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Tumblr has been growing bigger and bigger, but the type of things it's best at, small, media heavy posts, are now done, more and more, on mobile devices.
The new wave of mobile first or mobile only services, Instagram and friends, is the big threat, so Tumblr is treating mobile very seriously.
Earlier this year, the site rolled out a brand new mobile app, which was a huge upgrade over the existing one. Now it's doing the same for its mobile site.
The new default mobile theme is a noticeable improvement over the previous iterations, even though most of the changes are subtle.
For one, images now take up as much space as possible, a trend that most apps and mobile sites are following these days, an understandable one. The site is faster too since it's been redesigned from the ground up.
"The brand new mobile blog: completely redesigned for faster browsing, cleaner reading, and easier sharing. Like and reblog directly from index page; Share posts through Facebook, Twitter, or email; Built-in support for Pages; Full-width images and infinite scrolling," Tumblr succinctly listed


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Rigdon Marine orders fleet of PSVs News
// December 6, 2002
Larry Rigdon, a veteran of the offshore oil industry, has launched a new shipping company, Rigdon Marine, and has placed an order for a new fleet of 10 environmentally friendly vessels designed for the Gulf of Mexico and international markets.
Under an agreement concluded towards the end of November with Bender Shipbuilding & Repair in Mobile, Alabama, Rigdon Marine LLC will build 10, 210ft diesel-electric PSVs.
Rigdon said the ships were designed jointly with Guido Perla & Associates of Seattle, and said that because they will be diesel electric ships they would use less diesel fuel than ships with conventional propulsion systems. Each vessel will be equipped with a DP2 level dynamic positioning system.
Designed to maintain a speed of 13kt under fully loaded conditions, Rigdon claims they will be up to three knots faster than existing vessels in the Gulf fleet, and will have bulk tanks of a size that are usually only found on larger vessels.
The order for the 10 ships is being financed by Groupe Bourbon in France.
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domain: news


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It wasn’t so long ago that the radio industry was collectively shuffling its feet as in-car listening—AM/FM’s bread and butter—was subsiding amid a threatening new technology called “streaming,” as at-home and at-home tune-in were also declining. Well, look at us now. While traditional over the air AM/FM remains the mothership, broadcasters at the 2018 NAB Show this month made clear that the industry has now created its own digital revolution.
During the National Association of Broadcasters convention last week in Las Vegas—which brought together 94,000 attendees from 161 countries and 1,800+ exhibitors—station streaming has become a given. Add proprietary websites and social media, and the likes of mobile apps, smart speaker skills, podcasting, ROI and geo-fencing.
Indeed, all of this dizzying change is, in fact, prompting broadcasters to reimagine what business they’re in, Entercom senior VP, Corporate Business Development Tim Murphy said during one session. “We have to broaden how we view the marketplace and who we’re competing with.” That requires deciding what is radio’s “unfair advantage,” the thing it does in a “uniquely differentiated way” that it wants to “build a moat around” to protect.
For Entercom, that’s scaling “great local programming,” Murphy explained, something none of the big platform companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook have done. “We have to make sure our programming continues to connect with people and we have to control the distribution. We can’t hand it over to others.”
In another panel, Jacobs Media’s Fred Jacobs asked participants what platforms they believe offer broadcasters the most potential. All pointed to voice-activated smart speakers, which are now in 20% of Wi-Fi-enabled homes. Big data was next, as one of the convention’s big buzz phrases. Since launching its Alexa strategy two months ago, Beasley Media Group CEO Caroline Beasley told session attendees that her company has seen increased listening, “not just moving from one platform to the other but incremental listening.” NAB executive VP, Strategic Planning Steve Newberry added that the devices have become “a new replacement for radio in the home.”
Developing proprietary skills for the likes of Amazon Alexa is just the beginning: Discerning how listeners want to engage with a station’s brand is the crucial second step, as Echo’s overall “persona” is regarded as a media consumption tool, which includes one of its most popular skills, playing music and in particular, AM/FM radio. For broadcasters, this is nothing but a positive. An audio stream is a given; now stations should consider a local “Flash Briefing” with news in their markets and snippet replays of beloved morning shows. The key, said Bob Kernen, COO of jācapps: “Identify what makes your on-air brand unique as you develop your Alexa skills.”
Digital, Digital, Digital
For any broadcaster who may not yet believe digital is an essential component for over-the-air advertisers, take it from Michael Reath, president of Off Road Media Group: “We would be in the negative in the last five years if not for digital.” A case in point: Stalwart advertiser Porter Auto Group’s contract shrank, from $24,000 to $8,000 a year, “because the sales rep wasn’t ready to sell digital,” he said during a panel discussion.
Fast forward from 2016 to 2017: With the engagement of digital into the mix, the client dedicated $105,000 to the station. “Shame on us,” Reath says. “By selling digital with traditional advertising and entering the universe of mobile it was obvious—if we weren’t putting our advertisers on this device, someone else would. Radio plus mobile is peanut butter and jelly. It’s a marriage made in heaven.”
As essential today are proprietary radio station mobile apps, which are unlocking newfound potential to connect with radio audiences, while potentially plumping stations’ bottom lines. The challenge now for broadcasters is trying to keep up with these rapidly evolving platforms, even when that sometimes means starting from scratch—again.
Steve Meyers, Executive VP of Digital for Beasley, explained to NAB Show attendees that his company has made the leap to a new mobile app platform for each of the company’s 63 stations in 15 markets, with a focus on next-generation features—which he admits continue to evolve. The media company began the design phase six years ago, working with jācappps.
Recognizing that more than 70% of its audience interacts with Beasley stations via mobile devices—and then finding that 25% of its audience sessions were focused on live streaming, with the other 75% on other digital content—the company refocused on creating relevant content targeted and more personalized to its listeners.
“To think that 75% were coming to see all the things we create other than streams… that’s a significant number for something that started life as a ‘Play’ button,” Meyers said. “We had no choice but to (explore) the next generation of mobile applications. Our brands need to be accessible where, when, how and even if our audience wants to consume and engage with them.”
That includes an astonishing 93 new pieces of digital content each day. “With FM, we were pushing one stream of content. Digital opens this whole new ability for us to provide different opportunities and different methods of engagement for our brands.”
Today, Beasley’s station apps are “consumer-centric instead of brand-centric,” he said.
“The home screen of the station app is like the home screen of your smartphone,” in which content can be moved, added and even erased. “You can get rid of contests if you want, add in all of the streams from our country stations, see news about rock artists from all of those stations… we’re really excited about the methodology here,” Meyers said.
And for the Beasley stations, there are significant advantages, as well: “What if our brands knew each audience member by name? What if we provided concierge level service to each of those audience members, making them feel special and unique? What if we provided content and advertising to our audience where, when, if and how they want it?”
The biggest lesson learned, according to Meyers: “We can’t just push stuff at people anymore. They’re going to consume it when and how they want to consume it. They are creating their own personal media ecosystems, and we have to be as flexible as possible.”


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When Sony bought CBS way back when, they also bought the famous CBS "Eye," which sought of looked like a black eye.
I bet they didn't think they'd be using that symbol outside of the music or television business, but this year has been one big black eye for Sony -- notebook battery problems, PS3 production problems and now violence and mayhem over the PS3 launch.
Looks like the good folks of Boston aren't taking Sony's launch problems as a "normal course of doing business." Instead, the city plans to bill Sony for the police needed to quell a ruckus at the Sony Style store in Beantown.
Maybe Sony could have "gifted" every mayor of every major U.S. city to get on their good side?


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Clarence City Council has plugged into Tasmania’s expanding electric highway with the installation of a public charging station for electric vehicles.
The electric vehicle charging station – located in the Clarence City Council car park at 38 Bligh Street, Rosny Park – is now officially open and ready for public use.
Accessed through the Chargefox app, it will be available for free charging for up to two hours for the first 12 months of operation, after which fees will apply.
The destination charging station adds to the already existing electric vehicle infrastructure network across Tasmania, which includes around 140 chargers and fast chargers.
City of Clarence Deputy Mayor Alderman Heather Chong said this electric vehicle charging station provided a valuable service to both residents and visitors to the municipality.
She said it was ideally located in the heart of the city, close to shopping, government services, and recreational activities.
“This new charging station is a great addition to our evolving city and will hopefully encourage more people to get on board with new and emerging technologies such as low-carbon electric vehicle transport,” she said.
“This particular destination charger is suitable for charging vehicles over one to two hours while drivers shop, exercise, or attend to business.
“Transport contributes around 76 percent of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in our city and we can help reduce carbon emissions by decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels such as petrol and diesel.
“And as a way of welcoming this new service, we are offering free charging to all users for the first 12 months.”
The electric vehicle charging space has been marked with green terrain paint and ample signs.
Charging instructions are available on the Chargefox website or via its helpdesk between 9am and 5pm on business days.
The electric vehicle charging station was funded by Clarence City Council with the assistance of a $2,500 grant from the Tasmanian Government.


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Women should avoid eating too much vegetable oil and potato chips during pregnancy as such a diet may result in an increased risk of pregnancy complications and poor development of the babies, warns a study.
Is it bad to eat a lot of potatoes while pregnant?
Eating potatoes or chips on most days of the week may increase a woman’s risk of diabetes during pregnancy, say US researchers. This is probably because starch in spuds can trigger a sharp rise in blood sugar levels, they say. Their study in the BMJ tracked more than 21,000 pregnancies.
What happens if you eat chips too much?
If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart failure, coronary heart disease, and kidney disease,” says Dr. Parcells. Other long-term side effects of eating a lot of chips are weight gain, trouble sleeping, dry skin, kidney disease, headaches, and inflammation.
Will eating junk food while pregnant make my baby fat?
Junk food is laden with extra calories and fat but offers mom and baby little or no vitamins or nutrients. These empty calories can lead to excessive weight gain and water retention during pregnancy.
Is fried potatoes good for pregnant woman?
So if you want to be on the safe side of dietary intake, eating French fried potatoes (including potato chips, hash browns or any deep fried potato compounds) should be reduced to fewer than twice per week to avoid potential risk of increased mortality for everyone, including pregnant women and their babies, according …
Is Baked potato OK during pregnancy?
Starchy foods (carbohydrates) in pregnancy
Starchy foods are an important source of energy, some vitamins and fibre, and help you to feel full without containing too many calories. They include bread, potatoes, breakfast cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, maize, millet, oats, yams and cornmeal.
Is rice good for pregnancy?
Especially during pregnancy, limit your intake to one small serving (1/4 cup uncooked) of rice per week, and avoid processed rice products such as crackers, cereal, gluten-free baked goods, and rice “milks” — these contain rice from unknown sources and in some cases may be significantly higher in arsenic.
Can I eat chips once a week?
“While there tends to be a lot of fear around potato chips, really, they’re just potatoes, oil and seasoning,” says dietician and nutrition therapist Rachael Hartley. “There’s nothing inherently dangerous about potato chips, and certainly, you could eat them every day if you’d like.”
Is 2 packets of crisps a day bad?
Half of UK children “drink” almost five litres of cooking oil every year as a result of their pack-a-day crisp habit, experts warn. Nearly a fifth of children eat two packets of crisps per day, says the British Heart Foundation. Its Food4Thought campaign aims to expose hidden salt, fat and sugar in common foods.
Can I eat Maggi during pregnancy?
Yes, it’s safe to eat foods with MSG during pregnancy. Your body digests MSG the same way it digests glutamate found naturally in foods like tomatoes and cheese.
Can I eat noodles during pregnancy?
Yes, noodles—including rice noodles—are generally safe to eat during pregnancy. They are a good source of complex carbohydrates, which can fight constipation, proteins which aid in fetal tissue and brain growth, and healthy fats which provide satiety and boost absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.


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Walmart reports ‘tens of thousands of items’ destroyed after Nanaimo diaper fire
A fire, set in diapers in the Nanaimo Walmart, closed the store for five days in February. Tens of thousands of merchandise items, including food, had to be tossed in the garbage, according to a statement from Walmart Canada. Walmart said it is co-operating with the police investigation.
Published 2 months ago · Nanaimo, Canada
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Biometric identity management solutions provider Cross Match Technologies announced today that it is not only participating in next week’s Biometrics Exhibition and Conference (BEC), which is being held in London, England, but the company is also a sponsor of the event.
The BEC is an annual event entering its 16th year that brings together the well known old pros and eager emerging companies in the biometrics industry. Running from October 15 through 17, this year the wide variety of topics that will be discussed during the event range from those entering the mainstream, like mobile biometrics and payment solutions, to those that are intended to make our lives easier by practically remaining invisible as they secure, authenticate and protect what matters most while reducing friction.
As a participant in the festivities, Cross Match will be demonstrating its whole range of biometric offerings that serve the vertical markets that keep people protected. The verticals Cross Match is best known for include law enforcement, government and commercial business.
Here is what attendees can expect to see demonstrated at the Cross Match booth starting on October 15: Cross Match’s WEBS Enrollment software platform, The SEEK Avenger (which was also on display at this year’s BCC in Tampa), the Authenticator credential reader and the company’s scalable mobile AFIS named CEIS (criminal enrollment and identification solution).
The suite of technologies on display in London are all varied, flexible and quickly becoming standard in their niches – good evidence that although consumer biometrics entering the market through the personal mobile industry is bringing the technology into the mainstream, there is a growing place for it in the verticals that Cross Match serves.


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The Victoria Court hotel chain scored points with its LGBT Pride Month ad. The tagline says it all: "Everyone's welcome here."
Victoria Court uploaded the ad via Facebook on June 23, 2017. As of 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 28, the ad has been viewed 813,000 times and shared 5,034 times. It has also gotten over 18,000 reactions and over 1,610 comments.
While there will always be bigots who prefer to sow hate in comment threads, there are many others who cancel out the negativity with their positive insights.
This story originally appeared on Cosmo.ph.
* Minor edits have been made by the Femalenetwork.com editors.


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Salesforce, has appointed former banker Arundhati Bhattacharya as the chairman and chief executive of its India division. She will begin serving the newly assigned role from April 20th.
Currently, Bhattacharya oversees the financial services group SWIFT India. Prior to this, she has served as the chairperson of the state-run State Bank of India for nearly four decades. In her new role at Salesforce, she will be entrusted with the tasks of helping the global giant to scale rapidly in India, one of the company’s fastest-growing overseas markets.
Salesforce offers a range of cloud services to customers in India, where it has over 1 million developers. The company considers Zoho and Freshworks as its Indian competitors and counts Indian firms RedBus, Franklin Templeton and CEAT as some of its clients.
About the Salesforce’s new member, President, and CEO of Salesforce International, Gavin Patterson said: “Arundhati is an incredible business leader, and we are delighted to welcome her to Salesforce as chairperson and CEO India.” He further added, “India is an important growth market for Salesforce and a world-class innovation and talent hub and Arundhati’s leadership will guide our next phase of growth, customer success and investment in the region.”
About her new role in Salesforce, Bhattacharya said: “I could not be more excited to join the Salesforce team to ensure we capture this tremendous opportunity and contribute to India’s development and growth story in a meaningful way.”
Truecaller adds COVID-19 hospital directory for users in India
AWS Launches Amazon Digital Suite for SMBs in India
Airtel Launches its 5G-ready IoT Platform in India
Israeli Startup Orca Security Raised $210M, Becomes a Unicorn
Retailers in India are coming up with new collaborative strategies to increase footfalls
© 2021 CIO Bulletin. All rights reserved.


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BURGLAR WORE HOCKEY MASK
A BURGLAR wearing a hockey mask took an Apple laptop, watch and handbag from a home in The Cutting, Mosman Park, about 9pm on November 25. Sergeant Paul Gelmi said the thief smashed a window to gain access. He ran off after he was discovered by the residents. He was described as having a solid build, black hair and wearing a T-shirt with black and white stripes, white gloves and an older-style hockey mask.


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The Global Committee invites you on Thursday, August 29th at 10:00 a.m. as Peter Cranis, the Executive Director at Space Coast Office of Tourism, shares his Tourism Update. Mr. Cranis will be talking about the Tourism Development Office and the Tourist Development Council, what they do, how they market, along with some statistical data regarding the tourism industry in Brevard County.
Join us and feel free to bring a guest with you.
A light breakfast of coffee and donuts will be served.
Peter Cranis grew up in Melbourne, Florida attending and graduating with honors from Eau Gallie High School and Brevard Community College (A.A. in Journalism). He went on to the University of Central Florida and received a B.A. with honors and an M.A. in Communications. He has also been an adjunct professor at UCF for 26 years, as well as being a Past Chairman of the Alumni Association, serving on the Board of Directors for 25 years.
His career has spanned 30 years, beginning with handling Advertising and Public Relations at Church Street Station, a tourist attraction that was in downtown Orlando. Following that he did both PR and advertising for Sprint Telecom; was Associate Vice President of Marketing at SunTrust Banks; and Director of Marketing at Kirchman Corp., a global software firm.
He then determined that tourism was his passion and went to the AAA National Office as Director of Marketing Communications. Following that, he received his big opportunity to become Vice President of Consumer Marketing at the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau (now known as Visit Orlando) where he spent 16 years. There he was responsible for advertising and marketing programs in 8 countries, managed the visitor and call centers, oversaw Travel Industry marketing in the US and Canada and managed several other departments. When he left the organization in 2016, he was managing over 40 staff members, a $25 million marketing budget and attraction ticket sales of $14 million. His next endeavor saw him become the Head of Sales and Marketing at the Orlando Eye, a 400 foot tall observation wheel in the heart of the Orlando touristdistrict.
His passion is marketing, tourism and Brevard County where he lived in a beach condo for the last 10 out of 11 years. He is married to his beautiful wife Melissa who is from Louisiana but has lived in the Melbourne area for 10 years and also has a passion for Brevard County. His mother has also been a resident of Melbourne for over 40 years and is a retired teacher in the Brevard County School System.


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Possible insect contamination sparks Similac powder infant formula recallPosted: Updated:
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A recall has been announced and if you're a new parent, it may be on a product that's sitting on your shelf.
Abbott Laboratories says it's voluntarily recalling 5 million containers of Similac infant formula because it may be contaminated with insect parts.
The recall only affects powder formulas, not the liquid variety.
The company says the insect parts could cause stomach ache or digestion problems, although there have been no reports of illness.
If you have questions about products you may already own, you should contact Similac directly at phone 1-800-986-8850.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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NanoString Technologies, joined by three of its subsidiaries, have filed for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, blaming the $31 million jury award assessed against it last November in a patent infringement case filed by rival 10x Genomics.
The jury held that NanoString’s GeoMx® Digital Spatial Profiler (DSP) infringed seven patents that 10x held after exclusively licensing them from Prognosys Biosciences. 10x was awarded the $31 million in damages ($25 million in lost profits, $6 million royalty) in a lawsuit it filed against NanoString Technologies in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.
“The unexpected outcome of the November GeoMx patent litigation trial in Delaware and the unusually large magnitude of the damages awarded by the jury have forced us to take proactive steps to protect our stakeholders, customers, and employees,” NanoString president and CEO Brad Gray said Sunday in a statement.
NanoString’s shares plunged 50% from $1.28 to $0.64 on November 20, the first trading day after the award became public after the close of the markets November 17. NanoString responded to the jury award by withdrawing its full-year 2023 guidance to investors of $175 million to $185 million, most of which consisted of spatial biology revenue projected to range from $100 million to $105 million.
NanoString, which is appealing the decision, has since disclosed that it is eliminating 9% of its workforce—about 50 employees—during this quarter, and faces delisting from Nasdaq after its stock closed below the $1/share minimum price for 30 consecutive business days.
“NanoString has powerful product platforms, strong relationships with our customers throughout the scientific community, an enviable workforce, and conviction in the integrity of our innovation process. We believe Chapter 11 protection will provide us with the necessary breathing room to continue to serve our customers while we address our litigation and the related financial challenges,” Gray added.
NanoString and the subsidiaries reported $325.3 million in total debts and only $274.7 million in total assets as of September 30, 2023. Joining NanoString in the filing were subsidiary NanoString Technologies International, and subsidiaries based in Germany and the Netherlands.
In the statement, NanoString expressed confidence in its innovation and product development process, adding that it “believes it has strong legal defenses and counterclaims.” The company maintained that its GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler (DSP)—a spatial multiomic platform for analysis of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) and fresh frozen tissue sections—and CosMx Spatial Molecular Imager (SMI), a high-plex in situ analysis platform designed to provide spatial multiomics with FFPE and fresh frozen (FF) tissue samples at cellular and subcellular resolution, “offer unique propositions to the scientific community.”
“Nonetheless, the company has faced unfavorable initial rulings that have impacted its business trajectory and financial position,” the company acknowledged. “While the company believes that it has strong grounds for appeals, these initial litigation outcomes, including the cost burdens associated with continued engagement in extensive litigation with a large well-funded competitor, have siphoned resources from innovation and customer support activities and placed a significant strain on the company’s business and financial resources.”
As a result, NanoString said, it will begin a restructuring process, during which it will explore strategic alternatives that include a possible sale of all or part of its business to new owners “who will continue the company’s mission.”
“The company has received and is currently evaluating multiple preliminary indications of interest as part of this process,” NanoString stated.
$40M debtor financing
Also as part of its restructuring, NanoString said, it has reached agreement in principle with lenders that have agreed to provide the company with at least $40 million in new debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing.
“Upon approval of the bankruptcy court, this financing facility is expected to provide sufficient liquidity to operate the company’s business during the pendency of the cases,” NanoString asserted.
Pending a selloff of all or part of its business, or other outcome of the strategic review, NanoString said, it will continue to operate its business, support its workforce, and serve its customers—including those that either own or are considering the purchase of an nCounter®, GeoMx DSP, or CosMx SMI system.
NanoString added that the Chapter 11 filing would stay all ongoing patent litigation against the company worldwide.
10x has filed multiple patent infringement lawsuits against NanoString in the United States and the European Union, focused on NanoString’s GeoMx DSP and CosMx SMI.
“10x is engaging in its litigation campaign with the apparent goal of shrinking the competitive landscape for different spatial biology platforms to the detriment of the public good,” NanoString contended.
Speaking on GEN’s “Close to the Edge”, 10x co-founder and CEO Serge Saxonov, PhD, defended 10x’s series of patent lawsuits against competitors.
“We see ourselves as an R&D engine, ultimately. And when we invest in innovation, into new product development, we’re very diligent to make sure we can also protect it and protect our customers… Once you bring awesome products to market, you have to protect them. And that’s what we’re doing. That’s what allows us to then keep investing into more innovation to bring more technology to market.”
NanoString said it will continue to serve researchers across its installed base of over 1,500 nCounter, GeoMx DSP, and CosMx SMI platforms.
“NanoString’s current management team, Board of Directors, and employees will continue to operate the business and serve customers following the filing,” the company stated. “NanoString expects and intends to pay vendors under customary terms for goods and services received on or after the filing date, and to pay its employees in the usual manner and to continue their primary benefits without disruption.”


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Ummm, I guess I've been asleep at the bicycle handlebars cause I just heard last night on the news that their is a new law in town requiring buisness who use bicycle delivery workers to give them helmets. Hmmmm? Here is the article in the NY Times...
By Ray Rivera
New York Times, March 29, 2007
Businesses that use bicycle delivery workers will have to give them
helmets, require that they wear them and ensure that the bikes are
safe, under legislation signed into law yesterday by Mayor Michael R.
The new laws, which will affect thousands of businesses in the city’s
thriving bicycle-messenger and food-delivery industries, were passed by
the City Council earlier this month with overwhelming support. They are
set to take effect on July 26.
Under one law, businesses must provide helmets, at the business owners’
expense, to employees who use bicycles as part of their work, and
require that workers wear them.
The bill also requires business owners to ensure that every bicycle
used by employees as part of their work, regardless of who owns it, is
equipped with safety devices required by state vehicle and traffic
laws, including reflective devices and properly working brakes.
The second law requires business owners to prominently display signs in
their businesses, where employees can see them, summarizing bicycle
safety laws and regulations. The signs must be in English, Spanish and
any other language predominantly spoken by a company’s delivery
“In addition to enhancing the safety of pedestrians traversing the
city’s streets, these bills will help protect our city’s hard-working
delivery personnel, many of whom are immigrants who speak a language
other than English,” Mayor Bloomberg said.
The city does not keep separate statistics on injuries and deaths
involving bicycle messengers and delivery workers. On average, there
are 23 bicycle fatalities in the city each year, and in 94 percent of
those cases, the rider was not wearing a helmet, according to a 2006
city report. Nearly three-quarters of the deaths were caused by head
In September, Reginald Chan, the owner of Jade Mountain, a Chinese
restaurant in the East Village, died of head injuries he sustained when
he was struck by a truck while making a food delivery on a bicycle.
News reports at the time did not indicate whether he was wearing a
helmet, and Police Department records were not available yesterday.
David J. Louie, the chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, began
pushing for the tougher safety standards for restaurant bicycle
delivery workers after a delivery woman was killed in a similar
accident in Chinatown in the summer of 2004. That year, Mr. Louie
approached City Councilman Alan Gerson, who introduced the helmet
legislation that fall. The bill moved slowly through the Council before
it was passed on March 14.
“I’m glad it was signed today,” Mr. Louie said. “But I wish it was
signed five months earlier. If the law was signed in August, maybe we
would have had one less fatality.” He was referring to Mr. Chan’s
Mr. Gerson called the bicycle delivery workers “part of the commercial
fabric of our lives in New York City,” who deserve protection.
Louis Nunez, president of the Latino Restaurant Association, said his
members strongly supported the measure. The group represents some 2,800
restaurants in New York City, about 35 percent of which make
deliveries, Mr. Nunez said.
“We surveyed our members and they have all agreed it’s a good bill” and
are willing to pay for the helmets, he said.
The mayor also signed into law yesterday a bill strengthening
domestic-partner benefits for city workers. domestic partners employed
by the city already receive virtually every benefit that married
couples receive. The new law requires that any future benefits for
married couples also be provided to domestic partners.
This will include bicycle messengers as well...Ok, here is my opinion. I think there is a thing called common sense, if you chose not to wear a helmet it is YOUR choice. All too often laws like this are selectively enforced so the city can find new ways to make money. As much as I think it is a good idea to wear a helmet when you ride a bicycle in NYC, it doesn't need to be a law. This is one step closer to a citywide law for all cyclists to wear helmets, which is just what this city is hungry for in its war on intimidating bicyclists. Now, if this law is enforced to business, maybe it is a good thing, but I believe the common situation will be low wage workers working for food companies who are already habitually riding the wrong way down a one way street on a sidewalk (putting pedestrians in constant peril) will be stopped by low wage officers who now only make $25,000 a year and are looking to fill quotas in order for advancement. These workers will be too scared to blame their companies and end up having more tickets and violations against them. A plastic shelled piece of styrofoam may help in a little car crash, but will do nothing for the most common injury to food delivery people...Theft! I hear of court cases where juveniles are bored and want to look cool in front of their friends so they are jumping food service delivery people and beating them up. If Bloomberg is SO concerned about cyclists well being, why doesn't he demand companies using bicycle couriers pay health insurance? In the case of bicycle messengers, they are often not supported by their companies and considered independent contractors...this gets messenger companies out of paying expensive health insurance to one of the most dangerous jobs in NYC. The helmet is like a false sense of security...its like saying to an employer..."Here, you must give them this piece of plastic to your employees and now we don't have to deal with the REAL issues like how we are going to do nothing to make more room for cyclists...why should we, we gave them all helmets...bye." I have to say I don't like it. I believe in making incentives for business to protect their employees, but laws? When was this decided? What was the civic input or is this just like parade laws which our city government enacts while we are asleep.
Bloomberg once again has put a band-aid on a gapping laceration to the lower abdomen. See you at Critical Mass tonight when our mayors idea of helping cyclists will be to spend millions of dollars to spy on on and attack us…don’t forget your helmet.


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Read the full article here.
This content was originally published by the new yorker business. Original publishers retain all rights. It appears here for a limited time before automated archiving. By the new yorker business
Christine Mi humorously offers a few vibrant and happy migratory birds to help inspire joy during the coronavirus pandemic.


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Petrics, a pet health technology company, is looking to make tracking weight, activity levels and rest periods a whole lot easier for pet owners. By launching the Smart Pet Bed, Activity Tracker, pet Health and Nutrition App, the Las Vegas-based company is aiming to help those four-legged family members achieve optimal weight ranges.
More than 90 years of “doing things right the first time” tends to pay off.
Just ask officials at the Chase Products Co., the Broadview, Ill.-based manufacturer of private label aerosol items that continues to produce robust sales and profit growth for themselves and their retailer partners as it closes in on the century mark in business.
The International Home + Housewares Show may just be a couple of months away, but Phil Brandl, president and CEO of the Rosemont, Ill.-based International Housewares Association said some interesting trends — propelled by innovative, design-driven products — are taking shape to impact several general merchandise categories in the following months.


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Wednesday, March 15, 2017
One of the First Legal Cannabis Shops in Washington
A visit to Satori Spokane, one of the first legal Washington State cannabis shops to open in 2014. Workers there confirmed that Baby Boomers are the most frequent customers.
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Maurice Levy had an unusual response when he was first asked to be CEO of an advertising agency in Paris back in 1971: he quit.
“We went to a small restaurant, the chairman of the agency and I,” Levy recounted recently at a breakfast meeting of the Anglo-America Press Association held at the Publicis headquarters on the Champs Elysees in Paris. “And about halfway through lunch, he said that a few days previously the Board had met and had decided to make me CEO of the company. I said ‘pourquoi moi?’ and he said because the board considered I was the best. I was only 29! And I thought to myself, if I’m the best, I have to change agencies because I will not learn anything here.’ I resigned on the spot.”
He then joined Publicis as IT Director, and quickly worked his way up the corporate ladder to Chairman of the flagship agency in 1984. In 1987, he was appointed chairman and CEO of the Publicis Groupe. His over 46 years with Publicis have been instrumental in turning the Groupe into a marketing, PR and communications powerhouse, now the third largest in the world. It has been a continual journey of learning –particularly in the past decade or so, when the digital revolution turned so-called “legacy media” on its head.
“Mad Men had to wait for feed-back,” he remarked, referring to the popular American TV series on advertising in the 1950s and 1960s. “Today there’s no need to wait. Consumers are quick to make their voice heard and that changes the way we communicate with them, it changes the way we organize ourselves. We can have a conversation with the consumer instantly, anytime.”
Mobile Uber Alles
A lot of that conversation takes place on-the-go. "We expect mobile communications will overtake the digital market share in this year or the year after, especially as new devices make it possible to create and send decent video,” he opined. “And we expect all digital – that would be Internet, mobile, etc. – all tools of commerce, will overtake TV ad revenues between 2020 and 2022."
The speed of transformation has already outdistanced businesses’ ability to keep up, and nowhere is this shift illustrated more dramatically than in a media landscape littered with the carcasses of legacy media outlets that failed to make the transition. The continuing struggle and change are reflected in the balance sheets of media agencies.
“Analogue is declining everywhere, including in our business,” he stated in an interview with EuroBusinessMedia on February 11, 2016, when the company’s full-year results were released (click here to see and read full interview). “Digital has seen a very good year. The fourth quarter has been up by 8.8%. Digital today represents 52% of all our revenues…the world is changing dramatically, and our clients are changing also.”
Part of the change is that companies today are creating their own media platforms via websites and social media and e-commerce. “So we need to transform our businesses,” says Levy, referring to the world of PR, advertising and marketing. “Customers still want us to help them build their sales,” he says. “The means are different today – the approach is more complicated and disruptive and interdisciplinary. It is easier – and cheaper – to advertise on Facebook or Twitter, but these platforms have to be improved in order to generate more revenues for the advertisers. They have to go one step further in order to monetize the experience –for example, allowing video on the platform, or accommodating more than 140 characters.”
The Blurry Line
Then there’s that line between editorial and advertising, which has become even more blurry ever since jettisoned journalists began taking on jobs writing brand content. It’s a concept Levy buys into, but with limits. “We like to see journalists writing stories for brands,” he admits, “but there needs to be a separation between information and advertising. This has more consequences than we realize. The customer will be lost if we as advertisers do not make a strict line between paid content and what’s coming from the (editorial) media.”
Then there’s that glut of ads popping up online all the time, apparently aimed at the individual consumer’s tastes. It’s going to become more targeted, and possibly more invasive. “For the next 3-5 years, the dream has been to create an algorithm to crunch numbers and create a profile of individual consumers,” he comments. And this opens up questions of who owns that data and who gets to use it - when, and at what price?
“Right now, Google, Facebook and Amazon have most of the world’s data,” Levy points out. ”It’s a gold mine…but it is also a concern to European governments who say they’re shut out of future economic growth because all this data is in the hands of foreign companies. So the question of ‘who is the real owner of this data/’ is a philosophical one with real economic consequences.”
Levy suggests that consumers will soon start demanding some control and compensation for their data – demanding their permission, being paid each time their data is used, etc. “Maybe we put all that data in a secured cyber-storage box for each consumer, who then lets others have the right to it if they pay…” he ponders.
And finally, what about all that sheer noise out there online trying to pass for news and information? “In the past decade, there have been lots of blogs, lots of comments from citizens co-authoring and co-producing news,” Levy says. There is news flow everywhere, and there have been too many cases where that information was not checked. Now this trend is being reversed. Professional journalists are taking back a more important role.”
Then there’s the question of Levy’s next role. He is plenty busy aside from the office. In 2008 he received the International Leadership Award from the Anti-Defamation League in recognition of his support of tolerance and diversity, and that same year financed a concert at Paris’s Trocadero to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Israeli state.
And he’s behind the Pubicis project celebrating the company’s 90th anniversary this year, inviting start-ups, entrepreneurs and students to submit projects for funding and technical support. “Publicis 90” will then select 90 from those entrants to receive as much as 500,000-Euros as an endowment in convertible bonds, and a year of mentoring.
But Levy, for all his activities, is past the French retirement age. There are “expectations” he may step down next year, but this is not something Levy himself discusses. Probably because he’s still learning.
Also on Forbes:


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Top India Shipping Line Reviving Iran Venture to Fight SlumpBy and
Shipping Corp. of India acting after sanctions were eased
State-run company seeking to tap demand in Central Asia
State-run Shipping Corp. of India Ltd., struggling for respite from an industry downturn, plans to revive a 40-year-old joint venture with an Iranian company.
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Kenvue, the consumer health division of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), has priced its initial public offering (IPO) at $22 per share, giving the new business a $41 billion valuation. It is worth highlighting that the IPO, which is anticipated to raise about $3.8 billion, will likely be the largest listing in the United States over the past 18 months.
Additionally, the company increased the number of shares offered from 151 million to approximately 173 million. Additionally, to cover overallotments, underwriters are given a 30-day option to purchase up to 26 million extra shares. Goldman Sachs (GS), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), and Bank of America (BAC) are among the lead underwriters for the offering.
Upon the closing of the IPO, expected on May 8, J&J will continue to own over 91% of Kenvue’s shares. Importantly, the shares of Kenvue are expected to begin trading on the NYSE today under the symbol “KVUE.”
A few well-known brands owned by Kenvue include Tylenol, Neutrogena, Band-Aids, and Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. In 2022, the division reported a net income of $1.5 billion on $15 billion in revenue.
What is the Future of JNJ Stock?
Kenvue’s spin-off is anticipated to be a turning point for JNJ, which has recently been dealing with legal issues. Numerous lawsuits alleging a connection between Johnson & Johnson’s talc products have been brought against the company. However, the introduction of new products and cost-cutting initiatives might support its revenue and margin in the second half of 2023.
Turning to Wall Street, JNJ stock is a Moderate Buy based on five Buys and 12 Hold ratings. The average Johnson & Johnson stock price target is $179.95, implying 10.5% upside potential.


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Paris, 24 January 2017 – MIPFormats today announces the judges for the 2017 MIPFormats International Pitch which will be backed by global partner all3media International, the distribution arm of the UK’s leading TV production group.
MIPFormats is the only specialist conference for the international formats community, taking place in Cannes, France, on 1-2 April 2017, ahead of the MIPTV global entertainment content market.
Leading the jury will be senior executives from various all3media companies, including Nick Smith, SVP International Format Production at all3media International; Philipp Schmid, Creative Director/ Deputy Managing Director of Tower Productions (joint venture between the international media companies BBC Worldwide and all3media) and Layla Smith, EVP of Objective Media Group U.S. Between them, these companies have delivered a range of hit formats for the international market including Gogglebox, The Cube, Undercover Boss and Hollywood Darlings. They will be joined by Fabrizio Battocchio, Head of the Format Department at Mediaset RTI who is responsible for Factual Entertainment and Documentaries.
“I’m delighted to have been invited to be a judge for the MIPFormats International Pitch Competition 2017. In this role, I am looking forward to interacting with talented and gifted format creators from around the world and I hope to provide a small personal contribution to the success of the next big format” said Fabrizio Battocchio.
A further onstage judge representing the Asia region will be announced in February.
Prior to the MIPFormats event, five finalists will be selected by a prestigious Short List Jury, comprised of some of the industry’s most renowned experts in format development, production and distribution.
The panel will be chaired by Stephen Lambert, Chief Executive of Studio Lambert. Joining Lambert will be Noah Pollack, who recently joined all3media’s Lime Pictures as EVP Non-Fiction Programming, having previously been SVP Programming and Development at E!; Rachel Glaister, EVP, Press & Marketing at all3media International and Maria Silver, President of Optomen USA.
The winner of the MIPFormats International Pitch will be awarded a €5,000 cash prize by all3media International, plus a package worth €15,000 aimed at further developing the winning format to be ready to pitch to broadcasters. Submissions must be received before 17th February 2017.
“The MIPFormats International Pitch was our springboard to the world of TV formats. Attending MIPFormats for the first time, we were amazed to discover a completely new world of marketing opportunities and priceless exposure to countless content buyers from all over the world. In one given moment we were able to expose our content to more relevant people than we could have in years of work. We left the conference event with a vast and extensive knowledge and important business connections,” said Liraz Mia Shagrir, Owner of Israel’s Liraz Casting whose pitch for “The Claw” won the 2016 competition.
Producers and creators from around the world are today invited to enter their ideas for new and original, non-scripted entertainment formats for selection in the MIPFormats International Pitch Competition
About Reed MIDEM – Founded in 1963, Reed MIDEM is an organiser of professional, international markets that are essential business platforms for key players in the sectors concerned. These sectors are MIPTV, MIPDOC, MIPCOM, MIP CANCUN and MIPJUNIOR for the television and digital content industries, MIDEM for music professionals, MIPIM, MIPIM Asia, MIPIM UK, and MIPIM Japan for the real estate industry and MAPIC, Retail Real Estate Market brought by MAPIC in Shanghai and MAPIC Italy for the retail real estate sector. www.reedmidem.com
About Reed Exhibitions – Reed MIDEM is a division of Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading event organiser, with over 500 events in 43 countries. In 2015 Reed brought together over seven million active professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 41 fully-staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of the RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. www.reedexpo.com


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After first filing for its IPO confidentially in February, plant-based food company Oatly Group AB is set for its trading debut Thursday.
On Wednesday, Oatly’s OTLY initial public offering priced at $ 17 a share, the high end of its expected range, offering 84.4 million American Depository Shares. Selling stockholders will offer 19.7 million of those shares.
The pricing valued the company at about $ 10 billion, and will raise about $ 1.43 billion. The company will trade on the Nasdaq under the ticker “OTLY.”
Oatly Group changed its name from Havre Global AB on March 1.
There are nine lead underwriters for the filing: Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, Credit Suisse, Barclays, Jeffries, BNP Paribas, BofA Securities, Piper Sandler and RBC Capital Markets.
Oatly is backed by private-equity group Blackstone Group, as well as celebrity names like Oprah Winfrey and Jay Z who invested $ 200 million in the company last summer. That investment valued the company at $ 2 billion at the time, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Based in Malmö, Sweden, Oatly has been in the oat milk business for 25 years. The company’s product lineup now also includes frozen desserts and “oatgurt,” an alternative yogurt.
Toni Petersson has been Oatly’s chief executive since 2012, and will join the board once the company is publicly-traded.
Christian Hanke, a former Nasdaq Stockholm executive, has served as Oatly’s chief financial officer since March 2020.
The company is going public at a time when climate change and sustainability issues are top of mind for many consumers, particularly younger ones.
“Generation Z and Millennials will become the dominant global generations in the coming years, bringing to the market a new set of values and expectations,” the company said in its prospectus.
Read: Impossible Foods prepping for $ 10 billion IPO: report
“These combined factors are driving a clear rapid, accelerating growth and influx of new consumers to the plant-based dairy market.”
According to the Plant Based Foods Association and Good Foods Institute, plant-based-food sales reached $ 7 billion in 2020.
Consumer Insights data quoted in the prospectus says the plant-based milk category will grow 20% to 25% over the next three years.
Oatly is focused on its role in helping to transform the food industry in order to be better for the environment and meet the health needs of its customers. The company points out that substituting a cup of Oatly for a cup of cow’s milk reduces greenhouse gas emissions, land use and energy consumption.
Tastewise, which provides food and beverage data and intelligence, said in a December 2020 report that “plant-based everything” will be one of the top 10 U.S. trends for this year.
“The number one reason consumers turn to plant-based food and beverage? Health,” the report said.
“Plant-based is no longer just an ‘alternative’ to meat, but rather a significant
category in itself.”
Oatly’s key markets are Sweden, Germany and the U.K., though its products were available in 60,000 retail stores and 32,200 coffee shops around the world as of December 31, 2020. Among the places where customers can find Oatly is Starbucks SBUX, -1.26%, where demand was so high there was a shortage soon after the coffee chain introduced beverages made with the item.
COVID-19 has impacted Oatly’s business as lockdowns around the world limited access to restaurants, bars and other dining establishments.
See: Starbucks oat-milk shortage comes as sales of plant-based food soar
In 2020, Oatly had revenue of $ 421.4 million, up from $ 204.0 million the year before. However, the company reported a loss of $ 60.4 million “reflecting our continued investment in production, brand awareness, new markets and product development,” the prospectus said.
Oatly is classified as an “emerging growth company,” which means it does not have to make the same disclosures required of bigger public companies. A business remains an emerging growth company until it reaches a number of milestones, including annual revenue of more than $ 1.07 billion.
Oatly warns that it has reported losses over the last “several” years and expects operating and capital expenses to rise “substantially.”
“Our expansion efforts may take longer or prove more expensive than we anticipate, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we may not succeed in increasing our revenue and margins sufficiently to offset the anticipated higher expenses,” the company said in its prospectus.
“We incur significant expenses in researching and developing our innovative products, building out our production and manufacturing facilities, obtaining and storing ingredients and other products and marketing the products we offer.”
Also: Plant-based meat alternative brand Incogmeato launches Chik’n Tenders
Here are five more things to know about Oatly ahead of its public debut:
Oatly will not pay a dividend for the “foreseeable future.” The company plans to use the proceeds from the offering as working capital, for incremental growth, including expansion, and other general purposes.
Coffee provided a gateway for Oatly in the U.S. Oatly arrived in the U.S. in 2017. The company says it “focused on targeting coffee’s tastemakers, professional baristas at independent coffee shops” as a way to enter the market.”
By December 31, 2020, Oatly was in more than 7,500 retail shops and 10,000 coffee shops in the U.S. Revenue in 2020 totaled $ 100 million in the U.S.
Oatly can also be found in 11,000 coffee and tea shops in China, and at more than 6,000 retail and specialty shops across the country, including thousands of Starbucks locations.
Limited oat supply could have a financial impact. Oatly depends on five suppliers for the oats it uses, purchasing this ingredient through millers in Sweden, Denmark, the U.S. and Belgium.
“We have in the past experienced interruptions in the supply of oats from one supplier that resulted in delays in delivery to us,” the company said, noting that its oat supply is also vulnerable to natural disasters such as drought or floods.
“We could experience similar delays in the future from any of these suppliers.”
The company also depends on select suppliers for enzymes, including one supplier that provides an enzyme for some of Oatly’s products, including Barista Edition oat milk.
The main components of the company’s products are manufactured in four primary facilities as of March 2021, which could also be a problem if something significant happens at any one facility.
The dairy market is highly competitive. Oatly identifies conventional dairy companies, including Dean Foods Inc. DFODQ, -1.72% and Lactalis as competitors, as well as the growing array of plant-based dairy alternative companies that are entering the market, including soy, almond, hemp and cashew milk brands.
All of these companies are competing for a finite number of retail stores, coffee shops, foodservice clients and consumers.
“In order for us to not only maintain our market position, but also to continue to grow and acquire more consumers, some of which may be switching from traditional dairy to plant-based alternatives, we must continue to provide delicious, high-quality products, and consumers must believe in our vision for a food system that is better for people and the planet,” the company said.
Don’t miss: America is set to reopen on July 4 and restaurants are poised to benefit from a desire to ‘get out and gather,’ says JPMorgan
Oatly’s marketing and COVID-19 might be a hurdle to growth. Oatly says that its history of “provocative and unconventional marketing and advertising campaigns” has gotten them into hot water, including a 2014 lawsuit filed by the Swedish dairy lobby in which the courts found Oatly was “disparaging to dairy products.”
“The decision resulted in a ban on our further use of a number of expressions marketing our products in Sweden, under the penalty of liquidated damages of SEK 2 million per expression,” the prospectus said.
The company cautions that future marketing could drive other legal action.
More recently, Oatly’s Super Bowl ad made headlines, but mostly for provoking laughter.


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Oasis is yet another example of how the travel sector has been testing the subscription model this year. But the company's on-again, off-again investment history with Accor, Hyatt, and Vacasa hints at a broader story. Blended hospitality with leisure travelers is difficult to do at scale.
Oasis, which professionally manages apartment and home rentals in several countries, has launched a subscription model for travelers looking for extended stays, such as for remote work during the pandemic.
At the start, the Oasis Passport will offer stays at about 350 homes in 11 markets out of the company’s 1,300 properties in 15 markets.
Oasis is betting on the rise in remote work, as many companies experiment with having distributed teams during the pandemic. Given today’s uncertainty, the subscriptions’ temporary nature may appeal as an alternative to long-term leases. One of Skift’s megatrends in 2020 was that subscription travel would be the next frontier of loyalty.
“I think the Oasis Passport takes away the ‘Revolution Road’ excuse for knowledge workers, meaning, so many people want this kind of nomadic option, and the ability to truly live as part of another culture, but life and logistics get in the way and it never happens,” said Andrew McConnell, CEO of Rented, a provider of revenue management services to professional vacation rental managers. “The Oasis Passport makes it so easy and turnkey.”
Oasis, founded in Buenos Aires in 2009 and headquartered in Miami, had an early start in serviced home rentals. Yet its attempt to scale up as a venture-backed startup stumbled.
Accor took a small stake in 2016, but that turned into a conflict of interest when the Paris-based hotel giant bought Onefinestay. Hyatt then bought out Accor as well as injected some capital, ending up at about 40 percent ownership. In 2018, Hyatt made it possible for more than 10 million members of its loyalty program to earn and redeem points through stays at Oasis properties.
An unnamed activist investor in Oasis essentially blew that relationship up, Stanberry said. Hyatt cut its ties.
Oasis restructured via a sale to Vacasa in 2018. Since then, Oasis has bought back the brand and international portfolio from Vacasa.
Today Oasis is owned by founder and CEO Parker Stanberry and Steve Frey, an entrepreneur who owns a corporate housing company in Tampa that happens to be called Oasis Corporate Housing, a serviced apartment provider for the corporate sector since 2003. Oasis, a separate company, is no longer backed by venture equity.
Oasis sees the subscription model as a way to generate buzz and revenue.
How Subscription Travel Works
Oasis subscribers can move between different properties, cities, and countries with a fixed monthly cost. Pricing is based on region and number of bedrooms.
Plans start at $1,625 a month for a three-month subscription and $1,550 a month for a six-month term. Pricing is set in a cheaper tier for Latin American destinations than for European locations, which start at about $2,075 a month.
“To hit this price point, which is designed to be accessible to young professionals or creatives, we’ve made a selection of the more affordable properties in our portfolio, in the neighborhoods that are most appealing for a one-to-three-month experience,” said Stanberry, who expects to include about 500 properties by March.
The Oasis subscription service currently covers Barcelona, London, Madrid, Paris, Rome, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Mexico City, Rio, Santiago, and São Paulo. The company plans to expand elsewhere, including to Miami, Austin, and Denver.
The program offers a choice between 25 to 50 unique apartments and homes in these global cities’ prime neighborhoods, ranging from studios to 2-bedrooms. It includes professional housekeeping, access to an “on-the-ground concierge,” and discounted admission to co-working spaces run by Spaces.
Here’s an example of how the program can work. A customer chooses a plan and makes a $250 initial deposit. The traveler picks a destination and books a spot. Let’s say it’s at a one-bedroom in Buenos Aires for a two-month stay. Upon check-in at the Argentine property, Oasis bills the guest for the first month ($1,550) and will continue to bill them monthly. The guest has a year to use the six months of travel. If a guest chooses to move to Barcelona for two months, Oasis will bill them at a different monthly price for that apartment.
Oasis Has Changed Financial Backing
Last year, Hyatt Hotels CEO Mark Hoplamazian commented during an earnings call on its home-sharing investments — first with Onefinestay and then with Oasis. He said that Hyatt’s experiences were ultimately “challenging.”
“When you’re dealing with high-end properties, and you try to maintain a level of quality on a consistent basis, the delivery model is expensive and hard to get to a point where you are receiving, from a financial return perspective, a sustainable model,” Hoplamazian said.
When asked this week about the Hyatt CEO’s comment, Stanberry said, “I really like Mark and found him to be very intelligent, and I agree with his sentiment in several ways. I don’t think anyone has found a way to make the professionally managed concept profitable and sustainable for leisure, short-term stays. That goes for Onefinestay, Sonder, Stay Alfred, Hostmaker, and on and on. It is very hard to deliver high quality and make money.”
“I’d also note that massive public hotel groups don’t have a great track record with corporate venture capital and innovation,” Stanberry said. “The alternative accommodations business is so far afield from their core business that they might not be the investors/partners to make it fly.”
Other hotel brands have dabbled in the sector. Marriott began a test in 2018 of referring guests to about 200 vacation homes in London in partnership with UK-based property management company Hostmaker. But last year Hostmaker collapsed, and Marriott turned to other partners to run its Homes & Villas by Marriott International in about 100 destinations.
Bets on Remote Workers
Hyatt and other global hotel brands have said they continue to evaluate whether there are ways in which they might take part in what one might describe as a more business-to-business, corporate-focused, urban residential play in alternative accommodation.
“That’s more the direction we’ve gone in — an extended-stay orientation, with a 50-night average stay,” Stanberry said. “We’ve had primarily corporate customers, with some digital nomads sprinkled in. Also, no master lease risk, not buying furniture, etc. It might be a smaller total addressable market, but it’s sustainable. We hit profitability in January through March, on around $1 million a month in revenue, and we have maintained breakeven throughout the pandemic.”
For more context on the trend, see our recent stories: Selina Nabs Remote Year in Bet on Subscription Travel for Digital Nomads, Battling Isolation for Remote Workers With New Approaches to Bring Teams Together, and More Momentum Building on Subscription Services in Travel, Will It Help Post-Pandemic?.
Get breaking news, analysis and data from the week’s most important stories about short-term rentals, vacation rentals, housing, and real estate.
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Photo credit: "The Pablo" is a one-bedroom apartment for rent in Barcelona. Oasis


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Disney-owned stations like ESPN have major events coming up.
With negotiations between Verizon and Disney over a new contract stalling, millions of Verizon Fios customers are set to lose access to Disney channels from a blackout next week.
Ahead of a potential blackout, which would affect all of Disney’s channels like the ABC stations that Disney owns in major cities like New York and Philadelphia, ESPN, Disney, Disney XD, and Freeform, both Verizon and Disney are sending messages to customers. Verizon Fios customers are seeing ads on Disney-owned channels warning them that they could lose access to those channels.
According to Deadline, Verizon has emailed customers and told them Disney wants the company to “pay hundreds of millions of dollars more for its programming” even amid a lower viewer count. It also says that Disney wants them to include the ACC Network as part of its bundle for customers.
“Unfortunately, as of today, they have rejected our offers and there is a possibility that we won’t be able to reach an agreement with them prior to our contract expiration,” the Verizon email stated.
“Our proven history of providing extraordinary value to consumers and distributors is unmatched,” Disney said in a statement. “Our negotiations continue in earnest and we remain optimistic that we can reach a deal.”
A blackout will prevent Verizon Fios customers from viewing regular programming on Disney-owned channels, and that means customers will not be able to watch special college football matchups like the Rose Bowl and the College Football Playoff as well as the Pro Bowl and at least part of the NFL playoffs.
Negotiations have faltered amid rising cable costs as more customers opt for a la carte TV, which includes options like ESPN+ and the upcoming Disney+ streaming service.
Although Disney and Verizon have attempted to negotiate on terms for a new contract, neither side has been able to come to an agreement; the current contract ends on Jan. 1 at 5pm. Verizon Fios has around 4.5 million subscribers for its TV services.
H/T NBC News
Michelle Jaworski is a staff writer and the resident Game of Thrones expert at the Daily Dot. She covers entertainment, geek culture, and pop culture and has brought her knowledge to conventions like Con of Thrones. She is based in New Jersey.


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Fnatic, a leading London-based esports organisation, announced the extension of their partnership with Europe’s leading PC manufacturer, PCSpecialist. As part of the partnership renewal, PCSpecialist will continue to serve as Fnatic’s exclusive provider of custom gaming PCs across all of their European based gaming teams, including League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Fortnite and Valorant.
PCSpecialist will also continue to produce the Official Fnatic Gaming PC, which is used by Fnatic’s roster of professional gaming teams to practice and compete in online esports tournaments, such as the League of Legends European Championship and Valorant EU Masters tournament.
Working closely with AMD, also a partner of Fnatic, PCSpecialist have created the latest version of the Official Fnatic Gaming PC that will power Fnatic’s teams and gaming facilities across Europe. With tournaments continuing to move online in 2021 in the wake of COVID-19, the Official Fnatic Gaming PC and the performance it provides is now more important than ever for Fnatic players who are both practicing and competing from home. The specs for the latest version of the Official Fnatic Gaming PC are:
AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800X Processor
AMD Radeon™ RX 6800 XT Graphics
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB Pro 3200MHz RAM
500GB Samsung 970 EVO PLUS M.2 NVMe SSD
2TB Seagate Barracuda HDD
Windows 10 Home
“Throughout 2020 PCSpecialist have demonstrated why they’re the perfect Gaming PC partner for Fnatic by providing our teams with the equipment they need to practice and compete online. Their ability to understand the hardware requirements of our players to perform at the highest level is unparalleled, and we’re extremely excited to see the latest version of the Official Fnatic Gaming PC powering our teams throughout 2021” said Patrik Sättermon, Chief Gaming Officer at Fnatic.
In addition to being used by Fnatic pro players, the partnership will also see Fnatic and PCSpecialist co-produce content featuring Fnatic’s roster of pro-gaming and creator talent.
“We’re incredibly excited to be partnering with Fnatic for another year. Not only does this give PCSpecialist the chance to power Fnatic’s pro teams in their drive for success throughout 2021, but it also gives us the opportunity to continue engaging with some of the most passionate people we know; Fnatic’s fans.” said John Medley, Commercial Manager at PCSpecialist.


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None had expected the UK based supermarket chain Tesco to come up with a tablet offering of its own; and if that wasn’t enough, the company has now stated they are planning a sequel for launch soon. All of it started with the Hudl, whose biggest feature has been its affordable price tag. Tesco is claiming the Hudl, which went on sale for £119 (roughly around 195 USD), sold in numbers significant enough to warrant coming up with a sequel. The Hudi went on to notch up sales figure of more than 35,000 within the first few days of its launch, while around 300,000 have been sold in the two months since. That is the entire shipment they had expected to sell through the end of 2013.
As for the upcoming Hudl 2, almost the entire thing remains cloaked in secrecy and the only thing we know of the upcoming device is that it will sport enhanced specifications. That’s hardly surprising considering every sequel is designed to be better than its predecessor. However, it remains to be seen just how much of an improvement Hudl 2 comes with without disturbing the affordability factor which is believed to be Tesco’s trump card.
Aldi’s decision to follow suit with an even cheaper tablet, one that costs just £80, may be a competing point for the Hudl. Dubbed the Medion Lifetab Android tablet or just Lifetab, the tablet comes with features that can be considered befitting the price tag, though a reported four hour run time will be a real pain. Nevertheless, the tablet offers compatibility with the Google Play Store where it will have access to over 850k Android apps. The tablet also comes pre-loaded with quite a few apps such as Drawing Pad, a media player, and a month long free trial of Kaspersky Tablet Security.
As such, there seems to be a new battle brewing in the ultra-low cost tablet segment where the Hudl may have taken an initial lead, though competition is hot on its heels.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in the world of technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles as well, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. Motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot and maybe I’ll make a film sometime in the future.


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Hotel rooms still cheaper than before financial crisis
Hotel rooms in the Caribbean are still cheaper than before the financial crisis, despite occupancy returning to pre-crash levels, writes TTG Digital’s Gary Noakes in Montego Bay.
Data revealed at Caribbean Travel Marketplace in Jamaica showed that average room rates in November throughout the Caribbean region were $180, up 5.2% year-on-year. That compares to more than $200 before 2007-8.
“We are expecting that it will be another 12-18 months before the market recovers to the peak,” Steve Hennis, director of the US-based research firm STR Analytics, said.
He added that hotel occupancy was currently 68-69%, slightly ahead of 2007-8 and “very strong” given the Caribbean’s seasonality. But occupancy will probably grow at only 2% this year and 1% the next.
The trend is clearly upwards, however. Dominican Republic, St Lucia and the British Virgin Islands have already reached pre-2007 levels and Jamaica is showing strong growth, recording two million visitors for the first time in 2013.
[pictured: Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort; courtesy Sandals Resorts International]


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The launch follows the government’s development of a ‘Five-Point-Plan’ for tourism and supports the new Inter-Ministerial Group on tourism, previously announced by Prime Minister David Cameron.
It has been created to help develop new initiatives for the the industry, which employs 2.9 million people in the UK, and to help the sector realise its full potential for growth.
Co-chairs of the new council are Tourism Minister Tracey Crouch, and executive vice-president and president of Europe, Middle East & Africa at Hilton Worldwide, Simon Vincent.
Crouch said: “UK tourism is already a global success story that continues to contribute substantially to our economy.
“But we want to make sure the benefits of our world-class industry are spread more evenly across the whole country, and the Tourism Council will be central to delivering our vision for this as set out in the Five-Point-Plan.”
Vincent added: “Tourism makes a vital contribution to the UK economy and I am delighted that the Tourism Council has been re-established following the election in May.
“The government’s focus on our industry as a priority sector, supported through its Five-Point-Plan, is a huge achievement for tourism businesses and recognition of the crucial role they play in the UK economy.”


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The age-old spat between owners of raucous chickens and their angry neighbors probably dates to the advent of agriculture. Now a proposed county bill seeks to restrict noisy rooster farms nestled in tightly packed Big Island neighborhoods.
The issue pits farmers who consider roosters a hallmark of country life against homeowners who say their peace of mind is rattled by the incessant crowing of birds tethered just a few feet from their bedroom windows.
Popular Hawaii chain Zippy’s is expanding outside of the Islands with a planned location in Las Vegas.
The company said it has put out a request for proposal to Las Vegas commercial real estate owners and brokers to find a stand-alone location between 9,000 and 10,000 square feet.
The restaurant is scheduled to open in early 2019 and will be company owned and operated. Zippy’s, which was founded by Francis and Charles Higa more than 51 years ago, has expanded to 24 locations on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. The Las Vegas location is intended to mark the beginning of further growth and expansion outside of Hawaii.
Pearl City is the fourth happiest city in the U.S., according to a WalletHub study released today in honor of the upcoming International Day of Happiness on March 20.
WalletHub, a Washington D.C.-based personal finance website, compared more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities across three key dimensions including emotional & physical well-being, income & employment and community & environment. The cities were evaluated using 28 key indicators, ranging from weather to income growth rate, depression rate and average leisure time spent per day.
The Pacific Whale Foundation on Maui reported a total of 529 humpback whale sightings on Saturday from its annual Great Whale Count, including 335 pods, or groups of whales, and 62 calves.
Are you ready to let Punahou Carnival be the Aladdin to your Jasmine, and show you the world? We’re not just talking about the gorgeous view from the top of the Century Wheel. This year’s theme, “A Worldwide Ride,” promises a trip around the world with every food and game booth you visit. Here’s what else you need to know about the school’s annual carnival.
As a New Yorker now, I was hopeful when poke shops began proliferating on the mainland a couple of years ago. I even found one to love, Sons of Thunder in Midtown Manhattan, whose owners have family roots in Hawaii. But elsewhere, the prevailing assembly-line, build-it-yourself model baffled me; there were too many mix-ins and toppings, including oddball interlopers like corn and kale, and the marinades were more like heavy sauces.
What finally sent me over the edge was a highly lauded poke spot in Los Angeles. The fish was dropped into a bowl of marinade, and then the whole bowl was tipped over the rice. The dark stain of soy sauce soaked through, turning everything to salt.


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Competitive gaming community E-Sports Entertainment Association (ESEA) has had its customer data leaked after cyber criminals held the data to ransom.
A security warning was released by ESEA on December 30th, stating that cyber criminals had got hold of customer data and was holding it to ransom.
Data leaked included:
- Email addresses
- Gaming IDs
- Hashed passwords
- Dates of birth
- Phone numbers
Customer records posted online
A post yesterday (01/08/2017) revealed that the data had now been posted online and said, “We have been working around the clock to further fortify security and will bring our website online shortly when that next round is complete.”
LeakedSource, a breach notification website, claimed to have obtained a total of 1,503,707 ESEA user records. It claimed the hack only emerged after the website’s administrators failed to pay a ransom demand of $50,000.
ESEA has contacted the FBI.


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Start your weekend informed with a dispatch on the top fashion news of the moment…
Tom for James: There could not possibly be a better combination than Tom Ford and James Bond, right? That’s why it is great news that the designer has been tapped to create the wardrobe for Daniel Craig in the latest Bond flick. via Telegraph UK.
Green steps: Beloved shoe designer Sergio Rossi has gone green with his latest creations. In partnership with Livia Firth’s Eco-Age company, the Green Carpet Collection will be made entirely in Italy and is totally eco-friendly. via Vogue UK.
Haute hire: Plucked from Apple (AAPL) and headed to…LVMH (LVMHF)? Such is the path for the rather stylish tech nerd Ian Rogers, who will become chief digital officer at the French fashion conglomerate. via InStyle.
Oh, boy: Starring in the latest round of ads from Acne Studio is 12-year-old Frasse Johansson. How’d he get the gig? Well, it helps that his dad is creative director at the brand. via WWD.
Street smarts: The real street style star this fashion month will undoubtedly be the photographer Tommy Ton. Following a brief sabbatical, he will resume posting photos to his namesake site. Dress accordingly. via Business of Fashion.


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The food police are back at it in Sacramento. New taxes on soda and candy are on the docket as our betters in the state Legislature try to use the power of government to influence what we eat and drink, while lightening our pockets to the tune of billions of dollars each year.
Assembly Bill 2782, by Assemblyman Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica, would impose a 2-cents-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages – 24 cents for a standard 12-ounce soda – and is estimated to generate between $2 billion and $3 billion a year in taxes, or “health impact fees,” as they are euphemistically called.
Proponents claim that the measures would help fight obesity, diabetes and dental health issues by dissuading purchases and dedicating tax revenue to health programs. But, as a 2010 study by economists and public health professors concluded, “Soft drink taxes do not appear to have countered the rise in obesity prevalence because any reduction in soft drink consumption has been offset by the consumption of other calories.”
Besides, consumers have already long been switching from soda to water and other healthier alternatives. The Wall Street Journal reported last year that soda consumption declined for the 10th year in a row, and per-capita consumption of carbonated soft drinks fell to its lowest level in 30 years, while bottled water consumption is expected to surpass soda next year. The New York Times hailed “The Decline of Big Soda” in an October article that noted that sales of full-calorie soda in the U.S. have fallen by more than 25 percent over the past 20 years.
It seems people are perfectly capable of making health and dietary decisions on their own. And even if they make decisions politicians do not like, that is their right. Moreover, it is hypocritical for government to dictate such dietary habits while the federal government subsidizes the production of sugar and corn (used to make high-fructose corn syrup).
As numerous studies have shown, such paternalistic “sin taxes” have negligible effects on health, but the billions of dollars they take from consumers do serve to prop up and expand fruitless government bureaucracies. Politicians in Sacramento and elsewhere should stay out of our shopping carts and our wallets.


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Following the public launch of iOS 12.1.2, Apple is moving forward with the next software update to its popular mobile operating system.
Apple today officially seeded a new developer beta of iOS 12.1.3. Apple actually has it marked as the second beta, even though it’s the first for this particular build. Still, this is more than likely a minor update, aimed to fix any lingering issues since the public launch of iOS 12.1 earlier this year, and especially in light of the recent launch of iOS 12.1.2. This software will more than likely not include any major new additions to the features list, but will focus more on behind-the-scenes tweaks and improvements.
iOS 12.1.2, which was released recently, was another minor software update. However, it did include fixes for eSIM activations and cellular connectivity in Turkey. It has also been confirmed that iOS 12.1.2 in China now includes a new animation for force closing apps on an iPhone, which Apple included in an effort to address Qualcomm-owned patents in China.
Due to the speed in which Apple needed to release iOS 12.1.2, to address the import ban on some iPhone models, this iOS 12.1.3 software is more than likely what Apple originally planned to launch as iOS 12.1.2, but the different version number reflects the changes Apple had to make. This would make sense, considering Apple’s marking this as a second beta, even though it’s the first time we’re seeing this particular version number.
The new developer beta is available now for registered developers.


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Online Click Doesn’t Always Mean Agree: Appeals CourtLinda Sandler
A customer of an online background check service wasn’t bound by additional terms and conditions accessed by a link even though he clicked a “yes” box, a U.S. appeals court said in a ruling that may affect the way Internet giants seek consent to use personal data.
The consumer, Donovan Lee, sued report provider Intelius Inc. in a 2009 class action after finding he had been charged $19.95 a month for a report he hadn’t purchased, by a separate company. The company, Adaptive Marketing, was sued by Intelius in turn and appealed a federal judge’s ruling refusing to force arbitration on Lee and Intelius. The U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld the lower-court decision on Dec. 16.
At the heart of the case was a click-and-agree system similar to those used by companies such as Google Inc. and Facebook Inc. to obtain customers’ consent to their online policies and use of personal data. By clicking on a “yes” button, Lee was assenting to Intelius’ terms for the background research, not to Adaptive’s terms for products it sold on the site, the district judge ruled.
“The fact that there were additional hyperlinks on a webpage Lee reviewed does not establish assent to the terms embedded in those hyperlinks,” U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle wrote in his September 2011 ruling.
Some of the biggest Internet service companies may be first to feel the effect of the appeals court ruling, as it applies to district courts in California, said lawyer David Straite of Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, whose clients include users of Menlo Park, California-based Facebook and Yahoo! Inc., based in Sunnyvale, California.
“The click-and-agree regime is under threat,” he said. “Just because additional terms of service are incorporated by reference or hyperlink, it’s no longer a given in court that the document is automatically consented to.”
The three-judge appeals panel concluded that Lee had no contract with Adaptive either to buy the additional report or submit to arbitration.
The case is Lee v. Intelius Inc., 11-35810, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (San Francisco).
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BEIJING: China today said it will forbid the use of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system in new government computers to minimise security risks, as the software giant last month ended support to Windows XP.
All desktops, laptops and tablet PCs to be purchased by state organisations must have operating systems other than the Windows 8, according to an online statement issued by the Central Government Procurement Centre.
The move only targets computers used by government offices, while the personal computer market is expected to stay unaffected, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Microsoft last month ended providing support to the 13-year-old Windows XP, a major operating system for Chinese computer users. The software giant has advised users to upgrade their operating systems to Windows 8.1, or get a new PC if necessary.
The Chinese government said it is making efforts to solve possible security risks for government agencies after the Microsoft decision.
"Security problems could arise because of a lack of technical support after Microsoft stopped providing services, making computers with XP vulnerable to hackers," Yan Xiaohong, National Copyright Administration deputy director said.
Windows 8 costs 888 yuan (USD 142) in China. "Windows 8 is fairly expensive and will increase government procurement costs," he said, adding that relevant authorities are negotiating with Microsoft over the issue.
To help users continue using Windows 8, Chinese security providers have released specialised XP-protection products.
The move came soon after the US indictment of five Chinese military officers for alleged cyber-espionage of some American entities. The US alleged the officers indulged in cyber thefts to benefit Chinese state-owned companies.
In retaliation, China has also suspended the China-US Cyber Working Group.
Smaller home broadband players are continuing to grow even as bigger rivals like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel expand their footprints in the country. According to Motilal Oswal, smaller players increased their market share during the lockdown to 43.2% in August 2020 from 40.5% in April 2020 in the wired broadband segment.
The 4G-only telco will soon roll out “Jio exclusive” smartphones through a partnership with Chinese brand Vivo, and is likely to offer discounts, OTT subscriptions, shopping benefits and one-time screen replacement if the customer gets the handset locked with a Jio connection.


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Honda Rebel 500
Kia Sonet Kia QYI
2020 Hyundai i20
Royal Enfield Meteor 350
Learn the latest development on the Nissan Juke/Ford EcoSport rival from Mazda, right here!
Every Mazda Vehicle Tested Earns 2023 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK Award
23/02/2023 - 22:07
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has announced the winners of its 2023 top safety awards and every tested Mazda vehicle made the list. These vehicles include the Mazda3 Sedan, Mazda3..
Mazda CX-3 to launch in Malaysia in December - Report
Ashwin Ram N P
21/09/2015 - 21:04
Expected to have a starting price of around RM 130,000 (INR 20 lakhs). The Mazda CX-3 will be launched in Malaysia in December 2015, reports Paul Tan. The deliveries are said to commence in the..
2015 Mazda CX-3 starting price revealed in newsletter - Malaysia
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Now expected to be launched in Q4 2015. An alleged company newsletter has revealed the starting price of the 2015 Mazda CX-3 for the Malaysian market, which starts at RM 120,000 [INR 20.5 Lakhs]...
Mazda CX-3 compact SUV spied at air cargo area - Thailand [Update]
17/05/2015 - 14:31
Headlight Magazine has posted the first image of the Mazda CX-3 testing on a public road in Thailand. May 8, 2015 Expected to launch in late 2015/early 2016. HeadlightMag has snapped the..
Mazda CX-3 - 2015 Geneva Live
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Will be offered in FWD and AWD format. Mazda's smallest SUV - the CX-3 - has made its European debut at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. Part of the Japanese brand's aggressive model launches, the new..
Not-for-India Mazda CX-3 compact SUV to launch in July - Malaysia
19/02/2015 - 11:30
To be imported as CBU from Japan. According to Paul Tan, Mazda is planning to launch the Mazda CX-3 in Malaysia in July 2015. The vehicle which made its debut at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show..
2015 C-Class, LA Auto Show, BMW M3/M4, Audi Q7, Thai Expo: IAB Monthly Retrospect
06/12/2014 - 13:26
Here is the second part of our compilation of top automotive developments over the course of last month. Click on the images to go to the respective articles. 1. 2015 Mercedes C-Class The 2015..
LA Live - Mazda CX-3
20/11/2014 - 14:22
Available with 2WD and 4WD. The Mazda CX-3 has world premiered at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. Sales in Japan will start in the spring of 2015, and the United States will get it in the..
Volvo Declares End of Diesel Cars
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Mahindra Launches Bolero Neo Ambulance in India


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We recently spoke to Dr. Bruce Roberts, Chief Technology Officer at DomainTools, about what cyber attacks might look like in 2017, with botnets and ransomware taking centre stage.
Ransomware has significantly affected businesses of all sizes in 2016. As this form of cybercrime is becoming increasingly popular and successful, how can we expect to see ransomware advance as we enter the New Year?
We will continue to see new variants and new approaches as the older variants become better understood and protected against. We will also see expansion of targeting specific high-value verticals. We've seen particular emphasis on targeting health care because of both the high level of vulnerability there plus the importance of restoring the systems affected.
We could easily see similar emphasised campaigns against other critical industries such as power systems, life safety, and transportation. These are the organisations with high incentive to pay, and with larger budgets to pay out as well, increasing the ROI for the cybercriminals.
Cyber attacks are not just a business problem; consumers are affected as well. What are the new threats that consumers will be exposed to in 2017?
This past week I came across an online ad for a Wi-Fi enabled Crockpot. The product description includes the phrase "The slow cooker connects to your home WiFi network and you can control it from anywhere". And my thought was "and so can anyone else". I don't think that cybersecurity is high on Black and Decker's checklist. And I don't think that the value such a product brings outweighs the risk.
A lot of the Mirai botnet was in industrial systems. Many consumer eyeball networks are behind various protections provided by an ISP versus direct access to all devices on the home network. As more and more things become "control it from anywhere" the need to have direct access to the device will expose more and more of these to cyber attacks. I believe that criminals will be looking for active ways to exploit more and more of the home network, so they can "control it from anywhere."
Following October’s massive DDoS attack on brands such as Twitter, Spotify, and Reddit, will 2017 be the year of the "Botnet of Things"?
I think 2016 was already the year of the "Botnet of Things". In 2017 we will see intensified efforts to utilise IoT devices, particularly directly connected devices on the home network. But we will also improve response among the defenders.
We're already seeing the Mirai botnet fragment among different cybercrime groups, and upstream providers filter ports such as 23 and 2323 to block both growth and control of this network. We are also seeing increased awareness of the need for security in the devices, and increasing awareness in the technology community that if the community doesn't take significant steps to address the issue, there will be legislation to address it that may have vast unintended consequences for technology companies and innovation.
The importance of a functioning internet is far too great to leave it to market forces - this leaves technical community effort or legislation. Our industry needs to make a choice on which it wants. If you're an ISP for home or business customers, and you aren't scanning your end-user networks for known vulnerabilities and working to remediate them, even if it costs you, you're going to be a target of legislation.
With cybercrime costs projected to rise to $2 trillion by 2019, will cyber-insurance finally become more commonplace?
It will certainly be more commonplace, but it's still a specialised market with difficulties assessing risk, particularly in the face of a changing cybersecurity attack landscape. I'm just not sure we have enough data to inform an efficient, mature cyber-insurance marketplace.
Image source: Shutterstock/lolloj


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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Patients come from all over Michigan and the world to receive advanced care from the University of Michigan Health System. But UMHS is also tops in the books of people living closest to the U-M medical campus.
For the 14th year in a row, consumers voted UMHS the best hospital in the Ann Arbor area, earning it the National Research Corporation’s 2012 Consumer Choice Award. What’s more, residents of Wayne County voted UMHS into a tie with Detroit-based Henry Ford Hospital for the Detroit area, for the third year in a row. It’s the sixth time overall that UMHS has received that recognition.
Consumers selected UMHS for having the best overall quality, best doctors, best nurses, and best image/reputation in its market.
"Whether a patient comes from 5, 50 or 500 miles away, all of us at U-M work hard to give the best care possible,” says Douglas L. Strong, M.B.A., chief executive officer, University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers. “We are honored to know that we are as important to our patients and their families as they are to us.”
For 16 years, National Research Corporation has annually presented Consumer Choice Awards to the most-preferred hospitals in more than 250 U.S. markets, reflecting the growing role consumer choice plays in the health care field.
Winners are determined by multiple quality and image ratings from consumers, which are collected in the national NRC Ticker study of more than 270,000 households. The study represents more than 450,000 consumers in the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia.
The winning facilities ranked highest in their regions, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, and were selected from among more than 3,200 hospitals named by consumers in a national survey.
To see the entire list of Consumer Choice winners for 2012: http://www.nationalresearch.com/uploads/Consumer-Award-Winners/ConsumerChoiceAwardWinnerList_2012-2013.pdf