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Newark Mayor Cory Booker cruised to victory in New Jersey’s special election tonight. As a long-term presidential hopeful, he’ll instantly become one of the Democratic Party’s most powerful voices. Booker represents a permanent shift in how Silicon Valley is trying to give an ideological overhaul to the Democratic Party. Booker is a world-class tweeter, co-founder to an ailing video startup, and beneficiary of Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million education donation to Newark schools. But to see how Booker might act as a legislator, it’s helpful to look at the policies of other tech industry favorites in the Democratic Party. The Silicon Valley poster children, President Barack Obama, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Cory Booker, and their new favorite, Ro Khanna are distinctly different than the traditional fight-for-the-underdog Democrat. Overwhelmingly they favor innovation and general prosperity over civil liberties and income redistribution. Mayor Bloomberg outright admitted that “we’re going to have more visibility and less privacy” in a candid radio Interview on his push for drone-powered surveillance. He also threatened to “fucking destroy” the taxi industry over its existential fight with ridesharing apps, Uber and Lyft. Obama has been an ardent supporter of union-less charter schools and the use of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in higher education, ignoring the cries of faculty unions. Booker, too, funneled a sizable portion of Zuckerberg’s donation to charter schools–on top of supporting limits on teacher tenure. As Mayor, instead of outlawing Stop-and-Frisk, the racially-charged practice of searching suspects on the street without a warrant, his approach was radical transparency. Every stop must now meticulously record the race, location, and reason; that data is then opened to the public for scrutiny. His novel approach won accolades from Newark’s American Civil Liberties Union for balancing public safety and individual rights. But, a traditional liberal would likely have just outright banned the practice. That is, one of Booker’s signature law enforcement measures was imbued with some Silicon Valley idealism: open the data and solutions will follow. As a Senator he’ll have a chance to bring an innovation-first approach to legislation. Here’s a few predictions, and an indication of the kinds of liberal policymaking that could become dominant within the Democratic Party. Private Sector Makeover Of Social Services – At the tech Mecca of the SXSW conference, Booker told me he as a fan of “social impact bonds”, which pays entrepreneurs handsomely for solving social ills better than the Continue reading
A new report from online advertising company Turn shows rising or steady eCPMs (the effective price paid by advertisers for every thousand impressions).
The Global Digital Audience Report is based on data from Turn’s marketing platform between July and September — the company says the platform has access to 2 trillion ad impressions and makes 100 billion ad impressions each month. Continue reading
With the rise of crowdfunding and easier paths to manufacturing, there are more gadgeteers than ever before. And we’re looking for some of the best hardware startups to compete on our Las Vegas stage for a giant $50,000 check, tons of publicity and the brand new Hardware Battlefield cup.
Four months ago, Anki co-founder Boris Soffman took the stage at Apple’s WWDC keynote. After years of stealthily toiling away in their labs with few outside of the company knowing their plans, the team unveiled their first product: Anki Drive, a racing game for the real world.
While the company has been somewhat quiet since their WWDC debut, they’ve just announced their plans to ship: come Oct. 22nd, Anki Drive will hit the shelves on Anki.com and at Apple Stores around the country. We swung by Anki HQ earlier this week to give their new cars a spin. Continue reading
Electricity in Jakarta, Indonesia costs three cents per kilowatt hour. That’s 30 cents less than power in the US and Europe. This means, all things being equal and provided you don’t mind your apartment heating up alarmingly, you can make a decent living mining for Bitcoin and Litecoin (another cryptocurrency) using powerful – and hot – graphics cards, each one running at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or more.
Email management company Boxer has raised $3 million in funding led by Sutter Hill Ventures. Proceeds will be used to expand the company’s engineering and design team and to build apps for other platforms, most notably Android. Along with the funding, Sutter Hill Ventures managing director Sam Pullara will join the Boxer board of directors. Continue reading
We’re partnering with UP Global on its upcoming UP America Summit and thanks to the University of Iowa, we’re kicking off the Summit festivities with an open-to-the-public Silicon Prairie Party on Tuesday, Oct. 22. Continue reading
LG is following Samsung’s example in providing a curved glass smartphone that makes no earthly sense, HTC is offering a fingerprint scanner that no one needs executed poorly, and Mad Catz is entering the crowded Android console space – for which there is no proven demand. Continue reading
IBM Revenues Down $1 Billion For Third Quarter As Hardware Sales Falter With Popularity Of The Cloud
IBM has reported its third-quarter revenues were $23.72 billion compared to $24.74 billion this time last year. The revenues were down due to the company’s underperforming hardware division, which is taking a hit with the growing popularity of cloud services. Revenues for the nine-month period totaled $72.1 billion, a decrease of 4 percent, compared with $75.2 billion for the nine months of 2012. Revenues in the hardware group were down almost entirely across the board. Revenues from its Systems and Technology segment totaled $3.2 billion for the quarter, down 17 percent from the third-quarter of 2012. Pre-tax income decreased $291 million to a loss of $167 million. Total systems revenues decreased 19 percent, and revenues from Power Systems were down 38 percent compared with the 2012 period. Revenues from System x were down 18 percent. Revenues from System z mainframe server products increased 6 percent compared with the year-ago period. Total delivery of System z computing power, as measured in MIPS (millions of instructions per second), increased 56 percent. Revenues from System Storage decreased 11 percent. Revenues from Microelectronics OEM increased 1 percent. Software revenues were up just 1 percent the prior year, showing again the company’s stagnating revenues in the third quarter. “Hardware is down as a trend,” said Ray Wang, co-founder of Constellation Research. “There is an impact because of cloud computing.” IBM had some of its best results with its cloud services efforts. Cloud revenue is up more than 70 percent year to date with revenue in third-quarter exceeding $1 billion, of which about $460 million is delivered as a cloud service. As more companies choose cloud services, it can be expected that this trend will continue for IBM and other enterprise providers. Continue reading


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We have heard lots of rumors regarding the highly anticipated game Diablo 3. But now it looks like we have confirmed date, thanks to a Dutch toy retailer, Bart Smit. According Bart Smit, the game will be arriving on April 19th.
So far Blizzard is remaining quiet on the issue. Keep watching this space for more updates on Diable 3!
Source: duimschroef (translated)

domain: news


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(Updated from 4:30 to reflect comments from conference call and updated share price.)
NEW YORK (
shares are moving lower in extended-hours trading following fourth-quarter results that missed Wall Street earnings expectations.
Dell reported earnings of 51 cents per share on $16.01 billion in revenue. Analysts polled by
expected Dell to report earnings of 52 cents per share on $15.96 billion in revenue. Dell ended the fourth-quarter with $18.2 billion in cash on its balance sheet, having spent $2.7 billion to buyback its own stock, $561 million during the fourth-quarter.
Dell provided 2012 earnings guidance, saying it expects earnings per share to be above $2.13. The company also expects first-quarter revenue to decline 7% year-over-year to approximately $14.9 billion. Analysts polled by
expect Dell to report revenue of $15.17 billion and earnings of 47 cents per share.
as it tries to remake itself from being primarily a PC-vendor, and move into higher-margin businesses, like Enterprise Storage and Servers, as well as cloud computing.
On the company conference call, CFO Brian Gladden said the company is still seeing some issues with hard drive disk (HDD) spending, but this will not be as impactful as during the fourth quarter. The mix of drives during the fourth quarter impacted margins negatively, as did weaker federal spending. Dell expects the hard drive issues to remain challenging for the next two quarters, but to get better towards the end of the year.
CEO and Chairman Michael Dell, however, said the tech giant has evolved far beyond PCs in a statement that accompanied the results. "Our customers think of Dell in much broader terms now, trusting us with their comprehensive IT needs, from the datacenter to the device," he said.
Shares of Dell closed the regular session up 0.5% to $18.21. Shares are moving lower in extended-hours, down 4.7% to $17.35. Shares have outperformed the broader market this year, up 24.5%, versus 13.2% for the
Interested in more on Dell? See TheStreet Ratings' report card for
Check out our new tech blog,
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Written by Chris Ciaccia in New York
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- Karpal Singh's Death: A picture of grief at the hospital
- Karpal Singh's Death: Tiger of Jelutong’s lust for political trailblazing
- Karpal Singh's Death: "I told him to only go back this morning", says Gobind
- Karpal Singh's Death: Bukit Gelugor MP killed in crash, son injured
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- MH370 Tragedy: Approach may be reviewed if no concrete evidence: Hishammuddin
- S. Korea Ferry Incident: Pix gallery day 2
- Karpal Singh's Death: Tributes pour in
- Karpal Singh's Death: Lorry driver relates fatal accident
- Karpal Singh's Death: He was St Xavier's Institution most illustrious son
- S. Korea Ferry Incident: Transcript shows ferry captain delayed evacuation
- Plane may be intact on seafloor, says expert
- S. Korea Ferry Incident: Death toll rises, hopes fade for hundreds missing
- Karpal Singh's Death: Karpal's residence filled with mourners
- Karpal Singh's Death: Coffee with less sugar, Karpal's favourite - Shop owner More
GST implementation in April 2015 is reasonable - Wahid Omar
KUALA LUMPUR: The introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the 2014 Budget and its implementation on April 1, 2015 are reasonable moves, says Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar.
Abdul Wahid said the GST's implementation in 17 months' time would enable businesses and companies to make the necessary preparations.
"The GST has been discussed for a long time, a bill was tabled in Parliament in December 2009, and many engagements have been held.
"We have taken into account feedback from the people and economists, and I think the time has come for us to implement it," he told reporters after attending the tabling of Budget 2014 in Parliament today.
Abdul Wahid said the GST is a new tax structure replacing the sales and services tax and is not an additional tax, while its rate, at six per cent, is the lowest among Asean countries.
"Its impact on the prices of goods is minimised as some goods will have zero tax and some are exempted from it, and there is also income support from the government like the one-off cash
aid of RM300 and reduction in income tax," he said, adding medium income earners also get a significant tax relief of RM2,000.
Under the new budget, the chargeable income subject to the maximum rate is raised to exceeding RM400,000, while the current maximum tax rate at 26 per cent will be lowered to 24 per cent, 24.5 per cent and 25 per cent.
Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said the tax incentives and lower taxes could compensate for the slight rise in prices of goods after the GST is implemented, while the reduction in corporate tax could attract more foreign companies to invest in Malaysia.
A GST Monitoring Committee, chaired by the Second Finance Minister, will ensure a smooth and orderly implementation of the GST, he added.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Finance Secretary General Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah said the implementation time for GST is right because of the low inflation in the country currently.
Furthermore, he said, the GST has been implemented in more than 160 countries including less developed nations, and Malaysia should not be left behind by not introducing the same mechanism.
Meanwhile, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Malaysia Managing Partner Sridharan Nair said Budget 2014 has put Malaysia on a strong platform towards fiscal reform and becoming a high-income nation as it addresses one of the most comprehensive reforms to reduce deficit and manage debt level.
He said broadening the tax base to one that is more sustainable combined with responsible spending is the way to go as the country moves towards developed nation status in the near future.
"With less than 18 months to go before the GST goes live, corporates need to assess the impact on their existing business models and strategies," he said in a statement today.
Nair added that corporates have to start preparations to ensure they are ready, in their systems and processes as well as a broader organisational readiness.
In a separate statement, Khazanah Nasional Bhd Managing Director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar said Budget 2014 clearly states that the country's future growth should not be driven by expansion of debt but by moving up the global value chain in an inclusive manner which leaves no citizen behind.
"Key to this is reducing the level of fiscal deficit, via a measured introduction of GST, through which the rates for corporate and personal income tax can be reduced to incentivise innovation and productivity," he said.
KPMG Tax Services Sdn Bhd Executive Director - Head of Tax, Khoo Chin Guan, said various assistance schemes and initiatives have also been introduced in tandem with the implementation of GST to allay the rakyat and businesses.
"Moving forward, it is timely for businesses to educate themselves on GST to ensure a smooth implementation and transition to the GST system. The key message for businesses is to be prepared and ready when the time comes," said Khoo.
Franklin Templeton Investments Executive Director/Head Malaysian Fixed Income and Sukuk, Hanifah Hashim, said subsidy rationalisation in Budget 2014 is a step in the right direction as it demonstrates the country's commitmment to addressing the weaknesses in its balance sheet.
She said the move adds another brownie point to avoid any sovereign downgrade.
"However, on the flip side, the government has also kept another eye on the inflation rate with the subsidy rationalisation," she said, adding that a spike in the inflation rate would lead to an increase in the bond yield, and in return will impact on the bond portfolio. -- BERNAMA


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The Bangkok Post reports that Honda is planning for a 2.8 billion baht ($91.7 million) expansion of its motorcycle production facilities in Bangkok, Thailand, due to rising sales. Production in the new facility is expected to begin in July or August.
Thai Honda Manufacturing Co.’s overall motor sales are expected to set a record of 2 million units or more this year, bolstered by the success of the Wave. The company’s previous record for motorcycle sales was 1.98 million units in 2005.
The consumption rate for motorcycles locally is one unit for just over three people, behind Taiwan and Malaysia, according to the article.
In other news, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. forecast a rise of 10.5 percent in unit sales of motorcycles for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012. Honda expects to see a rise to 12,645,000 units sold for this year, compared to 11,445,000 for the year ended March 31, 2011. Honda’s overall net income is expected to drop by more than 60 percent compared to a year ago due to the aftermath of the earthquake.


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Steve Lewis, chief executive, said Majestic has grown sales to commercial customers by 17pc over the last six months
Mr Lewis said there was “considerable potential for further growth” from selling to businesses. One of its main rivals, Waverley TBS, which served gastro pubs, collapsed into administration last month.
Majestic also saw a 14pc rise in online sales after the company reduced the minimum purchase to six bottles instead of 12.
This has helped Majestic to attract thousands of new customers to its wines and sell more expensive bottles, as Britain’s appetite for wine shows no sign of abating despite the economic uncertainty.
Over the 26 weeks to October 1, the number of customers on its database increased by 11pc to 594,000.
The average spend per transaction at Majestic stores increased from £125 to £126, with the average price of a bottle of wine sold up from £7.13 to £7.46.
Mr Lewis said: “These results, achieved in a challenging economic environment and the wettest summer on record, display the resilience of the Majestic business.”
The company reported a 3.9pc rise in pre-tax profits to £9.2m during the period, with like-for-like sales in the UK up 0.6pc.
“It would have been higher if not for a wash-out of a summer,” Mr Lewis added.
Majestic forecasts suggest that like-for-like sales would have been up by three percentage points more without the wet weather.
The company was due to serve a number of events over the summer – ranging from Jubilee celebrations on village greens to charity galas – but received a wave of returned stock after the rain caused cancellations or low turnouts.


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Dog Food Probe Impacts Commodity Market
A pet food probe threatens domestic markets for U.S. pulse growers.
Politico reports that last year the food and drug administration launched an investigation after finding links between grain-free pet foods and heart disease in dogs. The agency issued public warnings and as a result, manufacturers bought less ingredients like peas, lentils, and garbanzo beans. Farmers say the investigation, coupled with Indian and Chinese tariffs have lowered their wholesale prices.


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Vivo has revealed updated timeline for its Android 10 update for its range of smartphones. The company has revealed that the update will be rolled out in three phases.
The rollout update is currently meant for the Chinese market and there is no information on the availability of the same for other markets including India. The FunTouch OS 10 update will be rolled out to the 19 smartphones.
The company previously revealed that the roll out of FunTouch OS 10 has been delayed to the Coronavirus outbreak. As per the revised roadmap, the Vivo Nex 3 and Nex 3 5G will get its first public beta update on March 14. The company has revealed that 4,000 early adopters will get a chance to experience the new user interface.
Furthermore, in late March, Vivo X27, Vivo X27 Pro and X27 8GB + 128B models will get the FunTouch OS 10 update. Moving on, in April, Vivo NEX flagship, NEX, NEX under-screen fingerprint version and Nex dual-screen version will get the Android 10 update along with Vivo S5. In June, Vivo Z5i, Vivo Z5, Z5x, S1, S1 Pro, Z3, Z3i, Z3i Standard Edition, X23, X23 Symphony Edition and X21s smartphones will get Android 10-based FunTouch OS 10.
Meanwhile, Vivo has launched a new variant of its Vivo Y91i with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage for Rs 7,990. The phone was earlier launched with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage for Rs 8,490.
The new variant has been announced by Mumbai-based retailer Mahesh Telecom. The Vivo Y91i features a 6.22-inch HD+ Halo FullView display with a resolution of 720 x 1520 pixels. It is powered by the octa-core MediaTek Helio P22 SoC, coupled with 3GB of RAM. The storage can be expanded to 256GB via microSD card.


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Investors Back "Live Web"
On a mission to make the Web instantly responsive to user commands, some international investors are throwing $100 million at Realtime -- a “live Web” technology developed by Internet
Business Technologies. “The company offers a developer framework that now powers 2,000 real-time client applications, but, until now, it has only been available outside the U.S.,”
TechCrunch reports. However, with the new investment, Realtime is finally launching its developer platform stateside.


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The 2019 Hong Kong Sevens is just around the corner but the campaign launched in February has attracted some cheeky criticism from another agency’s former staff.
Created by Leo Burnett, the campaign for Cathay Pacific was launched in mid-February showcasing a traditional Hong Kong touch. However, former BBDO Worldwide’s executive creative director Frankie Luk said in an Instagram post, “I am so glad you like our idea but I am not happy about the art direction.”
Luk posted a mock-up from BBDO of the idea and the actual work in reality, which is debatably similar to the idea of BBDO’s as all of these ideas were inspired by traditional Hong Kong flavours. At the point of writing, there has not been a response to this public jibe.
Ad creatives have a long history of being protective of their work and thanks to social media, this kind of calling out at perceived copycatting is now a regular occurrence. Marketing has no stance on this matter, however.


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Indeed, the cameras have been seen on the entertainment units of several carriers, though all have said that the cameras were not operational. A spokesperson for United Airlines told Gizmodo in a statement on Monday that the cameras on its units, which it says are only found on United Premium Plus seatbacks, are a standard feature that manufacturers of the system included for possible future purposes such as video conferencing.
As with many other airlines, some of our premium seats have in-flight entertainment systems that came with cameras installed by the manufacturer, the spokesperson said. None of these cameras were ever activated and we had no plans to use them in the future, however we took the additional step to cover the cameras.
Likewise, a Delta Air Lines spokesperson confirmed to Gizmodo that it too is now covering the cameras.
A limited number of Delta in-flight entertainment screens have non-functional cameras, included by the manufacturer, the spokesperson said by email. Though Delta does not have plans to install the necessary software to use them, we have added covers as a visible way to reassure customers.
American Airlines told Gizmodo in a statement that it is reviewing the situation, emphasizing (as other carriers did) that the in-unit cameras on its own planes have never been activated and American is not considering using them.
A minor uproar sparked up around the cameras after a passenger aboard a Singapore Air flight asked the airline in a February tweet to explain how it is used. BuzzFeed News reported later that month that United and Delta planes also have the camera-equipped in-flight devices.
A spokesperson for Panasonic Avionics Corporation, which makes the entertainment units used by United and Delta, did not immediately return a request for comment about the covers being used by the carriers. However, a spokesperson for Panasonic told BuzzFeed News in February that it would never activate any feature or functionality within an IFE system without explicit direction from an airline customer.
“These cameras on our newer IFE systems were provided by the original equipment manufacturers,” the airline said, responding directly to the tweet. “We have no plans to enable or develop any features using the cameras.”
These in-flight cameras are the just latest example of airlines introducing tech—or in this case potential tech—and failing to properly communicate to their customers how or why its there. Another recent example is the JetBlue Airways face recognition fiasco, which, as Gizmodo reported last week, is not limited to JetBlue and is already being used at more than a dozen airports across the country.
Like both Delta and United noted in their statements, the sticker-over-camera system—suggested by a number of Twitter users back in February—is really just a gesture to ensure their customers that they arent being monitored. It is annoying, however, that they didnt do more to curb suspicion about them right out of the gate, perhaps by letting their customers know that they werent operational or communicating what their purpose was, to begin with. But if stickers do the job for peace of mind, then hey, I get it.
What Your Airline Won't Tell You About Those Creepy Airport Face ScannersUnited Airlines CEO Promises They're Working on the Shitty WifiAn Airline Actually Saved a Dog's Life for OnceUnited Airlines Finds Way to Cut Costs That Doesn't Involve Booting Overbooked PassengersUnited CEO Doubles Down, Blames Passenger Who Got His Ass Kicked by Police'Just Kill Me': Horrifying New Video Shows United Passenger Drooling BloodAbout the authorCatie KeckCatie KeckStaff Reporter
United, Delta and American Airlines are taking steps to cover cameras on seat backs after the practice sparked a privacy backlash.
Many consumers were outraged when they learned of the controversial cameras embedded within the entertainment systems of plane seats.
“None of these cameras were ever activated and we had no plans to use them in the future,” a company spokesperson told BuzzFeed News. “However, we took the additional step to cover the cameras.”
It even sparked an inquiry from two US senators who demanded to know what the cameras were being used for and if they were recording unsuspecting passengers.
The mini shooters (like those you’d find above a laptop display) are apparently standard among in-flight entertainment systems, built in by the manufacturer for future uses like seat-to-seat video conferencing.
Delta, United and American Airlines are covering the cameras on seat backs after recent criticisms around privacy. Pictured is a seat back camera on a Singapore Airlines flight
High-tech devices, like in-flight entertainment screens or smart home security systems, have a lot of moving parts. Enough that companies sometimes forget to mention certain bits of hardware.
As with many other airlines, some of our premium seats have in-flight entertainment systems that came with cameras installed by the manufacturer, a United spokesperson told BuzzFeed News.
None of these cameras were ever activated and we had no plans to use them in the future, however we took the additional step to cover the cameras.
The cameras are a standard feature that manufacturers of the system included for possible future purposes such as video conferencing, the spokesperson added.
Some American Airlines aircraft have cameras in their newer seat-back entertainment systems. The company said the cameras werent turned on and that it will cover them
Following backlash over cameras installed in some planes’ seat-back screens, United Airlines reportedly covered the tiny lenses embedded in its premium pews.
A Delta spokesperson told BuzzFeed that it also plans to cover the cameras in order to reassure customers and said it doesnt plan use them.
“These cameras have been disabled on our aircraft,” and there are no plans to develop any features using [them],” the firm promised.
An American Airlines spokesperson also said its cameras werent turned on and that it will install covers on the cameras.
Much of the debate about the seat back cameras was sparked after a traveler posted a tweet questioning a tiny lens spotted on the back of a seat of a Singapore Airlines jet.
Just found this interesting sensor looking at me from the seat back on board of Singapore Airlines, user Vitaly Kamluk tweeted.
Any expert opinion of whether this is a camera? Perhaps @SingaporeAir could clarify how it is used?
In response, Singapore Airlines official Twitter account said the cameras were never turned on and were installed by the original manufacturer.
Larger screens are used in premium passenger classes on Delta flights and all of them come with embedded cameras. The company has since said it will cover up the cameras
Some of the in-flight entertainment systems appear to have been manufactured by Panasonic Avionics, according to Digital Trends.
Panasonic Avionics counts American Airlines, Emirates and Japan Airlines as companies that use the systems, among others.
Panasonic Avionics takes airline passenger privacy very seriously, the company told Digital Trends.
While the company does include cameras as part of its in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems, at no time have these cameras been activated or used in any manner by either Panasonic Avionics or its customers.
The cameras have simply been included to support potential future applications like seat-to-seat video conferencing, the company added.
The controversy surrounding the seat back cameras was enough to attract the attention of US senators Jeff Merkley and John Kennedy, who sent a joint letter to eight US carriers seeking more information about the cameras.
Delta Air Lines, Southwest, Frontier, United Airlines, Spirit, American Airlines, Jet Blue and Alaska Air are among those addressed in the letter.
The last thing passengers need to worry about is the idea that airlines or hackers may be spying on them while they eat their pretzels, Merkley told CNN.
Its time to protect Americans privacy and get rid of hidden cameras and microphones on airplanes.
It comes as airports and airlines have increasingly come under fire for their use of facial recognition at security checkpoints.


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A recent study conducted by Cornell University and Schroders, in collaboration with Mapped in Bangladesh (MiB) and Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) Global Labor Institute (GLI), sheds light on the severe impact of climate change on apparel production hubs, particularly in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Pakistan, and Vietnam.
Titled ‘Climate Resilience and Fashion's Costs of Adaptation, the research unveils alarming projections: by 2030, these regions could suffer a loss of approximately $65 billion in export earnings and close to one million jobs due to climate-induced disruptions such as extreme heat and flooding.
Presenting the study's findings at an event in Dhaka, Jason Judd, Executive Director, GLI, emphasised the necessity for investors to engage with apparel companies and stakeholders. He stressed on the importance of addressing the current gap in risk management strategies, which often neglect adaptation measures crucial for mitigating climate-related risks.
The study delves into the supply chain footprint of six global apparel brands, revealing the profound impact of extreme weather conditions on workers and manufacturers. It highlights the urgent need for social protection mechanisms and climate adaptation finance to safeguard the livelihoods of apparel workers and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
Judd underscored the need for establishing social protection mechanisms and securing climate adaptation finance to shield apparel workers from the impacts of climate change. Furthermore, he called for a collective response, including global and national bargaining, to confront the challenges faced by the apparel sector.
Afshana Choudhury, Lead Operations Officer, MiB, emphasised on the significance of the study's policy implications in navigating the challenges posed by climate change in the fashion industry.
In the ensuing panel discussion, panelists provided diverse perspectives on the implications of the study for the Bangladesh RMG industry. Discussions ranged from economic and operational implications, brand responsibility, and collaborative efforts to address climate challenges, to the significance of labor rights and worker welfare in the face of climate change.
Presided over by Professor Mohammad Mahboob Rahman, Treasurer, BRAC University, the event facilitated engaging discussions on the pressing need for collective action and industry-wide change to confront the looming threats of climate change in the apparel sector.


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Riot Games has been biding its time with the release of Wild Rift. The game’s total launch however doesn’t have a particular day, but the developer has been rolling Wild Rift out in different areas through 2020. And now, the recreation is dwell a little bit before than predicted in Europe.
Europe, Turkey, Russia and CIS, and the Middle East and North Africa were scheduled to get their fingers on the latest cell MOBA feeling on Dec. 10, but it appears to be like like European people ended up in a position to get their palms on Wild Rift earlier than others in the ready queue.
Soon following the European Wild Rift fans commenced reporting that they could down load the video game as a result of Google Participate in and Apple App merchants, admirers from other locations also chimed in to update their position.
Users from Turkey, MENA, and Russia stated the match was obtainable for obtain a number of several hours following it went dwell for the European region. However it appears like the video game is slowly rolling out in these areas, there are nonetheless enthusiasts claiming they really do not see a down load button when they examine out Wild Rift’s Google and Apple Keep webpages.
This could imply that even nevertheless some players might get to have a flavor of Wild Rift as shortly as right now, an official start can continue to happen on Dec. 10, the release working day Riot promised back again in November.
If you’re in a person of the four previously described areas, you can only navigate to the Google Engage in and Apple App Keep to see whether Wild Rift is downloadable for you. You’ll be in a position to login to the activity right after linking your Riot account possibly with your Apple or Google accounts, but the servers’ security may fluctuate.
Looking at this silent launch has took place without having any official statements from Riot, the developer might be hunting to tension examination its servers prior to one of the greater scale releases in the game’s history. Turkey, Europe, Russia/CIS, and MENA are locations with gigantic League of Legends player bases, indicating the demand from customers will probably be drastically larger on Dec. 10.
Any end users from regions without the need of beta entry wanting to obtain the match with VPNs must continue with caution since Riot has been getting rigid measures against gamers who are accomplishing so. Riot has observed a solution in avoiding access to most common VPN solutions, but the standing of the accounts that are still able to entry the beta with other available VPNs stays a thriller.
Make confident to observe us on YouTube for additional esports information and investigation.


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It's probably no surprise to most of you, but Amazon isn't always seen as the most morally upright of companies. It might have helped its founder Jeff Bezos become the third richest man in the world, but not everyone thinks it did so cleanly. In Japan, the Amazon offices have been raided as part of a newly launched anti-trust investigation.
Amazon has been pushing retailers in Japan to offer products at better prices on its website than on competitors, according to Reuters. This would of course be completely in violation of anti-trust law if true, which is why Japanese authorities have now begun an investigation into the company.
No official announcement has been made by Japan's Fair Trade Commission, nor Amazon itself, though a spokesperson for the former organisation did say in a statement that they would not deny that some measure of investigation is ongoing.
Although we'll need to wait for official sources to follow up on this story, this isn't the first time Amazon has been investigated for anti-competitive practices. Last year the European Commission announced it was looking into the way Amazon had dominated the Ebook business. It was also found involved in an Ebook pricing scandal with Apple a few years before.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru Says: As much as Amazon is an extremely useful site, it's no real surprise that it's being sneaky in all sorts of territories. It's hard to become as dominant as it is without bending a few rules.


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In a continued invasion of South African businesses in Nigeria, some Nigerians on Tuesday night invaded the popular Shoprite store in Sangotedo, Lagos state in yet another revenge response to the xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
WATCH VIDEO BELOW...
NigerianEye recalls that several Nigerian-owned businesses were looted by South Africans in new wave of Xenophobic attacks this week.
Several other South African owned businesses in Nigeria - MTN Nigeria and PEP store have also been shut down after angry Nigerians youths invaded them to protest the xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.
NigerianEye recalls that some protesters had earlier stormed another Shoprite store on Lekki-Epe expressway in Lagos state on Tuesday afternoon.
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Encinitas to Buy Pacific View Property from EUSD for $10 Million
After years of off-and-on negotiations, the City of Encinitas and the Encinitas Unified School District have finally come to an agreement on the fate of the 2.8-acre Pacific View property. Last week, Encinitas Councilman Tony Kranz and the Board President of the EUSD, Marla Strich, announced that the city would be purchasing the former school site for $10 million.
The agreed upon sale price is more than double the $4.3 million offer that the City of Encinitas made for the parcel in late 2013. That bid was turned down by the School District, citing a 2012 offer for $7.5 million. That deal ultimately fell through due to zoning issues. The planned sale also comes nearly four years after the EUSD offered the Pacific View property to the city with an identical $10 million price tag in 2009.
Following the announcement of the deal, the EUSD postponed their auction of the Pacific View property which was planned for the beginning of this week. Until more details of the transaction are worked out, the auction has been rescheduled until May 22. This provides the School District with a backup plan in case Encinitas' offer runs into trouble along the way. The biggest issue facing the City of Encinitas is about how they're going to finance the $10 million purchase.
To mitigate the impact on the city's budget, Encinitas is looking at alternative financing options for the property, including seeking crowdfunding for the deal. Made popular by websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, crowdfunding aims to solicit small donations from a large number of individuals and businesses in order to reach financial targets. With the large amount of support in the community for the city's purchase of the Pacific View property, this could be a great opportunity to mitigate some of the impact on the municipality's budget.
The final fate of Pacific View is still up in the air, but the City of Encinitas has stated that it will remain as a public space. Some recent discussions have included turning the aging school into an arts or community center. It will likely still be some time before future plans are set in stone, as the city must allocate or seek out the money needed for any kind of transformation.
At auction, the bidding for the Pacific View property was scheduled to start at $9.5 million. The EUSD had estimated that the final sales price could have reached as high as $14.5 million. The School District has stated that it has no current plans for spending the proceeds from the sale.


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Carriers have resisted unlocking phones and explaining the rules for years. That ended today.
CTIA 2014Stephen Elop echoed Nadella's previously announced company roadmap, explaining Microsoft's desire to conquer digital work and digital home lives.
CTIA 2014Although nothing is imminent, the social network is exploring ways to make payments easier and create ways for consumers to watch Vine videos on wearable devices.
CTIA 2014FCC chairman Tom Wheeler discusses his first year as FCC Chairman at CTIA 2014 in Las Vegas.
CTIA 2014As the mobile industry anticipates a major Apple announcement on September 9, most of us will also have an eye on what happens during CTIA 2014 in Las Vegas.
UpdatedThis is the final fall CTIA show before the big one in Vegas - here's what's going down at this year's gathering.


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Uber Taxi PdfAbout Taxi Pdf
The UberT allows users to request traditional taxis from the Uber App.
Pennsylvania, San Francisco had Uber, Lyft killed taxi driver sue says
The San Francisco taxi medals have had a high value since the emergence of Uber and Lyft. Now, the San Francisco Federal Credit Union, which grants credit to taxi drivers to buy the $250,000 medallion, is pressing charges against the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agent, which says that the travel agent collapsed the taxi industry and turned away from promising to ensure the value of the medallion.
A lawsuit lodged this weekend in San Francisco Superior Court said that the cooperative loan association supported $125 million for more than 700 of the lockets and had to exclude 99 of them, while hundred more riders are trying to hand over their lockets. She is demanding $28 million in compensation and wants the FTA to spend more million on buying back all the locketing.
ESTV "has decided to bury its heads in the mud while the cooperative society and the hard-working medalists are tackled by taxi drivers with all their burdens," said the outfit. The San Francisco and the FTA have no competence for ride-hauling because they are governed at the state as such. Cab operators have long been complaining that the easier state rules allow start-ups to EDM their businesses.
However, other assertions, such as that the FTA did not adhere to special guarantee schemes vis-à-vis the cooperative, could also have more teeth. However, the FTA has not yet done so. According to the action, the municipality received $64 million in revenue from the sales of locket medals supported by it. The medals from San Francisco used to be free and were given to riders after being on a waitinglist for 15 or more years because the overall number was limited.
More than 3,000 have been on the shortlist since medals became available when riders die, retire, become handicapped or lose their driving licences. During 2010, the town began selling $250,000 each of medals to establish "a cash machine" to help with budgetary failures, the garment said. "ESTVG built an exorbitant fortune out of nothing," the garment said - but the scheme was based on locating a creditor to fund locket sales, as most taxi riders couldn't buy $250,000.
While San Francisco turned to a number of creditors and received many refusals, the cooperative finally accepted to support the purchase even though it was worried about the risk. ESTV gave her sensitive information on taxi drivers' incomes, consented to make it easier for them to sell the medals, ensured that the prize would not drop below $250,000, and said it would transfer excluded medals again, the suit said.
By 2012, taxi riders with a medallion could be earning an estimated $9,500 a month per day on their own, as well as hiring their medals and taxis for the second day of the week, the complaint said. By 2016, however, this figure had dropped to $4,500 as revenue from the taxi industry fell and it became "almost impossible to find a second driver" for a second layer.
"Sometimes a taxi rider was fortunate enough to make $50," after spending a 10-hour shift, said the suit. Mm. From 2013, when Lyft and Uber began to gain shares of the markets, CSU began to be concerned and asked the FTA again how it would react. "In 2013, we can' t finance taxi credits if (the FTA) the deal goes down," said Steven Stapp, CEO of CSU, in an e-mail to a fellow member.
During 2016, "the ESTVG repeated its promise to the cooperative to take action to revive the taxi industry," the claim said. Promising measures such as reform of transport legislation, aggressive media advertising of locket packs and the hiring of experts, it never raised them in executive committee sessions, the suit said. Until autumn 2016, 485 medallists were on a waiting queue to hand in their medals; the FTA is to give them 200,000 dollars each, so that medallists could presumably use this cash to reimburse their credits from the Co-operative.


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- 16,205 Posts
T-Mobile merger with Sprint looks more likely as Softbank and Deutsche Telekom agree on sale
Softbank is making an end-run around concerns about a merger of Sprint and T-Mobile US by instead hitting up T-Mobile's parent company Deutsche Telekom. As reported by Japanese news agency Kyodo, Japan-based Softbank has entered into an agreement with Germany-based Deutsche Telekom to buy the latter's ownership stake in US carrier T-Mobile. The US Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice have expressed their concerns about the potential for such consolidation in the US cellular market, and the move by Softbank would likely end up still being heavily scrutinized.
Full story from the iMore Blog...
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Domino’s has released a voice assistant so customers can order pizza by chatting to a bot, an Australian first in the quick serve restaurant industry, the company said.
- IBM: 4 billion online records were leaked in 2016
- Trojan source code leak poised to spur new online banking attacks
- Privacy advocates plan to fight Congress' repeal of ISP privacy rules
- Expert: NY breach report highlights third-party risk
- Industry support is helping Australian cybersecurity startups shake off risk aversion: Austrade


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Iowa breweries join national Black is Beautiful beer initiative supporting racial justice
It was all hands on deck at Ames’ Alluvial Brewing Company on a recent Friday afternoon, as silver cans moved down an assembly line to be filled with stout, labeled, packaged and stacked onto a pallet.
The beer, which boasts the name Black is Beautiful in block letters on its side, will do more than just be enjoyed, according to Alluvial owner Elliot Thompson. It will also help make a difference by raising awareness for “the injustices that many people of color face daily.”
“We wanted to use our platform to keep the conversation (around equality issues and police reform) going, and make sure people are still thinking about it because it’s not going away,” Thompson said. “We all need to do better at thinking every day about how we can do our part to help. For us, this is how we could do that.”
The Black is Beautiful beer is part of a nationwide initiative to bring awareness to equality issues and raise funds to support organizations that work toward equality. It all started with Marcus Baskerville, co-owner and brewer for San Antonio brewery Weathered Souls.
In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Baskerville said he wanted brewers to make a change for justice in their own communities following the death of George Floyd, so he put out a call to brewers across the nation, asking them to brew his stout recipe and donate 100% of the proceeds to “local foundations that support police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged.”
“As someone who has personally dealt with the abuse of power by the police, this recent turmoil the country is facing has hit home for me,” Baskerville said on the Weathered Souls website. “I contemplate how the country can move forward, how we as the people, can create change, and what it will take for everyone to move forward with a common respect for one another. For us, we feel that this is our contribution to a step.”
Shortly after Baskerville put out the call, Thompson answered it.
“I wanted to support (Baskerville’s) vision, brew his beer and bring this message to our community,” he said.
Thompson said he started with the base recipe by Weathered Souls, which was designed to be a moderately high ABV stout to showcase the different shades of black. Then, he started looking for his own twist.
That’s when Thompson reached out to Randolf Bryan of Waterloo for the next steps in the process: finding the perfect additive and canning the beer for to-go sales.
Bryan, who owns both Cedar Falls coffee shop Cottonwood Canyon Coffee and CanUp — a mobile canning line that partners with breweries that lack the space to store or the money to buy machinery and equipment needed to can beer — was happy to help.
The pair used Ethiopian coffee from Bryan’s business to flavor the stout, which Thompson said “is a classic stout with some nice roastiness to it.” The coffee “has a nice, rich flavor that compliments the beer really well.”
“We wanted to support a Black-owned business for it, so it worked out really well,” Thompson said. “So that was our little spin on it.”
Then it was time to start the canning process.
CanUp previously canned beer for Alluvial, since it needed to can its beer in order to sell it while the taproom remained closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. When asked to return to Ames to can the Black is Beautiful beer, they were excited to be a part of the collaboration.
“Obviously, we know what’s been going on right now, and this is just to bring awareness,” Bryan said. “I love what (Alluvial Brewing) is doing, I love the passion they bring, and I love to partner with them.”
Bryan and the rest of CanUp’s team arrived at Alluvial shortly before 11 a.m. on July 24 and, alongside Thompson and other members of Alluvial’s staff, got to work. They packaged 250 four-packs and started selling them online that afternoon.
The four-packs can be purchased online at store.alluvialbrewing.com for $16, or from Alluvial’s taproom for to-go orders only. All proceeds are going to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Ames Black Lives Matter and Des Moines Mutual Aid.
Thompson hopes the community will use it as an opportunity to not only enjoy a new, local beer, but also to have difficult conversations.
“Hopefully it makes people think … we all need to be aware of what is going on and take it seriously,” Thompson said. “As a company, as a family and community, we wanted to show that the brewing community is inclusive and we support each other.
“We chose to be a part of this to continue to draw awareness to the movement and use our platform to stand in solitude.”
Nine other Iowa breweries are currently participating in the initiative: Barn Town Brewing in West Des Moines, Brightside Aleworks in Altoona, Fox Brewing in West Des Moines, Jubeck New World Brewing in Dubuque, Lua Brewing in Des Moines, Pulpit Rock Brewing Co. in Decorah, Singlespeed Brewing Co. in Waterloo, Wise Brewing Company in Le Mars, and Worth Brewing Company in Northwood.


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A couple of weeks ago, Nintendo rolled out system update version 8.0.0 for the Switch, which brought several new features to the console, including the ability to transfer save data between Switch consoles. That appeared to be the highlight of the update at the time, but in the days since the update arrived, some dedicated sleuths have discovered a hugely important addition that wasn’t actually listed in the official changelog.
According to users who looked under the hood of the latest update, Nintendo quietly made it possible for the Switch to overclock its CPU to 1.75GHz in some instances, thus enabling what they refer to as “boost mode.” This new feature has since been found to speed up load times on two of the most popular Switch games.
Over on the GBATemp forums, user Brawl345 claims that the new boost mode, coupled with the 1.6.0 update for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, has cut load times. Loading a save file dropped from 31 seconds to 21 seconds, fast travel dropped from 19 seconds to 11 seconds, and entering a shrine took 7 seconds instead of 10. Super Mario Odyssey, which was recently updated to version 1.3.0, apparently received the same treatment, but Brawl345 didn’t offer up the same details about how much faster the game loaded post-update.
Until Nintendo makes an official announcement about the so-called boost mode, we’ll have to depend on dedicated Switch owners who are willing to test their games after every software update. With that in mind, we’re optimistic that Nintendo will acknowledge the feature in the near future, and tells us which games will be taking advantage of boost mode in months to come. After all, everyone is always on board with shorter load times.


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Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba will invest $1.0 billion in its cloud computing arm to expand its international presence, the company said Wednesday, as it looks outside its core business and beyond traditional markets.
In the beginning, Eric Brewer and Paul Gauthier created Inktomi. And they saw that it was good. In 1996, before anyone spoke the word Google, Brewer and his Berkeley graduate student launched Inktomi to create the first Internet ...
Digital technology and pervasive access to the internet have reshaped many industries, and banking is no exception: Hampden and Co is the latest in a short but growing list of digital-only banks built not of bricks and mortar, ...
Private information would be much more secure if individuals moved away from cloud-based storage towards peer-to-peer systems, where data is stored in a variety of ways and across a variety of sites, argues a University of ...
Hewlett-Packard on Thursday announced a deal to buy business cloud-computing specialty firm Eucalyptus.
If actress Jennifer Lawrence and model Kate Upton knew little about the Internet "cloud," they would not be alone, but the recent theft of their intimate photos has served as a wake-up call.
Google on Tuesday announced that it had bought Zync Render, a service that trims costs of special effects by pushing the work into the Internet "cloud."
IBM announced plans to pump $3 billion into an overhaul of computer chip technology to better meet modern demands of "Big Data" and computing pushed to the Internet "cloud."
Microsoft said Thursday it has partnered with business services software star Salesforce.com as part of its push into the Internet "cloud."
BlackBerry said Wednesday it was building a system to make sense of the maelstrom of information from the "Internet of Things" ranging from cars to appliances and watches.


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Eco-tourism has become something of a buzzword in recent years. Some might be quick to write it off as nothing more than fancy marketing, but the trend toward “green” travel has stayed strong through 2015, with 53% of Americans looking to book green hotels, and interest in environmentally viable and sustainable tourism is likely to grow in 2016 as talks around climate change continue. So where can we expect green travelers to head off to in 2016? Here are our 10 picks for the year ahead.
10. Costa Rica
Let’s start with the tried-but-true Costa Rica. Costa Rica is a recognized leader in ecotourism, often considered a pioneer. The country’s focus on sustainability makes sense because Costa Rica’s tourism industry is heavily centered on its natural resources, including its abundant wildlife, lush mountain ecosystems and its “cloud forests.” Costa Rica’s commitment to green extends outside of the tourism industry, however; in 2007, the country committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2021 and, as of 2015, 93% of the country’s energy needs are met by renewable sources. Environmental taxes act as disincentives to polluting businesses and laws such as the 1996 Forest Law have helped reorient other industries to sustainable development. All of this means that tourists traveling to Costa Rica can feel secure knowing they’ve made an environmentally sound choice.
Two decades ago, Laos was relatively low on the list of international destinations; since the 1990s, however, tourism has grown explosively, from under 100,000 visitors annually to nearly 2 million tourists every year. The relatively quick growth of the industry might lead to concerns about exploitative development and destructive mass tourism, but Laos has also developed a strong orientation toward ecotourism—perhaps fitting for a country that has adopted the slogan “Simply Beautiful.” Luang Namtha, the northernmost province in Laos, is one of the best areas for tourists looking for a trip focused on sustainability: local villages earn alternate income from offering trekking and rafting tours through the biodiverse region around the Nam Ha Protected Area and the Namtha River, which encourages preservation of the environment as an attraction for continued tourism.
Tourism in Cambodia has long been overshadowed by violence in the country. Nonetheless, tourism is the second-most important industry in the self-proclaimed “Kingdom of Wonder,” and is based on 3 key elements. One of those elements is an embarrassment of natural attractions, and nowhere is that more evident than in Koh Kong, the country’s southwestern most province. Located near the border with Thailand, the region embraces part of the Cardamom Mountains and boasts 1 of the largest forests in Southeast Asia. The area also features untouched beaches and pristine waters along its undeveloped coastline. Cambodia’s largest national park, Botum Sakor National Park, is also located in Koh Kong, along with part of the Kirirom National Park. The rugged terrain along the Tatai River has been perfect for developing sustainable tourism aimed at keeping the natural wonders of Koh Kong intact for future generations.
There’s been plenty of discussion about Greenland lately: the country has been named one of Lonely Planet’s top travel destinations for 2016, and much of the country’s frozen landscape seems to be melting at an alarming rate. While that might seem to be a call to travelers to see Greenland before it’s “too late,” Greenland has been working on a better plan: a sustainable tourism industry. Since much of the country’s young tourism industry focuses on experiences like dog-sledding, hiking along glaciers and whale-watching, ensuring that tourism in Greenland is eco-friendly is a must. Natural Habitat’s Base Camp Greenland is one recent eco-friendly initiative; the small-group excursion takes adventurers to a carbon-neutral expedition camp at the eastern edge of Greenland’s ice sheet. While 2016 promises to be a big year for Greenland tourism, that doesn’t mean it can’t be kept green.
While it might be eco-conscious Western tourists who have been a driving force in the development of sustainable tourism, the tourist industries of most Western economies are run on less eco-friendly initiatives. One country that’s pushing toward an increasingly green tourism industry is the Scandinavian country of Norway. One of Norway’s top attractions has always been its environment, most particularly its rugged mountains and stunning fjords. While the remoteness of the fjords has kept them well-protected, so too have Norway’s strict environmental regulations played a role in keeping the iconic Norwegian landscapes pristine. Ensuring a healthy environment extends outside the realm of the tourism industry, and Norway is considered a leader in environmental policy in other industries as well. That means that scenic boat tours, biking through rugged mountain terrain and wondering at the snow-capped mountain vistas of the Norwegian fjords will be activities for future tourists as well.
Botswana gets the short end of the stick when it comes to African tourism; the southern African country is bordered by South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Zambia. In the ecotourism industry, Botswana is often overlooked for Kenya. Botswana, however, has its own charms: about 70% of the country is covered by the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta, 1 of the 7 Natural Wonders of Africa and UNESCO World Heritage Site, is also located in the country. The Chobe Game Reserve is home to a large herd of free-ranging elephants and the Khama Rhino Sanctuary offers guided trekking experiences, while the Central Game Reserve offers up some of southern Africa’s most unspoiled wilderness. In terms of tourism, the industry is small, but growing in Botswana, which means that the country has had time to focus on developing sustainable initiatives.
The Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean, is a chain of 26 atolls that is threatened by rising sea levels. With this in mind, the country has been a leader in green industries, including ecotourism. The government has pledged to make the country carbon neutral by 2019. The islands rely heavily on tourism, which is the largest sector of the economy. Most tourism is driven by the Maldives’ natural beauty, including extraordinary diving opportunities in clear blue waters. The islands are often promoted as a tropical resort getaway, and white sand beaches and sports like surfing and scuba diving are popular. Government policies have aimed to reduce damage to sensitive coral reefs and to make stricter laws for waste disposal, while resorts themselves have focused on recapturing wasted energy and recycling heat.
The Seychelles is a 115-island country located off the east coast of the African continent. Tourism is the primary industry in the economy and has been since the late 20th century. Since the mid-1990s, however, the government has moved to ensure that tourist development doesn’t come at the expense of the islands’ natural environment. This has included capping the number of beds in some of the most popular destinations, such as La Digue. The islands contain a number of unique ecosystems and are home to a host of diverse plants and animals, some of which live on only 1 or 2 islands. While Seychellois culture is coming to value environmental protection, the nation is not currently committed to clean energy or a carbon-neutral plan; time will tell if the environmental conscience of the tourism industry spreads to other sectors of the economy.
Tourism in Kenya has always been driven by its natural attractions; in recent years, visitors have been attracted to coastal beaches and game reserves, such as the expansive East and West Tsavo National Park. The country boasts 19 such national parks and game reserves, the Great Rift Valley and a stunning view of Mount Kilimanjaro. Best known for its savannas, Kenya is still most popular for safaris, but you can also visit coral reefs on the coast, along with rainforests and deserts. Ecotourism Kenya, a watchdog organization, keeps an eye on tourism and rates accommodations based on their environmental policies. Most safari outfitters now offer eco-friendly options for visitors, and many of them ensure they give back to or work on behalf of the local people, thus working toward sustainability in the industry.
1. New Zealand
New Zealand is a major destination for travelers who seek adventure; the wild, untamed and often rugged landscape offers excellent opportunities for almost all outdoor activities, from hiking to trekking to mountain climbing to surfing and diving. Given that tourism focuses largely on the natural environment, it’s little wonder that New Zealand is also invested in protecting its natural assets—the country has committed to becoming carbon neutral and markets itself as a “clean, green” playground for adventurers. The country has developed numerous walking and hiking trails, such as the internationally recognized Milford Track and the Te Araroa Trail, which spans the country. In line with the country’s presentation of itself, ecotourism initiatives have been on the rise, although there is some concern about tourism being a carbon-intensive industry, as many visitors travel huge distances to reach this remote country.


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Walmart steps up e-commerce investment with cross-border commerce and NFT projects
walmart is strengthening its e-commerce operations on multiple fronts via cross-border trade, metaverse investments and a new executive. The retail giant has announced that it is encouraging Indian retailers to join its US market, while CNBC reported that the company plans to create its own cryptocurrency and collection of NFTs. The Wall Street Journal announced that Tom Ward, currently Senior Vice President of Last Mile, will take over as President and CEO of US Ecommerce in February 2022.
The invitation to Indian retailers will initially only include a select number of participants, adding to existing merchants, including Delphi Leather India, Mahi Exports, Touchstone gems and jewelry and Welspun. India is already one of Walmart’s top sourcing markets, and the retailer’s new focus is to sell $10 billion of goods from the country each year by 2027.
A dedicated cross-border trade team has been set up in India to help sellers integrate and grow on the platform. The team will also help Indian sellers meet standards for creating new international product lines and improve their packaging, marketing and supply chain management capabilities.
Additionally, some sellers may use Walmart’s fulfillment services to take advantage of Walmart’s US warehousing and delivery infrastructure. The platform includes tools to help streamline operations and manage promotions and reviews. Walmart will also work with sellers to provide them with U.S. customer information, global supply chain best practices and business planning strategies.
Walmart’s metaverse plans would include cryptocurrency and NFT collection, says CNBC. The company filed several new trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in late December 2021 for the production and sale of virtual goods, including electronics, home decor, toys, sporting goods and personal care products. A virtual currency and NFTs were included in another folder; a total of seven applications were submitted.
walmart said CNBC that it “continually explores how emerging technologies may shape future shopping experiences,” but declined to comment on specific trademark filings. “We are constantly testing new ideas,” the company said. “Some ideas become products or services that reach customers. And some we test, iterate and learn.
Regardless of whether (or when) the Metaverse plans materialize, Walmart’s digital operations will have a new leader in the person of Tom Ward, according to an internal memo seen by The Wall Street Journal. Current President and CEO of US Ecommerce, Casey Carl, is expected to leave at the end of February, just over a year after taking office.
Ward currently leads Walmart’s omnichannel efforts, which include using stores as last-mile hubs. He is currently overseeing the plan to expand the InHome delivery service to 30 million households in 2022 as the retail giant hires more than 3,000 brings together delivery drivers and equips them with a fleet of electric delivery vans.


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Sancus (IOM) has been invited to join the Finance Isle of Man team at The Master Investor show at London’s Business Design Centre on 6th April 2019.
News : Blog
We were delighted to support a range of businesses, institutions and individuals over a variety of sectors across the UK, Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man last year.
It is now January 2019 and as I currently write this article, the UK has less than three months before it leaves the EU.
The official launch of Sancus in Ireland was held at Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club on January 16th.
Sancus were delighted to be selected to contribute to the recently published Gibson Strategy report about the private wealth sector in Jersey.
The Sancus Team in Jersey recently celebrated their fifth anniversary with a party at their offices.
Sancus welcomes a blog post from Julie Barry at RIFT, discussing R&D tax credits and how they could benefit your business.
Bank statements please, Balance Sheet please, weekly shopping list please.
The UK is the 9th largest industrial nation in the world, supported by highly technical manufacturing and exceptional quality output and accounts for 45% of all UK Exports.


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Dos Equis retiring its 'Most Interesting Man in the World'
After roughly nine years, the brewer of Dos Equis beer has decided maybe the world's reigning "Most Interesting Man" isn't so interesting anymore.
As a result, the tan, suave, impressively bearded "Most Interesting Man in the World" is about to embark on his final journey over the next few months before fading into the pantheon of advertising icons.
But the man, who jaunts around the world on enviable adventures while often surrounded by beautiful women, certainly made life more interesting — and successful — for the previously under-the-radar Mexican beer brand.
Dos Equis, owned by Amsterdam-based brewer Heineken, nearly tripled its business since the campaign was introduced, says Andrew Katz, vice president of marketing for Dos Equis. In the past year alone, sales of Dos Equis Lager Especial grew 10.2% to $325.3 million in the 52 weeks ended Jan. 24, says market research firm IRIWorldwide. The number of cases Dos Equis shipped between 2007 and 2015 grew by 34.8%, according to the company. Heineken estimates that about 25% of its future growth will come from the Dos Equis brand, helped by its appeal to the growing population of Latino men.
Though the specific character played in TV ads by veteran actor Jonathan Goldsmith, 77, won't be back, another equally interesting and likely younger man will take his place, Katz says. Dos Equis plans to revamp the popular commercials in order to keep their edge for a new generation of customers.
"Culture has changed very dramatically" since the commercials debuted, Katz says. "Our Millennial drinker has changed quite dramatically, and the competition has only exploded with the advent of craft (beer). We just want to make sure that the (Most Interesting Man) story evolves."
Jonathan Goldsmith reflects on being 'Most Interesting Man in the World'
Besides catapulting a relatively small brand into the minds of beer drinkers, the Man developed a cult following. The campaign debuted regionally in 2007 and went national in 2009, quickly taking over the Internet and pop culture by inspiring Most Interesting Man Halloween costumes and endless memes riffing on The Man's tagline, "I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis."
Fans have co-opted the phrase to relate to even the most mundane life events: "I don't always finish a bottle of shampoo, but when I do, I leave it in the shower for the next two months." Numerous compilations have sprung up to chronicle the myriad one-liners that explain what makes the Most Interesting Man so interesting. Sample: "Sharks have a week dedicated to him" and "Presidents take his birthday off."
Goldsmith tells USA TODAY that the character has succeeded for a simple reason: He "made millions of people smile over these many years," he says. "There is a real connection with the fun and authenticity of the character, which I portray with the same joy and passion that is part of my own life."
The best Most Interesting Man in the World quotes over the years
And he has sold millions of dollars worth of suds. The character was hatched as the craft-beer craze was emerging, helped later by the genre's appeal to Millennials. Sales by the case of craft brews increased 11.5% in the 52 weeks ended Jan. 24, while domestic beer case sales grew just 0.6% in the same period, according to IRIWorldwide.
Working in Dos Equis' favor, though, is that imported beers are also becoming more popular, with case sales up 9.7% in the past year. Within the category, Dos Equis sold 8.1% more cases of its Lager Especial than in the previous 52-week period and was the fourth most popular beer behind Heineken, Modelo Especial and Corona Extra.
Mexican beers are responsible for much of the growth in imported beer because "they are oftentimes considered more premium and appeal to both the growing Hispanic-American population and consumers looking for a slice of paradise," according to a report out from Euromonitor last year. "Mexican beers have an aura of vacation and relaxation that appeals to many U.S. consumers."
What has made Dos Equis ads so successful is that they are both unexpected and aspirational, says Allen Adamson, a marketing expert and founder of Brand Simple Consulting. Dos Equis created a character "every guy wants to grow up and be like," Adamson says. "They went out and did something quirky. It has broken through and helped Dos Equis go from a regional brew to a big brand."
Battle between big beer and craft beer escalates
Dos Equis is releasing almost no details about the new campaign, only that a different actor will take over as Most Interesting Man later this year. The ads will keep their core identity, though.
Dos Equis knows that change can be divisive, which is why the brand along with the creative agency behind the ads, Havas, have spent the last year and a half thinking about the campaign's next move, says Jim Hord, Havas' executive creative director. The first potential hazard: "I think people see the character and Jonathan as the same person," he says. "Hopefully as we evolve the campaign, they’ll get over that."
But first, Dos Equis will ride Goldsmith's departure for the next several months. The brand has plans for a social media campaign leading up to Cinco de Mayo using the hashtag #adiosamigo and will distribute life-size cardboard cutouts of Goldsmith to grocery stores and bars for fans to pose with. The brand will also give customers the chance to win some of the Most Interesting Man's possessions, like his mariachi suit, plus a grand prize trip to Mexico. Then, it will be time to move on.
"We’re viewing this as an opportunity to bring new users along with us," Katz says. "To bring younger drinkers into the franchise who can better relate to a different Most Interesting Man in the World."


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General Company for the Auto Industry Begins to Erect Machines and Equipment, Production Lines Assemble and Manufacture Cars
|January 11, 2013||Filled under Iraq Daily News|
BAGHDAD / With: announced Adnan Ahmed demure director of the General Company for the automotive industry Jabbar and the Ministry of Industry and Minerals for start erecting machines and equipment production lines strategic impulse global compilation and automobile manufacturing saloon to be the transition from assembling automotive components half disassembled to stage assembling and manufacturing components disassembled fully.
Stressed demure according to a statement the Information Office of the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, said his company is serious about achieving ambitious government and citizen industry Iraqi vehicle, adding that the opening of production lines strategy for this great project will be the end of the first quarter of 2013 with production capacity of 120 / / A saloon car annually.
The qualities different will step toward entering Iraq within states collected and processed for cars. noted “that the continued support of the government and the Ministry of Industry and Minerals has had a big role in achieving this success industrial and economic important which will earn a financial return for the country contributes to the development of the national economy in terms of resettlement of capital Iraqi and attracting international investments.”
That the project will provide jobs and other jobs related to the auto industry Cyrus after-sales service and maintenance.
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Amazon is still raking in the cash, but its slower than expected customer growth in its web services offerings and a weaker than expected sales outlook for the holiday season shook investor confidence and caused the stock to slide around 5 percent in after-hours trading.
Profits for the company continued to soar, reaching $2.9 billion, or $5.75 per share, up from $2.5 billion in the second quarter, and handily beating analysts’ estimates of $3.14 per share. Those earnings were offset by slower revenue growth at $56.6 billion versus the $57.1 billion analysts had expected.
Potentially more worrying for investors were the figures that Amazon predicted for the all-important holiday fourth quarter. The company said it was expecting $66.5 billion to $72.5 billion in sales, versus analyst estimates of somewhere around $73.8 billion for the giant e-commerce company.
Sales from Amazon Web Services also likely weighed on investors’ minds. The company managed to just about hit analyst expectations, with sales from Web Services coming in at around $6.7 billion, but that number indicates that growth for AWS is slowing.
The company, never afraid of taking big swings on new products and services, launched a new family of devices in September (that included integrations for Alexa with pretty much everything but the kitchen sink).
Those Alexa-enabled devices continue to be a bright spot for the company, and one that will hopefully lead to higher sales during the holiday season. Alexa-enabled home devices now include 20,000 gadgets from 3,500 brands — including, somewhat inexplicably, the AmazonBasics Microwave.
Amazon Web Services weren’t the only area that showed slowing growth, with international sales also slowing seeing $15.5 billion in sales versus analyst expectations of $16.5 billion in international revenue.
Amazon’s predictions for the fourth quarter would mean sales growth of somewhere between 10 percent and 20 percent. That’s a lower rate than the 30 percent growth rate the company enjoyed in the fourth quarter last year. Meanwhile, revenue predictions for the fourth quarter would be flat on an annual basis, which is something that investors don’t love.
Ultimately, the company said it was seeing good cost performance as it wrings more out of the existing customers that it has despite facing headwinds coming from its commitment to increase compensation among some hourly workers to $15 per hour.
Both Amazon’s Prime service and AWS continue to be the gifts that keep on giving for the company.
Amazon announced earlier in the year that it had snagged more than 100 million members. After hitting that milestone, the company summarily raised the price of a subscription.
The company continues to push hard into offline retail, expanding its Amazon Go store and opening a new four-star store in New York.


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Beyond Meat has added another victory to their long list of conquests.
Subway is now on board with the meatless meat trend, and the sub chain will be testing Beyond Meat’s product.
Subway and Beyond Meat are working together to offer a meatless version of Subway’s popular meatball marinara sub. The meatless version of the sub will be available at 685 participating locations across the US and Canada starting in September. Subway’s chief brand and innovation officer released a statement saying, “Subway appeals to so many fans because we truly offer something for everyone. Our guests want to feel good about what they eat and they also want to indulge in new flavors… With our new plant-based Beyond Meatball™ Marinara sub, we are giving them the best of both worlds. And, we are particularly excited about debuting a co-developed product that can’t be found anywhere else: the Beyond Meatball™ made just for Subway.”
As Subway jumps aboard the meatless meat bandwagon, NPD data has revealed that 70% of meat-eaters substitute their meat for a non-meat protein once a week. Subway cited this fact and boasted that their new partnership with Beyond Meat will give customers over 2 billion sandwich options. The news has been well received by the markets, as shares of Beyond Meat were up 4% during pre-market trading on the news. Beyond Meat has been expanding aggressively during 2019, and investors have been eating the company’s stock right up. Shares in Beyond Meat are now up 545% since its IPO was launched.


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Coronavirus: Big action by Modi government! Prices of masks, sanitisers fixed - Check rates | Don't pay more than this
Amid rising number of cases of coronavirus in India, Modi government has taken a big action! Government has capped prices of hand sanitisers and masks. And, States/UTs have been asked to maintain essential supplies.
Taking an important action amid corona crisis, Government has issued orders to cap the retail prices of hand sanitizers at Rs. 100 per bottle of 200 ml.
Retail prices of surgical mask (3 ply) shall not be more than Rs. 10 and that of mask (2 ply) shall not be more than Rs. 8 per piece.
Melt Blown non-Woven Fabric used in manufacturing face masks (2 ply and 3 ply) have also been capped at the prices prevailing a month ago, as on February 12, 2020.
The Secretary, Consumer Affairs, Food & Civil Supplies, Pawan Agarwal told a news conference that notification in this regard has been issued. Both these items have already been included in the Essential Commodities Act, he added.
Agarwal said distilleries have been asked to ramp production of Ethyl Alcohol and provide them to manufacturers of deodorant sprays so that there is no shortage of hand sanitizers.
The Secretary said there is no shortage of Essential Commodities such as foodgrains and appealed the common people not to go for panic buying.
He said States/UTs have been advised that transport of essential supplies including food and hygiene products must be maintained.
Necessary directions have been issued to ensure that couriers of ecommerce platforms are allowed to supply essential items without hassle.
Besides, the States and Consumers can also avail of Consumer Helpline to act swiftly against hoarding, shortages and other malpractices.
After declaring face masks and hand sanitisers under essential commodities, the government has now fixed the prices of these items, Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan has said in a tweet. He said that since the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), the Indian market has seen a huge surge in the prices of various face masks and hand sanitizers. Therefore, the government has fixed the prices of two-ply and three-ply surgical masks and hand sanitizers.
Paswan said, "Under the Essential Commodities Act, the prices of fabric used two-ply and three-ply surgical masks will remain the same as it was on February 12, while the retail prices of three-ply masks will be at Rs 8 per mask and not exceed Rs 10."
The Union Minister said, "The retail price of a 200 ml bottle of hand sanitizer will not exceed Rs 100. Other sizes of bottles will also be priced in the same proportion. These prices will be applicable throughout the country till June 30, 2020."
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The RCN has launched a new online course to help nursing staff protect skin health.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, skin health has become a key concern, while a recent RCN survey revealed that 93% of nursing staff had experienced a skin condition in the previous 12 months.
The online module offers detailed information about dermatitis – a serious skin condition, which could mean you need to take time off work. The course informs users about the structure of skin, and factors such as moisture, incorrect glove use and exposure to irritants, which can cause skin concerns. It also explores the signs of dermatitis, how to prevent it, and the responsibilities of employers to protect the skin health of their nursing staff.
RCN National Officer Kim Sunley said: “Employers have a legal duty to assess and take measures to protect staff from developing work-related skin conditions. This online learning module will inform nursing staff of their rights regarding skin health and help them to spot the signs of skin conditions that could compromise personal and patient safety.”
The interactive resource is open to all nursing staff across the UK, including those who are not RCN members. It has been created in collaboration with Mölnlycke and SC Johnson Professional.


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We’re thrilled to reveal the VR Challenger League presented by Intel and Oculus, a brand new competitive VR gaming league featuring two exciting VR titles – “The Unspoken” and “Echo Arena”. The competition will feature a prize pool of over $200,000 and includes multiple stops at key esports events around the world, eventually concluding with the grand finals in 2018.
You’ll be able to qualify for the offline events by taking part in the online competitions which are set to start on July 12th on ESL Play. On top of the VR Challenger League qualifiers, you’ll also be able to challenge yourself in our weekly ESL Play cups, where you can compete for weekly points and prize money. Create an ESL Play account today so that you’ll be prepared once we announce the qualifier details and weekly cups in the near future.
Insomniac’s The Unspoken will lead players into a world of spellcasting where they face up against opposing mages in dynamic 1v1 duels. Cast powerful spells and utilize the destructible environment to gain an advantage over your opponents on your way to becoming an unrivaled arch-mage. You can find more insights into the classes, spells and maps on the official website.
The second title of the VR Challenger League will be Echo Arena, Ready At Dawn Studios’ face-paced multiplayer action title set in outer space. The game will be released on July 20th as a free download for all Oculus Rift owners and you can keep an eye on new gameplay reveals as they become available on their website.
We’re excited to take the first steps into competitive VR esports and can’t wait to get the VR Challenger Series underway. To keep up to date with the latest news, updates and information, be sure to follow VR Challenger on Twitter and Facebook. And don’t forget to check out the VR Challenger League website.


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Kathy Gibson reports from Huawei Connect in Shanghai – Times are tough and, while disruption brings a raft a challenges, there are many opportunities as well.
This is the word from Dr Vishal Sikka, CEO of Infosys, who says companies need to re-invent themselves, but shouldn’t underestimate the difficulty of doing this.
“Business leaders often ask me what is going on around us,” Sikka says. “What we are seeing is a very profound, very deep connectedness. Everything is becoming connected, creating an environment where things are becoming services.
“As a result of that, the service-enabling of everything, the experience of our customers and employees is becoming paramount. So the environment means we have to focus on service.”
This is happening because of the constant evolution of technology. Sikka points out that Moore’s Law holds true 50 years after being promulgates, and will continue to hold true for years to come. “Our brains are wired in a way that find exponential growth difficult to comprehend. But if you think about the price/performance of technology.”
The advances in technology are creating an opportunity to disrupt existing businesses faster than ever before, more cheaply and more efficiently. But it also means that new threats can emerge faster than ever before.
“So how do we deal with this? How do we work in these times?” Sikka asks.
He believes companies need to have a dual strategy: being better – renew the core business; being different – innovation into new businesses. This duality of renewal and new need to be built on a foundation of culture
Renew is about being better, and technology offers opportunities to simplify and improve existing business. This can be done with automation and operational excellence; landscape modernisation through cloud and openness; and freeing up capacity for grassroots innovation.
Huawei and Infosys offer a number of services in this area, including BES, mainframe, app, data and digital modernisation.
Being different is about doing completely new things – attract new customers with new products and services, using new business models.
This involves rapid prototyping, open platform and open workplaces. “We don’t even have the vocabulary for this,” Sikka says.
Breaking into new areas of business means companies have to find ways to solve problems, and turn data in to knowledge.
Business renewal needs to be done on a foundation of culture, Sikka adds. This means companies need to focus on collaboration, education and training. He recommends that design thinking be employed as a way of doing this.


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Digital advertising raises billions each year. But the industry involves widespread lawbreaking, privacy violations, and the concentration of power among a few large tech companies, according to a recent report conducted on behalf of the European Commission.
Since the first banner ad appeared nearly thirty years ago, digital advertising has come to dominate the web. Now tech companies share hundreds of data points about the average person every day across a complex ecosystem of buyers, sellers, and intermediaries.
“Towards a more transparent, balanced and sustainable digital advertising ecosystem” is a 274-page report by law firm AWO, published on 30 Jan. The report explores many of the problems in digital advertising and recommends three solutions to rebalance power in the system.
Here’s a look at the report and an outline of the recommendations—followed by a reminder that no individual company has to remain a part of the problem.
The Scale of the Problem
The report notes myriad issues with digital advertising, many of which relate to data protection and privacy.
The authors note that there is a “robust” EU framework for regulating the processing of personal data under the GDPR and strict requirements around cookie consent under the ePrivacy Directive.
Taken together, these two laws should—in theory—ensure that advertising companies only use personal data for limited purposes and with people’s informed, freely-given and unambiguous consent.
But the “rapidly changing and complex nature of personal data processing” in the digital advertising context can present “barriers to effective enforcement”.
There have been numerous EU court and regulatory decisions against players in the digital marketing industry. Despite this, the report suggests that unlawful and harmful advertising practices remain common.
Impact on People
Digital advertising has significant implications for people’s privacy, autonomy, and self-determination, according to the report.
The authors cite a 2022 study by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), which suggested that “real-time bidding” (RTB) in online advertising exposes the average European’s personal data 376 times a day.
This ICCL report also found that over a thousand European companies receive personal data from Google and that there is “no way to restrict the use of RTB data after it is broadcast”. Advertising data has been used to profile Black Lives Matter protestors and enable warrantless surveillance by the US government.
The use of “special category” (sensitive) data is common in digital advertising. Information about people’s sexuality, philosophical beliefs, and medical history is commercially available to advertisers.
A particularly stark example is the dating app Grindr, which was fined €6.5 million by the Norweigan data protection authority (DPA) for sharing special category data for advertising purposes without properly requesting consent.
As well as requesting consent in an invalid way, publishers and intermediaries often rely on their “legitimate interests” to process personal data without permission.
Relying on legitimate interest for some processing purposes is recommended under an ads industry standard known as the Transparency and Consent Framework 2.0 (TCF 2.0), published by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). The Belgian DPA declared this practice unlawful last February.
But even when giving consent, people can suffer “consent or privacy fatigue”. The report highlights a study by the Norweigan Consumer Council, which showed how Meta, Google, and Microsoft employ manipulative design to increase consent rates.
People might also consent to the use of their data for digital advertising without appreciating the consequences. Few people understand the complex and large-scale data processing techniques used to generate ads and trade advertising space.
Intermediaries, Platforms, Advertisers, and Publishers
The report explores the interrelated roles of intermediaries, platforms, advertisers and publishers in delivering ads.
In simple terms:
- Publishers sell space to display ads on properties they own.
- Advertisers pay to have their ads published.
- Intermediaries supply advertising technology (adtech) to help buy and sells ads and measure effectiveness.
Big platforms such as Google and Meta can act both as publishers and intermediaries, providing both the technology to facilitate advertising and the media via which to display it. Around 40-60% of ad spend reportedly goes to such platforms.
The dominance of “big tech” in the digital advertising ecosystem can have harmful effects on advertisers, publishers, and smaller intermediaries.
According to the report, in 2020, Alphabet (Google’s parent company) advertising revenues for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region were higher than the EU’s top 12 publishers combined.
The power of these big players in the advertising ecosystem means that advertisers and publishers feel a “sense of dependency”, describing an “abusive”, “aggressive” or “love/hate” relationship with big tech firms.
Big Changes Ahead
There are many upcoming changes to the digital advertising landscape, both in terms of the EU’s legal framework and the practices of big platforms.
Google’s “Privacy Sandbox” initiative proposes to eliminate third-party cookies from the ad ecosystem altogether, which could further consolidate the company’s market dominance.
Apple’s “App Tracking Transparency” framework forced third-party developers to request consent for cross-contextual tracking of users and had a major impact on many other market participants (most notably Meta).
This trend indicates that the industry is beginning to move away from cookies and mobile advertising IDs.
A suite of new and upcoming EU legislation could also have a major impact on digital advertising, including the Digital Service Act (DSA), Digital Markets Act (DMA), and the ePrivacy Regulation.
However, the report suggests that digital advertising will likely remain problematic without further legislative changes.
Three Recommendations to Fix Digital Advertising
The report suggests that three changes should be considered to solve the problems in the digital advertising ecosystem.
Legitimate Interests for Advertisers
The first proposal is to allow publishers and advertisers to rely on “legitimate interests” to collect their customers’ personal data.
There are some caveats:
- Advertisers and publishers would only be allowed to rely on legitimate interests in the “limited circumstances” that they have a direct relationship with the customer.
- The principles of purpose limitation and proportionality would apply.
Such a move would enable some companies to use personal data for advertising without consent. But the report also recommends the creation of a “single interface” to enable people to indicate their preferences across the entire web.
Such global consent interfaces exist already—for example, the Global Privacy Control (GPC), recognition of which is already mandatory under California law.
Intermediaries as Processors Only
The second proposal is to limit the role of intermediaries to data processors—to prohibit them from acting as controllers.
Intermediaries do not have a direct relationship with customers. This means customers can’t realistically learn who is processing their personal data and how to exercise their rights.
If forced to act only as processors, intermediaries would only be able to act on the instructions of publishers and advertisers.
Under this system, intermediaries would only be entitled to process personal data to help meet a publisher or advertiser’s objectives, in a manner determined by the publisher or advertiser.
This could help rebalance power within the digital advertising industry.
New Rules for Gatekeepers
The third proposal would restrict the activities of “gatekeepers”.
Gatekeepers are defined under the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) as companies with at least €7.5 billion annual EU turnover providing core platform services to at least 45 million monthly EU users (for the previous three calendar years in each case).
(Think Google, Amazon, Meta, Apple, and Microsoft.)
The report notes that there is a clear imbalance of power between gatekeepers and individuals. Gatekeepers can unilaterally change their terms and can process data in a non-transparent manner.
This suggests that “consent” might never be an appropriate legal basis for processing by gatekeepers. As such, the report suggests considering a ban on “tracking for the purposes of advertising by gatekeepers”.
This move could fundamentally change the nature of digital advertising.
The Solution Already Exists
The systemic solutions described above would help reshape the digital advertising industry.
But many of the digital advertising issues identified in the report relate to non-compliance and under-enforcement.
Yet enforcement is increasing. Most of the largest GDPR and ePrivacy fines of all time concern cookies and consent. Several EU DPAs have taken proactive “cookie sweeps” to root out advertising non-compliance.
And the public is increasingly uncomfortable with the status quo. For example, a study by the consumer group Which? found that “the vast majority of participants were ‘not comfortable’ with the idea of third-party cookies collecting data without explicit consent”.
Proper implementation of the existing rules would give people real transparency and choice about how their personal data is used.
No company is forced to participate in the harmful ecosystem described in this article. Any organisation can take action today to better respect people’s privacy and data rights.