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The Ultimate Guide To Cara Cloud Mining Bitcoin
When the economy realizes that Bitcoins available provide is even less than the mined coins in circulation and that it will never reach the entire supply that can be mined, lack will drive the price much higher.As of premature 2018, this infographic by Nicholas Rapp of Fortune exemplifies the breakdown of the current Bitcoin source and also the article is a good read featuring a new study of missing Bitcoins:According to new study from Chainalysis, an electronic forensics firm that studies the bitcoin blockchain, 3.79 million bitcoins are gone for good based on a top estimateand 2.78 million based on a low one.
Thus, this factor will play a positive role for the longer term.Factor # 3 Lightening NetworkBitcoins lightening network, though advancing, is still in Beta. More and more nodes are running Bitcoins lightening network to make Bitcoin transactions quicker and the prices significantly lower. Once all the technical challenges settled and the network fully functional, Bitcoin cost will significantly benefit as Bitcoins intrinsic worth will increase.Bitcoin Price May Reach 50,000 USD in 2019 Based on the Price ChartBitcoin price has the potential to achieve 50,000 USD in 2019 But for that to happen from a cost perspective, we need to find the following:Bitcoin price has to Cross Above 8500 USD and quicklyBitcoin should remain above the 5000 to 5500 USD support.
Note that the graph below is a log graph, these charts are great for cryptocurrencies in general since their movements are fast and the Rates are volatile so a log graph is the very best to appreciate the movement and tune off volatility and noise. TOP CRYPTOCURRENCIES TO BUY: Which best crypto tips are flashing a BUY signal now Which to prevent top notch guidance on how to play the grand bull market in crypto out of InvestingHaven's research team, only for $2 per week. Crypto & Blockchain investing service >.
The previous month of 2018 has started and BTC is still on its downtrend. The main reason precisely what the crypto folks are pointing out to is not getting a green light in the SEC regarding the BTC ETF. But, 2019 is what the crypto enthusiasts are looking ahead. Even NASDAQ, the second biggest stock exchange in the world has also vowed to launch Bitcoin futures in the first half of 2019.
Indicators on Cara Cloud Mining Bitcoin You Should Know
One of Bloomberg's column stated there is a possibility that FUD(Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) might loom over crypto space in 2019, where Barry Ritholtz predicted the prediction by experts wrong and absurd. Inspite of that also, analysts and enthusiasts maintained their hopes . Mike Novogratz said explicitly he thinks there is going to be big adaption in 2019,2020 because he thinks there'll be more participation from people in the blockchain space.Now that the state government of Ohio has announced that it's going to accept tax payments in BTC wherein the government has partnered with Bitpay to make this happen conveniently so the bitcoins can be converted into dollars on behalf of their tax office.
BlockTower Capital, the main force in the crypto kingdom made a bet on Bitcoin a year past recently made a bullish statement on Bitcoin's price. Michael Bucella, a partner at BlockTower mentioned that the recent dry spell running in crypto distance and volatility may be the current scenario that is pulling it down but the distress cycle may come to an end quite soon as the institutional players have voiced their ardent interest in purchasing cryptocurrencies. .
Bitcoin is her comment is here the most popular cryptocurrency, dominating the crypto space with its blockchain technology and its scarcity. Bitcoin was created in 2009 by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, who might be an individual or a group of people. It functions on a peer to peer network, in which no intermediaries are involved.
It is gaining adoption and a number of people have begun using BTCs in real time, like buying a Lamborghini or even buying a mansion. It is easy in addition to advanced. Once you understand the technology behind it, you will definitely embrace the beauty of this digital currency.
The smart Trick of Managed Account Solutions That Nobody is Discussing
Bitcoin prices are fluctuating. It's trading at explanation $3909.89 from the all time of $20000. The ever-fluctuating Bitcoin made many involved in the price forecast of Bitcoin.
Since the market is experiencing volatile conditions, we must back up the prediction with the marketplace specialists, who've been in the mind and heart of the cryptocurrency marketplace.
John McAfee, the founder of the popular McAfee software and an ardent Bitcoin follower predicted that Bitcoin will strike $1 million by 2020 following past years prediction of $7000 that was nicely surpassed.


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Columnist Ben Bajarin, writing for TechPinions: The big story is customer satisfaction with AirPods is extremely high. 98% of AirPod owners said they were very satisfied or satisfied. Remarkably, 82% said they were very satisfied. The overall customer satisfaction level of 98% sets the record for the highest level of satisfaction for a new product from Apple. When the iPhone came out in 2007, it held a 92% customer satisfaction level, iPad in 2010 had 92%, and Apple Watch in 2015 had 97%. Bajarin notes that the site surveyed 942 AirPods customers.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.

domain: news


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This competition is now closed for 2024 entries. We will announce the winner in the upcoming months, so watch this space
We have exciting news for budding entrepreneurs and local businesses in the East Midlands.
After a successful year in 2023, we again invite small businesses to participate in the Hatch competition for a chance to win six weeks of rent-free retail space at Derbion.
The winning business will also receive free marketing support from Derbion to help boost brand awareness and grow its brand.
Interested entrepreneurs have until Sunday, March 17, to submit their applications through the button below (or click here). Following a pitch process, the lucky winner will be announced in April, and the winning business will open the doors to its rent-free space at Derbion in the months following.
This marks the fifth year of Derbion’s Hatch competition, which launched in 2019 and has since achieved remarkable success. Notably, Design 44, one of the past winners, continues to operate successfully at the centre. The initiative has also proven to be a game-changer for finalists and local brands like 1NE, Project D, and The Hair Repair Club, offering them a physical presence in a busy shopping centre, alongside offering finalists including Katie Astle and Spirit Crystals the opportunity to open pop-up stores over the festive period and beyond.
Don’t miss this chance to take your business to new heights with Derbion’s Hatch competition! Submit your applications before 17th March 2024 and seize the opportunity to join the ranks of successful entrepreneurs who have thrived through this transformative initiative.
Entries for the Hatch competition close on Sunday 17 March at 11 pm, with the winner announced in April 2024


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MTN Zambia has announced the migration of its Mobile Money platform and a new focus on mobile banking in Zambia in order to increase value to its customers.
According to Amon Jere, Chief Sales and Distribution Officer for MTN Zambia, the migration will introduce new functionalities to better support the expansion of Mobile Money products and services.
“In today’s fast paced world, the two key words in any business transaction are time and security,” he said, “MTN Zambia is focused and committed to harnessing advancements made in mobile technology to deliver digital solutions aimed at enhancing both businesses and the lives of our individual consumers.”
Mr Jere also said that the developed world and part of Africa is slowing moving towards a cashless society and that Zambia must not lag behind.
Mr. Jere noted that parts of the country are not serviced by brick and mortar banks yet inhabitants of such areas own mobile phones and are in need of banking services.
MTN Zambia accounts for a large number of mobile phone users in Zambia and its footprint across the country makes it a key platform for financial inclusion.
MTN Zambia is part of the MTN Group, a multi-national telecommunications company, and began operations in Zambia after acquiring Telecel in 2005.
MTN Zambia is the country’s fastest growing network and now covers all 10 provinces in the country with a 39% market share.


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A food lover has gone viral on social media after sharing her thoughts on her first-ever proper carvery roast dinner, after moving to Britain from Tokyo one year ago
It’s no secret that the roast dinner is the staple of British cuisine (as well as a fry up and of course a Greggs sausage roll).
You just can’t beat a good roast and as such many people love heading out to enjoy a carvery, loading their plates up with all their favourite items – from spuds to parsnips, beef, stuffing, pigs in blankets, Yorkshire puddings and all the gravy you can manage.
One foodie has recently gone viral online, because of a meal just like this, reports Somerset Live.
Ariyo Fukui moved over to the UK from Tokyo and has become ‘obsessed’ with roast dinners.
The 27-year-old got a proper taste of the British classic at Brent House Carvery in Highbridge.
Ariyo was impressed by the meat, gravy and massive portions, taking to TikTok to debunk the assumption many people make that “British food is bland.”
She said: “In Tokyo we have roast beef and roast chicken but it’s just a few slices of thin meat.
“I never knew a roast dinner had potatoes, veggies, stuffing and Yorkshire pudding.
“Before I moved to the UK people told me British food is rubbish.
“And then I actually fell in love with a carvery.”
Ariyo moved to Bristol last year for work and had never tried a proper roast before.
In August, Ariyo’s boyfriend took her to Somerset for her first Sunday roast, and it blew her mind.
In a clip posted to TikTok she claimed it was the “best gravy ever”, the meat was “gorgeous” and she “still can’t get over it”.
She has since started to help her boyfriend’s mum cook roast dinners but admits it can be difficult.
“It’s a bit difficult to make. It’s a lot of effort to cook all the different components.”
Unsurprisingly, she now can’t wait to tuck into a hearty roast on Christmas Day.
As well as sharing her love for roast dinners, Ariyo has been trying all sorts of British treats on her social media channels.
Each new food has proven a bit of a culture shock for her, but so far she’s been a big fan of Greggs Festive Bake, enjoyed dunking chocolate digestives in a cup of tea and loves a scone.
However, she wasn’t quite so impressed by the sushi found in supermarkets such as Tesco as she thought she could “cook much better rice” and was “traumatised” by the experience of trying it.


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WITH a second electric bus catching fire in London after Christmas, (the first was in Potters Bar in 2022), isn’t it about time that the Government stopped pushing its pursuit of net zero, stopped forcing electric vehicles upon us and took a hint from the liable bus operators? Yes, very sensibly TfL has withdrawn its whole fleet.
If they’d done their due diligence it’s unlikely they would have purchased them in the first place.
Lithium batteries, especially big powerful ones, are not safe. As if another fire were needed after the Luton airport car park catastrophe to convince the authorities of the risk of EVs blowing up. Yet not even the footage shown on Sky News in November of the devastation it caused – the damage to the structure of the multi-storey as well as to the 1,500 irreclaimable cars for which insurance companies seem reluctant to dub up, has stopped the politicians in their tracks. They should take another look at one car battery fire can do.
The MSM are partly to blame. Their immediate response at the time was to say that the vehicle concerned was a diesel. Really? Well they need to watch this Geoff Buys Cars explanation and summing up.
It’s tempting to see this as a smokescreen to protect the Government, the narrative has so many gaping holes in it.
Pictures exist of the Range Rover in the Luton airport fire showing the vehicle ablaze. No one could identify its registration number and the fire chief said it was a diesel. Yet that has been called into doubt – it was at the very least a hybrid. The flames were coming from under the passenger footwell, sideways at great intensity exactly where the lithium battery pack is situated; the flames behaving exactly like a lithium battery would do. You can watch auto-expert John Cadogan’s narrative here.
Why did a newly built car park collapse from a vehicle fire? Vehicles burn at around 3-400C. Concrete collapses at around 2,700-3,000C. So the fire had to be hot enough to collapse the concrete. It was. Were other EVs involved? No one is saying but it’s very likely there were others there to produce the necessary heat.
The car park was not fitted with water sprinklers. If diesel and petrol cars are so unsafe, why not? It is a stinky Government cover-up. There is much more to this story, and we are being lied to.
The media, whose first stop is to claim every car fire is diesel or petrol in origin, forget that we have used vehicles with petrol and diesel for years, with few problems and few manufacturers having problems with fires. EV is the change that proves we are being lied to about their safety.
You need only look at YouTube to see, first, how fast electric buses catch fire and, second, how quickly they become a raging inferno. It can be as little as five seconds, a phenomenon that was explained in this TCW article. It is a fact, though do not try this, that you could put a cigarette out in either petrol or diesel. What explodes is the vapour when mixed with air. If passengers are on board lives will be lost, especially children or elderly people who might not be able to evacuate quickly – as demonstrated so clearly in this film of an EV bus fire in China.
I am old enough to remember trolley buses. These were 100 per cent electric and used power from overhead cables which were arguably ugly. They worked well on busy city centre routes where a maximum of 40mph was unlikely to be a problem. They could have problems with parked cars but usually did not and did not benefit, as they might today, from bus lanes. They never caught fire as they did not have batteries.
The point is that London’s EV buses have caught fire whether they are hybrid diesels or not. Why? Because they still have a battery. We are not alone. Other cities have faced the same problems with EV buses. Here in Connecticut a year ago, and here in Sydney and here in Paris. There are many more examples to be found. They are a foolish idea.
The only ICE vehicles I can recall with fire problems were the original Ford Pinto in the USA if it was hit in the rear, splitting the fuel tank, and the VW LT van highlighted by Esther Rantzen where a fuel line crossed over the engine in such a way that if it broke it would spray the engine with petrol causing a fire. It did not help that it had a push fit sleeve joining the pipe near the electrics of the engine.
I recall an article some time ago that said that the billionaires of the world were upset they could not control car makers, largely because car makers are family or dynastically owned in general. But as soon as VW formed a partnership with the Chinese government years ago these billionaires rapidly stepped up to finance Chinese car makers, which are now on a tsunami-like rise. The trouble is that EV was seen in China as the way to evolve quickly, especially with regard to ‘western markets’ to where they could be exported.
This leaves western car makers struggling to compete with cheap EVs from China. Huge numbers of Chinese EVs are being exported to bring in foreign currency, abating at the same time the excessive over-production issue China is facing and helping the struggling Chinese economy.
The Economist sees this as free-market competition and encourages it.
Yet we have already seen questionable customer care practices and appalling quality control issues, such as the shocking story of the Chinese MG in Scotland which could not be stopped or turned off by its terrified owner. Eventually the police used a van to bring it to a halt by gently crashing the MG into its rear. How no one was killed is a miracle.
We see Chinese vehicles on the roads everywhere. As a long-time car enthusiast I struggle to recognise the meaningless names. Just how good are these cars? The used car market will tell us soon. I hold not one jot of hope they will prove to be good. Cheap, yes. Good, no.
Meanwhile EV sales are plummetng. If you watch Geoff Buys Cars, you will know that a MacMaster Porsche Taycan costing £120,000 two years ago has depreciated to around £48,000 with £77,000 owing on finance. In other words just to hand it back will cost the owner £29,000.
Watch Geoff Buys Cars on the Post Office van scandal last year, parts 1&2. Shocking how much the Government is wasting to promote EV.
And the Government is using punitive tax rates to force manufacturers to sell EV to us, based on quotas of ICE vs EV. Madness. This is like King Canute failing to hold back the rising tide.
The Civil Service Motoring Association is offering Teslas at £200 a month on a special lease deal. Try getting a £60,000 car for £200 a month anywhere else.
Hertz USA is now de-fleeting its 20,000 Teslas and other electric vehicles at an astronomic cost. ‘Nobody wants to hire them.’
Sixt in Europe is doing the same, getting rid of its EV fleet.
UK used car dealers are very reluctant to take on electric cars as well, leading to auction sales being at low levels.
Add that insurance companies are ramping up the premiums for electric vehicles and this alone will likely finish EVs off. No one can repair the batteries so cars are being written off.
US owners of Teslas which have been crashed are finding their cars appearing in Ukraine,repaired and running around. They know this for a sinister reason – their details, personal email etc, stored on their phone can now be accessed by the new owner as the car remains ‘paired’ to the phone.
Worse still, as they are no longer the owners of the vehicle they cannot access the vehicle to remove the data. Tesla are not being helpful so far.
As with vaccine shares, the market speaks. When will the Government stop flogging this dead horse?


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From the very beginning of conceptualizing a cellular IoT project, enterprises must make security a priority. Given the difficulties associated with securing connected devices (including limited hardware resources and the accessibility and longevity of devices in the field), along with the increasing sophistication and cadence of cellular IoT attacks, enterprises must make cybersecurity a priority to ensure their investments are protected.
Recently, Aeris collaborated with ABI Research to examine the cybersecurity spending habits of 150 European and North American companies. The resulting report provides an in-depth look at how these organizations protect their IoT investments today as well as the associated costs and mitigation recovery hours required when they have had an IoT security breach.
Let’s take a look at some of the key highlights from the research on how respondents approach their IoT security investments and security precautionary protocols.
Frequency of Security Evaluations
As enterprises seek to improve their cybersecurity postures, one of the best ways to ensure their IoT investments are secure is by conducting frequent, consistent evaluations of IoT security. These “check-ins” give enterprises a consistent look at how well their current security systems and solutions are performing, and are crucial to judging the effectiveness of security.
Part of the research focused on the frequency of respondents’ cellular IoT security evaluations. These fluctuated from industry to industry, given the varied security requirements in each sector. For example, the energy industry – which requires stringent security protocols in place against threat actors – performed these emulations more than any other industry.
32% of respondents stated they evaluated their IoT security strategy and plan every week, and 13% cited on a daily basis. Only 7% of respondents conduct security evaluations quarterly, while a mere 2% do so every year.
Length and Cost of Event Remediations
One of the main benefits of regular IoT security evaluations is they shorten the average length taken to remediate an IoT security event and help drive down the average cost associated with tending to these events. The research conducted by Aeris and ABI Research examined both the length and cost of IoT remediation events.
In terms of the length, 40% of respondents indicated these events take them days to reconcile, while 28% said it takes hours, and 17% reported weeks. From a cost perspective, those surveyed stated their remediation events have cost their organization up to $250,000.
The Risk of IoT Security Inadequacies
The research also covered the costs and threats associated with not taking the necessary steps to secure cellular IoT solutions.
Loss of business and revenue loomed large among respondents, with 26% indicating it is a severe threat, and 41% saying it’s a somewhat severe threat. Regulatory liability is also a threat according to respondents. Just over one-fourth (28%) consider this a severe threat, while 46% count it as a somewhat severe threat.
Organizations were also concerned with unenforceable SLAs (service level agreements), with 28% saying it’s a severe threat, and 36% indicating it’s a somewhat severe threat. Finally, reputational damage was cited as a major concern, with 21% of respondents indicating its severe threat, and 38% considering it a somewhat severe threat.
Gain the Full Insights
In addition to insights on security investments, the research from Aeris and ABI Research also focused on spending drivers, buying personas, and where enterprises are spending their IoT security budget to maximize protection for the IoT connected device programs.
Register for the webinar covering the IoT Security Budget research, and watch on-demand here.


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Digital media trends survey, 13th edition
A snapshot of consumer media consumption
From streaming services to pay TV to gaming platforms to video games, Americans are “piecing together” their media and entertainment options to suit their needs. But consumers say they have to work hard to find their desired content—and pay for multiple subscriptions—to have it their way. Will the costs start to outweigh the benefits?
A whole new ball game: Navigating digital transformation in the sports industry
Why technological changes are important in sports
Digital technology is unlocking unprecedented opportunities for growth in the sports industry, offering the potential to draw fans closer through innovative and customized experiences.
Digital media trends: Multigenerational perspectives and implications


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In an update on its progress to invest $2 billion in Black-owned businesses by 2025, the retail giant Target announced it’s increased the amount of money it’s spent with Black-owned companies and suppliers.
According to a Target release, the retailer has increased its investments in Black-owned brands, companies and suppliers by more than 50 percent compared to 2020. Additionally, Target has more than doubled the number of Black-owned products it carries to more than 100 with representation across every major product category.
“At Target, our commitment to supporting Black-owned companies and advocating for racial equity touches every aspect of our business — including investing in underrepresented entrepreneurs, launching Black-owned brands at Target’, working with Black designers and suppliers and increasing visibility through our marketing,” Christina Hennington, Target executive vice president and chief growth officer said in a statement.
Target has increased the number of Black-owned beauty products by 65 percent compared to 2020. More than 200 books from Black authors have been added over the last year and its food and beverage offerings will include 50 Black-owned brands by the end of the year.
Target also sells Black-owned products in its home goods, toys and clothing sections. The retail giant has also increased investments in Black marketing agencies, construction companies, facilities maintenance and more by more than 50 percent in 2020.
Target also announced it’s introducing a funding program through its in-house media company, Roundel to increase the exposure of diverse-owned brands through paid media. The Roundel Media Fund will award more than $25 million to diverse-owned and founded brands by the end of 2025. Interested BIPOC vendors can apply to the fund here.
“The impact that the Roundel Media Fund’s $25 million investment can create is powerful. For example, we tested this opportunity during Black History Month and saw a 40% average sales lift for the more than 20 diverse-owned brands that participated,” Sarah Travis, president of Roundel said.
“Ultimately, we strive to be a true partner to BIPOC businesses, and this involves a continued investment to help widen and deepen their capabilities so they can grow and prosper while continuing to connect with the audiences they serve.”
One of the things Target learned when trying to increase its diversity goals is that Black-owned and minority businesses need assistance scaling up their processes to work with a national chain. As a result, Target launched the Forward Founders accelerator program designed to help Black-owned and diverse businesses increase their potential and scale-out faster and more efficiently.
Since its launch Forward Founders has supported more than 30 Black entrepreneurs and a total of 60 diverse founders.


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UK: Scotch whisky posts UK volumes drop - figures
Scotch exports are on the up
Scotch whisky's home market has appeared immune to booming global demand for the spirit, with new figures showing the UK volumes for the category fell last year by 3%.
The number of 70cl bottles of Scotch released for sale in the UK fell to 87.5m in 2013 from 90m the year before, according to UK Customs figures released today (12 March). The drop comes after Scotch exports increased volumes in the first half of last year by 9%, and sales jumped by 11%.
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) blamed the disappointing UK performance on high duties that now account for 79% of the price of an average bottle of Scotch in the country. The trade association called on the UK Government to scrap the duty escalator on wines and spirits that, it claims, has helped shrink the Scotch market by 15% since it was introduced in 2008.
David Frost, the SWA's chief executive, said: “It’s obviously disappointing to see this decline in Scotch whisky volumes in our domestic market. In next week’s Budget, the (UK chancellor George Osborne) has the perfect opportunity to support a vital Scottish industry. He should scrap the unfair alcohol duty escalator and freeze duty this year.”
Frost, a former UK ambassador to Denmark, has recently joined the SWA, replacing Gavin Hewitt in January.
In the second part of just-drinks' exclusive interview with the outgoing CEO of Pernod Ricard, Pierre Pringuet, here he looks back at some of the deals that have shaped the company, and his role in th...
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In an update to its Release Information page, Microsoft has announced that the Windows 10 November 2019 update is now available to all who “Check for Updates” in Settings.
Windows 10, version 1909 is available for any user on a recent version of Windows 10 who manually selects “Check for updates” via Windows Update.
Microsoft will also be rolling out the update faster via Automatic Update.
This new update comes with performance improvements, some enterprise features and quality improvements.
Here’s how you can download Windows 10 November 2019 Update:
- Go to Windows Update settings (Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update)
- Click Check for updates.
- Once the “Feature update to Windows 10, version 1909” update appears, you can select Download and install now.
Windows 10 November 2019 Update comes with the following features:
- Quickly creating an event directly from the Calendar flyout on the Taskbar.
- Better managing notifications, including a new button at the top of the Action Center and the ability to sort notifications by most recently shown.
- Integrating OneDrive content online with traditional indexed results in the File Explorer search box.
- The navigation pane on the Start menu now expands when you hover over it with your mouse to better inform where clicking goes.
- Using your voice to activate third-party digital assistants from the Lock screen.
You can learn more about business features that are coming as part of this update here.


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Donut Fries Are Everywhere
(RTTNews) - Dunkin' Donuts is finally bringing its Donut Fries throughout the country, beginning Monday, July 2.
Following a successful test earlier this year, the Donut Fries will be available for a limited time at participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants all over the country. Five Donut Fries come with each order, priced at $2.
"As America's donut leader, we put our passion and creativity towards finding fun and unexpected ways to please and surprise donut fans," said Tony Weisman, Dunkin' Donuts' Chief Marketing Officer in a statement. "There was a strong consumer response towards bringing Donut Fries to all Americans during the initial test, and we are excited to make this unique donut treat available nationwide this summer."


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Trump trade tariff plan ‘will backfire’
Pascal Lamy, the former Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), says US consumers will end up paying more for goods if President Trump's plan to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports goes ahead. Mr Trump said the US was losing billions of dollars through 'bad' trade policies, and any trade war would be an easy 'win' for the United States.
Picture: The United States Steel Corporation plant in Clairton, Pennsylvania. Credit: Getty Images


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Apple's Latest IOS Update, IOS 16.4, Brings Significant Expansion To 5G Connectivity
This week, Apple released its latest iOS update, iOS 16.4, to the public. Along with a host of new features and changes, the update expands 5G connectivity to additional users, including support on Google Fi for the first time.
One of the most notable expansions of 5G support includes Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Macau, which now have access to the feature for the first time. This follows the release of iOS 16.2 in December, which enabled 5G support in India.
For Google Fi users, options to enable 5G connectivity are now appearing in the Settings app on iPhone for users running iOS 16.4. These options can be found in the “Voice and Data” menu in the Settings app.
Furthermore, iOS 16.4 now supports 5G Standalone, a feature that was previously only offered by T-Mobile in the United States. This feature can deliver speeds of up to 3Gbps and was previously only available on flagship Samsung phones since its launch in November. With iOS 16.4, iPhones can now also enjoy the benefits of this feature.
Aside from the 5G expansion, iOS 16.4 brings a host of new features and changes, including new emoji, changes to beta testing enrollment, rich previews of Mastodon posts in Messages, and more.
Overall, iOS 16.4 is a significant update that brings a lot of new features and improvements to the iPhone experience. With expanded 5G connectivity and new features, Apple continues to improve its users' experience with each update.
This helps us improve our website.
Join The Conversation on "Apple's Latest IOS Update, IOS 16.4, Brings Significant Expansion To 5G Connectivity"


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Hong Kong Arts Centre shows its devotion to art fans with a utility mobile app after a two-year wait.
In 2011, The Hong Kong Arts Centre launched its first pilot app â€“ a direct replica of its website â€“ out of peer pressure; but for the latest debut, user-friendliness and lifestyle-oriented are the top two requirements for marketing and development director Annie Ho.
So after almost half-year pilot project for the second phase, the new app is finally out: a turn dial menu brings up upcoming shows users can sync to their personal calendars; a floor-by-floor directory complete with contact details and opening hours; an about us and locations page; and a calendar.
Interactive features include a Love to Share photo game, where users can upload an image that corresponds to their monthly theme to make a collage with othersâ€™ photos; and a virtual art tour, whereby visitors can aim their phones at exhibitions around HKAC to learn more about them.
The long wait, Ho added, was to ensure the centre has enough exhibitions for the virtual art tour to be interesting.
Though HKACâ€™s app is mainly targeted to art lovers and working women, Ho said that the organisationâ€™s move to mobile is to bring art closer to the public and to cater to a younger fan base with increasing disposable income and earlier off-work hours compared to their previous, more mature art-loving niche.
â€śMobile is in our lifestyle, and art, too, should be in our lifestyle. So by marrying ourselves with something that is so consumed in the day-to-day lives of our audience, we become more accessible,â€ť she said.
â€śArt is not a high-end entity; we are a part of community, an incubator, and within the digital world, that distance is and should be shrunk much smaller to make it available to all.â€ť
The HKAC app will be promoted on out-of-home media, print, and eventually online; it’s available in iOS and Android formats and was made by digital agency, CCCDi.


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FedEx Working with General Motors' Startup to Deliver New Electric Vans
In the race to zero emissions driving, we often focus just on personal-use vehicles. But commercial vehicles form a large percentage of vehicles on American roads. And as our economy goes more and more online, the carbon footprint of delivering packages continues to increase. Which is why decarbonizing deliveries is so important: there are hundreds of thousands of gasoline- and diesel-powered vans used by courier services that cover the last mile in deliveries – and are the first step when we want to ship a package.
In that vein, FedEx has announced plans to transform its entire parcel pickup and delivery (PUD) fleet to all-electric, zero-tailpipe emissions by 2040, a move that will have a profound effect on the company’s carbon footprint. Earlier this year it took delivery of its first 150 all-electric delivery vehicles, made by BrightDrop, a new technology startup from General Motors.
In just under six months, FedEx has deployed the new BrightDrop Zevo 600s into its pickup and delivery fleet in California. That’s impressive, in today’s climate of chip shortages and supply-chain issues.
Introducing the BrightDrop Zevo 600
Designed to maximize cargo hauling capacity while eliminating the carbon footprint of traditional delivery vehicles, the BrightDrop Zevo was developed in record time. Indeed, GM says the Zevo 600 came to market faster than any vehicle in its history.
Powered by GM’s Ultium Platform, the Zevo 600 has 250 miles of range from a full charge, giving it more than enough reach to go through a daily routine of deliveries, even to more remote locations. With all-wheel drive and 300 horsepower, it’s capable in the cut-and-thrust of urban environments and in all weather conditions. And 120-kW DC fast charging and 11.5-kW AC charging means that it can be refueled quickly.
Beyond its electric capabilities, the Zevo 600 is purpose-built from the ground up for delivery services. It has improved access to cargo through a huge rear door, and low step-in heights to help streamline delivery of goods and services. It is also easily outfitted to suit individual business needs.
And unlike most delivery vans, the BrightDrop Zevo 600 comes with the same suite of safety systems you’d find on a modern EV, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, pedestrian detection, a high-def rear view camera, and park assist.
FedEx Expanding Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
To support the new vehicle technology, FedEx is building charging infrastructure across its vast network of facilities, including the more than 500 charging stations the company has already installed across California. FedEx is also actively working with utility companies to help evaluate and determine the capacity needed for electrical grids to support such charging infrastructure and is investing to expand on-site generation and procurement of renewable energy in its facilities.
FedEx also says the 150 BrightDrop vans are just the first; indeed, it has ordered 2,500 units, which will spearhead the transition of its entire fleet of pickup and delivery vans to full-electric driving.
In 2003, FedEx was the first delivery company to use hybrid vehicles for pickup and delivery and, in 1994, the company used its first electric vehicle – an acid battery-powered vehicle in California. To complement the company’s efforts to reduce its environmental impact in its own operations, FedEx has been an advocate for improved fuel efficiency standards and policies to support the commercial deployment of alternative-fuel vehicles.


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In a recent development that aligns with earlier speculations, industry analysts from Barclays have revealed that the highly anticipated iPhone SE 4 is facing a significant delay and won’t hit the shelves until 2025.
The journey of the much-awaited iPhone SE 4 has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, oscillating between rumors of cancellation and revival in various iterations, including an engineering model designed exclusively for Apple’s internal usage. However, an updated report now confirms that the fourth generation of Apple’s budget-friendly smartphone will indeed see the light of day, albeit not in 2024, as initially predicted.
Barclays analysts have released a research note targeted at the company’s investors, disclosing that the delay is primarily attributed to complications arising from the phone’s 5G modem. Blayne Curtis and Tom O’Malley, in their report, corroborate previous claims that the iPhone SE 4 was initially intended to house Apple’s in-house 5G modem, departing from the company’s reliance on Qualcomm’s modems, as seen in recent iPhone models.
Nevertheless, the latest revelation suggests a change in Apple’s strategy for the iPhone SE 4. The upcoming device will reportedly no longer feature Apple’s proprietary 5G modem, paving the way for Qualcomm to continue as a supplier, potentially serving both the iPhone SE 4 and even the speculated iPhone 16 in 2024.
This strategic shift comes on the heels of Apple’s long-standing efforts to replace Qualcomm’s modems with its in-house design. The tech giant embarked on this ambitious journey in 2019 when it acquired Intel’s smartphone modem business, aiming to reduce its dependence on third-party suppliers.
While the setbacks related to the proposed 5G modem seem to be a major factor contributing to the iPhone SE 4’s delay, they might not be the only roadblock hindering its release. Earlier reports have hinted at challenges faced by screen manufacturer BOE in producing the cost-effective OLED displays required for the device.
- Wi-Fi 6E Support Coming to iPhone 15 Pro Models
- iPhone 16 Pro Max Expected to Feature Super Telephoto Periscope Camera
- Sixth-Generation iPad Air in Development, But Release Date Remains Uncertain
Despite these hurdles, Apple enthusiasts and budget-conscious consumers can find solace in the fact that the iPhone SE 4 is indeed on its way, even if the wait has been prolonged. With its revamped release timeline and potential 5G capabilities, the iPhone SE 4 is poised to make a significant impact on the mid-range smartphone market upon its eventual launch in 2025. As Apple continues to fine-tune its supply chain and address production challenges, eager fans can rest assured that the best things are worth waiting for.


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Neiman Marcus to honor The Women’s Resources
Published 7:00 pm, Thursday, September 9, 2004
Neiman Marcus Town & Country will host an exclusive celebration honoring members of the Junior Partners of the Womens Resource of Greater Houston on Sept. 23. The event, themed Music, Models, Martinis and More, will be held in the Contemporary Department, located on the second floor, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The Contemporary Department will serve as a nightclub with a DJ, lighting and a fashion presentation, and complementary cocktails and hors doeuvres will be served. Tickets to the event will be $10, and discounted memberships will be available at $25.


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Pinal County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help identifying suspects who have committed fraud against 154 people.
Investigators have found that the victims had used their credit or debit cards at locations in Pinal County and then within a few days, fraudulent transactions started happening.
Between Jan. 18 and Jan. 29, 154 fraudulent credit and debit card reports were filed. The highest amount of fraud occurred between Jan. 18 and Jan. 22.
Fraud charges have occurred in Arizona as well as Texas, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, North Carolina, Italy, France, Canada and Mexico.
TIP LINE: 520-866-5111


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You might be wrong if you think the global supply chain disruptions will only affect your receipt at the grocery shop or your ability get the latest Apple product. If you need the color blue for your home renovation or home improvement projects, there is a severe supply chain crisis in the paint industry.
Bloomberg reported Wednesday that AkzoNobel Paint, Europe's largest paint manufacturer, said it was running out materials to create certain shades of blue. Thierry Vanlancker, CEO of AkzoNobel, explained to Bloomberg that the problem was due to a lack of a basic color tint which is very difficult to find.
Its creating complete chaos, Vanlancker said.
AzkoNobel's problems don't end there. Bloomberg reported that the manufacturer has been having difficulty getting metal cans for its paint, as it cannot get the tinplate necessary to make them. Because it cannot make the paint on-site, it has had to ship empty metal containers across countries.
AzkoNobel also stated that it cannot fulfill orders for external wall paints because of force majeure. This refers to natural or unavoidable disasters that prevent companies fulfilling their obligations. It explains that the additive required to waterproof these paints is unavailable.
Vanlancker stated that the company's business was being affected by extraordinary raw material costs and disruptions in supply chains during a Wednesday media release. Vanlancker's statement was similar to one made by Sherwin Williams at the end September. This stated that rising prices for raw materials like paint and steel used to make paint cans had impacted the companys business.
G/O Media could get $100 off the Apple iPad Pro 12.9 Latest and Greatest iPad
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Sherwin Williams said that the suppliers were also affected by Hurricane Ida and the Texas winterstorm earlier in the year.
AzkoNobel CEO, however, warned that the crunch in the paint industry was not over.
Vanlancker stated in a statement that the headwinds will likely be with us through 2022 as we have already mentioned.
Paint prices have risen in certain markets due to disruptions in the supply chain and increased costs of materials. According to the Financial Times, Akzo Nobels prices rose 6% in 2021. They are expected to rise by 5-6% by year's end. Prices have also been increased by Sherwin Williams.


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General sales are now open on Silversea Cruises’ new summer 2021 & winter
Designed by Silversea’s team of destination experts, the cruise line’s new voyage collection offers unparalleled variety, with many once-in-a-lifetime experiences to offer guests, from solar eclipse voyages in Antarctica to an immersive cruise to the Holy Land.
The cruise line has unveiled a total of 197 new itineraries, setting sail between January 2021 and April 2022, which incorporate calls to 528 destinations in 92 countries, with 28 maiden calls.
Ocean-view suites, sumptuous cuisine that adapts according to the sailed region, and the personalized service of butlers are just a few standout features from Silversea. Enhancing the experience are such all-inclusive amenities as complimentary premium wines and spirits, speciality coffees, bottled water, juices and soft drinks served throughout the ship; an in-suite bar, stocked with guests' preferences; an in-suite 24-hour dining service; and unlimited complimentary Wi-Fi.
For more information about Silversea’s summer 2021 & winter
Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!


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2012 Geneva Auto Show at the Palexpo in Geneva, March 6, 2012, hot car new Peugeot 208 model car is displayed during the first medias. The Geneva Auto Show will take place from March 8 to 18, 2012. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse.
U.S. automaker GM and Peugeot announced an alliance last week to co-operate on developing new cars with the aim of saving $2 billion annually via pooling purchasing and research and development.
The French carmaker hopes the deal will help it step up expansion in lucrative new markets as Europe's car market struggles.
source : http://www.reuters.com - http://id.berita.yahoo.com
Posted by 8:56 PM, Published at


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Icelandic band Sigur Rós made an appearance on Game of Thrones as minstrels at the wedding of Joffrey Baratheon.
Unbounded Robotics showcases the one-armed UBR-1 ROS robot; find out if someone died in your house; and giant scary fish invade California shores. Help!
Unbounded Robotics showcases the one-armed UBR-1 ROS robot, find out if someone died in your house, and giant scary fish invade California shores. Help!
The new UBR-1 from the Willow Garage spin-off Unbounded Robotics, provides a multifunctional robot platform for just $35,000. Its spiritual predecessor, the PR2, costs $400,000
Jonathan Rubinstein most recently led product innovation at Hewlett-Packard, and he also had ties to Apple earlier in his career.
Following a report that it will close, the popular startup says it will instead become a self-sustaining company.
Ready to hold hands with a robot arm? Lighter than a laptop, this articulated mechanical limb "is not just another robot for roboticists," says Robai.
Willow Garage sets its open-source software free to attract software developers and help make robots commonplace, but detractors say giving the software away is bad for business.
Has the indie-darling director sold out? Or could we do with a bit more thoughtful whimsy in the smartphone world?
Dreamer, a Japanese-style humanoid robot built by Meka Robotics, was inspired by anime faces and puppy ears.


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Nathalie Vandepeute, CEO of Bancontact Payconiq Company: "Our figures show that Belgians have never paid with their mobile as frequently as they do today. This habit is now part of their daily lives, and we are convinced that this trend will continue in the future. Our collaboration with Worldline is designed to further improve the user experience for mobile payments in physical shops. Consumers who want to pay with their phone can now also scan a QR code on Worldline's payment terminals. One more step towards an ever more seamless shopping experience."
The rollout of this solution has been underway since several months and by early 2022, all Worldline merchants will be able to offer this new payment solution in their shops.


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YIWUTEX 2023 & Covid-19 Update
The 2023 edition of YIWUTEX will be hosted as a live trade fair at the Yiwu International Expo Center. The event will be held between the dates of 10.05.2023–12.05.2023. Yiwu International Expo Center will feature the latest Covid-19 safety measures including strict social distance protocols and mandatory face masks. Attendees must maintain a safe distance of 1.5-2 metres. They must also wear face masks that cover their mouths and noses in indoor spaces like the meeting rooms. Due to China's travel bans, attendants will be asked to show documents such as negative test results upon arrival.


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Recall of EpiPen 300 - 20 March 2017
All EpiPens with an April 2017 expiry date are being recalled because of a possible defect that may result in difficulty activating the device in an emergency.
This recall is being conducted by Alphapharm in consultation with the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration(TGA). Alphapharm Initiates Recall of EpiPen® Auto-Injector in Australia EpiPen® 300 microgram (μg) Adrenaline Injection Syringe Auto-InjectorBatches 5FA665, 5FA6651, 5FA6652, 5FA6653 Alphapharm Pty Ltd, following consultation with the Therapeutic Goods Administration, is recalling the following batches of EpiPen® 300 microgram (μg) Adrenaline Injection Syringe Auto-Injectors due to the potential that these devices may contain a defective part that may result in the device failing to activate or requiring increased force to activate. Batch number Expiry 5FA665 Apr 17 5FA6651 Apr 17 5FA6652 Apr 17 5FA6653 Apr 17


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HCG EZ Drops Announces 21 Pounds in 21 Days Money-Back Guarantee
Based on it´s no questions asked, open-bottle return policy, HCG EZ Drops has announced it´s 21 pounds in 21 days money back guarantee.
American Fork, Utah (PRWEB) May 24, 2013
HCG EZ Drops has been in the HCG industry for several years now and is excited to announce it´s new weight loss initiative. “We are so confident in the diet and in our product that we are offering our customers their money back if they don´t lose 21 pounds in one cycle of HCG,” says Dave Sherwin, CEO of HCG EZ Drops. “The HCG Diet consists of 21 days of taking HCG while limiting your caloric intake; hence the 21 pounds in 21 days.”
The controversial, cutting-edge diet has been hailed as the number one diet in America, despite many people´s skepticism. While on the 21-day cycle, dieters limit their caloric intake to only 800 or 1200 calories. Anorexic as it sounds the kicker is that the HCG hormone burns between 2500 and 3500 calories of stored fat daily. Consequentially, dieters rarely report feeling hungry or fatigued.
“I deal with a lot with people who have what is called metabolic syndrome, which is where they have symptoms of high blood pressure, cholesterol, they´re either diabetic or pre-diabetic, and overweight or obese. They have often just lost hope, given up, and are at a place where they really just need something that´s going to help them change. This diet is what I recommend because it is safe, it is effective, and it shows results right away.” —Dr. Keith Robbins
To learn more about HCG EZ Drops and their 21 Pound Guarantee visit: http://hcgezdrops.com
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2013/5/prweb10767519.htm


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Influencers in France could face two years in jail, or fines of up to €300,000, if they are found to have broken new regulations.
The legislation was formally passed by the French Parliament last Thursday.
The new laws aim to protect consumers from misleading or fake commercial practices online, and enshrine the status of influencers as legal entities.
Some 15 agents from France's Direction Générale de la Concurrence, a body which regulates commerce and competition, will take responsibility.
Lara Marlowe, Paris-based author and contributor to The Irish Times, told The Pat Kenny Show there are a lot of influencers in France.
"The Ministry of the Economy says there are about 150,000 of them," she said.
"It's a huge industry, it's really a whole parallel economy.
"51% French people have said they would rather buy something that is recommended by a person who talks sincerely about a brand that he or she uses, than pay attention to traditional advertising.
"A very high percentage of French people, especially young people, do their shopping on the internet.
"44% of Generation Z, people born since 1996, say they bought things after they heard them advertised on Instagram".
Ms Marlowe said this new law came about after spat between a YouTuber with six million followers, known as 'Booba', and an influencer named Magali Berdah.
"They both filed lawsuits against each other, she's suing Twitter, and he's got a hashtag 'influvoleurs' - which means influ-thieves, if you like," she said.
"He's done a rap song called 'Certified Liars' - so there's been a lot of talk since the beginning of this year about influencers.
"The Minister of the Ecomony actually approved of Booba, and said 'He's right, there are excesses' and so on".
The French Finance Ministry drew up the world-first law, which was passed on June 1st.
Ms Marlowe said she believes the biggest challenge will be enforcement.
"It requires influencers to have contracts, if you're outside Europe... you in theory have to have a representative in the EU," she said.
"It forces you to have an insurance policy, in case your followers are somehow ripped off by the products that you're recommending, and you're supposed to compensate them.
"Within the past week, three influencers have received warnings from the French government about the content on their social media sites".
Ms Marlowe said the law also restricts the promotion of certain items.
"There was a big market going on in nicotine patches that were being bought by teenagers - that's banned, for example.
"You're only allowed now to promote lotteries and gambling games if children do not have access to those social media - I don't know how you can keep children off of social media.
"So there's this feeling that the consumers are being harmed by the content of these influencers," she added.
Listen back here:


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OxygenOS 10.0.3 brings November 2019 security patches to the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro
OnePlus has been at the top of its game while providing Android 10 updates for its devices. Even though some of the updates were broken and then delayed, the company has now managed to push stable Android 10 updates for the OnePlus 6/6T and OnePlus 7/7 Pro. The OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro have even received a minor hotfix update (OOS 10.0.1) and a larger update (OOS 10.0.2) since the first stable release. And now, the company has started rolling out OxygenOS 10.0.3 for the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro.
The latest update, OxygenOS 10.0.3, for the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro brings the Android security patches for November 2019, along with a few bug fixes and improvements for system stability. Here’s the official changelog for the latest OTA update:
- Updated Android security patch to 2019.11
- Improved system stability and general bug fixes
As with all updates from the company, the OxygenOS 10.0.3 update for the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro will be rolled out in a staged fashion. This means that the OTA will initially be released to a limited number of users. Once the company confirms that there are no critical bugs in the release, it will be rolled out to the rest of the users in a few days. Here are the download links for the international versions of the 7 and 7 Pro, courtesy of XDA Senior Member Some_Random_Username from the Oxygen Updater team:
Source: OnePlus Forums


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A funding model launched by the Red Cross aims to attract private capital to conflict zones to help some of the world’s neediest people, while giving investors a return on their money.
The Humanitarian Impact Bond set up by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with a value of 26 million Swiss francs (US$27.5 million), has attracted capital from New Re, part of global reinsurer Munich Re Group, among other investors.
The money is to be used to build and run three rehabilitation centers for disabled people in Nigeria, Mali and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, complete with staff who are to be trained in physiotherapy and producing prosthetic limbs, the ICRC said.
It is the first time the ICRC has used such a funding model — channeling private capital investments rather than relying only on government or philanthropic donations for humanitarian projects.
“If it works well, we will implement, scale up and use our expertise in other centers around the world,” ICRC director-general Yves Daccord said.
The initial investment is to be repaid with an additional return by the Belgian, British, Italian and Swiss governments and the Spanish foundation la Caixa after five years if the centers outperform expectations.
However, if the scheme does badly, both the investors and the ICRC face the risk of losing money.
“We thought that for us and for everyone, it’s good that we also have skin in the game,” Daccord said.
In an era of more and more protracted humanitarian crises and where traditional funding sources are over-stretched, there is a need for new funding tools, Daccord said.
“We need to have new corporate investors willing to join us and take risks to invest in us,” he added.
The construction of the disability centers was chosen for the scheme because of the ICRC’s wide experience in the field.
Last year, the ICRC operated 139 projects in 34 countries, helping nearly 330,000 people with physiotherapy and providing wheelchairs, artificial limbs and braces, the Red Cross said.
“This funding instrument is a radical, innovative, but at the same time, logical step for the ICRC,” ICRC president Peter Maurer said in a statement. “It is an opportunity not only to modernize the existing model for humanitarian action, but to test a new economic model designed to better support people in need.”
‘ACCORDING TO PLAN’: A company official said that it has set up production sites worldwide to provide services and that its Wisconsin project was going smoothly Hon Hai Precision Industry Co’s (鴻海精密) smart manufacturing center in Wisconsin would begin trial manufacturing in the middle of this year, the company said yesterday, adding that it plans to build a research institute to develop key technologies to support growth over the next five years. Hon Hai, known internationally as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), said in an annual report submitted to the Taiwan Stock Exchange that its planned Foxconn Institute for Research in Science and Technology would conduct research into artificial intelligence, next-generation communications, quantum computing, cybersecurity and nano semiconductors in Taiwan. Hon Hai is to make products at the center
TV and online retailer Momo.com Inc (富邦媒體) yesterday said it has set up a new logistics subsidiary, Fu Sheng Logistics Co (富昇物流), to oversee the company’s extensive shipping operations. Leveraging Momo’s 23 satellite warehouses and distribution centers nationwide, Fu Sheng will be in charge of executing the retailer’s same-day shipment plan for deliveries in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, Momo said in a press release. Seeking to further shorten its supply chain, the company is to set up another seven satellite warehouses and distribution centers by the end of the year. “Fu Sheng has a fleet of 200 couriers
STAYING AHEAD: Fitch said that TSMC remains technologically ahead of others, but Samsung is building a new chip fab, while China is investing in its domestic industry As escalating US-China tensions and COVID-19-related production disruptions force US technology supply chains to transform, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) US$12 billion chip fabrication plant in Arizona would be key to spurring greater US production of core semiconductor components, Fitch Ratings said. “We view the US-TSMC alliance as a first step in building a more autonomous US technology supply chain, given high barriers to entry, specifically related to the significant capital and design capability required for leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing,” Fitch said in a statement on Tuesday. “By working with TSMC, US chipmakers will not face the financial burden of incremental investment
E Ink Holdings Inc (元太科技), the world’s sole supplier of e-paper displays for e-readers and shelf labels, posted its best quarterly net profit for the first quarter in nine years amid increased demand during a traditionally slow season. Net profit soared 80 percent to NT$787 million (US$26.23 million) in the quarter ended March 31, compared with NT$438 million a year earlier. That translated into earnings per share of NT$0.69, up from NT$0.39. E Ink posted lower royalty income of NT$371.23 million last quarter from NT$448.74 million a year earlier, a company financial statement showed. E Ink said that it expects royalty income to


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A restaurant owner in Arizona has claimed to have been sent bomb threats after selling African lion burgers to celebrate this year's World Cup in South Africa.
Cameron Selogie, owner of the Il Vinaio restaurant in Mesa, insisted that the meat is sourced from a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulated free-range farm in Illinois and does not harm the protected - but not endangered - species, The Arizona Republic reports.
"Because it is from a farm, it in no way affects the scarcity of lions in Africa," Selogie said. "We have been interacting with several of the animal activists and we committed to making a donation to the ASPCA after this, because we are animal lovers."
Selogie said that he properly researched the source of the meat, which he receives through Phoenix distributor Gourmet Imports-Wild Game, owned by Rick Worrilow.
However, an investigation by CNNMoney confirmed that it is the Food and Drug Administration, not the USDA, which inspects lions sold for meat and suggested that Worrilow's source is in fact butcher shop owner Richard Czimer, based outside Homer Glen, Illinois.
Czimer revealed that he gets the meat from another man and explained: "This man buys and sells animals for the skin, and when I need something and he has ability to get it, I will bargain for the meat. It's a byproduct.
"He has his sources, and I do not infringe on his business, just as he does not infringe on mine. Do you question where chickens come from when you go to Brown's Chicken or Boston Market?"


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More people are making the switch from in-person gyms and workout facilities to their living rooms.
Without gyms readily available, the health and fitness industry shifted drastically to accommodate people’s needs.
Brooke Gustafson of Lincoln is one of many who swapped out her gym membership for personal home gym equipment. In doing so, she said she is less pressured to workout every day and is more consistent than before. Ian Zimmerman also offers advice for establishing a home fitness routine.
According to NPD Group, a research marketing firm “revenue from health and fitness equipment more than doubled to $2.3 billion between March and October 2020.”


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LSST Voices: Is the internet working the way it is meant to?
By Kunal Chan Mehta | Article Date: 27 October 2022
The original purpose of the internet is knowledge sharing but LSST experts claim this is at the expense of those sharing it.
The internet is one of the most important innovations of all time. But something is wrong – very wrong – when Tim Berners-Lee, the founding father of the internet – or whatever it has become today – says: ‘What was once a rich selection of blogs and websites has been compressed under the powerful weight of a few dominant platforms making it possible to weaponise the web at scale.’ Such stark observations question what the internet is evolving into. We assemble expert LSST voices to delve deeper into the ‘broken internet’.
The internet reflects the world – its highs and lows – and is a complex global mesh that has completely reinvented the way we connect, communicate, create, contribute, consume – and, more recently, cancel. The increasing ease of internet access has predominantly crafted a continuously connected ‘online world’. But do we need to be? And why are we all so internet-reliant?
The internet we have today may not be the one we like – but it sure is the one we deserve. Over the last several decades, we created it and revealed everything to it. We shook hands with internet giants when we used their platforms without charge. In turn, they presented us with targeted adverts, collected our information and, subsequently, gained considerable power and control.
‘Despite its many advantages, the internet needs to create a better and fairer future and act as a democratic tool to champion legitimacy,’ states Irina Barariu, LSST’s Student Union President, who investigated the British Government’s digital estate. ‘Our shared online environment needs to be more helpful – not harmful – and embrace more inclusivity – not exclusivity.’
Indeed technology must serve humanity – not the other way around. The internet was always purposed to be open and accessible to everyone. However, the relatively youthful internet (est 1991) has migrated from a simple network of information (Web1) to a network of people or social media (Web2) to a complex network of things/computing devices (Web3). Staggeringly, as we still grapple with the issues of Web1, we fast sail into the unknown and undefined Web4 – perhaps the Internet of People (IoP) – especially as Facebook (now Meta), Google, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon compete for possession of the next internet stage.
A better internet
The web has long battled to be a safe and empowering environment. Yet, in our wait to combat this, we have allowed the internet landscape to shift underneath us. ‘The Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming the Internet of Threats,’ states Lynnette Douglas, LSST Aston’s Senior Welfare, Disability & Student Support Co-ordinator, probing the internet’s soaring control and power. ‘Whilst it is commonplace to live online there are many unanswered questions about domination, access, privacy and security.’ Advocating an IoT detox, Amine Lallali, LSST’s IT Manager, says: ‘I genuinely believe everyone should at least once visit a secluded spot – such as a desert – and be free from the internet for a month. Hopefully, this will allow people to realise that the digital environment is subordinate to reality.’
‘It is about balance. We need to make sure the internet does not completely take over our lives,’ notes Chompa Rahman, a LSST Luton Business student – and an award-winning writer on how the pandemic has changed the world. When asked about the pandemic switching the world to an online-everything, Chompa replied: ‘The pandemic has fast accelerated our evolution into a digital, online and mobile society that is everyone’s necessity. It is an ingrained part of our culture and, worryingly, life is unimaginable without it. But we must seek ways to replace any over-reliance on the internet.’
‘Paradoxically, the pandemic migrated much of the social and business world online and the internet proved to be a lifeline allowing us to carry on virtually when we could not physically,’ added Samia Zaheer, a Business Management student at LSST’s Luton campus. ‘And that is something to be thankful for. But, in our pandemic isolation, we all spent a large amount of time in front of a screen and many of us have become accustomed to this without realising it.’
Even before the pandemic further normalised the virtual sphere, the internet had already reshaped much of the human world and allowed historical changes and advancements. Speaking about the prospects ahead, Mr Ali Jafar Zaidi, LSST’s Deputy CEO, said: ‘As with any transformation, there will be challenges. Nevertheless, as we are still repairing, rebuilding and reinventing there has appeared an opportunity to create better.’ ‘Yes, the pandemic catalysed change – but it is up to the best of humanity to shape a better online world by speaking up,’ agreed Mohammad Haider, Dean of LSST’s Wembley campus, discussing the internet’s lost trajectory. ‘We must not fail in utilising this moment to stand up for privacy, access and data concerns. We may never get such an opportunity again.’
Dr Sisi Wang, a Senior Lecturer in Business and Course Coordinator at LSST’s Luton campus, affirms in ‘moving away from inertia’ and for ‘standardisation and coherency’ across user interfaces and governments. Wang added: ‘Only through cooperation and governance can users, developers, leaders and changemakers overcome web3-era issues and move towards a better web-phase’.
Rewriting the narrative
As we move towards a world where the physical and digital concomitantly blend, additional regulations and conventions are needed to give people more control of their digital identities, ownership and – above all – what is happening to the data they create. Shan Wikoon, a reader in 3D printing technology and a Senior Lecturer in Business and Module Leader at LSST’s Elephant and Castle campus, asserts: ‘The internet is here to stay and it is up to us to make sure it stays in the right hands. Frankly, with every solution, there is a problem. This is intensified in the tech universe. For example, one moment 3D printing champions innovation and environmentally friendly solutions; the next, it is used to make weapons.’
‘My biggest concern is who is policing the web. No one is really governing the internet. Overall, throughout Big Tech, it is a profit before people approach,’ espouses Imran Termezy, LSST’s Data and VLE Officer, expressing concern for the lack of internet jurisprudence. When asked about a possible solution, Imran replied: ‘Increasing regulatory powers to safeguard user data and enhancing access control systems.’
Trust and scandals
The internet – or Berners-Lee’s version of it – started well and once represented liberation. Today it could even come across as a tool of tyranny. ‘I don’t trust much of what I see online these days. The lines of what is real and fictional are heavily blurred,’ posited Mircea Radu, a Business Management student at LSST’s Luton campus, discussing the humble origins of the internet.
‘The use of the internet seemed like a fair transaction to start with,’ asserted Samia Zaheer, a Business Management student at LSST’s Luton campus. ‘But over time the internet user has become exploited in a very sophisticated way. There is an urgent need to resolve this crisis.’
‘The Cambridge Analytica scandal and its dire consequences tell me everything I need to know about social media practices and the internet. Already the NFT, blockchain and cyber currency landscapes are nefarious and we need alternatives to unregulated practices,’ adds Mohammed Miah, a Business Management student at LSST’s Luton campus.
In contrast, concerning online privacy, some progress was made in 2018 – but there is still a long way to go. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), introduced by the EU, aimed to enshrine privacy as a right. Unfortunately, it overlooked how it would manage organisations dealing with personal data. ‘GDPR was not a one size fits all approach, but it had some strong consequences for social media giants,’ commented Mohsin Riaz, Dean of LSST Birmingham.
Since data-sharing practices have become a peak priority for technology companies – as well as their consumers – legislators have also refined their attention on the use of data. ‘Although Big Tech companies have taken good governance steps, it is worth remembering if you aren't paying for the product, then you are the product,’ says Farwa Amin, a Lecturer in Health and Social Sciences at LSST’s Elephant and Castle campus. Syed Rizvi, Associate Dean of LSST’s Elephant and Castle campus and LSST’s Dean of Teaching and Learning, added: ‘This conversation is long overdue. Big Tech – or Big Brother – is fast buying up the future of the internet and gaining a larger percentage of your life. We have explicitly and happily let this happen.’
The future internet
We are seeing our digital identity ingrained into the physical world as the internet further encapsulates our lives as a utility that we expect to be available and always around us. Throughout the internet-verse, some things may move quickly and others will take time. Although the journey ahead appears long-sighted, it is now time to commit to delivering the internet we want, in a world we want and for the generations ahead.
Could we change the broken internet to restore and build back trusted relationships – the benchmark of healthy democracies and economies? From the outset, our aforesaid LSST Voices agreed that addressing the internet’s position and power is one of the most deeply rooted problems of our time and would necessitate far more caution before we enter the next phase of the internet.
We need a bold new internet, built by a global cooperative of distinct, strategic thinkers – and creators. We need to discover a path to embed democratic values back into the core of the internet’s realm to protect the future generations who will, in due course, use it – and depend on it. And most importantly, we need to revert to Berners-Lee’s original internet model – and that is what will give users back control of their data.
LSST and LSST’s Student Union will soon run a series of online webinars and debate sessions (register via email@example.com):
Debate 1: In the wake of Web3 and Web4, should we be hopeful—or fearful— for our changing digital and online environments?
Debate 2: Do we really need to be constantly connected to the internet to live in the real world?
LSST students ask Bosch how technology will make the world a better place
LSST students speak with the British Government’s digital estate – GOV.UK – about power, progress and potential amid the pandemic
'The web is under threat': Tim Berners-Lee on making the web work for everyone | British Council
Google’s Sundar Pichai: Privacy Should Not Be a Luxury Good
Facebook: A Privacy-Focused Vision for Social Networking
Microsoft: Privacy -It’s all about you
Please email the author of this article via firstname.lastname@example.org for any questions or comments - or if you would like to take part in future such articles.
The views expressed are those of the author and contributors and not necessarily those of LSST.
LSST is not responsible for content on linked and external sites.
One thought on “LSST Voices: Is the internet working the way it is meant to?”
The Internet has revolutionised industries, education, governance, and healthcare systems and has become an essential communication instrument we employ to interact with each other.
Internet is today ingrained in every facet of our lives, at the individual level and throughout the configuration of the entire society.
The development of the Internet has triggered new challenges to privacy and security, and it has become one of the critical drivers of social evolution. Tremendous quantities of data is uploaded and downloaded 24 hours a day, including vulnerable personal data. Hence, awareness and user education is critical for this new environment; everyone’s privacy and safety must be a fundamental requirement and treated as a universal value.


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New Delhi: Swadeshi does not necessarily mean boycotting every foreign product, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Wednesday and asserted that only those technologies or materials may be imported which the country lacks traditionally or are not available locally.
Talking about the relevance of being self-reliant and swadeshi in the wake of COVID-19, he suggested that the pandemic has made it clear that globalisation did not yield desired results and one economic model cannot be applicable everywhere.
Mutual cooperation among self-reliant countries while considering the world as one family and not one market, seems to be the economic model required for post-COVID world, Bhagwat said while speaking at a virtual book launch event.
Backing the BJP-led NDA government’s pitch for a self-reliant India, the RSS chief said swadeshi means to promote and give preference to indigenous products or technologies and not necessarily boycott all foreign items.
He made it clear that only those materials or technologies should be imported which are not available locally or India lacks traditionally and these should be modified in an Indian manner.
Citing a few examples when traditionally available products and technologies were overlooked for imported ones, Bhagwat emphasised on the need for change in mindset and not considering domestic items as inferior.
Noting that even after independence, policy making in India was influenced by the west and other foreign countries, Bhagwat said as a result many locally available products and technologies were overlooked in favour of foreign items.
Describing the recently-announced National Education Policy as a “step in the right direction” to make India self-reliant, he said such policies will help India realise the potential of its people and of traditional wisdom. The concept of swadeshi which talks about promoting local products and restricting the inflow of foreign investment and items features prominently in RSS ideology. Its affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch has been at the forefront of a campaign to boycott Chinese products.
Source : PTI


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Last year was dubbed by some industry experts "the year of the breach," and for good reason. The enterprise community saw countless high-profile intrusions in 2014, illustrating the importance of having top-notch information security solutions in place. The attackers behind these breaches utilized a range of infection tactics, however, some were seen more frequently than others.
According to Verizon's 2015 Data Breach Investigations Report, one of the most prominent attack strategies last year was RAM-scraping malware, demonstrating the threat this type of infection can pose.
What is RAM-scraping malware?
According to a Trend Micro white paper from 2014, RAM scraping malware involves an infection wherein cybercriminals seek to attack the point-of-sale systems used by retailers specifically to steal unprotected customer payment data. White paper author Numaan Huq, part of Trend Micro's Forward-Looking Threat Research Team, noted that credit and debit card payment data – the information stored on the magnetic strip on the back of the card – is temporarily stored in plain text on many retailer's PoS devices as it is being processed. RAM scraping malware aims to target this information at this point in the process, which makes it easier for hackers to make off with the stolen data and use it for fraudulent purposes or sell it on underground marketplaces.
"To exponentially increase their payback from stealing credit card data, criminals are now directly targeting the businesses that process credit cards instead of going after the individual victims," Huq wrote.
A Trend Micro blog post from Huq noted that the first time this type of malware was seen and positively identified was in late 2008, when Visa issued a security alert. Since then, RAM-scraping infections have become increasingly popular, leading to a surge of attacks in 2013 and 2014. This includes the high-profile breaches on Target and the Home Depot, impacting millions of customers across the United States and the rest of the world.
A family tree of RAM scraping malware samples
Currently, there are more than a few families of this type of malware in the wild, with six being uncovered in the last year alone. Some of the most recent discoveries include:
- Backoff: This sample was first found in July 2014, and it utilizes updated data search and watchdog processes to continually run on a victim's system. Hackers then leverage brute force tools to breach the PoS and steal data from it.
- BlackPOS ver 2.0: This sample was discovered in August 2014, and quickly made a name for itself as the updated version of the infection that caused the Target breach. This sample utilizes a cloned exfiltration technique and also includes the unique masking capability, where it camouflages itself as an anti-virus application to prevent detection.
This only scratches the surface of RAM-scraping malware. According to Trend Micro's family tree, there were a total of 12 families as of late 2014.
"What stands out in the PoS RAM scraper family tree is the high concentration of new variants that have emerged in 2014 alone," Huq wrote in a September 2014 blog post. "Six variants of this scraper family emerged between 2011 and 2013, but researchers discovered the same number of variants in 2014 alone."
A continuing threat
While phishing was also on researchers' radar, RAM scraping malware was also flagged by Verizon analysts as one of the worst threats faced last year. Of the breaches that took place last year, around 28.5 percent of them – the highest percentage found by the report – came as a result of PoS intrusions. The second most prevalent threat cited was crimeware, which accounted for about 18.8 percent of reported attacks.
However, the fact that these malware samples are out there isn't the only reason infections are taking place. Trend Micro noted in a March 2015 post that the use of older operating systems including Windows XP and Windows Server 2000 are contributing to attacks, as official support from Microsoft has ended for these platforms. This doesn't mean that every system is infallible, though.
"These operating systems are more vulnerable to potential attacks, as they will no longer receive patches for new vulnerabilities," Trend Micro stated in March. "Newer systems running the latest OS aren't entirely safe either, and still needs to be regularly patched and updated to reduce the risk."
Retailers should have a layered security strategy in place to protect their PoS and their customers' payment card data. Anti-virus and monitoring solutions alongside multi-factor authentication can help prevent intrusion. In addition, Trend Micro's Endpoint Application Control can help prevent PoS malware intrusion. To find out more, contact us today.


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The article shares that online listening went up by 50% in the US between 2019 and 2022.
Any publisher on Spotify that uses Megaphone can now leverage a technology called B2P to turn radio content to on-demand podcasts. Megaphone is Spotify’s enterprise podcast platform.
As per Emma Vaughn, global head of advertising business development and partnerships at Spotify, Megaphone will allow broadcast publishers to automatically "create new podcast episodes from previously broadcasted content." This could make it easier for broadcast publishers to reach new audiences, the article states.
Since the conversion to podcasts can now be done automatically, it'll save publishing teams time as they could otherwise spend 30 to 60 minutes manually converting content. As per Vaughn, Spotify has a "relationship with 500 million users."
Discover the top organizations in your market and industry for free using BrandIndex Lite
[2 minute read]


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The Lumia 630 continues to grow and in a couple of countries it is now the device with the highest market share.
We take a look in depth at Brazil, France, Italy, Russia and India. Additionally we look at a new classification: devices in any country but with the user interface (UI) language set to English.
This report is based on data collected from 5,265 Windows Phone apps running AdDuplex SDK v.2. The raw data analyzed was collected over the day of March 20th, 2015 (UTC time) unless otherwise stated.


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With the New Year comes fresh optimism that we could be on the verge of an onboard passenger experience transformation. Here, we round up five of the key trends that we expect to shape the industry in 2014:
1 – Personalisation and crew empowerment
Over the last year or so, major airlines have started to make a lot more noise about the value of personalising the passenger experience. The likes of Delta, Emirates, British Airways, Iberia, KLM and Alaska have already armed their cabin crew with tablets and other handheld devices to ensure they are informed of passenger preferences and well equipped to push ancillary sales. Speaking to FTE last November, Matt Muta, Microsoft’s Global Hospitality and Travel Managing Director, said “mobile is causing a transformation in the way airlines are dealing with their passengers” and we certainly agree with this viewpoint. Expect to see a number of other airlines embrace tablets to empower staff and offer a more personal service to their customers over the next 12 months.
2 – IFE on short- and medium-haul flights
Traditionally, in-flight entertainment (IFE) has been a staple of long-haul travel, but the introduction of in-flight connectivity and wireless, portable infotainment has laid the foundations for a revolution in this space. Some airlines already offer wireless IFE: Qantas offers iPads on its 767s, Lufthansa will adopt Lufthansa Systems’ BoardConnect solution in the summer, Finnair has announced plans to introduce rentable Samsung Tab 3 tablets loaded with content, and Southwest has added an iPad library service to satisfy the demand for IFE on shorter flights. All of this points to wider industry uptake, which we expect to see materialise throughout 2014.
3 – High-quality, home-style onboard broadband
The industry has made no secret of the fact that in order to make in-flight Wi-Fi viable in the long-term, it must invest in increasing both the speed and capacity of the service, and the last few months of 2013 saw some notable advancements. Such is JetBlue’s confidence in its new ‘Fly-Fi’ connectivity service – which it claims is eight times faster than competing services – the airline encouraged users to post their connection speed on Twitter. This faith seems to have been well placed, with a number of positive reviews in the weeks since. Elsewhere, Inmarsat successfully launched the first of its Global Xpress satellites in December, with the company proclaiming it “a major landmark on our journey to deliver the world’s first globally available, high-speed mobile broadband service”. With full global coverage expected to be achieved by the end of 2014, and airlines surely keen to catch up with JetBlue which has seemingly stolen a march in the fight to offer the best in-flight connectivity, passengers should be able to look forward to more, and better quality, in-flight broadband this year.
4 – Slimline seats
The slimline aircraft seat is a relatively new phenomenon, but a number of airlines, especially in the US, have already decided to install them on their new aircraft. Although the likes of United, Alaska and Southwest say the slight reduction in seat pitch won’t make a difference to passenger comfort (due to space savings made elsewhere, such as smaller trays), passenger experience directors should pay close attention to what passengers actually say about the changes, because if they do notice a difference, they may well show their displeasure by taking their business elsewhere.
5 – More debate about in-flight phone calls
Following the recent decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch a public review into the ban on the use of mobile (cell) phones in-flight, airlines, politicians, suppliers and passengers have been quick to express an opinion, with many arguing against the overturning of the existing ban. As we outlined in a recent article, the question should not be whether or not to lift the ban on mobiles in-flight, but rather how allowing mobile phone use onboard can benefit passengers. Everyone should remember that this is not just about making phone calls onboard, but potentially having access to SMS messages, emails and the Internet via mobile devices while you are flying. Even if the FCC overturns the current ban, you can expect the debate to rumble on with airlines left to their own devices to decide whether or not to allow their passengers to use their phones in-flight.
An opportunity to put the passenger first
As we start another year, airlines, suppliers and all other industry stakeholders have an ideal opportunity to implement change for the benefit of the passenger. The challenges the industry faces, not least the airlines’ struggle to make any real profit, are well documented and, of course, finding a remedy to this is among the priorities. However, here at FTE, we would urge every airline to use the start of 2014 to promise not to seek increased revenues at the expense of the passenger. As outlined above, in-flight entertainment, onboard broadband and a more personal level of service can all contribute to a landmark year for airlines and the passenger experience they offer. That said, these significant advancements will only make a difference if the industry puts the passengers first.


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On November 9, according to various media sources, Qingcheng Times (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd. ( .....
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On 13 and 14 December 2017 Horsten International organized two successful tourism workshops in the Netherlands and in Belgium, together with ChinaTalk and NextportChina.
Ed Sander of ChinaTalk started the workshop by giving an introduction about the latest trends and developments of China's booming outbound tourism, offering big opportunities for many Dutch and Belgian companies active in the tourism and cultural industry.
Then Bart Horsten talked about different case studies and best practices of some of Horsten International's tourism projects, giving a lot of practical tips about how to use offline and online ways to attract more Chinese tourists and making Benelux locations or destinations more ‘China-ready’.
After the break Thijs van der Toom of NextportChina gave more insights into the use of Chinese social media and online payment systems to more efficiently engage with the potential Chinese visitors.
Finally Ed Sander explained the audience why certain Chinese tourists behave very differently than tourists from other countries and how to react to that.
The workshop was concluded by a Q&A session and a networking reception.
In total more than 35 participants attended the workshops.


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Molotov selects Magnite as SSP and SpringServe as ad serverWednesday, December 8th, 2021
French Streaming Platform Molotov Selects Magnite as SSP and SpringServe as Ad Server
PARIS — Molotov, the French leading streaming platform, is leveraging Magnite as their SSP and SpringServe as their ad server for their ad-supported streaming service Mango.
Mango, Molotov’s free AVoD service launched in November 2020, is seeing strong growth on the Molotov platform since its launch, confirming viewers’ interest in this new model of advertising-financed VoD. More than 3,000 hours of programs are now available on the service, with a catalog that is growing every day.
“To support the growth of Mango, our AVoD service, we have chosen to work with leading technology providers,” said Beatrice Leroux Barraux, head of advertising revenues at Molotov. “Magnite and SpringServe have strong CTV-first technology, which allows us to optimise the advertising monetisation of our free video-on-demand offering.”
According to Magnite’s “CTV Is for Everyone” research, CTV consumption in France has grown four times faster than conventional TV viewing over the past 18 months. The study also found that a majority of French CTV households subscribe to at least one free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service.
“We are excited to work closely with Molotov’s team to enhance their ad-supported CTV offering as they grow,” said Valérie Latronche, Managing Director of France and Belgium at Magnite. “French consumers are embracing the convenience and wide range of choice that CTV provides and it is great to be part of the momentum of a locally-developed streaming service.”
“We’re thrilled that Molotov has chosen the SpringServe ad server to deliver high quality advertising experience for its viewers,” said Léon Siotis, Head of International at SpringServe. “Our industry-leading technology will give Molotov greater insight, transparency and control to help them more effectively manage and monetise their inventory. We look forward to working with the Molotov team to enhance their ad-supported supply.”


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Tesco has experienced some disruption to supplies, particularly to the island of Ireland, since a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union kicked in on January 1, its chief executive Ken Murphy said today.
“We have seen some limited disruption into the Republic of Ireland and into the north of Ireland, but we’re working very closely with government on both sides of the Irish Sea to smooth the flow of product,” Mr Murphy told reporters.
He said Tesco’s product availability in both markets “remains strong”.
The disruption was limited to certain categories such as short shelf life ready meals, he said.
Ken Murphy said he was confident Tesco would have the right measures in place to supply Northern Ireland after the end of a three month grace period on certain rules and regulations with the EU on March 31.
He also said there had been “teething problems” with supply flows from continental Europe to the UK.
“Inevitably there are bedding-in issues, teething issues, that you would expect with any new process that’s been set up at relatively short notice,” he said.
“We’re working our way through those and we would hope over the coming weeks and months that we will end up with a much smoother flow of product,” he added.
Meanwhile, Tesco has today followed rivals in reporting buoyant Christmas trading, as pandemic restrictions meant people splashed out on celebrations at home.
The group said UK like-for-like sales growth was 6.7% in its third quarter to November 28, accelerating to 8.1% in the six weeks to January 9.
“We delivered a record Christmas across all of our formats and channels,” said CEO Ken Murphy, who succeeded Dave Lewis in October.
Tesco said that like-for-like sales over the 19-week period at its Irish operations grew by 12.1% with the strongest contribution from its large stores. That included a 12.7% increase in the six weeks to January 9.
It said its online grocery sales in Ireland surged by almost 70% as it increased capacity in response to record demand.
Kari Daniels, Tesco Ireland CEO, said the company’s workers continue to rise to the challenge of Covid-19.
“I acknowledge their continued hard work, dedication and resilience,” Ms Daniel said.
“As has been the case throughout pandemic, we continue to work hard to protect the safety of colleagues and customers with extensive measures in place throughout our stores,” she added.
The Tesco Ireland boss that while there here has been a slight increase in demand in stores and online, the company continues to have good availability with plenty of stock to go around.
“Owing to our extensive preparation, stock-building and collaboration with suppliers, our supply chain remains robust and is responding well,” Kari Daniels said.
“We’ve worked extensively with our suppliers to minimise disruption, so we’d encourage our customers not to change their shopping habits at this time,” she added.
Tesco’s update today follows strong Christmas trading reports from its UK rivals Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Lidl.
Restrictions to contain the virus mean many people are working from home and the hospitality sector is closed.
Adding to the demand for food and drink, many people who normally travel abroad for Christmas had to stay at home.
The company highlighted a 14% rise in sales of its premium ‘Finest’ range, with 69 million mince pies and 8 million bottles of champagne and sparkling wine sold.
Tesco estimated additional Covid-19 costs would be £810m in its 2020-21 year, up from £725m forecast in October.
But it still maintained its guidance for 2020-21 retail operating profit before exceptional items of “at least” the same level as 2019-20’s, excluding the repayment of £535m of business rates relief.
Tesco also continues to expect to report a loss for Tesco Bank of between £175-200m for the year.
“Our focus on looking after our customers, including delivering record availability, robust safety measures and great value, has enabled us to maintain strong momentum through the Christmas period, outperforming the market every week,” Ken Murphy, the chief executive of Tesco, said.
“We delivered a record Christmas across all of our formats and channels. In response to unprecedented demand for online groceries, colleagues delivered over seven million orders containing more than 400 million individual items over the Christmas period,” the new CEO said.
“We’re in great shape to keep delivering in 2021 and beyond,” he added.