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Cape Town International Convention Centre paid tribute to 2012, a year in which it created 7 082 employment opportunities and 3 103 direct jobs and facilitated a R2.55-billion contribution to the South African GDP, at its AGM on Tuesday 16 October 2012. What do 2012’s achievements signal for the years ahead?
The seventeenth annual Cape Homemakers Expo takes place from 23 to 26 August 2012 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) and will showcase the latest trends ranging from home improvement products to innovative décor ideas.
Entrance for adults is R60, pensioners pay R40 and children younger than 12 enter free of charge. The Expo will be open from 10h00 to 20h00 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and from 10h00 to 18h00 on Sunday.
For more information, phone (021) 511 2800 or log on to www.homemakersonline.co.za.
After an almost two-year absence, The Cape Town Book Fair is back – remodeled and set to impress. The Fair will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from 15 – 17 June 2012.
Previously an annual event, last year the organisers announced that the Cape Town Book Fair would become a biennial event, starting in 2012. To support this re-launch, the Fair is under new management and has undergone an impressive branding transformation too, with a revamped logo, website and new marketing material.
High expectations for this year’s fair
Organisers are confident that this year’s Fair will far outdo expectations: they’re anticipating an exciting mix of representatives from the African, Arab and Asian publishing worlds.
They’re also expecting a positive spill-over from the 29th International Publishers Association (IPA) Congress, which is being hosted in Cape Town from 12 – 14 June 2012. This will be the first time in over 100 years that this Congress will be hosted in Africa.
Book lovers are in for a treat
As usual, bookworms can look forward to exhibitions by aspiring and published authors, book associations, book distributors, book stores, electronic book traders, libraries, literary agents, printers, publishers and repro agents.
So far, confirmed exhibitors include Paarl Media, Juta and Company, Protea Boekhuis, Pan Macmillan South Africa, Shuter & Shooter Publishers and Cambridge University Press amongst others.
Although the final programme is yet to be confirmed, there will be book launches, book signings, author interviews, literary workshops and forums, and a poetry corner on offer. There will also be a dedicated digital zone for eBook fans, as well as a cookbook corner for culinary demonstrations.
For younger visitors, there will be a kids’ zone with exciting literary activities. And, of course, there will be an impressive social events calendar too.
Ticket prices, times and other information
General entrance will cost R60 per day. Students and pensioners will pay R30, while entrance will be free for accompanied children under 12. Tickets will go on sale through Computicket towards the end of March.
The morning of 15June will be reserved for trade visitors only. Thereafter, the Fair will be open to the general public as follows: Friday, 15 June: 14h00 – 22h00; Saturday, 16 June: 09h00 – 18h00, and Sunday, 17 June: 09h00 – 17h00.
For updates, attendees can sign up to receive the Cape Town Book Fair newsletter at www.capetownbookfair.com. News will also be posted on the Fair’s Facebook page (“Cape Town Book Fair”) and via Twitter (@CptBookFair).
About the Cape Town Book Fair
Brought to you by the Publishers Association of South Africa (PASA), the Cape Town Book Fair was started seven years ago. Since its inception in 2005, it has quickly become known as the premier book fair in Sub-Saharan Africa. For more information, visit www.capetownbookfair.com or call the show organisers, Thebe Special Projects, Conferences & Events on 011 549 8300 or email email@example.com.
The news that a trio of Cape Town architects (Piet Bakker of Stauch Voster Architects, Anya van der Merwe of Van der Merwe Miszewski Architects and Mokena Makeka of Makeka Design Lab) has been appointed by the Cape Town International Convention Centre to begin work on the R690-million expansion of the CTICC drew excitement and praise from city stakeholders.
How can Africa provide enough, for all, forever? Dynamic and inspirational African business leaders, entrepreneurs, politicians and artists will bring their thoughts and experience to bear at the Sustain Our Africa (SOA2012) conference at Cape Town International Convention Centre from 24 to 26 October.
How do you get a regional economy to pull in the same direction? How do you make sure that growth and jobs is the result? The Western Cape government is creating the Economic Development Partnership to do just that.
With excitement mounting towards this year’s Design Indaba Conference (23-25 February) and Expo (25-27 February) at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), visitors are in for a myriad of creative events and exhibits.
The Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) scooped the award for hosting the Most Memorable event for 2010 at the Exhibition and Event Association of South Africa’s (EXSA) Annual Awards dinner, which was held last week.


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Lanxess Names Former CFO Zachert as New Chief ExecutiveSheenagh Matthews and Allison Connolly
Chemical maker Lanxess AG, the second-worst performer on Germany’s DAX index last year, named Merck KGaA finance chief Matthias Zachert as CEO, displacing Axel Heitmann. Lanxess stock rose the most in more than two years while Merck fell the most in more than four.
Zachert will start by May 15, the Cologne, Germany-based company said yesterday. Heitmann will leave on Feb. 28 and Finance Chief Bernhard Duettmann will act as chief executive officer in the interim. Zachert was previously Lanxess’ chief financial officer and left that job in 2011 to join Merck.
The new CEO needs to revive earnings and sales at the synthetic rubber maker, which generates about 40 percent of revenue from the auto and tire industries. European car sales have declined for six consecutive years, thus far defying Heitmann’s prediction that the industry weakness is temporary.
“Heitmann’s departure is surprising, but Zachert’s return is gob smacking,” Norbert Barth, an analyst at Baader Bank AG in Frankfurt, said by telephone. “Zachert will go into the costs in detail, focus on cash flow and working capital. He’ll probably do a review of the portfolio to see if something can be done there.” Barth, who rates Lanxess hold, said he would wait to see which concrete measures Zachert will take before changing his recommendation.
The stock gained as much as 10 percent, the biggest intraday jump since October 2011. It was trading up 8.3 percent to 48.76 euros as of 11:10 a.m. in Frankfurt, boosting the company’s market value to 4.1 billion euros ($5.6 billion). The stock lost 27 percent in 2013. Only potash producer K+S AG dropped further, declining 36 percent.
Lanxess’ board decided to appoint a new CEO after the company failed to close on acquisition opportunities that would have reduced its reliance on the auto and tire industries, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named as the matter is not public.
The company also stuck to large expansions in synthetic rubber even after the business started struggling under price competition, the person said.
“Lanxess is facing significant challenges, for example in terms of market capacities and business portfolio,” Chairman Rolf Stomberg was quoted as saying in yesterday’s statement. “Therefore, the supervisory board believes it is the right time to hand over responsibility to a new leadership.”
A Lanxess representative declined to comment beyond the company’s statement.
Zachert, 46, was contacted by the head of Lanxess’ supervisory board a few days before Christmas and it took him until last week to make up his mind, he said on a Merck conference call with analysts.
“You do not often have this opportunity especially if you have still some strong emotions left with the company that you are joining,” Zachert said on the call. “It’s going to be a tough, challenging, a long and winding road, but the ingredients of Lanxess are good.”
Lanxess decided against buying chemical maker Taminco in 2011 because it wasn’t prepared to meet private-equity owner CVC Capital Partners Ltd.’s asking price, a person familiar with the matter said at the time. Lanxess lost out to Apollo Global Management LLC, which agreed to acquire Taminco in December 2011 and then sold shares in the Allentown, Pennsylvania based manufacturer through an IPO last year.
In November, Heitmann lowered the top end of the company’s profit goal range and said Lanxess has had to make price concessions because of falling market prices and as customers use lower rubber prices to build inventory. The maker of synthetic rubber and agrochemicals said emerging markets will provide only limited impetus and it doesn’t yet see lasting stability in Europe.
Lanxess is cutting jobs and bonuses and has said it’s exploring strategic options for some units that don’t fit its main business. Divisions with about 500 million euros in combined sales and 1,000 workers may be sold or put into joint ventures within two years, Heitmann said last year.
Zachert left Lanxess for Merck in 2011, when the Darmstadt, Germany-based pharmaceutical and chemicals company was one of Europe’s worst-performing stocks.
In the past year, the stock has returned more than 30 percent to shareholders as Merck undergoes a restructuring which includes cutting 1,100 jobs in Germany and the closure of the Geneva-headquarters of its Serono pharmaceutical business following several drug-development failures.
Merck CEO Karl-Ludwig Kley, who turns 63 this year and whose contract ends in 2016 and could be renewed, said “the transformation process continues unabated” following Zachert’s departure.
Merck shares fell as much as 12 percent, the steepest intraday decline since July 2009.
Zachert “significantly contributed to further developing Merck in a positive way. His transparent capital market communication has clearly helped boost investor trust in our company,” Merck said. The board or partners will decide on a successor “in due course.”

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Club Med owner scales back Hong Kong IPO plan by nearly half amid downbeat mood
- Fosun Tourism Group is seeking to raise up to US$547 million in Hong Kong IPO, which is slated to begin trading on December 14
Fosun Tourism Group, owner of the French holiday resort chain Club Med, has cut the size of its Hong Kong initial public offering by almost half amid a slumping market and a surge in new share offerings.
The company, the largest leisure tourism resorts group in the world by revenue, plans to raise as much as HK$4.28 billion (US$547 million) by pricing 214.2 million shares to be sold at a range between HK$15.6 to HK$20 per share, it said in a statement on Thursday.
Fosun Tourism initially aimed to raise up to US$1 billion through the listing, the Post reported in September.
“The size of our fundraising was set based on our business development needs and the current market and investor situation,” Qian Jiannong, chairman and chief executive Fosun Tourism, told a press briefing.
The resort giant spun off from acquisitive Chinese conglomerate Fosun International joins a growing number of companies that have slashed the size of their IPOs in Hong Kong. The trend started in July when Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi had to scale back its much-anticipated listing by more than half to US$4.8 billion.
Earlier this month Chinese parenting platform operator Babytree Group downsized the size of its listing by 70 per cent to US$281 million, down from the original US$1 billion target.
An escalating US-China trade war and a slowing economy in China have weighed negatively on investor confidence, triggering a tumble in the Hong Kong’s stock index at the same time a wave of new listings were seeking to raise capital.
A total of HK$256 billion (US$33 billion) was raised through IPOs during the first 10 months in Hong Kong, a 187 per cent jump from the HK$89 billion in the same period last year. This puts the city on track to become the world’s top IPO destination this year.
However four out of the five biggest IPOs this year are now trading below their offer prices. Telecoms tower operator China Tower, which ranks as the world’s largest listing by funds raised this year, closed at HK$1.15 per share on Thursday, down 9 per cent from its offer price of HK$1.26.
The Hang Seng Index has slumped by 13 per cent since the beginning of the year.
Shares of Fosun Tourism will begin their trading debut on December 14, after the public offering closes on December 6.


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The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will soon be accepting applications for new generic top level domains (gTLD) to be created, potentially ushering in a new Internet land rush.
Currently, only a handful of gTLDs exist, including common ones such as .com, .net, .org, and less known ones such as .aero, .asia, and .travel. When ICANN opens up the application process, it may lead to an explosion in the number of gTLDs.
While many large corporations are presumably waiting to pounce on a gTLD for their business, Canon has decided to openly announce their intention of registering “.canon” in a press release. If everything goes according to plan, you might soon be seeing websites with domain names like “my.canon” or “buy.canon”.
Regardless of whether or not companies succeed in claiming their own gTLD, convincing the general public to use that gTLD might be much more trickly. Canon states,
With the adoption of the new gTLD system, which enables the direct utilization of the Canon brand, Canon hopes to globally integrate open communication policies that are intuitive and easier to remember compared with existing domain names such as “canon.com.” […] Following approval for the new gTLD system, which is expected to take place after the latter half of 2011, Canon will make full use of the new domain name to increase the convenience and effectiveness of its online communications.
I’m wondering whether Canon really believes .canon to be more intuitive and easier to remember than .com, which has become seemingly synonymous with the Internet. It might simply be an attempt to secure the name so no one else can steal it.
Do you think “canon.canon” is more intuitive than “canon.com”?
Thanks @eugenephoto, for the tip!


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Does federal law preempt contrary state law or state-based claims when a federal agency has approved a warning label on a product? That’s one of the questions the U.S. Supreme Court will decide this week whether to hear during its next Term. It sounds simple to answer—which is yes—but the case represents a years-old battle over warning labels.
The product at issue is the popular weedkiller Roundup. If you’ve watched TV in the past few years, you’ve probably seen an ad claiming glyphosate—an ingredient in Roundup—causes cancer and looking to drum up clients for a lawsuit. But that claim is at odds with what the Environmental Protection Agency and many other national and international regulators have determined, which is that glyphosate does not cause cancer in humans. That hasn’t stopped plaintiffs’ lawyers, who started an advertising blitz in 2018 and caused Roundup lawsuits to skyrocket from 2,000 to nearly 130,000. Some of these lawsuits have resulted in massive verdicts (commonly known as a ‘nuclear verdict’ of $10 million or more), despite the scientific evidence to the contrary.
Now, Bayer Monsanto has sought review from the high court of one such verdict. The plaintiff in the case claimed that Roundup needed to have a cancer warning label under California law. That’s different than the position of the EPA, which said it wouldn’t approve labels like the one the plaintiff wanted to put on Roundup. The plaintiff nevertheless obtained a multimillion dollar verdict from a California jury, and the Ninth Circuit upheld it. Now the company is asking the Supreme Court to reverse the Ninth Circuit’s decision and enforce federal law.
The company says the Ninth Circuit erred when it ruled the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) didn’t preempt states from imposing their labeling standards on federally regulated products. But Congress was clear when it wrote FIFRA that it did not want 50 different labeling regimes, and the Supreme Court affirmed this understanding in its 2005 Bates v. Dow Agrosciences decision, saying that state-required labels must be “genuinely equivalent” or they are preempted. If this were not the rule, companies would have to deal with a patchwork of state requirements and a patchwork of lawsuits like those Bayer Monsanto faces now.
Unfortunately, the case lost a key ally—the federal government—for what appears to be political, not scientific, reasons. The government sided with Bayer during the Ninth Circuit argument, and as recently as April 2022, the EPA “continues to stand behind its robust scientific evaluation” and conclusion that glyphosate does not cause cancer in humans. Regardless, the Solicitor General’s office changed its legal position “in light of the court of appeals’ decision and the change in Administration.”
This change in position didn’t go unnoticed. In May, a coalition of farm groups sent a letter to the White House, raising concerns. And for a good reason: with disruption to the supply chain and increases in fertilizer prices, the last thing farmers need is for it to be more expensive to protect their crops.
Trial lawyers hope the Court won’t take this case because continued recognition of the broad preemption under FIFRA would cut down on their ability to pursue these lawsuits and their attorneys’ fees. The Supreme Court should hear this case and make it clear, once and for all, that FIFRA preempts contrary state law and state-based claims.


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Just as we let you know that LG’s delaying its tablet in order to wait for Android 3.0, we learn that the platform’s SDK will drop next week. This is a mere rumor for now, so take it with a grain of salt. Recently TweetDeck published some stats of its client, showing that Gingerbread aka Android 3.0 is very much in use, with some handset units running the OS, for testing purposes.
Checking out the new Android SDK will allow us to catch a glimpse into the API calls and the functionality of the new OS. Also, there will be an emulator involved, thus showcasing the design of the platform. Keep your pants on, though, as the new version could be 2.5 instead of 3.0 and bring only minor improvements.
We remind you that Froyo was announced on May 20th of this year and the OS has a 6 month upgrade cycle, so we must be getting closer to a new release. Speculations point towards a rollout that might take as long as early 2011, but let’s keep our fingers crossed for an earlier release.


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A German website WinFuture has published new images alongside detailed specifications and the price of the upcoming Motorola One Vision smartphone.
The Motorola Moto E6 has been spotted at the FCC packing a 3,000mAh battery, which is 1,000mAh smaller than its predecessor, the Moto E5.
We got a new leaked press render for Motorola Moto E6 budget smartphone that sheds new information like the lack of fingerprint scanner.
Newly leaked press render of the Motorola One Vision smartphone, shows punch-hole display, 48MP camera and a new blue color option.
Evan Blass has tweeted an image of the upcoming Motorola Moto Z4 smartphone featuring a teardrop front-camera design, single-lens rear camera setup, and a headphone jack.
Android 8.1 Oreo update is being rolled out to Moto G5S Plus handset users. This update also brings Android Security patches (May 2018) and several improvements to the handset.
Motorola has released the Android 8.0 Oreo kernel source code for Moto Z and developers can download it from GitHub.
HTC and Motorola have both issued statements that they do not throttle the performance of their phones processors as their batteries age.
Android One variant of the Motorola Moto X4 is now receiving the Android 8.0 Oreo update along with the latest security patch.
Today, a premature listing by a Spanish retailer revealed the press renders of the alleged Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus along with their specs.
Smartphone leaker Evan Blass posted a leaked image of the upcoming Droid smartphone on Twitter that shows the device in three different colors.
Today, Google plus user HelloMotoHK has posted three rendered images of what could be Motorola’s upcoming Moto X (2016) and Droid (Verizon) smartphones.


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Free-birthday-cake-download, for vibe club members collect card in store or download the app can be redeemed from two days before to two days after. The free promotion lasts through january 3 2020 the chain released also released a new birthday cake frosty in honor of the, bobnoah shutterstock com bust out the burgers and light some candles in your frosty wendy's the square shaped burger. Wendy's is turning 50 and in honor of half a century of frying up square hamburgers the fast food chain is cutting a very large cake customers who visit participating orlando area wendy's locations, out of every restaurant rewards card this one might take the cakeor just rolling out free food for our 50th birthday.
Tribune callie terrell was the oldest working beautician in tennessee on her 100th birthday last year now her 101st, that child is free happy " another user said back at haters criticizing son's appearance in family photo shopper pays. To celebrate 50 years in business this friday november 15 wendy's restaurants in orlando tampa and fort myers invite customers to their local wendy's to celebrate its 50 [th] birthday with a free, and the 71st birthday of frontman ozzy osbourne december 3rd not only that but the event will feature free coffee and.
There will be ample opportunity to raise our voices together raise our glasses to each other and give back to our community, i download new books on my kobo and sip a small glass of red wine in bed my 1:15 p m i leave my car off at home and


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Good morning and welcome to the BusinessLive Breakfast blog on Monday, 12 August.
I'm Jonathon Manning and I'll be here with you every morning to give you a round-up of the most important events taking place in the commercial world.
Members of the public may soon be able to carry out their mobile banking using just their voice thanks to a new partnership between NatWest and Google.
The bank is using Google Assistant to trial a new voice activated banking system that will allow customers to ask Google Home smart speakers for details of the bank balance or recent spending.
The trail will initially take place with 500 people over three months.
And in other news, Thomas Cook is attempting to raise £150m from bondholders after making progress over the terms of a rescue deal.
It is hoped the deal will provide further liquidity headroom during the winter months.
If you'd like to contribute to the blog, you can contact Jonathon Manning via Twitter at @JonnyAManning or drop me a line at email@example.com. You can also keep in touch with the BusinessLive team on Twitter at @businesslive.
Everything you need to know...
That’s all from the Business Breakfast Blog today. I’ll be back with more news from across the UK each morning this week.
Before I return tomorrow, you should definitely check out some of the top stories from the BusinessLive team.
'New PM should walk the walk and back small firms', says small business commissioner
The small business commissioner has called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to “walk the walk” and back small businesses against the crippling impact of late payments for larger firms.
Paul Uppal told PA that Mr Johnson needs to cast aside previous negative rhetoric about business and justify previous claims that small firms are the “backbone of the British economy” through policy.
Mr Uppal made the appeal to the Prime Minister as he warned that small firms need greater support from government over late and delayed payments.
Business groups have warned of a rise in longer and delayed payments in recent years, but Mr Uppal said that pressure from business-owners and customers have made it inevitable that the situation will improve.
Both the small business commissioner and the Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM), which operates the Prompt Payment Code, have increased scrutiny on poor payment practices in recent months.
Firms have been named and shamed by the watchdogs over their failure to meet payment standards, and public denouncements of poor behaviour will continue to be more regular, they confirmed.
Large UK firms such BT, BAE Systems and Holland & Barrett have been called out over poor payment behaviour by the watchdogs over the past year.
Mr Uppal said:
The issue of late and delayed payment isn’t going away. We need to continue to shine a light on this issue, but now we have received a great response, and people won’t let this issue get forgotten about.
My message to the Prime Minister is that small businesses have heard themselves be described as the backbone of the economy, so I want him to walk the walk and ensure they are supported.
Mr Uppal’s message comes amid consultations into the future of the prompt payment code, which was launched in 2008 to address the issue of small business payments.
Large companies signed up to the code must promise to pay 95% of their invoices within 60 days.
Philip King, the chairman of the CICM which currently operates the code, said he thinks it is likely that government will place it under the small business commissioner’s responsibilities at the end of the review.
The consultation is currently taking place, and I think it will work to the benefit of small businesses.
I believe the Government is taking this issue more seriously than they were before, which will only help to improve the behaviour of large firms more widely.
East Midlands: Self-parking car test facility to be created in the Midlands
Construction work has started in Warwickshire on the first facility in the UK to develop and test self-parking cars.
Nuneaton-based global engineering firm, HORIBA MIRA has teamed-up with Coventry University to create the ‘Trusted Autonomous Parking’ (Park-IT).
It involves the creation of a multi-storey car park, on-road parking bays and parking lot environments at the MIRA Proving Ground on the edge of Nuneaton.
When it is up and running the facility will provide real-world parking situations to support the development of self-parking cars.
The parking areas will be co-located in the HORIBA MIRA City Circuit, a safe, comprehensible and fully controllable purpose-built ‘cityscape’ test track environment.
The facility will provide an environment for the transition from an urban driving environment into a dedicated parking facility.
Read more about the project here.
Tesco quietly building support for online sales tax
Tesco has been quietly building up supports for its plans to overhaul business rates, with the firm’s finance chief writing a series of letter to bosses of rival retailers.
Dave Lewis, Tesco’s CEO, wants the Government to cut business rates by 20% and make up the shortfall by charging online retail sales a 2% levy.
Alan Stewart, Tesco’s head of finance, has written to rivals asking them to support the plans publicly.
According to sources, Mr Lewis has been speaking to retailers at industry events in an attempt to win over their support.
One source said:
Whenever Dave has received positive feedback, he is getting Alan to write a follow-up. Lots of retailers agree with him.
It comes as Tesco announced a huge 4,500 round of redundancies, several months after cutting a further 9,000 jobs - with business rates blamed in some quarters for the need to cut costs.
Retailers have complained that online rivals, including Amazon, Asos and Boohoo, are able to undercut the high street because the rates on rural warehouses are far lower than in town centres.
Rates are calculated based on the rental value of the property. Co-op is one of the supermarkets which is supportive of Mr Lewis’s plans.
Asda workers to protest against new contracts
Hundreds of workers at supermarket giant Asda are to stage a protest against new contracts they say will make them worse off.
Members of the GMB union will gather in Leeds on Wednesday to voice their opposition to the so-called Contract 6.
The GMB said workers face being dismissed in early November if they do not sign the contracts.
It said under the new contracts, workers will not be paid for any breaks and will have to work on bank holidays and weekends.
Justin Bowden, GMB national officer, said:
In the boardroom it may be all about the bottom line but out in the stores this is about real people’s lives being pulled apart with often devastating consequences.
This is about values and reasonableness and respect for hard-working staff from a billion-pound company.
Telling dedicated workers to sign up no matter what the consequences to their personal lives or lose their jobs in the run-up to Christmas is truly shocking.
Asda must get round the table, negotiate with GMB and stop Contract 6 ruining people’s lives.
An Asda spokesman said:
The retail sector is undergoing significant change and it is important that we are able to keep pace with these changes.
The overwhelming majority of our colleagues have signed onto the new contracts and while we appreciate that some of our colleagues find the changes more unsettling, we do not want any of them to leave.
This contract is about increasing the take-home pay of more than 100,000 retail colleagues through an investment of more than £80m and ensuring that everyone doing the same job is on the same terms and conditions.
North West: Dragon’s Den star selects Manchester activity box enterprise to showcase at retail fair
A Manchester-based subscription box company has been selected by Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis to showcase at one of Europe’s largest retail fairs.
Our Little Globe, which sends out activity boxes themed to a country or place each month, won a free stand at the Autumn Fair, which will take place in September at Birmingham NEC.
The business was co-founded by friends Erin Rodgers and Fiona Neate in 2017, with help from a loan from the Prince’s Trust Enterprise programme, when they were both on maternity leave.
Ms Rodgers told the M.E.N:
We both felt we hadn’t fulfilled our potential in the career side of things and in the business side of things.
We were very much aware how big the subscription market was and continued to be in America and we knew that it was growing over here.
But there wasn’t really anything catering for children and parents who wanted to receive something each month they could enjoy together.
Find out more about the entrepreneurs here.
Thomas Cook in advanced talks over extra £150m funding for rescue deal
Troubled travel company Thomas Cook is in advanced talks to raise £150m from bondholders after making “progress” over the terms of a rescue deal.
The tour operator is looking to secure the cash injection on top of a £750m deal it has already agreed with Chinese firm Fosun to attempt to secure the future of the company.
Thomas Cook has suffered recently as a result of mounting debts, reporting a £1.2bn net debt in its half-year results in May.
It has also been hit hard by an influx of online competitors which has resulted in oversupply, forcing tour operators to cut prices.
Last month, Thomas Cook announced that majority shareholder Fosun would recapitalise the company, with additional funding from its lending banks.
The travel firm said the additional cash boost would ensure further liquidity headroom for the difficult winter period.
In a statement to investors, the company said:
The discussions with noteholders include the injection of additional capital on top of the previously announced £750m.
This additional capital, of approximately £150m, will provide further liquidity headroom through the coming 2019-20 winter cash low-period and ensure the business can continue to invest in its strategy.
Thomas Cook said its original £750m funding deal - which included £450m from Fosun, with the rest from lenders - would give the company sufficient liquidity to cover its costs for the rest of the year.
In the aftermath of the funding deal, Thomas Cook’s shares slumped further, amid fears that shareholders would be all but wiped out by the refinancing.
Thomas Cook is expected to split in two as part of the deal, with Fosun likely to take a majority stake in the tour operator business and a minority stake in Thomas Cook’s airline business.
The travel firm started a sale process for its airline arm earlier this year, as it looks to secure further funds.
Surge in luxury car imports ahead of Brexit
The number of luxury cars imported into the UK from the EU increased by 16% in the past year, a new study suggests.
The rise was blamed on the prospect of added taxes in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
More than 3,800 luxury cars were imported in the past year, compared with 3,297 in the previous 12 months, said law firm Boodle Hatfield.
Fred Clark, of Boodle Hatfield, said:
A no-deal Brexit could mean luxury car imports become 32% more expensive overnight.
There is a possibility that moving cars into and out of the UK will become more difficult if the UK leaves the EU with no deal.
More individuals are now taking that risk seriously and bringing vehicles into the UK from the EU.
Leisure leaders invest £350,000 into all day Newcastle bar and dance hall Market Shaker
A trio of leading Tyneside leisure operators have come together to launch a new all-day bar, dance hall and beer garden in the heart of Newcastle.
The former Ember Lounge premises in Newcastle’s Cloth Market was acquired several months ago by the former owners of gastro pub Jam Jar in Jesmond – Rob Clarkson and Lloyd Riddell – and the owner of the Dog & Parrot in the city centre, Tommy Byron.
Since then it has been subject to a total strip out, removing some 20 tonnes of rubble and fixtures and furnishings, ahead of a major transformation exercise.
Now the entrepreneurs are investing £350,000 into the venue ahead of a planned August Bank Holiday weekend opening under a new name, Market Shaker.
The site pledges to become a creative space for eating, drinking and dancing, serving up craft beer, cocktails and pizza by the slice to a backdrop of disco, funk and soul.
Independent breweries and national favourites have signed up, including local favourite Wylam Brewery, and Scream for Pizza will also take up residency.
Read more about the investment here.
FTSE and pound update
The FTSE-100 index opened at 7253.85.
The pound at 8am was 1.2042 dollars compared to 1.2083 dollars at the previous close.
The euro at 8am was 0.9306 pounds compared to 0.9285 pounds at the previous close.
NatWest trials voice banking with Google smart speaker
UK bank customers will soon be able to control their online banking using just their voice, thanks to a new scheme being trialled by NatWest.
The bank is using Google’s voice-powered helped, Google Assistant, to see if its possible for banking to be carried out using just a customer’s voice.
The trial will allow customers to ask Google Home smart speakers for details about their banking, such as their current balance and recent spending.
It is hoped the scheme could be as useful as mobile banking and could lead to additional functionality for blind customers.
The pilot will be tested by 500 people over three months. It will respond to eight questions but will also provide access to more than 15 banking tips.
Kristen Bennie, head of NatWest’s Open Experience digital innovation centre, said:
We are exploring voice banking for the first time and think it could mark the beginning of a major change to how customers manage their finances in the same way mobile banking made a huge impact.
This technology will make it easier for people to bank with us and could bring particular benefits to those who have a disability as voice banking eliminates the need for customers to use a screen or keyboard.
This is one of a number of services that the bank is aiming to develop this year that uses cutting edge, innovative technology to better serve our customers.
According to a recent Ofcom report, one in five households in the UK now own a smart speaker, such as the Google Home, Amazon Echo or Apple HomePod - an increase of 7% from 2018. It found almost seven in 10 use a smart speaker to listen to music via a streaming service - making it the most common use of smart speakers - while little over half listen to live radio and a fifth to podcasts.
Google Assistant is also available on smartphones, meaning users can ask for information about their finances in the same way, but details will appear on screen too.


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Guy Hands set to acquire Four Seasons Health Care
Deal: Guy Hands is expected to take control of Four Seasons Health Care
Britain’s biggest care home operator is set to fall into private equity hands just a year after the collapse of rival Southern Cross, which had been sold by investment firm Blackstone after quadrupling its investment.
Guy Hands, whose Terra Firma fund lost control of music group EMI last year, is expected to be announced as the successful bidder for control of Four Seasons Health Care, in a £820million deal.
The sale of the business, which includes 500 nursing homes caring for 25,000 residents, to Hands by lenders who were forced to do a debt for equity swap in 2009, will be seen as controversial in the wake of the demise of Southern Cross.
Hands had been widely tipped as the favourite in the race for the firm, which was laden with a £1.3billion debt pile following its takeover by a Qatari sovereign wealth fund in 2006.
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Twitter is trying hard to stay relevant among users!
Despite the evolution of Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, the microblogging website Twitter still have some loyal users sticking around the platform, who use it as a voice.
During its course, Twitter has set itself up for many challenges like harassment and chaos into conversations, as it has always been the hot place to discuss TV shows, political uprising, or public reactions on something.
Now to fix those challenges, Twitter is going to launch a new beta app program that will only be available to a selected group of users. Beta testing is an important part of the app launch process. The new features will be accessible by a standalone app, which is different from the regular Twitter app that we all use. It will further use data that it accumulates from that usage and chatter to decide how to turn those tests into a full-blown product for the rest of its user base.
In a talk with TechCrunch, Twitter’s director of product management, Sara Haider gave a closer look at the Twitter beta app and its features Twitter will be testing in.
They will publicly discuss and tweet about the new features, allowing the Twitter community to comment and ask questions, unlike the traditional betas, where users are only allowed to test completed features before a public launch.
“Unlike a traditional beta that is the last step before launch, we’re bringing people in super early.”
The new beta app version will focus on new design for the way conversations work on Twitter. They will add different color schemes and visual cues to highlight important replies.
Once the users are accepted into the Twitter beta program, they will be able to download a separate beta app which might not be the case forever. The company says that it is just to see how testers respond to the same.
Jane Manchun, a popular reverse engineer also tweeted about being a part of this new beta app program and shared an image of what the new UI would look like.
Twitter is internally testing this new UI— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) January 13, 2019
This is the future, and I'm here
"Try the new design (internal only)
We have been exploring ways of providing a better use of space on large screens. Your valuable feedback will help us create an experience that our customers will love" pic.twitter.com/wf74Vv2Wfh
A report by The Verge reveals that the new Twitter beta test will include features like color coding, status updates, icebreakers, availability statuses, chat bubbles, and more.
Twitter is also planning to allow users to attach tags to tweets. Like Facebook, you will be able to add tags like ‘Watch a movie’ to your tweets if needed.
At CES 2019, Sara said,
“We're making some pretty big changes to the way conversations look and feel on Twitter, and we don't want to just unveil that one day and what if you don't like it or it's not working for you?”
While these changes can make things more confusing, the beta program could revamp design mistakes, uncover issues that Twitter may have missed, and help Twitter tackle its development in a more focused way.
With a mixture of literature, cinema, and photography, Manish is mostly traveling. When he is not, he is probably writing another tech news for you!
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Holding my Feet to the Fire…
The M&A market saw two killer takeovers last week alone – from McCormick & Co. Inc. (MKC) and Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. (KORS). Clearlyl, the red-hot M&A market shows no signs of cooling anytime soon. To that end, we’ve designed a way for readers to get positioned before these takeover announcements hit – allowing you to pocket massive gains.
T-Minus 20 Hours till Launch
For the last six years, I’ve been hunting a certain kind of stock — ones virtually invisible to the naked eye.
I call them “MARKED” stocks. Simply put, MARKED stocks don’t behave like ordinary stocks…
Food & Beverage
The Whole Foods Secret Nobody’s Telling
The truth might hurt, but Amazon is on track to turn Whole Foods into a tech company. Find out why in today’s article. Also, in other news, the retail carnage continues. An activist hedge fund just disclosed a large stake in the owner of Saks Fifth Avenue. The activists are already calling for Saks to go private. Is the arrival of an activist bullish for the company?
Mergers & Acquisitions
Brazen Takeover Bid Highlights Crucial Warning
This week’s brazen and bogus takeover offer for Integrated Device Technology fooled many investors. Here’s a simple step to avoid getting sucked into traps like this.
The Most Expensive Beer Ever
For consumers, industry consolidation is rarely good. So what does the proposed merger between Anheuser-Busch and SABMiller mean for craft beer fans?
Welcome to Merger Mania
2015 is the year of the mega deal. With two months to go, M&A volume has already surpassed levels seen in 2006 and 2007.


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Google’s smart speakers can now answer incoming phone calls
Google Assistant-enabled smart speakers have been able to make calls for a while now in countries like Australia, Canada, and the US.
But the functionality was limited to outbound calls placed from the speaker itself. Now it looks like inbound call support is coming to Google’s smart home products, but only on a single carrier in Australia.
Telstra customers in Australia are being notified that they can now receive inbound calls on Google Assistant speakers and smart displays linked to their mobile number.


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Never ones to bow to superstition, Scottish EDGE, the UK’s largest business funding competition, is on the hunt for Scotland’s most innovative entrepreneurs with the launch of ‘Lucky’ Round 13.
24th July 2018 - Application window opens (9.00am)
5th September 2018 – Application window closes at 14.00 (2.00pm)
25th September 2018 to 9th October 2018 – 1st Stage Assessments undertaken
By 16th October - Results sent out
1st November 2018 – Wild Card EDGE Final
6th, 7th, 8th November 2018 – Scottish EDGE Semi Finals
14th November 2018 – Young EDGE Final
6th December 2018 – Scottish EDGE Final – Pitches & Awards Ceremony
Scottish EDGE launches a special category award to target social enterprise applicants.
Scottish EDGE, Scotland’s leading competition to identify and support the nation’s most promising entrepreneurial talent, is launching a special category award today – the Social Enterprise EDGE (SEE) Award – in partnership with Postcode Innovation Trust to encourage applications from Social Enterprise businesses.
Keep up with latest news and announcements.


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Rescues and Runways fashion show benefits Victoria Adopt-A-Pet
Sept. 16, 2010 at 4:16 a.m.
Victoria Mall's runway show on Saturday will be all about the latest fall fashions; from the blouse on the model's back down to the dog by her side.
Yes - the dog.
Maurices, a Victoria Mall clothing store, will host its second annual Rescues and Runways Fashion Show. It will benefit Adopt-A-Pet.
"It's very important, considering we have so many dogs and cats that need help," said Lyndsey Tate, Maurices manager.
The pets will also be donned in costumes, however those outfits are not from Maurices.
Pets featured in the show will be up for adoption. Photos and information on other adoptable pets will also be available, Tate said.
Those not interested in adoption can also leave donations to help Adopt-A-Pet continually care for its animals.
Last year, the show raised $600, Tate said.
Through September, the Maurices store will accept pet supplies and monetary donations that will go to Adopt-A-Pet.
In turn, the store will give a 20 percent discount on any one regular priced item, Tate said.
To help on a national level, the store will also be selling Friends for Life charms to help benefit the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Tate said.
The charms cost $5 and $2.50 will be donated to the society, she added.
"I think it's a really neat cause," she said.


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New York Times Co. posted first-quarter earnings that beat analysts’ estimates as the U.S. newspaper publisher added the most digital subscribers in more than three years.
The Times signed up 67,000 new digital customers in the quarter, according to a statement Tuesday. By comparison, the company gained 47,000 a year earlier and 53,000 in the fourth quarter.
The Times has been pushing a strategy of increasing digital revenue as print readership and advertising continue to decline. The newspaper aims to double its online sales in the next four years by increasing paid online subscribers overseas and attracting more young readers. As part of that effort, the company said last month it will invest $50 million over the next three years to increase its digital audience around the world.
Earlier this week, the Times unveiled six new original video series on topics like music, sports and travel and will sell advertisers on creating custom videos for them based on the series’ themes. The Times generated $400 million in revenue through online advertising and subscriptions in 2014 and aims to bring in $800 million by 2020.


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Americans' belief in global warming caused by humanity may be declining, but green purchasing and other actions centered on conservation and sustainability are still mostly on the upswing. According to the 2010 Green Living Pulse market study released by marketing and advertising agency the Shelton Group, consumers are increasingly motivated to make greener choices for reasons other than saving the planet.
However, the study also found that Americans' professed ideas about the importance of energy consumption and conservation don't always lead to greener actions.
Attitudes about home energy conservation have shifted somewhat since the 2009 Green Living Pulse, with 68 percent of surveyed consumers indicating that reducing energy consumption at home is important compared with 73 percent last year. While the number of people who believe it is unimportant declined by only one percentage point this year to 19.6 percent, the amount of undecided consumers has nearly doubled since last year, increasing to 12.4 percent from 6.5 percent.
And among those who say reducing home energy usage is important, most respondents report taking only the easiest and least expensive energy-conserving steps, such as replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents or LEDs (59 percent) and purchasing Energy Star-qualified appliances (35 percent in 2010, compared with 49 percent in 2009) and electronics (39 percent). Only 22 percent of consumers surveyed had completed energy-efficient home renovations, such as adding insulation and replacing windows, down from 24.6 percent in 2009. The number of those who said they had purchased a high-efficiency air conditioner, heat pump, or furnace in 2010 fell considerably to about 18 percent, down from 26 percent last year.
While the gap between Americans' beliefs and actions could indicate a continuing lack of awareness about how inefficient their homes are, the declining number of consumers taking action simply could be a reflection of economic difficulties—despite the fact that taking more aggressive energy-saving steps, including upgrading and improving the home, will save money over the long term.
According to the study, green consumers also are having a difficult time coming to grips with the nation's dwindling freshwater reserves and water conservation activities. When asked what "green" means, only 8 percent mentioned "water conserving" among their top three definitions. The percentage of people professing concern about the nation's freshwater supply dropped to 67 percent this year, down from about 75 percent in 2009, and significantly more consumers said they were "undecided" on this issue—20 percent compared with 14 percent in 2009. But consumers are overwhelmingly willing to accept their individual responsibility in helping conserve water resources; 69 percent said it is important to personally reduce their water usage.
The study also indicates that the understanding of water conservation issues may be on the rise, with fewer people than in 2009 saying that personally reducing their water consumption is unimportant (10 percent) and more people shifting to the undecided group (21 percent). A good thing, too, as each American uses approximately 150 gallons of water each day, making the United States one of the top water consumers globally. Add to that the impending water shortages that 36 states will face within the next three years, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
However, consumers' actions aren't yet matching up with their mindsets when it comes to actually reducing their water consumption. Fifty-four percent of those surveyed said they were taking shorter showers instead of baths to save water—a highly subjective and variable method of conservation. Only 23 percent of consumers said they had replaced toilets and/or showerheads with low-flow alternatives. To reduce water usage outside the home, only 6.5 percent said they had installed indigenous plants or other landscaping that helps reduce watering needs, and only about 5 percent had installed a rain barrel or other rainwater collection system.
Consumer interest in green and energy-efficient housing has declined with the rest of the housing market. The study found that fewer green consumers are interested in owning or renting an energy-efficient home in 2010—just 64 percent compared with last year's 72 percent. However, the general anxiety surrounding housing markets could be the cause of the decline. Interestingly, only 43 percent of surveyed consumers said they would be interested in owning or renting a green home, down from 47 percent last year.
"Overall, interest is down. It's a product of the times," says Suzanne Shelton, president and CEO of the Shelton Group. "But what's consistent [from year to year] is that interest in energy-efficient homes clobbers interest in green homes. Consumers don't really understand the differences between green homes and energy-efficient homes."
Green homes are still a vague concept for most consumers, the study found. When asked to name a feature of a green home off the tops of their heads, only 41 percent of the surveyed group were able to think of anything, compared with 53 percent in 2009 who could do so; even fewer could name two features. The most frequently mentioned features of a green home revolved around energy-efficiency and renewable energy: solar energy systems, energy-efficient appliances, and insulation.
Home builders marketing green homes still have a lot of consumer education to do, but Shelton cautions against using too much green jargon. "All these terms that we use—‘no VOCs‘ or ‘made using renewable energy credits’—consumers have no idea what we're talking about," she says. Definitions of a green or energy-efficient home should use plain language and detail the end result of a home's green features, explaining how they will improve the occupants' quality of life, particularly for those consumers who don't fully buy into most environmental messaging.
"Trying to grab Americans by the shoulders and convince them that global warming means they should change their ways isn't going to work," Shelton advises. "For them, it's not about the planet, it's about improving their lifestyles and comfort and saving money."


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Irish fruit retail giant Fyffes slid back into the black last year, posting a profit of €20.7m and reversing a €170m loss it posted the year before in the stronger from the Covid pandemic, as he assumed significant deficiencies.
yffes, which is one of the largest distributors of fresh produce in the world, is owned by the Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo.
Just-filed accounts for Fyffes note that his performance has “improved dramatically” in 2021 as the worst effects of the pandemic have waned.
The company said its business in 2020 was hit hard. He added that the effect on his U.S. melon business that year was particularly pronounced because the pandemic coincided with a key part of the import season, when production volumes could not be adjusted to match reduced demand.
He said this has resulted in “significant levels of fruit dumping both in producing regions and in the United States”.
Fyffes said its 2020 results were also impacted by significant impairment charges due to lower projected medium-term profits across the group, which impacted its assessment of the book value of the goodwill and intangible assets for a number of the group’s more recent acquisitions. No additional impairment was required in 2021.
The group, led by CEO Helge Sparsoe, added that 2021 had seen a return to profitability in its melon product line as well as increased revenue and profitability in its core banana category.
The accounts show that last year’s turnover was stable at 1.47 billion euros against 1.49 billion euros in 2020.
However, his gross profit dropped from €117m to €189m.
Directors’ remuneration fell to 3.6 million euros last year from 11.1 million euros the previous year. The 2020 salary included 7.5 million euros split between former executive chairman David McCann and former chief financial officer Tom Murphy when they left the group that year.
Sumitomo agreed in late 2016 to pay 751 million euros to buy Fyffes, which was listed on the stock exchange.
The deal came two years after a planned $1 billion merger between Chiquita and Fyffes went off the rails after Cutrale and Safra groups broke into the deal, buying Chiquita for nearly $700 million instead. of dollars.
At the time of the Sumitomo deal, the McCann family owned nearly 12% of Fyffes and raked in €87 million from the sale.
David McCann told the Irish Independent back when Fyffes didn’t believe he needed the sale to continue to compete on a global stage that has seen consolidation.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “We weren’t for sale. We were approached and it’s a transaction that is commercially compelling and also makes sense in terms of what it means for people and the business itself.”
He added: “It sounds a bit cliché, but that’s how we feel about it. They seem like good people and they seem to think the same way we do.”
Earlier this year, Fyffes officially opened a new €25 million banana distribution and ripening center in Balbriggan, Co Dublin.
At full capacity, the center delivers over seven million bananas each week, or over 60,000 tonnes per year, to Irish food retailers, wholesalers and other suppliers.


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On Tuesday August 19th, EA took GamesCom 2009 by storm with its press conference filled with announcements, unveilings, and even celebrity appearances! Featuring presentations by EA SPORTS President Peter Moore, Double Fine Productions President Tim Schafer, and Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder of BioWare among others, the video presented here is filled with non-stop action!
If you're at the show, the press conference will give you a good taste of what you'll find at EA's booth at the show. If you're not attending, you can catch the biggest news just by watching the recap!
Check out the rest:
Which games are you most excited about?


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Some Known Facts About Satoshi Miner.
In 2014, the National Australia Bank closed accounts of businesses with ties to bitcoin,141 and HSBC refused to function a hedge fund with links to bitcoin.142 Australian banks in general have been reported as closing down bank accounts of operators of businesses involving the currency.143
Plans were announced to include a bitcoin futures option on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in 2017.144 Trading in bitcoin futures was announced to begin on 10 December 2017.145
The Winklevoss twins also have bought bitcoin. In 2013 The Washington Post reported a claim that they owned 1% of all the bitcoins in existence in the time.146
Other procedures of investment are bitcoin funds. The first regulated bitcoin fund was created in Jersey in July 2014 and accepted by the Jersey Financial Services Commission.147
In 2013 and 2014, the European Banking Authority148 and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), a United States self-regulatory organization,149 warned that investing in bitcoins carries significant risks. Forbes named bitcoin the very best investment of 2013.150 In 2014,'' Bloomberg named bitcoin one of its worst investments of the calendar year.151 In 2015, bitcoin topped Bloomberg's currency tables.152.
5 Easy Facts About Crypto Arbitrage Described
Venture capitalists, such as Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, which invested US$3 million in BitPay, do not buy bitcoins themselves, but instead fund bitcoin infrastructure that offers payment systems to merchants, exchanges, wallet solutions, etc.154 In 2012, an incubator for bitcoin-focused start-ups was founded by Adam Draper, with financing assistance from his dad, venture capitalist Tim Draper, one of the largest bitcoin holders after winning an auction of 30,000 bitcoins,155 in the time called"puzzle buyer".156 The company's goal is to fund 100 bitcoin businesses within 23 years using $10,000 to $20,000 to get a 6 percent stake.155 Investors also invest in bitcoin mining.157 According to some 2015 study by Paolo Tasca, bitcoin startups increased nearly $1 billion in three years (Q1 2012 Q1 2015).158.
Bitcoin cost bubbles in 2011, 2013 and 2017Priceg (left y-axis, logarithmic scale) and volatilityh (appropriate y-axis).66
Things about French Coins
The cost of bitcoins has gone through cycles of appreciation and depreciation known by some as bubbles and busts.159 In 2011, the worth of one bitcoin rapidly rose from approximately US$0.30 into US$32 prior to returning to US$2.160 In the latter half of 2012 and during the 201213 Cypriot financial crisis, the bitcoin cost began to rise,161 reaching a high of US$266 on 10 April 2013, before crashing to around US$50.162 On 29 November 2013, the price of one bitcoin climbed to a peak of US$1,242.163 In 2014, the cost fell sharply, and as of April remained depressed at little more than half of 2013 costs.
According to Mark T. Williams, as of 2014update, bitcoin has earnings seven times larger than gold, eight times greater than the S&P 500, and 18 times greater than the US dollar.167
Some Of French Coins
Due to bitcoin's decentralized nature and its trading on online exchanges located in many countries, regulation of bitcoin has been difficult. However, the use of bitcoin can be criminalized, and shutting down exchanges and also the peer-to-peer economy in a given country would constitute a de facto ban.168 The legal standing of bitcoin varies substantially from country to country and remains undefined or changing in many of them.
According to the Library of Congress, an"complete ban" on trading or using cryptocurrencies applies in eight countries: Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates. An"proposed ban" applies in another 15 countries, which include Bahrain, Bangladesh, China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, Lesotho, Lithuania, Macau, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan.170.
About Old Silver Coins
Seventeen other countries have comparable AML requirements.170 As of 2018update U.S. FinCEN receives more than 1,500 read here SARs per month involving cryptocurrencies.171
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has issued four"Customer Advisories" to get bitcoin and related investments.14 A July 2018 warning highlighted that trading in any cryptocurrency is often speculative, and there's a risk of theft against hacking, and fraud.172 A February 2018 advisory warned against investing an IRA fund into virtual currencies.173 A December 2017 advisory warned that virtual currencies are insecure because:.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has also issued warnings. A May 2014"Investor Alert" warned that investments involving bitcoin may have elevated rates of fraud, and that investors might be solicited on interpersonal media websites.175 An earlier"Investor Alert" warned about the usage of bitcoin in Ponzi schemes.176


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What Is the Impact of Blockchain on the Financial Sector?
For years, few were paying enough attention. But now, blockchain technology has started to emerge from the shadow of Bitcoin, the electronic currency that the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto created in 2009. Blockchain’s impact on the financial sector will be much bigger than Bitcoin, as this technology promises to be more transparent and easier to use.
But first, what exactly is blockchain? How does it work? Why does it work well enough to become the electronic currency technology of the future? There’s no need for rivers of papers to answer these questions. Banks, who at first saw Bitcoin as a potential threat, began to see opportunities. Especially, when Bitcoin was rising so quickly at the end of last year.
The short answer to all three questions is that blockchain can do for the finance industry everything that Bitcoin has done. Blockchain is a new paradigm designed to deeply revolutionize the economic system by modifying the concepts of transaction, property, and anything involving trust.


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IPhone 14 Max will get 120Hz display from LG: report
Representation image | Photo credit: IANS
San Francisco: Apple plans to launch four new iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro as well as iPhone 14 Pro Max handsets next year and now a new report has claimed that the iPhone 14 Max could be equipped with a 120Hz LTPO display. .
The news comes days after LG successfully produced 120Hz LTPO display panels and secured a large order from Apple for the same, PhoneArena reports. A low temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) display is a special type of backplane technology designed for OLED displays.
The iPhone 14 Max will be the successor to the iPhone 14 Mini and will feature a large 6.7-inch 120Hz LTPO display. The screen will be the same size as the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Older iPhone 14 Pro models were designed to feature punch-holes as well as 8 GB of RAM. The 6.06-inch iPhone 14 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max were designed to use LG Display LTPO 120Hz OLED panels. In addition, Apple also plans to release iPhone models without SIM location by September 2022.
Earlier this week, a rumor from Brazilian website Blog do iPhone claimed that iPhone 15 Pro models released in 2023 may not have a physical SIM card slot. However, a new report from MacRumors indicates that Apple has advised major U.S. carriers to prepare for the launch of eSIM-only smartphones by September 2022.
There is a possibility that Apple will remove the physical location of the SIM card starting with some iPhone 14 models, rather than some iPhone 15 models as originally rumored to be. It is also said that there will be support for two eSIM cards, ensuring dual SIM functionality. Removing the SIM card slot could further improve water resistance.
The next flagship series, the iPhone 14 line, will come with up to 2TB of storage. Apple will adopt QLC flash storage for iPhone next year and with new storage technology it will increase its capacity to 2TB.


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With the introduction of the 2012 Hyundai Accent at the New York Auto Show last week, Hyundai now has four current and future models that boast 40 mpg on the highway, assuming the EPA agrees with Hyundai's 40 mpg 2012 Accent estimate. The other models are the 2011 Elantra, 2011 Sonata Hybrid and the 2012 Veloster. Over the next several years, Hyundai plans to beef up its 40-mpg fleet, introducing two additional cars with that level of efficiency. The two cars will be steps toward a fleet average of 50 mpg by 2025. Hyundai briefly touched upon these plans in New York this week.
The first 40-mpg model that Hyundai is working on is aimed at the Toyota Prius. That model will be based on the Blue-Will plug-in concept from the 2009 Seoul Motor Show, a concept that featured a 1.6-liter GDI engine, like the 2012 Accent. That engine was paired with a 100 kW electric motor and lithium-ion polymer battery pack. Seeing that the 1.6-liter GDI gives the new Accent a 30 mpg city/40 mpg highway estimate, it should be plenty efficient when combined with an electric motor.
Hyundai did not confirm any specific details on the production Blue-Will. It also stopped short of giving away any details on the second 40-mpg offering that it plans to add to its line, though it implied that it will be a gas model as opposed to a hybrid.
The Blue-Will was a sporty hatchback with the feel of an aggressively styled Veloster. Hyundai will no doubt tone the model down significantly, removing some of the excess glass elements and refining the front fascia. Hopefully we'll see what they come up with at an auto show in the near future.


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Nothing is once again making headlines as Nothing CEO Carl Pei announced that Nothing Phone 2 will be “more premium” […]
In terms of markets, we made the United States our top goal, said Nothing CEO Carl Pei in an interview with Inverse. The Phone (1), which you can purchase for $300 but is meant as a beta test, is not designed to support bands used by US carriers, so this won’t happen with it. The Nothing Phone 2, scheduled to launch in late 2023, will be the one to focus on the US market.
Nothing, launched by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, may have a completely new sub-brand up its sleeve. Kuba Wojciechowski informed 91mobiles about a new brand named ‘Particles by XO’ that may be launched as a spin-off of Nothing.
Nothing CEO Carl Pei appears to have hinted that the Nothing Phone will feature Android 13 (1).
Car Pei’s teaser is a tweet that shows a straightforward screenshot of the information on his Nothing Phone (1) system.
The Ear stick wireless earbuds were the second audio product that Nothing launched. These include 12.6 mm drivers, a half-in-ear design (no silicone tips), and up to 29 hours of battery life when used with the charging case.


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Click here to view the infographic.
Last week, a2z had the pleasure of attending and sponsoring Trade Show Executive’s Gold 100 Awards & Summit in Dana Point, CA. The event honored the TSE Gold 100 shows that have set the highest standard in innovation and best practices for the trade show industry. a2z enjoyed seeing our clients and industry partners. We congratulate all of the nominees and award winners on receiving this prestigious recognition.
As a sponsor at the event, a2z shared the ChirpE Photo Booth with attendees and captured many fun photos of award nominees and attendees over the three days of events. A total of 101 photos were posted to TSE’s Facebook page and these images were seen 12, 046 times, reaching over 5,300 people on Facebook.
Those who captured their photo with ChirpE Photo Booth were invited to compete for a $500 gift card from a2z by sharing their photo with friends and colleagues to receive the most likes.
We are excited to announce that the winner of the $500 gift card was Natalia Woldecki of UBM with 100+ likes on her photo.
Second place was awarded to Margie Lelvis with Emerald Expositions and she received a $250 gift card.
Thank you to all of those who participated in the ChirpE Photo competition! We hope that you had as much fun as we did and we look forward to seeing all of you at an event again soon.


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Apple's seven-year-old first-gen iPod nano -- you know, the one that Steve Jobs pulled out of his jeans coin pocket -- has proved difficult to prise from tech lovers' fingers, with a million people taking up last year's product recall.
Or at least that's what one Apple customer service rep let slip to a nano owner, who told us he was warned his iPod replacement might take "a few weeks" -- because the programme was proving far more popular than the fruity one had bargained for.
"We were expecting to get 25,000 or 30,000 back but we've had over a million," the Apple rep told our source. "(We) had to start up a factory line to make the replacement bits," the rep added.
Apple had issued a recall and replacement programme for select first-gen iPod nanos last year, due to a risk of battery overheating. The number of units sent back is surprising, given this nano was launched in September 2005, which makes it positively decrepit in tech terms, where even upgrading yearly is too sluggish for some.
"Apple has determined that, in very rare cases, the battery in the iPod nano (1st generation) may overheat and pose a safety risk. Affected iPod nanos were sold between September 2005 and December 2006," it noted in a statement at the time of recall. "This issue has been traced to a single battery supplier that produced batteries with a manufacturing defect. While the possibility of an incident is rare, the likelihood increases as the battery ages."
At the time of writing, Apple had not responded to a request to confirm the numbers -- but we're smitten by this tale of true love through the tech ages for the trusty little MP3 player.
Are you still using your original iPod nano? Or maybe you passed on a replacement to your mum? Let us know in the comments below or pen an ode to the iPod nano over on our Facebook wall.


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Pencil skirts, muted colours and a restrained sexuality: as a dark and stormy catwalk season ends, this is the surprisingly subdued forecast for this autumn.
With the dust settling on a month of fashion shows, retailers and editors are analysing which trends will translate into on-the-ground hits. In stark contrast to the high drama in which attention ricocheted between the Galliano scandal and theatrical catwalk appearances by Lady Gaga and Kate Moss, the outlook is almost shockingly low-key.
Lucy Yeomans, the editor of Harper's Bazaar, summed up the look as "the return of the waist, and of a more structured silhouette. There is going to be a restrained, austere elegance around".
Averyl Oates, buying director of Harvey Nichols, reported: "I noticed a return to 'ladylike' dressing: tailored jackets, pencil skirts, beautiful blouses."
Ruth Chapman, director of Matches boutique, agreed with Yeomans in predicting that a classic pointed-toe stiletto would be autumn's hit accessory.
Asked to sum up the season, glossy magazine editors homed in on the notion of reined-in sex appeal. Yeomans suggested "strictly sexy"; Lorraine Candy, the editor of Elle, "the new sexy"; and Red's Sam Baker "sexy without showing skin".
With much less skin on show than in the leggy collections of previous autumns, there is a new interest in the subtleties of the silhouette. Holli Rogers, buying director of Net-a-Porter, noted that strong shoulder lines and cocoon shapes were a recurring theme.
"It's all about the changing silhouette," Grazia's editor, Jane Bruton, said. "From rock-chick narrow, it is moving towards rounded shoulders, full trousers and balloon sleeves."
Chapman reports a definite shift toward separates. "The most important look is a pencil skirt with a sportswear-influenced knit, or a blouson jacket."
But the pairing of smart trousers with a blouse is also increasingly popular. "A key trend will be beautiful fluid trousers and long, lean silhouettes," predicted Anita Barr, buying director at Selfridges.
"I love how the trouser-blouse-jacket combination has become so prominent," said Sarah Curran, chief executive of the online my-wardrobe.com.
Despite the absence of a headline-making new trend or hemline to drive interest and sales, the mood Most in the industry is positive. Most believe that the dialled-down register of the season is in tune with what shoppers want. "This is a good season for the retailer," said Oates, "because of the number of grown-up, wearable pieces. Our customers are seeking more price points, and clothes that have a universal appeal."
Candy agreed. "The Elle woman doesn't want edgy; she wants to look as if she's made smart shopping decisions. This season will make her happy, there is so much to choose from."
Opinion is divided as to whether the summer's 1970s trend can last another season. Rogers believes that at Net-a-Porter "the 70s will prevail again, although the trend has evolved into 70s luxe: fabrics including brocades and velvets take centre stage, with wide leg and flared trousers a key silhouette."
But at my-wardrobe.com, Curran pointed to the futuristic looks at Alexander McQueen and the masculine/feminine dynamic of Dolce & Gabbana as new directions.
This summer's "colour blocking" trend will persist but in deeper, more muted shades. Chapman is focused on "a mix of burgundy through to bordeaux, and all shades of khaki to olive", while Sam Baker is "reliably informed that bottle green is the new neutral". The palette is, as Curran points out, "classically autumnal: burnt oranges, yellows and greens with jewel-like red highlights".
Trendwatchers now pay as close attention to the clothes seen on catwalk audiences as to those worn by the models. A grey ankle-length skirt by Oliver Theyskens for Theory was worn by three British glossy magazine editors during the shows – Jo Elvin of Glamour, Bruton of Grazia, and Kate Reardon of Tatler – a coincidence seen as a stamp of approval for the nascent maxi-skirt trend.
While scandal and rumour were rife in the front row, the consensus among buyers was that there was less impact at the business end. The Galliano story "overshadowed the theatrical side of the shows, but in the showrooms the mood was business as usual", said Chapman.
"And by the end of the week, everyone was talking about Moss and Naomi Campbell's return to the catwalk," said Curran. "Fashion moves fast."


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NFC Mobile Phones and the Future of Privacy
NFC-enabled phones will offer consumers the opportunity to enhance their privacy by empowering them with their own secure ID devices.
NFC, Privacy and the Future
The Haifa Center of Law & Technology, under the title Privacy in the Digital Environment, proposed a new definition for the right to privacy:
"The right to privacy is our right to keep a domain around us, which includes all those things that are part of us, such as our body, home, thoughts, feelings, secrets and identity. The right to privacy gives us the ability to choose which parts in this domain can be accessed by others, and to control the extent, manner and timing of the use of those parts we choose to disclose."
Much work remains to be done in order to ensure privacy whenever databases are used to track purchases, subscriptions, privileges, membership, loyalty points and so forth. Databases need to be purged of superfluous details unnecessary for delivering what a consumer specifically seeks. This is an issue that may require government legislation, as the use of data mining and buying patterns expands as tools of commerce.
A number of European countries have implemented laws that promote privacy and enhance database protection. In the United States, smart card industry associations have put forward positive ideas, but ultimately, privacy must be thoughtfully integrated into a system's design, and not offered as an optional extra or as a service. The mass introduction of NFC-enabled mobile phones over the coming years will offer an opportunity to enhance our privacy as consumers, by empowering us with our own secure ID devices. Handset manufacturers, carriers and governments will need to ensure that NFC's privacy-enhancing features are not compromised for commercial advantage, and that the crucial issue of enhancing a database's architecture and security, as well as curtailing the excessive storage of personal information, is addressed. These are urgent issues.
Ayman S. Ashour serves as the chairman and CEO of Identive Group, a systems and technology provider for the identification, security and RFID industries, as well as the NFC market. Led by Ashour, the firm recently partnered with Google on its rollout of a Google Places NFC smart-poster campaign in Austin, Texas. It has also collaborated with Dutch financial services company Rabobank and the Royal Dutch Hockey Federation (KNHB), to kick off the first consumer campaign promoting its Cashless Betalen mobile-payment NFC solution. Additionally, Identive is providing more than a million NFC tags to a major smartphone manufacturer, to facilitate consumer NFC apps using mobile devices..
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Adam Evanko has become a Yoda-like figure to Monster Hunter players. We speak to the YouTuber, and others, about his invaluable work.
The hit app of 2016 is far from finished, with new features in the pipeline. But its maker's CEO is all about going live.
Stefan Pokorny walks us through how he makes dungeons for Dungeons & Dragons.
Adult entertainment company Naughty America tells Motherboard why it was at E3 and what its relationship with the likes of Oculus VR is like today.
What we see of the Stone-and-Parker-penned game at E3 2016 fills us with such confidence that even more bad fart gags can't damage our anticipation.
A video game composer wants to teach the world how to conduct an orchestra.
The company's kid-friendly policies actually risk pushing its younger demographic away.


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Shares in Burberry (BRBY) rallied 6.2% to £18.64 as the luxury ...The end of restrictions and improved consumer confidence are expected ...Life isn’t getting any easier for competitions firm Best Of The Best ...
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US firm reveals possibly biggest data breach so farJanuary 21st, 2009 - 12:19 pm ICT by IANS
San Francisco, Jan 21 (DPA) Credit-card processing company Heartland has revealed what is possibly the greatest data breach in history, prompting widespread speculation that it waited until the inauguration of President Barack Obama to release the news.The company serves some 250,000 businesses and processes an estimated 100 million transactions a month. It said that it discovered the data breach after being alerted about suspicious activities by credit card companies Visa and Mastercard, and had discovered that unknown intruders had broken into its systems sometime last year and planted malicious software to steal card data carried on the company’s networks.
Heartland said Tuesday that the breach had not compromised merchant data, cardholder’s Social Security numbers or unencrypted personal identification numbers, addresses or telephone numbers. But the hackers are thought to have stolen data that would enable them to create duplicate up to 100 million credit cards.
“We found evidence of an intrusion last week and immediately notified federal law enforcement officials as well as the card brands,” said Robert Baldwin Jr, Heartland’s president and chief financial officer.
“We understand that this incident may be the result of a widespread global cyber fraud operation, and we are cooperating closely with the United States Secret Service and Department of Justice.”
Previously, the biggest data breach in history was an intrusion into US retailer TJ Maxx, which compromised almost 50 million cards.
Avivah Litan, a fraud analyst with Gartner Inc, questioned the timing of Heartland’s disclosure - on a day that many Americans and news outlets were glued to coverage of Barack Obama’s inauguration.
“This looks like the biggest breach ever disclosed, and they’re doing it on inauguration day?” Litan told the Washington Post. “I can’t believe they waited until today to disclose. That seems very deceptive.”
Tags: barack obama, card brands, credit card processing, cyber fraud, gartner inc, global cyber, heartland, inauguration day, inauguration of president, law enforcement officials, malicious software, merchant data, personal identification numbers, processing company, robert baldwin, social security numbers, states secret service, suspicious activities, united states secret service, washington post


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Taking a look back at another week of news and headlines from Cupertino, this weekâ€™s Apple Loop includes leaked iPhone specs, details of the new iPhone circuit board, Tim Cookâ€™s smartphone features that will â€˜blow us awayâ€™, the cancelled MacBook and the updated MacBook Pro, testing FaceID for iCloud access, fixing the secret Zoom server, and why Steve Jobs was a Wizard.
Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the very many discussions that have happened around Apple over the last seven days (and you can find the weekly Android news digest here).
iPhone 11 Circuit Board Leak Reveals Secrets
Thanks to the leaked circuit board of the upcoming iPhone 11, itâ€™s possible to see the changes that Apple will be making to the flagship smartphones. Apart from a slight increase in battery capacity, thereâ€™s not much change on offer from 2018â€™s handsets. Forbesâ€™ Gordon Kelly explains:
At face value, the alteration seems minor: Apple is moving from the L-shaped logic board inside both the iPhone X and iPhone XS, to a more compact, stacked rectangular design. And what the new design enables Apple to do is fit much larger batteries than the iPhone XS (Koroy states 15-20% larger) which will drive the leap from 4G to 5G as well as providing the extra capacity to compensate for reverse wireless charging devices like AirPods.
â€¦Does all this clever circuitry mean you should now buy the iPhone 11? Absolutely not. While it looks set to deliver improved battery life, the real benefits will only be reaped in 2020 when Apple catches up to rivals with 5G. Moreover, donâ€™t expect an iPhone 11 to hold its price when you eventually sell it in a 5G world. Thatâ€™s why the smart money waits.
More here on Forbes.
Whereâ€™s The New In The 2019 iPhone?
The big problem Apple has, which the circuit board lead confirms it, is that thereâ€™s nothing genuinely new in the 2019 iPhone family. Specs are bumped up to maintain parity with Android, new features (such as reverse wireless charging) finally reach the iPhone, but thereâ€™s nothing here that could significantly increase Appleâ€™s revenue, as I noted earlier this week:
While Android-powered handsets are pushing forward with challenges to the expected form factors in the screen and forward facing cameras, faster and more efficient communication options in 5G, a wealth of options across multiple price points, what is Apple left with? The same offering as last year with a little bit more battery power, the same design language that was tired at best in 2017, and the same feature set as mid-range Android handsets.
Apple may have a suite of products that will â€œblow us awayâ€ as Tim Cook has promised, I just hope he doesnâ€™t mean this yearâ€™s ugly and boring iPhones.
Read more here on Forbes.
What iPhone 2020 Features Could Blow Us Away?
Maybe Cook is talking about the 2020 iPhones? If he is then he is likely relying on 5G, the OLED display moving to the iPhone XR family, and the inclusion of VR capabilities. Those points have been picked up by analysts JP Morgan, asÂ Kif Leswing reports:
Currently, the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max use OLED screens, which have power and image quality advantages, but are more expensive than the LCD screens used on many smartphones, like Appleâ€™s iPhone XR.
Upcoming 5G networks have the potential to dramatically increase cellular download speeds, if carriers can build out the technology in time. Appleâ€™s current devices have 3D-sensing cameras on the front, and the J.P. Morgan analysts predict that in 2020, they will be equipped with similar cameras on the back.
More at CNBC. Of course these are all existing and known elements in Appleâ€™s plans. How about a new design with a curved screen? While it would – once again – be seen as a copy of Android devices, Tim Cookâ€™s team have been working on the technology as a recently published patent illustrates.
Apple notes in its patent that, â€œelectronic devices such as portable computers and cellular telephones are often provided with displays. For example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) may be formed from a stack of display structures such as an thin-film transistor layer with display pixels for providing visual information to a user, a color filter layer for providing the display pixels with color, a touch screen panel for gathering touch input from a user, and a cover glass layer for protecting the display and internal components.
More on this at Patents and Tech.
Apple Launches New MacBook Pro And Air Updates
Apple rolled out changes to the MacBook family this week through the impressive medium of a press release. The MacBook is cancelled, the MacBook Air gets a retina screen, and the function-keys on the lower MacBook Pro are replaced by a touch bar. There are some short-term discounts for students,Â but the update diminishes the Mac lineup:
But now every laptop from Apple (and arguably every competing laptop to Appleâ€™s deskbound hardware) come with a focus on being thin and light. From being a unique designator, the Air suffix saddles the lower tier MacBook with a tired brand about being light of designâ€¦ and Appleâ€™s design decisions around laptops are far from cutting edge.
More importantly, if you purchase these new machines, you are not going to be getting the new scissor-switched keyboard that is expected to arrive later this year. These updated Macs are going to be hobbled with the butterfly keyboard and a promise that any repairs to the unreliable keyboard will be expedited.
More here on Forbes.
Apple Abandons The MacBook
Meanwhile, spare a thought for the MacBook. Launched in 2015 as a thinner, lighter, ultra portable macOS machine with a number of firsts. All of those advantages have been claimed by others, the MacBook never saw a significant upgrade.Â Zac Hall laments its loss:
Ultimately, the 12-inch MacBook only saw three generations: the original in 2015, a speed bump in 2016, and one last processor upgrade in 2017. While its design was used as inspiration for the Retina MacBook Air last fall, the 12-inch MacBook specs were left unchanged from 2017 to its demise yesterday.
If you could never see yourself purchasing the 12-inch MacBook over another laptop in the lineup, the decision to kill the MacBook makes perfect sense. If you considered the design â€œfor youâ€ then the move makes no sense.
As an owner of the first and third generation MacBook, I find myself frustrated with how the end played out. Only Apple knows the market that the three generation computer captured, but it hardly had a chance to compete with the new MacBook Air.
More at 9to5Mac.
Your Face Can Unlock Your iCloud Account
Apple is trialling a new way to sign into your iCloud account. Previously your password unlocked your files, but code lurking in the latest betas of iOS, iPadOS and macOS test the ability to use biometrics such as your fingerprint or facial recognition.Â Chance Miller reports:
When you visit iCloud in Safari on a device running the iOS, iPadOS, or macOS betas, youâ€™ll see a new pop-up asking if youâ€™d like to sign-in using your Apple ID with biometrics. On a Face ID-equipped device, this means signing in with Face ID, while other devices, including Touch Bar-capable MacBook Pros, use Touch ID. The above screenshots show the Face ID sign-in process on an iPhone XS Max running the developer beta of iOS 13.
More at 9to5Mac.
Third-Party Vulnerability Closed By Apple
Kudos to Apple for taking the unusual step of releasing a â€˜silentâ€™ update for Mac users that removes a hidden web server that was installed by Zoomâ€™s video conferencing software. That server remained on a MacOS powered machine even if Zoomâ€™s software was uninstalled.Â Zack Whittaker reports:
The Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant told TechCrunch that the update â€” now released â€” removes the hidden web server, which Zoom quietly installed on usersâ€™ Macs when they installed the app. Apple said the update does not require any user interaction and is deployed automatically.
The video conferencing giant took flack from users following a public vulnerability disclosure on Monday by Jonathan Leitschuh, in which he described how â€œany website [could] forcibly join a user to a Zoom call, with their video camera activated, without the userâ€™s permission.â€ The undocumented web server remained installed even if a user uninstalled Zoom. Leitschuh said this allowed Zoom to reinstall the app without requiring any user interaction.
More at TechCrunch.
Steve Jobs was a wizard. At least thatâ€™s what Bill Gates thinks. Rick Levinson reports on Gatesâ€™ comments for CNBCâ€™s Leadership podcast:
Steve Jobs was a master at â€œcasting spellsâ€ to keep Apple employees motivated and working long hours, said Bill Gates, the billionaire co-founder of technology giant Microsoft.
â€œI was like a minor wizard because he would be casting spells, and I would see people mesmerized, but because Iâ€™m a minor wizard, the spells donâ€™t work on me,â€ said Gates, the worldâ€™s second-richest person.
â€¦Jobs was a singular case, Gates said, where Apple was on a path to die and goes on to become the most valuable company in the world. There arenâ€™t going to be many stories like that, he said.
More at CNBC.
Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Donâ€™t forget to follow me so you donâ€™t miss any coverage in the future. Last weekâ€™s Apple Loop can be read here, or this weekâ€™s edition of Loopâ€™s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.


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Marriott International Faces $178-million Fine in Wake of Data Breach.
The UK’s Information Commissioner's Office - ICO - has released a statement outlining its intention to issue a multi-million dollar fine to Marriott International totalling AUD $178 following a data breach that impacted up hundreds of millions of individuals.
We reported on the breach last year when the company offered to pay for new passports if they were affected by the breach; such was the scale and severity of the attack.
The ICO’s official statement says that “following an extensive investigation the ICO has issued a notice of its intention to fine Marriott International £99,200,396 for infringements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).”
The intention to fine Marriott comes just days after the ICO issued its intention to hit British Airways with an even larger fine in the wake of a data breach that hit millions of its customers.
The European Data Protection Board has released a statement from the Information Commissioner’s Office, confirming its intention to issue the fine, outlining that “the proposed fine relates to a cyber incident which was notified to the ICO by Marriott in November of 2018.”
“A variety of personal data contained in approximately 339-million guest records globally were exposed by the incident, of which around 30-million related to residents of 31 countries in the European Economic Area. Seven million related to UK residents,” the statement reads.
Elizabeth Denhan, the Information Commissioner said that “the GDPR makes it clear that organisations must be accountable for the personal data they hold.”
“This can include carrying out proper due diligence when making a corporate acquisition, and putting in place proper accountability measures to assess not only what personal data has been acquired, but also how it is protected,” she said.
“Personal data has a real value so organisations have a legal duty to ensure its security, just like they would do with any other asset. If that doesn’t happen, we will not hesitate to take strong action when necessary to protect the rights of the public,” Denham concluded.
The ICO’s statement continued to explain that “it is believed the vulnerability began when the systems of the Starwood hotels group were compromised in 2014. Marriott subsequently acquired Starwood in 2016, but the exposure of customer information was not discovered until 2018.”
“The ICO’s investigation found that Marriott failed to undertake sufficient due diligence when it bought Starwood and should have done more to secure its systems."
The ICO’s statement mentions the fact that the “Marriott has cooperated with the ICO investigation and has made improvements to its security arrangements since these events came to light. The company will now have an opportunity to make representations to the ICO as to the proposed findings and sanction.”
“The ICO has been investigating this case as lead supervisory authority on behalf of other EU Member State data protection authorities. It has also liaised with other regulators. Under the GDPR ‘one stop shop’ provisions the data protection authorities in the EU whose residents have been affected will also have the chance to comment on the ICO’s findings.”


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WGI moves up 37 spots on Engineering News-Record (ENR)’s 2020 Top 500 Design Firms List.
Contactless Delivery Robots May Soon Hit A Sidewalk Near You
The following is an excerpt from Fast Company. Click here to read Rob Pegoraro’s full article.
The future of autonomous vehicles is coming slower than expected—maybe less than 10 miles per hour.
But delivery robots don’t need to move even that fast to take groceries to customers. Where they’re going, they may not even need roads, just sidewalks. And now their inhumanity isn’t a bug but a feature for pandemic-weary shoppers anxious for touch-free deliveries.
Promising though these bots are, they have gotten into mishaps, some as simple as the occasional case of a robot getting stuck before a kind human frees it. Sidewalks and streets themselves can complicate a delivery robot’s life, even though the Americans with Disabilities Act’s mandate for step-free surfaces should ease their path.
Lisa Nisenson, vice president for new mobility and connected communities at West Palm Beach design firm WGI, says that “mobility lanes” for vehicles slower than traditional cars may not answer this problem. Imagining one occupied by, among others, a 10-mph delivery robot, a 17-mph driverless shuttle, and an 18-mph electric bike, she asks, “Who passes whom, and is the road really wide enough?”
What happens when there are 10 or 20 of those?” asks Larco of the streets of tomorrow. Nisenson takes that question further: “What happens when there’s 100?”
Read the full article and find out more about what other mobility specialists had to say about the delivery robots and their impact here.
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Presentations, awards, networking, and more! Here’s what happened at the 2021 FES | ACEC-FL Annual Conference in Palm Beach, FL.
WGI’s Lisa Nisenson was featured on the American Planning Association’s podcast to discuss rapidly changing e-commerce trends and technologies, and the long-term implications of COVID-19 on the way planners are thinking about the future.
WGI places top five for the fourth consecutive year on the South Florida Business Journal Top 25 Engineering Firms List.
An e-commerce revolution has rapidly increased delivery activity. Flexible Design provides the framework for anticipating disruptive trends & impacts.
Micromobility has the potential to be an urban asset, but planners must act quickly to ensure people with disabilities are not left behind.