text:
At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, a Chinese manufacturer of high resolution fingerprint readers showed the BBC how smartphone fingerprint scanners could be fooled by a clay imprint of a fingertip. The ulterior motive being that higher resolution sensors wouldn't be caught out by such shenanigans.
However, across the years fingerprint scanners have been caught out by everything from latex lifts as beloved of the movies through to Gummi Bear sweets (we kid you not).
Mike Murray, VP of security research at Lookout, told SCMagazineUK.com that he thinks we will still be using passwords in years to come as biometrics are not living up to the hype. "Ten years ago, there was a real push toward including biometric fingerprint readers in laptops" Murray says "how many of the laptops you see today still have a fingerprint scanner?"
Which is true, although you do have to ask yourself whether the move towards biometrics on smartphones and tablets will have a knock-on effect in driving adoption for other devices. Especially given the number of tablet/notebook hybrids hitting the market, and not forgetting the inclusion of biometrics for Windows 10 in the shape of Windows Hello.
David Mount, director of security solutions consulting at Micro Focus, also looks to the banking sector and the announcement by HSBC that it will introduce voice recognition for telephone banking authorisation as proof of a move towards biometric acceptance. "Passwords quite simply aren't working for the banking industry as they are too easy for hackers to steal and too difficult for customers to remember" Mount insists.
Addressing the specific voice recognition technology HSBC is talking about, pun firmly intended, Mount says "the technology is now able to analyse such specific biometric detail like the shape of larynx and vocal tract, which is much more difficult to steal than a password." Of course, adding layers of complexity could potentially lead to vulnerabilities, only time will tell.
But as Mount concludes "as we move more of our lives online, we need a more effective way to securely prove who we are. That's why we can expect to see biometrics based on our voice, fingerprints or heartbeats becoming more prevalent in the not-too-distant future."
Coming back to smartphones, these have undoubtedly shown that biometrics, albeit almost exclusively fingerprint scanners, can work unobtrusively. This is not only driving acceptance of biometrics in general, but of the expectation that higher end devices should come with them built-in by default.
What could dent that drive is a security scare. But does the clay cloning demonstrated at MWC really count as a scare? That clay was used here is almost besides the point. So what is the point?
How about how much of a real world risk is posed by such an attacker, who somehow has access both to a copy of your fingerprint and your phone itself? Even for high-value targets, let alone the likes of us, there are much easier and more-likely-to-succeed attack methods out there.
"If an attacker is desperate to get their hands on your data, they're going to try a number of ways to circumvent your security" says François Amigorena, CEO at IS Decisions who continues "if the option of gaining access uses clever cloning technology, an attacker may well be motivated to do their best to make that technology work for them."
David Baker, chief security officer with Okta argues that it's not such a real world risk as you may at first imagine. "The fingerprint has to be taken from a clean surface, ideally something like a crystal wine glass that the victim has held once, very firmly, with all the right digits" he explains, continuing "you can't pull prints off of the victim's phone or laptop. Those are systems they touch hundreds of times a day. If you think about it, it's actually a lot harder than you think to find the potential for lifting finger prints."
While stealing a fingerprint may be trickier that stealing a password or PIN, it's not impossible warns Thomas Bostrøm Jørgensen, CEO of Encap Security. "Relying on just one factor for authentication is always risky" he says "authentication should use a number of factors using their customer's device, using a method most suited to the user, their device and the risk of the interaction taking place."
David Kennerley, senior manager for threat research at Webroot agrees that biometric authentication should always be used alongside another form of authentication, not as a standalone security feature. "We are seeing many manufactures – not just mobile device makers – move towards single factor biometric security" he warns "and as hackers and security experts have shown time and time again, it does not offer a suitable level of security in everyday life."
Although having a lock on your phone may not just be about stopping someone accessing your phone easily, as Mark James, security specialist at ESET points out perhaps with the Apple/FBI conflict in mind "by having some kind of security to access your device will often force your data to be encrypted thus protecting it even further."
James also points towards the standardisation of biometric sensors as an issue to consider. With biometric sensors becoming almost commoditised, and certainly there's a standardisation to lower costs in effect, security could be weakened. "Lower costs often (but not always) leads to the increased risk of compromise" Mark James warns "as cyber criminals learn and adapt then security has to do the same." Unfortunately, this comes at a cost and effective defence means time and money being invested to make it safer again.
Not everyone agrees with this risk hypothesis though. Take Robert Capps, VP of business development at biometric specialists NuData Security for example. "Lower cost, standardised sensors really don't present a direct risk to the security of devices and the data contained on them" he told SCMagazineUK.com "as long as we use them in ways that they are intended, and with full understanding of their limitations."
Capps explained that these sensors do a fantastic job of deciding if a physical biometric indicator presented to the device is authorised to have access. "With the long established attacks on such sensors being widely available" he says "physical security of the device must be maintained by the user, and the use of remote disable functions should be used if the device is ever lost or stolen to further protect the device's contents and the privacy of the owner."
So the real risk in using these sensors is related to using them in ways they were never intended to be used, such as physical biometric authentication across the Internet.
Steve Manzuik, director of security research at Duo Security also throws in the stinger that in some jurisdictions (such as Virginia State in the US for example) the courts have "ruled that law enforcement can compel someone to unlock their device if it is being protected with a fingerprint (biometric) but cannot if the device is protected with a PIN code."
Robert Capps, VP of business development at biometric specialists NuData Security told SCMagazineUK.com "consumers that are worried that a facsimile of their fingerprint may be used to surreptitiously access their Smartphone can opt to not activate and/or not utilise that feature, instead creating a strong passcode of six or more characters for access, and enabling additional security features of their device to prevent passcode guessing."
And for high value users? "There are a number of technologies being developed and researched for consumers and enterprises with high security purposes" David Baker explains "such as identifying users through behavioural characteristics in keystroke and mouse dynamics." Essentially, this is learning the patterns of users. For example, if a user typically holds down a key for 80 milliseconds, and a fraudster is trying to mimic a user who is slightly faster at typing and holds down a key for 70 milliseconds, the programme can recognise this may be an attack.
At the end of the day, any multi-layered authentication has to be a good thing. However, it would be a mistake to think that fingerprint scanners on smartphones are there primarily as a security device as they are not. They are there to improve the customer experience by giving the illusion of James Bond levels of security gadgetry.
"Organisations want a better user experience so they can drive more transactions, improve their brands by integrating innovative authenticators, or encourage more application usage which is a typically cheaper than someone walking into a bank branch" insists Phil Dunkelberger, CEO of Nok Nok Labs who continues "security is important, but the user experience is paramount..."


text:
Instagram Shares How Brands and Marketers Can Increase Insta-Story Views
Instagram wants to help digital marketers with their Insta-Stories.
The social media platform recently published an infograph in partnership with Vice Media, which includes helpful tips for brands, marketers and publishers looking to grow their reach and keep audience retention on their Story content.
They include cross-promoting in-house talent, storyboarding and editing content before uploading and much more.
According to Social Media Today “. . . there are some good pointers here, and while not all brands can utilize the same strategies, it's worth taking note of what Vice has to say.”
The social media news website noted Vice has nearly 3m followers on Instagram, and its Insta-Stories see high levels of engagement.
Want to know a few tips and tricks when it comes to increasing engagement and retention across your Stories? Check out the infograph below.
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
Photo credit: Facebook Journalism Project and Instagram.

domain: news


text:
The MTA is increasing service on three subway lines — the 1, 7 and J — because riders are packing them, officials said yesterday.
The jammed 7 train got the biggest boost, with an additional 13 round trips every weekday.
The 1 train will have six more round trips during off-peak hours on weekdays.
And the J train will make three more round trips on Saturdays — its peak time for hipsters heading to and from Williamsburg’s shopping and bar scene.
The new schedules will begin in the summer, officials said.
The changes will cost the MTA an additional $2 million and are in addition to the $29 million in service investments the agency announced in July.


text:
Havas Media Group’s 2023 Reality Check report focuses on today’s consumers who are more empowered than ever, and how ‘trends’ are quickly becoming realities that strategists and marketers must embrace in order to succeed in an increasingly complex world. Seema Patel, Global Managing Director, Mx Intelligence and Anna Sanmiguel, Global Intelligence Director tell Dare! more about this latest report.
What is the process for doing this research and putting the report together?
The process involves research, research, and more research! We compile countless articles and reports to get a foundation and begin to connect the dots on what is relevant and what consumers are truly searching for. We leverage both proprietary reports, like the Prosumer, Meaningful Brands and Resiliency reports, and Havas’ Media Landscape, and we also explore our external trends reports from partners, such as Canvas8 and Foresight Factory, that are released annually.
Once we identify key themes, or in the case of our latest report the ‘Realities’ which surface from the consumer perspective, we dive into work we have done for our clients. We look at case studies to understand the media experiences which have driven the best outcomes and have been the most meaningful for consumers to pinpoint illustrations of our identified themes. For our latest report, ‘2023 Realities Check: From Consumer Trends to Today’s Realities’, we identified over 40 case studies and campaigns from around the globe that supported our findings.
Why is this research so important?
The way we have navigated the world since the onset of Covid, coupled with the continued chaotic context – political, social, health, economic – in which we live, is redefining the way we navigate the world. It is becoming clear that the behavioral changes we began to see in 2020 are not actually temporary and are here to stay.
Additionally, our research shows that capturing consumer attention and engaging with consumers is increasingly difficult. In fact, our Meaningful Brands data has shown us year after year that people would not care if 75% of brands disappeared. It is important for brands to know and embrace these ‘Realities’; to not only be competitive in today’s noisy context, but to also engage with consumers in a more meaningful way.
Can you highlight some of the key findings from your report?
Our key findings centered around eight consumer ‘Realities’ which brands must address and ACT NOW on.
1. I expect respect + action for us, you, we, me, and ours
Consumers continue to be conscientious of global issues such as inclusivity, sustainability, social equity and diversity, and they also continue to expect action over lip service.
2. I won’t deal with you if I don’t trust you
The ongoing trust gap from years of skepticism around misinformation/ disinformation, data privacy, lack of cybersecurity have led people to take an active role in the handling of their personal data and monitoring algorithms, but have also made them more cautious about who they engage with and how (people, brands, media).
3. I’m here, there, and everywhere
Layering in hybrid & multi-sensory experiences is necessary. Technology is both literally and metaphorically interwoven with the fabric of daily life and with it comes blended everything – home, school, work, shopping, social, telehealth, entertainment – for ALL generations.
4. Tech is my new try before I buy
Brands should be speaking to the growing market of ecommerce, tech and the human touch. There is a desire and expectation for more convenient, holistic, seamless and engaging experiences inclusive of brands, influencers, friends, family and like-minded acquaintances – and technology is central to this.
5. I want it because I couldn’t have it
The Covid lockdown limited and/or deprived the access people had to so many of their daily creature comforts, necessities and desires. People want to have fun and are focusing on the NOW. While financial security might pose an additional challenge to balance against the rising prices and impending recession, not all people are necessarily holding back.
6. My well-being is a priority
Self-care is a priority that has only increased, with personal needs sometimes even taking precedence before family needs. The elevated sense of stress and anxiety, caused by living in a state of ‘constant unknown,’ has created hyper action-oriented awareness towards well-being among people who are making sure that all aspects of themselves and their lives are fully nurtured.
7. Putting myself(s) out there has never been more real
The importance of personal creativity and the expression of brand continues to grow, highlighting the importance of authenticity, identity and self-expression. The brands people use say something about who they are as an individual, hence they carefully choose who they interact with based on transparency, authenticity and shared values.
8. It’s easy to catch my attention, but hard to keep it
Capturing peoples’ attention has become more challenging, and being more mindful and meaningful when engaging continues to be paramount for people as the plethora of media and entertainment content nears saturation point. People are willing to try anything, but ‘sticking around’ is a whole other ball game.
Was there anything that surprised you or that was unexpected?
In terms of anything that we were not expecting, the lack of surprise was surprising! As we begun building the foundation of this report, we saw common themes that have been around for the last few years. The global pandemic changed the world. In 2020, we saw new trends and technologies emerge, but since then we are mostly seeing these same trends intensified or advanced.
Consumers continue to run the show and expect more and more from brands each day. Our reality check deck is just that – we hope nothing was earth shattering or new to anyone in our field. Instead, we wanted to speak to the advancements, offer suggestions on how to address the themes, and most importantly, inspire our team to continue to build meaningful experiences for our clients.
How do you see these trends continuing to evolve?
We believe these realities will continue to intensify as consumers become more empowered, connected and more in control. Consumer expectation for brands to deliver on their promises and move towards visible, tangible action, meeting them on their terms, will only increase. Over the past few years, the world has experienced crisis after crisis – consumers want to take control where they can, and ARE. They want to be the change they see in the world, and they are putting their personal needs first. The key for brands to win and remain relevant will continue to hinge on putting the consumer first and not only listening, but also acting, on their needs.
Click here to read the full report.


text:
Putting Finishing Touches on Haunted Ship
Sorry, this video is no longer available
Workers at the William A. Irvin are putting the finishing touches on the Haunted Ship and this year more than ever its not for the faint of heart.
While designers don’t want to give away all their new terrifying plans, they told us that visitors must be weary of their surroundings and this year ‘Your Fears Will Revolve Around You’.
“You have to go into a certain mindset where you have to think how will this scare somebody. You’re not just thinking how will this artistically look good, you want to think how will this be effective at scaring a large amount of people, make them scream and possibly pee their pants,” said the Haunted Ship’s Scenic Designer Alex Dunning.
Tours begin the first weekend in October and run through Halloween.


text:
In a marketing innovation, the Godrej Group has tied up with Big Synergy and the Star television network to produce and air from mid-June a reality show that seeks a wider audience for its lifestyle products.
Titled 'Godrej khelo jeeto jiyo', the show will be aired every weekday on three channels of the Star television network - STAR Plus, STAR One and STAR Utsav - for 10 weeks beginning June.
"Consumers can enter the show by purchasing any Godrej product and text messaging the value and barcode number of the product. The contest will be advertised across the media and at retail touch-points,'' Godrej's executive director and president (marketing), Tanya Dubash, told reporters in Mumbai.
The family show allows Godrej consumers to team up with a relative or friend to play games in a homely setting, which may lead to winning a fully furnished home from Godrej Properties.


text:
Welcome to our last Top 10 of 2017! This week’s news includes; Disney to buy Fox, Bitcoin futures launch and Apple to Buy Shazam.
Below are our top 10 stories that you need to know about. Be sure to check our twitter page and Facebook page for regular posts of important headlines. Get all the important stories and insights straight into your inbox by subscribing to our mailing list here.
Opinion articles of the week;
- The Guardian asks if Monzo is the Facebook of banking?
- City A.M questions whether a soft Brexit is compatible with regaining sovereignty.
- The Guardian looks at Right Move’s claim that London house prices will fall in 2018 and throughout the rest of England prices will only rise by 1%
- CNN claims that the Bitcoin boom could be a disaster for the environment.
1. DISNEY TO ACQUIRE FOX
Disney has signed a $52 million deal to acquire assets 21st century Fox. The entertainment giant will buy Fox’s film, TV and international business. Analysts do not expect substantial resistance from competition regulatory authorities due to Disney’s lack of market share. The deal should be completed within the next 18 months.
Disney is looking to challenge Netflix and Amazon in the online streaming business. Amazon and Netflix plan to spend $4.5 billion and $8 billion on streaming content over the next year.
Check out Reuter’s report for an insight into the deal and the online streaming sector.
2. WESTFIELD SHOPPING CENTRES SOLD
Westfield Shopping Centres have been purchased for £18.5 billion. French property giant Unibail-Rodamco is making the acquisition, taking their property portfolio value up to a staggering £54 billion. The deal includes Westfield Shepherd’s Bush and Westfield Stratford. A new Westfield shopping centre is due to open in Croydon in 2020/21.
This news comes only a week after Hammerson bought out Intu for £3.4 billion. (Sky News)
The Independent asks whether have we reached peak shopping mall.
3. BITCOIN FUTURES
Bitcoin futures contracts have been launched for the first time ever. The move has well and truly thrust the cryptocurrency into the mainstream. At 11pm last Sunday, Bitcoin futures launched on the CBOE futures exchange in Chicago. On the CBOE Bitcoin futures contracts expiring in January started trading at $15,000 and quickly rose to over $18,000.
A futures contract allows investors to bet on whether the price of an asset will go up or down. They work by agreeing to buy or sell an asset at a set amount at a certain date. If they successfully predict the market value they will either buy for less or sell for more than market value.
The German stock exchange, Deutsche Boerse, is now also considering offering Bitcoin futures. City A.M looks closer at this.
The growth of Bitcoin has divided opinion throughout the financial world. A single Bitcoin was $1000 in January 2017. it is now worth roughly $20000. Check out our articles; When Will The Bitcoin Bubble Burst? and for an introduction to cryptocurrency Bitcoin: What You Need To Know .
4. APPLE ACQUIRES SHAZAM
Apple has announced that it will be acquiring music discovery app Shazam. Shazam is an app that listens to music played and tells users the details of the songs and where to find it. Shazam has roughly 100 million monthly users.
It is believed that Apple will pay roughly $400 million for Shazam. This price however, falls far short of its $1 billion valuation in 2015. Apple has long been seeking to boost its presence in the music industry. Apple Music only has around 50% of the number of active users that its main rival Spotify boasts. Shazam will only refer users to Apple Music.
5. FACEBOOK DROPS THE DOUBLE IRISH
Facebook has announced that it will not route its tax through Ireland anymore. This is a move that will go some way to relieve criticism about its tax avoidance arrangements. Revenues it generates will now be reported locally, not through Ireland.
Large multi-national companies set up a tax arrangement called the “Double-Irish”. This is where they report revenues they make from other countries in Ireland where corporation tax is 12.5%. Apple, Google and Facebook use this loophole. The Irish government has however, committed to closing this loophole by 2020.
This news comes only a week after Ireland agreed to collect 13 billion euros in back taxes from Apple. City A.M looks at the reactions to this decision.
6. UK ECONOMY
Inflation in the UK is on the rise so interest rates remained unchanged. Inflation hit a new high of 3.1% in the last quarter. This was largely driven by increases in airfares as well as food and drinks. The collapse of Monarch allowed many other airlines to their hike prices, contributing to this rise.
Most pertinently, wages have failed to rise substantially, putting serious financial pressure on households. Wages in the UK only rose 2.5% in the last quarter. The Governor of the BoE, Mark Carney now must write a letter to Chancellor Philipp Hammond explaining why inflation has breached 3%.
The Bank of England voted last Thursday to keep interests at 0.5% after an increase last month. There was no appetite for a rise due to inflation and substantial household debts.
Unemployment however, has hit the lowest level since 1975. The unemployment rate fell to 4.3% but this was largely due to an increase in economic inactivity. The employment rate has however, fallen by 56,000. (The Guardian)
7. BT AND SKY SIGN CHANNEL SHARING DEAL
BT and Sky have signed a deal to sell each other’s channels on their platforms. BT’s sports will now supply its sports channel to Sky and Sky’s Now TV will be available on BT. Growing costs and increased competition has required great collaboration between these media giants.
The costs of broadcasting rights have Sky rocketed. BT has spent over £3.5 billion in the past 5 years for the rights to broadcast Champions League and Premier League. Sky has paid £4.1 billion for 126 Premier League games between 2016 and 2019.
This deal undoubtedly comes to mitigate the impact of these costs and will be mutually beneficial for their both their balance sheets. BT suffered a 1% decline in profits last quarter, largely because of the increased costs of broadcasting rights.
The value of the agreement has not been disclosed. BBC News looks closer the deal.
8. UNILEVER SELLS MARGARINE BUSINESS
Unilever has agreed to sell its margarine business for £6 billion. Private equity firm KKR will acquire the business including household brands such as Flora, Bertolli and ProActiv. Unilever is looking to reduce costs by 20% by 2020 and this is just one of many cuts to achieve this.
The deal is still subject to regulatory approval but is expected to be completed by mid 2018. (BBC News)
9. EU’S EXTRA FUNDING TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE
The European Union has pledged an extra 9 billion euros to tackle climate change. The money will go towards developing clean energy, substantial cities and other initiatives. This is one of the most notable steps aiming to reach the objectives set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
European Union itself and its members contribute 20 billion euro a year to aid developing countries with climate change initiatives. Read the Guardian’s report for more about the investment in climate change initiative.
10. UK WATER BILLS
The cost of water usage in the UK is set to fall after the introduction of new regulations. Ofwat, the water industry regulator has said that. This will reduce the average annual household water bill by £15-20 a month in real terms. Ofwat is planning to force suppliers to pass the savings they make from reduced costs onto their customers.
Water suppliers pay for the “cost of capital” and this is set by Ofwat. Oftwat will be carrying out a price review in 2019 and is set to reduce this to 2.4%, a record low. Sky News’ report looks at some of the commentary on this decision.


text:
When Burro changed its name last year from Augean Robotics, CEO Charlie Andersen said the rebrand fell more in line with iconic agricultural brands that use an animal for their names like Deere and Bobcat. A few months after that name change and a $11 million Series A, Burro will actually be participating in an accelerator with one of those huge brand names.
Starting this week, the NextFab-based company is one of seven in John Deere’s 2022 Startup Collaborator program. It’s the third year of the program, and Andersen said Burro was sought out by the corporation this past fall.
The five-year-old Philly company makes an autonomous, collaborative robot called Burro, which assists with farming as field labor workforces have shrunk in recent years. In 2021, it had about 100 robots in the fields, and Andersen anticipates about three times as many deployed this year. Deere’s yearlong program enables startups to test innovative technologies with customers and dealers without a more formal business relationship.
“We have always admired Deere, and they’re trying to figure out how autonomy works in the space,” Andersen said. “If you’re a large manufacturer of people-driven equipment, it’s logical that you would have an interest in companies like ours.”
Andersen said the team is hoping the accelerator will help Burro reach new geographic markets and refine its technology for other use cases. While the machine is currently used to collect and transport crops around fields, they believe there are other applications. A customer recently said they intended to use the machines for anti-theft reasons, for instance.
“It’s sort of like selling an instrument only expecting people to play classical music and all the sudden, they’re playing ska,” Andersen said.
Since raising the Series A last September, the team has expanded from 22 to 30 people, and they have plans to move into a space on 7th Street near Callowhill soon: “As we’ve gotten to a certain scale, we just kind of need our own office,” Andersen said, as some of the team’s work includes testing out the larger-scale robotics.
The accelerator kicks off this week, but later in the year will participate in trade shows and a few technical commercial projects. In general, the CEO said he’s looking forward to widening Burro’s connections and seeing how else the product could be used.
“We built this little thing — it’s not a tractor, it’s a little vehicle that works alongside people,” he said, “and I think Deere sees that something that starts small could be really interesting, commercially, in some way.”


text:
CASINOS, bowling alleys and cinemas are to stay shut in areas where coronavirus infections are highest, the Prime Minister has announced. Boris Johnso
CASINOS, bowling alleys and cinemas are to stay shut in areas where coronavirus infections are highest, the Prime Minister has announced.
Boris Johnson announced the new rules for areas which are in Tier three, where pubs, restaurants and theatres must also stay closed.
It comes following fears by No10 that coronavirus “could quickly run out of control again”.
Indoor gym classes and gigs are also banned in areas where coronavirus cases are high.
Pubs and restaurants in Tier 3 areas will be closed – but they can still offer takeaway, delivery or drive-thru.
The government is expected to reveal the tier locations later this week, with reports suggesting that London will stay in Tier 2.
Full list of business that must close in Tier 3
THIS is the list of businesses that must close in Tier 3 areas.
- Pubs and restaurants (unless operating takeaway, delivery or drive-thru)
- Bowling Alleys
- Soft play areas
- Museums and galleries
- Live sport venues
Pubs and restaurants in Tier 2 will be allowed to open next Wednesday – but only if they serve a “substantial mean” with alcohol.
Punters will only be able to dine in with people in their bubbles, but can sit outside with people outside their household under the “rule of six”.
They will have to call last orders at 10pm but you’ll still get an hour to finish up drinks and food.
Boris Johnson also announced today:
More than 70 Tory MPs said they will oppose the new rules amid claims the hospitality sector had been treated as a “sacrificial lamb” to allow other sectors to survive.
Record Black Friday discounts of 70% as locked-down stores slash prices
How to claim National Insurance credits you could be missing out on
Morrisons offers 10% discount to workers in 30 jobs – check out the full list
Christmas benefits bonus boost – here’s how you can get an extra £10
8 early Black Friday deals including FitBit and KitchenAid
Disney launches its Black Friday deals with up to 50% off toys and clothing
Chancellor Rishi Sunak had reportedly argued for pubs and restaurants to be removed from the tier system on December 22, two days earlier than the relaxing of the rules for Christmas.
However, he appears to have been overruled by Mr Johnson as scientific advisers said hospitality businesses were responsible for a significant spread of the virus.
But The Sun revealed last week rules will be relaxed for five days from Christmas Eve until the delayed Boxing Day Bank Holiday on 28 December.
Yesterday Mr Gove announced there would be “limited additional household bubbling for a small number days” with a cap of three households coming together expected.


text:
94 Rock presents Metallica Drive-In Concert at Balloon Fiesta Park on Saturday, August 29th.
Metallica return to the stage for the first time since September 2019 with an all new, exclusive concert airing on August 29th, one-night-only.
Tickets go on sale Friday at 12 pm local time, August 14th at Ticketmaster.com.
Each car pass is priced at $125.00. Every ticket purchase admits one carload of up to 6 people and will include 4 digital downloads of Metallica's S&M2 (in stores Friday 8/28).
The band will play a full set that will feature classics and a couple of surprises.


text:
Dubbed as password stealers, the use of malware designed to infringe upon consumers’ digital data, has seen a spurt of around 60 per cent in the first half of 2019. This has also affected a huge number of users in India as per cyber security firm Kaspersky.
The report also mentions that the malware has targeted users primarily in India, Brazil, Germany, Russia, and the United States. The number of users, targeted by the stealers, has gone up from less than 6,00,000 in the first half of 2018 to over 9,40,000 during the same period this year.
There is a password-stealing ware (PSW) which is a big weapon used by cybercriminals’ toolkit to sabotage users’ privacy. This software targets users’ web browsers using a number of different methods. Very often, this information is quite private and sensitive and it also includes details of the different online accounts and financial information. Hence, saved passwords, auto-fill data, and saved credit card details become extremely vulnerable.
“Modern consumers are increasingly active online and understandably rely on the Internet to carry out many tasks in their daily lives. This fills their digital profiles with more and more data and details and makes them a lucrative target for criminals as they could be monetized in numerous ways afterwards,” Alexander Eremin, a security researcher at Kaspersky, said in a statement.
There are also different versions of this type of malware and they pluck out the browser cookies, user files from a specific location (for example, a user’s desktop) as well as app files, which include messenger services.
In order to combat this threat, the researchers have warned the users against sharing passwords or personal information with even close friends or family as they could unknowingly make them vulnerable to different forums and social media channels.


text:
Father and son arrested in Colonie pawn shop raid
October 06, 2017 05:00 PM
COLONIE - A pawn shop is raided in Colonie now a father and son who own the business are facing charges.
Police tell NewsChannel 13 they started investigating the trafficking of stolen property in town back in April. It led them to Xchange Cash and Trade on Central Avenue.
Authorities say they used surveillance and undercover operatives to make sales of supposed stolen property at the business. In some cases, the merchandise still had security tags on it.
This week, police executed search warrants at the business.
Gregory and Evangelos Fanos are accused of buying the stolen property.
More charges are possible.
Created: October 06, 2017 05:00 PM
Copyright 2017 - WNYT-TV, LLC A Hubbard Broadcasting Company


text:
by | Sri Widias Tuti Asnam Rajo Intan, email@example.com
Implementing Industry 4.0 amongst at the top of the priority list for most companies. At the moment however, Industry 4.0’s impact can only be significantly felt in manufacturing and the future of work. Despite this, the maritime industry is slowly picking up steam. The industry, which largely consists of shipping, ship building and repair companies and port authorities has slowly begun to take steps towards scaling a digital transformation.
Production efficiency, ship safety, cost efficiency, energy conservation and environmental protection in the maritime industry will pose unprecedented challenges as well as opportunities for the maritime industry. Maritime companies have a big role to play to take the industry forward. The impact of Industry 4.0 will be significant, causing enduring changes and disruptions throughout. The implementation of Industry 4.0’s brand new technologies and practices will create values never seen before in the process. And demand for new solutions will surge along with a pressing challenge to reduce production and operational costs. At the same time, production efficiency will also be increased.
Although Industry 4.0 is still in its nascency, its unintended or unforeseen consequences remain to be seen. Essentially, how do we make sure unintended consequences can be minimalised across the industry’s social and business aspects? In this article, we will explore in what ways, unintended consequences of Industry 4.0’s practices and technologies will shake up the maritime industry.
AI and Autonomous ship
The shipping industry is undergoing a massive global transformation and artificial intelligence (AI) has become a buzzword for one of the most happening trends in the industry. To put the development into perspective, AI is aiding an industry-wide shift by integrating new shipping logistics and communication technologies, evolving long-held traditional business models. Soon, autonomous ships cruising the sea are going to be a common sight and the main benefit of the sailor-less system is in taking out human errors to enhance safety at sea.
>> Impact :
- Data captured by the Marine Department of Malaysia shows a significant drop in the number of seafarer yearly registrations since 2013. But in 2019, the number increased again after tapering off a few years earlier. Why? Does this indicate that the shipping industry is bouncing back? Yet most ships will be autonomous in the near future. This raises one big question—where will these seafarers go?
- The common sentiment being shared in the industry is the perception that ports’ daily operation systems are unable to cope with rapid technology advancement. Infrastructure growth is limited and a massive amount of investment is urgently needed to keep pace with the latest trends showing up. Coordination between ports and other players in the network chain is also a concern. Documentary requirements and procedures on the arrival, are still using manual systems across port operations. Moving forward, this needs to change dramatically to support smart port operations. Additionally, various skill gaps must be addressed as some traditional shipping jobs will no longer be relevant.
3-D Printing Technology
Commercial ship operators may benefit from the emergence of cost-effective and reliable 3D printing. The technology will reduce inventory of spare parts stored on board and can be particularly helpful in the case of difficult-to-source components.
The parts can also be produced without the heavy scantlings previously created through the casting process with efficient lightweight options. Small basic parts such as valves, pipes or impellers could potentially be made on board in the event of a failure.
>> Impact :
- The cost and availability of 3D printing materials may turn out to be the main obstacles hindering the technology. While most shipping parts in use are made out of metal, e.g. propellers, bolts and nuts, currently, polymer, which is the most widely used 3D printing material is not strong enough for maritime use.
- Manufacturers and classification societies will inevitably need to verify the quality of parts, even if they are produced using OEM-approved programmes and machines. There is a risk that spare parts are produced negligently and their performance not up to par with conventionally made spare parts. This gives rise to concerns around the quality of spare parts made by 3D Printing. Are they similar in quality to the parts they are trying to replace? Can the parts do away with the conventional testing development method and still be reliable?
The shipping industry is one of the biggest contributors to pollution and carbon emissions on the planet. The industry consumes 4.4 million barrels of oil per day, accounting for 10% of the oil consumption attributed to the entire transportation sector. Most ships use fuel that contains 3,500x more sulphur than typical automotive diesel which is 3.50% m/m (mass by mass). The industry’s combustion emissions can cause respiratory symptoms and lung diseases to occur among shipping port communities. From 1 January 2020, the limit for sulphur in fuel oil used on board ships operating outside designated emission control areas is reduced to 0.50% m/m.
>> Impact :
- Action needed to comply new emission requirements will result in higher shipping rates and increased prices of consumer goods. It is estimated that the increase in costs for port-to-port operations will hike around 10% – 20%, which will likely be paid for by consumers.
- The availability of adequate bunkering infrastructure concerns some operators exploring the viability of switching vessel combustion to LNG/LPG. For other option like installation of scrubbers & LNG tanks in existing vessels will occupy additional space on the ship on the other hand, costs up to several millions per ship.
Today, ships are under far bigger threats than piracy. Maritime operation systems are vulnerable to cyber-crime attacks. Although ships may not appear to be natural targets for cyber criminals, however, the wide array of potential access points on modern vessels such as internet connectivity, the use of digital control systems, satellites and radio communication systems, make ships vulnerable to cyber-crime.
In port operations, cargo handling and container tracking systems are all controlled by software that are fundamental to the industry’s smooth operations. The same systems are also applied in shipyard inventory and automated processes for ship repair or new shipbuilding projects. However, now, the maritime industry faces a looming threat posed by attackers who are equally as menacing as pirates without any risks of physical confrontations.
>> Impact :
- Highly – skilled hacker shave demonstrated the ability to penetrate maritime systems, putting vessels at risk of crippling consequences. Navigation systems such as Global Positioning System (GPS) and Vessel Automatic Identification System (AIS) can easily be hacked, leading to compromised maritime security and safety of navigation. In addition, maritime passage plans could be affected, which may result in ships’ delayed arrivals, collisions and loss of data, ultimately costing shipping companies severe losses.
- Without an IT recovery plan or a business continuity plan, it would be very difficult for any company to re-track its business activities to a normal state after a disaster (cyber-attack) strikes. Shipping companies may find it difficult to protect their IT systems as compared to preparing for pirate attacks. In addition, it is obvious that current maritime regulations and policies only take into account the physical aspects of security and safety. Decidedly, policy makers need to speed up taking action on cyber and information security to safeguard the industry.
Inevitably, the maritime industry’s future lies in autonomous technology. However, people will remain an essential component of the industry’s long-term future. Despite all the challenges, there is a need for the industry’s talents to upskill in light of the critical skills needed to propel the industry forward. New jobs, such as ship automation specialists, cyber security specialists, 3D printing technicians, energy efficiency optimisation specialists and data protection specialists will demand a massive talent pool to support growth. Engineers, software developers and mechanics who are able to work with new technologies too will be in high demand.
Malaysia is a strategic maritime hub in Southeast Asia. Two of the region’s main maritime corridors—the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca pass through Malaysia’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zones. More than 80,000 vessels ply their trades across the Straits of Malacca’s water every year. In addition, more and more oil and gas exploration activities are taking place by the year in the South China Sea.
With the government lending stronger support to the industry with the launch of the Malaysian Shipping Master Plan, the country is geared to become a selfsufficient and internationally competitive nation. This will benefit players in the maritime industry’s supply chain sector. Given the emergence and higher adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies, there are still plenty of opportunities for the sector to grow.


text:
SK rent-a-car provides 4,200 electrical autos to its fleet in 2021
Rental corporations anticipated to soak up greater than 8% of complete inexperienced car gross sales by 2025
Refiners count on gasoline demand to proceed falling however exports seen steady
Rental automobile corporations are anticipated to play a giant half within the South Korean car transport sector’s gas swap from gasoline and diesel to greener vitality, with SK rent-a-car and Lotte Rental absorbing a good portion of the nation’s annual electrical car gross sales, business and market individuals stated Dec 10.
Obtain every day electronic mail alerts, subscriber notes & personalize your expertise.
Lotte Rental purchased 8,000 electrical autos in 2020, which accounted round 4% of South Korea’s complete electrical car gross sales for the yr, an organization official stated. The nation’s greatest rental automobile agency by fleet is predicted to have added round 10,000 electrical and hydrogen-fueled autos in 2021.
South Korea’s second greatest auto rental agency SK rent-a-car stated it purchased round 4,200 electrical autos in 2021 and plans to soak up a a lot larger portion of the nation’s complete inexperienced car gross sales over the approaching years.
SK rent-a-car has issued “inexperienced company bonds” for the primary time early this yr in an effort to safe capital purely for investments in inexperienced and environmentally pleasant autos, the corporate stated in an ESG assertion, and is quickly growing the share of inexperienced autos in its general fleet.
The corporate additionally plans to arrange a rental heart for electrical autos at its Jeju department, which might be the nation’s largest electrical vehicle-themed venue.
South Korea’s main automobile rental corporations mixed are anticipated to guide the auto transport sector’s gas swap by buying greater than 8% of the nation’s complete inexperienced car gross sales by 2025, in response to advertising sources on the main rental corporations and market analysts surveyed by S&P World Platts.
Lengthy-term lease packages are extremely popular in huge cities and the inexperienced autos managed by the most important rental corporations would supply many shoppers with an reasonably priced expertise in electrical and hydrogen-fueled vehicles, in response to car sector analysts at Hanwha Funding & Securities and Kiwoom Securities based mostly in Seoul.
South Korea’s gasoline and diesel demand will inevitably pattern decrease because the share of inexperienced autos is poised to surpass 10% of the whole cars registered within the nation inside the subsequent 3-5 years from present 4.2%, in response to diesel advertising managers at three main South Korean refiners. The nation has a complete 2.436 million autos registered and energetic on the highway, in response to Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport knowledge.
The nation’s second greatest refiner GS Caltex has been collaborating with Lotte Rental because the third quarter of 2020 to supply numerous next-generation charging companies at its gasoline stations. GS Caltex operates some 40 charging stations with 46 speedy chargers.
South Korea consumed 206 million barrels of gasoline and diesel within the first 10 months of the yr, up 3% from 200 million barrels in the identical interval a yr earlier and down 1.9% from 210 million barrels over January-October 2019, newest knowledge from state-run Korea Nationwide Oil Corp confirmed.
Though rising electrical and hydrogen-fueled car gross sales in Asia’s fourth greatest oil client will doubtless result in a gradual decline in home gasoline and diesel consumption over the following decade, main refiners together with SK Innovation and S-Oil indicated that manufacturing of the automotive fuels might not essentially drop sharply on expectations of steady exports, particularly to Southeast Asia, center distillate entrepreneurs on the refiners stated.
“The velocity of vitality transition and gas swap will take longer for much less developed economies and common shoppers in these markets would have much less spending energy for brand new inexperienced fuels,” a center distillate marketer at S-Oil stated. “South Korea will proceed to be a dependable liquid motor gas provider for shoppers throughout Southeast Asia for a minimum of one other decade.”


text:
What? There’s no champagne?” exclaimed a guest. That was hardly a good sign for an art auction. In fact, in many ways, it was a sign of things to come. The mood was hardly celebratory at Osian’s auction of modern and contemporary Indian art held in the capital on February 21.
With the global liquidity crisis hitting home, the Rs 1,500-crore Indian art market seems to be heading towards a cool-down. At the Saffronart spring sale of modern and contemporary Indian art and photographs on March 11-12, only 69 per cent of the 75 lots managed to sell. An untitled work by Subodh Gupta, which was estimated between Rs 90 lakh and Rs 1.20 crore, finally went for a little over Rs 79 lakh. Osian’s Mumbai auction in March fared a tad better, with 71 out of 108 works finding buyers.
“The art market was a hugely pregnant bubble waiting to burst”, says Swapan Seth, managing partner of Henry S. Clark, an art investment firm in Delhi. That it would happen overnight is something nobody would have guessed. A buoyant economy saw the entry of the investors and speculators who found quick money to be made in a market that yielded 150-300 per cent returns, pushing valuations of artworks to dizzying heights.
Who would not remember F.N. Souza’s ‘Birth’ which sold for $2.5 million at Christie’s London in June 2008—the most expensive Indian painting to be sold at an auction—or the 99-painting deal M.F. Husain signed with the royal family of Qatar. Galleries raking in profits of 15-20 per cent till last year are now down to 5 per cent. Thanks to the ‘recalibration’ of prices, today one of Husain’s works, which cost Rs 3 crore last year, is available for Rs 50 lakh. “Prices are down to a level where people, who are really the foundation of the art world, want to engage with it again,” says Ashish Balram Nagpal, promoter of a Mumbai-based gallery by the same name.
As distress selling makes an appearance in the market, works are coming from collectors hit by the global financial crisis. What has hit the market harder is that the Indian diaspora, a large buyer of Indian art, has started to cool off. At ARCO, one of Europe’s largest contemporary art fairs, it was mostly the smaller-value works that eventually sold.
Since March 2008, average auction prices have fallen 31.5 per cent from $79,418 to $54,385 for the modern Indian art segment and 72.7 per cent for the contemporary segment, while average auction prices are down from $48,733 in March 2008 to $13,827 in March 2009, according to ArtTactic, an art market tracker. Even the March New York auctions for Indian modern and contemporary art by Christie’s and Sotheby’s show the impact of the slowdown. Despite smaller sales compared to last year (49 per cent lower in terms of value)—the sale (without fees) came in 42 per cent below the lower estimate.
Art funds are feeling the pinch too. Approximately Rs 200 crore worth of inventory was due to be liquidated by the end of the year between funds like Osian’s, Yatra, Crayon and Kotak. Yet looking at the market sentiment, Yatra, and Kotak have decided to postpone their exit to 2010, while Crayon is still deciding. “What we’re really fighting today is people’s perception of disposable income,” says Praveen Gandhi, director and trustee of Yatra, which has a fund size of Rs 11 crore. All eyes are now on Neville Tuli, chief adviser, The Osian’s Art Fund, who is to liquidate his art fund in July this year.
A correction was anyway overdue. An Indian Art Market Confidence Indicator by ArtTactic in October last year, dropped 23 per cent from May 2008, a further deterioration from the 54 per cent decline between October 2007 and May 2008. “The 12-month bull market in Indian contemporary art could be about to cool down, as market speculation remains the single biggest threat,” the survey had predicted. In light of the downturn, the market finally started to question the boom. “Prices were at a level where, like in any asset class, they were not sustainable”, says Anders Petterson, managing director of ArtTactic.
“In that sense, it’s a good thing,” says Veronica Collins, specialist, contemporary art at London art house Philips de Pury & Company, “Now a lot more attention is being paid to the art bought. It’s a return to connoisseurship.” Adds Maithili Parekh, deputy director at Sotheby’s India, “Despite the slowdown, top quality art in good condition with stellar provenance is still sought after.” So for those with the money, it’s also a great time to buy. Given its cyclical nature, prices will bounce back once markets recover. Amit Vadehra, partner, Crayon Capital is optimistic, “We are in touch with several buyers who are eagerly looking at buying high quality art. I am confident we will still see good results and prices, regardless of the economic environment.”
“Most people just look at the highs” says Tuli. “The key test of an artwork is what is the threshold below which it will not fall irrespective of the circumstances?” As Sonal Singh, specialist at Christie’s says, “If you choose high quality pieces, you know that they will not lose value but if you buy indiscriminately, you cannot be sure.” Moreover, says Roshini Vadehra, director Vadehra Art Gallery: “There is a regained confidence in the modern Indian art market, which has always been supported by domestic buyers. It is holding up better than the contemporary, as buyers are looking for established artists with proven historical value. Contemporary art was being hugely driven by Western collectors or investors who are no longer supporting the market.”
Yet there are no hard and fast rules. While the works of masters—the likes of Husain, S.H. Raza, Souza, Akbar Padamsee, V.S. Gaitonde— are relatively risk-free investments, works depend on the year in which the paintings were made. For instance, some of the best years for the artists, according to experts, are 1955-65 for Souza, the ’90s for Mehta, while Husain’s golden years are considered the ’70s-’80s.
Outside these years, the prices of the artists’ works may fluctuate significantly and are not considered great investments. One must also keep in mind the resale value of art, which in the present market, says Roshini, is not as successful. “Most collectors are looking for low prices or a bargain with a work. Unless it’s a distress sale, the prices in the secondary market are higher than in the primary market.”
Everybody is now carefully planning their strategy. Saffronart’s CEO Dinesh Vazirani is looking at a “broader collection to appeal to both older as well as younger collectors”, meaning more emerging artists, with lower-value works. Galleries such as Vadehra are extending easy payment options to their clients, even as they continue to hold exhibitions. “It’s very important, the signal that you send to the market”, says Roshini.
But what is critical, according to Petterson, is what one gleans from this crisis. “Like many other countries, this will provide learnings for India for the second cycle of the market. It will definitely become more self-censoring, self-regulating in the future,” he says. Refer to the gloom in the Japanese art market in the early 90s which saw a similar speculative wave of buying. The market only picked up six years later, but served the basis for the next generation. “People will respect higher standards in terms of quality of catalogues, transparency standards etc in the next phase,” adds Tuli.
Parekh has another take. “Is the art market impacted more severely than other industries? Probably not. You go into retail, they are offering discounts, you go into a restaurant, they have a new configured menu, so has the art world adapted,” she says. The ability of the galleries and connoisseurs to plan is what will paint the future of the Indian art market.


text:
Officials from the Ministry of Textiles have ensured that the quality of Banarasi saris is declining because of cheap imports from China, the Central Administration plans to ban Chinese silk imports. During a meeting of the Standing Committee on Labor, the central government proposals have been communicated. In the debate of this committee, “Challenges and Chances-Indian Textile Industry” were addressed. The Center also deterred Chinese imports because it has also increased its anti-China sentiment. Even though it did not specifically say that imports from these countries need to be curbed, the government has pushed to improve domestic production and cut exports.
This is not the Central Government’s first step in cutting imports and discouraging out of Indian goods. In the past too, e-commerce firms had been directed by the Central Government to highlight the ‘country of origin’ tag for items listed on their platforms for import cuts. Other countries have also raised questions about the acquisition of Chinese textiles. For example, the US would probably announce an interdiction to import cotton from Xinjiang China.


text:
The 2021 Apple App Store Awards named the best games and apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Watch.
(Photo: by CHRIS DELMAS / AFP via Getty Images)
This illustrative photo shows the Apple App Store logo reflected by an iPhone on the back of an iMac in Los Angeles on August 26, 2021. – Apple has agreed to ease payment restrictions on its App Store, a major change announced in a settlement with small developers as the US tech giant faces intense scrutiny and growing legal challenges in its tightly-controlled online market. The change will allow small developers to let their customers know about alternative payment options beyond the official App Store.
Related article: Apple macOS Monterey 12.1: Cupertino Giant’s Fourth Beta Is Here For Developers, Public Beta
This year’s App Store Awards announced a total of 15 winning apps in various categories, ranging from utilities to pure games, according to the Apple Insider report.
It comes after the Cupertino giant organized its Apple Music Awards and the announcement of the best songs from Apple Podcasts.
Apple App Store price 2021
According to Apple, the best apps and games in the App Store “have helped users tap into their personal passions” and “discover creative outlets.” Not to mention, the tech giant also noted that the winning titles connect and connect people as well.
The winning apps and games were chosen by the Cupertino tech giant’s Global App Store editorial team.
Meanwhile, Apple CEO Tim Cook added that the year’s best apps and games have sparked “both the creativity and the passion of millions of users around the world.”
The Apple boss went on to praise the self-taught freelance coders who have emerged to be among the world’s top companies.
Cook also said the developers of the winning apps and games have broken new ground using Apple’s technology.
Apple App Store Awards 2021: App of the Year
Without further ado, here is the Year app on the different platforms of the Apple ecosystem.
The iPhone App of the Year goes to Toca Life World, an educational iOS game app developed by Toca Boca,
Meanwhile, the iPad App of the Year went to LumaFusion by LumaTouch, one of the most downloaded multitrack video editing apps.
On the other hand, the Mac App of the Year award goes to Craft, a note-taking and research app developed by Luki Labs.
Additionally, the Apple Watch App of the Year went to Carrot Weather, while the Apple TV App of the Year went to DAZN.
Also read: iPhone, Apple Watch to have glass bodies? Patent leak suggests new design for both devices
Apple App Store Awards 2021: Game of the Year
The Games of the Year award went to game titles across all of the Cupertino giant’s platforms, with the exception of the Apple Watch.
Riot Games’ MOBA mobile game title “League of Legends: Wild Rift” has been awarded iPhone Game of the Year for 2021.
(Photo of )
Apple names the best games and apps in the App Store for the year 2021 with “League of Legends: Wild Rift” taking the top spot for iPhone games.
For iPad Game of the Year, Netmarble’s “MARVEL Future Revolution” took the title, while Mac’s was Cyan’s “Myst”.
On the flip side, Apple TV named “Space Marshals 3” as its Game of the Year, while Apple Arcade awarded “Fantasian” as the winning title.
This article is the property of Tech Times
Written by Teejay Boris
2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.


text:
SAN FRANCISCO, JANUARY 04, 2018 – Wandera, the leader in enterprise mobile security, reported another year of rapid growth and enjoyed a number of remarkable achievements, including the industry’s largest ever customer roll-out.
2017 was a breakthrough year for the company’s machine learning mobile intelligence engine MI:RIAM. In mid 2017, MI:RIAM made headlines after it detected 400 new strains of the SLocker malware which had been repackaged and deployed to evade all signature-based detection techniques. The engine has also proved to be highly effective at protecting global enterprises from a number of zero-day threats including mobile phishing attacks.
MI:RIAM was able to analyze 45 billion web requests, scan over 1,600,000 unique apps and track more than 18 million unique web domains on behalf of customers in 2017 – doubling the size of the previous years’ dataset and resulting in improved security for all the users on the platform.
Wandera was recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for Mobile Threat Management 2017, receiving a maximum score for customer delivery and 90% for product innovation.
Wandera was also identified in the Gartner Market Guide for Mobile Threat Defense Solutions for the second year running as one of the only vendors to provide capabilities across all key areas of Mobile Threat Defense.
The company received several prestigious industry awards including winning Mobile Security Solution of the Year for the second year running at the Computing Security Awards, and Mobile Security Solution of the Year 2017 at the SC Awards.
“It’s been a key year for the company and the mobile security industry and very encouraging to see the growing attention from CISOs, analysts and investors in what’s become the most crucial element of enterprise security. Mobile threats are evolving at a rapid pace and we are in a unique position to meet our customers’ security and mobility challenges head on. We’re looking forward to continued expansion and momentum in 2018.” said Eldar Tuvey, CEO of Wandera.
Wandera is now trusted by several hundred enterprise customers across all major industries. The company added some of the world’s best-known brands, including more than 20 new Fortune 500 clients and is now protecting eight of the world’s top 10 consulting firms.
Flagship customer wins in 2017 included a multinational enterprise software provider, a leading American biotech company, a leading American healthcare company, a large global banking group headquartered in Southern Europe, and a major airline. The aforementioned multinational is thought to be the industry’s largest ever mobile security roll-out.
Wandera has developed the deepest ecosystem in mobility of any of its peers, spanning handset manufacturers, mobility management solutions, security incident and event management tools, and managed security services.
In addition, Wandera cemented its position as the go-to vendor of choice for global and regional mobile operators, including AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Deutsche Telekom, British Telecom, Three, Optus and Orange, who bundle the company’s solutions within their enterprise packages.
The company’s revenues have again more than doubled year-on-year, and it reported three record new bookings quarters during 2017, while completing three of the largest five customer sales in its history.
Wandera also reported significant net negative churn from its installed customer base, with best-in-class renewal rates and over a third of customers expanding licenses during the year.
The $27.5m fundraising in 2017 helped the company continue to invest in the acquisition of talent with a team that has now expanded across six worldwide office locations in San Francisco, London, Brno, Athens, Toronto and Singapore.


text:
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
The iPhone X will be displayed during an Apple special event at the Steve Jobs Theatre on September 12, 2017 in Cupertino, California.
Chinese consumers are picking up on the highly anticipated features not seen in previous iterations of the iPhone: Online, fans are saying of which their favorite additions are the animated emojis, brand new camera lighting along with facial recognition technology.
although of which remains unclear if the hype will translate to actual sales in China.
The firm has struggled to expand its footprint from the country’s smartphone market, where intense competition saw the tech giant fall behind domestic producers Huawei, Oppo, Vivo along with Xiaomi earlier This kind of year, according to estimates by intelligence company Canalys.
Recent numbers look hopeful, however. Apple saw a 40 percent year-over-year increase in its third-quarter iPhone sales in China, although analysts questioned whether the rise would certainly be sustainable.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said last year of which the Asian country, the planet’s largest smartphone market, would certainly be integral to the tech giant’s growth.


text:
Harbin Electric Inc. said Tuesday it lost $1.91 million in its third quarter, hurt by a substantial charge, though adjusted results showed a net profit.
The Chinese maker of electric motors said its loss amounted to 7 cents per share for the three months ended Sept. 30. That compares with a profit of $7.75 million, or 34 cents per share, during the same period a year earlier. But the company narrowed its loss from the second quarter, when it reported a loss of $5.42 million, or 24 cents per share.
The latest results included non-cash and one-time items totaling a loss of $12.86 million, or 47 cents per share.
Excluding those items, Harbin reported adjusted net income of $10.95 million, or 40 cents per share, during the period, helped by higher sales. That compared with adjusted net income of $7.75 million, or 34 cents per share, in the year-earlier period.
Revenue rose 18 percent to $46.93 million from $39.66 million in the third quarter of 2008.
Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters, who typically exclude one-time items from their estimates, expected net income of 21 cents per share on revenue of $43.82 million.
Tianfu Yang, Harbin's chairman and chief executive, said the company's quarterly operating results were the company's best to date despite continuing economic challenges, particularly in North America.
"Robust orders in oil pumps and industrial rotary motors in China helped offset continued weakness in specialty micro motors and overseas sales," he said.
Yang said the company had completed its acquisition of Xi'an Tech Full Simo Motor and its integration and consolidation.
Looking forward, Harbin expects operating results to remain strong in the fourth quarter, he said.
While oil pump sales should be seasonally softer and a subway train project is continuing its final testing stage, the company expects its rotary motors order book to remain robust and to exceed current capacity, Yang said.
It also expects a linear motor freight train project for coal transportation to begin contributing to total revenue and profits in the coming quarters.
Shares of Harbin rose $1.19, or 6 percent, to $20.67 in midday trading.


text:
KUALA LUMPUR: Nestle Malaysia Bhd is looking to improve its export sales which remain on a downward trend due to lower demand from affiliated companies in countries like the Philippines and Indonesia, which have developed their own manufacturing capabilities.
Nestle Malaysia (fundamental:1.75; valuation:1.5) managing director Alois Hofbauer said the food and beverage group is expanding its current manufacturing capabilities to improve the performance of its export sales, which contributes to 20% of its revenue.
“For our financial year ending Dec 31, 2015 (FY15), we will concentrate on the expansion of our manufacturing capabilities to improve our export sales, such as the expansion of our instant noodle manufacturing lines in our Batu Tiga factory (in Shah Alam, Selangor),” he told reporters after the group’s annual general meeting yesterday.
However, he did not say how long the group will take to turn around its export sales, but said that even though export sales continued to see a slowdown during the first quarter of 2015, its impact was slower than in the preceding quarter.
“We believe that the economic situation in the US and in emerging markets are improving, hence we are confident export sales will pick up. We will also have our new product offerings, such as the Kit Kat Rubies, our premium chocolate variant which we plan to export not only to the Asean region, but also to Europe,” he said.
On the goods and services tax (GST), Hofbauer said 90% of Nestle Malaysia’s products are subject to the consumption tax.
“GST has an impact on consumer sentiment, therefore we try to give more value to consumers. For example, for our instant noodle range, we try to compensate that 6% increase in price by giving 10% more content in terms of noodle and garnishing,” said Hofbauer.
He added that besides tackling the segment of the consumer market that favours affordable prices, Nestle Malaysia has also tapped into the premium market through its premium product offerings such as its Royale Penang Seafood Curry and Korean Spicy Braised Beef, which are part of the Maggi instant noodle premium range.
On investment plans for FY15, Hofbauer said this will be a “year of stabilisation” for Nestle Malaysia, adding that the group will not be looking into investing in new plants but will focus on completing ongoing projects. “We have spent more than RM350 million in capex (capital expenditure) for FY14. In FY15, our capex will normalise and will be somewhere between RM150 million and RM180 million as it will be utilised to complete ongoing projects and not for new investments,” said Hofbauer. He added that the group’s Sri Muda factory in Shah Alam, in which it had invested more than RM200 million previously, is set to be fully operational by August this year.
This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on April 24, 2015.


text:
JLG Industries, Inc. has launched a new full-service retail lending program from JLG Financial. The retail financing program offers 100 percent financing as well as payment plans. The program is available in the United States.
The new 37,000-square-foot facility aims to provide next-day parts delivery to customers
The equipment rental company has reported its highest quarterly level since becoming a stand-alone company
C&D Technologies is the new owner of US heavy duty battery maker Trojan
Nordic rental giant says market conditions remain favourable and posts increased sales and profits for the third quarter of the year.
Boels gives keynote address at the sixth IRC conference in Shanghai on 26 November.
Simon Francis, MSA Safety, reveals how to minimise the risk of injury to employees and damage to aircraft
Turkey is destined to become one of the world’s major access markets. It just needs to get over the hurdle of an economic crisis
The 3.5 tonne GVW market in Europe is taking on new levels of activity. Compact machinery is not just a trend in that area, however
This equipment is often compact and powered through bi-energy. Nevertheless, Lithium and more compact proportions are the future
AI spoke to Don Ahern, owner of the Ahern family of companies, about the fast-changing global rental and manufacturing scene
A Genie S-45 TraX assisted in construction at Summit Station, a polar research platform in Greenland, thanks to dealer Jøma
Vertical masts are becoming more popular, finding greater acceptance in their potential core areas of work
Annual survey of the world’s top 100 equipment rental companies. Provides extra analysis with a variety of tables and graphs on nearly all 100 companies.
Net sales up 27.2% to $1.06 billion in the fourth quarter, operating income up 103.5% to $127 million


text:
American electric vehicle maker Tesla has shown the zone of its first supercharger in Singapore, and it appears, apparently, to be at the Singapore Island Country Club.In its new update of its charging network far and wide, Tesla exhibited a dull territory jolt in Singapore (dim shows orchestrated charger, while operational chargers are separate in red), sitting on SICC grounds.
This reaffirms the association’s assumption to re-appearance of Singapore – a move initially uncovered by The Straits Times in 2016.In any case, starting now and into the foreseeable future, there has been little new development, next to Tesla chief Elon Musk’s intermittent tweets about how unsupportive Singapore has been to electric vehicles, and “undesirable” to Tesla, explicitly.
Things started to move whenever Tesla posted Singapore business openings on LinkedIn in mid-2020. In the last quarter of 2020, it followed up with an opening for a charging director, exhibiting that it intends to set up its own charging network here.Likewise, in the latest charging network update early this week, it demonstrated a Singapore zone.
Tesla couldn’t be followed media requests as it no longer has a press office.Checks revealed that the SICC has not been moved nearer by Tesla for the said charging point on its grounds.According to Electrek, a US-based news site, not the total of Tesla’s orchestrated charging centers will show up. “Each station is dependent on Tesla finding a property to send the station, choosing a simultaneousness with the land proprietor, getting the right permits, and ensuring around” a close forcibly supply, it says.
While a couple of spectators said the SICC zone appeared to be great since club people are most likely going to bear the expense of Tesla vehicles (which range from around $230,000 to $500,000), others said Tesla is presumably not going to site its first charger some spot inaccessible to the general populace.
Tesla owner Adrian Peh said the structure of chargers here will benefit potential Tesla buyers who live in raised structures which don’t have charging system.
My condo as of now has a charger, said the 48-year-old CEO of a money related admonition firm. “All things considered, I am more enthusiastic about when they will set up an organization place here.”
Around the globe, Tesla has some place in the scope of 20,000 superchargers across more than 4,500 regions. A supercharger is a 480-volt direct current snappy charger which can handle up a vehicle as quick as thirty minutes, differentiated and a couple of hours for ordinary chargers.


text:
In the Internet appeared the pictures of the final version of the smartphone iPhone8. Experts have modeled the design of new products from Apple and posted a photo on the social network Twitter.
Judging by the picture, the cover of the smartphone will be made of glass. The change will also be a camera that the new product will be a vertical and a double.
At the iPhone8 will be missing the 3.5 mm connector, which is the last model, also no Home button with thumbprint scanner, that suggests that the scanner may be embedded in the screen itself.
The iPhone8 start of sales is scheduled for late autumn of this year.


text:
Over ninety percent of businesses users around the world rely on a computer infrastructure built on the Microsoft Windows operating system. In the past few years, IT Services Group has helped dozens of companies in the Philadelphia region update their computer systems to Microsoft Windows 7, currently the most popular software platform from Microsoft. Before Windows 7 was released in October 2009, the most widely used Microsoft operating system was Windows XP, released all the way back in 2001. Last year, Microsoft announced that it would no longer support Windows XP, beginning on April 8, 2014. What does that mean for your business and your computer infrastructure if you’re still dependent on the retiring XP? The most obvious change is that Microsoft technicians will no longer be able to troubleshoot software errors that occur on your computer network and will no longer provide updates for compatibility with new industry software… Read more »
Posts By: admin
Despite the real threat of hacking and online thievery, a lot of small businesses do not consider themselves affected by it, says a report by StaySafeOnline.org. While dependent on their computer systems for data storage, few realize that all it takes is one breach to destroy a cultivated relationship with clients and the company’s own financial status. StaySafeOnline.org, a website of the National Cyber Security Alliance, has recently released a study that chronicles the cyber security practices and attitudes of small businesses. Conducted in partnership with Visa, the study shows some interesting, if not disturbing, results. It turns out that many small businesses (about 65% of the respondents) are highly dependent on their computer / IT / data systems, where they store important information, from sensitive company financial records to personal client information such as credit card info, addresses and phone numbers, and more. However, as many as 85% believe… Read more »
Do you prefer Bing over Google but like Google’s sparse but fast loading page better? With this tip you can get the best of both worlds. As users of Bing know, when you visit the home page of Bing, a page with a featured photo as the background is displayed by default, which increases the load time of the page. This can be distracting or annoying—especially if you have a slow connection. Disable this photo from loading by simply bookmarking this URL (http://www.bing.com/?rb=0). The next time you visit Bing, the photo will not appear. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org.


text:
Einstein Bros. Bagels Celebrates National Bagel Day with a Better Breakfast Deal
Einstein Bros. Bagels kicks off National Bagel Day with $2 off fresh-baked bagel egg sandwiches for a limited time this month
DENVER, Jan. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- What’s a better breakfast than an egg sandwich made on a fresh-baked bagel? Nothing, according to Einstein Bros. Bagels. But, the brand doesn’t want you to take their word for it. Guests can taste for themselves beginning on National Bagel Day, January 15th, and for a limited time after, with $2 off any egg sandwich when they order online.
“This year, to celebrate National Bagel Day, we want to invite everyone to try a better breakfast this month,” said Chef Chad Thompson, Head of Culinary Innovation at Einstein Bros. Bagels. “Better means fresh-baked, right-out-of-the-oven bagels sandwiching our craveable egg sandwiches like the Texas Brisket, Chorizo Sunrise, and the classic Farmhouse. It doesn’t get better than that.”
Order Online at https://locations.einsteinbros.com/ to take advantage of the $2 Off any egg sandwich offer using promo code CRAVE at checkout.
About Einstein Bros.® Bagels
Einstein Bros.® Bagels is a neighborhood bakery known for endless combinations of fresh-baked bagels and premium double-whipped cream cheese shmear. Also serving a variety of breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, coffee, espresso, sweets and catering, Einstein Bros. Bagels has 690 locations throughout the United States. Einstein Bros. Bagels is part of Panera Brands, one of the nation’s largest fast-casual restaurant companies, comprised of Panera Bread®, Caribou Coffee® and Einstein Bros. Bagels. To learn more, visit www.einsteinbros.com.
View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/einstein-bros-bagels-celebrates-national-bagel-day-with-a-better-breakfast-deal-301719732.html
SOURCE Einstein Bros. Bagels


text:
The Solar Thermal Energy Equipment Manufacturing industry has surged during the five years to 2011. According to IBISWorld, the nation’s largest publisher of industry market research, revenue is expected to grow 35.1% per year to $185.3 million in the five-year period. Generous government incentives for solar thermal energy (STE) manufacturing and downstream solar power generation (the industry's customer) have buoyed revenue. Without government subsidies, solar power generation firms would have a hard time competing against traditional energy-generating sources. With incentives in place, downstream customers demand solar thermal equipment at an increasing pace. However, the recession caused industry revenue growth to slow down amid tightening credit conditions that hampered customer's ability to purchase STE equipment. Revenue is expected to bounce back as these government incentives continue to positively influence the industry. Industry revenue is anticipated to jump 19.9% from 2010 to 2011.
The industry is characterized by strong technological innovation. Industry firms continually try to come up with more efficient ways to create energy and store that heat for extended periods of time. In doing so, firms are essentially trying to lower the price of energy so that they can compete with other types of electricity generation. In particular, many firms are concentrating on energy storage to deliver energy around the clock. Amid growing competition from solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers (which are an external industry competitor), industry firms are positioning themselves to be more competitive by producing energy for 24 hours. For the most part, PV plants can only produce and sell energy during the day.
The next five years will likely be bright for the industry. Government incentives that favor the industry's customer (downstream solar producers) will continue, and the federal government will open up large plots of land for solar developers to begin generating solar power. Industry firms will continue to innovate and come up with more efficient ways to create energy and store that energy. Amid favorable incentives and strong innovation, the industry will be limited by growing competition from solar PV manufacturers and the expiration of a manufacturing tax credit incentive (expired in 2010). As a result, industry revenue is expected to grow at a slower rate over the next five years, at 8.1% annually to $273.1 million in the five years to 2016.
Buy the Full report on the Solar Thermal Energy Equipment Manufacturing industry from IBISWorld
Register or login for access to this item and much more
All Financial Planning content is archived after seven days.
Community members receive:
- All recent and archived articles
- Conference offers and updates
- A full menu of enewsletter options
- Web seminars, white papers, ebooks
Already have an account? Log In
Don't have an account? Register for Free Unlimited Access


text:
Fever, a startup that analyses consumer data to curate unique events and experiences to match demand, has just announced a $35 million funding round. The round was led by Rakuten Capital, with participation from Accel Partners and Atresmedia, and it brings the total funding raised by the startup to date to over $70 million. The capital will be used to enhance Fever’s technology and explore new markets, with plans to open offices in North America, Europe and Asia.
Fever claims to reach over 25 million unique users per month, via its website and app, across its key markets: London, New York, Paris and Madrid, allowing them to discover the best events in their city.
On top of running and expanding its data-led experience platform, Fever is also working with brands on their own events. The startup is using consumer data to help companies (like Diageo) mitigate risk when they are creating activations and live events around their product launches.
Following the investment, we will see Rakuten becoming a commercial partner for Fever and Michael Zeisser, former Alibaba Investments chairman, who is also an investor in the new round, joining the board at Fever.
Ignacio Bachiller, co-founder and CEO of Fever comments: “The investment comes at an important time for Fever, as we expand our platform, enter new markets, and shape the experience landscape with our Fever Originals. The round will cement Fever’s position as the go-to platform for consumers looking to discover new urban experiences.”


text:
One thing people always ask is, “How’s the market doing?” Today, we’ll be bringing you the answer by taking a look at a few year-over-year statistics.
In February of 2017, 955 homes sold in Benton County for an average sale price of $217,000. This February, 988 homes were sold at an average sale price of $231,000.
This means there has been a 6.4% increase in price. In other words, buyers who waited until this year to make their purchase instead of taking the plunge last year ended up paying 6.4% more.
Also, interest rates right now are at an average of around 4.4% and they’re only going up. If you’re thinking of buying this year it’s time to get off the fence while the market is hot. Now is the time to make your home purchase in Benton County.
If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.


text:
The Home Depot Will No Longer Use Glue Traps After PETA Appeal
The Next PETA Push: Get Intensely Cruel Devices Banned From Store Shelves
For Immediate Release:
July 19, 2017
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382
During discussions between PETA and The Home Depot regarding the company’s sale of glue traps—products that cause immense suffering to small mammals and birds who tear off parts of their faces and limbs trying to escape over hours or days—a Home Depot employee found a mouse suffering in a glue trap inside one of its own stores. After witnessing firsthand how animals suffer as they struggle in the traps’ adhesive, The Home Depot has decided to prohibit the use of glue traps in its more than 2,200 stores nationwide.
“Mice, songbirds, squirrels, and other small animals end up in glue traps, where they tear their flesh and break bones struggling to escape,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “Banning the use of these vile devices is a great first step, and PETA now asks that The Home Depot and all companies build a reputation for kindness to animals by ending the sale of glue traps, too.”
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—notes that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns against using glue traps, because animals who are caught in them lose control of their bodily functions as they struggle to escape. Some chew off their own limbs in an attempt to free themselves. It can take days for trapped animals to die from exhaustion, injury, shock, dehydration, asphyxiation, or blood loss. Glue traps also fail to address the source of the problem: More mice simply move in to take the place of those who’ve been killed.
Dozens of retailers—including CVS, Dollar Tree, Rite Aid, Walgreens, and many others—have banned the sale of glue traps, and more than 186 well-known companies and institutions have banned their use, including JPMorgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs, Public Storage, U-Haul, the New York City Police Department, and nearly 50 airports, such as Boston Logan International Airport, Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport, and Hollywood Burbank Airport.
PETA has humane solutions to every “pest” problem, from rats to raccoons. For more information, please visit PETA.org.


text:
CHICAGO (CN) - A federal class-action antitrust lawsuit accuses Sara Lee, Colgate-Palmolive, Unilever, and Henkel Chemie of conspiring to fix prices for hygiene products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, and shampoo, liquid hand soaps, dishwashing liquid and deodorants. Lead plaintiff Commercial Street Express claims the defendants have admitted collusion and anti-competitive conduct in Europe and have been fined 37 million euros in Germany alone.
Plaintiffs claim that the Federal Cartel Office of Germany announced on Feb. 20 that Henkel, Sara Lee and Unilever were fined 37 million euros "for price-fixing and illegally passing on information on price talks with retailers." Plaintiffs say the Federal Cartel Office said the conspiracy that had begun by early 2006 hiked by 5 percent the price of Pril and Palmolive dish detergents, Duschdas and Palmolive shower gels and Signal, Dentagard, and Colgate toothpaste.
Subscribe to Closing Arguments
Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.


text:
Welcome to my blog breaktheandroid.blogspot.com here you can surf my blog tutorials for to get root access of your android smartphones and able to update your knowledge in new technologies and the market trend of smart phones and technology era
Happy to announce that our Android App Is ready to download in Play Store
to download the application and stay updated
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
HTC Q1 2015 earnings reveal modest net profit after tax
Share to Twitter
Share to Facebook
Share to Pinterest
HTC released its earnings report for Q1 2015. The Taiwanese manufacturer posted a quarterly net profit of $11.8 million from $1.36 billion of revenue.
The company’s revenue grew by a quarter from the same period last year. HTC attributed the revenue bump to “tailored portfolios for individual markets and targeted marketing efforts.”
HTC deemed the launch of the One M9 and One M9+ during the quarter as successful. The partnerships with Under Armour and Valve in fitness products and virtual reality respectively were also noted.
Gross margins for the past quarter were 19.7%. That’s less than the 21% for the same period a year ago.
Going forward, HTC expects revenue in the range of $1.5 billion to $1.67 billion. Gross profit margin is expected to range between 23% and 23.5%.
Overall, the next quarter will be really important for HTC. Q2 will be the first period of full availability for HTC One M9.
HTC One M9
HTC One M9+
Post a Comment
Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Although protein supplements have gained in popularity among teenagers, they are usually unnecessary -- even for teen athletes. In fact, some protein supplements are even dangerous for teens. Teenagers should never use protein supplements unless their doctor gives them the OK.
Please enter your location to help us display the correct information for your area. In largest study of its kind, Autism Speaks ATN researchers find too-high levels of some vitamins and minerals, not enough of others. In particular, they found that many of the children in their study were consuming high and potentially unsafe levels of vitamin A, folic acid and zinc while not getting enough calcium and vitamin D.
Hitting the gym is a great way to boost your health and physique. But what about those amongst us that are still struggling to gain weight? By gaining weight we mean building lean muscle mass, as opposed to just gaining normal weight as fat.
Food supplements come in many forms and colors. And while many may look like medicines, they are not tested for safety and reliability as medicines must be. Doctors say eating a well-balanced diet is the best way to get the nutrients your body needs.
Mikey Santini was in junior high when he started taking creatine and protein supplements to build muscle and enhance his athletic abilities. By his junior year at Stevenson High School, he had moved on to nitric oxide "energy igniters" such as N. But he acknowledges the products have a potentially dangerous downside.
With all the news about professional athletes being punished for their use of performance-enhancing drugs and banned supplements, you might think teens today would stick to a traditional—and natural—plan for athletic improvement. But not so. Many more teens than previously thought are turning to sports-related supplements, according to a study of nearly 3, adolescents in the December issue of Pediatrics.
The sports supplement industry is booming and promises to help athletes of all ages move faster and grow stronger. But the vitamin and supplement industry is mostly unregulated, leading to a wide variation in supplement quality across the market. This lack of regulation can put athletes and their health at risk — with little or no recognized benefits.
Levels at or below 20 nanograms per milliliter are considered suboptimal. Levels below 15 constitute deficiency and should be treated with supplements. Hopkins experts say pediatricians should screen all children for risk factors and order blood tests for those found to be at high risk.
Researchers say some dietary supplements and vitamins can cause health issues for younger people. In a new studyresearchers concluded that supplements such as energy drinks are tied to an increased risk of hospitalization, death, and other severe medical events for young people. But the gist of the new findings echo previous studies, which have also found that supplements can be dangerous in some cases — and that those risks may be increasing.


text: A new game development platform from Microsoft allows anyone to create games for its Xbox 360 console, the company said on Monday. Typically, console games are designed by large studios that must pay high prices to buy development kits in order to write games for consoles. Microsoft\u2019s XNA Game Studio Express is a new development kit, to be released in beta form in August, that will be available for free to anyone using a Windows XP PC. The kit is designed for game developer novices as well as studios, Microsoft said. Users will have the option of joining a developers group for US$99 per year in which they can share and test their games with other designers and access information that could help them speed up the development process. More than\u00a010 universities, including the University of Southern California, Georgia Tech College of Computing and Southern Methodist University Guildhall, will include the new platform in the curricula of their game development schools, according to Microsoft. The software giant has also worked with games software development tool companies to ensure that their tools can be used within the new platform. Autodesk, a provider of 3-D authoring software, and GarageGames, a maker of games development software, both said that their technologies can be ported to the XNA Game Studio Express platform. The XNA Game Studio Express development environment is based on Visual Studio Express and .NET, and allows developers to create games simultaneously for Xbox 360 and Windows XP. Microsoft expects the final non-beta version of the development platform to become available by the end of the year. Another version of XNA Game Studio Express designed for professional game developers will become available in early 2007, the company said. The Xbox 360 is the second version of the Xbox console, which started selling late last year.-Nancy Gohring, IDG News Service (Dublin Bureau)This article is posted on our Microsoft Informer page.\u00a0For more news on the Redmond, Wash.-based powerhouse, keep checking in.Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage.


text:
Apple has recently posted a downloadable Installer package containing Catalina Security Update 2021-001, which was released via Software […]
Not only has Apple not provided standalone updaters for macOS 11.2, or for Mojave and Catalina Security Updates 2021-001, but it has removed the Big Sur 11.1 installer. It’s just like iOS now.
Many iMac17,1 computers are still stuck with firmware dating back to before macOS Catalina. Could this new approach enable them to install firmware updates again?
Apple has just pushed two updates, to the data files used by XProtect, bringing its version number to […]
The update to macOS 11.2 is similar in size to the previous update from 11.0.1 to 11.1: around […]
Apple has just released Big Sur update to version 11.2, which is available now for both Intel and […]
Fifteen years ago, when we first got Spotlight search, we were more concerned with finding our documents rather than preventing others from reading their contents. Why?
Apple has just pushed an update to the data files used by XProtect, bringing its version number to […]
UserDefaults and cfprefsd manage the preference system, an amorphous database spread across hundreds of files which can only be controlled in Terminal. It’s time for a change.
Improved tests, statistical analysis, and interface, together with a 21 page Help book detailing its range of tests in 5,000 words. Ready to use for real.


text:
Kickstarter founder: Late is not failure
Kickstarter Co-founder Yancey Strickler says the appeal of crowd-funding is the lack of gatekeepers keeping ideas from the public.
See All The Stream
Sony CEO breaks silence on hack
The company you paid to see 'The Interview'
A CNN reporter becomes a videogame character
You can buy a Sony-style hack
Silicon Valley's recruitment plan
San Fran DA: Why I'm suing Uber
See All CNNMoney Original Shows
Mike Judge on sex, drugs in Silicon Valley
I invented the Twitter hashtag
I biohack my kids
I did LSD with Steve Jobs
Mike Judge: Tech culture is funny
Inside a high-tech swingers party