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In 2014 alone, more than one billion personal records were illegally accessed -- including health, financial, email and home address data, and other personal information like Social Security numbers. That's up more than 54 percent on the year prior, according to Gemalto. This year, there's no sign of let-up.
As we're coming up to the end of the year, we look back at some of the biggest -- and most dangerous breaches -- so far.
You can put money on it being a bad hack when kids are named as victims. The toymaker suffered a major breach in late November, with hackers taking 4.8 million records, as well as a database of first names, genders and birthdays of more than 200,000 kids.
The attack on VTech, which reportedly used poor password security among other issues, ranks as one of the largest breaches of the year.
November: The big scandal when an anonymous hacker stole about 70 million phone calls from inmates in US prisons wasn't the hack itself, it was the suggestion that attorney-client privilege may have been violated on a regular basis. Millions of call logs and thousands of call recordings were taken in the breach. Securus provides landline phones and equipments to prisons, and generates high profits by charging the inmates themselves -- so much so, the FCC has taken action against the firm.
November: The same hackers who were able to get access to CIA director John Brennan's private email account also got access to a law enforcement portal used by police and federal agents to share intelligence, and book arrested suspects. It's not clear how many records were in the system -- the FBI declined to comment -- but hundreds of thousands of users are cleared to use the portal. Many of those names were also leaked in the hack. The attack was thought to be one of the widest external breaches of law enforcement this year.
October: A hack that targeted seven of Donald Trump's hotels, and lasted the whole year: even the presidential candidates aren't immune to hacks. Hackers snuck malware onto Trump systems, stealing credit card data (including security codes and card numbers) in the firm's hotels across the US. No final figure of how many people were affected was ever reported, but it's thought to be in the many thousands.
October: Crowdfunding service Patreon got the "Ashley Madison" treatment when it found its entire cache of data published online in a massive data breach in early October. Names, email addresses, and posts were leaked, though credit card data and Social Security was not compromised. The scope of the breach may take time to become fully clear, but at 15GB in size, and millions of accounts already found, the number of potential victims is only set to get larger.
October: T-Mobile may have taken over Sprint to become third place in US cellular rankings, but it's seventh place in our list of breaches, thanks to its misplaced trust in Experian. The credit agency suffered a breach in September, affecting as many as 15 million T-Mobile customers who underwent credit checks. Data, such as names, addresses, social security numbers, birth dates, and even passport numbers, may have been taken. Encrypted Social Security numbers may also have been swiped, but the company warned that encryption may have been compromised.
October: The retail brokerage firm said it detected "illegal activity involving our network" two years prior. Hackers reportedly took millions of customer contact details, which cybersecurity reporter Brian Krebs suggested it was to facilitate stock scams through spam campaigns. It was revealed in November after a case was unsealed that a total of four men had been charged with hacking into JPMorgan Chase and a number of other financial institutions, Scottrade included.
September: Around 37 million people were caught up in the Ashley Madison affair (for want of a better term). The site encourages its users to cheat on their partners. Aside from the many millions affected and the impact on relationships, should that information get into the hands of the enemy -- think, Russia or China -- it could lead to a considerable blackmail and espionage effort against US, UK, and allied countries.
September: Excellus BlueCross BlueShield suffered a major hit on its networks that ended up leaking more than 10 million records. The attack happened two years earlier in late December 2013. Names, birth dates, Social Security numbers and mailing addresses -- some of the most personal data going -- was taken, including financial account and claims information. The source of the hack remains unknown.
August: The UK's biggest data breach of the year can go to Carphone Warehouse, a phone retail store. As many as 2.4 million customers (roughly 4 percent of the country's population) had their personal information taken in the breach. About 90,000 customers had their encrypted credit card data stolen. The UK data privacy watchdog is now investigating the breach.
July: Pharmacy chain CVS was forced to pull its popular online photo print ordering site offline as it investigated a suspected hack. Credit card data, email and postal addresses, phone numbers, and passwords were taken, but it's not clear how many millions were affected by the breach. No other linked data was taken in the breach, but Costco and Rite Aid, among others, were also hit.
July: Data breaches and hacks happen all the time. But poor security and a lack of encryption can put the blame entirely on the body that was charged with protecting it. UCLA Health was at least partially to blame when it was hit by a massive hack on 4.5 million records earlier this year, because its customer data -- including Social Security numbers, and even medical data, such as conditions, medications, procedures, and test results -- was not encrypted.
July: An unknown group of hackers brought Italian surveillance firm Hacking Team to its knees when its entire network was breached -- and subsequently published online. Who were the real victims? The ordinary public, after hackers took working Flash exploits from the cache of leaked files. It's not known how many internet users were hit by the subsequent attacks. There may be more to come.
June: The big finale is the OPM breach, which affected 22.1 million (and counting). It could be the single most damaging breach to US national security of all time. Those who have access to some of the most sensitive data in the world had their entire backgrounds checks -- conducted by the OPM -- stolen by an unknown assailant. Imagine if the enemy knew exactly which buttons to push in order to blackmail someone into turning over vast swathes of sensitive or classified data. We have yet to see the repercussions of the breach, but it could harm the US' domestic and foreign diplomatic and intelligence work.
June: Almost any security expert will say using a password manager makes you safer. What happens when your password manager is hit by a hack? We found out when LastPass suffered a data breach this year. It's not clear if any data was taken, and any passwords that were taken were heavily encrypted. But all it takes is a weak master password to your keychain and boom, your online life can crumble.
May: The IRS data breach, reported in May, affected around 100,000 taxpayers. That may seem like a paltry number compared to the Anthem or UCLA breaches, but the impact on affected taxpayers could be staggering. A flaw in the IRS' system allowed hackers to access past filed tax returns, including sensitive financial information and Social Security data. It's said that the breach cost taxpayers $50 million in fraudulent claims.
February: If your healthcare provider can't keep your data safe, who can you trust? Anthem, a US health insurance firm, lost more than 80 million customer records when it was hacked at the start of this year, along with around 19 million rejected customers. Reports say much of the data was not encrypted. Enough personal data was stolen -- from Social Security numbers to birth dates and addresses -- to steal identities. The FBI, the investigating agency, has yet to confirm who it thinks was behind the attack.


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50 Cent’s recently
released sneaker with Reebok, the G6 from the G-Unit Collection, marked one of
the best liquidations of a debut Reebok shoe.
According to Reebok, the shoe completely sold out of the Reebok.com store and
in key global markets such as New York, Philadelphia and London.
“My Reebok G-Unit sneaker blew out of the stores just like I hoped it would,”
50 Cent said. “The word has hit the streets, I rap about the shoe in my new video
and the fans are definitely feeling it.”
The next installment of the collection is the black/royal G6, which hits stores
December 23rd, while a white/pink version for girls hits stores in February.
To market the sneakers to consumers, Reebok created the “Rbk Street Squad,” comprised
of the same team members responsible for creating the street buzz around 50’s
major label debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin’.
Posters, postcards and flyers featuring 50 will be placed in barbershops, hair
salons, nightclubs, clothing stores and restaurants.
“Reebok is thrilled with the early buzz the G6 has generated,” said Micky Pant,
Reebok’s chief marketing officer. “50 Cent has earned his reputation as the hottest
MC right now and young people want to sport the shoe he is wearing.”

domain: news


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Today, I stumbled upon this safety video from the company Harsco. I think it excellent for making us aware of the risk and mistakes people make. Watch it. It is a great inspiration for your next risk assessment…
In 2007 EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso stated at a EU-US summit that “The reality is that the world is safer and more prosperous when Europe and America work together as global partners”.
The large number of unsafe and counterfeit products flooding to our markets, and recalls like we had with Mattel and Fisher Price products have caused outrage with consumers in North America and Europe. Many politicians have called for immediate action. In the European Parliament there were even voices that called for the CE marking system to be reversed.
The number of dangerous consumer products withdrawn from the EU market rose by 16% in 2008 compared to in 2007, the Commission’s annual report on the Community rapid alert system for non-food dangerous products (“RAPEX”) reveals today. This rise from 1 605 notifications in 2007 to 1 866 last year shows that the capacity of the RAPEX system has substantially increased again in 2008, following a substantial investment of resources and training by the European Commission and Member States. European businesses in the consumer product safety area are also taking their responsibilities more seriously and recall their unsafe products from the market more readily. Toys with childcare articles (such as bicycles, baby walkers, cots and soothers), electrical products and motor vehicles were the most frequently notified products in 2008. The number of notifications on products of Chinese origin sent through RAPEX increased (from 52% in 2007 to 59% in 2008). This must be seen as a consequence of the focus of market surveillance authorities on product categories known to be of higher risk.


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Schaumburg (IL) – Motorola has launched the latest handset in its “Q” phone line, offering more than 32 gigabytes of removable memory and a new keyboard layout.
Based on Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6 operating system, the Q Music 9M has a strong multimedia focus with video/music controls operated by a clicking scroll wheel on the side of the phone.
It has a 2.4-inch screen ad two built-in speakers for stereo sound. It also sports a 1.3 megapixel digital camera. The somewhat clunky keypad from the original Q has also been dumped in favor of a more traditional straight-laced Qwerty keyboard.
The capacity limit is 16 times greater than the original Q. Up to 32 GB of removable memory can be attached to the 9M, compared to 2 GB of internal storage on the Q.
Using EV-DO network spectrum, the phone has advanced 3G mobile Internet features, including the ability to link to as many as eight e-mail accounts. It also has complete access to Verizon’s V Cast service, which offers music and video downloads, as well as mobile versions of YouTube and MySpace.
The first Q phone has sold more than 1.5 million units since its debut last year and complements a series of Motorola phones that have garnered significant notoriety. The Razr, Krzr, and Slvr handsets have all been top sellers for Motorola.


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Walt Disney Co. posted earnings in the second quarter that missed Wall Street estimates as its shares went down 5% Tuesday.
The media giant’s earnings for its performance with Star Wars and Disney resorts, which increased by 2%, helped counter flat earnings for its television outlets. Analysts polled by S&P Global Market Intelligence estimated earnings per share after adjustments to be at $1.40, but the company only managed $1.36.
Revenue also missed estimates at $12.97 billion against analysts’ estimates of $13.2 billion.
Disney’s shares fell to $100.90 down 5.4% in after-hours trading as the company posted its results at the end of the day. Regular trading pushed up the stock to $106.60 rising by 1.2%.
Disney’s failure to meet expectations prompted analysts to cite several factors. According to Barclays, Disney’s network segments, including ESPN, and the company’s consumer products failed to keep up performance expectations.
Analysts Kannan Venkateshwar, Shelley Yang and Divyaunsh Divatia wrote to investors, “Despite the continued lack of visibility on Disney’s CEO succession plans and the underperformance over the course of this year, Disney continues to be the most expensive media stock.”
The media networks unit, which includes ABC, ESPN and several other TV networks that comprise the company’s largest division pulled in $5.8 billion in revenue. Cable network revenues went down 2% to $4 billion with operating income increasing by 12% from ESPN’s higher affiliate fees from pay-TV companies.
ESPN, however, has not improved ratings, deriving its revenues from increasing rates. The network’s subscriber base declined a second straight year in the quarter’s reports causing investor concerns. These problems contributed to last year’s decrease in stock prices. Disney chairman and CEO Robert Iger said that ratings are turning around after last quarter. The network’s row with Verizon’s TV bundling program that excluded ESPN from its base package is also finished.
ESPN’s decline in programming costs were due to the network’s choice to air only one college football playoff in the quarter as opposed to the seven they aired a year ago despite an increase in demand for live sports coverages, which decreased its ad sales. Live programming contributed to its high programming costs. Higher advertising sales boosted broadcasting revenue to $1.8 billion up 3%.
Disney is opening the Shanghai Disney Resort on June 16, which will be part of the parks and resorts unit that posted a 4% increase in revenue to $3.9 billion. Operating income increased 10% due to an increase in ticket prices and higher consumer spending on food, beverages and merchandise. On Tuesday, Iger said that the Shanghai Disney Resort is “authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese.” He added, “We have a very optimistic outlook (for the resort).”
The studio entertainment unit’s revenues increased 22% up to $2.1 billion. The unit is still enjoying the profits from the December mega-blockbuster Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and the movie Zootopia released this quarter that sold $930 million in the box office.
Consumer products and interactive media units suffered a 2% decline to $1.2 billion due to the slowdown of Frozen merchandise sales.
“We’re very pleased with our overall results in Q2, which marks our 11th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth in adjusted EPS (earnings per share),” Iger said. “Our studio’s unprecedented winning streak at the box office underscores the incredible appeal of our branded content, which we continue to leverage across the entire company to drive significant value.”


text: Lifestyle Pets New Report Highlights Hopeful Highs and Challenging Lows of Being a Pet Owner amid the Pandemic The "Pets in a Pandemic" report from Mars Petcare's BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program found the majority of pet owners feel more hopeful about the future because of their pet By Kelli Bender Kelli Bender Kelli Bender is the Pets Editor for PEOPLE Digital and PEOPLE magazine. She has been with the PEOPLE brand for more than eight years, working as a writer/producer across PEOPLE's Lifestyle, Features, and Entertainment verticals before taking on her current role. Kelli is also an editor on PEOPLE's Stories to Make You Smile and serves as an editorial lead on PEOPLE's World's Cutest Rescue Dog Contest and Pet Product Awards. Before joining PEOPLE, Kelli helped AOL and Whalerock launch a pet lifestyle site called PawNation. She is a pet parent to a cat named Wallace, and her professional and personal devotion to animals has taken her to three dog weddings ... so far. People Editorial Guidelines Published on November 18, 2020 05:34 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: getty images 2020 has been an eventful year for pets and their parents. Animal lovers have cleared out shelters throughout the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, adopting and fostering pets as a way of getting extra companionship during quarantine. Unfortunately, the uncertainty of the year also means that many pet parents struggled to care for their furry friends. The "Pets in a Pandemic" report from Mars Petcare's BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program explores the highs and lows unique to pet owners during the pandemic. The report analyzed data from government leaders and thousands of pet owners, focusing mainly on a survey of 1,001 American pet parents conducted by KRC Research. The report found that pets undoubtedly brought positivity to their owners' lives during the pandemic. Out of those surveyed, 86% of pet owners said their pet's companionship has helped them through 2020 and its troubles, 78% feel their stress is less because of their pet, and 69% responded that having a pet has made them feel more hopeful about the future. Survey Finds Dog Owners Are Exercising More, Enjoying Working From Home During the Pandemic Unfortunately, for some owners, pets became a point of stress due to the financial hardships brought on by COVID-19. One in three city officials said they’ve heard concerns from residents about the financial challenges of pet care and the potential need to re-home a pet, according to a release about the report. Other owners are worried about what will happen once they return to work, now that their pets are used to having them at home, with 78% of pet parents noting they are worried about their pet’s anxiety or confusion when they are left behind again. Cats Are Quarantine Heroes, Keeping Their Owners Happy During the Pandemic, Survey Finds And with 50% of pet parents saying having more time with their pet is the best part of working from home, it's not surprising that many owners are looking for ways to stay near their furry friends. According to the report, 60% of pet parents who expect to travel next year want to bring their pets with them. For BETTER CITIES FOR PETS, a program dedicated to making America's cities more pet-friendly, this data is evidence that cities need to continue shifting towards a more pet-friendly environment, especially when it comes to housing. To learn more about how owners and their pets are reacting to the pandemic, you can read the full "Pets in a Pandemic" report.


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Cleveland, Texas — Photos of a man dragging his daughter by her hair through a Texas Wal-Mart are spreading across the Internet.
The photos are also sparking anger and debate about proper discipline for children.
Erika Burch was shopping at the store, about 45 minutes from Houston, when she saw the girl crying. Her father had wrapped her hair around the shopping cart handle as he pushed it through the Wal-Mart, according to KHOU in Houston.
Burch told the station the girl was pleading with her father to stop.
"Please stop! I promise I won't do it again! Please stop!" Burch said the 5-year-old said, according to the station.
Burch took some photos and told the man to let the girl go.
He told Burch to mind her own business, she said, according to KHOU.
Burch's Facebook post on the incident has been shared more than 146,000 times. Plenty of commenters on the post have criticized the father for his actions, but others have argued the man should be free to discipline his child as he sees fit.
"He is a sick, sick, sick animal is what he is," Burch said, according to KHOU.
The Cleveland Police Department is investigating.
"We are taking this pretty serious," Chief Darrel Broussard said, according to KHOU.
Broussard applauded the witnesses who tried to intervene on behalf of the child.
Ora Schumann, another witness, told KPRC in Houston that the man was angry because the child wasn't staying close by.
Child Protective Services workers are investigating the incident as well, KPRC said. Staff members will check in on any other children in the home and determine if the man has a pattern of behavior.
"I want her to know, it is not OK for anyone to grab you by the hair of your head, it is not OK for anyone to drag you by the hair on your head," Burch told KHOU.


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THE WHAT? Coty has announced the appointment of Constantin Sklavenitis as its new Chief Prestige Brands Officer, effective 6thSeptember.
THE DETAILS Joining Coty from MAC Cosmetics, where he worked as Senior Vice President/General Manager of North America, Sklavenitis will report to CEO Sue Y. Nabi in his new position.
Prior to his time at MAC, Sklavenitis spent more than two decades at L’Oréal creating and executing the global business models of new brands, leading business development and growing sales for multiple brands such as Urban Decay, IT Cosmetics, and Kiehl’s.
THE WHY? Sklavenitis has been chosen to oversee all prestige brands and will be responsible for one of Coty’s strategic growth pillars, primarily to become a ‘key player in prestige make-up and expand on skincare.’
Nabi said, “I am delighted to welcome Constantin to Coty. He is a proven and trusted leader in beauty, luxury and retail with more than 24 years of global general management and marketing experience.
“In his role, Constantin will continue to strengthen Coty’s position as a worldwide leader in Prestige fragrances and accelerate the recent milestones of our Luxury make-up innovations, as well as build a skincare portfolio of complementary brands and the required global capabilities. Constantin’s strategic approach to increasing consumer engagement and growing brand market share will be invaluable as we continue to make good progress against our key growth pillars.”


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In context: When two giant corporations clash on the legal battlefield, it’s never clear who is going to come out on top. Usually, the battle will end in a somewhat-mutual settlement after years of back-and-forth filings, legal arguments, and bitter public statements. However, there are always exceptions to the rule, and the recent tensions between Walmart and Tesla are a perfect example of that.
In August, the former filed a lawsuit against the latter for allegedly failing to properly maintain its solar rooftop installations across various Walmart locations.
According to Walmart, Tesla’s mistakes led to seven solar panel fires breaking out at a handful of Walmart stores. Naturally, the retail behemoth was none too pleased with this development and aimed to make Tesla pay for its negligence — figuratively and literally.
However, unlike many legal cases between two major companies, Walmart and Tesla have settled their differences amicably, after just a few short months. A quick resolution was likely desirable for both companies, as — in the end — a handful of small solar panel fires is probably not worth a lengthy legal battle. Tesla, in particular, certainly has other things to worry about at the moment, such as turning a profit, worker rights infractions, and potential battery defects in its vehicles.
Of course, we have absolutely no idea what sort of settlement was reached behind closed doors, but Walmart and Tesla both seem quite happy with the outcome. The companies offered the following joint statement to CNBC today:
Walmart and Tesla are pleased to have resolved the issues raised by Walmart concerning the Tesla solar installations at Walmart stores. Safety is a top priority for each company and with the concerns being addressed, we both look forward to a safe re-energization of our sustainable energy systems.
It’s unlikely that Walmart would have agreed to a settlement unless Tesla decided to fix the problem, so we’re going to assume that the retailer won’t be suffering from any more solar panel fires over the coming years. Still, anything is possible, and we’ll update you if any other information related to this situation comes to light.


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Reconsidered is a bi-weekly newsletter curating thought-provoking content on corporate social responsibility, sustainability and social impact. Click here to subscribe.
This Week's Five Links
The Top Jobs Where Women Are Outnumbered by Men Named John — The New York Times
You know what they say – behind every successful woman is at least five men named John. This sad and almost funny comparison from the Upshot raises an urgent question: how do we create more equitable workplaces? If you’re at Nike, you Just Do It. A group of women recently shined a light on Nike’s culture of sexism, which led to the departure of six male executives. There is power in numbers — we just have to decide if that power belongs to the Johns, or to everyone.
Apple Now Runs On 100% Green Energy, And Here’s How It Got There — Fast Company
From its data centers to its retail stores, Apple now runs on 100% clean energy. This article takes a deep-dive into how Apple sweated the details to reach this milestone and outlines what’s next for the tech giant, which includes getting its supply chain on board.
Amazon Gets Huge Subsidies to Provide Good Jobs—But It’s a Top Employer of SNAP Recipients In at Least Five States — The New Food Economy
While Amazon accepts massive government subsidies — including through a much-publicized city competition to host the company’s second headquarters — new data suggests that 1/3 of Amazon’s own employees rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps) to put food on the table.
2018 Fashion Transparency Index — Fashion Revolution
Who made my clothes? It’s a question everyone should know the answer to, which is where the Fashion Transparency Index comes in. The index ranks 150 of the biggest brands and retailers on how transparent they are about their supply chain and their social and environmental impact. Is it perfect? No, because like many rankings it relies on self-reporting from brands, which can be skewed by many factors. But more information is better than none, and the index keeps the pressure on.
Dan Ariely on Changing Customer Behavior — +Acumen
To change the world, you have to figure out how to change people’s (often irrational) behaviors. So if you work in social impact or sustainability, you may benefit from this online course taught by Dan Ariely, professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University. It is a great primer on how to leverage behavioral science in your work.
#ConsciousChatter’s Addvantage Podcast
How does price relate to luxury and sustainability? I recently represented RC partner Fashion for Good in this dialogue with Vogue Australia Sustainability Editor Clare Press, Sitra’s Matti Aistrich, Helsinki Fashion Week’s Evelyn Mora and Kestrel Jenkins on the Addvantage podcast, Conscious Chatter's latest series.
🎧 Listen to our conversation here.
Spotlight: Tiny House 2.0
Tiny homes, casitas, bungalows, cabins. Call them what you will; I love them all. With millennials pretty much screwed when it comes to the four-bed-two-bath-white-picket-fence home ownership dream, small living seems infinitely more practical. And now, with top designers weighing in, it’s way more exciting and environmentally friendly.
Take this aspirational home designed by Graham Hill, founder of Treehugger and minimalist design consultancy LifeEdited. At 1,000 square feet, the LifeEdited Maui property is less than half the size of the average 2,697 square foot American home — but through smart design elements like adjustable furniture and sliding walls, it can function as a much larger space. Plus, with solar panels, composting toilets and rainwater catchment, it is completely off the grid.
LifeEdited Maui joins LifeEdited New York — a 420-square-foot "micro apartment" — as showcase pieces for the small living movement. They represent a vision of luxury that eschews the mansion for more minimal, streamlined and sustainable homes. I’m sold.
Social Impact Jobs
Arabella Advisors — Program Assistant (Chicago, IL)
Chobani — Corporate Affairs Specialist (New York, NY)
Futerra — Junior Consultant (London, UK)
Global Brands Group (Member of Fung Group) — Associate, Social and Environmental Affairs (Greensboro, NC)
RXBAR — Category Analyst, Specialty (Chicago, IL)
THINX — Social Media Associate, Icon (New York, NY)
Wellcome Trust — Diversity & Inclusion, Project Officer (London, UK)
412 Food Rescue — Chief Program Officer (Pittsburgh, PA)
Allbirds — International Marketing Manager (San Francisco, CA)
BBMG — Senior Program Manager (New York, NY)
Farmer’s Fridge — Digital Marketing Director (Chicago, IL)
Fashion for Good — Experience Manager (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Food+ by Compass — Regional Sustainability Manager (Singapore)
Ford Foundation — Investment Associate - Mission Investments (New York, NY)
Grist — Senior Editor (Seattle or Various Locations)
LOLA — Senior Marketing Manager (New York, NY)
IDEO.org — Business Designer (Nairobi, Kenya)
Impact Hub Amsterdam – Community Catalyst (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Macy’s — Director, Corporate Giving (New York, NY)
Nigerian Stock Exchange — Corporate Social Responsibility Support Officer (Lagos, Nigeria)
Okta — Program Manager, Nonprofit Success, Okta for Good (San Francisco, CA)
Patagonia — Environmental Programs Manager (Ventura, CA)
Sustainable Apparel Coalition — Global Project Manager (contract) (San Francisco, CA)
Synergistiq — Consultant, Social Impact Design (Melbourne, Australia)
T-Mobile — Senior Communications Manager, Corporate & Brand Communications (Bellevue, WA)
Visa — Manager, Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Reporting & Transparency (Foster City, CA)
Yara International — Environmental, Social & Governance Manager (Oslo, Norway)
Bulletin — Director of Digital Marketing (New York, NY)
Forum for the Future — Head of Communications and Marketing (London, UK)
Gap Inc — Vice President, Sustainability Field Operations (Hong Kong)
Moneythink — Chief Executive Officer (San Francisco, CA)
The North Face — Senior Director, Corporate Communications & CSR (Alameda, CA)
Purpose — Head of Office (London, UK)
Tala — Chief Financial Officer (Santa Monica, CA)
VentureWell — Senior Program Officer (Greater Boston Area)


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Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday officially released version 1.0 of its Silverlight rich media player.
Redmond also announced several high-profile partners that will deliver video and Web content via Silverlight, including the Home Shopping Network, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and the TV show Entertainment Tonight.
Microsoft hopes such partnerships will help drive more than 200 million downloads of the player by the end of June next year, according to Brian Goldfarb, a group product manager for platform & tools strategy in Microsoft's developer division.
Microsoft is consciously not pushing Silverlight to users out via Windows Update, preferring to stimulate demand for the product through its partnerships. Microsoft had previously announced MLB.com, Netflix Inc. and CBS Corp.'s TV stations division as Silverlight partners.
On Tuesday it said that an additional 35 companies are signed up as members of the Silverlight Partner Initiative.
Microsoft is making its move on turf currently controlled by Adobe Systems Inc.'s Flash player, which is used by YouTube videos, for example.
The beta and release candidate versions of Silverlight, which boasts 720p high-definition video that trumps the existing version of Flash, have garnered several million downloads so far, Goldfarb said.
Adobe is releasing Moviestar, an upgrade to Flash that supports better-quality video than today. But Goldfarb said that Silverlight will still offer "significantly better" video quality than Moviestar, especially on less-powerful PCs.
Microsoft also said it will work with Novell Inc. on the Linux version of Silverlight, to be called Moonlight.
Microsoft will build the video codecs for the Moonlight project and supply Novell with software to test and ensure Silverlight runs well on 32-bit and 64-bit PCs running Suse Linux, Red Hat and Ubuntu, Goldfarb said.
Moonlight is expected to be ready within six months, Goldfarb said.
Microsoft also officially released its Expression Encoder 1.0 software for designers to create Silverlight content.


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As ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA and Asia fruit Congress prepare to open their doors at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong , visitors and exhibitors can expect to find a bigger show with even more to offer.
With almost 10 per cent more companies from over 20 per cent more countries exhibiting, the event is more international than ever before. A record 372 exhibitors from 37 different countries will take part in this year’s ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA on 4-6 September, which will feature some 17 national pavilions.
The pink heart shape sticker makes it possible to identify a Pink Lady® apple immediately. It is a guarantee of its authenticity and consistent quality throughout the year.Pink Lady® is so much more than an apple !


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Aly Gustavson’s goal to sell a hundred more boxes of Girl Scout cookies than last year seemed reasonable.
But then you find out that the 11-year-old from Lynnwood sold 2,300 boxes in 2018.
“My goal was to sell 2,400 boxes, but I didn’t want to stop selling because then I could get more cookie dough (Girl Scout lingo for cash and prizes),” Aly said.
So the fifth-grader who attends Edmonds Heights K-12 didn’t stop after selling 100 more. She didn’t stop after 200 more. Or even 300 more.
She sold 3,200 boxes of cookies this year, making her the top seller among the Girl Scouts of Western Washington. This year 16,045 girls in Western Washington sold 4.2 million packages. Thirty-nine girls sold 2,000 or more boxes and 537 girls sold more than 1,000 boxes.
A Girl Scout since she was in kindergarten, Aly has been the top cookie-seller of her troop for six years running. Her first year, she sold 500 boxes. The second year, she sold 1,200 boxes. The third year, she sold 1,600 boxes. Then she sold 1,900 boxes her fourth year and 2,300 her fifth year.
That’s a lot of Thin Mints.
All together, Aly’s troop, Lynnwood Troop 43866, made up of 11 Junior Girl Scouts in fourth and fifth grades, sold more than 7,200 boxes of cookies, earning their troop nearly $6,000 in cookie dough to go toward earning badges, Girl Scout camp and other troop travel.
As the top cookie seller, Aly has earned a long list of prizes.
Here is just a sample: A custom pair of Converse shoes. A trip to Girl Scout horse camp. A Nintendo Switch gaming system.
Most of Aly’s cookie sales are thanks to repeat customers. Some have been ordering cookies from her since she was 5.
“As she’s gotten older, she has developed this customer base,” said Elliott Gustavson, Aly’s father and troop leader. “They love seeing her (each year) and they’ll buy from her until she stops selling.
“She has an amazing attitude,” he said.
Each year, Elliott and Bethany Gustavson, who also share cookie manager duties for the troop, sit down with their daughter and come up with a new sales plan for cookie season. This year, they divided their neighborhood into “cookie districts.”
“Our life is Girl Scouts,” Elliott Gustavson said.
Aly also has business cards and takes orders with an app on her tablet. But the sales tactic Aly’s most proud of are the door hangers she designed herself. The door hangers ask last year’s customers if they’d like the same order again. If they want to change their order, they check a box.
Of the 3,200 boxes sold, 1,100 were in presales. Elliott Gustavson, who works as a property manager in Kenmore, said most of the girls in Western Washington don’t do presales because it requires them to go door-to-door. They prefer cookie-booth sales in front of local grocery stores. In addition to going door-to-door and booth sales, Aly goes to community colleges and businesses, makes phone calls and sends emails.
Preorders may be more work, but they pay off for Aly. One customer preordered 15 boxes, and when Aly showed up to deliver them, she ordered seven more for a total of 22 boxes.
After spending about 100 hours selling and delivering cookies, Aly delivered her last cookie order March 17, for a Thin Mint and a Samoa.
“It felt nice to be done,” she said, explaining that cookie season lasts 60 days. “I enjoy the cookie season, but being done feels really good.”
When she’s not selling cookies, Aly is training in taekwondo (she’s a blue belt), hanging out with friends, going on camping trips and cooking family dinners.
She loves that Girl Scouts teaches her valuable leadership and outdoors skills. She knows how to build a fire, pitch a tent, cook around a campfire, tie knots and use a pocket knife. When the girls in her troop were 9 and 10, they did all the planning for a four-night stay in Leavenworth. They each were allotted $60 to spend at the Bavarian village.
This weekend, the troop has cashed in some of their proceeds to go to Girl Scout camp at St. Albans near Hood Canal.
“It’s a really amazing experience,” Aly said. “I’ve learned so many things.”
Aly has already set her cookie-selling goal for next year: A hundred more than last year.
That means 3,300 boxes.
Her troop is shooting for enough cookie dough for a trip to Hawaii.
“I’m pumped!” Aly said.
Sara Bruestle: 425-339-3046; email@example.com. Twitter: @sarabruestle.


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More South African entrepreneurs should embrace failure to achieve success, Darlene Menzies, CEO of startup funding platform FinFind, said.
Menzies was named one of Africa’s top 6 female tech entrepreneurs by the World Economic Forum in 2017 - sixteen years after she left her corporate job to become a serial entrepreneur.
Speaking to VIA (DStv channel 147)’s personal-finance show Geldhelde, Menzies said she launched eight products, started six businesses and got liquidated three times before she achieved success.
Today she runs three profitable businesses.
“You have to live for a few years like no one will so that you can live for the rest of your life like no one can,” Menzies said.
Menzies gave the four things entrepreneurs should know when they start a new business.
The opposite of success is actually not trying
“Failure is not the opposite of success; failure is actually part of the recipe of success,” Menzies said.
She said it's a bit like parents teaching a toddler how to walk by standing on the other side of the room calling them over.
“[The toddler] normally take a couple of steps and fall, [but] the parent doesn’t then say, ‘Well, this is useless.”
“They're never going to write them off.” The same is true for starting a new business.
Don't stay in corporate positions
Menzies believes the biggest failure of any potential entrepreneur is staying in corporate positions “where they’re comfortable, but they’re not happy”.
She said not only is a potential entrepreneur’s hesitance to start their own businesses robbing their own future - it’s also robbing the economy.
“Government is shrinking, corporates are shrinking, and we’ve got a massive unemployment problem [in South Africa] so to resolve that it’s going to have to take people starting their own businesses,” Menzies said.
“There’s a fine line between insanity and genius – and that line is success.”
Entrepreneurship gives you freedom to do what you love
Menzies said starting your own business means working harder than you would in a corporate, but it also means more freedom to do what you're passionate about.
“If you have your own business, you can decide what market you’re going to pull, what product you’re going to sell, who you’re going to employ, and how you want to build,” Menzies said.
“In a corporate, you can’t choose who you’re going to work with but in your own business you can.”
Start with whatever money you have
“Rather start small with a little bit of money and show a little bit of a track record because then you can go to a funder and say, ‘Look, I’ve been doing this for a year. It's been paying for itself. The business is starting to grow,’” Menzies said.
She said initially money is going to be scarce and then entrepreneurs should do their best to drive overheads down.
“You’re going to have some months where you either cannot earn a salary or you’ll be taking less and you can’t be paying off big [loans] on cars and big mortgages.”
Geldhelde airs every Tuesday at 20:30 on VIA (DSTV channel 147) with repeats on Wednesdays at 08:30 and Sundays at 19:30.
Business Insider South Africa is part of 24.com, which is a Media24 company, as is VIA TV.
For more, go to Business Insider South Africa.
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Also from Business Insider South Africa:
- More than 13 million new smartphones were sold in South Africa last year – and almost two-thirds cost less than R1,500
- You can get R3,000 Galaxy earphones for free - if you order the new Samsung phones online from today
- This futuristic Airbus smart seat prototype may make the future of economy flying a bit less miserable
- Hanging on to your rental property may be insane, according to this financial advisor


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Data scientists earn a salary that’s two to three times higher than an IT programmer. The average annual cost to company for data scientists is Rs 32 lakh.
Avenue Supermarts, which runs the DMart retail chain, saw its online sales more than double during FY19 to Rs 144 crore despite operating only in Mumbai.
DailyNinja, Milkbasket, and Doodhwala are among the new stars in the growing hyperlocal delivery space, changing the way dairy reaches homes
SoftBank's move to double down on Grofers puts on hold the on-again, off-again merger talks the grocery delivery service has held with players like the Alibaba-backed BigBasket
A closer look at today's biggest tech and startup news and why they matter.
The round which values the company at over $1 billion was led by Mirae Asset-Naver Asia Growth Fund, Alibaba and CDC
The round gives BigBasket firepower to aggressively venture into new cities and categories like micro delivery and maintain market leadership against Amazon, Flipkart, and Grofers
Compensation experts Aon, Willis Towers Watson and Mercer estimate average hikes at India’s ecommerce and startup companies in 2019 to be between 9.5 and 11.5%
New funding round of $150 million to close in a month
BigBasket's B2C arm, Innovative Retail, saw its revenue increase by 29% to 1,410 crore. It also tempered its losses by 6% to 179 crore in FY18
Hora, a startup co-founder, says it helps him leave his frustration at office. Plus, it’s fun. Even his company’s interns go in there regularly. “They come out looking happy, and we don’t ask questions either.”
The national food regulator said it's stepping up scrutiny of e-commerce food companies because there can be no compromise on last-mile delivery and safety of food products.
Here is a list of the top funding deals that the startup ecosystem saw this year.
The company aims to clock Rs 3,500 crore in sales this fiscal year, up from Rs 2,000 crore last year.
BigBasket had previously raised funds from investors such as Sands Capital, International Finance Corp. and Dubai-based private equity investor Abraaj Capital.
BigBasket CEO Hari Menon expects morning milk-delivery orders to account for 10% of firm’s revenue.
BigBasket has acquired 100% stake in milk delivery startups RainCan and Morning Cart and a controlling stake in smart vending machines startup Kwik24


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Ford Motor Co. has issued a recall on 365,000 F-150 model pickup trucks in the United States, Canada, and Mexico due to faulty door handles, according to Auto-Types.com. The recall affects at least 281,000 2009 and 2010 model trucks in the U.S. that were manufactured between January 2008 and November 2009.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that the door handles of the trucks may not perform properly in the event of a crash. Should impact occur, the door handles have a high likelihood of spring failure, which could cause the door to open. At the time the report was published, there had not been reports of accidents or injuries occurring due to the faulty door handles.
Replacement of the door handles will begin once replacement parts have arrived and will be done at no cost to the consumer. Ford is requesting that owners of F-150 model trucks, especially years 2009 and 2010, proceed to Ford or Lincoln dealership centers to have their vehicles assessed for the faulty door handles.
Vehicle manufacturers have a responsibility to the public to produce and sell cars and trucks that are safe for consumers and free of defects. However, when auto makers place profit over safety consumers are subject to hazards which may expose them to the risk of personal injury. Falling out, or being ejected from, a door that should not open in a crash is just an example. If you have been injured because of a defective auto part or a recalled vehicle, you may be able to pursue a New Jersey auto product liability claim.
At Blume Forte, our New Jersey automotive product defect attorneys have the resources and experience to investigate potential claims surrounding automotive product defects. Contact us for a no-cost consultation at 973-845-4421.


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Apart from the premium iPhone 14, there are a lot of new and exciting smartphones on the way – from Poco M5, Moto Edge 30 Ultra, Redmi 11 Prime and many more. Let’s see.
This week is going to be super exciting for all tech enthusiasts! No doubt the iPhone 14 launch has been in the spotlight so far, but other manufacturers are trying to steal Apple’s thunder by launching some special phones of their own. But will they manage to compete with the Apple iPhone? The launch of Apple iPhone 14 is scheduled for September 7 during the Apple Far Out Event. Ahead of the iPhone 14 launch, several other major brands are super busy this week with a string of launches. From Xiaomi, Motorola and Realme to Poco – they all market their new devices from affordable to premium. The excitement is building everywhere for these upcoming smartphones. Let’s take a closer look at these launches – iPhone 14, Poco M5, Moto Edge 30 Ultra and many more.
Smartphone will be launched this week
The new Poco M5 arrives today! Poco is all set to launch its next M-series smartphone, the Poco M5 with a 6.58-inch full HD+ LCD IPS display and a 90Hz refresh rate, which is powered by MediaTek Helio G99 chipset. It will also include a 5,000mAh battery with support for a Type C-based 33W charger. It is expected to launch at around Rs. 15,000. Yes, it’s quite affordable and nowhere near the price of the iPhone 14.
Redmi 11 Prime 5G
Redmi will launch some new devices. The Redmi 11 Prime 5G will launch in India on September 6, which is expected to be a rebranded version of the Redmi Note 11E unveiled in China. Based on the Chinese version, it is expected to feature a 6.58-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate and may include the MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset. This smartphone is also expected to be a budget smartphone with a price tag around Rs. 15,000. No, it won’t compete with the iPhone 14 either.
Apart from Redmi 11 Prime, there is another budget smartphone – the Redmi A1 which will be launched tomorrow. We already know a lot of details about the smartphone that may contain the MediaTek Helio G22 chipset with LPDDR4X RAM and eMMC 5.1 support. It may have a 6.52-inch HD+ display and an 8MP main camera. It’s also not the kind of heavyweight that can target an iPhone.
Realme is also coming on September 6 with a new budget smartphone, the Realme C33 with Unisoc T612 chipset, 5000mAh battery and a 50MP main camera sensor. Impressive specifications, but still no confrontation with an iPhone.
Moto Edge 30 Ultra
Just a day after the iPhone 14 launch, Moto India has planned an event to unveil two handsets – Moto Edge 30 Ultra and Edge 30 Fusion on September 8. As previously touted, the Moto Edge 30 Ultra will be the first phone to feature a 200MP camera sensor and Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. It certainly stands a chance to start some kind of rivalry. The price is also somewhat close to the level of the iPhone 14.
Apple will most likely launch four new models: the standard iPhone 14, the large iPhone 14 Max/Plus, the Pro version, and the highly advanced iPhone 14 Pro Max. Rumors and leaks indicate major upgrades on the Pro models – from design, camera upgrades, new chipset, premium features and much more. The starting price is expected to be between $749 and $799.


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Go Mini: goes live later this month
A motoring magazine for fans of the new Mini is to launch at the end of this month.
Go Mini is the latest launch from Gloucester-based A&S Publishing, the company responsible for Retro Cars.
The 116-page bimonthly aims to reflect the lifestyles of mini drivers and will feature news, events, gadgets and road tests.
A&S Publishing already publishes Mini Magazine for fans of the original car but group editor Gerard Hughes said owners of the new Mini wanted their own magazine.
“They want their own scene. There are already some very active web communities. The car has had good coverage in the mainstream media but what we are going to give them is a concentrated hit,” he told Press Gazette.
“Everyone knows what a success it has been. It is not just a car people use to get them from A to B – they absolutely love it and we recognised the need for a title.”
Hughes said the three-month waiting list to purchase the new Mini showed that demand continued to outstrip supply. BMW is believed to have sold over 100,000 new Minis since it launched two years ago with an estimated quarter of a million new Minis sold worldwide – making it the fastest-selling BMW ever.
The first issue will go behind the scenes of the remake of the film classic The Italian Job, which was released earlier this year, which features the new Mini. It also contains an interview with Sunday Times columnist, Top Gear presenter and car pundit Jeremy Clarkson and a feature on the car’s triumph in California.
Although 40 per cent of sales are in the UK, Hughes said it has been a big success in the US. He said the editorial would also reflect the car’s values.
“People feel they are great value for money. They are very tactile cars. They have an enormous personality and are fun and entertaining,” he said.
“We have spent a lot of time making sure we have got quality photography and editorial and we want that to come across in the magazine.”
Chris Anderson, editor of sister title Total Car Audio, will edit both publications. Bonnie Coupland has moved across from Mini Magazine to be art editor and Richard Hammond is on board as staff writer.
Go Mini is due to launch throughout the UK on 27 November with a print run of 40,000 and cover price of £3.80.
A&S Publishing also produces Total BMW, Fast Ford, Total Vauxhall and Retro Cars.
By Ruth Addicott


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Economist story on whether or not there's really a market for ultra-pricey ear candy. Within that domain, the Frank Nuovo-designed Vertu phone was recently joined by another high-priced market entry from Siemens:
...many luxury brands, observes [ Danielle Keighery of Vertu], subsequently launch more affordable versions of their products. So the gap between Vertu's cheapest phone and Nokia's most expensive may yet be closed. In the longer term, Vertu plans to exploit the emergence of "wearable" technology, as phones morph into jewellery. Here, Vertu may be on to something, says Sofia Ghachem, an analyst at UBS Warburg. Siemens, another handset maker, has just launched a new range of wearable "fashion accessory phones" under the name Xelibri. It will produce two "collections" of Xelibri phones a year, in the hope that marketing phones as fashion items will encourage people to buy new handsets more often. With market penetration at around 80% in western Europe, growth in handset sales has stalled and Siemens believes its new approach could give the industry a much-needed boost.
Link to Economist story, Link to Flash-bloated Vertu website, Link to Infosync news item about Xelibri (with product photo... what inspires these elite-phones' designers to think they each have to reinvent the keypad?) Discuss (thanks, Numair)
Ok, it’s not just solar powered. It’s also an anti-theft, waterproof marvel that keeps my phone’s power bar from ever getting into the red.Sure the idea seems obvious now – tuck a gigantic solar powered battery pack into an exposed slot and turn the wearer into a walking energy harvester. Simple maybe, but I didn’t […]
The office I work in is full of things old people buy to make themselves feel young again. I can honestly say that our awesome new toy, The Swagtron T3 Hoverboard, makes me feel very, very old. I’ll explain why later. Swagtron T3 Pros There’s no way to overcharge the battery and that means no […]
DJI is the world’s leading designer and producer of easy-to-fly drones and aerial photography systems. If you’re a drone enthusiast, you want a DJI. If you know absolutely nothing about drones and think they’re weird, if you win a DJI you’re going to become a drone enthusiast.Enter this giveaway (for free, yes) and you’ll get a […]
Although there will never be a consensus about the best way to make coffee, any coffee connoisseur will agree that controlling the grind of your beans and balancing water temperature are the keys to a tasty cup. Since your plastic coffee pot doesn’t really allow for that kind of customization, going back to the French […]


text: BBH and British Airways pay tribute to those who first took flight -- and follow in their footsteps. A feel-good spot from a campaign that incorporates print elements, the 90-second spot first aired on the BA Facebook page -- a first for the brand. This new multi-million pound campaign is one of the most expensive ever for the British company and its biggest brand campaign in a decade. The social media element also includes teaser footage and new interactive apps, all based around the company's redesigned coat of arms that reads: "To Fly. To Serve."


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Google is adding its own music app to its Mixcloud music service, following the launch of a similar service earlier this year.
Google Play is a free-to-use music service that lets users play music through their devices.
Mixcloud is Google’s version of Spotify, which has more than 30 million active users.
The service is a mix of paid and free apps, but it doesn’t have a paid music library.
It also doesn’t include support for streaming music.
MixCloud allows users to add music to playlists and albums.
It’s not clear when Mixcloud will launch in the United States, but the service was initially available only in Europe.
Google’s Music app was launched in 2017 and offers a selection of curated music from artists like Jay-Z and Beyonce, along with a wide variety of other artists.
Google is also working on a new music app that will be available in 2018, but hasn’t announced when.


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It’s a number of years since we took the opportunity to talk to Finnish tyre manufacturer Nokian Tyres about their role in the global truck tyre market and their position in the retreading sector specifically, but with new CEO Jukka Moisio now in place, we thought that now would be a good time to ask the company’s commercial tyre department for an update on their activities.
Finnish Manufacturer Outlines Aims for Retread Sector
Speaking to Manu Salmi, SVP Managing Director of Nokian Heavy Tyres Ltd and Ari Maunula, Business Line Director On-Road, Nokian Heavy Tyres Ltd, the first question we asked was what the key aims were for the Nokian Tyres brand in the European CV tyre sector.
“Nokian Tyres is traditionally known to be the leading premium winter tyre brand,” explained the company in a statement. “We focus highly on high-quality specialised tyres in selected markets such as agriculture and contracting, forestry, earthmoving and road maintenance, underground mining, ports and terminals, all-terrain trucks, truck and bus tyres, retreading materials and smart tyres. Safety comes always first in everything, and our target is to create peace of mind in all conditions. Our product range includes also non-winter tyres and the aim is to make people more aware of this.”
With regards to the latest innovations being made in these sectors, the company points out that these have been largely related to multi-use tyres. “Machines are getting bigger and more different kinds of tasks are done with single vehicles and machines,” says the company. “They also go faster. Development of autonomous vehicles is increasing as well. All these set new kinds of requirements for tyres as well. Our latest releases on multi-use tires are Nokian Tractor King, a tractor tyre for forestry, road maintenance and earthmoving as well as the Nokian Ground King tractor tyre featuring new Hybrilug technology that combines the best qualities of a traditional lug tyre and a block pattern tyre’s on-road qualities.”
The company says it also has an ambitious target to launch lots of new innovative high-quality tyres and increase safety in all aspects, and therefore Nokian Tyres have built a huge state-of-the-art Heavy Tyres R&D centre that will be fully up and running this summer. This is part of a larger production capacity investment made earlier.
One further innovation is the Nokian Tyres Intuitu smart tyre solution launched at the end of last year. “Smart tyre sales will start gradually this Autumn,” says the company. “Intuitu is an easy plug and play solution, all you need do is order smart tyres and download an app for your phone, and it will give you more savings, better safety and continued warranty among some other benefits. The Intuitu solution will be developed all the time and additional features will come.”
Meanwhile, the Nokian Hakka Truck range is aimed at the all-weather market – i.e. a central European climate. With this in mind, we asked whether this was part of an intential strategy to develop the brand’s position in the central European markets.
The strategy, answered the company, was based on several tactical ranges which are Nokian Hakkapeliitta Truck, Nokian Hakka Truck, Nokian E-Truck and Nokian R-Truck, in addition to which Nokian Tyres offers comes Noktop and E-tread ranges for retreading. The new ranges Nokian E-Truck and Nokian R-Truck has increased already the number of new customers and countries to the company, with availability being one key to success with an increased number of local Nokian Tyres CV sector people on the ground. All products are made in Europe supporting the growth target and ensuring availability and logistics efficiency.
On the specific subject of Nokian Tyres’ position in the retreading market, the company confirmed that main markets are still the Nordic countries, Russia and Europe, although North America has been identified as a potential growth market for the future. In the Nordics Nokian Tyres has the strongest network to offer to anybody who makes transportation in the area. As a result, the company is now looking to expand its service to the fleet sector in Europe as well as in Russia in the future.
Russia, says the company, has been a growth market for Nokian Tyres during the last few years. In fact, the number of Noktop customers in Russia is now higher than the number of retreaders in the company’s combined Scandinavian customer base. New tyre coverage in Russia is also claimed to be improving all the time. “Logistics is more challenging in a big market like Russia with big cities and long distances, but Nokian Tyres is able to offer a good structure and excellent market support,” says the company.


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Apple last night released the iOS 4.3 update, only three and a half months after the previous update. You can say what you like about Apple’s closed eco-system but there will no doubt be many Android phone users out there enviously wanting such consistent and regular updates across all devices.
Steve Jobs gave us a preview of iOS 4.3 at the launch of the iPad 2 last week and Apple has now released the update for the iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and third and fourth generation iPod touches. It means the end of the line for iPhone 3G users getting updates but that had been known since iOS 4.3 was seeded to developers at the start of this year.
Check out the source link below for the full details of the update, which Apple says is now available via iTunes. Let us know what you think and whether it adds anything new or worthwhile to your iDevice.


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New York-based Rubie’s Costume Company has filed a voluntary petition under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code in New York.
The Beige family-owned company has sought to facilitate financial restructuring under Chapter 11 – a form of bankruptcy that involves a reorganisation of a debtor’s business affairs, debts, and assets.
Companies generally file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy if they are looking for time to restructure their debts, as it allows debtors to have a fresh start. The filing relates specifically to the USA business and some of its affiliates and does not include the UK or European arms of the company.
As the world’s largest designer, manufacturer and distributor of costumes, with offices around the globe, Rubie’s is a family-owned and operated business that has been in operation for some seven decades. It is also a major player in licensing, with major partnerships including Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Warner Bros., and Nickelodeon.
“Given the highly seasonal nature of our business, our manufacturing relationships in China, the chilling impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the US and the global economy and potential liquidity pressures, the Board of Directors determined that the Chapter 11 filing is our best path forward as we carry out our restructuring efforts,” said Rubie’s president Marc Beige. “We believe that this decision will best serve our customers, licensors, employees and business partners.”
Rubie’s recently reduced its US workforce as its East and West Coast operations were deemed non-essential on 26 March. The company has turned its manufacturing facilities over to producing urgent goods including hand sanitiser and personal protective equipment (PPE) to be used in the ongoing fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
The company plans to ‘use cash collateral’ and is currently looking to place a new financing facility that will: “provide for the continuation of its operations, including payments to vendors, employees, customers, and creditors.”
It has filed customary first-day motions with the Bankruptcy Court to support operations during the court-supervised process, including motions requesting authority to pay prepetition employee wages and benefits and to continue customer and licensor engagements.
The New York filing can be found under case number 20-71970.


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Industry Approaches $1B Annual Sales
Think that e-cigarettes are just a fad?
Altria, the largest tobacco company in the US and maker of “Marlboro,” silenced any questions as to their timing on entry into the e-cigarette business.
“MarkTen” was announced at an investor meeting, which is a new brand expected to offer both disposable and rechargeable models.
Previously, another tobacco behemoth, Reynolds American discussed plans for distribution of “VUSE” — their new e-cigarette. Dan Delen, CEO of Reynolds American, stated that he is committed to making the product less harmful.
Adding to leader “Blu,” which was purchased by Lorillard for more than $100M — these brands demonstrate the potential of the e-cigarette business. According to a 2008 report conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC.GOV) — big tobacco spent over $10 billion on marketing in 2008 alone (approximately $29,000,000 per DAY). The boom of the e-cigarette business is likely to continue, and Vape Holdings hopes to achieve substantial market share as new brands are developed and partnerships are formed.
Some information from this post was acquired from CBS News:


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Aldi could be opening up for trade in Barnoldswick after it was revealed the supermarket is looking to build a new store.
Pendle Council’s planning department and Barnoldswick councillors have held a pre-application meeting with representatives from Aldi and Albert Hartley, the site of the proposed store.
A planning application is expected to be submitted in mid-April for an 18,000sq.ft. store on the oldest part of Crownest Mill next to Crownest Road.
According to Coun. David Whipp, that area of the mill is largely redundant and Albert Hartley’s plan would be to retain its business the newer buildings towards the West Close Road side.
An application for an Aldi in Barnoldswick was knocked back at a special council meeting in 2012 when three supermarket plans were considered by councillors.
An approximate 36,000sq.ft. unnamed store at Albert Hartley was approved by councillors, but councillors refused Aldi’s then application at the Skipton Road Business Park and an application for a Tesco at the L and P Springs site off Wellhouse Road.
Coun. Whipp said: “If all goes to schedule, the planning application could be considered by councillors in June.
“The proposal is for a store half the size of the previous approval, which didn’t proceed.
“The approval before had various conditions about Albert Hartley remaining on the site and employing more people which was a critical factor in getting the permission before.
“However, this is completely new application and there will have to be fresh criteria put forward to justify why an employment site should be used for retail purpose.”


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Meet the new generation of 'It Girls' – from Romeo Beckham's girlfriend to Princess Diana's nieces
IN the nineties and noughties, “It Girls” were known for their wild partying, skimpy outfits and outrageous social lives – and now there’s a new generation of high society influencers in town.
Fashion magazine Tatler has revealed their list of new “It Girls” to watch this year. But just how many do you recognise?
And how do they live up to the antics of their predecessors, including the likes of Lady Victoria Hervey and Tamara Beckwith, before them?
Here, we take a closer look at the new generation of high society models set to make names for themselves this year…
Double trouble: Lady Eliza & Lady Amelia Spencer
Their glamorous aunt Princess Diana was one of the most famous and most photographed women in the world before her tragic death in 1997– so it’s no surprise her twin nieces Eliza and Amelia Spencer, 28, have followed in her footsteps to become society's most talked about sisters.
The blonde-haired, blue-eyed model pair are the daughters of Earl Spencer, and their luxury lifestyles are well documented on their Instagram accounts, from growing up in a Cape Town mansion, to travelling the world.
They have maintained their royal relationships, and caused a stir on Twitter when they attended the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in 2011 alongside their sister Kitty.
Rock royalty: Stella Jones
When your dad is Clash guitarist Mick Jones, you’re bound to rock the world in one way or another and natural beauty Stella Jones is finding her own way of doing just that.
From gracing the cover of Vogue to modelling for Fendi, the 18-year-old is climbing the modelling ladder to the top.
She’s also best friends with Kate Moss’ daughter Lila, and was signed to Kate’s modelling agency having known the iconic model since she was a baby.
Recipe for success: Evie Henderson
Daughter of celebrated society chef Skye Gyngell, 23-year-old Evie Henderson is making a name for herself in her own right, building up her own online fashion and beauty brand.
Tatler compares her to former flesh-flashing 90s It Girl Lady Victoria Hervey, the daughter of the 6th Marquess of Bristol.
Her social media is littered with images showing glam restaurants and sunny exotic looking locations.
As well as an interest in fashion, the model and actress also has a penchant for the art world.
One to Beck: Mia Regan
Signed to the renowned modelling agency Storm who discovered Kate Moss and Cara Delavingne, Mia Regan, also known to her pals as Mimi, is often seen embracing a 90s-inspired vintage style.
The 18-year-old also has another claim to fame – she’s dating football royalty David Beckham’s son Romeo, 17.
The pair have been together since September 2019, and Mia often sports future mother-in-law Victoria Beckham’s designs.
And having accumulated over 364k Instagram followers, the teen is one to watch.
Priceless beauty: The Hon Delphi Primrose
A post shared by delph! (@delphiprimrose)
Daughter of fine art auction house Sotheby’s boss Lord Harry Dalmeny and his ex-wife Caroline Daglish, 17-year-old Delphi Primrose has also recently been snapped up by Storm modelling agency.
In 2013, Lord Dalmeny rode in the Queen's carriage at Royal Ascot, showing his royal credentials.
The rising starlet has four siblings, including her triplet sisters, Celeste and Lavinia.
She spent lockdown at her family pile, Dalmeny House, near Edinburgh, and according to LinkedIn, studies maths, art and history of art.
Modelling material: Kesewa Aboah
London-born Kesewa Aboah, 26, has modelled for the likes of Michael Kors, and has also been credited as the muse for Miu Miu and Alexander McQueen campaigns.
It’s little surprise, considering her mother, Camilla Lowther OBE, is a fashion businesswoman and talent manager and her father Charles Aboah is a former fashion location scout.
Multi-talented Kesewa is also an abstract painter and completed a BA in fine art in New York.
Despite her striking good looks, she admits she doesn’t really wear makeup, opting for a low maintenance skin routine which involves moisturising her body with high street purchase Palmer’s Cocoa Butter.
Singer-songwriter: March Fry
After attending £20k-a-year St James School in London, March went on to pursue a career in jazz, and released her debut EP “Sugar Moon” in 2020.
Her music paid tribute to her mother, socialite Hannah Aspinall, who died at the age of 61 in 2019.
The rising star is the daughter of chocolate heir Cosmo Fry, and also has her own sustainable fashion brand, Venus Tease.
Reality TV stardom: Lady Camilla Beresford
Her father Henry Nicholas de la Poer Beresford is the 9th Marquess of Waterford, and her family own a 2,500 acre estate in Ireland, so Lady Camilla Beresford, 25, has always been destined for great things.
Having studied fashion at Bath Spa University, Camilla launched her own fashion label, Camilla De La Poer.
Now she regularly shares images from her life in London, at home in Ireland and on holiday to far flung destinations including the Maldives with her 5,000 Instagram followers.
Pre-pandemic, she was regularly snapped at London parties at swanky London hotspots, attending everything from fashion week to award ceremonies.
She also appeared in MTV series The Royal World, a reality series documenting those living in high society.
With youth and a healthy bank balance, it seems there’s nothing these well-connected socialites can’t achieve.
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GRAND ISLAND, N.Y.(WIVB) – Refunds are set to be issued for Fantasy Island season ticket holders.
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday that a settlement was reached guaranteeing a full refund for anyone that purchased season passes, meal plans, and associated goods and services for the 2020 season.
“While Western New Yorkers struggle financially with the economic impact of the coronavirus, I’m pleased to announce that we will soon make consumers whole by providing those who prepaid for season passes, meals, and associated services at Fantasy Island with nearly $425,000 in financial restitution,” said Attorney General James.
Officials have yet to set a timetable for mailing checks out, but they say they have names and contact information for all 2020 season pass purchasers and are working hard to set a date.
Fantasy Island announced its closure in mid-February.


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Yamaha revises its prices upwards
The global financial and then economic crisis causes an upward trend in the purchase price of new motorcycles: Yamaha Motor France, as others have done or will do, increases its prices by around 3.5% from from December 1. Details.
The Fazer case
|Appeared in 1998 on the French market, the example of the Fazer 600 demonstrates Yamaha’s efforts to fight against rising prices: sold at the time 48,990 francs (7,470 €), the machine – faired version – s’ showed in 2008 at € 7,090 (5% … less!), despite the drastic switch to Euro3, the use of an aluminum frame and an engine derived from the R6 !|
Impossible to miss today: the "crisis" which makes the headlines of the media is a worrying phenomenon which nobody seems to be able to stop and which draws the sacrosanct purchasing power down. Already hard hit by the increase in the liter of unleaded, two-wheeler users will also have to deal with a rise in the price of new motorcycles…
So, after Jean-Luc Mars for Honda (read), it is now Jean-Claude Olivier for Yamaha’s turn to announce price increases.
"For two years, the Euro has been very strong, which has enabled us not to pass on the increase in the cost of raw materials or the new Euro 3 technologies on retail prices", explains the emblematic CEO of Yamaha Motor France, at the top of the French registrations of 125 and more last October (read).
But these good results (the Tmax, precursor of the maxi scooters, sold 455 copies last month, that is to say 68 units more than the 600 Fazer and only 60 less than "the usual" best selling French, the Kawasaki Z 750) are not enough to counter the surge in the cost of raw materials and the unfavorable monetary parity: "the Euro has depreciated by 25% against the Yen since April 2008", says Yamaha.
Consequently, "reviewing our pricing policy is a difficult but necessary decision", JCO tranche:"our prices will be readjusted on average by 3.5%. This increase will apply from December 1, 2008 for the 2009 motorcycle range and from January 1, 2009, for the 2009 quad range.".
A substantial increase that the brand with three tuning forks also justifies by "the constant striving for quality and innovation that Yamaha owes to its customers. Technological evolution, research and development, a high standard of finish and workmanship are and will remain a priority towards which Yamaha strives to always work", specifies the manager of the French subsidiary.
If we note a measured inflation for the highly demanded X-Max 125 and YBR 125 (€ 9 more than the prices communicated in mid-October), the recent YZF R 125 takes almost 2.7% (4,099 € against 3,990 previously). The medium displacement are also harder hit, with a small 3% increase on the FZ6 N S2 (6,999 € instead of 6,790) and on the streamlined version (7,499 € against 7,290 previously), while the sulphurous YZF R6 jumps just under 4% (€ 11,660 against 11,200).
The 1000cc for their part show an increase of around 4.5% on the FZ 1 and the Fazer 1000 and a little less than 3% on the MT-01 (€ 14,000 instead of 13,590).
More surprisingly, the venerable TDM goes from 8,790 € to 9,150 €, or nearly 4% more to pay for this motorcycle that one would have thought to be largely amortized and not really concerned by the costs of research and development or sophisticated technologies. Same reflection for the FJR 1300 which takes more than 650 € in its standard version – without the robotic box – and which is now exchanged at 16,250 € !
For their part, novelties like the XJ6 N will be invoiced 6,149 € (6,549 € with ABS, available in January) while the faired version XJ6 S will cost 6,549 € in standard version and 6,949 € in ABS version ( available in March, read).
The eagerly awaited 2009 R1 (read) charges a ruby on the nail for its motorization in direct affiliation with the 800cc MotoGP of Valentino Rossi: at 15,290 €, the sporting flagship of the brand has jumped 1,300 euros compared to the posted price at the release of the 2007 model (read our) !
Available from March 2009, the new R1 2009 will undoubtedly appeal to fans of "always more", but the wallet of many bikers may direct them to the promotions granted on the already very efficient previous model…
Practical – The 2009 Honda prices are also increasing – Used HONDA
2009 Honda prices also increase Japanese manufacturers have announced in recent months, one after the other, price increases for 2009. Honda is no…
Practical – Kawasaki lowers its prices on 2008 models and expects increases in 2009 – Used KAWASAKI
Kawasaki lowers prices on 2008 models, expects increases in 2009 As usual, Kawasaki unveils new prices which give pride of place to good discounts on…
Practice – New price increases at Yamaha – Used YAMAHA
Further price increases at Yamaha While the month of April and its rays of sun tended to make bikers smile again, the new wave of price increases…
Practical – Suzuki also increases its 2009 prices – Used SUZUKI
Suzuki also increases its 2009 prices Logically, after Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki, Suzuki in turn unveils prices revised upwards for most of its models….
Practical – New prices and ABS at Suzuki this spring – Used SUZUKI
New rates and ABS at Suzuki this spring In 2009, two additional models will be equipped with ABS at Suzuki: GSX 650 F and Burgman 400. The manufacturer…
Business – Yamaha drops the prices of its FZ8 and Super Tenere! – Used YAMAHA
Yamaha drops the prices of its FZ8 and Super Tenere ! Les Bleus fans are patient: since November 23, 2009 and the publication of the first photo of the…
Practical – Prices and availability of KTM RC125 and RC390 – Used KTM
Prices and availability of KTM RC125 and RC390 The RC125 and RC390, the first small-displacement sports motorcycles produced by KTM, are currently…
Practical – The prices of BMW motorcycles up sharply for the start of the 2018 school year – Used BMW
Prices for BMW motorcycles up sharply for the 2018 school year BMW has just unveiled the new price list for its motorcycles and scooters, in which there…
Practical – Scooter prices: Yamaha ” tracks ” the price of the Tmax 530 – Used YAMAHA
Scooter prices: Yamaha “ tracks ” the price of the Tmax 530 Good news for bikers interested in the Yamaha Tmax 530: its price drops by 500 euros! Less…
Practical – With the RevTranslator application, Yamaha lets your engine do the talking … – Used YAMAHA
With the RevTranslator app, Yamaha makes your engine talk … In an attempt to retain a clientele among young people while the average age of…


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May 3, 2005
The Neiman's Challenge: Staying at Top of Luxury Under Two New Owners
NEW YORK — The new owners of Neiman Marcus have a tough act to follow.The top U.S. luxury chain on Monday announced a definitive agreement to be sold to two private equity firms, Texas Pacific Group and Warburg Pincus LLC, for $100 a...
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The announcement of mobile Diablo Immortal during BlizzCon 2018 did not go smoothly. Frustrated fans who expected something more about Blizzard’s promises went on to share their negative emotions on the official Blizzard forums (including other titles, such as WoW) and to dislike the cinematic announcement video of the game.
Polygon had an interview with executive producer and Blizzard co-founder Allen Adham and production director Dan Elggren about the response the company has received to Diablo Immortal.
“We have said that we have multiple Diablo teams working on multiple Diablo projects and that remains true, even after releasing [Diablo 3 for Nintendo] Switch and announcing Diablo: Immortal,” Adham said. “We still have multiple Diablo teams working on multiple unannounced Diablo projects. Diablo is a tentpole franchise for us. And it always will be. We love it. We hope our fans understand what we’re saying when we say that.”
They went on to say that the world is evolving, and there is a large demographic that uses mobile devices as their main gaming platform, especially the younger generation. It is Blizzard’s plan to weave the mobile gaming into their audience, that currently is mostly centered around PCs and consoles.
In another interview with Digital Trends, Allen Adham commented that Blizzard has not forgotten about the core Diablo fans. He also said that it was Hearthstone and its mobile port that opened Blizzard’s eyes to broader opportunity.
I can say, without getting overly specific, that we have big plans for the mobile space. It’s a big initiative for us across Blizzard, and you can expect to see more mobile titles from us spanning all of our IPs at some point in the future.


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October 21, 2021 02:14 ET | Source: Fortune Business Insights Fortune Business Insights
Pune, India, October 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Due to the incr
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Dragon Ball Project Z Gets Its First Trailer
After being announced two weeks ago, Bandai Namco has shared the first trailer for a game currently known as Project Z, an upcoming title based on the long-running anime series Dragon Ball Z. This game will be the first Dragon Ball Z action RPG to release on home consoles.
The new trailer for Project Z shows that the game is going to be a re-telling of the events of the Saiyan and Frieza Sagas from the series. It's currently unknown if the Android and Buu Sagas will be included.
Project Z is be developed by Cyber Connect 2, a studio that is known for its work on the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series as well as the 2012 cult-hit Asura's Wrath. Furthermore, the new action RPG is being designed using Unreal Engine 4, the same engine that powered last year's Dragon Ball FighterZ.
The game will feature an open-world, allowing players to explore the land that Akira Toriyama created. It will also feature both Japanese and English voiceovers.
Project Z is currently planned for release sometime in late 2019, and it will be available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.


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ExaGrid stores away $16M in fifth funding round
- Rodney H. Brown
Westborough-based storage company ExaGrid Systems Inc. has landed $16 million in a Series E round of funding, according to federal documents. The company has now taken in a total of $93 million in venture funding.
According to president and CEO William Andrews, $8 million came from new backer and round leader Investor Growth Capital of New York, with the remainder coming from existing investors, which include Highland Capital Partners of Lexington, Lehman Brothers Venture Partners in New York and Sigma Partners of Boston.
The new funds will be used to continue the company’s growth, Andrews said, but did not reveal any specifics other than to say ExaGrid would be adding to its headcount. That growth has been steady for the company over the past two years, despite the rough economy, Andrews said.
“We’ve had consecutive growth in the last nine quarters in a row and grown 15 out of the last 16 quarters,” he said. “Through the whole downturn we’ve been adding headcount.”
ExaGrid has 500 corporate and institutional customers for its disk-based backup storage systems, including 7-Eleven Stores, Lawrence General Hospital and Hitachi Consulting to name just a few. Andrews said the company is adding about 70 more customers per quarter.
In December of 2008, ExaGrid closed on its Series D round, raising $12 million. That round came almost one year after it closed its Series C round worth $20 million.
ExaGrid, founded in 2002, develops disk-based backup systems to replace disk-to-tape data protection. The company offers data compression and byte-level data de-duplication technology.
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Ubisecure and Seguridad América have joined forces in an effort to provide better digital identity services to customers in Latin America. The alliance will allow Seguridad to offer Ubisecure’s various identity management products to clients throughout the region, where it is expected to enable both internal and public-facing applications.
To that end, Ubisecure’s Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) portfolio includes on-premises, cloud, and Identity-as-a-Service delivery options. Those solutions will allow new and existing Seguridad users to secure their accounts with features like Multi-Factor Authentication and Single Sign-on capabilities.
“Seguridad América knows its local market inside and out,” said Ubisecure Channel and Alliances VP Jonathan Clark. “Its strong customer focus makes it an ideal partner for bespoke and standardized digital identity deployments.”
“We are one step closer to being the main Latin American facilitator of digital cybersecurity solutions and digital transformation,” added Seguridad Sales President Victor Gonzalez.
Ubisecure recently announced that its IDaaS platform would offer support for Hitachi’s finger vein technology, and launched a new onboarding pilot designed specifically for banks. The company has also integrated Onfido’s selfie-based authentication technology into its own CIAM platform. The Onfido solution uses face and document recognition to compare a photo of the user to the photo on a physical ID like a driver’s license.
May 11, 2020 – by Eric Weiss


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Over the past five years, China’s Spring Festival holiday has become a battleground among the country’s biggest internet companies, and as new technologies such as short video become increasingly popular, the fronts are shifting. Read More
Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) has partnered with tech giant Baidu to distribute “red packets” during the world’s most-watched television show of the year—the Spring Festival Gala. Read More
Baidu-backed video platform Haokan has accused tech giant Tencent of anti-competitive behavior after its video content was blocked on WeChat Moments, the platform’s equivalent of Facebook’s News Feed. Read More
In China, third-party search engines are a way to access files stored in cloud storage services. Many of these cloud storage resources ended up becoming a source of pirated TV shows and movies and illegal content. Read More
Many entertainment startup founders believe that if their companies continue to do well in China, they will likely end up being acquired by or receiving investments from Baidu, Alibaba or Tencent (BAT). Read More
How do you know when a copyright has been infringed? For years, this wasn’t even a question people asked in China because it was so obvious. Slowly but surely, though, China’s enforcement of copyright infringement has improved. Read More
Following Lu Qi's resignation as Baidu COO last month, Chinese online video platform iQiyi announced yesterday that Lu Qi had resigned as iQiyi's board member and chairman of the remuneration committee with effect from June 14. Read More
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|Computers the New Editors – Oh Dear!
By: Doug Bedell
The New York Times – bless it for its coverage its own passing era – reports on how Facebook engineers and algorithms are becoming the overseers of what we once called news. Now, instead of events of some shared local or cosmic importance, “news” is what Facebook users may be interested in seeing in their “news feeds.” It looks to be an increasingly random way of gauging what’s going on “out there."
How PR people relate to this new setting for gaining the attention of viewers, listeners or, ultimately, customers or supporters is an immense new challenge. You already knew that, but this Times piece by Ravi Somaiya brings it all nicely together.
(Photo: Facebook’s Menlo Park, Calif., campus. “A study says 30 percent of adults in America get news from the social network." Jim Wilson/The New York Times.)
Doug Bedell has a background in journalism and PR and is the owner of Resource Relations LLC in Central PA, focusing on organizational and crisis communication. He’s the community manager of SimplyFair.net, a social network on fairness. On the Web, Doug’s at www.ResourceRelations.com. On Twitter, he’s @DougBeetle.
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May 6, 2014
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services today launched a statewide awareness campaign for its insurance consumer advocacy services. Consumer advocates in the department’s Insurance Division help consumers who have questions or problems with their insurance and recovered more than $1 million for Oregonians in 2013. “We hope that by spreading the word across the state more Oregonians can take advantage of these valuable services,” said Patrick Allen, director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services. “As an unbiased and official source of information, advocates can help consumers navigate the complexities of insurance policies, and if we find something wrong, we can take action on behalf of the consumer.” Funded by 13 separate multistate settlements with life insurance companies, outreach efforts will focus on helping Oregonians understand the resources available to them to help resolve insurance problems. The campaign includes advertisements – such as billboard and transit, TV, newspaper, and digital – as well as community engagement. The division will be speaking to communities around the state about its services and providing information to community organizations. To watch the TV ad, click here. The Insurance Division's consumer advocates are highly experienced in insurance issues and are available at no charge to help consumers with questions or problems related to auto, health, homeowner, life, or other types of insurance policies. Advocates can help explain complex policies, mediate miscommunications with insurance companies, and escalate issues that need further investigation. Consumer advocates can be reached toll-free at 888-877-4894 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, and also via email [email protected]. The division’s website, http://www.insurance.oregon.gov, has more information about a variety of insurance topics. The Department of Consumer and Business Services is Oregon's largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. Visit http://www.dcbs.oregon.gov.


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Abu Dhabi Big Ticket Announces First Holiday Gift Promotion This gives UAE residents the opportunity to travel to any place of their choice and celebrate the upcoming holidays with friends and family.
Until April 30, customers who spend 1,000 dirhams on the ‘buy to get one free’ offer can participate in the electronic draw. The 10 winners will get flight tickets worth AED 10,000 to fly to each destination. The names of the lucky winners will be announced on May 1 through the official website of the Big Ticket and the social media platforms.
In addition, the customer will have the opportunity to win a grand prize of 12 million dirhams and three other cash prizes in a live draw on May 3, as well as a weekly prize of 300,000 dirhams.
Winners will be contacted via the phone number or email id they provide when purchasing their tickets. Winners will then be invited to the Big Ticket Office and presented with prizes. It’s time to travel the world with the Big Ticket, organizers said. “We are giving customers more opportunities to win big tickets with Big Tickets this April,” the organizers added.
The promotion will run until 11.59pm on April 30th. To purchase tickets, residents can visit the Big Ticket Stores at Abu Dhabi International Airport and Al Ain Airport or purchase from the official website www.bigticket.ae.


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The payments company is working to give its customers more choices, in hopes of becoming a bigger part of their financial lives.
At the Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco, visitors are given an RFID wristband that can be loaded with money to pay for food, drinks and merchandise.
We also look at Facebook's changes to its Messenger app and Cuban content coming to the US via Dish Network.
CEO Dan Schulman envisions a day when cashier lines die off as phones give people "all the power of a bank branch in the palm of their hand."
We also hit on PayPal's push for more workplace flexibility and Elon Musk's vision for Mars.
The payments company starts a return-to-work program called Recharge in another push by the tech industry to provide more workplace flexibility.
To remain in business there, the online payments service would need to set up local IT systems, which it does not plan to do.
The payments service says it will cease support for apps on these mobile platforms in order to focus more on Apple iOS and Google Android devices.
Hogan, the former pro wrestler, won more than $115 million in a Florida jury trial in March. Turns out he had some significant backing from a Silicon Valley billionaire.
Planning on crowdfunding a pair of hamburger earmuffs or those fancy neon hover boots? Be warned: PayPal won't back your purchase if the campaign falls through.
The company reveals it received a request in March for documents related to a probe into possible deceptive or unfair practices by Venmo.
Amazon hooks up with boutique clothier Moda Operandi, hoping to catch some magic for its fledgling payments service.
How much do you hate wrinkled clothes?
A Swedish company known for its high-end ironing systems will soon begin to sell a smart iron that costs more than $1,000.