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According to a report by VGC, an anonymous hacker has posted a 125GB torrent link containing, well, all of Twitch, including its source code and commit history going back to the start. The leak also contains streamers’ incomes since 2019, and information that suggests the Amazon-owned streaming platform’s Steam rival Vapor may really exist.
Update, 10/6/21, 11:30 a.m. ET: Twitch confirmed the hack on Twitter, but wrote that it still doesn’t know the extent of the breach:
The download was posted to 4chan today, described by its unidentified source as “part one” of “an extremely poggers leak,” stating that it contains the following:
> Entirety of twitch.tv, with commit history going back to its early beginnings
> Mobile, desktop and video game console Twitch clients
> Various proprietary SDKs and internal AWS services used by Twitch
> Every other property that Twitch owns including IGDB and CurseForge
> An unreleased Steam competitor from Amazon Game Studios
> Twitch SOC internal red teaming tools (lol)
And, the poster notes, “Creator payout reports from 2019 until now. Find out how much your favorite streamer is really making!”
Calling Twitch a “disgusting toxic cesspool,” the given motivation for the leak is to, “foster more disruption and competition in the online video streaming space.” They add, “we have completely pwnd them.” They also include the #DoBetterTwitch hashtag.
Kotaku has verified that this is a working torrent, and VGC claims anonymous sources within Twitch have confirmed the data is legitimate. We’ve obviously contacted Twitch for further comment, but haven’t heard back at the time of publication.
The consequences for a leak like this can be huge. Clearly the first thing anyone who has a Twitch account should do is change their password immediately, and set up two-factor authentication. It’s also advised to reset your stream key to protect data.
But the longer-term issues will be far more complex. Just the financial information for big-name streamers getting out there will be hugely serious for Twitch, with figures in the millions of dollars.
Within the leaked data is reportedly information on Vapor, Amazon’s rumored rival to Steam, which would integrate a store into the Twitch platform. More information will likely come to light as the leak is pored over. And of course this is marked as “part one,” suggesting that much more information may have been compromised in the hack.
This all comes at a time of much tribulation for Twitch, with the #DoBetterTwitch/#TwitchDoBetter hashtags at the forefront of efforts by users to demand a better service from the platform, including boycotts to demand action over hate raids. Twitch seems to be making some positive moves, but then always finds a way to do something terrible too.
We will keep you up to date with the consequences of the leak, which will likely be causing serious consternation at Amazon. As the hacker said on 4Chan, “Jeff Bezos paid $970 million for this, we’re giving it away FOR FREE.”


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A taste of Federal Hill is now available beyond the state line. Restaurateurs Joseph and Esther DeQuattro recently opened a second location of their Providence restaurant Il Massimo, in Legacy Place in Dedham, Massachusetts.
Similar to the original Il Massimo, on Atwells Avenue, the new restaurant serves seasonal Italian food from a variety of regions. “The menus are about 80 percent the same, but the other 20 percent is unique to each location,” said Esther DeQuattro.
The Dedham outpost's kitchen is overseen by executive chef Jeff Burgess, who has added dishes to the menu that are not available in Providence. They include a white lasagna, made with béchamel and the Italian cured meat guanciale, and a dry-aged rib-eye steak.
Those familiar with the original location’s menu will recognize such dishes as burrata ravioli, Point Judith calamari and chicken roasted under a brick.
Chef and co-owner Joseph DeQuattro is also involved with menu development. “He has a lot of input with recipes and such,” Esther DeQuattro said.
Il Massimo Dedham is the couple's third restaurant, and their first outside of Federal Hill. Joseph DeQuattro opened Southern Italian-focused Pane e Vino in 2002. In 2016, the husband-and-wife team debuted Massimo, now known as Il Massimo, in the former Mediterraneo location, at 134 Atwells Ave.
“We did think that we would eventually open outside of the Hill, honestly somewhere else in Rhode Island,” Esther DeQuattro said.
But less than a year after opening Massimo on Federal Hill, the developers of Legacy Place approached them about opening a location in Dedham.
“They came in to dine one night, and then called us a day later saying they loved it,” Esther DeQuattro said. “They were looking to put a locally owned restaurant, not a chain, in there, and asked if we were interested. At first, we were thinking that we weren’t really ready yet, but we kind of just decided to go for it.”
The Dedham Il Massimo is in the former location of Met Bar & Grill, owned by a Boston-based restaurant group.
With about 200 seats each, the two Il Massimo locations are about the same size, but the Dedham restaurant has a more open and modern layout.
“It’s a newer, brighter space,” Esther DeQuattro said. “In Providence, we have a cool older building, and it’s on two floors.”
In Dedham, the dining room's design was inspired by the graphic patterns of Italian designer Gio Ponti and the stacked geometry of Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa.
The restaurant is now open for lunch and dinner, and in April it will offer Sunday brunch. This spring will also bring the opening of the restaurant’s outdoor patio.
“It has a pergola and twinkly lights,” Esther DeQuattro said. “It’s going to be really nice to sit out there this summer.”
Il Massimo, 400 Legacy Place, Dedham, (781) 493-8113, massimori.com.

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Apple accepted Amazon's request to boot an app that spots fake reviews from the App Store. Its owner has accused Amazon of bullying.
Appleon Friday removed the app Fakespotfrom its App Storeat Amazon's request.
- Amazon complained Fakespot misled customers, broke App Store rules, and posed a security risk.
- Fakespot's CEO said he was shocked by the turn of events.
According to the Verge, Amazon filed a complaint with Apple on June 8 saying that Fakespot displays Amazon's website inside its app, which breaks Apple's rules. The rules in question state that apps displaying third-party content must have permission from that third party.
Amazon also said Fakespot misleads customers and created a security risk with the way it put code into Amazon's website to display its ratings.
"The app in question provides customers with misleading information about our sellers and their products, harms our sellers' businesses, and creates potential security risks. We appreciate Apple's review of this app against its Appstore guidelines," an Amazon spokesperson told the Verge.
Fakespot's CEO Saoud Khalifah denied the app has any security vulnerabilities, in an interview with the Verge. He added: "Amazon is willing to bully little companies like ours that showcase the cracks in their company." He said Fakespot had 150,000 downloads when Apple removed it.
Saoud's said Apple has given Fakespot little opportunity to fight back since Amazon initiated proceedings on June 8, and he told CNBC the takedown notice was sudden and unexpected. "Imagine going to a tenant and saying you have to take all your stuff, you have to leave right now. That's how I feel right now," he said.
Apple disputes this, saying it gave Fakespot "ample time" to resolve the issue with Amazon. Speaking to the Verge, Khalifah said between June 8 and Friday, the process consisted of Fakespot and Amazon arguing against each other with Apple providing no guidance. "I'm shocked Apple decided to side with Amazon without any proof," he told the Verge.
At time of writing, Fakespot remains on the Google Play Store for Android phones, where it has more than 50,000 downloads.
Fakespot, Amazon, and Apple did not immediately respond when contacted by Insider for comment.
- Air Canada, Emirates, Air India and other airlines resume flights to Toronto and the tickets are priced up to ₹5 lakh
- I flew on a $65 million Gulfstream G650ER private jet and saw why it's a favorite of tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos
- Srei Group may leave a $4 billion hole in some of India’s biggest banks
- Indian government decides to pay ₹50,000 to kin of those who died of COVID-19
- SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reveals 'challenges' with toilet during Inspiration4 mission, promises upgrades in future
- South Korea’s crypto regulations are tightening around investors and exchanges alike
- All that you need to know if you are travelling to the UK
- Indian financial system steadily maturing, as it moves away from banks, says RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das


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LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Shares in Belgium food company Delhaize DEG, +0.00% be:000356270 declined 4% after the company said Thursday that second-quarter net profit dropped 20.4% to 79.9 million euros, or 82 cents a share. The company described the quarter as "challenging" due to strong comparatives and higher operating expenses. Sales rose 3.1% at 4.6 billion euros. On outlook, the company said that it is seeing improving U.S. sales trends which is expected to support a better performance in the second half of 2005 and said it was confident in full year guidance.
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“Michael Jordan never settled. His career was defined by his competitive drive, unwavering work ethic and a dogged pursuit of winning,” says Larry Miller, President of the Jordan Brand according to Nike. “These same principles have guided the Jordan Brand since its inception, and we see a like-spirit in the University of Michigan. What started with a phone call between Michael and Coach Harbaugh comes to life today in an unprecedented partnership which further diversifies the Jordan Brand’s commitment to football and athletes.”
Today Jordan and the University of Michigan renewed their sponsorship, unveiled brand new Nike clothing for the school.
The clothing features a Michigan jersey with a minimal-seam design and stretch woven materials. It focuses on range of motion and making it breathability for the player. Nike also throwing in the Jordan Trainer 1 Low. The shoe features natural motion, comfort and increased sensory feedback.
Check out the photos!!!


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- Speaking Heads
- 4 min read
How should the travel trade evolve themselves to remain relevant?
Even though international tourism is slowly picking up, the recovery remains very faint due to rising concerns over the third wave of the virus.
By Allen Machado
With the pandemic hitting us in early 2020; life as we knew it, came to a standstill. And with the mystery surrounding this virus, also came the fear. New words were added to our vocabulary that we didn’t knew existed, new behaviours had to be adopted & adapted; and everyone started being aware of the invisible enemy.
The travel and tourism sector continues to be the hardest hit by the covid19 pandemic, and the future still remains highly uncertain. Even though international tourism is slowly picking up, the recovery remains very faint due to rising concerns over the third wave of the virus. This has led several countries to reimpose restrictive measures. In addition, a lack of clear information on entry requirements could continue to weigh on the recovery of international travel. The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global tourism has carried on deep into 2021, with new data showing an 87% fall in international tourist arrivals.
However, Domestic travel is driving the recovery in many destinations, especially those with large domestic markets, helping to ease the brutal blow, at least partially. We are already seeing this in the traffic jams going up to the hill stations as well as the surge of tourists at popular travel destinations. The wellness retreats, which bear the promise of privacy and holistic wellness, are seeing more guests. These are unprecedented times and with the pandemic situation easing out in India, people are feeling a strong desire to travel to break free from the shackles of being bound and confined in spaces. While it sounds implausible, our tourism economy needs to bounce back and the only way to do that is by having people go out there and vacationing. The state governments have taken impressive immediate action to restore and re-activate the sector, and this should hopefully bear fruit for the industry.
The need of the hour is to develop measures to build a more resilient tourism economy post-COVID-19. These include preparing plans to support the sustainable recovery of tourism, promoting the digital transition and move to a greener tourism system, and rethinking tourism for the future.
The travel trade needs to adopt some key measures to remain relevant in these uncertain times
- Building more resilient, sustainable tourism with actionable clear commitments
- Restoring traveller confidence by marketing and publicizing it on right forums
- Safety and Hygiene as the core promise
- Promoting domestic tourism and supporting the safe return of international tourism
- Providing clear information to travellers and businesses and limiting uncertainty as much as possible
Our country’s natural beauty is enviable across the globe. It has a lot to offer in terms of the travel be it beaches, Hill stations, wildlife, nature, and wellness retreats, etc. There is a little bit of everything for travel aficionados. Destinations like Goa, Uttarakhand, Kashmir, Himachal, and Kerala are predominantly popular among the travellers and will see a huge demand in the coming months as COVID-19 cases in India start receding and the vaccination drive picks up pace. People will start finding virtue in the beauty of their own country.
Domestic tourism continues to rebound as people prefer to stay local and visit destinations within their own country. Domestic tourists are often more price-sensitive and tend to have lower spending patterns.
Being mindful of the consumer behaviour and trends that are reshaping the way people travel, which would include the focus on new market segments, devising safety protocols and contactless travel experiences. The need to rebuild the sector is a priority, keeping in mind to make it more sustainable and resilient. The increased pace of vaccination, curating policies on ever-changing travel restrictions while promoting the digital tools to facilitate mobility will be critical to rebuilding the customer trust in travel and recovering tourism.
The crisis is an opportunity to rethink tourism for the future. This sector is at a crossroads and the measures put in place today will shape this industry for tomorrow. Governments need to consider the longer-term implications of the crisis while capitalising on digitalisation, supporting the low carbon transition, and promoting the structural transformation needed to build a stronger, more sustainable and resilient tourism economy.
Allen Machado is the Chief Executive Officer of Niraamaya Wellness Retreats


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The new beta version of Nothing Launcher makes it compatible with all Android smartphones 11 and above. The opportunity to test the Android interface that will be found on the future Nothing phone (1).
The Nothing brand continues its path in tech. After the launch of the Nothing ear headphones (1), it plans to launch the Nothing phone (1) this summer.
If some characteristics of the phone have already leaked, we do not yet know much about what the Nothing phone (1) will be. An intriguing smartphone had certainly been seen in the pocket of Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing and co-founder of OnePlus, but nothing since.
Nothing’s app launcher already available
Since April 26, if you had a Samsung Galaxy S21, an S22, a Google Pixel 5 or Pixel 6, you could download and use the Nothing Launcher: the application launcher found in the smartphone. Quite simplistic, it is based on AOSP (Android Open Source Project), the open source Android operating system.
The Nothing Launcher is available on all smartphones running Android 11 and above
The brand created by Carl Pei, one of the co-founders of OnePlus, has made its Nothing OS compatible on all smartphones running Android 11 and above. The opportunity for many users to test and take control of the Android overlay provided by Nothing.
Nothing Launcher (Beta) is now available for Android 11 and higher. Release will be staggered across all devices in the upcoming days.
Download on the Google Play Store: https://t.co/rNVvInflCU
— Nothing (@nothing)
A rather empty application launcher
Compared to the end of April, not much has changed. The Nothing Launcher offers three widgets: two clocks and a weather widget. There is also a wallpaper. For the rest, there’s a feature to make app icons bigger, which can take up four spaces on your home screen. You can do the same with application folders, which then take up four spaces as well. Suffice to say that they are not really useful.
An absence of features that does not go over very well for the moment with Android users who have tested this application launcher. Indeed the Nothing Launcher received an average rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars on the Play Store. In question, the fact that this launcher is quite empty, they do not see what it adds to the experience they already had on their Android smartphone.
To follow us, we invite you to download our Android and iOS application. You can read our articles, files, and watch our latest YouTube videos.


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Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) plans to start selling beer and wine from its new grocery store without checkout lines in Seattle.
The online retailing giant confirmed to Recode that it will sell beer and wine from the store. “When we start offering beer and wine, there will be an associate checking identification,” the company said in an emailed statement to the tech site.
The store is located on the ground floor of one of Amazon’s new office towers on 7th Avenue in Seattle.
Dubbed Amazon Go, the store offers a checkout-free shopping experience. Shoppers need to use the Amazon Go app to enter the store, take the products they want, and walk out. There are no lines and no checkout.
“We created the world’s most advanced shopping technology so you never have to wait in line. Our checkout-free shopping experience is made possible by the same types of technologies used in self-driving cars: computer vision, sensor fusion, and deep learning,” the e-commerce giant says on its website.
The new technology automatically detects when products are taken from or returned to the shelves and keeps track of them in a virtual cart. When shoppers are done shopping, they can leave the store. “We’ll charge your Amazon account and send you a receipt,” according to the company.
Amazon Go offers ready-to-eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack made by the company’s on-site chefs and local kitchens and bakeries. It also stocks a wide range of grocery items including bread, milk, artisan cheeses, and locally made chocolates.
Currently, the Go store is open to Amazon’s employees in Beta program. The online retailer said that the store would open to the public in early 2017.
Image Credit: Amazon


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On 27 January, the Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) Committee of the European Parliament published the own-initiative draft report on FinTech and the role of technology in the financial sector, written by rapporteur Cora van Nieuwenhuizen (ALDE, the Netherlands).
In the draft report, MEP van Nieuwenhuizen emphasizes the rapid development of the FinTech sector, and the need for a European regulatory framework to address the specific issues produced by the sector. In general, Ecommerce Europe welcomes the draft report as a reflection of the European Parliament’s recognition of the importance of FinTech to the future of the payments landscape.
The need for an EU framework
The draft report emphasizes the need for a European regulatory framework for FinTech, which it argues has become a core element of a modern digital society. The draft report, which does not propose specific legislative proposals, calls on the Commission to publish an action plan for FinTech. MEP van Nieuwenhuizen stresses the importance that future new regulation will not increase administrative burdens faced by online merchants or impair the development of innovative electronic payment solutions.
Ecommerce Europe welcomes the draft report’s emphasis on a forward-looking, future-proof regulatory framework. To prevent legal uncertainty and ensure online merchants’ and consumers’ trust into FinTech solutions, it is important to ensure that the legal framework facilitates and keeps up with the fast pace of technological developments.
MEP van Nieuwenhuizen also emphasizes the importance of interoperability to the development of the financial sector in Europe. For example, the draft report stresses the importance of the creation of a standardized set of application programming interfaces (APIs), and calls for the development of an interoperable framework of national e-Identification schemes.
Ecommerce Europe welcomes policy-makers’ appreciation of the issues of interoperability in the European payments landscape and the importance of interoperable payment systems to the growth of cross-border e-commerce in Europe. Ecommerce Europe has been active in advocating for a standardized framework for APIs, including through co-Chairing a current Working Group on the standardization of Payment Initiation Services at the European Central Bank’s Euro Retail Payments Board (ERPB).
Meanwhile, Ecommerce Europe also strongly supports the interoperability between national e-Identification schemes, which could provide a significant boost for security, convenience and trust in the European cross-border e-commerce market.
FinTech and Data
The draft report highlights the issues surrounding data and its role to the FinTech sector, and, in particular, emphasizes the need to ensure coherence between FinTech companies’ need for access to customer data and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. In this respect, Ms. van Nieuwenhuizen highlights the crucial need for a legal clarification of the issues of data ownership and liability.
Finally, the draft report identifies the need to strengthen digital skills in the financial sector in order to facilitate Europe’s position in driving developments in financial technologies. It therefore calls on the Commission to address this issue in the implementation of the New Skills Agenda and the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition.
Ecommerce Europe echoes this perspective, believing that digital skills are vital for Europe’s future innovation and economic growth. It is important for the competitiveness of the European economy to ensure that the labor market adapts to the needs of the digital economy.
Moving forward, the draft report will be voted on in the ECON Committee on 10 April. If it is adopted in committee, it will be scheduled for a vote in the plenary session of the European Parliament. As an own-initiative report, if adopted, it will be legally non-binding, but will serve as a statement of the position of the European Parliament, and will help to inform the work of the Commission, which set up a FinTech taskforce in late 2016.


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Finger lickin’ lab-grown meat
Due to rising awareness about global warming, scientists have been trying to find a sustainable way to produce meat. To their credit, they have been successful in producing cultured meat without slaughtering any animal. Producing this meat requires significantly less land, uses less energy and releases fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the early reviews, lab-grown meat tastes bland in comparison to real meat. It’s also more expensive than real meat but that can change with time. A lab grown hamburger used to cost $325,000 back in the day. Currently, it has dropped to $11 per hamburger. That’s still a lot when you consider that McDonalds sells an average burger for nearly $4. As more and more people accept lab-grown meat as an ethical alternative, the price should become affordable too.
How is lab-grown meat made?
Growing cultured meat is a complex process that begins after stem cells are extracted from an animal (let’s say a cow). These cells are placed in a petri dish along with amino acids and carbohydrates. This allows the cells to multiply and the result is a group of muscle fibers that resembles ground beef.
Lab grown meat was first developed in 2013 and scientists have made vast progress since then. Thanks to its environmental benefits, it is considered as the meat of the future. Since there is no slaughter involved, some vegans support the lab-grown meat culture. Technically though, lab-grown meat cannot be considered vegan as it is developed using animal stem cells.
Benefits of lab-grown meat
Besides the reduced strain on environment, lab-grown meat is kinder to animals and prevents their slaughter. Most of us just enjoy the meat on our plate and don’t think about the inhuman way in which animals are killed. Even before they are slaughtered, they are kept in uncomfortable places and treated with cruelty. Lab-grown meat also prevents the spread of zoonotic diseases like Salmonellosis and Tuberculosis. Unethical vendors also inject the meat with harmful steroids, antibiotics and drugs in order to increase their profit margins.
When will it be available?
Lab-grown meat has already been approved in Singapore (the first country to do so). A restaurant called 1880 has partnered with US based start-up Just Eat to serve cultured meat to its customers. Also, according to a report in Independent, KFC has partnered with Russian firm 3D Printing Solutions to produce lab-grown chicken nuggets. Despite these encouraging developments, it may take more time to enter the mainstream market as a lot of work still needs to be done to improve its taste and affordability.
In an interview with CNBC, Josh Tetrick (owner of Just Eat) highlighted the biggest challenges facing the industry. “The limiting steps to ultimately making this ubiquitous are regulatory approval, scale and consumer education. We can’t just focus on one, we’ve got to focus on all three,” he said.
The Urruda take
At Urruda, we support the lab-grown meat culture because it prevents animal slaughter and is good for the environment. That said, food regulatory bodies should be on their toes to ensure that this meat is safe to consume.


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Singapore's own homegrown gaming show, GameStart Asia, returned for its third year last weekend. The event focused more on e-sports while still giving gamers a chance to try out the latest and greatest. With over 20,000 attendees, the gaming event beat last year's attendance figures despite a lack of major game announcements.
Gamers could play Final Fantasy XV or Gears of War 4, or watch pro gamers battle it out at the South East Asia Major Street Fighter V tournament.
This was the first time Microsoft participated in the show, and the Xbox booth took over Blizzard's spot. The World of Warcraft and Overwatch developer chose not to participate this year.
Local game developer Kaiju Den shows off its new horror VR game Lunar Eclipse. The game will consist of five episodes and will feature an interactive story based on Eastern horror mythology. Expect plenty of Chinese vampires (Jiangshi) and other regional monsters to scare the living daylights out of you when it launches.
Returning to GameStart Asia is Retro DNA, a retro gaming booth with old-school consoles from Sega and Nintendo such as the MegaDrive (or Genesis) and the NES. Attendees hankering for their childhood can play for free.
Local gaming accessories maker Armageddon hosted the inaugural Overwatch Champions, a tournament based on Blizzard's popular first person shooter Overwatch.
The Game Solutions Center featured made-in-Singapore games.
"Some say he's terribly bad at racing games, and that he once lost twenty times at Mario Kart, but all we know is, he's cosplaying the Stig."
This cosplayer dressed as Tracer from Blizzard's Overwatch wowed the room.
Another popular area at GameStart Asia was the doujin market, where artists could show off their wares or work on commissions.
The big crowd-puller was the South East Asia Major 2016 Street Fighter V tournament. This featured big names such as Infiltration, currently the best player in the world, and homeboy Xian. The tournament was eventually won by Japan's Tokido.


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Rising sports margins and a slight uplift in wagering turnover helped GVC notch up a 14% constant currency rise on sports net gaming revenue (NGR) per day in the third quarter.
The company said the growth trend had continued into October, which saw a 10% constant currency rise in overall NGR per day against what the company described as a tough pro-forma comparative in the fourth quarter last year.
GVC completed the acquisition of BwinParty in February this year.
Total NGR for the third quarter rose 15% in constant currency terms to €221.5m. On a per day basis, sports NGR rose to €962,000 while gaming rose 15% to €1.45m per day. Daily amounts wagered rose 3% to €11.4m.
The success of GVC in integrating the BwinParty business has been compounded by news at a corporate level regarding an outstanding loan. The company announced in August it had secured new financing facilities to replace an existing €400m loan from Cerberus, which was used to part finance the BwinParty acquisition.
The new financing from €250m Nomura comes with a significantly cheaper interest rate than the Cerberus loan, and loosens the restrictions on the company paying out dividends to shareholders. As a result, the company has also announced a special dividend of 10 cents that will be paid once the new loan comes into effect in February.
Continuing with the divi theme, the company has also announced it will be resuming its regular shareholder payouts, and said that further special dividends or share buybacks would be considered depending on how much excess cash is generated.
Kenneth Alexander, Chief Executive for GVC, said: “As we did following the Sportingbet acquisition, through the rapid integration of BwinParty and a solid trading performance, GVC expects to recommence the payment of dividends ahead of schedule.”
Analyst Richard Stuber at Numis suggested it was a robust trading statement. However, they noted that both November and December were also tough comparatives.
He told clients: “We make no changes to our 2016 NGR forecast of 7%-plus year-on-year, but importantly any revenue outperformance is likely to be reinvested through additional marketing and employee bonuses, and therefore we see little upside to our EBITDA forecast of €204.5m.”
Alongside the sports performance, the BwinParty brands gaming performance has been upgraded in recent months with new games being added from a host of major providers including Realistic Games, Microgaming, Yggdrasil and Play’n GO.


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Despite the recent volatility of the stock market due to fears related to the spread of the Delta COVID-19 variant and concerns about rising inflation, we believe it might be prudent to invest in quality mega-head stocks because expects them to generate consistent long-term running returns. Apple (AAPL) and Amazon (AMZN) are examples of this class of stocks and should generate stable returns, dodging short-term market fluctuations. But which of these two actions is better now? Read on to find out more. Technology giant Apple Inc. (NASDAQ :), known for its innovative products, such as the iPhone, exceeded the $ 2 trillion market cap in August last year. It currently has a market capitalization of $ 2.44 trillion. In comparison, with a market cap of $ 1.80 trillion, e-commerce giant Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ 🙂 has been making significant advances in cloud space through Amazon Web Services (AWS) and in the entertainment space through its Amazon Prime offerings, among others.
U.S. retail sales rose 0.6% unexpectedly in June and several financial firms reported strong gains earlier this month. However, concerns about the spread of the highly contagious delta variant of COVID-19, high inflation and declining consumer sentiment have been raising doubts about the stability of the stock market. In this context, we believe that it might be prudent to invest in mega-capital stocks due to its impressive market dominance and strong long-term growth prospects. Therefore, both AMZN and AAPL are good bets to generate consistent long-term returns.
AAPL has gained 12.5% over the past month, while AMZN has returned 4.6%. In addition, AAPL’s 23% gain in the last nine months is significantly higher than AMZN’s 9.2% profitability. In addition, in terms of the performance of its last years, AAPL is the clear winner with gains of 51.7% compared to the returns of 19.1% of AMZN.
Keep reading at StockNews
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EastWest Institute's Bruce McConnell says cybersecurity is not a technology problem, but a matter of risk management. And varied factors are involved in developing a cybersecurity ecosystem as part of the Digital India program.
A curious case of fraud has come to light at Kotak Mahindra Bank, where fraudsters misused credit cards that the bank says it never issued. What will investigations reveal about how fraudsters accessed this data? Who is liable?
Unprecedented levels of collaboration among targeted financial services firms enabled the international law enforcement operation that disrupted the Dridex botnet, security firm Fox-IT says. Now, can that model be repeated going forward?
Dr. A S Ramasastri, IDRBT's director, says the enterprise security leader's office needs to be strengthened and empowered to tackle new threats and growing cyber espionage with an appropriate risk-based strategy.
FBI Director James Comey's declaration that the Obama administration will not pursue legislation to require vendors to create a backdoor that would permit law enforcement to circumvent encryption on mobile devices isn't the end of the matter.
An international law enforcement operation - spearheaded by the U.S. FBI and U.K. National Crime Agency - has disrupted the notorious Dridex banking malware and phishing campaign, which has been tied to at least $40 million in losses worldwide.
Indian enterprises must strengthen their capabilities to secure Digital India. To combat emerging threats, security leaders prescribe a self-regulatory approach, rather than one driven by compliance mandates.
Newly discovered breaches at E*Trade Financial and Dow Jones highlight hackers' increasing attempts to steal, sell and utilize personal information. Security experts describe PII's value for fraudsters and scammers and offer lessons learned from these and other incidents.
Dell's announcement that it plans to purchase storage maker EMC for a mind-boggling $67 billion does not make clear the fate of EMC's information security unit, RSA. Analysts believe Dell has not yet determined whether RSA fits into its long-term plans or should be sold or spun off.
Security researchers have demonstrated in a lab setting an information-stealing attack against Amazon Web Services users. But Amazon says its customers "using current software and following security best practices are not impacted by this situation."
Financial services firm E*Trade and publisher Dow Jones are separately warning their customers and subscribers that their personal information - and in some cases, payment card data - may have been compromised in a cyberattack campaign.
Potomac Institute's Melissa Hathaway suggests that Modi's Digital India should define security strategy in economic terms, and should include best practices from different nations to build a resilient cyber defense.
Three U.S. senators are demanding answers from Experian after it suffered a breach that exposed personal information for 15 million T-Mobile subscribers. They also have called for national breach notification and data security regulations.
Trend Micro's Q2 Security roundup report indicates that existing attack vectors are getting starker, even as cybercrime is getting more commoditized. Myla Pilao shares key insight on the landscape in the region.


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With prices recently hitting all-time highs, Bitcoin seems to be on everyone’s mind – but is now really the best time to invest?
Those currently considering investing in Bitcoin, have most likely done a bit of research recently. And therefore, those who are looking to invest, have probably noticed that the price of bitcoin has been all over the place lately.
And honestly, experts say, that it’s this unexpectedness that makes Bitcoin so lucrative in the first place. Which begs the question – Is now the time to buy Bitcoin?
To help you find the best answer to this question, we will cover the following points
- What is the current price of Bitcoin?
- What is Bitcoin’s predicted future price?
- Should you invest now and not later?
Let’s get started.
What is the current price of Bitcoin?
As of the time that we are writing this, Bitcoin (BTC) currently dipped down to the price of 41,759 EUR or 46,993 USD, making it more than twice as valuable as it was this same time last year. But 46,993 is nothing compared to what the price for Bitcoin was just a few weeks ago.
On Nov. 10th, the price of Bitcoin reached an all-time high of a whopping 68,000 USD, continuing the streak of 2021 being the best year yet.
But what goes up, naturally must come down from time to time, and this record-breaking year has also proved just how volatile the crypto market and BTC specifically can be.
What is Bitcoin’s predicted future price?
Due to the nature of the cryptocurrency market, making predictions on even the biggest coins like BTC can be quite difficult.
But experts generally agree that Bitcoin is well on its way to a record-setting price in the ballpark of 100,000 USD.
The reasons for these high price predictions? It’s a mixed bag.
Some experts say that Bitcoin will soon rise to the price of 100,000 USD because of its inherent scarcity.
Because BTC is currently at ~18 million of the maximum 21million coins set to be minted, which gives the cryptocurrency powerhouse an automatic raise in value through its relationship between fixed amount vs. an increase in demand.
The big question – should you buy Bitcoin?
First and foremost, it’s important to point out that Bitcoin is extremely unpredictable and comes with sizable risks. Just like all other cryptocurrency and non-cryptocurrency investments do.
But Bitcoin’s big risks can also come with huge rewards. It’s what makes the cryptocurrency world go round. With the potential of hitting a value of 100,000 USD in the future, many people have decided that now is the time to invest.
To know whether buying bitcoin is right for you at this moment, you should ask yourself a few things.
Are you looking to get rich overnight?
When deciding whether to buy Bitcoin, you’ll want to ask yourself what your goals are. Do you fully realize that Bitcoin, while it is an investment with great potential for financial gain, won’t be a get-rich overnight scenario? Buying BTC with this expectation in mind could set you up for failure.
Are you financially ready to invest?
One huge factor that will help you determine whether you should buy Bitcoin, seems simple enough, but it is worthwhile to really consider – are you financially in the position to invest in a volatile asset?
Investing in Bitcoin should be done carefully, and even if the value of Bitcoin has been steadily increasing, you should be prepared for a drop of value at any time. It’s just wise investing.
Bitcoin currently sits at 46,993 USD but based on how things have gone for the last year (a record-breaking one) experts predict that soon, BTC could reach a potential value of 100,000 USD.
This price prediction is driving people to buy Bitcoin at record-breaking numbers, but making the decision of whether it’s the right decision for you, should be carefully considered.
Bitcoin is the world’s most popular and most valuable cryptocurrency, in part thanks to its scarcity. But, like all investments, the risk is always there. Everyone’s investment portfolio, bank account, and instincts are different, so of course, there is no one definitive answer to whether you should buy Bitcoin.
We all must choose whether to put our faith in Bitcoin’s trajectory or sit back and watch.


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Midwest price hikes to slow down
It's been a perilous week for motorists in the nation's midsection as gasoline prices have soared. There's good news: relief may soon be on the way.
Spot gasoline prices, which have a strong and direct impact on retail prices, have seemingly begun to move lower. As spot prices move lower, the decreases are passed on to wholesale channels, and finally, allow gas stations to drop their retail prices several days later.
But it all comes too late, as many areas have set all time record highs for gasoline prices. Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Oklahoma have all seen new statewide record high averages in the last week. Cities breaking their all time highs include Des Moines, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Fargo, Oklahoma City, Sioux...
May 20, 2013


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It took a long while, but it is finally here. When the customers of the Android One devices bought their devices, they were promised immediate updates. Those updates have taken a long while now, but they’re finally here. Spice has announced that it will start rolling out Android 5.0 updates for its Android One devices.
Spice has said that it will start rolling out the updates in batches over the next few days. Spice has two Android One devices in its portfolio: Spice Dream Uno and Spice Dream Uno H. Both of them run Android 4.4.4 Kitkat out of the box.
Android 5.1 update takes care of all the bugs that were found in Android 5.0 and adds new features too. The 5.1 update [...]
So, we have waited long for the Android One devices. The phones were announced at the Google I/O this year, and they are finally here for the world to see. Today Google launched the three phones that it had announced previously.
The Micromax Canvas A1, Karbonn Sparkle V And Spice Dream Uno is the trio that will begin the big Android One experiment. The phones are presently only available online and will be in stores from next month. They went on sale at 3.30PM today.


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A crash of stock market prices, the worst in a long time, the collapse of air traffic due to the closing of borders as just declared by U.S. President Trump, isolating the USA from
mainland Europe, all coupled with constantly rising numbers of Covid-19 infections in most countries worldwide.
The corona crisis dominates the headlines.
What was originally not taken seriously and hushed up by the Chinese autocrats has meanwhile developed into one of the most serious plagues of modern times.
How companies in the airfreight industry are reacting to this dramatic development, and what they are doing to keep day-to-day operations running and protect their employees from infections, is described in the following statements collected by CFG.
Nathalie Berchtold, Senior Communications Manager, Swissport
Overall, the spread of the coronavirus since January has led the aviation industry into a massive crisis comparable only to the financial crisis of 2008 - for some regions even worse. As a result of the sharp drop in demand, airlines worldwide are significantly reducing their capacities. We took appropriate measures at an early stage and responded with business contingency planning and the implementation of a task force.
Several airlines have reduced their flights by up to 50% and will very probably cancel further flights in the next weeks, which will have a direct impact on us. Swissport has therefore immediately introduced cost-cutting measures. Unfortunately, some of these measures also affect our staff, as around three quarters of our expenditure is wage costs. We have introduced measures, such as a recruitment freeze, a reduction in overtime, and, in some countries, the introduction of reduced working hours to cushion the financial impact of this crisis.
All in all, the entire travel industry is in a very challenging situation that changes daily and whose further development is difficult to assess at this point. We assume that the airlines will continue to reduce their passenger and cargo capacities and that it will take months for volumes to return to pre-crisis levels.
József Kossuth, Head of Cargo, Budapest Airport
Budapest Airport finished the January-February 2020 period with 20,828 tons handled cargo volume and +1% change compared to the previous year. BUD Cargo City started operation 06 January 2020, successfully and smoothly. The air cargo community is using now the facility with high satisfaction.
Long-haul pax flights were cancelled to Asia and recently to the U.S., decreasing the belly cargo capacity, but on the other hand, as we see, some freighter routes are gaining business due to the actual situation.
Freighters can operate from each country to BUD/Hungary, but the crew cannot set foot on the grounds at airports in Korea, China, Iran and Italy at the moment. They need to stay on board the aircraft.
Korean Air Cargo started its BUD freighter connection on 21 February 2020 and operates well. As we see in short term, the air cargo market in our region will also suffer a decrease of cargo traffic and volumes 5-15%, but we believe the traffic will return to the normal path within 2-3 months and the extra air cargo demand resulting from the revitalization of the global supply chains will compensate the lost volumes suffered earlier this year at a later time in 2020.
Peter Seenan, Finnair Cargo Communications and Marketing, sent these lines:
COVID-19 related cancellations within our flight network have had and will continue to have a significant impact on our cargo operations. As the situation around the world is evolving continuously, it is hard to estimate the final impact on our volumes. You can see the latest cancellations affecting our cargo customers on this page, which is being continually updated. The cancellations of the flights listed below will have a further impact on Finnair’s narrow-body traffic in Europe. Finnair will communicate changes once decisions are made, the carrier notes.
Last Thursday, all U.S. flights from Helsinki to LAX, MIA and ORD were suspended until 12 April, as were the Delhi flights until 14 April.
Further to this, Finnair Cargo requests their GSAs to cancel shipments still at origin. “Our team in COOL (Helsinki Nordic Cool Hub) will return the shipments if the shipment is in HEL but the connecting flight is cancelled, announces the carrier on its website."
Joachim von Winning, Exect. Director, Air Cargo Community Frankfurt
It’s never boring to be working in air cargo. In view of today's challenges posed by coronavirus and the Trump ban on EU travelers, even less so.
Admittedly I’ve been working in air cargo full time only for six years now, but I’ve been in the aviation/airport business for over 20. We mastered several external shocks since I graduated. However, the current crisis is different. It is affecting not just our work life but also our personal and social existence. For example, all schools and kindergartens in Frankfurt’s home state, Hesse, will be shut down as of next Monday for at least 2 weeks, as also announced for most of the other German states. Particularly younger kids need care. This poses a huge challenge to parents in case both are working.
Touching aviation: Shocking is the split between pax and cargo traffic, caused by the many cancellations of passenger flights. The pax decline at FRA is abysmal. Even before Donald Trump’s travel ban on persons who have been to the Schengen area, passenger numbers were down 45% recently in a year-on-year comparison. Airport operators, airlines, retailers, even taxi drivers and rental car jockeys are in crisis mode. However, national governments and the EU commission have decided to support the beleaguered aviation industry.
And air cargo? Not that much of a change. Fraport just announced that cargo was down around 8% in January and February, roughly the same decline we saw since last autumn due to the slowdown in global trade. Early numbers for March show a positive trend. Even the massive loss of belly capacity on selected routes didn’t create a notable dent in cargo volumes. Most lower deck capacity losses were compensated by full freighter services. Major cargo airlines serving Frankfurt reacted with especially tailored schedules. Load factors are good and cutthroat rates especially on lanes to and from China are last year’s news. Cargo handling agents are busy, with one or two in Frankfurt even struggling with staff shortages.
Everything OK then? Here’s the answer, fact is that we don’t really know. The current demand is driven by backlogs of Chinese producers that ocean just can’t get into Europe or the U.S. fast enough. But with Corona starting to take its grip on the western hemisphere, disruptions of European and North American manufacturing as well as fluctuating consumer behavior seem to be inevitable. But in times of uncertainty global supply chain managers resort to air freight in order to keep their businesses running. Challenging times but also opportunities. Frankfurt with its strong community of airlines, forwarders and handlers is well prepared for it.
Henrik Ambak, Emirates Senior Vice President, Cargo Operations
Facing the spread of COVID-19, we adapt on a daily basis to restrictions placed by various governments while keeping up and expanding our ad-hoc cargo flights to serve a market increasingly impacted by reductions in global passenger operations. We continue to offer cargo capacity to and from China through our freighter services to Shanghai and Guangzhou as well as on our daily passenger flight to Beijing.
Reactions compiled by Heiner Siegmund
We always welcome your comments to our articles. However, we can only publish them when the sender name is authentic.


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Roblox Generates $680.8 Million in Revenue in Q2 2023, Reports 15% Increase
According to the latest financial report, Roblox has reported a 15% increase in revenue, reaching $680.8 million in Q2 2023 compared to $591.2 million in Q2 2022.
Bookings Show Significant Increase
The report also reveals a significant increase in bookings, with a total of $780.7 million for the quarter, representing a 22% increase from Q2 2022.
Engagement with the Platform Sees Strong Growth
Roblox experienced strong year-on-year growth in engagement, with average daily active users (DAU) seeing a 25% increase to 65.5 million and hours engaged increasing 24% to 14 billion.
Monthly Unique Paying Users on the Rise
The average monthly unique paying users also saw an increase of 19% year-on-year, reaching 13.5 million.
Average Bookings per User Increase
The average bookings per monthly unique paying user stood at $19.32, representing a 3% increase compared to the same period in 2022. However, the average bookings per daily active user (ABDAU) decreased by 3% year-on-year to $11.9.
The Building Blocks of Success
The founder and CEO of Roblox, David Baszucki, expressed satisfaction with the company’s growth, stating, “We continue to drive high rates of organic growth in DAUs, hours, and bookings. We are growing among users of all ages and across all geographies. We remain focused on extending our product leadership to drive value for creators and brands, and even more innovative and immersive avatars and experiences for our users.”
The chief financial officer, Michael Guthrie, also commented, “This is our second consecutive quarter with year-over-year bookings growth in the low-20s. During the quarter, we also built the plans that we believe will enable us to generate operating leverage against infrastructure and trust & safety spend starting next quarter and against compensation expense starting in the first quarter of 2024.”
Global and Multigenerational Growth
Roblox highlighted in its shareholder letter that daily active users are growing across all geographies and age groups. The platform currently has nearly twice as many DAUs as it did in Q2 2020 when its user base surged due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With its global reach and appeal to various age groups, Roblox is confident that it “could, over time, grow to support one billion DAUs.”


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First-ever supplier summit brings focus to continued collaboration
(Appleton, Wis., October 29, 2008) Appleton has earned a supplier excellence award as one of Procter & Gamble’s top chemical and ingredient suppliers. Appleton received the award during a summit of P&G’s top global suppliers held last week in Cincinnati. P&G invited 350 of its 80,000 suppliers to discuss their continued collaboration with P&G for a sustainable future and to honor top performers.
P&G's supplier performance management system considers consistent achievement in four categories; commercial, operational, relationship and innovation.
"Our suppliers are critical partners in helping us bring innovation to life, manage our costs and improve productivity," explained P&G's global product supply officer Keith Harrison. "With the current global economic uncertainty, strong relationships with suppliers are more important than ever to achieving P&G's sustainability goals and supporting the company's growth today and going forward."
Earlier this year, Appleton recently signed its first supply agreement with P&G to provide microencapsulated specialty chemicals. Appleton’s initial project with P&G involves microencapsulating the fragrance for a laundry product.
“Our partnership with Procter & Gamble provides us with an exciting opportunity to use Appleton’s unique expertise in microencapsulation to help P&G match the needs of their customers,” said Kent Willetts, Appleton’s vice president of marketing and strategy. “We are honored by P&G’s recognition and inspired to expand our relationship as a strategic partner.”
Appleton creates product solutions through its development and use of coating formulations and applications, and encapsulation technology. The Company produces carbonless, thermal, security and performance packaging products. Appleton is headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, and has manufacturing operations in Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, employs approximately 2,400 people and is 100 percent employee owned.
Media contact: Bill Van Den Brandt,
Manager of Corporate Communications


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At the beginning of the month, a Saudi hacker, going by the name OxOmar, claimed to be behind a cyber-attack targetting Israeli credit cards. He announced that they had dug up the personal information of 400,000 credit card holders. While Israeli banks were quick to refute this story, putting the number closer to 15,000, it would seem that the cyber attacks are far from over.
Now the BBC reports that an Israeli hacker, going by the name OxOmer or Omer Cohen, has gone after Saudi credit card holders, and has, like the Saudi counterpart, posted that personal information online. Reports have emerged, with at least two Saudi credit card holders confirming that their personal information was revealed.
Haaretz reports that OxOmer claims to have the information of over 50,000 credit card holders from the Gulf region and Iran.
The information, posted on Pastebin, includes the names, phone numbers, credit card numbers and expiration dates of hundreds of cards. OxOmer stated that he chose not to release the credit cards’ CCV number. According to the Jerusalem Post, OxOmer said that the attack served as a warning for Saudi hackers. He told the Israel-based daily that if any more Israeli credit card holders were affected by the Saudi hacker, he would release the personal information he has.
The online bickering between the two hackers has continued, each claiming to be in possession of information that will be released if the attacks don’t come to an end. If anything, it would seem that the attacks are only escalating.
After the first Israeli attack, Haaretz reports that another 200 credit card holders were compromised by the Saudi hacker. Ynet also reports that OxOmar, the Saudi hacker, has stated that if the Israeli attacks don’t end, he will continue to publish the details of 200 credit card holders in Israel on a daily basis.
Both sides have been hard at work trying to uncover the other’s identity. An Israeli blogger, Amir Fedida, claimed to have uncovered OxOmar’s identity, stating he was a UAE citizen living in Mexico, but the Saudi hacker was quick to brush these claims off, and even went so far as to say, “From here, I challenge the world to find me, let’s the game begin. You have 2 weeks. If I come back and post another message after 2 weeks, simply you failed and I won the game.” The BBC states that reports have come through that OxOmer is an Israeli soldier.
As each side continues to issue blows, the attacks show no signs of slowing down. In fact, it is likely that it is on its way to becoming a tool used by both sides on a regular basis.


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StartCon has officially launched its 2017 dates – and we’re thoroughly excited about it! This year, Australia’s largest startup and growth confernce will be held on December 1st & 2nd at the Randwick Racecourse. And it’s going to be bigger and better than ever before.
Last year we moved StartCon to a bigger venue and saw 3,000+ startups, investors, growth hackers, and international speakers flow through our doors. This year we’re expecting nearly 4,000 to attend, as we continue to be the largest gathering of startups, entrepreneurs, investors, media, and corporate innovation teams in the country. So if you’re thinking of waiting til the last minute to grab those tickets, you might have another think coming.
StartCon has sold out six years in a row, and 2017 will be no different.
So what can you expect from the most anticipated Startup event of the year?
StartCon is the crème de la crème of startup and technology events, where hustlers, hackers, and wannabe unicorns unite to pitch, exhibit their wares, and learn from the best global talent. Oh, and did you hear about those funding rounds that were initiated at StartCon 2016? Investors, we’re looking at you.
Over the jam-packed 2-day event, 500+ startups, 150+ exhibitors, and 60+ speakers will navigate through 4 levels of exhibition, pitch competition, stages, and party like entrepreneurs afterwards. Also, this year, stealing our unicorns will not be tolerated.
Attendees and speakers jet in from all over the globe, some of our past speakers include top growth leaders at Uber, NASA, SurveyMonkey, Zillow, Twilio, 500 Startups, Growth Hackers, Pinterest, Atlassian, BitTorrent, Alibaba and more. This year’s lineup is set to be even BIGGER with huge name speakers who are shaking things up beyond Silicon Valley.There are too many takeaways from StartCon to list, but key highlights include notebooks full of actionable insights from our rockstar speakers, a case full of new business cards and contacts, new customers, exposure to new ideas and technology… and massive amounts of swag.In the upcoming weeks we’ll be launching ticket sales and making some HUGE announcements on keynote speakers, so stay tuned and get in quick for those Early Bird Tickets (soon to drop!).
Oh, and if you’re looking for amazing ticket deals and want to be the first to hear about new speakers, use the button below to subscribe… Go on, you know you want to.
Other important stuff: If you’re involved in the startup/growth industry and want to partner with StartCon, we have a myriad of different ways for you to get involved. We love sponsors and community partners (without you StartCon wouldn’t be the same). If you’re interested in getting involved, please contact us here.


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Manhattan, KS Nissan Dealership Excited About New Nissan Pathfinder 2013 Nissan Pathfinder offers many best-in-class features to consumers
MANHATTAN, Kan., Oct. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Briggs Nissan, a Manhattan, Kansas Nissan dealership, is excited for the end of October as they will receive a full-fleet of the new 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. The new 2013 Nissan Pathfinder is set to be furnished with a wide-variety of new, and segment leading, features that will have consumers lining up.
The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder offers several best-in-class features, including; best-in-class fuel economy, best-in-class interior passenger volume, best-in-class front headroom and also best-in-class front legroom. On top of that, the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder also offers consumers the highest standard towing capacity(5,000 lbs.) in its class.
Al Castignetti, Nissan North America's-Nissan Division- VP & General Manager, talked about the thought that went into the new 2013 Nissan Pathfinder, stating that, "Our goal, which we've achieved, was to be the best not just on paper but in the real world. We focused our efforts on leadership in the areas that family SUV owners want most, such as Around View Monitor and Easy Fill Tire Alert."
For more information on the new 2013 Nissan Pathfinder in Manhattan, KS contact the sales professionals at Briggs Nissan by either dialing (785) 565-5523 or visiting BriggsNissan.com.
Briggs Nissan carries the newest Nissan vehicles in Manhattan, KS as well as a wide-variety of used cars in Manhattan.
Media Contact: Eric Giroux Briggs Nissan, (785)856-8889, Eric.Giroux@briggsauto.com
News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com
SOURCE Briggs Nissan


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The Best Buy store at 1645 River Valley Circle will reopen May 31 after being closed since a Jan. 22 fire, company spokeswoman Shandra Tollefson said Wednesday.
The store will feature a Samsung Experience Shop, increased space in the Best Buy mobile department and better walk-through traffic navigation for customers.
"We're excited to be reopening the store and will continue to be the local destination for Lancaster-area consumers to check out the latest in technology," Tollefson said. ...


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The Adidas NMD may have made its debut back in December of 2016, but the biggest day for the silhouette? That came just a couple of months ago as the silhouette got a more widespread rollout on March 17 following camouflage Primeknit releases in grey and yellow, both of which flew off shelves and disappeared almost instantly.
Adidas said that it would borrow elements from three of its archival sneakers, the Boston Super, Micropacer, and Rising Star.
The first sneaker from the collection looks, like many new Adidas products, to have been sent from the future. At first glance the $170 (CAD) sneaker has a Primeknit, sock-like upper and a Boost sole, but look closer and you'll notice classic '80s-era Adidas design elements like colorblocked panels on the midsole. It's also incredibly lightweight.


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Despite the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority still jawing about their blockage of the Activision deal in the region, Microsoft continues to rack up regulatory approvals across the globe with China’s State Administration for Market Regulation being the latest to approve the acquisition.
According to the Seeking Alpha piece, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation offered one of the widest approvals to-date for Microsoft’s bid to acquire Activision with an unconditional approval at the end of its third review phase.
China’s approval comes days after the EU also approved the Microsoft and Activision deal with caveats around licensing agreements forcing the publisher to offer a deal to any current or future cloud gaming services that should jump into the fray.
While the CMA reiterated its stance on blocking the Microsoft deal immediately after the EU offered its conditional approval, it has been silent upon China’s announcement.
It should be noted that the CMA has recently been scrutinized by UK MPs in from the Business and Trade Committee who questioned the decision and its reflection on the region as a future tech mecha for companies. Never the less, the CMA stood firm on its initial conclusion as well as its ultimatum levied against Microsoft that would force the company to get written approval on the dela from the body before proceeding with any other business in the area.
For now, Microsoft is charging ahead with its review process with the US Federal Trade Commission lying in wait for its day with the company as its newest significant hurdle for the Activision deal.


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Vinyls (and specifically PVC) remain the bright spot amongst chlorine derivatives for US chlor-alkali producers. With exports of PVC accounting for about one-third of the total production in the country, global market trends have become increasingly important for US producers.
Asian PVC prices have recovered some ground over the last few months. This is due to a combination of tighter supply from the US (a major source of supply to this region) amid planned shutdowns and production issues, and higher EDC and ethylene prices. This recovery has brought some relief to chlor-alkali producers as caustic soda prices have remained depressed.
PVC supply out of the US will continue to tighten during the remainder of the first quarter as there are some upcoming planned shutdowns. In addition, producers have been running their chlor-alkali plants at relatively lower rates to stop caustic soda prices from declining. This supply reduction has also supported EDC export prices out of the US Gulf. As the US is by far the largest exporter of vinyl's any change in the price trend usually has a big impact elsewhere in the world.
In terms of destination, exports of PVC out of the US are increasingly fragmented; Canada and China remain the largest markets, although export volumes to both countries have decreased in the past year. On the other hand, exports to India, Nigeria, and UAE have surged, highlighting the increasing diversification of US exports. Exports to Turkey have also rebounded in the past year, following a decrease in the total duty applicable to US imports.
Although volumes appear to have declined in the last couple of months, on a year-to-date basis EDC export out of the US have rebounded in the past year. The introduction of additional duties for imports of US products into China led to a shift in trade flows, and while exports to China slumped as a result, this was offset by an increase in exports to other countries in Asia, namely India, Japan, and Thailand. However, perhaps more significant has been the hike in exports to other countries outside Asia. Brazil is now the largest importer of US EDC, this is mainly due to the ongoing shutdown at Braskem’s unit at Maceio, with the import duty for US EDC recently dropping from 10% to 2%, and therefore this uptrend is expected to continue. Exports of EDC to Egypt have also surged in the past year; this hike has been supported by increased PVC capacity (and production) in the country. As a result, while imports of PVC into Egypt remain relatively stable, EDC imports into the country have tripled, compared to the previous year, and the US accounts for around half of this, with Germany being the other major supplier.
Exports of VCM out of the US have also recovered in the second half of 2019. On a year-to-date basis, the first eleven months of the year were about 7% higher, compared to the same period of 2018. Canada, Mexico, and Colombia account for the vast majority of this exported volume.
Therefore, exports are expected to remain an increasingly valuable outlet for US vinyl producers, as they continue to take advantage of cheaper ethylene versus other regions. In addition, with Westlake, Shintech, and Formosa Plastics all expected to bring additional PVC capacity over the next year, availability for exports could also increase.
Learn more about how our global chemicals intelligence platform can help your business.


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Counselor Power 50: Maribeth Sandford
Meet The CEO Of Bag Makers Inc.
>> Complete Power 50 2012 List
STRIDING TO SUCCESS
"The roar of the crowd and the singing of My Old Kentucky Home." Those will be the lasting memories of the 2012 Kentucky Derby for Maribeth Sandford, CEO of Bag Makers Inc. (asi/37940). Unlike the majority of people who notice those early May staples from the comfort of their own couches, though, Sandford had a decidedly different view. She was in the grandstands watching the race not as a mere spectator, but as the owner of an up-and-coming colt named Take Charge Indy.
With a favorable pedigree, accomplished trainer in Patrick Bryne and three-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Calvin Borel on board for the ride, the day started out promising. "We had an animal that was exceptional," says Chuck Sandford. But, it didn't end so well. The horse finished last after succumbing to an injury to its leg – a bone chip that would need surgery and put the horse's career in jeopardy.
The Sandfords' business, though, with Maribeth at the helm, has been running quite well over the past five years. Buoyed by an increase in the popularity of reusable bags, Top 40 supplier Bag Makers grew its sales by nearly 50% between 2007 and 2011. And, while its sales leveled off a bit last year (growing by 2% from 2010 to 2011), the company is having a bounce-back year in 2012.
"We're up. We're strong," says Chuck Sandford. "We're presently up around 9%."
Of course, Bag Makers, like many in the industry, has been forced to face increasing numbers of plastic bag bans in the United States. While this has certainly presented new opportunities for sales of reusable bags that many supermarkets and retailers are beginning to sell or give away, it has also put a dent in the traditional plastic bag business.
That's where Bag Makers has found itself in an advantageous position. One reason the company's sales of plastic bags has not been in decline is that it manufactures a thicker bag that does not fall under the many restrictions. "We haven't closed on any press because of the bans," Maribeth Sandford says.
And, the Sandfords believe their company will continue to grow, as it expands its bag offerings even further. "We've never had a down cycle," Chuck Sandford says. Steady sales growth can also be attributed to a product category that sees about 40% in reorders.
Maribeth believes that the bag market will find even more opportunities for expansion, as more customers who used plastic bags are now moving to nonwoven, she says. And while plastic bags remain Bag Makers' top seller, nonwoven bags are coming on strong. "People have also gone back to the use of paper bags," Maribeth says.
With her business career thriving, Maribeth still looks forward to more success on the horse race track. Originally from Louisville, she had been to the Kentucky Derby many times before arriving as an owner this year. But the differences are stark: This race, she was afforded a concierge to guide them through the day's events. And as for the tradition of the hats, well, Sandford designed a hat that was over the top. "I went a little bit beyond the style of the hat that's traditional," she says.
The story ends well for Take Charge Indy, too. After successful surgery, he has returned to the track and even ran in the Fayette Stakes in late October.


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Apple renews court fight to ban Samsung devices
- Sarah Drake, Contributor
Apple filed a motion on Thursday seeking to put an end to U.S. sales of Samsung products that a jury last year said infringed on several patents owned by the iPhone maker.
The Cupertino-based company requested that U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose bar nearly two dozen Samsung Electronics Co. smartphones and tablets, including the Galaxy S 4G and Galaxy Tab 10.1, Bloomberg reported.
Apple Inc.'s first attempt at such a sales ban was rejected by Koh in 2012. It's new gambit comes after a federal appeals court decision in November that enables the iPad maker to pursue an injunction that targets some products developed by its rivals, according to the article.
The top two smartphone makers in the world have battled in the courtroom over the past few years over claims that the companies were copying each others' smartphone and tablet features. Apple was victorious in a do-over damages trial that wrapped up last month, winning more than $290 million from Samsung.
A new case between Apple and Samsung goes to trial in March over Samsung's Galaxy S III.
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Three men have admitted their roles in a Tesco Clubcard scam involving more than £17,000-worth of stolen vouchers.
The trio spent the discount tokens on Christmas presents and household goods after they were swiped by a crooked Royal Mail sub-contractor.
Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard that David Hewitt, Lee Flanner and Anthony Avram paid rock-bottom prices for the vouchers before spending them with the supermarket giant.
Hewitt, 51, of Sheldon Heath Road, Garretts Green, bought £11,671-worth of items from the Tesco website after buying the Clubcard points for just £2,000.
Dad-of-three Flanner, 43, of Church Road, Sheldon, spent £4,216 on the site using vouchers he bought for £900.
And Avram, 50, of Hampton Road, Erdington, bought £300-worth of vouchers, totalling £1,444.
All three admitted fraud by false representation.
Hewitt told the court he originally thought the vouchers were legitimate but continued to use them between July 2012 and last January despite beginning to doubt their authenticity.
Clarkson Baptiste, prosecuting, told an earlier hearing: “He didn’t think there was anything wrong – it soon became apparent that there was.
“He said he just wanted to give his kids a good Christmas and, after being asked to return the items, he refused to do so.”
Flanner, a self-employed property maintenance worker, said he originally spent £300 on the vouchers, which came printed on an A4 piece of paper.
When the codes worked, he said he bought more for another £600.
The court heard Avram, a self-employed builder, contacted Tesco when he suspected the vouchers might be fake. Mr Baptiste said the Clubcard tokens were originally stolen by a delivery driver sub-contracted by Royal Mail to dispose of undelivered vouchers.
“Having been stolen they were used online to buy goods by various different persons,” Mr Baptiste said.
He said the Royal Mail contractor had pleaded guilty to theft and fraud and was due to be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court next month.
Avram, who told probation workers he wished he could turn back the clock, was ordered to pay £1,444 compensation, £200 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.
Flanner, who said he felt ashamed, was ordered to carry out 150 hours’ unpaid work.
Magistrates ordered him to pay £4,216 compensation, £200 costs and a £60 surcharge.
Hewitt was ordered to repay the £11,671 he spent in compensation, as well as £200 costs and a £60 surcharge.
He was told to perform 200 hours’ unpaid work.
All three were given 12-month community orders.


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TT expands its presence on the US aerospace and defense market
September 18, 2020TT Electronics says it will acquire Torotel, a US-based designer and manufacturer of high-reliability power and electromagnetic assemblies and components for the aerospace and defense markets.
Sluggish server production in 4Q20 to be joined by decline in server DRAM prices
September 16, 2020Due to server ODMs’ higher-than-expected inventory of server barebones in 3Q20, additional server orders from the ODMs’ clients came to a screeching halt, therefore resulting in a QoQ decrease in overall server orders for the quarter, according to TrendForce’s latest investigations.
PCB Connect expands its UK based team
September 16, 2020Having been operating in the United Kingdom market since February 2020, PCB Connect Limited, the UK based division of the PCB Connect Group, has recruited additional engineering resources supporting its growth.
Panasonic to invests an additional $150M in venture capital
September 14, 2020Panasonic is launching it's second venture capital fund, Conductive Ventures II, and doing so with a commitment of USD 150 million, a 50% increase from the first fund.
Nvidia / Arm deal dubbed as ‘disaster’ by Arm-cofounder
September 14, 2020The news that US-based Nvidia will acquire Arm from SoftBank Group in a USD 40 billion deal has already sparked some backlash within the industry. One of the vocal parties is Arm-cofounder, Hermann Hauser, who called the deal a disaster and said that it should be blocked.
KUBEG joins the Variosystems Group
September 11, 2020The Swiss company, based in Zizers, which specialises in functional models and the express-production of electronic assemblies, will add 41 employees to the Variosystems Group.
2H20 growth expectations vary among leading IC suppliers
September 10, 2020As expected, most IC suppliers experienced weaker demand and generally poor sales results in the first half of this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and strained U.S./China trade relations. However, as reported by IC Insights, some key IC suppliers believe that the second half of this year will yield better results.
Benchmark to handle manufacturing of DnaNudge's lab-free COVID-19 testing system
September 10, 2020Consumer genetic testing pioneers DnaNudge has entered into a key manufacturing partnership with EMS provider Benchmark to deliver volume production of DnaNudge's rapid, lab-free reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 testing system.
Aeva partners with ZF to bring FMCW LiDAR to production
September 09, 2020Sensing and perception systems provider, Aeva, is partnering with automotive manufacturer ZF to industrialise Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) LiDAR sensors for production
Westport Fuel Systems with new key electronics supply contract
September 08, 2020Westport Fuel Systems as been awarded a long-term agreement for the supply of electronic control units to an unnamed tier one automotive supplier. The estimated value of the agreement is USD 58 million over seven-year period
One final update from the Infineon site in Villach
September 08, 2020The shell of Infinion’s massive expansion in Villach, Austria now stands complete. Both the research and factory building are standing tall and the company is in full swing working on the facade as well as the interior.
Dongwha to establish two units in Hungary
September 07, 2020The South Korean company is making its moves to be a part of the European electric vehicle eco-system by establishing two units in Sóskút, just southwest of Budapest; one for producing electrolyte and another to recycle the solvent NMP, a compound used heavily in lithium ion battery fabrication.
SMIC responds to reports about a potential blacklist situation
September 07, 2020Chinese semiconductor foundry, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), found itself in eye of the storm following reports of a potential U.S. ban, much like the one experienced by Huawei.
East West acquires Universal Electronics
September 04, 2020East West Manufacturing, LLC, announces that the company has acquired Universal Electronics, Inc. (UEI), a provider of specialised electronics manufacturing services, including advanced printed circuit board assemblies, box-build assemblies, testing and new product introduction services.
Calian acquires Canadian manufacturer of wireless antennas
September 04, 2020Calian Group announces that it has acquired Tallysman Wireless, a leading manufacturer of precision Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) antennas, and related components.
TT Electronics awarded Team Tempest contract from BAE Systems
September 03, 2020TT Electronics has been awarded a contract from BAE Systems for the design, development and qualification of a DC-DC Converter to support project Tempest.
Massive Chinese semiconductor constitution site stands idle
September 02, 2020The USD 20 billion investment to construct a massive semiconductor manufacturing complex in Wuhan, China has has stalled, reportedly due to lack of funding.
UL expands its Silicon Valley 5G testing facility
September 02, 2020Science safety company UL, announces that it has opened the expansion of its Silicon Valley electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and wireless testing laboratory with the debut of new 5G testing facilities.
IAV invests in new EMC test centre
August 31, 2020E-mobility, connectivity, advanced driver assistance systems and self-driving technology; the number of electronic components in vehicles is growing rapidly, also raising demand for capacities to test electromagnetic compatibility - something that IAV wants to address with its latest investment.
Shock Proofing Your Supply Chain – A Global ApproachLoad more news
August 31, 2020All supply chains face risks caused by unpredictable events, such as trade wars, natural disasters and data breaches, that often lead to multiple disruptions. Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a large-scale impact on both demand and supply, exemplifying the need for stronger supply chains.


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I-Team ABC 7 explains what’s driving the increase and offers solutions for families looking to save.
Back-to-school spending is expected to hit a record $37.1 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation. For many families, rising school supply costs add another layer of stress.
“I had to say repeatedly, ‘I think we have everything we need,'” Christina Kotis told I-Team.
She watches her wallet as she fills her basket with back-to-school supplies and clothes.
“A whole bunch of dress shirts,” she said.
That’s all for her three children who can’t wait to get back to school.
“I was sad because of COVID, I couldn’t see any friends. This year I’m back to school,” said one of Kotis’ children.
But there is a price.
“Generally, I think the cost is going up,” Kotis said — and she’s right.
Consumer experts said prices for backpacks, clothing and tech items were rising. In fact, prices for nearly all consumer goods are up more than 5% from a year ago, according to the latest inflation figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The customer, Michelle Miralda, went straight to the clearance section when shopping for her children.
“I’m not going to the regular section, that’s not what it used to be anymore. I’m going to clearance,” she said.
“We make lists and ask for what you really need and skip the aisles,” Ashley George told I-Team.
Ted Rossman of Bankrate.com explains the price hike.
“Costs go up for a whole bunch of reasons, but they actually come down to disruptions in the supply chain, and then also higher costs. So higher transport costs, higher manufacturing costs are costs that companies pass on to their workers. That’s all evidence of upward pressure on the prices of back-to-school and other items,” Rossman said.
Despite some reports of school supply shortages, the I-Team visited several stores and found that most shelves were full of choices. However, a few with backpacks and planners were starting to look a bit bare, so you might not want to wait until the last minute to get what you really need.
The National Retail Federation said families are expected to pay an average of $848 for an elementary or high school student this year, nearly $60 more than last year. College students will spend an average of $1,200, which is also up $141.
“It’s a good reminder for parents that you may not need to buy everything new. Think about inventorying what you already have around the house or trying to get items at low cost or free from your community friends and family and neighbors,” Rossman said. “They might be happy to share unused items if you were kindly used
items, you know, everything from school supplies to clothes. Pack bags for college kids, you know, maybe you know someone with an old couch or microwave or desk.”
You can also check out thrift stores and online classifieds, like Facebook Marketplace. For electronics and technology, you can save money by buying refurbished items from places like the Apple Store and WalMart. You can also put the brakes on buying everything right away.
“You really don’t need all of this on the first day. A lot of these things will get even bigger discounts after Labor Day and after the first day of school,” Rossman added. “So if you asked the teacher, you know, where do we absolutely need right now and what’s tied into the year so that we can maybe spread the impact and put it into sale.”
The increased demand for school supplies is also triggering a scam alert. The Better Business Bureau said fake websites can target shoppers with fake offers. You could pay and never receive the items. You should only shop from retailers you know and trust and be skeptical of prices that seem too low. Use a credit card in case you need to dispute a charge.
Copyright © 2022 WLS-TV. All rights reserved.


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New iPods usually come out in September, right? There or thereabouts, at any rate. Well then maybe we should look into this report that says Toshiba will “ramp up” production of flash memory chips during the month of Auguest. Word on the street is that Toshiba is doing so to fulfill a big order from Apple. So, new iPods on the way? Speculate away!
Toshiba will be cranking its factories out to 90 percent of total capacity. The whole “new iPods?!” rumor starts because, really, why else would Toshiba be running at full speed ahead unless one of its clients—Apple buys its flash from Toshiba—needs a whole bunch of flash all at once? And why else would Apple need flash if not for new iPods?
Or, what a minute—maybe it has something to do with that Apple tablet, which, as I understand it, will bring peace on Earth for all eternity?


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Some months ago (on 10 June), The Guardian reported that, of all the various forms of rubbish polluting our oceans, just ten types of plastic items account for 75 percent of ocean-borne trash.
The top four of those items are all associated with food and drink; plastic bottles, single-use bags, food containers and wrappers—many that once held take-out orders—account for almost half of the human-made debris.
The study that yielded these results even distinguished between such plastic items and others that had held toiletries and household products.
Fishing material (such as lines and nets) is also a component of ocean pollution, but is usually found in open ocean, whereas the plastic detritus from take-out food and drink dominates the pollution that accumulates on the surface and ocean floor near or along shorelines. Researchers found that the U.K. and U.S. lead all major countries in per capita generation of plastic waste.
This has prompted scientists concerned with marine litter to call for more than just a clean-up, but for changes to be made at the source, like banning certain types of disposable packaging.
TRENDPOST: Trends Journal lamented Earth’s oceans having become a “plastics’ graveyard” and reported on the movement to ban or curtail such products in “AT LAST, AN ANTI-PLASTIC TREND” (5 Jun 2017). Or, the waste might actually be harnessed; see “NEW WAY TO CLEAN UP OCEAN PLASTIC” (1 Jan 2020).
Now comes a more recent article from The Guardian, on 8 November, which reveals a newer component in the plethora of plastic waste making its way into our oceans: the single-use, disposable personal protection equipment that has proliferated as the world deals with COVID-19; see “MASK POLLUTION” (16 Mar 2021).
And in addition to all the masks and gloves—of which there is already evidence of their impact on wildlife; see “MASKS KILLING WILDLIFE” (13 Apr 2021)—are tons of COVID-related waste from hospitals, in volumes vastly exceeding the personal items. All together, COVID-related plastic refuse in the world’s oceans weighs in at some 25,900 tons. About 73 percent of the COVID-related plastic waste in the oceans comes from Asian rivers, followed by 11 percent from European rivers.
Such findings indicate a great need for medical waste management, particularly in COVID-19 epicenters, and especially in developing countries.
TREND FORECAST: When such plastic waste is incinerated, instead of being dumped where it can find its way to the ocean, it contributes to air pollution; see “POLLUTION VS. CORONAVIRUS: WHO CARES?” (26 May 2020). But whether it’s polluting our water, our air or both, don’t expect to hear much from those ardently supporting mask mandates, or from those who believe the greatest threat our civilization faces is “climate change.”


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Apigee®, developer of a leading platform for digital business acceleration, and First Data, the global leader in payment technology and services solutions, today announced that First Data's Payeezy.com online eCommerce payments platform - which gives merchants access to Apple Pay - is powered by Apigee.
First Data is leveraging Apigee to bring app developers onboard and enable them to rapidly build and scale solutions supporting online and mobile payments.
“There is high consumer demand for apps that can immediately support new mobile technology,” said Chet Kapoor, CEO of Apigee. “Through an API-centric approach, First Data’s Payeezy.com makes it easy and fast for software developers to build apps that support the new single-touch mobile payment capabilities for Apple Pay. We believe First Data has enormous potential as a digital leader, and we are thrilled to work with them to help connect merchants and developers with Apple Pay.”
First Data is a global payment processing company serving six million merchant locations, thousands of card issuers and millions of consumers worldwide. Payeezy.com is an eCommerce platform that provides a simple, powerful online tool for developers to deliver easy, scalable and secure online and mobile payments.
Payeezy.com utilizes the Apigee API platform, and First Data was able to significantly accelerate project development and time to market for Payeezy with Apigee. Through APIs, First Data is empowering developers to rapidly design apps for Apple Pay and new mobile payments.
“Apple Pay is changing the game for mobile payments through single-touch technology,” said Bruce Dragt, First Data’s senior vice president, global eCommerce. “We view enabling mobile apps as the future of eCommerce and wanted to build out a platform for financial institutions and merchant developers to quickly bring new apps to market.
“Apigee’s platform was purpose-built for the way people are building apps today, and we selected Apigee, who had the expertise to accomplish what we needed in terms of scale, security and time to market. Together we are delivering the tools to help developers quickly and easily code for online and mobile payments,” e and mobile payments,” Dragt added.
Apigee Edge is a leading API platform, used by many of the biggest global brands to securely expose and manage data at large scale. Apigee Edge is purpose-built for the digital economy, delivering technology businesses need to manage the digital value chain from API exposure to API consumption – and to measure the success of an API program with end-to-end analytics. Edge includes three components: API Services, Developer Services and Analytics Services.


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Mumbai: The Reserve Bank today said it will endeavour to keep retail inflation close to 4 per cent on a "durable basis" which may rise in the near term on account of pay commission payouts and price adjustments post GST rollout.
"The MPC observed that while inflation has fallen to a historic low, a conclusive segregation of transitory and structural factors driving the disinflation is still elusive.
"The MPC remains focused on its commitment to keeping headline inflation close to 4 per cent on a durable basis," the central bank said in its 3rd bi-monthly monetary policy statement, 2017-18.
The RBI's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) today decided to reduce the repo rate -- at which it lends to banks -- by 0.25 per cent to 6 per cent. Going forward, as base effects fade, the inflation momentum is to be hinged upon the impact of house rent allowance (HRA) under the Central Pay Commission (7th CPC), price revisions withheld ahead of the Goods and Services (GST) rollout as well as disentangling of structural and transitory factors shaping food inflation, the apex bank said.
The regulator has set a medium-term target for consumer price index (CPI) based retail inflation at 4 per cent with a +/- bias of 2 per cent. RBI Governor Urjit Patel said inflation trajectory now incorporates the first round impact of the implementation of the HRA awards of the 7th CPC by the central government.
"Excluding the HRA impact which will affect the CPI cumulatively, inflation would be a little over 4 per cent by fourth quarter as against 4.5 per cent inclusive of the HRA in the June statement (of RBI policy)," Patel said.
India's CPI-based retail inflation stood at 1.54 per cent in June this year to hit its lowest reading in the series based to 2011-12. The MPC also noted that inflation is well below target in most of advanced and emerging market economies despite a modest rise in global demand as well as uptick in crude oil.
Citing its survey on inflation, the RBI said households seem to have discounted the recent low inflation prints; their three months and one year ahead inflationary expectations polled in the RBI survey in June have "somewhat hardened".


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Marquette, MI – June 12, ’13 – Picketers protesting the hiring policies of a local construction site gathered by US-41 and Brickyard Road with signs that read: “HONK for Local Workers.”
Organizer John Kleiber explained that the construction site of the new cosmetics store, ULTA Beauty, located next to TJ Max and PetSmart, is made up of workers hired from other cities and states with lower standard wages.
Masonry and construction workers from Marquette, he said, then either aren’t employed or see their wages beaten down by low-paying companies from Wisconsin and other states.
Kleiber claims that every dollar earned in the community gets spent seven times over again within the local community–at restaurants, grocery stores, hardware stores, etc. The wages earned at this construction site will largely be spent elsewhere.
“Marquette’s a consumer-driven economy,” he said. “By not investing in local workers, they’re taking money out of local consumers’ pockets.”
Kleiber pointed out that the store going in will rely on Marquette’s higher wage standard in order to thrive in this community.
“This isn’t about union or non-union,” he said. “It’s about the local economy.”


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Since the first recorded traffic fatality in 1899, the automotive world has made significant changes in safety practices and standards, especially over the past twenty years. The European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) has tested new vehicles for safety since 1997. The initial tests exposed major safety flaws in many cars on the market at the time. Their safety rating system is now backed by many European governments, consumer agencies, and even automotive manufacturers. To mark the twentieth anniversary of the testing program, the NCAP carried out tests on two vehicles that were made twenty years apart.
The organization tested a 1997 Rover 100 and a 2017 Honda Jazz. Both cars were subjected to head-on collisions at forty miles per hour at the Thatcham Research Facility, the United Kingdom's only NCAP facility. The test involved ramming the vehicle into an object of a similar mass, which was intended to represent another vehicle on the road. The results revealed that the Honda undoubtedly left the driver in much better shape than the Rover did. It also sustained significantly less damage and deployed its life-saving airbags, a feature absent from the Rover.
The Rover was given a poor one-star safety rating when tested on release and was actually discontinued shortly after receiving the rating. The Honda Jazz, on the other hand, received a five out of five safety rating from the NCAP. Given that many vehicles that are twenty years old or older are still on North American roads, the results of the tests provide a clear warning to drivers of older cars. They illustrate just how much safer newer cars are compared to those that were manufactured a couple of decades ago.
This vehicle testing and rating system has contributed to making cars much safer and reducing deaths and injuries from car accidents in the United Kingdom by sixty-three percent since 1997. The number of pedestrians and cyclists killed by motorists has also dropped by forty-one percent during this time. Safety testing and certified ratings are now firmly entrenched in the practices of the global automotive industry. The NCAP has published over 630 safety ratings, spent over €160 million on testing, and crash-tested about 1,800 vehicles since first starting to examine automobile safety.
The NCAP's current projects include improving child safety in vehicles, creating a dual-rating system for vehicles that have optional safety features, researching the safety of such vehicles as the Smart car, and introducing new types of safety testing. The NCAP has testing facilities in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It has become impossible to test all new vehicles available, but estimates claim that nine out of ten cars sold in Europe have an NCAP safety rating.