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PayPal launches new and improved mobile app, here is when you can have it
Starting today, a new PayPal app is making its way to those who already have the older version installed on their Android and iOS devices. The new app is easier to use, especially when it comes to sending and requesting money.
The most important changes in the new PayPal app are the streamlined design that makes it simpler for users to view their balance, get notifications, and move money while on the go, as well as the relocation of the Send and Receive money buttons.
In addition, when sending and requesting money, PayPal made it easier for consumers to add their photo and personalize their contact list. The advanced authentication features, 24/7 fraud monitoring, and instant notifications should also help make customers confident that their transactions remain secure all the time.
According to PayPal, the new app is currently rolling out in select markets such as Australia and Italy, but only on Android. The deployment of the new PayPal mobile app will continue to the additional global markets, including the United States, over the coming weeks (both on Android and iOS).


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Palworld, a viral “Pokemon with weapons” sport, has become Microsoft’s biggest third-party launch on Game Pass. In response to developer Pocketpair, the sport bought 12 million copies on Steam and 7 million on Xbox since its January 19 launch. 1,000,000 of the copies had been bought in its first eight hours. Engadget studies: Along with being the most important third-party Recreation Move launch ever, Palworld had the most important third-party day-one launch on Xbox Cloud Gaming (included with Recreation Move Final). The sport’s highest peak since launch was almost three million day by day lively customers on Xbox. Microsoft says it was the most-played sport on Xbox platforms throughout that interval.
Palworld makes use of Pokemon-esque characters and themes — sufficient to be a focus for Nintendo’s attorneys. It has battles with monsters much like these within the creature-collecting collection, together with the power to seize them inside a sphere after profitable. However Palworld additionally contains biting social commentary and incorporates themes you’d by no means see in Pokemon — like labor exploitation. “Don’t fret, there aren’t any labor legal guidelines for Friends,” a sport FAQ reads. One of many title’s trailers confirmed a participant circling hard-at-work Friends with an assault rifle. “Making a productive base like that is the key to residing a cushty life in Palworld,” the narration reads.

domain: news


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Weighing the high prices of gasoline and the public’s growing concerns about global warming, air pollutants and environmental health hazards, it’s not a surprise that fuel economy is playing a larger role on people buying a car.
To help car buyers make a more informed decision about the cars they buy, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designed a new window sticker full of information about fuel economy. This sticker is on all new cars, light trucks and sport utility…Continue
Added by Stephanie Lunsford on November 15, 2011 at 5:04pm — No Comments
The end of the year can be a very exciting time for people who are interested in the car industry. The weather gets colder, convention centers are getting ready for the big auto shows and fresh models our coming out from behind the scenes. While new cars are coming into the spotlight, last year’s models are being forgotten about.Continue
Added by Stephanie Lunsford on November 14, 2011 at 2:33pm — No Comments
Fuel cell cars have the potential to reduce the demand for foreign oil and lower the harmful effects it has on our climate. Fuel cell cars run on hydrogen rather than gas and their exhaust doesn’t put out any harmful fumes, just water and heat. A lot of challenges will have to be overcome before these vehicles can compete with hybrids technology and regular gasoline…Continue
Added by Stephanie Lunsford on November 14, 2011 at 9:31am — No Comments
Ford has opened their ordering books on its first ever electric car.
The Focus Electric is priced at $39,995, the same as the Chevrolet Volt plug in hybrid and $3,945 more than its closest competitor, the Nissan Leaf. All three cars are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit and various state incentives available towards purchase of an electric car.
The Focus range has not yet been revealed. Ford has previously said that it would be competitive with the…Continue
Added by Stephanie Lunsford on November 14, 2011 at 9:28am — No Comments
The Guardian S Class is the world’s first carbon neutral speed boat. The carbon fibre guardian is a 45 knot solar hybrid vessel powered by an EPA car regulated Mercedes Benz bluetec engine connected to a carbon-Grossbautelie electric motor. When combined with other available technology the fuel consumption and GHG emissions are 50 to 100% lower than any speed boat ever…Continue
Added by Stephanie Lunsford on November 14, 2011 at 9:25am — No Comments
Unfortunately, the news from Volvo isn’t good for the U.S. It seems Executives at Volvo don’t think the U.S is ready for a plug-in diesel hybrid. Therefore we will get a gasoline-electric hybrid, but everyone else will receive the diesel-electric hybrid.
Volvo confirmed that the V60 Plug-in Hybrid will go on sale during 2012. The Hybrid made its debut earlier this…Continue
Added by Stephanie Lunsford on November 14, 2011 at 9:13am — No Comments


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Indigo Launches Transformation Plan to Restore Profitability
Indigo Books and Music Inc. has announced the launch of a transformation plan aimed at restoring profitability. The plan comes in the wake of executive changes and a major cyberattack that disrupted the company's systems. While specific details of the plan were not provided, CEO Heather Reisman mentioned that it includes both short- and long-term initiatives to re-energize the company's connection with its customers.
The company reported a net loss of $22.4 million in the second quarter, attributing it to a reduction in sales and restructuring costs. However, Reisman expressed confidence in Indigo's ability to return to growth and profitability. The transformation plan is expected to address these challenges and set the company on a path towards success.
Overcoming Disruptions and Challenges
Indigo has faced disruptions from a cyberattack, executive departures, and the launch of a new e-commerce platform that experienced disruptions. These factors have impacted sales and the overall customer experience. The transformation plan aims to address these challenges and resolve critical disruptions.
Focus on Online Performance
The launch of the new e-commerce platform affected online sales, but Indigo is now seeing a meaningful improvement in online performance and conversion. This is a positive sign for the company's future growth and success in the digital space.
Macroeconomic Environment Impact
Indigo, like many retailers, has been negatively impacted by the current macroeconomic environment, including high inflation and interest rates. These factors have put downward pressure on consumer buying behavior, leading to reduced overall demand. The company acknowledges the challenges posed by these economic conditions and aims to navigate them effectively.
In conclusion, Indigo's transformation plan represents a strategic effort to restore profitability and address the challenges faced by the company. By focusing on customer connection, online performance, and navigating the macroeconomic environment, Indigo aims to return to growth and profitability in the future.
Indigo's Transformation Plan: A Beacon for New Businesses?
Indigo Books and Music Inc.'s recent launch of a transformation plan to restore profitability serves as an essential case study for new businesses. The company's proactive response to challenges, including a major cyberattack and executive changes, highlights the importance of resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity.
Adapting to Unforeseen Challenges
New businesses must be prepared to navigate unexpected disruptions, as exemplified by Indigo's experience with a cyberattack and executive departures. These events can significantly impact operations, sales, and customer experience. A robust contingency plan, like Indigo's transformation initiative, can help businesses mitigate the effects of such disruptions and steer the company back on course.
Embracing the Digital Space
Indigo's focus on improving online performance underscores the critical role of e-commerce in today's retail landscape. New businesses must prioritize their digital presence and continually optimize it to ensure growth and success in the increasingly competitive online market.
Navigating the Macroeconomic Environment
Lastly, the impact of the macroeconomic environment on Indigo's operations serves as a reminder for new businesses to stay attuned to economic trends. Factors such as inflation and interest rates can influence consumer behavior and demand. Businesses must be equipped to navigate these economic conditions effectively to maintain profitability.
In conclusion, Indigo's transformation plan offers valuable insights for new businesses, emphasizing the importance of adaptability, a strong digital strategy, and economic awareness in achieving long-term growth and profitability.


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The Reston, Va.-based Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI), owner and producer of the Pack Expo banner of trade shows, announced that the International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT), Dallas, will sponsor its Beverage Cooler Lounge, which will debut during Pack Expo International, Oct. 28-31, at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
“The beverage market is a core segment for packaging and processing, and with the addition of the Beverage Cooler Lounge, we’re expanding our customer-centric strategy for the show,” said Charles D. Yuska, president and chief executive officer of PMMI, in a statement. “We are very pleased ISBT is working with us on the launch of this new resource for beverage industry attendees at Pack Expo.”
The Beverage Cooler Lounge will be a central networking location that provides beverage industry professionals a place on the show floor to connect and find insight on the latest trends in the marketplace.
“ISBT is excited to partner with PMMI to create even more value for the beverage community at Pack Expo by sponsoring the Beverage Cooler Lounge,” said Larry Hobbs, executive director of ISBT, in a statement. “ISBT, as the premiere international society for the beverage industry, joining PMMI, the world leader in packaging and processing, provides a strong value proposition to bring the beverage industry together.”
More than 45,000 attendees, 1,800 exhibitors and 1.1 million net square feet of exhibition space are expected Oct. 28-31 for Pack Expo International 2012 in Chicago. For more information on this year’s event, visit packexpo.com.
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Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. announced its enhanced franchise growth incentive program for 2017, geared specifically toward multi-unit operators looking to expand their portfolio with a winning brand.
Due to the strong demand from new and existing franchisees to expand with Del Taco beyond current markets, the program applies to eligible franchisees who commit to opening a minimum of five Del Taco restaurants in a new market within a specified time frame. Designed to attract franchisees with an appetite for multi-unit expansion, the incentives include discounted initial fees and reduced royalties for up to three years, driving unit level profitability early on in the initial entrance phase of development in a new market.
“The growth and success that Del Taco has experienced over recent years is a testament to the strength of our business model,” says Laura Tanaka, director of franchise development at Del Taco. “Our accomplishments have helped propel our franchise initiatives forward, and we’re thrilled to continue to expand our brand in a disciplined and measured fashion with multi-unit franchise partners across specific regional geographies.”
Demonstrated by 14 consecutive quarters of system wide same-store sales increases, Del Taco presents enormous growth potential for experienced multi-unit operators looking to diversify their business portfolio. This includes opportunities across the Southeastern U.S., where the company has recently experienced tremendous activity with several new multi-unit franchise partners, as well as in growth markets across the Pacific Northwest. The brand currently has more than 550 locations across 15 states, presenting opportunities both in existing and new markets. This means eligible franchisees now have the extra incentive to bring Del Taco’s craveable Mexican favorites and American classics to raving fans that are vocal about their favorite hometown brand opening in their city.
Those interested in taking advantage of the company’s tremendous growth potential and learning more about its franchising opportunities are encouraged to register for an informational webinar at www.deltacofranchise.com.


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Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has long touted her goal of bringing the tech company back to greatness, but analysts this week say the best path forward may be to put Yahoo’s core business up for sale.
New York investment adviser Starboard Value urged Yahoo to stop pursuing a spin-off of its Alibaba shares and instead sell its content and search business. A few days earlier, a SunTrust Robinson Humphrey analyst sent a memo to Yahoo’s board questioning whether it had the right leadership team in place.
“Yahoo for sale has been a long-term thesis,” said Sameet Sinha, a senior analyst at B. Riley & Co. “Everybody is hoping that will happen. It just has not.”
Yahoo, which makes money through its Web search and display advertising, has struggled to turn around its business. It has heavily invested in mobile and is seeing revenue growth in that category, but the results aren’t happening fast enough for some investors.
Some observers believe Yahoo’s value has been boosted by shares it holds in Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba. Yahoo planned to spin off its small business division and Alibaba shares to avoid billions of dollars in taxes. But the spin-off has taken longer than expected, creating uncertainty about Yahoo’s tax liability.
“Yahoo is the only Silicon Valley company we know that currently has a stock price almost entirely driven by the value of an entity outside of its control,” wrote Jeffrey Smith, a managing member of Starboard Value in a letter addressed to Yahoo’s CEO, the chairman and the company’s board on Thursday. Starboard owns more than 7.1 million Yahoo shares, a nearly 1 percent stake, according to Bloomberg.
Smith said that instead of pursuing the spin-off, Yahoo should sell its core business, which would return more money to shareholders. Private-equity firms or traditional media companies could be potential buyers of Yahoo properties, analysts said. Once the search and content business is sold, Starboard proposed that what’s left of Yahoo would be a holding company for its stake in Alibaba and Yahoo Japan, as well as any leftover cash.
“If you stay on the current path, we believe the potential penalty for being wrong is just too great, and the potential reward for being right is not materially better than the other alternative,” Smith wrote.
Yahoo declined to comment on Starboard’s letter.
Starboard Value has a history of activist investment. In 2011, Starboard brought a proxy battle against hair salon business Regis, pushing three of Starboard’s handpicked candidates onto the company’s board. Starboard said in its letter to Yahoo that it “will look to make significant changes to the Board if you continue to make decisions that destroy shareholder value.” Last year, Starboard asked Yahoo to make a number of changes to its business, including exploring a “strategic combination” with AOL.
Starboard’s latest move follows a note to the Yahoo board last week from Robert Peck, a SunTrust Robinson Humphrey analyst, who raised concerns about the turnaround, the spin-off, and more than a dozen high-level managers leaving Yahoo.
“We believe the board must assess if the current management team has support of four factions: senior executives, employees, partners, and investors,” Peck said. “If not, we think a seamless transition to new leadership could be in the best interest of the company and shareholders.”
Peck warned in a note to investors Wednesday that a worst-case scenario, if the IRS were to tax Yahoo’s spin-off, could lead to more taxes for the company and shareholders, with a tab higher than the value of the actual spin-off.
Mayer said in October that the company plans to discuss its strategy for improving the business in a fourth-quarter earnings presentation. The gist, she hinted: focus on fewer products and improve expense discipline. When she joined Yahoo in 2012, she was the seventh CEO in 61 months, with almost all areas of revenue in decline, Mayer said at a recent Fortune Global Forum event. By steering Yahoo to invest more in mobile technologies, she added, “we have built a future.”
Revenue from mobile, video, social and native advertising totaled $422 million in the third quarter, up 43 percent from a year earlier. That helped boost overall revenue to $1.23 billion in the quarter, up 7 percent from the 2014 quarter, but it still missed Wall Street estimates.
Some analysts are beginning to lose patience with Mayer. As the company tries to reset itself, “it may be an opportune time to reset upper management as well,” Peck said.
Wendy Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org Twitter: @thewendylee


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The CEO of Wells Fargo warned Tuesday that there is “no question” that the U.S. economy is going to get worse before it gets better.
“It’s going to be hard to avoid some kind of recession,” CEO Charles Scharf said during a Wall Street Journal event.
The Federal Reserve has already raised interest rates twice so far in 2022 in a bid to cool the economy to deal with rampant inflation. Federal data shows that inflation rose 8.3 percent from April 2021 to April 2022, reaching 40-year highs.
With the spike in interest rates and inflation, some analysts and economists have questioned whether the United States is careening toward a recession.
But Scharf, during the event, stressed that the recession will likely be only mild, noting that consumers are still spending at healthy levels.
“The fact that everyone is so strong going into this should hopefully provide a cushion such that whatever recession there is, if there is one, is short and not all that deep,” Scharf said.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said there may be some “pain” that is “associated” with higher interest rates, which would, according to him, reduce inflation and curb demand. Powell, however, said that there is no recession on the horizon, saying that strong labor markets and consumer spending are high points.
“It will be challenging, it won’t be easy. No one here thinks that it will be easy. Nonetheless, we think there are pathways … for us to get there,” Powell told the Marketplace business news website last week. “Whether we can execute a soft landing or not, it may actually depend on factors that we don’t control,” he added.
Powell said in the interview that price increases are, in part, due to supply chain issues, although he didn’t delve into specifics about why.
This is an excerpt from The Epoch Times.
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As the Food Standards Agency (FSA) widened its investigation, the parliamentary authorities admitted four beef products had been withdrawn from the heavily subsidised restaurants used by MPs, peers and staff.
A Commons spokesman said the products withdrawn were steak and kidney pie, beef and onion pie, steak and kidney suet pudding, and beef Italian meatballs.
He added that the move was “precautionary”, after one of the House of Commons’ suppliers, Brakes, announced it was carrying out tests.
“As a precautionary measure, the House of Commons Catering Service has removed from its shelves four beef items supplied by Brakes. This relates to meat derivative products rather than to fresh meat.”
Brakes later announced that all four of the products the House asked it to test for horsemeat DNA were negative.
The news emerged shortly after the FSA said a wider range of products would be checked, include cafe sandwiches, gelatine, stock cubes and other beef-based foods, both pre-packed or loose.
The third phase of testing, due to begin next week, will see a further 150 samples examined for traces of horse DNA, increasing the total products checked to 514 products.
The first phase saw 224 samples of minced beef products – including burgers, mince, sausage or meat balls – checked for horse and pork DNA, while the second, which started last Thursday, involves 140 samples of beef-based ready meals, including lasagne, chilli con carne, cottage pie, ravioli, cannelloni and spaghetti bolognese, being DNA-checked. The sampling for the first two phases is being carried out by 28 local authorities, while sampling for the third phase will be allocated to local authorities across the UK.
The FSA expects to start publishing the results from all three phases by the end of the month.
Earlier, Nestle, the world’s biggest food company confirmed that three of its products were recalled in France, Italy and Spain. They had not been on sale in the UK.
The company said in a statement that it had enhanced its own testing after reports first emerged about the fraudulent mislabelling of beef.
It said: “We are now suspending deliveries of all our finished products produced using beef supplied by a German firm, HJ Schypke, a subcontractor of one of our suppliers, JBS Toledo.
“Our tests have found traces of horse DNA in two products made from beef supplied by HJ Schypke. The levels found are above the 1 per cent threshold the UK’s Food Safety Agency uses to indicate likely adulteration or gross negligence.
“There is no food safety issue, but the mislabelling of products means they fail to meet the very high standards consumers expect from us.
“Therefore we are voluntarily removing two chilled pasta products, Buitoni Beef Ravioli and Beef Tortellini from sale in Italy and Spain immediately, and we will replace them with product confirmed by DNA testing to be made from 100 per cent beef.
“Lasagnes a la Bolognaise Gourmandes, a frozen meat product for catering businesses by Nestle Professional produced in France will also be withdrawn from sale and replaced with product made from 100 per cent beef.”
Nestle confirmed that tests on all of its processed beef products sold in the UK and Ireland, consisting of seven Jenny Craig products and two Gerber baby food products, had confirmed no presence of horse DNA.
Scottish environment secretary Richard Lochhead said the scandal could be a watershed moment with positive consequences for consumers.
The crisis has prompted increased sales of Scotch-labelled produce and a closer interest in where food came from, Mr Lochhead said, in a ministerial statement to MSPs at Holyrood.
“The horsemeat scandal has undermined consumer trust in some parts of the food industry,” he said.
“But it may be a watershed moment in how people think about food, and that could end up being a good thing.
“There’s an absolute need for every step of the food chain to take responsibility for the food it produces and to ensure that Scottish consumers can have total confidence that what they buy is what it says on the label.”


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Our fourth set of local spyshots of the yet-to-be-launched L33 Nissan Teana comes from reader Wan Rafiuddin, who spotted the sleek D-segment sedan in Kota Damansara, casually parked in the open.
Like the covered car sighted in Melaka a full year ago, this one’s wearing 215/55 R17 alloys. The cars we saw in Rawang and near Sungai Choh both had 215/60 R16 five-twin spoke alloys. Looks like there’ll be two variants for us.
Tan Chong has confirmed five new Nissan models for this year, and the Teana is set to be one of them. You should be able to choose between a 136 hp/190 Nm 2.0 litre MR20DE and a 173 hp/234 Nm 2.5 litre QR25DE – both four-cylinder engines are mated to a CVT. Yup, no more V6.
Nissan Teana (J33) at the 2014 Bangkok Motor Show
Nissan Teana (J33) sighted around Malaysia


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Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian urged Armenian food manufacturers on Tuesday to increase their exports to Russia as he discussed with them and senior government officials ways of capitalizing on Russian economic sanctions against Turkey.
The meeting in Yerevan came as the Russian government released a list of mostly agricultural products which Russia will no longer import from Turkey from January 1, 2016. The import ban is part of the sanctions imposed by Moscow in retaliation for the November 24 downing of a Russian warplane near the Syrian-Turkish border.
An Armenian government statement said Abrahamian met with the heads of several government agencies, leaders of business associations and export-oriented entrepreneurs to discuss measures to “stimulate” Armenian exports. In that regard, it said, Deputy Prime Minister Vache Gabrielian presented “possibilities of increasing exports of Armenians products” after the Russian ban on Turkish imports.
“The prime minister called on entrepreneurs not to miss opportunities emerging in the current situation and to increase the volume of exports to the Russian market,” added the statement. It said Abrahamian also instructed relevant government agencies to come up with a “clear plan of actions” aimed at facilitating such an increase.
Armenia appears to have already benefited from a Russian ban on food imports from the United States and Europe which was imposed last year in retaliation for Western economic sanctions against Russia.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, exports of Armenian fruits and vegetables soared by almost 70 percent in physical terms in the first ten months of this year. Almost 84 percent of them went to Russia. Ministry data shows particularly sharp year-on-year rises in shipments of apricots, tomatoes, cucumbers and cabbage.
The Russian sanctions against Turkey apply to these and other agricultural products.
Separate data from the National Statistical Service (NSS) shows that the monetary value of Armenian fruit and vegetable exports was up by only 9 percent, at $32 million, in January-October. This relatively modest gain clearly resulted from a sharp depreciation of the Russian ruble.
The weaker ruble has hit particularly hard Armenian manufacturers of processed foodstuffs and alcoholic beverages oriented towards the Russian market. It also explains why overall Armenian exports to Russia plummeted by almost 30 percent to $179 million in the ten-month period.


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With Disney announcing three new cruise ships, could they be looking at acquiring a second private island?
A Naussau newspaper has confirmed that Disney Cruise Lines has expressed interest in a property called Lighthouse Cay (which is now off the market.)
From Tribune 242…
Disney Cruise Line currently has a 99 year lease on Castaway Cay, which is still largely undeveloped.
Clearly, with three new ships on the way, Disney will have to expand its offerings. Stay tuned to The Kingdom Insider for more information on Disney’s possible plans for a second island as we hear them.
[Source: Tribune 242]
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Risk currencies have opened the week on the back foot after a small cluster of COVID cases have been reported in Beijing over the weekend. Cases in the US have also spiked, with over 25,000 new cases reported on Saturday. Despite the United States being the worst affected country globally, investors flock to the US dollar for safety in times of nervousness.
With GBP now being seen as a risk-based currency, moving in line with stock markets where the FTSE 100 is down, this also means that the pound has taken a hit and started the week on a softer note. Today, Boris Johnson is set to meet with European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President, Charles Michel, via video conference in an attempt to forge a path forward in the Brexit trade negotiations. Traders are sceptical that much will be agreed today, with both sides previously stating they are likeminded in the agreement that the talks need to intensify for a deal to be reached. Commencing Monday 29th June. there are already plans in place to run meetings between the UK and EU for five consecutive weeks.
Today in Europe, borders have reopened to neighbouring countries with plans being drawn up to kick start the travel industry and get the travel and tourism industry back up and running. With tourism being such a key industry within the Eurozone, leaders are keen to save the summer and rescue the economy.
Have a great day,
Author: Jack Nicholls, Relationship Manager
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information published here is accurate, you should confirm the latest exchange rates with WorldFirst prior to making a decision. The information published is general in nature only and does not consider your personal objectives, financial situation or particular needs. Full disclaimer available here.


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Smart Home Revolution
Installers have a vital part to play in helping customers get to grips with the potential of smart technology, transforming their visions into reality.
Taking Safety Seriously. Landlords of private and social houses have a number of responsibilities to protect tenants against risks from gas, water, fire and carbon monoxide.
Changes to dividend taxation due to come into force in April will have significant implications for those trading through limited companies.
Ever wondered what replicant hunters listen to after a tough day pursuing Rutger Hauer across neo-noir dystopias? Named after Bladerunner’s jaded, possibly-not-quite-human-either cop, the Audeze Deckard is a top-spec amp, designed with high-end headphones in mind, for serious sit-down music appreciation.
This year at Installer 2016, delegates are invited to top up their van stock essentials in Plumb Center and Parts Center’s Trade Essentials Village, where suppliers will be offering huge discounts on an array of plumbing and electrical supplies.
Plumb Center has joined forces with JT and Bristan to become a partner in organising the 2016 UK plumber of the year competition.
Five members of staff from Wolseley UK have helped transport and logistics charity Transaid to raise more than £53,000 by cycling 330km through Wales and Ireland as part of the Celtic Challenge.
Putting customers’ needs first will be more important than ever in 2016, and to get a clear idea of what’s needed thousands of Plumb and Parts’ customers have been asked for their views.
and Parts Center
New wireless thermostat from Danfoss
Danfoss has launched the CET2000B‑RF battery-powered radio frequency cylinder thermostat.
GF provides pipe fabrication service
GF offers a pipework fabrication service
Horstmann makes control of combi boilers more efficient
Horstmann is offering a range of heating controls that are a good accompaniment to combination boilers. The accuracy, quality and reliability that have always been built into the company’s timers also feature in its stylish range of thermostats – and at a price that might surprise you.
“In the ‘noughties’ oil heating had quite a revival due to the low heating oil price in the early years of the decade”
Interviews & Case Studies
Since then the organisation has faced a number of battles to safeguard the oil heating industry as well as embracing new renewable technologies.
Simon May, product manager at Drayton Controls, outlines how to install the company’s first internet-controllable heating product.


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NBA Live 19 has an ever-growing list of playable characters, some of which are well outside the usual purview of pro athletes. The game is all about inclusion, too with create-able female characters added last year. And with players like Future, adding a rapper to the game’s ranks isn’t that much of a surprise.
But a musician wearing dress shoes and socks? Well, that’s pretty unique. YG has officially been added to the list of celebrities you can play as in EA’s NBA Live 19. YG’s characters keeps his signature dress shoes and socks in the game. The game’s official Twitter account tweeted a picture of YG in the game wearing his signature footwear while in a Rockets shirt.


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Salon beauty is booming, and it’s all thanks to a new kind of celebrity who can’t wait to share it with the world.
The world is watching.
And now, the salon industry is in a bind: how to balance the increasing popularity of these celebrity-driven brands while keeping them out of the reach of ordinary consumers?
In this week’s Salon Beauty, we look at the five most popular beauty products on the market, and how to keep them out.
The new products, according to the brand’s own numbers, include:Cosrx, which offers “supernatural skin-healing treatments” for up to $10,000 per patient.
It is also the subject of a lawsuit from the FDA, who claim the product is potentially harmful to people with asthma.
NourishMe, a skin-lightening cream that claims to treat eczema and acne by stimulating the skin’s natural healing powers.
Nurkoo, a brand of hair and body care products that is selling for up $5,000 on Amazon.com.
Nuvarex, a hair-lightener with a new name, and a $25,000 price tag on Amazon, which says it’s “the first-ever hair-whisper-friendly hair lightening product.”
It was launched by entrepreneur and dermatologist Dr. Andrew W. Wootton in 2015.
Salon Beauty, the brand that launched the brand, says its products are not intended to treat or cure any health problems.
But Dr. Wotton, who has been called the “Queen of Hairlightening,” says that Salon Beauty products “can be used to help improve hair and skin quality in people with different skin types and skin-related conditions.”
Cosrx sells hair products that contain ingredients that are approved for human use, but the FDA says it has been unable to identify the ingredients that can be used safely for use in cosmetics.
NuvareX says its hair-free product is not approved for use by humans, but it is approved for “medical use only” by the FDA.
Nureme is sold in several countries.
It comes in “an array of natural hair products,” including an array of “natural oils,” “natural deodorants,” and “natural moisturizers.”
It is available in the U.S. on Amazon and in Canada on the brand-owned site Nuvares.com, as well as through other retailers.
It’s available in Australia and New Zealand.
NuVareX is a $3,000 hair-shaping cream that promises to help control frizz and dark spots.
The company says it is safe for use “for those who are sensitive to fragrance.”
Cosmo is a hair product that promises a “natural, lightweight shine.”
It is available at Walmart, Home Depot, and Best Buy.
It retails for $5.99 on Amazon as well.
It claims to work “by enhancing your natural hair’s elasticity and tone by helping to smooth out and soften the hair.”
NuvAREX is an $8,000 natural deodorant that promises “a healthy, fresh, and natural feel” and claims to be “safe and effective for sensitive skin.”
Nureme has a $15,000 listing on Amazon for its “natural hair deodorizer.”
Nurky Beauty is an “all natural hair care product” that claims it will help prevent and treat dryness and fade.
It has a listing for $12,500 on Amazon that says it “contains no artificial colors, fragrances, or harsh chemicals.”
The company has also launched an Instagram page, and is selling an online store for $9,000.
Nulabu is a “healthy, natural hair conditioner” that promises anti-aging benefits and “beauty without chemicals.”
It retail for $10.99 at Walmart and $6.99 for Best Buy, though it is not available in Canada.
Nulab is available on Amazon in Canada and the U, U.K., and U.A.E.
Nutra is an anti-fungal and anti-bacterial hair-care product that claims “it can remove plaque, fungus, and bacteria from hair and scalp.”
It has an $18,500 listing on Indiegogo.
The product has also been available in Japan.
The beauty products from Cosrx, NuvariX, and NuVarex are available in a variety of skin-whitening products, including: Cosrx SkinLight, a “nourishing, gentle, and radiant skin-brightening skin lightener” that retails at $4,200.
It promises “nearly limitless applications, with just one touch.”
Nulabs SkinBlending Moisturizer, a product that retail at $1,700.
It also claims to remove “dryness and breakouts.”
Nubar Beauty SkinTinting Moist


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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — There are 150,274 convenience stores operating in the United States, a 1.6% decrease in the number of stores in operation (152,720) at the close of 2019, according to the 2021 NACS/Nielsen Convenience Industry Store Count.
The store count is based on c-stores open as of December 2020.
C-stores sell an estimated 80% of the fuel purchased in the United States, and the new store count shows that 121,538 c-stores sell motor fuels (80.9% of all c-stores), a slight 0.4% drop from 121,998 stores selling fuels the year prior.
Given the overall retail contraction in the United States, NACS expected the decrease in the total c-store count, it said. A 3.1% decrease in single-store operators (92,196 in 2020 vs. 95,108 in 2019) led the industry decline, which account for 61.4% of all c-stores. In addition, the decrease in the industry store count was more pronounced among stores that did not sell fuel. Of the total 2,446-store decline, 1,986 did not sell fuel, compared to 460 that sold fuel.
“While pandemic-related restrictions significantly affected commuting in 2020, leading to an estimated 10% to 15% decrease in fuel demand, fuel was still an important convenience offer as customers increasingly relied on their local convenience store to bundle shopping occasions when fueling up and also purchasing fill-in grocery items and take-home meals at stores,” said NACS Vice President of Research Lori Stillman.
The decline of one-store operators continues a multi-year trend; single-store operators made up a record 63.2% of the industry in 2017. Meanwhile, the percentage of one-store operators that sell fuel dropped to 57.1%, the lowest since 2010 (56.7%).
Despite the third straight yearly decline in stores, the overall c-store count has increased 2.7% during the past decade. The last time the industry saw multi-year declines was 2009 and 2010, related to the economic fallout of the Great Recession, said NACS.
“The sustained growth of online shopping and the long-term effects of the pandemic will continue to reshape consumer shopping routines and affect the overall retail landscape and make for extremely challenging times,” said Andy Jones, president and CEO of Sprint Food Stores, Augusta, Ga., and NACS vice chairman of research and technology. “At the same time, there are opportunities, especially for small retail, to implement more online offers and last-mile fulfillment to provide convenience however the customer defines it.”
Among the states, Texas continues to have the most convenience stores (15,695 stores), or more than one in 10 stores in the country. The rest of the top 10 also remains the same from the year prior. California is second at 12,074 stores, followed by Florida (9,619), New York (8,096), Georgia (6,574), North Carolina (5,890), Ohio (5,564), Michigan (4,855), Pennsylvania (4,698) and Illinois (4,629). California is the only state in the top 10 that added stores (+84), while New York (-393 stores), Florida (192) and Texas (161) saw the largest declines. Alaska (176) has the fewest stores in the country.
Performance vs. Other Channels
The decline in the convenience store count reflects the decline of all brick-and-mortar stores. Overall, retail contracted 2.1%, with the dollar store channel being one of the few channels that saw growth (+3.1%). All other major competing channels had fewer units by December 2020.
In addition are “gas station/kiosk” stores that sell fuel but not enough of an in-store product assortment to be considered c-stores. Overall, there are 15,638 kiosks, led by 1,673 kiosks in California, 1,339 in Texas and 924 in New Jersey, a state that requires full-service fueling. The kiosk format saw a 9.4% decline over the past year and 29.2% decline over the past five years as more consumers seek out stores that have robust food and beverage offers, NACS said.
Founded in 1961 as the National Association of Convenience Stores, NACS advances the role of c-stores as positive economic, social and philanthropic contributors to the communities they serve. NACS has 1,900 retailer and 1,800 supplier members from more than 50 countries.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.


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MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
December 22, 2021 07:07 am
Photo by M. Mishin. Press Service of the Mayor and the Moscow Government
The fastest recovering sectors are consumer services, dentistry and printing.
In Moscow, the turnover of enterprises most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic is growing. In September – November 2021, it reached 1.4 trillion rubles, exceeding the result of the same period in 2020 by 58.3 percent and by 41.5 percent in 2019, said the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Economic Policy and Property and Land Relations. Vladimir Efimov…
“The autumn months saw the maximum growth in the turnover of the affected industries. At the same time, in November, the first week of which most of the Moscow business did not work due to restrictions associated with the spread of coronavirus infection, the turnover of companies in the affected industries amounted to 461.3 billion rubles. In just 11 months of 2021, the turnover of the affected industries reached 4.3 trillion rubles, ”the deputy mayor said.
The revenue of most industries increased compared to the fall of 2019. “The turnover of the most affected trade segments in September-November 2021 increased by 83.7 percent compared to the same period of 2019. The consumer services sector is recovering at a high rate – its revenue increased by 64 percent compared to the fall of 2019. Dentistry increased its turnover by 59 percent, the media and printing industry – by 67 percent, “- said the Minister of the Moscow Government, the head of the Moscow Department of Economic Policy and Development Kirill Purtov.
However, there are still industries that have not yet reached pre-pandemic indicators. Catering enterprises and hotels have practically recovered: their lag, compared to the fall of 2019, is less than one percent. The entertainment industry and travel agencies were hit hardest, earning 15 percent less. However, the upcoming New Years and long holidays will allow them to increase their profits.
Small and medium-sized enterprises in the worst-hit sectors also surpassed the fall 2019 figures. Their turnover in September – November 2021 amounted to 421.9 billion rubles, exceeding the pre-crisis level by 26 percent, the Analytical Center of Moscow noted.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.


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Restaurants investigated over tipping abuse
30 August 2015, 12:13 | Updated: 30 August 2015, 12:26
Government to investigate after some restaurants accused of withholding tips
Business Secretary Sajid Javid has begun an investigation, after some restaurants were found to be adding 12.5% to bills, but not giving it to staff.
Mr Javid said: "When a diner leaves a tip, they rightly expect it to go to staff. In full. I’m concerned about recent reports, suggesting some restaurants pocket tips for themselves. That’s just not right."
The inquiry will consider whether there should be a cap on the proportion of tips restaurants can withhold from staff for administrative costs and, if so, what this level should be.
Research from 2009 found one in five restaurants did not pass tips to their staff, yet the vast majority of customers said they wanted waiting staff to receive tips left for them. More than three quarters wanted to see the restaurant’s tipping policy clearly displayed.
There is a voluntary code of practice which is overseen by industry body the British Hospitality Association, but restaurants may currently choose to ignore it and adopt their own tipping practices.


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Elias Petrakis is currently one of the most well-known and most wanted male models in global runways. With his prominence in the fashion industry having skyrocketed lately, the young model is becoming the muse for many Turkish fashion designers, who want to include him in their line-ups.
Elias Petrakis is 26-year-old who grew up in Piraeus, Athens. Born in Chania, Crete, he has been involved in sports since the age of 5 and was a swimming champion.
His manager and owner of the “Agencia” models agency, Mrs. Elena Christopoulou, speaks very favorably of the young man and is certain that he still has very much to offer to the world of fashion.
Petrakis has accidentally found himself working for fashion designers after his friends had encouraged him to try out his potential in the field.
The model is mostly known for his body pictures and claims to hold nothing against nude photography. Among others, his goal for 2012 is to participate in the Olympic Games of London.


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Bill Caraher envisions the day when blockchain technology will "substantiate and with zero doubt prove" the origins of documents and contracts used in the legal industry. For Caraher, CIO and director of operations at von Briesen & Roper, a 250-employee law firm in Wisconsin, this capability would be monumental.
Blockchain technology -- in which a peer-to-peer distributed network is used to validate transactions and other records and thereby create an immutable digital ledger -- will have "sweeping implications" around provenance and authenticity of legal documents, he said.
A blockchain implementation could determine "the authority of documents and [prove] their originality, their state, their disposition, their destruction, and just be the index of the real story," Caraher said. "It could lead to speedier resolutions, it could lead to better evidence gathering [and establishing] foundation for a case."
Caraher eagerly anticipates the development of distributed ledger technology that would help make that promise a reality. But like many of the potential use cases for blockchain technology, the one Caraher foresees hasn't yet been fully developed or productized.
Indeed, potential use cases are a favorite topic among blockchain observers, and it seems that every conversation about the technology yields a new one. But sorting through which blockchain use cases actually make sense takes some work. And then having software -- and in some cases hardware, for IoT-enabled scenarios -- to put that use case into action is another step. But companies will eventually get there, proponents said, through concerted and judicious efforts among CIOs, IT practitioners, IT vendors and developers alike.
Before blockchain implementation, determine applicability
IT's involvement with blockchain implementations -- and therefore the level of urgency associated with putting distributed ledger technology into operation -- will to some degree depend on the vertical industry the company is in, with financial services being the most urgent. But as evidenced by Caraher's enthusiasm for blockchain's application to legal services, interest in the technology is widespread. Vendors active around blockchain -- both broad IT vendors such as Microsoft and IBM, as well as niche blockchain suppliers -- said they're fielding calls from virtually all industries. In addition to financial services and legal industries, others include: insurance, utilities, public sector, advertising, healthcare, auditing, supply chain, manufacturing and real estate.
Banks are under particular pressure to get going on blockchain implementations because they're facing pressure on three fronts, said Jeff Garzik, co-founder at Bloq, a startup focused on helping enterprises build blockchain platforms. Technology companies like Apple and Google are rolling out payment software; telecom companies are enabling consumers to use their mobile phones as a bank account, to pay bills and send money; and cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, which are underpinned by blockchain technology, are being used to disrupt banks much the same way tech and telecom companies are. But, he said, the disintermediation to banks will not be all-encompassing. "You're not going to have Aunt Joan and Uncle Joe store all of their wealth on their smartphone, for example. Banks are still going to exist and provide loans and provide services that strictly cashlike Bitcoin and Ethereum systems do not provide."
Yorke Rhodes III, global business strategist at Microsoft, said that the financial services industry got a head start on developing uses for blockchain technology because it had early awareness of Bitcoin. "It's pretty easy for people to be able to pivot and say, 'Well, we understand Bitcoin and the underlying technology. What else can we do with this? And, oh, by the way, this may be more disruptive to our business than Bitcoin because Bitcoin is really just a payment vehicle.'" Despite the -mover status of the financial services industry, many other industries will benefit from the technology, Rhodes said.
Four steps to a blockchain implementation
Garzik identified four stages to a blockchain implementation, and they apply no matter the industry a company is in:
- Identify a use case and develop a technology plan.
- Develop a proof of concept (POC).
- Administer a field trial, which involves a limited-production run with customer-facing data, and is stepped up to involve more customer-facing products and data volumes.
- Launch a full-volume rollout in production. (Relatively few organizations have reached Stage 4, Garzik said.)
When it comes to Stage 1, "the most pragmatic question [for IT to ask about blockchain] is, 'To what products does blockchain apply, but more pragmatically, how does blockchain not apply?'" Garzik said. "Some of the systems that are being converted are being explored more out of interest rather than being directly driven by customer value. So what areas of blockchain deliver the most customer value? That's the key question that CIOs should be asking."
Joe Guastella, global leader at Deloitte Consulting's financial services practice, said that some clients are approaching the firm with a clear idea that they want to understand how blockchain might be used, whereas others come to the firm with a business problem, with no preconception that blockchain should be used.
"There are people who are saying, 'We have these problems. ... We've got to take costs out.' And we kind of shape out and scope out the problem statement. And then you look at what the solutions may be," Guastella said. "And then you have some that say, 'You know what? This may lend itself to a blockchain solution because it'll cut out these 10 post-transaction reconciliation steps and therefore you can save this much money.'"
Step 1: Use case development
Regardless of how the use case is discovered, companies that have identified a use case for a blockchain implementation will either look to their vendor partners for a product that fits the bill, or will work to develop the technology internally.
Smaller companies are more likely to look to a vendor to supply a product. "I would see us working with one of our existing vendors to say, 'Are you forming an advisory panel or exploratory group of existing law firm clients that would want to roundtable about this and how do we see it as a benefit to the firm?'" Caraher said. He said that von Briesen & Roper would most likely work with its niche vendors in the document management space to see how they could incorporate distributed ledger technology into their products. Use of products employing distributed ledger technology would be a competitive advantage for his firm, Caraher said.
For larger companies, once a use case has been identified, Rhodes said, the next step is to identify an architecture to address the use case. And as with all IT projects, IT will need to determine budget, deadline and whether the work can be taken on using internal resources or whether outside help is needed. He said most companies will choose to contract for outside help with blockchain. "It's going to be way too hard to get up to speed in a sensible way across multiple complex technologies that are three or four different potential competing variants," he said.
Garzik, however, noted that whether doing a blockchain implementation internally or with outside help, it's important for companies to gain expertise in-house with blockchain technology because the technology is both new and complex.
For IT shops looking for help with a blockchain project, there's a very broad if still-immature ecosystem developing around the technology. According to a recent report from 451 Research, there are almost 300 Bitcoin and blockchain-related startups across the globe, operating to develop technology in the financial, productivity, storage, smart contracts, social networking, supply chain management, identity management, governance, retail and IoT product spaces. Most big IT vendors are active around blockchain, notably, IBM, which has put considerable resources behind The Linux Foundation's Hyperledger Project, and Microsoft, which is working with banking industry consortium R3 CEV to enable testing of blockchain systems using Microsoft Azure. And the large consultancies and systems integrators have also developed practices around the technology.
Step 2: Proof of concept
Bloq's Jeff Garzik describes the POC stage for a blockchain implementation as a one- to three-month exercise.
"You create a system ... that integrates into an isolated sandbox environment with that ... institution's data and you get to see the software operate in a simulated environment with real customer data. It does not impact customers, but it's real customer data, real transaction volume," Garzik said. "If you're talking larger volumes, a million transactions per day -- something of that nature -- you get to see how well the blockchain system scales up to meet that demand."
At the Consensus 2016 industry event in May, Catheryne Nicholson, CEO and co-founder at BlockCypher, which builds blockchain APIs, explained the POC process in a panel discussion. "[A POC is] very unmethodological in terms of engineering; it's something where you're trying to iterate quickly, fail quickly. It's the mantra of 10 engineers doing 10 projects in two months and seeing what's sticky."
Both Nicholson and Microsoft's Rhodes said the cloud is the best venue for a blockchain POC. "[Cloud computing] lets you spin stuff up without worrying about hardware [or] about it being inside your network," Rhodes said. Having it in the cloud also makes sense if there are multiple organizations participating in the POC, he added.
Even though testing may be done using public cloud services, most companies will relegate those tests to private or permissioned blockchains. "No enterprise is going to do the tests on the public blockchain, so I think you'll see a ton of use cases in development that are 100% internal only," Rhodes said.
There are obstacles that will derail a POC. At the Consensus 2016 event, Scott Mullins, who runs worldwide financial services business development at AWS, implored IT organizations to include all relevant parties in a POC.
"Don't forget you've got people down the chain that you need to include in the [POC] process. You've probably got a third-party outsourcing team, you've probably got a third-party oversight team, you've definitely got a compliance or risk management team," Mullins said. "Don't wait to get all the way to the end with your POC ... and you have five people who raise their hands and say, 'Hey, you need to talk to us about the different things we need to check the boxes on.'"
Eric Piscini, consulting principal at Deloitte's technology and banking practice, speaking on the same panel, advised against a widescale POC. "When we see POCs fail, most likely you start too big and think you're going to change the whole organization with blockchain. My advice: Start with something small that's going to impact a very small part of your organization."
BlockCypher's Nicholson cautioned against lengthy contracts tied to a POC. "From a startup perspective, we have been thrown a 150-page boilerplate master services agreement for a POC. It's way overkill. If you're an institution looking to do a POC, put that MSA to the side. Ask the startup if they will work with your four- to five-page agreement instead of going through months and months of negotiation with legal counsel, before you even start."
Step 3: Field trial
After POC comes the task of putting real data into production.
Garzik said this typically means a small trial with perhaps 5% of customers or customers on a lower-volume product. "IT staffs are locating within their customer product sets perhaps a lower-volume, perhaps less-customer-facing use case that they can then present both to the board at the CEO level and also to their engineers at the low level to really gain that knowledge."
Nicholson explained that the field trial isn't simply a POC moved to production but rather a restart. A field trial might have completely different requirements than a POC, she said.
Rhodes noted that once businesses become comfortable with the software they're using and are happy with the testing process, they may choose to implement blockchain projects on on-premises hardware within the enterprise rather than in the cloud.
Step 4: Full-volume rollout
Nasdaq's Linq system, which uses blockchain technology to manage private-market trades and which went live on Dec. 31, is an example of a blockchain implementation at Stage 3, Garzik said. "That's a field trial with real customers. But it's not as high-volume as turning the Nasdaq tech stocks on the blockchain. The number of trades for Microsoft or Apple stock is easily 10,000 times the number of trades on [a system like Linq]."
"Most customers are not yet at Stage 4," Garzik said. "Fortune 500 is really at Stage 2 POC or Stage 3 field trials with blockchain technology."
A full-scale production system requires a much greater commitment to the blockchain application than the prior stages. "Production is out in the wild, where it has to scale; all the users have to be happy, you have to have help desk. Essentially it begins to run on its own," Nicholson said.
And achieving that stage has so far eluded most blockchain projects.
"The only POC that's in production is Bitcoin. It's the only blockchain that is out in the wild, that has come under attack, that's stood the test of time," Nicholson said, adding that almost everything else is "a bright, shiny baby and is theoretical."
Read our in-depth guide for details of how the role of the CIO has evolved and learn what is required of chief information officers today.
Microsoft collaborates with big banks on blockchain.
Don Tapscott spells out seven benefits of blockchain.


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Group Lotus denies it will be liquidated following a petition submission to HM Courts & Tribunals Service for the company to be wound up.
The Companies Court Winding Up List for March 15 includes the Hethel-based manufacturer (http://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/court-lists/list-companies-winding-up).
Group Lotus has responded to speculation about the future of the business and said: "Contrary to rumours initiated by a single car magazine (Autocar), Lotus is not being liquidated.
"Earlier this year, Lotus was in a contractual dispute which was resolved amicably a number of weeks ago. However, the High Court process meant that the matter was still shown on the High Court website, as there was a hearing scheduled for today. This is what appears to have been seen and misunderstood.
"The case was only listed for the proceedings to be disposed of. The claim has now been dismissed with no order as to costs."
The latest annual accounts submitted by Lotus to Companies House for the year up to March 31, 2012 reported 'cash at bank' of £0, 'liabilities' worth £7,868,000, 'net worth' of £106,733,000 and 'assets' worth £4,701,000.
Group Lotus is part of Malaysian conglomerate DRB-Hicom, which has been silent about its plans for the brand after delaying an ambitious new product devlopment line-up of five new models in March last year.
This latest news follows on from the high-profile dismissal of former Lotus chief executive Dany Bahar in June last year.
Bahar has brought a £6.7 million unfair dismissal case against Lotus and a hearing at the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court in London will take place in June 2014.
Bahar claims he was sacked prior to the sale of the firm which would have earned him 5% of its value.
Parent company DRB-Hicom claim they were entitled to dismiss Bahar but will not publicly go into details over the reasons why.


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HMD Global planned to update its top-end Nokia 8.3 5G smartphone to Android 11 late last year, but has only released firmware for the device now.
What is known
The manufacturer announced this on the official forum. The V2.180 system has already started to be received by some users in Europe, the USA, the UK and several countries in the Middle East. A little later, the update will be released in all regions.
Among the innovations, the firmware contains the January security patch, as well as all the main features of Android 11. Recall this is an updated interface, a Conversations section (from English dialogues) in the notification bar, “bubble” messages, an updated power menu, a Media Controls panel in the curtain with quick settings, a section with frequently used applications on the desktop, and much more.
Source: Nokia Community


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Telstra are on a mobile high today after announcing a 23% jump in profits and 958,000 new mobile customers.
Click to enlarge
|Telstra Androidland, Melbourne|
The telco has announced ‘one of our best years yet’, CEO David Thodey said today, adding almost one million mobile customers to its network, during the six months to 31 December 2011.
Telstra added a whopping 958,000 new mobile customers during the six months (338K postpaid mobile, 436,000 mobile broadband) and106,000 fixed line broadband users, it anounced today.
This helped push Telstra’s total revenue for the first fiscal six month 2012 to $12,4bn – a 1.1% jump, while earnings before tax, or EBITDA, increased by 3.7% to $4,7bn.
Net profit after tax also increased by 22.9% to $1,4bn.
The revenue figures fell slightly below analysts expectation, however, which had widely predicted $12.5bn revenues and $1.52bn net profit.
On the media front, the telco added 166,000 users on its T-Box set top box and T-Hub service and now has 206,000 customers on mixed bundled plans, bringing the total base to more than 1.2 million.
However, Telstra said its strategy is continuing to pay off, including its $1bn ‘Project New’ customer service revamp along with its decision last year to ramp up its digital media business.
Telstra’s customer complaints were also down 24% over the year, although “we still have more work to do,” Thodey cautioned.
He also said his company’s “strategy is unchanged.”
“We will continue to focus on improving customer satisfaction, growing customer numbers, simplifying the business and taking advantage of new growth opportunities.” Mr Thodey said.
The company also confirmed guidance for fiscal 2012 of “low single digit revenue” and EBITDA growth, with free cashflow of between $4.5 -$5 billion and announced a 14 cent interim dividend.
“Last year we recorded one of our best years for customer growth. This momentum has continued into the first half of fiscal 2012,” CEO David Thodey said today.
“Our superior networks and competitive offers are being recognised and valued by new and existing customers.”
Looking closer at the figures, Telstra’s mobile revenue grew 10.9% in the half to $4,3bn, although fixed line voice business declined by 9.0% to $2,4bn.
This comes as Telstra has upped the ante on mobile’s, opening the world first Androidland Store in Melbourne, offering the first 4G phone in Australia, HTC Velocity, and selling the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Ice Cream Sandwich on exclusive.
Retail fixed broadband revenues increased by 5.8% to $835m and IP access revenues grew by 8.9% to $514m.
The telco also said it remains “on track “to deliver cost benefits in fiscal 2012 and has already achieved benefits of $456 million, driven by “improved labour productivity and simplified processes.”
If continued, this will exceed the $622m cost savings delivered last year.
On the NBN deal, Telstra said it believes it is “close to finalising the NBN transaction” which will mean an additional $11bn in its coffers as it hands the NBN Co over its copper infrastructure.
It also said it has also lodged a revised Structural Separation Undertaking to the ACCC for approval, which will see the break up of its retail and wholesale arm during the construction of the $35.9bn NBN project.
“The company is working towards satisfying this last key requirement and implementing its agreements with NBN Co and the Government,” it said today.
The NBN transaction is not expected to have a material impact on Telstra’s underlying financial results in fiscal 2012.
Telstra also intentends to maintain a 28 cent fully-franked dividend for fiscal 2012 and 2013 as announced in October.
Telstra’s Board has re-affirmed its intention to consider a broader capital management strategy upon implementation of the NBN agreements.


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Update as on July 08, 2020: Cyble team of Threat Researchers has assessed that number of attacks are increasing on Organizations based in India and their data is put on sale in the darkweb. These attacks are either through ransomwares or exploiting the security misconfigurations of internet-facing systems.
“Attackers are not even sparing the crowd-funding platforms for Non-Governmental Organizations. “
Recently, Cyble Research Unit (CRU) identified a credible threat actor who claimed to be in possession of confidential data of Impact Guru – A donation-based crowdfunding platform that offers global crowdfunding solutions for NGOs, social enterprises, startups and individuals. Launched by Maneka Gandhi, Union Cabinet Minister for Women & Child Development, Government of India in September 2015, Impact Guru has mobilized ₹150 crores (US$21 million) for various NGOs and social enterprises in more than 15 countries and is currently recognized as India’s leading crowdfunding online site
Given the sensitivity of the matter, Cyble researchers investigated further and verified that the actors have obtained database records along with the structure of the database.
“Due to the breach, approximately 507k+ user records are at risk. “
Critical information gathered after analysis –
- Email IDs are stored along with password in both plain-text as well as encrypted format
- Banking details (account number, IFSC code, SWIFT code and other similar details) of 8,000+ users
- Chat history of users
The leaked details include:
- Pan Card number
- Aadhar Card number
- Facebook ID, Twitter ID, Linkedln ID, Apple ID (if available), of each user
- Registration Date
- Paypal Email
- IP Address Location
- and many more…
Cyble has been reporting these types of breaches to aware individuals of the risks associated with using online services.
As soon as our research team identified this leak, the data was instantly acquired and indexed on our data breach monitoring and notification platform, AmiBreached.com – people who’re concerned about their information exposure can register on the platform to ascertain the risks.
We recommend people to:
- Never share personal information, including financial information over the phone, email or SMSs
- Use strong passwords and enforce multi-factor authentication where possible
- Regularly monitor your financial transaction, if you notice any suspicious transaction, contact your bank immediately.
- Turn-on automatic software update feature on your computer, mobile and other connected devices where possible and pragmatic
- Use a reputed anti-virus and internet security software package on your connected devices including PC, Laptop, Mobile
- People who are concerned about their exposure in darkweb can register at AmiBreached.com to ascertain their exposure.
Cyble is an Atlanta, US-based, global premium cyber-security firm with tools and capabilities to provide near real-time cyber threat intelligence.
Cyble Inc.’s mission is to provide organizations with a real-time view of their supply chain cyber threats and risks. Their SaaS-based solution powered by machine learning and human analysis provides organizations’ insights to cyber threats introduced by suppliers and enables them to respond to them faster and more efficiently.
This monitoring and notification platform gives the average consumer insights into their personal cybersecurity issues, allowing them to take action then as needed. It has recently earned accolades from Forbes as being the top 20 cyber-security companies to watch in 2020.


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Ayesha Mubarak Ali, a Pakistani visual tech artist, was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Asia this week for merging digital artistic methods and technology to examine subjects such as light pollution, identity politics, and the future of humanity.
Forbes 30 Under 30 is a list of people under the age of 30 issued yearly by Forbes magazine to recognise businesses and industry personalities for their contributions to various industries in North America, Asia, and Europe. Among the various disciplines are art and style, media, sports, consumer technology, health, and social influence.
“I could never have imagined that the path I embarked on in ‘fusion-art’ would lead me to the milestone,” Mubarak wrote on Twitter.
Ayesha Ali was recognised by Forbes for integrating traditional artistic methods with modern technology to examine subjects such as identity politics, light pollution, space applications, and humanity’s destiny.
She is the first Pakistani artist to work with NASA scientists, and her artwork will be carried to the worldwide Space Station via SpaceX for Maleth II in July 2022, according to the worldwide media.
Ali’s fusion-art practice had previously been highlighted in NFT NYC, Forbes Middle East, E27, Hello, and GRAZIA publications.
“Ayesha Ali also joined the Metaverse Fashion Council Advisory Board in June 2022 and has been showcasing her work internationally, including at the Karachi Biennale and the Islington Mill Gallery,” according to the website.
According to her LinkedIn page, the young artist graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts from the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in Karachi. She is also the co-founder and creative director of MetaVisionaries, a London-based e-learning platform.


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The City of San Francisco is handing out $5,000 "equity" grants to small businesses that have been forced to remain closed as a result of government-mandated shutdowns.
Well, not all businesses - seeing as apparently, white people need not apply.
According to a press release from San Francisco Mayor London Breed earlier this month, the grants are being handed out as part of the city’s “Shared Spaces” program, which prioritizes “locally-owned, minority-owned businesses that advance the City’s equity goals, including women-owned businesses, immigrant-owned businesses, legacy businesses, and businesses in established cultural districts or that serve a largely minority clientele.”
Locally owned businesses that either hold or have applied for a Shared Spaces permit are eligible to receive up to $5,000 in reimbursement from the City, which will help businesses that have been forced to close outdoor operations as a result of the recent Stay at Home Order and prepare for an eventual reopening. Up to $1 million in funding comes from the Shared Spaces Equity Grants Program, which prioritizes minority-owned businesses and businesses that advance the City’s equity goals. … Priority for the Shared Spaces Equity Grants is given to locally-owned, minority-owned businesses that advance the City’s equity goals, including women-owned businesses, immigrant-owned businesses, legacy businesses, and businesses in established cultural districts or that serve a largely minority clientele.
Businesses that don't meet the city's "diversity" requirements can apply for another grant in the amount of $2,000 ($5,000 for business in "certain neighborhoods) from the city's "SF Shines for Reopening" program, which doesn't help businesses offset the cost of remaining shut down, but rather simply helps reimburse the cost of protective measures or outdoor equipment, according to reports.
But only businesses that have met the diversity criteria and have been granted a “Shared Spaces” permit by the city are eligible for the other grant - in other words, not businesses owned by white men patroned by white people, even if those businesses have been equally or even more devastated by the same city’s forced shutdowns and economic chokehold.
And that, my friends, is called racism.


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For now though, Biermann sounds like he wants to turn the fire-breathing RM19 into an ultra-performance halo car that could be sitting in dealerships within a few years.
“It’s possible to build a production version, but it would be expensive and in small numbers,” he said. Perhaps, he added, it would better after the “N community” grows with new product and visibility.
The performance offshoot was established in 2015 and its philosophy is that N vehicles must have the performance and durability for sustained driving on a racetrack. One step down is the N-Line, with performance and appearance upgrades, but not track-level ability.
So far, the only N car in the U.S. is the Veloster, but Biermann said a crossover will get the N treatment shortly. It will have a new eight-speed automatic transmission that will also make its way into the Veloster N, currently sold only with a manual.
The RM19 prototype is rear-wheel drive with the motor sitting where the back seat would be in a regular, front-wheel-drive Veloster N. The RM19 has a more powerful version of the Veloster’s turbocharged, 2.0-liter engine, making 390 hp. It also has a racing transmission that uses a clutch and paddle shifters.
Biermann said the next iteration of the RM19 is moving toward a new turbocharged 2.5-liter engine with the eight-speed automatic. Basic versions of those components can be found in a Sonata N-Line going on sale in fall 2020 that was previewed to the media this month.
Biermann admits the RM19 would be a pretty wild ride for street use — but it’s headed in that direction.
“At this point, there’s no decision this car will ever go to the marketplace,” he said. “But we are getting closer now.”


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Up from $16.2m in first half of last year.
Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (API) has said it expects its net profit after tax for the first half of the year to be up 20 to 25% on last year’s figure of $16.2m.
Speaking at the company’s annual general meeting, ceo Stephen Roche said for the current financial year to 24 Jan, the results for Priceline/Priceline Pharmacy had been a total sales growth rate of 7.5% and a comparable store growth rate of 2.4%.
It expected to reach 20 new stores for the financial year by May, with more expected during the year.
These results, combined with continued steady performance of the pharmacy distribution business meant net profit after tax was expected to be up on last year’s first half result, Roche said.
API posted a statutory loss of $114.9m in its half year results last year, following a $131m impairment charge, with underlying net profit after tax of $16.2m, up 29% year on year (PD 01 May 14).
For more, see tomorrow’s Pharmacy Daily.


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Regardless of whether you agree that he’s the right man for the job, President-elect Trump’s imminent arrival in the White House will impact global markets. Predicting the actual shape this will take is further complicated by the few concrete policies Trump identified during his campaign, namely:
- Reducing the company tax rate;
- Stopping US companies (and in turn, jobs) moving overseas;
- Restricting immigration of high-skilled workers; and
- Abandoning free trade agreements including the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.
We consider each of these in turn below and their potential impacts on Australian startups and businesses.
Reducing the Company Tax Rate
Trump has some bold goals in the tax space indicating that he would lower the corporate tax rate from 35% to 15%, potentially creating favourable conditions for Australian startups looking to flip-up to the US. The President-elect’s overall sentiment on the campaign trail has been returning manufacturing and jobs to America. He may then offer tax incentives to drive investment in American companies and limit investment in foreign companies.
However, even with a Republican-controlled Congress, it’s unlikely that Trump will be in a position to drastically reduce the company tax rate. If he did, the Australian government would need to think carefully about our competitiveness in international markets. Singapore and Hong Kong already have lower tax rates, and if the US followed that route, Australia would be very uncompetitive internationally.
But realistically – taxation is a marginal consideration – it’s clearly attractive for international startups, but not a deciding factor and Australians primarily look to the US to access a market with over 300 million customers.
Stopping US Companies Moving Overseas
Trump has been vocal in his condemnation of moving US companies and jobs offshore. He has taken aim at Apple for their use of Chinese factories and workers in the production of their widely used products.
The process to build and assemble the components for Apple products involves a significant number of suppliers spread across numerous countries. Building new factories in the US and training workers would cost billions. Consumers would likely bear the costs of disrupting Apple’s global supply chain. It would also reduce Apple’s competitiveness against main rivals, like Samsung.
Trump has also indicated that he will impose hefty tariffs on goods manufactured in China (45%) so as to encourage companies to shift production back to the US. He also warned Ford that vehicles manufactured in Mexico would attract up to a 35% tariff, hoping this will push current production stateside and prevent further expansion of plants.
Producing goods in the US at a higher cost, or punishing businesses for using offshore manufacturing plans, will likely increase the cost of goods to the consumer. Australians will in turn feel the price increase on Apple products as well as countless other gadgets and goods US companies develop.
A possible response to a rise in production costs will be increasing R&D spend on automated production methods to try and lower costs without using foreign labour. So, within decades if not sooner, automated production lines will replace many of the jobs Trump is looking to recreate.
An alternative response is upskilling manufacturing workers to prepare them for work in industries where the US is currently lead developer. Some suggestions include looking to emerging tech products businesses such as SolarCity and Tesla have developed, rather than traditional petrol powered vehicles or consumer electronics.
Restricting Immigration of High-Skilled Workers
The President-elect’s attitude towards immigration has been to require American companies first hire local talent. He has indicated he will restrict and limit H1-B visas – the primary source of acquiring overseas high-skilled talent.
This could impact Silicon Valley which heavily depends on attracting skills and ideas from around the globe. A recent study by the National Foundation for American Policy of 87 ‘unicorn’ startups identified that immigrants founded 51% of these startups that are still privately owned and valued over US$1 billion. Immigrants are also ‘key members of management or product development’ (CEO, CTO, VP of Tech or engineering) in over 70% of these startups. These 87 startups have generated around 760 jobs and are valued over US$165 billion.
SpaceX, founded by South African/Canadian/American businessman Elon Musk, employees more than 4,000 staff. Uber, co-founded by Canadian businessman Garrett Camp, employs 900 staff and provides work to more than 160,000 ‘partners’ in the US alone. Stripe, a payments processor, founded by Irish brothers Patrick and John Collison is now valued at over US$5 billion and employs 500 people. Patrick recently stated in an interview that he and his brother were lucky getting into the US and that others shouldn’t have to rely on luck to move to the US – especially when their business is at such a fragile stage.
Australian startups may benefit from such a policy if local talent, particularly developers, choose to remain here instead of moving to the US. Sydney is currently ranked 16th in the Global Startup Ecosystem Ranking 2015. To attract top talent, Australia would need to overcome its relative geographic isolation (when compared with London, Berlin, Singapore, Paris, etc.) by providing an ecosystem that justifies the big move. This would require a multifaceted approach that would:
- Allow founders to move to Australia easily;
- Nurture early-stage startups with tax incentives and direct funding;
- Support investors and make investment in startups more attractive and accessible;
- Encourage overseas talent to move to Australia; and
- Ensure an internationally competitive company tax rate to keep businesses onshore once they become successful.
Abandoning Free Trade Agreements
Trump has signalled that he will not agree to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) – a multilateral agreement that has been under negotiation for several years. The controversial trade agreement including terms relating to intellectual property rights which, according to DFAT, were intended to:
- Streamline intellectual property transactions;
- Increase transparency;
- Lower the costs of doing business; and
- Support Australia’s creative and innovative industries by promoting certainty.
The benefit for Australian businesses would be higher confidence in protecting IP rights with partner nations, subsequently increasing investment. Trump’s approach that the US will sever trade agreements is not an immediate beneficiary could signal potential issues for Australia.
Trump’s upcoming presidency is rife with uncertainty. Drastic reductions in corporate tax, forcing US companies to bring production stateside again and implementing huge tariffs to make US products competitive in the US market could dramatically impact business worldwide.
The market’s reaction to Trump’s election may see founders and employees hesitate or disregard moving to the US and investors curtail new investments until when the future seems less troubled.
To capitalise on this change Australia should look to become a viable, and attractive, alternative to the US. While this is no mean feat, there are a number of steps that can be taken to improve the startup ecosystem and promote ideas and investment in Australian startups.
What do you think about the US Election? Will it impact Australian startups? Let us know your thoughts on LegalVision’s Twitter page.
Working on a startup? Download LegalVision’s Startup Manual – a free 60-page manual featuring 10 case studies and tips and tricks from Australia’s leading VCs and startups.
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The newest installment of Ubisoft’s Far Cry series launched on 10/7/2021 in glorious Far Cry style. Far Cry 6 features the usual Far Cry antics, from an intimidating, evil antagonist, wacky makeshift weapons, to an inspiring if not unsuspecting hero. Far Cry 6 beings fans of the series more of what they love in a beautiful, tragic Caribbean setting.
Ubisoft has given gamers a look at the next title in their Far Cry series: Far Cry 6. First announced last year, fans have long awaited more news on top of a well-received trailer showcasing the setting, the antagonist, and a brief glimpse of the plot. Gamers have now been armed with more information and a release date to boot.
In this video Mule and the stream community watch the Ubisoft Forward event. We also get an extended look at Assassins Creed Valhalla. Enjoy! Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MulehornGaming Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/0xsJcrgy9oRQUf8A Watch us live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/mulehorngaming #AssassinsCreedValhalla #UbisoftForward
In the early morning hours on Friday, 7/10/20, it was reported that the Hong Kong PlayStation Store had leaked the next installment of the Ubisoft Series “Far Cry.” Many had previously speculated that an announcement for Far Cry 6 would make an appearance at this weekend’s Ubisoft Forward presser. The leak was then confirmed hours later by a Tweet from the official Far Cry Twitte...


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Bengaluru, Karnataka, India:
- Graphy Select is the country’s first-of-its-kind creator accelerator program designed by top creators, for creators
- The 3-month accelerator program will provide budding creators the right mentorship, seed funding and resources
Graphy, an Unacademy group company, today announced the launch of its inaugural accelerator program for creators called ‘Graphy Select’. The first-of-its-kind creator accelerator program spanning 3-months aims to endow budding creators with the right mentorship, seed funding, and resources to help them accelerate their careers.
What makes this initiative unique is the fact that for the very first time, India’s finest mentors will get together to curate learnings and present it in exclusive live interactive sessions. Graphy Select mentors are top creators from across categories, namely, Gaurav Taneja, Dhruv Rathee, Ranveer Allahbadia, Barkha Singh, BeYou Nick, Ankur Warikoo, Diipa Khosla, and Chhavi Mittal (SIT).
Speaking about Graphy Select, Sumit Jain, Co-Founder and CEO, Graphy said “The creator economy is booming, yet very few are able to pursue their passion for creating content due to lack of proper guidance, mentorship and funds. Working with limited resources can be exhausting for creators, who are essentially the lifeblood of the digital world. That is where Graphy Select comes in. With the vision to accelerate the career aspirations of every content creator and turn their passion into livelihoods, Graphy Select aims to become the gateway to launch India’s top creators.”
Graphy Select will provide an intensive learning and growth opportunity involving 30+ exclusive live sessions, weekly assignments, customized monthly goals, and launchpad events with the mentors. Additionally, creators will also be provided with seed funding and an opportunity to be a part of ‘India’s Top Creators’ Club.’
Creators will have to go through a rigorous selection process, aimed at identifying those with a passion for content creation with a knack for engaging audiences. Shortlisted candidates will kickstart their 3-month journey from September 1, 2021.
To apply for the program, participants can visit https://graphy.com/select, and fill the online form. Applications are open till mid-August 2021.
Graphy, an Unacademy group company, was created as a platform for educational content creators to grow their audience, monetize their skills, and host live cohort-based courses. The platform helps creators launch their own online school in under 60 seconds. Graphy has over 300+ active creators including the likes of Vishwanathan Anand, Kamiya Jani, and Vidit Gujrathi. Graphy is led by co-founders – Sushil Kumar, Sumit Jain, and Shobhit Bakliwal.


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Paytm parent, One97 Communications, witnessed a major plunge in its shares in the trading session on Tuesday. The fintech major’s stock dropped 10 per cent in the day and hit a fresh 52-week low of 380 on the exchanges.
The firm’s shares slipped to Rs 380.35 on the BSE, and Rs 380 on the NSE, marking a decline of 10 per cent. The share drop follows the announcement from the Reserve Bank of India Governor, Shaktikanta Das, on Monday when he clarified that the regulator will not be conducting any review of its disciplinary action taken against Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL).
“At the moment let me say very clearly there is no review of this (PPBL) decision. If you are expecting a review of the decision, let me very clearly say there is (going to be) no review of the decision,” the RBI official said.
Notably, the banking regulator in the last week of January, issued a ban on the banking business of Paytm, the Paytm Payments Bank, and barred it from accepting any top-ups or cash deposits in the customer accounts, wallets, FASTags, and other instruments, after February 29, 2024. The bank cited non-compliance with know your customer norms, a lack of transparency, and fake compliance submissions as the instigators that forced the action against the fintech major.
One97 Communications is the parent firm of Paytm and owns a 49 per cent share in PPBL, however, the firm classifies it as an associate of the company and not a subsidiary.
On Monday, PPBL informed via an exchange filing that one of its independent director, Manju Agarwal, has resigned from the entity’s board citing personal reasons. The resignation came a day after the banking regulator instructed PPBL to stop allowing deposits or top-ups in wallet and other instruments after the February end deadline.
In recent weeks, the fintech has seen major fluctuations in the stock market due to the RBI’s action against its associate.


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Samsung said Friday it's had overwhelming participation in the US refund and exchange program for the Galaxy Note 7 phone, "with more than 93 percent of all recalled devices returned." The company also said it's issuing an even more punishing software update to make sure the remaining Note 7 devices are returned.
Starting December 19, Samsung will begin distributing a software update that prevents the phones from charging and "will eliminate their ability to work as mobile devices." The software update will be rolled out over 30 days.
In September, Samsung issued a software update that capped the battery's recharge capacity at 60 percent.
"Together with our carrier partners, we will be notifying consumers through multiple touchpoints to encourage any remaining Galaxy Note 7 owners to participate in the program and to take advantage of the financial incentives available," the company said in a statement.
Samsung is encouraging anyone who has not yet returned their device to power it down and contact their carrier to obtain a refund or exchange, or visit its Note 7 recall website for more information. The company recalled the device earlier this year because the battery on some units overheated and caught fire. Samsung also permanently stopped production of the phone.
But leading US mobile carrier Verizon has decided not to push out the update, citing safety issues. Here's the statement it released:
"Verizon will not be taking part in this update because of the added risk this could pose to Galaxy Note 7 users that do not have another device to switch to," the statement read. "We will not push a software upgrade that will eliminate the ability for the Note 7 to work as a mobile device in the heart of the holiday travel season. We do not want to make it impossible to contact family, first responders or medical professionals in an emergency situation."
Samsung said in response to Verizon's plans that "this software update is intended to remove the remaining Note 7 devices from the market to ensure the safety of our customers."
The other major carriers in the US -- AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint -- said Friday that they plan to release the update. T-Mobile's update will come December 27, while AT&T will release the update on January 5. Sprint will push out the new software to its users on January 8.
In other markets around the globe, like New Zealand, Samsung already has cut off access to wireless networks for customers still using their Note 7 devices.
First published December 9, 8:20 a.m. PT.
Update, 9:36 a.m. PT: Adds comment from Verizon.
Update, 1:40 p.m. PT: Adds comment from T-Mobile.
Update, 2:25 p.m. PT: Adds information from AT&T and Sprint.


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The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and GCash have formalized an agreement to combat online fraud, investment scams, and cybercrimes. Under this memorandum of agreement (MOA), GCash will actively cooperate with the SEC by providing essential information and data within the framework of existing laws and regulations. The rise in online scams and fraudulent activities, particularly involving e-wallets, has prompted this collaboration.
As part of the agreement, GCash aims to support the SEC’s efforts in investigating financial fraud crimes, reflecting the increasing prevalence of online scams and investment fraud in the Philippines, where digital financial transactions have become commonplace. The SEC’s Enforcement and Investor Protection Department (EIPD) has highlighted the frequent use of online money transfer services, such as e-wallets, by victims of cybercrimes.
SEC Chairperson Emilio Benito Aquino emphasized the importance of fintech companies like GCash in expanding financial inclusion and enhancing access to the capital market for Filipinos. The MOA facilitates efficient cooperation between the EIPD and GCash, enabling the exchange of crucial information to strengthen anti-fraud initiatives.
Bankero and GCash CEO Oscar Reyes Jr. affirmed the company’s commitment to safeguarding user funds and data. He highlighted the priority of user security and underscored GCash’s partnership with the government to counter scams, fraud, and cyberthreats, fostering confidence in digital transactions.
With the largest user base among e-wallets in the Philippines, GCash has established close collaborations with law enforcement authorities like the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to enhance security measures. Additionally, GCash has invested in trust technology to create a secure digital ecosystem and has prioritized user education on protecting their accounts.


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“Amazon increased not only the number of ads it served, but also the number of inappropriate spam ads it served internally, known as ‘defects,'” the new public portions of the lawsuit state. “Mr. Bezos instructed his executives to do so.[a]’Accept more flaws’ because Amazon can make billions of dollars through increased advertising even as it worsens its customer service.
“Amazon executives admit internally that this is ‘to the detriment of consumers,’ making it ‘almost impossible for high-quality, effective organic content to beat out more relevant sponsored content.'”
A spokesperson for Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bezos owns The Washington Post, and its interim CEO Patty Stonecipher sits on Amazon’s board.
The FTC filed its long-awaited lawsuit against Amazon in September, surprising the industry by arguing that Amazon effectively raises prices for consumers by charging merchants fees to advertise on its digital marketplace. FTC chair Lina Khan caused antitrust with her 2017 paper “Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox,” published while she was a law student at Yale. But the case he makes against Amazon today is markedly different from the one he made six years ago.
Allegations that Bezos will knowingly degrade the Amazon search experience for customers are surprising given the billionaire’s reputation for delighting customers. At Amazon, all employees must be “customer-obsessed,” which means they “start with the customer and work backwards,” according to corporate leadership principles.
But the FTC said in its complaint that Amazon executives can make more money by increasing the number of ads, even if those ads degrade the quality of search results and harm the customer experience.
This story is breaking and will be updated.


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Mobile advertising expert and social media consultant Brian Honigman has explained to businesses just how accurate SMS can be as an audience targeting platform.
Writing at huffingtonpost.com, Mr Honigman said that using a marketing channel that incorporates a list of permission-based subscribers helps brands gain plenty of information about their customers. From then on, the brands can use these details to send their audiences highly targeted messages.
This opens up a range of opportunities, such as targeting according to a user’s location and using different marketing campaigns for different products.
Cited by newsgravity.com, Mr Honigman says that businesses will even send SMS surveys to their audience in order to gain as much information about them as possible. Ultimately, he believes these details can be used to tailor messages and therefore aid customer retention.
“Accurately targeted SMS campaigns can help retain customers in the long term because customers are receiving messages that match their interests and relate to their physical location,” he wrote.
Mr Honigman went on to claim that mobile users don’t get as annoyed with SMS ads because text messaging networks have not been bombarded with spam, unlike email.
Stating that text messaging is currently going about “tapping into the power of personalization”, Mr Honigman concluded by saying that long-term loyalty is accomplished through adoption of the personal approach when it comes to constructing brand messages.
“SMS text messaging is tapping into the power of personalization,” he added.