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Focus on Food Safety
Updated January 2011 -
The year 2010 saw incidents of food-borne illness from common foods such as eggs, spinach, tomatoes, ground beef, peanut butter, candy, pet food, and cookie dough The nearly weekly investigations and recalls of various foods items from the USA and abroad created ever- mounting pressure on the US Congress to take action and revise the nation’s food safety laws.
In December 2010, the first major overhaul of the food-safety system since the1930s was adopted by the Congress and then signed into law by President Barack Obama in early January 2011. The law calls for increasing government inspections at food-processing facilities and, for the first time, gives the Food and Drug Administration the power to order the recall of unsafe foods.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that each year 1 out of 6 Americans get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from food borne diseases. 12/2010
With increased regulation opposed by many family-owned and organic farmers, the legislation still needs to be funded and with the change in the control of the US House of Representatives funding might be a huge problem. The law does set standards and now shifts the focus to other countries that export food stuffs into the United States. A January poll of consumers in China indicated that more than 70% did not have confidence in the safety of their [nation’s] food supply. China is a large supplier of food to North America. It remains to be seen if food exporting countries will raise the bar on food safety in the future as a result of the US’s action.
Food Safety will continue to be a focus of interest of corporations, Congress and the public and AC subscribers will be able to read about it all here under the Hot Topic of Food Safety.
Food…trust – and provider accountability -- the three terms clearly go together. We consume food hundreds, even thousands of miles from its origination. Trust is everything! Anything we put in our bodies every day should be “trustworthy,” in terms of where it came from -- and everyone involved in the food supply chain should be accountable for their actions (or inaction in certain cases). From grower / farmer / planter / rancher to food processor to retailer or food service or restaurant…and then to each of us – there is a clear chain of accountability. Trust is the important foundation all along the human food chain – preserving trust should be an imperative for every player. And yet, accidents do happen. Each year in the United States tainted foods cause an estimated 75 million illnesses resulting in more than 300,000 hospitalizations and as many as 5,000 deaths or more. (World-wide food hazards kill more than 1.8 million people each year, mostly affecting children.)
The impact on the U.S. economy in medical costs alone top $6.5 billion with maybe two or three times that number in financial losses to business, industry and government. More and more of the food items that we in the U.S.A. consume come to our shores from foreign and third world production and processing sources, where there can be a lack of adequate sanitation or proper food handling procedures and oversight.
Even here in America, numerous food processing issues arise each year, typically involving incidents of food-borne illnesses originating from such biological hazards as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, and these and more continue to be significant public health threats. Those at greatest risk are children, senior citizens, pregnant women and their unborn children, and those with impacted immune systems.
There is heightened interest in food safety issues on the part of consumers and their advocates; government officials at the federal, state and local levels; the healthcare community; media; and food, retailing and restaurant industries. The nation has made great progress in identifying harmful food production technologies, ramping up safety procedures, and adopting rules and regulations and to promote safer methods of handling and preparing foods.
Food Safety is all about Accountability – and trust. The AC Hot Topic – Food Safety section is designed to present timely and useful news and information, a range of commentary, and reports on research on food safety topics. The objective: To improve and expand the public dialogue and contribute to the goal of safer food sources, processing and monitoring for all citizens. As always, we are interested in your comments on this important topic.
Latest on Focus on Food Safety
Source: US News
The study, published in Environmental Research on Wednesday, says canned food consumption can expose our bodies to too much BPA. BPA is used in myriad consumer products to prevent metal corrosion and breakages and preserve the...
July 1, 2016 Uncertainties Loom as Vermont GMO Law Takes Effect
ABC News - They also say they don't want to end up with a patchwork of multiple state regulatory schemes. Industry groups including the Grocery Manufacturers Association have sued to block the Vermont law, arguing that the...
Source: Huff Post
A large group of Nobel laureates has accused Greenpeace of becoming anti-scientific fear mongers, as it called for the environmental group to end its campaign against genetically modified organisms.
June 24, 2016 Senators Reach Deal On National GMO Labeling BillSource: NPR
Just a week before a Vermont law kicks in requiring labels on food containing genetically modified ingredients, U.S. Senate agriculture leaders announced a deal Thursday that takes the power out of states' hands — and sets a...
The Huffington Post - Ronnie Cummins, the outspoken founder of the Organic Consumers Association, believes the Monsanto Doctrine is an appropriate legal characterization of what he calls "genetically modified democracy." Cummins...
Source: NBC News
Americans now spend more money dining out than on groceries — and we generally like what we get for our money when we eat out, according to the new American Customer Satisfaction Index restaurant report released on Tuesday.
June 21, 2016 New crop varieties 'can't keep up with global warming'Source: BBC
Crops yields around the world could fall within a decade unless action is taken to speed up the introduction of new varieties.
Source: ABC Channel 12
The National Frozen Foods Corporation is voluntarily recalling a variety of popular frozen vegetables after fear of Listeria contamination arises
June 20, 2016 Gold'n Plump's parent suspects in-house tampering behind need to recall 27 tons of chickenSource: Star Tribune
In-house tampering is being blamed for GNP Co. of central Minnesota recalling more than 27 tons of chicken over the weekend after contaminants were detected in some of the product that was distributed primarily to food service...
Source: Fox News
LONDON – The World Health Organization's research arm has downgraded its classification of coffee as a possible carcinogen, declaring there isn't enough proof to show a link to cancer.
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For decades the Super Bowl has been the centerpiece of advertising campaigns for large corporations in the United States. These companies spend millions of dollars for the airtime and production of these 30-second or 1 minute commercials. The productions are spectacular, often employing the top celebrities of popular culture. In the past, these ads were kept very secret. Part of the appeal was the anticipation leading up to the airing of the ads. Some companies went so far as to produce 2 ads but not letting it known which ad would be aired.
Companies have changed their strategy due to social media. They now realize that it is key to be part of the conversation sooner than later. As stated in the Guardian’s article “The ads of Super Bowl 2014: a popularity contest with puppies” by Tom Morton, http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/feb/03/super-bowl-commercials-ads-review-puppies
“This was the first Super Bowl where the ads were already in the public domain weeks in advance of the event”. Not only were the ads in discussion before the Super Bowl, they encouraged it during the game. Morton goes on to explain how many of the advertisers used Twitter to promote online incentives and contests during the game to further the reach of their ads.
Social media also affected the content of the ads. Historically these ads followed the traditional advertising model of hard selling their product or service. They relied on a bold spectacle to promote brand awareness. The point was to get people talking about the ads around the water coolers of America the next day. This year showed a change in the role of these ads. Now they are only a part of the ongoing conversation that is taking place on social media. There was a major shift in the content of the ads. Many of the ads didn’t even mention a product. Instead they were awareness messages for such causes as cancer survivors and (RED) TM the Global Fund to support AIDS programs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vhMpXMPvdU
Why is this? Simon Mainwaring states in his article “The 7-stage Evolution of a Socially Responsible Brand” http://mashable.com/2011/04/22/csr-company-stages/, “The payoff for corporate engagement with customers has risen dramatically as a result of social media”. It is more important to get customers involved with your cause than it is to make them aware of the virtues of your product. Let’s face it; a conversation about making the world a better place will last a lot longer on social media than one about whether our pistachios taste better or not.

domain: news


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- Rice delegation from Maxico would hopefully arrives to Pakistan in June to appraise various rice exporters for giving them permission for exporting rice to Maxico.
- Razak Dawood said that rice was the largest agro-export commodity in the country's export basket with a total volume of over $2 billion, which would be increased to $5 billion in the next five years.
- “Such difficult period always brings out new opportunities, new products, and new ways of thinking," he opined.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister's adviser on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood on Saturday said that Pakistan had attained huge space in global rice market for exporting local rice in potential markets of Middle East, North America and African regions to achieve the target of increasing the agricultural exports.
He said the government intended to take the exports to the highest level ever and for that purpose it was taking different measures to reclaim traditional markets besides accessing new ones.
Talking to the APP here, he informed that rice delegation from Maxico would hopefully arrives to Pakistan in June to appraise various rice exporters for giving them permission for exporting rice to Maxico.
The adviser said the all members of Rice Exports Association Pakistan (REAP) should prepare themselves for this opportunity from visiting delegation of Maxico so that maximum members get order approval in their market.
He said that during past few years, local rice export to Maxico had been held up for some time and after this “I hope that our rice will be able to enter in Mexican market."
Razak Dawood said that rice was the largest agro-export commodity in the country's export basket with a total volume of over $2 billion, which would be increased to $5 billion in the next five years.
He demanded of the local rice exporters to introduce new varieties of rice to enhance production and quality by investing in research and development.
Replying to a question, he said that even in current critical situation, the country's exports increased in food, including meat, poultry, fruits and vegetable, cigarettes especially in Middle Eastern Market as compare to same period of previous year.
Replying to another question, he stressed the need for making preparations to exploit the economic and trade opportunities expected in the wake of post COVID-19 pandemic.
“We perceive and expect more opportunities to promote bilateral trade and strengthen linkage with potential markets including Central European Union, China, Asian States, Middle East and African region besides promoting regional trade in post pandemic environment," he said.
He said the pandemic would bring a paradigm shift, hence create great opportunities adding the coronavirus had changed the world and now the business processes would be completely different.
“Such difficult period always brings out new opportunities, new products, and new ways of thinking," he opined.
Razak Dawood said the government was equally focusing on all sectors of economy including textile, non-textile, and agriculture and engineering sectors to build export potential of the country in coming months.
Talking about the external trade situation during the past three months, he said the situation of exports was not good as those had declined in April 2020 by around 54 per cent as compared to the same month of last year and the reason obviously behind the decline was the spread of coronavirus across the world.
Replying to another question, he informed that in last 10 months (July-April) of current fiscal year 2019-20, the overall exports were declined by four percent as compared to the corresponding period of last year.
He said the exports increased by 13 percent in February, however, started reducing from March which had decline the exports by 6.5 per cent as compared to the last year.
However, he said even during the current lockdown situation, in the beginning of COVID- 19 pandemic, Pakistan exported textile and non-textile products while the country's food exports increased especially in the Middle Eastern market. Likewise, exports in steel articles also increased in the last three months in the critical situation.
Razak Dawood said the government was prioritizing to promote ‘Made in Pakistan' policy to boost local production and reduce dependence on import and enhance exports.
While the adviser emphasized the need for exploiting the huge opportunities of increasing exports in the health and safety products like personal protective equipments (PPE) including protective masks, gloves, sanitizers, clothing, helmets, goggles and other garments or equipment designed for protection from COVID -19.
He said a summary in that regard had already been forwarded to the cabinet, while the ministry was also negotiating the future strategy for increasing the exports to help export-led economic growth.
“We should conclude our all strategy and start manufacturing in different sectors to achieve our exports targets," he added.


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PayPal has inked a partnership with Google's mobile wallet, Android Pay, which will further expand PayPal's presence in brick-and-mortar stores.
The two companies have signed on to allow US customers to use PayPal as a payment method within Android Pay wherever Android Pay is accepted, be it in-store, in-app, or online.
Initially, users will be able to use their PayPal balance to make purchases via Android Pay, but eventually, PayPal plans to add the ability to use "cards that have been stored with PayPal, enabled by our recent tokenization partnerships with major card networks," explained PayPal COO Bill Ready in a blog post.
PayPal hopes the partnership will help extend the company's reach amid a crowded mobile wallet landscape. While it's unclear just how much consumers really value the ability to pay for in-store purchases from their mobile device, PayPal said it processed $102 billion in mobile payment volume and two billion mobile payment transactions in the last year.
PayPal has made a series of deals over the last year aimed at giving its mobile wallet more exposure for direct checkout. Most recently, the company inked a deal with Discover that gave PayPal access to Discover's tokenization services, allowing PayPal customers to pay with their Discover cards to make in-store purchases at contactless-enabled merchants. The deal also lets customers use their Discover account via PayPal for online and in-person purchases, without customers having to link their accounts via ACH.
As for Android Pay, the partnership can be seen as a direct shot at competing services such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay -- neither of which offer an integration with PayPal.
Samsung Pay continues Asia expansion while the UK is made to wait
- Visa's tokenization service opens to third parties
- Visa brings token service to Singapore with UOB partnership
- Visa and MasterCard join forces for payment tokenisation
- MasterCard doles out token service to store-branded cards, e-commerce merchants
- Google launches 'Hands Free' mobile payment experiment for Android and iPhone (TechRepublic)


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The Council of the EU has agreed its approach to the EU Data Act. This follows the Data Governance Act adopted in 2022, which was part of the European Commission’s February 2020 European strategy for data.
The Data Governance Act creates the processes and structures to facilitate data sharing by companies, individuals and the public sector. Meanwhile, the Data Act clarifies who can create value from data and under which conditions.
Member states have now reached a common position allowing the Council to enter negotiations with the European Parliament on the proposed Data Act. Although called an Act, it takes the form of a Regulation.
The Data Act aims to give both individuals and businesses more control over their data through a reinforced portability right, copying or transferring data easily from across different services, where the data are generated through smart objects, machines, and devices. The proposed legislation also aims to provide consumers and companies with the ability to direct how the data generated by their connected products can be used. It also proposes new rules on who can use and access data generated in the EU across all economic sectors. It aims to ensure fairness in the digital environment, stimulate a competitive data market, open opportunities for data-driven innovation and make data more accessible to all.
The proposal also aims to make switching between providers of data processing services easier, puts safeguards in place to prevent the unlawful data transfer by cloud service providers and providers for the development of the interoperability standards for data to be reused between sectors.
The Council’s common position maintains the general aims of the Commission’s proposal:
- measures to allow users of connected devices to gain access to data generated by those products, which is often exclusively collected by manufacturers;
- measures to prevent abuse of contractual imbalances in data sharing contracts due to unfair contractual terms imposed by a party with a significantly stronger bargaining position;
- means for public sector bodies to access and use data held by the private sector that is necessary in exceptional circumstances, particularly if there is a public emergency, such as floods and wildfires, or to implement a legal mandate if data is not otherwise available; and
- new rules allowing customers to effectively switch between different cloud data-processing service providers and putting in place safeguards against unlawful data transfers.
The Council’s text amends various parts of the Commission’s proposal, including:
- a clearer definition of the scope of the Data Act, especially about Internet of Things data, where the focus is now on the data collected by connected products instead of the products themselves;
- clarification on the interaction between the Data Act and the Data Governance Act and the GDPR respectively;
- the protection of trade secrets and intellectual property rights, and appropriate safeguards against abusive behaviour;
- additional guidance on reasonable compensation for making the data available and dispute settlement mechanisms;
- fine-tuning on data sharing requests by public sector bodies based on exceptional needs; and
- clearer and wider provisions on effective switching between data processing services.
The agreement on the Council’s common position will allow the Swedish presidency to enter negotiations with the European Parliament on the final version of the proposed legislation.


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In the highly acclaimed second series of Fleabag she and Andrew Scott, who played ‘The Priest’, drank from cans of M&S gin and tonic mixes. Such is the power of the programme that Marks & Spencer reported that the show had sparked a 24% increase in sales.
Now, award winning actress and writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, has launched a limited edition, Fleabag branded, Edinburgh Gin in collaboration with Ian Macleod Distillers. Profits from the bottle’s sales will go to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2022. Waller-Bridge hopes that sales will raise more than £150,000.
“Gin and theatre are my two great loves,” Waller-Bridge said. “We wanted this bottle to capture a glimpse of Edinburgh in all her mystery and wonder, through the eyes of Fleabag who found her first home there.”
She added, “I hope every purchase inspires outrageous and creative conversations over ice while bringing the beloved Fringe festival back to life.”
The packaging features a note written by Andrew Scott, who played the role of Hot Priest on the BBC show. “If that isn’t incentive enough to hunt one down and hold it against your cheek, I don’t know what is,” said Waller-Bridge.
The spirit itself is Edinburgh Gin’s classic London dry recipe, which takes its inspiration from the city’s landscape and includes botanicals such as pine buds, lavender and mulberries.
The limited edition bottling is priced at £48 and will be available to purchase on 20 July to those who sign up in advance at edinburghgin.com. The rest of the bottles will be made available in 2022.


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October 29, 2019, Minneapolis MN, TÜV Rheinland and Eyesafe held the first 2019 Blue Light Summit during two live broadcast on-line webinars. Over forty manufacturers from the largest consumer electronics device firms attended representing fourteen nations across the globe.
The 2019 Blue Light Summit included a review of blue light health issues, the latest guiding industry research involving blue light standards, certifications and solutions. World-recognized doctors of optometry and ophthalmology along with industry authorities shared the latest research information from the industry handbook, How to Save Your Eyes in the Digital Age and provided information and guidance on the design, development and certification of healthier display products.
The 2019 Blue Light Summit also provided attendees with insights to the health issues affecting our lives while on digital displays. These include risks to children’s eyes, sleep disruption, digital eye strain, dry eye issues, long term effects on retinal health, psychological effects, cognition performance impacts and accelerated aging effects.
Also covered was the announcement on October 10, 2019 of the State of California Blue Light Resolution SCR73 which passed the California State Legislature and Assembly designating that day as Blue Light Awareness Day each year. The resolution introduced by Senator Dr. Richard Pan and was passed unanimously. The resolution encouraged all Californians to “consider taking protective safety measures in reducing eye exposure to high-energy visible blue light”.
Eyesafe, led by Justin Barrett, CEO, shared the announcement of their new partnership with Salus University one of the preeminent Optometric teaching institutions in Philadelphia, PA involving Screen Time Research and Standards collaboration. The research partnership will focus on the health effects of blue light on the eye, visual system and overall health and wellness and will drive additional research guiding the development of Eyesafe industry standards. “We believe bringing our leading OD’s and MD’s to the forefront of this important research with Dr. Mitchell Scheiman, OD at Salus will help create new guidelines and standards original display manufacturer’s can avail themselves to designing the safest blue light filtering displays possible,” said Mr. Barrett.
TÜV Rheinland spokesperson, Stanley Liu, serving as Technical Competence Center Director provided an overview and announced new certification services for Eyesafe Displays. “We are announcing new industry marks representing health and safety for manufacturers keyed upon efficacy protection from blue light while maintaining color quality. These new brand marks will identify displays which have achieved the highest Eyesafe Standards in digital displays. The Eyesafe display criteria is open to all manufacturers who wish to have their products certified as Eyesafe displays”, said Mr. Liu.
During the week of Nov. 5-10, 2019, TÜV Rheinland and Eyesafe will be attending the China International Import Exposition in Shanghai, CN where they will be showcasing and discussing the Eyesafe display requirements as well as providing opportunities for manufacturers to engage with representatives to learn further about the new certification standards and research underway.
For more information on the 2019 Blue Light summit please see www.bluelightsummit.com


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Our sunshade solutions have been very successful in Northern Europe!
Our sunshade solutions have been very successful in Northern Europe! Thanks to the great marketing campaign done with one of the leading industry magazines in the Benelux region, Z&R.
The magazine explained the quality of our products and their ability to solve our customer problems. We were also interviewed at the latest edition of Polyclose highlighting that our R&D team has worked hard to create innovative and high technical products.
This confirms Plastex’s goal to become a strong supplier of sunshading solutions across the globe!
Let’s go with Plastex, your plus in plastic.


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Shoppers crowding the aisles looking for presents. Long lineups at the checkout. Everyone picking up items, fondling them and then putting them down again.
We all know what the customer experience during the holiday season has traditionally looked like. What it will look like this year is a little less clear.
After a period when almost all retailers were completely shut down for weeks or even months, brands might see this year’s holiday shopping season as one of their few potential bright spots.
Those hopes are clouded, however, by uncertainty around how many consumers will actually come back into physical stores, and who will opt for e-commerce instead. Even for those who make an in-store visit, there are new expectations around what constitutes a safe environment.
Subscribe or log in to learn:
- How the VP of Customer Experience for Party City has developed a culture of continuously testing and learning how to reshape what happens across its stores
- What AppDynamics suggests retailers need to understand about the increased pressure on their digital experiences
- Why the CEO of Zenreach is optimistic about the potential volume of foot traffic this holiday season.
The Power Of MVPs
There haven’t been many lucky breaks for companies in 2020, but Shannon Symalla can think of at least one.
While articulating a strategic vision and gaining buy-in is sometimes an uphill battle, the vice-president of Customer Experience at Rockaway, N.J.-based Party City International said she was
Shane Schick tells stories that help people innovate, and to manage the change innovation brings. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of Marketing magazine and has also been Vice-President, Content & Community (Editor-in-Chief), at IT World Canada, a technology columnist with the Globe and Mail and Yahoo Canada and is the founding editor of ITBusiness.ca. Shane has been recognized for journalistic excellence by the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance and the Canadian Online Publishing Awards.


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Samsung will be unveiling their new Galaxy S6 cell phone sometime in the near future (invites for a Galaxy Unboxed event have already been sent out), but is this image a teaser to what the final product will look like? Honestly we have no idea but looks pretty sweet.
You’ll immediately notice the obvious curve, which adds substance to the rumors that there will be a curved screen somewhat similar to what you’d find on a Samsung Note Edge. The problem is that we just aren’t sure what we’re looking at.
Other rumors have guessed that the screen on the S6 will be bigger than the S5, other rumors have said it’ll be smaller. Here’s a photo we posted that has since been disproven as false.
Like we said, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens at the Unboxed event.


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Birkenstocks are one of the most popular shoes on planet Earth, as well as one of the modern world’s oldest style of shoes. Johann Adam Birkenstock created the eponymous brand in the 1770s in his home country of Germany. About 120 years later, Johann’s grandson Konrad made the world’s first contoured insole for use in footwear.
With such history, excellence, and style behind Birkenstocks, it’s no surprise that they’re sold all over the planet.
Advertising Woes For Birkenstock In Germany
Amazon is a leader in eCommerce, and has long overtaken competitors as the best in the industry. Like with all mediums of business, it’s important for digital retailers to flood the World Wide Web with digital advertisements. Even though Amazon is widely popular, advertisements boost its business revenues.
Seeing as Amazon conducts business entirely online, it’s important for their company to account for any misspellings of its own or its products’ names. For the past several years, Amazon has ran ads on the Internet that misspell some of its most popular products, as Internet users invariably make mistakes, sometimes when searching for their favorite products.
While Amazon Was Trying To Boost Sales, The Company Wasn’t Happy
In a German court of law, judges found that Amazon would no longer be able to propagate advertisements throughout the Internet that misspell Birkenstock, the proper spelling of the popular brand name.
The reason why Birkenstock was against the misspellings is because customers could be tricked into purchasing counterfeit, illegitimate products. Even though sales were undoubtedly boosted for Birkenstock in the interim, the purchase of counterfeit products would have likely risen over the long run, cut sales, and ended in negativity for the German shoe brand.
Birkenstock Left Amazon Over The Issue
In July 2016, Birkenstock removed its own products from the digital retailer’s listings, despite reporting its issues directly to Amazon.
Starting early next year, Birkenstock will also pull all of its shoes from the European marketplace, citing issues with its lack of solving counterfeiting issues.
The problem with Amazon’s advertising has been expressed by other retailers over the years, as well, despite the obvious issues resulting from them that undoubtedly effect product manufacturers’ lines of business.


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- related to Best Buy bid
- BloombergJul 17 09:00 AM
Best Buy Co. sank the most in six months after Bank of America Corp. downgraded the electronics chain to the equivalent of a sell, citing concerns that sales will decline in the second half of the year.
- MacNNJul 30 04:54 PM
Following the US electronics chain Best Buy's announcement that direct Apple Watch sales would begin August 7, the Canadian branch -- which recently took over the existing Futureshop chain there -- has revealed that it will begin its own sales of the device starting one week later, August 14. The company says it will offer Apple Store-like "try-on" sessions at 20 stores, and sell the product at...
Cristiano Ronaldo proves he is the best man by buying Jorge Mendes a Greek Island for a wedding presentYahoo Sport UK via Yahoo! SportsAug 02 06:07 AM
Real Madrid star coughs up between €3m and €50m in extraordinary gesture to his long-time friend and confidant
- AFP via Yahoo! NewsJul 23 08:22 AM
Dutch-based US pharmaceutical giant Mylan's independent foundation said Thursday it will exercise a call option allowing it buy shares to control half the company to fend off a multi-billion hostile takeover bid by Israeli rival Teva. The foundation "formed its independent judgement that Mylan's best interests are at risk as a consequence of the uncertainty and threats associated by a possible ...
- Reuters via Yahoo! FinanceJul 31 02:24 AM
India is to buy oilseeds and pulses directly from farmers for the first time this year, in addition to its existing purchases of wheat and rice, to boost production and close a supply gap that has driven its annual import bill up to $12 billion. India is the world's biggest consumer of edible oils and Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to make it self-sufficient in five years. "In our country we...
- Business Standard IndiaJul 31 03:56 AM
The government is to buy oilseeds and pulses directly from farmers for the first time this year, in addition to its existing purchases of wheat and rice, to boost production and close a supply gap that has driven its annual import bill up to $12 billion.
- The Spokesman-ReviewAug 01 12:16 AM
The Kalispel Tribe has bid $3 million to buy the members-only Spokane Country Club and would fold the golf course and amenities into its Northern Quest Resort and Casino operations. The tribe is among four businesses that offered bids as the club members seek to settle bankruptcy and preserve a semblance of its 117-year history as an exclusive social club.
- The Economic TimesJul 31 02:47 AM
The government is to buy oilseeds and pulses directly from farmers for the first time this year, in addition to its existing purchases of wheat and rice.
- Eurosport via Yahoo UK & Ireland SportAug 02 04:55 AM
Real Madrid are ready to accept Liverpool's latest offer of £14.2million for Asier Illarramendi.
- DeadspinAug 03 07:49 AM
The following is excerpted from The Best Team Money Can Buy: The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Wild Struggle to Build a Baseball Powerhouse . http://www.amazon.com/The-Best-Team-... Read more...
- related to Best Buy bid


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France Telecom's Orange to carry iPhone in FranceFrance Telecom confirmed Thursday its wireless arm Orange has signed an agreement with Apple to distribute the Apple iPhone in France.
"We have signed an agreement with Apple to sell the iPhone," a spokeswoman for the carrier told Dow Jones, adding that the company will start selling the combined mobile phone and media player in November, without giving a precise date for the launch.
Apple recently held press events in both the UK and Germany to announce availability of the handset in those regions, but has not done so yet in France.
Thus far there is no mention of the deal on Apple's website or France Telecom's.
Apple has said that it will launch iPhone in the U.K. and Germany on November 9. Presumably, the French roll-out would take place around the same time.
On Topic: General
- IBM reportedly plans to purchase up to 200K MacBooks for employees
- Facebook completes first full-scale drone for spreading Internet access to remote regions
- AppleInsider podcast talks Apple Watch at Best Buy, rumored iPads, Steve Jobs movies & an Apple car
- Apple could be held liable for supporting terrorism with strong iOS encryption, experts theorize
- Apple inks deal for first major office space in San Francisco


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Pat Lonergan honored with CHPA Lifetime Achievement Award
BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — The Consumer Healthcare Products Association on Friday morning honored longtime industry veteran Pat Lonergan, co-founder of Numark Labs, with its Ivan D. Combe Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions in the advancement of the business of over-the-counter medicines.
"This year’s recipient is a truly brilliant example of a lifetime of achievement and a legacy of leadership," CHPA chairman and president Paul Sturman said before announcing this year’s lifetime achievement award recipient. "His work has touched thousands of lives personally and millions of lives indirectly through his five decades of efforts to improve self-care for U.S. consumers."
Prior to helping to establish Numark Labs, Lonergan spent more than 30 years with Johnson & Johnson.
Lonergan has a B.S. in business from Northern Illinois University.
Scrips America launches Children’s RapiMed at ECRM show
LAS VEGAS — Longhorne, Pa.-based Scrips America launched a new children’s fever reducer at the ECRM Cough & Cold and Allergy EPPS last week called Children’s RapiMed.
The new product, shipping in June, features a single-ingredient (acetaminophen) small rapid-melt tablet in both bubblegum and grape flavors. The product will be available in two strengths — an 80-mg acetaminophen for children between the ages of 2 years and 6 years and a 160-mg acetaminophen for children between the ages of 6 years and 11 years.
The new RapiMed line is both gluten-free and sugar-free and features bilingual Drug Facts messaging on the package.
Kids Line introduces humidifiers touting Disney characters
LAS VEGAS — Kids Line last year made its first foray from children’s bedding into the healthcare space with a line of functional humidifiers that better fit the decor of a child’s room. Last week, the Los Angeles-based company improved upon that offering through its licensing relationship with Disney and debuted a complete line of humidifiers featuring Disney characters at the ECRM Cough & Cold and Allergy EPPS.
The Disney humidifiers will be premium priced at $49.99 and will feature both evergreen Disney licenses, such as Winnie the Pooh, as well as more recent licenses, including characters from "Toy Story" and "Cars."
According to Kids Line executives, the Disney license helps remove potential seasonality out of a humidifier purchase with an impulse purchase appeal.


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To celebrate 60 years of Dutch-Korean diplomatic bonds and to leverage festivities, the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) wanted to reconnect with Dutch travel professionals, tour operators, travel agents and other trade stakeholders by sharing content on the destination in an informal way following the pandemic.
Based on the popular worldwide Korean TV programme “The Masked Singer” Travelproof created a campaign called “The Masked Traveler”. This campaign, involved 3 Dutch travel trade personalities and 1 famous Dutch singer hiding their identity behind Korean masks depicting characters from Korean legend. Together with the leading travel trade publisher in the Netherlands, Travelproof created a multi-channel campaign which included video, newsletters, a cover take-over, online banners, e-learning course, coverage on the publishers weekly podcast, editorial, destination reports, facebook/instagram postings and a low threshold price draw for travel professionals.
All activations related back to “The Masked Traveler” campaign. Travel professionals who participated in the e-leaning course could submit names of who might be hiding behind the Korean masks. The campaign took place over four weeks and created buzz and excellent engagement with Dutch tourism professionals who also learnt about the destination. Weekly prizes included vouchers at Korean restaurants and a roundtrip ticket to Seoul on Korean Air. The campaign concluded with an interview with the KTO Director France & Benelux in print and online.
The special landing page of “The Masked Traveler” campaign attracted 16,000 page views during the four week period. Hundreds of travel professionals took part in the contest and completed the e-learning course. A substantial number of “Korea Ambassadors” were established and a high value database for permission marketing and destination updates was created.


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Oct 20, 2020|
JD Holds Super Brand Day Procurement Offer Ahead of Singles Day Shopping Festival
by Robin Luo
The Singles Day (November 11th) Grand Promotion is around the corner. According to data from JD MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) Super Brand Day that has just concluded, overall procurement volume of industrial products grew 213% year-on-year. MRO products, transportation and storage products, maintenance and protective materials have demonstrated particularly strong growth.
Products closely related to manufacturing come on top, and account for more than half of the total volume. Chinese domestic brands have taken up 50% of Super Brand Day top sales list.
Logistics companies are busy preparing for the upcoming shopping festival. Their purchase amount ranks third among all industries. As a result, sales of transportation and storage products have seen a growth of 370% year-on-year.
Personal protective products are the biggest winners in both purchase volume and amount. Masks, protective clothing and disinfectant are in highest demand.
Analysts said of all the figures, the sharp surge in transportation and storage material is most eye-catching. It shows that the Chinese economy and consumption potential not only have recovered strongly, but also will remain robust in the long run.


text: According to updates on December 29th, Strategy Analytics released a report today saying that 5G is the main contributor to the improvement of operator performance this year. 5G subscribers increased from 819 million in June to 924 million in September and surpassed 1 billion in the past 4-5 weeks. The momentum of global 5G development continues to increase. According to the report, by the end of this month, 5G networks will cover 36% of the world's population, and 5G mobile phones will soon account for half of global mobile phone sales We also learned that Strategy Analytics expects that global 5G will continue to develop strongly in 2023. With 5G services in India going live last month, the market will make an additional contribution to Asia-Pacific growth next year, while more operators in Latin America will follow the example of Brazil and Chile in expanding 5G coverage. According to reports, for 5G, this year will be an exciting year, because of the foundation of strong user growth, coupled with the wider deployment of 5G independent services, and these vertical solutions for operators and more advanced consumption new advanced network service opportunities for application. According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in China, as of the end of November, the total number of mobile phone users of their country's three basic telecommunications companies reached 1.684 billion. Among them, 5G mobile phone users reached 542 million, accounting for 32.2% of mobile phone users. In India too Jio has rolled out their True 5G Services based on 5G SA and Airtel 5G too continues it's march. Soon state-run companies might also join in. Let's wait and watch to witness further growth of 5G Worldwide. So guys in case you liked this post and wish to receive more tech stuff delivered to you on a daily basis then don't forget to subscribe to the Inspire2Rise newsletter in order to obtain more such timely tech news, updates and more! Keep visiting for more such excellent posts, internet tips, and gadget reviews, and remember we cover, "Everything under the Sun!" Follow Inspire2rise on Twitter. | Follow Inspire2rise on Facebook. | Follow Inspire2rise on YouTube.


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Snap, once happy to let creators take a backseat to users’ friends and family, is making a new push to bring more creators onto its platform. The app is expanding its revenue sharing program and adding new public-facing features to help creators get started and get discovered in the app.
Snapchat first introduced mid-roll ads as a way for some of its Snap Stars to earn money from their Stories last year. Now, the company says that creators with at least 50,000 followers, 25 million monthly views and at least 10 Stories posts a month “may be eligible” to participate in the revenue-sharing arrangement. Presumably, the company is still reserving the right to greenlight individual users into the program, but the metrics at least give budding creators a target to shoot for.
The program isn’t the only way creators can earn money from Snap, but sharing in ad revenue has long been top creators’ preferred way to get paid as it tends to be the most reliable. The company also has a music-focused creator fund and pays users for popular Spotlight content.
For those who aren’t yet getting views in the millions, Snap is also adding new public-facing profiles and Stories, which will be available to any user over the age of 18. The changes allow users to share both private “friend” content and publicly viewable Stories from the same account, along with analytics and other metrics. As Snap notes, this gives users a pathway to becoming a more prolific creator even if they aren’t yet eligible to become a Snap Star. Users can also save Stories posts and specific snaps to their public profile, the first time the app has enabled non-ephemeral snaps and Stories.
The features are also one of the most notable ways that Snap has blurred the lines between public content and friend content. The company has long bragged about its origins as a messaging app for “real friends” and said that disappearing messages reduce the kinds of social pressure often associated with its rivals. But those constraints aren’t necessarily conducive to successful — or well paid — creators. Now Snap is trying to find a ways to make both possible.
A multi-lingual talent head, Allen is fluent in languages such as Spanish, Russian, Italian, and many more. He has a special curiosity for the events and stories revolving in and around US and caters an uncompromising form of journalistic standard for the audiences.


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Heyliot was interviewed on BSMART in Thomas HUGUES’ Ecosystem show !
On October 29th, Loïc was the guest of Thomas HUGUES in the Ecosystem show on BSMART, the first daily RDV dedicated to companies and their partners. He was accompanied by Cécile SEMERIVA, innovation director at Citeo.
For Heyliot, this show was an opportunity to officially present our new sensor and to highlight our collaboration with Citeo since 2018.
▶ Watch the replay of Loïc’s speech 👇
Many thanks to Cécile SEMERIVA for her presence and to Citeo for its support since 2018.
Citeo is a company with a mission created by companies in the consumer goods and distribution sector to reduce the environmental impact of their packaging and paper, by offering them solutions for reduction, reuse, sorting and recycling.


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Colorado Springs commercial real estate fairly strong 2 years after pandemic’s onset — with an exceptionColorado Springs commercial real estate fairly strong 2 years after pandemic’s onset — with an exception https://www.centraldevelopment.com/wp-content/uploads/Colorado-Springs-commercial-real-estate-fairly-strong-2-years-after-pandemics-onset-—-with-an-exception-1-1024x597.jpg 1024 597 Central Development Properties Central Development Properties https://www.centraldevelopment.com/wp-content/uploads/Colorado-Springs-commercial-real-estate-fairly-strong-2-years-after-pandemics-onset-—-with-an-exception-1-1024x597.jpg
The industrial market remained arguably the strongest segment of the Springs’ commercial real estate market over the last two years, industry experts say.
Quantum Commercial’s fourth-quarter report shows the vacancy rate for industrial buildings dipped to 5% by the end of 2021; the rate has declined by roughly 1 percentage point a year over the last five years, according to the report.
When the pandemic hit, there was a roughly 60-day hiatus in the demand for industrial space because of the uncertainty over what would happen next, said Randy Dowis, a principal and senior broker with NAI Highland in Colorado Springs.
After that pause, however, activity picked up and very few of his clients needed rent relief, he said.
“Everyone just kept paying rent in a timely fashion,” Dowis said. “We felt very fortunate.”
The demand for housing and the need for space to store construction materials, in part, helped bolster the industrial market, he said. Also, the pandemic led to even more people buying items online and retailers needed storage space, he said.
“The pandemic forced a lot of people into online shopping,” Dowis said. “For e-commerce, that means you’ve got to have warehouses to store the product and deliver the product.
“That shift was starting to occur already, with the Amazons of the world,” he added. “But it became more and more pronounced, of course, during the pandemic. People weren’t going to brick-and-mortar. They were ordering everything online. We didn’t have near enough warehouse and distribution capacity to meet that kind of demand.”
Developers and investors now have recognized the demand for industrial space, and have big plans to increase the local supply, Dowis said. For example, there’s an estimated 1.2 million square feet of industrial space planned by developers along Platte Avenue on the city’s east side over the next several years, he said.
In addition to seeking to meet the demand for more warehouse and distribution space in Colorado Springs, industrial developers and investors are being attracted to the area because of cheaper land costs compared with markets such as Denver, Phoenix and Las Vegas, Dowis said.
Unlike the retail sector, developers aren’t afraid to construct speculative industrial buildings, he said.
Central Development of Denver recently launched construction on a 58,500-square-foot speculative building northeast of Powers and Aeroplaza Drive,
“I was begging developers a decade ago to come to Colorado Springs,” Dowis said. “I couldn’t get anyone’s attention. They’re like, ‘why would we come there? We’ve got plenty of activity in Denver. We don’t need to go into that market.'”
Last June, Dowis said he marketed a 65,000-square-foot, speculative industrial building that was nothing more than a core and shell and lacked tenant improvements.
The building, developed by a partnership led by Peak View Roofing of Colorado Springs, was constructed with the goal of leasing it.
Three tenants were interested in leasing the building, but shelved their plans to rent the space; when that happened, the building was put up for sale — and received three full-price offers, Dowis said.


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Markets rattled as US economy unexpectedly shrinks in fourth quarter
THE US economy unexpectedly contracted in the fourth quarter, suffering its first decline since the recession ended more than three years ago as businesses scaled back on restocking and government spending plunged.
The US economy shocked markets by shrinking 0.1pc in the fourth quarter of 2012 after growing 3.1pc in the third. The contraction was blamed on one-off factors including the steepest drop in defence spending since the early 1970s, uncertainty over the fiscal cliff and the hurricane that hit the east coast in November.
Shares dipped almost everywhere in the wake of figures that had been expected to show that the economy was still expanding.
Although economists were shocked by the contraction, many took encouragement from the resilience of US consumer spending.
Much of the fall in gross domestic product was due to a big reversal in business inventories and a plunge in federal defence spending – both highly volatile – which each knocked 1.3 percentage points off growth.
That suggests the underlying economy remains on a weak but stable growth path of 1pc to 2pc
The fourth quarter was the worst performance since the second quarter of 2009 and showed the world's biggest economy entering the new year with no momentum.
"You got a combination of inventories and defence which are taking more than 2 per centage points off the growth rate," said Nigel Gault, chief US economist at IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Massachusetts.
"This is not an indicator of recession."
Still, the contraction, coming against a backdrop of tightening fiscal policy, could create an urgency for policymakers to deal with outstanding budget issues.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected output to increase at a 1.1pc rate. None of the economists surveyed had predicted a contraction. A pick-up in consumer spending and a rebound in business investment curbed the slide in output and offered some hope for the recovery, which will be severely tested as Washington tightens its belt.
A second report showed that private employers stepped up hiring in January, suggesting an improvement in the labour market. An increase in job gains could help the economy to weather the headwinds in the first half of the year.
A drop in government spending inflicted the most damage, led by a 22.2pc fall in defence spending. Exports also declined, falling at an almost 6pc annual rate.


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The House Energy and Commerce Committee last night approved, 24 to 17, a controversial bill aimed chiefly at Toyota and Datsun auto imports. It would require cars sold in the United States to be built with a substantial amount of U.S. parts and labor.
Proponents of the Fair Practices in Automotive Products Act, seeking to make it more workable and politically more palatable, made substantial revisions in the original version during the markup process. The changes were proposed by the bill's original sponsor, Rep. Richard L. Ottinger (D-N.Y.).
Among other things, they eliminated much of the bill's potential impact on Volkswagen and Honda, which already build cars in America.
"I for one am tired of seeing the U.S. serve up Pablum to the Japanese and Europeans while these countries are flooding our markets with their products while keeping our products out of theirs. Sometimes you have to hit someone between the eyes before they change their ways," Ottinger said after the vote.
The requirements would apply to automakers whose annual sales of cars and trucks exceed $100,000 -- the higher the sales, the higher the requirement. The starting date would be model year 1984, with complete implementation by 1986.
Under the bill, leading Japanese auto importers could be required to build as much as 70 percent of their cars here, down from the 90 percent sought in the bill's original version. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, who have stayed officially neutral on the bill, still would face the original 90 percent requirement.
The formula is tied to sales. For example, after the 1985 model year, a car maker with sales of 600,000 would divide that figure by 10,000 and realize a "domestic content" requirement of 60 percent.
The bill goes next to the Ways and Means subcommittee on trade, and could reach the floor for a House vote a week to 10 days later, committee sources said.
The administration adamantly opposes the bill, calling it a disastrous protectionist measure. Embattled auto workers have lobbied feverishly for passage before the Nov. 2 general election, claiming that more than 800,000 jobs will be created or saved.


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Lenovo is having a very bad day. Last night, the company was called out for implanting adware that cut through user security. This morning, researchers uncovered a crucial password in the system, exposing Lenovo users to all manner of malicious attack. It's a major, embarrassing security failure — but unlike breaches like Heartbleed or Shellshock, Superfish isn't a flaw in a protocol or a programming mistake. It's a deliberate program, deliberately installed on Lenovo computers with corporate permission but without user consent.
A deliberate program, installed with corporate permission
At its heart, Superfish is just an unusually mean piece of crapware, the kind of program that has been cluttering up cheap PCs for decades now. Manufacturers pre-install the programs onto low-end machines in exchange for a small fee from the software company. Traditionally, all those programs would do is bug you about paying for an upgrade or throw a pop-up ad onto your desktop. But Superfish goes farther, circumventing web encryption to insert ads into HTTPS-protected sites for secure services like webmail and online banking. It's a major breach of protocol, but it's also a wakeup call for many researchers. The mild annoyance of crapware has turned into a serious security flaw — and this bug may only be the beginning.
The problem isn't just that users don't choose to install the software (although that's a problem too.) For the most part, we don't even know it's there. We see ads pop onto the desktop or into browsers, but we don't see the structure behind them. For web inserts, we don't know if the ads are being served by the original site or a browser site. Even if you know it's coming from adware on your computer, it's rare that you'll know the name of the program. The structure is designed to be invisible, outside of the user's control.
Invisibility leads to some strange incentives
Invisibility leads to some strange incentives. If crapware vendors want to try out a new way of targeting ads, for instance, most users will have no idea. Vendors have to justify the new features to the hardware manufacturer, but that can be as simple as paying a little more money. Without a public check, there's nothing to stop the software from growing more and more invasive, until it spills out into a public embarrassment like Superfish.
Hardware manufacturing tends to be invisible too, which makes it easy for adware to slip in. It's very hard to tell if a manufacturer has included something malicious on a given device — something the NSA has ruthlessly exploited over the years. Researchers can look, but the average consumer has to judge by signals. We can't run a security audit alone, so we flatten complex privacy issues into the simpler question of whether or not we trust a given brand. Do you trust Lenovo? Huawei? Apple? It's a crude measure, but it's all we have. Once that trust is gone, it's very hard to replace.
SSL is invisible too
Superfish crossed the line because it targeted SSL, the web's most basic security protection. In the politically charged world of encryption, SSL is the one thing everyone agrees on — the little green lock that protects passwords and credit card data as it moves across the web. Nearly everyone who makes money on the internet relies on consumers trusting SSL, so any move that threatens it is an existential threat. If Superfish became the industry norm, it's not just users that would be in danger. Everyone from Amazon to Google would have to scramble to keep their data secure.
Superfish's attack is particularly dangerous because SSL is invisible too. We see the little green lock and we have the option to sniff out the certificate behind it, but we almost never do. We trust that someone else has checked it out for us. When there is a certificate hack — like the one that got GoGo in trouble earlier this year — it often lays undiscovered for months. This isn't self-vetted encryption like PGP or its open-source sisters. You don't have to work for SSL; it does the work for you. We want web security to be as painless as possible, so painless that it becomes invisible.
The vulnerabilities of Superfish won't last long. Lenovo has already released instructions for uninstalling the software, and users are beginning to address the trickier certificate problem. The damage will last longer, as attackers make use of the stolen passwords and infected machines, but even that may pale in comparison to system-wide hacks like Heartbleed or Shellshock. The bigger danger may be the invisible systems themselves. To the average consumer, manufacturing will always be invisible and SSL will never be more than a 20-pixel padlock icon. And for anyone trying to break through, in the name of profit or national security, that invisibility will be a powerful tool.


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Data a new battlefield for telecom operators
- Vodacom reported this week that its data usage per customer rose by 59.7 percent, attributing the rise to its sustained investment programme that aims at delivering a better data experience for customers
Dar es Salaam. Data is increasingly becoming the battleground for telecommunication firms as they seek to get a piece of the business cake that comes with shifting trends of Tanzanian consumers.
Vodacom Tanzania Plc reported this week that its data usage per customer rose by 59.7 percent, attributing the rise to its sustained investment programme that aims at delivering a better data experience for customers. The 59.7 percent growth meant that each customer used an average of 1.4GB per month.
“Data services remain a key growth driver and are central to our commitment of connecting Tanzanians to a better future,” Vodacom says in its trading updates to investors. Not just Vodacom, the majority of telecommunication companies in the country have been leaping off data sales as the result of increasing demand, as the Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) reports the number of internet users in the country reached 27 million. Attractive demand has pushed the telecoms to increase their focus and investments into pushing data traffic in their networks. In the case of Vodacom, the company was able to increase data penetration to 51.9 percent, as a result of network investment, data campaigns and enhancing data experience for its customers.
Being one of the key sources of the company revenue, the other being mobile money service M-pesa, Vodacom decided to introduce a number of digital services, and affordable smart devices such as the US$25 smartphone and the personalised bundles offering to customers through our innovative ‘Just 4 You’ platform.
According to the Vodacom update report, the increased demand for data has also facilitated the company’s strong commercial performance in the quarter to December 2020. Compensating for the barred customers heightened regulatory requirements in 2020.
“Quarterly trends are encouraging with 139 000 additional data customers using the Vodacom network,” the update reads in part. The growing demand is also seen as an opportunity by other telecom firms such as Tigo Tanzania and Airtel Tanzania, which introduced several data services offers that eyed to capture the market demand.
Such offers include the free one-year internet bundles for a smartphone purchase with Tigo, double data bundle offer for half a year when you subscribe with Airtel. In the Vodacom Annual report for 2019, released in March last year revealed that Vodacom leaped Sh180.8 billion in data revenue, an increase of 9.8 percent from the preceding year. “Data traffic grew by 14.6 percent, with significant growth coming in 4G traffic. This reflects strong demand for mobile data services and proves our investment case in enhancing customers’ data experience and increasing access to affordable smartphones and data services,” Vodacom said.


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Malaysia will let foreign workers back into the country after an almost 16-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and allow some tourists back to its resort island of Langkawi, its prime minister said on Friday.
The agreement reached by the government's pandemic taskforce on foreign workers has been hotly anticipated by vital sectors like palm oil plantations and rubber glove manufacturing, which rely on migrant labour.
"The Special Committee on Pandemic Management today agreed with the proposed standard operating procedures for the entry of foreign workers into Malaysia, especially to meet the needs of the plantation sector," Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said in a statement.
Migrant worker quotas and entry dates for other industries are still being ironed out, he said.
Malaysia is reliant on some two million documented migrant workers to produce everything from gloves to iPhone parts.
Last month, the government said it would prioritise the return of 32,000 workers for the plantation sector to ease a severe labour crunch that hammered production for the world's second largest palm oil producer.
The rubber gloves industry had also appealed to the government to allow foreign workers to return to meet growing demand this year and next.
From mid-November, Malaysia will also allow certain international travellers to visit its tropical holiday island of Langkawi, reopening its borders to foreign tourists for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
The prime minister said Malaysia is targeting vaccinated, "high-yield" and "quality" tourists, indicating those that will spend money and help boost the economy. It was not immediately clear how such tourists would be targeted.
Tourists must show a negative COVID-19 result and vaccination certificate and have travel insurance of $80,000, he said.


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We live on a land adorned with crippling walls and tombs of lies. A land brimming with clashing voices and high-held paradigms. We are sinking in a pool of boiling Intolerance. But when exactly did this seventh-largest democracy turn intolerant? This is something we all need to retrospect.
The raging issues on Twitter have noticeably created a war between brands vs the public, rightly putting across ‘the public wearing intolerant sleeves’. While all of us need to have a voice and an opinion, and should raise our voice and opinion, we need to be aware of when, where and why we are raising our voice and opinion.
We are turning into a progressive society with advertisements and iconic brands playing a pivotal role in shaping our minds and country. However, regretfully, the advertisement industry today is at the brink of dying an unnatural death and breathing the rigid codes set by Hindutva activists.
From Tanishq to Dabur, to Sabyasachi, Fabindia, all have had their share of backlash with the only option being a withdrawal of their ads and a public apology. The question we need to ask ourselves is: Is this really the future we wish to live in or create?
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As of 2019, 52 % of India’s youth feels they live in an intolerant nation, and now, of course, the number must have risen. In a few conversations with young India, we have understood that what irks them is the attempt to enforce an unbending code of conduct crafted by a community insusceptible to change. There is a section of the society whose adamant mind is not moulded to embrace newer changes and differences. It is not ready to alter its lenses and view contemporary India.
The recently targetted skin bleach advertisement that was released on the occasion of the Hindu festival of karva chauth was labelled as ‘objectional content’ and the brand Dabur was threatened by BJP Politician Narottam Mishra for showcasing such content. Soon, the brand had to withdraw the advertisement and apologise for hurting religious sentiments.
Something similar was faced by the renowned heritage Indian brand Fabindia, whose Diwali advertisement called Jashn-e-reewaz was backlashed for using the Urdu terminology for a Hindu festival. Ultimately, the advertisement fell prey to Twitter’s cancel culture that fed onto a plethora of negative buzz. The way the models were dressed up and the absence of bindi on their foreheads were also a few of the concerns of the backlashers.
The targeting of ads, their withdrawal and public apologies have become mere rituals for a country like ours. Last year, Tanishq’s advertisement ‘Ekatvam’ was a subject to this hatred. The brand was harshly accused of promoting love jihad in the nation.
But which nation are we talking about? A nation where words like socialist, republic, democratic, sovereign and liberty sit right in its Preamble and are recited aloud with much pride and dignity in times of celebration?
Well, maybe, the actions and words inscribed are paradoxical. And maybe two Indias is a harsh reality that we all are just not ready to accept.


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With Purell and other name-brand hand sanitizers being hard to come by during the pandemic, several new, never-heard-of-before brands are filling store shelves to meet the demand. While many of these new hand sanitizers smell like a college party, they are effective against germs and safe to use. But according to the FDA, some of the hand sanitizers on the market contain a toxic ingredient -- methanol -- that is dangerous when ingested or absorbed through the skin, and can be fatal in large quantities.
The FDA first released a warning statement on June 19 saying consumers should not buy hand sanitizer products from the Mexico-based manufacturer Eskbiochem, because they contain methanol. On July 2, the FDA updated its warning, noting that the agency has seen a "sharp increase" in hand sanitizers labeled as containing ethanol (aka ethyl alcohol), but actually containing methanol.
The list of questionable hand sanitizers has gotten so long that the FDA created a searchable database for consumers to use if they're unsure about their hand sanitizer. On July 21, the FDA updated that list yet again. In total, there are now more than 75 hand sanitizers that may contain the toxic ingredient methanol.
Toxic hand sanitizer to avoid
Select hand sanitizers from the following brands and distributors are on the FDA's list to avoid. Be sure to check the FDA's website for the full details on which products contain methanol.
- 4E Global
- AAA Cosmetica
- DDI Multinacional
- Grupo Insoma
- ITECH 361
- Liqesa Exportacion (Liq-E-S.A)
- Limpo Quimicos
- Maquiladora Miniara
- MXL Comercial
- Mystic International
- Real Clean Distribuciones
- Saniderm Products
- Soluciones Cosmetica
- Transliquid Technologies LLC
The FDA encourages consumers not to buy the brands of hand sanitizer above after testing revealed their products contain methanol. The FDA also urges people to avoid hand sanitizers labeled "FDA-approved" because the FDA has not approved any hand sanitizers and therefore those claims are false.
If you have experienced a bad reaction to hand sanitizer in the recent weeks or months, you can report it to the FDA through the form on this website. The FDA relies on reports like this to identify potentially toxic products and take them off the market or issue warning statements.
The demand for hand sanitizers is still high as the coronavirus pandemic resurges, which makes the recent health warning even more jarring. Many people can't find their usual hand sanitizer online or in stores, so they turn to new brands that may or may not have manufactured hand sanitizer before the pandemic.
If you have used a hand sanitizer with methanol in the last few months, throw it out. The FDA advises that you seek medical treatment immediately if you've been exposed to methanol, because intervention is required to reverse the toxic effects of methanol poisoning.
Everyone exposed to methanol is at risk for methanol poisoning, but young children are especially susceptible, the FDA says.


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U.S. stocks traded lower Wednesday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 45 points to 10843, the Standard & Poor's 500 fell 6 points to 1168 and the Nasdaq Composite declined 14 points to 2401. Among the companies whose shares are actively trading are Adobe Systems Inc. (ADBE), MF Global Holdings Ltd. (MF) and Lennar Corp. (LEN).
Adobe Systems' ($36.69, +$1.47, +4.17%) fiscal first-quarter profit slid 19% on lower margins, but the graphics-software company's results easily topped expectations. The company also forecast second-quarter revenue above analysts' expectations.
Former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine is returning to the business world as chairman and chief executive of MF Global ($7.96, +$0.64, +8.74%), the brokerage said Tuesday. Corzine will replace CEO Bernard Dan as part of a shake-up at the loss-making futures and commodity specialist, formerly known as Man Financial. Meanwhile, the company provided fiscal fourth-quarter revenue guidance that came in below analysts' expectations.
Lennar's ($17.80, +$0.74, +4.34%) fiscal first-quarter loss narrowed as the home-building company's margins and orders surged. With results better than expected, the company said it is on track to be profitable this year. Other home-building companies also gained, including Beazer Homes USA Inc. (BZH, $4.89, +$0.09, +1.85%) and PulteGroup Inc. (PHM, $11.65, +$0.18, +1.57%).
Shares of Jabil Circuit Inc. (JBL, $16.51, -$1.85, -10.08%) dropped Wednesday and dragged down shares of other companies in the technology-supply chain as the electronics-component maker's fiscal second-quarter results weren't quite enough to please investors. Meanwhile, a 10% sequential rise in inventories weighed on shares of Xilinx Inc. (XLNX, $25.99, -$1.33, -4.87%) and Altera Corp. (ALTR, $24.67, -$0.99, -3.86%). Chips made by the companies are used in products such as network routers, cellphone base stations and DVD players.
Biotechnology company Genzyme Corp. (GENZ, $55.38, -$3.72, -6.29%) said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration "intends to take enforcement action" to make sure products made at its troubled Allston, Mass., plant are within regulations, but production will continue. The FDA likely will put in place a consent decree under which a third party would inspect and review the plant's operations for "an extended period" to ensure compliance, Genzyme said.
Sonic Corp. (SONC, $10.51, -$0.69, -6.12%) swung to an unexpected loss in its fiscal second quarter as the drive-in restaurant chain's revenue dropped by more than analysts anticipated.
Other Stocks In Focus:
AutoChina International Ltd. (AUTC, $34.54, -$7.89, -18.60%), a commercial vehicle sales, servicing, leasing and support network in China, said it priced 2 million shares at $35 each as part of a shelf offering. The company has about 11 million shares outstanding.
Bank of America Corp. (BAC, $17.51, +$0.38, +2.22%) said it will make principal forgiveness a priority for certain subprime mortgages. Bank of America had been under pressure to help subprime-mortgage borrowers it inherited with its purchase of Countrywide Financial. On Wednesday, the bank said it "will look first at principal forgiveness, ahead of an interest rate reduction, when modifying certain subprime, Pay-Option and prime two-year hybrid mortgages" that qualify for its National Homeownership Retention Program.
Shares of mortgage and bond insurers jumped Wednesday after Bank of America said it will make principal forgiveness a priority for certain subprime mortgages. Bond insurers MBIA Inc. (MBI, $6.46, +$0.86, +15.36%) and Ambac Financial Group Inc. (ABK, $0.79, +$0.06, +7.90%), as well as mortgage insurers PMI Group Inc. (PMI, $4.53, +$0.89, +24.45%) and Radian Group Inc. (RDN, $14.08, +$2.19, +18.42%) all gained.
Bank of Commerce Holdings (BOCH, $4.65, -$0.30, -6.06%) boosted the size of its share offering by 20% to 7.2 million shares and priced the offering at $4.25 a share, a 14% discount to Tuesday's closing price.
Commercial Metals Co.'s (CMC, $15.73, -$1.22, -7.22%) fiscal second-quarter loss widened sharply amid reduced margins and selling prices as well as charges from the company's planned exit from the joist-and-deck business. Meanwhile, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services downgraded its ratings on the company to the brink of junk territory, saying the steelmaker and recycler's operating performance likely will continue to be hurt by weak demand in commercial construction markets.
Casual-dining restaurant sales should continue to improve, though with possible bumps along the way as consumers remain on the mend, Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI, $44.73, +$0.82, +1.87%) executives said during a conference call Wednesday. That helped boost some other casual-dining chains including Ruth's Hospitality Group Inc. (RUTH, $5.04, +$0.28, +5.83%) and California Pizza Kitchen Inc. (CPKI, $17.99, +$0.08, +0.45%), extending a several-month-long rally among the group.
The California Public Utilities Commission will attend a demonstration hosted by Itron Inc. (ITRI, $71.64, +$0.04, +0.06%) regarding a potentially lucrative smart-meter contract, news that scared investors in competitor ESCO Technologies Inc. (ESE, $31.00, -$3.50, -10.14%) Wednesday.
FBR Capital Markets raised its rating on hotel real estate investment trust FelCor Lodging Trust Inc. (FCH, $6.03, +$0.81, +15.52%) to outperform from market perform, saying it continues to see positive demand trends that will likely lead to beats and raises for lodging companies in the next few quarters. FelCor, it added, has the "greatest sensitivity to improving trends." High leverage could hurt the stock on the downside, but it will help on the upside. The company is also making good progress on its debt refinancings, the firm said.
Shares of General Electric Co. (GE, $18.56, +$0.23, +1.25%) rose after Bernstein Research raised its price target on the stock to $20 from $19. "A more constructive view of near-term credit for GE Capital adds about $1 a share of upside to the stock, in our view," Bernstein analyst Steven Winoker wrote in a note to clients.
Thomas Weisel cut its stock-investment rating on Intrepid Potash Inc. (IPI, $29.97, -$0.72, -2.35%) to underweight from market weight, saying the fertilizer company's stock price has risen while its fundamental outlook has proved weaker than the analysts had expected.
JPMorgan upgraded Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (JEC, $45.59, +$1.35, +3.05%) to overweight from neutral, saying the engineering consulting company will likely be one of the first to emerge from the downturn. Recent improvement in some macroeconomic indicators, such as industrial production, bodes well for "a pickup in industrial end markets, and JEC should be among the early beneficiaries, given its diverse U.S. mix" and other factors, the firm said.
Kaman Corp. (KAMN, $24.95, -$1.34, -5.10%) said its first-quarter revenue and earnings would fall well short of Wall Street's expectations. Kaman said it had been hurt by the failure of a supplied component in the testing on one of its programs for the Air Force, meaning it won't be able to ship the parts this quarter. Kaman did reaffirm full-year projections and said other demand is improving.
Lime Energy Co.'s (LIME, $4.60, -$0.59, -11.41%) fourth-quarter loss widened on a delay in projects for public-sector customers as margins fell sharply. The provider of energy-efficiency products and services recently reported lower-than-expected results tagged to the challenging economy.
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., a major stakeholder in MedCath Corp. (MDTH, $11.01, -$1.46, -11.71%), sold its stake in the hospital operator Tuesday night, sources familiar with the matter told Dow Jones Newswires. The price at which the 1.97 million shares were sold couldn't be immediately confirmed, but reports of the sale weighed on MedCath shares.
Two technology initial public offerings and a regional bank deal sent positive signals to the U.S. market Wednesday, making swift gains and continuing a gradually improving trend that began earlier this month. Radio-frequency semiconductor company MaxLinear Inc. (MXL, $18.84, +$4.84, +34.57%), broadband access equipment maker Calix Networks Inc. (CALX, $15.89, +$2.89, +22.23%) and First Interstate BancSystem Inc. (FIBK, $16.28, +$1.78, +12.28%) posted big gains in their first day of trading.
NetLogic Microsystems Inc. (NETL, $28.84, -$1.48, -4.88%) announced the planned sale of at least 5.9 million shares, nearly half of which will be sold by stockholders of a processor provider NetLogic bought last year.
Biopharmaceutical company Novavax Inc. (NVAX, $2.61, +$0.27, +11.54%) said it had positive results from the first stage of its two-stage trial studying the safety and immunogenicity of its A/H1N1 virus-like particle pandemic influenza vaccine. The study showed the safety and ability to provoke an immune response were consistent with preliminary data.
Cargo shipper OceanFreight Inc. (OCNF, $0.80, +$0.04, +5.71%) said it agreed to build three ships for $204 million even as the global economy is awash in large vessels.
Bank-holding company Orrstown Financial Services Inc. (ORRF, $26.55, -$3.95, -12.95%) priced about 1.5 million shares at $27 each, a 11% discount to Tuesday's closing price.
William Blair raised its stock-investment rating on Polycom Inc. (PLCM, $30.75, +$1.47, +5.02%), a maker of audio- and data-conferencing products, to outperform from market perform, citing robust industry demand and improving execution.
Red Hat Inc. (RHT, $30.78, +$0.61, +2.02%) shares rose ahead of its fourth-quarter earnings report later Wednesday.
Robbins & Myers Inc. (RBN, $25.04, -$1.47, -5.55%), a maker of equipment for energy, chemical and industrial producers, said its fiscal second-quarter profit fell 72% on slow sales and difficult pricing conditions as the company continues to suffer from soft demand. But orders were up both sequentially and from a year earlier.
Sprint Nextel Corp. (S, $3.98, +$0.15, +3.79%) officially unveiled the first U.S. phone able to tap into superhigh speeds, as the carrier hopes to capitalize on its lead in next-generation wireless technology. The phone, called the Evo, is made by HTC Corp. Sprint didn't provide pricing information on the device or service plans, and the company maintained its timeframe of a summer launch. The news hurt shares of competitors such as Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ, $30.44, -$0.54, -1.74%) and AT&T Inc. (T, $26.28, -$0.27, -1.02%).
Stericycle Inc. (SRCL, $54.61, -$1.77, -3.14%) was cut to neutral from overweight by JPMorgan because the medical waste company has seen some business flatten out and could be a few years away from adding to earnings. JPMorgan cut its 2010 and 2011 earnings estimates, also adding that competition may be heating up.
Hospital companies gave back more of the gains they enjoyed in the immediate wake of the House of Representatives' weekend passage of health-care reform, amid broad losses for the health sector Wednesday. Tenet Healthcare Corp. (THC, $5.99, -$0.31, -4.92%), Universal Health Services Inc. (UHS, $35.21, -$0.74, -2.06%), and Community Health Systems Inc. (CYH, $38.18, -$1.58, -3.97%) all fell.
Collins Stewart cut its stock-investment rating on Ethernet service provider Tw Telecom Inc. (TWTC, $18.09, -$0.23, -1.26%) to hold from buy, saying the stock has achieved its current valuation with the help of M&A speculation that the firm doubts will occur. "We believe the company is fully priced at these levels and await signs of an enterprise recovery before becoming more constructive on the stock again," the analysts said.
Under Armour Inc. (UA, $29.76, -$1.04, -3.38%) was cut by both Barclays Capital and FBR analysts as gains made this year had made the stock a bit to rich. Both said the risk-reward ratio was no longer attractive, even as they said their expectations for the sporting-apparel company remained strong.
-By Dow Jones Newswires; write to email@example.com


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5 New Jersey Backyard Pools for Rent By the Hour
Would you rent someone's backyard pool by the hour? Apparently, backyard pool rentals are becoming a thing.
The idea began in California when people started renting out their backyard pools during the coronavirus outbreak.
Most public pools were closed due to the outbreak and with the warm weather, people saw a chance to make some extra money renting out their pools.
One couple in Los Angeles say they’ve made about $7,000 opening up their pool to strangers.
The couple used "Swimply", a small start-up that lets people offer their backyard pool for rent by the hour, for a 15% service fee.
Now the idea has begun to catch on here in New Jersey, where a search for Swimply found five backyard pools available for rent by the hour, including one close by in Barnegat Township.
Beth is offering her 40' X 18' salt water backyard pool for $45 an hour, with amenities including a screened-in gazebo, dining table, lounge chairs, BBQ grill and a playground.
The ad promotes a '"very private pool area with calming nature all around." What's not so very private and calming is the bathroom, which is inside Beth's house.
Four other pools are listed for rent by the hour around New Jersey, including "Samantha and Noah's Oasis" for only $15 an hour.


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Google SketchUp helps create models of a variety of items--including houses, sheds, decks, home additions, and woodworking projects.
Google Inc. on Thursday launched a free version of the 3D modeling software the search engine acquired when it bought @Last Software last month.
Google SketchUp, which is free for personal use, includes simple tools for creating 3D models of a variety of items, including houses, sheds, decks, home additions and woodworking projects. The software comes with a plug in for Google Earth, so items can be posted on the service, which provides satellite views of geographical locations.
In addition, Google launched 3D Warehouse, online storage for work created in SketchUp. The service also enables users to search and share models.
Google, based in Mountain View, Calif., plans to continue selling SketchUp Pro 5 for professional designers. The software costs $495.
Google bought @Last Software, based in Boulder, Colo., in March for an undisclosed sum. The purchase was expected to add value to its mapping platform through integration with Google Earth. The technology is expected to eventually find its way into other Google services as well.
The Business of Going DigitalDigital business isn't about changing code; it's about changing what legacy sales, distribution, customer service, and product groups do in the new digital age. It's about bringing big data analytics, mobile, social, marketing automation, cloud computing, and the app economy together to launch new products and services. We're seeing new titles in this digital revolution, new responsibilities, new business models, and major shifts in technology spending.


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Frost & Sullivan’s new report, ‘Australian Wearable Technologies Report 2015′, forecasts annual compounding growth of approximately 78 percent for the period 2014 to 2018, with revenues expected to reach $1 billion by 2018.
Although the wearables market is quite new, the recent release of the Apple Watch is expected to ignite interest in wearables, as well as accelerate sales of wearable devices in Australia. This in turn will spur greater innovation from other players in the industry and drive new partnerships among vendors and distributors.
With the Australian culture’s emphasis on fitness and sport, consumer wearables such as FitBit, JawBone and other health and fitness trackers are popular, according to Frost and Sullivan.
Audrey William, head of ICT Research, Frost & Sullivan Australia and New Zealand, says there has been minimal use of wearable technology for business applications. “In the enterprise (business) segment, most wearable technologies are currently at the prototype stage. However, Frost & Sullivan expects significant enterprise adoption of wearable technology from around 2017, as several companies, especially in the mining and oil and gas industries are already looking to trial wearable products,” she says.
The report found several local Australian technology start-ups have already joined the wearables innovation foray, venturing to launch products like smart shirts, smart wrist bands and smart bands for health monitoring and fitness tracking. Some of these companies include Catapult Sports, Ollo Wearables, Smash Wearables, Wearable Experiments and MJ Bale, and they offer fresh innovation and expansion options via acquisitions for the bigger, established players in the market.
Frost & Sullivan expects mergers and acquisitions and cross industry collaboration to be a key feature to drive the next level of innovation in the wearable technologies market.
Wearable technology is not devoid of issues and obstacles. The report pointed out challenges to mass adoption include technical impediments such as battery life, miniaturisation of embedded sensors, wearable data management and interoperability, compatibility among competing vendors and platforms, and security.
An on-demand webinar recording on the Australian Wearables Technologies Report is available from https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/5567/157481.


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As part of the preparatory work for drafting the DSA, three of the European Parliament’s specialist committees have drawn up recommendations for what should be included: those for the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, Legal Affairs, and Civil Liberties.
Brian Acton is an entrepreneur and computer programmer who co-founded the messaging app WhatsApp in 2009.Prior to founding WhatsApp and Signal Foundation, Acton worked as a software builder for more than 25 years at companies like Apple, Yahoo, and Adobe.
To combat the oversaturated market and the trend toward customized media consumption, which often eschews traditional advertising, the Defense Department asked Congress for authorities that expand information collection, mirror private sector ads and help tailor content to youths, according to Stephanie Miller, director of military accession policy within the Pentagon.
Today, the surveillance cameras of public authorities and the data centers of advertising companies are the big bogeyman, because they create profiles of all people who move around the Internet.
In auctioning off advertising space on their apps and websites, publishers likewise share personal data via permissions — phone numbers, device IDs, browsing history — with Google and hundreds of other companies like it.
4) The new iOS 14 update adds fresh privacy features – and gives you a redesigned home screenCredit: Apple That means an app could show you nearby stores, for instance, without knowing exactly where you live.
The new tool, Blacklight, emulates how users might be tracked as they browse the Web. To use it, you simply type in a Web address, and the tool scans the site for the following types of privacy violations: third-party cookies, ad trackers, key logging, session recording, canvas fingerprinting, Facebook tracking, and Google Analytics’ “Remarketing Audiences”.
When the revelation that Instagram was accessing user cameras was revealed by an iOS update in July of 2020, Facebook was quick to dismiss it as a bug that would soon be fixed.
Today, we at the ICCL [Irish Council for Civil Liberties] submitted evidence to the DPC that show the consequence of failure to enforce the GDPR to stop the vast RTB data breach at the heart of the online advertising industry.
AT&T is planning to offer ad-supported phone plans within a year, according to an exclusive interview that AT&T CEO John Stankey had with Reuters.
The planned launch of an ad-supported version of AT&T’s video-streaming service HBO Max next year will serve as a “foundational element” that will provide new advertising inventory, and would be key to new phone plans supported by ads, Stankey said without offering details.
You’ll need to identify whether each data type is linked to a user’s account, device, or identity by you and/or your third-party partners.You’ll need to understand whether you and/or your third-party partners use data from your app to track users and, if so, which data is used for this purpose.
The changes also mean app will have to ask a user's permission to access the ad-tracking ID on an iPhone or iPad. The measures were due to arrive in the latest iOS 14 update in the autumn.
The Facebook Audience Network allows mobile software developers to provide in-app advertisements targeted to users based on Facebook's data.Today, advertisers can use a unique device ID number called the IDFA to better target ads and estimate their effectiveness.
In June, Apple announced iOS 14 updates that, among other changes, require apps to ask users for permission to collect and share data using Apple’s device identifier.
Radar is a program that gives advertisers access to anonymized phone location data of those that pass by billboards with their ads on them and represents the pinnacle of outdoor ad tracking.
A study performed by Google last year, for example, concluded that disabling cookies reduced publisher revenue by more than 50 percent.
In a blog post, the company said an 'error' in its 'Tailored Audiences and Partner Audiences advertising system' inadvertently used the information provided by users for security reasons to run targeted ads based on the advertisers' own marketing lists.
(Reuters) — Alphabet’s Google has offered not to use health data of fitness tracker company Fitbit to help it target ads in an attempt to address EU antitrust concerns about its proposed $2.1 billion acquisition, the U.S. tech company said late on Monday.
New #iOS 14 allows #Apple users to selectively disable ad tracking by making their unique IDs invisible to apps.
Johnny Ryan, chief policy officer at privacy-focused browser biz Brave, has reported on how ad revenue increased when Dutch national broadcaster NPO stopped running third-party trackers on its online video website.
(Reuters) - A group of European digital advertising associations on Friday criticized Apple Inc’s (AAPL.O) plans to require apps to seek additional permission from users before tracking them across other apps and websites.


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Late last year several pirated copies of 4K videos started to leak from both Netflix and Amazon. These leaks were unusual as online 4k streams were always well protected against pirates.
While it’s still not clear how these videos were copied, several sources suggested that one of LegendSky’s latest HDFury devices may have been involved.
These suspicions were corroborated a few weeks ago when Warner Bros. and Intel daughter company Digital Content Protection (DCP) sued the HDFury manufacturer over its ability to “strip” the latest HDCP encryption.
The Chinese hardware manufacturer refutes this claim and has pointed out that its tools merely allow users to convert HDCP encryption, which would be fair use and permitted by law.
While the case continues in court, a pirate group has stepped up to add some fuel to the fire. In an NFO file packaged with a recent release of the Netflix film “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday,” Scene group ‘Team QCF’ thanks HDFury while describing it as one of its sponsors.
“We like to give a shout out to our sponsors without them this is not possible :p,” the NFO file reads, linking to the controversial HDFury 4k splitter.
While the release in question is 1080p, the controversial hardware makes it possible to use a 4K source to get a better encode.
In addition, Gatorade also gets a plug. “Drink Gatorade it will help your encodes,” the NFO file adds, linking to the Gatorade website.
Team QCF doesn’t normally list any sponsors, and it’s pretty unlikely that HDFury or Gatorade have intentionally contributed to the Scene group. However, the wink to HDFury suggests that the devices are indeed used to rip 4K content from Netflix.
At least, the group felt the urge to respond to the recent controversy over the HDFury devices.
It is doubtful that the “endorsement” will be featured in court though. As an anonymous source, Team QCF may just as well be putting up a smokescreen for fun, or perhaps to divert attention from another vulnerability.
That said, LegendSky is probably going to be unhappy with the fact that their HDFury devices are now openly being plugged by a well-known Scene group.


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The world of fintech has inched closer to the mainstream realm over the past couple of years after multiple developments and adoption events. Just recently, this surge in popularity was again put on display when the Monetary Authority of Singapore organized the Afro-Asian Fintech Festival.
The event witnessed mass participation with several big players in the industry also attending the event. Sources have informed us that the festival was a joint collaboration by the Central Bank of Kenya, Huawei, Standard Chartered Bank and Safaricom.
During the course of the event, panelists touched upon areas of discussion such as next-generation digital platforms, cashless and digital payments, and the relationship between fintech and banks. The theme of the 72-hour long event was “People and Talent Harnesssing: Collaboration in Pursuit of Resilience and Growth Post Covid-19. The general consensus was that digital banking had changed the game with future roadmaps charting out better solutions.
The interdependency of the banking world and fintech was another widely discussed topic. Over the past couple of years, many institutions have partaken one or the other form of fintech to streamline their overall process. Apart from this, fintech also enabled different user demographics to enter the world of digital trading. Participants further talked about the issues that may exist in the intersection of technology and finance.
Some predicted that there may not be widespread network problems in the future but rather smaller fragmented API issues. Head honchos of major fintech companies added that there were plenty of new opportunities within the blossoming world of fintech applications. Chen Zhentao, the Director FSI Southern African Region at Huawei took the side of cashless payments. He said that ditching hard cash would be the perfect way to elevate the financial ecosystem to the next level. A lot of individuals envisioned a digital economy where everything took place on a decentralized network that was safe, fast, and privacy-oriented.


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(CBS) How much is that necklace on Lindsay Lohan? That's the lingering question in the ongoing saga of the actress' recent legal woes.
Lohan was arraigned last week on a felony grand theft charge that she stole a "one of a kind" $2,500 necklace from an upscale jeweler in Venice, California; however, according to celebrity news site TMZ, the necklace was overpriced and may not have enough value to uphold a felony charge.
Several prominent jewelers in Southern California, who opted not to reveal their names, priced the necklace at more than $1,500 less than what retailer Kamoife & Company was selling it for, according to TMZ.
One retailer claimed the necklace, which was reportedly made up of 8.84 carats of natural, untreated yellow diamonds, was "a dime a dozen," while another said it didn't think the piece was worth more than $900, reports the site.
In order for a theft charge to be deemed a felony, the item in question must have a fair market value of more than $950, according to TMZ.
If the necklace is in fact worth $950 or less, Lohan could evade felony charges and get slapped with a misdemeanor, which carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail.
Lohan maintains that she was loaned the necklace, and was told that she could keep it if she was photographed wearing it in a major publication.


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Target Corp. plans to hire 80,000 to 90,000 seasonal employees for the Christmas shopping season — a bit less than last year.
Minneapolis-based Target (NYSE: TGT) hired 92,000 holiday workers last year.
Target said it needs fewer seasonal workers this year partially because 30 percent of the temporary workers it hired last year were given permanent positions, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Target has 33 stores in Tennessee.
The announcement came after Kohl's Corp. (NYSE: KSS) said it would hire 10 percent more holiday workers than in 2011.