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(1:30 p.m. EDT) -- The spike in COVID-19 cases in the United States has prompted the Bahamas from cutting travel between the two countries, including cruise, for the foreseeable future.
The popular archipelago, which is only 50 miles from the coast of Florida, had reopened to international travel on July 1. But an uptick in cases -- 49 new infections since the country reopened, according to the Miami Herald -- led to the closure.
Other nationalities, including Canadians and visitors from the U.K. and the European Union, are allowed to visit. Private flights and charters from the U.S., as well as pleasure craft and yachts, are also still permitted. All visitors are required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result, taken no more than 10 days before the date of travel.
In some ways, the order doesn't affect any currently scheduled cruises for the next few months, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended its "no sail" order barring cruises from U.S. homeports until September 30. Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, which sails from Palm Beach to Grand Bahama Island, has pushed back its restart date to October 1, 2020.
But the country's call-out on the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. underscores how Americans are being left behind as tourism, including cruises, resumes around the world. Already cruises, with new health and safety measures and precautions, are taking place in Norway, Portugal, Germany and France, open to many nationalities, other than Americans.
In addition, the countries of the European Union still have a flight ban on the United States. The border closure between Mexico and Canada was also extended until the end of August, due to the discrepancy in COVID-19 cases between the U.S. and those countries.
There's no end date on the Bahamas ban, as of now. "The Bahamas is reviewing and being guided by the most effective practices from around the world. Reopening of borders will continue to be monitored and guided by The Bahamas government and health officials, based on COVID-19 trends," the country said, in an issued press release.
Should the ban continue into the fall, it could affect the cruise lines' plans to resume calls at their private islands, most of which fall within the Bahamas. Several cruise line CEOs, including Royal Caribbean's Richard Fain, have noted that private islands, such as Perfect Day at CocoCay, would be a good way to resume short cruises and build consumer confidence.


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SEOUL, Nov.30 (Korea Bizwire) – Americans were not the only shoppers to embrace Black Friday sales, as Koreans flocked to online stores to take advantage of huge discounts.
According to Mall Tail, the largest domestic overseas online shopping agent, the number of consumers who visited their site doubled on November 28 (which was November 27 in the U.S.).
Officials at Mall Tail commented that there were more ‘hot deal’ items (products with larger discounts) compared to last year.
American clothing brands Polo and Gap were especially popular.
Last year, Polo’s sales were mostly limited to out of season products, but this year prices of popular products such as down jackets were lowered, attracting consumers.
Besides clothing, electronics prices were also heavily discounted this year.
Vacuum cleaners from Dyson were on sale at discounts of more than 40 percent, close to duty free prices, and external hard drives from Seagate also had their prices cut a great deal.
In the meantime, Mall Tail expected that the number of users would increase as much as 20 percent compared to last year on Black Friday and Cyber Monday (the first Monday after Thanksgiving, when the number of consumers who shop online also increases).
Due to the special season, Mall Tail’s warehouses in the U.S. are busy, and the company has increased staffing by 30 percent.
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, which is the last Friday of November. This year it fell on November 27, and at midnight the sales frenzy started. Department stores and large retailers were filled with people, and fights broke out between customers wanting to purchase the same items.
The number of direct overseas purchases on Black Friday in Korea is expected to be significantly higher than last year.
By Lina Jang (firstname.lastname@example.org)

domain: news


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Whilst not the Chinese curse it has been thought to be, this quote neatly sums up the dilemma we currently face in not just Australia, but the world today. With war, blockades, weaponization of currency and commodities and climbing inflation, we are all starting to feel the effects in our daily lives.
How will this affect property prices? The only real question currently is how much prices will soften and for how long. Stagflation (inflation without growth) and recession are now being considered as genuine possibilities. Rates will rise relatively quickly. Again, the only debate will be how high. Consensus is currently to between 2.5 to 3.5% plus the bank margins (typically 2-2.5%).
So, prices will drift downwards, and the rate of fall will likely increase as the year concludes. The degree of pain felt by consumers to fuel and energy costs, along with simple groceries, will dictate the speed of the decline. But it won’t be all negative forces. The Reserve Bank will exercise great caution on rates, the Government will interfere with the natural market to slow price increases (whilst blaming the previous Gov for everything that goes wrong) and wages will jump.
There will still be pain though. And prices will fall. Nobody can genuinely say by how much, but if it was less than 10% from here, we could consider that we have dodged a bullet. More than 15% and we will have probably slipped to the edge of a recession.
Better opportunities will be created for first home buyers, and investors will be attracted by the increase in rents. The poorly thought through rental laws introduced last year will continue to see an exodus of long-term rental providers. Supply will likely continue to drop as fewer investors buy than sell.
Of course, there will eventually be another Black Swan event that nobody sees coming. It will dramatically influence the market and will be unpredictable. We live in interesting times.


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The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has blamed what it described as self- serving attitude of heads of government agencies in the maritime sector as being responsible for the inconsistent trade policies in the industry.
Founder of the association, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam said yesterday in Lagos that there are no good reasons why government will restrict importation of trade goods such as rice, pharmaceutical products and most recently vehicles from the land borders where security officials are duly positioned to carry out their statutory duties if not for the lapses in leadership quality of government officials most of whom he said “are unpatriotic”.
He urged President Mohammadu Buhari to take appropriate steps to fish out and disengage those who are working at variance with the nation’s goal.
He said, “The resultant effect of the self serving attitude of most government leadership in our maritime trade and transportation may have led to most of the inconsistent trade policies in our industry.
“We in NAGAFF completely agree with the decision of the federal government to restrict importation of rice, pharmaceutical products and vehicles from the border entry points in the interest of revenue and health of Nigerians.
“We however believe there is the need to grant waiver to vehicles in transit to Nigeria based on time of importation prior to the directives restricting their importation to Nigeria through the land borders in line with the relevant Sections of the Customs laws.”
Aniebonam commended the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman for her visit to NAGAFF office as part of effort to engage stakeholders with a view to making the port more efficient.
According to him, it is unpatriotic for any head of government agency to sit down in the comfort of public offices and churn out policies and directives without going meeting with stakeholders.
“It is on record that the Director General of Standards Organisation of Nigeria, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Nigerian Airports Authority, National Inland Waterways Authority and even the Comptroller General of Customs never thought it wise to move out to confer with the freight forwarding organized groups on the best way to overcome compliance problems which have hitherto engulfed export and import regulations of the Nigerian international trade.
“The modern day administration is domiciled in the altar of public and private partnership and stakeholders engagement; delegation of duty, power and authority to the subordinates with its residual powers to reverse negative decisions, taken at any time including supervision and control of actions taken on its behalf,” he said.
Copyright 2016 Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.


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The global economy is entering a new stage of its existence. While up til now it has been a trend of growth the world had never seen before, the recent isolationist actions by some of the largest players in the world have been resulting in a slowing that was not anticipated to be seen in at least a decade. The slowing, of course, does not mean the cessation of growth, but simply a cessation of the same amount of profit as had been seen up to that point. And as the US becomes more and more isolationist in its economic policy and trade policy, countries that had been up to this point isolationist are seeing value in becoming more open to foreign trade and foreign investment. The country that we are going to be discussing is, specifically, China.
Entering the Chinese financial markets
China has never seen too much value in letting foreign agents operating in its markets. The Chinese government has made it a point to make it hard for foreign companies to run any kind of business on its mainland. Up until the past few years, the Beijing representatives had been adamant about not opening up the Chinese markets to international financial operators. In the past five years, the Chinese have become open to the idea and have even promised to start opening up the markets, but have been generally slow in doing so. The reluctance could easily be seen in the long term promises and deadlines they were placing for themselves in the time of promising. But, now that Global trade is falling as a result of trade wars, the Chinese economists are seeing value in the foreign investment they had not been attributing to it before.
The Chinese economy is incredibly dependent on global trade. The exports of the manufactured goods within the Chinese economy are what has been driving the economy for a long time. The fact that so many things are manufactured within the country for as cheap as they are has caused to Chinese growth that has become a showcase of some of the fastest-growing country economy, the world has ever seen. The slowing of this growth is causing the Chinese to turn to foreign investment for their stock market. After all, in times of hardship, stock markets are often seeing as a sign of chope for a growing economy.
Utilizing international excitement
The Chinese financial markets have long been the Holy Grail for many financial investors around the world. The market, which is ripe with some of the largest and most profitable companies around the world, has long been seen as an opportunity for growth that was locked away, behind bars, for many investors. The bars came in the shape of restrictions such as a requirement of owning and operating a business for 25 years before being allowed on the stock market, bans on foreign investments in the stock market, bans on financial management companies and venture companies in the industry, and so on. The promise of lifting all of these restrictions that have been in place for so many years, a year sooner than expected, is proving to be an exciting opportunity for investors around the world.
The investment process in the Chinese markets seems to be becoming more similar to the process of investing in the US markets. The most interesting thing is that the Chinese economy, the second-largest in the world, will be seeing an unprecedented amount of growth, as a result of this investment. The economy has been untapped, so far, by international investors. This is why certain agents are predicting that the amount of growth might bring the economy to becoming the number one largest in the world as a result of opening these markets. The opening of the markets is going to be happening in 2020, so the proof of whether such action will lead to unprecedented growth will soon be seen.
It is understandable why the international investors would be so excited about the opening of the markets though. What happens when the markets do is going to be an interesting thing to observe, but the opportunity to grow, both for the Chinese economy and for the investors, is going to be an immense one.


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In Consumer Banking segment, $COF expects persistently low interest rates will continue to pressure returns in deposit businesses, even if rates begin to rise in 2016. $COF expects this pressure along with other headwinds to have a negative impact on revenue and the efficiency ratio for the remainder of 2015 and in 2016.
$NFLX a monster move, going up. Expect making some money on Monday.
$AMD down more than 6% even after posting above consensus third quarter results.
$MCD stock rose more than 2% after it posted better than expected 3Q16 results, driven by global same-store sales growth. Meanwhile, earnings and revenue were lower than last year, hurt by refranchising efforts.


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If you’re in the Washington D.C. area, than you have a great opportunity to attend the Internet Innovation Alliance Symposium at The Newseum on Tuesday, September 13, 2011, 9:00 am. The topic will be the deployment of the next generation wireless and mobile broadband services and applications throughout the United States. According to the IIA, this very engaging event will highlight the benefits of wireless broadband technology, especially for rural and underserved areas, and examining lessons from the past decade in which wireless penetration, data rates, applications and services expanded exponentially. Some of the questions that will be asked is based on the subject of adopting and accessing wireless and broadband technology in American industries and how it will have an impact on the economy, job growth and rural areas of the country. It looks like they have a great panel ready to answer these questions. You still have a chance to RSVP, go to the IIA site and register.
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Ace Hardware, the $3.7 billion Oak Brook, Ill.-based hardware cooperative, named William Guzik CFO. He succeeds Dorvin Lively, who left last August to become CFO of RadioShack. Guzik, 52, served as CFO and executive vice president at Midas International for 13 years. He previously worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers, JG Industries and Delray Farms.
Weight Watchers, the $1.8 billion New York-based weight loss company, appointed Nicholas Hotchkin CFO. He succeeds Ann Sardini, who retired in March. Hotchkin, 46, joins Weight Watchers from Staples, where he most recently served as senior vice president of finance for the U.S. retail division. Earlier, Hotchkin was Staples’ senior vice president of finance and treasurer, and worked in finance at Delphi Corp and General Motors.


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NVIDIA to Present at Morgan Stanley Semiconductor and Systems Conference
For further information, contact:
SANTA CLARA, CA─FEBRUARY 23, 2005─NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), a worldwide leader in graphics and digital media processors, today announced that Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO, will be participating in the Morgan Stanley Semiconductor and Systems Conference in Dana Point, California on March 8, 2005. The Company’s presentation will be made available to the public via audio webcast.
The presentation will take place at 9:30 AM Pacific Time on Tuesday, March 8, 2005, at
A replay of the Web cast will be available for thirty days after the event.
# # #
Copyright © 2005 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. All company and/or product names may be trade names, trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability, and specifications are subject to change without notice.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on NVIDIA, please visit the NVIDIA Press Room at http://www.nvidia.com/view.asp?PAGE=press_room.


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As if we needed another reason to mourn the lack of Aldi in Aotearoa, it's been revealed the supermarket now has a robotic pizza vending machine.
The robot, based at an Aldi store in North Sydney, is said to be able to cook restaurant-quality pizza in just two minutes.
Offering the options of Pepperoni or Italiana, the pizzas start at AU$8.99 each and the 'Pizzabot' can cook up to 450 pizzas per day, according to reports.
The machine was designed and manufactured in Australia in collaboration with startup Placer Robotics.
"We are extremely excited by our collaboration with Pizzabot, a true Aussie innovation, to deliver great quality pizza and a unique experience," director of Aldi Corner Store Huw Longman, said.
"This collaboration to launch Pizzabot reflects our commitment to delighting our customers with innovation. We're pretty confident that this will be a lunch experience for North Sydney-siders."
The secret to the Pizzabot is the bases which are handmade and partially cooked locally. They're then topped with ingredients and chilled in the machine, ready for customers to purchase.
The glass front on the machine allows the cooking and the packing of the pizza by the robot to be seen by customers.
"Our custom oven, which reaches temperatures as high as a wood-fired oven with digital precision, guarantees the perfect crispness, taste and look of each slice, every time," Pizzabot founder Matt Lipski said.
"Our vision was to give time-poor consumers restaurant grade pizza that is quick, delicious, healthy and affordable."
Unfortunately any Kiwis wanting to try out the unique vending machine pizza will need to head over the ditch quickly - it's only on trial at the North Sydney store and there are no current plans to roll it out wider in Australia.


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With the new-look movie opening on September 25th, Waterstones, Rocket Licensing and Penguin Books will be organising free dance workshops for kids to help boost the Fame brand.
The events will be held in two key outlets - Manchester's Arndale Centre and the Midsummer Place shopping centre in Milton Keynes on Saturday September 12th. The workshops will take place two weeks before the film's release, and hot on the heels of the publication of four Fame-themed books from Penguin's Ladybird imprint Sunbird.
The pre-event publicity is already well advanced. Penguin is sending an e-shot to all of its nearly 4,000 Ladybird subscribers and publicising the workshops on its website. Advance notice will also go out in Waterstones listings to local press, while the shopping centres involved will also add the events to their listings.
In addition, the workshops will be heavily advertised in-store with branded POS material, including colour banners around each bookshop and flyers at till points.
"With the publication of our four film tie-in books and the film arriving in late September, these events are perfectly timed to raise awareness and build excitement around the film release, the books and the Fame licensing campaign as a whole," said Eric Huang, category publisher at Penguin Books.


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Windhoek The world dairy industry is a crisis and faces an uncertain future, says Wallie Roux, Namibian Agricultural Union Manager for Research and Development. Roux made this comment last week at the Annual General Meeting of the Dairy Producers Association of Namibia (DPAN) explaining how the Russian/Ukraine crisis has resulted in the European dairy industries dumping milk powder and other milk products after a ban was imposed on dairy exports to Russia from 2014 to 2016 due to the crisis. Roux says the European dairy industries were hit hard by the ban and it is especially cheese exports to Russia that suffered tremendously. “Due to this, the EU average dairy commodity prices dropped sharply from January 2014 to January this year, and then accelerated again. What is of concern is the surge of 23 percent in the exports by the EU of milk powder to various African countries after the EU ended its 30 year quota system in April this year. We definitely don’t want to see a wave of milk powder in Africa,” he notes. Nigeria imported milk powder of the tune of US$ 1 (N$120 m) million per day in June this year. “This make one wonder about why Africa is a continent of many cattle but little milk,” he observes. Roux explains that feeding constitute some 75 percent of local dairy producers’ input costs, and expresses his concerns about the imports of some 500 000 litres of long-life milk from South African every month. “Namibian producers are basically back to where they were in 2013 before government intervened in the form of import quotas from South Africa. In August 2014, the High Court in Windhoek ordered the abolishment of these quotas with immediate effect, and new negotiations regarding government support will start today ??????? between the dairy producers Association and the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development.” Roux is also concerned about the local industry going down as the risks of dairy production are very high. He urges communal farmers to get involved on a much higher scale in producing milk. “We must compare apples with apples. Namibia produces 200 million litres of milk per annum and simply cannot compete with South Africa, a country that produces the same volume each and every day. The Namibian dairy industry is not asking for a complete ban of imported milk from South Africa. What they are asking for is the same protection the maize and chicken industries are enjoying,” he concludes.
New Era Reporter
2015-08-04 11:41:13 3 years ago


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Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam-US economic and trade ties have reaped great achievements, contributing to practically deepening the comprehensive partnership between the two countries, heard a forum in Hanoi on December 7.
The official cited statistics as showing that two-way trade increased from 450 million USD in 1995 when the two countries established their diplomatic relations, to 90.8 billion USD last year.
As of October 2021, the figure reached 89,6 billion USD, and the US has maintained its position as Vietnam's biggest trade partner and biggest importer, he said.
Meanwhile, Vietnam is now the 9th biggest trade partner of the US, jumping five places from 2020.
For investment, as of October, the US had ranked 11th among 138 countries and territories investing in Vietnam , with 1,134 projects worth 9.72 billion USD.
Most of US giants like Exxon Mobil, Murphy Oil, Chevron, Boeing, Ford, Intel, Wal-Mart, Nike, Amazon and P&G have been present in Vietnam, he said, noting that many of them held that Vietnam would become an ideal, important and safe investment destination of the global supply chain.
Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Vietnam Marie Damour said the US pledges to help Vietnam achieve its climate change targets and handling issues in this field, thus ensuring the country's dynamic economic development.
The US also wants to introduce new enterprises to cooperate and invest in the medical sector in Vietnam, she said, adding that the US will partner with the Southeast Asian country in technological development.
Minister Counselor Bui Huy Son, Head of the Vietnam Trade Office in the US, suggested Vietnamese businesses quickly stabilise production to ensure goods supply to the US as the country is facing a disruption in supply chains and goods shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Participants at the forum proposed solutions to boost trade between the two countries in the new normal.
The forum was jointly held by the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, the American Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi, and the US-ASEAN Business Council./.
- Viet Nam-US trade ties enjoy 'spectacular' growth
- Vietnam-US trade ties enjoy “spectacular” growth
- Việt Nam-US trade ties enjoy 'spectacular' growth
- Vietnam - Russia partnership keeps developing dynamically: FMs
- Contour joins forces with Tinhvan to boost trade finance digitisation in Vietnam
- Piyush Goyal urges U.S. firms to push for trade agreement
- Vietnam reaches agreement with US on illegal timber control
- India, US can aim for $1 trillion trade in next 10 years: Piyush Goyal
- Piyush Goyal presses for U.S.-India trade, economic partnership
- Vietnam seeks Russia's support in vaccine production technology transfer
- VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES SEPTEMBER 27
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- Commitments made for expansion of Russian ties
Trade ties contribute to deepening Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership: forum have 517 words, post on en.vietnamplus.vn at December 7, 2021. This is cached page on Talk Vietnam. If you want remove this page, please contact us.


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The Taiwanese owned company Proview seeks to collect damages in China and in the US (and I’d assume eventually Taiwan) for infringing on their right to the iPad name. Proview is a contract manufacturer of flat screens, one that made an attempt almost 10 years ago to market a tablet computer by the name “I-Pad.” But that’s not the whole story. Lawsuits being tossed around like candy at a parade! That’s what’s up!
Trademark databases show the company having registered the name IPAD (or I-Pad) in the EU, China, South Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam in the years between 2000 and 2004. According to people involved in the case (from the Apple side, more than likely) Apple has won preliminary injunctions in similar cases against Proview to stop them from selling off the IPAD name in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Seem sort of backward to you yet?
Yang Rongshan, Proview’s chairman has said that Proview agreed in 2006 to sell the “global trademark” of the IPAD name to US-registered group “IP Application Development” for $55,104. Yang notes that trademarks for the Chinese market were not included in this deal. “It is arrogant of Apple to just ignore our rights and go ahead selling the iPad in this market, and we will oppose that,” Mr Yang said. “Besides that, we are in big financial trouble and the trademarks are a valuable asset that could help us sort out part of that trouble.”
Because of that trouble, everyone involved financially with Proview obviously looked forward to the sale of the IPAD trademark in China, but since they began the preposed selling of trademarks, both Apple and IP Application Development have come down legally on Proview, seeking an order to assign the IPAD name to IP Application Development in China. Why would Apple want that? Because they’ve just purchased the IPAD name from IP Application Development in the EU this year – this would be the next step toward total world control of the IPAD name.
[Via Financial Times]


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Consumers are more disappointed with bank fees, but that frustration has been largely offset by more positive experiences at branches and ATMs, according to a new survey by J.D. Power and Associates.
Bank Customers Frustrated with Fees, Happier with Branches J.D. Power
This feature displays payments industry news and analysis from American Banker sibling brand PaymentsSource. Registration is required; for more information contact customer service.


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Eskom CEO Andre De Ruyter has come out to clarify what appears to be a case where he was allegedly quoted out of context….
Loads of stuff happened at rAge this weekend. So it’s fitting for Intel to finally launch its new range of Haswell-stuffed laptops and tablets in South Africa. Intel has launched its 4th generation Intel Core processor family, enabling a new generation of Ultrabooks and tablet-laptop hybrids to hit homes and offices in style.
Vince Resente, territory manager for South and Sub-Saharan African at Intel, said the new processor would allow laptops and tablets to run all day on a single battery charge while delivering “leading edge graphics and performance”:
“The new processors deliver a 50 percent improvement in battery life, which translates to over 9 hours in some systems, and deliver incredible visual experiences in even the thinnest of devices,” said Resente.
The rise of Intel’s hybrids in South Africa aims to enable users to switch between keyboard and touch, laptop and tablet mode — to both create and consume content. Intel claims these hybrids will give users the best of both worlds.
They will offer all that users have come to expect from a tablet — a mobile device with low weight, thin design and long battery life, apps ecosystem, instant-on and touch.
On top of that users will get the best of what they expect from a laptop. Full PC performance and productivity, supporting PC applications and key usages, and the choice to use touch, type, or mouse to interact.
“People no longer have to choose between laptops and tablets — they can now have everything they love about a tablet and everything they need in a laptop, in one device,” said Resente. “The PC has undergone a total transformation!”
“The lines of computing are blurring and converging. Consumers increasingly want their mobile devices to cope with heavier consumption tasks like fast and seamless video streaming. Now we’re seeing creation and productivity tasks — like sharing images over email on-the-go, reviewing work presentations and creating and editing videos — that have traditionally been associated with larger and more substantial computing devices are making their way into more mobile devices”
The new range of devices is expected to make its way to shops across South Africa in the next few months.


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Smartphones are a utility in our lives more than any other thing. The addiction has increased to a level that most of us keep our smartphones by our side whether we are at the office, home or even while we are on the bed. According to the research by Cellular Telecommunication and Internet Association, there […]
Software pirates are distributing hacked and infected versions of iPhone apps by hijacking Apple’s enterprise developer program. Reportedly, the hacked apps include versions of Minecraft, Spotify, Angry Birds, and Pokemon Go. These apps have been modified for making paid content/features available for free to deprive the original developers and Apple of their due revenue share […]
Is two factor authentication such a pain in the rear end that it’s costing the economy millions? Do you feel safe having a Google Nest in your home? And don’t get caught by a catfisher this Valentine’s Day.
All this and much more is discussed in the latest edition of the award-winning “Smashing Security” podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by B J Mendelson.
iPhone SE 2 featuring notch and full glass rear shown in latest concept video
Ever since Apple launched its popular budget handset, the iPhone SE in March 2016, there have been rumors and leaks of the Cupertino giant working on its successor, iPhone SE 2.
Now, an artist (Dr. Gunho Lee for ConceptsiPhone) has reimagined the iPhone SE 2 in a concept video (see below) showing what the modern smartphone could look like.
As we can see, the video showcases the iPhone SE 2 with an edge-to-edge display a screen cutout (notch) for Face ID camera. This means that the smartphone will not have the Home button and Touch ID from its predecessor, the iPhone SE. It also features the same 4-inch display as the iPhone SE.
Further, the concept video shows that the smartphone has a full glass rear, which means it could enable Qi wireless charging. It also shows a single rear camera with a bump that protrudes through the case. One can also notice the volume buttons (+/-) and alert slider on the left side of the smartphone, while the power on/off button on the right side.
The successor to the iPhone SE is also shown in a number of colors, namely, red, gold, silver, and blue. The video also hints that the iPhone SE 2 could launch in ‘coming spring’. In the past too, there were strong rumors that an iPhone SE 2 would come out in mid-2018; however, this never turned into reality.
Since this is just a concept video, we cannot depend completely on the above-mentioned information. Do let us know what do you think about this possible iPhone SE 2 concept in the comments section mentioned below.
Hackers, Thieves, and Repair Shops Access iCloud-Locked iPhones, Here’s How
Hackers, thieves, and repair shops have discovered a new way to bypass the ‘Find My iPhone’ feature on iCloud-locked iPhones so that they can sell stolen or non-stolen devices, according to a report from Motherboard.
For those unaware, “Find my iPhone” is an app and service from Apple, which lets you locate, lock down or wipe your lost iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Macbook and requires a password to continue. Apple had introduced this feature in 2013 to safeguard people’s information stored on their iPhones.
In order to keep iPhones secure and make it less valuable targets to would-be thieves, iPhones can be associated only to one iCloud account at a time. This means that the hackers and thieves need to figure a way out to remove the iCloud account from the iPhone in order to sell the stolen device to someone else or for someone new to use it. The iCloud account can only be removed by entering the Apple ID password.
“The iCloud security feature has likely cut down on the number of iPhones that have been stolen, but enterprising criminals have found ways to remove iCloud in order to resell devices. To do this, they phish the phone’s original owners, or scam employees at Apple Stores, which have the ability to override iCloud locks. Thieves, coders, and hackers participate in an underground industry designed to remove a user’s iCloud account from a phone so that they can then be resold,” according to Motherboard.
In order to get into iCloud-locked iPhones, thieves are now producing fake receipts and invoices to fool Apple into believing that they are the actual owners of the phone. While the tricks include social engineering at Apple Stores, there are also “custom phishing kits for sale online designed to steal iCloud passwords from a phone’s original owner,” mentions Motherboard.
Additionally, a few hackers also reprogram stolen iPhones with a new IMEI. Besides this, there are also forums for the hacker community where they share new methods and tips to break into locked iPhones.
Even some unnamed repair companies have become actual customers of companies that illegally reset and reactivate the iCloud-locked iPhone.
“There are many listings on eBay, Craigslist, and wholesale sites for phones billed as ‘iCloud-locked,’ or ‘for parts’ or something similar,” added Motherboard. “While some of these phones are almost certainly stolen, many of them are not. According to three professionals in the independent repair and iPhone refurbishing businesses, used iPhones — including some iCloud-locked devices — are sold in bulk at private ‘carrier auctions’ where companies like T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and cell phone insurance providers sell their excess inventory (often through third-party processing companies.)”
Basically, in the event your iPhone is stolen or lost, ensure that you change the password of your iCloud account immediately. Further, beware of phishing scams and carefully check the addresses or URLs of the websites you visit, especially login pages. It is recommended to keep a unique password not only for your iCloud account but also for every other online account. Also, ensure that you have enabled two-step authentication on your iCloud account.
For those hoping the next iPhone would ditch the Lightning port in favor of the more versatile USB-C port, you'll surely be disappointed by the latest rumor. "Japanese site Macotakara says that not only will the 2019 iPhone use Lightning, Apple will also continue to bundle the same 5W charger and USB-A to Lightning cable in the box," reports 9to5Mac. "This is seen as a cost saving measure. It seems that customers wanting faster iPhone charge times will still have to buy accessories, like the 12W iPad charger." From the report: The site explains that Lightning port is not going anywhere and Apple is resistant to changing the included accessories to maintain production costs. Apple can benefit from huge economies of scale by selling the same accessories for many generation. As such, Apple apparently will keep bundling Lightning EarPods, Lightning to USB-A cable, and the 5W USB power adaptor, with the 2019 iPhone lineup. This is disappointing as Apple began shipping an 18W USB-C charger with its iPad Pro line last fall, and many expected that accessory to become an iPhone standard too. Even if the iPhone keeps the Lightning port, Lightning can support fast-charging over the USB Type-C protocol. It's not clear if the cost savings of this decision would be passed on to consumers with lower cost 2019 iPhone pricing.
Apple has vowed to remove iOS apps that record screen data. User data recording has become an issue of concern among the cyber-security community as the data is used to launch a variety of scams, identify customer demographics, and targeted marketing gimmicks. Mobile phone manufacturers are trying to ensure that apps that indulge in sneaky […]
The IT security researchers at Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 have discovered a dangerous new Mac malware capable of targeting devices for multi-purposes including stealing cryptocurrency. Dubbed CookieMiner by researchers; the Mac malware is a variant of OSX.DarthMiner, another nasty piece of malware known for targeting MacOS. But, CookieMiner aims at much more than its predecessor. See: 400% increase in […]
It turns out that Google, like Facebook, abused its Apple Enterprise Developer Certificate to distribute a data collection app to iOS users, in direct contravention of Apple’s rules for the distribution program. Unlike Facebook, though, the company did not wait for Apple to revoke their certificate. Instead, they quickly to disabled the app on iOS devices, admitted their mistake and extended a public apology to Apple. Google’s app Google’s Screenwise Meter app is very similar … More →
With Apple’s introduction of iOS 12 for all their supported mobile devices came a powerful new utility for automation of common tasks called Siri Shortcuts. This new feature can be enabled via third-party developers in their apps, or custom built by users downloading the shortcuts app from the app store. Once downloaded and installed, the Shortcuts app grants the power of scripting to perform complex tasks on users’ personal devices.
But accessing the phone from Siri Shortcuts also presents some potential security risks that were discovered by X-Force IRIS and reported to Apple’s security team. This post gives some insight into potential attack scenarios using Shortcuts and reminds users that keeping a tight lid on app permissions is a critical step to upping security on devices and the way we use them.
Shortcuts Make Life Easier, Right?
Want to turn all your lights to disco, play your favorite soundtrack, and text your friends to come over? Or maybe perform complex mathematical computations with a single voice command? Siri Shortcuts can help do that and facilitate much more in user interaction with their devices, directly from the lock screen or via existing apps they use. These shortcuts can also be shared between users, using the app itself via iCloud, which means they can be passed around rather easily.
Beyond users wishing to automate daily activities, app developers can create shortcuts and present them to their user base from within their apps. The shortcut can then appear on the lock screen or in ‘search’ when it is deemed appropriate to show it to the user based on time, location and context. For example, a user approaches their usual coffee shop, and the relevant app pops up a shortcut on the screen to allow them to order the usual cup of java and pay for it on the app before they even enter the coffee shop.
These shortcuts are a nifty addition to Siri’s functionality, but while allowing extended functionality and personalization of the use of Siri, there are some less favorable scenarios to consider.
Siri Shortcuts Can Also Be Abused by Attackers
Siri Shortcuts can be a useful tool for both users and app developers who wish to enhance the level of interaction users have with their apps. But this access can potentially also be abused by malicious third parties. According to X-Force IRIS research, there are security concerns that should be taken into consideration in using Siri Shortcuts.
Siri Demanding Ransom?
Using Siri for malicious purposes, Shortcuts could be created for scareware, a pseudo ransom campaign to try to scare victims into paying a criminal by making them believe their data is in the hands of a remote attacker.
Using native shortcut functionality, a script could be created to speak the ransom demands to the device’s owner by using Siri’s voice. To lend more credibility to the scheme, attackers can automate data collection from the device and have it send back the user’s current physical address, IP address, contents of the clipboard, stored pictures/videos, contact information and more. This data can be displayed to the user to convince them that an attacker can make use of it unless they pay a ransom.
To move the user to the ransom payment stage, the shortcut could automatically access the Internet, browsing to a URL that contains payment information via cryptocurrency wallets, and demand that the user pay-up or see their data deleted, or exposed on the Internet.
The More the Merrier
To add to this scenario, the malicious shortcut can also be configured to spread to other devices by messaging everyone on the victim’s contact list, prompting them to download and install the same shortcut. This would be a cost effective and hard to detect distribution method, coming from a trusted contact.
In a video we created we show how native functionality can be used to make convincing ransom threats to someone running a malicious Siri Shortcut.
Pay attention to the following steps taking place in the video:
The shortcut is configured to gather personal data from the device:
It can collect photos from the camera roll.
Grab the contents of the clipboard.
Get the physical address of the device’s location.
Find the external IP address.
Get the device’s model.
Get the device’s current mobile carrier
The Siri Shortcut can message the information to an external party; this data can also be sent over SSH to the attacker’s server using native functionality.
The Shortcut can set the brightness and volume of the device to 100%
It can turn the device’s flashlight on and off while vibrating at the same time to get the user’s attention and make them believe their device has been taken over.
The Shortcut can be made to speak a ransom note which can include convincing personal details to make the user believe the attacker. For example, it can indicate the IP address and physical address of the person and demand payment.
The Shortcut can be further programmed to then display the spoken note in a written alert format on the device.
To nudge the user to pay up, the Shortcut can be configured to open a webpage, accessing a URL that contains payment information to a cryptocurrency wallet, or a phishing page demanding payment card/account information.
To spread around, and since Siri Shortcuts can be shared among users, the malicious Shortcut could also send a link to everyone in the user’s contact list giving it a “worm like” capability that’s easy to deploy but harder to detect.
Not Only Ransom
In our security research labs, we tested the ransom attack scenario. The shortcut we created was named “Ransom” in the video, but it could easily be named any other name to entice users to run it. Lures, such as game cheats/hacking, unlocking secret functionality in apps, or getting free money, often entice users to tap on a shortcut and see where it leads.
From our researchers’ experience, users may fall prey to social engineering and end up installing and running malicious code or apps on their devices.
Using Siri Shortcuts More Safely
Siri Shortcuts has its merits and some security concerns to be aware of. Yet, it is possible to use this functionality in a safer manner.
Never install a Shortcut from an untrusted source.
Check the permissions that the shortcut is requesting and never give permission to portions of your phone you are not comfortable with. Things like photos, location and camera could be used to obtain sensitive information.
Use the show actions button before installing a third-party shortcut to see the underlying actions the shortcut might take. Look for things like messaging data to numbers you don’t recognize, emailing data out, or making SSH server connections to servers.
Apple Controls Centralized Patch Control
Siri Shortcuts is a native feature of iOS12; however, in order to utilize custom shortcuts, one must download the Shortcuts app from Apple’s app store. This gives Apple the ability to patch/update the functionality of the Shortcuts app without having to update the entire OS version.
Users Should Be Very Selective with App Permissions
It’s also important to note that using the shortcuts is designed for, and therefore requires, a lot of user interaction. First, users must download and install the shortcut from a shared source, and then manually tap it to run. Users must also grant access to photos, contacts or any sensitive data the shortcut wants access too.
A sharp reminder to validate anything you install on your mobile device as Shortcuts allows you to see everything the script is capable of before installing. As tempting as it might be to just scroll past that text and hit accept, users must be more aware of good security practices, which includes reading and understanding anything they authorize to run on their device.
Social media caught fire yesterday as the news of a new Apple bug spread. It seemed that there was a flaw in FaceTime that allowed you to place a call to someone, but listen in on their microphone if they didn’t pick up. Worse, as the news spread, it turned out that there was also a way to capture video from the camera on the target device, and that this issue was affecting not just iPhones and iPads, but Macs as well.
The result was a chorus of voices all saying the same thing: turn off FaceTime. The good news, though, if you’re just tuning in now, is that this is completely unnecessary, as Apple has disabled the service that allowed this bug to work.
How did the bug work?
The bug relied entirely on a feature of iOS 12.1 and macOS 10.14.1 called Group FaceTime. If you are using an older version of iOS or macOS, you have nothing to fear.
The bug involved doing something a bit unusual with Group FaceTime. First, you would have to place a FaceTime call to your intended victim. Next, while the call is still ringing, you would need to bring up the Add Person screen and add yourself to the call. Doing this would invoke Group FaceTime, and the microphone of the intended target would be activated, even if they didn’t answer.
Capturing video from the target phone’s camera required one of two known techniques. One would be to hope that the recipient pressed the power button on the phone to “decline” the call, in which case the camera would turn on as well. (Of course, if they pressed it twice, as some have become accustomed to doing on iPhones in these days of scam calls, that would cut the video off again. But you’d still see a flash of video.)
Alternately, you could apparently join the call from another device, which would also turn on the recipient’s camera. (Although I was able to test and verify everything else, I didn’t know about this trick until after Apple disabled Group FaceTime, so I can’t verify this one from personal experience.)
What were the dangers?
To make this work, you would need to rely on the target not answering, which could potentially be orchestrated if the target’s activities were known and it was likely that he or she would both be disinclined to answer at the time of the call, and be doing or saying something of interest. (I think we can all think of at least one such activity!)
Fortunately, this did pretty much rule out generalized surveillance, though nonetheless, there were some valiant efforts (most likely pranks) in the brief time the bug was known.
This also didn’t open up an open-ended wiretap. FaceTime rings for a while, but not forever. At most, you might get about a minute or so of spying. It’s also not the stealthiest of attacks, since you’d literally be announcing yourself in the process.
All this means that the risks were fairly low for anything beyond a prank. I personally did not feel it necessary to turn off FaceTime on my devices. Once I was aware, I could have simply covered the camera and ended the call—or had a little fun with the caller by playing Rick Astley into the phone’s mic!
How was this resolved?
Apple temporarily solved the problem by disabling Group FaceTime on their servers. This means that you can no longer add people to a FaceTime call, so the bug currently cannot be triggered. Apple will undoubtedly release iOS and macOS updates with a fix for this bug.
It’s unknown how soon Apple will re-enable Group FaceTime after that update is released, so if you’re on iOS 12.1 or macOS 10.14.1, it will be of great importance to install the next update in a timely fashion! You don’t want to be caught with your pants down (possibly literally) on a vulnerable system after the Group FaceTime switch is turned back on.
How did this happen?
Apple has had an unusually large number of high-profile and embarrassing bugs of late, which has led many people to ask what has happened to Apple’s quality assurance process. This bug is no exception.
Worse, it appears that at least one person knew about the bug almost two weeks before the news broke, and had been trying to alert Apple.
It’s unknown at this point exactly which points of contact for Apple this person was using, so it’s entirely possible that the right people at Apple didn’t learn about it until they saw it on the news. Since Apple didn’t disable Group FaceTime until after the news broke, I would hope that this is the case. It would be far more concerning if the right people at Apple knew about the bug, but didn’t make the call to disable Group FaceTime.
What’s the takeaway?
Bottom line, at this point, there’s absolutely no reason to panic or to turn off FaceTime. If you turned off FaceTime, and you want to turn it back on, it’s safe to do so, as long as you don’t delay installing the next update. There’s no indication that FaceTime can be abused without having Group FaceTime available.
There will be some who cite this as a reason to delay installing system updates. They will say that you should wait and let others work out the bugs. However, this is questionable advice. If you stay on an old version of iOS or macOS, you are using a system that has known security issues. That’s a far riskier proposition than updating to a newer version of the system where there aren’t (yet) any known security issues. From a security perspective, you should always install updates in a timely fashion.
FaceTime bug is exposing calls and videos – Here’s how to disable FaceTime until this issue is fixed. According to reports, there is a major bug in iPhone FaceTime’s video calling function that lets users hear audio from the call even before the recipient has accepted the video call. Moreover, the flaw also lets people see […]
Earlier today Apple users from all over the world, including US citizens and permanent residents, realized that they could spy on each other by taking advantage of a FaceTime exploit that allows eavesdropping. First reported by 9 to 5 Mac, the bug in Apple’s videotelephony app allowed users without any technical skills to eavesdrop on virtually anyone in the world who uses FaceTime. By simply making a FaceTime video call users were able to listen through the callee’s device, even if the call recipient was not picking up. All users had to do was to create a “group call” by adding themselves to a standard two-way video call. The self-addition was tricking the system into thinking that all participants have picked up the phone. This ended up resulting in eavesdropping on the callee’s device. Here’s a video that shows the exploit in action:
What made the bug even worse was the fact that the caller was able to see a video stream directly from the recipient’s device should the recipient hit the power button to “reject” the video call. In response to the major privacy breach, Apple decided to turn off the group FaceTime feature, until they figure out how to get it fixed.
The FaceTime bug is currently one of the trending stories on all social media platforms. Dozens of users have already uploaded videos replicating the exploit. Some users even reported that they have managed to reproduce the FaceTime bug with an iPhone calling a Mac.
After the bug was discovered Apple issued a statement acknowledging it and stated that they plan to issue a fix later this week. New York City governor Andrew Cuomo called the FaceTime bug an “egregious breach of privacy that puts New Yorkers at risk.” Governor Cuomo added that he is “deeply concerned by this irresponsible bug that can be exploited for unscrupulous purposes.” It is currently unknown for long has the exploit been active.
The bug comes only weeks after Apple started using the following slogan “What happens on your iPhone, stays in on your iPhone.”, a wordplay from the famous Las Vegas slogan “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” Coincidently, the bug was also discovered on the national Data Privacy Day. Unaware of the exploit, and hours after the bug was discovered, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook tweeted that people “must keep fighting for the kind of world we want to live in. On this #DataPrivacyDay let us all insist on action and reform for vital privacy protections. The dangers are real, and the consequences are too important.”
What has Apple done to stop the bug?
Apple managed to anger the crowds by stating that they will patch the bug “later this week” but failed to take any immediate action to prevent people from spying on each other. However, hours after they realized the seriousness of the issue, they completely turned off the group FaceTime feature on all Apple devices and issued an update to patch the exploit. The group FaceTime feature is still temporarily unavailable.
What should you do?
First and foremost, you can delete the FaceTime app from your iPhone or Mac and reinstall it after Apple confirms that the issue has been officially fixed. If you do not wish to remove the app, you can disable the app through the settings of your iPhone or Mac.
This is a yet another great example why keeping your OS fully up-to-date is vital. Apple just issued a patch that fixes the exploit so if you are an Apple user, now is a good time to go and update your OS if you haven’t done so already.
Last but not least, install antivirus software on all your connected devices. Having another layer of protection on all your Apple products will prevent hackers from obtaining any missing pieces they may need from you to commit cybercrimes.
With Apple offering a clearance sale on the iPhone SE earlier this week, The Verge's Nick Statt decided that it was "the appropriate moment to hop on the backup phone bandwagon" and pick one up. He writes: I've always appreciated the classic 5S design, with its overtly rounded corners and its sturdy, not-so-delicate dimensions. It never felt like it really required a case, and its smaller screen and more comfortable, one-handed use is something I've thought far too much about as I've ferried around an iPhone X and now an XS over the past year and a half. Plus, it's got a headphone jack. Would you agree that the iPhone SE is "the best minimalist phone right now," or do you think that title belongs to a different device? Why or why not?
Apple produces some of the best health-related technology that helps users in one or the other way. Products like (PRODUCT)RED and Apple Watch have helped millions of users across the globe to stay healthy and fight deadly diseases.
A recent patent suggests that Apple may add miniature gas sensors in the future iPhone and Apple Watch models. So here’s everything you need to know about the “Poisonous Gas Sensor.”
Recently Apple has been granted a patent for small-sized sensors that could detect the presence of harmful gases like carbon monoxide. These sensors could be installed on future Apple products like iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
This small-sized sensor can detect major harmful gases like Carbon Monoxide (CO), Ozone (O3), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Nitrogen Monoxide (NO), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Methane (CH4) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
According to some reliable sources, this poisonous gas sensors will also be deployed in smart home and Internet of Things devices.
Poisonous Gas Sensor: The Benefits
According to a recent report from Centers For Diseases, Carbon Monoxide poisoning results in the death of around 400 Americans every year and around 20,000 injuries. It is worth noting that, Carbon Monoxide is an odourless and colourless gas. Consequently, it becomes fairly difficult to identify the gas.
The Poisonous Gas Sensor on Apple devices is a life-saving technology that will help prevent deaths from poisonous gases like Carbon Monoxide. With features like ECG on Apple Watch Series 4, it’s clear that Apple is working hard to protect the lives of people with innovation in day to day technology.
Do share your thoughts and opinions on the addition of Poisonous Gas Sensor on iPhone and Apple Watch in the comments section below.
A China-based security researcher associated with the Qihoo 360 Vulcan Team has published a proof-of-concept exploit for a kernel vulnerability, which he claims to be the second stage of an exploit chain that he was successfully able to jailbreak iPhone X remotely. The researcher Qixun Zhao posted the PoC on Twitter from his Twitter handle […]
Foxconn hit by iPhone sales slowdown sheds 50,000 contract workers earlier than expected
Foxconn Technology Group, Apple’s biggest iPhone assembler, has cut around 50,000 of its contract jobs since October 2018 at its most important iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, China, reports Nikkei.
Foxconn generally hires thousands of temporary employees throughout the peak season to meet the seasonal demand of newly released iPhone models. The company typically renews workers’ contracts every month from August until January. The company then reduces the influx of temporary employees once the demand decreases. However, this time around, Foxconn has cut many of those contract jobs months earlier than expected. Weaker demand for the iPhone throughout late 2018 is believed to be the reason behind the cut.
While the size of the cuts is not an issue, it is simply significantly sooner than previous years, the report said, citing an industry source familiar with the situation.
“Normally, the contracts of these workers would be renewed every month from August until mid- to late January, when the workforce is traditionally scaled back for the slow iPhone production season,” the source told Nikkei. “It’s quite different this year to ask assembly line workers to leave before the year-end.” This year, those reductions came as much as three months early.
Foxconn isn’t the only Apple supplier making cuts. A similar story has been witnessed at Pegatron, which is Apple’s second largest iPhone assembler.
A source close to the company [Pegatron] said its normal practice was to reduce the 200,000-strong head count by tens of thousands every month until reaching about 100,000 – the minimum required for daily operation, according to one source familiar with the situation. “And for , it just happened sooner than in the past because of poor demand.”
The story is no different in case of smaller suppliers either.
One key component supplier based in Shenzhen had asked 4,000 workers to take an extended “vacation” from October to March, a person with knowledge of the situation said. “The company has not actively laid off those workers yet. It will decide whether or not to lay them off after March 1,” the source said.
The slow iPhone production sales have come at a time when Foxconn is scaling down its costs by combining its Mac and iPad production lines with those of Dell and Acer. It is looking to cut 100,000 jobs out of a workforce of 1.1 million by the end of 2019 across its associates and subsidiaries.
Chinese man suffers organ failure after selling his kidney to buy an iPhone
We have heard crazy stories about Chinese people going to the extent of selling their sperms to kidneys to newborn kids to own Apple’s latest gadgets. Well, this obsession to own an iPad and iPhone has now rendered this Chinese man bedridden for life!
Wang Shangkun, now 25, had sold his right kidney as a teenager (17 years) in 2011 to the black-market organ harvesters to buy Apple’s latest devices, as his family was too poor to afford it. Back then, he received 22,000 yuan for his kidney, which he used to purchase an iPhone 4 and iPad 2, reports News.com.au.
“Why do I need a second kidney? One is enough,” he had asked at the time.
According to CNTV, Wang who dreamt of owning Apple’s iPad 2 was approached by human organ harvesters online, who offered him hard cash for his kidney.
“At the time, I wanted to buy an iPad2, but I didn’t have any money. When I was on the internet, I had a kidney agent send a message, saying that selling a kidney can give me 20,000,” he explained.
Without informing his family, Wang secretly traveled from his home in the eastern Anhui Province to the southern Hunan Province. After the operation was carried out, Wang was sent back home.
Wang’s health started deteriorating immediately after the operation. Unsanitary conditions at the time of surgery and lack of postoperative care are believed to be the reasons behind the development of infection that eventually led to renal failure in his second kidney. Wang’s health condition also forced him to give up on his studies.
According to local China media reports, Wang now spends his days in bed and depends on the dialysis machine to clear his blood of toxins to survive his kidney failure. He is now dependent on social benefits.
In 2012, nine individuals were arrested in connection with the sale, including five surgeons, and were jailed for their involvement. Wang’s family reportedly received $225,000 in compensation the same year.
A new phone-based phishing scam reveals how fraudsters are devising more sophisticated schemes to prey on Apple device users.
According to KrebsOnSecurity, the phishing scam began for Global Cyber Risk LLC CEO Jody Westby when she received an automated call that displayed Apple’s logo, physical address, company domain and customer support phone number. The call warned Westby that unknown attackers had compromised multiple servers containing users’ Apple IDs. It then urged her to ring a 1-866 number immediately.
Suspicious of the call, Westby contacted Apple’s support number directly and requested a callback from a support representative. The agent who called back reassured Westby that Apple had not placed the original call. But when she looked at her phone, Westby observed that her iPhone had lumped together both the scam call and the official callback under Apple’s contact profile on her device. Not surprisingly, this failure of Apple’s own devices to spot a spoof call could potentially fool many users.
The Prevalence of Phishing Attacks Targeting Apple Users
This phony call scam stands out for its extensive use of Apple branding. But by no means is it the only phone-related phishing scam targeting Apple users in recent history. For example, in July 2018, Ars Technica identified an India-based tech support scam using a fake Apple website that popped up a system dialog box with a prompt to call the fraudsters.
These phishing instances come after enterprise mobile security and data management provider Wandera found in 2017 that nearly two-thirds of mobile phishing attacks occur on iOS devices. This rate means that Apple users are twice as likely to experience phishing on their devices than Android users.
Help Your Employees Defend Against Phishing Scams
Security professionals can help employees defend against phishing scams by creating a security awareness training program that uses clear, concise policies based around business requirements. Organizations should also take a layered approach to email security — requiring a mix of both technology and education — to better defend against email-borne phishing campaigns.
Profitsteigerung ist eine der Maximen jedes Cyberkriminellen. Da wundert es nicht, dass die SophosLabs nun eine neue Machenschaft aufgedeckt haben, die auf der Tatsache beruht, dass Werbetreibende mehr Geld pro Klick zahlen, wenn dieser von vermeintlich wohlhabenderen iPhone- oder iPad-Besitzern kommt. Da der sogenannte Klickbetrug, bei dem kommerzielle Werbeflächen geklickt oder Klicks zur Manipulation der […]


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USA / Global
2014 toyota corolla Articles
2014 Toyota Corolla priced from 16,800 USD
Toyota has disclosed pricing information for the 2014 U.S.-spec Corolla which kicks off at 16,800 USD (excluding 810 USD destination fee).
Aug 27 2013
2014 Toyota Corolla rendered as a coupe
The 2014 Toyota Corolla has lost its rear doors in this render made by X-Tomi Design.
Jun 19 2013
2014 Toyota Corolla (Euro-spec) debuts on video
The 2014 Toyota Corolla in European specification has made its video debut. Will probably adopt Auris' engine lineup.
Jun 12 2013
2014 Toyota Corolla U.S.-spec walkaround video
YouTube user Michael Borquez has uploaded a lengthy clip from the 2014 Toyota Corolla (U.S.-spec) launch.
Jun 11 2013
2014 Toyota Corolla officially revealed [videos]
Following a string of teasers, Toyota has officially revealed the 2014 Corolla in the U.S. specification.
Jun 07 2013
2014 Toyota Corolla teased once more [updated]
Toyota has released two additional teaser photos of the 2014 Corolla which will be unveiled next Thursday.
Jun 01 2013
2014 Toyota Corolla teased
Toyota has released a teaser photo on its official Facebook account for the 2014 Corolla which will be revealed on June 6.
May 22 2013
Toyota dealer leaks 2014 Corolla ordering guide, confirms minor updates - report
Kansas City-based Olathe Toyota has reportedly posted details about the 2014 Corolla, ahead of its launch next year.
May 09 2013
Car Buying Service
Get upfront price offers on local inventory.
2014 Toyota Corolla to be unveiled before Los Angeles Auto Show
The next generation of the Toyota Corolla will be introduced before the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show.
Mar 31 2013
2014 Toyota Corolla leaked?
The 2014 Toyota Corolla was recently previewed by the Furia concept, but the first images of the production car have apparently leaked to the web.
Feb 05 2013
2014 Toyota Corolla leaked ?
Purported images of the 2014 Toyota Corolla have surfaced the Internet. Design seems to be evolutionary.
Jan 08 2013
Scion xB & xD replacements coming next year - report
According to a recent report, the next-generation Scion xB and xD will be introduced at the 2013 New York Auto Show.
Dec 17 2012
Vehicle Imagery licensed from EVOX Images
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We are only days away from Apple’s media event on September 12th. The company is expected to show off the next generation iPhone with a larger display, thinner design, new dock connector and possibly add LTE to the device.
It is also rumored that Apple will announce a new feature that will allow users to stream media from an iOS device to speakers without the need of a WiFi network. The updated version of AirPlay will presumably setup its own network via Bluetooth 4 between devices to play music.
The new feature is rumored to be called AirPlay Direct, but the name is not definite. Apple could call it AirPlay 2.0 as well.
The new version AirPlay could also be useful for Apple TV. This would simply the setup for business and classroom use. Assuming AirPlay Direct will work with video as well as audio, users will be able to mirror an iOS device or a Mac to an Apple TV directly using Bluetooth.
This could also improve the performance of AirPlay and eliminate any lag between the devices.
Via [The Telegraph]


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More than 100 postal workers rallied in Chicago Monday to protest a proposed plan to eliminate Saturday mail delivery. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe announced the cuts earlier this month, and has since gone head-to-head with members of Congress over whether the U.S. Postal Service is authorized to cut six-day service without congressional approval.
Postal carriers have responded with protests across the country. In front of a post office in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood Monday, mailmen spilled out onto the street holding signs and calling on Postmaster Donahoe to step down.
“There’s a lot of other cost-cutting measures they can try that they haven’t even tried yet,” said Janet Rendant, who has been a mail carrier for 25 years. “At least give us a chance, give the public a chance.”
She and others accused the post office of cutting union jobs before seeking out other savings, and said they don’t believe cutting mail service will actually save the post office much money because it will also result in a loss of customers.
Mark Reynolds, who represents the postal service in Chicago, said they’ve already closed facilities and consolidated rural post offices to cut costs.
“Obviously these are very difficult decisions that we have to make,” said Reynolds. “But what we’re trying to do is to maintain customer service to the extent possible.”
The U.S. Postal Service ended its 2012 fiscal year nearly $16 billion in the hole, and they say cutting Saturday delivery will save them $1.9 billion annually. The National Association of Letter Carriers believes Congress can address the deficit by getting rid of a requirement that the postal service pre-fund its pension obligations.
A Congressional mandate that requires the post office to deliver mail six days a week expires March 27, but the cut to Saturday delivery would not go into effect until August. Delivery to PO boxes and package delivery would continue on Saturdays. Still, some congressmen think the postmaster general is outside of his purview, claiming any change to delivery days must be approved by Congress.
Mark Osier, a postal carrier for 38 years, attended the Chicago protest because he was concerned about younger postal workers’ jobs – and about his postal customers.
“People look forward to the mailman coming,” he said. “Especially older people. It’s their day’s event.”
The postal service paid for a survey in February that found that 80 percent of Americans favor cutting mail delivery to five days a week.
But Osier said six-day postal delivery is symbolic. He and others at the protest say they believe cutting Saturday service marks the beginning of the end for postal workers, and for a long-standing tradition of unionized postal delivery jobs.
“This is an institution, this is as American as apple pie,” Osier said. “We’ve gotta keep it going.”
Follow Lewis Wallace on Twitter.


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“At this point in the digital age, acting on ‘gut instinct’ when it comes to making operational decisions are long gone. Today all elements of a business’s operations – design, production, distribution, marketing, customer services – can be monitored, measured and analyzed,” according to Bernard Marr of Forbes.
Today’s retailers use data to develop a deeper understanding of their customers. Using the information collected both online and in physical stores, retailers can predict what their customers are likely to purchase, whether they’ll buy in-person or on their tablet or phone, and which items are top sellers and need more frequent re-stocking.
How the Retail Industry Uses Data
Nordstrom, one of America’s biggest names in retail, is taking innovative steps to appeal to individual customers. The company devotes 30 percent of its budget to technology and even created the “Nordstrom Innovation Lab” to test and develop new products.
The retailer uses state-of-the-art technology to track conversion of customers, time spent in the store, what areas of the store they spend time in, and for how long. The Nordstrom credit card and rewards point system is highly incentivized for both the customer and the retailer. Through this, the company can collect huge amounts of data about customer purchases and preferences in order to best allocate the advertising budget and continue to appeal to these customers.
Additionally, J.C. Penney, a retailer established 115 years ago, realizes that innovation is the only way to survive in today’s evolving marketplace. The company has begun the process of improving its technology usage to increase profits. Jeffrey Davis, the new CFO, predicts that analytics will support the company as it develops its multichannel model. Davis stated that re-allocating a greater portion of the $400 million spent on capital expenditures to technology will lead to lower costs and an increase in sales.
One company that supports these retailers’ businesses also uses data to create better processes. UPS chief information and engineering officer Juan Perez states that they have been using data and analytics technology to improve flexibility, capability, and efficiency, and that the right insight at the right time helps line-of-business managers to improve performance. The aim for UPS is to use the data it collects to optimize processes, to enable automation and autonomy, and to continue to learn how to improve its global delivery network.
When looked at as a whole, retailers’ data tells an important story about customers’ preferences. The companies mentioned here have used these insights and the stories they tell to impact the bottom line. We at TechNexus work with startups that develop technologies that enable retailers to create the connected stores of the future. If you’re thinking about improving your company’s data analytics processes, or want to learn more about the emerging technologies that will redefine retail, let’s connect.


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BBB of West MI is Warning People of Romance Scams
Fall in love, not a scam.
The BBB of Western Michigan is sending out a warning to online daters that scams are becoming an increasing problem. The Better Business Bureau conducted a study over 3 years, that was just released. The scammer takes advantage of people looking for, or vulnerable to, love and the victim ends up becoming a "money mule"... unknowingly involved in something illegal.
Fraudsters need a method to get funds from victims without being discovered.
This makes it harder to get caught. Most of these scam artists use a fake identity and find their victims on websites, apps, or social media. WOOD-TV reports of a Grand Rapids woman who found herself in this situation. Essentially, "she did all of his dirty work."
According to the report, at any given time, there could be 25K romance scammers online, most coming from Nigeria, although they do live and run these scams all around the world. Over the three-year study, about $1 billion was lost because of romance scams in the U.S. and Canada.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, signs of a scam include:
- Says "I love you" quickly
- Claims to be a U.S. resident but out of the country (for business, military)
- Asks for money
- Plans to visit but never comes through


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VINELAND — City Council on Tuesday relieved the developers of a new ShopRite supermarket from having to bid on a liquor license created last year to ensure the facility’s construction.
The 5-0 vote by City Council amended the development agreement between the municipality and B & B Properties.
Plans for the Bottino ShopRite include a retail liquor outlet. Members of the former city government administration said the developers wanted a new liquor license created and included in the agreement for the project to proceed. The agreement stipulated that the developers bid at least $300,000 for the liquor license, with no guarantee they would get the license.
Instead, the developers are paying $450,000 for an inactive liquor license held by an entity called H.C.S. Inc. The license will be held by Vineland Crossing Wine and Spirits LLC. The purchase ensures the supermarket developers that they will have a liquor license.
City Council on Tuesday also voted 5-0 to approve the liquor license transfer from H.C.S. to Vineland Crossing.
City Council’s two votes regarding the supermarket were cast without comment.
The sale of the new liquor license was a crucial part of the administration’s budget plan. The at-least $300,000 the city expected to realize from the sale was to help balance the proposed $59.3 million spending plan.
City officials said they can still put the new liquor license out to public bid.
Contact Thomas Barlas:


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August 27, 2011
Any impacts to delivery and retail services will be posted in this space as Hurricane Irene continues its projected course.
Atlanta – no issues to report
No issues to report
- Many offices without power including all of Wilmington City, curtailed delivery in the following ZIP Codes 27505, 27552, 27556, 27559, 27330, 28355, 28368.
- Postal facilities are closed in the areas under mandatory evacuations and curfews
- Kinston P&DF, 208 E Caswell St., Kinston, NC 28501 has reported a power outage
- 63 offices are closed are closed in the Greensboro area
17 postal facilities are closed in the areas under mandatory evacuations and curfews
Postal operations have been suspended in Ocean City and offices on Smith Island
The following ZIP Code areas have curtailed deliveries until Hurricane Irene has passed. Access to PO Boxes is also affected.
|08212||Cape May Point|
|08243||Sea Isle City|
RICHMOND, VA – The U.S. Postal Service is preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Irene by advising customers that normal service operations in the path of the storm may be affected in the event of unsafe conditions such as high winds, flooding, or impassable roads. The Capital Metro Area of the Postal Service is closely monitoring the movement of Hurricane Irene as it makes its way up the coast. The storm is not predicted to reach the Virginia area until Saturday afternoon. As a result, USPS operations in the area are expected to proceed normally throughout the weekend.
“We give every consideration to safety,” said USPS Richmond District Manager Jacob Cheeks. “We will ensure that each Post Office is safe for our customers, and we will make sure that our Postal employees are not in harm’s way while performing their duties. We are keeping a close eye on the situation and will continue to do so throughout this weekend.”
Depending on local conditions, some Post Offices may temporarily close their lobbies as Hurricane Irene makes landfall. The Postal Service is preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Irene by advising customers to deposit outgoing mail today or tomorrow to ensure timely processing of mail destined for delivery outside the local area. If roads become impassable or unsafe for travel, mail delivery services may be curtailed, and mail collection schedules from mail collection boxes could be suspended.
The Postal Service will make plans to suspend services in the event a mandatory evacuation order is issued by local, state, or federal emergency management officials. Customer service operations in any area covered by a mandatory evacuation order will be suspended, including mail processing, mail delivery, scheduled collection of mail from mail collection boxes, bulk mail acceptance, Post Office box service and retail Post Office lobby services. Drop shipment appointments for commercial mailers will also be suspended at closed facilities
Postal Service employees in the Virginia area are being advised to check for changes to their scheduled work reporting status by contacting the USPS National Emergency Notification Hotline to determine if any special instructions have been issued. The toll-free USPS National Emergency Notification Hotline for U.S. Postal Service employees is: 1-888-363-7462.
Additional information regarding postal operations within specific ZIP Code areas will be issued by the U.S. Postal Service as necessary.
Now is the time to be prepared if you live in a coastal area or could be affected by severe weather. Visit www.ready.govfor tips on creating your family emergency plan and putting together an emergency supply kit.


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A larger, sleeker, faster iPhone 5 is coming this September, if a fresh wave of rumors is to be believed.
The latest phone from Apple will feature a brand new processor, a better camera, and could even sport a radical new look according to various media reports.
Bloomberg reports that the new device will include Apple�s A5 dual core processor, the powerful chip included in the iPad 2, as well as an upgraded 8-megapixel camera, over the iPhone 4�s 5-megapixel model.
The most drastic change though could come down to looks. Rumor has it that the iPhone 5 will be curvier and slimmer than its predecessor. �We have been told by a reliable source to expect a radical new design for the upcoming iPhone,� Boy Genius reported. Apple has launched a new iPhone every June at its annual developer's conference ever since the smartphone's debut.
The company changed things up this year for what may have been a variety of reasons -- supply issues, the delay of the white iPhone 4, but the most likely factor is the launch of the new iOS 5 operating system which is to be released in the 3rd quarter of this year.
This generally falls in line with estimates of a September launch and also correlates to production estimates, according to Chris Caso at Susquehanna Financial. "Our checks at multiple levels of the supply chain point to a one-to-two-month delay in the production start for the next-generation iPhone vs. our earlier view of a July production start.�
|Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.|


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Honda Motor Co. (HMC, 7267.TO) will continue temporary production adjustments at all six Honda auto plants in Canada and the U.S. due to continued flooding in Thailand.
More than 92% of the Honda and Acura automobiles sold in Canada during 2010 were produced in North America. While most of the parts and materials used to produce these products are purchased from North American suppliers, a few critical electronic parts are sourced from Thailand and other regions of the world.
Honda Canada said it is working closely with its suppliers in Thailand and throughout its global network to reestablish the flow of parts for the products made in North America. In the meantime, Honda will continue managing the parts supply in North America.
Auto production rates will vary from plant to plant, but some plants will produce at rates above the previously announced 50% of the original plan through Nov. 30.
All plants in Canada and the U.S. are expected to produce at normal levels on Dec. 1 and Dec. 2. Production plans after Dec. 2 will be announced in the future.
Earlier Monday, Honda Motor Co. said it restarted production of some motorcycle and power products in Thailand. But the Japanese company added that it has no clear outlook for when production of four-wheel vehicles will resume as flooding at its facilities has continued.
(Yoshio Takahashi contributed to this article)


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The Tribune site for now is limited, offering only an online version of the daily's classified recruitment listings.
"It's a starting off point," said a spokesman for the paper.
Hints of what may be coming down the road can be found on a test area from the Tribune Co., which plans to open its Web page this summer. That site (http://none.coolware.com/tribune/tcohtml.html) features elements from various Tribune Co. units along with a "Sweet Home Chicago" page that appears destined for the Chicago Tribune area. The page features hypertext links to the city's Field Museum, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and other Chicago institutions.
Tribune Co. said its Web page will eventually offer information for employees, shareholders and the financial community and provide links to other company sites for units like Compton's New Media and the Chicago Tribune.
"We have a different mission [than the Tribune]," said Bob Carr, news and information manager for Tribune Co. He said the media giant views its site as a way to make press releases and other company information easily available to interested parties.
The Chicago Tribune calls its page at http://www.chicago.tribune.com "Career Finder" and views it as a limited tool, at least for now.
"It is a niche product that focuses on the recruitment category," said Carolyn Crafts, manager of advertising development.
The site features icons based on the paper's Shoe comic strip. Users can search through text listings in various job categories. Newspaper classified advertisers pay an additional $1 per line to put their ads online for three weeks.
The only editorial content consists of the paper's job and computer columns, a feedback mechanism and information on Chicago's top 100 companies (The paper maintains a more extensive forum on Chicago Online, accessible through America Online).


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Online sellers around the country have been waiting for nearly a year to see if Colorado’s controversial use tax notice law, which some characterize as a contrast to the Supreme Court’s physical presence standard, would stand up to an aggressive legal challenge.
And it did! As we detailed last week in this post, after two trips to the Supreme Court, Colorado will be allowed to impose tax-related requirements on sellers that have absolutely no physical presence in the state.
As a result, businesses with over $100,000 in annual sales into the state could soon face onerous reporting obligations to both consumers and the Department of Revenue. Colorado is not alone in its push to require this type of reporting regardless of physical presence. Four other states – Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Kentucky – have similar but not identical notice laws on the books.
Many view the decision as another falling domino leading toward the physical presence requirement’s demise. It could create a new tax compliance landscape where all sellers will be required to collect and remit tax on every transaction regardless of location.
What can we reasonably expect to happen next?
As we look forward to 2017, our sales tax experts weighed in on that question. Here are five things businesses – and their customers – should expect to see in 2017.
- Possible penalties and fines for consumers – What do states plan on doing with this new information? To some extent, they clearly hope that giving notice will spur voluntary consumer compliance. But by possibly punishing a company’s customers, the states could impact customer satisfaction, which is a powerful motivator for companies to just pay the tax. The question remains: Will any state attempt to “audit” individual private consumers for their failure to self-assess use tax?
- Registration as the alternative – The one common element among the existing notice rules is that they only apply to sellers that are not already collecting tax. In a world where tax automation makes compliance manageable, some vendors may simply opt to collect tax rather than step into the murky waters of notice. Doing so also eliminates the customer’s burden to self-assess.
- More jurisdictions to follow suit – States remain hungry for revenue, and it is likely that at least some states will view these developments as opportunities to enact similar rules. Notice requirements are particularly attractive, as they offer the opportunity to increase tax revenue without the political repercussions of enacting a tax increase.
- Existing rules in OK, SC, SD, KY and VT may change – The Colorado rules took notice further than any other state, especially with respect to imposing penalties for noncompliance. States may now look to revisit their rules and impose similar penalties.
- Details from Colorado on how this will work – In order for its citizens to be compliant, Colorado needs to explain the substance and form of the three vendor requirements under the law: transactional notice, annual notice and DOR notice.
2017 is definitely shaping up to be an interesting year in the world of tax compliance and Sovos will continue to provide leading analysis of what these changes mean for businesses.
Learn more about how automating your sales tax compliance process will keep you up to date on constantly changing sales tax regulations.
The post 5 Things Businesses With Colorado Customers Could See Next appeared first on Sovos Compliance.
About the AuthorFollow on Linkedin Visit Website More Content by Charles Maniace


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Though its sales growth slowed from 10.2 percent in 2018 to 5.9 percent in 2019, Domino’s still added almost $1 billion to its top line and distanced itself from Pizza Hut in the process. Ranked No. 7 overall on the Franchise Times Top 200+, Domino’s is the biggest pizza player on the list of the 500 largest franchises based on global systemwide sales, pulling in $14.3 billion last year compared to No. 8 Pizza Hut with $12.9 billion.
Pizza Hut, though, wasn’t far behind in sales growth percentage at 5.6 percent as it added $700 million in revenue. When it came to unit growth, however, Pizza Hut lagged with a 1.5 percent jump in units; Domino’s added 906 stores to its restaurant count, an increase of 6 percent.
The pizza category overall blew by the $40 billion mark in 2019, fueled largely by the off-premises players, which accounted for $37.5 billion of the $41.1 billion total, a boost of 4.3 percent. The sit-down side, meanwhile, suffered a 3.3 percent decline, dragged down by UNO Pizzeria & Grill and Round Table Pizza, which were both hit by double-digit sales decreases of 10.3 percent and 19.3 percent, respectively.
One sit-down concept bright spot was No. 255 Mountain Mike’s Pizza and its 10.9 percent growth, which President and COO Jim Metevier said was driven in part by digital investments, including a new consumer-facing website.
“Before, when you looked at it, it wasn’t the look of a leader,” said Metevier of the brand’s previously “clunky” website. Design and functionality were emphasized, along with integration of third-party delivery providers into the point-of-sale system. Mountain Mike’s is also the official pizza of the San Francisco 49ers, from which it “got a lot of traction in Q4,” said Metevier.
For carryout and delivery brands, No. 177 Hungry Howie’s is the sales growth leader at 7 percent. CEO Steve Jackson attributed the systemwide revenue growth to brand standardization efforts in the works over the past several years, along with a focus on data analysis to understand and reach customers.
“A light bulb went off. The pizza category has more information on their customer than anyone else,” he said. “We have your name, your address, what you eat and when you eat it.” The company used that information to find its most valuable customers and better tailor its digital marketing messages and offers to those customers.
As a 47-year-old brand, Jackson noted Hungry Howie’s restaurants also needed attention in recent years. “We’ve done a ton of remodels. We have a very serious, concerted effort to make that happen,” he said. “We’ve taken that step to have a national image.”
Other notable numbers in the Franchise Times Top 200+ pizza segment:
• Papa Murphy’s 10-spot drop to No. 120 coincides with its 5.1 percent decline in sales, from $809 million to $768 million. A look at the brand’s unit count—it shed 70 stores in 2019, down to 1,367—offers one reason for the sales decrease. Another is that consumers continue to gravitate to delivery.
• MOD Pizza and Blaze Pizza, the two fast-casual concepts on our ranking, are up in a big way. MOD grew sales 23.3 percent to $493 million, climbing 16 spots to No. 163. Blaze got a 14.5 percent sales boost to $391 million and is No. 182, up 13 spots.


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Brazilian fashion brand, Havaianas has chosen FCB as its agency of record for Malaysia.
“FCB displayed a deep understanding of what Havaianas stands for and clearly demonstrated that they were in tune with the Malaysian fashion audience.” said Jaime Syjuco, Managing Partner of the Moda Pacifica Group, exclusive distributors and retailers of Havaianas Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines
The role will not only sees FCB taking charge of the local advertising duties but also serving as the brand’s extended marketing arm, tasked with emulating the brand’s quintessentially Brazilian flair within a locally relevant and meaningful Malaysian context.
The appointment was made without a pitch and followed a series of strategic proposals led by Natasha Aziz, FCB Kuala Lumpur’s Head of Account Management Commenting on the win, “We’re excited to be given the opportunity to work on a global fashion brand that has been putting the fun in footwear over the last fifty years! Havaianas is a fun, iconic name that goes beyond just flip-flops – it’s an attitude and way of life that millions of people around the world have subscribed to, so we knew we really wanted to be a part of the Havaianas family.”
The win adds another victory for FCB’s new management team in Malaysia, who have in the last 6 months added ACER, Sunsweet Asia-Pacific and OCBC to their roster of clients. It also expands FCB’s remit on Havaianas into Asia, with network having secured social media duties in 2015 for five European markets as result of an earlier pitch win led by FCB Inferno in collaboration with FCB Spain.


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Shares for Mullen Automotive Inc. (Nasdaq: MULN) surged 84% to 40 cents a share and a $228 million market cap after the Brea EV upstart today said it will acquire manufacturing, inventory and intellectual property assets from commercial EV maker Electric Last Mile Solutions Inc. (ELMS) (OTC: ELMSQ), which filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.
The company today reported in regulatory filings that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court approved Mullen’s approximately $55 million purchase of ELMS’ assets. As part of the deal, Mullen will also assume ELMS’ contracts and liabilities, which are worth about $37 million, filings indicate.
The acquisition, which includes ELMS’ factory in Mishawaka, Ind., enables Mullen to produce up to 50,000 vehicles annually and expand its commercial portfolio by over 50%, company officials said. The deal also shaves over a year off of Mullen’s production timeline for the Mullen Five SUV and Bollinger B1 and B2 trucks, according to company officials.
“Upon closing the ELMS transaction, the Company will be in a position to strategically leverage all its acquired assets to shorten its production path and aggressively expand into the commercial and consumer EV market,” Mullen CEO David Michery said in a statement.
The ELMS deal marks Mullen’s second acquisition this year. The company in September said it acquired a 60% stake in EV manufacturer Bollinger Motors for $148.2 million in cash and stock.


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Just in case there was any doubt, the Switch is still doing the absolute business when it comes to sales; Nintendo's hybrid machine sold better than its industry rivals to be the best-selling system across the US in January.
Not content with simply outselling the PS5 and Xbox Series X, the Switch actually sold more units in the US last month than any games console has managed since the Wii way back in 2010. The news was confirmed by NPD Group's Mat Piscatella:
As you can also see, Switch helped games hardware sales to reach $319 million last month, again the best figures seen in the month of January for many years. Piscatella reports that January 2021 consumer spending across game hardware, content, and accessories achieved a January record of $4.7 billion, a 42% rise year-on-year.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons was Nintendo's best-selling software of the month, landing fifth in the overall chart (although it's worth noting that Nintendo doesn't share digital sales for its titles in this all-platform chart, meaning it may well have placed higher with all sales included):
Not bad for a system in the "middle of its life cycle," huh?