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A direct effect of the Russian invasion of Ukraine will be a further increase in edible oil prices, especially that of sunflower oil, traders and solvent manufacturers have warned. They have also warned of prices rising due to disruption of the supply chain. Ukraine is the single-largest import destination of crude sunflower oil for India.
For the November-October (oil supply year) 2020-21 India had imported a total of 18.93 lakh tonnes of crude sunflower oil. Of this 13.97 lakh tonnes was from Ukraine alone. Argentina (2.24 lakh tonnes) and Russia (2.22 lakh tonnes) are the other major suppliers but as the figures show Ukraine is perhaps the only major supplier to India.
President of the Solvent and Extractors Association (SEA) Atul Chaturvedi said prices were expected to rise. “Yes, markets definitely have the serious potential of moving northwards. Sunflower oil comes from Ukraine and Russia and its supply chain will be disturbed. We import almost 2.0 lakh Mts of sunflower oil per month,” said Chaturvedi. SEA is the apex body of edible oil manufacturers.
The Russia-Ukraine war coincides with inflation in edible oil prices in the Indian market. The price of refined sunflower oil in the retail market has shot up to Rs 161.94 a litre as compared to Rs 145.03 a litre, according to the Price Monitoring Cell of the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs. Supply chain disruption can easily see prices increasing significantly.
Chaturvedi said while Argentina could be a substitute supplier, the South American country could not meet the quality necessary to fulfil domestic demand.
The edible oil price rise is part of the retail food inflation, which has become a major problem in the country, making the Ministry of Consumer Affairs take multiple steps to control this.
Another fallout of this war is a sudden escalation in the average traded price of soybean across Indian wholesale markets. At Latur’s wholesale market in Maharashtra, soybean price has risen from Rs 6,200 per quintal in the last two days to more than Rs 7,000 a quintal.
Vice-President of Soyabean Processors Association of India Naresh Goenka said the price rise was a combined impact of the Ukraine situation as well as bad crops in Argentina and Brazil. “We feel prices can remain in this range for the next few weeks,” he said.
Russian troops today launched multiple bomb attacks on Ukraine, as the Government of India closely monitored the rapidly changing situation in and around the CIS country.
Ukraine situation not to impact LIC IPO
Yet, the upcoming initial public offering (IPO) of Life Insurance Corporation will go ahead as planned, sources said, adding the government had time till the first week of March to take a decision on it. “Don’t see an impact on LIC IPO plan for now,” sources said.
Government sources asserted that India was prepared to deal with any situation arising out of global developments and added that they did not expect the impact of the crisis to be severe on the Indian economy. Sources said the geopolitical tensions potentially push up interest rates and also inflation, but these could still be manageable.
They say that an increase in borrowing costs, if any, could be manageable. It is also mentioned that any escalation of the global situation may demand oil supply to boost more rapidly from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies.
On the Iranian oil export hopes, there could be a possible revival on this front as this could restore the country’s supplies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in Ukraine as weeks of diplomacy to avert war and sanctions on Russia failed to deter Vladimir Putin, who has amassed over 1,90,000 troops along the Ukraine border.
The Indian embassy in Ukraine said the present situation in Ukraine was uncertain. “Please maintain calm and remain safe wherever you are, be it in your homes, hostels, accommodations or in transit,” it said in a statement.
Expressing concern for ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, India today said that the situation was in danger of spiralling into a major crisis, which may undermine the peace and security of the region.
India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations TS Tirumurti reiterated India’s call for immediate de-escalation of tensions.


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Published on November 27, Starbucks' latest holiday cup for Starbucks Starbucks is doubling down on holiday cups this season. The company's shops around the world will begin using a new red cup with a pair of hands framing a white heart starting Tuesday, soon after another pair of hands on another holiday cup stirred up a little bit of controversy.
To be clear, Starbucks says it always had two cups planned for the holiday season. But it didn't announce the second cup until late Monday. Starbucks says it meant for people to interpret the cups in their own way. And, well, people did.
The season's first cup, released at the beginning of November, was meant to show different seasonal moments. Part of the scene drawn on that first cup shows one hand holding another. And a video cartoon featuring that cup led some to believe that Starbucks was making a point about homosexuality, as two characters that appear to be women hold hands and lean toward each other.
We're loving Starbucks ' new festive ad with a lesbian couple.
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Press alt + / to open this menu. Texas, Starbucks, Red Bull, Six Flags and more. To the question, "Would you like anything else with that?" no one answers "fecal bacteria." Unfortunately, it may be accompanying orders of iced coffee drinks at three coffee chains in the UK anyways, according to a recent BBC investigation.
The BBC reports that it found "varying levels" of the bacteria in samples of iced drinks from Starbucks, Costa Coffee, and Caffe Nero.
May 25, · Best Answer: Iced passion tea or iced passion tea lemonade. Definitely try the Iced Passion tea lemonade sweetened with torosgazete.com: Resolved.
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The best opinions, comments and analysis from The Telegraph.

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All parents want their kids to read, read and read some more. But there are so many new children`s books on the market that parents often don`t know which to choose. Some don`t have much time to browse in children`s bookstores or in libraries.
Joining a children`s book club may be the answer, a growing number of publishers said. There are more than 20 of these clubs now, offering Dr. Seuss, Disney and Muppet Babies books, as well as ones for adolescent girls and boys. One club is aimed at black children and their families. Prices are below retail, the book clubs said.
``In the last five years the book club marketplace has proliferated. It`s become very competitive,`` said Steve Fraser, who oversees the Field Publications children`s book clubs, based in Connecticut.
Even the venerable Book of the Month Club-the nation`s oldest and largest-is getting into the act, launching the Children`s Book of the Month Club. It will offer books for babies and toddlers, those who are just ready to read, preschoolers and those the book club terms Ready-to-be-Readers and On-Their-Own-Readers.
``We`re selling our selection process,`` said Susan Bishansky, children`s book director for the Book of the Month Club. ``You can trust us to pick the best books for kids.``
That`s no small job considering that almost 5,000 new children`s books are published each year, up by one-third in the last five years, according to the Children`s Book Council.
And more people than ever are buying them. At a time when too many children spend hours glued to a TV set or playing a video game, many parents are looking for a way to turn them on to books, starting at infancy.
As a result, children`s publishing is now a billion-dollar-a-year industry, according to the Book Industry Study Group, which chronicles industry trends, and the outlook remains strong for the 1990s.
``It`s the hottest part of the publishing industry. . . . It`s taking people in adult publishing companies by surprise,`` said John Keller, publisher of children`s books for Little, Brown and Co.
Keller and others said the hot market is one more example of how Baby Boomers` values and desires can change an entire industry. The Boomers have the money to provide the best for their babies, and that includes lots of books.
``They want a library at home,`` Keller said, adding that some of these parents wouldn`t blink at spending $50 on children`s books on a Saturday afternoon.
Besides, publishers noted, they`ve got fewer children to provide for and more disposable income.
These parents, who likely didn`t have nearly as many books when they were children, also may wish to supplement their own children`s education.
``People aren`t getting what they need from the schools, so they want to do it themselves,`` said JanusAdams, a Connecticut publisher who founded the Harambee Book Club for African-American Families.
For black parents, Adams said, there is an additional reason for a book club: It is difficult to find children`s books about blacks. ``No matter how privileged a black family, it is still deprived in images of itself,`` Adams said.
``People across the board who may not have read themselves always want to see their children read.``
Babar in a box
At the same time, there is the push-often criticized by educators-to teach children to read at younger and younger ages.
Some of the book clubs, in fact, are aimed at preschoolers, such as Field Publications` Muppet Babies and Disney Babies clubs. The Children`s Book of the Month Club also offers selections for children younger than 2.
But many of these clubs don`t offer parents a choice. You sign up and for a certain price are sent a book or two books every month or so.
That`s where the Harambee and the Children`s Book of the Month Club, among others, differ. Harambee, which also offers books for adults, sends a catalog and waits for members to order.
Fifteen times a year, parents who have joined the Children`s Book of the Month Club will get a catalog offering more than 40 titles. Just like the club for adults, one book will be featured. If you don`t tell the club otherwise, the featured selection will be sent to you. Book of the Month Club executives predict they will have 200,000 members within five years.
Selections range from boxed sets of the Babar the Elephant and Madeline stories to ``Max`s Bedtime`` and ``Max`s Breakfast`` for toddlers; a big ``My Getting-Ready-For-Bed Book`` for preschoolers; and ``The News About Dinosaurs`` for older children. More than 250 titles will be offered during the year.


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The popular social media giant, Twitter is expected to launch a new beta app where it will try and test new features. Some of these new features include Color-coded replies, Arithmetically sorted responses and much more.
The beta app is scheduled for a release, sometime this week and will only be available to some selected consumers. The beta app is a standalone app and will be downloaded separately. Twitter has selected a few thousand users who will test this beta app and all the new features. Popular reverse engineer, Jane Manchun is also a part of those few thousand users who will test the app.
Twitter is internally testing this new UI
This is the future, and I’m here
“Try the new design (internal only)
We have been exploring ways of providing a better use of space on large screens. Your valuable feedback will help us create an experience that our customers will love” pic.twitter.com/wf74Vv2Wfh
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) January 13, 2019
Earlier, Verge reported that the first version of the beta app will test features like status updates, icebreakers, availability statuses, chat bubbles and color coding depending on who the user is responding to. Furthermore, Twitter is also planning to allow users to attach tags to tweets, this is similar to what Facebook does where it allows tags like “Watching Netflix or Playing something” to Facebook activities. Some of these famous features include:
A modern day and much-needed feature in messaging apps, this feature will help twitter-users distinguish replies from the users they follow and the users they don’t. A Reply from someone the user follows will have a ‘Green’ label while a reply from someone that the user doesn’t follow will have a ‘blue’ label.
Algorithmically sorted responses
Similar to what Twitter bought in its timeline, the “Algorithmically sorted response” feature is now also making its way towards Twitter responses and replies. This means that the replies will now show up in ranked order and the most important will be given the topmost priority. For example, Tweets from friends will automatically be moved to the top
Removing heart icon
Another feature that Twitter is testing is the ‘Engagement buttons’. Twitter is now planning to hide that heart animation which the user used to ‘like’ a tweet or retweet. The icons will not completely disappear, it will only appear when the user taps a specific post. The basic idea behind this particular change is to engage those who want it and a more simplified view for those who don’t.
Twitter’s director of product management, Sara Haider at CES 2019, said that the company was planning to make big changes to the way people talk to each other on Twitter. She said:
“We’re making some pretty big changes to the way conversations look and feel on Twitter, and we don’t want to just unveil that one day and what if you don’t like it or it’s not working for you?”
When further asked about the highly anticipated “editable feature” for tweets, she said that there was still no solid word on its arrival. It’s still a mystery to many people why such an in-demand feature is not coming to the micro-blogging website, let’s see whether Twitter will launch this feature sometime in 2019 or not.


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Despite some evidence to the contrary, the death of the coupon has been greatly exaggerated.
- Long-term newspaper industry declines and recent supply chain disruptions have tamped down coupon distribution and redemption.
- But there are legitimate reasons for optimism, starting with a deal-hungry populace that’s grappling with rising inflation.
- Brands who tune into how and where consumers are still receptive to coupons will be rewarded not only with sales but a bump in customer loyalty.
As one of the few companies that regularly collects coupon distribution and redemption data, we wanted to start by sharing the latest findings from our Year-End 2021 Coupon Facts™. In a nutshell, the numbers are not great.
- Coupon distribution volume has been on the decline. Last year saw brands issue 11.4% fewer coupons than they did in 2020. That’s 171 billion, down from 193 billion the previous year.
- Redemption rates by consumers fell 11.7% in 2021 as compared to 2020. In raw numbers, people redeemed 865 million coupons last year, down from 980 million the previous year.
The decline of newspaper circulation has been at the heart of many coupon woes as some 60–80% of coupon distribution has historically relied on free-standing inserts. (Worth noting: The two retailers with the highest ratio of digital coupons last year — Dollar General and Albertsons Cos. — both saw strong growth in their share of overall coupon redemption.) As many brands make the transition from a more newspaper-heavy distribution of FSIs to more direct mail delivery, we may see a reversal of the decline. Data tells us that people are more open to receiving and responding to what comes in their mailbox so the transition can only be positive.
Two words: supply chain. The logistical disruptions of 2021 clearly had a huge impact on promotional spending, including coupon distribution and redemption. There are few bigger brand fails than running out of stock on a heavily promoted item but the reality is, it’s been happening on a large scale across multiple industries. With supply chain issues now being aggravated by inflation issues, concerns linger.
One last thing to consider before we move on from the doom and gloom: While inflation didn’t settle in until late 2021, there is something to the fact that the face value/unit purchase requirement has not fully kept pace with inflation. The result? Coupons literally aren’t worth as much as they used to be. It’s fair to say that makes them less compelling to customers.
Reasons for Optimism
Despite these well-publicized storm clouds on the horizon, we also see four clear encouraging signs for brands that should provide continued optimism about the enduring power of coupons.
1. With financial concerns top of mind, consumers are actively seeking ways to save money. Inflation has been heating up and is unlikely to cool off anytime soon, according to most recent projections. With this in mind, in the coming months deals and coupons are going to be more important than ever for three primary reasons:
- To help consumers buy the categories and brands they really want (with prices rising on essentials)
- To win the customer loyalty tug-of-war at a time when people are highly likely to make choices based on product availability or price
- To contribute to the larger trend of self-care (saving money feels especially good right now)
2. Overall coupon redemption may be down but it’s actually up for digital and direct mail offers, suggesting that these are the areas in which consumers are most receptive to coupons. Why are these methods working so well as of late? It’s likely due to increased opportunities for personalization, both in terms of direct targeting of a person and in matching a product/category to a household or neighborhood. Brands can also leverage data from these offers as a highly effective optimization tool.
3. Good news too for discount/dollar store channels. While most classes of retail trade are showing lower coupon usage, consumers are using them more in discount/dollar channels, suggesting that the more consumers look to save, the more important coupons will become.
4. One final note of optimism: The coming-soon Universal Digital Coupon is expected to make coupons even more secure for marketers while also making them more broadly useful for consumers. That can’t hurt, right?
Advice to Brands
Write coupons off at your own peril. The fact is, they are still eminently viable if your brand is listening to consumers. Four pieces of advice …
1. Make sure your brand’s offers are truly compelling to consumers and work to ensure that your deals match their direct needs and interests. People are overwhelmed with offers these days and are jaded in many ways. So don’t be the brand that calls everything a DOORBUSTER DEAL when it’s really not. Instead, find ways to provide meaningful savings and earn the trust of your audience.
2. When carefully crafting your brand’s omnichannel strategy, be sure to treat coupons as an equal among those other (shinier, prettier) channels. Surround consumers with multiple touchpoints and do not assume they’ve seen your new product or special deal on another channel. Why not add “Check your Sunday newspaper” to a display ad? Hit them from all angles and it will pay off. In an omnichannel context, as it becomes more widely adopted, the Universal Digital Coupon will make even better sense. One coupon to rule them all, so to speak — a single cents-off digital offer that can be taken into any participating retailer and redeemed.
3. Don’t overlook the fact that coupons and promotions have an inherent advertising value. Visibility is everything on a crowded marketing landscape so utilizing coupons and deals as part of an effective omnichannel strategy can be just the ticket.
4. Be sure your brand is doing everything it can to extend targeted offers to consumers. The opportunity and value of highly targeted offers can be immense and the growth of redemption for both direct mail and digital shows that there’s clearly an appetite for it among consumers.
We offer lots more advice on how to market in inflationary times here.
Consumers are living in a radically different world than they were five or 10 years ago — or even two years ago. To assume coupons are no longer relevant to them is not only wrong, it misses the larger point: It’s on brands to continue to adapt, prioritize customer needs and meet people where they are. The brands who deliver the right deals on the right channel at the right moment will enhance their ability to thrive.
To learn more about what consumers are thinking this year, check out our 2022 Consumer Outlook.


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Latest News From ETAuto.com
The motorcycle maker said it has discovered a "non-standard condition" with LiveWire, which it began shipping to its dealers late last month, prompting additional testing and analysis.
Delhi Traffic Police is withdrawing about 1.5 lakh challans issued in two and a half months between August and October 10. Most of these were related to overspeeding on National Highway 24.
The stretch between KR Puram and the Central Silk Board, where the work on creating the bus lane is underway, is home to a large number of multinational companies.
UPEIDA CEO and additional chief secretary, home, Awanish Awasthi, said the MoU will pave way for fast-moving four-wheelers to adopt fast tag system — drivers won’t stop at toll plazas after digital payment of toll tax.
The UAW strike began on Sept. 16, with the union's members at GM seeking higher pay, greater job security, a bigger share of profit and protection of healthcare benefits.
Though DMRC plans to induct 422 feeder buses, at the moment, it has floated tenders for 100 electric buses.
As per the MoU, AEPPL, a joint venture between Japanese Toshiba Corporation, Denso Corporation and Suzuki Motor Corporation, will make investments in two phases at Hansalpur.
An investment by Ratan Tata is an endorsement of the long-held belief by us that the Indian auto sector is going through a phase of huge growth and transformation, says Kapil Shelke, founder and CEO of Tork Motors.
The component maker's revenue mix is expected to move away from commercial vehicles (44%, at present) and industrial segment (44%) and towards passenger vehicles (12%) and new business initiatives (0%) in the long-term.
Fancy cars are proving less vulnerable to policy fluctuations. That has left more western and local manufacturers clambering upmarket.
Median price earnings of Maruti, TVS, Tata Motors, Bajaj and Hero is double the global average; Maruti is the fourth most expensive.
The city’s air quality index showing a drop of around 140% since Dussehra, the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) will kick in from Tuesday in Delhi and nearby NCR towns, with a ban on all generator sets, except those used for “essential services”, and a host of anti-pollution steps under the “very poor” category measures and some under the “severe” category.
Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra will step down from his executive role to become a non-executive chairman over the next two quarters, as the group prepares itself for succession across several companies.
Indian Oil is the second-biggest gas marketer in the country. It operates an LNG terminal at Ennore on the east coast.
The company has set a target of revenue of Rs 10,000 crore in the next three years.


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Last year alone streaming companies lost around $9.1bn to password piracy and sharing but new research from Parks Associates predicts that this number will rise to $12.5bn in 2024.
Now though, many streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and Amazon Prime are willing to let password sharing slide even while they work to crack down on the proliferation of sites that sell passwords illegally.
Another study, conducted by the video delivery and security firm Synamedia, found that two anonymous video providers are losing over $70m each year from password sharing.
- We've put together a list of the best password managers on the market
- These are the best password recovery solutions
- Check out our roundup of the best business password management software
A generational gap also exists when it comes to password sharing according to a study from Hub Entertainment Research which found that 31 percent of all consumers have shared their streaming service passwords with someone who doesn't live with them. However, the study also found that 64 percent of people 13-24 years old had given out a password which is much higher than the 16 percent of users over 35 who had shared their streaming passwords with others.
Principal at Hub Entertainment Research, Jon Giegengack explained that the password sharing problem is likely to continue to grow due to a cultural shift among younger generations, saying:
“There is a cultural shift particularly among young people, where sharing things with people you know, or them sharing with you, is an accepted way of doing business, and it is an attitude that is going to impact how they consume lots of things, not just TV and movies.”
One way that streaming services can combat password sharing is to charge more for subscriptions that have multiple streams playing at once. However, another option involves new software showcased at CES 2020 which can help identify users who are sharing passwords or pirating content.
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VPN services have come under pressure lately for allowing users to watch content not available in their region but the effect they have on streaming services' revenue pales in comparison to password sharing.
- Also check out our complete list of the best VPN services
After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.


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ACSI survey shows pizza companies tops in service
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Limited-service pizza chains grabbed the top spots for foodservice companies in an annual consumer preference study conducted by the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
According to a news release, the study, known as the American Customer Satisfaction Index, saw scores in the fast-food category overall improve by 1 percent to 77, the highest-ever score for the industry.
For the seventh year in a row, Papa John's took the segment's top spot with a score of 79, up 1 percent from 2005. Little Caesar's came in second at 77, up 4 percent, while Pizza Hut leapt 7 percent to score a 76. Domino's Pizza also showed a significant gain with its 75, a 6 percent increase.
Segment leader McDonald's was far behind with a score of 63, a 2 percent improvement on last year's number. Burger King scored a 70. Pizza Hut's Yum! Brands siblings KFC and Taco Bell each scored 70.


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Reach Robotics, a UK-based company, is pushing for augmented reality gaming with four-legged modular robots known as Mekamons, which will face off in both the digital and physical worlds. These intelligent bots have the ability to battle with each other. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the prototype Mekamon has infrared, Bluetooth and an in-built compass that assists in detecting the exact location of an opponent for an accurate attack in a match.
For now, Reach Robotics is using an app to control, arm and level the bot, in addition to a single player game which appears to be the only working mode at the event. Engadget commented that it will probably be a while before any consumers can bring these robots home since Reach is planning to transform their idea into a crowdfunding campaign later this year.
In its official website, Reach made a statement that said: “At Reach Robotics we believe in the future of entertainment.
A future where play will not just be connected, but exist at the intersection of the physical and virtual world. We believe that technology should be used to bring our wildest imaginations to life.”
Aside from Reach’s reveal of the Mekamons, there aren’t much more details regarding these machines yet.


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New Orleans man gets 5 years in prison for arson
Updated On: Apr 12 2013 10:16:02 AM CDT
A New Orleans man has been sentenced to five years in prison for his role in setting two separate fires at the same convenience store in 2010.
Twenty-three-year-old Lennie Brown pleaded guilty in 2011 to arson charges. U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced him on Wednesday.
Federal prosecutors say another man, Larry Moses, paid Brown $1,500 to start a fire inside a Fuel Zone store in New Orleans in June 2010. Later that month, Brown returned to the store with a third man who allegedly set another fire before a store clerk shot and wounded him.
Damage from the second fire closed the store for more than a month.
Moses also pleaded guilty in the case and is scheduled to be sentenced May 22.
No trace of Ebola on New Orleans-bound ship, CDC insists
Official confirms 1 person aboard African ship has malaria
One dead, three hospitalized with malaria from ship inbound from Africa
Ship from Africa moves to New Orleans after sick crew removed in Belle Chasse
Krewe of Isis: Terrorists won't make us change our name


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JAKARTA Indonesia's Disaster Mitigation Agency on Wednesday reported a 6.5 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale following an 8.7 magnitude temblor off the coast of the country's Aceh province, triggering a tsunami watch for the whole Indian Ocean.
(Reporting by Jakarta, Singapore newsrooms)
Trending On Reuters
India's annual consumer price inflation edged up to a 17-month high of 5.69 percent in January, driven up by higher food costs, government data showed on Friday. Full Article


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SEOUL -- South Korea on Friday announced a partial reshuffling of the cabinet and named nominees for six minister-level positions, in an effort to address vacancies as well as expiring terms.
Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office, said in a statement it has nominated former vice finance minister Kim Seok-dong to replace Chin Dong-soo as chairman of the Financial Services Commission, South Korea's financial regulator. Mr. Chin's term expires in January.
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Up to 15% off + free shipping at Wayfair
60% off running shoes and apparel at Nike
- The Home Depot:
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Hotels.com September Deals - Save 20% or more


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Cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb cooperates with Korea Pay Service to facilitate access to the main cryptocurrency. In the first half of the year, the partners plan to reach 6 000 physical points to the end of the year there should be 8 000. It should be noted that one of the most traded cryptocurrency in South Korea is Ripple (XRP).
From $ 642,4 million – of total daily cryptobiotic – share Ripple (XRP) is $ 95.6 million, or 14,88%. This means that Ripple is the third best-selling scriptaction for Bithumb sixth scale the crypto currency exchange in the rating coinmarketcap.com.
Korea Pay Services manages electronic payment transactions in more than 200 franchises in 8,000 points of sale in the South Korean region. The partnership will increase the availability of Ripple in the above 8 000 points by the end of the year. The partnership’s goal is to create a comfortable environment for the payment of the cryptocurrency at thousands of locations, including Sulbing, Todau, Cafe Droptop and Yankee Candle.
The influence of South Korea on the stock market, despite the continuing threat of regulation by officials of the country. Earlier this year, South Korean traders helped boost the market capitalization Ripple with $ 40 billion to $ 88 billion. One explanation to explain the active presence of South Koreans in cryptography, is the effect of FOMO or Fear Of Missing Out. This leads to speculation in the country.
If partners will be able to implement the plans mentioned, the effect of Fear Of Missing Out won’t operate, since anyone can access cryptonym currencies in a physical place. It is possible that the cryptocurrency in South Korea will even be used in everyday payment of goods and services. This, in turn, gives cryptoprocta some validation.
Note, despite the news on partnerships, cryptocurrency is still in the red zone. Today, March 28 course Ripple (XRP) ranges from a value of $ 0,57.
Message Ripple (XRP) will be available in 8,000 points of sale in South Korea appeared first on Cryptocurrency Ripple (XRP): news, course, the forecast value.


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Comcast Mulls Superior All-Cash Bid to Acquire 21st Century Fox
The Comcast Corporation released the following statement regarding the potential to acquire 21st Century Fox.:
In view of the recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by The Walt Disney Company and Twenty-First Century Fox in preparation for their upcoming shareholder meetings to consider the acquisition of Fox by Disney, Comcast confirms that it is considering, and is in advanced stages of preparing, an offer for the businesses that Fox has agreed to sell to Disney (which do not include the Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, Fox Broadcasting Company and certain other assets). Any offer for Fox would be all-cash and at a premium to the value of the current all-share offer from Disney. The structure and terms of any offer by Comcast, including with respect to both the spin-off of “New Fox” and the regulatory risk provisions and the related termination fee, would be at least as favorable to Fox shareholders as the Disney offer.
While no final decision has been made, at this point the work to finance the all-cash offer and make the key regulatory filings is well advanced.
Here’s Who Won the 2018 LIMA International Licensing Awards
The winners of the 2018 LIMA International Licensing Awards were announced during opening night of Licensing Expo.
Winners were selected across 21 categories featuring 132 nominees. The ceremony also inducted Elias Fasja-Cohen, CEO and founder of Tycoon Enterprises, and Brian Goldner, chairman and CEO of Hasbro, into the LIMA Hall of Fame. Ten licensing up-and-comers received Rising Star awards.
- Art/Design Program: The Very Hungry Caterpillar The World of Eric Carle by Eric Carle Studio and the Joester Loria Group
- Celebrity/Fashion Program: Dear Drew by Barrymore Brands and CAA-GBG
- Character/Toy Brand Program: L.O.L. Surprise! by MGA Entertainment
- Corporate Brand Program: Pantone by Pantone and Brand Central
- Digital Program: emoji — the iconic brand by the emoji company Global Merchandising Services
- Film/Television/Entertainment Program – Animated: Rick and Morty by Adult Swim and Cartoon Network Enterprises
- Film/Television/Entertainment Program – Live Action: Jojo Siwa by Nickelodeon
- Food and Beverage/Restaurant Program: Guinness by Diageo and Beanstalk
- Sports Program: WWE
- Licensed Promotion: Masters of the Universe and Dirty Dancing by Mattel and Lionsgate Born Licensing
Angry Birds Movie 2 Kicks Off Rovio’s Multi-Year Content Plan
Rovio Entertainment announced a new multi-year content roadmap for partners, led by the September 2019 theatrical release of The Angry Birds Movie 2.
In addition to the animated sequel being released globally by Sony Pictures Entertainment, Rovio is developing a long-term and diverse slate of entertainment touch points for fans. Highlights include the development of a new long-form animated series which is planned to be released in 2020; an unscripted competition TV series; new live stage shows; location-based entertainment; and original live-action and animated content for the Angry Birds YouTube channel, which has more than 2.3 million subscribers and monthly viewership of nearly 200 million minutes.
Rovio also announced a new licensing partnership with global confectioner Perfetti Van Melle, owner of the Chupa Chups brand. Commencing in 2019, this long-term partnership will develop an extensive range of Angry Birds-branded Chupa Chups products, with six million units set to be distributed across global markets. Rovio will unveil further key partnership announcements over the coming weeks.
Rovio will soon reveal an extensive program of new premier licensing partnerships in North America for the flagship Angry Birds franchise. Rovio will also maintain its previous long-term partnership with TCC for global retail loyalty campaigns.
The September 2019 theatrical release of The Angry Birds Movie 2 is swiftly followed by the landmark 10th anniversary of the original Angry Birds in December 2019. To date, the Angry Birds family of games have amassed four billion downloads since 2009. Throughout 2018, Rovio will continue its games event and partnership program developing bespoke in-game content for new brand partners. Some previous collaborations include the 2018 NFL Super Bowl, Iron Maiden and Everton Football Club.
Shark Week Fetes 30th Anniversary with Its Most Ambitious Merchandising Program Yet
Heading into Shark Week’s 30th anniversary in July, Discovery has lined up a roster of merchandising including co-brands such as Swedish Fish candy by Mondelēz International, Build-a-Bear, and vineyard vines, as well as multiple categories of product including food, toys, and tech products. Walmart is also on board as a premier Shark Week retailer. Princess Cruises will be transforming Shark Week into a full season with its first-ever Summer of Shark.
With a presence in 220 countries around the world, Shark Week takes viewers on a week-long journey every year to the depths of the sea to uncover the secrets of the ocean’s top creature.
Discovery’s new Shark Week partnerships include an exclusive collaboration with vineyard vines.
Beginning in late May, Build-A-Bear will offer two exclusive Shark Week furry friends, a Make-Your-Own Great White plush, and a Make-Your-Own Hammerhead plush along with coordinating clothing options, including two tank top and board short sets and a Shark Week Hoodie.
Swedish Fish candy, the official candy sponsor of Shark Week, has partnered with Discovery on a 360 partnership reaching fans in-stores, traditional spots, sweepstakes and a new mobile game, Swedish Fish Chomped. The game, developed by Vayner Media, allows users to act as a shark, trying to eat as many Swedish Fish candy as possible without chomping any coral or jellyfish. In the game fans can also enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a shark encounter opportunity in Hawaii with round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations.
Walmart will have an in-store pallet train jam packed with products. Beginning July 9, Walmart will offer an array of new products from toys to tees and towels to snacks, books, and DVDs. In select doors, products will be uniquely merchandised on a life-sized shark tank complete with a shark tank photo booth, providing shoppers with a unique experience they can share via social media, including Instagram and Facebook. In addition, shoppers will enjoy an exclusive, in-store augmented reality experience.
Toy collaborations include giant pool inflatables by Bestway, exclusively at Walmart and in stores now; exclusive shark-themed play and figure sets by Bright Kingdom; plush shark toys by Dandee; and shark novelty toys by Magic Time. Walmart will also offer Shark Week fans an exclusive 30th anniversary DVD and Blu-ray combo pack featuring top episodes, rarely-seen content, and bonus digital episodes.
As part of its Discovery at SEA Program in partnership with Discovery, Princess Cruises will celebrate a summer of Shark Week with a variety of events, promotions, themed culinary offerings and exclusive on-board festivities all surrounding Shark Week on seven ships sailing into Alaska, the Caribbean, and the British Isles. Guests embarking on Caribbean Princess Cruises sailing from June through September out of Fort Lauderdale will experience a fully immersive experience. Cruisers will be greeted with a myriad of Shark Week themed experiences, featuring designed public spaces including elevators, restaurants and casino tables all celebrating 30 years of Shark Week.
Other Shark Week licensing partnerships include exclusive apparel and footwear collaborations with Crazyboxer boxer shorts, Fifth Sun T-shirts, Discovery Shark by The Rodnik Band apparel and accessories to be featured in a Shark Week pop-up store at the exclusive Spitalfields in London, six custom pairs of socks by Sock Fancy, and Tidal New York flip-flops. Shark Week accessories will be offered through partnerships with Freestyle watches, Jay Franco throws and beach towels, Knockaround sunglasses, and Sprayground backpacks.
Additionally, Bulu will be unveiling an official limited-edition Shark Week Box full of Shark week apparel, goodies, and collectibles. Everi will offer new Shark Week-themed slot machine games in select casinos. Shark Strike, the official app of Discovery’s Shark Week, will be available in the Apple App Store and Google Play. Books will be made available through partnerships with Feiwel & Friends and Time, as well as a special collector’s issue magazine with Topix Media Lab, Sharks: The Definitive Companion.
Atari Supports New LGBT Media Crowdfunding Campaign
LGBT Media, the company behind city building game QutieLife (formerly PrideFest) and the inclusive social app LGBTQutie announced a new crowdfunding campaign to further accelerate LGBTQutie’s growth and expansion, including internationally. Hosted by StartEngine Capital LLC and supported by strategic partner Atari, the crowdfunding campaign will provide an opportunity for anyone to invest in helping expand LGBTQutie, a social app that facilitates meaningful relationships and connections for the LGBTQ community.
LGBTQutie was created after the co-founders recognized that most dating apps either cater to heterosexual relationships or focus solely on gay men or lesbian women. In addition, most current dating apps are hook-up based, making it frustrating for LGBTQ people looking for long-term relationships, friendships or meaningful connections. For these reasons, there was a need for a more inclusive, relationship-focused app for the LGBTQ community.
As more than just another dating app, LGBTQutie is a comprehensive and specialized platform that was made with the entire LGBTQ community in mind. It provides users with content that is relevant to them, including LGBTQ news, blogs and events. In addition, the app is unique in that it provides users the ability to send in-app video messages to one another as a means of user verification.
“We’ve been extremely proud to work with LGBTQutie ever since establishing our partnership,” says Fred Chesnais, CEO of Atari. “We feel it’s important to support LGBT Media Inc. and hope everyone will join us in this effort to further strengthen LGBTQutie’s growth and influence among the LGBTQ community.”
“We are thrilled to have Atari behind us in this endeavor,” added Jordan Weiss, co-founder of LGBTQutie. “We have developed a great partnership with them in the past year and it means a lot to have their support in this meaningful and socially-impactful endeavor.”
The LGBTQutie crowdfunding campaign is available for a limited time on StartEngine.


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Samsung has unveiled an amazing new feature in its mobile software that appears to ape Apple's most controversial under-the-hood tweak in the company's iOS 15 update: an address bar at the bottom of Safari. Similar to Apple's feature, relocating the URL bar from the top of the interface to the bottom allows for much easier one-handed browsing.
With Apple Car production reportedly starting in 2024, company executives are understood to be touring suppliers across Japan and Korea to secure components amid global shortages.
Samsung's new Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic smartwatches won't be iOS compatible, meaning they won't work with iPhones, unlike the previous models.
Samsung has envisioned a future where foldable smartphones are the go-to for years now. It used to be a pipe dream, but now the company's in its third iteration for not just one model, but two. And today, Samsung has just unveiled the newest versions of its foldable smartphones, along with a brand new smartwatch and truly wireless headphones.
Samsung is understood to have begun preparations for mass production of iPad Pro-sized display panels based on organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology, says a new report.
Samsung is reportedly looking to hire Apple's and AMD's former silicon engineers to help it create a custom CPU after shuttering its in-house semiconductor team recently.
Samsung Electronics has expanded its Smart Monitor lineup with three new display sizes along with new features like AirPlay 2 compatibility, additional color options and more.
Any jailbreakers with an interest in changing the way their iPhone’s Lock Screen looks may want to refresh their package manager’s sources.
A newly released and free jailbreak tweak dubbed Hinata by iOS developer Sugiuta replaces the iPhone’s familiar Lock Screen aesthetics with something that appears to be inspired by the Samsung Galaxy Lock Screen.
Samsung's next flagship Galaxy device is apparently not expected to include a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor which debuted on the Galaxy Note back in 2019 because the technology’s level of use reportedly failed to meet the company's internal expectation.
Earlier this month, Samsung launched something called "iTest." It's a way for iPhone owners to try out Samsung's version of Android, right on their device.
Ever felt like you wanted to try out the One UI, Samsung's launcher built atop Android, but didn't want to actually get an Android phone to do it? Well, Samsung now has an option for that.
Apple better release the AirTag soon, its heavily rumored accessory for tracking personal belongings, because rival Samsung just announced that its latest Tile-like product, dubbed Galaxy SmartTag+, is arriving on Friday the next week, April 16.


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It appears many investors either ignored or were simply unaware of Nintendo's involvement with Pokemon Go.
Following Pokémon Go's release in the U.S.at the beginning of July, Nintendo's market valuation soared to more than $40 billion, passing Sony.
Prior to the warning, markets had cheered the app's global success as a great sign for Nintendo's long-awaited move into the mobile games market.
Nintendo's meteoric stock jump came to an end last week after the company sent a note to investors informing them about the limited impact Pokemon Go will have on their bottom line.
Nintendo owns 32 percent of The Pokemon Company and is reported to hold a similarly sized stake in Niantic, the US lab that developed the Pokemon Go game.
The drop partially offset Nintendo's recent, extraordinary climb, when its shares and market capitalisation doubled after Pokemon Go's release on July 6. The 32 percent increase in stocks in the previous rally saw a reveral that put Nintendo down in its biggest decline since October 1990.
"The company is not modifying the consolidated financial forecast for now", its statement said.
"The Pokémon Company is [Nintendo's] affiliated company, accounted for by using the equity method", Nintendo said in the filing.
Nintendo has clarified its ownership rights after the US-based company Niantic, the developer of the game, launched the digital monster hunting smartphone app in Japan on Friday. In other words, Nintendo does not believe that the massive interest in playing the Pokemon GO game will make a material difference to its earnings and profits at this time.


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rajkotupdates.news : pubg developer krafton has filed a lawsuit against garena free fire. Krafton, the developer of the popular video game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), has recently filed a lawsuit against Garena Free Fire, a similar battle royale game developed by Garena. In this article, we will explore this news, answer some frequently asked questions, and examine the potential implications of this lawsuit.
What is PUBG?
PUBG is a popular online multiplayer battle royale game developed and published by Krafton. In the game, players parachute onto an island and battle it out until only one player or team remains. The game has become a cultural phenomenon, with millions of players worldwide.
What is Garena Free Fire?
Garena Free Fire is a similar battle royale game developed by Garena. In the game, players are dropped onto an island and must fight to be the last player or team standing. It has gained popularity in recent years, with millions of players worldwide.
What is the News?
The news is that Krafton has filed a lawsuit against Garena Free Fire for copyright infringement. Krafton alleges that Garena Free Fire has copied several elements of PUBG, including characters, weapons, and the gameplay itself. Krafton is seeking damages and a ban on Garena Free Fire in India.
Implications for the Gaming Industry:
This lawsuit has significant implications for the gaming industry. It may lead to increased scrutiny of games that are similar to other popular games, and it may also lead to greater protection of intellectual property in the gaming industry.
What is copyright infringement?
- Answer: Copyright infringement is the use of someone else’s creative work without permission or proper attribution.
What elements of PUBG does Krafton allege were copied by Garena Free Fire?
- Answer: Krafton alleges that Garena Free Fire copied several elements of PUBG, including characters, weapons, and the gameplay itself.
What is the potential outcome of this lawsuit?
- Answer: The potential outcome of this lawsuit is unclear at this time. Krafton is seeking damages and a ban on Garena Free Fire in India, but it is possible that the two companies may reach a settlement before the case goes to court.
The news that Krafton has filed a lawsuit against Garena Free Fire for copyright infringement marks a significant development in the gaming industry. This lawsuit has the potential to lead to increased protection of intellectual property in the industry and may lead to greater scrutiny of games that are similar to other popular games. While it is unclear what the outcome of this lawsuit will be, it is clear that it will have a significant impact on the gaming industry and may lead to changes in how companies approach game development and intellectual property protection. As with any major legal case, it is important to closely monitor the developments and assess the potential implications for the industry as a whole.
people laso ask


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JACKSON COUNTY, Miss. -- Coastal Mississippi will likely lose almost $120 million in revenue from May to August due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf, according to a new study.
The anticipated losses represent a 5 percent decline from May-August 2010 compared to the same period last year.
The report, from the International Development Doctoral Program at the University of Southern Mississippi, was compiled from 40 interviews within the tourism and service sectors, such as hotels, restaurants and boating.
It does not include losses in seafood sectors, such as shrimping.
"No oil has washed up on Mississippi beaches, yet the economic impact is very significant to the people of the Gulf Coast," said David Butler, who co-authored the report with Edward Sayre.
Charter boat and head boat business is "in a free fall," the report said, citing a 70 percent average revenue decline. Some interviewees reported losses of more than 90 percent.
Non-casino hotels are down 50 percent, according to the report, which represents about $26.9 million in losses during a time that traditionally is the peak season for tourism.
Seafood restaurant revenues are down at least 30 percent, while seafood prices are up about 30 percent.
"This is putting an extraordinary strain on these restaurants to remain profitable, keep their staff employed and pay bills," the report said.
Non-seafood restaurants are down 15 percent, due to the general decline in tourism. The total revenue loss in the restaurant sector is expected to be $58.4 million compared to 2009, it said.
Fishing showed mixed results, the report said, as recreation fishing dropped more than 90 percent and commercial fishermen attempted to adjust to state and federal water closings.
It's unclear what impact the oil spill has had on commercial fishing because oyster season ended just before the rig explosion and shrimping season opened earlier his month.
For seafood processors, the increase in seafood prices has offset the decline in sales, the report said. "However, there is a fear that if products from the Gulf of Mexico are viewed as damaged, the brand for gulf seafood products could decline," it said.
The strong decline in recreational fishing has a ripple effect throughout the coastal community with a 65- to 70-percent decline in the sale of boats and boat trailers, tackle, ice and other related supplies.
"The quandary in which tourism-related businesses find themselves is that they can't look forward to 2011 and say things will get better," Butler said. "Until the oil leak is stopped, no one can foresee a beginning date for when a turnaround might begin."


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Sprecher’s Pub opens in Glendale
By Lindsey Morone
CREATED 6:53 PM – UPDATED: 10:53 PM
GLENDALE – Now if you drive just five minutes north of Sprecher’s Brewery you can stop at Sprecher’s Restaurant and Pub. Before, you would have to drive miles to get a Sprecher’s Pub. It’s only locations were in Lake Geneva, Madison and Wisconsin Dells.
They say you shouldn’t mix business with pleasure. But when your business is beer and food, fun is unavoidable. However, it comes at the price of a lot of work. Sprecher’s Pub has been renovating their new location at the Bayshore Mall in Glendale since July.
“We’ve been putting tables together, and putting chairs together, and finishing up the painting and decorating,” explains Susan Getgen, the operations director for Sprcher’s Pub.
Talk of bringing a Sprecher’s Pub to Glendale has been brewing for a while.
“Pairing beer and food together is something that people are starting to learn so much more about,” says Getgen.
The pub is licensed by Sprecher Brewery. And it offers all of Sprecher’s brews. It has more than 100 new employees currently learning Sprecher’s Pub’s menu and how to cook all of its original recipes in preparation to the restaurant’s open on Tuesday, October 16, 2014.
The pub’s renovations include a massive sky light along with an outside bar and patio.
“We want people to come out here and be able to people watch, watch people walking through the mall, and enjoy some great food and some great beer,” says Getgen.
And though the warm temps are quickly falling and the patio may have to wait until Spring, the wait for Sprecher’s Pub in Glendale is now over.


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The IRS directed 7 million Americans to sign up with ID.me face-scan service, according to congressional letter
House Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) wrote that a briefing given to Congress raised concerns about “the ongoing impact on the millions of Americans who have already turned over their biometric data to a private company.”
The NFL on display this Super Bowl will seem like a crypto-happy league. It’s anything but.
Despite what viewers will see advertised during the Super Bowl, the NFL has largely prohibited its teams from involvement with cryptocurrency, unlike the NBA.
‘Scorched earth’ and big profits: How embattled gaming titan Bobby Kotick outlasts his opponents
Court records show Kotick has engaged in years-long battles against enemies big and small and brawled over sums of money far eclipsed by the cost of his lawyers. Now, with Activision Blizzard facing claims of a toxic workplace, Microsoft is buying the company.
Ask Help Desk: How to never miss an emergency alert
Alerts on your phone are a great way to stay safe but only if you get the right ones.
ID.me gathers lots of data besides face scans, including locations. Scammers still have found a way around it.
The case of a New Jersey man accused by federal prosecutors of using multiple ID.me accounts to file fraudulent unemployment claims raises questions about the identify verification company.
Russian drones shot down over Ukraine were full of Western parts. Can the U.S. cut them off?
Russia is known for its scientists and hackers but makes little of its own electronics or computer hardware, relying largely on imports. Yet blocking the flow of these goods could prove difficult.
With Starship assembled in Texas, attention turns to NASA’s moon ambitions
SpaceX's Starship was placed atop its Super Heavy booster on Thursday in anticipation that Musk will outline when it will be ready for launch.
Apple outlines plan to make its AirTag trackers easier to find
Apple outlined a series of changes designed to dial down AirTags' potential for abuse. Here's what will change and when.
Are app-based home coronavirus tests worth it? We tested them to find out.
We compare On/Go, BD Veritor, Detect and Cue Health at-home covid tests for price, speed and accuracy.
- Launcher NewsAnalysis
Nintendo’s subscription strategy went from poor to promising with two announcements
The Switch maker is starting to offer more content its fans have craved.
A video game studio moved to a four-day workweek. It ‘saved us,’ employees say.
After a months-long test period, workers voted nearly unanimously in favor of the change.
Every employee who leaves Apple becomes an ‘associate’
Apple changes all former employees' titles to "associate" in widely used databases for employment verification. One former employee, in an allegation filed with the SEC, says that cost her a new job opportunity.
A bill aiming to protect children online reignites a battle over privacy and free speech
The bill’s revival has reignited a battle over the future of Internet regulation and online speech. Prominent technologists, industry groups, civil rights advocates and LGBT interest groups have aggressively campaigned against it, warning the proposal threatens to erode consumers’ privacy and could have a chilling effect on free expression online.
‘Full Self-Driving’ clips show owners of Teslas fighting for control, and experts see deep flaws
The Washington Post verified footage posted by Tesla Full Self-Driving beta testers and had it reviewed by a panel of experts.
Nintendo Direct highlights include new Fire Emblem game, ‘Mario Strikers’ and Kirby
Nintendo revealed a few new titles and provided updates on anticipated games like "Splatoon 3."
Private contractor to drop facial recognition requirement for all state and federal agencies after backlash over IRS plan
The private contractor ID.me says it will allow the 73 million people who've signed up for its service to access government websites to delete their face scans after March 1.
Who is Peter Thiel, the tech billionaire trying to push the U.S. to the right?
He helped found PayPal and was an early Facebook investor. Now he's stepping further away from Silicon Valley to help fund right-wing politicians in the midterm elections.
In a bid to appease regulators, Microsoft announces new app store principles
The company committed to treat apps equally in its store, without ranking its own programs over those of others. It also said it would allow developers in its app stores to use their own payment processors.
Samsung’s latest tablet may have a bigger screen than your laptop
This week, Samsung officially revealed its first wave of shiny gadgets for 2022, including a new trio of new Galaxy S22 smartphones. But for the first time in over a year, Samsung is taking a big swing at the tablet market, too.
Feds arrest married couple, seize $3.6 billion in hacked bitcoin funds
The Justice Department announced Tuesday the arrest of two individuals and the seizure of more than $3.6 billion in cryptocurrency tied to a 2016 hack.


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At practically the same time that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was announcing new integration of Skype audio and voice calling for Facebook, Google was in the early stages of rolling out its Google Plus social networking service.
And that has led to the typical onslaught of which-is-better arguments between users of both Google Plus and Facebook -- arguments that tend to provide more heat than light.
Google Plus is what its creators say they want it to be: a neat place for sharing, discussing, collaborating and consuming information. You connect with users of Google Plus by accepting them into “circles” of your own creation. You can have a business contacts circle, a circle for teammates on a specific work project, a circle for family members, for other Little League parents or for software engineers designing an application together. When you provide a status update, you get to decide which circle or circles get to see the update, and whether that information can be shared outside a circle.
In other words: With Google Plus, Google has caught up to Lotus Notes.
Well, there are a few differences with Notes. First of all, Google Plus is free. Also, it’s Web-based (even the mobile app for the iPhone is a Web app.) But the biggest difference that Google could turn into a game-breaker is its integration of group video conferencing.
Google Plus “Hangouts” is a feature that allows for on-the-fly group video chats that is simply a wonderful experience. Designed to accommodate as many as 10 people in a Hangout, Google has really built a nifty video app. For example, when a speaker in a video conference call takes the floor and begins speaking, Google immediately places the speaker’s video frame in the center of the conversation and expands the frame larger than all the others. There is also a text-chat bar on the side of the screen. And remember: it’s all free.
The downside, and for many it will be a fatal flaw: Anyone who gets the URL for Hangout can just enter at will, regardless of whether they know you, your other conferees, or not. That means it’s not a secure video conference. Even for non-business video conferencing, there’s something unsettling about the prospect of a complete stranger jumping uninvited into a video chat with you. There are options that can be taken for keeping people out -- but security is not a default.
This is not to dismiss Hangouts as a feature because, technically, Google has created an outstanding video conferencing interface. With privacy and security added, it could become the best video collaboration app available -- and that includes Skype.
In fact, the one headline that may have been buried this month -- when looking at both Google Plus Hangouts, Apple’s FaceTime and Facebook’s Skype video conferencing integration -- is the immediate commoditization of IP-based video communication. As of today, anyone with a notebook that is two-years old or newer, and an Internet connection, can conduct video conferencing with almost a billion people. If the technology and bandwidth hold up, this will permanently change use patterns.
As of now, neither Google nor Facebook have been able to match Apple’s mobile video conferencing with FaceTime on iPhone 4 and iPad 2 – which also integrates on the desktop with newer Mac OS X operating systems. (Skype for iPhone, though, does support video on that mobile platform.)
Next: Beyond Video: How Google Plus Fits In


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Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, a new augmented reality game from the makers of Pokemon Go, is to launch in the UK on Friday.
Developers Niantic confirmed on Twitter that the new game, which will see characters and creatures from the wizarding world appear in the real world on a user’s smartphone, will first roll out in the UK and US.
Augmented reality technology sees virtual objects overlaid onto the real world when seen through a smartphone camera, with resulting combined realities displayed on screen.
Like Pokemon Go, players will uncover items, quests and characters by moving around the real world while using the app as well as taking part in wizard duels where they can cast spells.
“The worldwide launch of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite begins this Friday, June 21! Keep your eyes peeled and wand ready for more information as the game goes live in your region soon,” the game’s official Twitter account said.
It will be available on Android and Apple’s iOS.
Pokemon Go caused controversy following its launch in 2016 when hundreds of players descended on locations including police stations and churches in search of Pokemon characters they wanted to collect.
Warnings were issued by police to players around the world after reports of gamers placing themselves in danger as they chased the virtual creatures, urging users not to enter dangerous or restricted areas while they played.
However, the game was a stunning success being downloaded more than 10 million times in its first week and breaking numerous app store download records in the process.


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A researcher has released a new jailbreak tool that would allow iPhone users to run code from sources other than Apple’s iTunes App Store.
The new jailbreak, dubbed Corona, takes advantage of two different bugs in iOS 5 to untether iPhones and other devices running iOS 5.01, a researcher, pod2g, wrote on his iOS Research blog Jan. 2. One flaw exists in the iOS binary and the other was a heap overflow in the kernel, according to the post.
Apple has in the past moved quickly to patch security flaws as soon as a jailbreak is publicized. With the code for Corona public, the company is expected to close these holes in the next security update.
“Apple has fixed all previous known ways of executing unsigned binaries in iOS 5.0,” pod2g wrote, noting that Corona accomplishes its task “another way.”
The jailbreak tool relies on vulnerabilities in existing Apple binaries that are loaded using standard functions, pod2g said. Researchers used to create data pages that could be loaded on to the device to launch the jailbreak code prior to iOS 5, according to pod2g. Apple modified data pages to require that they also be digitally signed by Apple to verify its authenticity in iOS 5, so pod2g piggybacked the exploit code onto existing binaries.
The “raccoon” binary is used for setting up IPSec connections from the iOS devices and is started automatically whenever the user sets up a network connection, according to pod2g. The tool uses the vulnerability to copy a bootstrap payload to the device’s memory and runs the actual exploit code. The code also uses a previously discovered heap overflow flaw in the iOS kernel but pod2g said he wasn’t clear what was actually happening in the kernel.
“I never figured it out exactly,” pod2g wrote, adding that he found the issue using a “fuzzing” tool.
The fact that Coronoa took advantage of a format string bug raised a few eyebrows amongst security experts. Chris Wysopal, CTO of Veracode, wondered on Twitter if Apple was not using static analysis tools to hunt for security holes in its code. “These bugs [format string bug] are easy to find with it,” Wysopal wrote on Twitter.
The Corona jailbreak has been added to the redsn0w packages that can be used to untether devices. It can be downloaded from Websites belonging to two Apple hacking groups, greenpois0n and the iPhone Dev Team. It appears that pod2g is also working on a jailbreak update that would work on iOS devices that use the A5 chip, such as the iPhone 4S.
“With some luck we could expect a release in a week,” pod2g wrote on Twitter.
Even though Apple claims jalbreaking-or cracking the iOS to be able to run unofficial applications-was illegal, the U.S. Copyright Office said in 2009 it was legal for iPhones and other smartphones. As a result, Apple and jailbreak hackers are in the game of cat-and-mouse as the company tries to quickly patch every vulnerability they discover. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has asked the Copyright Office to extend the exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to protect users who want to jailbreak tablets, e-readers and video game consoles.


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Now in its 21st day, the United Auto Workers’ strike on General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis has proven to be a bitter, protracted affair. But electric vehicles have been looming large over all of it — namely, the fact that most EV battery plants in the US are not unionized, and future EVs may require far less in the way of parts, labor and jobs than conventional cars currently do.
But on Friday afternoon, UAW President Shawn Fain announced what he called a “major breakthrough” with GM specifically: its battery manufacturing will be placed under the UAW’s Master Agreement, meaning future battery jobs will be union ones.
“Moments before this broadcast, we have had a major breakthrough that has not only dramatically changed negotiations, but it’s going to change the future of our union and the future of our industry,” Fain said on his weekly livestream broadcast while wearing an "Eat The Rich" t-shirt.
“We were about to shut down GM’s largest moneymaker in Arlington, Texas,” he said, referring to the UAW’s practice of expanding its strikes each Friday as negotiations stalled. “Just that threat has provided a transformative win.”
We sent an email to GM seeking comment; we'll update if we get it.
The agreement is indeed a significant one. To date, most battery plants serving Ford, GM, and Stellantis are not unionized — often because they’re joint ventures with other companies like SK On or LG. But that has meant those workers were paid significantly lower hourly wages than their unionized counterparts. And while battery plant unionization was not an initial part of the UAW’s demands, the idea that the battery-driven future of the American auto industry would mean lower wages than what workers currently make became a significant sticking point for members. (Last year, independently of this, one GM battery plant in Ohio also voted to unionize with the UAW.)
“What this will mean for our membership cannot be understated,” Fain said, saying GM intended to replace engine and transmission manufacturing jobs with “low-wage battery jobs.”
GM's decision also averted a strike on Texas' Arlington Assembly Plant, makers of the lucrative Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade. Likely, that outcome was the last thing GM wanted, as a work stoppage at that plant would've significantly cut into its profits.
It's also unlikely the UAW plans to stop asking for battery plants to be covered under its agreements, now that it's scored a win with GM; this move alone seems poised to significantly increase the membership of a union whose ranks have been thinning for decades. Fain seemed to indicate as much: "We expect [our plan] to win at Ford and Stellantis as well," he said.
The entire UAW strike has been a kind of clash of past and future. Workers say they gave up too much in the way of pay and benefits to keep their automakers alive during the Great Recession. They also say that their current wages — while higher than the Asian and European automakers in America, and Tesla — have not kept up with inflation, all while the automakers post record profits and their CEOs earn more than $20 million per year in total compensation.
The current leadership of the UAW is also considerably more militant than in past decades. After years mired in a corruption scandal that sent some of its leaders to prison, Fain was narrowly elected in March and has since led a much more aggressive campaign than his predecessors — who were known for undertaking things like a genial "handshake ceremony" before negotiations began. This UAW, however, has made the unprecedented move of striking on all three automakers at once and escalating strikes almost weekly.
The automakers, however, have said the UAW's pay raise demands could, as Ford CEO Jim Farley put it recently, "have a devastating impact on our business." They have also argued that those record profits will be necessary to front the billions of dollars needed to transition to a more electric vehicle-focused market in the coming years. But with that came the UAW's concerns about whether an EV future will include union labor or not.
All told, this is a stunning development in one of the auto industry's most significant labor actions to date — and one that has now directly roped in the EV world as well.


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It’s cool to be a geek, and Whitby, Ont.-based startup NerdBlock is offering a subscription box service catering to the growing nerdy masses.
For just $20 a month subscribers receive one of five different NerdBlock boxes. Each box always contains a T-shirt, and other items might include action figures, comics, and DVDs. Recently, they included plush STDs courtesy of GiantMicrobes in their September boxes. The stuffed diseases were part of a new partnership, formed to create awareness of sexually transmitted diseases.
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It made sense since the 18- to 24-year-old demographic tends to be the most likely to contract an STD, and that is a big percentage of NerdBlock’s subscriber base. “We didn’t know what to expect, but the overwhelming feeling was that everyone loved it,” said Russ Montague, founder of NerdBlock. “For us it was a fun way to do an interesting spin on back to school.”
For GiantMicrobes it was a beneficial partnership as well. “We are already selling to this general type of audience, but it allows us to get into the hands of more potential consumers,” said Laura Sullivan, vice-president of GiantMicrobes. “The idea that we could get that many in people’s hands that quickly through a NerdBlock mailing was very appealing.”
The subscription-box format can manufacture a demand and create collectors. If a subscriber receives one item from a set of three, they might feel the need to complete the set, as was the case with the GiantMicrobes mailing.
In the past few years, there has been a resurgence of the subscription-box business model. There are subscription boxes for everything from makeup, to clothing, to baked goods and also for geeky memorabilia. The nerd kingdom is taking over the pop culture consciousness in a big way, and NerdBlock isn’t the only company capitalizing on this trend.
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“Last year it was pretty much only Loot Crate and NerdBlock. This year we’ve seen like five or six more boxes under that arena,” said Liz Cadman, a blogger who runs MySubscriptionAddiction.com. On the site she reviews almost every subscription box out there and has worked with NerdBlock since the beginning.
The nerd market is a big business niche, Tim Richardson, a professor of business at the University of Toronto said. “This is becoming a situation where they are getting away from competition by being very narrowly target market specific, and by using structures in their business model that allow them to create a situation where not many people can compete with them,” Mr. Richardson said.
Receiving a box of free stuff every month is almost like having Santa Claus arrive at your front door every 30 days
The main reason these companies are becoming popular again is because they “take back the mail,” NerdBlock’s Mr. Montague said. Everyone loves to receive things in the mail, but when it’s only bills and flyers there’s no excitement. Receiving a box of free stuff every month is almost like having Santa Claus arrive at your front door every 30 days.
People may receive items that are not available in their area, so the value of the box can be a lot more than what you’re paying. At the very least, it’s worth more than the subscription fee. With NerdBlock, each box contains about $80 worth of merchandise.
It took a little legwork to get toy companies to partner with them and supply the goods they need to fill the boxes every month. They first had to prove the business concept works, but Mr. Montague said that wasn’t too difficult. NerdBlock is his second startup.
He is the founder of ShirtPunch.com, one of the largest custom t-shirt exporters in North America. It won Canada Post’s best new e-business award, and also the consumer choice award in 2012. Both accolades came with $250,000 of prize money, which allowed him to fund NerdBlock’s launch.
“With ShirtPunch we learned how to navigate the waters,” Mr. Montague said. “We learned what excited people, what people really strive for, and so we already built a massive audience there. When we launched, we utilized that audience to get NerdBlock off the ground.”
Once they proved their business model was bankable, the toy companies started coming forward. Once word got out that they are a good company to work with, and that they are putting out big orders, more and more companies started showing interest in getting their products into a NerdBlock box.
NerdBlock now delivers to 27 countries, and Mr. Montague estimates the company’s value to be at least $20-million. “This company is now generating multi-million dollars per month,” he said.
“It’s just ready to boom.”


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Last year, Apple News brimmed with promise for publishers, offering an engaged, high-quality audience that seemed to do nothing but grow. Ad revenue wasn’t great, but at the start of 2018, most publishers assumed that would come around.
One year later, most publishers are still waiting. Monetization on Apple News remains a slog, according to seven publishers interviewed by Digiday. Ad revenue is bogged down by advertisers’ disinterest in the ad inventory that publishers are selling directly, and by remnant ad fill rates that many publishers describe as abysmal, even after a modest improvement to start the year, sources said. One source said their publication earned “low five-figures” every month from Apple News; another said they earned less than $1,000 per month.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
Today, publishers are still having trouble selling their Apple News inventory directly, sources said. Three cited Apple News’s limited user targeting, which doesn’t allow the use of third-party data or IP addresses, as reasons for them being unable to sell a meaningful amount of ads on Apple News. A fourth source cited Apple News’s incompatibility with the publisher’s current sales strategy, which relies heavily on programmatic advertising, which Apple News prohibits, as a reason for seeing minimal ad revenue from the platform.
Two publishing sources said the best bet for selling Apple News inventory today is to throw it in as a value-add within larger campaigns. “We’ve been able to position it as a premium, in-app audience, which is attractive to some advertisers,” one source said. “There are drawbacks around targeting though.”
With few opportunities to sell the inventory directly, most publishers are at the mercy of the NBCUniversal sales team, which began selling Apple News’s remnant ad inventory in the second half of 2017. Those ads fetch a CPM of between $3 and $4, a reasonable rate for remnant inventory, multiple sources said.
The problem, those sources added, was that little of their leftover ad inventory was being filled.
One publisher source said that until the beginning of 2019, the fill rate on their remnant Apple News inventory was less than 20 percent. This source said it was such an “atrociously low” number that it made publishing on Apple News less lucrative than publishing through Google’s AMP format or even Facebook Instant Articles, which many publishers abandoned because of its monetization issues.
A second publisher, which saw fill rates of around 15 percent throughout 2018, has noticed a bit of an uptick in 2019 too, with fill rates climbing to between 20 and 25 percent. This source said that increase was encouraging, but stressed that the fill rate remains “abysmal” on the whole.
In the past, publishers including Scripps have boasted fill rates of up to 90 percent in a test of Apple News’s implementation of DoubleClick, but these sources suggest that those results are far from typical.
Apple News has “roughly 90 million” regular users, according to The New York Times; a source familiar with the matter told Digiday that the service has nearly 70 million monthly unique users, and another 20 million international users.
Over the past 12 months, the amount of referral traffic that Apple News directs back to sites in Parsely’s network, which comes from readers clicking on links to stories they read inside Apple News, has remained relatively flat, hovering between 4 million and 6 million views every week.
But publishers contacted for this story all reported seeing steady growth in audience over the past year. For three sources, Apple News now drives more referral traffic than Facebook does. Getting featured in the product’s human-curated Top News widget inside Apple News can drive enormous boosts in traffic, sources said. Getting articles into Apple News’s content recirculation widget, which recommends stories for users to read next, can make a story one of the highest-read stories a publisher can share in a month, one source said.
And while publishers remain frustrated with Apple News as a source of revenue, some said they appreciate where Apple is coming from. “I respect Apple and that they believe in privacy,” one source said. “It just makes it incredibly challenging to sell there.”
Most said they appreciate the work done by the product’s editorial team, which several described as open-minded and open to ideas for packages and what kinds of coverage to spotlight. “They’re very fair,” one publisher source said. “They’ll respond when they feel like it, but they’re always asking for pitches.”
But without much prospect for directly monetizing their Apple News audiences inside Apple, some publishers remain unsure about what the best approach to that audience is.
“It’s a meaningful number,” one publisher source said of their audience on Apple News. “But it’s like, what are we doing with it?”
Some have turned to subscriptions. One source at a publisher that distributes content through Apple News described the subscriptions they were able to drive there as a “pleasant surprise,” while cautioning that Apple’s 30 percent cut and ownership of the customer remained major issues. “It’s not going to bring in the kind of revenue we’d see if we were selling all the ad inventory, but we’ve been pleasantly surprised with the revenue from subscriptions,” that source said. “There are all kinds of issues with it, but it’s better than nothing.”
That lack of overall progress in monetization has dulled the excitement many publishers once felt about Apple News. A survey Digiday conducted among publishers in Feb. 2018 found that nearly 30 percent of respondents said publishers should prioritize Apple News in the new year, beating out Twitter and Facebook and referral platforms such as Flipboard.
Publishers are also starting to think about deriving value from Apple News in other ways that are not directly tied to monetization. One source at a publisher said the company was hoping to find ways to use Apple News to drive podcast downloads. Another was hoping it would be able to figure out a way to drive more people to hit a paywall on their owned sites. A third said it is planning to work harder at converting its Apple News readers into newsletter subscribers.
Those new approaches have less to do with real optimism and more to do with making the best of an underwhelming situation. “Once you’re in something, it becomes difficult to back out,” one source said.
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According to a report from Zeit, the medical association of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany has advocated for a ban on disposable e-cigarettes at a meeting held in Dusseldorf on November 18th.
The association points out that when e-liquid is heated, it produces aerosols that may harm the heart and respiratory system, as well as potentially trigger respiratory diseases and allergies. In addition, disposable e-cigarettes are typically discarded in regular trash bins rather than electronic waste recycling stations, causing significant environmental pollution.
The association is calling for an immediate prohibition or at least restrictions on the production and sale of disposable e-cigarettes. According to the association’s report, sales of e-cigarettes and disposable e-cigarettes have increased by 40% between 2021 and 2022.
Association President Rudolf Heng stated that the various shapes and vibrant colors of e-cigarettes primarily attract adolescent consumers. He called on legislators to better protect children, teenagers, and pregnant women from the harms of secondhand smoke.


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Singapore's Airlines have reportedly launched a farm-to-plane cuisine where the business class passengers can enjoy a fresh treat on the 19-hour Newark to Singapore route. The Airline has partnered with AeroFarms which is an indoor farm where food is produced in vertically stacked layers. The idea was reportedly introduced about two years ago with a two-fold purpose where the airlines wanted to reduce their carbon footprint by using hyper-local produce. The food and beverage director, Antony McNeil claimed that the airline wanted the in-flight food to taste more vibrant as possible and AeroFarms was a great fit.
The AeroFarms was founded in 2004 with a mission to transform agriculture by building and operating environmentally responsible farms throughout the world to enable local production at scale and nourish the communities with safe, nutritious, and delicious food. The company grows its produce year-round in a room with 40-foot-tall ceilings using LED lights and cloth made from recycled water bottles. The official site of AeroFarms further claimes that instead of watering, AeroFarms farmers mist the roots of everything that grows that allows around 700 varieties of fruits and vegetables to be harvested in 10 to 14 days. The partnership with Singapore Airlines is the latest venture for the farm, which was launched on October 1.
Singapore's head of US communications James Boyd claims that the greens for the airlines had been earlier had to fly in from 3,000 miles away from California, Mexico, or Florida but as the environmentally responsible farm is just five-miles-away from the airport, it allows to source greens faster and fresher. He further added that the venture also helps in cutting down on shipping waste. Singapore is also reportedly planning to expand the farm-to-plane initiative with similar sustainable urban farms around the world. However, Singapore Airlines are not the only airlines to provide fresh food as Turkish Airline, for one, cook eggs and steak for its business class passengers.
(with inputs from agencies)


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Atlanta Industrial Shattered Leasing Records In 2021 As Vacancy Hit All-Time Lows
Every year, Atlanta's industrial real estate seems to break new records in terms of activity and rents, evidence of the never-ending demand for warehouse space in the Southeast's primary logistics hub.
But even by those high standards, 2021 blew previous years out of the water.
Companies absorbed 42.2M SF of Metro Atlanta industrial space last year, smashing the previous record for positive absorption of 25.9M SF set in 2017, according to new Colliers data provided to Bisnow. The region's industrial vacancy hit an all-time low of 3.4% to close out 2021, compared to 6.2% at the end of 2020.
"I believe we’ve likely reached the lowest vacancy level we will have in 2021 … maybe ever. I expect we will see levels increase this year, however not to the point where we have a supply problem," Colliers Director of Research Scott Amoson said in an email. "I feel like the market is just responding to demand and trying to get back in balance."
Six industrial deals larger than 1M SF were signed last year. Cereal maker Kellogg's secured the largest industrial deal of the year with a nearly 1.4M SF build-to-suit developed by Prologis at 139 Orchard Business Parkway in Newnan, according to Colliers.
Industrial tenants signed more than 80M SF of leases overall in 2021, according to King Industrial.
“I do not see the momentum slowing down anytime soon,” King Industrial President Sim Doughtie told Bisnow in an email.
The demand has pushed rents up to record levels in Metro Atlanta. Rents have steadily increased over the past decade, from $3.40 per SF in 2012 to more than $5.30 per SF at the end of 2021, according to Marcus & Millichap.
Amazon secured the second- and fourth-largest leases of the year with its 1.15M SF deal at Majestic Airport Center V in Union City, 7.5 miles from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and the 1.1M SF deal with IDI Logistics at Northwest 75 Logistics Center in Cartersville, according to King Industrial.
The third-biggest deal came when Ace Hardware agreed to lease a 1.12M SF build-to-suit distribution center from Trammell Crow in Jackson County, more than 60 miles north of Atlanta, according to Colliers.
Other million-foot deals included XPO Logistics leasing 1.04M SF for aircraft giant Boeing at 2145 Anvil Block Road in Forest Park and CJ Logistics USA taking a 1M SF lease at CRG's Locust Grove Distribution Center 100 in Henry County.
For the past seven years, developers have unleashed 170M SF of new warehouse and distribution space in Metro Atlanta, according to King Industrial, larger than Charlotte's entire industrial market.
Developers are trying to meet the market. The pandemic accelerated online shopping adoption, leading e-commerce companies and retailers to devour additional distribution space in the region. Many companies have also pursued warehouse space as a way to beef up their own stockpiles of goods as the supply chain crisis caused havoc on timely deliveries.
In 2021, 21.5M SF of new construction delivered in the region, up from 2020 but flat from 2019, showing that the pipeline hasn't been able to keep up with demand.
“That’s a lot of new construction, and you might ask the question, are we building too much? ... But the answer would be no,” Doughtie said. “We are absorbing what we are building.”
Roughly 43M SF of new industrial properties are under construction in the region, according to Colliers, and if all of those projects deliver in 2022, it would double the space delivered last year.
Those developers are hoping to capture the pent-up demand, and so far, 30% of that space has been pre-leased.
While there is so much product under construction, developers are still struggling to deliver in a timely manner as they wrestle with shortages in labor and construction supplies, said Boler, whose firm developed 5M SF of warehouse space across the East Coast last year and has another 5M SF planned in 2022.
Last year, developers faced shortages in roofing materials, concrete, screws and electrical switches, he said.
“We're still technically in this pandemic,” Boler said. “Again, a lot of that is out of our control.”
Municipalities are beginning to push back against proposed industrial projects, prompted by a growing wave of NIMBYism against warehouses near residential neighborhoods, panelists said at a Dec. 15 Bisnow industrial event.
“Availability of land and at reasonable prices from a developer standpoint is definitely the biggest hindrance to us right now," Lee said. "We're starting to see some pushback from municipalities who don't want to see any more industrial.”


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Oracle CEO Larry Ellison sat down with CBS correspondent Charlie Rose for an interview recently, which is set to air on Tuesday on the “CBS This Morning Show.” Amongst a host other topics, Ellison and Rose spoke about Apple’s late CEO Steve Jobs.
Ellison and Jobs had a well-known relationship throughout the years, and Ellison to the opportunity to bestow is admiration for Jobs. “He was brilliant,” Ellison said in a preview of the interview released Monday. “He was our Edison, he was our Picasso. He was an incredible inventor.”
According to cnet.com:
“Ellison was a close friend of Jobs and has frequently commended the Apple co-founder’s skill, insight, and attention to detail. As far back as 1998, Ellison sang Jobs’ praises, saying that he was Apple’s best chief executive. And, when Jobs passed away in 2011, Ellison said, ‘Steve would translate good ideas into a finished product unlike anyone in the industry.’
“In the CBS preview Charlie Rose asks Ellison about what he thinks the future holds for Apple now that Steve is gone, and he thinks its future is doomed.
“‘Well, we already know,’ Ellison told Rose. ‘We saw, we conducted the experiment. I mean, it’s been done. We saw Apple with Steve Jobs. We saw Apple without Steve Jobs. We saw Apple with Steve Jobs. Now, we’re gonna see Apple without Steve Jobs.'”
Although Ellison’s comment on what happened to Apple when Jobs left the first time around in the ’80s and ’90s, the comparison to present day Apple is incomplete.
When Jobs left Apple in ’80s he was forced out by then-CEO John Sculley. The company took a downturn because it moved away from Job’s core ideas.
Present-day Apple has Job’s DNA all over it. On his second turn at leading the company, Jobs had become CEO and he was able to lay out a succession plan. That puts today’s Apple in a much better shape to thrive than the company he was forced out from in the ’80s.
Whether or not Ellison made an accurate prediction, his analogy is off-base.
The CBS interview is scheduled to air today. You can view the preview here.


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With less than two months before the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation goes into effect, Apple is making notable changes in the name of user privacy. For everyone.
While all companies that collect data from EU data subjects will be subject to the GDPR, Apple has stepped up to announce that privacy, being a fundamental human right, should be available to everyone, including those outside the protection of the EU.
In a move that is raising hope for anyone concerned about data privacy, Apple GDPR protections will be offered to all Apple customers, not just the EU data subjects covered by the GDPR.
More Apple GDPR support will come later this year when the web page for managing Apple ID accounts is updated to allow easier access to key privacy features mandated under the EU privacy protection regulation, including downloading a copy of all their personal data stored by Apple, correcting account information and temporarily deactivating or permanently deleting the account. The Apple GDPR features will roll out to the EU first after GDPR enforcement begins, but eventually they will be available to every Apple customer no matter where they are.
Apple GDPR protections for all
Speaking at a town-hall event sponsored by MSNBC the day before the big update release, Apple CEO Tim Cook stressed the company profits from the sale of hardware — not the sale of personal data collected on its customers. Cook also took a shot at Facebook for its latest troubles related to allowing improper use of personal data by Cambridge Analytica, saying that privacy is a fundamental human right — a sentiment also spelled out in the splash screen displayed by Apple’s new OS versions.
Anyone concerned about data privacy should welcome Apple’s move, but it may not be as easy for other companies to follow Apple’s lead on data privacy, even with the need to comply with GDPR.
The great thing about the Apple GDPR compliance for everyone move is that it shows the way for other companies: rather than attempting to maintain two different systems for privacy protections, companies can choose to raise the ethical bar for maintaining and supporting personal data privacy to the highest standard, set by the GDPR rules, or they can go to the effort and expense of complying with GDPR only to the extent necessary by law.
On the one hand there is the requirement for GDPR-compliance regarding EU data subjects, where consumers are granted the right to be forgotten and the right to be notified when their data has been compromised, among other rights. On the other hand, companies can choose to continue to collect and trade personal data of non-EU data subjects and evade consequences for privacy violations on those people by complying with the minimal protections required by the patchwork of less stringent legislation in effect in the rest of the world.
While a technology company like Apple can focus its efforts on selling hardware while protecting its customers’ data, it remains to be seen what the big internet companies — like Facebook, Google, Amazon and Twitter — will do.
Companies whose business models depend on the unfettered collection, use and sale of consumer data may opt to build a two-tier privacy model: more protection for EU residents under GDPR, and less protection for everyone else.
As a member of the “everyone else” group, I’d rather not be treated like a second-class citizen when it comes to privacy rights.