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Monday, January 12, 2015
Last week, Allison Fitzpatrick from Davis & Gilbert LLP wrote an article in Ad Age essentially warning folks that it's not just the apps and websites targeting children that need to worry about the FTC and other regulators when it comes to children's privacy. Although the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) revisions went into effect all the way back in July 2013, it was generally understood that there was a bit of a grace period as companies grappled with how to implement changes that at the time much of the industry did not entirely grasp. However, it seems clear that in the coming year, that grace period has ended and that the FTC may be increasing its actions not only exclusively in the child space anymore but also in a more overlapping gray area where companies may not expect it.
In the article, Fitzpatrick has several predictions for 2015, which include more COPPA actions on a state level, COPPA actions that no longer apply to only child-directed websites, behavioral targeting on kid sites and more scrutiny of social media. Advocacy groups have been on the FTC for years, urging them to take a harder line when it comes to children's privacy. Will 2015 be the year?
To read the full article, be sure to check out Ad Age. For more information about the author, Allison Fitzpatrick, check out her bio here.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
If you're like most parents you want to keep your kids safe online. Doing so these days is no easy task and many parents are finding themselves feeling not only overwhelmed by the unknown on the Internet, but also less adept than their children at using the very devices, websites and apps that worry them. CARU is the self-regulatory body for children's advertising. We work to ensure that all advertising to children is truthful, accurate and not deceptive. We also monitor websites online to make sure that they are safe and that they don't violate the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. When we come across something that we think parents may find useful for helping ensure that their kids have a safe online experience, we want to share it!
If you are one of these parents who want to make sure that your kids are making smart and responsible decisions online there is an interesting new resource that helps families do just that. ThinkBeforeYouLink.com offers tools to help you and your kids understand what's lurking on the Internet and become safe digital citizens. There are tons of fun and interactive resources for families to learn how to protect themselves.
There is also a family online safety blog, which offers plenty of tips on what you can do to ensure that your child's experience online is a safe one.
Have a safe and happy holiday season. To learn more about the Children's Advertising Review Unit, visit ASRCReviews.org
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Yesterday, CARU held its annual conference at the Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park. The event was an excellent opportunity for industry members to discuss issues and concerns amongst the community.
Panelists wowed attendees with a wealth of information. Discussions focused on issues facing the children's advertising industry, how online and mobile technology has changed the way companies market their products to children in the US and abroad, nuances of the modified COPPA Rule, how companies are implementing new practices to comply with these changes in their online and mobile marketing and much much more. Panelists also discussed strategies for utilizing online interest-based advertising and other third party initiatives while maintaining legal and regulatory compliance, marketing to children through non-traditional means, domestic and global challenges in self-regulation. There was even a panel advising what to consider when working with younger talent--something that many in the industry is familiar with.
The Keynote speaker, Terrell McSweeny, urged advertisers and others covered by its Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Rule not to ignore the regulation's data security requirements, saying that the recent rash of massive data breaches has made safeguarding data vitally important. McSweeny warned that the commission plans to bring more children’s privacy enforcement cases similar to a pair of recent actions. Elliott Siebers, Deputy Attorney General in New Jersey for the Department of Law and Public Safety, predicted that state enforcers would also become more active in the area.
Thanks to our sponsors for their ongoing and generous support.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
CARU's annual conference is happening next week on Wednesday October 1st at the Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park. CARU believes that if there is one conference to attend this year about children's marketing, this is it. With so much happening right now in the children's marketing industry, you can't afford not to be a part of the discussion.
Expert panelists will consider challenging issues facing the Children's Advertising Industry, focusing on how online and mobile technology has changed the way companies market their products to children in the US and abroad. A significant emphasis will be placed on the modifications to the FTC's COPPA Rule, including discussions on how companies are implementing new practices to comply with these changes in their online and mobile marketing.
Panelists will also discuss strategies for utilizing online interest-based advertising and other third party initiatives while maintaining legal and regulatory compliance, marketing to children through non-traditional means, domestic and global challenges in self-regulation, social media, and much more. Additionally, CARU has devoted an entire panel to discussing the nuances of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
The Keynote speaker is Terrell McSweeny - Commissioner of the FTC. Other confirmed speakers include Kandi Parsons (via Skype) - Senior Attorney, Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, FTC; Elliott M. Siebers - Deputy Attorney General, NJ Department of Law & Public Safety; Brian Morgenstern - Cyber Investigator, NJ Division of Consumer Affairs, Office of Consumer Protection and many more.
To view the entire conference agenda, click here.
This event is not to be missed. To register, please click here. For a special discount of 10% off for our blog readers, please use code: "carutenoff"
If you have any questions please contact Rey Persaud at Rpersaud@asrc.bbb.org, Jay Black at JBlack@caru.bbb.org or Wayne Keeley at WKeeley@caru.bbb.org.
We hope to see you there.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Reports around the globe seem to be indicating that Google may soon allow children to have their own accounts. The rumor is that the suite of services will be compliant with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). We hear that they are planning to create children versions of platforms like Youtube and Gmail.
To find out more, check out this article.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
It's no secret the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act can be a little confusing. To clarify some of the law's more difficult nuances the FTC published the COPPA FAQs several years ago. The FTC is constantly updating the FAQs as the law evolves with new technologies. Today, the COPPA FAQs have been updated again in an effort to help companies better understand COPPA's fine details. The updates address acceptable methods of verifiable parental consent. Changes can be found in FAQs H.5 and H.10, and there is also a new FAQs are located at H.16.
You can find the new COPPA FAQs on the FTC Website.


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Shake things up for Date Night this Valentine’s Day and head out to the 2018 Greater Milwaukee Auto Show Gala on February 23 at the Wisconsin Center! One of Milwaukee’s premier social events of the season blends cars, cocktails, cuisine, and couture!
The best part? It’s a date night for a cause: all proceeds go to Special Olympics Wisconsin!
“You’ll really get to experience the show in an exclusive fashion, all dressed up and in a party atmosphere.” – TODAY’s TMJ4 anchor Vince Vitrano
So don your Kentucky Derby hat and attire for this “Horsepower and Hats” themed Gala that includes mouth-watering Southern food, an open bar, live music, auctions, and a sneak peek to the Greater Milwaukee Auto Show!
“As a kid growing up in the Milwaukee area, I always looked forward to the Auto Show. What’s so cool about the Gala is the chance to have the whole place to yourself! You’ll really get to experience the show in an exclusive fashion, all dressed up and in a party atmosphere,” said TODAY’s TMJ4 anchor Vince Vitrano. He is also co-chair of the Gala and a member of SOWI’s Board of Directors.
Event organizers expect close to 1,000 guests for the 17th year this Gala has been open to the public. Year after year, the Gala truly is one of Milwaukee’s most anticipated social events of the year. Last year’s event was a disco-themed extravaganza. The Gala is especially known for its food and live and silent auctions. “We already sampled some of the amazing food that will be available at the Gala, and I know that’s something guests rave about every year,” Vitrano said. “In addition, there are some very unique items and experiences up for auction, and the proceeds will directly support Special Olympics Wisconsin.”
The Gala is hosted annually by the Automobile Dealers Association of Mega Milwaukee, Inc. (ADAMM), who also serves as a presenter of the annual Greater Milwaukee Auto Show. The trade association was founded in 1907 and is currently made up of 117 automobile dealers in the greater Milwaukee area. Their galas have brought in more than $2 million for charities. Special Olympics Wisconsin is honored to be the beneficiary of the Gala this year. “They (ADAMM) care deeply about making the community better, and see in Special Olympics Wisconsin a great partner who is doing that every day,” Vitrano said.
“They (ADAMM) care deeply about making the community better, and see in Special Olympics Wisconsin a great partner who is doing that every day.” – Vince Vitrano
“This is going to be a really exciting year for the Gala. Special Olympics Wisconsin is a great organization that is doing some really important work in the state and ADAMM couldn’t be happier to be partnering with them,” said ADAMM’s Chairman David Kriete in a news release announcing the partnership. Kriete also sits on SOWI’s board. “The Gala is always so fun and inspiring and that describes Special Olympics Wisconsin to a tee so I think this is a really natural fit.”
SOWI Hall of Fame athlete Cindy Bentley serves as a huge testament to SOWI’s fun and inspiring ways. She also recognizes ADAMM’s commitment to improving their community through acts like the Auto Show Gala and she sincerely hopes you’ll join her at the 2018 Milwaukee Auto Show Gala. “My name is Cindy Bentley. I’m a world-class athlete. I want to invite you to the Gala so you can support 10,000 athletes. Thank you,” Bentley said in a video promoting the Gala.

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If you follow KID on social media, you may have seen us discussing recent research on the role advertisements might play in safe sleep messaging. A recent study at the University of Alabama examined thousands of magazine ads for children’s products, including cribs. They wondered: Do advertisements featuring sleep spaces adhere to the safe sleep guidelines established by the AAP? The results were mixed – 35% of ads did not follow safe sleep guidelines. Crib bumper pads were the biggest safe sleep violation – 70% of unsafe ads featured crib bumper pads. Other common violations included loose bedding, stuffed animals, or infants sleeping on their stomach or on their side. The researchers also examined how these advertisements portrayed infants of different races. Shockingly, they found that none of ads featuring non-white infants adhered to safe sleep guidelines. This shows that while these advertisements could influence all parents, minority families might be particularly at risk.
Unfortunately, we’ve also seen that advertisements for children’s products aren’t the only ones showing infants in unsafe sleep environments. Last year, KID successfully petitioned Xfinity to remove an ad from broadcast that featured a baby in a crib with crib bumper pads and large stuffed animals. These advertisements can be dangerously, and perhaps fatally, misleading to well-meaning parents and caregivers. When we see unsafe sleep environments in popular advertisements, they become normalized – we may not realize that what we’re seeing in dangerous. It can be harder for parents to make the right choices for their infants when the places they shop are advertising unsafe sleep. We encourage all retailers to make safety a priority when designing displays and advertisements.
For more information, you can check out our memo on this research for an in-depth review of the findings and their implications for KID’s work on safe sleep.


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For instance, when compared to December 2010 where 30.1 billion videos were viewed by Americans, December 2011 saw a 43% increase with 43.5 billion videos viewed. That is a huge increase in a one year time span!
Moreover, the number of people in the US who watched online video everyday increased from 73.7 million to 105.1.
Google Sites (Youtube) continues to dominate the platforms, and not only that but it’s almost as big as every other platform combined:
But another key fact in this report is the studies conducted by comScore in 2011 that found that online video ads are 38% more memorable that TV ads, something that will continue to drive both viewing away from the TV to the online world, and of course advertising spend will follow the eyeballs.
As a proof of that, the report says that video advertising volume is rising faster than total videos streamed. The ratio of the number of video ads to total videos grew from 12.8 percent to 14.1 percent, with video ad volume up 20% to 7.1 billion ads served this year.
Dan Piech, Product Manager at comScore for Online Video, has a sum up of all this data, take a look:
It is yet another Online Video report showing that every indicator is on the rise, and we’ll sure continue to see the trend in 2012.


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Cape Town CBD makes list of top 50 coolest neighbourhoods in the world
Cape Town's City Bowl District has made Time Out's top 50 list of coolest neighbourhoods in the world right now.
The city centre joins international neighbourhoods such Strasbourg-Saint-Denis in Paris, Embajadores in Madrid and Euljiro in Seoul.
Time Out's coolest neighbourhoods list is a list for tourists who hate being tourists. The ranking zooms in on neighbourhoods within some of the biggest cities in the world, highlighting the spots where locals go to eat, mingle, shop and create.
Topping the list is Embajadores, Madrid, which is hailed for its exciting nightlife, food, street art and high culture.
"This is where people from near and far live side by side, cooking up a bustling cultural life," says Time Out.
By day, the Plaza Tirso de Molina is home to florists. By night, the square is filled with revellers headed to the city's hottest club of the moment, Medias Puri.
Locals also head to the area for cheap but "divine" Moroccan lamb tagine, Indian food or to sip on cocktails at the Sala Equis, a former adult cinema turned watering hole.
In second spot is Seoul's Euljiro, an industrial area lined with printing presses and warehouses, alongside hidden bars, restaurants and cafés. While the presses hum to life printing out the next day's news, the city's beautiful young people check into warehouses-turned bars like the Seendosi.
Rounding out the podium is Medellin's Nueva Villa de Aburra in Colombia, home to the city's rockers, punks and metalheads; a rotating list of spectacles like dinosaur amusement parks and gladiatorial contests; and festivals that celebrate everything from hot sauce to electronic music.
Cape Town's CBD came in at number 21. Time Out says the neighbourhood is blessed with natural wonders such as Table Mountain, Lion’s Head and Signal Hill and is also home to some of the country’s finest restaurants.
"Everything in the CBD is within a 20-minute walking distance, so you’ll barely need to take a taxi, and it’s the perfect base to visit Cape Town’s better known attractions or hit up beaches, farmers’ markets or the V&A Waterfront," Time Out says.
To compile the ranking, the city guide polled 15,000 people around the world about the best - and most overrated - neighbourhoods in their city and tapped their network of local Time Out editors and writers around the world.
Respondents were asked about areas that were seeing an onslaught of cool new openings in lesser known parts of the city, beyond the tourist traps. Editors also considered the affordability of the area; whether it would be of interest to visitors; and the level of local activity.
Here are the top 10 coolest neighbourhoods, according to Time Out:
1. Embajadores, Madrid
2. Euljiro, Seoul
3. Nueva Villa de Aburrá, Medellín
4. Metaxourgeio, Athens
5. Princípe Real, Lisbon
6. Strasbourg-Saint-Denis, Paris
7. Neukölln, Berlin
8. Yanaka, Tokyo
9. Highland Park, Los Angeles
10. Fitzroy, Melbourne
Visit Time Out for the full list.


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Cancel Christmas? Parents say yes.
In a new study by Trafalgar, parents said they would cancel Christmas to travel instead.
The guided travel company surveyed more than 2,500 parents across the country, finding out how stressful, costly and time-consuming the holidays can be, and they found that an overwhelming majority of American parents admit they would rather cancel Christmas this year and travel instead.
—More than half of parents (66 percent) say they would cancel Christmas this year to travel instead, with a majority (78 percent) noting they would rather spend their money on a vacation instead of holiday gifts.
—Parents say that their stress doubles during the holidays and they can nearly eliminate that stress by traveling instead.
—Spending at home during the holidays can actually be more expensive than a week-long family vacation in Europe. For example, 56 percent of parents are planning to spend more than $5,000 on the holidays this year.
—Parents also indicated that they spend one to two months preparing for the holidays, and one in three parents have had to take time off from work to prep for the holidays.
Source: Read Full Article


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We are incredibly proud to announce that we have closed our Series A financing round of €14.5 million! The investment is led by the renowned US Investor Spark Capital, with participation from BMW i Ventures, Cherry Ventures, UVC Partners, and Venture Stars.
Founded in 2018 by Dr. Moritz Maier, Sebastian Möller, and Daniel Siegel, our goal is to make engineering more accessible for teams with a low-code platform that allows for connected, digital and automated product development. With a background in bionic research and offering engineering services, the founding team developed a solution for their projects to overcome the challenges of manual and repetitive development tasks. Quickly, inquiries about engineering services converted to paying customers leveraging the software to solve business challenges. Today, our customers include BMW Group, Hyundai Motor Group, MAN Truck & Bus and Toyota Gazoo Racing.
“This new investment will allow us to make significant progress towards our goal of becoming the low-code standard in engineering. The ease of use of our visual programming language enables engineers to model and automate development processes in the shortest possible time,” explained Moritz Maier, co-founder and CEO of Synera (formerly known as ELISE). “With our open platform, we enable engineers to transfer the agile and efficient methods of software development to hardware development. This automates manual and repetitive tasks and enables companies to manage the growing complexity of product development in the face of increasing cost and innovation pressure.”
“Synera has made the idea of Connected Engineering part of everyday life at renowned companies including BMW, Daimler or Airbus. When Synera customers achieve up to 90 percent time savings in development processes, it’s much more than a proof of concept. It is the future of engineering that Synera customers can already participate in today,” said Alex Finkelstein, general partner at Spark Capital.
Benjamin Erhart, Partner at UVC Partners added, “Synera has already fundamentally changed the way products are developed. We didn’t think at the beginning that rapid iteration, reusing work and easy integration of existing tools would have such a huge impact on product development: The improvements that Synera has been able to achieve with the first well-known customers, both in terms of development time and component performance, are incredible. We are convinced that sooner or later the Synera platform will be the go-to tool for engineers in their day-to-day business.”
We look forward an exciting future and continuing to deliver on our path to making connected engineering a reality! Thank you to all our customers, partners and amazing team, exciting times ahead!


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YoungMoney: 3-D printer makes your dinner
Soon, we could be eating our favorite junk foods courtesy of a 3-D printer. Companies like 3D Systems and Natural Machines have created 3-D printers that will produce chocolate, ravioli, brownies, and even vegetarian chickpea nuggets. You won't get out of all the kitchen work. In some cases you still have to assemble some ingredients before loading them into capsules for printing.
The printers don't exactly come at Millennial-friendly prices, costing at least $1,000. But 3D Systems recently announced a partnership with Hershey. And astronauts could soon be noshing on 3-D fare. NASA has commissioned one company to develop a prototype for space.


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The massive hit kabuki play from last year “Kuruwa Kotoba Awase Kagami“, starring the virtual idol Hatsune Miku and the kabuki actor Nakamura Shidō II, will be getting its own VR application for PlayStation VR starting in April for free, Dwango announced. The play told of a love story in a geisha quarter, and was performed at the Nico Nico Chokaigi 2017 event on April 29th~30th, 2017.
The VR application allows you to relive the Chokabuki experience in virtual reality, walk around the virtual world with a lantern, or snap photos with Hatsune Miku on the spot and share them online. Visit the official sites below for full gallery, or check out the official trailer now on Nicovideo!
Official site: http://chokabuki.jp/vr/
PlayStation Store JP: https://www.jp.playstation.com/games/chokabuki-vr-kuruwa-kotoba-awase-kagami-ps4/


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Raising recyclability: Mondelez Australia pushes recycled soft plastic packaging to help hit 2025 targets
Snacking heavyweight Mondelez Australia believes that soft plastic packaging should not be viewed at as the enemy, but more should instead be done to boost its recyclability of this resource if the nation’s 2025 targets are to be achieved.
The use of soft plastic packaging is extremely widespread in the food and beverage industry, especially when it comes to the packaging of dry and processed food items such as snacks, bakery and confectionery.
Traditional soft plastics have also long come under fire from environmental groups for being a major contributor to environmental pollution, given these have conventionally been single-use and are known to be incredibly difficult to decompose.
F&B multinational Nestle has highlighted major coffee producer markets in Asia as being key links in its newly launched Nescafe Plan 2030, a sustainability strategy with an emphasis on regenerative agriculture.
Nestle lays claim to Nescafe being the world’s most well-known coffee brand, claiming that one out of every seven cups of coffee drunk worldwide coming from the Nescafe brand.
Bring on the booze: Singapore spirits firm touts price and sustainability benefits of ‘world-first’ retail refill tech
Singapore spirits firm Proof & Company believes that its ‘world-first’ alcohol refill kiosk technology will lead the industry into a sustainable, circular economy future, in addition to fulfilling consumer hopes for lower prices.
Proof & Company recently launched the world-first SmartKiosk in Singapore, starting with Dairy Farm International’s premium retail chain CS Fresh in Tanglin Mall.
The kiosk currently offers six different craft spirits, and consumers would place a reusable bottle under the spout containing their spirit of choice to have it filled up, then attach a sustainable seal and pay as usual in the supermarket.
China has expanded efforts to eliminate excessive packaging with rules now covering more food categories, in addition to implementing a multi-ministerial governance system to regulate the supply chain.
China has been on a mission to remove what it has deemed ‘excessive packaging’ in the country since 2021, with focus for the food industry previously having been mostly centralised in the festive foods segment such as mooncakes and rice dumplings.
Recently, the government has moved to further expand this regulatory control to include more types of food products, particularly fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables, health-focused foods, takeaway foods and foods purchased via e-commerce.
Towards a green food system: Japan urges food industry cooperation after sluggish sustainability support
The Japanese government has called on local food businesses and producers to co-operate more closely with local authorities and basic regional sustainability plans so the national Green Food System Strategy will hit its 2030 and 2050 targets.
A legal framework aimed at more efficiently enforcing Japan’s Green Food System Strategy, dubbed the Green Food System Act, was enforced earlier this year in July.
However, it appears that industry implementation of sustainability initiatives and collaboration with local state and regional sustainability plans has not been as enthusiastic as hoped.


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Vic Matie has been playing the shoe game for 30 years and is now gearing up to unveil its first full collection of men’s shoes for fall ’19.
The men’s footwear line positioned in the contemporary luxury segment will be presented during the upcoming edition of Milan Men’s Fashion Week in January at the company’s showroom, along with the women’s pre-fall collection.
Bearing the same urban approach the brand has become synonymous with, the men’s lineup will include chunky combat boots and trekking shoes featuring thick rubber outer soles, sock-style sneakers embellished with high-tech rubberized stitching, as well as more traditional styles including leather derby and brogues.
“Counting on the brand’s constant and ongoing strengthening started in 2016 and thanks to our deep knowledge of the footwear sector, we decided to consolidate the Vic Matie brand by introducing a men’s line,” said Silvia Curzi, the company’s brand manager and art director.
“The total control over production allows us to create high-quality products … respecting work ethics and the product’s sustainability, two important pillars for our sector and for the customers we engage,” she added. The company is based in Arcevia, in Italy’s central Marche region, one of the country’s most thriving hubs for the sector.
As part of the same business plan, the footwear specialist will also expand its accessories range, which in the past two seasons helped boost revenues by 100 percent, the company said. The range will include tote and shopping bags, as well as fanny packs and nylon backpacks designed with no specific genders in mind.
The Vic Matie brand is controlled by Siva Srl.
This Is How Long It Will Take for Women to Earn the Same as Men
The Best Heavy-Duty Men’s Snowboots That Are on Sale


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SA Vs ENG | 3rd Test Jan 16, 2020
SA 102/6 (62.0)
ZIM Vs SL | 1st Test Jan 19, 2020
ZIM 189/2 (84.0)
ASS Vs MAH | Match 95 Jan 19, 2020
ASS 77/1 (29.0)
MEG Vs MAN | Match 98 Jan 19, 2020
MAN 18/7 (15.0)
NAG Vs BIH | Match 99 Jan 19, 2020
BIH 115/2 (26.0)
BEN Vs HYD | Match 101 Jan 19, 2020
BEN 366/5 (90.0)
ODS Vs JK | Match 93 Jan 19, 2020
JK 38/3 (24.0)
CHH Vs TRI | Match 91 Jan 19, 2020
CHH 137/5 (50.0)
SIK Vs MIZ | Match 100 Jan 19, 2020
SIK 107/4 (28.0)
DEL Vs VID | Match 102 Jan 19, 2020
DEL 41/4 (12.0)
Latest News on Sit On Black Money
Showing of 0 - 10 from 5 results
Sit On Black Money - Total results - 5
Oct 14, 2019
SIT on black money: Govt should make credit, debit card mandatory to pay bills; move will curb use of unaccounted moneyBanks and institutions in India are fully geared to usher in a debit or credit card revolution, consumers have also realised the advantages and benefits of using debit or credit cards.
Aug 30, 2019
SIT on black money tells govt: Criminal gangs switch to cryptocurrency for money laundering, drug smugglingAlthough there is no blanket ban on trading in cryptocurrency, the government has directed all the departments concerned and law enforcement agencies to take action under the existing laws.
Oct 31, 2014
Blackmoney: Modi govt appoints outgoing CBDT chief KV Chowdary as SIT advisorSenior IRS officer and outgoing CBDT Chairman K V Chowdary was today appointed by the Government as an Advisor to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that is probing black money cases.
Jun 23, 2014
Black money: Will take action, says Justice MB Shah on Swiss bank list"If it is legal we cannot do anything, If it is illegal or unaccounted money then we take action. It depends on which manner the amount is deposited," Shah told CNN-IBN.
Jun 01, 2014
Tax havens: UPA sat on its hands but will NDA go the whole hog?The UPA dragged its feet on disclosing the names of people with money in tax havens. Now that a SIT has been constituted by the NDA, will it find the political will to all the way and get the money back?


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2020 AFSA Annual Meeting & Independents Conference/Expo Recap
The 2020 Annual Meeting and Independents Conference & Expo opened on the sunny beaches of Aruba with a yoga session brought to us by Wells Fargo. Keynote speaker, Kristen Soltis Anderson, analyzed the 2020 political landscape and gave insights into both the millennial and senior minds for the upcoming election sponsored by FICO. Thanks to Flagstar Bank, attendees enjoyed a coffee break with a Starbucks gift card. AFSA Senior Vice Presidents Danielle Fagre Arlowe and Celia Winslow spoke about the association’s advocacy efforts in Washington D.C. and the states.
The afternoons for all three days of the conference were spent in our virtual Expo Hall. Through AFSA’s virtual platform, powered by DataScan, attendees were able to visit company expo booths, gather helpful data and information, and to speak via video chat with company representatives.
PayNearMe brought attendees a session we all can relate to: Remote Work – Best Practices for Best Results. The panel discussed the “Work from Home” culture and how it has shifted from a short-term necessity to a long-term strategy for both employers and employees. RSM presented attendees with their annual financial performance survey for AFSA Independents as well as other independently held finance companies throughout the country. The results included current trends on growth, funding, leverage, profitability, income, and expenses. SmithDebnam brought attendees a breakout session on how debt collection is evolving due to the pandemic and what changes the industry and borrowers could see in the near future. Attendees gathered back on the platform at Happy Hour for Pub Trivia, with teams sponsored by Cypton Mobile and Wells Fargo.
Day 2 opened with keynote speaker Richard Cordray, former Director of the CFPB, who gave insights on the future of the CFPB with the coming election and the changing environment due to the pandemic. The session was sponsored by ABS. Reps. Tim Ryan (D-OH) and Patrick McHenry (R-NC), and Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), delivered messages to attendees and discussed the importance of the consumer credit industry.
Attendees had another two great breakout sessions in the afternoon. Panelists on Accessing Alternative Sources of Capital informed attendees on how members could utilize capital alternatives, and which would best suit your own balance sheet. Fortegra presented the other session on Voluntary Protection Products: Opportunities for 2020 and Beyond where the panel discussed innovations related to VPPs, best practices for offering and servicing VPPs, and insights on how to navigate legislative and regulatory issues.
AFSA also offered a variety of Roundtables for attendees on a whole host of topics, from credit reporting to fair lending. We ended our second day with a wine tasting from Voluptuary Vineyards sponsored by ACI.
Day 3 opened with AFSA Education Foundation Chairman, Rex Ellison, delivering an update on the foundation’s efforts to promote financial education nationwide. We also were fortunate to have not one, but two keynote speakers on Thursday. We heard from Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioner, Rohit Chopra, in a “fireside chat” with AFSA President and CEO, Bill Himpler. FTC Commissioner Chopra gave unique perspectives on the financial industry and where it could be heading. GoldPoint Systems presented our next keynote, Cal Ripken, Jr. The Hall of Famer, also known as the Iron Man of Baseball, gave his keys to success through his experience as a businessman and baseball All-Star.
Like the previous two days, attendees started their afternoon exploring the virtual Expo Hall, powered by DataScan. AFSA’s Senior Vice President, Celia Winslow, led a discussion with Bryan Schneider, the Associate Director of the Supervision, Enforcement, and Fair Lending Division of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
We then had our last two breakout sessions of the conference. Experian presented Credit Reporting 2021: How Suppression Affects Predictability, where the panelists discussed how credit scoring and reporting will look like in 2021 due to the pandemic. ACI presented Fast Forward to Digital: How Borrowers are Adopting New Billing, Payment, and Communication Behaviors in 2020. Panelists informed attendees how lenders of all sizes can meet their consumers’ needs.
The final day concluded with the incoming AFSA Chair Tom Hudgins, COO with Western Shamrock, as he delivered closing remarks and announced the AFSAPAC Raffle.
More than 500 attendees logged into AFSA’s first ever virtual conference – we look forward to producing bigger and better programs moving forward, whether virtual, in-person, or hybrid.
October 12th, 2020 by Dan Bucherer


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It appears that yesterday's story was a bit conservative, as Microsoft let us know that Halo 2 actually earned $125,000,000 on its first day of release selling 2.4 million copies:
"Halo 2" broke entertainment retail records in its first 24 hours on store shelves. Microsoft Game Studios today announced that the highly-anticipated game sold through 2.4 million units in the U.S. and Canada, driving cash register receipts to the $125 million mark.
"EB Games had a record-breaking day as gamers across the country lined up for hours to be one of the first to get their hands on 'Halo 2' on November 9," said Jeff Griffiths, president and CEO of EB Games. "The 'Halo 2' frenzy, anticipation and excitement felt throughout the country prove that 'Halo 2' has become more than a game -- it's a pop cultural phenomenon."
"Halo 2 has blown the roof off of any other sales day in the history of GameStop," said Dan Dematteo, president and chief operating officer at GameStop. "In just one day, we sold more than half a million copies of Halo 2 -- more than any other game in history in its first day of release. Halo 2 has become more than a pop culture phenomena -- it's become a pop culture frenzy."
Not only has "Halo 2" exceeded video game sales records, but entertainment records as well. "Halo 2" has generated more money on day one than any of the biggest movies in box office history including "Spider-Man 2" (Sony), "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (WB) and "The Matrix Reloaded" (WB).* In addition, "Halo 2" surpassed this past weekend's box office favorite, "The Incredibles," which grossed $70.5 million (U.S.) in three days compared to the $125 million pulled through by "Halo 2" in one day.
"The first 24 hours of Halo 2 sales have taken our breath away," said Peter Moore, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Marketing and Publishing, Xbox. "Across North America, 2.4 million copies of the game were sold through, representing $125 million in total cash register receipts for retailers. It's no longer just a huge game for us but has become a seminal milestone for the entire industry."


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IAC’s shares have seen the biggest one-day decline in five years, following the release of their third-quarter report.
IAC, who owns dating sites including Match.com and OkCupid, released their third-quarter sales yesterday, which showed a missed estimate for their search-advertising revenue.
The company bought About.com from The New York Times Co. in 2012 for around $300m.
And search-advertising revenues, which include About.com, did not reach the $803.3m analysts estimated, shares dropping 14% – the biggest drop since 2008.
However revenue from the company’s dating sites was good – with IAC’s second biggest division, Match.com, growing 13% to $201.1m.
Reuters reported that Chief Financial Officer Jeff Kip also expected a mid-single digit decline in fourth-quarter revenue.


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There are plenty of reasons why you may want to make sure that your regular diet includes the proper amount of dairy. According to Vasanti Malik, a nutrition research scientist with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, “Dairy isn’t necessary in the diet for optimal health, but for many people, it is the easiest way to get the calcium, vitamin D, and protein they need to keep their heart, muscles, and bones healthy and functioning properly.”
On top of that, it turns out that certain dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, and low-fat dairy, might also help to prevent diabetes.
In a study that was published in Diabetes Care, a group that included Dr. Annalisa Giosuè, of the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy, carried out a large review of data that focused on possible associations between diabetes and animal-based foods such as various kinds of meat, fish, dairy, and eggs.
“The study analyzed a large amount of data, so I would consider the findings relatively conclusive,” DJ Mazzoni, RD, MS, CSCS, CDN, Medical Reviewer at Illuminate Health, tells Eat This, Not That! “Low-fat dairy items like yogurt contain beneficial probiotics which can optimize gut function. This has many downstream effects, one of which may be improved insulin function.”
Beyond that, Mazzoni explains that “dairy and yogurt are also high in protein, which helps blunt blood sugar spikes after a meal.” Providing an example, Mazzoni says that “someone eating bread alone will have a higher post-meal blood sugar level than someone eating bread and yogurt.”
When it comes to how much dairy you might need to consume on a regular basis in order to see the benefits, Mazzoni points out that “the study suggests that 200 grams of milk per day or 100 grams of yogurt per day were associated with the largest risk reductions of developing type 2 diabetes.” That would be “slightly less than one cup of milk, and around 60% of a standard container of yogurt.“


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Tesla is one part electric car company, one part balloon filled with hot air from founder Elon Musk. In short, there is more than meets the eye with the money-losing electric car company. While many Tesla fanboys obsess over Musk, they are missing a world of investment opportunities in autonomous cars and the chips players that supply those autonomous cars. TheStreet is on the pulse of these happenings.
U.S. officials reportedly deny Tesla's request for tariff relief on the autopilot 'brain' of its flagship Model 3 sedan.
Despite its shareholder meeting, Tesla stock is still down on the day. Now what?
CEO Elon Musk asserted that Tesla could break records for several metrics in the second quarter.
CEO Elon Musk says a 'record quarter' is possible.
Reports say a push to drive end-of-quarter sales could lead to record deliveries for the clean-energy carmaker.
Elon Musk says Tesla needs 'a lot of catching up' to achieve record deliveries in the current quarter.
Tesla is remodeling its factory in Fremont, Calif., to make way for production of the Model Y crossover SUV.
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UK fintech Plus500 bullish on full-year earnings
07:00, 4 October 2021
Plus500, the UK-based fintech group, reports positive momentum during the third quarter to end of September. With more stable market conditions when compared to recent quarters, the board now expects full-year 2021 revenue and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) to be ahead of current compiled analystsʼ consensus forecasts.
In a filing to the London Stock Exchange on Monday, Plus500 said “the positive momentum was highlighted by the consistent strength of Customer Income, a key underlying growth metric for Plus500, which has supported a strong revenue performance during the year-to-date”.
Plus500ʼs active customer base has grown significantly during the last few years, with the group achieving on-going success in onboarding new customers during the year-to date, the trading update stated.
During the Q3 2021 period, Plus500 said it had made further progress in establishing its position as a global multi-asset fintech group.
This headway has been driven by further investment in Plus500ʼs market-leading proprietary CFD technology platform and its acquisition of Cunningham Commodities, a regulated futures commission merchant, and Cunningham Trading Systems, a technology trading platform provider in the US. The launch of ‘Plus500 Investʼ, the companyʼs new share-dealing platform, was also cited as a progress driver.
In addition, the fintech group said it is continuing to make progress in accessing additional growth opportunities through further organic investment and by targeting potential bolt-on acquisitions.
Plus500 will publish its Q3 2021 results, for the period ended 30 September 2021, on 25 October 2021.


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Epic Games Store continues to distribute free games. This week, the platform made one game and one DLC available for free.
Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix are reportedly in talks for a licensing agreement, potentially bringing HBO Max content to Netflix.
There is a security network in almost every corner of the world. So, which cities have the highest number of security cameras?
Apple has released the highly anticipated iOS 17 Beta 2 program. Here are the innovations and more.
Microsoft is testing a darker Dark Mode for Edge browser, aiming to adapt to low-light environments. Here is the detail.
Google plans to launch Chromebook X, a program aimed at bringing more premium and powerful hardware to ChromeOS devices.
Disney+ will publish several new series, animations, movies, and more next month. Here is the list of Disney Plus in July 2023.
We’ve seen many fights, but it’s definitely the first time we’ve seen the billionaire fight. Will Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk have a cage fight?
Vivo V29 appeared in GCF database with model number V2250. So what will the smartphone offer to users? Here are the details.
Annoying news has come for the MIUI 14.5 version, which has not been on the agenda with leaks and claims recently.


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Due to a financial loss, Disney is cancelling their games division and effectively discontinuing their line of “Disney Infinity” games, which included tie-ins for Marvel, “Star Wars” and several other of their properties.
TheWrap reports that Disney’s foray into gaming “never took off the way the company had hoped,” despite the House of Mouse’s wealth of characters at their disposal for video game adaptations.
Disney CEO Robert Iger said the company no longer felt comfortable operating as a publisher. “We just feel that it’s a changing space and we’re just better off at managing the risk that that business delivers by licensing rather than publishing,” Iger said
But “Disney Infinity,” despite a sizable investment for a video game and piles of Disney characters to exploit, including Marvel and “Star Wars” heroes, never took off the way the company had hoped. Disney is taking a $147 million charge on the discontinuation of its games business.
“Disney Infinity” still has two remaining releases on the schedule, summer tie-ins for “Alice Through the Looking Glass” and “Finding Dory,” and according to a post on Disney Interactive’s blog those sets are still on the way.
Though Disney will no longer publish games based on its properties, tie-ins will still be produced by licensing them to third-parties.


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Harry Styles’ fans have done some digging and are now pretty sure that they’ve found proof that Hazza is dating food blogger and chef, Tess Ward.Stormzy joined by female pal as he splashes cash at Andy Warhol art exhibition
Earlier this week, news broke that the 23-year-old was ‘besotted’ with a new lady love in the form of foodie Tess, and his fans obviously had to confirm the news for themselves.
And this is exactly what they’ve done after eagle-eyed fans noticed that the pair had both been pictured wearing the same red Gucci shirt which retails at £530 a pop.
The former 1D star wore it while out last Wednesday May 3 and four days later the model was pictured in the same blouse at a brunch hosted by Suki Waterhouse.
Now we know that Harry can afford this shirt probably in all the colours, however swapping clothes with your bae is a legitimate sign of being official.
Besides, considering these two clicked because of their ‘mutual love of quirky fashion and food’ it’s no surprise that they’ve been twinning.
As well as making fashion statements, Haz has been busy treating his loyal fans to some pizza.
The lovable lad was apparently so grateful for fans camping out all night to catch a glimpse of him during his performance on the Today Show on May 9, he sent them pizza for their troubles as a big thank you.
In a clip posted on their Twitter of the pizza arriving, the Today Show presenter said: ‘Harry sent them [the fans] a little thank you gift, some pizza!’
Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for Harry for comment.


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PRINCE Andrew met business owners and entrepreneurs during a visit to the King’s Lynn Innovation Centre.
Members of BNI Innovation – a business networking group which meets at KLIC – welcomed the Duke of York and discussed enterprise in West Norfolk.
Rob Mason, of King’s Lynn Website Design, spoke to the Duke about a new website he is designing for the sawmill on the Sandringham Estate.
Mr Mason said: “He said it was great that they had chosen to work with a local business.
“The Duke asked if BNI had been good for my business. I said yes – since we joined as a start-up five years ago we have designed and built nearly 1,000 websites in King’s Lynn and the surrounding area.”
KLIC is operated by Nwes and offers state-of-the-art working space, business support, access to finance and meeting and conference rooms.
Nwes chief executive, Kevin Horne, said: “We are immensely proud of the King’s Lynn Innovation Centre, our flagship building in West Norfolk.
“It was a real honour to welcome His Royal Highness, the Duke of York to the centre.
“We welcome the opportunity to demonstrate the huge amount of support and activity available through Nwes to ensure that start-up and growing businesses in the local area are given every opportunity to flourish.”
As part of his support for British prosperity, the Duke of York works to encourage economic growth.
Mr Horne said: “KLIC has been designed to support the needs of ambitious, innovative businesses looking to grow in the local area, and we are sure that his royal highness was impressed with the services and facilities available.”


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Quickly but quietly, Big Pharma and various state governments are working to inject beef and dairy cattle with mRNA “vaccines.” The practice has been happening with pork since 2018 and beef is next on the agenda.
Jason Nelson, CEO of Whole Cows, has been watching the developments closely. His Texas company, which specializes in shelf-stable freeze-dried meat for long-term storage, has vowed to never allow gene therapied cattle to enter the food supply through their products (plus, Gateway Pundit benefits when you purchase from them through this link and the links below).
“I’ll shut down the company before we ship a single bag of mRNA-injected meat,” he said. “That’s why we’re growing as quickly as possible so we can achieve the buying power to produce large amounts… Read full article


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Fans of Xiaomi were left to wonder whether or not the Xiaomi 13 Ultra would be available outside of China when it was unveiled at MWC. According to a tweet from the reliable tipster Ice Universe, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra seems to be heading out into the world. Despite the fact that Xiaomi has not yet made a public comment regarding this matter, the significance of this disclosure lies in the fact that it may signal that the complete Xiaomi 13 series will be accessible in international markets.
It is extremely important to keep in mind that this material is still only a leak, so proceed with extreme caution. In the event that it turns out to be accurate, it is believed that the Xiaomi 13 Ultra will improve upon the already remarkable performance and specifications of the Xiaomi 13 Pro. This may point to an improved system-on-chip (SoC) or an increased camera’s performance. It is too soon to tell, but people who are contemplating about acquiring the Xiaomi 13 Pro might find it beneficial to wait a little bit longer to see if the rumours are accurate before making a purchase decision.
Considering the Xiaomi 13 Pro has such incredible specifications and features, anticipation for the Xiaomi 13 series is already at a fever pitch. This particular smartphone features a 6.67-inch AMOLED display that can refresh at a rate of 120Hz and has a resolution that measures 2400 by 1080 pixels. The Snapdragon 888 system-on-chip can accommodate as much as 12 gigabytes of RAM, while the device’s maximum internal storage capacity is up to 512 gigabytes. The Xiaomi 13 Pro also includes a quad-camera arrangement, which consists of a 108MP primary sensor, a 13MP ultra-wide sensor, a 50MP periscope telephoto sensor, and an 8MP telephoto sensor.
When considering the potential of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra in light of how impressive the Xiaomi 13 Pro already is, it is an interesting exercise to think about the possibilities. There have been rumours that it could contain an even more powerful CPU, such as the Snapdragon 888 Plus, which offers quicker clock rates and greater artificial intelligence capabilities. One possible upgrade to the camera system is the addition of a primary sensor with a resolution of 200 million pixels for the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. This would represent a significant leap forward in comparison to the 108 million-pixel sensor that is included in the Xiaomi 13 Pro.
Although though nothing has been confirmed as of yet, it’s probable that the Xiaomi 13 Ultra’s features and characteristics won’t be all that dissimilar to those of the Xiaomi 13 Pro. Even if such were the case, Xiaomi would still be taking a significant step forward with the global release of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra because it would make the company’s flagship smartphone more accessible to a bigger market.
In recent years, one of Xiaomi’s primary goals has been to steadily expand its presence across the globe. The introduction of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra would represent yet another significant step in the company’s execution of this plan. The business has already established itself in China and India as a big player in the smartphone sector, but it is now expanding its reach throughout the rest of the world. In point of fact, Xiaomi recently surpassed Apple to gain second place in the world after only Samsung among the manufacturers of smartphones.
The global release of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra would be an excellent way for Xiaomi to expand its appeal and build on the success it has already had. In addition to this, it would provide Xiaomi with a strategy to compete more directly with Apple and Samsung in the market for luxury smartphones. The Xiaomi 13 series is already a top competitor in the market because to its amazing features and specifications. The introduction of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra would only improve Xiaomi’s standing there because it would help strengthen Xiaomi’s existing position.
In spite of the fact that the Xiaomi 13 Ultra’s global release is still just a rumour at this point, it’s exciting to think about the possibilities that it could present. Because of its improved system on a chip (SoC) and camera setup, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra has the potential to become a particularly remarkable addition to the Xiaomi 13 series. That is a significant step for Xiaomi as a business as well because it would facilitate the company’s foreign expansion and provide it with an advantage over other premium smartphone manufacturers. Even though we need to wait for official confirmation from Xiaomi, there is no doubt that the potential of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is reason enough to be excited. If the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is eventually made available in all markets, it might be advantageous to hold off on purchasing a Xiaomi 13 Pro for a short while longer.


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In this opinion piece, Delacon CEO Michael Center (pictured below), explains how marketers can now find out if social media ads are delivering a return on investment in-store.
Advertising spend on social media platforms continues to grow despite the recent scandals around transparency and brand safety, with revenues expected to top $1.3 billion in Australia this year. In June, SMI reported agency bookings on social media was up 13 per cent and by 2022 it’s predicted there will be more than $2.2 billion poured into social media ads.
While marketers have been able to track the effectiveness of their social media spend if the consumer’s path to purchase remains online, they often struggle in measuring its effectiveness once the customer moves from the online to offline world. Or, to put it more simply, a consumer sees a social media ad, but instead of buying it online, makes a phone call about it and then decides to visit the brand’s bricks-and-mortar store to buy.
In an age where marketing accountability is paramount, there is a solution for marketers to find out the effectiveness of social media advertising. By using call tracking technology, advertisers that have a physical retail presence can effectively work out the value of their social media advertising in driving in-store sales.
Companies that require customers to provide a contact number such as travel agents, health insurers, banks or car dealerships at the time of in-store purchase are able track if their social media spend is working by linking the purchase back to the original call the customer made.
Essentially, marketers can establish if a call to the contact centre has originated from a social media ad through the use of call tracking software that captures the caller’s phone number and the campaign that generated it, and then pushes this data into a CRM or point-of-sale platform.
When the caller then goes into a retail store makes a purchase and provides their contact number, that purchase/transaction can then be tracked or linked back to the specific social media ad they viewed through the data already stored in the CRM or POS platform, allowing the company to establish if social media spend is working or not.
For example, a retail-based finance company was concerned their social media spend was not delivering the returns they wanted and were planning to shift that money into channels which they could more effectively monitor and measure return on investment. As a consumer’s phone number is required to be given when making a transaction, call tracking was used to track the customers who had made an initial call after clicking or viewing an ad for the finance company on social medial and then completed the transaction at one of its retail locations. Far from being ineffective, social ads were found to be driving, on average, five per cent of in-store sales and, for the first time, were able to be measured.
What’s more, through call tracking technology, marketers can establish which social platforms are delivering the best results, and by using call tracking techniques, they can even work out which creative is more effective in driving sales.
With spending on social media advertising continuing to increase, marketers will always want to know how their online presence translates to the offline world when it comes to sales. With call tracking and a little data analysis, this question – which was once almost impossible to verify – can now be answered.
The rapid growth in ecommerce during the pandemic has heightened the need for real-time insights to accommodate fast-changing customer behaviour. Accordingly, CMOs’ responsibilities are shifting, and around three quarters are now responsible for contributing to business growth (76 per cent) and data and technology (74 per cent). This is according to the latest Capgemini Research […]
TikTok says that it has officially reached more than one billion global users. In a blog post on its Australian newsroom, the video app said, “our global community is remarkable in its ability to reach millions of people, across generations. From music, food, beauty and fashion to art, causes, and everything in between, culture truly […]
Six screenwriting creatives from across Australia have been selected as the inaugural participants in the Emerging Writers’ Incubator. The Incubator is an initiative from SBS in partnership with Screen Australia, state and territory agencies Film Victoria, Screen Canberra, Screen NSW, Screen Queensland, Screenwest and the South Australian Film Corporation, and with the assistance of the […]
Australian start-up Loyalty Republic is introducing Australia’s first bank and card agnostic direct earn rewards program to democratise loyalty and make rewards accessible and fair for anyone using a debit card. The Loyalty Republic mobile app will place consumers in control of their rewards earning potential and redemption options, with a simplified model offering 1 point per $1 spent on debit card […]


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Rockford area residents raise $25K and counting for family of slain Pinnon Meats employee
The Rockford community is pouring out their hearts and their wallets after the shooting death of Peggy Anderson.
Anderson, 63, was shot during a robbery Jan. 11 at the bottom of a stairway that led to her apartment located above Pinnon Meats, 2324 N. Court St.
As of Wednesday, more than $25,000 had been donated to a GoFundMe account to help the Anderson family with funeral expenses.
Pinnon Meats co-owner Katie Bartel organized the account and wrote:
"When she walked into work every day her smile brightened up the back room, as it did everywhere Peggy went. The man who selfishly took her life will never realize the impact she had in our store or on the hundreds/thousands of people she came in contact with every day. She has worked in the Bakery at Pinnons for two decades running it to perfection."
Meanwhile, Winnebago-based AKG Craft Source, an apparel and home goods retailer, is raising money by selling "Pinnon Strong" T-shirts.
AKG posted on Facebook: "Pinnon Meats is near and dear to our hearts, with the owners being a couple of our best friends. Due to tragic events, we are partnering with them to raise money for one of their employees, whose life was taken senselessly. All proceeds of these shirts will be going to her family for expenses."
The shirts will be on sale online until Feb. 3.


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The Ministry of Commerce inspectors seized a warehouse in Riyadh, manufacturing counterfeit sterilizers by using unknown materials and in an illegal way.
During MC inspection tours, the inspectors suspected a case of commercial fraud. Therefore, in cooperation with the joint security campaigns, the inspection teams raided the site, which was used to make fake sterilizers by using materials of unknown sources.
After carrying out the necessary investigation and verification, it was found that the illegal labors used to distribute such fake items during the curfew period using e-delivery applications. They used to manufacture and store such counterfeit materials in a residential apartment in Riyadh. Therefore, all the fake quantities were seized and confiscated.
The Ministry of Commerce would like to confirm that its inspection teams are working round the clock to monitor, control and combat any fake products or counterfeiting practices, since such action would affect the safety of consumers and the national economy.


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Ship-from-store will be tested this holiday season
The retail industry’s investment in the holiday season is astounding. Data from the National Retail Federation suggests that as much as 40 percent of merchants’ annual sales occur over the two-month period. However, it is also the point in time when many flaws in retailers’ eCommerce operations are exposed due to the unparalleled amount of activity they see.
The last couple of years have seen many merchants falter and fail to meet their customers expectations. Last year, many customers thought twice about where they shopped and how they paid after the Target security breach jeopardized the personal information of millions of customers. Meanwhile, RIS News noted many merchants had trouble keeping their websites functioning during peak periods – some merchants such as Office Depot had outages that lasted more than five hours.
Perhaps the biggest blight on the 2013 holiday season, however, was all of the missed delivery dates. A late season winter storm created numerous issues. First, it caused consumers up north to shift from in-store to online shopping. Second, it led to transportation delays, making it difficult to distribute goods between stores and deliver items to customers. As a result, many retailers were unable to fulfill the Dec. 24 delivery promise they had made to customers.
Learning a lesson
With the 2014 holiday season on the horizon – or for some ambitious merchants, already here – many are gearing up to ensure the same errors that happened last year do not crop up again. The goal for the retail industry, collectively, is to not just meet expectations this year, but exceed them by a large margin.
Learning from last year can be a big challenge. Some of the mistakes businesses made had little to do with the retailer – merchants cannot control the weather, and as such, there was little they could do about last season’s delays. However, at the end of the day, all customers care about is receiving their packages on time, and from their perspective, the retailers are the ones who are at fault.
As Multichannel Merchant contributor Kevon Hills noted, exercising efficiency is pivotal for merchants looking to exceed consumer expectations this year. Delivery guarantees or Christmas cutoff dates are all fine, but if merchants cannot operate effectively, they will not be able to uphold their promises.
Omni channel evolution and its effect on holiday shopping
Hills noted that one key transition this year will be the shift to omni channel operating models. Although this is a shift that has been transpiring over the past few years, many retailers are now getting a better grasp on it. Considering how hectic the end-of-the-year shopping season can be for customers, omni channel offerings may offer the added degree of flexibility and convenience that people are looking for in the shopping experience.
Perhaps the most notable service offering, however, is business-facing and not customer-oriented. Ship-from-store is being integrated into many retailers’ eCommerce operations because it allows standalone brick-and-mortar locations to act as fulfillment centers for online orders. Instead of having to ship products from distant distribution centers in poor weather, they can simply be delivered from a nearby physical store.
There are numerous ways in which retailers can step up their game this holiday season. The key will involve creating a shopping experience that is not only easy and enjoyable for customers, but is also easy to execute from the perspective of the retailer. Merchants will need to get this year right if they want to regain the trust of loyal shoppers.


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How do consumers interpret “Made in the USA” and other U.S.-origin claims? What can the FTC do to improve its enforcement program? Those are just two of the topics on the table at today’s Made in the USA workshop. FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Andrew Smith will start the discussion at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. It promises to be a fast-paced, content-packed half-day event. Minutes before the start time, you can watch the webcast live from the workshop webpage.
“He just emailed you! You caught his eye and now he’s expressed interest in you... Could he be the one?”
You’ve probably seen them on TV: announcements with prominent warnings about FDA actions involving certain prescription drugs or medical devices. But they aren’t official health and safety recalls or alerts from the Food and Drug Administration. They’re something else – and FTC staff has sent letters to some of the people involved.
When consumers apply for credit, housing, or employment, consumer reports are often used to help decide whether they can get that loan, apartment, or job. With so much at stake, the accuracy of those reports is of the utmost importance. On December 10, 2019, the FTC and CFPB will host a workshop to discuss issues related to the accuracy of traditional credit reports and background screening reports used by prospective employers and landlords.
Remember Saturday Night Live’s “Coffee Talk with Linda Richman”?
On her Control album, Janet Jackson posed the musical question, “What have you done for me lately?” It’s a fair question for small businesses to ask the FTC and the most recent answer would be “Sent 29,333 refund checks averaging $396 and totaling $11.6 million to companies and nonprofits tricked into paying invoices – unvoices, really – for merchandise they didn’t order.” While we’re on the subject, t
Every spring at colleges across the country, many graduates receive a diploma in their hand – and an albatross around their neck. The burden of student loan debt weighs heavily on American families. And given the pressures on cash-strapped employees, businesses say they’re paying a price in productivity.
Companies and consumers are talking in a different way these days about cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical compound derived from the cannabis plant. But even as the conversation changes, one thing remains the same. Before making claims about purported health effects of CBD products, advertisers need sound science to support their statements.
Do consumers notice consumer class action notices? That’s one of the topics that experts will discuss at an upcoming FTC workshop on issues related to communicating with consumers about class actions.
Had you asked yesterday, we would have said the largest financial remedy for violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule was $5.7 million. Today’s $170 million total monetary judgment against YouTube and its parent company Google raises the stakes when it comes to COPPA compliance. Filed jointly with the New York Attorney General’s Office, the record-breaking FTC settlement offers three primary takeaways for other companies.
For businesses that choose to participate, the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield framework establishes a process to allow them to transfer consumer data from European Union countries to the United States in compliance with EU law. In return, companies must follow the framework’s requirements.


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The Cayman Islands' place in the personal privacy world
28 January 2021
As more and more social and economic activities are moving to take place online (especially during the Covid-19 pandemic), the importance of privacy and data protection is increasingly recognised.
The protection of personal information has emerged as a major political and social issue in an era of exponentially rapid change in business practices and personal behaviours. How rapid has the change been? Let's compare 2008 to 2020:
- in 2007 the iPhone went on sale and in 2008 android phones went on sale. Now there are 3.2 billion smart phone users;
- in 2008 there were 1.6 billion internet users and now there are 4.1 billion;
- online shoppers have more than doubled. The value of business to consumer e-commerce was less than $1 trillion in 2008 but is now $3.8 trillion; and
- Global Internet Protocol Traffic (a proxy for data flow) was 400 GB per second in 2008 and is now 100,000 GB per second.
(data published by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ("UNCTAD") Digital Economy Report, 6 April 2020)
Where in the world is there personal privacy law?
Only 66% of the nations of the world safeguard people's data and privacy, according to UNCTAD data from April 2020. The share is 96% in Europe, 69% in the Americas, 57% in Asia and the Pacific and 50% in Africa.
"Given the rise of cybercrime, scams and online fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, the survey results are very worrying," said Shamika N. Sirimanne, director of UNCTAD's division on technology and logistics.
"For e-commerce to effectively support development", she said, "consumers and businesses must feel protected".
"This is especially true in these trying times, when digital tools are increasingly the only vehicle to access goods and services."
Cayman Islands Data Protection Act ("DPA")
The DPA came into force in 2019 and it was drafted around internationally recognised privacy principles in order to give individuals control over their personal data and protect against its misuse in both public and private sectors.
It sets out certain duties of those holding personal data and, together with the Confidential Information Disclosure Act and certain other legal rights, gives the Cayman Islands the most comprehensive data protection regime in the region. Data must be processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner; it must be limited to what is necessary, be accurate and be kept for no longer than is necessary and it must be kept secure.
The DPA codifies the fundamental right to privacy which is in the Cayman Islands' Bill of Rights, Freedoms and Responsibilities under the right to private and family life and also in Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The right to privacy includes the right of individuals to determine who holds information about them and how the information is used.
Is having a privacy law enough?
For consumer confidence to pick up and people to trust e-commerce, countries must have legal frameworks that adequately protect individuals online but there must also be a means to enforce the individual's rights.
In the Cayman Islands the Ombudsman's office supervises compliance with the law and investigates, mediates and decides upon complaints as well as monitoring breaches and taking action where necessary. The Cayman Islands Ombudsman was busy in 2019 dealing with 192 enquiries and 37 cases in the first year the DPA existed. Outcomes for cases where the Ombudsman had jurisdiction were good but a couple of cases illustrated a global Issue.
No global privacy scheme
The flow of personal data takes place increasingly across territorial borders. Whilst the protection of privacy is a global issue, there is no universal framework of institutions for regulating collection, use, storage, communication of and access to personal information and enforcement authority jurisdiction stops at the border of the country in which the individual lives. This lack of global cohesion poses severe challenges for regulatory policy and practice.
The Cayman Islands Ombudsman had this very problem in a case where the owners of a website refused to take down the public profile of a Cayman Islands artist even though he told them he no longer wished for it to be available on that website. However, as the website was not hosted in the Cayman Islands and the company that owned it was not established in the Cayman Islands, there was no data controller in existence under the DPA and the data was not being processed in the Cayman Islands. The complaint was, therefore, out of the Cayman Islands Ombudsman's jurisdiction.
The Cayman Islands is part of a global community, that includes 128 of the 194 United Nations member countries, that has both laws to protect personal information and a robust system to enforce those laws. However, in the words of a popular 60s song, what the world needs now is not just "love, sweet love" but an international personal privacy enforcement regime.
If you would like any further information, please get in touch with your usual Bedell Cristin contact or one of the contacts listed.


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CeBIT, the annual computer show in Germany, is scrapped, after having drawn tech enthusiasts to Hannover for more than three decades.
Deutsche Messe announced on Wednesday that it is streamlining its event portfolio: it will integrate CEBIT's industry-related topics into HANNOVER MESSE while also developing additional CEBIT topics into specialist events for decision-makers from vertical industries. The realignment is due to reduced space bookings for CEBIT 2019.
Technological developments within the digital economy have reduced demand for horizontal tradeshows such as CEBIT in recent years. As such, many of CEBIT's traditional core exhibitors have turned to events targeting these industries to generate new business.
The event began in 1986 and was once billed as the biggest computer show in the world, drawing around 800,000 visitors at its peak around the turn of the century.
The latest CEBIT concept consisted of an exhibition, conference and festival. The fair attracted 120,000 visitors. Most large technology companies prefer to launch new consumer products at CES in Las Vegas or the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.


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UK clothing manufacturer Gill has said it is to do away with 'branded' fabrics in a bid to drive the cost of its products down
UK clothing manufacturer Gill has said it is to do away with ‘branded’ fabrics in a bid to drive the cost of its products down. The first manifestation of this new strategy was revealed today at the Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) in Amsterdam with the company’s trade launch of its new range of sailing garments:The Atlantic jacket (‘200) and trousers (‘150) for offshore useThe Key West jacket (‘150) and trousers (‘120) designed for offshore/coastal sailingThe Southern Cross jacket (’80) and trousers (’70) for the entry level market.The new range will be officially launched to the general public at the London Boat Show in January 2002.
At the trade launch Gill International’s chairman Nick Gill said “Gill didn’t want to pay a premium to someone who we think doesn’t need to be involved in the system of making sailing garments.” Gill says it has travelled to Japan to source breathable fabrics in a bid to avoid the use of more conventional, premium priced, branded fabrics.
It has taken almost twelve months for Gill to develop its latest range which it says is in some cases from 40-50 per cent cheaper than its previous offerings, without it claims sacrificing quality or performance. “We’re doing away with fancy names for our garments and have tried to simplify things for the customer,” added Nick Gill.


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In the US, sharp drops in the April manufacturing and retail sales indices initially sent shares lower before the hope of a delay in auto tariffs turned things around.
Washington: Stock markets gained ground Wednesday on news that US President Donald Trump planned to delay auto tariffs. Industry sources told AFP Trump was planning to delay imposing tariffs on EU auto imports while the US pursues agreements with key trading partners. European and US markets that had been in negative territory earlier in the day suddenly jumped higher, with German auto manufacturers among those who stood to benefit.
"Whether or ...
Read the full text Times Now - ET Now


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FINNISH PHONE MAKER Nokia has suffered a major blow as it tries to launch its flagship smartphone across the pond.
A row has erupted with its mobile network partner AT&T over how the telco was proposing to market the Nokia X7.
The X7 uses the latest version of Symbian and AT&T seems to think that in comparison to the other smartphones in its stable the Nokia X7 is not worth getting too excited about.
After all AT&T still sells the Iphone and it also has several Android models on sale. It seems to think that if people don't want an Iphone then they are almost certainly going to want an Android phone.
Nokia has told the Wall Street Journal that it decided to pull the phone, even if that leaves it without a smartphone in the largest market.
It appears that Nokia would rather not have a phone being sold in the US rather than suffer the ignominy of another smartphone failure.
Officially the outfit said, "we are working hard with our US carrier partners to bring meaningful smartphone solutions to market", which seems to be saying that the way AT&T wanted to market the phone was not exactly meaningful.
Nokia has not had much luck flogging its phones in the US and the X7 would have been the first Nokia smartphone launched exclusively with a US carrier since former Microsoft executive Stephen Elop took over as Nokia's CEO, which was supposed to usher in a Golden Age.
The cancellation leaves Nokia even further behind at a time when it is already lagging far behind Apple, Blackberry and Android. µ
Watch your back, Huawei
Porn-based prattery gets fisted
As long as it follows the rules
The Home in the home could be a legal minefield


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The Tourist Authority of Thailand has announced plans to categorize tourists as they arrive in the country and direct them towards destinations appropriate to their perceived ‘quality’.
Minister of Tourist Conformity, Tingtong Bakpakka, told us in an elusive interview “We’re adopting electoral practices from Germany, considering buying trains from Germany, now we’d like to adopt practices from the holiday camps Germany set up in Poland during the war. The aliens can be streamed on arrival into High and Low quality categories using a simple process of means testing.”
Highly qualified immigration officers, most with backgrounds in accounting and fashion, will direct tourists left or right depending on factors such as number of tattoos, shell-suits, sobriety and in-pocket cash.
High-quality tourists, such as those who arrive wearing a tie, will be allowed to roam the country more-or-less freely. Low quality tourists will be bundled onto secure transports and taken to designated ‘ghettos’ such as a specially fenced of stretch of Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Road. Pattaya council have already begun digging a huge moat around the resort to contain tourists deemed ‘especially depraved’, while Koh Tao is to be converted into a maximum-security resort for the three or four Russians expected this year.
Chinese tourists are to be diverted to Chiang Mai where they will be re-educated within specially constructed ramparts dubbed by locals “The Great Wall of Chiang Mai”.
Travel-Blagger Dickie Handcart, speaking as always on behalf of all expats, has welcomed the move. “With tourists corralled into such limited areas, we will literally be able to bombard them into submission with Thainess. They’ll go home more Thai than the Thais.”


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Which undated images shows a sign to have Check Town, which offers payday loans, in Sodium Lake Urban area. Us americans remove approximately $fifty million inside the payday loans a-year, for each and every accumulating a lot of money inside the charge and you may interest. Images by the Leah Hogsten / AP
San francisco-based monetary tech organization Even produced statements late a year ago when Walmart, the country’s prominent private company, launched it would initiate providing Even’s services included in its personnel benefits plan. Along with taking gadgets that enable staff to track its purchasing and you may save money, Actually has actually Instapay, enabling users to progress a few of their next paycheque right up to help you 13 days prior to payday. Given that Also representative are making use of their unique currently gathered circumstances, Actually doesn’t costs the staff member interest towards get better.
Also creator Jon Schlossberg has said in public places you to definitely an element of the businesses purpose would be to place the payday loans industry regarding business, stating it exploits the brand new economically vulnerable. The guy common interior need research entirely into the Related Drive one shows, about preliminarily, you to Even profiles is less likely to want to tap the newest pay day loan field after they sign up for the business’s functions.
“You may have this entire business regarding financial institutions taking advantage of Us citizens incapable of alive paycheque to paycheque, and payday lenders are extremely the absolute most predatory,” Schlossberg said.
Pay check lenders state they give an important services, with quite a few Americans struggling to developed cash to pay for an unexpected economic emergency. Nonetheless they state they give on country’s most desperate, that happen to be the higher exposure having not paying right back the fresh loan. However, critics state the fresh new prices and you may charges try extortionate and certainly will trap the debtor inside car title loan OH a pattern out of personal debt that will history months. The consumer Financial Shelter Agency, under the National government, is actually trying to handle brand new pay check credit community all over the country, but according to the Trump management the latest bureau has started the process regarding treating those guidelines.
Even’s investigation demonstrate that approximately 28 percent of their pages grabbed away a payday loan from the days before you sign upwards to your service. Five days immediately following joining Even, you to definitely contour falls so you’re able to less than 20 percent. Even determined the newest shape by the learning need habits of the professionals out of .
Also might be able to give and that users are having fun with payday money because the Also pages connect the bank accounts for the application. The firm is then in a position to tell what types of deals a person try and come up with, and you can whether they happen the features off a quick payday loan exchange otherwise name a pay check lender because the almost every other group.
Schlossberg admits one to Also is forgotten specific payday loan transactions, such as of those where a can be used in the place of an immediate debit regarding an excellent borrower’s membership. The details is additionally limited by the truth that Walmart, undoubtedly its greatest customer, just been utilising the tool into . Schlossberg said the firm is dealing with educational scientists towards efficacy regarding Even’s Instapay tool in the place of payday loan incorporate, for the purpose of posting sometime during the 2019.
Walmart ‘s the just business one to in public states they uses Also, but an even spokesman states it has “over” 10 businesses subscribed currently, with 400,100 productive website subscribers. Also do fees Walmart teams a great $six monthly fee to utilize their premium enjoys, with Instapay.
User advocates, who possess a lot of time focused the fresh pay day financing industry, told you these were grateful observe alternatives to help you pay day loan offered however, advised warning regarding their usage.
“The fresh new disappear is intriguing and probably promising but too-soon to mark any conclusions,” told you Scott Astrada, movie director off federal advocacy at the leftover-bending Heart for In charge Financing.
Display this Tale: Get better spend services will get dump entry to payday loans


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Following an alleged shopping spree in Sydney that had many Malaysians’ tongues wagging, the Prime Minister’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, has caused another uproar – this time for receiving a doctorate from Curtin University in Australia. Curtin University had last week announced that it would honor Rosmah with a doctorate for being the founder and driving...
HRW demands protection for Bangladesh workers
Wed, Apr 22, 2015 2:27PM UTC
Hong Kong unveils Beijing-backed 2017 election reform plan
Wed, Apr 22, 2015 12:51PM UTC
Drone found on roof of Japan Prime Minister’s Office
Wed, Apr 22, 2015 12:47PM UTC


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[June 26, 2012]
Microsoft says it has no plans to build its own phones
Jun 26, 2012 (Los Angeles Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Microsoft is trying to calm the fears of Nokia and its other phone partners by denying that the company will begin making its own phones.
The possibility of Microsoft developing the hardware for its Windows Phone platform was raised last week after the company introduced Surface, a tablet built by Microsoft running Windows 8.
That factored into the decision of one group of analysts, Nomura Holdings Inc. which cut the revenue forecast of Nokia, saying it believed Microsoft would be rolling out its own phones someday.
"We would not be surprised if Microsoft were to decide to bring their own handset to market next year given that Microsoft has decided to bring to market their own Windows 8 Surface tablet/PC products," said Rick Sherlund, one of the Nomura analysts, according to InformationWeek.
But following that comment, Microsoft's Greg Sullivan, the senior marketing manager for Windows Phone, told InformationWeek that was not true.
"We have a strong ecosystem of partners that we are very satisfied with," he said Friday.
And those comments were double-checked by ComputerWorld, which confirmed them with the Redmond company's communications team.
"We are big believers in our hardware partners and together we're focused on bringing Windows Phone 8 to market with them," a spokeswoman for Microsoft told ComputerWorld.
That's a good break for Nokia, which in addition to seeing its forecast downgraded forecast also recently announced it'd be laying off 10,000 people by the end of next year and shutting down several facilities.
Follow Salvador Rodriguez on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ ___ (c)2012 the Los Angeles Times Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Distributed by MCT Information Services
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Final Fantasy Versus XIII – The Rumour:
Square’s major AAA title, Final Fantasy Versus XIII has been canceled. It was reported that the game was abandoned by the company and in an attempt to save Square’s stock shares, the game was left to “fade away” rather than undergo official cancellation announcements.
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Final Fantasy Versus XIII – The Truth:
Whether this news was a cruel joke or carefully planned stunt, (to make-up for lack of E3 or TGS promotion) Final Fantasy Versus XIII has now officially been confirmed to still be in development!
It’s OK…stop standing at your monitor and sit down.
President of Square Enix, Yoichi Wada tweeted this great news to followers. Not only did he confirm that the game was still very much in development, but he also went on to state that Final Fantasy Versus XIII’s city presentation would “knock you off your feet”.
So what caused such rumours? Do you think it was jealous competition, a cruel inside joke or do you believe it was one of Square’s first attempts at scrapping the XIII name and universe from the Versus brand? Remember, Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2 may have sold well, but they are still regarded as weaker releases from the RPG giant.
Get posting and let us know!


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David Fincher’s remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has been received well by critics (85% on Rotten Tomatoes) and Rooney Mara has received praise for her portrayal of Lisbeth Salander, but the movie is only expected to be a mild hit when its theatrical run is over.
Fincher’s version cost Sony $90m to produce (the original cost $7m and earned $105m) but so far it’s only grossed $72 million worldwide. That’s not bad for an R-rated thriller that’s been out for 3 weeks, but with such as high budget Sony was probably hoping for something higher, especially given the book has sold over 30 million copies worldwide.
The Girl Who Played with Fire, the follow-up to Dragon Tattoo, already has a script written by Steven Zaillian who worked on the first film, and a Sony rep recently confirmed to EW that it was still on track to be made.
“[Dragon Tattoo] continues to do strong business and nothing has changed with respect to development of the next book,”
Given the film’s merely decent performance, there’s been much speculation about whether Sony will now actually move forward with the sequel. But the Sony rep tells us that “development continues” on the sequel and Steven Zaillian is still working on the script as planned.
While Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara are already signed on for further films director David Fincher is not, but he’s already expressed interest in shooting The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest back-to-back so if he does return it’ll probably be for both films.
Dragon Tattoo has yet to open in many European territories so it could still end up with a gross Sony are happy with. The last we heard the studio was targeting a late-2013 release for Played With Fire, so shooting may begin later this year.


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Focus is on total cost of ownership
(Purchasing Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)A bit more than a year ago, the management team that owns and operates Myers Container decided to stop buying materials and supplies solely on price and start looking at the total cost of ownership. Management also launched an assault on administrative overhead costs, began to automate process technology, started to streamline the supply chain, initiated the development of waste-free operations and started applying Six Sigma and lean manufacturing principles throughout the corporation.
Results so far? Overall savings of about 50%and they are only a third of the way into their three-year cost-reduction initiative.
"I always thought we were lean. It took a consultant to teach us there was fat throughout the corporation that needed to be eliminated," says John Cutt, president of the Emeryville, Calif.-based independent drum company. "We know we've got a long way to go, but we're on the way to a leaner and more efficient Myers Container."
It wasn't that the company wasn't considered competitive in its manufacturing niche, or that it had a bloated, inefficient management hierarchy. "But steel prices went crazy, and so did our costs," says Cutt.
What had happened was that a year-long transactional price spike had peakedand boosted monthly costs by 120% for the company's biggest commodity purchase, cold-rolled steel sheet. In studying ways to deflect the price spike, Cutt and his buyers and equipment operators began investigating alternate supply sources, new inventory control methods and ways to expand turnover of raw materials. "Today, thanks in part to a vendor-managed inventory system, we only have two weeks supply of steel," he says. "We used to keep 60-days inventoryactually that sometimes could go out as much as 100 days if there were mill delays in delivery."
The trigger: Cold-rolled sheet steel. But, there were other costs Cutt and his team found they needed to reduce. "We knew we had to do somethingactually a lot of thingsto get our arms around costs, but it took some effort to find out what the problems were and how we could solve them," he recalls.
One problem the team couldn't control, was that West Coast companies such as Myers pay regional price penalties for energy, transportation and logistics because of the extra shipping charges their suppliers incur. That reality made it all the more important for Cutt to manage the costs he could control. So, his first step was to analyze all of the company's spend with MAS 200 software from Sage Software so he could find areas for possible consolidation. Then, he brought in the consultants.
A team of experts from Ogden, Utah-based Technical Change Associates (TCA) studied Myers' business processes and then adapted its "Extreme Lean" system to do many of the company's supply chain operations.
Combining elements of Six Sigma and lean manufacturing, TCA's Extreme Lean has several components:
Integrating the suppliers with company purchasing and materials management personnel to cut the size of inventory.
Consolidating the number of suppliers.
Expanding raw-materials turnover from the present six times a year to 12 times a year.
Improving production and materials forecasts.
Boosting turns of finished steel drums to 100 times annually.
Consolidating SKUs (stock keeping units), the unique numeric identifiers used to refer to a specific material in inventory or finished product in inventory or in a printed or online catalog.
Developing cost-per-product metrics to help control costs and boost cash inflow.
And ditching those products that can't be adjusted to be made profitably.
"The development of Extreme Lean is a three-year process," says Cutt, "but once you start, you better plan to do it forever." Superb quality, on-time delivery, and doting on the customer had simply become requirements to participate in the marketplace. Continuous improvement had to become part of the purchasing and manufacturing lexicon.
At Myers Container, the lean manufacturing system affects five separate sectors: supply chain management, sales and marketing, mergers and acquisitions, information systems and finance. Because the company has a no-frills management team, each sector has an executive sponsor. Cutt now also shepherds the supply chain organization.
"We did this so our employees would see that management was fully committed to the design and execution of revamped business processes such as 'the new purchasing and materials management system' that aims to eliminate waste and maximize the productivity of every employee in the organization," Cutt says. So, every one of the 350 employees at Myers Container participates in an incentive program based on safety, quality, customer satisfaction and profitability.
Three familiesthe Cutts, the Stavigs and the Holmeshave been involved in corporate ownership of Myers Containers from the beginning some 89 years ago. The company extends back to George Myers who started reconditioning used barrels in 1917. The company evolved from Myers Barrels into Myers Drum and was eventually sold by Gib Myers to Kaiser Steel in 1968. The company was re-acquired from Kaiser Steel in 1984 by the current management team of Cutt, the chief executive; Kyle R. Stavig, vice president of sales & marketing (who also is the great-grandson of the founder) and Michael Holmes, vice president of finance.
Today, Myers Container has estimated annual sales of $50 million for such products as new steel drums from 8 gallons to 85 gallons in capacity, reconditioned steel drums and plastic drums from 15 gallons to 55 gallons in capacity, and reconditions IBCs (intermediate bulk containers) in 275-gallon and 330-gallon capacities. The firm has steel drum reconditioning plants in Hayward and Richmond, Calif.; Dalton, Ga., and St. Helens, Ore. It operates new steel drum production plants in City of Industry, Calif., and Killingsworth, Ore., and a steel preparation plant in San Pablo, Calif. It also has IBC reconditioning plants in Dalton, Ga., and Portland, Ore, as well.
In separate interviews, Cutt and Stavig point out that the use of vendor-managed inventory systems with a half dozen major suppliers has been a pleasant surprise. The suppliers have been at the plants for some timeand Myers sees the purchasing, material handling and manufacturing personnel cooperating with suppliers and developing tighter business relationships.
Stavig points out that cost-cutting partnership teams often include Myers Container personnel from various divisionsfillers, drivers, warehouse personnel, regulatory staff, packaging design-to work with the customers and the suppliers. One success has been the elimination of a "whole bunch of inventoried parts," Cutt says, "parts and products we don't use or need but are occupying space in the warehouses."
Myers Container at a glanceBusiness:
Steel and plastic containers production
Eliminate waste and reduce cost of materials and manufacturing
Implement the Extreme Lean system
"I always thought we were lean. It took a consultant to teach us there was fat throughout the corporation that needed to be eliminated,"John Cutt, president of Myers Container
Interview with Brocade
Interview withTheresa Szczurek