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Oki Europe Limited is celebrating three decades of innovation in the EMEA printer market, including the ground-breaking launch of Europe’s first LED printer in 1989 and several more ‘industry firsts’. Looking to the future, the company has pledged to continue their strategy of customer-led innovation, driven by a strong network of European staff and channel partners.
The anniversary was celebrated by OKI employees from across the EMEA region who came together in Athens to mark this historic occasion. OKI staff had the opportunity to relive the past 30 years of OKI’s technology innovations from OKI’s first printers to the latest launches.
Tributes were paid to employees who have worked for the organisation since it was established in Europe 30 years ago. OKI’s partner in Greece, CPI, was also honoured for their dedication and 25-year-long partnership with OKI.
Today, the major global brand has offices in 23 European countries and operates in 60 countries within EMEA. The first office in the region was established in 1984 in Dusseldorf, Germany.
“We are incredibly proud of OKI’s significant contribution to the EMEA printer market over the last 30 years and the major product breakthroughs we have achieved,” said Terry Kawashima, managing director, OKI Europe Ltd. “Our continued roadmap of innovation and strong European partner links have been fundamental to our success and will doubtless help us to accomplish our vision for future growth.”
By the late 1980s, robust and stable serial impact dot matrix (SIDM) printers remained the most commonly used and popular print technology. However, there was also clearly a growing need for fast, quiet, high-quality printers for a new generation of office PC users. This need was met by OKI in 1989 with the launch of the first LED desktop office printers – the OL400 and OL800 – to the European market.
In 1990, the acquisition of Technitron – one of the biggest European multi-national distributors – proved to be a defining moment for the EMEA organisation, creating a network of sales offices in Europe, driving business growth in the region and building the foundations of OKI Europe today.
Through this acquisition, the OKI Europe group expanded its geographical coverage to include Technitron’s sales subsidiaries in seven countries – the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Italy alongside Germany, tripling printer sales in the region.
Other significant milestones in OKI Europe’s 30-year history include:
· 1995: The OKIPage 4w, the world’s smallest printer with a footprint the size of a piece of A4 paper
· 1998: The OKIPage 8c, OKI’s first digital LED colour printer
· 1999: OKIFAX5750/5950 the world’s first real-time internet fax
· 2003: OKI C5000 Series – portfolio of small workgroup colour printers
· 2004: OKI C3000 Series – bringing fast, affordable desktop colour to European users
· 2005: C5500 MFP the world’s first A4 colour MFP
· 2006: C8600 – Europe’s smallest A3 colour page printer
· 2009: OKI Europe introduces the industry’s first standard three-year warranty
· 2013: ES9541 – the industry’s first digital LED 5 colour A3 Printer is launched, followed by the OKI MB700/MC700 with embedded open platform for improved document management and Smart Managed Document Solutions, OKI Europe’s MPS programme
· 2014: Launch of the Shinrai Partner Programme, OKI’s first pan-European partner programme
“OKI has a fantastic heritage of product innovation,” confirmed Kawashima “We have always placed the customer at the forefront of our innovations and developed technology to address issues they may not realise they even had. Our latest white toner LED printers and 5 colour printer – the ES9541 – are recent examples of how we continue to exceed customers’ expectations.
“Over the past 30 years, OKI Europe’s dedicated team, along with our strong partner network of distributors and resellers, has helped the business overcome some tough challenges and grow to become a market leader. The fact that they have continued to drive OKI’s product innovations has been key to our ongoing success.”
For further information on OKI Europe’s 30 years of innovation, including our innovation video and history board, visit www.okieurope.com/30Years-Innovation


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We all know that mothers are a marketing force to be reckoned with, but recent data dictates that their influence is growing. Controlling an estimated 80% of household expenditures – more than $2 trillion of U.S. consumer spending – their evolving media and technology habits are being closely watched by marketers.
Changing Purchase & Media Habits
Becoming a mother has a major impact on a woman’s buying and media consumption habits. According to a study from BabyCenter LLC, 85% of moms say having a baby changed their purchasing habits. Before having children, women cared most about quality, features, and design and after children their top concerns were safety, quality, and price. Also, interest and purchase in certain product categories, like camcorders, life insurance and appliances, spiked during pregnancy and early motherhood.
Media consumption habits also change for new mothers. Mothers tend to have less time for entertainment and focus more on getting their questions answered and buying the things they need. This is where digital media comes in.
The Disney Company reported the results of a study last year that revealed moms spend an average of 24 hours online per week connecting with family, searching for information and managing their lives and their families’ lives. The study found that moms are generally task-oriented when they surf the Web. Three out of four moms said they go to the Internet intending to complete a specific activity or goal.
Device of Choice
More recently moms have made a smartphone their device of choice. Moms are 18% more likely to have a smartphone than the average consumer. A study released in March by BabyCenter reported that more than half (53%) of the women surveyed said they purchased a smartphone as a direct result of becoming a mom. More than half (51%) also say they are “addicted” to their smartphone.
For moms with smartphones, more time is spent on the Web from their phone than their PC (6.1 hours a day vs. 4.1 hours). Overall a mom spends 37% of her daily media time with her smartphone — double that of time spent on television.
The Busy Mom
For the busy mom the smartphone is now an integral part of her shopping experience. In May 2011, research conducted by Graystripe found that 66% of moms use their smartphones while shopping. They further reported that 45% of connected moms use their smartphones to locate stores, while another 36% utilize some form of price comparison app or service.
Moms are also receptive to mobiles ads, especially those with coupons, nearby local deals, and bar code scanning. As reported by BabyCenter, nearly half (46%) of moms have taken action after seeing an ad on their smartphones.
Implications for Marketers
These profound shifts in media consumption and shopping habits have major implications for marketers. Mobile has become a critical element of the marketing mix for those wishing to connect with moms. Navigating the myriad of options for mobile marketing as well as a wide variety of other digital platforms is made easier when you consider all options that are available to you and determine which meets your specific marketing objectives.

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The North American International Auto Show, which will mark its 24th anniversary in January 2013, will begin a few days later than in recent years.
The Detroit Auto Dealers Association presented briefly the program for the 2013 show. January 14th and 15th are the media days, January 16th and 17th are for industry previews and January 18th is set for the charity preview. Beginning January 19th until January 27th, the show will be open for the public.
Initially known as the Detroit Auto Show back in 1907, the show had its name changed in 1989 in order to transform the event into the most high-profile showcase of new vehicles and automotive innovation in the entire world. 2008 and 2009 were quite rough for the North American International Auto Show, as the industry fell into a deep recession and the show’s venue, Cobo Center, was in doubt.
But the show got back on tracks in the last two years, and Rod Alberts, executive director of NAIAS declared that the DADA has just signed a 5-year agreement to stay at Cobo. The Center is now ndergoing a $299-million renovation and it is to be completed in January 2015. Although the show will begin a week later in 2013, officials said this won’t interfere with the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.


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News emerged earlier this week that Apple had acquired Israel-based fabless chip maker Anobit for as much as $500 million. Beyond the team and flash memory technology Apple will gain from the acquisition, the company reportedly plans to use the Anobit’s facilities as a research and development center. The deal is big for Apple on several levels — Anobit’s class-leading flash memory chips are already used in the iPhone, iPad and MacBook Air — but one former Apple executive believes fear was among the factors that motivated Apple to enter Israel, which is heralded by many as the “second Silicon Valley.”
“I think Apple is now entering Israel because of the loss of Jobs,” Eric Sirkin, a former senior director at Apple, told Israeli economic newspaper TheMarker in an interview. “Apple is afraid – it must be at the front of innovation. I believe that the company is now trying to inject innovation and Israel is part of the solution.”
Sirkin was with Apple for more than seven years in the nineties, having led a team within the company’s Macintosh unit. The executive managed the group responsible for creating FireWire technology as well as the Pippin, a low-cost computer designed to extend the Mac’s reach.
Prescience Partners returned 6.75% for the second quarter, underperforming the S&P 500's 8.55% return but coming out ahead of the Barclay Equity Long/ Short Index's 2.62% return. However, for the first six months of the year, Prescience is up 30.66%, doubling the S&P's 15.25% return and smashing the Barclay Equity Long/ Short Index's 9.27% return. Read More
Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/2011/12/21/jobss-passing-fear-stalled-innovation-prompt-apple-to-enter-israel-former-exec/


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Brown ballet shoes made for first time – BBC News
Brown ballet shoes made for first time – BBC News Ballet should be acceptable to everyone. You know no matter what finding fuel skin color in a better shop. It’S something very special. You have the feeling that you are part of the industry of Vents and you have the feeling that nothing is impossible. I’Ve been with the company for about 11 years. This is the first company where I was able to express myself artistically and find out who I am the dancer to have a shoe that I can just put on and go like. I’Ve, never thought that happen. You know so I’m just taking my cheap foundation to 99 a little sponge dabbing and just brushing across pancaking. Your shoe is kind of a tradition. So it’s just a a ritual. I think, but it’s again a tedious Rachel. It’S a messy ritual. When I was younger. I had to lack of preference to continue to Dubai land to be inspired because at the time in Paris I couldn’t see, I mean like black dancers, female or male and now being the one who are Vibrams. It’S it’s it’s expected. I hope I win tired. All the young palette, answers and Method wants to start spelling Pointe shoes in brown and bronze shades are being made in the UK for the first time.
Ballet Black, whose dancers are all of black and Asian descent have worked alongside shoe manufacturer Freed to create the new shoes.
Dancers Cira Robinson and Marie Astrid Mence spoke to the BBC about what it means to them during rehearsals for their latest show.
Produced by Fatma Wardy, Emily Wolstencroft, Rob Taylor and Claudia Redmond.
Please subscribe HERE http://bit.ly/1rbfUog


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Photo by Rez Avissar
Two years ago, Sufjan Stevens debuted "The BQE", a multimedia performance celebrating the frequently clogged expressway that connects Brooklyn to Queens. Next month, you'll be able to take home the massive multimedia set that documents the work, which will include a CD, DVD, comic book, and (of all things) a View-Master reel. The set will be available in the UK via Rough Trade on October 19 and in the U.S. via Asthmatic Kitty on October 20. But you already knew all that.
Last week, we showed you a quick peek of the "BQE" DVD, a weirdly absorbing succession of traffic jam footage and slo-mo hula-hooping. And now Asthmatic Kitty has made available an mp3 excerpt of the music portion. "Movement VIâ€”Isorhythmic Night Dance With Interchanges" is a characteristic bit of orchestral twee, like something from a particularly ambitious Illinois interlude. Right-click here to download it, or stream it on the Asthmatic Kitty site.


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Ride hailing firm Uber is continuing talks to buy Dubai-based rival Careem in a deal that could value the firm at $2-2.5bn, according to reports.
Bloomberg cited sources as confirming negotiations had continued after talks were first reported by the news service in July.
Careem’s management is said to be working to convince shareholders of the merits of the deal, although no final decision has been made.
“We believe the consumer internet opportunity in the region is massive and untapped,” Careem was quoted as saying.
“In the last couple of years, the rest of the world has begun to embrace this opportunity and we have been approached by multiple strategic and financial investors. Our ambition remains to build a lasting tech institution from the region.”
Uber declined to comment.
Among the goals of the talks are to resolve a costly rivalry in the Middle East and Africa, which has seen both firms slash fares.
Uber had previously said it wanted to own more than half of any combination with Careem, which was said to be in talks earlier this year to raise more than $500m from a listing.
Careem operates across more than 100 cities in the Gulf region, North Africa, Turkey, Palestine, Jordan, Pakistan, Iraq.
The company recently launched services in Sudan.


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Telecommunications companies dominated the second-quarter Socially Devoted analysis of customer service on Facebook by analytics provider Socialbakers, accounting for 60 percent of the 59 fastest responders.
Facebook continues to take steps to aid small and midsized businesses with advertising and marketing via the social network, but companies in the financial-services sector face unique challenges due to their heavily regulated industry. With this in mind, Facebook announced Thursday that it is teaming up with DigitalGroundUp – which describes itself as an interactive technology platform that teaches digital marketing via experiential online courses — to develop a series of courses to help those companies take full advantage of Facebook’s resources, while remaining fully compliant.
The telecommunications industry received the most customer-service questions via Facebook in the third quarter, while the finance industry is the most responsive, and Personal Argentina was the top brand on Facebook in terms of answered questions minus unanswered questions, according to the latest Socially Devoted report from social media analytics platform Socialbakers.
More companies are putting more importance on having a Facebook presence, but which industries have seen the most growth in terms of pages and fans? Analytics company Socialbakers crunched the numbers from July through September (the third quarter of the year), finding that health and travel were the kinds of Facebook pages being set up the most. Pages regarding health and alcohol saw the greatest gains in terms of fans.
Today is the most anticipated day for Facebook since the company went public May 18. The social network will release its second-quarter financial report at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT, giving the world a first glimpse into Facebook’s books. Several outlets have been speculating about just what is in this report.
Social statistics tracker ComScore recently released the latest Power of Like report, this one examining how Europeans use Facebook and other social media sites. The paper notes that in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, 32 percent of users’ Facebook time is spent on the news feed page.
It’s no secret that Facebook is trying to become a destination site, where you do pretty much everything possible online through the social network. According to CNN/Fortune, you might soon be able to do your banking on Facebook, too.
Trading stocks on Facebook will be possible starting this June through the company Loyal3, for a flat monthly rate of $10, $25 or $50.
The long-awaited Facebook initial public offering could go live as early as May 16, according to reports.
SharesPost says the current auction of Facebook shares is the last one that will take place on a private marketplace.


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New Delhi, Nov 22 (PTI) Global travel technology company Amadeus on Friday said it had renewed its partnership with Vistara and will continue to handle ticket distribution services for the airline across the world.
Amadeus, Sabre and TravelPort are the three major global distribution service (GDS) systems in India and globally. They enable transactions between airlines, hotels, travel agencies and the like.
'Vistara has also renewed and strengthened its distribution agreement with Amadeus ensuring worldwide distribution of a full range of the airline’s content and fares to Amadeus-connected travel sellers,' Amadeus said in its press release. PTI DSP DSP MINMIN


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As Fourth of July fireworks, barbeques and pool parties heat up, employees of San Diego County’s two Coca-Cola bottling facilities have asked San Diegans to forego Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite and other Coca-Cola beverages because of the company’s anti-union conduct.
Earlier this week, more than 600 drivers and warehouse employees at Coca-Cola Enterprises’ San Diego and Oceanside bottling plants went on strike to protest the company’s unfair practices. Last year, employees at the Oceanside facility voted to become members of Teamsters Local 683, yet the company has been unwilling to negotiate a contract that is comparable to those in other parts of Southern California.
“Coca Cola Enterprises wants to treat its Oceanside workers as second-class citizens,” Teamsters Local 683 Secretary-Treasurer Shannon R. Silva said. “They want to drag down the standard of living for Oceanside workers. These workers deserve parity with other Coke employees in Orange, San Diego and Los Angeles County.”
The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council is asking that its 120,000 members and all other San Diegans observe this boycott until Coca-Cola agrees to settle a contract that will provide equality for their employees in Oceanside.
“Unfortunately Coca-Cola has gone from asking San Diegans to ‘Have a Coke and a smile,’ to ‘Have a Coke, less rights, lower pay and fewer benefits,’” Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer Lorena Gonzalez said. “We will not stand by and watch as Coke tries to destroy quality middle-class jobs in our community.”
Coca-Cola products include: Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta, Dr. Pepper, Fresca, Sprite, Minute Maid, Dasani Water, Squirt, Rockstar and Canada Dry, among others.


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Fed Announcements Forthcoming Today
Shortly after noon today (Jan. 25), the Fed will offer details about how long it plans to keep interest rates very low, an important issue for financial companies that lend to consumers and businesses.
Access to credit is vital for the economic recovery. Low interest rates also encourage investment in stocks by reducing the returns traders can earn from many bonds, The Associated Press reported.
The Fed will also release an economic forecast later today, and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke will take questions from reporters in his quarterly news conference.


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Dayton, Ohio, Feb. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Winsupply Inc., one of the largest distributors in the nation, has closed on the purchase of Morgan Brothers Supply, Inc., a plumbing wholesale distributor primarily serving central and northern Florida. Details of the asset purchase were not disclosed.
Morgan Brothers Supply was founded in 1980 and has grown rapidly to seven locations and nearly 120 employees to serve plumbing contractors and general contractors, developers, homeowners and correctional institutions. The company has six plumbing showrooms. The founders of the company, Russell and Peter Morgan, sold their interest in the company to Winsupply.
Arnold Hardy, previously sales manager at Morgan Brothers, becomes president of the company, which will continue to do business as Morgan Brothers Supply. Hardy has 36 years of experience in the plumbing wholesale industry including his last 25 years at Morgan Brothers. He plans to purchase equity in the newly acquired company and share ownership with Winsupply Inc., the majority owner.
"Morgan Brothers Supply has delivered sales growth that has easily exceeded the pace of overall economic growth in the highly attractive Florida market," said Monte Salsman, president of Winsupply Acquisitions Group. "The credit goes to the staff under Arnold who are highly-trained, knowledgeable and solutions-oriented people providing high levels of customer service. The leaders at each of their locations in Ocala, Daytona Beach, Melbourne, Gainesville, Crystal River, Jacksonville and Orange City average nearly 20 years' experience each."
Hardy said he welcomes the opportunity for ownership. "I look forward to the opportunity of working and growing with Winsupply and also the future of ownership and all that the company has to offer. Our employees are excited about the future with Winsupply and look forward to joining a company that will enable us to continue to grow and develop our company with tremendous buying power and the support of their new distribution center in Jacksonville."
The company's legal name becomes Winsupply of Daytona Beach, FL Co., but will continue to do business as Morgan Brothers Supply.
About Winsupply Inc.
Winsupply Inc. (www.winsupplyinc.com) is a leading supplier of residential and commercial construction and industrial supplies and equipment headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. The privately-held company has more than 600 wholesaling locations in 45 states and offers entrepreneurs the unique opportunity to own a meaningful part of the local business. Collectively, Winsupply is known as "The Winsupply Family of Companies" and includes Win-branded locations, Noland Company, Carr Supply, Security Plumbing & Heating Supply, APCO, and other regional suppliers the company has acquired. In the family are companies conducting business-to-business wholesale distribution of supplies and equipment in plumbing and heating; hydronics; pipe, valves and fittings; HVAC and refrigeration; electrical; fastening hardware; waterworks and utility; pumps; turf irrigation and landscape; and fire system fabrication. Follow Winsupply on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Source Winsupply Inc.
Web Site: https://www.winsupplyinc.com


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Who is Ramon Laguarta? The marketer-turned-Pepsi CEO taking over from Indra Nooyi
PepsiCo's chief executive Indra Nooyi, who has been at the helm of the drinks giant for the past 12 years, is to step down from her role and pass the baton on to current president and former marketer Ramon Laguarta.
Under Nooyi's watch, PepsiCo's revenues grew by 80%. She has been with the firm for 24 years, joining first as senior vice-president of strategic planning and then becoming chief financial officer before taking the top seat.
PepsiCo's board of directors unanimously voted for Laguarta to take the hot seat
Nooyi will step down in October, remaining as chair until early 2019 in order to ensure a "smooth and seamless transition" for the business and its shareholders.
The chief said that Laguarta was "exactly the right person to build on [Pepsi's] success.
"He is a terrific executive with a long and proven track record of growing businesses. He has a deep understanding of the changing preferences of consumers and other critical trends unfolding around the world, and he has demonstrated that he knows how to navigate them successfully."
She added: "Laguarta has been a critical partner in running the company, and I'm confident he will take PepsiCo to new and greater heights in the years to come."
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So who is Ramon Laguarta?
Like Nooyi, Laguarta is a Pepsi luminary, having worked with the beverage behemoth for 22 years.
Since 2017 he has been global president of PepsiCo, overseeing operations, strategy, public policy and government affairs.
Prior to joining the company in 1996, Laguarta worked for confectionary firm Chupa Chups across Europe and the US.
He first arrived at PepsiCo as a marketing vice-president for Spain Snacks. Since then he's held a multitude of roles including president of PepsiCo for Eastern Europe.
His leadership experience also includes a tenure as chief executive officer for the brand's complex Europe Sub-Saharan Africa market.
The exec was widely slated to take over from Nooyi following his promotion last year and will be the sixth chief executive in the Mountain Dew owner's 53-year history.
PepsiCo's board of directors unanimously voted for Laguarta to take the hot seat.
"I'm incredibly humbled and privileged to be appointed the next chief executive of PepsiCo, and I want to thank the board of directors for the confidence they have placed in me with their decision," said Laguarta.
"I also want to thank Nooyi for her overwhelming support. She has transformed the company with her bold vision and outstanding leadership, and I feel fortunate to have her as a mentor and a friend."
What challenges does Laguarta face as CEO?
Nooyi's spell leading PepsiCo has been particularly strong, with net revenue growth rising from $35bn in 2006 to $63.5bn last year under year watch.
Now, amid a shift towards healthier lifestyles and changing consumer habits, Laguarta will have to strike the balance between the development and marketing healthier alternatives versus pumping spend into Pepsi's flagship products.
At the start of this year, PepsiCo said it would "double down" on marketing fizzy drinks brands like its namesake cola and Gatorade, after a focus on healthier ranges saw its drinks division in the US – which accounts for a third of its business – performed the worst in Q4 of 2017, falling 3%.
In its most recent quarter, however, the company's North America beverages sales fell just 0.9 percent – its smallest drop in four quarters.
The decreased Q2 2018 dip was down to going "toe-to-toe" with rival Coca-Cola in both marketing and pricing.
In the UK, Laguarta will also need to navigate the impact of the 'sugar tax' (a levy on drinks makes which issues fines based on the volume of sugar-sweetened products they make or import at the rate of 18p and 24p a litre), as well as proposed changes to how TV ads for food and drink high in fat, sugar and salt are targeted towards kids.
Nooyi's departure marks the end of an era for PepsiCo, with her exit leaving just 24 women leading the Fortune 500 companies.
Commenting on her departure, she said: "Growing up in India, I never imagined I'd have the opportunity to lead such an extraordinary company. Guided by our philosophy of 'Performance with Purpose' — delivering sustained performance while making more nutritious products, limiting our environmental footprint and lifting up all the communities we serve — we've made a more meaningful impact in people's lives than I ever dreamed possible."
"PepsiCo today is in a strong position for continued growth with its brightest days still ahead," she finished.


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23 February 2022
2020 report on the food & beverage sector
The food and beverage sector (including pre- and post-production activities) is one of the most emissive economic sectors, as it is responsible for about a third of total anthropogenic emissions, while agriculture alone produced more than 18% of global emissions in 2016.
In January, Carbon4 Finance published a report to summarize the results of the CIA (Carbon Impact Analytics) campaign, to identify the carbon performance and climate transition risk of 95 food and beverage companies.
Together, these companies amount to about 2 000 billion euros in market capitalization, representing approximately half of the sector’s total market capitalization.
Agriculture and Agribusiness
Carbon footprints and reporting
Contact us about any questions you have about Carbon4 Finance


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Here is a look at the new Everton away strip that the Toffees will wear in the Premier League next season. The new Everton away kit 11/12 ( 2011/2012) will be revealed today afternoon ( 5 May, 2011) at the Everton One store at Goodison Park. The new Everton kit 2011/12 will officially unveiled by Toffees star Jack Rodwell in a presentation jointly launched by Everton FC and their retail partner Kitbag.
Leaked photos of the new Everton away kit had seemed to suggest that it would be amber in colour, and those have been proved right. Le Coq Sportif have manufactured Everton’s new 11/12 away kit while Chang Beer continue to be the sponsors of the away strip.
Also see the new Everton away goalkeeper kit 2011/12.
The new away shirt will be worn for the first time when Everton take on West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on May 14, 2011.
Everton have said that the 11/12 away kit has been inspired by an iconic look from the club’s past. Judging by the look of the new strip, it is certainly better looks better than the pink 10/11 away kit worn by the Toffees.
Here is the photo of the kit that Jack Rodwell, Tim Cahill and co. will wear next season on their travels.


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Binance halts GBP deposits and withdrawals in the UK
Binance has suspended British pound (GBP) deposits and withdrawals for new users in the UK due to regulatory bottlenecks. The service will be discontinued for all customers on May 22.
Barely one week after banning its Russian customers from using its peer-to-peer (P2P) service to trade the US dollar and euro due to fresh European Union sanctions on Russia, Changpeng Zhao’s Binance is ending fiat services in the UK.
Per sources close to the matter, Binance’s decision to halt the service stems from the fact that Paysafe, its fiat partner that handles GBP deposit and withdrawal services through the UK’s Faster Payments and card deposits, has revealed plans to suspend the services from May 22, due to regulatory uncertainties surrounding crypto in the country.
Against that backdrop, Binance has suspended GBP deposit and withdrawal services for new users since March 13. Existing customers will no longer enjoy the service from May 22.
Binance faced its fair share of controversies recently. for instance, the company backed out of a CoinDesk acquisition deal. However, the exchange is still maintaining its market dominance.
At the time of writing, Binance’s native BNB token is the world’s 4th-largest cryptocurrency. BNB is exchanging hands for $313.53, up over 8% in the last seven days.


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How consumer financial services is changing
Smartphones drive fintech adoption
Digital financial services, part of the broader fintech trend, have been gaining traction among consumers for some time. By some measures, about one quarter of the global population are already using some kind of fintech innovation, while fintech start-ups have secured $45 billion in funding since 2015.
In France, for example, 793.4 million online banking payments were made last year, according to the European Central Bank, an increase from 586.2 million in 2014. Ernst & Young (EY) predicts the number of customers going online to open an account in France will surge nearly six-fold to 17 million in the next ten years. In addition, there has been an increase in bank licences being issued to non-traditional banks in international markets. In the UK, for example, there has been a steady influx of licences issued since the financial regulators relaxed rules for new entrants in 2013, according to the Bank of England. Overall, there has been a shift in industry perspectives about the feasibility of launching new banking products and competing with the incumbents.
Fintech providers are benefitting from the global adoption of smartphones, which is growing at an extraordinary pace: today there are about 4 billion smartphone connections, nearly double the figure of three years ago. As consumers are increasingly using smartphones for many aspects of their lives, brands, tech companies and whole industries are finding they are required to innovate to stay relevant, and banking is no exception to this rule. In many cases, incumbent financial services players have been slow to adapt to the rise of the smartphones, opening up an opportunity for newer, more agile players, such as challenger banks or mobile operators wielding new technologies and innovative banking concepts. Fintech players have a real opportunity to gain traction and customer share in this marketplace as incumbent players stall.


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Apple Inc (AAPL.O) may have just notched up its fourth straight quarter of double-digit revenue growth in China but the shine quickly came off that stellar performance as Chinese state media stepped up a tirade of criticism against the smartphone giant.
On Tuesday evening, the same day as Apple’s earnings, China’s official state broadcaster railed against the firm in a 30 minute special report, accusing it of allowing illegal content, including gambling apps, onto its platform.
The program was one of at least five reports by state media that targeted the company in the past week.
Although Beijing has criticized Apple before, the attacks highlight an increasingly fraught balancing act for the firm in the world’s biggest smartphone market, where trade friction, tighter regulations and fierce competition threaten robust consumer appetite for its iPhones and other products.
Mo Jia, an analyst at industry tracker Canalys, said the reports needed to be seen as part of the U.S.-China trade conflict, noting tensions over a U.S. ban imposed on telecommunications equipment maker ZTE Corp (0763.HK) (000063.SZ) that has yet to be lifted.
“The Chinese government is maybe trying to warn the U.S. government in a similar way by saying, your tech firm in China is not that safe either,” he said.
The Trump administration has upped the ante in its trade war with Beijing – considering a 25 percent tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. That prompted China on Wednesday to say “blackmail” wouldn’t work and to threaten to hit back.
The criticism of Apple also comes ahead of a new campaign by the country’s regulators to clean up spam and unsolicited calls, which are a pervasive issue in China where phone numbers are often sold on black markets.
The 18-month campaign was announced on Monday and starts in July. Apple has been specifically mentioned in some reports about such problems.
“Major communication operators in China have little ability to prevent such spam messages, since (Apple) says it has no right to monitor user messages out of privacy concerns,” the People’s Daily said last week.
Apple declined to comment on the state media reports while a fax to the Chinese internet regulator requesting comment did not receive a response.


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Chevy has revealed the all-new 2016 Chevy Camaro, which it says is now offers more performance, technology and refinement than the outgoing model. Thanks to an all-new lighter platform, the 2016 Camaro is lighter and more nimble than before.
This weekend Chevy is going to officially unveil the all-new 2016 Camaro at a special public event at Detroit's Belle Isle Park. Leading up to its reveal, Chevy has continued to release small teasers of the new Camaro, but today's teasers give us our clearest look yet at the 2016 Camaro.
Chevy has announced the pricing for the all-new 2016 Chevy Volt, which will start at $33,995 before the available state and federal incentives.
Chevy has announced that it is going to produce a new Midnight Edition of the 2016 Impala that is based on the concept shown at the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The Midnight Edition blacks out the Impala with its Jet Black exterior and interior.
Chevy is going to reveal the all-new 2016 Camaro on May 16, but leading up to the reveal, Chevy continues to release teaser photos of the new sixth-generation Camaro.
Chevy has unveiled the 2016 Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition, which is a road-going, track-capable homage to the Corvette Racing C7.R race cars.
The 2016 Camaro SS will be available with Magnetic Ride Control, previously available only on the Camaro ZL1.
General Motors has unveiled the Chevrolet-FNR autonomous electric concept at the 2015 Shanghai Motor Show.
General Motors has reportedly decided to keep the "Bolt" name for its upcoming compact electric car, despite the apparent Volt confusion.
Chevy has announced that it's lowered the price for the 2015 Spark EV, which now starts at $25,995 for the Spark EV 1LT model. The good news is that after the available federal, state and Chevy bonus cash, the price drops as low as $14,995.
We're still a month away from the official debut of the all-new 2016 Chevy Camaro, but just about every week Chevy has released little teasers and info about the new Camaro. This week Chevy is talking about the structural improvements that have been made to the new Camaro.
Chevy has unveiled new Custom Sport editions of the Silverado 2500 HD and 3500 HD that adds a monochromatic look to the pickups.
Chevy has unveiled the all-new 2016 Spark minicar, which now has a more refined exterior, more safety features and is more fuel efficient than the outgoing model. When the new Spark goes on sale, it will be sold in more than 40 countries around the world.
Chevrolet has unveiled the all-new 2016 Malibu, which now offers more efficiency, connectivity and advanced safety features than ever.
We're still about a month and a half away until Chevrolet takes the wraps of the all-new 2016 Camaro, but the automaker has just revealed that the new Camaro will be lighter than the current model.
Chevy has announced that the all-new 2016 Malibu will offer a hybrid version that borrows technology from the 2016 Volt. The 2016 Malibu Hybrid will have a combined mpg rating over 45 mpg, which is higher than the Ford Fusion, Toyota Camry and Hyundai Sonata hybrids.
Chevy has already announced that the all-new 2016 Camaro is going to debut on May 16 and now its started the teasing process.
This month Chevy expects to sell the 500,000th fifth-generation Camaro and the brand is also celebrating the fact that the Camaro has been America's best-selling performance car for the last five years. But the good news is that an all-new Camaro is just around the corner and Chevy is giving the world a sneak peek in this quick video.
Chevy is going to reveal the all-new 2016 Chevy Malibu on April 1 at the 2015 New York Auto Show, but since we're still a few weeks away, Chevy has been kind enough to release a teaser video.
Chevy is going to reveal an all-new 2016 Spark mincar next month at the Seoul and New York auto shows.
If you use an RSS reader, you can subscribe to a feed of all future entries tagged 'Chevy'.


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Anyone who travels today knows how bad they are treated by US Airlines. They all have a cattle car mentality and they are often ranked last in terms of customer service. To them it’s about squeezing every last dollar out of every seat while most travelers seem powerless to do anything about it.
If you read about the experience of flying airlines like Luftansa or Emirates it’s hard not to be jealous. They have invested a lot of money in the “brand experience” while airlines like Delta and American continue to shit on their best customers.
With fuel prices at an all time low the airlines are making boat loads of cash and in turn they reward flyers with smaller seats and no leg room. Business travelers have become used to the experience, but because of selling out flights there isn’t much they can do but on the horizon looms competition.
Carriers, based outside the US see an opportunity to come in and scoop up frustrated passengers by providing a great brand experience from boarding to departure and a lot of passengers are willing to pay the extra money to be treated like “people”. Of course the airlines here are doing everything they can to block new entrants into the US market, but consumers are angry and that anger could manifest itself into changes.
In the end competition changes a lot. Just look what Microsoft and Google are doing to Apple right now. Apple has become the mass market cash cow, but they are not innovators anymore.If other airlines appear in the US market and start raising the bar for customer service flyers will flock to them like ants going to sugar. Until then the airlines will continue to treat us all like cattle and get awards for providing basic services that we all once took for granted.


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Digital TV News: Régis LE ROUX
Edge Networks selects ENENSYS for Evoca roll out
Aug 28, 2020 – ENENSYS has announced that Edge Networks has selected ENENSYS for its hybrid NEXTGEN TV service, Evoca. The solution includes an ATSC 3.0 Head-End and test and monitoring products.
News categories: ENENSYS, Edge Networks, Régis Le Roux, ATSC 3, Content Distribution, Digital TV, USA
ARK Multicasting broadcasts both ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 from the same equipment stack
Oct 8, 2019 – ARK Multicasting has announced the first broadcast of both ATSC 1.0 and NEXTGEN TV ATSC 3.0 from the same equipment stack. An ATSC 1.0 signal was tested with a Hitachi-Comark transmitter and Ateme encoder. Using the same transmission equipment with the addition of an ATSC 3.0 stack by ENENSYS, the signal was converted to NEXTGEN TV.
News categories: ARK Multicasting, Hitachi-Comark, Airwavz.tv, ENENSYS, ATEME, Vern Fotheringham, Dick Fiore, Bonnie Beeman, Régis LE ROUX, ATSC 3, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Terrestrial, USA
ENENSYS acquires Expway
Jan 7, 2019 – ENENSYS has announced the completion of its acquisition of Expway. The acquisition strengthens ENENSYS and Expway’s ability to deploy its LTE Broadcast technology, while joining efforts to build and market the first 5G Broadcast solutions.
News categories: ENENSYS, Expway, Régis Le Roux, Thierry Sergent, 5G, Digital TV, MnA, Mobile
ENENSYS announces exclusive negotiations to acquire TeamCast
Apr 24, 2017 – ENENSYS has announced that it is in exclusive negotiations to acquire TeamCast. The group will provide an extensive product and software range across Video Delivery Infrastructure, especially in ATSC3.0.
News categories: ENENSYS, TeamCast, Regis LE ROUX, Jean-Luc PAVY, ATSC 3, Content Distribution, MnA, NABShow, USA, Worldwide
- HBO Max to expand into Latin America and Europe in 2H 2021
- SpotX releases 2021 video advertising trends report
- Comscore and MediaMath offer programmatic contextual ad targeting
- NetRange cloud app portal selected by itel for new Smart TVs
- Vewd integrates support for BML and Hybridcast
- Nordic streaming market approaching 14 million subscriptions
- Discovery announces global launch of discovery+
- VUALTO DRM selected to protect France Télévisions' AV content
- FreeWheel and NBCUniversal automate linear ad decisioning
- Deltatre AXIS to power BritBox for a further five years
- Zappware enables WIND VISION on PCs in Greece
- InterDigital and Futuresource release video sustainability report
- Local broadcasters collaborate to launch NextGen TV in Florida
- Highest ever Samsung Smart TV sales in 3Q 2020
- Orange France delivers targeted ads with SoftAtHome video player
- Velocix unveils cloud-native video personalisation service
- DIRECTV GO now available in Brazil
- VR consumer content revenue to exceed $7 billion in 2025
- Inverto first with EICS TV distribution equipment certification
- XroadMedia to power hyper-personalization at ZEE5


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Registration is now open for dedicated Trade and Industry Sessions of the AVALON 2023 Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition.
AVALON 2023 will give Australian and international industry, government and academia a platform for engagement via a premium industry exhibition, specialist conference program and corporate hospitality precinct from Tuesday 28 to Sunday 5 March.
The program presents six days of unlimited opportunity for business and networking, accompanied by spectacular flying displays. AVALON 2023 is the perfect setting to:
The first three days of AVALON 2023 are exclusively open to accredited trade visitors and incorporate specialist conferences, symposia and presentations.
On Friday 3 March the event will open to the public as an Airshow spectacular, with a Careers and Skills STEM day and the famous Night Alight airshow kicking off the public airshow program.
Trade Visitor registration, daily ticket purchase and conference selection for the dedicated Trade and Industry sessions are now live.
For more information: Register Now


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Visa, which is one of the most popular financial services firms is putting great efforts to launch a blockchain powered digital identity system which will support cross-border payments. As per the press release, Visa is going to release the new system in Q1 of 2019.
The system is known as B2B Connect, and it will launch a blockchain based digital identity solution for financial firms to securely process cross-border payments.
Visa B2B Connect is a long-time project, as Visa's website shows that it was started way back in 2017.
During the same time, various firms such as US Commerce Bank, the Union Bank of the Philippines, the South Korean Shinhan Bank, and Singapore’s United Overseas Bank were also working with Visa on building the system and testing pilot payments. But now, it is unknown whether Visa has a different purpose for developing B2B Connect system.
How Visa will utilize Blockchain?
Currently, the system will most likely use the tokenization of sensitive information and data such as account numbers and banking details providing them a unique cryptographic identifier which will utilize transactions on the platform.
Kevin Phalen, who is the global head of the Visa Business Solutions said that the system will help to reduce fraud with the use of digital technology.
”B2B Connect’s digital identity greatly reduces the opportunity for fraud that might otherwise exist with checks, ACH and wire transfers today, while also helping companies remain compliant as part of the regulated financial ecosystem,” Phalen said.
He further also mentioned that the forming B2B Connect as providing “a new way for businesses to make cross-border, high-value payments – fixing broken processes and breaking down geographical barriers along the way.”
From a technical point of view, the system will incorporate Hyperledger Fabric framework (hosted by Linux Foundation and developed with the input from IBM) with Visa's “core assets,” which is declared will build a scalable permissioned network for use in the financial sector.
Jason Kelly, who is the General Manager of the IBM Blockchain services, said that”B2B Connect is one of the most powerful examples to date how blockchain is transforming payments.”
Various companies partnering with Visa
IBM and Visa will work jointly to provide their “mutual financial institutional clients and ecosystem to maximize the network.”
Bottomline Technologies, a Fintech provider, which provides services to 1,200 financial institutions as per the release is also joining hands with the Visa on the B2B Connect system, a collaboration which will allow “mutual financial institution clients” to use the system.


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Those 1.2 million players will have to wait for rankings.
posted: 8/11/2005 5:36:00 PM
>So yesterday EA puts out a press release saying they have sold 1.2 million copies of
. Today we get
this message about the servers
. Well, that gives me time to play other games today.
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The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) has established the RMIT Blockchain Innovation Hub, touted by the university as being the world's first research centre focused on the social science of blockchain.
According to RMIT, blockchain technology, the underlying system that facilitates bitcoin trading, is becoming a core infrastructure for the global economy. The university expects the distributed ledger technology (DLT) to "revolutionise business as we know it" in the coming years.
The RMIT Blockchain Innovation Hub will be led by Professor Jason Potts in the School of Economics, Finance, and Marketing.
It is expected that the hub will develop an interdisciplinary research team focused on the economic, cultural, and social implications and impacts of blockchain technologies; partner with industry to share research, ensure students are work-ready when they graduate, and provide business solutions and advice; develop and implement policy and industry-relevant measures of the size and impact of the blockchain economy; and engage with government, policymakers, stakeholders, and the public debate on the social and policy impact of blockchain technology.
Data61 recently said blockchain -- the development of which is being overseen by eight different government bodies in Australia -- holds promise as a new foundation for transactions in society, in particular for voting, notarisation, supply chain, registration, and process coordination, in addition to payment-related services.
Researchers at the University of Sydney announced in July that they are building a new blockchain technology, dubbed Red Belly Blockchain, that they believe has the potential to revolutionise the global economy.
Australian corporates are also embracing blockchain technology. In October, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, in partnership with Wells Fargo and Brighann Cotton, claimed the first inter-bank trade transaction combining blockchain technology, smart contracts, and Internet of Things (IoT); while Australia's incumbent telco Telstra announced in September 2016 that it was experimenting with a combination of blockchain and biometric security for its IoT smart home offerings.
In addition, a project using a shared, distributed ledger that can store complete transaction history has almost been completed by the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).
The ASX recently said its blockchain initiative is on track for a final decision in the second half of 2017, with the prototype complete and the organisation moving to build an "industrial-strength solution" to use as its equity settlement, asset registration, and clearing platform. Its broader plan is to become the first exchange in the world to upgrade to post-trade services using the technology.
Similarly, the Sydney Stock Exchange (SSX) announced a project recently that would see it instantly settle trades using blockchain technology with the help of Sydney-based Bit Trade Labs.
Last month, the Australian blockchain sector received a boost with the formation of the Australian Parliamentary Friends of Blockchain group, to be led by Liberal Senator Jane Hume and Labor Senator Sam Dastyari.
The Parliamentary Friends of Blockchain group is expected to provide a forum for members and senators to meet and interact on all things cryptocurrency.
Meanwhile, Standards Australia has been charged with managing the secretariat of an international technical committee for the development of blockchain standards by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Along with 16 ISO member bodies including Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Estonia, Japan, and South Korea, Australia will facilitating the development of ISO/TC 307 Blockchain and electronic distributed ledger technologies.


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Android 10 has the fastest adoption rate in the history of the mobile OS
Believe it or not, Google made an interesting announcement today on the Android Developers blog (you know, the source of the monthly Android distribution data that is no longer available). It seems that after five months, 100 million Android devices are running Android 10 making it the fastest adoption in the history of the open-source operating system; with those figures, Android 10 was running 28% ahead of Android 9 (Pie).
Motorola DROID (first model powered by Android 2.0), we've been writing about the "F" word in relation to Android updates, fragmentation. Apple has a huge advantage since it makes both the software and the hardware for the iPhone. Google, on the other hand, has to develop each build Android to work with hundreds of different phones from a myriad of manufacturers.Ever since Android starting taking off with the November 2009 launch of the
Android 10 has the fasted adoption rate of any Android version
Over the years, Google has tried different ways to speed up the updating process. Project Treble separates low-level code made by SoC manufacturers from the main Android OS. This allows updates to take place without waiting for the chip makers to change the lower-level code. This helped speed up the adoption of Android 9 Pie by 2.5X. In Android 10, parts of the OS were updated through Google Play system updates using Google's Project Mainline technology. Google says, "Mainline provides security and privacy updates for the OS in a way that’s similar to apps – through Google Play. For example, in our most recent deployment, we directly updated 285 million devices with fixes for security vulnerabilities."
Google Play is also used by Google to update critical applications and services. As an example, it points out that back in May it launched the Exposure Notification API for the COVID-19 contact tracking app. Using Google Play, Google was able to disseminate the API to over two billion devices in just 10 weeks.
The company says, "We’re excited by the increased adoption of Android and are grateful for the close collaborations with our chipset and OEM partners to deploy updates earlier. We continue to work on a number of enhancements in the platform and infrastructure to make it easier for developers and users to benefit from the latest versions of Android."


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Google Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL launch on Oct 15: Pixelbook Go, Pixel Buds, and more expected
Google Pixel 4 series launches on October 15. Here’s everything we know about the smartphone and other upcoming Google hardware products.
We're just a couple of days away from Google's hardware event on October 15. Google is set to unveil Pixel 4 series which has already been leaked multiple times before the launch. Apart from Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, Google is also expected to unveil a new Pixel Buds, Pixelbook Go and new Nest devices. Here's everything we know about Google's next event.
Google Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL
Probably, the most leaked phone ever, Google's Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are set to come with big design changes. There will be major camera enhancements driven by hardware and software. Google has already confirmed the new Soli radar-based motion sensing chip for air gestures. The Face ID is also set to get a big update. According to reports, Google Pixel 4 will come with deeper Google Assistant integration including raise to wake up the digital assistant.
As far as specs go, Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL will sport two rear cameras with 12-megapixel and 16-megapixel resolution respectively. The camera module will look similar to Apple iPhone 11's. For selfies, the phones will offer an 8-megapixel camera. The leaked camera specs suggest a big upgrade considering Pixel 4 XL had single rear camera and yet considered among the best. Backed by additional camera hardware, Google Pixel 4 XL will also come with better optimised camera software including a new 'astrophotography' mode for night sky photography.
Google Pixel 4 will reportedly come with a 5.7-inch full HD+ screen whereas Google Pixel 4 XL will sport a larger 6.3-inch QHD+ screen. The two phones will have 2,800mAh and 3,700mAh batteries respectively. The latest smartphone series will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 processor with up to 6GB of RAM and up to 256GB built-in storage.
Google Pixel Buds
Google is expected to introduce new earbuds at its October 15 hardware event. Dubbed as Pixel Buds 2, Google's new device is rumoured to come with Type-C support, compact design, and smarter buttons. There will also be more optimised software and deeper Assistant integration.
Google Pixelbook Go
Google is no longer focusing on tablets as it has now shifted its focus on laptops. At its upcoming event, Google is expected to showcase a new Pixelbook Go. The laptop has already been leaked in full glory ahead of the launch.
Google Pixelbook Go is said to look very similar to Apple's Macbook with improved trackpad and premium design. The specs of Google Pixelbook Go have also leaked. The device is said to run on Intel Core m3, i5, and i7 processors with up to 256GB of storage. The device has dual front facing speakers and 2-megapixel front facing camera. The laptop has a 13.3-inch screen in full HD and 4K screens variant. The device also has a 3.5mm headphone jack and supports USB Type-C. Google Pixelbook is powered by Titan C security chip as well.
Google is also expected to unveil new Nest devices and new smart home speaker. According to reports, Google will launch Google Home Mini 2 at the event.


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Tesla Chairman and CEO Elon Musk committed securities fraud when he tweeted about taking the company private without actually securing funding as he claimed he had, the Securities and Exchange Commission claimed Thursday.
Musk, the eccentric entrepreneur who’s made waves with Tesla by building electric cars, solar roof panels and home batteries, took to Twitter back in August and claimed that he was “considering taking Tesla private at $420,” adding that he had “funding secured.”
But according to the SEC, Musk did not have “funding secured” and committed securities fraud by claiming that he did in his tweets that were sent out to his 22 million followers.
Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 7, 2018
“Musk’s statements, disseminated via Twitter, falsely indicated that, should he so choose, it was virtually certain that he could take Tesla private at a purchase price that reflected a substantial premium over Tesla stock’s then-current share price, that funding for this multi-billion dollar transaction had been secured, and that the only contingency was a shareholder vote,” the SEC said in its complaint against Musk. “In truth and in fact, Musk had not even discussed, much less confirmed, key deal terms, including price, with any potential funding source.”
As the SEC claims, Musk subsequently tweeted out several supporting statements that he knew to be false or misleading, all which had a significant impact on Tesla’s stock.
“From the time of Musk’s first tweet that day until the close of trading on August 7, Tesla’s stock price increased by more than 6% on significantly increased volume and closed up 10.98% from the previous day,” the SEC stated. “Musk’s false and misleading public statements and omissions caused significant confusion and disruption in the market for Tesla’s stock and resulting harm to investors.”
According to the SEC, Musk did have preliminary discussions with a potential investor about taking Tesla private but the discussions never passed those early stages.
Despite that, Musk sent an email with the subject, “Offer to Take Tesla Private at $420,” to Tesla’s board of directors, chief financial officer, and general counsel on Aug. 2, 2018.
In that email, Musk said that one of the reasons he wanted to take the company private was because as a public company, Tesla is subject to “constant defamatory attacks by the short-selling community, resulting in great harm to our valuable brand.” As the SEC notes, Musk has been in a long-standing battle with “short-sellers,” investors who believe a stock is going to fall and hope to make a profit off of that fall. Musk has claimed that short-sellers publicize negative information about the company in an effort to make the company’s stock fall.
According to the SEC, Musk knew that the proposed share price of $420 was a substantial premium, but chose it for various (and frankly ridiculous) reasons.
“According to Musk, he calculated the $420 price per share based on a 20% premium over that day’s closing share price because he thought 20% was a ‘standard premium’ in going-private transactions,” the SEC claims in its complaint.
“This calculation resulted in a price of $419, and Musk stated that he rounded the price up to $420 because he had recently learned about the number’s significance in marijuana culture and thought his girlfriend ‘would find it funny, which admittedly is not a great reason to pick a price,’” the SEC added.
According to the SEC, “Musk did not discuss a $420 price per share with any potential funding source for a Tesla going-private transaction prior to sending his email to Tesla’s board.”
Nonetheless, Musk took to Twitter and tweeted that funding was “secured” at $420 per share.
“Musk did not consult with Tesla’s Board of Directors, any other Tesla employees, or any outside advisors about these tweets before publishing them,” the SEC said.
In its complaint, the SEC claims that Musk’s tweets “caused market chaos” and harmed Tesla’s investors.
“Corporate officers hold positions of trust in our markets and have important responsibilities to shareholders,” said Steven Peikin, co-director of the SEC’s Enforcement Division. “An officer’s celebrity status or reputation as a technological innovator does not give license to take those responsibilities lightly.”
The SEC alleges that Musk violated antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws with his tweets, and seeks a permanent injunction, disgorgement and civil penalties.
The SEC is also wants Musk barred from serving as an officer or director of a public company.
To read the SEC’s full complaint against Musk, click here.


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- News tagged "storage"
Tuesday, 18 Mar 2014
First announced at the CES 2014, the LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt 2 is now retailing in 1TB SSD capacity through the LaCie online store and resellers starting from US$1,299.99.
Friday, 14 Mar 2014
Google has massively slashed prices of its Google Drive monthly storage plans, with prices beginning from just US$1.99 for 100GB of monthly online cloud storage.
Tuesday, 11 Mar 2014
The Plextor M6 family of SSDs include a 2.5-inch M6S, the M6M mSATA SSD, and the M6e M.2 PCIe SSD.
Sony and Panasonic have announced that they have formulated "Archival Disc", a new standard for professional-use, next-generation optical discs, in a bid to expand the market for long-term digital data storage.
Thursday, 6 Mar 2014
Toshiba has announced new additions to its enterprise capacity HDDs, the AL13SXB and the self-encrypting AL13SXQ, while HGST has introduced its Ultrastar C15K600 family of enterprise-class HDDs.
Each model within the new SSD series integrates the new OCZ Windows Accelerator (WXL) software, which is a flash management and caching solution for Microsoft Windows Server applications. It enables IT managers to deliver low-latency flash deployable as a local flash volume, a flash cache for HDD volumes, or as a combination of both.
Wednesday, 5 Mar 2014
The new DataTraveler MicroDuo from Kingston allows you to increase the storage of your Android smartphone or tablet by up to 64GB.
Insured with a 5-year warranty, the new 2.5-inch SSD has its NAND and third-gen Intel controller infused for reliability, and deliver low latency and consistently high throughput. Available for pre-order, the series will be available from 18 March.
Friday, 28 Feb 2014
Debuting at the IT Show 2014, HGST's Touro S mobile external hard drives each come encased in a slim, aluminum enclosure, and deliver two levels of data protection - local backup and cloud storage, to help safeguard, transport, store and access your files from anywhere.
Tuesday, 25 Feb 2014
Designed to scale video storage, the drive now incorporates rotational vibration (RV) sensors enabling it to reliably perform in systems with up to 16 drives, making it ideal for SMEs where bulk storage for HD video and video analytics are highly valued.


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Costa Cruises opens its sixth consecutive season in the Emirates with the inaugural call in Dubai of the flagship Costa Favolosa. The arrival of the vessel at the port was celebrated with a welcoming ceremony attended by Awah Al Ketbi, chief executive of AL Ketbi Consultancy, the company which runs the Costa representative office in Dubai, Captain Mauro Muratore and government officials and VIP guests from Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, tourism and maritime sectors.
Millennium & Copthorne has revealed it will be moving into the deluxe serviced apartments sector when it opens a modern and stylish property in the popular Dubai Marina area in the coming six months. The brand is already one of the world’s largest owned-and-managed hotel companies, with more than 120 hotels across 20 countries.
Luxury Middle Eastern destination Dubai has continued to recover from the global economic downturn, with visitor numbers increasing significantly in early 2010. Meanwhile a new report has found the UAE will account for the vast majority of tourism spending in the Gulf over the next eight years.
Following a sustained campaign from environmentalists, the Atlantis resort in Dubai has released a captive whale shark back into the ocean. Sammy – a four metre female whale shark – was released back into the Arabian Gulf in conjunction with Atlantis Fish Husbandry Team.
Two members of cabin crew from the Emirates Airline have been jailed for three months in Dubai, following the exchange of a series of sexually explicit text messages. The case is the second to emerge from Dubai in as many weeks, as international visitors grapple with the emirate’s strict decency laws.
Samaya Hotels & Resorts has confirmed it will be appearing at this year’s International Tourism Bourse in an effort to boost sales in Europe. The newly established brand will appear alongside over 100 than 100 representatives from the travel, trade and hospitality industries of Dubai.
Dubai is set to further tighten entry criteria for Israeli citizens looking to visit the country; with those holding dual nationality likely to be added to the list of those barred from entry.
Starwood Hotels is celebrating the launch of the Luxury Collection in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as Dubai’s iconic Grosvenor House joins the brand.
Dubai is a perfect place for boat lovers. There are many marine activities which attracts tourists around the world.
Many travelers who travel to Europe and Mediterranean envisage Dubai as a stopover point. But this is a wrong assumption Dubai is a holiday destination by itself.
The number of tourists to the Middle East will more than double by 2020, according to a report by the UN World Tourism Organisation. The growth rate in the region will be almost double the world average taking the number of tourists arriving in the region to 136 million by 2020, up from 54 million last year.
The Middle East is well placed to bounce back from the current economic crisis, according to research from global travel management company HRG. HRG believes that the region’s large number of international flight connections and investments in both infrastructure and hotels means the market is in a good position to bounce back from the downturn.


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Shiny Clefairy will be coming to Pokémon Sword and Shield through a limited-time distribution, The Pokémon Company has revealed.
As seen in a recent blog post, the Shiny Clefairy that will be distributed to Sword and Shield players from June 18 to 19 was one of the Pokémon used by the 2021 Pokémon Asia Players Cup Champion. Players may claim their Shiny Clefairy via Mystery Gift to celebrate the Pokémon Championships 2021-22 Philippines.
This follows fan backlash about the first stage of the Pokémon Go fest that was held last week, where players voiced their concerns about the lack of Shiny Pokémon encounters. This is despite the boost that took effect during the event.
“We understand that for some Trainers, the biggest way they judge the quality of a Pokémon Go event is on how many Shiny Pokémon they catch,” Michael Sterank said in a statement to Dot Esports on June 11. “We heard from Trainers who shared how lucky they were this year in terms of Shiny Pokémon caught, while others shared how their experience was the opposite. If Shiny Pokémon are too prevalent, it degrades the game in the long term.”
As for other Pokémon news, The Pokémon Company revealed some of the cards coming to the latest TCG pack, known as Pokémon TCG: Pokémon Go Expansion, earlier this month. This includes Pikachu wearing a blue hat, Mewtwo V, Wimpod and its evolution, Golisopod, the evolution trees of Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise, and their Radiant versions, which are the Shiny Pokémon counterparts from Pokémon Go.


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Access bank of PLC in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria, begins application for access to the Creative Industry Financing Initiatives (CIFI).
The program aims at financing the various sectors of the creative industry by providing a special fund to stakeholders of the industry as well as infrastructures for capacity building.
The CIFI program was designed for the various subsectors of the creative industries; movie, music, tech and fashion. Having identified the economic role and importance of the industry, in terms of job creation and foreign exchange earnings essentially, the apex bank thus sets aside a N10bn intervention fund as loans to prospective beneficiaries of the industry.
The Executive Director for Business banking of Access Bank, Mrs Chizoma Okolie, in an interactive section with key stake holders of the fashion industry on Monday in Lagos said unlike previous loans which many had over time describe as mere claims by CBN without providing such money in reality, the apex bank was very committed to the course and Access Bank is certain to ensure that these loans are granted to potential beneficiaries accordingly.
She said: “We believe that the creative sector is a key driver of the economy, and CBN, in partnership with Access Bank, has come up with this plan. However, some criteria must be met to access these loans. All that is needed is the cooperation of the stakeholders to help their businesses grow. This fund has come about to create jobs and acquire foreign exchange. Therefore, by producing and exporting products from the industry, forex may be gained, rather than buying, for instance, ready-made clothes at the expense of the country’s currency.”
“For the movies, a lot of the beneficiaries were identified such as the scripts writers, make-up artist, the security men, driver, location manager, and even the food vendors, etc. Therefore funding this subsector would be far-reaching and thus the need to fund locally produced movie. However, some key challenges were observed in the entire value chain, ranging from quality movie production, exhibition, among others. Therefore funds will be provided for state-of-the-art equipments to produce movies in Nigeria.
“For exhibition, currently it is one million Nigerians to one cinema in Nigeria; hence a fund was set aside to scale up the number of cinemas. Doing these entirely for the movie sector also imply creating more jobs and the possibility of gaining more foreign exchange.
“For the tech industry, funds will be provided to develop a tech hub to train interested students on software engineering. For the trainees also, funds will be made available to cover their training fees for six months.
“In the music industry, funds will be provided for developing an entertainment city where people can be trained on song writing, musical instruments. It will also house a five-thousand-sitting capacity auditorium and working office spaces for record labels; both local and international.”
“For the fashion industry, a sum was also set aside to build a shared fashion facility; a fashion hub, which contains all equipment for production. In essence, designers can simply take their fabric, go to the facility, pay a rental fee, and have access to numerous machines without owning any equipment, rather than going to foreign countries to produce these same products.
“However, to bring the idea of a fashion hub to fruition, a group of people cutting across the six geopolitical zones will have to come together to form a consortium to finance such project together with a significant support from the bank. Loans will also be provided for those willing to acquire personal equipment to support their businesses.
To be able to access these loans, beneficiaries will have to demonstrate their ability to create jobs and generate foreign exchange.
Participants will have to satisfy access bank’s requirements such as business plan, credit history report, and 30% equity contribution, amongst others. Interest rate to these loans is at 9% with no hidden charges and flexible tenure.
All that is required is for practitioners to visit any of Access Bank branches nationwide and their enquiries and request will be attended to accordingly.
Practitioners and beneficiaries are also advised to reach out to the bank for more enquiries, beneficiaries via firstname.lastname@example.org.
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Bank customer's lawsuit raises questions about fraud liability
$80K fraud case highlights caveats and conditions giving banks a backdoor for liability
The case of an Ontario man who was charged more than $80,000 on his credit card for purchases he claims he didn't make is raising new questions about the security of online and credit card transactions and whether banks are shifting liability for fraud to their customers.
Three years ago, Jason Monaco sued the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce after the bank insisted he was responsible for charging the cost of a custom-built race car to his bank-issued Visa card, a purchase Monaco says he never made.
Monaco, the founder and managing partner of a Toronto investment relations firm, alleges in his lawsuit that he discovered the charge of $81,276 "during a routine check of his Visa account balance" in June 2010.
After CIBC was alerted, the bank ultimately removed a second charge of $4,972 that Monaco also disputed. His lawsuit alleges that although both transactions bore the same fraudulent signature on the transaction receipts, CIBC is holding Monaco responsible for the car purchase because that transaction was completed using a personal identification number (PIN) in conjunction with the card's embedded chip.
Fraudulent PIN transactions 'impossible'
Monaco declined to speak about the case. Monaco and CIBC have also filed claims against the business where the fraudulent transaction took place.
In its statement of defence, CIBC argues that "it is not possible to process a chip and PIN transaction without the Visa card and the confidential PIN."
Steven Murdoch, a researcher with the computer laboratory at Britain's Cambridge University, disagrees that "chip and PIN" security is impenetrable.
"It's actually quite an old technology — between 15 and 20 years old."
Several years ago Murdoch and his colleagues demonstrated a number of flaws in the system.
One allows criminals to use a bit of hardware to fool the card into accepting any random PIN entered on a merchant's card terminal. That acceptance, and not the PIN itself, is then sent to the bank, making it appear that the correct PIN was entered.
"And sometimes as a result, customers are refused a refund," Murdoch says. "Even though they've been the victim of fraud and they have not been negligent."
Murdoch managed to shrink the hardware required to the size of a deck of cards, but he says criminals in France were able to put it on a microchip and embed it on counterfeit cards.
Caveats and conditions
But the Ontario lawsuit does more than raise questions about chip and PIN security.
CIBC's lawyers say the caveats in Monaco's cardholder agreement also make him responsible for the charge.
"The primary cardholder is liable for any transactions made on the Visa account" the language reads, "if any cardholder uses a PIN to make the transaction."
CIBC also points to a condition that stipulates cardholders are responsible for all charges until the bank is alerted that a card is lost or stolen.
Monaco claims his card was neither lost, stolen nor did he divulge his PIN to anyone.
Further, his lawsuit claims that CIBC's reliance on fine print and an "exclusion of liability clause is unconscionable."
CIBC declined to discuss the case.
The bank, along with ScotiaBank, National bank, Royal Bank and TD Canada Trust, also declined to answer specific questions about the lengthy agreements customers implicitly accept by using bank-issued credit and debit cards, or on-line banking services.
Interview requests to Bank of Montreal were not acknowledged.
A spokesperson for TD offered a general reply that the "spirit" of the bank's online security guarantee is to cover clients' losses in case of fraud, adding that the bank looks "at every situation case by case".
A survey of the electronic banking agreements for the big six institutions reveals a variety of conditions imposed on clients. They include requirements such as having the latest anti-virus software on any computer used for banking, and not using a PIN, password or security question that's too easy to guess.
CIBC's electronic access agreement also makes customers potentially liable if they use software that collects and displays financial information from different sources. One such aggregation service is a popular one offered by Mint.com.
Conditions 'quite reasonable'
Maura Drew-Lytle, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Bankers Association, says the various conditions aren't onerous.
"[The banks] are quite reasonable in my opinion," Drew-Lytle said.
"Generally, if they don't think you have knowingly contributed to the fraud, then chances are you will get reimbursed. Again, it's case by case. They have to look at that."
Last year, Canada's six largest banks reimbursed clients some $9 million for fraudulent online transactions. The most recent statistics (2012) on credit card and debit card payouts top half a billion dollars.
But the banks don't provide statistics on the value of fraud they don't cover, or the number of clients they refuse to make whole.
Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments Douglas Melville says he isn't seeing a significant number of clients complaining about caveat-laden agreements.
"I think the bank's legal departments are going to do what they need to in order to protect the interests of the banks," Melville says.
"If there's truly no evidence of clients being in some kind of compromising situation like having written down the PIN on their wallet or their card, our experience is that banks have generally been looking after their customers quite well."
Conservative MP James Rajotte, who chairs the parliamentary finance committee, said he was surprised the banks wouldn't talk about their agreements.
"I mean they're agreements that are easily obtainable, so I would think it would be entirely reasonable to expect they would be willing to discuss those publicly."
Banks offered blanket assurances
Glenn Thibeault, the NDP's consumer affairs critic, notes that a number of bank and credit card officials recently testified at finance committee hearings into mobile digital payments. He said they offered blanket assurances that clients are protected from electronic fraud losses.
"Zero-liability also has 10 asterisks beside it," Thibeault said. "Zero liability isn't actually going to be in effect if this is the way banks are doing this."
The debate about what's reasonable to expect from bank customers in the digital frontier will only become more pointed, said Larry Keating, CEO of NPC, an Ontario firm that helps professionals and organizations secure their computers.
He said efforts of cybercriminals to exploit security weaknesses can be brilliant, nasty and difficult for unsophisticated users to completely prevent.
"When the bank has requirements in those agreements," Keating says, "in my mind that hasn't been resolved as to who will be responsible for what and how. The banks can hold their ground and they're going to have an enormous public relations issue."


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Faurecia officially launches its new Seating joint venture with BAIC in China
Faurecia, one of the world’s leading automotive technology companies, today announced that following approval from the appropriate regulatory bodies it has completed the acquisition from DAS Corporation of 50% of their joint venture with BAIC, Beijing BAI DAS Automotive System Co., Ltd.
This operation leads to Faurecia establishing a 50-50 joint venture with BAIC, one of China’s largest automotive manufacturers which has partnerships with Hyundai and Daimler. The joint venture is the main seating supplier for BAIC Hyundai and has strong development opportunities with other BAIC-owned brands and partners. Headquartered in Beijing, the joint venture has 450 employees and 4 plants in Beijing, Chongqing, Huanghua and Xiangtan.
The joint venture marks an important milestone for Faurecia Seating, strengthening its presence in China and especially with BAIC and Hyundai-Kia. This new joint venture has already secured strategic business and will benefit from Faurecia’s latest technologies in frames and mechanisms. Faurecia Seating in China is set to double its sales by 2025.
Faurecia now has joint ventures with six leading Chinese automakers. They allow the Group to develop rapidly with Chinese OEMs who represent around 40% of the world’s largest automotive market. Faurecia’s strategic position in China with 58 industrial sites and 5 Research & Development centers will allow the Group to double its sales by 2025 to reach 5 billion euros.


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Bids soared for these Merseyside homes that sold for up to £46,000 over their guide price at auction.
Liverpool, like many places across the country, has experienced a property boom during the pandemic that's showing no signs of stopping anytime soon.
Estate agents Sutton Kersh saw this demand during their auction this week, when they sold over £10m worth of property.
An end terrace house on Windsor Road in Tuebrook sold for £40,000 over its guide price, at £86,000.
It was spread out over three floors and boasted three bedrooms, three attic rooms and a cellar.
A three-bedroomed home in Huyton sold for £41,500 over the guide price, at £186,500.
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Situated on The Rooley, the house is currently rented and brings in a rental income of £9,100 per year.
A three-bed house on Silverdale Avenue in Tuebrook sold for £40,000 over its guide price at the auction, despite needing modernising.
It came with a guide price of £75,000 and sold for £115,000 on Thursday.
Other houses in North Liverpool which were 3 bed properties that required refurbishment also sold for at least £25,000 over their guide prices, while there were also houses from the south of England and elsewhere which went under the hammer on the day.
Cathy Holt, associate director of Sutton Kersh Auctions said: "We saw our auction follow suit with the UK market trends of there being a huge demand for residential properties. We have also seen that homes located on or close to the UK coastline are selling for above their guide prices as many investors are looking to let them out or to keep as second homes making full use of the extended stamp duty holiday
"Properties located on the south coast saw some strong bidding activity with the majority in this and the surrounding areas being sold prior to the actual online auction, like Lot 138 in Torquay sold for £143,000 which was £43,000 over the guide price despite it needing complete refurbishment."


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Castrol announced that it is partnering with paper-based packaging maker, Pulpex, to design paper bottles for use with Castrol's products.
Pulpex’s technology forms bottles from wood pulp using 100% renewable feedstocks from responsibly managed forests1. Its paper bottle is designed to offer a lower carbon footprint — up to 30% less than PET and glass2.
Pulpex says that Castrol is the latest company to join its partner consortium — a group global CPG (consumer packaged goods) companies committed to adopting Pulpex paper packaging. Launched in July 2020 as a collaboration between Pilot Lite and Diageo, the consortium includes PepsiCo, Unilever and GSK Consumer Healthcare.
Last month Castrol launched its PATH360 strategy3, which aims to deliver a more sustainable future by saving waste, reducing carbon and improving lives.
One of Castrol's aims is to halve its plastic footprint by 20304, and this partnership forms part of its plastic footprint reduction plan.
Castrol says it is already incorporating recycled plastic into its packs5 in the U.S. and is rolling out a new optimized pack design that uses less plastic6 and packs better for more efficient logistics. The company says that exploring the use of alternative materials is the next step on its plastic reduction journey.
"Castrol is committed to examining the lifecycle of its existing and new products to see how they can be improved, extended, reused or recycled," says A.S. Ramchander, Castrol's chief marketing officer. "We're very excited to be working with Pulpex to explore how their technology, initially designed for the FMCG category, can be developed for lubricants as a replacement for our existing high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles."
According to Ramchander, "Our initial work in adapting the Pulpex 100% PET-free bottle technology for use in oil packaging has been extremely positive. Collaborating with innovation partners such as Pulpex is critical to developing novel solutions in this challenging category and we are delighted to be working with them to achieve our sustainability ambition.
"Our research has shown that our customers and consumers are looking for more sustainable solutions. This technology, if successfully scaled, could help towards reducing Castrol's plastic footprint."
2 International Journal of Lifecycle Assessment, June 2013
4 To promote the responsible design and management of plastic packaging along its lifecycle, Castrol defines its plastic footprint as the amount of virgin plastic included in its packaging per liter that isn't recycled. The company says its baseline is 2019.
6 Versus 2019 packaging


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CBD announces net profit of Dhs853m for year 2012
- United Arab Emirates: Saturday, January 26 - 2013 at 11:01
- PRESS RELEASE
Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) has announced a net profit of Dhs853m for the year ended December 31 2012, up by 4% as compared to Dhs822m for 2011. This is its fourth successive increase in net profit since 2008. The results which are subject to the UAE Central Bank's approval have been announced following a meeting of the Board of Directors held on Wednesday January 23 2013.
The Bank is robustly capitalized with total capital resources of Dhs6.8bn (up from Dhs6.3bn) as at 31 December 2012.
Its capital adequacy ratio increased to 23.2% (up from 23.1%) as at 31 December 2012 against regulatory requirement of 12%. The Bank's Tier 1 capital ratio also improved to 17.6% (up from 16.6%) as at 31 December 2012.
The strong capital base ensures that the Bank is well positioned to take advantage of business opportunities that may arise from a changing economic cycle whilst providing a buffer against shorter-term volatility.
Operating income for the year of Dhs1,852m was marginally lower than Dhs1,863m for 2011. This was mainly due to marginal decrease in net interest income to Dhs1,332m from Dhs1,341m due to competitive market conditions though this was partially offset by lower funding costs.
Non-interest income was virtually unchanged at Dhs520m with increases in foreign exchange income (+11%), investment income (+28%) and other operating income (+21%) compensating for the 7% drop in fees and commission. Operating expenses for the full year 2012 increased slightly to Dhs572m compared to Dhs570m in 2011 as the costs were efficiently managed. The efficiency ratio for 2012 was maintained at healthy 30.9% up from 30.6% for 2011.
The Bank has continued its prudent provisioning policy booking an incremental impairment charge for the year of Dhs490m (compared to Dhs512m). Collective impairment provision held at the year-end is at 1.5% (up from 1.4%) of the Bank's credit risk weighted assets. As a result the coverage ratio has increased to 79% (up from 68%) by provisions against potential losses as at 31 December 2012.
CBD reported total assets of Dhs39.5bn as at 31 December 2012 marginally higher than Dhs38.3bn as at 31 December 2012. Customers' loans & advances stood at Dhs27bn, 1% higher when compared to Dhs26.8bn last year end. Customers' deposits were at Dhs28.1bn, 1% lower when compared to Dhs28.4bn last year. The Bank's liquidity position continued to be at comfortable levels as liquid assets represent 18% of total assets. Further, advances to stable resources ratio of 82% is well below the regulatory maximum of 100%.
Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Peter Baltussen said, "CBD has maintained its steady performance whilst positioning itself to capitalize on future opportunities. Our robust capital base allows us the flexibility to pursue new strategic initiatives which will enable us to better serve our customers whilst providing our shareholders with consistent solid returns. We are grateful to our customers for their trust in us. I wish to thank the Board for its support and guidance and CBD staff for their dedicated efforts."
Key Achievements during the year
In April 2012 CBD received the 'Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award' for the year 2011, a prestigious awards scheme initiated by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
To celebrate the 2012 Olympic Games in London, CBD showed its support for the UAE team by launching a limited edition National Olympic Committee CBD Visa Infinite Card.
CBD sponsored and organized with the Dubai Sports Council, the first ever CBD Youth Athletics Tournament from 19 to 21 January 2012 at the Dubai Police Officers Club. Over a 1,000 athletes representing 42 schools participated in this event. The 2012-2013 season promises to be an even bigger event with 1,650 students participating from 69 schools, with the finals to be held in February 2013.
In June 2012, CBD has announced the launch of Attijari Mobile Banking, its mobile banking operations, which is available on iPhones, BlackBerry and Android-based smartphones.
CBD became the first issuing bank in the Region to sign an agreement with China Union Pay to offer a dual currency (AED-RMB) prepaid card. The new product - CBD Union Pay Prepaid Card enables CBD customers to link their accounts to their card in order to fund their AED/RMB accounts for payments targeting China Mainland and the Far East.
In September 2012, CBD opened a new branch on Airport Road in Abu Dhabi to continue to provide its customers with convenient access to banking services.
As part of its talent management and succession planning, the Bank conducted a 'Leadership Programme' for its senior managers. This programme is aimed at identifying CBD's potential leaders and preparing individual development plans.
CBD was awarded the prestigious 'CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Label' accreditation by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in recognition of its performance as a responsible corporate citizen. The award is testimony to the Bank's vision which is 'The Bank that leads to greater financial and social prosperity'.
In December 2012 CBD launched its TianLong comprehensive Chinese banking service, to offer creative financial services to the Chinese community in the UAE, numbering around 300,000 residents, 150,000 annual visitors and around 3,000 Chinese owned businesses in the UAE. The TianLong service includes Chinese language documentation, tailor-made products and services including a dual currency prepaid card, Chinese-speaking relationship managers, and even a dedicated Chinese-speaking call center hotline.
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