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- Publish Date
- Thursday, 5 April 2018, 12:00PM
About 50,000 vehicles in New Zealand will be compulsorily recalled because of safety risks from potentially faulty airbags.
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi announced the recall of cars commonly used in New Zealand.
Vehicle owners can find out whether their cars were affected on MBie's recalls.govt.nz website.
The 50,000 vehicles are equipped with Alpha-type Takata airbags, an older model of the airbags, which could deploy unexpectedly, spraying passengers with shrapnel.
But what does this mean for New Zealanders affected by the recall and what steps are being taken to ensure the process runs smoothly?
A designated section on the NZTA website currently provides information for those impacted by the issue.
How do you find out if your vehicle is affected?
According to the site, new vehicle owners will be contacted directly through their dealership, which will arrange a free replacement of the airbag.
All vehicles under active recall are currently listed on the website, and concerned car owners can search their car make and model at NZTA's Recalls site.
What if my vehicle is a used import?
The NZTA is currently working to identify any affected import vehicles. In the meantime, there's a list of affected vehicles on the Rightcar website. If your car is on the list, it's strongly recommended that you contact the official brand representative of your vehicle or the importer.
How dangerous is my car?
The short answer is that it's dangerous enough for the Government to make it a priority to have the issue repaired. There have been around 100 million vehicles supplied worldwide with affected Takata airbags with 19 reported fatalities and around 200 incidents where Takata airbags have not deployed correctly.
However, Consumer NZ says the risk of failure is greatest if the car's in a hot and humid environment.
"Recalls in Australia and the US have prioritised vehicles in areas of highest heat and humidity. We enjoy a temperate climate, so failure here is less likely, even for the oldest airbags," Consumer NZ said in a statement.
How much will the repair cost me?
The NZTA website says the repair will not cost the car owner anything - and that costs for both parts and labour should be picked up by the vehicle supplier.
Does the recall affect my vehicle registration?
The airbag recall does not render the vehicle unroadworthy or unregisterable. However, if the repairs aren't completed, the NZTA may prevent you from getting a Warrant of Fitness in future.
What's the difference between the compulsory and voluntary recalls?
Voluntary recalls are initiated by suppliers, while a compulsory recall is ordered by the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
A compulsory recall places the onus on suppliers to ensure that the issue is rectified. While it doesn't compel consumers to bring their vehicles in for a repair, it does require suppliers to fulfil a number of active obligations to ensure that car owners are aware that their cars are affected.
How long do suppliers have to resolve this issue?
Manufacturers and importers have 18 months to close out repairs on affected vehicles. Failing to do so could result in a fine of up to $600,000.
This article was first published on NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.


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The past 12 months have been eventful for the greenhouse industry, with both positive and negative influences shaping the way that growers do business. We’ve seen the bankruptcy of several greenhouse companies, including a few larger operations, genetics controversy with the discovery of foreign genes in orange petunias, legislative changes with a new federal administration, continuing challenges with labor and rising shipping costs. However, we've also seen plenty of new, innovative varieties, technological developments and opportunities for growth. Growers have been balancing the good with the bad and persevering, which has led to their continued success.
The average age of our respondents’ greenhouse businesses is 26.7 years old.
While the year isn’t over yet, and the outlook may be affected by the severe weather hitting the southern part of the U.S., 2017 has been another stable year for the greenhouse industry. Ninety percent of growers expect flat or increased sales this year, and 88% expect a positive net profit. Fifty-one percent of growers project increased profits in 2017 compared to 2016. Of note this year is a slight decrease in both edible crop transplant and finished produce production; this category seems to be leveling off.
This year, the average age of the greenhouse businesses that responded to our survey was 26.7 years old. Thirty-five percent of the growers reported having operations that are more than 30 years old — that’s a lot of collective experience. And we’ve tapped into that knowledge base again this year by getting perspectives from growers on the current state of the industry. Greenhouse Management’s Chris Manning and Patrick Williams chatted with growers from all over the U.S. and Canada about their successes, challenges and thoughts on the future. You’ll find their commentary throughout the section. If you’d also like to weigh in, we’d like to hear from you, too. Drop me a line at email@example.com with your comments.
The data on the following pages was collected by Readex Research via an online survey from August 2 to 15, 2017. The survey was closed for tabulation with 751 responses. To best represent the audience of interest, the results in the report were based on the 621 respondents who indicated that they own/work for a greenhouse.
The margin of error for percentages based on the 621 usable responses is ± 3.8% at the 95% confidence level. That is, 95% of the time, we can be confident that percentages in the actual population would not vary by more than this in either direction. The margin of error for percentages based on smaller sample sizes will be larger.
Responses that do not total 100 percent are due to rounding and/or no answers. — Greenhouse Management
an optimistic year
Growers have enjoyed fairly stable sales again this year, according to our research. Only 10% of growers expect decreased sales by year’s end, with 62% expecting an uptick, and 28% projecting flat sales. In contrast, in 2011, 37% of growers reported decreased sales over the prior three years. In 2017, 32% of growers projected revenue increases of at least 10%, while in 2011, that number was only 13%.
Profits have also remained stable over the past few years, with 88% of businesses turning a profit this year. Although 28% percent of growers expect flat sales and 41% didn’t raise plant prices this year, they’re still finding ways to be profitable.
It’s always interesting to look back several years to see how growers’ perspectives have changed in that time. While we’ve had a bit of fluctuation in the past six years, growers’ confidence in the industry’s growth is much stronger now than it was back in 2011, when a whopping 47% said they were “not confident at all” regarding 2012 growth. This year, only 4% chose that answer, and only 14% total were less than “somewhat confident.” In other words, 86% of growers are at least “somewhat confident” in the industry’s next 12 months.
Renewed focus on annuals
ANNUALS/BEDDING COLOR beat out edible crop transplants as the top crop being produced for the first time since 2015. Both edible crop transplants and finished produce were down slightly from previous years, which could be a sign that the edibles craze of the past several years has calmed. On average, their edibles production is 69% transplants and 31% finished produce. 41% of growers said that all of their edibles are transplants, while 12% reported that their edibles are all finished produce. Still, perennials have remained consistent as the third crop produced by more than half of growers. Patrick Williams takes a deeper look at perennials here, including coverage from this year’s Perennial Plant Association Symposium in Denver.
Again this year, 27% of growers said they expected the biggest increase in 2017 production to be in annuals/bedding color. Perennials followed closely behind with 25%. Looking forward to 2018, growers said they plan to increase production in both of these categories. While 20% of growers are still planning to increase their edible crop transplant production, that percentage has been trending down in recent years; each year there are fewer growers planning increases. We also saw a small uptick in growers planning to increase production of cannabis and cut flowers in 2018.
Growers and laborers in high demand
As we talk to greenhouse operations throughout the year, labor always seems to come up in the conversation, with hiring growers and laborers topping the list of challenges. On average, greenhouse operations ranked finding high-quality hires for open positions a 3.7 out of 5, with 5 being “very difficult” — the highest it’s been since we first asked the question in 2014. They find filling growing/technical positions the most challenging, followed closely by laborers. In fact, 45% ranked finding growers and other technicians a 4 or a 5, and 42% ranked finding laborers a 4 or a 5. In contrast, only 21% ranked finding drivers or salespeople that high. Greenhouse operations reported limiting new hires not only because they did not have a current need (39%), but also because they couldn’t hire new workers because of lack of availability (30%) or financial limitations (25%). Will the number citing financial limitations increase as wages rise and plant price increases fail to keep pace?
Social media is still the key way greenhouse operators are reaching out to younger professionals. We see fewer greenhouse operations using trade shows and internships to connect with potential new employees, and slightly more using paid recruiting services, up 4%.
Only 26% of growers increased their annual salaries this year, while 50% have increased hourly rates. Is this drastic difference due to the required minimum wage increases in parts of both the U.S. and Canada? Growers may be holding back on salary increases as they adjust to their workers’ new wages. On a more positive note, just 1% reported decreases in hourly rates and annual salaries, respectively.
Improvements & future plans
Most of the aspects that growers would like to improve have stayed consistent over the past three years. Marketing efforts and reducing energy consumption have been trending down, even though the former still ranks No. 1. However, for the first time in the past three years, finding qualified labor edged out the economy as the biggest challenge to growing the business. This year also showed an increasing concern about declining customer bases.
Slightly fewer growers reported plans to retire or sell their greenhouse business in the next five years, accounting for about a quarter of all respondents. Of those 24%, only about one out of every five has a succession plan in place, while nearly half say they don’t have one yet, but will. Nearly 30% say a succession plan isn’t necessary.

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CHENNAI: The surge in cotton prices that began late last year has begun to worry yarn and garment manufacturers based in Tamil Nadu who are grappling with inflated raw material costs as they struggle to hold their positions in the international export market. Last year, the state’s textile entrepreneurs had resorted to importing cotton from African nations to circumvent price uncertainty usual during the turn of the year. The current cotton season’s prices have risen in concert with climbing higher international prices since October last year, with the rates touching $85 cents a pound recently. Cotton prices in the country have increased sharply – nearly 14% towards levels around ?43,000 a candy. Holding at a higher level, they have led to need for higher stock for production among garment makers even as observers attempt to prevent panic buying as seen last year.
While the increase at this time of the year is usual, the aid of higher international prices is providing an additional boost,” said K Selvaraju, secretary-general at Southern India Mills’ Association, a Coimbatore-based association of cotton mills. “Farmers are also holding back stocks as a growing majority of them have begun tracking international market rates to adjust prices. Thirdly, Pakistan has begun import of Indian cotton to touch about 7-8 lakh bales this year while last year it was under 2 lakh bales. I would say there is no need to panic.”
An increase in raw material prices impacts manufacturing competitiveness, making Tamil Nadu’s exporters vulnerable in the global market now populated by cheaper goods from Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cambodia. Tirupur’s entrepreneurs have for long tried to cut down price of cotton access, including a tie-up with vessel charterers to ship in cotton from Gujarat instead of road transport.
Tamil Nadu has not had a textile policy for years even as Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh continue to provide subsidies, besides central government schemes for technology upgradation. announcements in the budget regarding a textile policy in preparation for months now. K Phanindra Reddy, Tamil Nadu’s textiles secretary, said there could be some announcements in the budget regarding a textile policy in preparation for months now.


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“Today is the slowest rate of technological change you will ever experience in your lifetime,” wrote Shelly Palmer in his e-book Data-Driven Thinking.
These words will strike absolute terror into many business owners who are just only getting their head round the online marketing and mobile communications. Even today, it is staggering how little understanding there is of today's digital world.
Yet just around the corner is a totally alien landscape where technology will continue to affect the way we live our lives in a dramatic fashion.
It all stems from Moore's Law. In 1965, Gordon Moore, the co-founder of Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel forecast that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit would double approximately every two years.
In layman's terms, this meant that more and more information could be loaded onto ever smaller microchips, allowing them to perform ever more complex procedures. A simple indication of how this has manifested itself is comparing an iPhone 7 from 2017 with a ZX80 from 1980.
The iPhone, which is essentially a computer in your pocket, has a staggering 128,000,000,000 times the memory of the ZX80, which had a memory of just 1k (equivalent to a one-line email today).
Which brings us to where we are today. This miniaturisation of computer chips into everything from phones, watches, fridges, cars and even humans (check out this article) is changing everything we do and ushering in a whole range of new trends.
Newsfeeds - as a human race, more and more of us now receive the majority of our news and content from screens where we tailor the content. Whether it be Facebook, the BBC news app or Sky Sports News, these are our windows on the world. So if you are a business, you need to make sure you look your best on these feeds.
E-sports - this is a fast-growing sector of the entertainment market where consumers are paying to watch people gaming online. Many people, not only the under 30s, spend large amounts of time and money watching their favourite stars play. Here’s an excellent article explaining the industry.
Social search - no longer is it OK just to be found on Google. You need to be visible wherever your customers may be looking for you. This could be Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook, which even has its own search engine called Graph Search. It’s all about being visible wherever your customers need to find you.
Facebook Messenger - once a way to private message, now a potential B2C website killer, offering customers the opportunity for customer engagement and e-commerce. It’s even introducing Chatbots who can engage and even negotiate with customers.
Virtual and augmented reality - not just about Pokemon Go, this is the next dimension for social media and marketing with large implications for business. Indeed Facebook’s next generation will be in the Third Dimension where Friends will be able to communicate virtually with one another via their avatars.
Programmatic advertising - it's all about targeting individuals based around their needs, wants and personality rather than the throw-mud-at-the-wall approach. NFC, re-targeting and Facebook advertising are just a few examples of using powerful data and targeting to deliver tailored content to new audiences.
Internet of things - IoT is where we move from the internet being based inside computers to existing inside a range of devices and even us! Connected cars, fridges and heating systems are becoming the norm. Plus as connectivity improves around the globe, expect the internet to become a uniquely ubiquitous phenomenon.
Artificial intelligence - AI or Machine Learning is already being used to replace humans cheaply and efficiently. A simple example is the use of chatbots as referenced earlier. Call centre operatives, book keepers and even doctors could see their jobs under threat from computers. Our challenge is to adapt as a human race to this techonology.
Algorithms - linked to AI and newsfeeds, like it or not, our lives are now being governed by complex mathematical formulae. Google has a very well-kept algorithm while Facebook has upwards of 1,400 variables which govern what we see (or not!) on the site. We don’t control these but need to learn to work with them.
Live streaming – anyone, regardless of where they are or what they do, is now effectively a live broadcaster thanks to the likes of Facebook Live, Periscope and YouTube Live. This is a serious game-changer for almost all businesses as you can now engage live with your customers in a virtual setting.
Blockchain – this is the ultimate evolution of the internet into something remarkable. Say Don and Alex Tapscott, authors of the Blockchain Revolution: “The blockchain is an incorruptible digital ledger of economic transactions that can be programmed to record not just financial transactions but virtually everything of value.”
So how geared up is your business to meet these challenges? Are you constantly evolving your strategy or do you prefer a world where computers were the size of offices and telephones were used for talking on!


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New Morrisons opens in Hadleigh
Gallagher has completed the groundworks, drainage and external works for a new Morrisons store which has just opened in Hadleigh, Essex.
This new store was built on the site of a Land Rover dealership, adjacent to the A13 in Hadleigh. This new supermarket is considered the flagship development for the Castle Point Regeneration Partnership’s plans to overhaul Hadleigh town centre.
Gallagher is still on site, demolishing the old supermarket and constructing a new car park.


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In an earlier post, I suggested that Apple might consider reshoring the production of iPads to this country. Apple has not yet acceded to my demands on that issue, but they are doing what they can. Over the last few years, Apple has been encouraging its suppliers to improve working conditions for the people who make Apple products, particularly in the area of number of hours worked each week. Well, Apple last week released its Apple Supplier Responsibility 2011 Progress Report and all I can say is Chinese workers can’t get enough of making Apple iPhones, iPads and iWhatevers. According to the Progress Report, Apple’s Code sets a maximum of 60 work hours per week and requires at least one day of rest per seven days of work, while allowing exceptions in unusual or emergency circumstances. Out of 127 suppliers that they audited in 2010, 76 facilities had records that indicated workers had exceeded the 60 hour weekly working-hour limits more than 50 percent of the time. At 74 facilities, more than half of the records we reviewed indicated that workers had worked more than six consecutive days at least once per month. Boy, it just tires me out to read about working that much!
Apple has been encouraging its suppliers to improve conditions at their facilities after numerous complaints about working conditions at the firms that make and assemble components for Apple. The most extreme example occurred at one of Apple’s suppliers Foxconn. In 2010, several Foxconn workers committed suicide by jumping from the company building. After that incident, Apple commissioned an independent review of the incidents by a team of suicide prevention experts. This team conducted an in depth investigation into the suicides, evaluated Foxconn’s response, and recommended strategies for supporting workers’ mental health in the future. According to the 2010 Progress Report, “the independent team presented its findings and recommendations to Terry Gou and senior executives from Foxconn and Apple. The team commended Foxconn for taking quick action on several fronts simultaneously, including hiring a large number of psychological counselors, establishing a 24-hour care center, and even attaching large nets to the factory buildings to prevent impulsive suicides.” The 2010 Progress Report went on to say that Foxconn, “is implementing an employee assistance program (EAP) that focuses on maintaining employee mental health and expanding social support networks.” Apparently, some workers at Foxconn did not get the memo about the employee assistance program. Boy, you just can’t please some people, no matter what you do!


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The fashion empire of Canada’s Peter Nygard is for sale. The intellectual property assets of Nygard International Partnership, including the trademarks associated with Alia, TanJay, and Nygard, were put on the market by Hilco Streambank, a leading intellectual property advisory firm, on Tuesday.
Offers are due on July 7, 2020, and an auction will be held on July 9, 2020. Inventory is equally for sale.
"These brands offer the customer her staples – denim and black pants – as well as an array of styles and fits to serve women in the office, at home and on the weekend,” said Hilco Streambank senior vice president, Richelle Kalnit.
“A buyer of one or more of the brands has an opportunity to continue to build on the company's robust omnichannel offerings and continue to provide the customer the styles on which she has come to rely."
The company, which has annual sales of more than $105 million through its wholesale partners and nearly $110 million through the company's the retail and eCommerce channels, has a strong presence in Canada and the United States.
Launched in 1969, the company's brands are most well-known for its affordable denim and fashion for women.
The 78-year-old fashion mogul Peter Nygard was accused of sexual assault earlier this year. A total of 46 women accused Nygard of rape and trafficking in a class-action lawsuit.
The sale is being conducted on behalf of Richter Advisory Group Inc. and is subject to Canadian court approval. The Nygard companies have been in receivership since March 18, under the control of Richter Advisory Group Inc.
The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in the closure of all 165 of Nygard's retail stores in Canada and the U.S., which prevented the receiver from holding liquidation sales.
The Nygard companies owe nearly $50 million to approximately 350 creditors around the world, including 40 Manitobans, according to a list in the receiver's first report.


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Famed mutual fund manager Ron Baron of Baron Capital is known for his relatively conservative, long-term approach to stock picking. He's a Warren Buffett of sorts, maybe most acutely in his love of putting pen to paper in shareholder letters and discussing why he invests in certain stocks that fit into his overall investment philosophy. Historically, he has had a management style that has had less risk and lower volatility than peers, according to Morningstar data.
But where Baron takes more risk than you might expect is with Elon Musk's electric car company. In his most recent quarterly letter to shareholders of his funds, the fund manager discussed why he has made a big bet on Tesla Motors. "We are a fan of Tesla's business and of Elon Musk," Baron wrote to fund shareholders in his recent investment update.
All of us will likely be Tesla customers in 25 yearsRon BaronCEO and chief investment officer, Baron Funds
Tesla fits the "built to last" model that Baron—and some other notable investors, namely Buffett, look for in long-term investments. (It's also the theme of this year's Baron Investment Conference, being held on Friday, Nov. 7.) In the same letter Baron made a comparison between LVMH, Apple, and Buffett, quoting from an anecdote in which Steve Jobs asked the LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault about retailing. "I don't know if we will use Apple products in 25 years, but I am sure we will still be drinking Dom Perignon," Arnault was quoted as saying.
Read MoreWhy Warren Bufett is always betting on bank stocks
"That is Warren Buffett's playbook. That is why businesses owned by Arnault ... Buffett ... and Baron Funds are 'built to last.'" Baron wrote.
So will we be drinking Dom Perignon in our Teslas 25 years from now? Baron seems to think the company's outlook is bright.
Baron thinks "all of us will likely be Tesla customers in 25 years" because its competitors are already being compelled to build and sell electric cars. "They do not want to build such cars," Baron wrote. "As a result, they are developing electric expertise so slowly that the lead Tesla has built up through its fast growing staff ... may soon become insurmountable."
He argues that between plant retrofits for engine parts that aren't easy, and union and dealer resistance based on potential loss of jobs and sales, the car companies are their own worse enemies. That he believes will be key to Tesla's continued success.
"Tesla's car culture is far different from that of other car companies," Baron wrote. At least, all car companies except for BMW. Baron noted that two of his analysts recently visited BMW in Germany and the BMW financial team believes that a "revolution in the drive train is underway. ... We believe that BMW will likely phase out internal combustion engines over the next 10 years," Baron wrote.
Tesla's wild stock ride—from $28 in 2012 to as high as $291 earlier this year, and up again on Thursday after earnings—might make it seem an unlikely stock pick for a relatively conservative manager, especially after one Wall Street analyst predicted a Tesla stock chart straight up to $400.
But Morningstar analyst Laura Lallos said current stock momentum or a high price-to-earnings ratio is not how a long-term manager like Baron would evaluate the company.
Baron funds Tesla exposure
(Source: Baron Funds. The Baron Opportunity, Partners and Focused Growth funds all hold significant stakes in Tesla—though these are relatively small mutual funds in terms of net assets and compared to Baron's flagship Growth Fund, which has $8 billion in assets.)
- Baron Opportunity Fund: 2 percent
- Baron Partners Fund: 8.7 percent
- Baron Focused Growth Fund: 3.2 percent
The long road
Could Baron be right? Over the long-term, he has been, at least when it comes to his funds.
Read MoreTesla's bet on winning the global lithium war
In an era of investors fleeing active managers for index funds, Baron's long-term track record still holds up, Lallos said. Even Baron's flagship fund has seen some outflows this year—and while it's still a consistent outperformer of its peer group, it hasn't beaten the index in the past five years.
The Baron Growth Fund is in the bottom-quartile of mid-cap growth this year, according to Morningstar. However, since it's inception at year-end 1994 and through mid-October, the fund has trumped both the mid-cap growth index (9.8 percent) and the small-cap growth (7.1 percent) benchmark, returning 13.2 percent annualized performance."
"The long-term fund performance is still pretty strong," Lallos said.
Pop the cork on the bubbly. Do Tesla's come with ice buckets?


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The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday commended stronger tobacco control measures being adopted by Thailand, which has become the first in Asia and the first low and middle-income country to adopt plain packaging for tobacco products.
“Thailand’s bold steps against tobacco – the single most important cause of preventable deaths worldwide – is commendable and reflects the country’s earnest efforts in promoting health and well-being of its people,” said WHO Southeast Asia Regional Director Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, congratulating Thailand for the tobacco legislation on plain packaging adopted last week.
The new legislative announcement on plain packaging is the latest effort of the Thai government and adds to the Tobacco Control Act 2017, which enforces 20 years as the minimum age for purchasing tobacco, bans single stick sale and bans tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship.
Plain packaging of tobacco products restricts or prohibits the use of logos, colours, brand images or promotional information on packaging other than brand names and product names displayed in a standard colour and font style.
Plain packaging is an evidence-based policy being advocated by WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a legal treaty that aims to protect the present and future generation against the devastating health and socio-economic impact of tobacco use.
As per Thailand’s new legislation, by September 2019, all tobacco products will have plain packaging. Thailand already has graphic health warnings covering 85 percent packaging of tobacco products. Introduction of plain packaging is expected to further boost the country’s tobacco control efforts targeting the current and new users.
The prevalence of tobacco use is high in Thailand with 11 million smokers. An estimated one out of every five adult Thai smokes. Nearly 50 percent men in the age group of 35-54 years smoke. Of concern is the persistently high tobacco use among young people—one out of every six Thai in the aged group of 13-17 years uses tobacco.
Globally, tobacco kills more than seven million people every year—up to half of its users. Tobacco use is a key risk factor for major non-communicable diseases such as heart attack, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. Non-communicable diseases account for over 70 percent of all deaths in Thailand.
In Thailand, the economic loss from tobacco in the year 2009 was estimated at 75 billion Thai baht or 0.78 percent of gross domestic product.


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John Francis Woodhouse, who no longer works for Royal Mail, was caught after tracker was placed in package
A former postman from Northern Ireland has been jailed for six months after being found guilty of stealing packages containing cycling kit from his local delivery office.
John Francis Woodhouse, a keen cyclist from Cushendall, County Antrim admitted a charge of theft of mail in transmission after stealing a number of packages over a 14-month period between June 2016 and August 2017.
Woodhouse, who no longer works for Royal Mail, was caught after a tracking device was placed in a package by a cycling firm, with investigators waiting for Woodhouse at the delivery office after the package containing the tracking device was seen to leave the delivery office at the same time as him.
“This is a gross breach of trust. You were employed as a postal delivery man,” District Judge Peter King said at Ballymena Magistrates Court, as reported by the Belfast Telegraph.
“I struggle to see a greater breach of trust than a postman stealing the mail. In order for the public to have confidence in the postal system, those who operate it have to have the utmost integrity.”
Acting for the defence, barrister Neil Moore said that his client had admitted that his actions had been a “gross breach of trust” and had made


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On-demand private driver service DriveU has raised seed investment from Unitus Seed Fund. The platform says that it will utilise the funding to expand to new markets and to attract new customers.
Launched in July 2015, the Bengaluru-based platform offers a technology-driven, on-demand, affordable, private driver service.
“We aim to provide on-demand driver solutions to private-owned vehicle owners, who are largely been ignored in the sharing economy frenzy. Our effort will simultaneously provide solutions to driver category as well,” says Rahm Shastry, CEO, DriveU.
He explains that with DriveU, you don’t need to deal with a full-time driver and his absences; now a customer can hire a part-time driver-on-demand at an affordable cost. The team ensures seamless user experience by implementing the best practices in technology, driver verification, training methods and on-road commute experience. Customer safety is of utmost experience to DriveU and they follow stringent policies to get the drivers verified by police and RTO before registering them on the system.
The platform says that it is currently offering services across four cities - Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and most recently in Delhi. Until January 2016, DriveU has completed over 15,000 trips serving over 6,000 customers, of which over 60 per cent were women.
On funding, Will Poole, Unitus Seed Fund Co-Founder and Managing Partner says, “The firm’s stellar team, strong focus on technology and ability to innovatively solve the need for private car utilisation while also improving driver livelihoods is a model that we believe will be both scalable and profitable.”
When it comes to car ownership, India stands 160th globally, with 18 cars per 1,000 people. According to a rough estimate, the average level of ownership will increase to 35 cars per 1,000 people by 2025.
According to recent reports, there are more than 15 lakhs (1.5 million) private cars in Bengaluru and 30 per cent of the car owners are seeking drivers.


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The DCCI, which acts as an international business hub in Dubai, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with two entities the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Singapore-based blockchain startup Perlin.
According to the report, DCCI is the first chamber of commerce in the world to offer blockchain tools developed by the ICC, as well as the Centre of Future Trade (CoFT), a collaborative project the ICC and Perlin announced in May 2019.
Under the MoU, DCCI acquires exclusive rights to offer CoFT blockchain trade solutions in the Middle East and Africa region, the agency stated. Those solutions intend to improve trade processes by providing greater transparency of supply chains, as well as reducing the involved risks, the press release notes.
Among others, the trade solutions will support DCCI’s recently launched Digital Silk Road platform, which aims to apply blockchain tech to eliminate major vulnerabilities in the global trading system. Co-established by the DCCI and the Dubai Future Foundation, the Digital Silk Road project is a part of the Dubai 10X municipal development plan.
Earlier in April, Perlin announced that the company will help the ICC roll out its blockchain-powered technology. Founded in 1919, the ICC features 45 million businesses, including major global giants such as Amazon and PayPal.
On June 10, the Dubai Land Department and telecoms firm Etisalat signed a MoU to apply blockchain and smart government standards to introduce paperless management and digital contracts for real estate transactions.


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Ultimaker has launched this Ultimaker Essentials, a brand new subscription-based software solution. The new software is aimed at helping companies overcome barriers in the adoption of additive manufacturing technologies.
Ultimaker Essentials as a paid subscription-based software solves several major IT-pain points, including the need to improve management across workflows, especially by centralizing the distribution of 3D printing software, ensuring updates and plugins are rolled out across all users at the same time, and streamlining overall printing processes across entire organizations with distributed 3D printers.
The software also includes a brand-new direct support function and a catalog of verified plugins to help effectively scale 3D printing outputs.
As one of the core pillars of Industry 4.0, 3D printing is an essential part of progressive business solutions and processes,” said Jos Burger, CEO at Ultimaker. “In the wake of the recent pandemic, companies need to quickly realize, if they haven’t already, that global supply chains and manufacturing workflows can be easily disrupted. The transition to digital distribution and local manufacturing is now imminent and more imperative than ever. The Ultimaker Essentials launch is targeted at addressing these gaps and removing the final barriers in the adoption of 3D printing.”
As part of the Ultimaker Essentials package, users gain access to three eLearning courses from Ultimaker 3D Printing Academy, which also launched this week. Ultimaker’s 2019 3D Printing Sentiment Index found that 69 percent of the professionals surveyed cited knowledge as the most frequent barrier, of which, 40 percent brought up a lack of necessary skillsets to properly leverage 3D printing.
Courses in the Ultimaker 3D Printing Academy, which range from novice to expert level, will also be available separate from the Ultimaker Essentials software subscription.
“We are thrilled to roll-out the Ultimaker 3D Printing Academy as a premier platform for learning, which will significantly increase in value over time,” said Nuno Campos, CMO at Ultimaker. “This is only the first step of our program as in Q4 we will expand the Academy by releasing multiple role- and topic-based courses, which will lead to additional certifications. We look forward to the continued adoption and education of 3D printing and are excited to help businesses uncover how 3D printing can benefit their business now and in the future.”
Subscribing to Ultimaker Essentials provides organizations with an enterprise-grade solution for adopting a full 3D printing infrastructure.
To learn more visit this link here.


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Windows Phone 7 Jailbreak, Coming Soon!
Windows Phone 7 has just released and the developers are already working hard to jailbreak Windows Phone 7 and run unmanaged native code. Jailbreaking Windows Phone 7 is coming soon.
A user on XDA Developers was able to find out that accessing “Microsoft.Phone.InteropServices” DLL in WP7, it could give you access to native code and can side-load applications.
Chris Walshie created such an app using his developer certificate, which allowed him to side-load applications in Windows Phone 7 and gave the app full access to the native code and registry.
This progress shows that Windows Phone 7 jailbreak is not too far away and I’m pretty sure XDA Developers would soon find a way to get it done.
Jailbreak Windows Phone 7. [Via Long Zheng]


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Retailer Game has unequivocally rejected allegations that it demanded publishers delay the release of PC games on the UK version of the Steam download service - or face having their titles taken off its High Street stores' shelves.
Earlier this week, Facepunch forum poster Teddi Orange named Game as the retailer responsible for "ruining your consumer experience on Steam" through the delayed appearance or no-show of major titles on Steam UK.
"Some time around the start of this year, Game started talking to multiple publishers regarding their games being on Steam," he wrote.
"Their goal was effectively to gain some monopoly or power over Steam… They basically want (at least) one month from release date where the game cannot be purchased by those in the UK on Steam."
None of which is true, Neil Ashurst, a spokesperson for Game, told Reg Hardware today.
"We can categorically state that these rumours do not relate to the Game Group or any of its employees," he said.
"We have had no such conversations with any publisher and have been in contact with various publishers who can confirm this for you as well."
It's no secret that retail is very wary of Steam. The service, owned by US games developer Valve, has come to dominate the game download business and competes directly with retailers' own fledgling download services.
But some other retailers have gone so far as to discourage publishers from using Steam, it has been claimed.
In November 2010, industry newspaper MCV quoted "the digital boss at one of the biggest UK games retailers" who reportedly told the paper: "We are telling suppliers to stop using Steam in their games."
The paper claimed "at least two major retailers will demand that publishers remove Steam from their games – or they will not sell them in any form".
And in June this year, UK publishing director of publisher 1C, Darryl Still, told CVG: "Retail chains… recently sent a command to publishers that if they include Steamworks in their title it will not be stocked."
Retailers fear Steam will become as powerful a force in games sales as Apple's iTunes has become in the music business. ®


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As a new brand, any exposure is welcome, says Bon Femmes founder Omotola Akinbiyi. “My brand is still so young, most buyers [online and in store] are beginners,” she says. “Customers came into the physical store and let me know they first saw the brand on Pinterest.” The retailer launched online in 2019.
Getting noticed can be tough for a new brand and Bon Femmes, an online and Chicago-based brick-and-mortar store featuring art, home decor, cosmetics and other items made and designed by women, does no exception.
“It’s so much easier to connect with potential customers using Pinterest’s tools,” says Akinbiyi. “It’s easier to share new items, new collections, etc.”
Pinterest tools for merchants include the Shop tab. This allows the retailer to turn their product catalog into product “pins” to make it easier for Pinterest users to find and share products by pinning them to their boards. Marketers can add the Pinterest tag to their website to measure conversions and use it as a tool to retarget ads, according to Pinterest.
And while tools like the Shop tab don’t always translate to immediate sales, “it still draws eyes to the site that maybe weren’t even aware of the brand originally,” says Akinbiyi.
Pinterest pinners do the job
Nearly three-quarters of Bon Femmes web traffic comes from mobile devices, with an average of more than 8,000 monthly visits to the website (including mobile and desktop visitors), according to data from SimilarWeb from September to November 2021 in North America. Bon Femmes pays for Instagram ads and expects web traffic to come from it, but it’s the rise in web visitors to the Pinterest app that Akinbiyi says is a welcome source of organic exposure.
In 2020, Bon Femmes received a total of 6,330 visits from Pinterest, says Akinbiyi. However, after updates to the Pinterest app, including the ability for consumers to use their phone’s camera to take a photo or use an image from their camera roll to tag products, Akinbiyi says Pinterest’s website traffic more than doubled.
In fact, Pinterest generated 15,264 redirected web visits in 2021 compared to 6,330 in 2020, an increase of 83%.
Akinbiyi notes that Instagram’s 16,161 visits in 2021 were the result of paid ads. Other traffic engines to the website, such as organic search, such as from Chrome and Mobile Safari browsers, generated 23,593 visits in 2021 compared to 16,742 visits in 2020.
According to SimilarWeb, which tracks desktop traffic (25% of overall Bon Femmes web traffic), between September and November 2021 in North America, Pinterest accounted for 93% of its social media traffic with other social platforms, including Facebook (7%). and Instagram (0.5%) accounting for the remaining share.
Akinbiyi says she also noticed an influx of traffic when one of Bon Femmes’ Pinterest pins went viral. “Which always brings more traffic to my site,” she says.
Before launching this store, Akinbiyi worked in the arts and started writing a blog, Bon Femmes, in 2015, highlighting female artists. Bon Femmes transitioned from a blog to an online store in 2019. In April 2021, Akinbiyi opened a physical storefront in Chicago, open only on Saturdays (Akinbiyi has a full-time weekday job elsewhere).
Akinbiyi still writes articles in the “Journal” section of the Bon Femmes website, highlighting artists such as Sixtine van Kemmel.
Bon Femmes also notes that it takes care to minimize its environmental impact as much as possible, in particular by using packaging that is 95% recyclable. The retailer intends to raise that figure to 100% “with more research,” according to the Bon Femmes website. According to a Digital Commerce 360/Interest rate information March 2020 survey of 989 online consumers, 30% of consumers say they are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly policies and enforcement practices.
Another useful Pinterest feature, says Akinbiyi, is the merchant details section that appears on a merchant’s profile under the business name. It allows merchants to highlight the values or causes it promotes. Under the profile details of Bon Femmes by Omotola A., Akinbiyi shares that it is an online store featuring art, design and beauty/personal care products created by women. As of December 20, 2021, the store noted that it has nearly 10,000 followers on Pinterest and 1.7 million monthly views.
Tools like Pinterest’s shop tab and Pinterest’s merchant detail searches make it easier for consumers to share what they see and, according to Akinbiyi, can potentially lead to a purchase. But the greatest value is drawing attention to a fledgling brand that seeks to turn clicks into awareness and eventually sales, she says.
When consumers are directed to the Bon Femmes site via Pinterest pins, Akinbiyi says it’s an opportunity to understand the customer a little better “and what they’re looking for from the brand,” she says.
Augmented reality for an immersive shopping experience
Pinterest offers visual search, where consumers can take a photo with a smartphone or tablet that generates a selection of pins similar to the items being photographed. From there, consumers can choose to visit the retailer’s website.
But it’s the Pinterest Lens that uses augmented reality (AR) that offers a new opportunity for shoppers to connect with brands. Launched in January 2021, Lens offers consumers an interactive way to try before they buy. 11% more Pinterest users are using AR Try On for Beauty Tool on the Pinterest platform, where consumers can virtually try on products like lipstick or eyeshadow from brands like Chanel, Gucci and L’Oréal, among others. Pinterest does not measure sales resulting from use of the augmented reality tool, but noted that it drives web traffic to merchant sites.
According to Pinterest, shop tab searches increased 144% in Q3 2021 compared to Q3 2020. Goal snapshots increased 122% over the same period.
According to a Digital Commerce/Bizrate Beauty survey of 1,000 respondents in August 2020, 8% said they wanted to be able to try on beauty products virtually, while 6% surveyed said they used the tool during their online shopping experience. line.


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With its new ViaTech portfolio, Cargill builds upon previous stevia-based sweetener technologies by improving taste performance at high usage levels.
Cargill scientists have spent hundreds of thousands of hours working with the stevia leaf to understand how different steviol glycosides work alone and in combination. Cargill also uses a proprietary taste prediction model, which helps achieve clean sweetness in zero-calorie and reduced-calorie food and beverage formulations.
“Cargill designed the ViaTech ingredients to deliver an optimal sweet taste at high use levels, which has been a limitation with previous stevia-based products,” notes Scott Fabro, global business development director, Cargill Corn Milling North America.”
— Cargill Foods, www.cargillfoods.com/viatech


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Mob Psycho 100: Psychic Battle is the latest game from anime streaming service Crunchyroll. The original free-to-play role-playing game (RPG) is based on the manga series Mob Psycho 100, and sees the introverted mid-schooler roam around while using his psychic abilities in battles.
Mob Psycho 100 started as a webcomic but soon became a fan-favorite. The game will allow fans to interact with and use powerful psychic moves alongside their favorite characters from the show and will feature the original voice actors from Mob Psycho 100. The game will be loosely based on elements from the first season of the show and will feature an animated cutscene ahead of each character’s special attack.
Mob Psycho 100: Psychic Battle will be playable via demo at Crunchyroll’s spot at the Anime Expo over the July 4 weekend in Los Angeles. The mobile game is set to release this Fall in the U.S. and its territories, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. It will be releasing on both Apple and Android handsets.
Fans can pre-register for the game’s release on the Crunchyroll website, and you can check out the trailer above while you wait for its imminent drop.
In other news, the NBA 2K20 cover stars and release date have been officially confirmed.


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There’s even a collector’s edition!
Tons of goodies as always from NIS America.
That’s a lot of alchemy.
Watch out for barrels.
The new Atelier game, Nelke and the Legendary Alchemists: Atelier of a New Land, gets gameplay details and a 2018 Japanese release window.


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The longtime couple were on their way to grab some iced coffee together before kicking off their day.
In a recent interview with Men’s Health, Patrick opened up about his ambition to bulk up in 2021 and even has 50 pints of ice cream sitting in his fridge to help him out.
“I’m just trying to get more calories, more protein, and more complex carbs in my system,” he said. “I’m also trying to eat something before my workouts to have enough energy to get through the workout.”
Patrick recalled that “before, it was always an empty stomach and trying to use the fasting to burn off fat.”
Today, his meal plans feature peanut butter and jelly smoothies and beef jerky snacks throughout his day and his goal is to put on 25 pounds.
At the beginning of the year, he was at 162 pounds, and at the time of the article, he weighed in at 184 pounds.
If you didn’t see, Patrick is set to star with a family member in a new Amazon thriller show. See who here!
15+ pictures inside of Patrick Schwarzenegger and Abby Champion on a coffee run…


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SIDNEY – The Gordmans store in Sidney is temporarily closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Sidney location and other Gordmans stores are closed because of government orders to close non-essential businesses and other location-based factors. The stores will not re-open until circumstances improve.
Rhodes commencement canceled
LIMA — With the recent COVID-19 Executive Orders, the Rhodes State College Board of Trustees has made the difficult decision to cancel the May 2, 2020, commencement ceremony. The uncertainty about when the COVID-19 spread will end is not clear, and the many planning tasks necessary to prepare for the commencement ceremony cannot be accomplished during this time. The college is looking at alternative ways to still be able to confer degrees and find innovative opportunities to celebrate student successes. These plans will be communicated to the public as soon as possible.


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Developer Steve Troughton-Smith has just made another startling revelation that a new “iPad X” could be in the works. Here’s all you need to know about this new finding in iOS 12.
Table of Contents
AvatarKit and Face ID are compatible with iPad
According to renowned developer Steve Troughton-Smith, iOS 12 already contains the necessary code required to port AvatarKit and Face ID to the iPad.
For the uninitiated, AvatarKit is the framework that the Animojis and Memojis use.
Troughton-Smith posted on Twitter a screenshot of the Animoji screen on an older model of iPad.
New in iOS 12: AvatarKit comes to iPad. Still requires a TrueDepth camera to do face tracking, though, i.e. an iPad with Face ID pic.twitter.com/9TvP2vsP6X
— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) July 3, 2018
The developer also remarked that AvatarKit relies on TrueDepth camera for face tracking and will only become fully functional once Apple releases a new Face ID-compatible iPad.
This discovery hints at the possibility that Apple could be working on a new smart tablet with Face ID support.
Although the current device lineup may not make use of AvatarKit, a new “iPad X” with iOS 12 will definitely be able to do so.
When will Apple release a Face ID-compatible iPad?
An updated iPad Pro is purportedly in the works and Apple plans to launch it this fall. However, the new tablet with face scanning capability will not accompany its smartphone counterparts.
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will probably announce it in October or November alongside a new low-end MacBook Air.
With that said, not much is known about the hardware and design of the new tablet. Apple might go for a frameless design à la iPhone X replete with a stunning notch and a TruDepth camera.
As far as the processor goes, the new iPad Pro will come with the A12 chip, which the upcoming iPhone will use.
Check out our Facebook and Twitter pages for round-the-clock Apple news and updates.


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Interest rates could increase sooner after inflation has reached a 15-month high
Inflation increased by more than expected to 0.5 per cent in the year to March, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
It means that a typical basket of goods and services that cost £100 a year ago would be priced at £100.50 today.
The overall rise was still relatively low thanks to a drop in food prices and a smaller rise in petrol than in March last year.
Falling oil prices and food costs have pushed down inflation over the past year, with the index turning negative last April for the first time since the 1960s.
But inflation has recently been creeping back up, hitting the highest level since December 2014, which could mean interest rates may rise sooner rather than later.
The expectation of a rate hike caused the pound to strengthen against other currencies today.
The pound was sitting at $1.43 and €1.25 at lunchtime, increases of around 0.5 per cent.
Interest rates could lift sooner, offering savers some respite
Caxton FX analyst Nicholas Laser-Ebisch said: "The pound has appreciated significantly across the board this morning with nearly the highest GBP/USD rate in April and further strength against other currency majors.
"This is a bright spot for the UK economy this morning, as higher inflation likely means that the Bank of England has stronger grounds to argue in favour of an interest rate increase sooner, rather than later, in the UK.
"This piece of data will likely mean that the pound will trade at a higher level than it has been doing in the short term, but there is still the looming risk of the Brexit referendum vote upcoming in June."
However, experts cautioned that today's inflation is not enough to push the Bank of England into moving yet.
Maike Currie, investment director for personal investing at Fidelity International, said: “While today’s figures sees UK inflation move further into positive territory, we remain far away from the Bank of England’s two per cent target.
"Today’s increase is unlikely to spur the Bank of England into considering raising interest rates on Thursday with widespread consensus that this week will see the 85th consecutive month that the bank keeps interest rates on hold at their emergency level of 0.50 per cent."


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IDAHO FALLS, Idaho - California's legislature passed a bill that would make it the first state to ban plastic bags from grocery stores and pharmacies.
If Gov. Jerry Brown signs the bill, will other states follow suit? The Environmental Protection Agency said only 12 percent of plastic bags, sacks and wraps were recycled in 2012.
Kevin Kelsey says he uses his plastic bags over and over.
"We use them for trash bags in the smaller trash cans at home, or to take a lunch out when I leave in the morning," said Kelsey.
Although plastic bags are convenient for humans, it's the problems plastic bags cause for the ocean and aquatic animals that caused so many in California to call for an end to plastic bags.
"I understand why, it helps the planet and stuff," said Spencer Risk, while shopping. "I would definitely find it to be a little bit of an inconvenience though, so I get it, but I don't like it."
Shoppers in California would still have the option to purchase paper bags, but at a cost of no less than 10 cents.
"It's just a little bit of a nuisance to finish your grocery shopping trip, and then have another couple dollars tacked on at the end," said Risk. "Nickle and diming you, just seems a little annoying."
Daniel Bonney already uses reusable bags. He says he'd like Idaho's Legislature to pass a plastic bag ban, because they take so long to break down.
"Constantly adding it to landfills is going to be terrible long term," said Bonney.
At Natural Grocers in Idaho Falls, you won't find any plastic bags. Manager Adam Christensen said only boxes from its freight deliveries are available to shoppers.
"So, there's always a free option or the reusable bags available," said Christensen.
It even pays to BYOB. Every time you use a Natural Grocers bag, 5 cents is donated to the food bank.
"A friendly way to help the environment, a friendly way to kind of help out our neighbors with the donations, and we reuse what we have here," said Christensen. "There's not much waste that comes from the store."
If California's governor signs the bill by the end of the month, plastic bags would be outlawed at grocery stores and drug stores beginning July 1, 2015.


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The pendulum swings to the U.S.: As expected, Ford turned in higher-than-expected first-quarter profits today, while in Germany, Daimler’s formerly pornographic profits were slashed in half, and Volkswagen stubbornly maintained its outlook despite declining profits.
Ford’s North American unit posted its best quarter in more than a decade on the strength of new models, Reuters says. Revenue in North America shot up by one-fifth during the quarter. Ford reported a pretax profit of $2.1 billion, or 41 cents per share for the quarter, down from about $2.3 billion a year earlier, but better than analysts expected. Ford says it expects to lose $2 billion in Europe this year.
Meanwhile in Germany, Daimler ditched its earnings forecast after its first-quarter profit plunged more than half, brought on by a protracted slump Europe and problems in China, Reuters says.
In Wolfsburg, Volkswagen’s first quarter earnings declined to 2.34 billion euros ($3.05 billion) from 3.16 billion a year ago. VW is bracing for “increasingly stiff competition in a challenging market environment,” Reuters reports. Nevertheless, Volkswagen sees no reason to change its goals to match last year’s record operating profit of 11.5 billion euros and to push global deliveries to new record levels.


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TreviPay’s (formerly MSTS’) business-to-business credit and accounts receivable management program provides INTENSE Cycles with the ability to free working capital and realize significant operational savings.
TreviPay, a global B2B payment and credit solutions provider, today announced the launch of its solution for INTENSE Cycles, a leading manufacturer and retailer for mountain and racing bikes, parts, and gear. The technology will allow INTENSE Cycles to offer its dealers net terms and payment by invoice.
“In the past year, we’ve seen our customer base grow as more people take an interest in outdoor activities,” said Michael Ford, Director of Finance and Operations at INTENSE Cycles. “While flexible payments have always been top of mind for us, this increased demand further accelerated our need to extend credit. Given TreviPay’s deep expertise in serving business-to-business ecommerce and manufacturing customers, we knew they were the right trusted payments partner for INTENSE Cycles. We look forward to leveraging TreviPay’s technology to better serve our dealers and end customers now and into the future.”
Following the rise of stay-at-home advisories due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, INTENSE Cycles saw an uptick in demand among bike enthusiasts and newcomers. Consequently, the company recognized the need for flexible payment terms and invoicing for its dealers that are increasingly purchasing larger quantities of bikes and parts. INTENSE Cycles adopted TreviPay’s white-labeled payment solution which enables the extension of credit and invoicing at checkout on the company’s ecommerce platform. As a result, dealers are able to bring a wider range of bikes, parts, and gear to store locations, ultimately improving the end-user purchasing experience.
“INTENSE Cycles’ robust ecommerce platform showcases its true market leadership in the cycling industry,” said Brandon Spear, CEO of TreviPay. “We’re proud to provide the company with the technology necessary to free INTENSE Cycles from the logistics of payments processes, and instead, allow them to cultivate long-lasting relationships with its dealer network and end customers.”
To learn more about TreviPay’s credit and payment solutions, visit https://www.trevipay.com.
TreviPay is a global leader in B2B payment and credit solutions, facilitating $6 billion in transactions per year in 17 currencies for customers in more than 190 countries. Our cutting-edge solution is setting the stage for the future of omni-channel B2B payments. The company specializes in payment and credit management for B2B companies across transportation, manufacturing and distribution, retail, eCommerce, and marketplaces. TreviPay’s solution is a suite of applications and services that facilitates B2B payments by extending terms, handling invoicing and managing collections.


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Meizu M1 Note Phablet Has An Uncanny Resemblance To iPhone 5c [Images]
In its bid to take on Xiaomi as the top brand contender, Meizu is churning out new Android smartphones, with the latest being the M1 Note phablet, and it looks a lot like the iPhone 5c. A lot!
The Meizu M1 is designed with a unibody polycarbonate chassis available in candy-clad colors which is extremely similar to the iPhone 5c. A close inspection however, will reveal that the curves and edges are nothing like the 5c, but once again, the volume buttons speak the Apple design language.
On the hardware front, here’s the break down; the device which is aimed for the Chinese market primarily, is right up there with some of the best smartphones. Packing a 64-bit MediaTek octa-core CPU clocked at 1.6GHz, the M1 Note is carrying a 1080p 5.5-inch display, 2GB of RAM and a Samsung provided 13-megapixel camera module for the rear shooter, with a dual-tone LED flash. The front-facing camera is a wide-angle 5-megapixel unit, and the battery is a handful 3,140mAh one.
The M1 Note runs Meizu’s own Fyme 4.1 OS, a highly customized ROM based on Android 4.4.4 KitKat. The device with its colorful attitude is deceptive of its powerful specs, and that’s not all; the phone carries a very low price tag of $160 for the 16GB version, and $190 for the 32GB one.
The Meizu M1 Note is almost certainly a true bang-for-the-buck smartphone, despite lacking features like the fingerprint scanner found on the MX4 Pro, and more importantly, the lack of expandable storage with users being stuck with 16GB or 32GB out of the box.
The phone is expected to be launched in China on the 30th of December and Meizu is already accepting pre-orders for its phablet, and is expected to be released in the Western market somewhere in the second half of January, unless Apple decides to question this move.
Meizu could have done better than the wallpaper being used in the M1 Note, which is exactly like the one found on the iPhone 5c.


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der brutkasten: Will AI Leads Us Into a Better Future Or “Idiocracy”?
Chris Boos, CEO and Founder of Arago, was mentioned in “Der Brutkasten”, an Austrian platform for start-ups and innovation.
At the “ÖAMTV Future Talk” Boos told the audience about human’s liberation via automation and the need for the automotive industry to invent oneself by using innovative products and services.
He differentiated various kinds of AI (Narrow AI, General AI and Super AI) and their areas of application. All processes, that can be automated, are taken over by AI and people are getting back time to focus on new tasks (or lay back and develop into “idiocracy”).
Click here to read the article (German language).


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By THE NATION
Prayut made this proposal during a Special Asean Summit and Special Asean+3 Summit on the crisis via video conferencing.
He said the money, drawn from existing Asean funds, will be spent on protective gear, medical supplies and research on medication and vaccines.
The premier added that Asean members should further facilitate transportation and logistics, so goods can be supplied quickly in this time of crisis.
Prayut also said that Asean should learn from this impact so it can be prepared to effectively handle future challenges.


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Vivox to Power Voice Chat on Facebook
Vivox's VoiceEverywhere Service will be powering the Bobsled application for Facebook calling as part of the new Bobsled by T-Mobile brand. The Bobsled application for Facebook is the world’s first free, one-touch Facebook calling application.
The Vivox-powered Bobsled application for Facebook provides Facebook’s more than 500 million users worldwide with free, one-touch calling to their Facebook friends from their PCs and through the social platform’s chat window. T-Mobile and Vivox are giving voice to social networking, taking Internet communications to a new level and bringing voice chat to more than half a billion people overnight. With Vivox’s “instant on” technology, no application download is required to receive a call via the Bobsled Facebook application. Bobsled by T-Mobile users can even record and post voice messages to their friends’ Facebook walls.
“Integrated voice on Facebook is a critical part of our roadmap for Bobsled by T-Mobile, and Vivox is the clear leader in this area,” said Brad Duea, senior vice president at T-Mobile USA. “Vivox is a talented and innovative company, and we look forward to a successful partnership with Vivox.”
Vivox serves more than 50 million users worldwide and delivers more than 3 billion voice minutes per month through its integrations into social applications, online and console games, and virtual worlds.
VoiceEverywhere works on many popular connected devices, including PC, MaC, PlayStation 3, iOS, and Android.
Vivox and T-Mobile plan to evolve the Bobsled application for Facebook and Vivox’s VoiceEverywhere platform over time with additional features, including video chat.
“As communications moves beyond networks, devices and online activities, Vivox’s focus is to provide simple and ubiquitous cross-platform communications for consumers, enabling people to stay connected wherever they are, regardless of platform or device,” said Rob Seaver, CEO of Vivox. “Our agreement with T-Mobile is a significant step forward in the convergence of communications. We believe this momentum will continue as Vivox VoiceEverywhere will be instrumental in bringing seamlessly integrated communications to the masses.”


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Francesco Carrozzini talks about X-Ray Fashion VR Installation at Venice Film Festival
"I was very surprised, the impact that fashion has on climate, because we don't really connect it directly... What can we do now, is trying to find zero-carbon transportation, to re-invent technologically how we weave clothes, dye clothes."
"X-Ray Fashion is the first step into making people really feel informed, not just be informed...Let's make fashion sustainable."
- Francesco Carrozzini, director of X-Ray Fashion VR Installation, premiered in competition at the Venice International Film Festival.
X-Ray Fashion is created by the young Danish media group, MANND, who won the Uniting4Climate global VR pitch competition. The virtual reality experience is produced by Connect4Climate, the World Bank Group's partnership program, alongside philanthropist Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Productions and carbon-neutral company Alcantara.


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See our video services!
At The Guide Liverpool, we’ve been helping businesses promote themselves and reach new clients and customers for years. Our professional video crew can help you increase engagement, interaction and revenue by presenting your business to a wide audience with a creative, exciting promotional video for use on multiple online channels.
The Asda Safety Marshals are to be stationed at the front of every store and in the aisles of larger stores.
Bosses said they expect the staff to be able to help shoppers with safety questions and to reiterate Government guidelines.
If customers are not wearing masks in store, they will be told they can buy a pack of disposable masks and pay for them as part of their shopping trip.
Extra hand sanitiser stations will be provided in the busiest parts of the stores and protective coatings will be applied to all basket and trolley handles.
Following the recent change in Government guidance, all Asda store colleagues in England, Wales and Scotland will now wear a covering while at work unless they have a medical exemption, the supermarket added.
Anthony Hemmerdinger, chief operating officer at Asda, said: “We know that safety remains a key priority for our customers and we will continue to do all we can to keep them and our colleagues safe in store, as we have since the start of the pandemic.
— The Guide Liverpool (@TheGuideLpool) September 22, 2020
“These additional measures will make our stores an even safer place to shop and work during the coming months.”
The move comes after rival Morrisons said it had reinstated marshals on the doors of its 494 supermarkets.
Supermarkets were granted “essential” status during the lockdown in March, leading to long queues and strict social distancing, although over time the rules were relaxed and enforcement reduced.
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Agricultural waste recycler Cleanfarms is on its way to becoming a permanent, industry-funded program in Manitoba.
This will likely mean more opportunities for producers to recycle grain bags, baler twine and other plastics. It will also mean paying for it.
On November 30, Cleanfarms released a draft of its Manitoba Agriculture Plastics Plan (MAPP) and asked for producers, ag groups, retailers and other potential participants to give feedback. It will continue to accept feedback until January 12.
Feedback will be incorporated into the plan, which will then be sent to Manitoba Conservation and Climate for approval, the organization said in a pre-Christmas news release.
Cleanfarms collects and recycles ag plastics across the Prairie provinces. Since 2013 it has operated on a pilot (provincially funded) basis in Manitoba with 37 collection sites, the draft MAPP says. In 2018, at the province’s behest, it began consultations on how to transition to a permanent, industry-funded model.
If approved as written, Cleanfarms’ plan would see a permanent program begin in April to collect grain storage bags and baler twine. These items were also gathered in the pilot program.
As market demand allows, a second phase would see silage film and bale wrap added to the list of collected items (this is listed as “TBD” in the MAPP).
Similar to under the pilot, producers would be responsible to roll grain bags and bag baler twine and deliver these to collection sites (pilot locations were mainly at municipal landfills).
“There is no fee for dropping off grain bags or baler twine that is prepared properly,” the MAPP says.
However, the program (as planned in the draft) will be “fully financed through an Environmental Handling Fee (EHF) collected and remitted to Cleanfarms by first sellers of designated ag plastics,” the MAPP says.
The fee will be determined by dividing total program costs (minus recycling revenue) by total weight of products distributed. Cleanfarms estimates the fee for grain bags will be $0.25 per kg and $0.33 for baler twine.
“If the plan is approved, we will work with stewards and retailers to determine a per-item EHF based on commonly sold sizes,” said Barbara McConnell, media and communications consultant with Cleanfarms.
“Under the draft plan, the (environmental handling fee) is mandatory, so all producers who choose to buy twine and grain bags, will pay the EHF to help manage the used grain bags and twine at end of life,” she said.
Most producers aren’t thrilled about mandatory fees on their plastic, but understood the need to support a recycling program, the MAPP said. This is based on a survey Cleanfarms did in 2019 with 355 crop and livestock farmers.
Fifty-eight per cent opposed paying the environmental handling fee. Fifty-three per cent said they’d be OK with paying the fee if the program is easy to use and accessible.
Just 24 per cent of producers who use twine, bale or silage wrap and grain bags said they were aware of the pilot project (despite being in 27 locations spread across agro-Manitoba).
Seventy-seven per cent of the same group said they were likely to participate if a collection site was in their area. Eighty-two per cent of the group said they are supportive of a province-wide recycling program for these items (49 per cent were “very supportive”).
Cleanfarms said it will focus promotion efforts on educating farmers about the environmental handling fee. It will also work on educating producers, retailers and collection site stewards on the program.
Manitoba will follow Saskatchewan’s program-funding model, which compensates collection sites for annual capital costs and also pays them based on the volume of materials collected. Cleanfarms estimated the incentive at $55 per tonne.
Cleanfarms said it plans to submit the amended MAPP to the province by January 30 and hopes to receive approval by the end of March.


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“At first, I was daunted because the company from Thailand is now in the Philippines. But when I got to hear more of their stories, more of their mission and vision, I become more excited because I wanted to be a part of something big which is not just for the benefit of the company but for the benefit of the Filipinos. I, of course, is for sustainability and growth and most especially eto yung panahon na we are bouncing back and more Filipinos would love to have their businesses out there, mas malaki. And we need to trust one name, this is it, Flash Express,” says celebrity host and VJ Robi Domingo who also happens to be a rising entrepreneur. Robi owns several businesses including events management and real estate company, milk tea franchise, and a restaurant.
“We are so thrilled to have Robi as part of Flash Express Philippines. He is such an inspiring entrepreneur. He is very hands-on, determined, and always strives to innovate and serve. This is exactly why we chose him as our brand ambassador as we have parallel goals and vision. Flash aims to be a catalyst of change, growth, and innovation in the country and to drive hope amongst Filipinos especially during these challenging times.” shared Flash Express Philippines Legal and Compliance Head, Atty. Sherry Lou Bernabe.
Indeed, Flash Express Philippines only has positive things to say about Robi, and one of the main reasons they decided to enlist Robi as their first local celebrity brand ambassador was after conducting a survey among their employees and finding that the young entrepreneur’s name was at the top of the list.
Flash Express, the fastest-growing courier and logistics service company in the Philippines that entered the country’s logistics business last August 2021, officially presented its full services to all Filipinos through a grand launch and press conference on November 29, 2021 in Paranaque with the theme “Fast Forward with Flash Express.”
Flash Express Philippines General Manager John de Guzman-Tarampi presented the company’s services and plans for their Filipino customers, as well as their mission of assisting all entrepreneurs to move forward by delegating their logistics needs to Flash Express. Tarampi is confident that they are more than prepared to serve the entire Philippines, armed with the most advanced logistics equipment and technology, manpower, and over 138 hubs and outlets across the country.
“Flash Express is definitely ready to serve the Filipinos after months of strategic preparations. In just three months, we were able to make our services available to Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. In fact, we are already in our next stage plan of offering more of our e-commerce and logistics businesses. Now that we are done establishing our Express services, we are gearing toward making Flash Home available and operational to complement our Express services”, Tarampi said.
Going back to Robi, his positive attitude allowed him to successfully open his restaurant business despite the pandemic, and he hopes to inspire other entrepreneurs with what he has learned from his experience.
“As a businessowner, I understand the plight of other entrepreneurs during this pandemic. But hardships come with learning. I have learned so much from that experience. I learned how crucial it is to have a courier and logistics partner like Flash Express Philippines who makes business a lot easier by providing services to meet their customer’s emerging demands,” shared Robi.
Just like Robi, Flash Express Philippines aims to provide great services for their customers and provide employment for Filipinos who are dealing with the negative impact of the pandemic. “I believe that Flash Express will be of great help to our Filipino MSMEs who need logistics partners to fulfill their business and to improve the Philippines’ logistics service industry as a whole,” Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary for Consumer Protection Group Atty. Ruth Castelo said as one of the invited resource speakers who discussed how the company would potentially help in the logistics business growth, economic boost and increase in the employment rate in the Philippines.
This is what Flash Express Philippines guarantees to help business owners take full control of their operations and maximize their business potential through Flash Express’ fast delivery service, round-the-clock customer service, 365 days of operation (no holidays), and expanded delivery point coverage.
Flash Express Philippines promises to continue welcoming new members to its expanding family as it strives to reach 10,000 employees by the end of the year. As the company grows in the e-Commerce industry, it plans to open an additional 285 hubs and 12 centers throughout the Philippines.
Flash Express Philippines also offers discounts for Flash App Users to enjoy including Refer and Earn promo, which will run until December 31, 2021. To know more about the promo, visit Flash Express Philippines website at www.flashexpress.ph or download Flash app via Google Play at https://bit.ly/3xikwiZ and Apple Store at https://apple.co/3rNO5YJ .
Also present during the grand launch are Flash Express officials led by Flash Express Philippines Shareholder Representative Tony Luo; Flash Express Philippines Head of Legal Express Operations Atty. Niquee Louise Yap Espiritu; Flash Express Philippines Marketing Director Dave Khodr; and Flash Express Philippines PR & Partnerships Manager Reginald Rex Pumihic.
For more information about Flash Express, call 02-8539-4002 or visit www.flashexpress.ph


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As per a survey conducted by U.S.-based financial technology firm FIS, around 68% of Indian consumers now use digital banking services, for both online and mobile banking. Digital transactions rose by 46% in 2020 (45.72 billion transactions) compared to the F.Y. 2018-19 (31.34 billion transactions). The uptake of these services was due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant buying day-to-day groceries online.
Considering this boom and the rapid rise of the use of Bitcoin, India is also getting ready to soon launch its digital currency that would “mostly be based on the blockchain technology,” informed Anurag Thakur, the Minister of State for Finance. However, to learn about the threats harming the digital banking landscape, the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India) had asked for a comprehensive report that would give a clear picture of the tasks ahead. Responding to Rajya Sabha’s query, Sanjay Dhotre, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, informed the upper house that more than 2.9 Lakh (290,445) cybersecurity incidents related to digital banking have been reported in 2020.
Referring to the findings from the Indian Computer Emergency and Response Team (Cert-In), Dhotre said that the number of incidents reported has nearly doubled as compared to 2018 when it was 1,59,761. The reported “incidents included phishing attacks, network scanning and probing, viruses and website hacking.”
Responses to Other Queries
The Rajya Sabha had also made some additional requests to get deeper insights on the number of fraudulent and cheating cases reported in the same period, along with the number of websites blocked as evasive measures. To this, Dhotre responded with the following details:
- As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, 6,233 cases were registered in 2019 under fraud and cheating (involving communication devices as medium/ target as per Information Technology Act 2000). This number too has nearly doubled since 2018 when only 3,353 cases were reported.
- Approximately 9,849 websites/webpages/or respective accounts were blocked in 2020 as opposed to 3,635 in 2019 and 2,799 in 2018. The section 69A of the IT Act was enforced by the Government in such cases which empowers it to “block any information generated, transmitted, received, stored or hosted in any computer resource in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states or public order.”


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by LYDIA NATHAN / pic by TMR FILE
MALAYSIA’S economic recovery could be dampened with the rise of Covid cases, and the GDP forecast may be revised down according to Moody’s Analytics.
“Our preliminary estimate for September-quarter yearly GDP growth reflects a downwardly revised view of economic conditions. We forecast full-year GDP of 4.7% in 2021, but in light of the fluid COVID-19 situation in Malaysia, the annual GDP forecast will likely be subjected to further downward revision in September,” Moody’s Analytics said.
“The road to recovery is a protracted one and Malaysia lacks the ammunition to go into a third month of lockdown in August. Bank Negara Malaysia revised its GDP growth projection for 2021 to 3% to 4%, down from 6% to 7.5% previously,” it added.
Malaysia has seen an increase of 16.1% year-on-year (YoY) in its gross domestic product (GDP), the first expansion after four consecutive quarters of contraction.
According to Moody’s Analytics, the economy was showing signs of recovery thanks to resilient foreign exports and moderately good retail sales early in the second quarter, but a late surge in Delta-variant COVID-19 cases disrupted that momentum.
“The arrival of the highly contagious Delta variant of Covid-19 is making it more onerous to keep infection rates under control. Record-high case numbers and nationwide restrictions have undermined any economic recovery,” it said in a report.
According to Moody’s Analytics, Malaysia’s June 2021 trade performance was on the upside, as exports grew undeterred by the movement control orders, increasing by 37.4% YoY.
It added despite the lockdown and a 60% production gap on manufacturing, both exports and imports recorded double-digit monthly growth in June from May.
“Exports have been a lifeline for Malaysia, it is the country’s top priority to safeguard manufacturing and foreign trade to buoy the sluggish domestic economy in the second half of the year.”
“The high trade surplus, supported by higher global oil prices, has placed Malaysia among the top of its Asian peers in terms of trade performance. However, continued gains from net trade will crucially depend on the stability of global demand against the backdrop of the intensifying Delta-variant surge,” it noted.
Meanwhile, Moody’s Analytics said government consumption increased 9% YoY for the second quarter, despite policymakers struggling to strike a balance between pandemic control measures and economic recovery, with a step-up in fiscal spending over this period contributing to the quarterly government consumption expansion.


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Will a P&G dividend increase signal a bigger turnaround?
Procter & Gamble is expected to boost its quarterly dividend by 1 to 5 percent this spring, according to local investment pros.
The maker of Tide detergent and Pampers diapers has increased its payout to shareholders every year since 1957. While P&G is in the midst of turnaround efforts to restore sales and profit growth, analysts believe it will reassure impatient investors with a modest 62nd increase.
Still, analysts say P&G could signal its turnaround is gaining traction with a larger increase - say 5 percent or more.
In the last five years, P&G has increased the dividend by: 3 percent in 2017; 1 percent in 2016; 3 percent in 2015; 7 percent in 2014; and 7 percent in 2013.
P&G currently pays a quarterly dividend of nearly 69 cents per share (68.96 cents to be exact). That means about $2.76 per share a year, which translates into almost $2,800 in annual income for every 1,000 shares owned by a stockholder.
"A generous increase of 5-plus percent indicates to us the company has adequate cash to fund investment in the business for growth and still have enough to increase the payout," said Terry Kelly, principal at Bartlett & Co., who quickly added he thought that was unlikely.
Kelly believes P&G will boost the payout by 1 to 3 percent.
The Nelson Peltz era at P&G: 5 things to watch
Kyle Moore, a portfolio manager at RiverPoint Capital Management, is a little more optimistic: he thinks P&G is seeing progress and thinks the company will increase the dividend between 3 and 5 percent.
"Earnings are actually growing now," Moore said. "Business fundamentals support another increase."
Still, Simply Money's managing director of investments Andrew Stout said uncertainty continues to swirl around P&G. He predicted a 2 percent increase.
Another new variable Stout pointed out this spring: activist hedge fund manager and new board member Nelson Peltz, who joined the panel on March 1. Peltz, who campaigned for his seat promising to spur growth, will probably push for P&G to conserve cash.
"Peltz wants P&G to grow... so it has (to have) some money to reinvest back into the company," Stout said.
P&G shares are so revered for their decades-long record of dividend increases, the raises are practically another Procter brand alongside Crest toothpaste or Head & Shoulders shampoo. Many stock companies don't pay dividends at all, while others have smaller payouts with inconsistent histories of raises.
P&G is one of the region's most widely-held stocks with 10,000 local employees and thousands of company retirees owning shares.
The stock remains a popular investment, but the increases have dwindled to small increments in recent years as profit growth has slowed. The company paid more than $7 billion in dividends in its last fiscal year out of $10 billion in profits from ongoing operations.
Analysts believe paying out 70 percent or more of profits is unsustainable over time as it siphons away money that could fuel future growth. But a larger-than-expected increase could signal P&G executives expect profits are set to increase faster.
Top executives have indicated P&G will garner an $11 billion profit before one-time items for the fiscal year ending June 30. They won't formally outline their profit expectations for the 2019 fiscal year until late summer.


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Tamworth Regional Council is urging residents to carefully consider the lifelong commitment that comes with adding a furry friend to the family before getting a pet as a gift.
While the joy of giving is synonymous with Christmas, Council emphasises that pets are not mere presents; they are lifetime companions that require thoughtful consideration. Council’s Director of Liveable Communities, Gina Vereker is a dog owner herself and wants to ensure that people remember the realities of owning and caring for a pet.
“Pets are a long-term commitment. They require time, effort, and money. Purchasing a pet isn’t something anyone should rush into, potential pet owners need to take time to seriously consider the responsibilities associated with pet ownership before making a final decision”, said Ms. Vereker.
Council’s Companion Animal Centre has been at capacity for most of 2023 and there is concern that extra strain will be placed on the Centre following the Christmas period due to pets being received as unwanted gifts, and new pets not being secured appropriately in their new homes and backyards.
Ms. Vereker would encourage anyone who has considered all aspects of getting a pet and has decided to proceed to consider adoption.
“Three in every five homes across Australia have at least one pet and we have excellent facilities across the Tamworth region for pet owners, so we appreciate that pet ownership is very desirable for residents”, said Ms. Vereker.
“We have some wonderful pets available for adoption at Paws for Life. The facility will be open normal operating hours until Friday 22 December and then on Saturday 23 December and Saturday 30 December it will be open from 9am to 2pm to give people the opportunity to adopt their new companion.”
No appointments will be available on weekdays during the Council shut-down period at Paws for Life. Council’s Companion Animal Centre will be closed to the public from 23 December to 2 January.
Council’s rangers team will be on-call over the Christmas period to help keep residents, visitors, and animals safe during the holidays. Residents are encouraged to utilise the MyTRC app or contact 02 6767 5555 to report any roaming animals.


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By Aimee Chanthadavong
After consulting with competitors, suppliers and customers, the ACCC concluded that the proposed acquisition would be unlikely to substantially lessen competition in wine retailing, production and associated services.
“The ACCC’s review found that Woolworths and Cellarmasters were not particularly close retail competitors regardless of how the relevant market was defined, and there would remain several significant competitors in the retail sale of wine following the proposed acquisition,” the commission said in a statement.
Speaking to RetailBiz, a Woolworths spokesperson said the company is pleased with the outcome.
“We welcome the ACCC’s announcement. The ACCC conducted a thorough review and we are pleased and agree with their conclusions,” the spokesperson said.
The ACCC noted that there was scope for new entry as Wesfarmers, Metcash-supplied banner groups, independent bricks and mortar retailers and a range of online retailers continue to impose competitive pressure on Woolworths following the proposed acquisition.
“The processes to conclude the transaction will now continue and we expect to be able to make a fuller announcement to the market in due course,” the Woolworths spokesperson said.


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All eyes are on Apple ahead of its September event, where it is expected to launch four new models of its flagship iPhone.
Apple has confirmed 7 September as the date for its upcoming product event that will likely see the iPhone 14 revealed to the world.
Media invites have been sent out to attend the event live at the Steve Jobs Theatre at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. The event will also be streamed online.
At the event – titled Far Out – Apple is expected to launch four new models of its flagship iPhone to kick off the busy autumn season. Bloomberg reports that the new phones will be available in stores as soon as 16 September.
People with knowledge of the matter told the outlet that the standard iPhone 14 model will look similar to its predecessor iPhone 13 released last September. However, Apple will get rid of the 5.4-inch mini model and release a new non-Pro 6.7-inch iPhone instead.
For the premium Pro models, Apple is reportedly planning to replace the front camera notch with a ‘pill-shaped’ hole for Face ID sensors and a ‘hole-punch-sized’ area for the camera – apparently to give users more screen space.
The back camera is also set to get an upgrade for the iPhone 14 Pro, with larger and more powerful cameras. Video recording and battery life will also get improvements, while Pro model is also expected to get a faster processor than regular models, which will retain the A15 chip from the iPhone 13.
Apple is reportedly also launching the new Series 8 Apple Watch, with added features such as body temperature measurement and women’s health tracking. While the standard model will look the same as Series 7, a new Pro model is slated have a larger display and a more rugged look.
The tech giant is also planning to roll out its latest operating system iOS 16 in September. First announced at an event in June, iOS 16 is expected to bring the “biggest update ever” to the iPhone lock screen, among other updates.
Apple released the iOS 16.0 beta 7 and iPadOS 16.1 beta 1 to developers this week. According to 9to5Mac, the internal code of iPadOS 16.1 shows that users will be able to delete the Wallet app amid EU anti-competition concerns over Apple Pay.
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More than 2,600 European banks will be ready for the launch of the single euro payments area (SEPA) Direct Debit (SDD) scheme on 2 November 2009. “In Germany, almost all the private banks which offer their clients payment services will take part,” said Hans-Joachim Massenberg, deputy general manager of the Association of German Banks (AGB). And in one year’s time at the latest – when legislation takes effect – they will be joined by all the banks, he added.
SEPA was launched in the eurozone in January 2008 with standardised credit transfers (SCT) and card framework (SCF). At the beginning of November 2009, the SEPA direct debit will follow. “German consumers and companies will then have access to the same payment facilities throughout Europe as those already familiar to them at home,” underlined Massenberg.
Although this completed phase I of SEPA implementation, Massenberg stressed that two tasks remained: customers continue to use the SEPA instruments primarily for cross-border payments. First, it was crucial for customers to move beyond using SEPA instruments solely for cross-border payments and use them for domestic payments as well; and second, pubic authorities and firms need to make greater use of SEPA schemes, as this was the only way to make the internal market a reality in the payments sector too. “We therefore expect policymakers – especially at national level – to support the SEPA more strongly than has been the case up to now,” said Massenberg.
It was also clear that SEPA schemes would gradually have to replace national schemes during phase II. The AGB pointed to a European Commission survey that found that all market participants would like to see a fixed, pan-European changeover date set by lawmakers. “This reflects our experience,” Massenberg added. “The euro was also not introduced to be used in parallel, and thus in competition, with national currencies, but replaced them completely.”
The third, completely revised edition of the booklet ‘SEPA: uniform payment instrument for Europe’ can be downloaded here.
The annual BNP Paribas Cash Management University kicked off on Thursday morning with treasury professionals congregating in Paris from across Europe.
APIs may be a solution to MT940 challenges, says Karen Fagan, treasury operation manager, for British television company, ITV.
Kicking off the first day of the Singapore Fintech Festival, issues with cryptocurrencies were addressed by MIT media labs director, Joi Ito, and panels of technology leaders discussed how they’re using data analytics.
Sibos 2017 day two highlights: Brexit and banking, and why ‘data is the new oil’ in financial services
How nation first politics can impact global financial organisations It’s clear that data and regulation are the two key topics that are ... read more