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What you need to know
- All 17 Italian Apple Stores are now closed.
- They're closed through next Wednesday, March 17.
- It isn't clear when they will open again.
We previously heard that Apple would be closing all of its Italian Apple Stores this weekend, but things have taken a turn for the worse. As of right now, all 17 Apple Stores in the country will close today and not re-open until at least Thursday, March 18. It's thought that the move is in response to the ongoing coronavirus issues in the area.
It isn't yet clear when these stores will re-open, with the online store checker only showing opening hours up until Wednesday, March 17. It's likely that Apple is taking a wait-and-see approach and will update its stores and its plans as the situation progresses.
Apple recently closed all of its Chinese Apple Stores following the coronavirus outbreak, and it's taking a similar tact in Italy. It remains to be seen whether we can expect further store closures internationally, but with Italy being one of the worst affected countries, it makes sense that it's the first country outside of China to see all stores closed indefinitely.
You can use a Wii Nunchuck to play iPhone games. But you shouldn't.
The sheer number of things that you can plug into an iPhone will never cease to amaze. But did you ever expect someone to play iPhone games with a Wii Nunchuck?
Epic 'does not dispute' breaking App Store rules in latest filing
In a response to Apple's counterclaim against Epic Games over breach of contract, Epic Games has admitted its payment solution was prohibited by its contractual agreement with Apple, but denies its refusal to go along with Apple's "anti-competitive scheme" was wrong.
Two new Apple TV+ shows to begin shooting in the UK soon
Two new Apple TV+ shows, both UK-commissioned, will go into production in the coming weeks.
Automate your home with the best HomeKit smart plugs around
If you're new to home automation, a smart plug can is a great first step in building out your connected home with its simple plug and play design. Here's our guide to the best smart plugs for HomeKit that you can buy.


text: STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) â¿¿ Silgan Holdings Inc., a packaging-products supplier, said Wednesday its second-quarter net income fell 79 percent, as metal food container demand was weak and European demand slackened. Net income missed expectations and shares slid nearly 6 percent in morning trading. Silgan makes metal and plastic containers and closures for North American and European food, beverage and consumer products. The second quarter was "a bit more challenging than expected," said CEO Tony Allott. "We were disappointed with our metal food container volumes thus far, as the vegetable pack got off to a slow start." The timing of shipments and weaker demand in Europe hurt results as well, he added. Net income for the April-to-June quarter fell to $10.6 million, or 15 cents per share, from $51.2 million, or 73 cents per share, in the 2011 second quarter. Excluding one-time items, net income totaled 55 cents per share. Analysts, on average, expected net income of 58 cents per share, according to FactSet. Revenue was nearly flat at $821.6 million, from $822.2 million, last year. Analysts expected $822 million. Despite the lackluster quarter, the company said that its plastic container business is showing signs of improvement and confirmed full year guidance for adjusted net income of $2.80 to $2.90 per share. Analysts, on average, were predicting net income of $2.89 per share, with estimates ranging from $2.80 to $2.95. Silgan Holdings shares fell $2.62, or 6.1 percent, to $40.56 in morning trading, recovering slightly from an earlier drop of 7.2 percent. The stock ended Tuesday up nearly 12 percent since the beginning of the year.

domain: news


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AT&T and Verizon Wireless will continue to dominate the U.S. wireless industry as other carriers struggle with such challenges as low margins and increasing competition, financial analysts wrote Monday in a daily letter to investors.
Overall subscriber growth is slowing down in a country where most people have at least one mobile phone, and “being able to best manage one’s underlying cost structure at a time when data services have become much more important than traditional voice will dictate which companies harbor the greatest earnings growth potential,” Canaccord Genuity analysts Greg Miller and Eric Chu wrote.
The analysts said Verizon Wireless is less dependent on the iPhone than AT&T and is in a position to potentially improve its margins in the coming quarters. U.S. carriers subsidize the iPhone in order to garner lucrative contracts but the subsidies have been pressuring their margins. Verizon, the nation’s biggest wireless carrier, is said to be heavily marketing other devices besides the iPhone. With new smartphones like the popular Nokia Lumia 900 in its lineup, AT&T also may soon find itself less reliant on the iPhone. Canaccord Genuity raised its price targets on AT&T and Verizon Wireless.
Meanwhile, money-losing Sprint is facing increasing challenges to its already low margins because of expenditures on its aging 3G-iDEN networks, Canaccord Genuity analysts said. Another dilemma: Sprint’s introduction of the iPhone 4S last year further pressured its margins.
Miller and Chu also anticipate increasing competition in the lower end of the wireless market, fueled by T-Mobile USA’s attempted comeback following its failed merger with AT&T. T-Mobile USA has a reputation for providing a more affordable alternative to its bigger rivals.
However, AT&T and Verizon Wireless also have consistently revised their value-based offerings in what the analysts declare will make it “increasingly difficult for either MetroPCS or Leap Wireless to continue producing profitable subscriber growth.”
Several media reports have surfaced that MetroPCS and Leap Wireless could be acquired by larger U.S. carriers, although the analysts believe the prepaid carriers MetroPCS and Leap are more likely to merge with each other.
MetroPCS and Leap have both reported increases in the number of smartphone customers, though the effects haven’t been entirely positive. Average revenues per users have increased but so have costs, said Canaccord Genuity, which lowered its price targets on the stocks of both companies.
“In order to maintain margins and shareholder returns, we believe LEAP and PCS will each likely have to adjust its operating strategy to one that relies less on growing new subscribers and more on retaining the existing subscriber base,” Miller and Chu wrote.


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SEOUL, Dec. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — A group of South Korean researchers poached by a Chinese company which is now transforming itself from property developer to electric vehicle (EV) and battery maker have turned out to be playing a key role in the rapid growth of the Chinese company.
Industry experts warn that China’s poaching of top South Korean researchers could deal a blow to domestic companies.
On Monday, Xu Jiayin, chairman of China’s largest property developer, Evergrande Group, visited the headquarters of the group’s battery research institute located in Shenzhen.
According to a Chinese media report, the head of the battery research institute who welcomed Xu’s visit was Lee Joon-soo, who served as the head of the SK Innovation Battery Research Institute before moving to Evergrande.
Most of the Evergrande research institute’s other key executives are also Koreans.
When Evergrande Group hired battery R&D experts in September last year, it lured some of the top researchers at South Korea’s big three battery makers – LG Chem Ltd., Samsung SDI Co. and SK Innovation Co. – by offering salaries three times higher than the ones they were receiving in Korea.
After launching its EV and battery business last year, Evergrande Group aims to start mass production and sales from the second half of 2021 and increase its annual production capacity to 1 million units by 2025.
Many industry watchers feel that having top researchers poached by other countries could weaken South Korea’s national competitiveness.
“You can guess the secret behind the confidence of Evergrande Group, which has been no more than a property developer but now vows to start mass production of EVs and batteries within several years,” an industry watcher said.
“Domestic companies need to be cautious not only about competition but also about the possible leakage of technology and trade secrets.”
J. S. Shin (email@example.com)


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A six-week marketing push for people to apply for London 2012 tickets has begun today (15 March) promising “The greatest tickets on Earth.”
Campaign activity, created by McCann has been fronted by a series of famous athletes including David Beckham, Tom Daley, Amir Khan and Sir Clive Woodward. A total of 6.6 million tickets will go on sale to the public from today (15 March) until 26 April 2011.
The lowest priced ticket for the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games will be £20.12, with the highest priced ticket coming in at £2,012.
Anyone wanting to register can sign up at www.tickets.london2012.com, which is powered by BT. The site has been live since early this morning, with some experiencing downtime at the most busy times.
London 2012 Olympic Games tickets will be allocated randomly, and not on a first come first served basis so that everyone has an equal chance.
Oversubscribed sessions will be balloted. Tickets for the London 2012 Paralympic Games go on sale on 9 September 2011.
This story first appeared on Pitch, Centaur’s subscription-based online interactive marketplace for agencies and clients to share news, opinion and debate.


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SINGAPORE - While their work typically goes unnoticed, housekeepers at boutique hotel Lloyd's Inn came under the scrutiny of a group of guests on Saturday (Oct 14).
As they expertly fitted and smoothed out fresh bed linen, the hotel's housekeeping manager Eric Tan gave a running commentary to the observers standing around, explaining the ins and outs of the job.
In two hour-long tours on Saturday, Lloyd's Inn gave curious members of the public a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the operations at the 34-room hotel along Lloyd Road.
The hotel, along with 21 others, are taking part in the Open Hotels Weekend programme, which is being held this weekend and the next.
The initiative is organised for the first time by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the Singapore Hotel Association and the hotel industry. It is part of a broader Hotel Careers Campaign launched in July, that aims to raise awareness about hotel jobs and careers.
The open houses seek to provide students, job-seekers and the public a first-hand look at the functions in the hotel industry, from food and beverage to front desk service, in the hope of inspiring more to join the expanding sector.
Ms Ong Huey Hong, director of Hotel and Sector Manpower at STB, said the growing supply of hotel rooms in Singapore means a larger workforce is required.
As of end-December (2016), there were 63,850 hotel rooms islandwide, which marked a jump of 2,942 rooms, or 4.8 per cent, from 2015.
Ms Ong said about 1,600 new hotel rooms have been added this year (2017), and with a few more properties expected to open, this number will grow. In addition, hotel occupancy has remained "healthy" at an average of 85 per cent in the last few years, she added.
"The challenge for us is how do we attract people into the industry, because when you open a hotel, you definitely need to have (a) workforce, and existing hotels also need to fill up some of their positions."
Like other service-driven industries, hotels face a manpower crunch. Shangri-La Hotel Singapore, for instance, has about 200 vacancies, mainly in F&B service, culinary and housekeeping, said its area director of human resources, Ms Ong Eng Hwee.
The hotel also has to cope with an annual attrition rate of around 22 to 25 per cent. "More new hotels are opening, hence staff have more options. In addition, we have experienced some staff joining other industries, for example, banking and retail," she said.
Hotels such as Lloyd's Inn and Shangri-La are hoping that the Open Hotels Weekends will interest more to join the industry.
Mr Kelvin Soh, hotel manager, Lloyd's Inn, said: "One misconception is that people do not want to join a service-based industry as they think it's all about being at the beck and call of guests.
"On the contrary, it is about appreciating good service, being mindful of one's behaviour and courtesy to others... and engaging (with) guests," Mr Soh added.
STB's Ms Ong said there is a mistaken belief that a hotel job equates to a housekeeping job. But there are other professionals such as digital marketeers and asset managers and, in hotel restaurants, positions for chefs and captains, she said.
More than 1,200 people have signed up for The Open Hotels Weekends tours, exceeding the 1,000 spots available. The tours also comprise a hands-on element - participants at The Warehouse Hotel, for example, will go through a cocktail-making session next weekend.
After the tour, undergraduate Felicia Wang, 21, who studies hospitality business at the Singapore Institute of Technology, said: "I'll look to do my internship in the hotel sector, preferably working at the front desk, which allows me to interact with guests directly."


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The Climate Action Incentive Payment has recently changed its name, and an increase is on the way.
Starting April 1, the rebranded “Canada Carbon Rebate” will be giving back $1,800 to Alberta families.
“The Canada Carbon Rebate puts more money in your pocket every three months. It was created to make big polluters pay and give that money back to Canadian families. And it's working. This is how we're making life more affordable and cleaning the air we breathe,” said Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Labour and Seniors.
The Government of Canada’s website, states that “the Canada Carbon Rebate returns fuel charge proceeds to Canadians through direct deposit or cheque, every three months, ensuring most households get more money back, with lower-income households benefiting the most.”
In addition to the base Carbon Rebate amounts, rural residents will receive an increase of 20 per cent compared to the previous 10 percent to acknowledge rural Canadians’ high energy needs and limited access to cleaner transportation options.
“Canadians who live in rural areas face unique challenges, including traveling longer distances for school, work, and groceries. Doubling the rural top-up makes sure they have the help they need,” said Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development.
The annual rebate amounts are as follows:
To receive the Canada Carbon Rebate, Canadians need to file their annual tax return.
To receive the rural top-up, rural residents must check the corresponding box on their tax return.
The quarterly payments will happen in April, July, October 2024, and January 2025.
The Canada Carbon Rebate will be delivered via cheque unless you have a direct deposit set up.
For those with a spouse or common-law partner, the person who files the tax return will receive the rebate for all household members, including children.
Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to email@example.com.


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This past week has seen various sites reporting about possible components of the future iPhone.
Also, the iPhone 5 has stirred designers’ imagination into creating some interesting concepts of what Apple’s next flagship device could look like.
Here is a recap of this week’s iPhone 5 rumors.
iDownloadBlog noticed that during the keynote presentation of Eyes Free at the WWDC, a taller iPhone appeared at the minute 79.04.
The device seemed to sport a wider display and fueled rumors suggesting that the next iPhone will feature a 4-inch screen.
Also, by flipping the image on its side to examine the device’s aspect ratio, CNET discovered that the screen of the pictured handset matched the rumored 16:9 aspect ratio.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo speculated in a report that Apple will likely release the iPhone 5 in early September.
According to the analys, the handset will feature the new iOS version which was launched on Monday at the WWDC.
Several rendered photos uploaded by Dutch designer Martin Hajek onto his Flickr account show an assembled version of what the iPhone 5 could look like, based previous leaked components.
The device appears has a dark edge and the material on the back side doesn’t appear to be aluminum.
Rumors about a redesigned speaker grill, a repositioned headphone jack and a smaller dock connector seem to be confirmed by the images.
Tactus Technology presented a touchscreen haptic user-interface technology last week at SID 2012.
According to Dave Smith, from the International Business Times, there seem to be similarities between Tactus’ technology and a recent Apple patent for “flexible OLED display.”
Smith speculates that Apple could introduce the technology in the next iPhone.
On Thursday, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that details a method for removing the back cover of an iPhone to reconfigure or replace the lens.
The application presents images of a device that looks very much like an iPhone with the camera in the top-left-corner location.
The lens would be part of a removable back panel and multiple lenses could be integrated on a single panel.
A video of an iPhone with the se-through Retina Display and holographic keyboard was created by a 17-year-old Oklahoma teen.
This faux video was meant to be seen as an iPhone 5 commercial.
Dakota Adney, the creator of the clip, imagined the concept with iOS 6, a quad-core A5 chip and a see-through Retina Display, as well as a virtual projected keyboard.
Qualcomm is reportedly preparing to produce the first 4G LTE chips and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing has been chosen for this process.
As the company plans to use a 28-nm manufacturing process for these chips, the final products are expected to be small components that manage energy efficiently.
The news is a confirmation of rumors stating that Qualcomm will be manufacture these chips.


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Making apple cider the old fashioned way, sorta
RICHLAND TOWNSHIP - The best-tasting apple cider is made from many different kinds of apples, all pressed into one jug, said Ralph Hugus, a third-generation apple farmer.
Every fall season, customers across Fairfield County descend on Hugus Fruit Farm to purchase a gallon of apple cider, pressed weekly, using a combination of the orchard's 25 apple varieties.
"We start in late August and quit when the apples run out, which can be as late as March," Hugus said.
Hugus Fruit Farm, along Old Rushville Road, produces 20,000 gallons of cider each year, which is about 5,000 bushels of apples. Not all of those apples, however, come from Hugus' orchard. Only about one-quarter of the apples do. The rest come from surrounding apple orchards.
Because Hugus has one of the only commercial-sized cider mills in the area, Hugus Fruit Farm cleans, grinds, and presses apples for six or seven other nearby orchards. Last week, Neil Cherry, of Cherry Orchards in Crooksville, was there helping workers fill jugs with Cherry's apple cider.
Hugus estimated it takes 15 minutes to press the apples, which are 80 percent juice. The apple pomace, which are the leftovers, is then fed to livestock so that nothing is wasted. Apples are pressed two to four times a week depending on the need. If an apple isn't taken straight to the pressing room, it is taken to a large cold storage building on the farm.
"There's not too many commercial cider mills anymore," Hugus said comparing the number of mills 20 years ago to today. "There used to be 300 commercial cider mills in Ohio and now there's about 30 or less than 30."
A number of government regulations forced small cider mills out of business, Hugus said. Some of those regulations include new machines required of apple mills, including a washing station and an FDA-approved treatment method, which is either heat pasteurization or ultraviolet light.
Hugus treats apple cider with ultraviolet light before it is transferred to jugs. That machine alone costs $20,000, which Hugus said only underscores the financial struggle small mills were up against when the new regulations came down.
While it is more costly, Hugus said a UV treatment is better because it doesn't change the cider's flavor and keeps its nutrients intact.
Aside from these upgrades, the process of making apple cider is similar to what it was when his family first started the orchard about a century ago.
In addition to apples and cider, the Hugus Fruit Farm also sells jams, apple butter and applesauce.
The farm will have a booth at the Fairfield County Fair, open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m..
8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday


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A recent study by Berkeley University reveals that much like the social dissemination of Hate, the other side of the coin, the sharing of Love, follows an exponential growth when applied in society. Although one single study cannot support the complexity of a whole global social system, it becomes pretty clear that the potential for collaboration in order to achieve the best quality of life possible for every single human, is there, if we are just brave enough to let go of our fears, as a race, and unconditionally and trustingly embrace Love.
In a world still teeming with intolerance, this is clearly easier said than done.
This study also lays one more brick on the ever-progressing wall of the scientific progress of the well-known study “Game Theory” by John Nash (although Nash defended that a “player” would always choose the hypothesis that would minimize damage and not the one that would better benefit all the “players”, which would logically be the best choice) on the sense that by trusting one another the opportunities for progress and mutual benefit are ever-increasing.
Follows the original article:
Generosity and goodwill really are infectious, a University of California study has found.
A study conducted by UC Berkeley and UC San Diego researchers found that when consumers were told a previous customer had already paid for their purchase and were then offered the opportunity to do the same for someone else, the consumers spent more money than those given the option to pay whatever price they wanted for their own purchase.
Coined “Pay It Forward” and “Pay What You Want,” the two pricing schemes were put to test in eight experiments. A total of 2,400 individuals at locations including Oakland’s Jack London Square farmer’s market, San Francisco’s Cartoon Art Museum and labs at UC Berkeley participated unknowingly, and, in every setting, a consistent chain of goodwill and higher spending was set off when consumers paid it forward.
“It’s assumed that consumers are selfish and always looking for the best deal,” lead study author Minah Jung said. “But when we gave people the option to pay for someone else, they always paid more than what they paid for themselves.”
While becoming acquainted with the person who paid for them made no difference in how much consumers spent, the researchers did find that they paid more when they could send a note with the amount they paid or a personal message to the person they were covering.
“People don’t want to look cheap,” Jung said. “They want to be fair, but they also want to fit in with the social norms.”
The findings suggest consumers’ senses of fairness and reciprocity may be just as strong or stronger of a driving force in purchasing decisions than the desire to score the best deal.
“The results suggest that businesses that rely entirely on consumers’ social preferences can survive and even thrive,” Jung said. “It’s pretty amazing.”
(Source: The Huffington Post)


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Live Mint - 28 September 2022
Australia, India start FTA negotiations
Indian and Australian negotiators have met for talks toward a full-fledged free trade agreement even as a mini-pact remains unratified by the Australian parliament.
The talks for a comprehensive deal assume significance as it will be handled by the new government in Australia led by the Labour Party which came to power in May, a month after the previous government signed the mini-trade deal with India.
“Australian and Indian Chief Negotiators met in Delhi on 26 September for talks towards a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA),"Australian High Commission said in response to a query.
Queries sent to the ministry of commerce and industry remained unanswered at press time.
Amit Yadav, additional secretary, department of commerce, led the Indian side while the Australian negotiators were drawn from a delegation of 106 companies which visited India this week to explore supply partnerships with Indian companies. The Australian companies will also scout for opportunities in minerals, digital health, infrastructure and agri-food.
On the mini-trade deal, Australia’s trade and investment commissioner Denise Eaton told Mint that general elections in Australia delayed the negotiations and the ratification of the mini-trade deal called the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA). She added that the ECTA is expected to come into effect by February next year.
“ECTA is really only the start. Negotiators are part of the delegation that has come. So when that’s ratified this will come into place. It will come into effect right about January-February next year. It’s just the start. There are more negotiations to continue to build and strengthen our relationships. There has been a little bit of a gap and that is mainly because we’ve got a new government. But with our new government in play now and particularly in the critical mineral space.. our new government has set some very ambitious targets for climate change and emissions reductions very much like the Indian market."
A free trade pact with Australia is expected to double the trade with India in the next 5 years as about 95% of Indian goods would get zero duty access from day one of the deal coming into effect.
Commerce minister Piyush Goyal had said that although talks had started about 10 years back, they came to a halt after the UPA government decided to negotiate the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). However, after the current NDA government decided not to go ahead with RCEP, free trade talks resumed with Australia in September 2021, he had said.
The Australian delegation to India this week is looking to explore commercial and economic collaboration in the critical minerals such as lithium, graphite, cobalt, nickel and titanium. Under ECTA, India has either eliminated or reduced tariffs on minerals. India and Australia are partners in the trilateral Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) arrangement along with Japan which seeks to enhance the resilience of supply chains in the Indo-Pacific.


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Will the Russia-Ukraine Crisis Worsen the Ongoing Car Shortage?
Last year, there were several shortages worldwide as a result of unexpected demand post-pandemic creating supply-side bottlenecks. One thing in short supply was cars. When will the car shortage end?
The car shortage started because of production having been shuttered due to lockdown orders and then demand recovering faster than expected. Along with incentives and financing offers, this depleted vehicle inventories quickly. The microchip shortage made matters worse.
How bad is the car shortage?
According to Tyson Jominy, vice president of J.D. Power data and analytics, the vehicle shortage started in May 2020. In Nov. 2021, inventories were was at rock bottom despite production restarting. In 2022, inventories were at 60 percent of their typical levels.
Global chip shortages exacerbated the car shortages
The factors that have created many worldwide shortages are impacting the supply of chips as well. The companies are dealing with labor shortages in production as well as logistics, resulting in chip deliveries being delayed. Demand, on the other hand, has remained robust.
This shortage of chips, necessary componenets in cars, has impacted major automakers around the world. Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has stated that there will be no new Tesla models released in 2022 because of the shortage, and for Toyota, the chip shortages are affecting manufacturing.
The impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on chip shortages
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis is expected to add to the chip shortages, as both countries are vital exporters of raw materials used in the manufacturing of chipsets. Whereas Ukraine is an important source and supplier of raw materials such as neon, Russia is a key source of palladium. According to a U.S. Commerce Department report on semiconductor supply chains, the chip shortages will persist well into the last part of 2022, and possibly 2023.
Will the car shortages end anytime soon?
The semiconductor shortage is set to keep restricting car supplies, especially as demand outpaces inventories. According to Cars.com, citing IHS Markit forecast manager Chris Hopson, “Given current inventory conditions, it’s difficult to project significant demand recovery in the first half of 2022. But we expect to exit 2022 with a pace of sales more recognizable to pre-COVID levels, setting the stage for better volume outlooks into 2023 and 2024.”


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Fortinet DLP Partner – Award
Georgia NOV 16, 2020
We are proud to announce that syscom received an award from Fortinet as “DLB partner of the year 2020.
Syscom was honoured among the top Fortinet partners for demonstrating excellence in providing Fortinet solution to the customers in the Middle East by protecting entire network using the power of an integrated, automated Fortinet’s cybersecurity platform.
Award spotlight syscom ’s Commitment towards the network security across different business verticals in US.
Syscom has consolidated and strengthened itself as a leading firm delivering high performance network security solutions to the US market.
“This award reflects the proven growth and success of syscom offerings on Fortinet’s security driven networking products as we continue to see significant customer demand,” said Mr. Hamid Ansari– Managing Director at Syscom. “We are looking forward to build our commitment towards the Fortinet’s dynamic cloud security as well with confidence.”
About Syscom Distributions LLC
Established in 2013, Syscom Distributions LLC provides quality brands of IT products and services to the MENA Region. Syscom product segment covers Data Centre solutions, Storage, Security, Networking, Software, Hardware, Services and Telecommunication products. With more than 480 employees and 5 branch locations across the world (Georgia, , Saudi Arabia, India USA), Syscom ensure that their partners get their products on time. Syscom offers tech solutions to global customers in a focused set of verticals that includes health sector, pharmaceuticals, banking sector, insurance, Education sector and MEP projects. More at https://www.sysllc.com/
Fortinet secures the largest enterprise, service provider, and government organizations around the world. Fortinet empowers its customers with intelligent, seamless protection across the expanding attack surface and the power to take on ever-increasing performance requirements of the borderless network—today and into the future. Only the Fortinet Security Fabric architecture can deliver security without compromise to address the most critical security challenges, whether in networked, application, cloud, or mobile environments. Fortinet ranks number one in the most security appliances shipped worldwide and more than 450,000 customers trust Fortinet to protect their businesses. More at https://www.fortinet.com/


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The high street pharmacy Boots has posted falling sales in the fourth quarter to 31 August by 2.1% with like-for-like pharmacy sales down by 1%.
NHS funding has decreased, and sales have seen lower volumes as the UK retailer has faced challenging retail conditions.
The US retail pharmacy sector posted a 2.1% rise to $26bn in the same quarter as prescription volumes rose in 2018 for the same period.
Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) annual sales rose by 4.1% to $136.9bn which surpassed expectations.
WBA sales rose by 1.5% to $34bn in the three months to 31 August whilst operating profits fell by 20.5% to $5bn.
In July Boots UK announced plans to close around 200 stores over the next 18 months. At the time Seb James, UK managing director said Boots will primarily focus on local pharmacy branches.
Stefano Pessina, executive vice chairman and chief executive of WBA said, “We are pleased to report fiscal 2019 results in line with our previously stated guidance despite a challenging operating environment.
“We are also making progress on our four strategic priorities, which we remain confident are positioning us to deliver long-term growth.
While we still face headwinds, I am encouraged by the improvement in US comparable sales performance in the second half of fiscal 2019 and our progress in managing costs in order to save to invest to grow.”


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LUXURY HOSPITALITY MARKET STILL STRONG ACROSS GCC SAY UAE ARCHITECTS
In a recent report released by STR Hotel Market Data & Benchmarking, it was recorded that the Middle East saw an increase in the construction of hotel rooms over the past year.
The region witnessed a 9.3 percent year-over-year increase in the number of rooms in the final phase of the development pipeline, said the report, with the Middle East seeing an additional 30,203 rooms in the final planning stage.
In the Middle East, the UAE leads with 56,701 rooms, representing 33.6 percent of the country’s existing supply, while Saudi Arabia is second with 42,571 rooms (42.9 percent) and Oman follows in third with 4,129 rooms under construction.
Additionally, data released by the Arabian Travel Market showed that the UAE will continue to lead the GCC’s luxury hospitality segment through to 2022, with 73 percent of existing luxury hotel stock and 61 percent of the region’s pipeline located within the country, despite the rising visitation of a more cash-constrained guest profile.
In light of a healthy hospitality market, Middle East Architect spoke to UAE-based architects, including Riccardo Robustini, founder and Dubai director of UNICA; Matthew Engele, principal and regional design leader at Woods Bagot; and Joe Tabet, principal of JT+Partners, about the sector’s current demands.
“In the last few years, the hospitality sector has faced a number of challenges, as well as several positive injections from the market,” said Robustini. “On one hand, low oil prices and weak economic growth have contributed to reduced spending on tourism in the Middle East, but on the other hand, governments, like the UAE’s, have responded by diversifying their economies and increasing the level of their infrastructure, and major events such as Expo 2020 have helped keep such markets afloat, gradually moving in the right direction.”
Read more: Middle East Architect


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Today at TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2017 we sat down with three experts from the esports world to explain why you should start paying attention to the industry. To kick it off, Heather Garozzo, a former competitive Counter Strike player and current Director of Fan Marketing for Team Dignitas, told us what a day in the life of a professional esports player is like. And surprisingly, it’s not… Read More
NYS Entity Status
NYS Filing Date
FEBRUARY 20, 2014
NYS DOS ID#
NYS Entity Type
DOMESTIC BUSINESS CORPORATION
2014 - D.L.A.L. LTD.
AROUND THE WEB
- Here’s why professional sports teams are buying esports teams
By Fitz Tepper - Wednesday Sep 20, 2017
- New York
Wednesday Nov 4, 2009
On Oct. 14, Bruce Wasserstein -- CEO of Lazard. Ltd. and owner of New York magazine -- died suddenly. The event had the makings of a classic New York article:Financier-Owner Dies! What's Next For New York Magazine? Speculation about the magazine's future did appear. Callous? Perhaps! Downright ghoulish? Maybe. But, hey, this ispublishing and this is New York! You got a problem with that?
- Chinese auto group invests millions in next-gen cars
By Clayton "CJ" Jacobs - Tuesday Jun 6, 2017
China’s Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. Ltd, known as GAC Group, announced at their recent board of directors meeting that they plan to spend $88 million on a new subsidiary focused on electric vehicles.The new subsidiary will be known as Guangzhou Automobile New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd. The first registered capital will be half of the total investment amount with the remaining $44.1m being available based on project requirements.GAC Group — founded in 1997 and was acquired by Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group in 2005 — said they plan on achieving a new energy vehicle...Read More
- 'NY Times' Finally Joins Snapchat Discover
Monday Apr 24, 2017
Does The New York Times joining Snapchat Discover lend an air of respectability to a new platform, and breathe new life into an aging publisher? That's obviously what the partners are planning -- butonly time will tell.
- In Urban China, Cash Is Rapidly Becoming Obsolete
By PAUL MOZUR - Sunday Jul 16, 2017
Across the country's cities, the rapid growth of mobile payments is making cash all but obsolete.
- Alibaba and Tencent Set Fast Pace in Mobile-Payments Race
Friday Sep 22, 2017
China’s online juggernauts Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. are beating Silicon Valley in the race to build mobile-money systems in some of the world’s fastest-growing consumer markets.


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Copenhagen Fashion Summit ’17 | William McDonough
Publication date: 7 June 2017
William McDonough was a featured speaker at the 2017 Copenhagen Fashion Summit, in a segment titled: “Cradle to Cradle, the Circular Economy and The Five Goods ».
McDonough shared insight about Fashion for Good, the newly-launched movement toward positive design for the fashion industry, as well as the first-ever Cradle to Cradle™ Certified GOLD T-shirts recently launched by C&A. The T-shirts provide real examples of the potential for affordable, sustainable fashion garments for the masses.
What McDonough calls ‘The Five Goods’ (Good materials, Good economy, Good energy, Good water, Good lives) is based on Cradle to Cradle® and aims to help companies to focus, funnel and evaluate their efforts along those categories, while enabling the users to innovate and scale their efforts.
The 2017 Summit focused on providing solutions and tangible outcomes under the collaboration of leading voices and innovative minds who shared their view on businesses and new solutions to the pressing challenges facing the fashion industr


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On Friday and Saturday, Caritas Poland along with the diocese branches of this organisation will conduct the food collection campaign under the slogan “Yes, I help.”
A total of 20,000 volunteers will take part in the seventeenth edition of this campaign, which is planned to take place in supermarkets, retail network shops and small local grocery shops.
Customers in the shops can put into baskets products that have long “best before” date and those that are easy to prepare.
“It can be rice, pasta, flour, but also sweets. Among those in need there are also children, who are eager to accept such gifts,” Bartłomiej Kulisz, the coordinator of food support programmes of Caritas said.
“Underprivileged families and Caritas facilities will be able to prepare meals from those products,” he added.
The Christmas food collection campaign will be conducted in more than 2,000 shops around Poland, including those of the largest retail networks such as Biedronka, Carrefour, Kaufland, Lidl, Lewiatan, Mila, Polomarket, Tesco and others.
The campaign can also be supported by sending SMS text message PACZKA to number 72052.


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Pepe Jeans London is poised to open a flagship store in central London this summer, as the denim brand seeks to bring about a “sea change” in its domestic positioning.
Pepe is “in the final throes” of a deal that will see it take a two-floor unit in the West End. Drapers understands the site is likely to be Regent Street, although the company declined to comment on this.
The opening forms the climax of a year commemorating the brand’s 40th anniversary and signals the start of a bid to establish a greater foothold in its home market with its largest marketing campaign since the 1990s.
Chris Wightman, sales director at stablemate Hackett, will also now head Pepe’s UK sales team to spearhead this “re-engagement with the customer”, focusing on department stores and premium stockists. Further hires are in the pipeline to build UK sales regionally.
Pepe global managing director Nish Soneji said: “We have been enormously fortunate with how we have grown internationally, but unfortunately the pace of the UK hasn’t matched that of some other countries, such as Germany, France, India and Mexico. We are taking the 40th anniversary as a pivotal moment - we are not renewing effort, but trying different ways to revitalise the way the UK market looks at us.”
The campaign will feature Cara Delavigne and run across print, TV, film and digital media. It launches to the consumer in February but will kick off at Bread & Butter, where Pepe will give away 1,973 free pairs of jeans.


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Aloft, upscale brand owned by Starwood Group which is targeted at the young millennial traveller, conducts live musical events in the hotel lobby.
The two prototypes of the helicopter had taken part in the last edition of the Aero India show and had also flown in the Iron Fist exercise in Jaisalmer last year.
It was ace designer Manish Malhotra's first fashion show here and he was more than happy as it was for "Hare krishna temple" charity.
To get a glimpse of this charmed world, there are the pretty young things, wanting to desperately make it to the world of glamour as stepping stones to celebrity hood.
The annual lingerie show has released the list of models who will be walking in Earls Court, London and it does not include Delevingne or Jenner, reports contactmusic.com.
These vehicles took to the streets of Paris on September 29, and delivered a series of FEEL XE Experiences that have been curated by Stella and Jaguar.
Recent lingerie commercials are making a clandestine category purchase a rather liberating one, or so they'd have us believe. BE decodes this perception shift from functionality to fun.
Now, is your turn to watch in Nunavut to understand how the lights become so intense that they sing or crackle. The Aurora Borealis is truly Mother Nature’s light show.


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“As customers grow their AWS cloud environments, they become much more complex, creating a need to validate they have the correct instance in place by defined workloads,” said Ken Cheney, VP of Business Development for Opscode. “The combination of the CloudHealth platform with Enterprise Chef enables customers to correlate instance usage and performance by applications and workloads to best manage their AWS clouds."
About CloudHealth Technologies
CloudHealth is changing the way organizations manage cloud environments. The company’s Cloud Analytics platform aggregates, correlates, and analyzes data from disparate cloud instances so that enterprises and service providers can align cloud operations with business objectives, optimize costs and proactively manage service levels before it impacts the business. The company is backed by .406 Ventures and Sigma Prime Ventures and is headquartered in Boston, MA. For more information, visit www.cloudhealthtech.com


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Huawei Technologies has stockpiled up to couple of years worth of essential United states chips to protect its functions from Washingtons crackdowns, resources informed the Nikkei Asian Assessment.
Huaweis stockpiling attempts focused on central processors made by Intel to be used in servers and automated chips from the peer Xilinx, the sources stated. They certainly were the most crucial elements the companys base place company and emerging cloud company, also it had sufficient stock to last between one-and-a-half as well as 2 years, they added.
following latest US crackdown may 15, there were no long-lasting choices for these components immediately available to Huawei, the resources stated, as Washington had in place blocked the production of Huawei-designed potato chips. Experts, moreover, said that relying on stockpiled potato chips could ultimately harm the companys competition.
the business began buying up chips at the conclusion of 2018, after Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou who is in addition founder Ren Zhengfeis child ended up being arrested from the Canadian border, the sources stated.
Huawei revealed last thirty days so it had spent Rmb167.4bn ($23.45bn) stockpiling chips, components and products in 2019, up 73 per cent from the earlier 12 months. The companys very first community confirmation of these attempts emerged 3 days after Washington further tightened up export control principles to prevent any non-US companies from producing potato chips to Huaweis very own styles. Nikkei initially reported Huaweis stockpiling efforts last might, when the Chinese business had been apply a trade blacklist to limit its access to American technology.
While Huawei has not yet revealed the goals of their chip-buying, resources say that the business is very anxious to produce stocks from Xilinx, the San Jose-based processor chip creator with expertise in creating Field Programmable Gate Arrays. FPGAs are set by users along with their very own algorithms and program processing jobs to meet certain needs. These types of programmable potato chips which is why there are no similar non-US vendors were crucial to Huaweis base station and telecommunication gear spaces, as they offer connectivity and architectures for a wide range of base station applications, they said.
Xilinxs programmable chips are too difficult to be changed at the moment. Not Huaweis own processor chip designer HiSilicon can design potato chips that may completely vie against Xilinxs offerings, an executive-level source at a Huawei supplier, that is acquainted the companys stockpiling techniques, informed Nikkei.
Xilinxs chips likewise have powerful nationwide protection implications since they are popular in room and defence tech, like United states F-35 fighter jets, satellites and Nasas study, in line with the company. Bringing the make of Xilinx potato chips back to United states soil is amongst the key explanations the Trump management features forced Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing business Xilinxs production partner and a key Huawei provider to set up a chip center in the usa, as Nikkei reported early in the day.
Huawei can be attempting challenging get high-end host main processing products, or CPUs, from Intel as well as its smaller rival Advanced Micro Devices. Both processor chip designers are based in the united states and collectively get a handle on almost 98 % for the global host Central Processing Unit market. Server processors, which are more complicated while having even more computing energy than ordinary laptop CPUs, tend to be vital for Huaweis growing cloud company.
The worlds biggest telecommunications equipment maker and a number one host builder, Huawei is not in a position to purchase potato chips right from United States businesses without unique approval since last May. However, it have been capable carry on creating its stock of US chips through-other available channels including neighborhood processor chip distributors and dealers, and on occasion even asking a unique manufacturers buying the chips for it sources acquainted the problem said. Huawei have been willing to spend far higher costs than usual the potato chips, despite the fact the business could only secure off-the-shelf variations without customisation or technical support, they said.
Huawei has additionally been gathering its stock of DRAM and NAND flash thoughts from Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron and Kioxia since a year ago, sources stated. Korea financial constant reported on Monday that Huawei had needed assurances from Samsung and SK Hynix that it could have a stable availability of memory potato chips.
Its organizing stocks for wartime, said among the resources. The idea is in the event that genuine demand is only 100 devices monthly, it would order 150 products and shop them. Memory chips are simpler to develop stocks because they do not really upgrade very often like processor potato chips.
Xilinx, Intel and AMD, responding to ask for responses, all exhausted their conformity with US legal guidelines.
Xilinx understands the present additions towards division of Commerces Entity checklist and is evaluating any prospective business effect, the chipmaker stated.
Intel, at the same time, stated it continues to conform to United States federal government export regulations, such as the needs imposed by the BIS Entity List.
AMD, an inferior rival to Intel, stated: According to our initial breakdown of the current revision towards the international Direct Product Rule, we never believe that this rule modifies AMDs capacity to offer products to Huawei.
Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron declined to review, while Kioxia said just so it carried out its business relative to the principles and laws of all countries for which it operated.
Huawei also declined to review.
Having adequate stocks of those chips is vital for Huawei to roll out products timely. Huaweis processor chip designer HiSilicon unveiled a unique host processor chip, dubbed the Kunpeng show, at the beginning of 2019 as alternatives to Intel and AMD, plus it designed customised chips to displace Xilinx in the event it ran from the automated chips. Although most recent US limitations suggest Huawei is not able to create those chips.
These in-house styles, moreover, cannot however match the offerings of those US processor chip developers, business insiders state. The fact China currently doesn't have the capacity to make globally competitive memory chips has actually prompted Huawei to organize when it comes to possibility for the government again expanding the scope of the limitations to pay for those items, they said.
But despite Huaweis stockpiling attempts, the companys marketplace place and item competition could remain significantly damaged beneath the new export control limitations, analysts said.
Paul Triolo, mind of geotechnology research in danger consultancy Eurasia Group, stated stockpiling components could just take Huawei up to now, as the particular potato chips targeted because of the United States action had been application-specific and just the current vendors could crank up production at large throughputs. Additionally, those kinds of potato chips had been constantly being upgraded and redesigned, because of the next generation currently planned, he included.
US actions will likely target Huaweis infrastructure business, also its enterprise and cloud services and AI company outlines....These areas tend to be highly competitive and need the capacity to quickly iterate styles and integrate within the latest and greatest technologies from a number of resources, Mr Triolo told Nikkei.
Aversion for this articlewas first posted on 28 because of the Nikkei Asian Assessment. 2020 Nikkei Inc. All legal rights set aside.


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Stylists, start your engines! The Cannes red carpet is set to get even more glamorous next year, with Kering signing a five-year strategic partnership with the film festival.
Headed by Francois-Henri Pinault, (aka Mr. Salma Hayek), Kering owns such luxury brands as Gucci, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga and recently added young designer Christopher Kane to its roster, as well as Brioni for men.
Blake Lively wore Gucci gowns throughout the festival last year, and Hayek is loyal to her husband’s labels, often shopping from the front row during Paris Fashion Week. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.
Notably, the partnership excludes jewelry and watches – Chopard has been a sponsor of the festival for 17 years.
Kering has long been involved in the film industry, with initiatives for film financing, restoration and documentary filmmaking. Kering’s Gucci hosts an annual bash for its film foundation at the festival. Hayek’s Chime for Change, sponsored by Kering and co-founded by Gucci designer Frida Giannini and Beyonce, funded documentary Humaira: The Dream Catcher earlier this year and has been active in raising global awareness for girls’ education.
“For many years now, Kering has been committed to empowering women and supporting the film industry. Film, as a universal, contemporary and diverse art form, that mirrors society and is accessible to all, represents Kering’s choice of cultural engagement. We are enthusiastic about joining forces with the Festival de Cannes to bring our commitment to the next level,” said Pinault.
During the festival, Kering plans to organize several panels and other sessions highlighting the contribution of women to the film industry, from celebrities to those behind the scenes, including directors, producers, screenwriters and agents that make the business run.
The two organizations are positioning the new partnership as a move to strengthen the role of women in the film industry. “By collaborating with Kering, we come together to promote film, talent, and the women who contribute to the future of the film industry,” said new Cannes festival president Pierre Lescure.
“Through its prestigious and international brands, Kering naturally shares the festival’s open-mindedness and perfectly embodies its ambition for the editions to come,” said festival head Thierry Fremaux. “I am particularly pleased with Kering’s wish to work hand-in-hand with the Festival de Cannes to highlight the contribution of women to the film industry. Together, we are strengthening the reputation of the Cannes International Film Festival on the international stage, toward artists, the media and professionals of the industry.”
The 2015 Cannes festival runs May 13-24.
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The Verdict reports Fujifilm Holdings refused to pay a ransom demand after an attack on the company’s network in Japan last week. The amount of the demand was not revealed. The company instead used backups to restore operations,
The company’s computer systems in the US, Europe, the Middle East and Africa are now “fully operational and back to business as usual”, a Fujifilm spokesperson told Verdict.
“Fujifilm Corporation in Tokyo does not comment on the demand but I can confirm we have not paid any ransom,” the Fujifilm spokesperson added. “Fujifilm does have backups in place as a part of its normal operation procedure aligned with its policy.”


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Orleans EDA acquires 5 acres in Medina that could be used for hotel
MEDINA – The Orleans Economic Development Agency is stepping up its efforts to bring a chain hotel to the county.
The Orleans Land Restoration Corporation, one of the EDA’s development arms, bought 5 acres of land on Maple Ridge Road for $50,000 last month. That property includes an abandoned house and overgrown yard.
The house will be razed and the land cleaned up, said Jim Whipple, EDA chief executive officer. The EDA will need to do an asbestos survey on the house before it comes down. The house was bought in a bank foreclosure sale on July 15.
The property sits between Takeform Architectural Graphics and a proposed spot for Pride Pak, a Canadian company that is looking to spend at least $10 million for a vegetable processing facility.
The abandoned house and overgrown property “looks bad” when the EDA shows potential developers the Medina Business Park and other land available for development, Whipple said.
The EDA has been working to facilitate construction of a new hotel on Maple Ridge Road in Medina. The EDA has talked with Cobblestone Inn and Suites about a project in Medina. That company has built many hotels in small towns, typically working with investors in the host community.
Whipple said an investor is interested in a Medina hotel, but first is working to finish another project. Whipple said he expects that investor will make a decision about whether to pursue a project in Medina this fall.
The EDA hired a consultant to study the market for a hotel in Medina. Interim Hospitality Consultants concluded last October that a small hotel with 41 to 49 rooms would be profitable in the community.
The EDA sees the land on Maple Ridge Road across from GCC as an ideal location because the site already has infrastructure – water, sewer and electricity – within the village.
The chain hotel would be a lift for the area, boosting bed tax for tourism, sales tax for the county and state, and other spending in the community, EDA officials said.
It would also be a plus for businesses to know they would have an option for visiting professionals, consultants and staff to stay in a local chain hotel without having to go out of county.
“Right now they’re not staying here,” Whipple said. “There’s a level of hospitality we don’t offer in Orleans County. We want to encourage a hotel and we’re investigating ways to help.”
The EDA’s Land Restoration Corporation bought the house and land in Medina with some of the funds from the $176,000 sale of an Albion warehouse to BOMET, which is based in Cambridge, Ontario. That company has upgraded the warehouse and will use it as a base for recycling electronics.


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Restrictions designed to fight COVID-19 have not reduced the need for property security.
By now, most of us are familiar with the need keep our distance from others. Many stores use floor markings to remind customers to keep six feet apart. Private security guards have become team members, enforcing the rules so stores meet their legal obligations under public health rules. Customers also need to feel safe.
Security companies provide access control, making sure customers respect the tough new occupancy limits many stores have adopted. This helps customers keep their distance from each other and store staff.
Break-and-enters are up
With businesses closed for an indeterminate length of time, property security is more important than ever. The Vancouver Police Department has arrested and charged 40 individuals over the past month in relation to commercial break-and-enters. Police recommend businesses step up monitoring and preventative measures while restrictions on commercial activities remain in place.
Restaurants, bars and salons in particular need to be monitored to make sure that trespass, burglaries and damage are addressed immediately. Securing a property is important for insurance purposes. It’s also common sense.
Security needs a strategy
Business owners can’t just close a property and ignore it. Keeping it in good condition is the first step towards being able to reopen. Regular inspections prevent minor issues such as pinhole leaks in pipes becoming large problems, and this saves money.
With more than 25 years of experience working with property owners in Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary, Imperial Security is equipped to develop security plans tailored to individual businesses. Two key strategies for maintaining security during periods of reduced activity focus on boosting monitoring and environmental measures.
Regular foot patrols and in-person inspection of properties can improve monitoring in tandem with security cameras and other technologies. Imperial Security’s trained staff provide patrols on foot, bike or mobile patrols across a campus of properties. Daily reports provide regular updates and accountability for business owners.
Common environmental measures include removing temptations to thieves, such as placing merchandise out of sight or using shutters to prevent people from seeing what’s inside. Outdoor lighting eliminates shadows, leaving nowhere to hide. It also exposes trespassers to observation by passersby.
To determine how to best protect your businesses, contact Imperial Security. Our staff will develop a plan to safeguard your business now and in the future.


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HFF marketed the 536-room hotel in central Dallas on behalf of the seller, a joint venture between FelCor Lodging Trust and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. The buyers were a partnership between AWH Partners of New York City and Building and Land Technology of Stamford, Conn.
HFF’s sales team was headed by managing director John Bourret and the debt placement team was led by HFF FFH senior managing director Brian Carlton, both in the Dallas office.
The 20-story hotel is located on 3.5 acres at 12720 Merit Drive in the Park Central mixed-use development. The hotel has 42,000 square feet of indoor function space, including a 15,050-square-foot grand ballroom and a 5,745-square-foot penthouse venue. It also has a restaurant, fitness studio, business center, heated rooftop pool and sundeck.
AWH Partners, a privately held real estate investment, development and management firm, did not release the price it paid but did announce it was planning to spend more than $20 million on renovations. Spire Hospitality will oversee the repositioning and manage operations under a franchise agreement with Starwood.
This is AWH Partners’ first purchase in the Dallas market.


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The Bavarian consumer advice center is currently reporting a large number of complaints about dubious online retailers. The Bavarian police expect criminal charges in the field of cyber fraud to increase in 2020. According to the Cybercrime Bayern central office, fraudsters are exploiting the opportunities offered by the pandemic in online shipping: they are currently offering disinfectants, protective masks and other pandemic-related items. In any case, customers should be suspicious if the seller offers prepayment as the only means of payment. First goods – then money!
Online fraud: cheap prices attract customers
Michael Müller wanted to surprise his wife for her birthday with a new mobile phone. When comparing prices on the Internet, he came across a particularly cheap provider. "At first glance, this was a reputable site, so I ordered the phone there." After he had transferred 300 euros in advance by credit card, the order confirmation came immediately. Michael Müller later received another message: the delivery was delayed. Then another email, and another, for weeks. Only the mobile phone never arrived. Today he knows that the online shop only had a website at the time, but no goods. It was a fake sales platform, a so-called fake shop.
Online boom: scammers take advantage of the pandemic
Not an isolated case. In the pandemic, more and more consumers are shopping online. More and more scammers take advantage of this. The Bavarian consumer center is currently reporting many complaints about dubious online retailers. The Bavarian police are registering more and more criminal charges in the field of cyber fraud. Adrian Panitz heads the Cybercrime Commissariat of the Lower Franconia police in Würzburg. "We are currently noticing an upward trend in online fraud." The police headquarters in Swabia South/West in Kempten also reports an increase of around 20 percent compared to the previous year.
A total of 468 online fraud cases were reported. The police headquarters in Oberpfalz and Munich also expect an increase in reported crimes in this area. Detailed, Bavaria-wide case numbers will be announced in March in the police crime statistics for 2020. One thing is already certain: online fraudsters are taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the pandemic. They are currently trying to use pandemic-related items such as protective masks and hygiene items, according to the observations of the Bavarian Police Cybercrime Central Office.
State Criminal Police Office: File a criminal complaint in the event of online fraud
Michael Müller has a different name in real life. He does not want to give his real name publicly. He's embarrassed to have been caught by an online scammer. An unnecessary false shame, says Ludwig Waldinger from the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (LKA). That could happen to anyone.
It is important that those affected file a complaint as quickly as possible. "It's not just about the money, it's also about getting hold of the criminals and making sure that these sites are taken offline again as quickly as possible." This is only possible if as many victims as possible filed a complaint. This way the police can follow clues.
According to the central cybercrime office of the Bavarian police in Bamberg, many cases can be cleared up. Because the perpetrators always leave some traces on the Internet. Michael Müller, as we call him, also filed a criminal complaint at the time. Because he paid by credit card, the bank even got the 300 euros back for his mobile phone. The scammers were also caught and convicted by the police.
As a customer, how do I recognize a fake shop?
At first glance, fake shops hardly differ from reputable sales sites, explains the Bavarian consumer advice center. Existing websites are often simply copied. The customer is often lured with particularly favorable offers. Absolute bargain prices should make you suspicious. Steer clear of online shops where prepayment is the only payment option.
It should be different: First the goods, then the money! Also pay attention to contact options: If there is only one mailbox or a fee-based service hotline, you should be suspicious. Quality seals can also be forged. It helps to distinguish: If you click on the seal of approval in reputable shops, you will be automatically forwarded to the homepage of the operator of the seal of approval. If that doesn't work, according to the LKA, that's a clear indication that you've ended up with a fake shop. So: Check first - then order.


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Polish e-commerce platform Allegro reported a net profit of 270 million PLN in the first quarter of this year, slightly higher than analysts' forecast (234 million PLN).
The company said the corona-related lockdown had forced people to stay at home, and that demand for a safer way to shop was driving online sales, which rose 61% to 1.21 billion zlotys in the first quarter of this year.
But as more Poles get vaccinated and some choose to shop in brick-and-mortar stores, online sales are expected to be volatile and slow this year, with full-year sales growth expected to be less than 30%. But Allegro hopes to retain customers with cheap and free delivery and a wide range of products.
It is reported that Allegro is the most popular e-commerce platform in Poland. Founded by Poles themselves in 1999, 75% of Poles know the website. The brand recognition of Allegro is as high as 98% in Poland, which is called the Polish version of eBay. More than 1.2 million products are sold daily on Allegro's platform, 90% of which are new.
Moreover, Poland's e-commerce market has huge potential. According to a recent report by consulting firm PwC, sales in Poland's e-shopping market reached about 83 billion zlotys last year, up 36% from 2019. That was 14% of all retail sales in Poland last year. Moreover, Poland's e-commerce market is now expected to grow at an average annual rate of 12 % to reach 162 billion zlotys (36 billion euros) by 2026.
It is precisely because of the broad prospect of Poland's e-commerce market that many e-commerce platforms have been attracted. E-commerce giant Amazon, not to be outdone, established Amazon.pl site early and built parcel storage lockers everywhere. Allegro is facing increasingly fierce competition. However, the company played down the risk, saying it had not been influenced too much by Amazon.
According to a report by market research firm Gemius, 80% of respondents regard Allegro as their preferred platform for e-commerce shopping.
Jon Eastick, Chief Financial Officer of Allegro, also revealed: "We plan to expand internationally through potential acquisitions. Going international is an important expansion path for Allegro. We are interested in finding and acquiring business projects that are beneficial to us and we regularly analyze such projects."
Has not entered Allegro to seize the opportunity and seize the big market in Poland. We, PFC as one of the leading cross border logistics forwarder, who can help you fulfill each individual order and ship to Poland with DDP dedicated line service from China.


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Amazon is now offering a “Cyber Sunday” promotion they have discounted many Amazon Kindle books by up to 80% off. If you are a Kindle
Cyber Monday is here and Amazon is one of the best places to grab those Cyber Monday deals you’ve all been waiting for. I personally
Frontier Airlines is extending Black Friday and is offering fares as low as $15. This promotion will actually continue into Cyber Monday as the promotion
For those of you who are looking to purchase an Amazon Prime membership, as part of their Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions, they are
Spirit has joined the Black Friday party and is offering 75% off flights booked though tomorrow, Dec. 1, 2019. While this is a great deal,
Black Friday is here! (And almost over), but with that comes many travel deals that are valid through the weekend and many into Cyber Monday.
First thing this morning, Amazon announced one of their better Black Friday promotions: “Buy More, Get More“. With this promotion (which is unfortunately targeted) you
Amtrak just came out with their Black Friday promotion, which they are coining “Track Friday” and offering 35% off train rides nationwide. This sale is
Hyatt’s Black Friday promotion is here where you can purchase Hyatt gift cards at a 10% discount. It is rare that Hyatt ever discounts their
Black Friday is here and Amazon is is not holding back with their deals this year. I have already updated this page with tons of
If you missed out on getting the incredibly discounted price on the Apple MacBook Air last Sunday, todays sale is even better. As part of
Amazon’s Black Friday deals just got better as they just announced a “Buy More, Get More” promotion. With this today only promotion you can receive
The daily newsletter includes all blog posts from the day.


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The UK’s Labour Party kicks off its election campaign with claims that it has suffered a sophisticated cyber-attack, Apple’s credit card is accused of being sexist, and what is Google up to with Project Nightingale?
Visit https://www.smashingsecurity.com/154 to check out this episode’s show notes and episode links.
Remember: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app, to catch all of the episodes as they go live. Thanks for listening!
Warning: This podcast may contain nuts, adult themes, and rude language.
Theme tune: “Vinyl Memories” by Mikael Manvelyan.
Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.
Special Guest: John Hawes.
- LastPass: LastPass Enterprise simplifies password management for companies of every size, with the right tools to secure your business with centralized control of employee passwords and apps.
- But, LastPass isn’t just for enterprises, it’s an equally great solution for business teams, families and single users.
- Go to lastpass.com/smashing to see why LastPass is the trusted enterprise password manager of over 33 thousand businesses.
- That “sophisticated” Labour cyber-attack – don’t panic — Graham Cluley.
- General election 2019: Labour Party hit by second cyber-attack — BBC News.
- Election 2019: Security flaw leaves donors’ details online — The Times.
- Apple’s ‘sexist’ credit card investigated by US regulator — BBC News.
- Apple’s credit card caper probed over sexism claims – after women screwed over on limits — The Register.
- Google has access to detailed health records on tens of millions of Americans — Ars Technica.
- Google’s ‘Project Nightingale’ Gathers Personal Health Data on Millions of Americans — WSJ.
- Google buys Fitbit for $2.1 billion — Ars Technica.
- Smart condom ring i.Con is like a Fitbit for your man bits — CNET.
- The Missing Cryptoqueen — BBC Sounds.
- Undone — Amazon Prime.
- Speed Monopoly – How to Play in under 30 minutes! — YouTube.
- Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)


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Google Pixel 3 Lite shows up again, this time next to the Google Pixel 3
We all know by now that Google is going to launch a mid-range Pixel smartphone in the Q1 2019. The Google Pixel 3 Lite (Codenamed Sargo) showed up in hands-on images a week back that gave us the first look at Google’s upcoming mid-ranger. If you don’t know, the Pixel 3 Lite looks like the Pixel 3, has a headphone jack and is powered by a Snapdragon 670 processor. Today, another image of the phone showed up, revealing the Pixel 3 Lite right next to the Pixel 3.
The Google Pixel 3 Lite has a 5.56-inch display, and so the display is slightly bigger than the 5.5-inch screen on Pixel 3.Comparing both the phones side by side, you can notice that the Lite has bigger bezels on the sides than the Pixel 3. Also, there is no secondary speaker on the bottom chin. The Pixel 3 Lite is powered by the Snapdragon 670 processor, has 4GB RAM and 32/64GB internal storage. There is a 2,915mAh battery underneath.
According to the source that previously revealed the hands-on images, the Google Pixel 3 Lite has the same 12MP rear camera as the Pixel 3. So, get ready to see some mind-blowing shots from the camera of this mid-range phone. And finally, the phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack which is something Google said goodbye to when it launched Pixel 2 phones last year.
So, are you waiting for the Pixel 3 Lite? We hope Google will launch it in most of the markets since there are reports that the company is going to launch it only in specific markets.


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Monde Nissin debuts 0.14% decrease after $1 billion Philippine IPO By Reuters
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A janitor carrying a face masks cleans the foyer of the Philippine Inventory Alternate amid the coronavirus illness (COVID-19) outbreak, in Taguig Metropolis, Metro Manila, Philippines, Sept. 30, 2020. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez
By Neil Jerome Morales and Anshuman Daga
MANILA (Reuters) – Monde Nissin Corp noticed it shares weaken 0.14% on the opening bell on its inventory market debut on Tuesday, after the Philippine meals maker raised 48.6 billion pesos ($1 billion) within the nation’s largest-ever preliminary public providing (IPO).
The IPO, Southeast Asia’s second-largest this 12 months after the $1.8 billion IPO of Thailand’s PTT Oil and Retail Enterprise PCL in February, heads a pipeline of Philippine share gross sales.
“The brand new funding will allow us to supercharge our progress,” Chief Govt Henry Soesanto mentioned on the itemizing ceremony.
The agency will make investments the IPO proceeds in analysis and improvement in addition to in manufacturing capability to seize fast-growing alternatives within the world different protein market, Soesanto mentioned.
Monde Nissin’s inventory traded at 13.48 pesos at market open versus an IPO worth of 13.5 pesos, having risen to as a lot as 13.56 pesos within the first minutes of commerce. The native benchmark share worth index was down 0.66% as of 0151 GMT.
Analysts beforehand mentioned the main noodle and biscuit maker had priced its IPO conservatively in a market that to this point this 12 months has misplaced 7%, making it the area’s worst performer.
The oversubscribed IPO was supported by 11 cornerstone traders together with Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC Pte Ltd in addition to personal fairness funds Eastspring Investments and Capital Group.
Monde Nissin has seen regular progress in its ubiquitous Fortunate Me! on the spot noodles and SkyFlakes biscuits. Additionally it is betting massive on the abroad meat alternate options enterprise via Britain’s Quorn Meals, which it acquired for about $830 million in 2015.
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With the deal, eBay India will operate as an independent entity under Flipkart in exchange for equity stake in the company.
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It is the largest ever ecommerce deal in India! Flipkart has announced that it has raised a total of $1.4 billion from Tencent, eBay and Microsoft. This is the biggest funding round in India’s startup ecosystem. The deal will also see eBay India becoming a part of the Flipkart group.
Commenting on the development, Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, Founders of Flipkart said, “We are delighted that Tencent, eBay and Microsoft — all innovation powerhouses — have chosen to partner with us on their India journey. We have chosen these partners based on their long histories of pioneering industries, and the unique expertise and insights each of them bring to Flipkart. This deal reaffirms our resolve to hasten the transformation of commerce in India through technology.”
With this fresh infusion of funds, Flipkart’s valuation stands at over $11.6 billion, as opposed to $15.2 billion in may 2015. Tencent, eBay and Microsoft now join Tiger Global Management, Naspers Group, Accel Partners and DST Global as investors in Flipkart.
“This strategic partnership enables Tencent to participate in the exciting opportunities in e-commerce and payments in India. We look forward to helping Flipkart to deliver compelling experiences to users throughout India, and to contribute to the development of the internet ecosystem there,” said Martin Lau, Tencent President.
The most interesting part of the entire funding deal is the fact that eBay India will now operate under Flipkart. The investment by eBay is accompanied by a strategic commercial agreement with Flipkart. In exchange for an equity stake in Flipkart, eBay is making a cash investment in and selling its eBay.in business to Flipkart. eBay.in will continue to operate as an independent entity as a part of Flipkart. “This is good news for Flipkart as it solidifies it as a market leader at least in the short term, keeping competition especially Amazon at bay. It is interesting to note that this round sees the investment from strategic investors that will bring technology and market expertise that Flipkart earnestly needs, in contrast to the previous round of mostly financial investors. Although India’s e-commerce market is still at an early stage, the market is seeing signs of consolidation as scale is a key success factor in the business." says Sandy Shen, Research Director at Gartner.
Flipkart and eBay have also signed an exclusive cross-border trade agreement, as a result of which customers of Flipkart will gain access to the global inventory on eBay, while eBay’s customers will have access to Indian inventory provided by Flipkart sellers. Thus, sellers on Flipkart will now have an opportunity to expand their sales globally on eBay.
“The combination of eBay’s position as a leading global e-commerce company and Flipkart’s market stature will allow us to accelerate and maximize the opportunity for both companies in India,” said Devin Wenig, President and CEO of eBay Inc.
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T-Mobile Event Next Week Will Likely Reveal HTC One S Launch Plans
Yesterday, we looked at a new leak concerning T-Mobile’s launch plans for the HTC One S. While we had earlier heard that the phone might make its debut with the carrier on April 22, this new information seemed to reveal an April 25 arrival. Admittedly, that’s not a big change, but we’d still love to finally get some confirmation from the carrier and end this guesswork. It seems we’ll get that chance in just one week, with T-Mobile sending out invitations to a One S press event scheduled for April 18.
Assuming the carrier does intend to announce when retail sales of the One S will begin and considering the timing we can’t imagine what else T-Mobile might be planning to say about the phone both those rumored dates sound very plausible. Considering that April 25 is the most recent date that’s been suggested, and that there’s some evidence appearing to back it up, it’s probably the stronger possibility.
Check back with us next Wednesday evening, sometime a little after 7pm, to learn what T-Mobile reveals regarding the HTC One S.


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Retail banks can realize the full potential of mobile banking by offering segmented consumer experiences and advanced digital wallet capabilities, according to a study by Cognizant and Monitise.
Consumers are increasingly expecting banks to help improve their mobile lifestyles by providing anytime, anywhere capabilities; customized user experiences; shopping and social features, and value-added services. This, the study states, represents a new opportunity for retail banks to drive customer loyalty, attract new business, and generate more revenue.
The study surveyed more than 700 consumers from a diverse group of U.S. financial institutions, age ranges, annual incomes, genders, ethnicities, education, and employment backgrounds to understand their mobile banking expectations, emerging trends, and current and future needs.
Key study findings include:
Anytime, anywhere capabilities: Consumers are looking for greater functionality as they seek more options. This strongly relates to segmentation of consumer interest and behavior. Interest in remote check deposit and real-time alerts on unusual account activity are important features across segments that could induce consumers to switch banks.
Customized user experiences: Tablets have emerged as a unique and valued user interface with 41% of survey respondents wanting to use tablets compared with smart phones, and 60% of tablet owners preferring a tablet for mobile banking. Consumers are now using both devices for different purposes and want features optimized to suit each device's form factor. Feature personalization like rearranging tabs and functions is also important to more than 75% of the consumers surveyed. Offering this flexibility can give banks a competitive edge and help retain customers.
Better shopping and social experiences: Consumers want their bank to offer better shopping and social experiences and also prefer offers from banks rather than other mobile payment mediums. By offering discounts and offers from retailers on consumers' mobile devices, retail banks can increase mobile payment traffic. Consumers are also open to using social networking features on mobile banking apps/web sites for accessing information on new products and sharing opinions.
Value-added services: Consumers are seeking services that drive security, ease mobile payment use and provide insights on spending and bill payment patterns, and they're willing to invest in these products. More than one-third of consumers surveyed are willing to pay for advanced security features such as biometrics and nearly 30% of respondents indicated a willingness to pay for mobile payment capabilities.
"Amid the growing proliferation of digital channels and rapidly evolving consumer behavior, retail banks can no longer afford to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach in devising and enhancing their mobile strategies," says Vin Malhotra, consulting partner for Banking and Financial Services with Cognizant Business Consulting, Cognizant's consulting practice. "Providing innovative and personalized mobile services based on consumer segmentation will enable banks to not only run better by maximizing their investments, but also run differently by strengthening customer engagement and driving greater adoption of mobile banking for competitive differentiation."
"Smart phones and tablets are quickly becoming the main contact point between consumers and financial institutions," says Lisa Stanton, president of Americas at Monitise. "Integrating value-added services such as mobile payments directly into a bank's mobile application doesn't just build customer loyalty, but it also grows revenue and fights the growing threat of disintermediation."
- Navigating the Buy Now, Pay Later Wave Amidst Soaring Interest Rates
- Most Customers Use Mobile Banking Apps to Manage Accounts
- Banking Exchange Will Host a Discussion With the Federal Reserve and Alacriti on ACH Modernization
- Over 100 Organizations Sign Up To Use FedNow
- Federal Reserve Publishes Guidance For FedNow RFPs


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At this stage of the end of its life cycle, the Ford Explorer style, a square look that was clearly inspired by Range Rover is not going to see great revisions. But Ford gave the SUV some visual adjustments for 2018, as well as some new technological features and a new package of options that makes active safety systems more accessible across the range.
There are some aesthetic changes in store for the 2018 Ford Explorer. You might not be able to say at first, but there are some slight adjustments to the front and back pediments. The grid is new, as is the assembly of the fog lamp. The most powerful engine also receives four exhaust channels. Five new wheel designs are also available. The Explorer 2018 will also offer four new colors of cinnamon paint (yum), a burgundy velvety tinted varnish, a Danish platinum trinoat and a metallic blue.
But the real interesting things are located. The 2018 Explorer now has an optional 4G LTE connection, with a Wi-Fi hotspot that can support up to 10 devices at 50 feet of the vehicle, which is the same system included in the new expedition. This connection will also allow owners to start, lock, unblock and locate their explorers using the FordPass application.
Security technology rides a gun on this slight refresh. There is a new smart and secure package that adds a truck of active and passive safety systems. It includes adaptive cruise control, front-end collision warning, self-contained emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, cross-border rear alarms, steering assistance, automatic headlights and rain sensing wipers .
As always, buyers can opt for one of three powertrains, a 2.3-liter four-cylinder, four-cylinder, 3.5-liter V6 and a dual-turbocharged V6 all unchanged for the 2018 model year.
The 2018 Ford Explorer is on sale this fall, and prices and package details will be released closer to launch.


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EV test solutions provider Unico has introduced the BAT300 Series at the International Battery Seminar in Orlando, Florida, which showcases energy storage technology developments for consumer, automotive, military and industrial applications.
The BAT300 Series, based on the Unico IDAC power platform, is designed to prioritize flexibility over ultra-high precision in test applications. Unico says the system can support from one to thousands of channels tailored for specific purposes, such as cell aging, formation, or end-of-line checks.
It includes features like remote voltage sense, temperature measurement, calibration and DC contactor control. With its compact design and bi-directional capability, it allows discharged energy to return to the AC grid. Each channel incorporates power electronics topology for efficient operation.
“With the recent acquisition of Present Power Systems, we’re already harnessing technologies from our new Advanced Technology Group, and the BAT300 Series represents our first product coming out of the acquisition,” said Steve Bright, CEO of Unico.
“The new IDAC power platform empowers Unico to enhance our presence in battery markets and venture into new sectors such as onboard charging, home charging, battery recycling and more.”
Don Wright, VP of engineering at Unico, said “The technology embodies a revolutionary shift in flexibility, efficiency and cost-effectiveness. It’s been immensely rewarding to introduce this product to the market, and we’re excited about the potential to develop more innovations for our roadmap using this cutting-edge technology.”
The product is ready for demonstration purposes with first deliveries this summer.


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Melody Yu '25 and Derek Zuo '25 co-founded Future Labs last year as a start-up incubator for students interested in using AI to solve real-world problems.
When the pandemic’s fallout created havoc in the global logistics system, an unprecedented queue of massive cargo ships formed off Orange County amid a backlog of shipping containers moving through the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. As an avid sailor, Derek regularly observed black smoke spewing from the vessels and wondered if there was a more efficient way to manage marine traffic.
This question motivated Derek to research how machine learning could be used to prevent future logistics mishaps.
Last year, Melody was part of a duo who won the Congressional App Challenge
in California’s 48th District for developing a smartphone app that uses AI to identify objects or hazards for people living with visual impairment. She’s enjoyed using her experience to steward the next generation of coders and entrepreneurs.
Melody and Derek say they complement a host of coding and business-related clubs already on campus by mentoring students in developing their own AI projects into start-up companies.
“When we ask our members to brainstorm, we say, ‘think of a problem you have in your life.’ How do you want to solve it? What skills do you have? How can you bring both answers together to find a solution,” Derek said.
In March, Future Labs hosted over 400 parents and students at Sage Hill School for the Pitch for the Future summit to hear from entrepreneurial students engaged in technology and business. Darren Huang '26 pitched his project, Linkvance, which offers parents and their children a more efficient way to confront gaming addictions and boost productivity.
Summit attendees also heard from Shaurya Mittal '26, who noticed an uptick in his household’s trash from Postmates, Uber Eats and Doordash orders during the pandemic. He created a congressional award-winning smartphone app
, EcoTakeOut, which uses an algorithm to assign scores for to-go meals based on the ingredients, packaging, logistics and other open source data.
“Next year, we definitely want to do [Pitch for the Future] again and I think our goal will be to showcase and really refine individual student projects,” Melody said.
Derek hopes that Future Labs’ members will learn from upperclassmen and other mentors and then decide to help incoming students pursue their own ventures in coming years. The Club encourages the Class of 2027 not to wait until the fall semester to think deeply about their own entrepreneurial interests.
“Our club really targets people who already have a passion for creating their own ideas,” Melody said. “I think it would be interesting if they brainstormed their own small business ideas.”


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TOKYO — Line Corp., the developer of a fast-growing smartphone messaging application, has applied for an initial public offering on the Tokyo Stock Exchange that could value the company at more than ¥1 trillion ($9.84 billion).
A person familiar with the matter said Tuesday that Line, based in Japan but owned by South Korean Internet portal operator Naver Corp., will also likely submit an application for a listing on the New York Stock Exchange and could go public as early as this autumn.
While it isn’t clear how large a stake Line intends to sell to the public, the IPO is expected to be one of Japan’s biggest new stock offerings this year.
But it will be substantially smaller than the pending listing of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., the Chinese Internet giant that is planning to list in New York in the summer. People familiar with that deal have said Alibaba’s IPO could raise more than $20 billion, valuing the whole company at more than $100 billion.
Still, the sale would be sizable by the standards of the Tokyo market, which has had a relative dearth of Internet mega-IPOs since the dot-com boom and bust when companies like Rakuten Inc.
Line provides free voice calls and messaging and generates revenue from the sale of cutesy emoticons, games and other services. For the first quarter of this year, the company reported sales of ¥14.6 billion, more than triple its sales from a year earlier and up 19% from the fourth quarter.
Line says it has more than 480 million registered users world-wide. Unlike other popular messaging applications, however, it hasn’t disclosed how many of those users are active monthly, and analysts say that figure is considerably lower than WhatsApp which has more than 500 million monthly active users.


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It all starts with the customer. If we want to be successful business leaders, we need for customers to follow us. But true leaders also follow their customers, because with them it is possible to build a great organization. Prof. Henry Robben and co-author Prof. Rudy Moenaert wrote the book The Customer Leader. “A no-nonsense book full of initiatives," according to Robben and Moenaert.
While in the last decades an organization’s success was measured mainly in terms of turnover, profitability, market share and customer satisfaction, now and in the future they will also be held accountable for the impact they make on people, the environment and society. ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) is now central to the balanced scorecard.
Leadership changes when executives are held accountable for their contribution to people, the environment, and society. So say more than three-quarters of policymakers in a recent survey by KPMG and Nyenrode Business University.


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Posted: Feb 18, 2013 4:50 PM by The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) - The Wall Street Journal is reporting that OfficeMax Inc. and Office Depot Inc. are talking about combining their companies.
The newspaper, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter, said Monday that talks are at an advanced stage, and an announcement could come as early as this week.
Representatives of both companies declined to comment.
The office supply business is very competitive. Staples is a big player, along with Amazon and big discount stores such as Costco and Wal-Mart.
Boca Raton, Fla.-based Office Depot has about 1,675 stores worldwide, mostly in the U.S. and Canada. OfficeMax, based in Naperville, Ill., has about 900 stores in the U.S. and Mexico. If the two companies merged, they could close stores that compete against each other, as well as reduce costs.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Today is Earth Day and in celebration of the occasion, Apple has updated the logos of some of its retail stores with green leaf accents, as it does each year on April 22. The green leaves mark a departure from the standard white logo, and Earth Day represents one of the few occasions each year where Apple tweaks its store logos.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 22, 2015
Along with installing green-leafed Apple logos at retail stores, Apple retail employees are also celebrating by wearing special T-shirts in honor of Earth Day. The shirts are a bright grass green, with an Apple logo and a lighter spring green leaf accent. Apple may also be planning to hold a special Earth Day celebratory event at its Cupertino campus, as it did last year.
In a tweet about Earth Day, Tim Cook linked to Apple’s environmental website and highlighted the company’s efforts to “leave the world better than we found it.” Apple updated the website two days ago with its most recent Environmental Responsibility Report, noting that 100 percent of its U.S operations and 87 percent of its global operations are now run on renewable energy.
Under Tim Cook’s watch, Apple has ramped up its environmental conservancy efforts, heavily pursuing improved recycling, renewable energy through solar farms, a reduced carbon footprint, and most recently partnering with The Conservation Fund to protect and create the forests that supply its packaging materials.


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ZAMBIA ICT News
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21 Oct 2016 DevelopmentMicrosoft has announced that it will be making Microsoft Azure – the company’s open, flexible, ...
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11 Oct 2016 MobileHuawei Technologies Zambia country manager Li Mao has announced the P9 Lite, an exciting new ...
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Mobile 26 Aug 2016Huawei has set its latest smartphone, the Y6 Pro on a photographic journey across the capital city to capture the energy of young residents in Lusaka.


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At the time of writing, Area F2 is still on the Google Play Store.
To answer that, well it seems that Ubisoft had told both companies to take down Area F2 from their stores (due to the copyright infringement) but nothing was done.
You might be wondering on why exactly Google and Apple are targeted instead of the mobile game’s creators.
According to Ubisoft, the game copies R6S’ UI found in certain parts of their game such as the final score screen as well as during operator selection.
While it’s understandable that some may tempt to recreate a game of their own by using R6S’ formula, it seems that Ubisoft has filed a lawsuit to both Google and Apple for distributing a game that they claim is ‘a direct ripoff’.