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Retailers cut out of Alberta's vaccine program just days before changes take hold
The province has changed course on how its proof of vaccination push will impact retailers.
The Restrictions Exemption Program (REP) is set to take hold Monday, and was originally slated to include retail businesses.
Those who participated were able to drop restrictions placed on their stores if they asked customers for proof of at least one vaccination dose or a negative COVID-19 test.
But Saturday evening, the province changed the REP's fine print.
A government representative tells CTV News retailers will no longer be able to participate in the program.
That means capacity will be capped at one third of fire code occupancy and customers will only be allowed to shop with members of their own household or two close contacts if they live alone.
As of Saturday, the change only applied to retailers. Restaurants, bars, theatres and fitness centres can all still participate in the REP to nix restrictions placed on their businesses.
Madame Premier in Inglewood was preparing to enter the program on Saturday morning.
When told of the news later in the day, owner Sarah Elder-Chamanara told CTV News she still plans to ask for proof of vaccination for those entering her store.
It's a route all retailers can still take, but the onus is now on the private business to implement any immunization-related change.
Elder-Chamanara says she believes the original rule already had its flaws for Alberta's small businesses.
"I don't have a staff I can depend on and I don't have the ability to rely on someone at the door like a restaurant, so I think it'll actually be more challenging for businesses like mine," she said. "I just want to remain optimistic that people are going to be kind and empathetic."
The province is still finalizing certain details of the plan. A representative promised additional details prior to Monday.


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Question of the day: Where can we find good vegetarian food near Metro?
Admittedly, LYFE is a 15-minute walk from the Culver City Expo Station but hey, walking is healthy. And it’s easy to grab Metro Local 33 bus down Venice Boulevard from the Expo Line Culver City Station to the Cardiff Avenue stop. A short walk and you’re there.
What we find on Culver and Washington avenues is a strip of restaurants too delicious to ignore. Among them is LYFE Kitchen, the latest in a chain of vegetarian fast food restaurants that are becoming the darlings of Millennials, as well as Boomers concerned about the health of their aging bodies. In fact, Advertising Age reports that McDonald’s — a Boomers fav — doesn’t even rank in the top 10 fast food favorites of Millennials, as many as 80 million people, ages 18 to 32.
Ad Age also says that particularly with food, Millennials are trending toward fresh and organic and value companies that are proactive with sustainable farming practices and are environmentally conscious. That might spell vegetarian or meatless, which is what the fast-food industry — and LYFE — seem to be responding to.
On its website LYFE elaborates: “Great food can do amazing things. It can make you feel better. It can support local farms. Promote sustainability. Reward environmentally sound businesses. Give back to the community. And, best of all, it will make you savor every single bite.”
LYFE certainly reflects those tastes, as does nearby Tender Greens at 9523 Culver Blvd. Two dishes tasted and enjoyed at LYFE are Kabocha Squash Risotto and the Beets and Farro salad. But the menu includes grilled barramundi white fish with soba noodles, a few Gardein (plant-based chicken or beef substitute) dishes and a classic burger of 100 percent grass-fed beef.
These entrees run in the $9 to $13 range. Add a drink and you can probably count on $15. But seated on the patio on a balmy summer day, the price seems worth it … even though just across the street is Honey’s Kettle yummy greasy fried chicken with biscuits and honey (9537 Culver Blvd. 90232). Being a vegetarian can have its challenges.
LYFE Kitchen, 9540 Washington Blvd., Culver City 90232
Categories: Transportation News

domain: news


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Asus is planning an event on February 25 at the MWC 2018 event. Here, it is likely to show off the new smartphone Asus Zenfone 5 Lite. Along with the Asus Zenfone 5 Lite, it is expected to launch few more smartphones. The invite for this event confirms the launch of Zenfone 5 series smartphone.
We are all aware of the fact that there is a huge competition rolling over especially with the smartphone industry. In order to stay ahead of the competition, the smartphone manufacturers are adding more and more exciting features into their phones.
Asus is nowhere less in this lineup. As recently we have seen a leaked image of the so-called Asus Zenfone 5 Lite featuring four cameras of which two are 20MP selfie sensors and other two are 16MP rear cameras. Evan Blass, the popular tipster further states that the two rear cameras are aligned vertically. It is accompanied by a LED flash and fingerprint sensor. It further holds a portrait camera features such as artificial bokeh mode and beauty mode.
So, as per the recent leaks, we can understand that Asus is concentrating more on the camera department. The renders further reveal the alleged Asus Zenfone 5 Lite with 18:9 aspect ratio and full HD plus resolution of 2160 X 1080 pixels. The display screen may be around 5.7 to 6.0-inches. The specifications of the device are not yet confirmed. But, it may likely to come out of the box with Android Oreo, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a micro USB support. It may also house a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Since it is a Lite version, the device may be less powerful when compared to the original Asus Zenfone 5.
The upcoming rumored handset is likely to hold similar specifications and design as Honor 7X in UAE. However, we will have to wait for the MWC event to understand the confirmed design, specs and features of Asus Zenfone 5 Lite.
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One of the best performing stocks in our portfolio over the last couple years just gave away 50% of its peak gains about three weeks ago, after the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter asking the company to address a few concerns it had about the company’s medical device it has been selling for well over a decade. Still, one of the company’s biggest institutional investors working closely with the company on strategic decisions has quietly disclosed that it just added to its position, giving us some degree of confidence that this seemingly negative development is a small bump in the road. This little known home healthcare company has grown 34 of the last 36 quarters and in our opinion was just on the brink of reaching an inflection point in growth.
Medical devices can be marketed as Class I, II, or III. Class II and III Healthcare companies that want to market medical products may have to attain clearance from the FDA in one of these three classes. The FDA letter raised concerns that some investors took to mean that the target company would have to apply for a higher clearance standard.
Company To Come Out Unscathed From FDA Warning?
This would require the company to spend tons of capital to resubmit approval for its flagship product. The target company has responded to the FDA letter and we believe there is a reasonable probability it will come out of this development unscathed for the following reasons:
- The additional purchase of stock by the institutional investor adds a degree of confidence.
- A lax in reporting protocol to the FDA that appeared to play a big role in the issuance of the FDA letter is being addressed.
- We believe that the company is the leader in its field and appears to have much safer and more effective products than its competitors.
- It looks like its most relevant competitor has an inferior product and has not received a warning letter.
- The company is still receiving indications of interest from new customers, such as the Military, who are aware of the FDA warning letter.
Opportunity Amid Catastrophe
A big challenge of investing in stocks is that it can take several quarters of company progress before the market will reward shares, only to see them be driven down on the hint of one piece of negative news. Your goal is to find the diamonds in the rough that have pulled back due to negative news that will not impact overall growth prospects.
Not all of these chances pay off big, but when they do the returns can often be outsized and worth the risk, especially when a stock has been so beaten up. We have made our bet.


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National Collector’s Mint Inc., which sold 9/11-related coins and collectibles, including an “exclusively authorized” commemorative honoring the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, has agreed to pay $750,000 to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it deceived consumers, charged them for items they never ordered, and failed to properly mark its imitation items with “COPY.”
According to the FTC’s complaint against National Collector’s Mint Inc. and its president, Avram Freedberg, the defendants claimed their 9/11 coins were exclusively authorized, but their 9/11 commemoratives were imitations and were not marked “COPY,” as the Hobby Protection Act requires. In the summer of 2010, Congress authorized the U.S. Mint to manufacture and sell a tenth anniversary 9/11 commemorative medal, the complaint noted. Because of consumer confusion with the defendants’ products, the U.S. Mint issued a consumer alert warning that its medal is “the only official United States coin or medal to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.”
The FTC alleged that the defendants’ ordering and returns process was misleading and deceptive. The defendants’ television commercials directed consumers to an automated telephone ordering system to order products via voice or touch keypad recognition. The ordering system presented offers for additional products that consumers could not bypass, and often registered sales orders even when consumers indicated, repeatedly, that they wanted no additional items. The defendants allegedly failed to provide the total cost of the purchase, a breakdown of the items ordered, and critical refund policy terms, and their lengthy and confusing ordering system resulted in many consumers receiving products they did not order.
According to the FTC, consumers who tried to return items found that, contrary to the defendants’ promise, the return process was not simple and prompt, and it frequently involved previously undisclosed conditions. Consumers were told they could return items within 30 days for a full, prompt refund. But the defendants allegedly failed to disclose that consumers would have to pay for insurance and shipping first, and that, for purchases exceeding $100 they would have to obtain a return authorization number from a live telephone operator. Many consumers found it difficult to reach a live person, and those who did often got the runaround.
The proposed settlement agreement permanently prohibits the defendants from misrepresenting material facts about any product or service, and requires them to clearly disclose, before a customer consents to pay for anything, the total costs and fees, any refund policy, and any material limitation or condition that applies to any “Satisfaction Guarantee” or similar representation. The settlement also bars them from violating the Telemarketing Sales Rule, the Unordered Merchandise Statute, and the Hobby Protection Act.
The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaint and approving the proposed settlement order was 5-0. The FTC filed the complaint and proposed consent order in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The proposed order is subject to court approval.
NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The complaint is not a finding or ruling that the defendant has actually violated the law. The consent judgment is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by the defendant that the law has been violated. Consent judgments have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge.
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC's online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.
(FTC File No. 1123098)
- MEDIA CONTACT:
- Frank Dorman
Office of Public Affairs
- STAFF CONTACT:
- Svetlana Gans
Bureau of Consumer Protection


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Chawkbazar: The original iftar market in Dhaka
Ahmed Daian, a resident of Banani, usually purchases iftar items from shops near his home, but for a change this year, he decided to break fast with Ramadan-specials of Chawkbazar.
The dental surgeon at a private clinic in Banani saw the Chawkbazar iftar bazar on TV, and it made him curious enough to want to check it out on the first day of Ramadan.
“Traditional items like Boro Baper Polay Khay, shahi jilapi or shahi paratha from this market are really interesting,” he said.
Though the turnout was huge, he enjoyed the experience, said Daian, who was excited to share the items with his family members.
“Boro Baper Polay Khay” is a mixture of chickpeas, minced meat, potatoes, brains, chira, egg, chicken, spices and ghee.
KM Firoz and Nazmun Nahar, residents of Mohammadpur, are not new to this iftar market; they have Chawkbazar-specials at least once during every Ramadan.
“This has become a trend for us over the last 15 years,” said Firoz.
This iftar market is quite old; in fact, locals claim this market started on a small scale in the British period. The largest of its kind, it attracts thousands of people from all over the country.
Mishiat Ullah, who came with his daughter Israt Jahan and wife Salma Akhtar from Konabari of Matuail, said whenever they get the opportunity to come here and buy some of the food items, they do.
The specials are unique both in taste and appearance. More than 200 makeshift shops sell items, of which meat dishes are very popular. Some desserts are quite in demand as well. Some iftar items can be traced back to the Mughal era.
Apart from “Boro Baper Polay Khay”, other well-known dishes include beef, chicken, mutton, pigeon and quail roasts; keema roll; keema paratha; borhani; doi bora; different types of kebabs, including shami, sutli, jaali, Irani and tikka.
Like every year, hundreds of people gathered in the market on the first day (yesterday) of Ramadan, but both the vendors and customers had to face difficulties due to rain.
Md Salekin, who was selling “Boro Baaper Polay Khay” at Tk 400 per kg, claimed that his family has been making this dish for generations.
But there are some other shops in the market who also claim to be the originators of “Boro Baper Polay Khay”.


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New facilities to service the fast growing Crēdo™ on Demand rental program
Peli BioThermal, the global name in cold chain, today announces the opening of two new service centres in Belgium and Puerto Rico serving the global pharmaceuticals sector. The new facilities will serve as additional depots for the company’s Crēdo™ on Demand rental program.
The Peli BioThermal team will exhibit at Clinical Trial Supply Europe being held in Barcelona, Spain on March 15- 16 2017.The conference, which brings together Industry specialists, leading service-providers and senior level decision makers from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, provides a collaborative platform for clinical supply professionals to discuss the latest industry issues while developing strategies
Peli BioThermal show new products at key European cold chain logistics Event
Peli BioThermal announced its advanced new pallet shipper system, Crēdo TM Cargo, is now available to rent for the first time with the highly engineered, passive temperature-controlled bulk shipper offering high performance and robust reliability for the global transportation of pharmaceutical payloads.
Pelican Products, Inc., the global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance protective case solutions and advanced portable lighting systems, has appointed Phil Gyori as Group President. Bringing several years of executive and management experience to the new role, Gyori will report to CEO, Lyndon Faulkner, and head all three Pelican divisions:


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British Inflation Rate Rises, Keeping Squeeze on Households
- August, 15, 2018 - 16:24
- Other Media news
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - The inflation rate in Britain has picked up, keeping a squeeze on households facing the uncertainty of Brexit.
Official figures released Wednesday show that consumer prices were up 2.5 percent annually in July, up from June's 2.4 percent rate, AP reported.
That remains above the Bank of England's target of 2 percent and helps justify the central bank decision earlier this month to raise interest rates for only the second time since the global financial crisis.
The rise in inflation will limit an increase in real wages, keeping pressure on household spending in the crucial last months of Brexit negotiations.
The talks for Britain to leave the European Union have stalled and there are concerns the country could crash out without a deal on future relations, hurting commerce and the wider economy.


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The U.S. wireless industry is among the most competitive markets in the U.S. economy, AT&T told the Federal Communications Commission in its application seeking approval to acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 billion in cash and stock.
And thats wont change when AT&T and T-Mobile USA merge, AT&T asserted in the filing.
Citing an FCC report adopted last year, AT&T said that roughly three in four Americans live in places where at least five facilities-based wireless providers offer service.
AT&T said the FCCs figure excludes new entrants like LightSquared and so-called mobile virtual network operators like TracFone that have their own brand and resell wireless service from a facilities-based operator.
But that same FCC wireless report noted that AT&T and Verizon controlled 60 percent of subscribers and revenues as of 2009. And some observers note that AT&T and Verizon Wireless will control nearly 80 percent of all U.S. mobile subscribers if federal regulators give AT&T permission to buy T-Mobile USA.
Make no mistake, this deal is about eliminating a competitor and nothing more,” said S. Derek Turner, research director of the nonprofit organization Free Press, last week.
But AT&T said it does not consider T-Mobile USA a close” competitor.
In the FCC filing, AT&T notes that other providers already fill or could easily move to fill the competitive role T-Mobile USA occupies today.”
Although T-Mobile USA is the nations fourth-largest wireless operator with 33.73 million subscribers, the company is reportedly losing ground to smaller rivals.
AT&T estimates that MetroPCS now has more subscribers than T-Mobile USA in several major markets.
T-Mobile USA has faltered because, among its other challenges, it occupies an uncomfortable position between higher-end providers and value competitors,” AT&T said.
The FCC is expected to closely scrutinize the combination of AT&T and T-Mobile USA to determine whether the transaction is in the public interest. The U.S. Department of Justice will be examining the merger under federal antitrust law to discover its effects on competition.
U.S. regulators often assert conditions on large mergers to protect competition. Its also possible regulators would move to block the transaction or, as some analysts in Washington, D.C. have pointed out, impose onerous conditions that would kill the deal.
In the FCC filing, AT&T asserted that blocking a transaction such as the merger of AT&T and T-Mobile USA would produce lower output, worse quality, and higher prices.”


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Telia said its core business was “on track” in Q3, as its bottom line was hit by an SEK12.5 billion ($1.4 billion) provision related to its activities in Uzbekistan, but a deal to sell some Eurasian subsidiaries now looks further off.
The operator previously revealed it was facing a $1.4 billion fine related to its entry into the Uzbek market in 2007, having acknowledged – more than once – that it had “seen and found wrongdoings” in the process.
In the results statement, Telia also said that together with Turkcell, it will “explore a joint divestiture of Fintur Holdings”, most likely in 2017. Previously, Turkcell was a likely buyer for Telia’s stake in the business, which operates in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Moldova.
According to reports earlier this year, there was some concerns that following the Uzbek probe, Fintur may attract the attention of the authorities (although there has been no sign so far). The pending renewal of a licence in Azerbaijan is also a potential stumbling block.
Elsewhere, the company saw something of a mixed performance. Sweden, CEO Johan Dennelind said, “remains characterised by stable growth in the consumer segment, but pressure in parts of the enterprise area”.
And its Europe unit saw “good progress,” with the majority of operations posting positive mobile service revenue growth. In Finland, mobile-billed revenue growth was 6 per cent, supported by upselling and price adjustments, while in Norway, “the customer perception of the Telia brand improved further”.
The company has sold its Spanish business, Yoigo, in line with its efforts to focus on the Nordic and Baltic regions.
For the quarter, the company reported a net loss attributable to shareholders of SEK8.81 billion, compared with a prior-year profit of SEK4.59 billion, on revenue of SEK21.52 billion, down 0.9 per cent from SEK21.71 billion.


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The new owners of Physical Addictions Discount Nutrition Center in Indialantic just south of 5th Ave across from the Wendy's are Kimba and Charlene Vasquez in the store, with online sales manager Lek Camaj in background. The store offers discount prices on vitamins, minerals, proteins, suplements, superfoods and fat burners. The also sell online at physicaladdictions.com
- Filed Under
Some baby boomers are calling it quits at running a business and they're starting to hand over over the reins to others.
So says a recent survey from the International Business Brokers Association, M&A Source and Pepperdine University's Graziadio School of Business and Management.
Those three groups released a nationwide survey recently found that retiring baby boomers was the No. 1 reason entrepreneurs were putting their businesses up for sale. ...


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The Group Managing Director of Artee Group, Mr Haresh Keswani, has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Besides, SPAR, the retail store brand of the group, emerged the Retail Brand of the Year.
The honours came from the BusinessDay Nigerian Business Leadership Awards held at the Lagos Continental Hotel at the weekend.
The awards were in recognition of Keswani’s pioneering effort in the second-wave retail revolution in Nigeria, through the birth of Park ‘n’ Shop, leading the business to become a dominant player in the retail industry.
Other businesses managed by Keswani include Cascade Water in PET bottles, Millennia Furniture and shopping malls in Port Harcourt, Enugu and Calabar.
The sectoral award won by SPAR was in recognition of its business agility, market share growth, financial strength, leadership vision and resilience in various economic conditions.
Keswani said it was a great honour which showed the efforts of the company in touching lives.
“I am grateful to God, family, friends and colleagues who have enhanced the vision till date. I am glad to have touched people’s lives in various ways and our organisation would not be deterred in supporting laudable initiatives of the government. Many of our businesses are in response to the government’s policies and this has further enhanced the economy of the country. We believe in Nigeria and Nigerians; we know that there are huge opportunities in the country despite the challenges,” he added.


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According to Jim Ryan, the corporation is pursuing a different strategy.
Thanks to the trial between Microsoft and the US Federal Trade Commission, more and more interesting details are becoming known. This includes the opinion of the CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment Jim Ryan about the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. It was this deal that led to the trial. The head believes that in the event of a takeover, Microsoft will not turn Call of Duty and other popular franchises into Xbox console exclusives.
A Greens lawyer provided a printout of an email in which Jim Ryan and the former Sony CEO exchanged views on a potential purchase of Activision Blizzard, The Verge reported. The first stated in the correspondence: “This is not a game of exclusivity at all. They think big and they have money to take such steps. I spent quite a lot of time with [Филом] Spencer and Bobby [Котиком]and I’m sure we’ll continue to see Call of Duty on PlayStation for years to come.”
Ryan then expressed confidence in Sony’s position even if Activision Blizzard’s projects turn into Xbox console exclusives: “We’re preparing some good things. I’m relieved, I’d rather it didn’t happen, but we’ll be fine, we’ll be more than fine.” “.
Recall that it was the potential exclusivity of Call of Duty that was the first concern of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the UK. But then the regulator blocked the deal due to Microsoft’s possible monopoly in the cloud sector.
Microsoft General Manager David Cuddy commented on Ryan’s stance: “Today showed that Sony knew all along that we would stick to our promise to keep games on their platform and made it clear that its lobbying activities against the deal are aimed at only to protect its dominant position in the market.”


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Pressure by big brands on suppliers to deliver more quickly and cheaply contributes to labour abuses in factories that manufacture garments, footwear and textiles, according to a report published on Wednesday.
Real estate investment companies Built to Build and Urban Interest have jointly acquired shopping and entertainment center, The Wall. The investors will focus on new tenants to serve the nearby Leidsche Rijn area.
The news doesn't get any better for Esprit with the fashion giant saying that its fiscal first quarter was tough. And the warm summer weather continuing into early autumn seems to have been partly to blame.
The Australian menswear retailer entered into voluntary administration on Thursday, announcing the company could no longer cope with the influx of international competitors and the fast evolution of online shopping.


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Over the past few decades, competitive video gaming has been growing rapidly. Esports have become a pretty impressive phenomenon, attracting millions of viewers, and it used to be just a hobby for people willing to get distracted. But nowadays, it’s an industry that generates billions of dollars in revenue.
Speaking of the emergence of interest for esports, it started to gain traction in South Korea. The story of cybersports dates back to the late 90s and early 2000s. The first game to gain the attention of committed players was StarCraft, a real-time strategy game, leading to the foundation of the today’s appearance of the esports industry.
It’s worth mentioning that only in the mid-2010s, this industry started to spread in the West due to the growth of streaming platforms like Twitch. Also, the increasing popularity of CS GO, Overwatch, and other online multiplayer games has a large influence on the blossoming of this industry. The esports industry began to take off because of the rapidly increasing number of people engaging into the competitiveness of video games.
Right now, it’s clear that esports is a massive industry, and it’s expected to be valued at $1.62 billion by 2024. It attracts millions of people worldwide, and such a tendency will continue because of the growing number of esports tournaments and leagues and the increasing popularity of gaming. It’s worth noting that esport betting seems to gain attention as well, and many people turn to parimatch apk download to enhance their experience from watching esport matches.
The accessibility of gaming is one of the main reasons for esports to rise. Thanks to mobile gaming, it’s easier for people to get involved in that field, and literally anyone can play video games nowadays. That’s the difference from traditional sports because they require a significant amount of physical ability and training. In that case, the world of esport has a much larger potential audience than traditional sports.
In addition, the increasing legitimacy of the esports industry is another factor driving its growth. Major companies like Coca-Cola, Intel, Nike, and so on have invested in cyber sports. Moreover, many well-known sport organizations like the NBA and NFL have launched their own esport leagues, helping legitimize esports and make it mainstream.
Finally, streaming platforms like Twitch also had a huge impact on the growth of the esport industry. They allow people to watch professional gamers play in real time, and casual viewers can enjoy esport tournaments and leagues. These platforms broadcast them to a global audience, and such a convenience leads to the growth of the industry as well.
What’s been just a humble niche in South Korea, now is a massive industry, generating billions of dollars and attracting millions of viewers worldwide. Esports has significantly advanced, thanks to the accessibility of gaming, the legitimacy of the industry, and the rise of streaming platforms. People are curious about the next stages of cybersport, but one thing is obvious – the world of esports has a bright future, that’s for sure.


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Furuya during a meeting with Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (Chen Qi Mai ) in Tokyo on Monday, reiterated his support for Taipei's bid to join a Tokya-led trade bloc. He called for closer Taiwan-Japan ties on all fronts.
According to the observation of "Protection Guardian", China prefers to capture targets back to China through legal and illegal "cross-border suppression" and persecute them, said Jingjie at a press conference in Taipei on the occasion of World Human Rights Day on Saturday.
Taipei [Taiwan], November 23 (ANI/PRNewswire): Innodisk, a leading global provider of industrial-grade flash storage, DRAM memory and embedded peripherals, has announced its latest step into the AI market, with the launch of EXMU-X261, an FPGA Machine Vision Platform.
Several high-level business delegations from Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (TEEMA) and Taiwan India Business Association (TIBA) visited India to explore the untapped business potential between the two sides.


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Will it get better? Should I stay? Will I get a raise? Should I change industry?
Those are some of the latest questions more and more people are asking psychic readers.
As the economic scene remains gloomy, many psychic readers in New York City said their business is experiencing a boost.
“I would say it doubled,” said Serena Stanley, 50, who owns a psychic shop in midtown Manhattan for more than 30 years.
Psychic readers have also noticed a different kind of clients knocking at their doors.
“I’ve been getting a lot of business people,” said Serena Stanley, 50, who has been in the business for 30 years.
She is experiencing a new trend, Stanley said. Clients are asking more questions about taking risks, transferring from one domain to another and pursuing new ventures.
“A lot of people are following their desire,” Stanley said. “They are taking the risk.”
More business people have been also seeking psychic reader Linda Orhun’s, 43, advice. Most are asking the same questions related to business. The new clients at Destiny are people who do not have a job security.
“My clients are people in their 30s and 40s,” Orhun said. “They have been running companies and now have nothing.”
The new business flow and the economic downturn are two reasons why Orhun is offering a discount for her clients. She used to charge $150 for an hour reading, the price is now $125.
“I dropped my prices some year and a half ago,” said Orhun. “But, I won’t go lower.”
Although the volume is up, Orhun complained about the slow party business. Less people are paying to have a psychic reader at bridal showers and birthday parties, she said.
Yet, Orhun remains optimistic.
“December is usually a very busy time,” Orhun said. “Everyone wants to know their reading for next year.”


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We love to run across patents that Ford has filed that hint at features we may see on future Ford trucks. The latest Ford patent to turn up is one that outlines an all-wheel steering system to make Ford’s trucks handle better. The system could presumably work on any Ford F-Series truck from the Ford F-150 to the F-250 and other Super Duty pickups. The art in the patent images certainly looks like a Super Duty to us.
The patent covers a manner of attaching steering actuators to the rear axle assembly using an Ackermann steering geometry. That type of steering geometry allows mechanically liked wheels to move together simultaneously during turning and steering movements. Ackerman geometry prevents the tires of a vehicle from turning about different points during a vehicle turning event.
The patent says that positive Ackermann allows the front wheels and rear wheels of a four-wheel steer vehicle to rotate around a common center point during turning to reduce tire scrubbing and wear and improve vehicle handling and maneuverability. The patent indicates that Ford is going for between 40 and 60 percent positive Ackermann to improve handling. However, the patent does talk about systems for rear-wheel steering used in tighter packaging situations that may exhibit negative Ackermann.
The Ford patent also talks about vehicles that have air springs with multi-links and vehicles with steer by wire suspensions. The patent is very complicated, as they usually are, but clearly outlines a system where future Ford trucks could have all-wheel steering. The Ford F-150 is due for a redesign in 2021, perhaps the tech in the patent will be used in the new truck. Other patents seen recently include one for the frunk of an electric pickup and one that talked about the F-150 EV battery layout.


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Electric vehicles, last I checked, do not perch on bubbles very well. But market mavens who have watched the unstoppable rise of Chinese EV maker Nio (NYSE:NIO) may well wonder: Will 2021 deliver the pinprick to let the air out of those high-performance tires? For those holding NIO stock, the answer remains thus: Elon Musk, eat my dust.
Or, if you prefer to channel your inner Vin Diesel, what a fast and furious ride. Not that EVs take diesel, mind you, though NIO stock might as well run on nitro.
Year over year, it’s up more than 1200%. And just when investors were starting to get a bit rattled — NIO stock hit a share price pothole that dipped into an early December capital raise — Wall Street sent a love note right back just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Nomura analyst Martin Heung initiated his coverage of NIO stock on Jan. 22 with his “buy” rating and a price target of $80.30. That’s nearly a third above where Nio shares trade today.
As for the specifics, Heung singled out Nio’s “Tesla-like top-down approach” of launching luxury vehicles, then following up those with models that have more consumer-friendly price points.
Speaking of which, is NIO stock at a price point that merits a nice, hefty purchase? Allow me to kick the tires for ya.
NIO Stock and Analyst Attention
Heung’s entry into NIO stock coverage reinforces how Wall Street is taking notice. Whereas some EV companies have maybe one or two analysts on the case, Nio now has 18. That’s two more than three months ago. As for where they meet, the consensus leans strongly overweight. Ten call it a buy — one more than last month — with six a hold and two a sell.
As bullish as I remain on NIO stock, I see exactly where the six analysts in the non-buy camp come from. Nio remains unprofitable and much of its positive momentum in 2020 resulted from timely Chinese government assistance and the sale of 68 million new shares in December, which raised close to $3 billion.
The question thus remains whether Nio is ready to stand on its own legs, or wheels if you like. Here, it’s useful to look at what an EV company is already doing as opposed to what it says it will do.
While many sector hopefuls such as Lordstown Motors Corp. (NASDAQ:RIDE), Fisker Inc. (NYSE:FSR) and Workhorse Group (NASDAQ:WKHS) are still working towards getting vehicles in the hands of drivers, Nio is already there.
An Ev Maker That Actually Makes EVs
Nio is putting out automobiles. Those mulling a NIO stock purchase should strongly take this into account. After all, there’s a wide gulf between selling the dream and selling the real deal on wheels.
As of Dec. 1, Nio delivered 36,721 vehicles in 2020, an increase of 111% year over year. Compare that to Workhorse Group, which has a production target of 1,800 vehicles for 2021, or Fisker, which hopes to have its first Ocean SUVs on the market by 2022.
Nio’s sales figures impress me all the more when you consider that all the action is taking place in its home country. Too bad for American drivers, many of whom would jump at the chance to buy Nio’s luxury ES8 SUV.
On the practical side, it has a 360 mile range (better than my thrifty Toyota Corolla does on unleaded regular). And for those who love the bells and whistles, the ES8’s features run the gamut from an all-digital cockpit that updates itself to a customized fragrance system (which the company gleefully describes as “pure, joyful and elegant”).
Perhaps it’s dumb luck or smart circumstance, but Nio’s vehicles are ready to roll at just the time when the world needs them and consumers want them. Deloitte forecasts that EV sales worldwide will grow from an estimated 2.5 million in 2020 “to 11.2 million in 2025, then reaching 31.1 million by 2030.”
A Political Climate Change
This much I know as well: Unlike his predecessor, President Biden actually believes that climate change is real. On his first day in office, he signed an executive order getting the U.S. back into the Paris Accord. That international agreement presents the last, best chance for the world’s nations to halt the devastation wrought by climate change.
You can also bet the Biden administration will do much to spur enthusiasm and federal support for this mode of transport. That could in turn pave the way for Nio’s vehicles to hit the states.
The company already has offices in San Jose, so if they intended to stay in China forever, you could’ve fooled me. Last year, Nio CEO William Li indicated that he wants the company’s cars to go global by 2023-24.
If Nio’s vehicles roll up to dealer lots stateside and Americans fall in love with them as much as the Chinese have, then it’s game over in the best possible sense for those who own NIO stock. Maybe, just maybe, there will be enough profit left over to put an ES8 in my driveway. Now that would be pure, joyful and elegant.
On the date of publication, Lou Carlozo held a long position in NIO.


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Pee Safe has been undertaking aggressive expansion offline
Hygiene and wellness brand Pee Safe on Monday said it aims to open more than 50 retail outlets across the country over the next 12 months. The company has set up its first company-owned offline retail outlet in Gurugram. Pee Safe's products are currently available in modern trade, general stores, airports, and organised stores across more than 150 cities, a statement said.
The brand currently has four retail outlets in Gurugram, Bhubaneshwar, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad, and plans to launch 50-plus stores over the next 12 months.
The stores being planned will be franchise-owned brand exclusive stores (FOFO) and the time frame is 12 months, it said.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
First Published: Nov 30 2021 | 03:55 AM IST


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Florence Pugh Followed Up That Sheer Dress With A Crimson Christmas Stunner
Florence Pugh went from sheer to silky this holiday season.
Over the past several years, social media has given us access to celebrities in new and fun ways. If you want to know celeb beauty treatments, what makeup the stars use and more about their fashion choices, one need look no further than social media. The savviest of these celebrities knows how and when to make a moment. Enter Florence Pugh, who already stunned several times in 2022 with sheer dresses (and later used her social media platform to share her feelings on “freeing the fucking nipple). Now she’s back this holiday season and is wowing with a crimson dress.
The Don’t Worry Darling star shared the look with her followers — or as she called them “scoundrels” — on Christmas Eve. In her Instagram post, she credited photographer Josh Shinner for capturing the magical moment. Take a look at the head-to-toe stunner.
The dress was a look Pugh had worn earlier this month for the 2022 Fashion Awards. The gown is Valentino and her jewelry is from Tiffany & Co. But the red carpet images taken from the London-set event don’t really do justice to the look in the same way these photographs do.
Of course, the post has already sparked a slew of responses from other celebs – even some in the fashion world. Designer Harris Reed said Pugh is an “absolute goddess.” Singer-Songwriter Cary Brothers called it an “insane shot.” WWE star Zelina Vega was closest to my own reaction, writing, “Wow, just wow.” Italian fashion designer Pier Paolo Piccioli, the creative director of Valentino (the brand which is also responsible for the aforementioned sheer dress), also reached out to the actress on the post, sweetly wishing her a “Merry Christmas.”
Meanwhile, after debuting a new ‘do and also rocking some big fashion looks this year, Zendaya was recently declared to be having the biggest fashion moment in 2022 (among other names like Kim Kardashian and Ariana Grande). I have no idea why Florence Pugh did not even make the Top 20 here. She had the viral fashion moment in Rome, she’s rocked Barbicore to an excellent degree (and was ahead of the curve compared to many celebrities with it) and her Don’t Worry Darling fashion looks from press days were total wins. Pugh even got away with wearing a cape at one point! Lots of people try capes. Few do it successfully.
Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian made the best-dressed list after only recently getting roasted for an outfit she wore to a holiday party. Not knocking on Kim, I’m just saying our girl Florence got robbed. At least with her latest look, she’s going out with a bang as we head into 2023.
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A survey conducted by Ernst & Young and The Economist Intelligence Unit showed a significant increase in optimism among hospitality CEOs worldwide over the past six months.
A full 79% of hospitality CEOs said they were optimistic about the prospects for the economy, compared to only 57% six months ago. It appears hospitality CEOs are more optimistic than executives in most other economic sectors, as the survey showed overall CEO optimism at only 66%.
“With people starting to travel again and demand for hotel rooms increasing, hotels are once again becoming attractive investments,” Daniel Edward Craig, a Vancouver-based hotel industry consultant said.
Increased optimism reflects increased RevPAR as the world economy strengthens.
“A year ago hotel owners and operators were coming off six months of negative RevPAR. RevPAR has been positive over the last 12 months and is expected to be so over the next 12 months,” Mark Eble, senior vice president for PKF Consulting USA said about the U.S. market. “Demand growth has been stronger than we anticipated it to be over the past 12 months.”
Also increased investment in hospitality real estate is fueling a sense of optimism. While regions of Asia continue to see a wave of new construction, in Europe and North America where the new supply line is low, the purchase of distressed properties has been steady, especially among the well-capitalized REITs in search of bargains.
“The investment activity has already been very strong for the better part of a year,” Geoff Davis, president of Denver-based Hospitality Real Estate Counselors said.
The optimism does not extend to rate growth in the U.S., though. Rate expansion continues to limp ahead, a trend industry experts don’t expect to change soon due to the widespread industry practice of discounting.
Amanda Dennis, a hotel industry consultant based in Colorado, said U.S. hotels are holding back in increasing rate due to fear. “I think a lot of people are afraid to be a market leader in increasing the rate,” Dennis said. “We saw the same thing back with 9/11. The first thing we tend to do is start discounting, and now with the flash sales and aggressiveness of the OTAs, there are a lot more distribution channels and they all want to discount.”
Dennis recommended that hotels study demand more closely before implementing discounted and flash sale promotions. “In this industry, we discounted, we tend to make it our first line of defense rather than the last. We tend to discount to aggressively,” Dennis said. Trying to recover, it’s a really slow trip back up. You have to know the demand first. If demand is the issue, you’re basically giving money back that was in your pocket to start with.”


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The Walt Disney Company is doubling down on content investment for its fiscal 2022 — upping its budget to $33 billion, from $25.3 billion in fiscal 2021, according to the company’s annual report.
That’s hefty even by top-streamer standards. Netflix will spend about $14 billion on content this year, and the merged Discovery WarnerMedia will spend about $20 million in its first year.
“The increase is driven by higher spend to support our DTC expansion and generally assumes no significant disruptions to production due to COVID-19,” Disney stated in a 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission last week. Disney’s new fiscal year started on Oct. 1.
Disney’s confirmation of significantly increased spending on content for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ follows recent calls from some analysts for the company to adopt exactly that strategy to meet its Disney+ growth targets, in particular.
After Disney CEO Bob Chapek told investors in September that Disney+ had “hit some headwinds” in fiscal Q4 that would result in slowed (“low single-digit millions”) subscriber growth, Barclays analyst Kannan Venkateshwar slashed his earnings estimate and price targets for Disney, and argued that Disney+ would have to boost its original content to achieve its target of 230 million to 260 million subscribers by fiscal 2024.
MoffettNathanson senior analyst Michael Nathanson stressed that the company would need to attract the 50+ demographic by developing adult-oriented general entertainment content like that offered by Netflix and Disney’s own Hulu.
But based on some of his own comments, Chapek was already committed to that direction.
Last month, he told investors that Disney+ needs to appeal to all age demographics. “That’s why we’ve fired up the production engines of our Fox team... Searchlight... and our general Disney Channel entertainment team, making content for both Hulu and Disney+,” he said.
However, some Disney executives are reportedly leery of alienating the brand’s core customer base by moving to non-family fare in a much more significant degree.
In its 10-K filing, Disney also reported that in fiscal 2022, its Studios division plans to release about 50 films destined for both theaters and its D2C platforms, while its General Entertainment division plans to produce or commission 60 unscripted series, 30 comedy series, 25 drama series, 15 limited or docu-series, 10 animated series and five made-for-television movies.


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Shares in French advertising conglomerate Publicis slumped after the group cut its 2019 revenue growth guidance. Shares of Publicis plunged 8.5% to their lowest level since December 2012.
Google took action on Thursday after concluding that the Swiss firm was in breach of its advertising policy, basing its decision on advice from advertising regulators.
Amazon Prime Day 2019 is an opportunity for Amazon to push companies to spend more on ads, some experts told CNBC. Amazon made $2.72 billion in its "other" segment in the first-quarter of this year, consisting primarily of advertising sales.
CNBC looks at how the computer systems in F1 cars have made their way into regular vehicles.
FIA President Jean Todt discusses his start with the Ferarri team and the current problems facing F1.
F1 experts discuss whether the quieter engine sounds are making the sport less attractive.
Gene Munster of Loup Venture discusses what to expect when the big tech names -- Facebook, Amazon and Alphabet -- report earnings next week.
Seth Basham of Wedbush discusses Chewy's first set of results since its IPO, and the fast-growing pet products and healthcare market.
Joel Shulman of EntrepreneurShares and Chad Morganlander of Washington Crossing Advisors discuss whether the Fed showed its hand on a rate cut in July, and if a slew of earnings reports in the next week could potentially trip up the markets.


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25th > February > 2003 Archive
IBM's (and Oracle's) plans for U2 users
Briefing NoteI recently had a briefing with IBM during which the subject of the future of Informix users came up, writes Phil Howard. The answer to that question is well known: IBM will continue to maintain and upgrade the Informix database for the foreseeable future but, in the longer term, IBM expects to provide migration capability to DB2.
Ireland sets FRIACO prices
Ireland's communications regulator ComReg says its flat-rate Internet access plans are on track, with wholesale prices set to come in at €12.77 per customer, per month.
ALSTOM ditches EDS – before it gets started
ALSTOM has scrapped a mega-outsourcing deal with EDS after failing to "reach mutually acceptable terms".
Morse dogged by falling Sun, HP sales
Sales carry on falling at Morse, Europe's biggest Sun dealer, but customers are rejecting other lines too. In its interims out today (but highlighted by the company last month), Morse revealed that Sun hardware sales slumped 36 per cent, while HP, another major mid-range franchise, were down 32 per cent for the six months to December 31, 2002. Overall, so-called infrastructure sales fell 27% in the six months to 31 December 2002 to £128.6 million.
Isonetric Broadband ceases trading
Isonetric Broadband Ltd - the Brighton-based broadband via satellite ISP - has ceased trading.
Oh So Quiet with VIA 1GHz Mini-ITX
VIA today announces a 1GHz C3 processor version of its Mini-ITX mainboard. And it has set its sights on an application and a place for the little beast - Digital media centres and little PCs in the home.
Punters warned about UK Internet Registry Ltd
Nominet UK - the national Registry for all domain names ending .uk - is calling for people to get in touch if they have received what resembles an invoice from a company called UK Internet Registry Ltd.
ATI takes two AIW cards to Europe
ATI is shipping two ALL-IN-WONDER multimedia graphics cards into Europe, courtesy of boardmakers Hercules and Sapphire.
Malvern votes against evoting
Councillors in the Malvern Hills have ditched plans to trial evoting in the upcoming spring local elections after the Government failed to give its full approval for the project to go ahead.
Co-founder buys Turbolinux's Linux, Windows cluster software
PowerCockpit, pretty much all that was left of Turbolinux following the sale of its Linux business and name last year, has itself been sold. Server management and storage software outfit Mountain View Data today announced that it has acquired the product.
Overture buys FAST's web search biz
Overture is stumping up to $100m cash for the Internet business of Fast Search & Transfer (FAST). The keyword ad Johnny is shelling out $70m cash upfront and up to $30m in performance incentives to the Norwegian search firm over three years. In turn it gets FAST WebSearch, AlltheWeb.com, and FAST PartnerSite.
More broken monitors now!
Monitor prices are falling and reliability is climbing. That's a good thing, right? Not if you are a warranty repair firm, to which it is more akin to something between a rock and a hard place.
UK ICT spending on the up
The UK was one of the worst-performing markets for ICT growth last year, according to research published today.
India figures high in MS dev outsourcing plans
Microsoft's recent investments in India appear to be only a part of a larger and more radical plan to conduct an increasing proportion of the company's development activities there. Although the company remains highly profitable in the teeth of a slump it is attempting to keep costs in the west down, while dangling the prospect of 'two for the price of one' worker deals in front of its managers.


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The firm made the announcement as it revealed another set of disappointing quarterly results which saw the firm record a loss of $125 million (£78 million) and revenue slide 25% to $4.2 billion (£2.6 billion) from $5.6 billion in the same quarter a year ago.
RIM CEO Thorsten Heins, who took over in January, said: “We plan to refocus on the enterprise business and capitalize on our leading position in this segment.”
Reports that RIM intend to abandon the consumer market have been strongly denied by the company saying that their comments have been incorrectly interpreted. “While we announced plans to re-focus our efforts on our core strengths, and on our enterprise customer base, we were very explicit that we will continue to build on our strengths to go after targeted consumer segments. We listed BBM, as well as the security and manageability of our platform, among these strengths.” said Patrick Spence, RIM’s managing director of Global Sales & Regional Marketing.
Vodafone and Visa have announced a worldwide partnership to enable consumers to pay for goods and services using their mobile phones, instead of with coins and banknotes.
Vodafone will work with Visa to develop a Vodafone-branded service, enabled by Visa’s prepay services. The service will initially be launched in Germany with an anticipated launch in the UK in the coming financial year.
Aside from its ‘member’ bank agreements this is the largest commercial partnership Visa has ever signed. Announcing the new partnership at Mobile World Congress , Vodafone’s Chief Executive, Vittorio Colao said: “The Vodafone mobile wallet represents the next stage of the smartphone revolution. It offers our customers the speed, simplicity and convenience of managing their everyday transactions with a single wave or tap of their smartphone.”
The customer’s mobile device will hold a Vodafone-branded ‘stored value’ account, with Visa’s systems managing payment processing. The platform will be open to a full range of industries, allowing financial institutions, retailers, transport, utility companies and more to offer payment services within an innovative new Vodafone mobile wallet.
In developed countries across Europe, North America and Australia, with a mature infrastructure for electronic payments, users of the Vodafone stored value account will be able to make purchases at the-point-of sale using Near Field Communications (NFC) enabled smartphones equipped with Visa’s ‘payWave’ service. By simply waving their NFC-equipped smartphone in front of a payment terminal, consumers will be able to make simple, every day purchases such as bus and train tickets, newspapers, magazines or a morning coffee. Consumers will also be able to make high value purchases securely using a passcode.
The service will offer comprehensive security, with NFC encryption and secure SIM card and payments industry technology. In addition to stored value accounts the ‘wallet’ will also hold loyalty scheme points and gift voucher credits, complementing and sometimes replacing a number of plastic cards in the customer’s wallet or purse.
The new relationship with Visa is part of Vodafone’s strategic mCommerce programme, which aims to deliver mPayments, mAdvertising, mCouponing and NFC mWallet in a consistent way across local markets.
Last week the big names in telecoms gathered in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress 2012, which is like a ‘Cannes Film Festival’ equivalent for phones. Over 60,000 people attended across the five day event, to see the unveiling of many new devices, technologies and services. So what grabbed the headlines this year?
A key theme from last week was the continued focus on smartphones. With Apple choosing not to attend, HTC announced its ‘supercharged’ OneX , OneS and OneV models. Chinese manufacturer Huawei caused a stir with its impressive Ascend line-up, while Nokia unveiled a 41 megapixel camera phone! Samsung’s success in the mobile space got a further lift with the Galaxy S2 beating the iPhone to win Best Smartphone prize at the Global Mobile Awards. The hardware buzz at this year’s event was around larger touchscreens, with 4.3” – 4.7” screens becoming the norm and a move towards ultra-slim mobiles. Quad core processors also made their debut in devices, boosting battery life and supporting faster web browsing.
Looking further ahead, NFC (Near Field Communication) and LTE (Long Term Evolution 4G) are ones to watch. The Vodafone Visa worldwide partnership which was announced at Mobile World Congress is paving the way to consumers being able to pay for goods and services with a simple wave of their mobiles. LTE, on the other hand, is all about the network and promises improved speeds and a far richer data experience.
Coming out of this year’s event we expect Android, particularly with Samsung and HTC, to dominate high-end devices alongside Apple, with RIM pushing hard in the consumer space. Microsoft will become more of a driving force in mobile with Windows 8, while smartphones and 3G devices will filter through to all levels of the PAYG market.
RIM have announced the launch of their new Mobile Conferencing App now available through Appworld. The BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing App searches to discover conference call information from BlackBerry® emails and calendar invites dialling you in and automatically entering the required passcode so you don’t have to. All conferencing numbers and passcodes are auto-replaced with a “Join Now” icon.
Once you’ve installed the free BlackBerry® Mobile Conferencing app on your BlackBerry smartphone, you’ll appreciate how it helps make joining conference calls easier than ever. Now available for the first time in the UK, it includes powerful features that make scheduling conference calls simple. In fact, it’s designed to be so intuitive that even if you forget that it’s there, it’s sure to become an essential tool that you’ll rely on to manage your day.
Here are the key features in this release:
App icon – The BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing icon on your home screen takes you to video demos of key features, lets you share the app with friends or colleagues and allows you to provide feedback about the app directly to Research In Motion®.
Join Now – the BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing app adds a button to calendar reminders on your BlackBerry smartphone that can dial you in to a call automatically. If the invite includes multiple dial-in numbers for different locations, the app can choose the most appropriate one for you (within North America and the United Kingdom only).
Email to Meeting Conversion – Help put an end to long email threads by scheduling a conference call using the “Schedule Conference” menu item on any email. The sender and recipients of the email are included as meeting attendees, the email subject becomes your meeting subject and part of the email message is copied into your invite automatically. Just add your conference call details from a stored profile, click send and you’re set.
Conference Profiles – Add conference call details to almost any meeting you schedule from your BlackBerry smartphone with a single click using conference call details from up to 10 profiles stored on your device.
Private Moderator Codes – You can keep your moderator codes private. For meeting invitations you created, the app can use your conference profiles to dial you in as the moderator. That means you can leave your moderator code out of invites sent from your computer for added privacy without sacrificing convenience.
You can download the app from your BlackBerry or view it here
Barclays has launched allowing its customers to send money to any UK bank account using a mobile phone number.The free service links a customer’s mobile phone number with their bank account allowing payments to be sent without a bank account number being disclosed. To send money, customers must download the free Barclays Pingit app which is available for the iPhone, Android and Blackberry.In order to receive payments, customers must register their details online via the Pingit website.
The annual Consumer Electronics Show took place this month in Las Vegas and although we didn’t see any major new handset announcements from the leading manufacturers, we were treated to some fascinating developments. Unfortunately many of the innovations have been announced for specific countries but at least we are getting a taste of things to come. In February 3GSM takes place in Barcelona and hopefully we will see more devices for the European market.
Intel finally debuted a phone incorporating one of their processors – the Atom Z2460. The chip was running in a fully operational smartphone but unfortunately the handset was not for production rather a hint of things to come.
If you are interested in the Intel processor then the handset to look out for is the Lenovo K800. This is an Android 2.3 device which will be upgradable to 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. One of the intriguing features is the inclusion of Wi-Di. This is a wireless display technology which is being incorporated by a major TV manufacturers and is a form of Wireless HDMI.
Toshiba showed off a new Windows Mango handset (for the Japanese market) which featured a 13.2MP camera and 32GB of on board memory. They also announced an Android handset (again for Japan) running 2.3 Gingerbread on a 1.2GHz processor again inlcuding a 13.2 megapixel camera.
Motorola announced the 4G LTE Droid 4, although not as slim as the RAZR Droids is still pretty thin considering it has a slideout keyboard. The device has a water repellant coating and includes software called “Business Ready” which offers government standard encryption for email, calander and contacts. The device is designed for the US market and we hope to see a variant for the UK!
As fitness is always a theme of the New Year, Moto also showed off an Android powered fitness trainer / watch. This wearable device is worn like a watch and has inbuilt GPS and custom software designed to keep track of your training regime. The device is rain and sweat resistant and has 8GB in-built memory for your workout music.
Do you have kids or younger brothers and sisters with mobiles? If so, how well protected are they?
Today Vodafone has launched Vodafone Guardian, a free-to-download Android app which puts protecting young people from unwanted calls and texts, or misuse of the internet, firmly in the hands of parents and carers.
More sophisticated than standard content barring, the new app can be set up by choosing a specific age range, or features can be set individually. Children and parents can discuss specific preferences and program the mobile to control who can call or text, or to bar internet access at certain times of day. There is even a secure ‘vault’ facility for texts from unknown or blocked numbers.
Vodafone Guardian is password protected and any unauthorised change to the settings sends a text alert to the parent or carer. It also has features that allow older teenagers and adults to control who contacts them, without the need for a password.
Latest Ofcom research suggests 18% of 5 to 11 year olds now own a smartphone. Among 12 to 15 year olds, this rises to over one third. Social networking, emailing, sharing photos and watching videos via mobile brings clear benefits but isn’t without its risks. Vodafone’s new app gives people a way to manage these concerns, it’s easy to use and set up, and can be downloaded to most popular Android devices.
Customers can download Vodafone Guardian onto their kids’ phones from Android Market. Vodafone also have a Digital Parenting app with useful info and tips about your child’s digital world.


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Sun Microsystems has quietly sidelined its much-touted plans to distribute high level encryption software worldwide in order to stay in favour with the US government.
A year ago Sun publicly announced it could circumvent US federal restrictions on selling US developed high level encryption products outside the US, by distributing products developed by Russian company Elvis+.
But Sun?s pursuit of large government contracts and its involvement with the Department of Justice case against Microsoft has caused it to lay any lofty principles of free trade aside.
?You don?t want to upset the customer, especially not the government,? admitted chief executive Scott McNealy, speaking at a conference this week, pointing to Sun?s recent $500 million contract with the US Post Office as a very good reason not to risk flouting encryption regulations.
Nor does Sun want to divert government and public attention from the Department of Justice monopoly investigation into Microsoft.
Officially Sun is still examining its options on the Elvis+ products but no decision is expected any time soon, if at all.
Sun?s existing encryption software, Sunscreen SKIP, is available in various versions - only US and Canadian customers can get encryption above a certain level. The main problem was that the Elvis+ products were above the restricted level and did not include any form of key recovery - a method the US government is demanding be present so it can access encrypted mail.
Sun?s excuse is that the US Commerce Department has been looking into the matter but when it announced its plans to distribute the product last May, the company was confident it needed no regulatory approval. Now it seems to be seeking approval of another kind.
Despite the obvious policy U-turn, McNealy said he still believed that the vast majority of people would use this technology for honest purposes and should be allowed free access to it.
Some parts of Atacama have not received rainfall for 500 years - but a sudden deluge of water upset the Desert's delicate biological balance
Spitzer Space Telescope could not spot Oumuamua, suggesting that it is actually pretty small
Greenland crater one of the 25 largest impact craters on Earth
This long-sought progenitor star was identified in an image captured by Hubble in 2007


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Dick’s Sporting Goods has new names on its executive roster.
The retailer on Thursday announced that Lauren Hobart becomes president, effective immediately, reporting to chairman and CEO Edward Stack. Hobart will continue to lead the company’s customer and digital efforts, which includes overseeing marketing, e-commerce and Dick’s Team Sports HQ, which is a platform for youth sports organizations. The new role also means she will oversee the retailer’s physical stores, according the company’s statement.
Hobart joined the retailer in February 2011 as chief marketing officer and most recently was chief customer and digital officer. Prior to Dick’s, she worked 14 years at PepsiCo, and was chief marketing officer of carbonated soft drinks in North America when she left. “Lauren’s appointment will further our efforts to drive omnichannel consumer engagement, while creating a more efficient and focused organization,” Stack said. Dick’s is No. 56 in the Internet Retailer 2017 Top 500.
Hobart’s promotion comes as André Hawaux announces his retirement as executive vice president and chief operating officer, effective at the end of the second quarter. Hawaux joined Dick’s in June 2013 from ConAgra, where he was president of consumer foods.
Joining Dick’s Sporting Goods on May 22 is Keri Jones, who will be executive vice president, chief merchant, reporting to Stack. Jones comes from Target Corp. (No. 20), where she held several leadership positions, most recently as executive vice president of global supply chain.
On May 30, Don Germano, who led the retailer’s stores organization from 2010-13, will re-join Dick’s as senior vice president, operations, reporting to Hobart. He will lead the stores organization. Germano most recently was president of the Follett Higher Education Group (No. 80). Prior to his first round at the sporting goods retailer, Germano worked in several leadership roles at Sears Holdings Corp. (No. 19), Kmart and Nabisco.


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As Cynthia Armstrong and Amber Sigler left Sherm’s Thunderbird Market with a cart half full of groceries, they peeled off their cloth face masks and took deep breaths.
Behind them, signs around the doors of the market asked customers to put on a mask before entering.
“It’s like the new bra,” Armstrong said, and they both laughed. “I get that they’re there to keep everybody else safe from the spread, but they’re just extra.”
Sigler questioned the benefit of wearing masks, and said she hasn’t seen stores checking the quality of masks people wear.
“It’s about compliance, it’s not about safety,” Sigler said, sharing a widespread sentiment that health experts in Douglas County are working against.
It has been a week since Gov. Kate Brown made it mandatory to wear a mask while inside indoor public spaces statewide, in response to days of record-breaking COVID-19 infections. Around Douglas County, businesses have had to adjust their usual practices to enforce the policy.
As of Wednesday morning, the state of Oregon had reported 10,605 total cases of coronavirus, and Douglas County had reported 54 total cases. Fourteen of those were newly reported from the last week.
Since last Wednesday, face masks have been required in all public indoor spaces such as grocery stores, gyms and churches. There are exceptions for children under 12 and people with medical conditions that make wearing a face mask difficult. Anyone can take their mask off while eating or drinking at a restaurant.
During Brown’s press conference on July 1, she said that she does not want local police issuing tickets to individuals and businesses. Instead, enforcement will come from state agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission and the Oregon Health Authority.
“If covered businesses ignore the rule, then OSHA and other state agencies are ready: following up on complaints and using all the tools available to ensure enforcement,” Brown said. “I’m very serious about this. I’m also willing to bet that Oregonians will want to frequent businesses where they feel safe.”
OSHA spokesman Aaron Corvin said that they have seen an initial surge in complaints against employers and individuals over the weekend.
He said employers who take meaningful steps toward enforcing the mask requirement will not be cited. Willful steps would include stopping unmasked people at the door and offering them a mask. It also includes offering curbside pickup, face shields and other alternatives to people who cannot wear a mask due to a medical condition.
“It is not enough to put up a sign,” Corvin said. “Our expectation is that business representatives engage.”
Violation of the mandate can carry a Class C misdemeanor for individuals or businesses. Corvin said that if businesses refuse to take steps toward mask enforcement, they can be fined for willful violation.
OSHA is offering free, virtual consultations for businesses to assess their risk level and preparedness.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, masks reduce the spread of the virus by blocking the respiratory droplets expelled during speech, coughing and sneezing. Because their use has become politicized, medical experts have had to get creative when teaching people the benefits of wearing a mask.
Douglas Public Health Officer Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer has taken to the Douglas Public Health Network’s Facebook page, making videos out of his garage where he answers viewer questions and does demonstrations. He referred The News-Review to these videos for information.
“I’m not about to tell people what they should or shouldn’t do, but please wear a mask,” Dannenhoffer said in a video last week. “I’m pleading with you to go ahead and socially distance, just be careful about gatherings, and if you can’t maintain social distance because you’re in a crowded place, please wear a mask.”
He recommended using masks in places without social distancing, meaning people from different households are unable to keep at least 6 feet away from each other. These spaces, which include grocery stores, fall under last week’s mask requirement.
Inside Fred Meyer on Monday, almost everyone had some form of face covering. But many let their masks slip below their noses as they shopped in the busy store, and some took their masks off entirely once they were out of sight of employees.
As Willard Mattson left with his groceries, he rode a motorized scooter and donned a blue medical mask. He’s in the high risk category for COVID-19: over 60 with heart problems, and he said he recently left the hospital because of them.
Mattson said he is grateful for the new policy, but thinks it should have happened much sooner.
He said he hopes the people who are against wearing masks will understand the risk they put others in.
“It’s their right, but it’s killing other people. A lot of people like me,” Mattson said. “And it’s not your right to kill people, first of all. I did enough of that in Vietnam.”


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There’s a lot of controversy surrounding manufacturer claims on official mpg figures in the news right now and some automakers are stretching the truth. What automakers are being honest when it comes to real world numbers? German magazine Auto Motor und Sport tested 600 production models from all major car manufacturers to find out. Subaru was named as one of only five brands to beat fuel efficiency ratings in real world driving.
The tests were carried out over a two year period to establish how efficient cars are under normal driving compared to their official fuel consumption figures. Around 600 cars were independently tested by the German car magazine and then their official fuel economy and emissions ratings were compared against the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC) fuel efficiency tests that every new car must undergo.
How did the automakers rate?
Only five brands beat fuel efficiency ratings in real world driving. Jaguar was the best as the test showed their models consume 11.4 percent less on average. Subaru ranked second place in the test, to beat its official NEDC rating. Testers recorded a 6 percent average improvement over the official ratings for cars across the Subaru range. Infiniti was next at (-5.2 percent), Porsche (-4.8) and Land Rover (- 3.4).
Toyota and Lexus were almost exactly on the NEDC standard with a 0.8 percent deviation. Mazda, Nissan, Hyundai, Jeep, Skoda, Audi, Mercedes, BMW and Kia all fell short of their official fuel economy figures. The largest deviations were Peugeot (+ 14.4 percent), Renault (+ 14.3) and Fiat (+ 12.8).
The tests were conducted by Auto Motor und Sport on a set 171 mile (275km) test course, which included country roads, highways and congested city traffic. Subaru’s Outback, Forester, Crosstrek, WRX/STI, Impreza, Legacy and BRZ all recorded improvement over the official ratings. Wards Auto recently conducted another real world test on the 2016 Subaru WRX and found it also achieved better fuel mileage than advertised. Except for Porsche, it appears automakers from Japan and Great Britain are more honest than the rest.
Media source: Auto Motor und Sport


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iated from white farmers. Trucks and scotch-carts loaded with fresh wood for sale have become the norm.
Local environmentalists have expressed concern over the destruction of woodlands. – Francis Sibanda
BULAWAYO - Firewood has become the only source of accessible energy for cooking in urban centres due to the everyday power-cuts by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority.
In Bulawayo's peri-urban areas, the selling of firewood has become a brisk business among new settlers on farms appropr


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Naga fashion designers work at Dimapur event
Celebrating ten years of its existence, the Dimapur-based Northeast India Academy of Performing Arts (NIAPA) pledges to train and nurture the Northeast youth in fashion technology.
Dimapur: Celebrating ten years of its existence, the Dimapur-based Northeast India Academy of Performing Arts (NIAPA) pledges to train and nurture the Northeast youth in fashion technology.
Recently, the "Decade plus 1" founders day of the academy was celebrated at NIAPA campus in Dimapur.
Actress and Member of Parliament, Moon Moon Sen inaugurated the event titled 'Decade plus1'.
The budding designers from the Institute showcased their work as the kids walked the ramp in designer outfits.
"This is kind of the success story where young people in the Northeast doing things which is outstanding. We are finding spaces for ourselves, the young people are finding spaces where they can express themselves, train themselves and come out and look for livelihood. When there is livelihood people are employed and they are happy and when they are happy it reflects on the society and it becomes happier," said Moji Riba, NIAPA Advisor
"We have lots of events coming up. We have fashion show, performances by personality from Northeast and we are also launching some new program," added Akuonuo Khezhie, Managing Director of NIAPA.
The academy regularly organizes many fashion shows, events, and seminars in India and abroad to showcase the skills of their students to a wider audience.
In 2014, the students had presented a fashion show by designer Ikali Sukhalu at the Couture Fashion week in New York.
The official brand of Northeast India Academy of Performing Arts "MOI" was launched last year at the ASIAN Fashion Week in Indonesia. It was also showcased at the New York couture Fashion week to promote their collection.
It helps provide international platform to fashion designers from Nagaland.
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Following 2 many years of double-digit percentage increases in advertising spending, GEICO Corp. boosted its ad invest by just over 5 % in 2013, according to investigation by SNL Monetary.
GEICO, with its Gecko and Maxwell the pig mascots, has been the leader in promoting paying amid U.S. residence/casualty insurers for at least 5 years by means of 2013, in accordance to SNL. GEICO is nonetheless the only firm that spends far more than $ 1 billion annually on advertising. It recorded $ one.18 billion in ad invest in 2013, up from $ 1.12 billion in 2012.
Allstate Corp., which improved its investing on promoting 7 % in 2013 following an eleven % increase in 2012, has not too long ago taken direct aim at GEICO. Its new Esurance brand commercials state that “6 and a half minutes could conserve you on car insurance,” a counter to GEICO’s tagline that clients can conserve 15 percent on insurance coverage in 15 minutes.
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance coverage Co. increased spending 3 percent to to $ 802.8 million in 2013 following a year of unfavorable growth. State Farm’s ad devote peaked in 2011 when it booked a 29 percent 12 months-in excess of-year improve to $ 813.5 million.
SNL gathers data reported for promoting by P/C businesses from U.S. statutory yearly statements.


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Sask. inflation rate leads the nation in August
Saskatchewan posted the largest year-over-year increase in inflation among the provinces in August, thanks mainly to a hike in automobile insurance premiums, Statistics Canada said Friday. The province’s consumer price index (CPI) was up 1.9 per cent in August over the same period last year, matching the annual increase in July, the federal agency said.
via Leader-Post – Business http://ift.tt/1FmdBJU


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Production Kia Niro EV Debuts in Korea
Should get Bolt-matching range
At the Consumer Electronics Show back in January, Kia showed off a concept for an all-electric variant of the Niro crossover. Now, the automaker has revealed the first images of the production Niro EV ahead of the model's official debut at the Paris Motor Show this September.
The Niro EV was unveiled at the International Electric Vehicle Expo in Jeju, Korea. Unfortunately, not much of the concept's sleek exterior design made it to production. The Niro EV's simulated "tiger nose" grille is blocked off like the concept's, but overall the front end isn't nearly as attractive in production guise. Instead of narrow slivers of LED piping, the production model gets more conventional headlights that look closer to those of the standard Niro hybrid and plug-in.
The hardware hasn't changed, however, as the production Niro EV debuted with the same 64-kilowatt-hour lithium-polymer battery pack as the concept. Kia says that battery will offer more than 450 km (roughly 280 miles) of range, though it's unclear what testing standard that estimate is based on. Back in January, Kia claimed a Chevy Bolt-matching 238 miles of range, which we think is probably closer to an official EPA figure given that the battery's size is close to the Bolt's. A 39.2-kWh battery pack will also be available. Other than the battery options, Kia didn't share many details about the production Niro EV's drivetrain. The concept packed a 150-kW (roughly 201-hp) electric motor, which matches the rating of the upcoming big-battery Hyundai Kona Electric, so that's likely a safe bet for the production Niro EV as well.
The Kia Niro EV will go on sale in Korea in the second half of 2018 and will be introduced to other markets shortly after. One of those markets could be the U.S., but Kia so far has made no announcement on U.S. availability. Expect to learn more at the Paris Motor Show later this year.


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The professional and job seeker’s networking platform LinkedIn has surpassed MySpace to become the second most popular social platform in the United States.
According to a report from ComScore, 33.9 million people visited LinkedIn, up 63 per cent from last year. On the other hand, MySpace had 33.5 million visitors down 50 per cent compared to previous year. While, Facebook remained at No1 spot with 160.9 million US visitors, up 14 per cent.
According to ComScore, Twitter was at No 4 with 30.6 million users up 14 per cent from the previous month and a 31 per cent increase from a year earlier.
LinkedIn brought its IPO in May and raised its profile with investors and helped build publicity around the Mountain View, California-based company. It has posted two straight months of gains, as per ComScore\’s report. The site also incorporated features such as a personalised news feed and a visual map that explores how users are connected. Shares of LinkedIn rose $5.62, or 6 per cent, to $99.60 today on the news, setting a new high. The May 18 IPO priced the shares at $45.
Myspace, the biggest social networking site earlier year has lost ground to Facebook in recent years. Last month, News Corp agreed to sell the business to Specific Media Inc for $35 million, which it purchased for$580 million six years ago.


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Short takes from this week's news
US offers breathing space on Sarbanes-Oxley
The US has given overseas companies that want to list on the New York Stock Exchange an extra year to comply with the most difficult aspects of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Companies that are new to the NYSE may wait until they file their first annual report before complying with section 404 – the regulation that requires external auditors to sign-off business processes and internal controls.
Tesco IT director given international challenge
Tesco group IT director Colin Cobain has been put in charge of rolling out the retailer’s systems to its international businesses. Cobain, who oversees the company’s IT systems in the UK, has been tasked with making Tesco’s key systems, including its Oracle merchandising system, repeatable in every country where it does business.
Gartner offers five steps to data security
Analyst firm Gartner has advised businesses to follow five key steps to prevent the disclosure of confidential data. Organisations should deploy content monitoring and filtering to check the contents of outgoing traffic, encrypt
back-up tapes, secure workstations, encrypt laptops and use database activity monitoring, it said.
Suppliers back feasibility of ID cards scheme
Potential suppliers for the government’s ID cards scheme believe it is feasible and they are interested in bidding to build the systems to support it, according to a summary of survey responses released by the Home Office. The document said “all respondents” believed the scheme was feasible and, while recognising the challenges involved, “backed this up by indicating an interest in bidding for the procurement”.
Aon outsources business processes in £230m deal
Insurance broker Aon has signed a 10-year, £230m business process outsourcing deal with Xchanging. The contract involves the outsourcing of Aon’s Client Operations division, which handles insurance claims administration,
as well as accounting and settlement for clients within Aon’s re-insurance division.
BOC deploys open source data management system
Gas supplier BOC is rolling out the open source Mediawiki knowledge management system across its businesses. BOC has signed a deal with UK-based Sirius Corporation to help implement the system, which is designed to allow staff to share information easily and gain immediate feedback. As Mediawiki is open source, there are no annual or per user licence fees to pay.
Lloyds TSB outsources HR support to India
Lloyds TSB has signed a five-year, multi-process human resources outsourcing deal with Xansa. The multimillion-pound deal covers human resources functions, including administration, recruitment and helpdesks for training, advice, and general queries. The service will be delivered by about 150 staff in Xansa’s Indian delivery centres.
IBM unveils RFID system for pharmaceuticals
IBM has unveiled an RFID system for tracking pharmaceutical products. RFID tags are embedded on products at the unit, case and pallet level, authenticating the product from manufacturer to wholesalers to hospitals and pharmacies. The system could help the industry combat the problem of counterfeit medicines, said IBM.
Woolworths insources supply chain operations
Woolworths has insourced its supply chain operations as part of a year-long effort to make its replenishment systems more flexible. Most of the supply chain operations previously supplied by Zendor have been brought back in-house. DTS Logistics, Woolworths’ clothing partner, will take on responsibility for online clothes sales.
Vote for your IT greats
Who have been the most influential people in IT in the past 40 years? The greatest organisations? The best hardware and software technologies? As part of Computer Weekly’s 40th anniversary celebrations, we are asking our readers who and what has really made a difference?
Vote now at: www.computerweekly.com/ITgreats


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A woman had her purse stolen out of a shopping cart at Whole Foods on Feb. 24, then recovered that same day from the grounds of a nearby apartment complex, Lower Merion police said at a Monday briefing.
At 7:06 p.m. on Feb. 24, the complainant told police that she had been shopping with her purse in the top portion of her shopping cart at Whole Foods Market in Wynnewood, 339 E Lancaster Ave. The woman turned her back to the cart in the meat section of the store, and when she turned around her purse was gone, according to the report.
The woman’s phone was in her purse, and police were able to track the phone via GPS to the grounds of the Oakwynne House, an apartment complex located right across Lancaster Ave. After searching the property extensively, the purse was recovered, police said.
Most items were still in the purse, including the victim’s cell phone, police said. Bank cards and $50 in cash were taken.
The theft is still under investigation, according to the report.


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‘An international strategy’
CEO Patrik Hellstrand, who claims the food chain is ‘ready to take it to the next level’ told Cheddar: “You will see us more in the West Coast, East Coast, and maybe in some other parts of the country. And we also took on some capital last year that helps us grow on the people side as well.
“It’s more about getting to call it 50 units in the next couple of years, and we also have an international strategy.”
‘Mindful ingredient sourcing’
By Chloe – who states it’s ‘committed to maintaining a sustainable and vegan lifestyle’ with its ‘animal-free menu, mindful ingredient sourcing, and eco-friendly packaging’ – do not use mock meats and instead, rely on ‘locally-sourced ingredients in their most natural form’.
“We are very much about whole, plant-based food, which is obviously a growing trend,” says Hellstrand. “We are believers in whole foods, plant-based food, so we like making our own food because we know what goes in it.”


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(CNN) — Dolly Parton’s idea of a “birthday suit” is slightly more sedate than you might imagine.
The singing legend celebrated her 76th birthday Wednesday by posting a photo of her wearing a pink outfit with red lace accents on her verified Twitter account.READ MORE: Apple stores file papers to unionize, including 1 in Atlanta
“Just hangin’ out in my birthday suit!,” the tweet read.
The beloved star isn’t slowing down at all.READ MORE: Special grand jury considering Trump election interference in Georgia convenes
She is set to release of her latest album, “Run, Rose, Run” on March 4.
The album is the companion project to a novel of the same name co-authored by James Patterson and Parton, which will be released on March 7.MORE NEWS: Zelensky Says The World Should Be Prepared For The Possibility That Putin Could Use Nuclear Weapons
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.


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Spotify is the worldwide music streaming company, the feature of the streaming giant apart from its competition, but now, those same features are the root of a very real problem called harassment.
In this week as a report by BuzzFeed, diverse from other social media platform, formally Spotify doesn’t allow its users to block followers form the viewing account activity, the newly created avenue for misuse and threat.
There has a story from Meghan, a 26-year old who has been exceedingly targeted by someone from an earlier relationship.
Also, Spotify did remove the messaging feature in 2017, but the activity of this company feed that shown follower what music you’re listening to remains.
Whereas there is a private session feature that blocks everyone from seeing what you listen to a limited space in a social capacity service. There is also another one, users have seemingly been requesting a user particular block function from Spotify as early as 2012 and even the recent tweets have suggested still lack of action.
According to BuzzFeed, the company’s goal it doesn’t have any timeline on a plan of this block feature, regardless its gratitude that it’s a good idea.
In May, the streaming giant service an attempt to control the promotion of the artists who are fell under the company’s meaningless conduct policy.
Optimistically the same energy that was planned to prevent hate speech on the platform will ultimately apply to those using Spotify to harassment others.
Spotify music streaming giant can’t permit the user to block their followers, the tech company of music stream zone is harassment for other news globally.


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Yes, Americans are beginning to embrace urban bike sharing, and we’re fighting to make our cities friendlier to cyclists. But the Europeans have us beat, hands down. National Public Radio reports that bicycles are outselling new cars in all 27 member states of the European Union (except Belgium and Luxembourg).
In many countries, it wasn’t even close. In Greece, 320,000 bikes were sold in 2012, but only 58,000 cars. In Lithuania, it was 115,000 bikes and 12,000 cars. In Romania, 380,000 bikes and 72,000 cars. In Hungary, 232,000 and 53,000. I knew that the European car industry was in a slump — its problems are dragging down the bottom line at global automakers such as Nissan/Renault, General Motors and Ford — but this is amazing. I’m sure some of the stats reflect economic reality, not choice — cars are expensive and bikes cheap in eastern Europe, for instance. But still — look how happy those two Copenhagen bikers look below.
In some countries, bikes and cars were neck and neck in 2012. France, which loves commercial bikes for pizza and postal delivery, bought 2.8 million bikes and 1.89 million cars. Germany, a major carmaking country, sold 3 million cars — but 4 million bikes. In Italy, another carmaker, bikes had a 200,000-unit edge.
The European Cyclists’ Federation has crunched another set of numbers, and the results were very interesting — and highly complimentary to bike ownership. It seems that the countries with the highest scores in the new United Nations’ “World Happiness Report” are virtually all top scores on the federation's cycling barometer.
Number one on the happiness list, Denmark, is also tops in EU cycling on the barometer, which measures daily cycling levels, cycle tourism, advocacy activity, bicycle sales and cyclists’ safety. In fact, the rankings exactly correlate for the top four scorers — The Netherlands is ranked second on both lists, Sweden third on both, and Finland fourth on both. Germany’s fifth on the barometer, but 11th for happiness. Belgium is sixth for cycling, eighth in happiness.
And the countries that rated poorly for biking aren’t nearly as happy. Malta, for instance, is rated 27th in Europe for cycling, and 18th for happiness.
Americans would undoubtedly fare poorly if we were ranked by these measures. According to the American Heart Foundation, 32 percent of adults don’t engage in any leisure-time physical activity and up to 68 percent don’t meet exercise targets. A 10-year-old federal survey shows that only 27.3 percent of the population (16 or older) rode a bike at least once during the summer of 2002. A later study found only 5 percent of bike riders were using their cycles for commuting — a habit that’s ubiquitous in cities like Copenhagen (where people are really happy!)
So how happy are Americans? Well, we're 17th on this year's UN happiness list (Togo is the unhappiest country!) And according to a Harris poll of 2,345 adults from last spring, “only a third of Americans (33 percent) are very happy.” In 2011, 35 percent of us met the happiness standard. Note that the percentage of the population with smiles on their faces is fairly close to the percentage of bike riders. It looks like we need to get out on those two-wheelers, doesn’t it?


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FinTech Square off to a succesful start
The Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority officially launched its FinTech Square on 19 August. Following the launch, engagement sessions were held with selected innovators, who applied to participate in the first-ever FinTech Square 2022.
This was done through facilitated discussions between NAMFISA and innovators regarding emerging FinTech solutions and innovative concepts in the Non-bank Financial Institutions (NBFIs) sector.
FinTech Square 2022 formed part of NAMFISA’s plan to gauge FinTech advancements and innovators’ needs in the NBFIs sector in anticipation of the NAMFISA Regulatory Sandbox, which is planned to commence soon.
The NAMFISA Regulatory Sandbox will be a controlled environment to allow selected entities to conduct live tests of innovative products, services, or solutions under NAMFISA’s supervision.
NAMFISA received applications from interested innovators country-wide, as well as Namibian innovators situated internationally. NAMFISA can confidently conclude that this initiative is highly valued by FinTech innovators as they try to navigate the changing economic landscape, which is moving towards digitization and technological advancement. Innovative concepts were explored, mostly in enhancing efficiencies and promoting access to financial services for all Namibians. The innovative concepts include creating digital platforms to • Facilitate the provision of loans to consumers; • Provide investment platforms for consumers; and • Enhance “Know Your Customer” (KYC) initiatives.
NAMFISA’s FinTech Square will be an annual event as an initiative to promote and support collaboration with the ultimate objective to proactively navigate the rapidly changing landscape of innovation and FinTech.
With FinTech Square 2022 successfully concluded, NAMFISA extends gratitude to all innovators who applied to FinTech Square 2022 and looks forward, in anticipation, to FinTech Square 2023 and the launch of the first-ever Regulatory Sandbox in the Namibian NBFIs sector in the future.