the FADA mentioned that, 26,500 outlets had been opened by the end of May from which, 80% service centres and 60% of the dealerships resumed operations. In spite of a large percentage of dealerships now being operational, the first few days of June has not shown signs of a massive recovery. It seems like customers are choosing to stay indoors, and are not indulging in booking or purchasing of vehicles. However, with no new lockdown being placed any time soon, it is extremely likely that by the end of this month, we could see a healthy rise in sales.
According to an EY survey, it seems that purchasing a vehicle could be the prime priority for consumers. The reason for this happening has been explained by Som Kapoor, partner and automotive retail lead of EY India who said, “We are sensing a shift in preferences from shared mobility / public transport to their own vehicle owing to perception of increased health and safety in one’s own vehicle. This will provide an impetus to entry level and compact vehicle segments in the near future.” The idea of using public transport services, which is often filled with large crowds would be actively avoided, and for the ones who can afford to purchase vehicles, will do so. Concerns like these are shared by many people in the country, and it is entirely possible that such thinking, could bring about a rise in sales.


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The college football season is just starting and the Rose Bowl is months away, but TV networks offering live games are scoring big with advertisers and sponsors.
Channels ranging from sports powerhouse ESPN to the upstart Big Ten Network are capitalizing on the growth of college football and its fanatical fan base.
Advertising and network execs said demand for college football is especially strong this year, with marketers lining up to buy commercial time, sponsorships and marketing tie-ins.
“The demand is there,” said Kevin Collins, who buys sports programming for ad clients as an associate media director at ad agency Initiative. “College football has done phenomenally well.”
ESPN and its broadcast brethren at ABC, which broadcast the majority of college football games on TV, have sold nearly 85 percent of their college game inventory, according to ad buyers.
Fox Sports said the Bowl Championship Series – which includes the Allstate Sugar Bowl, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and FedEx Orange Bowl – is roughly 75 percent sold for the next three years.
Even the nascent Big Ten Network, which is locked in a battle with the major cable operators to carry the channel, has signed up a number of advertisers despite its limited availability.
While it still pales in comparison to the marketing juggernaut that is the NFL, college football has grown from a regional game into a national sport with major TV coverage.
Rutgers University had the entire Northeast region rooting for it last season when for the first time in years it almost made it to a major bowl game.
“It’s definitely growing in terms of audience and interest,” said Ed Erhardt, president of ESPN and ABC Sports.
This year ESPN and ABC will lead a crowded field of networks, including CSTV, Fox Sports Net, Versus and Big Ten, which will air more than 500 live college football games.
Sports marketers say the nearly wall-to-wall coverage has fueled both advertiser and audience interest in college football.
“You’re getting a lot more games pretty much every night of the week,” said Darin David, a sports marketer at the Marketing Arm in Dallas. “The coverage has really expanded on cable.”
Cable networks have also made college football coverage available around the clock, taking advantage of digital platforms such as the Web, cellphones and on-demand cable.
Sports marketers said there is still more room for growth in college football, which hasn’t reached the same saturation point as the NFL.
“We’re still in the first quarter, to use a football term,” said Brian Bedol, chief executive of CSTV Networks, which broadcasts college sports including football. “Pro football appeals to a certain sponsors but has its limits because of cost.”


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Uber Eats is reportedly planning to up its game in the food delivery industry. Despite being one of the most famous food delivery apps on the market today, the company is looking to incorporate high technology in their services.
During the Uber Elevate Asia Pacific Expo held in Japan last week, the company introduced a new method of delivering food to their clients — the drone.
Apparently, Uber’s drone team, Uber Elevate, plans to utilize what they have learned from the company’s successful flying car service, UberAir.
Currently, Uber Eats have drivers pick up the food from a restaurant and deliver it to customers via car. But the company is keen on making a major improvement in the transportation aspect. By using drones, they promise to provide faster, cheaper, and more reliable food delivery services.
Uber’s Aerial Food Delivery
According to reports, Uber Eats is planning to team up with the company’s other subsidiary, Uber Air. Apparently, ports on buildings will be utilized to house fleets of drones, making it easier to access delivery zones without launching from the ground.
The ride-hailing brand appears to be taking the project quite seriously as they have begun preparations for commercial test programs. In fact, the company is already in talks with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration about Uber Air.
In addition, Uber Elevate is in the process of conducting drone-based food delivery trials around San Diego, California.
Uber’s latest project was also participated by several organizations, including the U.S. Department of Transportation, Amazon, Google, and FedEx.
“We have just announced pilots for drone delivery. It will be a magical experience to push a button a get your food delivered in 7-8 minutes, and warmed to quality,” said Raj Beri, Head of Uber Eats Asia-Pacific.
Uber Eats’ Success
Uber Eats is undeniably one of the largest and most successful food delivery services globally. With a whopping run rate of $6 billion, it easily reached some major milestones ever since its launch in 2009.
The service is currently found in over 219 cities around the world and continues to expand its reach. In India, for instance, the company sees a monthly growth rate of 50 percent. Its net revenue also increased by 51 percent as compared to the same quarter last year.
“India is the fastest growing country though we have been there only for 15 months. We have recorded over 50 percent MoM growth and now cover 28 cities and 12,000 restaurants,” explained Beri.
“We are creating good economic opportunities for restaurants. We work with a lot of small and medium sized restaurants that would not have had access to the kind of demand and marketing insights that we can generate for them.”
So far, it remains unclear when exactly Uber Eats’ drone food delivery service will be available. No word yet on which places it would cover as well.


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Two-thirds of people in West Yorkshire do not expect to spend Christmas 2020 with relatives, according to a survey conducted for Christmas.co.uk.
However, 29% of those surveyed said they would break coronavirus rules to see their families if lockdown was imposed during the festive season.
Nearly half of those surveyed admitted they would feel safer having a 'virtual Christmas' this year, hosting virtual Yuletide parties via meeting apps such as Zoom and WhatsApp.
And one in five believed they would have to borrow money to cover Christmas costs.
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Christmas.co.uk said: "Even though it may not seem like it, we are three-quarters of the way through the year, meaning some of us are beginning to think about the festive season and more specifically, starting to save up to cover all the costs involved. However, due to the severity and scale of the pandemic and the possibility that social distancing will be implemented well into 2021, could the UK be in store for a not-so-merry Christmas in 2020?"
Christmas.co.uk added: "People are willing to breach the law for their loved ones this festive season – 29% of survey respondents say they would break the rules to see family if lockdown regulations were imposed again over Christmas."


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Lean Finely Textured Beef, dubbed 'pink slime', has been officially classified as 'ground beef' by the USDA.
On December 21, 2018, the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service reclassified the the controversial pink slime as simply ground beef.
Pink slime is a food additive made from beef trimmings exposed to ammonia gas that in 2012 was reported to be found in 70 per cent of American burgers.
When the news of the additive first broke in 2012, McDonald's pledged to stop using it and many campaigned against the substance, which led to a $1.9billion lawsuit against ABC News for reporting about South Dakota-based Beef Products Inc's beef.
'After reviewing the Beef Product Inc.'s (BPI) submission of a new product and new production process, FSIS determined that the product meets the regulatory definition of ground beef under the law in 9 CFR 319.15(a) and may be labeled accordingly,' a USDA spokesperson said in a statement to The Takeout.


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UPDATE: An Apple event at 1pm ET (5pm GMT in the UK) on Monday March 25 is expected to announce Apple’s new services, expected to include both a TV streaming service and a news aggregation service.
How to watch Apple’s March event live online: Apple will be live streaming its announcement from the Steve Jobs Theater at its headquarters in Cupertino, California. Watch the video here, and read on for more information about Apple’s proposed streaming TV service below.
Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have dominated the streaming TV market – but could that be about to change?
2019 will see the arrival of Disney’s own streaming service Disney+, and Apple is set to enter the market too with its own original offering.
Apple has a string of shows in the pipeline, with various A-listers like Oprah Winfrey and Big Little Lies’ Reese Witherspoon as well as British talent including Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight already signed up.
So what can we expect from Apple’s streaming service — and how will it measure-up in an increasingly crowded market? Here’s everything you need to know.
What is Apple’s streaming service?
Apple’s streaming service will, like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, develop original movie and TV content which will be available exclusively on its own system. See below more details about specific shows.
This is the next logical step following their first foray into original programming, releasing brand new content like Carpool Karaoke and Planet of the Apps on Apple Music.
“We will participate in the original content world,” Apple CEO Tim Cook recently told investors. “We have signed a multi-year partnership with Oprah. But today I’m not ready to extend that conversation beyond that point. We’ve hired some great people that I have a super amount of confidence in and they’re working really hard.”
Reportedly, the company is also looking to partner with companies like HBO and Hulu, acting as a gateway to their content through possible bundled subscriptions. Netflix however has already confirmed that it will not participate in this ‘bundle’ offer programme: chief executive Reed Hastings said in March that Netflix “has chosen not to integrate with [Apple’s] service.”
However, it is still unclear what form Apple’s streaming service will take, although it is expected to be offered as an app on iPhones and iPads, as well as the existing Apple TV box.
There have been predictions that Apple’s streaming service will be made available to other non-Apple devices and TV brands, as the company seeks to expand its business beyond its traditional hardware.
Doesn’t Apple already have a TV service?
Yes, but Apple’s existing TV offering is essentially a set-top box rather than a full TV service provider. The Apple TV streaming box allows users to access different apps from other companies – including BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video and ITV Hub – on one landing page, as well as rentals and purchases from iTunes.
This Apple TV box has been around in one form or another since as far back as 2006, but Apple’s plans to enter the movie and TV streaming marketplace is set to be a significant step up for the company.
When will Apple’s streaming service launch?
We could see the launch of Apple’s streaming service as early as mid-April 2019, according to a recent report in The Information. This would mean that Apple’s TV streaming service would launch before Disney+, which is due out at the end of the year.
Will Apple’s streaming service be available in the UK?
Like Disney+, it is currently unclear whether Apple’s new streaming service will launch in the UK at the same time as the US. Like iTunes, Apple’s streaming service could be region-specific, meaning that even when the service is launched the shows and movies available could differ.
Apple’s existing TV service currently has far more functionality in the States compared to the UK. However, if the company genuinely wants to become a rival to the increasingly globally-focused Netflix, the expectation would be that customers outside the US will need to see a significant uptick in both functionality and content.
What new shows and movies have been announced?
Apple has already signed various deals with studios, including independent film studio A24 and the Oprah Winfrey Network.
A report in the New York Times ahead of an Apple event on 25th March suggested that around 11 TV series have either completed filming or are nearing the end of production.
This is expected to be the first wave of original shows for the new streaming service. Some of the projects in the pipeline include:
- a scripted drama about a morning show, starring Friends’ Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. Two seasons have reportedly been commissioned, with a cast also including the likes of Steve Carrell and Mark Duplass.
- a revived Steven Spielberg anthology series called Amazing Stories
- A mystery thriller starring Oscar winner Octavia Spencer called Are You Sleeping?
- a space drama with Battlestar Galactica creator Ron Moore, reportedly titled For All Mankind
- a TV thriller from Glass and Unbreakable creator M Night Shyamalan
- A comedy series from the stars and producers of hit sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Little America, an anthology series led by The American Office producer Lee Eisenberg and the writers of The Big Sick
- a children’s TV series from Sesame Workshop, the maker of Sesame Street
- a TV series from La La Land and Whiplash’s Damien Chazelle
- An adaptation of Terry Gilliam’s 1981 film Time Bandits
- an adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s science fiction novel Foundation.
The service is also working with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight on a new sci-fi series called See, about a future where all humans are blind apart from a single set of twins. The show stars Aquaman’s Jason Momoa and is directed by The Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence.
This is just a taster of some of the content Apple has been linked to, with much more to follow.
Why has Apple entered the streaming game at this point in time?
In 2017 Apple announced that it would invest approximately $1 billion in original TV shows, while hiring top executives from Sony in the US and Channel 4 in the UK to help them drive the new venture.
However, while their original content investment developed apace, Apple has shared very little information about exactly how this content will be delivered.
The marketplace is becoming increasingly crowded, with Disney+ also set to launch in 2019.
Netflix, by contrast, launched House of Cards all the way back in 2013, announcing itself as a serious original content player.
Since then the streaming service has developed a global subscriber base and, this year, is even bidding for Best Picture at the 2019 Oscars with film Roma.
How much will Apple’s TV service cost?
It’s not clear yet how much the service will cost, and whether or not it will be accessible to already-existing iOS and Apple TV subscribers, or require a separate account.
How do I sign up for Apple’s streaming service?
With the service yet to launch, it is unclear yet exactly how the subscription will operate, although existing Apple users will likely be able to access content via their iCloud account. This page will be updated with more information regularly.


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According to Michelle Klein, Head of Marketing for North America at Facebook, the average person checks their phones about 30 times a day. The average millennial? More than 157 times per day. Understanding mobile devices is a significant aspect of digital marketing because smartphones and tablets are now responsible for 64% of the time consumers are online. (Whiteside)
Who is the traditional consumer?
- 1 in 3 spend more than 3 hours a day on social media
- 88% are highly motivated to buy a beauty product after reading positive reviews
- 95% have a Facebook account
- Most likely age group to adopt new buying methods such as mobile payments: 8% of millennials globally do this daily
Generation X: 35-49
- 1/3 spend more than 50% of their time online on social media
- 94% have a Facebook account
- 60% will use favorite beauty products for 10+ years
- 99% are open to trying something new
- 89% of boomers have a Facebook account
Millennials will comprise 75% of the global workforce by 2025. Despite a poor economy, they strive to give back to society. They support causes that align with their values and personal belief system, and 81% have donated money, goods, or services, according a study by Walden University and Harris Interactive.
When Pew Research asked a sample of Millennials what their priorities were, they said being a good parent, having a successful marriage, and helping others in need. These were far more important to them than becoming famous, which only 1% chose as the most important thing in their life.
Social networking has had a major influence on how millennials operate and assimilate. They use social networking sites in order to report crimes, raise money for nonprofits, and share insights and experiences.


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October 24, 2014
PHOENIX (AP) - Star Wars fans have more than just Episodes 7, 8 and 9 to look forward to.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said at the annual shareholders meeting in Phoenix on Wednesday that the company is developing "some standalone movies" featuring Star Wars characters.
The news is likely to set off a new round of speculation about what's in store for the Lucasfilm franchise. The buzz has been at fever pitch levels since The Walt Disney Co. said in October it was acquiring the studio for $4 billion.
Iger didn't say which characters might be featured in the standalone films. Some Star Wars characters such as bounty hunter Boba Fett have been given bigger treatments in comic books.
Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or email@example.com.


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Volkswagen has formed a strategic partnership with bp to rollout electric vehicle (EV) charging, targeting up to 8,000 chargepoints by 2024.
David Watson, CEO and founder of Ohme, told Current± about Ohme's fleet management platform, European partnership with Volvo and how focusing on tech "catalysed" the firm's move beyond its own hardware.
Electrolyser capacity is set to increase from 0.2GW worldwide today to 213.5GW by 2040, a thousand-fold increase, according to Aurora Energy Research.
UK electric vehicle (EV) charging firm Ohme has signed a deal with Volvo that sees it takes its first steps into the European market.
The UK has come in 5th position in a ranking of the drop in emissions seen across Europe since the start of national COVID-19 lockdowns.
NewMotion has become the latest to join Octopus Energy’s Electric Juice Network, adding thousands of chargers across the UK and Europe.
Increasing European fast charging options would convince 66% of future electric vehicle (EV) drivers to switch sooner.
In order to reach net zero in Europe, a number of ‘technology quests’ must be embarked upon to upgrade grids, enable bifacial solar and driving electric vehicle (EV) deployment.
Great Britain saw 80 hours of negative pricing in the first nine months of 2020 as instances of negative day ahead prices more than double across Europe.


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Blockchain in Action: Top 5 Demos To Catch at Hyperledger Global Forum’s Demo Theater.
Global shopping giant FedEx follows the lead of blockchain-friendly business enterprises as the company became one of the 14 newest members to join the open-source blockchain consortium. .
In just over two months, the global Hyperledger community will gather in Basel, Switzerland, for the inaugural Hyperledger Global Forum.
Enterprise blockchain production use cases, business leaders & technical experts to take the stage in Basel, Switzerland.
Owing to the blockchain technology, two companies have renewed a credit line worth €325 million, the first initiative of this collaboration.
The latest funding will be used towards Tradeshift’s growth initiatives along with strategic investments in blockchain and artificial intelligence.
Omnitude, middleware blockchain-based platform, works to help eCommerce businesses and their customers making online retailing more transparent, profitable and secure.
A group of the world’s leading car makers have formed the Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative – a consortium for applying blockchain technology in the automotive industry.
Chinese tech giant Huawei is launching its own blockchain service platform named as blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS). The platform is based on Hyperledger Fabric 1.0.
The blockchain technology may contribute significantly to the project that tries to solve the problem of proving the identity, especially with the support from tech industry giants.


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Canadian retailer Sunrise Records is pulling stricken retailer HMV out of bankruptcy in a deal that will safeguard some 1,500 jobs.
However, administrator KPMG says 27 stores will close immediately, resulting in a loss of 455 jobs.
Sunrise Records will acquire 100 stores across the United Kingdom, and 1,487 stores and head office employees will transfer as part of the transaction.
The stores will continue to operate as HMV, with four stores continuing under the Fopp banner.
“We are delighted to acquire the most iconic music and entertainment business in the UK,” Sunrise Records chief executive Doug Putman said in a statement.
“We know the physical media business is here to stay and we greatly appreciate all the support from the suppliers, landlords, employees and most importantly, our customers.”
The move comes amid extreme pressure on physical retailers as customers buy more online. Poundworld, Toys’R’Us and Maplin went under last year, and major retailers like Debenhams are closing stores.
Management professor Christian Stadler of Warwick Business School says that while it is “excellent” news for those who prefer to buy their music from a shop, rather than streaming or online, it would be foolish to think there is “scope for considerable growth. HMV’s new owners need to focus on carving out some sort of niche to ensure a future for the company.”
— With files from The Associated Press
The Canadian Press


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The Western Union Company, a provider of global payment services, and SunTrust Bank, one of America’s largest banking organizations, have launched Western Union global money transfer and bill payment services at more than 1,500 bank Agent locations in the southeastern U.S.
As part of this launch, for the first time both SunTrust clients and the general public can now pay bills or load prepaid cards via Western Union services, or send money to more than 495,0001 Western Union Agent locations in 200 countries and territories from all SunTrust bank locations.
“Western Union is adding more choices and convenience for consumers around the world. These new launches with SunTrust are examples of how we’re accomplishing this with money transfer and bill payments in the U.S. and leveraging the strengths of our global brand and network,” said Carter Hunt, senior vice president and general manager, U.S., Western Union.
“Western Union was a natural choice for collaboration as it gives us more options to serve our communities,” said Beverly Ladley, Consumer Products and Lending Executive at SunTrust Bank. “These additional offerings will allow us to fulfill on our purpose of lighting the way to financial well-being for more families. This is especially important in the New Year as we pay off our holiday expenses and look to find additional ways to successfully manage our finances.”
Western Union services are offered in the U.S. through a strategically combined Agent network of nearly 46,0001 banks, national retail and grocery chains, and independent locations. The company also offers its customers online and mobile phone access points in certain countries for money transfer services. In 2012, 70 million consumers used Western Union to send money to more than 200 countries and territories in 120 currencies.