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The world has transformed dramatically in 2020. COVID-19 triggered businesses' survival instincts, which have accelerated their digitisation to succeed in the new reality. The idea that data has become the lifeblood of the organisation has been reinforced as boards seek to harness our digital economy's potential, create new customer experiences, transform their services, and drive efficiencies and cost savings in the wake of the pandemic. The future is being created from a fusion of new business models, new technologies, and new partnerships.
In this changing world, cyber threats are mounting. Companies need to think differently about protecting their competitive advantage and developing new models to become and remain cyber secure. Cyber security professionals need to demonstrate that they can protect the heart of the transformed business with the agility of thought and action that recognises the pace and speed at which cyber criminals operate.
To help you take a proactive stance and meet these issues head-on, we have identified eight key cyber considerations that will likely shape the way organisations approach security in the new reality beyond.
Greater focus on cyber resilience will better protect an organisation against escalating cyber risks, limit the impact of attacks, and ensure ongoing operations. This requires strategic alignment of cyber and digital strategies with incident response, business continuity and disaster recovery planning. We need to engage the entire business – from back office to boardroom.
Eight key cyber security considerations
Assess your security deficit
|Over the next few months, businesses adjusting to the new reality have to start re-examining their technology environment and re-establish control.
Align business goals with security imperatives
|To manage costs and ensure business and security priorities are aligned, companies should automate a significant portion of their cyber functionality by putting digitised cyber risk management processes in place to ensure they ladder up to the organisation's operational and business strategies.|
Digital trust and consumer authentication
|A new set of expectations around functionality and convenience is expected, with trust as a key component of loyalty. Whoever reigns supreme in terms of the digital customer experience (CX) is likely to enjoy the greatest market share.|
The evolving security team
|There is a continuing need to elevate the importance of cyber security at the board level. The biggest challenge is for security professionals to translate their knowledge into an actionable appreciation for what it actually means for the business.|
The next wave of regulation
|Cyber-based regulation is moving toward a more holistic approach, focusing on business priorities and responsibilities, and board-driven corporate governance functions. The focus now is on management within the first line of defence.|
Cloud adoption and digital transformation
|The pandemic forced many businesses to accelerate their digital transformation, and cloud adoption. Now, CISOs and security teams must develop processes and tools that are vital to, and fully aligned with, the business drivers and the technology needed to support the desired business outcomes.|
Automate the security function
|The shift to automation of security functions from identity authentication to thread detection and response has accelerated. There is greater need for better organised and more easily accessible data that can be extracted/analysed for value-added purposes, including relieving cost pressures caused by COVID-19.|
Challenge assumptions around resilience
|Enterprises preparing themselves for the future should reimagine their approach to understanding, planning and executing resilience efforts; encompassing security teams, the business and the broader operating ecosystem.|
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T-Mo is betting big on cheer competitions.
The company is set to unveil a new version of its award-winning T-mobile T4G1T program, which allows customers to choose from a variety of cheer-themed games.
The T-MO brand, founded in 1996, has a long history of producing and marketing high-profile brand programs for sports, music, and entertainment, as well as for technology.
T-Mobile has been trying to catch up to its larger rival, Verizon, with the launch of a T-Mobility T4F4T program last year.
The new program, slated to debut in 2020, will use a new algorithm and a new design for T-mo’s award-winner T4T3, the company announced on Tuesday.
Timmler, the parent company of T-Mobiles, and T- Mobile said the new program will be available in the United States for $15 a month.
The program will include games for both boys and girls, with more than 30 different categories.
The original T4 program, T4E1T, ran from 2014 to 2020.
T4F3T was a popular program that was part of the original T-mobility T3 program.
T-ToysToys, which manufactures T-motors, was founded in 1987.
ToysRUsToys was founded by a group of top toy makers and sold toys to consumers from 1984 to 2016.
TomsBubble, which sells T-mobiles to retailers and consumers, was formed in 1993 by a combination of former Toy Story studio Pixar and the toy company Mattel.TMS NetworksTMS was a pioneer in the field of wireless networking.
TMS sold wireless networks for $50 a month for five years.
It was acquired by Verizon in 2016 for $37 billion.
Toshiba, which sold telecommunications equipment and data networks to businesses and individuals, was established in 1988.
Toledo, Ohio, was the site of the U.S. Civil War.
Toshimizu, the Japanese company that built the first electronic watch in 1964, was acquired in 2002 by Samsung.
TonexToneX is the largest online music service and streaming service, offering songs and albums for free.
The company launched in 2008.

domain: news


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NEW YORK — A recent employee exodus related to a federal audit of employment records at FreshDirect is likely to slow service through the end of January, the online grocery retailer said. “It has been challenging for us to keep up with January demand in the past, and this January we're going to have a harder time meeting your food needs than we usually do,” Steve Michaelson, chief executive officer of FreshDirect, said in an email to customers this week acknowledging that available delivery time slots have sold out quickly. He added that training and new hiring should bring the company back to capacity by the end of the month. As reported previously by SN, around 100 FreshDirect employees left or were dismissed related to the federal employment audit.
Read More of Today's Headlines


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Ellen DeGeneres is not resting on her laurels now that her talk show is in its last season. The TV host has announced that she's launching a beauty line that will launch at the end of the month.
The comedian has faced a tough time amid rumours of a toxic work environment which saw her ratings plummet by 30% in the season that followed.
Today's top videos
But, in a sideways move, she is taking her stardom from TV to beauty and we have some details about the 26 October launch.
The brand she's launching is called Kind Science, and animal-lover Ellen has declared it is cruelty-free.
Ellen DeGeneres Beauty Line
Not only that, but the brand's new website says it is also 'eco-kind' and 'skin-kind' and that's about all.
Ellen DeGeneres was a face for Cover Girl cosmetics for many years, fronting campaigns for foundation and other beauty. With this in mind, we've been wondering what the queen of daytime TV would bring to the world of beauty?
And, what kind of price point will this beauty be? Ellen shared a little more on her talk show when she announced the new venture.
Kind Science Skincare
View this post on Instagram
Ellen told the audience in a surprise announcement that 'There's something that I'm very excited about. I have been working on this for three years and I'm excited to share it with you today.'
She then went on to say 'It is age-positive skincare that actually works.' And the line is intended for users to 'embrace your age, not your wrinkles.'
As for the brand name and price point, she had this to say 'We call it Kind Science because it is kind to animals, it is kind to your skin, it's kind to the planet, and it's kind to your wallet. So it's all kind.' While the website has been launched it has just a landing page for now. You can sign up to hear more news from the brand as it gets ready to launch. But it might be a long time before we see Ellen DeGeneres products go on sale here.


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Nationwide confirmed the computer held customer information, but insisted that this did not include “pin numbers, passwords, or information about financial transactions”.
But banking sources said last night that some reports circulating in the industry have suggested information on several million accounts may have been stored on the machine, whose user was on call. Nationwide declined to give further details, saying it was acting on the advice of the police.
It said there had been “no attempts to access our systems” and that no customers had “suffered any financial loss as a result of the theft”.
“We have a strong record on customer security,” said Nationwide. “Since the theft we have taken additional security steps to ensure accounts are safeguarded.”
Nationwide has begun writing to…


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Sidney’s chief administrative officer stated the municipality is conscious of the brand new luxurious that may apply to retail gross sales of boats, vehicles and airplanes of a sure worth throughout Canada.
“The (municipality) didn’t submit a touch upon this nationwide tax coverage in the course of the session interval of this initiative,” stated Randy Humble. He added that the boating business is a vital a part of Sidney’s economic system, which the municipality helps by land-use planning that protects marine industrial house, municipal tax coverage that gives one of many lowest charges of enterprise tax within the Capital Regional District and financial improvement efforts, such because the financial improvement technique now underway.
Britt Burnham, supervisor of group companies in Central Saanich, stated the district can also be conscious of the brand new tax however didn’t obtain a request to touch upon this nationwide tax coverage.
Erik Lambertson, North Saanich’s supervisor of communications and engagement, stated the district has additionally had no communication with the federal authorities concerning this subject.
The federal authorities plans to use the tax, beginning Sept. 1, to new vehicles and plane with a retail gross sales worth of over $100,000 and to boats over $250,000. The tax would apply to both 10 per cent of the full buy worth or 20 per cent of worth of the brink, whichever is lesser.
The tax has drawn criticism from the native marine business and native MP Elizabeth Could.
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At a time when there seems to be only bad news, Dunkin Donuts makes an announcement that will cheer up consumers of this food chain. What do you have to do to take advantage of it?
Dunkin 'Donuts announced earlier today that their Free Donut Fridays promotion is back, in addition to also launching a new one called Free Coffee Mondays, according to Delish.
Starting on Monday, August 3, members of the rewards club, Dunkin ’Perks, will be able to get a free medium cup of hot coffee or ice cream when they purchase any other dunkin’ Donuts product.
The medium coffees that this company sells are of a good size, so the offer is worth taking advantage of if you like this drink.
Dunkin 'Donuts will also activate the Free Donut Friday promotion, in which members of the rewards club will receive a free classic donut with the purchase of any drink on Fridays. This promotion will be valid on Fridays of the following month, which will be on August 7, 14 and 21.
This news comes just hours after the company reported that it will be closing 800 stores permanently due to the coronavirus pandemic.
At a time when the economy is coursing the worst recession in decades, Dunkin is one of many companies that must adapt their menus and services to deal with the crisis.


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Warner Bros. is scaling back it's projections on HD and Blu-ray.
According to Video Business, the studio "has adjusted downward its projections for consumer spending on the new HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats this year, citing limitations on the availability of high-definition hardware."
Warner Bros. went on to say that "consumers spent just $30 million on high-def hardware and software through September, about half what Warner forecast would be spent in the period."
The studios "senior VP of market management Steve Nickerson said spending slimmed because most manufacturers delayed high-def player launches."
When the studios projections were presented earlier in the year, "Pioneer, Panasonic, Sony and Philips were among those expected to have launched Blu-ray Disc players by now. All those companies are now anticipating October through December launches. Panasonic players did start shipping to specialty electronics stores at the end of September."
According to Nickerson, "$750 million will be spent on high-def DVD hardware, down from initial projections of $1.5 billion to $1.9 billion. About $150 million will be spent on software, according to Warner's revised forecast, down from earlier $225 million to $500 million projections."
Further hurting projections is the fact that "restricted PlayStation 3 quantities should continue to hinder early high-def revenue" going into the Fourth Quarter.


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Augmented reality hit an all-time high with the launch of the Pokemon Go app, almost immediately getting more daily users than Twitter and more "engagement" than Facebook.
The app was created by Niantic, a company that was spun out of Google and that had previously created the highly successful augmented reality (AR) game Ingress. According to research conducted by Index AR Solutions, in the next 15 years augmented reality is expected to rake in $105 billion in revenue, and if you thought this was just a passing fad for the kids, think again.
So what is augmented reality? And what does it mean for travel?
Let's start with the basics: How it works. As players open their Pokemon Go or Ingress app, virtual points of interest are layered over location-specific information using the GPS functionality of the phone or tablet. For Ingress and Pokemon Go, it's essentially a digital "capture the flag" team-play type of game (we readily admit this is an over-simplication of the games) that you play on the streets of a city, rather than in the woods behind your neighborhood.
The minds behind these massive multi-player games are led by Niantic's John Hanke; he worked with Google during the building of Google Maps and used that same knowledge to create the mapping structures for Ingress and Pokemon Go. And while Hanke and his team have clearly upended smartphone gaming with all the hype around Pokemon Go, it's clear that augmented reality apps are also changing the way people travel and explore, starting with these four ways.
1) It's getting people to travel for social meet-ups.
Ingress, which launched in December 2013 and effectively laid the groundwork for augmented reality gaming, has already seen users form their own groups and travel to social events ranging from casual meet-ups to full-scale conferences.
There are massive meet-ups called “anomalies” occurring across the globe in which players of both competing teams—the “Enlightened" versus the "Resistance"—attempt various objectives on top of normal game play. These events garner massive crowds, with some coming from across the world to participate. At an anomaly being held in Tokyo this month, players could even rent a seat on an “Ingress Bus” for as much as 3,000 Yen to get to the event. The Santa Monica pier was the site for a massive Pokemon meet-up this week, and you can be sure that Pokemon-themed travel excursions aren't far behind.
2) Travel destinations are using the games to attract travelers.
Niantic has partnered with city marketing organizations to create "mission days" in their cities that draw Ingress players for a day of directed exploration and AR play. There's also a concept of Ingress "First Saturdays" that are held in towns for players to "level up." Even travel destinations like Heide Park Resort in Germany have marketed Pokestops in their locations to attract visitors enamored with Pokemon Go.
3) It's driving people to explore landmarks and off-the-beaten path destinations.
In addition to the meet-up events, both games actually leverage historic sites, landmarks, public parks and interesting public spaces. While some of the most notable portals in Ingress (called Pokestops in Pokemon Go) are not surprising—the Eiffel Tower, Central Park—other, more out-of-the-way locations are also featured in the game, and many players of both games have said that their quest for new Pokestops and Ingress portals has led them to explore new destinations as well as corners of their own city they'd never paid notice. Even Forbes has admitted the quest to collect Pokemon can actually be educational.
4) It's encouraging more walking.
As a geo-location game, both Ingress and Pokemon Go aim to get people out the door and into their surroundings. Built into the Pokemon Go app is the act of "hatching" new Pokemon; it's accomplished by walking around no less than two kilometers. In fact, there's so much walking involved in the game that animal shelters have even been asking Pokemon Go players to kindly walk their shelter dogs while playing the game. And walking, we think, is key to exploring our great big world, even if some of the time you're staring down at the app.


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The OG app was recently launched on the App Store market as the “OG Instagram experience.” The app allowed users to filter the content they see on their Instagram free, create custom feeds, remove ads, suggested content, and more. Despite the exciting premise of the app, it was removed from the App Store shortly after its launch for violating Meta’s terms of service.
OG App violated Meta’s terms of service
Apple told 9to5Mac that the OG App had to be removed from its app marketplace because it violated Meta’s terms of service and its Instagram API. The developers of the OG App did not have permission to use the Instagram API in the way they were. Therefore, they will in violation of both Meta’s terms of service and Apple’s own App Store guidelines, specifically the App Store Review Guideline 5.2.2:
Make sure your app only includes content that you created or that you have a license to use. Your app may be removed if you’ve stepped over the line and used content without permission.
In addition to this, since the OG App comes from a third party and requires a user’s Instagram login details, the accounts could be left vulnerable to security risks. To avoid something of that sort from happening, Apple decided to remove the app from the App Store.
In response to the OG App, Meta disabled all personal Instagram and Facebook accounts of the team behind it and publicly said that the app violates their policies.
The team behind the OG App also shared a statement with TechCrunch:
Everyone knows Instagram sucks. We made it better and got a lot of love from users. But Facebook hates its own users so much, it’s willing to crush an alternative that gives them a clean, ad-free Instagram. Apple is colluding with Facebook to bully two teenagers who made Instagram better
Since the app has been removed from the App Store, it can no longer be downloaded. It will soon stop working for users who have downloaded it. Interestingly enough, the app continues to be available on Google’s Play Store and the OG App creators have said that Android is “the clear choice for users who want privacy, freedom, and optionality.”


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Photo shows Rajiv Sabharwal, Executive Director, who launched ICICI Bank ‘icicibankpay’ banking services on Twitter in Mumbai on Monday.
ICICI Bank today announced the launch of banking services on Twitter. Christened, ‘icicibankpay’, the first-of-its kind service in India enables ICICI Bank customers to transfer money to anyone in the country who has a Twitter account, check account balance, view last three transactions and recharge prepaid mobile in a completely secure manner.
“ICICI Bank has always been a pioneer in using path-breaking and innovative technology to reach out to its customers. It has been our endeavour to anticipate our customers’ needs and be where our customers are. With the growing prominence of social media in every-day life, we believe our customers would be delighted to have yet another avenue which allows them to bank while they are on social media. In line with this, we introduced the world’s most comprehensive banking facility on Facebook in 2013. Now, ‘icicibankpay’ will help our customers to execute banking transactions while they are socialising on Twitter. This innovation is in line with our philosophy of ‘khayaal aapka’ wherein we offer products and services which make banking easier and more convenient for our customers“,said Rajiv Sabharwal, Executive Director, ICICI Bank.


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Low-end Lumia phones are getting software updates
Camera, WiFi improvements and more
Microsoft has started rolling out new firmware updates to some of the low-cost Lumia smartphones. These updates are ‘minor’, according to the Microsoft’s support page, but they fix some common issues and improve the camera capabilities of some Lumia smartphones.
Lumia 430, 435, 530, 532 and 535 are now getting a new version of Windows Phone 8.1 Denim (14234.375) and updated firmwares.
Among the improvements for all these phones are: better WiFi connectivity; improved support for installing apps to an SD card; improved camera exposure and white balance; overall stability improvements; improvements to national roaming, cellular networks, and more.


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Sugar levels in popular chocolate bars have soared – despite promises to slash them to fight obesity.
On average, Cadbury and Nestle have increased sugar by more than 10% since 1992, researchers found.
The average content stood at 44.6% per 100g 27 years ago.
But by 2017 this had hit 54.7%, say researchers from Queen Mary University of London.
The Government has called on manufacturers to reduce sugar in chocolate 20% by next year.
Nutritionist Kawther Hashem said: “Sugar levels have risen sharply over time in these brands
"Sugar intake in adults averages about 14 teaspoons a day – double the recommended maximum – and 13 teaspoons in children, and is linked with tooth decay, obesity and diabetes.”
The number of children and young people in England and Wales who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has increased by nearly 50% in five years, the findings suggest.
Cadbury Fudge rose from 50% sugar to 65%, its Fruit and Nut rose from 32% to 54.5% while Nestle’s Yorkie Raisin & Biscuit bar went from 53% to 58%.
It is thought one of the reasons is the soaring price of cocoa. Replacing it with sugar is a way to protect profit.
Many brands have pledged to cut sugar – often by reducing product size.
Kate Halliwell, of the Food and Drink Federation, said the 23 products studied were not representative of the industry.
She added: “For two decades confectionery companies have been reducing salt, fat and sugars.”


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Stunning New Renders Reveal Apple Watch Series 7 Design
Back in May, it was reported for the first time that the Apple Watch will receive a major redesign, with the Series 7 featuring an all-new, flat-edge industrial design that currently graces the iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPhone 12, and the new iMac.
Based on that report and all the other rumours coming out lately, the folks over at Phone Arena have just shared some amazing new renders of the upcoming Apple Watch Series 7, giving us a good look at how the next-generation Apple Watch might look like.
“Flattening the sides of the Apple Watch will make it look more consistent with the other devices in Apple’s lineup and could help the watch’s bezels appear thinner,” notes the designer.
The Apple Watch Series 7 is also expected to come in two new case sizes i.e. 41mm and 45mm, replacing the current 40mm and 44mm options.
Apple is likely to unveil the Apple Watch Series 7 next month alongside the new iPhones. In the meantime, check out some more renders and share your thoughts with us in the comments section.


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A recent report by KPMG says that a sharp increase in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for delivery vehicles could be around the corner. While consumers shop online more and more, retailers will look to reduce delivery costs. Autonomous delivery vehicles, especially for last-mile deliveries, are expected to help by being cheaper to produce, fuel, and maintain. How many VMT gets accumulated, however, depends on how much of a decline in consumer shopping trips occurs.
U.S. one-way shopping trips (billions), 2017-20401,2,3,4
A 30-50 percent decline in shopping-related travel could displace between 18 and 30 billion shopping trips in the U.S. by 2040.
U.S. incremental package delivery VMT (billions), 2017-20401
- Scenario 1A: 30 percent decline in shopping trips
- Scenario 2B: 50 percent decline in shopping trips
A 30-50 percent decline in shopping trips could generate between 23 and 78 billion incremental VMT for package delivery by 2040.
Source: KPMG, "Autonomy delivers: An oncoming revolution in the movement of goods"


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We read with great interest an article published in May 2017, in ENR (Engineering News-Record) by Thomas C. Schleifer, PhD., a construction industry expert. Dr. Schleifer has 45 years of experience doing every conceivable job in the field and in the office, from laborer to foreman to executive. He has also owned his own construction company and has spent a significant portion of his career as a consultant specializing in turnarounds of distressed and failing construction firms.
Dr. Schleifer’s provocative article began with the attention-grabbing headline: “Is Late Payment Your Own Fault?”
Centered on the broken system of payments in the construction industry (a topic that levelset is very passionate about), Dr. Schleifer’s article focuses primarily on the relationship between project owners (the payers) and general contractors (the payees). Dr. Schleifer does not mince words when he describes late payments as an “industry nightmare that violates contracts [and] multiplies risk.”
Dr. Schleifer continues his examination of the effect that late payments have on upper-tier parties, presenting a compelling argument: “the root of the problem begins with construction billing procedures” in which payees cede too much control to the payers by agreeing to contracts with “one-sided terms providing designers and owners unreasonable control over the payment process.” Even worse in Dr. Schleifer’s view is that “[general] contractors allow it to happen” due to their belief that “they have no influence over the payment process.”
As a result of their passivity, prime contractors are surrendering a “financial advantage and inappropriate leverage” to those above them in the payment chain, the owners and designers. According to Dr. Shleifer, the entrenched, broken system of payments in the construction industry starts at the very top.
But just because the late payment problem starts at the top doesn’t mean that the payment inequity in construction is confined to just the top-tier participants. levelset is well aware that the payment problem flows down the payment chain, affecting every project stakeholder along the way. The financial risk faced by GCs who are directly hired by the parties funding a project is amplified for subcontractors and suppliers who are more removed from the top of the payment chain.
It works something like this: GCs are paid late by the owners, and they, in turn, pay their subs late, managing their payment risk by shifting that risk down the chain to the project stakeholders below them. Meanwhile, the lower-tiered parties in the payment chain must pay their employees on time, and often don’t have the ability to delay their payments to their vendors. The end result is that, when the top-tier shifts their payment risk exposure down the chain, the companies below them get squeezed. Making this bad situation worse is the fact that many of these lower-tiered companies are the least-equipped financially to bridge this cash squeeze, especially when compared to the other companies involved on the project.
As we passed Dr. Schleifer’s article around our offices here at levelset, we were reminded of the challenges that our customers face every day. Even though the payment problem in the industry starts at the top, its effects flow down through the payment chain and often adversely impact every single stakeholder on a construction project. The change in the industry advocated by Dr. Schleifer is very similar to our beliefs at levelset, where we have long said that the construction industry must be led “kicking and screaming” to payment reform.


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360 Audit bought by managing partner Henna Riaz
North West entrepreneur and Businesswoman of the Year 2015, Henna Riaz has bought out her co-partners to take full ownership of international royalty auditing business, 360 Audit.
Henna has taken 100 per cent ownership after buying out Tommy Schweiger and equity finance firm Dow Schofield Watts, who jointly owned 45 per cent of the business.
360 Audit, which was established in 2010, employs nine staff and boasts a client base of household names including Nickelodeon, CNN Turner, Jamie Oliver, Michelin Tyres, Gary Barlow and Liverpool Football Club.
Media lawyer Henna, launched 360 Audit after recognising there was a gap in the market for a business that combined legal and financial auditing services in the licensing arena. Royalty audits ensure licensors and intellectual property owners are paid accurately under their commercial agreements.


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Half of the U.S. adult population now banks using smartphones and tablets, which is 29 million more than last year. This dramatic shift in consumers’ channel preferences puts pressure on financial institutions to innovate in the space to meet increased demand for mobile functionality. Today, JAVELIN released, 2016 Mobile Banking Financial Institution Scorecard: Mobile Becomes the Remote Control for Banking, which assesses the evolution of FI mobile banking offerings and recent trends in mobile account management and transactional functionality.
Given this exponential increase in willingness to bank via mobile devices, it comes as no surprise that this year’s scorecard also saw a dramatic jump in financial institution support for mobile banking enrollment through a mobile device. It jumped from 7% in 2014 to 30% in 2015 among the top 30 retail U.S. financial institutions. With more than two-thirds of top banks still requiring some online interaction to enable mobile banking, there is still a significant gap between supply and mobile-first customer demand.
Other factors are driving institutions toward standalone mobile support, including customers’ willingness to open new accounts entirely through their mobile devices. Support for mobile new account opening among the top 30 financial institutions doubled over the past year to 33%.
“We are finally seeing mobile banking moving out of online banking’s shadow, said Emmett Higdon, Director of Mobile, JAVELIN. “With strong support for tools to discover, open, and monitor financial accounts through mobile devices without first interacting with online banking is a key strategy in attracting, and retaining, profitable mobile-first customers.”
The report, 2016 Mobile Banking Financial Institution Scorecard: Mobile Becomes the Remote Control for Banking, ranks the top 30 financial institutions by deposit size according to performance in accessibility, capabilities, alerts and notifications and user ratings for mobile banking apps.
„For more than a week now, ScoreRise enrolls daily hundreds of users through an innovative facial recognition interface. Enrollment takes less than a minute and it does not require presence of a human operator or video recording. And, of course, it stays fully GDPR compliant with help from Reff & Associates and Deloitte Romania.”


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Himachal Kisan Sabha and Himachal Apple Growers' Association will hold rallies at several blocks protesting against alleged anti-growers policies by the state government, pushing the apple-economy into deep crisis.
The rallies which would be held on August 1 in apple growing districts of Shimla, Kinnaur, Kullu and Mandi, would also highlight issues like non-payment of dues to farmers by commission agents, fallout of allowing duty free import of apple under the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) and failure of the government to put in place any regulatory mechanism to save the sinking apple economy.
Addressing a press conference, Rakesh Singha, president of Apple Growers' Association said, state's investment in agriculture has been reduced and the government has no vision and perspective to meet the challenges of the trade.
Once the WTO laws come into operation from 2014, these factors would hit apple growers and production cost, which has increased between 23 an 35 per cent, would further rise and farmers with small land holdings would be worst sufferers, he cautioned.
Singha said a large number of commission agents of the unregulated markets are fleecing small and marginal growers by selling apples of less than 60 mm size at 40 per cent less than the other fruits which is illegal.


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The Air Jordan 33 ‘Vast Grey’ Prepares for Launch Release: 7 March 2019
The Air Jordan 33 has been generating some real heat in the sneakersphere of late, the high profile link up with Astroworld’s Travis Scott turning more than a few heads. Originally dropping back in October, the Jordan 33 introduced the ‘Fast Fit’ tech alongside an attractive silhouette that’s already seen multiple renditions.
The latest Air Jordan 33 ‘Vast Grey’ could be its prettiest remix yet, the design taking on a deconstructed aesthetic somewhat reminiscent of Virgil Abloh’s sneaker vernacular.
Get your hands on the Air Jordan 33 ‘Vast Grey’ on March 7 for $175.


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January 31, 2012
Consumers with a tight grip on their finances bucked the holiday spending trend in 2011, according to a recent survey by American Consumer Credit Counseling...Just 15 percent of those polled reported spending over $1,000.
Overall, 57 percent of those surveyed at ConsumerCredit.com said they spent less on holiday shopping than in 2010. National Retail Federation has projected an overall 3.8 percent increase in holiday spending among all U.S. consumers in 2011. In addition, the Federal Reserve also reported strong consumer spending during the holiday shopping season...These financial education programs help consumers to better understand and manage their finances...It is also a member of the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies. For more information or to access free financial education resources log on to ConsumerCredit.com or visit TalkingCentsBlog.com.
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/1/prweb9151703.htm


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"Jane Walker is a brand icon celebrating the many achievements of women."
It is considered one of the most prestigious lists in the world.
But it turns out slots on the Time 100 are for sale this year, with the sponsored inclusion of Jane Walker, the gender-bending mascot of the famous whiskey brand Johnnie Walker.
Nestled beside entries such as Michelle Obama, Pope Francis and Mark Zuckerberg, was a full testimonial dedicated to the top hat-wearing logo introduced by alcohol giant Diageo last year in a misguided attempt to attract women to the brand.
"Johnnie Walker is an iconic whisky brand with a mission to promote the spirit of progress," it read. "In challenging times like these, Jane Walker represents a step in the right direction. Jane Walker is a brand icon celebrating the many achievements of women and those on the shared journey toward gender equality and equal representation."
The testimonial was written by Pam Elam, President of the Monumental Women Campaign, which is pushing for a statue of suffragette heroes Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony in Central Park (as none of the 23 statues already there honor any women).
While the publication did add an extra 101st slot for the sponsored content among the list's 'Pioneers', it was nevertheless a jarring juxtaposition with the likes of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, or Yemeni human-rights defender Radhya Almutawakel, or Irish reproductive rights leaders Grainne Griffin, Ailbhe Smyth and Orla O'Connor.
Diageo faced backlash when it first unveiled Jane Walker as a limited-edition version of its scotch, accused of pandering by opting for International Women's Day for the launch.
Johnnie Walker vice president Stephanie Jacoby didn't help matters when she subsequently tried to explain that "Scotch as a category is seen as particularly intimidating to women" and that Jane Walker was "a really exciting opportunity to invite women into the brand" — which appeared to have the opposite effect.
The logo's inclusion on this year's list wasn't the only one that raised eyebrows; as well as being fraught with political enemies (Donald Trump, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi), Time also included Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh alongside his sexual assault accuser Dr. Blasey Ford.


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Analyst Keith Bachman of Banc of America Securities has reiterated his “buy” rating on Apple Computer (AAPL). Bachman has also raised his target price from $43 to $56. Bachman raised Apple’s Earning Per Share (EPS) estimates for F4Q05 from $0.33 to $0.38 and FY06 from $1.48 to $1.75.
In his research note, Bachman noted that unit growth in 2006’s digital music player market is likely to be higher than was previously estimated. Channel checks indicate healthy unit sales of Apple’s iPod lines, the analyst says.


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Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) released its earnings report for the September quarter earlier this week. The company showed a positive earnings surprise, but the result did not seem to impact the stock positively. The firm’s shares are down a fraction since the start of the week. In a new report, BGC’s Colin W. Gillis shares some ideas about the future of the company.
Gillis begins the report with a summary of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s prospects in haiku form: “Upside catalysts, are dwindling for Apple, as news hits the tape.” He rates the company at Buy despite the pessimistic nature of his opening verse. The only remaining catalyst is, according to Gillis, the addiction of the world’s largest carrier, China mobile, to the Apple books.
Since the financial crisis, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has had significant exposure to financial stocks in its portfolio. Q1 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more At the end of March this year, Bank of America accounted for nearly 15% of the conglomerate's vast equity portfolio. Until very recently, Wells Fargo was also a prominent Read More
According to Gillis, the one remaining catalyst is adding “China Mobile – the world’s largest carrier with over 700 million subscribers to the list of carriers that sell the iPhone.” Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has been linked with a China Mobile Ltd. (NYSE:CHL) deal for a long time, but it has not materialized yet. Analysts are predicting that the deal will come through toward the end of this year or the beginning of 2014.
If Gillis is right, that is the last material upside that investors can expect to come for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s stock for the quarter. The analyst is still positive on the prospects of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), and was slightly impressed with the results the company posted in its most recent report.
The lack of an upside in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares has been a theme in the movement of the stock for the last year. For the full year 2013 so far the stock has lost just over 1.5%. Investors are nervous about the company’s future, and they’re unsure about where the company will find itself in five years.
Gillis puts a price target of $550 on Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares with the upside from adding China Mobile Ltd. (NYSE:CHL), the most important thing for the company’s medium term future. Apple will need to show investors that it can add value to the company in order to spur shares. The addition of a new product line is the most often requested change, but there are other things Apple could do to bolster value.
Carl Icahn is looking for the company to buy back $150 billion worth of shares, and some are calling for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to add value to the iPad range by pushing the product at an enterprise level. Sales of the tablet are leveling off as the device faces competition from Android and Windows tablets.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is doing incredibly well, but it is not the company’s current performance that investors are worrying about. The firm’s gross margin is shrinking, and the iPhone is facing tougher competition every year.
Apple upside on the way
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has certainly become a company more focused on its shareholders in recent years. The firm is careful about the way it treats them, and it has even treated activist Carl Icahn with courtesy. The firm will not deliver a new product before it is ready, but it almost certainly has new products on the way.
An Apple smart watch or an Apple television are the most likely products for 2014 according to analysts. The same analysts were predicting a couple of new product launches in 2013, however.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will try to add value to its stock, but in the medium term there appears to be little upside in the firm’s shares. If Apple makes a deal with China mobile there may be a bump, but there’s little else for investors to hope for through the year’s end.


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The “locavore diet” originally focused on supporting small farms and protecting the environment, says the blog Triple Pundit, however, large grocery store chains and big box discount stores are now writing their own definitions of “local.”
Their definitions include:
- Grown and sold in the same state - Walmart
- Grown within an eight-hour drive of the store - Safeway
- Grown within one day’s drive - Whole Foods
- Produced either in that state or that region of the US - Krogers
- Grown in regions as broad as four or five states - Supervalu (Albertsons, Lucky)
The Triple Pundit post, written by Lesley Lammers, was prompted by an article in the Wall Street Journal published earlier this month. The WSJ withholds most of its content for subscribers only. But Triple Pundit, quoting the Journal, said such loose definitions have sparked criticism from small farmers and organic-food advocates that the chains are just capitalizing on the latest food trend, rather than making real changes in their procurement practices.
Lammers suggests usage of the term “local” may be a passing marketing phrase for the retail food industry that may soon be supplanted with “seasonal.” However, with consumers shopping for tomatoes even in the dark days of winter, even the term “seasonal” raises questions.
Director of the UC Agricultural Issues Center at UC Davis, Daniel Sumner, told the Wall Street Journal, “I really don’t think Wal-Mart is going to tell customers, ‘This is not in season, you have to eat cabbage and turnips for the next three months.’ ”


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by Anton Shilov
01/03/2014 | 11:18 PM
Although ultra-high-definition (UHD) format is rather far from becoming mainstream mainly because there is not a lot of content in 4K resolution (3840*2160) available for purchase, it looks like there are already UHD TV-sets that can hit mainstream price-points. A Polaroid-branded UHD television is now reportedly available for just $999.
At the forthcoming Consumer Electronics Show next week Empire Electronics Corp., which has rights to sell TVs under Polaroid name, will demonstrate 50” ultra-high-definition 50GSR9000 TV that will retail for only $999, reports Cnet News web-site. The device is set to feature “contemporary, modern look” as well as three HDMI ports.
What is uncertain is whether these HDMI ports are compliant with HDMI 2.0 standard, which is unlikely given the budget nature of the device. HDMI 2.0 increases the maximum per channel bandwidth from 3.4Gb/s to 6Gb/s which enables maximum total throughput of 18Gb/s, which allows HDMI 2.0 to support 4K resolution at 60 frames per second (fps). HDMI 1.4 is sufficient for 4K resolution at 60fps.
It is noteworthy that at present there are almost no UHD players, almost no commercially available movies in 4K resolution and a very limited amount of ultra-high-definition TV channels. Still, there are Blu-ray players that feature 4K upscaling capability.
Select Sony’s ultra-high-definition UHDTVs come bundled with a hard discs drive-based media server that connects easily to the company’s UHDTVs and is capable of playing back content in 4K ultra high-definition resolution. The manufacturer provides ten 4K full-length movies and a gallery of 4K video shorts. Additionally, Sony sells Sony FMP-X1 4K ultra-high-definition (UHD) media player/streamer with integrated 2TB hard disk drive (supports external hard drive with USB 2.0 connection) for $699.99. Sony's 4K Ultra HD delivery solutions are designed to be updated with additional 4K titles and video clips. UHDTVs from LG and Samsung also come with free 4K movies.
The 4K ultra-high-definition format is far from being hopeless, even despite of high prices and limited availability of content. Video codecs for 4K UHD video (such as HEVC/H.265) are ready. Besides, Sony and other consumer electronics companies are working on next-generation optical disc technology to sell UHD movies on physical media.
Cnet News further reports that there is a Seiki-branded 50” UHDTV (model SE50UY04) that can be found online for $700.


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Roché to replace Hopson as leader of WPP's Team Red
By Jeremy Lee, campaignlive.co.uk, Thursday, 06 December 2012 08:00AM
Russell Hopson, the former group managing director of Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R, is to leave his position heading up WPP's Team Red, the bespoke unit that services Vodafone.
His departure comes after just 15 months in the role and follows a period of turmoil at the mobile phone company. In September, Vodafone drafted in the former Mini marketer Barbara Haase as the global group brand director, replacing Clare Sheikh, who quit earlier that month.
Shortly after Sheikh announced her departure, Vodafone’s UK marketing director, Danielle Crook, also revealed that she was leaving.
Crook had been responsible for awarding the £47 million UK advertising account to RKCR/Y&R last year – a move that prompted Hopson’s promotion to global business director and managing director of Team Red – and for signing off its current campaign featuring the Star Wars character Yoda.
WPP has drafted in Jean-Louis Roché to replace Hopson and run Team Red. The Frenchman joins from the JWT Global Task Force and was a member of the agency’s winning pitch team for Vodafone Spain last year, an account that he has subsequently run.
Hopson, who had worked at RKCR/Y&R since 2005, will now focus on other clients within WPP.
Crook has subsequently joined Starbucks.
This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk
- Marketing Manager Fidelity Worldwide Investment Dependent on Experience, Surrey
- Head of Customer and Digital Transformation Spotlight Recruitment £80000 - £90000 per annum + 30% bonus and great benefits, London
- Senior Digital Creative/Designer Pitch Consultants £35000 - £55000 per annum + benefits, Leicestershire
- Junior Account Director, Retail, Manchester Blue Skies Marketing Recruitment £35000 - £40000 per annum, Manchester
- Regional Marketing Manager Mortimer Spinks £37000 - £50000 per annum + Excellent Benefits, Milton Keynes
- HSBC uses emotive ad to relaunch bank account on Christmas Day
- Tetley launches ad with Tea Folk in middle of medieval battle
- Virgin Holidays encourages customers to 'flaunt it' in Christmas Day ad
- Top 10 most-viewed The Work
- US holiday campaign round-up 2014
- 'Creative' RFI requests are getting out of control


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Microsoft has gone on record as saying it wants to get Windows 10 on a billion devices in 2-3 years. It’s made good headway so far, helped by making the new OS a free upgrade for users on Windows 7 and 8.1, and also by labeling it as a 'recommended' update so it automatically installs on some systems. Whether the user wants it or not.
A lot has been written about Microsoft’s aggressive promotional tactics, but they certainly seem to be paying off, as even though adoption has slowed lately, Windows 10 has found its way on to a lot of systems.
A month ago, at Build 2016, Microsoft revealed Windows 10 was on over 270 million devices. A month later, and according to the software giant, that figure has jumped to 300 million.
In addition to that milestone, Microsoft reveals some numbers on how people are using its operating system. Yes, once again we have those scary stats that hint just what information Windows 10 passes on to the software giant:
300 million devices running Windows 10 is certainly an impressive milestone, although it’s sadly one that’s been tainted by an aggressive upgrade policy that makes you wonder just how many devices would have been purchased or upgraded if users had chosen Windows 10 purely because they actually wanted it, and not because it was forced upon them…


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It’s was rumored for two weeks that Honor would launch a new tablet among other products during an event on May 18. But it wasn’t until some official teasers were published that we got some serious confirmation.
Simply called the Honor V6 5G tablet in the teaser, it is so far specified as having cellular 5G connectivity and Wi-Fi 6.
Though it is also rumored to be powered by Huawei’s Kirin 985 chipset and potentially have a reasonable launch price as well.
(UPDATED: Honor V6 5G was announced on May 18)
In a possibly leaked image, this Honor V6 tablet can be seen used with a Huawei M-Pencil digitizer and a folio cover with large Honor letters on the cover.
But lots of Huawei / Honor tablets have been expected in 2020, since the list I saw of Bluetooth certified tablets for these brands in February was quite extensive.
– Tom Bowen


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Waterstones has U-turned on its decision to brand a new branch in Edinburgh "Stockbridge Books", following an outcry from a nearby independent bookseller. Instead the store will be branded as a Waterstones.
On Monday (14th May) the chain retailer revealed plans to open a new, unbranded store in Edinburgh in spring 2019, located in Raeburn Place in the Stockbridge area of the city. However, the announcement quickly drew ire from independent Golden Hare Books, also based in Stockbridge, who accused chief executive James Daunt of reneging on his pledge not to open a bookshop near an independent.
Julie Danskin, manager of the store, particularly took issue with it being branded Stockbridge Books instead of Waterstones. “There was a Stockbridge Books which closed down after the rise in e-book sales, and people loved that shop, they still talk about it, so I think it is insensitive really,” she told The Bookseller yesterday, adding “James Daunt talks a lot about an even playing field and working with independent brands, but this is essentially backtracking on his previous statements."
Other independent bookshops also voiced their concern over the move on Twitter.
However, Daunt has now said naming the store after the local area had been a “mistake”.
“It has been a little bit a case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing, which can happen in large companies,” he told The Bookseller. “Clearly we need to call it a Waterstones. I have spoken to Julie who seems passionate and sensible, we should be able to rub along perfectly well together.
“The shop we are opening isn’t next door, it is the same distance away between Daunt Books in Hampstead and the Waterstones in Hampstead, it is across the river. But we will now be calling it a Waterstones, it is unfortunate that we made that mistake.”
When asked if the company had changed its stance on not opening up new stores in places which already had thriving independents, Daunt said: “Absolutely not. We will not be operating in a predatory way.
“Independent book shops have their place. It’s big chains like Waterstones who need to be responsible. We shouldn’t cut prices or do deals to undermine independent booksellers — we all have something to offer communities.”
Danskin said she was delighted with the news. “It feels like a small victory,” she said. “I think it does make a difference, it is certainly a better situation than we found ourselves in on Monday. It was very much the branch masquerading as an indie that we had a problem with. I found it a bit strange it was going to be called Stockbridge Books given that Golden Hare is an important part of the literary scene there and has been for the last four years.”
She added: “What we have been amazed by is the support from the community and the literary community. Author Val McDermid tweeted her support for us, that has really meant a lot, along with other independent booksellers.
“I hope Waterstones will think about other independents before planning to open their next bookshop, because there are some communities that will not respond well to it.”
Companies which leapt to Golden Hare's defence this week include the Edinburgh-based indie publisher Charco Press, which tweeted: “We wouldn't change you for anything! Readers out there: support independent bookshops and please support Golden Hare. We -as a new, independent publisher- owe a lot to the unconditional support we have received from these guys since Day 1. We are here with you.”
Warwick Books said: “I am so disappointed and dismayed. So many places without a bookshop that at the very least could have a Waterstones...but no...let’s just make it harder for some indies who are already doing amazing work in hostile high street conditions.”
While Val McDermid tweeted: “We have a perfectly good indie bookshop in Stockbridge, thank you.”
Waterstones began opening unbranded stores named after the locations they are based in the summer of 2014, starting with The Southwold Bookshop. The stores were highlighted in the mainstream press last year, with the BBC reporting the chain was “under fire” for opening “secret shops”. However, Daunt said at the time that the media coverage had not "put him off" opening more unbranded stores, moreover that he had received several requests from members of the public to open branches in their local areas.
Daunt has previously said the chain did not intend to open branches in areas which already had thriving independent bookshops, but instead towns with no bookshop presence. "They are very small shops in towns that had independents and very much wish they still had independents but don’t,” he told the Guardian last year.
A majority stake in Waterstones was sold to Elliott Advisors last month, with former owner Alexander Mamut retaining a minority stake in the retailer. At the time, Daunt said the retailer’s new parent should mean the 283-store chain will grow a lot faster and continue to open fresh stores.
- Golden Hare manager slams Waterstones' plans for nearby store
- Waterstones to open Stockbridge Books in Edinburgh
- Indie bookshops face 'danger' from third-party sites, Daunt warns
- Waterstones, Blackwell's and indies report Christmas sales rise
- Indies express dismay as Waterstones starts selling Super Thursday titles early


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Natco Pharma unveils new drug
NATCO Pharma Ltd has announced the launch of Ganciclovir said to be one of the latest generation drugs used in the treatment and prevention of cytomegalovirus. The drug was launched in 250 mg capsules and 500 ml injection forms. In a release ...
PSL bags 3 orders worth Rs 300 cr
PSL Ltd has bagged three orders for a value totalling Rs 300 crore from Bangladesh Gas Transmission Co Ltd, Indian Oil Corporation and Hyundai Heavy Industries for ONGC. The first order worth $ 9.3 million for supply of 30-inch diameter API ...
BPB plans to delist India Gypsum
HAVING acquired 39.99 per cent holding in India Gypsum Ltd (IGL) from Hyderabad Industries Ltd in the previous couple of years and consolidated its total holding in IGL to 79.99 per cent, the UK-based BPB Group plans to delist the company from ...
SAIL, Tata Steel ties strained over Metaljunction portal
TENSION seems to be brewing up between the two largest steel producers in the country, namely, the Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) and Tata Steel , over their Internet joint venture - Metaljunction Private Ltd - a steel-trading ...
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
Radico to buy entire Bacardi stake in Whytehall
THE domestic spirits major Radico Khaitan has shut the door on possible suitors for Bacardi's 51 per cent stake and management control in Whytehall India Ltd, makers of an eponymous whisky brand. The Lalit Khaitan-managed company will acquire ...
AP Paper Mills to implement Rs 554-cr development plan
ANDHRA Pradesh Paper Mills Ltd (APPM) has embarked upon a Mill Development Plan (MDP) involving an outlay of Rs 554 crore to be implemented in two phases. While the first phase is scheduled to be completed by 2006, the second phase will be ...
ALLIANCES & JOINT VENTURES
Miyazu joins hands with Sumi Motherson group Design and manufacture of car body dies
THE Japan-based Miyazu Seisakusho Company Ltd, one of the largest car body die manufacturers in the world, has formed a joint venture company with the Delhi-based Sumi Motherson group for design, sale and eventual manufacture of car body dies in ...
SOCIETY & DEVELOPMENT
Hope, CA set up school for slum kids in Hyderabad
HOPE Foundation India in collaboration with Computer Associates International (CA) has opened a school for underprivileged children in the slums of Hyderabad. This project is funded by Computer Associates and its employees. About 120 children ...
UB group plans low-cost airline by year-end: Mallya
THE Kingfisher brand is to take to the skies shortly. The Chairman of the UB Group, Mr Vijay Mallya said on Friday that the group would be launching a low-cost airline to be branded `Kingfisher' by the year-end. "We plan to launch a low-cost ...
TV18 to offer 1:12 rights; to raise Rs 20 cr
TELEVISION Eighteen India Ltd (TV18) is offering a rights issue of Rs 20 crore in the ratio of one rights share for every 12 held. The price band for the proposed right issue will be Rs 150-180. The money will be used to finance the company's ...
Left plea to merge HOCL unit with Kochi Refineries
THE Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala has urged the Union Government to merge the Kochi unit of Hindustan Organic Chemicals Ltd (HOCL) with Kochi Refineries Ltd (KRL). In a memorandum to the Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, the front ...
Coke India's operational structure still uncertain
EVEN as the uncertainty over the future operational structure of Coca-Cola in India continues, an independent investigation by Business Line reveals that corporate investors hold a major chunk of the 49 per cent share in Hindustan ...
DSCL plans to expand farmers' stores network
DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd (DSCL) has chalked out plans to expand its retail network. The company has finalised plans to more than double its existing retail chain of farmers' stores Hariyali Kisan Bazar (HKB) by the end of the current fiscal. ...
Amul sales up 18% at Rs 2,882 crore
THE milk producers of Gujarat have received 15 per cent higher prices for their produce during the year even as the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) has achieved an 18 per cent growth during 2003-04 to close the year with Rs ...
Parthiv Patel to don gloves for Reliance
THE last time one saw Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) getting actively involved with cricket was during the 1987 cricket World Cup, the Reliance World Cup. Since then, there hasn't been any significant activity from the Reliance group to ...
Mirchandani quits Weekender; to head S. Kumars' Reid & Taylor
THE Jagadish Hinduja-promoted Weekender will see a change of guard at the top with Mr Govind Mirchandani leaving the company to head Reid & Taylor, part of the S. Kumars Group. Reid & Taylor, a Rs 175-crore lifestyle suitings business, is ...
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Electronics Production | August 02, 2005
USB Flash Drive with<br> Fingerprint Authentication
FingerGear announces USB Flash Drive with onboard Fingerprint Authentication featuring Atmel's FingerChip, AES Encryption, and LCD Display.
US Based Atmel® Corporation, a specialist in the development and fabrication of advanced semiconductor solutions and FingerGear, the newly formed consumer products division of biometrics technology provider Bionopoly LLC, has announced a new biometric USB Flash Drive featuring software-free operation and a large font LCD display for the ultimate user-friendly experience. The Bio USB Flash Drive, which features the Atmel FingerChipä Sensor, also includes the built-in capability of generating a One-Time Password from a fingerprint match. Because no software is required to run on the host PC, FingerGear'sä Bio USB is truly portable and cross platform compatible among Windows, Macintosh, and Linux machines that have a standard USB port. The onboard LCD display screen guides the user through Setup mode in which the user trains the device to recognize his or her finger. In addition, a push button on the device enables the user to enter into other modes including Add User, Delete User, and One-Time Password Generation. Up to 5 additional users may be added per device. With unit projections for USB Flash Drives as high as 100 Million or greater for 2005* and average storage capacities exceeding 256MB*, the trend towards USB storage devices with value-added software is only beginning to accelerate. Users are increasingly demanding greater security as potential network hackers become more sophisticated. To further protect the user's data, FingerGear's Bio USB Flash Drive also features the FingerGear Encryptor, a 256-bit AES encryption utility (currently for Windows only) that runs directly from the flash drive that provides the user with an additional layer of personal data security. Files are encrypted or decrypted instantly through Drag and Drop functionality. "Using an onboard LCD, the Bio USB user interface is completely independent of the host," explained Bionopoly's C.E.O. Jon Louis, "The result is that the FingerGear Bio USB is not only more portable, but also more secure. Your fingerprint data is never exposed on the host PC because it never leaves the device, and no trace of any kind is left on the host once the device is unplugged." Data is protected by Atmel's FingerChip combining small size, low cost, high accuracy, low power consumption and portability for proven system security benefits. It integrates the company's ARM microcontroller, 128Mbits of SDRAM, and 32Mbits of Atmel's DataFlash® in a single, easy- to-design-in module.
Big Ass Fans adds third Hentec/RPS machine Complementing the purchase of two Hentec Industries/RPS Automation Vector 300 selective soldering machines in 2018, Big Ass Fans (BAF), a high-volume, low- speed (HVLS) airflow manufacturer, has just added a third machine to its factory in Newman Lake, Washington.
CE3 Electronics Inc. taps MIRTEC for 3D AOI technology Canada-based CE3 Electronics has purchased a MIRTEC MV-6 OMNI 3D AOI machine.
Gémosz is still looking to grow – but the pandemic brought new perspectives Winston Churchill famously said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste”. While this was said in a vastly different context than the current crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still truth to the fact that a crisis not only allows for change – but sometimes forces it.
North American PCB industry sales up 4.3% in April The IPC says that total North American PCB shipments in April 2020 were up 4.3% compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, April shipments fell 18.2%.
Volkswagen intensifies e-mobility activities in China Volkswagen has initiated the next chapter for its business in China. The automotive giant plans to increase its share in JAC Volkswagen, its joint venture for e-mobility.
GPV Selects Aegis as global smart factory partner Driven originally by accelerating customer expectations for traceability, GPV has selected Aegis’ FactoryLogix Smart digital manufacturing solution, targeting multiple values and benefits.
REDCOM EMS expands certification for medical device manufacturing New York-based REDCOM EMS has secured ISO 13485:2016 certification, complementing the company’s existing ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certifications.
Ozark Integrated Circuits nabs U.S. Air Force grant Arkansas-based Ozark Integrated Circuits Inc., located in the Arkansas Research and Technology Park at the University of Arkansas, has received a USD 750,000 award from the U.S. Air Force.
Norwegian EMS adds employees to Polish unit The last couple of months Norautron has welcomed three new colleagues at its office in Sdunska Wola, Poland.
Daimler’s battery production in Kamenz gradually increases production Local battery production is described as an important success factor for Mercedes-Benz AG’s electric offensive and a key element to flexibly and efficiently meet the global demand for electrified vehicles.
Tepcomp invests in new additional production line Finnish EMS provider, Tepcomp Group, has made a significant investment at its production plant in Turku. The new surface mount technology production line will significantly improve the productivity and energy efficiency of the plant.
Valoe is on schedule with both production and expected deliveries Valoe says it will start manufacturing IBC test modules in Juva, Finland in June and cell deliveries from Lithuania to customers is scheduled to start according to plan.
AMTE Power and Britishvolt sign MoU for GigaFactory AMTE Power and Britishvolt plans to investigate collaborating to build the UK’s first full cycle battery cell GigaPlant, servicing the automotive and energy storage markets.
ALLPCB’s new SMT factory has launched production On May 10 2020, ALLPCB’s new – self-operated – SMT factory in Guangde, Anhui Province, China was officially put into production.
Schweizer starts production at its new location in China Following a construction period of one and a half years, production has now started at the company’s new high-tech printed circuit board plant in Jiangsu, China.
Jenoptik supplies generators to a US customer Through its Vincorion investment, Jenoptik received a long-term order for generators that an unnamed US customer is integrating into military vehicles.
Rolls-Royce takes heavy hit from COVID-19 – reduces workforce by 9000 The impact of COVID-19 on Rolls-Royce and the whole of the aviation industry is unprecedented. RR has already taken action to strengthen the financial resilience of its business and to reduce cash expenditure in 2020. However, this will not be enough.
Data Link Solutions to provide MIDS cabinet terminals to US Navy The U.S. Navy has awarded a USD 3.2 million production contract to Data Link Solutions (DLS), a joint venture between BAE Systems and Collins Aerospace, for new Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) cabinet terminals.
Incap restarts production in India In a move to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of India instructed all state governments to introduce a lockdown in March. As a consequence, Incap had to close its factory in Karnataka, India on 23 March.
NAND Flash Revenue Undergoes 8.3% QoQ Growth in 1Q20 NAND Flash bit shipment in 1Q20 was relatively on par with 4Q19, says the DRAMeXchange research division of TrendForce. The overall ASP of NAND Flash products also climbed during the period. As a result, the global NAND Flash revenue for the quarter went up by 8.3% QoQ to USD 13.6 billion.
Gorenje reduces the number of layoffs At the end of April, due to a sharp drop in orders and revenues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hisense Europe Group launched a redundancy program in four companies in Slovenia.
NA semiconductor equipment industry posts April 2020 billings North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted USD 2.26 billion in billings worldwide in April 2020 (three-month average basis), according to SEMI.
AWS Electronics to wear the Incap name Following the acquisition of AWS Electronics Group by Incap Corporation in January 2020, the company's units in the UK and Slovakia will now be trading as Incap Electronics UK Ltd. and Incap Electronics Slovakia s.r.o.Load more news
- COVID-19 highlights the gravity of the secondary market for SME
- Rolls-Royce takes heavy hit from COVID-19 – reduces workforce by 9000
- China falls far short of its "Made-in-China 2025" goal
- GlobalFoundries to implement ITAR at US manufacturing facility
- Data Link Solutions to provide MIDS cabinet terminals to US Navy


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With coffee intake nationwide on the rise as of late, Bundle decided to crunch the numbers to determine which U.S. cities spend the most money on coffee.
According to their findings, released Monday, Chicago took top ranking as average households spent 2.94 times the national average at city coffee shops, allowing the city to squeak past New York City (where households spent 2.9 times the national average on coffee) for the honor of the nation's "most caffeinated" metropolis. Rounding out the top five were three West Coast cities -- Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles, respectively.
(Scroll down to see how the rest of the nation's top 10 "most caffeinated" cities stacked up.)
In order to arrive at their ranking, Bundle analyzed consumer spending at 16 coffee chains across the country during the second quarter of 2011, based on data from 20 million anonymous Visa and Mastercard holders.
The ranking draws similar, though not identical, conclusions to an analysis completed by The Daily Beast last year. In that ranking, based on the availability of coffee and the intake of all forms of caffeine (including tea, energy drinks and pills), Seattle took top honors, followed by Portland, San Jose, Denver and San Francisco. Chicago ranked only sixth and New York came ninth.
For cities ranking high on the list, some economists might suggest that the higher-than-normal levels of coffee consumption could be at least somewhat indicative of economic recovery coming down the pike. One economist told Daily Finance last month that there is some correlation between economic stability and the amount of money that consumers shell out more to satisfy their caffeine fix.
"As consumers feel more comfortable with their jobs, it's not surprising to see people spend more on coffee outside of their home," Moody's economist Ryan Sweet told Daily Finance.
Is your city one of America's most caffeinated? Find out here:


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60 million unwanted presents will be given this Christmas, charity warns
Almost 60 million unwanted Christmas presents will be exchanged this year, according to new research carried out by a charity which is encouraging consumers to make donations to a good cause instead.
The figure is based on a YouGov poll of more than 2,000 people carried out for the charity Send a Cow. The survey results were weighted to be representative of all adults in Great Britain.
Extrapolating from the survey findings, the charity estimates just under 60 million presents worth over £380 million will be exchanged.
What did the survey find?
According to the YouGov poll, 57% of those who celebrate Christmas receive at least one unwanted gift per year – and 48% said they struggle to find presents for family and friends.
The most uncommon unwanted gifts were:
- Bath products, with 38% saying they were unwanted.
- Film or box sets, with 18% saying they were unwanted.
- Candles, with 16% saying they were unwanted.
- Chocolate, with 16% saying it was unwanted.
- Socks, with 14% saying they were unwanted.
How to cut down on unwanted Christmas giving
We've long campaigned against tit-for-tat Christmas giving – which, as the survey shows, leaves many with unneeded tat.
Martin shared his thoughts about Christmas giving on the Martin Lewis Money Show earlier this year, along with some tips:


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Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the inauguration of Samsung’s US$220-million Research and Development Center in Hanoi, its biggest research facility in Southeast Asia, on Friday morning.
Construction of the center, which is designed to have 16 floors and three basements, began in March 2020.
At the ceremony, Roh Tae Moon – CEO of Samsung Electronics – stated that the R&D center will help nurture Vietnam's IT talents and establish leading technologies, contributing to improving the country’s industrial competitiveness.
Considered a leading R&D center in Southeast Asia, the facility focuses on in-depth research on core technologies of mobile phones such as multimedia and security.
"We will take the lead in enhancing Vietnam's technological competitiveness by expanding training cooperation programs with universities in subjects such as artificial intelligence, big data, multimedia, and security,” Roh elaborated.
|Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the inauguration of Samsung Research and Development Center in Hanoi, December 23, 2022. Photo: N.Phuc / Tuoi Tre|
In his speech, PM Chinh hailed Samsung as the biggest Korean investor and also the biggest foreign investor in Vietnam with a total registered capital of nearly $20 billion, contributing to Vietnam’s export turnover, job creation, and budget revenues.
The launch of the R&D center in Hanoi is evidence of Samsung’s orientations and commitments to long-term operations in the country, he said, adding that it is also a good start to deliver its close-ended production chain in electricity and electronics in Vietnam.
The premier suggested that Samsung continue to expand investment and business activities in Vietnam and consider Vietnam its important and global strategic base in terms of production, research, and development of key products for the international market.
He also asked Samsung to step up specific cooperation activities in researching and linking with the network of Vietnamese experts and intellectuals so as to push forward technology projects.
|Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) meets Samsung’s executive chairman Lee Jae Yong in Hanoi, December 23, 2022. Photo: N.Phuc / Tuoi Tre|
The Vietnamese leader wished that the tech giant would quickly prepare necessary conditions for the early trial production of flip-chip ball grid array products, toward mass production at its factory in northern Thai Nguyen Province from July 2023.
During a reception for Samsung’s executive chairman Lee Jae Yong, who came to Vietnam for the inauguration of the R&D center, PM Chinh thanked Samsung for contributing to social welfare and the fight against COVID-19 in Vietnam.
He suggested that Samsung increase the local content of its products manufactured in Vietnam and reduce imports.
Lee said Samsung will step up workforce training in Vietnam to help them meet global working requirements, as well as coordinate with Vietnam to further enhance the local content in both hardware and software products and recruit more Vietnamese workers.


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Devices like the iPhone are redefining the mobile experience The mobile industry will see a shift towards touch-screen devices such as the iPhone during 2009, and a growing digital divide will emerge...
The Association of Freight Software Suppliers says it is "unrealistic" to expect users to be trained on any new system by the end of the year
Three's 5G rollout means expanding capacity on many fronts at the same time, explains network strategy and architecture manager Firoz Vohra
Outages started at 9.12 Wednesday
Government target to achieve full fibre broadband coverage by 2025 could be missed by eight years, BT warns
But key policy changes could enable the industry to provide full-fibre broadband up to 96 per cent of all UK homes and businesses by 2025


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Americans are generally aware of the importance of healthy eating, but about one third of the population remains unconcerned about their own dietary habits, according to new survey results from The American Dietetic Association. The survey was based on telephone interviews of 700 adults during April 2002.
Most Americans surveyed said they are "very concerned" about the growing problem of obesity, and 85% said they felt that good eating habits are "important to them personally." However, most Americans also believe the recommended serving size of food to be bigger than it actually is--more than half overestimated the serving sizes of cooked vegetables, pasta, rice, meat, poultry and fish.
Several misconceptions also appear to remain fixed in people's minds. For instance, 63% of survey respondents said that they believe a person's body weight indicates how healthy their diet is. Another 33% said they believe all herbal supplements are safe because they are "natural."
In terms of health information, a growing number of consumers appear to be turning to television for their health news. TV was rated as the number one source of nutrition information by a wide margin, up almost 25% from 2000. It was followed by magazines, newspapers, and radio.
The results identified that 32% of respondents choose not to heed healthy eating recommendations.
Despite this, more people than ever before say they are incorporating nutrition recommendations into their diets, up by 10% from two years ago. This increase was accompanied by a 10% decrease in the number of people who said they know what healthy eating is, but choose not to practice it.
All research on this web site is the property of Leslie Beck Nutrition Consulting Inc. and is protected by copyright. Keep in mind that research on these matters continues daily and is subject to change. The information presented is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. It is intended to provide ongoing support of your healthy lifestyle practices.


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Bandai Namco revealed their latest game Dragon Ball for iOS and Android recently. This new hit “Dragon Ball Legends” has been described as “new one-finger card action battle game,” that will give you a chance to fight against the rivals in PvP battles.
To register its success, when the game was announced in a pre-launch campaign by Bandai Namco first time in March, it gathered almost 4.5 million registrations.
Dragon Ball Legends could be downloaded absolutely free. However you can get some extra tools from in-app purchases to speed up our game. The game could be loaded on currently from Google Play and App Store in United States. Its global release is expected soon.


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Airport operator BAA must sell two of its UK airports, competition chiefs said today in a final ruling.
BAA, which runs six UK airports including Heathrow, will have to sell Stansted followed by either Edinburgh or Glasgow airport, the Competition Commission (CC) said.
The sale process will start in three months "or sooner if undertakings are accepted from BAA in the meantime", the CC said.
Today's announcement follows a provisional ruling on the sales made in March this year and ends a two-year saga which began in March 2009 when the CC made what was seen then as a final report on BAA's airport ownership.
In that March 2009 ruling, the commission said BAA must sell Gatwick - since disposed of - as well as Stansted and either Edinburgh or Glasgow.
But there were then a series of legal challenges by BAA to the ruling, which ended with the CC findings being upheld.
The CC then considered whether there had been material changes in circumstances since the 2009 ruling.
Both in the provisional ruling in March this year and in today's final report, the CC said the sale of the airports was fully justified.
It added that passengers and airlines would still benefit from greater competition with the airports under separate ownership, despite the current Government's decision to rule out new runways at any of the London airports.
While the legal battle was going on, BAA sold Gatwick - with the West Sussex airport being bought by US-based investment fund Global Infrastructure Partners for around £1.5 billion in late 2009.
Peter Freeman, the CC's chairman of the BAA remedies implementation group, said today: "We hope that the sales can now proceed without delay so that passengers and airlines can start to enjoy the benefits of greater competition.
"Our report has been challenged, reviewed and upheld and it is clear that the original decision to require BAA to divest three airports (including Gatwick) remains the right one for customers."
He went on: "It has been a long process whilst BAA has challenged the decision - quite understandably given its significance. However, both we and the courts have now exhaustively re-examined the case for the sales and found it to be sound so there are no grounds for delaying further.
"The introduction of new ownership at Gatwick, while too recent for us to draw any firm conclusions, has given a foretaste of the benefits competition can bring. We think that these benefits will be all the greater once Stansted, Gatwick and Heathrow are all in competition with each other.
"There has also been no cause to alter our view on the need for either Edinburgh or Glasgow to be under separate ownership."
The CC said Stansted should be sold first as it served the larger number of passengers and there would be a small overlap between the Stansted sale and that of one of the Scottish airports.
This final ruling from the commission may not be the end of the matter, as BAA immediately responded today by saying that it was considering a judicial review.
BAA chief executive Colin Matthews said: "We are dismayed that the CC's final decision still requires us to sell Stansted and either Glasgow or Edinburgh airport. The CC has not recognised that the world and BAA have changed.
"This decision would damage our company which is investing strongly in UK jobs and growth. We have a responsibility to protect our shareholders' investment and we will now consider a judicial review of the CC's decision."
Spanish-owned BAA argues that the change in Whitehall policy which has ruled out new runways in south east England, as well as the sale of Gatwick, have significantly changed the airport market.
Also, the airports in question face increased competition from non-BAA airports, particularly those in Europe, for the business of low-cost carriers who now take a pan-European view of the market.
BAA also says that it is clearer now than it has ever been that Heathrow and Stansted serve different markets.
Stressing how it has changed since the March 2009 original decision, BAA makes the point that it has invested £5 billion in UK airports since 2006, including more than £300 million at Stansted, and is currently investing a further £1 billion a year.
BAA also says its operational performance - criticised by the CC in its March 2009 report - has improved, with shorter security queues, more reliable baggage delivery and record levels of flight punctuality.
Brian Ross, economics adviser of the Stop Stansted Expansion group, said: "The uncertainty has gone on far too long and BAA should now respect the ruling of the CC and the courts and sell Stansted as quickly as possible.
"BAA's statement today suggests it is considering a fresh challenge in the hope of buying yet more time so that Stansted is sold under better market conditions.
"Such procrastination would only worsen relations between the airport and the community which it has already done so much to destroy.
"Our hope is that, with a new owner in place, there would be an opportunity for genuine and meaningful dialogue based on maximising the local benefits of the airport and minimising its adverse impacts on the community."
Bob Atkinson, of http://www.travelsupermarket.com, said: "These airport sales are excellent news for those who use these gateways, and the break-up of BAA's monopoly on UK airports is likely to be welcomed by consumers.
"The introduction of new operators for some of the UK's key airports will give consumers greater choice and in turn should raise the standard of service within all UK airports across the board."
Gatwick's chief executive, Stewart Wingate, said: "Today's CC ruling is welcome news and underlines the importance of competition in the airport market.
"Under separate ownership, Gatwick is delivering real benefits to airlines and passengers."Reuse content


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What simply occurred? Having as soon as stated it had no plans to ever go down the ad-supported-tier route, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has now confirmed it will offer such a plan as a part of its service. According to experiences, the streaming large goals to roll out the brand new, cheaper choices earlier than the yr is out.
“We’ve left an enormous buyer section off the desk, which is individuals who say: ‘Hey, Netflix is simply too costly for me and I do not thoughts promoting,'” Sarandos stated on the Cannes Lions promoting competition, through The Hollywood Reporter. “We [are] including an advert tier; we’re not including adverts to Netflix as you recognize it as we speak. We’re including an advert tier for folk who say, ‘Hey, I desire a lower cost and I’ll watch adverts.'”
After rival streamer Disney+ introduced in March that it might be introducing a less expensive, ad-supported tier to its US service later this yr, Netflix Chief Financial Officer Spencer Neumann stated his firm would not be doing the identical because it did not “make sense.” He did add, nonetheless, “by no means say by no means.”
Netflix softened its stance following the discharge of a Q1 monetary report that confirmed it had misplaced subscribers (200,000 globally) for the primary time in a decade. The firm stated on the time that it was “fairly open” to providing decrease costs with promoting, and will “determine it out over the following yr or two.” Now, Sarandos has confirmed that the trier is coming, with The New York Times reporting that it will likely be right here earlier than the top of the yr.
Sarandos stated Netflix was speaking to corporations about partnerships to assist with its promoting enterprise however would not reveal who they had been. According to The Wall Street Journal, Google and NBCUniversal are the highest contenders.
Hulu, HBO Max, Paramount Plus and Peacock have already got ad-supported tiers. With Disney+ becoming a member of the membership later this yr and Netflix tightening its belt by workers layoffs, it is little shock to see the highest streamer do the identical. How a lot the tier will value and what number of adverts can be proven per hour remains to be unknown, however with shoppers reducing out luxuries as the price of dwelling rises, this can seemingly show a wise transfer on Netflix’s half.


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New Leak Shows HTC U Ocean Probable Features
Newly leaked images of HTC U Ocean by a prolific tipster shows that the Taiwanese company's latest flagship phone will have a variety of interesting features.
HTC One X10 With Monstrous 4000 mAh Battery Life Unveiled In Russia
HTC One X10 is officially unveiled in Russia and comes with a 4000 mAh battery, that promises to 25.5 hours of talk time on 3G and a standby time of up to 31 days.
HTC U Ultra Review: It's Pretty But There's Nothing More To It
The HTC U Ultra is beautifully designed but it fails in so many aspects.
HTC Vive's Birthday Bash Bonanza Will Blow Your Mind With Unlimited Games
To celebrate it's birthday, HTC Vice offers a gaming bonanza to fans through the Viveport Subscription. With just $7 monthly, gamers can enjoy unlimited access to VR apps and games of their choice.
HTC's Upcoming Powerful Flagship Render Leaked, Details Inside
HTC's upcoming smartphone codenamed "Ocean" is expected to come with Snapdragon 835, HTC's Sense 9 UI and will feature a 12 MP Sony IMX362 camera.
HTC U To Unveil Innovative Specs And Features In April
The HTC U is HTC’s upcoming 2017 flagship phone.
HTC U Ultra Review: Does It Really Have A Horrible Design?
Though the U Ultra is a large, thick and powerful premium device, the phone itself appears to have some wasted space in its design.
HTC U Ultra Is Great Only If You Prefer Form Over Function
The HTC U Ultra is a little controversial in the smartphone market, largely because it is more beautiful than it is actually functional, even though it does sport the specs of a flagship device.
HTC 10 Review: Why It Is Still One Of The Best Android Options
The smartphone industry is tough, but the HTC 10 has held up its own despite a strong competition. Even with almost a year in the market, it is still one of the best Android options.
HTC Unveils New Vive Accessories That Make VR More Immersive
HTC unveiled some new accessories at CES 2017 that are meant to enhance the Vive experience.
HTC's VRSports App Lets You Play Ping-Pong And Tennis On The Vive
Vive Studios will release new games including the VRSports app that will let users play ping-pong and tennis in virtual reality using the HTC Vive VR headset.
Android Nougat Update Rolling Out To HTC M9 Phones
HTC said that UK owners of its popular One M9 smartphone are beginning to receive the Android 7.0 update.
HTC One X10 vs Nokia 6: Battle Of The Best Midrange Phone 2017
HTC and Nokia are two biggest smartphone makes in the tech market. Both companies offer midrange handsets this year, the HTC One X10 and Nokia 6 that are both budget friendly phones with powerful specs.
HTC One X10 News, Updates: Images Of The One X9 Successor Leak Online
HTC One X10 is the successor of One X9, which is said to be unveiled at the upcoming MWC 2017 in Barcelona.


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What they are saying:
In a statement, BSNL said, “Nepal Telecom has increased the termination charges from Rs. 3.15 per minute to Rs. 7.80 per minute with effect from December 1, 2017. This increase in termination charges by Nepal Telecom resulted in an increase of the call rate from India to Nepal (from Rs. 6 per minute to Rs. 12 per minute) with effect from December 12, 2017”.
Why it Matters:
- During the visit of India’s prime minister Narendra Modi to Nepal, it was announced that call rates to Nepal would be reduced in near future.
- In the same context, the Indian government reduced its termination charges from Rs 0.67 to Rs 0.35 per minute, that makes calls from Nepal to India even cheaper. Therefore, calls originating from Nepal to India are a lot cheaper.
- BSNL said, “if Nepal also brings down the termination charges in line then it would benefit consumers calling from India to Nepal.”
- Nepal Telecom Announces New ADSL Tariff
- PM Directs Nepal Telecom Officials to Improve Quality
- #BlockadeWasCrimeMrModi Trends in Twitter
Nagarik App, Nepal Government’s Initiation to Digitize Public ServicesNagarik app, which crossed 300 thousand downloads in just less than a week of its…
Infinix Hot 10 Play Launched with Helio G25 and 6000mAh BatteryInfinix Hot 10 and Hot 10 Lite were announced in 2020. And, Hot 10 was…
Mazda CX-9 Premium SUV Booking Opens in Nepal: Priced at Rs. 1.63 CroreMazda CX-9 is open for bookings in Nepal. Paramount Motors Pvt. Ltd., the authorized distributor…


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To be released in June this year
Several reports said that the new Apple smartphone will be with us in June in at least, two screen sizes and a variety of colors to choose from
Another rumor on the new iPhone circus. This time, is BGR reporting what analyst Brian White said: New iPhone 5S will be available in June with 2 different screen sizes (3.5 and 4") and five colors to pick.
We have to wait to see if Brian is right or not.
NEWS SOURCE: iPhone 5s release date colors (via) BGR
Our thanks to 'Kaos2K' for this news item!


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Brazilian pharmaceutical company União Química has concluded the purchase of the plant and nine contraceptives from Bayer for $112 million. CEO Fernando De Castro Marques said União should take over the unit, located in the city of São Paulo, at the beginning of next year.
“We had the deal approved by [antitrust regulator] Cade without restrictions. Now, we will make the payment and complete all the systems upgrade,” said the executive.
He said part of the funds will come from a bond issuance and the remainder from the company’s cash reserves. “We have made foreign exchange hedge. With this, the value of the investment in reais should be around R$582.4 million, based on a rate of R$5.2 to the dollar.”
The plant, which occupies an area of 15,000 square meters, produces female hormones, such as contraceptives and hormone replacement pills, and has a production capacity of approximately 70 million blister packs per year. Currently, it is occupying 60% of the installed capacity.
União Química’s plan is to increase this portion of utilization gradually by transferring products to the unit. “Today, the plant operates in two shifts. We can open one more shift and double production.”
Mr. Castro Marques also pointed out that under the agreement with Bayer, União Química must produce another eight contraceptives that remained in the German company’s portfolio for another five years. “In 2022, the estimated revenue, only with the sale of the acquired drugs and outsourcing of production, should reach R$300 million.” According to him, total revenue may reach R$5 billion next year, or R$1 billion more than the forecast for 2021.
The products acquired by União Química are exported to 27 countries. Brazil, Mexico and Argentina account for about 80% of sales. The best-seller one is Microvlar, which accounts for 47% of the unit’s revenues.
“Next year we should be more proactive in exporting. Since the Cancioneiro plant has all the health certifications in several Latin American countries, we should transfer medicines to this unit and promote them abroad.” The executive said that União Química’s goal is to hold 10% of its revenue from foreign sales as early as 2023.