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Tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Alphabet and Facebook have all reported quarterly figures end last week and there is a big Tech rally due to the higher than expected earnings.
Amazon reported net income USD5.2B, compared to USD2.6B in the last quarter. This is on the back of 40% revenue increase to USD88.9B compare to last quarter. Operational CashFlow increased 42% to USD51.2B for the ttm compared to USD36.0B ended June 30, 2019.
At the time of writing this post, Amazon is the second largest company in the world by market capitalization (i.e. USD1.58T) behind Apple (i.e. USD1.84T). For more about Amazon’s financials, refer to Yahoo finance here.
In this article, I am not going to focus on the financial analysis of Amazon, but instead tell you more about Amazon’s business aside from E-commerce. Frankly, if we are to go in depth into all of Amazon’s businesses,


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Here’s What Goes into Designing Amitabh’s Iconic Suits on KBC
Designer Priya Patil spills the beans.
One of the many things that makes Kaun Banega Crorepati the superhit TV show it is today is host Amitabh Bachchan ever-elegant sense of style. Speaking to a news daily, designer Priya Patil shared that a lot of thought, work and detail goes into Amitabh’s striking look for the show, everything down to imported fabric and buttons.
Priya has been styling Amitabh on the show or the past seven years and has been his personal designer for the last two. Every season, Amitabh and Priya try to bring a unique element to his wardrobe for the show. This has included everything from formal blazers, quirky ties to patterned scarves. Last season, Amitabh wore brooch pins and in season 11 he plans to show off different kinds of tie knots.
Priya told DNA about her process, what goes into designing for Amitabh and a few unknown tidbits about his wardrobe. She revealed that all the fabric for his suits is imported from Italy since Big B prefers clothing with a 120 thread count.
“The fabric has a nice fall and I look for checks and solid colours. Even the buttons are imported. We do a lot of trials and fittings,”Priya Patil
Priya said that she brought in three-piece suits for the first time on the show last year, but it was Amitabh’s idea to wear a brooch pin on his tie, inspired by Prince Harry at his royal wedding.
Initially, I found it difficult to find it in the fashion stores, but after Prince Harry introduced it and Bachchan wore it in the promo of KBC, it became a trend within a week’s time, and shops started stocking it.
Priya added that Amitabh likes to carry deep colours like black and wine. She expanded on the kind of tie knots she plans to introduce in season 11.
This year, we will continue with the three-piece suit, but will experiment with different techniques of tie knots like the Eldredge knot, Trinity knot, Rose knot, Resurrection knot, etc.
Kaun Banega Crorepati season 11 is expected to start airing in August on Sony.
(With Inputs From: DNA)
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With the influx of recent headlines featuring China, considered to be ground zero of coronavirus, it’s easy to forget that the county’s recycling policies are effectively changing the world. Once the world’s top importer of recyclables, China slowed down its efforts to purchase recycled waste in 2018. The result has been massive trash pileups in wealthy, developed nations including Australia, the U.K., and the U.S., as well as questions on the viability of recycling now that China is out of the picture.
China’s recycling ban stemmed primarily from contamination concerns, especially in the realm of plastic recyclables, many varieties of which are considered highly polluting. And on a global level, we can’t deny that pollution is a major issue, negatively impacting our mental and physical health as well as the health of the planet.
Sustainability has grown into an extremely lucrative market over the last few decades, and more people than ever understand the inherent benefits of recycling. So how has the world adjusted to China’s recycling policy change, and what can we expect in the future?
The Many Sides of Recycling
The general understanding is that recycling helps conserve natural resources, often significantly. Metal recycling saves between 74% and 95% of the energy needed to produce new materials. Recycling also minimizes deforestation and may reduce overall global greenhouse gas emissions.
Yet recycling also has its downsides, of which Chinese officials are well aware. For instance, recycling can be a dangerous occupation. According to Eastern Kentucky University, safety hazards at recycling centers can include poor indoor air quality, noise pollution, and problems with heavy machinery.
Now, in the shadow of China, other Asian nations are taking on the dangerous burden of recycling. Thailand and Malaysia are now home to burgeoning recycling industries. However, reports indicate that many countries are now overwhelmed by the number of plastic recycling imports they receive.
Sustainability in Everyday Life
It’s clear that we, as global citizens, need to find a viable solution to the amount of waste we produce whether it’s heading to a landfill or recycling center. While recycling does indeed make a difference when it comes to carbon emissions and energy savings, it should be a last resort. It’s important to note that “recycle” is the final step in the three “Rs” of sustainability: Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Following that methodology, reducing the waste we produce is the most important step towards a more sustainable lifestyle. The second step, reusing items whenever possible, has become a popular global practice. Sustainable art and design have become big business, and repurposing is a trendy aspect of numerous industries, from home decor to fashion and beyond.
Repurposing and reusing items is, of course, a sustainable practice, but it’s also fun. Searching for items to use in repurposed creations can be a sort of modern-day treasure hunt. Whether you find items with tools such as a metal detector or infrared device, or you just rely on your eyes and a bit of good luck, salvaging waste helps promote sustainability.
Re-Thinking the Global Waste Epidemic
But sustainability isn’t the exclusive domain of artists and creative entrepreneurs looking to repurpose discarded items. No matter your lifestyle or location, you can embody a more sustainable lifestyle. Start by making conscious choices about what you purchase, consume, and discard.
For example, you may want to take a closer look at your beauty and hygiene products. Many self-care items, including bath bombs, contain environmentally harmful ingredients such as glitter, microplastic beads, and cornstarch. These types of ingredients could clog your drains, and they may also harm the local ecosystem and water supply.
While recycling doesn’t really apply to hygiene products, cultivating mindfulness of the products you purchase can make a big difference on an environmental level. And keep in mind that, while your recyclables are no longer traveling to China, you can still recycle many items locally, from electronics and computers to scrap metals.
Author: Sam Bowman
Image Source: Unsplash


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Welsh football team unveil tasty shirt collaboration with Subway
A Welsh football team has unveiled one of the most unique shirts in the history of football kits. And if you’re feeling hungry it’s probably best to look away now.
Albion Rovers who play in the fifth tier of the Welsh league system have teamed up with fast food giant Subway to unveil an away kit that we don’t think you’ll have any trouble working out who the sponsor is – given that their logo is plastered all over the shirt in the form of a distinctive pattern.
The shirt, which is produced by pioneering Welsh sports kit manufacturer Tor Sports, has been causing quite a stir since it was launched over the weekend.
If this was the EFL or the Premier League, shirts like these would be forbidden by kit regulations, but thanks to the Gwent County League First Division, who allowed the club to release the Subway kit, this striking design will be making its debut in the Welsh fifth tier.
It’s the latest shirt from Welsh kit masterminds Tor Sports, who have manufactured a series of notable shirts for Welsh league clubs – most noticeably a collaboration with Llantwit Major AFC on a Boca Juniors inspired shirt and a Neville Southall influenced goalkeeping jersey.
The Subway away shirt is available to pre-order and retails at £39.00. The product will be shipped on 24th November 2023.
The Tor Story
Tor Sports was founded in April 2020, when its owner, Will Morgan, decided he had had enough of wearing the same template kit as other clubs in local leagues and wanted to try something different. Whilst furloughed, Will began contacting factories and designers around the world to try to create a custom kit for his own club, Rogerstone AFC.
One the kit was revealed on social media, the club was inundated with requests on where to purchase the shirt. A website was quickly put together and the rest is history. To date, Rogerstone AFC have sold several thousand of their shirts.
Once the kit took to the field, opposition clubs began querying the origin of the kit and Tor Sports was born.
The company now operates from its base in Newport city centre. To date, we have produced custom teamwear for football, rugby, netball, cycling and cricket clubs but say they are always happy to discuss new opportunities.
Visit the Tor Sports website HERE
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Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) chairman Yongmaan Park, seeking to move investments out of China, has reportedly shown interest to invest in Uttar Pradesh, stated State MSME and Export promotion Minister Sidharth Nath Singh, amidst the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic.
As per a report in Business Standard, Park added that other industrialists and electronic makers from Korea were also interested in exploring investment opportunities in the State. It is important to mention that KCCI is the oldest and largest business organisation in Korea and is a national member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the World Chambers Federation (WCF).
Assurance by Uttar Pradesh Government
Over a video conference held between the Parks and Singh, the latter assured that the Uttar Pradesh Government would provide the required assistance to help set up their factories in the State. The Government has planned to build a logistics park in UP and has promised to resolve the issues faced by the existing industrialists in the State.
The MSME Minister further conceded that the migrant crisis that arose amidst the Coronavirus lockdown was a major challenge in resuming economic activities. Moreover, state polices are also being reviewed to ease the financial stress faced by industries at the time of the pandemic.
Yogi Adityanath woos US Companies
On Wednesday, Yogi Adityanath held a high-level meeting in the presence of MSME Minister Sidharth Nath Singh and Industrial Development Minister Satish Mahana.
After the meeting, Singh was quoted by news agency ANI as saying: “Companies including big names from logistics, scientific instrumentation, electronic, automobile industries. They already have investments in China. I’m hopeful we’ll be able to bring them to UP, given how we’re working by making changes in our industrial and sectoral policy.
He said that the Prime Minister and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath want to use the opportunity where industries are moving out of China and see how they can be brought to India. He confirmed that video-conferencing was held with over 100 American companies yesterday in a webinar and they have shown interest.


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Natural supplements and health aids are
BY KEITH LORIA
in high demand, with shoppers looking to
address various pet health issues as gently
but effectively as possible.
The market for natural pet supplements and health aids is grow- ing as pet owners look to these products to help alleviate pet ailments and increase the general well-being of their dogs and
cats as gently and naturally as possible.
“In today’s society, we are exposed to thousands of chemicals
on a daily basis, and I feel consumers want products that are natural and don’t want to have to worry about toxic ingredients,” said
Chrissy Calimano, sales and social media manager for Mendota Pet
in St. Paul, Minn.
Manufacturers and pet specialty retailers agree that there is more
of a demand for natural pet supplements and health aids in 2018
than ever before.
“Probiotics and digestive enzymes are very popular right now,
as they should be,” said Samantha Henson, clinical pet nutritionist
for Premier Pet Supply, which has stores in Michigan. “Also, CBD
(cannabidiol) oil is on trend right now as people are learning the
powerful benefits of it.”
Ian Quinn, CEO of Phyto Animal Health in San Diego, agreed,
saying that the company’s CBD-based pet supplements are at the
center of one of the hot topics of conversation trending on social
“Part of this trend is a focus on a pure experience with all-nat-
ural ingredients and an eye toward environmental conservation,”
Quinn said. “Consumers want to boost their pets’ wellness with
products whose integrity they can trust to protect their pets’
Michael Stoeckle, president and CEO of Ark Naturals in Naples,
Fla., said the trends in the category are mimicking a lot of what is
happening in the human supplement category.
“The largest segment is hip-and-joint-related products, and that
is expected to continue,” he said. “Delivery forms for these have
changed to more palatable options—liquid, gels, soft chews, etc.”
Dallas Dunn, purchasing coordinator at Healthy Spot, which
has stores throughout California, said some of the top conditions
veterinarians see consistently among pets are digestive, skin and
allergy issues, so any supplements that target those issues are highly sought out.
“Supplements are good sellers because every pet, at any stage,
can always use a boost,” Dunn said. “Our Healthy Spot Bone Broth
has been my go-to, time and time again, for just about everything.”
Chad J. Tillman, national sales manager for Grizzly Pet Products in Woodinville, Wash., said consumers want to see traceability. They also want to fully trust brands and the claims on their
products, he added.
“Grizzly sticks to limited-ingredient products, primarily fo-
cused on the ingredients that we get from our own wild salmon
plants in Alaska,” he said. “This allows us to control our products
from catch to bottle, and provide a high level of traceability, sus-
tainability and accountability.”
For this reason, Tillman added, the National Animal Supple-
ment Council (NASC) seal, which identifies products as having
been vetted by the council, “is so important to Grizzly because the
NASC seal gives consumers that peace of mind and trust.”
Sue Weyrauch, owner of Total Dog Co. in New Hope, Minn.,
said customers usually don’t know much when they come in the
store and ask for help with pet health problems.
“Often, we hear about digestive upsets, and we direct [customers] toward digestive enzymes and probiotics,” she said. “And
being in the North, we see a lot of flaky, itchy skin, and for supplements, we point them towards fish-oil supplements.”
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South Eastern Railway (SER) has taken initiative to carry more Parcel and luggage towards various parts of the country.
During the month of December 2020, South Eastern Railway has despatched 16.12 thousand tonnes of Parcel and luggage traffic.
The main parcel goods are food items, groceries, medicines, medical equipment including PPE kits, masks, sanitizers, coveralls, gloves, fish, fruits, eggs, cotton goods, gunny bags, vegetables, onion, ginger, garlic and other daily need items.
By way of despatching these Parcel and luggage, South Eastern Railway has generated a revenue of Rs. 625.55 lakhs during the period from 1st December to 31st December 2020.


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Second Reading SpeechSenator McGRATH (Queensland-Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister)
That this bill be now read a second time.
This bill amends the Corporations Act 2001 and other related legislation to radically overhaul the financial system dispute resolution framework by establishing a new one-stop-shop dispute resolution body - the Australian Financial Complaints Authority - to ensure that consumers and small businesses have access to free, fast and binding dispute resolution.
The bill forms part of the Government' s broader commitment to ensuring that the banks and other financial institutions are held to account when they fail to meet community expectations.
The financial sector plays a vital role in the Australian economy by meeting the needs of its users, including consumers and small businesses.
Its role in the economy and the lives of all Australians continues to grow and evolve.
Given the crucial role of the financial sector, Australians expect high standards from financial institutions.
Where these expectations are not met and consumers wrongfully suffer a loss, it is critical that those who have been wronged have access to redress in a timely manner.
External dispute resolution (EDR) plays a critical role in providing consumers and small businesses with access to an alternative, out-of-court, dispute resolution service, to hear and determine their complaints about financial firms.
The Government is committed to having a world class financial dispute resolution system.
That is why in April 2016 the Government commissioned an independent comprehensive review of the dispute resolution framework (the Ramsay Review), which was led by an expert panel comprising Professor Ian Ramsay, Julie Abramson and Alan Kirkland.
The Ramsay Review undertook a rigorous consultation process and received 187 submissions in response to its Issues Paper and Interim Report.
The Ramsay Review found that the current dispute resolution framework is a product of history rather than design and, in significant areas, reform is needed.
The Review made eleven recommendations to strengthen and future-proof the dispute resolution framework, all of which the Government has accepted.
The Review' s central recommendation was to establish a new one-stop-shop dispute resolution body for all financial disputes, including superannuation disputes.
In line with this recommendation, the Government committed to establishing the Australian Financial Complaints Authority, or AFCA, which will be based on an industry ombudsman model, with additional statutory powers where required.
This approach combines the strengths of both a statutory tribunal and an industry ombudsman scheme.
AFCA will replace the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), the Credit and Investments Ombudsman (CIO) and the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal (SCT), and will reduce the unnecessary duplication and consumer confusion that has been characteristic of the current framework.
This simplification of the system has been welcomed by Gerard Brody, CEO of Consumer Action Law Centre who has commented that "Currently if you have a problem with a bank or finance provider, it is incredibly confusing to fix the problem. The people who call our services just want to get their lives back on track - the Government can help them by simplifying the system and giving it teeth."
Choice likewise welcomed the announcement of AFCA, stating "it will provide consumers with a single, accessible complaints resolution service when something goes wrong".
AFCA will have higher monetary limits and compensation caps than those of FOS and CIO, and will maintain the SCT' s unlimited monetary jurisdiction for superannuation complaints. The new monetary limits and compensation caps are double and, in the case of small business credit facility disputes, almost triple the limits and caps currently in place. This will significantly improve access to justice for consumers and small businesses.
The creation of AFCA will also address recommendations of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics' Review of the four major banks (also known as the Coleman Report) and the Carnell Inquiry into small business loans.
The Coleman Report recommended that the Government replace the three existing EDR schemes with a ' one stop' Banking and Financial Services Tribunal. The report noted that it would: reduce confusion for consumers; enhance small businesses' EDR scheme coverage; help ensure consistent outcomes for complainants; and eliminate unnecessary duplication. The AFCA will fulfil all of these requirements.
The Carnell Report likewise recommended the establishment of an industry funded external dispute resolution one-stop-shop with appropriate small business expertise to hear disputes relating to credit facilities of up to $5 million. The AFCA will meet this recommendation by significantly expanding small business access to redress, through monetary limits and compensation caps that are almost triple the existing limits and caps.
Small Business has welcomed the establishment of AFCA. Peter Strong, CEO of the Council of Small Business Australia (COSBOA) commented that "too often, small business owners are shafted by the actions of big banks and these business owners have little option but to take their medicine in the face of the overwhelming power of the big banks. But this new Authority will provide business owners with a clear mechanism to seek redress where they have been unfairly done by".
The bill introduces a new legislative framework which sets out the standards that AFCA must adhere to.
Under the legislative framework, AFCA will be accessible to consumers and small businesses, who will be able to have their disputes with financial firms heard and determined by AFCA for free.
All financial firms, including superannuation funds, will be required by law to be members of AFCA.
AFCA will be a not-for-profit company governed by a board comprised of an independent chair and equal numbers of directors with industry and consumer backgrounds. It will be funded by industry.
The legislation will ensure that AFCA will provide fair, efficient, timely and independent dispute resolution services and that it has the relevant expertise to resolve the disputes it hears.
The legislation also includes a number of statutory provisions to ensure that AFCA has the necessary powers to effectively resolve superannuation disputes. Additional statutory provisions are required because of the complex nature of some superannuation disputes that involve third parties, such as death benefit disputes.
AFCA will have the power to join third parties to a dispute, require parties to attend conciliation and require the production of documents.
The statutory provisions available to AFCA will allow timely decisions to be made, to enable prompt payment of death benefit amounts by superannuation funds, to those who may be in need.
The framework does not dictate the way in which AFCA should deal with complaints. This will enable AFCA to adapt to change and to be flexible and innovative in its approach to resolving disputes.
To ensure that AFCA meets community expectations for free, fast and binding dispute resolution, it will be subject to a comprehensive accountability regime.
First, the AFCA scheme will be authorised by the Government. The responsible Minister will not authorise the AFCA scheme unless satisfied that it has robust systems and processes to meet community expectations and the rigorous standards set out in the legislation. And where the scheme, once authorised, fails to meet these standards, the Minister will have the ability to revoke authorisation.
In addition, the responsible Minister will have the ability to impose conditions on authorisation. This ability to set conditions will allow the Government to ensure that AFCA is accountable to both consumers and member firms, for example, through specifying the frequency of independent reviews of the scheme' s operations and procedures or requiring AFCA to report and provide reasons to the Government on an annual basis in respect of any changes AFCA makes to its membership fees.
The ability to set conditions will ensure that AFCA is appropriately transparent, for example, by ensuring that any recommendations for improvement that are made as part of an independent review of AFCA be made publicly available.
The AFCA board will be comprised of an independent chair and equal numbers of directors with consumer and industry backgrounds. At the establishment of AFCA the responsible Minister will make a one-time appointment of the minority of AFCA' s board, including the independent chair, to ensure that it has an appropriate mix of skills and experience.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission, or ASIC, will be responsible for ensuring that the AFCA meets the standards set out in the legislation on an ongoing basis.
To fulfil this role, the bill provides ASIC with the ability to set regulatory requirements that AFCA must adhere to and also provides ASIC with a general directions power to compel AFCA to comply with the standards set out in the legislation.
The enhanced accountability that AFCA will be subject to under the new regime represents a significant improvement over the existing regime, under which ASIC had limited powers to require dispute resolution bodies to improve their practices. The bill also introduces a new internal dispute resolution reporting regime.
Internal dispute resolution is a financial firm' s internal dispute resolution process that involves the firm' s initial response to a complaint. An effective internal dispute resolution process plays an important role in enabling financial firms to quickly resolve genuine complaints, without an EDR or court process.
To provide firms with an incentive to have best practice internal dispute resolution procedures, the Government is implementing a new internal dispute resolution reporting regime.
Under the new regime, ASIC will be empowered to create a legislative instrument that will determine the internal dispute resolution data that financial firms will need to report to the regulator. ASIC will then have the ability to publish this data at both the aggregate and firm level.
Publishing internal dispute resolution data will drive financial firms to improve their internal dispute resolution practices, by providing industry benchmarks on how long it takes to resolve disputes and highlighting poor performing firms.
Given the significance of these reforms, the Government understands the importance of having a smooth transition from the existing dispute resolution bodies to AFCA.
That is why the Government has created a transition team, led by Dr Malcolm Edey, a former Assistant Governor of the Reserve Bank, to drive the establishment of the AFCA.
Recognising the importance of seeking consumer and small business feedback on AFCA, as well as drawing on the expertise of the three existing dispute resolution bodies, Dr Edey has established a representative expert reference panel to assist his transition team.
The transition team will advise the Government on AFCA' s terms of reference, governance and funding arrangements. It will also make recommendations on the transitional arrangements required to appropriately resolve legacy disputes of the three existing schemes.
Following feedback from the Treasury consultation paper on the proposed competitive selection process for authorisation of AFCA, the Government understands such a process was not considered by a number of industry or consumer stakeholders to be the best way to deliver AFCA. A competitive selection process will not therefore be pursued. The bill also provides for the winding down of the SCT, which will cease to accept new complaints once AFCA commences operations. It will continue to work through its backlog of disputes until 1 July 2020.
The new EDR regime will result in significant benefits for consumers and small businesses, with less confusion, increased access to redress and greater accountability for financial firms.
As the Consumer Action Law Centre stated "Australians need one, high quality service to resolve their disputes against financial institutions quickly and fairly. The one-stop-shop announced today is a sensible move that can help Australians get justice".
This bill achieves this outcome and ensures Australian consumers and small businesses get free, fast and binding access to redress and compensation.
Full details of the measure are contained in the explanatory memorandum.
Ordered that further consideration of the second reading of this bill be adjourned to the first sitting day of the next period of sittings, in accordance with standing order 111.


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Google’s Vice President of Engineering and head of Android has hit back at recent press speculation that his Android mobile phone operating system is becoming less open.
Writing on the Android Developers blog, Rubin says “recently, there’s been a lot of misinformation in the press about Android and Google’s role in supporting the ecosystem. I’m writing in the spirit of transparency and in an attempt to set the record straight”.
He says that since the launch of the first Android device, in 2008, Google has been “committed to fostering the development of an open platform for the mobile industry and beyond”. Implicitly, that is in contrast to the approach of rivals such as Apple.
Recent criticism, however, has suggested that, in a bid to improve users’ experience of Android, Rubin has adopted stricter controls on who is allowed early access to the source code.
He says now that “if someone wishes to market a device as Android-compatible or include Google applications on the device, we do require the device to conform with some basic compatibility requirements. (After all, it would not be realistic to expect Google applications – or any applications for that matter – to operate flawlessly across incompatible devices).
"Our “anti-fragmentation” program has been in place since Android 1.0 and remains a priority for us to provide a great user experience for consumers and a consistent platform for developers.
"In fact, all of the founding members of the Open Handset Alliance agreed not to fragment Android when we first announced it in 2007. Our approach remains unchanged: there are no lock-downs or restrictions against customizing UIs”
While this does not completely clarify suggestions that Google will stop making such frequent upgrades to its operating system, or accusations that it has introduced a much stricter regime around approving devices for Android use, it is a clear attempt by Google to tell developers that it believes the OS has thrived because of its openness.
Rubin has said before, however, that Google likes to work with a hardware manufacturer for each version of the Android operating system. The partner for the forthcoming version, codenamed “Ice Cream Sandwich”, has not been confirmed.
Rubin also says that “There are not, and never have been, any efforts to standardize the platform on any single chipset architecture.”
Rubin says, too, that tablet OS Honeycomb has not yet been open-sourced while developers ready it for phones, but adds that “this temporary delay does not represent a change in strategy. We remain firmly committed to providing Android as an open source platform across many device types”.


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Imagine having teeth like these printed while you wait… thanks to Object Geometries Ltd., that might not be such a futuristic idea.
Gone are the days of gooey molds and three week waiting periods. Always at the forefront of cleantech innovation, Israel takes digital dentistry one step further. Using their 3D printing technology Objet Eden260V, Objet Geometries Ltd. can print veneers, orthodontic appliances, and even denture try-ins while you wait. Eliminating human error (and jobs?), this fascinating new technology was recently exhibited at a digital dentistry conference in Germany.“Objet 3D printing solutions provide dentists with a high level of precision that is difficult to achieve using traditional freehand dental techniques,” states Avi Cohen, Head of Medical Solutions at Objet. “The ability to perfectly reproduce smooth, finely detailed dental parts in real life, direct from CAD design imagery, represents a significant leap towards the age of full digital dentistry.”
According to Avi Cohen, Objet technology can reduce the fabrication times of parts and models substantially and output per technician can be dramatically increased.
A fast growing number of dental laboratories, including companies such as OPT Clearstep, Glidewell, Albensi Dental, iDent and Remedent, are using the industry-proven technology to fabricate unique stone models, orthodontic appliances, delivery and positioning trays, veneer try-ins, full and partial denture try-ins, surgical guides, clear aligners and retainers.
Avi Cohen lays out the benefits of digital dentistry:
Production times are significantly reduced and bottlenecks are a thing of the past as multiple, unique parts are built in single print runs. The precision and accuracy of Objet printed parts will not be beaten and, perhaps more importantly, they’re consistent – the potential for human error is removed from the process.” Even the patient experience can be dramatically improved by eliminating the dependence on physical impressions, which can be both uncomfortable and inconvenient.
To begin with, striking a balance between cost and innovation will be tricky, but pretty soon, we’ll be printing our own teeth at home.
More on Israeli Cleantech innovations:
image via Pink Sherbet Photography


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We’re seeing increased market demand for our information governance solutions as more customers are investing in the long-term cost reductions and operational benefits of achieving sustainable data quality-BackOffice Associates CEO & President David Booth
SOUTH HARWICH, Mass (PRWEB) August 20, 2015
Continuing its global growth trajectory and reputation for information governance and data modernization excellence, BackOffice Associates today shared its mid-year 2015 successes. The company has experienced a 32 percent increase in global customers since this time last year and continues to expand its operations worldwide.
“This is an exciting time for BackOffice Associates. We’re seeing increased market demand for our award-winning information governance solutions as more customers are investing in the long-term cost reductions and operational benefits of achieving sustainable data quality,” said David Booth, president and CEO of BackOffice Associates. “With organizations dealing with high M&A activity and overwhelming corporate data challenges, our solutions are focused on helping our customers overcome these hurdles and realize the full value of their data.”
Winning an unprecedented number of awards over the first half of the year, BackOffice Associates recently received several prestigious technology honors. First, the company’s innovative dspCloud solution was named the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) CODiE Award winner for Best Content Rights and Delivery Solution. BackOffice Associates was also honored on the Database Trends and Applications (DBTA) 100, which recognizes the top companies that matter most in data, and its Data Stewardship Platform (DSP) won the DBTA 2015 Readers’ Choice Award for Best Data Governance Solution.
On the product side, BackOffice Associates released version 6.2 of its DSP, featuring dspCompose™, an advanced, whole-enterprise approach to data remediation. Capabilities include cross-departmental, closed-loop error resolution that fully automates data quality maintenance. The company also previewed its dspGovern solution for active data governance, which is expected to be generally available by the end of the year.
The company recently deepened its executive leadership team, bringing Alex Berry on board as president and chief operating officer of its North America operations. With Berry, BackOffice Associates is further investing in empowering its North American field sales force and consulting teams to drive overall corporate growth, increased revenues and expanded commercial partnerships and initiatives.
In the first half of the year, BackOffice Associates opened two new offices to support increased worldwide customer demand for its data quality solutions. First, a new Global Delivery Center (GDC) opened in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, joining BackOffice’s other GDCs in Norwalk, Ohio and India, to offer on-site data modernization experts as well as remote qualified resources.
Additionally, BackOffice opened a new sales office in Bremerhaven, Germany, which offers localized support in response to significant demand for additional sales and solution delivery support for Germany-based customers and their expanded data lifecycle management projects.
BackOffice Associates also continued its strong partnership with SAP, seeing continued market traction for its two solutions sold through its global reseller agreement: the SAP® Data Services Migration Accelerator application by BackOffice Associates and the SAP Information Steward Accelerator application by BackOffice Associates. With more enterprises preparing to implement SAP Business Suite 4 SAP HANA® (SAP S/4HANA), BackOffice also announced the availability of its data management solutions to help enterprises orchestrate the end-to-end data migration and modernization process for implementations of SAP S/4HANA.
About BackOffice Associates
BackOffice Associates is a worldwide leader in information governance and data modernization solutions, focusing on helping customers manage one of their most critical assets – data. Our range of award-winning products, built on a revolutionary platform, address the needs of business users seeking to unlock the value of their data assets. Our products and services enable organizations to accelerate growth, gain actionable visibility and reduce risks. Founded in 1996, we have an unparalleled record of success in the most complex data environments across a variety of industries. Customers include many Fortune 1000 companies including Eli Lilly, Kraft and Graybar. BackOffice Associates is a global corporation headquartered in Massachusetts with additional offices in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Dubai, India, Singapore, Switzerland and the U.K. To learn more, please visit http://www.boaweb.com.
# # #
SAP, SAP HANA and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. See http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/legal/copyright/index.epx for additional trademark information and notices. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.


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Payday lenders face official crackdown after watchdog exposes 'deep-rooted' problems
Payday lenders have been referred to the Competition Commission after the Office of Fair Trading uncovered what it called ‘deep-rooted’ problems within the industry.
The OFT said it had made the referral because it suspects payday lenders of engaging in practices that ‘prevent, restrict or distort competition.’
The watchdog found ‘fundamental’ problems within the industry including loans becoming far more expensive than struggling borrowers had expected, which it said could not be dealt with by existing laws.
Investigation: Payday lenders like Wonga face an investigation by the Competition Commission
The OFT decision comes after a large-scale investigation into the £2billion industry, including spot checks on household names such as Wonga.
It comes just days after Thisismoney revealed Wonga had hiked the annual interest it charges on loans from an already astronomical 4,214 per cent to a truly gargantuan 5,853 per cent.
But the payday lender claimed the rise was a sign borrowers are paying less.
The whopping increase in Wonga's annual percentage rate - the rate which represents the yearly cost of holding the debt - was down to the average loan period falling. The company said that the period of time that borrowers are taking to repay its loans has fallen from an average of 30 days to 15.
The OFT meanwhile pointed to the fact that lenders are competing on availability and speed of loan approvals, rather than how much such loans will ultimately cost borrowers.
It said: ‘The competitive pressure to approve loans quickly may give firms an incentive to skimp on the affordability assessment which is designed to prevent irresponsible lending and protect consumers.
‘The OFT is also concerned about business models that appear predicated on making loans which are unaffordable, leading to borrowers paying far more than expected through rollovers, additional interest and other charges’.
WHAT A REFERRAL TO THE COMPETITION COMMISSION MEANS
The Competition Commission has previously intervened to get to the heart of problems like the Payment Protection Insurance mis-selling scandal.
Unlike the Office of Fair Trading, the Commission can impose direct remedies on markets if it finds issues which are stifling competition and mean consumers are paying over the odds.
The OFT can refer markets to the Commission for an in-depth investigation under the Enterprise Act.
The Commission can then decide whether any feature or combination of features in a market prevents, restricts or distorts competition.
The Commission can free up competition by either taking direct action itself or recommending that other bodies do something.
It has previously stepped in to prevent a repeat of the harm done to consumers by the PPI mis-selling scandal.
PPI is the most-complained about product that the financial ombudsman has ever seen and more than £16billion has been put aside so far by the industry to compensate consumers.
The Commission recommended severe restrictions on the sale of PPI policies, including stopping lenders from selling the insurance at the same time as granting a loan.
Clive Maxwell, OFT chief executive, said: ‘Competition appears not to be working properly in the payday lending market, allowing firms to profit from making loans that cannot be paid back on time.
‘We have seen evidence of financial loss and personal distress to many people.
‘The Competition Commission can now conduct a detailed investigation to get to the root causes and, if necessary, use its far reaching powers to fix the payday lending market.’
The OFT identified four specific areas of concern, namely that:
- Current practices make it difficult for consumers to identify or compare the full cost of payday loans, undermining competition over price for loans.
- There are barriers to switching between lenders when loans are rolled over that prevent other lenders competing for business.
- There are variable levels of compliance with relevant laws and guidance leading to firms that do invest time and effort complying being at a competitive disadvantage to firms that do not.
- A significant proportion of borrowers have poor credit histories, limited access to other forms of credit while borrowers often had a ‘pressing need’ to borrow. The cost of the loan may therefore be a less significant factor for borrowers, which may weaken competition on price between lenders.
The Commission has powers to ban or limit products and shake up whole markets. Tough new regulator the Financial Conduct Authority will oversee the market from next April.
The FCA's powers will include the ability to place a ‘possible cap’ on interest rates and ban or limit the number of rollovers lenders are allowed to offer, the OFT said.
Mr Maxwell told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: ‘We think there are fundamental problems in this market. In short, competition isn't working. It's allowing firms to profit from making unaffordable loans that can't be repaid on time, which is causing financial loss and distress to some people.
‘The sorts of difficulties we've found include difficulties for borrowers to compare the full costs of loans in some circumstances and the difficulties for borrowers to switch lender at the point of rolling over a loan.
‘We don't think changes can be made under existing laws and guidance. Rather, we think that the Competition Commission in looking at this can bring forward solutions if it finds problems.
‘It could, as it has in other markets, ban a particular product or a feature of a product to make that market work more effectively.’
High street: Pay day lenders have opened up on town centre high streets up and down the country in the last five years
Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow, who has led a campaign against the payday lending industry for the past two years welcomed the OFT referral.
She said: 'I'm pleased the OFT has referred legal loan sharking to the Competition Commission for investigation- it’s time to end the myth that there are a few bad apples and recognise the way the entire industry works is causing problems for millions of British consumers.
‘The Commission can look not just at individual companies, but what a lack regulatory measures such as a cap on the cost of credit does to the affordability of loans.
‘Now that this inquiry will happen, I also hope those promoting these companies will also support a moratorium on doing so until we know the outcome of the Competition Commission's investigations.
'Given the debt and misery involved for those affected by this unfair market its time to put the needs of British consumers first'
Charities and consumer groups, many of whom have seen rocketing numbers of people struggling with payday loan debt, also welcomed the OFT's decision, although some questioned why action had not come sooner.
Citizens Advice chief executive Gillian Guy said its evidence has found that in two-thirds (64 per cent) of cases loans come without any checks to make sure the borrower can afford to repay.
She said: ‘The industry is in desperate need of a transformation from predatory firms to a
PAYDAY LENDERS BY THE NUMBERS
240: The number of payday lenders in the market
£2billion: The estimated worth of the sector
50: The number of payday lenders that were warned by the trading watchdog to get their house in order or face being shut down
12: The number of weeks the Office of Fair Trading gave lenders to show they had addressed the problems it had found
30: The number of payday lenders' websites that emphasised speed and quick access to cash over cost out of the 50 looked at by the OFT
£270: The typical size of a payday loan
12 or more: The number of consecutive rollovers some payday customers had in the most severe cases found by OFT inspectors
17: The number of lenders out of the 50 inspected by the OFT that were found to actively promote rollovers in marketing material or at the point of sale as a "feature" of the loan
50: The percentage of payday lenders' revenues that the OFT found came from 28 per cent of loans which are rolled over or refinanced at least once
19: The percentage of payday lenders' revenue that came from 5 per cent of loans which were rolled over or refinanced four or more times, according to the OFT's findings.
38: The number of lenders out of the 50 inspected by the OFT that failed to comply with at least one of the complaint-handling rules of the Financial Ombudsman Service
7,221: The number of people who sought help from debt charity StepChange last year who had five or more payday loans
5,853: The APR (annual percentage rate) advertised on loans from Wonga
responsible short-term credit market.’
Richard Lloyd, executive director of consumer group Which? said the market is ‘rife with poor practice’.
He said: ‘This is a market where lenders are not competing fairly with each other on price but instead use speed and ease of access to entice customers into deals they cannot afford, so it is right to get the Competition Commission to investigate.
‘People under financial pressure being given high cost loans in minutes without proper affordability checks is a recipe for disaster.’
Delroy Corinaldi, external affairs director at debt charity StepChange said: 'Our evidence points to widespread structural problems in the payday lending market and this investigation is crucial to establishing whether the payday loan market itself is causing unnecessary harm to consumers.
'There are a number of questions that this investigation needs to establish answers to, including whether the payday loan industry is making excessive profits at the expense of responsible lending.
'However, today’s decision cannot be used as an excuse by regulators to postpone dealing important areas where the payday loan industry is failing consumers.
'This investigation needs to work in parallel with actions to address problems we are seeing now, including widespread irresponsible lending and aggressive debt collection measures'.
Russell Hamblin-Boone, chief executive of the Consumer Finance Association, which represents the major short-term lenders operating in the UK, said: 'The CFA and its members have always supported well-designed, well-implemented regulation in order to protect consumers and drive up standards.
'However, no other sector has faced such intense scrutiny in such a short space of time. We would have preferred the inquiry to have been deferred to allow the significant improvements that lenders have made to take effect before the industry faced further judgement.
'We urge the Competition Commission to take this into consideration during its inquiry.'
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Andreea Ayers, business and marketing woman turned entrepreneur, shares her new twist on using press releases. Her advice is very pointed and timely for working with folks in the media. Note her checklist at the bottom of her article!
Why I ditched the press release… and what I do instead
by andreeaayers on June 27, 2011
If your PR strategy is to write a press release and send it out to the media in hopes of gaining new customers for your product or service, it’s time to stop that right now! Press releases no longer work. ….


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Primark just never fails to impress lately.
First they caused chaos when they launched their sell-out Beauty And The Beast Chip purse.
They drove shoppers into a frenzy when they revealed their affordable wedding range and Harry Potter collection.
And now, the budget fashion chain has unveiled its latest must-have piece - a pair of sparkling Minnie Mouse heels.
Not even available in the high street store yet, the shoes, priced at just £14, are a much-talked-about item on Twitter.
The stiletto-style sandals are covered in glitter and feature a bow shape back, which look just like Minnie's ears.
While they're definitely not an everyday shoe, you'll get everyone talking about them at your Christmas or New Year's Eve party. And since they're such a bargain, you could even get them in both colours - black and gold.
The AW17 collection is expected in stores at the end of this month, but you might want to keep the first week of November free, as this is when the Minnie Mouse heels are scheduled to launch.
A version of this story has appeared on Mirror Online.


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Do you remember Christmas? You know, the holiday with the presents and stuff? It feels like it was only days ago but that can't be right. Why? Well, Easter's greatest gift – hot cross buns – have already hit the shelves.
Christmas was so recent in fact, I'd be so bold as to assume you haven't even taken down your tree yet, but that hasn't stopped the big wigs packing the delicious, bready treats early.
Apparently, some people aren't happy about the buns making an early appearance. This makes no sense due to the fact hot cross buns are delicious and should be sold all year round and I, for one, welcome the change.
Supermarket juggernaut Woolworths has no regrets about the early sale of the fruit buns, claiming they're just giving the people what they want.
"We know many of our customers love getting delicious hot cross buns as soon as they can and we see high demand immediately when they hit our shelves — with 10 million hot cross buns sold just in January last year," they said in a statement.
"Some of our in-store bakers have simply been perfecting their wares ahead of the official in-store launch next week.
"We are proud to share that customers can officially look forward to freshly baked hot cross buns in all Woolworths stores nationwide, with a brand new variety this year, from January 2."
"Coles customers can choose from Traditional, made with 100 percent Australian fruit (regular or mini sized), Fruit Free, Chocolate, Apple and Cinnamon or Gluten Free."
If this is any indication of how 2018 is going to go, I'm cheering… and will also probably gain 5kg by the time Easter comes around.


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Marie Claire is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.
The Cambridges are undoubtedly the most talked-about family in the world, with their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis entertaining the public on the regular.
Yes, from Princess Charlotte’s signature sass and Prince George’s surprising nickname to Prince Louis’ love of interrupting zoom calls, these miniature royals never fail to make viral news.
This past year, it has been the Duchess of Cambridge and her ‘aura of perfection’ that has made the most headlines, from her multiple public appearances to her candid words about motherhood.
This week however, it was the whole Cambridge family that got the world talking as they posted their official Christmas photograph.
The photo in question is said to have been taken privately during a family holiday to Jordan earlier this year, and the internet certainly seems to approve.
‘Delighted to share a new image of the family, which features on this year’s Christmas card,’ the Cambridge family captioned the snap.
This holiday photograph differs to their usual Christmas photograph set up, with last year’s offering featuring serious autumnal vibes, from the woodpile and haystack to the Christmas jumpers.
Last year’s big reveal took place on 16 December so it seems the Duke and Duchess have uploaded their 2021 photograph early.
Well, this is exciting.


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As we enter the second half of 2020, a year that started with so much promise, we are now faced with a dire global economic situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic with over 27 million confirmed cases and over 875,000 deaths worldwide. Although currently, the pandemic numbers are still growing daily in 213 affected countries and territories around the world, the world is also racing to expedite the vaccine development which optimistically may be available from early next year.
Despite the global economic situation, the semiconductor segment has stayed so far been relatively stable.
The US, the world’s largest economy, has over 6 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and saw its economy contracted by 33% in Q2, whilst Europe as a whole contracted almost 12%. On the bright side, the US economy is expected to rebound in Q3 by around 20%, but this still leaves the economy shrunken from pre-pandemic levels. More locally, Singapore’s GDP contracted almost 43% in Q2, though the manufacturing sector only shrank 0.7% in Q2. For the full year, the Singapore economy is expected to contract between 5-7% according to the Ministry of Trade & Industry. The only bright spot is China which is recovering from the pandemic and grew 3.2% in Q2. The upturn is expected to continue in the second half of 2020.
In the US, unemployment is slowly decreasing from a peak of over 14% in April to around 10% in July as the economy slowly opens up, but the pace of recovery has slowed. In the Eurozone, unemployment was 7.8% in July but this is expected to rise as further job cuts are expected in the coming months. Companies may downsize as furlough schemes aimed at keeping people employed start to wind down.
The Semiconductor Industry
Against this backdrop, the semiconductor industry has as a whole fared quite well in the first half of 2020, and SIA is now expecting overall global semiconductor sales to grow 3.3% in 2020. Not all sectors will do well but NAND flash, DRAM, computer CPU, and embedded MPUs categories are all expected to grow. These segments will keep the overall growth positive despite IC Insights predicting that 25 out of 33 product categories will decline in 2020.
With the computer and data centre markets fueling the growth in the memory and CPU segments, two other major end markets for semiconductors are expected to decline in 2020. In the smartphone segment, the total number of smartphones shipped this year is expected to drop 9.5% in 2020 compared to 2019 with shipments expected to total 1.2 billion units according to market research company IDC. In the automotive sector, the number of automobiles sold is expected to drop 20% in 2020 to 59.6 million vehicles.
Despite the pandemic, the foundry market has continued to grow this year with most foundries and OSAT’s reporting record monthly revenues in Q2. Overall foundry revenue saw a 20% year-on-year growth in Q2, and Q3 is expected to grow 14% according to Trendforce. TSMC is slowly extending its lead in the market and is expected to take almost 54% market share in Q3. Its 7nm line is running at maximum utilization and its 5nm volume is growing thanks to strong demand from 5G infrastructure, CPU/GPU demand from high-performance computing applications and WFH arrangements. TSMC recently announced it will start volume production of 3nm technology in 2022 and will start 2nm development next year. Samsung is expected to hold the number 2 slot in Q3 with 17.4% market share, down 1.4%, and GlobalFoundries is the 3rd with 7% market share.
At the same time, as TSMC was announcing its 3nm process production release, Intel announced further delays on its 7nm technology and is now reported to be considering outsourcing its leading processors to foundries like TSMC and Samsung in the future. Both TSMC and Samsung are currently 2 years ahead of Intel as Intel continues to struggle to have the engineering expertise to keep up with its Asian competitors.
In the semiconductor equipment market, according to SEMI, global sales by original equipment manufacturers are projected to increase 6% to $63.2 billion in 2020, and sales are expected to further increase to $70 billion in 2021. In 2020, equipment spending growth is coming from the foundry and logic market, whilst DRAM capex spending is expected to decrease this year as DRAM manufacturers remain cautious despite the strong growth in sales.
Q2 results from the top semiconductor companies were mixed, but overall revenues grew 3.9% in Q2 compared to Q1. Memory companies (Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron and Kioxia) did very well due to the strong demand for data centres and computer memory. The non-memory companies did not fare so well in last quarter with Intel, Qualcomm, TI, Infineon, STM, NXP all reporting lower revenue than Q1 (excluding acquisitions). Overall, the non-memory companies were down 1.4% in Q2. However, the outlook is not that bad with non-memory companies are expecting better results in Q3, overall expecting 4% sequential revenue growth and excluding Intel, they are predicting 15% growth in Q3.
US-China Trade War Continues
Back in May, the US Department of Commerce imposed restrictions on companies selling to Huawei and its affiliates if they use US technology. Despite this ban, partly due to stockpiled chips and also by alternative sourcing, Huawei continued to grow, and in Q2, Huawei overtook Samsung to take top spot in sales of smartphones due to strong China sales.
Then in August, the US DoC further tightened sanctions. A further 38 Huawei affiliates were added to the entity list. Foreign semiconductor companies were restricted from selling chips developed or produced using US software or technology to Huawei, without first obtaining a license to do so. This is designed to prevent Huawei from going through third parties to purchase items and effectively extends the ban to all chip designers, such as Taiwan’s MediaTek.
The US has also been putting pressure on its allies to persuade them to ban Huawei equipment from their 5G networks. So far, countries including the UK, France, Japan, Australia and India have all announced they will not allow Huawei equipment in their 5G networks.
In response to the US using semiconductors as one of the key battlegrounds in the trade war, China is trying to further accelerate its semiconductor manufacturing capability as part of its “Made in China 2025” plan. In August, it announced new tax incentives for domestic semiconductor players. Under the new rules, qualifying companies will be exempt from corporate income tax for up to 10 years if they use 28nm or below technologies, and 5 years if they use 65nm ~ 28nm technologies. In addition, China is reported to plan a further sweeping suite of measures to bolster research, education and financing for the industry. These measures have been added to a draft of China’s 14th five-year plan, which will be presented to the nation’s top leaders in October 2020. Despite all these measures, it is estimated that China will still import US$300billion worth of semiconductors in 2020 from the US and elsewhere.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Here is a summary of the major acquisitions and mergers that happened in the last 2 months.
Broadcom sold its wireless IoT business to Synaptics for approx US$250 million. This is the 2nd time Broadcom has sold this division. In 2016, it sold its IoT wireless division to Cypress Semiconductor but retained the right to develop Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other wireless capabilities to support its customers in consumer electronics markets.
Austrian sensor company AMS received the final regulatory approval from Europe for its acquisition of German lighting company Osram and completed the acquisition on July 9th 2020.
STMicrolectronics announced 2 separate acquisitions, one to acquire French ultra-wideband technology company BeSpoon and the other to buy Canadian cellular IoT connectivity company Riot Micro.
Softbank has announced it is considering the sale or IPO of Arm Holdings, which it bought 4 years ago. Arm supplies silicon IP which is at the heart of most systems on chips used by major electronics companies and used in everything from smartphones to IoT products. As such, any acquisition will come under extensive regulatory scrutiny. With a selling price of around US$40 billion, quite a few major semiconductor companies have been rumoured to be interested but the favourite so far is Nvidia.
Optoelectronic component manufacturer II-VI announced 2 acquisitions. It has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of Swedish SiC epi wafer manufacturer Ascatron. In another deal, II-VI will acquire all outstanding interests of US ion implant services company INNOViON. Both transactions are scheduled to close by the end of 2020.
Fab Opening and Closures
Dutch lighting company Signify will close its production facility in Kansas US, which makes conventional lighting products, and move production to its facilities in Poland and India.
In Taiwan, there were quite a few announcements. Backend assembly and test provider ASE said it would invest US$880 million to build a new Fab, K13, in Kaohsiung to expand advanced testing and packaging capacity for 5G-related chips.
Foundry TSMC is also expanding capacity as it announced it has bought a factory in the Southern Taiwan Science Park in Tainan for US$29 million. It is TSMC’s second purchase of a factory complex in the science park in August as it prepares to expand production capacity. In addition, TSMC has said it plans to open a new cutting-edge research-and-development centre in Hsinchu next year to develop 2nm technology, and is also seeking to acquire land adjacent to the new R&D centre to build a production fab for 2-nanometer chips.
Whilst Taiwan foundry Powerchip said it planned to build a new 12 inch Fab in Miaoli County in Taiwan as strong demand for display drivers have boosted utilisation in their factories to 100%. The company plans to start building it in Q2 next year, and will have an initial capacity of 15,000 wfrs per month.
In China, the news is not so good as construction at Wuhan Hongxin Semiconductor, a new logic foundry in Dongxihu started 2 years ago, has been halted due to financial difficulties. HSMC originally intended to build a 14nm Fab with a capacity of 30000 wpm. This is the 4th Fab project in China that has been stopped recently.
Locally in Singapore, Vanguard plans to spend US$64 millon in its newly acquired Singapore Fab to increase capacity by 33% to 40,000 8” wfrs/month to support the strong customer demand.
It seems that the semiconductor segment will continue to do well in Q3 and hopefully, this trend will continue through into Q4 driven by demand for the Christmas and Chinese New Year festivities. However, the global economic situation and outlook cannot be ignored. There are a few reports of inventory levels building up, so any optimism must be tempered with a sense of caution until a vaccine is readily available.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Head of Global Subcon Manufacturing of Osram Optoelectronics


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For more than six months, HTC enjoyed the privilege of being the only cellphone maker to have a handset running on
Several manufacturers, including Samsung,
Peter Chou, HTC's chief executive and president, takes a measured view of the competition. "You cannot expect you are the only player in town. … You need other players to come and make the ecosystem stronger," he told Forbes in an interview at HTC's Taiwanese headquarters.
HTC is strengthening partnerships too. The company will introduce an Android phone on Verizon later this year, Chou confirmed. He says the handset, which will likely debut in the first week of November, is a sign of HTC's growing rapport with Verizon, the largest U.S. wireless operator. "We've worked with Verizon for several years, but this is the first time we've been elevated to the role of core supplier," he says. "We are very excited about that opportunity."
Chou declined to comment on his negotiations with
In the cutthroat smart phone market, even winning favored status with operators can't guarantee strong sales. That's one reason why Chou recently approved HTC's first global advertising campaign. The ads, which play on the word "you" as a sign of the company's commitment to its customers, will roll out across 20 countries in coming weeks.
The multimillion-dollar campaign represents a second phase of brand development for HTC, says Chou. Between 2006 and early 2009, HTC was transitioning from being a contract manufacturer to a company that emphasized its own brand. Now, the company feels prepared to push toward a "premium, top-tier brand" that can take on household names like
The fact that HTC's newest products, such as its Hero and Tattoo phones, all clearly feature the company's name and logo should bolster the campaign, he adds. (Chou says he's not concerned that the ads have drawn comparisons to
"Whether we can compete with [companies like Nokia] on scale is a different subject, but our profile needs to be viewed as first tier," says Chou. "It's very hard to use a second-tier brand to compete with these companies."
HTC may be updating its brand, but it's sticking by its longtime partner,
HTC's solution is the HD2, a wafer-thin handset that combines a 4.3-inch touchscreen with a high-end processor for snappy downloads and fast Web browsing. The phone, which was unveiled earlier this month, runs the latest version of Windows Mobile (6.5) as well as some flashy HTC software. "We're working hard on these kinds of products to get excitement about Windows Mobile back," says Chou.
Gadget fans have been clamoring for an Android version of the HD2, but Chou hints that the handset will stay as is. "Technically, we could make the HD2 an Android phone, but I have to take care of Windows Mobile," says Chou.
HTC's loyalty also extends to Google, even amid reports that the search giant is developing its own Android handset. "Google tries to do things differently from the rest of the industry," Chou notes. While some of Google's actions can be "destructive," Chou says, HTC still values the partnership. "We've worked with Microsoft for 13 years … I also believe we can work with Google for a long time," he adds.
As more gadgets tap mobile data networks, phone makers have started producing netbooks, e-readers and tablet computers. Chou says HTC will buck the trend. "There is a lot of pressure to do these things, but we are a relatively small company and need to be very picky," he says.


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Data belonging to more than one million payment cards from South Korea surfaced in the dark web over the past two months.
Experts noticed a spike in the number of stolen payment card details belonging to users from South Korea over the past two months. Card details from over one million payments cards from South Korea was offered for sale on the Dark Web.
The number of stolen payment card records passed from 42,000 in May up to 230,000 in June, in July other 890,000 records were available for sale.
According to Gemini Advisory that monitors card-related activities on cybercrime underground, in 2019 the demand increased for stolen credit card details from South Korea increased even if the supply did not change.
This means that the average prices for a card increased, in 2018 the average price for South Korean card-present records was $ 24, in 2019 the prices grew up to $ 40.
“While the entire Asia Pacific (APAC) region is experiencing a noticeable uptick in attacks against brick-and-mortar and e-commerce businesses, South Korea has emerged as the largest victim of Card Present (CP) data theft by a wide margin.” reads the advisory published by Gemini Advisory.
“Gemini Advisory observed a spike in South Korean-issued CP records that currently consists of over 1 million records posted for sale in the dark web since May 29, 2019.”
At the time of writing, it is still unknown the source of payment card records, but experts believe that data were stolen though physical skimming at several stores in the country.
Cybercriminals may have obtained the card records by infecting Point-of-Sale (PoS) systems with malware at physical locations, such as stores or restaurants, or the huge trove of data could be the result of a breach at a bank or a payment provider.
“As the global trend towards increasingly targeting non-Western countries continues, Gemini Advisory assesses with a moderate degree of confidence that both the supply and demand for South Korean-issued CP records in the dark web will likely increase.” continues the post.
Experts noticed that 3.7% of the compromised South Korean records were from US-issued cards.
“One of the most affected US financial institutions was a credit union that primarily serves the US Air Force; the Air Force maintains multiple air bases in South Korea.” continues Gemini Advisory
The analysis of stolen payment card records revealed that many of them belonged to US citizens that made purchases or paid services in South Korea.
As the Western organizations continue to spend a significant effort in improving cybersecurity, crooks are targeted victims in other countries like Pakistan, India and South Korea.
“Indian-issued payment cards have recently surpassed those of the United Kingdom to become the second-most targeted cards in the world in 2019. Even smaller economies, such as Pakistan, have seen massive breaches in recent years, such as 2019’s breach of Meezan Bank Ltd.” concludes the report. “South Korea’s high CP fraud rates indicate a weakness in the country’s payment security that fraudsters are motivated to exploit. As this global trend towards increasingly targeting non-Western countries , Gemini Advisory assesses with a moderate degree of confidence that both the supply and demand for South Korean-issued CP records in the dark web will likely increase.”
The post Over 1 Million payment cards from South Korea sold on the Dark Web appeared first on Security Affairs.


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Digging A Little Deep On This One
from the don't-mess-with-digg dept
We recently noted the false rumor that Sun CEO Scott McNealy was retiring and the company would get bought out by Google, which then got spread around like a game of telephone, and amplified when it hit the front page of Digg. Now, SiliconValleySleuth is alleging that something much more sinister than a children's game is going on, that the author of the rumor is using Digg to manipulate the share price of Sun Microsystems. Four times, the original author has penned a speculative piece on Sun and Google merging, and each time the story was pushed to the top of Digg, always by the same users. While it's surprising that the rumor keeps getting pushed around, this doesn't seem to rise to the level of stock manipulation. There's no evidence that the stock's recent rise is due to Digg, whle trading volume has remained steady, the stock has been volatile for some time. It's latest run actually started before the original rumor was published. As for the same users pushing the story, it could just be that they read the author's blog. Still, this does raise some interesting issues. Digg seems vulnerable to being gamed, which when combined with the enormous traffic from getting to the front page, makes an inviting site for tricksters. It seems like only a matter of time before the Digg mob does cause real harm.


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The ABB FIA Formula E world championship announced on Thursday that global logistics company, DHL has been named as the title sponsor for this weekend’s double-header Valencia ePrix in Spain and in doing so the company has expanded their role with the all-electric racing series as they are also the global logistics partner to the series.
Speaking about the news, Ardjan Sissing, Head of Brand Marketing with Deutche Post DHL Group commented saying:
We look forward to delivering an action-packed double-header for the first time in Spain. Formula E is a sustainable racing series with a combination of innovation and future viability, in the same way that Deutsche Post DHL is in the field of logistics.
“The technical developments being advanced in Formula E in the area of electromobility are significant because the racing series serves as a platform for testing new technologies. Other sectors, including the transport and logistics industry, are also benefiting from this pioneering spirit, but will also add value through tailor-made logistics motorsport solution which we can source from out of our decades of experience.
Chief Commercial Officer with ABB FIA Formula E Olivier Bremont commented on the news saying:
DHL has shared Formula E’s journey from the start. We are united in our ambition to counteract climate change and work together continually to reduce our carbon footprint while drawing attention to the need for others to do the same. DHL’s GoGreen plans in Valencia are a meaningful symbol of their Mission2050 work and we’re proud to partner with them in bringing it to life.


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Chick-fil-A opened its first Aliso Viejo location Thursday at Aliso Viejo Town Center.
More than 150 people gathered Wednesday at 6 a.m. for the chance to win free Chick-fil-A for a year, or 52 meal certificates. Chick-fil-A offers the prize to the first 100 diners in line the day of opening but since more than 100 were there, they raffled off the 100 spots and 10 alternates.
Those that wished to walk away with the meal tickets had to hang out until 6 a.m. Thursday, the day of the official opening.
Some people that didn't get included in the raffle headed down to another Chick-fil-A location that was opening in San Diego, a Chick-fil-A spokesperson said.
Chick-fil-A provided a deejay for entertainment and free food to celebrate the 24-hour countdown. Campers came prepared with tents, sleeping bags, footballs, beach chairs and scooters to pass the time while they waited for their chance at a lot of chicken sandwiches.


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Honor launches Honor 8C with a massive battery and large display
Honor, the leading smartphone e-brand under the Huawei Group, launched its most power-packed smartphone, the Honor 8C, on Tuesday. Honor 8C is backed by a 4000mAh powerful battery, 13 MP+2 MP AI Dual camera and a large 15.9cm HD+ Notch display for a long-lasting experience. It will be available in 4GB + 32GB at INR 11,999 and 4GB + 64GB at INR 12,999 variants exclusively on Amazon India starting on December 10.
A spokesperson for Honor, Suhail Tariq, CMO at Huawei Consumer Business Group, said, “Our endeavor for all products is designed keeping in mind the needs of consumers. The Honor 8C is packed with enormous battery backup to increase the engagement for consumers. Additionally, the Honor 8C is equipped with a large display.
Not only with battery and display, but the Honor 8C will also make its mark in India as the world’s first device to be powered by Snapdragon 632.” Read more posts…
Wednesday, 05 December 2018 | PNS | Dehradun—
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Bunnings stores across Greater Sydney will be reopening for retail customers after being forced to shut less than two weeks ago.
A total of 24 stores will reopen from Monday September 6 to all customers, but stores in the 12 LGA’s of concern will remain closed (except for tradies and click and collect orders).
The company’s managing director Mike Schneider said the decision came after the NSW government confirmed that 70 per cent of the eligible population had received at least one COVID-19 vaccination.
“The acceleration of the vaccine rollout and the increase in opportunities for our team to get vaccinated has given us the confidence to re-open our stores in Greater Sydney,” he said.
The 24 outlets opening include Alexandria, Artarmon, Ashfield, Balgowlah, Belrose, Caringbah, Carlingford, Castle Hill, Chatswood, Dural, Gladesville, Gordon, Gregory Hills, Kirrawee, McGraths Hill, Narellan, Narrabeen, North Penrith, Penrith, Randwick, Rose Bay, Rouse Hill, Thornleigh and Warringah Mall.
Bunnings has also introduced additional safety measures for customers, including a one person per 10 metre limit.
There will be limits to customer numbers in busier aisles, which will be monitored with taping and floor markings guiding people.
In addition, there will be several QR code checkpoints throughout the store to ensure contact tracers can best keep track of anyone in attendance.


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Android and openness is something we talk about all the time, but the recent developments in the industry point towards inherent flaws with this very premise. Be it from bloggers, political institutions or corporations, Android is seemingly not open enough. The “War on Openness” is ironically becoming an open war, where many players are increasing their stakes and scope to try and land a bigger hold - or at the very least, restrict Google’s - on what is the world’s...
Swing and Miss: Motorola RAZR i Kernel Source Almost Here
The newly announced Motorola RAZR i is what many people looking for change have been waiting for. Well, maybe not looking for change, but rather looking forward to Intel’s entrance into the mobile handset market. Talk began regarding the Medfield platform, which is essentially an Intel Atom CPU and a PowerVR SGX 540 GPU, which actually brings devices one step closer to being full laptop replacements. For those who guessed that Google would be the first to take them for a spin, you were correct.
Shortly after being released, we noticed a thread started by XDA Forum Member pOOBAH1973 where it stated that the kernel sources for this device were already available from Moto/Google. The nano second that piece of information became available, Motorola devs jumped in head first to try and download this source. However, according to XDA Forum Member mattlgroff, the links, while valid through MD5 validation, seem to be yielding a corrupted download. Every mirror available has been tried by him as well as other devs, just to arrive at the same result.
The issue was already reported. However, if anyone from Motorola or Google happens to read this, please note that the sources being provided are corrupted. Thank you for the attention on this matter. We definitely look forward to seeing the complete sources and what our devs can do with them. Please leave some information if you happen to download the correct file from anywhere else, and share it in the thread linked below.
Source is finished… but the kernel source is corrupted upon download.
You can find more information in the original thread.
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Smartphone cameras have advanced so tremendously over the past few years that they have almost completely replaced point and shoot digital cameras for the most of us. Furthermore, since our smartphones are always with us, the majority of us end up taking tons of photos throughout the lifespan of our devices. But what happens to all the old photos you take? Do you store them on an external hard-drive or keep them backed up to an online cloud service like Flickr? Let us know what your favorite way of storing old photos is and why.
Before the release of Android 5.0 Lollipop, the Holo Design guidelines served as the official reference for Android design, right from IceCream Sandwich to KitKat. However, updates to the guidelines were few and far between, leading to a lack of synchronization between Android design and current UI/UX trends. Google seems to have learned from their mistake the last time around, and earlier this week, a significant update was released for the Material Design guidelines, marking the second revision in less...


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Citing its failure to disclose serious crimes and the use of "Grayball" software to evade regulatory oversight, London banned Uber today.
The company has 21 days to appeal the loss of its license to operate cabs, during with Uber is permitted to continue doing business.
London's Licensed Taxi Drivers Association praised the decision. “Since it first came onto our streets Uber has broken the law, exploited its drivers and refused to take responsibility for the safety of passengers,” a spokesman told the Independent.
Uber's London manager vowed to challenge the decision, arguing that it would hurt 40,000 Uber drivers in the city. "To defend the livelihoods of all those drivers, and the consumer choice of millions of Londoners who use our app, we intend to immediately challenge this in the courts," he said.
There's no love whatsoever in London for traditional cabbies, but Uber's such a vile company that this is likely to bring it to heel as it did in other European cities. That said, never underestimate the political power of consumer convenience—especially in a city whose leaders don't seem to understand why Uber is so successful.
Property developers in London built more than 1,900 luxury flats in 2018, the majority of which have so far failed to sell; all told, there are 3,000 luxury flats on the market, a high-water mark for a city whose property market was hijacked by offshore oligarchs and criminals who converted much of the housing stock […]
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Madam Speaker, first and foremost, I would like to mention that I will be sharing my time with my colleague from Winnipeg North.
I would like to thank the hon. member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford for raising this very important issue.
Today my colleagues have talked about the factors that affect food prices and our efforts to ensure Canadians have access to healthy and affordable food. There has been a lot of talk about retail prices, inflation and tax havens, but I want to approach the issue from a new angle.
Specifically, I am talking about food on store shelves that is coming from producers. Canadian farmers produce the best food in Canada and provide quality, nutritious products for Canadians across the country.
This week, the House began the second reading of Bill S‑227 to establish food day in Canada. My riding has a lot of agriculture-related businesses, each more diverse than the last, and I have had the opportunity to look at the issue of the price of food on store shelves. The producers have helped me understand certain things, and I would like to share that with the House.
This food day is very important for the people of Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation. It will strengthen ties between consumers and farmers by showcasing the richness and diversity of the local, high-quality and safe food they produce. It is important to have food, especially fresh and healthy food.
We need to remind Canadians that the agri-food sector contributes significantly to Canada's economic, social and environmental well-being and the health of Canadians. Everyone is facing the same problems these days related to labour shortages and transportation. Our schools providing training in the food-related trades are even having a hard time recruiting people. We are starting from a very long way down in the food chain.
Across Canada, food producers and processors are the engine of our economy. They contribute more than $130 billion to Canada's GDP and account for over $80 billion in exports. In addition, one in nine jobs created is food related. I would also like to highlight the contribution of all workers in the agriculture and agri-food sector, from farm to fork.
Last week, I had the opportunity to celebrate a third-generation dairy farmer in my riding. As many of us know, it is increasingly difficult to recruit the next generation of farmers, and it is increasingly difficult to ensure the survival of these industries that put food on our plates.
Over the past two years of the pandemic, farmers truly have taken the lead to ensure that Canadians have the safe, high quality and local food they need.
The pandemic may be an excuse, but it has certainly renewed the loyalty of Canadians for the fabulous local food and drink produced by Canadian producers and processors.
Buying local has become more popular than ever. More than 90% of Canadians say they look for locally produced products to support the local economy and reduce the impact on the environment, or the “food miles”. People are trying to reduce how far food is transported and to create a local synergy so that we can consume local more.
Today, more and more consumers want to know where their food comes from. They want to know whether the food is organic and how it is grown. They want to know what they are eating and to understand the growing and livestock living conditions. Consumers want to reconnect to agriculture and support the local economy.
The agriculture and agri-food sector has a lot to gain by reinforcing the relationship that has been established with its clients. It is a new way of thinking about our producers and farmers that we have not seen in the past decades.
Establishing direct contact with Canadians fosters dialogue about consumer values and industry practices. As a result, consumers can make informed decisions and the industry could focus its investment on continually improving its production practices.
I believe that many consumers would be impressed to see the progress made In Canadian agricultural operations in recent years.
Last week, in my riding, I met another dairy producer who uses robotics. He uses advanced technologies to improve milking and care for his cows and to put more products on our tables and plates. The era of pitchforks and horse-drawn carriages is over.
Farmers are using state-of-the-art tools to improve efficiency and adopt sustainable agricultural practices. Technology is opening up new horizons for food and agriculture and for other sectors of the economy. We must adapt to climate change. We must innovate and we must be there to anticipate climate change.
Precision farming now allows farmers to adjust inputs such as water and fertilizer and even to identify the plants that need them. Farmers can work smarter when it comes to procuring what is needed for production. Thus, farmers can save money and reduce their impact on the environment by using fewer inputs. This allows them to do more with less.
Farmers now use drones to detect pests, nutrient deficiencies in crops and weeds. Today, the possibilities for this technology are endless.
Farms have also made many advances in animal health and food safety. Many farms have strict biosecurity measures in place. Today, all of these measures must be considered. We must consider more than just inflation when looking at the price of food on store shelves. We have to look at the whole supply chain, beginning with our producers.
Today, our producers are doing better with technology, but factors such as transportation, labour shortages and climate change have a direct impact on consumer prices.
Many farms are implementing biosecurity measures. For example, access to a hog farm now requires showers on entry and exit to maintain animal health. That is just one example.
Responsible use of animal health products is another way farmers can keep animals healthy while ensuring food safety. Producers face many restrictions, and we need to reach out to them to make them better. Farmers care about food safety as much as they care about the environment. It is critical to their success.
More than ever before, their clients in Canada and abroad want to know where their food comes from, how it was produced and what its ecological footprint is. They also want to know how we ensure the animals are well treated. Public trust is valuable and we must find new ways to strengthen our connection with consumers. That is why the bill to establish food day in Canada is so important.
Last year, the government put in place another measure to strengthen confidence in Canadian foods by launching the agricommunication initiative, which aims to build stronger links between Canadians and the agricultural sector. Agricommunication will help farmers discuss their concerns with Canadians. That is why I regularly consult the producers in my riding to find out how we could do better. The way they take care of our environment and their animals is important, now more than ever. They are stepping up their efforts to implement sustainable practices.
The initiative will enable us to gather more information so we can help producers learn more about consumer expectations. Organizations can use the funding to develop digital communications products for consumers that show how producers are fighting climate change by practising crop rotation and using green technology. I heard about this last week in my riding. This funding can also help not-for-profit groups organize events like farm tours to show members of the public how farmers care for their animals, the soil and the water.
In closing, our government is working tirelessly to ensure the safety and security of our food supply, strengthen connections from farm to table, support local farmers, celebrate our wonderful local foods and ensure that all Canadians have access to the healthy food they need.


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Matt Hunter is the senior technology editor at CNBC.com.
Cadie Thompson is a tech reporter for the Enterprise Team for CNBC.com.
Working from Los Angeles, Boorstin is CNBC's media and entertainment reporter and editor of CNBC.com's Media Money section.
Jon Fortt is an on-air editor. He covers the companies, start-ups, and trends that are driving innovation in the industry.
Josh Lipton is CNBC's technology correspondent, working from CNBC's Silicon Valley bureau.
Mark Berniker is CNBC's Silicon Valley/San Francisco Bureau Chief covering technology and digital media.
There's so much capital being poured into some tech start-ups that they're just burning cash, says venture capitalist Bill Gurley.
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