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Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus has been available around the world for quite some time after officially making it’s debut on Verizon Wireless in December. Sprint’s version of the handset, which supports the company’s brand new LTE network, is currently slated for an April 22nd release according to one of our sources, which is in line with earlier rumors. Stores should be receiving merchandising materials shortly, and sales are set to start soon after. Whether you’ll actually be able to get an LTE signal, however, depends on if you’re a 1%-er — Sprint’s LTE network has gone live in a few regions during testing, but isn’t set to go live in launch markets until June. Sprint also plans to launch the LG Viper 4G LTE on April 22nd.
Sprint announced last week that pre-orders for one of its first 4G LTE-enabled smartphones were going live on April 12th, and now the carrier has made launch details official. LG’s affordable Viper 4G LTE will become available in just over a week on April 22nd for $99.99 on contract. While this makes LG’s new smartphone one of the most affordable LTE-equipped smartphones on the market — in line with the Nokia Lumia 900′s retail price, though the phone is free for the time being — buyers will be hard-pressed to find LTE service for the time being. The LG Viper 4G LTE features a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, a 4-inch 800 x 480-pixel display and Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Sprint’s full press release follows below. More →
HTC and Sprint have a big press conference scheduled to take place this evening, and all signs point to a new flagship smartphone. Persistent rumors suggest the flagship HTC One X will be the star of the show, and with specs that include a 4.7-inch 720p HD display, a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor, a remarkable 8-megapixel camera, Beats Audio and 4G LTE on board, there’s no question it would make a great star. A recent report suggests the One X could launch on Sprint later this year as the EVO One, but nothing is set in stone until we hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. BGR will be reporting live from the event in New York City, so be sure to check back for all the news as it breaks.
Bookmark this link, which will go live shortly before the event begins tonight, and make sure to head there for our live coverage of Sprint and HTC’s press conference! Coverage will begin just before 5:30 p.m. EDT / 2:30 p.m. PDT.
While speaking at the Competitive Carriers Global Expo, Sprint’s senior vice president of networks Bob Azzi said that while the company has experienced success with its WiMAX handsets, it will not launch any additional WiMAX devices. The announcement comes after Sprint previously confirmed that it would continue to offer 4G WiMAX devices through 2012 and support the service through 2015. Instead, the company plans to focus on its Network Vision project and upcoming 4G LTE netowrk, Fierce Wireless reported on Thursday. “We are wrapping up final field integration tests,” Azzi said. “The technology works and delivers more benefits than we expected.” The executive noted that the company’s Network Vision project will result in a 50% reduction in cost-per-gigabyte to deliver data and cost-per-minute to deliver voice. “This is a huge benefit to us,” he said, adding that there are between 5,000 to 6,000 people devoted to the project, which is slated to be completed by the end of 2013. More →
Apple’s hot new iPad tablet has been a massive global success. The company recently announced that it sold more than 3 million new slates in fewer than four days of availability, making it the second most successful launch in the Apple’s history behind the iPhone 4S. Heat issues aside, Apple found itself in a bit of hot water earlier this week when Australian regulators took issue with Apple’s use of the term “4G” in its advertising. The new iPad indeed supports 4G LTE networks internationally, but is it not compatible with Telstra’s Australian 4G network. Apple argued in Federal Court on Wednesday that its iPad can connect to Australian HSPA networks which are considered to be “4G” in other markets, but the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission didn’t bite and neither did the court. In the end, ABC News in Australia reports that Apple agree to issue a statement clarifying that the new iPad does not support Telstra’s LTE network, and it will offer a refund to any buyers who feel they have been misled by Apple’s 4G claims. More →
Verizon Wireless on Tuesday announced an upcoming new addition to its 4G LTE smartphone lineup. Launching on March 29th, the entry-level LG Lucid features low-end specs and last year’s Android build, but it also sports one of the lowest launch prices we’ve seen so far for a 4G LTE-equipped smartphone. Specs include Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 5-megapixel camera and a 1.2GHz dual-core processor. Verizon notes that the Lucid can be upgraded to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, however no details were made available regarding when the update might roll out. At $79.99, Verizon and LG have undercut AT&T’s upcoming Nokia Lumia 900, which will tout a $99.99 price tag when it is released on April 8th. The Lumia 900 is positioned as a flagship device, however, so the sub-$100 price tag is still an impressive feat. Verizon’s full press release follows below. More →
In addition to the Nokia Lumia 900, AT&T on Monday announced the upcoming availability of another sleek Windows Phone with 4G LTE connectivity. While initially expected to launch in mid-March, HTC’s Titan II will hit store shelves on April 8th for $199.99 on contract. The sequel to the original HTC Titan features a 4.7-inch Super LCD display, a 16-megapixel camera with a dual-LED flash, 4G lTE connectivity and Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.5 operating system. BGR took a hands-on look at the Titan II during the Consumer Electronics Show this past January, and while it offers clear advantages over the original Titan — namely LTE connectivity and the new camera — we preferred the unibody aluminum case on the original model to the sequel’s plastic exterior.
Global 4G LTE smartphone shipments reached 6.8 million units in the technology’s first year. According to a study from market research firm Strategy Analytics, global LTE smartphone shipments could surge tenfold to 67 million units in 2012. It is expected to be a breakout year for LTE technology, with Apple, Samsung, HTC and others planning to launch 4G LTE phones in the United States, Japan and South Korea. “The mobile industry is entering a breakout year for 4G LTE technology. Multiple operators and multiple phone vendors will be launching dozens of LTE models across numerous countries worldwide,” said Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics. “LTE has quickly become a high-growth, high-value market that no operator, service developer, device vendor or component maker can afford to ignore.” Read on for Strategy Analytics’s press release. More →
The next-generation iPhone has been rumored to include an embedded LTE radio on several occasions. Until now, however, it has only been speculation and unconfirmed reports. iDownloadBlog reported on Thursday that according to code strings in iOS 5.1, the next iPhone will indeed feature 4G LTE connectivity. “Enabling 4G will end your phone call. Are you sure you want to enable 4G,” the new iOS 5.1 code said. The references to a phone call make it clear that this is an iPhone warning rather than an iPad one. In the end, the code shows that the Cupertino-based company is at the very least testing an LTE-enabled iPhone. Apple’s next-generation smartphone is expected to feature a faster processor, a larger display and a unibody aluminum case. BGR exclusively reported this past December that the handset will also feature a redesigned antenna system, and it will launch this coming fall. iDownloadBlog’s video follows below. More →
AT&T on Monday confirmed that it sold and activated more iPad tablets this past Friday than it has on any other single day. “On Friday, March 16, AT&T set a new single-day record for its iPad sales and activations, demonstrating robust demand for the new iPad on the nation’s largest 4G network, covering nearly 250 million people,” AT&T said in a statement. The carrier did not share any sales figures, however, and neither did Apple CEO Tim Cook earlier on Monday when he said that Apple’s new iPad saw record sales during its debut weekend. BGR noted on Friday evening that while iPads were much easier to find this year compared to Apple’s previous two iPad launches, AT&T’s iPad Wi-Fi + 4G was sold out more than any other model at more Apple Stores we spoke with.
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus and LG Viper will be the first 4G handsets to launch on Sprint’s upcoming LTE network in the second quarter, but a new report suggests the carrier will follow the phones up with a flagship launch early this summer. S4GRU on Sunday reports that a smartphone code-named the HTC Jet will hit store shelves on June 10th, nearly two years after Sprint’s iconic HTC EVO 4G launched as the carrier’s first WiMAX-enabled smartphone. According to the site, the Jet is in fact HTC’s new One X smartphone, the stunning Ice Cream Sandwich-powered flagship handset that HTC unveiled at Mobile World Congress in February. While the global version of this smartphone will be powered by a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, S4GRU reports that Sprint’s version will include a dual-core Snapdragon S4 like the variant AT&T is preparing to launch next month. The site also reports that the Galaxy Nexus and LG Viper will both become available on April 15th. More →
If you were looking to get your enormous hands on a Galaxy Note in the U.S. but have no interest in switching to AT&T’s network, you may be in luck. AT&T’s “phablet” was previously limited to EDGE speeds on T-Mobile’s network, making the device a much less appealing option. XDA-Developers forum members have managed to figure out a way to enable HSPA+ support for AWS bands, however. After performing a SIM unlock, a user can flash one of three radio files that will allow the phone to access T-Mobile’s network with the proper SIM card. There are obvious risks involved, but T-Mobile subscribers in search of a supersized smartphone now have access to the king of the crop. More →
Research in Motion’s BlackBerry PlayBook may be down, but it’s definitely not out. Over a year ago, the company revealed plans to release an LTE-compatible PlayBook as well as a 3G model that will work on HSPA+ networks. Details surrounding these variants have been few and far between, with some assuming they were simply canceled. As it turns out, two tablets from Research in Motion recently passed through the FCC equipped with HSPA+ connectivity and AT&T compatible LTE radios. BGR in January exclusively reported details about RIM’s plans to introduce a new PlayBook tablet around May or June that will be equipped with a 1.5GHz processor, built-in HSPA+ and NFC support. More →


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A technology and gadgets magazine is to drop its policy of using scantily-clad women as cover models. Stuff magazine says it’s a business decision based on changing tastes.
The magazine launched in the UK in 1996 and now has several international editions. The UK version has consistently used models on the front cover, usually posing with some of the gadgets profiled in the lead articles.
Although the magazine has occasionally gone model-free for a single article, it will now do so permanently. It follows feedback from focus groups, along with a three-month trial in which a model-free cover was used for copies sold in select regions. Those copies outsold the ones with traditional covers.
Editor Will Findlater described the feedback as unanimous, saying readers “want covers that reflect the content of the magazine, and pictures of a model simply don’t. I hope that in making this change we’ll remove any barriers to reaching the whole of Stuff’s potential audience. Technology is universal, but pictures of models aren’t universally appealing.”
The revamp is also a reflection of a changing marketplace. While originally aimed at a male audience, around 40 percent of Stuff’s readers today are female.
Usually the cover model would also be featured inside the magazine in the lead article. It’s not been confirmed yet if this will continue or if the magazine will use more shots of the products themselves.

domain: news


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BMW has more plans than just making clean and green cars. They are also working on Project i which is a code name for a tiny electric car that will launch in 2012, according to Car and Driver.
The car will be smaller than the Mini Cooper but for now, the production is tentatively named "City" like Honda City? Essentially, the City will be a three-door hatchback that's specifically designed to meet California's ZEV (zero-emissions vehicle) requirements, which kick in beginning in--you guessed it--2012.
(The City also appears to be a completely separate project from the electric Mini E.)
Our resident deal hunter just found this from browsing Celcom's page. If
you're looking to get the new iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, you can
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Sant Kabir Nagar Police (Mehndawal Thana) in a joint team effort with Excise Department busted an illicit liquor racket seizing 763 bottles of Bunty Babli brand and 360 bottles of Laila brand, (200 ml) having fake wrappers on them. Besides 244 bottle caps of a popular whiskey brand and another 195 caps of one more popular brand were also seized.
The team seized the fake consignment from a country liquor vend. Two accused were also arrested. They are namely Brijesh Agrahari and Dinesh Verma, both Gorakhpur residents.
Police said that the accused Dinesh Verma brought fake liquor at Rs 1,200 per carton while the government rate was Rs 2,025 per carton. The accused then used to stick fake country liquor wrappers on thee bottles and and would sell it at the country liquor vend sharing the profit with the allottee owner. They used to make a profit of Rs 825 per carton.
–By Staff Reporter


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Consumer Credit Card Debt Decreases In July
Written by Jenna Weiner
Credit card charge-off rates and delinquency rates fell in July, Moody's reported.
The latest charge-off data from Moody's Investors Service provided some encouraging news for small businesses, as American consumers' decreasing debt may translate to a boost in sales.
The report found that credit card charge-off rates - which measure debts that are considered uncollectable - declined for the first time since September, falling from a record high of 10.76 percent in June to 10.52 percent in July.
Meanwhile, the overall delinquency rate fell from 5.81 percent in June to 5.73 in July - the lowest level all year.
The implications may not be long lasting, however. William Black, senior vice president at Moody's, told the Washington Post that the decline may be seasonal, a lingering effect of April's tax refunds.
Delinquencies may rise again with the back-to-school shopping season, Black told the news provider.
"The projections are they will continue to lose money at least through 2009 and possibly into 2010," Nessa Feddis, vice president and senior counsel at the American Bankers Association, told the Post.
Small businesses may not be faring as well as consumers in terms of debt - Equifax reported that small business bankruptcy filings increased by almost 81 percent from June 2008 to June 2009.
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They’re learning a lot!
A Texas dad helped his daughters start a culturally inspired meal-prep business during the pandemic, KRIS 6 News reports.
Jessica and Hershel Shoats were trying to find new ways to educate their children about the world while homeschooling during the pandemic. That’s when Shoats decided he would create a business with his daughters, 8-year-old Graysen and 7-year-old Avery. In June 2020, the trio created Curly Girl Cooking, a meal-service business that prepares food for their local Corpus Christi community.
For Shoats, it was not only about educating his children about various aspects of the world, from entrepreneurship to the culinary arts, but it was also about instilling pride in themselves and their culture, the food being an extension of that, hence the business name.
“Their hair, when I teach my girls when they go and see the big mother tree out there, that is a direct reflection of them. Nature. There is a lot of energy going through those curls…Every time we are wearing our Afro, it’s a crown. We don’t need a princess crown – we already have our own Afro crown,” said Shoats.
The meals the girls make are culturally inspired, whip-ping up everything from Caribbean jerk chicken, to jambalaya, creme brulée, chicken tenders, and vegan options. Every Wednesday, the girls get in the kitchen with their dad and give it all they’ve got.
“We put love into our food, and we never mess up in our food. That makes it taste delicious,” said Graysen.
“Yummy!” Avery added.
Shoats said the kids are learning a lot about their culture through the food as well as the basics of entrepreneurship and hard work.
“I showed my kids, culturally, what meal we had when we didn’t have much as far as the steak, the filet mignons and this side of the beef or that side of the shrimp,” he explained.
More important than the learnings though are the memories the three have been able to create and the relationships they’ve created which mean more to him than anything.
“We’ve built more relationships than money [or] anything from this, and that is what I always wanted to teach my girls is: It’s not money. I want you to build relationships and I want you to continue to build relationships,” Shoats said.
The girls are now part of the more than 75 Black-owned businesses that exist in Corpus Christi, Texas. Of that number, more than half are owned by women. Their mom said she hopes the girls continue to inspire others in the community.
“Hopefully, other kids will see them and ask their parents, ‘Hey what can we do?” she said.
But for Graysen, her work is more than just inspirational, it’s an example of Black excellence.
“It means to me that I have done a great job in my history and my businesses, so I have been doing good. You… can inspire the world by doing just one small thing. You can make it bigger and inspire the whole world,” said Graysen


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Though we often think of Paris Fashion Week as one event, there are really six Paris Fashion Weeks in the year: Haute Couture, Femme ready-to-wear, and Homme ready-to-wear, each with a Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter show. As the six PFWs have evolved from a closed-circuit industry event to a major media extravaganza, there is more pressure to up the ante, spend big on optics, and make every outfit count.
This could be one of the reasons why Fashion Week had seen a trend in designers either going co-ed in their shows, or dropping out of the Men’s category altogether. Celine, Haider Ackermann, Kenzo, Vetements, Balenciaga, and Berluti are leading the movement, each playing with the concept of gendered fashion in new ways.
Celine’s 2019 Spring/Summer ready-to-wear collection, which went to runway last September during women’s fashion week in Paris, featured unisex looks worn by both men and women, a bold move for artistic director Hedi Slimane’s debut show with the brand. And his recent Men’s Fashion Week show, though devoid of dresses, had notably androgynous undertones, featuring long-haired male models in occasionally flamboyant attire.
Fashion’s favorite son, Haider Ackermann, went the co-ed route with his eponymous fashion line last year at Women’s Fashion Week, dropping his Men’s show completely. “This decision reflects a desire to stage a new balance between the two collections by breaking with codes and re-creating magic with the interaction of two different identities,” said Ackermann’s PR director, Michèle Montagne, about the switch.
Kenzo switched to co-ed shows back in 2017, making headlines when its Men’s Fashion Week slot featured looks for both men and women. The LVMH brand stated that it would continue to do co-ed shows in January and June in lieu of two separate shows for each season.
“At Vetements, it really works,” said at-the-time Vetements creative director (now creative director at Balenciaga) Demna Gvasalia. “It’s this street thing. You don’t see streets where there are just girls walking. It brings it more to reality.” After bringing co-ed shows to Vetements in 2017, Gvasalia brought the trend with him to his new post at Balenciaga the following year. The star of his ready-to-wear collection was a modern take on the power suit, about which Gvasalia said the fashion house had, “challenged [them]selves to make tailoring for today’s generation.”
And during June’s Paris Fashion Week for Menswear, Berluti, a strictly-menswear fashion house under the LVMH umbrella, featured model Gigi Hadid. Why this surprise cameo? According to Creative Director Kris Van Assche, “This is a man’s brand, there is no doubt, but it is also nice to play with seduction…”
But the big gender-bending star of 2020 Menswear is Thom Browne, whose line — though strictly in the category of menswear — included a company of models and ballet dancers in tutus, Marie Antoinette-style gowns, and football helmets. No intention has been voiced by the house to opt for a co-ed runway, yet the attire shown quashes all conventional notions of what “men’s fashion” is to begin with.
For some brands, the change has been about making a statement. For others, it’s a freeing creative experience to blur and even erase the boundaries between gender in fashion. At the end of the day, it’s just a smart business decision.
Simply put, most people don’t care about men’s fashion unless it involves headlines about Kanye West selling a $120 white t-shirt. Adding a single high-profile female model to a menswear fashion show (as with Ms. Hadid) brings women’s fashion media, which is far larger than its male counterpart, to the party, boosting a collection’s visibility tenfold. And from a financial standpoint, considering the substantial cost it takes to put on a fashion show, combining mens’ and womens’ ready-to-wear collections is a brilliant idea, as it allows brands to consolidate media attention, promote brand solidarity across gender boundaries, and cut costs.
So steal your boyfriend’s three piece or your sister’s pointe shoes. Because they just might be on the runway next season.
Featured image: Stock Photos from Joe Seer / Shutterstock


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With enterprise BYOD programmes on the rise, Good Technology is offering a management app for Amazon’s Kindle Fire
Following the launch of a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) study, Good Technology has announced an application to help enterprises to support the Amazon Kindle Fire, a tablet that has probably already made its transition from gift boxes beneath US Christmas trees to offices around the country.
Amazon, shy about sharing exact figures, is estimated to have sold about 4.5 million Fire tablets since the device’s November arrival. Like the Kindle e-books before it, sales will multiply when Amazon releases the tablets in the UK and the rest of the world
Managing device incursions
Good offers enterprise IT tools for supporting multiplatform mobility. The company’s Good for Enterprise on the Kindle Fire app is now available in the Amazon Appstore for Android and requires a Good for Enterprise server and client access licence (CAL).
In its most recent survey of customers, Good found more than 70 percent to be supporting BYOD programmes, up from 60 percent a year ago. And for good reason – more devices than ever, approved and otherwise, are traveling through enterprise front doors. In January, Infinite Research forecasted that the enterprise tablet market is set to increase from 13.7 million units in 2011 to 96.4 million units in 2016.
“Mobile applications are allowing enterprises to realise huge productivity gains,” Mark Ritorto, president of Infinite Research, said at the time. “The tablet has emerged as the perfect solution to give employees access to the computing tools necessary to succeed in today’s hyper-competitive business environment.”
A February ChangeWave survey found strong interest in the Apple iPad among business IT buyers. Among the companies planning to buy tablets during the second quarter, 84 percent in the survey said they now plan to buy the iPad.
However, with tablet adoption levels expected to be in-line with the historical growth rates of smartphones, according to Infinite Research, there is still plenty of room for Android-running devices.
“Our latest device activation report confirmed that the Android OS continued to be adopted and supported by the enterprise,” Hervé Danzelaud, vice president of business development for Good Technology, said in a statement, pointing to Good’s latest BYOD survey.
The survey found BYOD to be particularly popular with larger companies; 80 percent of those with more than 2,000 employees have a BYOD policy, as do 60 percent of those with more than 5,000 employees.
Security has been a primary concern with employee-owned devices – and so a primary driver of BYOD programmes. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that the vast majority of Good customers supporting BYOD programmes are in the security-sensitive finance and insurance industries.
Among Good’s finance customers, 35 percent are currently supporting BYOD programmes, while in the next-largest industry, health care, there is currently a 10 percent buy-in. Following health care were professional services, manufacturing and transportation/logistics, respectively, with five percent of the latter category supporting BYOD.
Retail, wholesale and government were among the industries least likely to support BYOD, said Good, “at least for now”.
The company also found employees willing to pay for the convenience of using their devices of choice. In 50 percent of companies with BYOD programmes, employees cover all costs and “are happy to do so”, said Good. In another 45 percent, companies offer employees a stipend or “expense back” option to help cover the costs of the device.
“Companies that offer BYOD stipends have the highest rate of employees using mobile devices when compared to companies that require employees cover all BYOD costs themselves, or allow for expense-back of service plan costs but limit it to users with management pre-approval,” said the report.
BYOD is also gaining support globally. While nearly 49 percent of companies limit their programmes to the United States, more than 51 percent support BYOD in other countries and 45 percent support BYOD in multiple countries.
“This seems to be a time of transition, as companies are taking multiple approaches, notably with respect to their overall BYOD programme objectives, the geographic scope of those programmes, and their philosophy and approach to the ‘user pays’ model versus alternative stipend and/or expense back approaches,” Good concluded.


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How does a company recover from a PR disaster of the magnitude endured by Canadian coalition loyalty program Air Miles last year? Crisis managers might say, "practice targeted generosity." Air Miles hasn't done exactly that - no refunding of miles redeemed by angry collectors who thought their miles were due to expire, for example - but the company has made efforts to simplify the program and enhance customer service in ways that may slowly begin to smooth a few ruffled feathers. Will the move mark the beginning of a recovery? Stay tuned.
By Rick Ferguson
The story of Air Miles' fall from grace is one familiar to Wise Marketer readers - if you're late to the story, you can catch up here. The fallout from Air Miles' atrociously-executed rollout of its mileage expiry policy and its abrupt reversal left the company apologizing to collectors, taking a huge profit writedown, and jumpstarting a now-enacted legislative proposal to prohibit loyalty currency expiration in the province of Ontario. Now Canada's Global News reports that the company has announced its first program enhancements designed to win back collector trust and loyalty.
New program enhancements include:
- Beginning April 3, collectors will receive the same merchandise offers when they log on to the program web site, regardless of their program tier. This move comes in response to collector outrage that the company was selectively targeting some collectors with better merchandise offers than others.
- Gold collectors will enjoy an additional 10 percent redemption discount on merchandise, while Onyx collectors will receive a 20 percent discount.
- Collectors will also enjoy the ability to pay with a combination of cash and "Dream Miles" in order to redeem for desired merchandise sooner. Air Miles says taht up to 40 percent of merchandise will be accessible through this option.
- After rampant complaints about poor or unavailable customer service during the expiration debacle, Air Miles will now expand customer service to 24/7 availability.
Money quote from Air Miles president Blair Cameron:
"We are constantly looking for ways to refine and improve our program to ensure our Collectors have the best possible experience. After carefully listening to the feedback from our Collectors, we are rolling out these enhancements to help ensure we remain Canada’s favourite loyalty program. We are firmly committed to delivering more rewards options, improved Collector communications, and expanded customer service."
Ironically, Air Miles' simplification of its merchandise redemption process comes despite the solid business reasons behind dynamically-generated redemption catalogs. For example - and, absent comment from the company, we're merely speculating here - Air Miles might have been segmenting its collector base and driving redemption choices based on collectors' redemption history in order to improve the value and relevance of its catalog to collectors. It might also have been driving higher-margin redemption choices to certain collectors in order to control reward costs - a less customer-friendly move, of course, but one that may have been valuable to the program's bottom line.
No matter the reason, the company failed the transparency test with collectors - and was forced to end dynamically-generating its reward catalog once the press began covering collector ire at finding that they had been denied certain merchandise offers available to other collectors.
The moves seem to have already generated some positive PR, as evinced by this money quote from the Global News:
"To see the loyalty program giant concede is a huge win for consumers, said Patrick Sojka, founder of Rewards Canada, which tracks reward programs. 'Air Miles made a lot of mistakes last year,' said Sojka. 'Now they're trying to dig themselves out of that hole that they dug themselves into.' The Air Miles reward enhancement follows a recent apology note sent to cardholders in which Air Miles said it 'did not live up to' expectations last year."
Here's hoping the moves set Air Miles on the path to recovery. Whatever Air Miles' missteps, the program remains part of the fabric of Canadian life. Companies have survived worse scandals - and we have every confidence that Air Miles will survive this one.
Rick Ferguson is CEO and Editor in Chief of the Wise Marketer Group.


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He promised his retiree investors triple or quadruple their money back — but instead he went on a million-dollar spending spree with their cash, federal prosecutors said.
Isaac Grossman, 37, of Parkland, was arrested Friday and is facing fraud and money-laundering charges for spending an estimated $1.3 million on jewelry, luxury cars, and gambling, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan announced in Miami.
According to the indictment, Grossman raised about $2.4 million between September 2014 and April 2018 for Dragon-Click Corporation. As president of the company, Grossman solicited investments from dozens of mostly elderly retirees across the country.
He told potential investors that Dragon-Click was developing an app that would revolutionize internet shopping.
Grossman claimed the app would allow a customer to upload a picture of any item they wanted to buy, find every retailer offering that item for sale, provide price comparisons and then link to retailers’ websites where the customer could purchase the item.
Grossman told potential investors they would double, triple, or quadruple their investments, and that Dragon-Click was on the verge of being sold to a larger technology company, such as Google, Apple or Amazon, for over $1 billion, prosecutors said.
He also told investors that their investment money would be used to complete the technological development of the Dragon-Click internet application, to pay legal fees related to the patent application process and to close the sale of the application to a large technology company, investigators said.
Instead, Grossman spent at least $1.3 million of investors’ money on gambling, diamond jewelry, luxury cars, tuition payments for his children’s private education, and other personal expenditures, the indictment stated.
Among other transactions, Grossman spent $35,000 on a 4.81 carat diamond ring, $21,200 for a lease on a McLaren MP4-12C, $36,500 to buy a Chevrolet Corvette, and $34,500 to partially pay off his mortgage.
The indictment also alleges Grossman failed to tell investors he had been permanently barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority from acting as a broker-dealer, among other things, and that he had been ordered to pay nearly $122,000 in restitution.
If convicted of conspiracy, wire fraud, and mail fraud, Grossman faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years for each charge and up to 10 years in prison for each money-laundering charge.


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Consumers still prefer to shop at physical grocery retailers, compared to their online competitors, and as PSFK Strategist Conner Dial communicated to Progressive Grocer, this retail channel can maintain its foothold in the supermarket space by curating their store in line with consumers' most shopped-for occasions
In an interview with PSFK, working in collaboration with Verizon, Ariel Waldman discusses how she is using technology for good in her work with NASA as an advisor to the Innovative Advanced Concepts program, focusing on fostering interdisciplinary connections
A roundup of strategies from PSFK's CX Playbook lay the foundation for brands looking to build purpose-driven campaigns, products and experiences that inspire consumer engagement and long-term loyalty
Two women who began turning disused space in a former mill town into free food plots have inspired a global movement of growers
Companies are creating channels for their employees and customers to support causes with donations and volunteer work
Tarjimly is streamlining the often time-consuming process of finding translators, while providing a valuable service for free
The brand launched a digital tool that connects people to local causes as part of its commitment to protect the environment
This month, the airline is giving customers a chance to win a trip to volunteer for some of JetBlue’s non-profit partners
A new app aims to get younger audiences more involved in sustainable development goals
CBS network launched an initiative that rewards viewers for watching through charitable donations. But will it prove sustainable?
Many professionals don't include volunteer experience on their resume, although many employers look on it favorably.
An online donation platform involves several users to create a web of trust around its projects.
Nonprofit organizations help elderly people in managing their household tasks.


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According to the WSJ’s „Heard on the Street” column a surge in deals is stoking takeover speculation. Some point to Sprint Nextel (S), Hilton Hotels (HLT), Avis Budget (CAR) and home builders such as Lennar (LEN), Ryland (RYL) and D.R. Horton (DHI) as possible tgts. Private-equity firms are circling home-service co Service Master (SVM), say ppl familiar with the matter.
The WSJ reports that Nov started off with 30 insider sellers and no buyers among co’s in the S&P's broadcasting and cable index, said Mark LoPresti, of Thomson Financial. From the beginning of Sept through early Nov, insiders in Mr. LoPresti's study sold $32.3m of shares, while spending $91K on purchases. Univision Comm. (UVN), Liberty Global (LBTYA) and TiVo (TIVO) had the largest sales by dollar value. Cable and broadcast industry insiders headed Mr. LoPresti's list for bearishness in two metrics, the "head count" metric in which individual sales are tabulated, and another measure designed to compare sales and buying. "When I see an industry kind of take the lead in one of the metrics, and they're not a very active industry to begin with, I usually take notice," said Mr. LoPresti. "When you see this ... you want to look at the last time you saw something like this." The last time this industry's insiders behaved similarly was in ‘96, Mr. LoPresti said. "After that activity, the S&P broadcasting and cable index fell about 23%" in the next 9 months, he said.
Barron’s Online discusses Mentor (MNT), whose stock is up 41% since May. Yet Mentor faces some lofty expectations. And with the stock flirting with new highs and steep multiples, its premiums leave little room for disappointment. "We believe we are at a point of peak investor sentiment," says Alexander Arrow, of Lazard. "Silicone approval is the most important thing to happen to the industry in a decade. But the expected conversion rate to silicone is significantly higher than we expect, and over the next year, we don't see any catalysts for the stock."
“Inside Scoop” section reports that Google (GOOG) insiders trim back on sales. Insider sales, judging by the number of shares, have tapered off this year. So far in ‘06 Google execs and directors grossed more than $3.7bn by selling 9.4m shares on the open mkt. In ‘05 they sold 16.7m shares for nearly $4.7bn. From the Aug. 19, ‘04, IPO through the end of that year, insiders sold nearly 8.6m shares for $929.4m.


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WH Smith owned greetings card website Funky Pigeon hit by a cyber attack and suspends orders
- WH Smith said no customer payment data has not been hacked
- It is investigating 'the extent to which' any personal data has ben accessed
- Two weeks ago, fellow retailer The Works was also victim of a cyber attack
WH Smith has suspended orders from its online greetings cards business Funky Pigeon after the site was the victim of a cyber attack last week.
The stationery and books retailer said no customer payment data, such as bank account or credit card details, have been hacked.
However, it has called in external IT specialists and together they are investigating 'the extent to which' any personal data, such as names, addresses, e-mail addresses and personalised card and gift designs, have been accessed.
A red warning at the top of the website currently reads: 'Oops! We're experiencing some issues and we can't accept new orders at the moment. Please try again later!'
Cyber attack: Customer personal data may have been accessed, including emails
It comes after another stationery retailer, The Works, was hit by a cyber attack that forced it to temporarily shut down some of its shops earlier in the month.
Businesses have been urged to double down on efforts to protect the storage of personal data of customers and employees as the number of Britons whose financial data was hacked last year rose by 1,800 per cent.
More than 42million people in the UK were affected by data breaches – up from 2.2million the previous year, according to figures by international law firms Reynolds Porter Chamberlain.
The incident also comes amid increased scrutiny on appropriate defences against cyber attacks, particularly on western financial institutions, in the wake of heightened geopolitical tensions after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.
WH Smith said they were writing to all customers who have bought something through Funky Pigeon over the last 12 months to inform them of these issues.
It added it does not expect the incident to have a material impact on its financial positions.
The group will report its half-year results on 27 April, adding they are 'comfortably' in line with analysts' expectations.
WH Smith shares were down 0.8 per cent to £15.04 in morning trading on Tuesday.
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The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.


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Charleston's recently passed ban on single-use plastic and foam items means more than half of the Lowcountry's coastline extending from Beaufort County to the Isle of Palms will have at least some form of a restriction on the most common types of litter found in the region's waterways.
With all 11 communities that have enacted similar ordinances, bans now cover about 1,143 square miles along the South Carolina coast.
In addition to Charleston, they are Mount Pleasant, Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island, Folly Beach, Surfside Beach, Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Beaufort, Port Royal and Beaufort County.
Environmentalists say it's difficult to predict how much the bans will shield the region's waterways from plastic pollution, but with every community that joins in, all the bans become more effective.
"Overall, I think we’re going to see meaningful reduction," said Emily Cedzo of the Coastal Conservation League. "We’re taking a significant amount of just unnecessary single-use plastics out of the supply coming into our community."
She said measuring the impact involves taking stock of the litter found before and after ordinances are passed. When the local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation did that on Folly Beach, it saw an 80 percent decrease in the number of single-use plastic bags found on the beach and in the marsh.
"We are hopeful and I think likely to see similarly high numbers in these neighboring communities that have more recently enacted bans," Cedzo said.
Citadel physiology professor John Weinstein and his students have found over the past few years that at least 7½ tons of plastic is breaking down in the Charleston Harbor, creating what are called microplastics that are then ingested by fish, birds, turtles, shrimp, oysters and more.
Weinstein said studies are showing that these tiny pieces of trash ultimately slow down animals' growth and their reproduction.
"That’s going to have population-level effects," he said. "Once you start removing populations of shrimp, let’s say, that is going to have ecosystem effects and community-level effects."
He said banning the items can only be seen as a positive effort to curb the problem.
"Speaking as a private citizen, I’m encouraged there’s a grassroot effort to ban these types of plastics because I know from my own research that they’re having an adverse impact on the environment," he said.
The trend of regulating plastics, especially single-use plastic bags, has been sweeping across the country for several years. More than 350 cities, counties and states have enacted some measure to curb the distribution of plastic bags, either through bans or taxes on them, according to Forbes.
In response, 10 states have passed legislation to prevent local governments from passing their own bans.
A South Carolina bill outlawing the bans died in the Statehouse this year, but pressure from plastics industry lobbyists will likely inspire another version when the sessions starts in January. It’s unclear whether a new bill would protect the local bans already in place.
While the efforts in the Charleston area haven't imposed any new taxes, consumers will likely end up paying more in the long run for alternatives.
Right now, alternative types of take-out containers, straws and bags are a bit pricier than foam and plastic, so consumers could start seeing that reflected on their tabs once all the bans go into effect. Charleston's will be enforced starting Jan. 1, 2020, which gives businesses more than a year to make the necessary changes.
Berlin's Restaurant Supply, the North Charleston-based wholesaler of restaurant equipment and disposable wares, carries the traditional plastic and foam goods such as straws, take-out containers, cups and lids, but they also carry the alternatives, too, which are often recyclable or biodegradable.
Rebecca Tyler, who works in the purchasing department, said it won't be difficult for Berlin's to switch to those eco-friendly products, but it's probably going to be more expensive for their clients, at least initially.
For instance, the wholesale price of a foam box is 5 cents. The lowest-priced alternative, made out of sugarcane, is 18 cents.
"Restaurants may scale back on the variety of to-go boxes and packaging offered to their customers, or add a slight convenience fee to offset the cost," Tyler said.
Eventually, though, if more communities require the alternatives, the demand will likely lead to more supply, which might bring down prices.
"I think it’ll be opening up a brand-new industry for people out there to come up with new ideas," she said.


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posted on 2020-11-20 17:00 EST by Rafael Antonio Pineda
Manga based on novel spinoff launched in February
The December issue of Shueisha's Ultra Jump magazine published the final chapter of EX-ARM Another Code, Shinya Komi's manga adaptation of Atarō Kumo's EX-ARM the Novel spinoff novel, on Thursday. The manga's one compiled book volume will ship on December 18.
The manga adaptation of the novel launched in Ultra Jump on February 19. EX-ARM the Novel (pictured at right) is a spinoff of Komi and HiRock's EX-ARM manga. Shueisha's Jump J-Books brand published the novel in December 2018. The story of the novel is set in Shin Kagurazaka, a town that avoided a terrorist plot at the Tokyo Olympics. The story follows the EX-ARM countermeasure division's Arma and Minami as they seek to resolve a certain incident.
Komi launched the EX-ARM manga with HiRock's story in Shueisha's Grand Jump magazine in February 2015 as a remake of his earlier EX-VITA manga. The series moved to the Shonen Jump+ website and app in December 2017 and ended in June 2019. Komi and HiRock launched the EX-ARM EXA manga in Shueisha's Grand Jump Mucha magazine in August 2019.
The EX-ARM manga is inspiring a television anime that will premiere in January 2021, after being delayed from July to "fall 2020 or later" due to the effects of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Crunchyroll will stream the anime as a Crunchyroll Original series.
Source: Ultra Jump December issue


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Cane farmers in Queensland concerned about a payment dispute have rattled the chains so loudly the issue has reached the halls of Parliament House in Canberra.
The sensitive topic is proving difficult for the Liberal-National Party, including for Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce who needs a good outcome to appease the party's traditional support base.
The dispute, between cane farmers and a Singaporean-owned sugar milling company, has also raised concerns about foreign investment in Australia's agriculture sector.
Who are the main players?
Foreign-owned sugar miller Wilmar and Australian marketing group Queensland Sugar Limited.
Singaporean-based Wilmar is Asia's leading agribusiness group with a revenue of $US41 billion.
It is better known for being the largest integrated palm oil producer in the world.
In 2010 and 2011 Wilmar bought eight sugar mills in north Queensland, which collectively produce more than half of Australia's supply of sugar.
In Australia its sells its sugar under the CSR brand.
Queensland Sugar Limited (QSL), established in 1923, is a not-for-profit public company with an annual revenue of around $1.5 billion.
Traditionally, it has sold most of the raw sugar produced in Australia from the six bulk sugar terminals it operates in Queensland.
Why are they arguing?
Prior to deregulation of the sugar industry in 2006, QSL was the only mechanism to sell raw sugar on to the export market.
QSL provided a centralised marketing option that growers and millers had come to trust to get good prices for them.
That changed when the industry was deregulated and QSL had to enter into voluntary agreements with the mills instead.
However, when Wilmar entered the Australian industry, it threatened that established structure.
In 2014 Wilmar announced plans to sever ties with QSL and instead sell all of the sugar it crushed through its own trading arm.
Wilmar's decision to do its own selling angered many growers who feared they would get paid less for their cane and were concerned there would be less transparency.
In 2015, the Queensland Parliament intervened, introducing legislation that would enable growers to choose who they wanted to sell their sugar — Wilmar or QSL.
Critics argued it jeopardised the billions of dollars being invested by foreign companies in Australia's sugar industry.
That was 2015. Why are they still arguing?
Wilmar is not the only sugar miller in Queensland — there are six others.
Since the laws were passed, the other companies have all signed supply agreements with QSL, except Wilmar.
It is complicated, but Wilmar and QSL are arguing over the finer details set out in the new legislation.
For the growers to get a choice, they first need a cane supply agreement with their mill.
They then need their mill to agree on how that sugar will be sold to the alternative marketer (QSL) if that is what the grower chooses.
Why are growers frustrated?
Without a cane supply agreement between the growers and their local mill, the cane cannot be crushed for the upcoming season.
It could mean up to $1 billion worth of cane (and subsequently sugar) is in limbo for both growers and Wilmar.
Without a cane supply agreement, growers are also unable to forward price their future sugar production, which allows them to lock in high prices — a bit like fixing a good interest rate on a home loan.
Growers also say there is already a huge pricing difference offered by Wilmar compared to Queensland Sugar Limited.
Wilmar's own documents show that it is paying $104 less than QSL, a big margin considering QSL is paying $580 a tonne.
What is the easy fix?
The easiest solution is for QSL and Wilmar to come to an agreement to enable canefarmers to decide who sells their sugar.
The cane industry wants legislation amended so arbitration can happen sooner, if a similar problem arises in future.
There are also calls for a compulsory national Code of Conduct for the sugar industry.
Why is it a headache for the Federal Government and the National Party?
That is where this gets interesting.
The Federal Member for Dawson is the LNP's George Christensen. This issue affects cane farmers in his electorate.
He reportedly wrote a "letter of demand" to the Prime Minister and contemplated resigning, citing Federal Government inaction over this issue.
The Turnbull Government needs the support of Mr Christensen, due to the single seat majority it holds in the House of Representatives.
While the Turnbull Government would still have enough seats to hold government, without the support of Mr Christensen and other crossbenchers, Labor could block Government bills.
However, in the days after these reports emerged, Mr Christensen said he was loyal to the National Party and denied threatening to quit.
After this, Deputy Prime Minister and National Party Leader Barnaby Joyce travelled to north Queensland to allay the concerns of Mr Christensen and cane farmers.
Mr Joyce urged QSL and Wilmar to resolve the issue, or risk government intervention.
"If you don't want the clumsy fingers of government all through your business, get to work and resolve it," Mr Joyce said at a meeting of angry growers.
The National Party has a stranglehold on so called 'sugar seats' in Queensland, and a failure to get a good outcome for growers puts those seats at risk.
With the rising threat of One Nation, National Party MPs are nervously trying to fend off an outcome that could upset their traditional support base.
Why does this debate matter?
At the core of this argument is growers wanting control of their destiny in a deregulated environment.
Growers argue they have no choice in who crushes their cane, but they want a say in who markets the sugar they have an economic interest in.
It is also a debate over foreign investment.
Wilmar is one of the most powerful commodity traders in the world, and has made a significant investment in Australia's agriculture sector.
Future investors may be deterred if the Queensland Parliament and Federal Government show a willingness to resolve such disputes through added regulations.


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Bank of America Corporation News
Top 10 Stocks by Searches; One Guess Which is No. 1
A brokerage house's recent survey of the most frequently searched stocks in the U.S. turned up some familiar names, but the top one blew away even the second place name.
American Express Makes Wells Fargo Financial Stock List
Financial stocks haven’t fared well this year, with the KBW Bank stock Index dropping 15.5% year to date.
Microsoft, Amazon Make J.P. Morgan's Top Idea Stock List
The list includes J.P. Morgan analysts' top picks related to near-term factors, growth, value or potential as a short.
Here’s What Will Be Open And Closed on Memorial Day
Rite Aid, Best Buy and Pizza Hut will be open. Not so much with the Stock Market, though.
Disney, Amazon Make Wells Fargo List of Top Picks
The bank made a list of 'signature picks, an eclectic portfolio culled from our research department's highest-conviction ideas.'
Robinhood Stock Surges, Then Halted, Amid Reports of FTX Takeover Interest
Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX is looking for a path to buy online brokerage group Robinhood, Bloomberg reported Monday.
General Electric Stock Gains As CEO Larry Culp Takes Over Aviation Division
"There is tremendous opportunity in aviation over the coming years, and the Board and I decided it is the right time for me to take on this expanded role," said GE CEO Larry Culp.
Feds Could Stop Trump SPAC Deal
An investigation by a federal grand jury could halt the proposed SPAC deal with Trump's social media company.
McDonald's Brings Back a Classic Menu Item (with a Catch)
You never know what the fast-food chain might bring back or create a new version of.


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The Kiwi Dollar moved from $0.71122 to $0.71118 upon release of the figures that preceded sales figures that are retail. In December, electronic card retail sales rose by 3.5% compared with December 2019. In, product sales had increased by 1.4per cent, year-on-year.
Shelling out for groceries, furniture, and electronics drove sales, while gas and accommodation spending dragged. Retail investing rose in 4 regarding the 6 companies in 2020 compared with December 2019. Consumables had the biggest sector that is retail, rising by 7.5%, accompanied by shelling out for durables, which increased by 6.7%. Shelling out for eating out increased by a relatively modest 1.8%. Notwithstanding containment measures, domestic tourism delivered support.
By contrast, shelling out for accommodations, motels, along with other accommodation had been down by 32% due to a not enough worldwide tourists.
The Kiwi Dollar relocated from $0.71120 to $0.71051 upon release of the figures. The Kiwi Dollar up by 0.25% to $0.7128 during the time of writing.
Expect Germany’s ZEW Economic Sentiment figure for January to end up being the driver that is key.
Away from the calendar that is economic COVID-19 vaccine news combined with the latest COVID-19 numbers will even influence. The Italian government faces a Senate vote later today that will decide Conte’s fate on the political front. On, the Chamber of Deputies voted and only Conte’s government following coalition breakdown.
An emergency that is governmental top of the COVID-19 pandemic would pressure the EUR. The EUR was up by 0.09per cent to $1.2088 during the time of writing. The Kiwi Dollar moved from $0.71122 to $0.71118.
For the Pound, it’s another day that is peaceful regarding the financial calendar, with no product stats due out to present the Pound with direction.
Having less stats continues to leave COVID-19 news to give way. The Pound was up by 0.06per cent to $1.3595 during the time of writing.


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That was fast. Only a day after
Intel said on Friday that Renduchintala would become president of the newly created "Client and Internet of Things (IoT) Businesses and Systems Architecture Group." Intel said this new position will oversee a number of Intel organizations: Platform Engineering Group; Client Computing Group; Internet of Things Group; Software & Services Group; Design Tools & Technology Group. Renduchintala will report directly to Intel CEO Brian Krzanich.
While at Qualcomm, Renduchintala helped oversee the development of Qualcomm's Snapdragon mobile chips, which power the majority of high-end Android smartphones in the world. Now that he's at Intel, Renduchintala will clearly have some sway in the future direction of Intel's slow-going mobile chip efforts -- Intel's mobile business is lumped in with the Client Computing Group.
For three years, Renduchintala had served as co-president of Qualcomm's mobile division along with Cristiano Amon, who was promoted to be sole president of the division on Thursday this week. In a statement on Friday, Qualcomm said Renduchintala was offered another position (it wasn't a promotion) at Qualcomm but turned it down. "A few months ago we made the decision to move away from a co-president leadership structure for QCT," Qualcomm said in a statement -- QCT is the name of Qualcomm's chipset unit. "Cristiano Amon was the clear choice as President of the chipset business."
Qualcomm's chip business has had a difficult past year. Samsung, one of Qualcomm's biggest customers, passed on the Snapdragon 810 chip in its latest Galaxy phones. Meanwhile, other premium Android phones have been facing a difficult market as
For Intel, the company has been struggling to find its way into mobile -- in 2014, it lost $4.21 billion in its mobile business. But Intel is clearly not giving up. “Murthy brings decades of mobile experience with him to Intel,” said Patrick Moorhead, the president and principal analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy. “While one person typically can’t drive a revolution, if Murthy can bring over people he was successful with at Qualcomm to Intel, that would be interesting.”


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In terms of incoming FDI, Vietnam attracted 25.1 billion USD in the first 11 months of the year (down 5% year-on-year) according to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment. The agency cited two factors behind the falling registered capital – COVID-19 preventive measures in early 2022 and global uncertainties.
However, what’s interesting is the rising proportion of FDI destined to high-tech and high value-added activities. Many observers comment that FDI in complex manufacturing or R&D ventures is a sign that Vietnam is capturing an increased part of global value-added manufacturing. This kind of manufacturing is a key enabler to achieve socio-economic growth over the next decades in Vietnam. Moving away from highly labour-intensive and low in complexity production, 2022 has shown strong commitments from Samsung and Apple’s suppliers to Vietnam’s capabilities to upskill its workforce, to comply with global manufacturing standards, and to implement good governance along the supply chain.
A case in point for that migration from labour-seeking to skills-seeking FDIs is the recent announcement by Foxconn, Apple’s oldest and largest original equipment maker (“OEM”) to invest 300 million USD in a new factory in Bac Giang. Foxconn will assemble MacBooks there. Producing these laptop computers requires a more complex supply chain, better trained manufacturing workers, and higher precision machinery than the production of Apple's earbuds that has started in 2020 in the same province.
The recent large investments by Apple’s suppliers, Samsung, Lotte, and Danish toy manufacturer Lego signal a whole basket of encouraging news for the future of Vietnam. Surely, these investors will bring money and create employment. In addition, academic studies show clearly that there are other positive spillovers to the whole economy. For example, workforce and managerial talent gets trained in these companies to global best practices. Some studies demonstrate that foreign firms push domestic companies to become more productive through competitive pressures and increased efficiency. Also, Vietnam is likely to benefit from examples of increased transparency, better corporate governance and corporate citizenship (ensuring that companies assume social, cultural and environmental responsibilities), in addition to manufacturing methods that have a lower environmental footprint.
2022 was a remarkable year for the whole world. A sharp increase in political risk with armed conflicts in Europe which disrupted fertiliser, wheat and energy markets, went along with significant increases in the volatility of commodity prices and financial markets. Being a reliable partner, and at the same being agile, is a difficult balance to strike. In the context of a more uncertain future, Vietnam’s government and businesses have been playing their cards well and should do their best to continue their efforts in 2023.
Dr Burkhard Schrage, Senior Lecturer and Program Manager, Management and MBA programs, RMIT University Vietnam
Ms Nguyen Ngoc Hong Tram, Research Assistant, RMIT University Vietnam
A version of this article was published by The World & Vietnam Report.
Masthead image: Dong Nhat Huy – stock.adobe.com


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The NWSL is officially making its way to EA SPORTS FIFA 23 on March 15.
In a partnership with the NWSL and its players’ association, Electronic Arts Inc. announced the latest addition as it continues to spotlight the women’s game.
All 12 NWSL clubs will become available across FIFA 23’s game modes—including Kick Off, Tournament Mode, and Online Friendlies. Plus, users will have the chance to play at four authentic NWSL stadiums.
Celebrating the NWSL’s forthcoming 11th season
The NWSL’s introduction to FIFA 23 comes 10 days before its 11th regular-season campaign begins on March 25. The move allows the league to expand its visibility within one of the world’s most popular gaming franchises.
“The athletes that call the NWSL home are some of the best in the world,” said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman. “We’re excited for the opportunity to further showcase their talent through this unique gaming experience.”
Furthermore, the partnership allows the league to reach a wider audience ahead of this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup—kicking off this July in Australia and New Zealand.
“This is a thrilling time for women’s football,” said Meghann Burke, Executive Director of the NWSLPA. “And we’re looking forward to collaborating with EA SPORTS to champion the sport and create new opportunities for fans around the world to engage with these incredibly talented players.”
Joining the ranks of other women’s leagues
Upon its FIFA 23 debut, the NWSL will become the third domestic women’s league to feature in the game. It follows the Barclays Women’s Super League and the D1 Féminine in France.
“We’re passionate about EA SPORTS continuing to be a changemaker for women’s football, and our partnership with both the NWSL and the NWSLPA is another step we’re taking as an organization to advance the sport,” said Andrea Hopelain, SVP of Brand, EA SPORTS.
“We’re committed to being champions for the future of football and bringing unrivaled authenticity to millions of football fans across the globe.”
The UEFA Women’s Champions League will also become available in FIFA 23 on March 15.
The NWSL returns to CBS Sports platforms
In the United States, the NWSL will continue to air across CBS Sports platforms. Select games will appear on CBS and CBS Sports Network, while other matches will stream on Paramount+.
International fans can watch NWSL games on the league’s Twitch channels.


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Sony has already announced four new smartphones namely Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XZs, Xperia XA1, and Xperia XA1 Ultra in 2017. The company is likely to announce one more smartphone Sony Xperia L1 with model number G3312 later this year. Now, the upcoming device Sony Xperia L1 has certified by telecommunication regulatory in Russia. There is expectation that it will be the successor of the Sony Xperia L, which was announced in May, 2013. We have no detailed information related to it except the model number.
Proceed with us for more information.


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The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA), named four chain operators as recipients of the 2017 COEX Innovation Awards. Arby’s, Chick‐fil‐A, Granite City Food & Brewery and Taco John’s will be honored March 7 at the IFMA Chain Operators EXchange (COEX) conference in Las Vegas.
“Winning the consumer today requires exceptional strategy and execution,” says IFMA President & CEO Larry Oberkfell. “These Innovation Award winners are consummate at both, and find a way to stand above their competition during difficult economic times. Congratulations to our winners for demonstrating that innovation is a winning strategy.”
The IFMA 2017 COEX Innovation Awards, sponsored by Sargento Foods and Surlean Foods, are presented to a national and regional chain operator in the following categories: Culinary/Operations Innovation Award—recognizes companies that demonstrate true innovation in one or more back‐of‐house areas including food preparation, quality and/or presentation; introduction of new menu items, addressing trends that drive consumer behavior (health/wellness, flavor/nutrition, and demographics) and operational systems.
Arby’s—COEX 2017 Innovation Award winner, Culinary/Operations, National Chain Category, nominated by Sargento Foods and Stratas Foods. Arby’s strengthened its core position with the “We Have the Meats” tagline and delivered on its promise with nearly two dozen new product introductions in 2016.
Taco John’s—COEX 2017 Innovation Award winner, Culinary/Operations, Regional Chain Category, nominated by Surlean Foods. Taco John’s showed success and sales momentum with its Street Taco promotion and recent menu items including the Chicken and Gravy Breakfast Burrito and the new Chicken Quesadilla Taco.
Marketing/Service Innovation Award—recognizes companies that demonstrate true innovation in one or more of such front‐of‐house areas as communications/advertising/promotions to drive customer attraction and retention; use of social media, wait staff training, incentive programs and ambience and décor.
Chick‐fil‐A—COEX 2017 Innovation Award winner, Marketing/Service, National Chain Category, nominated by Saputo Dairy Foods. Chick‐fil‐A launched a new Frosted Lemonade beverage, which is a hand‐spun combination of freshly squeezed Chick‐fil‐A Lemonade (or Diet Lemonade) and its famous vanilla IceDream, so successful it was followed by the launch of its Frosted Coffee beverage.
Granite City Food & Brewery—COEX 2017 Innovation Award winner, Marketing/Service, Regional Chain Category, nominated by The J.R. Simplot Company. Granite City has established a strong and effective online, in‐store and social media presence using a mix of technical savvy, artistry and financial accountability.


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"We're really excited to be joining forces with Lay The Table who are working to enhance the region's incredible food and drink scene."
Multiple award-winning Delifonseca has signed to Liverpool entrepreneur Philip Bell’s ‘Lay The Table’ model joining Sapporo as the second partner in combining 'the best ingredients, taste and delivery experience.'
Proprietor of Delifonseca Candice Fonseca said: “We’re really excited to be joining forces with Lay The Table who are working to enhance the region’s incredible food and drink scene. For us, this is a brilliant opportunity to not only be part of a new high-end home delivery concept, but it means that customers outside of our usual city centre delivery radius can enjoy our food and see what we’re all about. We’re looking forward to working alongside the team to create some bespoke dishes and menus alongside our much-loved Delifonseca classics.
“This partnership has come at a time of real change for the brand as we start to look ahead at new opportunities and we thought the moment was right to branch out and extend our offering in addition to our Dockside restaurant, food hall and outside catering arm. We’re all about supporting local businesses and Lay The Table is no exception.”
Bell added: “We felt that Delifonseca would be an ideal partner. Their reputation is a huge accolade for us in being able to partner with them.”
In the short to mid-term, Lay The Table plans to have 3 to 5 sites on Merseyside producing takeaway food and up to 10 partners.
“We’re currently finalising employment models for the business across the sites and have invested a six-figure sum in the scheme to date,” maintains Bell.


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LAST UPDATED : Aug 13, 2019, 01:35 PM IST
- Domestic air passenger traffic slips to 1.8% in July: Report
India's domestic air passenger demand plummet to 1.8% in July following the end of tourist season while the cumulative growth in traffic in the first four months stood at a mere 1.6%, the report said. The growth in the industry capacity continued to be muted in July at 3.5%, due to the grounding of Jet Airways and airlines' increased focus on international operations.
- Domestic air passenger traffic up 7.9% in June: IATA
Domestic air passenger traffic rose 7.9 per cent in June over the year ago period even as the average demand for domestic travel across seven major aviation markets declined in the reporting month to 4.4 per cent from 4.7 per cent earlier, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Thursday.
- Automobile sales in India sees worst-ever fall in August
Automobile sales in India witnessed its worst-ever drop in August with despatches in all segments, including passenger vehicles and two-wheelers, continuing to plummet as the sector reels under an unprecedented downturn, industry body Siam reported on Monday.
- Ahead of festive season, auto sales stuck in reverse gear
Car and SUV sales were hammered as the festive season kicks in. The volumes, which hit an almost two-decade low in July, appear set to dive further. According to numbers released by the top passenger vehicle makers demand stays subdued, leading to a double-digit fall in wholesale dispatches to dealerships.
- Amazon Freedom Sale: Here are categories offering the best deals
For the love of shopaholics, Amazon India is coming up with yet another amazing sale starting August 8. During the sale period, customers can bag as much as 60% discount on products across various categories, such as Mobiles, TVs, Appliances and more.
- Improve passenger experience at airports for senior citizens, first time flyers: DGCA to airlines
After putting in place rules to punish unruly flyers, the government has now asked airlines and airport operators to ensure a good flying experience to passengers at airports — especially from the time they check-in to when they reach boarding gates.
- Today on Amazon Freedom Sale-Get upto 50% off on Mi, Samsung, TCL Smart TVs
The last day of Amazon Freedom sale is here and there are still hefty discounts available on electronics. Smart TVs from MI, Samsung, Kodak are being offered on sale and here a list of the top picks to buy on Amazon Freedom Sale.
- Smart TVs starting at Rs 10,499 and up to 50% discount on Amazon
Catering to the needs of everybody, Amazon in its deal for today has announced up to 50% discount on Smart Televisions. These Smart TVs have a starting price of merely Rs 10,499 and are also available on No Cost EMI option. These must-have electronic devices boast of Quantum Backlit Technology and an array of other modish features.


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In Forbes, Will Yakowicz calls the fight over Delta-8 THC, an intoxicating cannabinoid which can be derived from hemp, "a battle for the future of the cannabis industry."
The products containing Delta 8 are widely available in smoke shops and gas stations in states where REC and MED aren't legally available or are hard to find. About a dozen states, some of which have legalized, have banned Delta 8.
- “I see it as a fight for the future of cannabis,” said the founder of a Texas-based company. “For anyone trying to limit this, taking on that prohibitionist stance—whether they’re motivated by business interests, political or religious—is really just fighting against cannabis.”
- Joe Bayern, CEO of mega-MSO Curaleaf takes an opposing view: “I think it should be framed as one of the most high-profile health risks available in the marketplace today,” says Bayern. “The fact that these products are showing up completely unregulated and untested in mainstream channels, available to anybody, including children, is an incredibly dangerous proposition that needs to be addressed.”
- Some states are trying to split the difference by legalizing it as long as it passes through the regulated market.
Prominent lawyer Robert Hoban called Delta-8, "a tale of American ingenuity."


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Mumbai-based online fashion retailer Bewakoof.com has secured $11.2 million investment in its latest funding round led by Bahrain’s alternative asset manager, Investcorp.
According to a report from Tech in Asia, the accumulated fund will be used by Bewakoof to develop its platform and gather consumer data via machine learning. The company is also set to invest in back-end tech and category expansion.
“We are very pleased to have Investcorp on-board with us as we gear up for the next exciting stage of our journey,” said Co-Founder and Director of Bewakoof.com, Prabhkiran Singh.
“At Bewakoof.com, the customer is at the centre of everything we do, and we remain committed to providing quality and creative fashion to the youth at an unmatched value. Having grown significantly in the last couple of years, we will continue investing in improving the customer experience through technological innovation and focusing on talent acquisition,” he added.
Founded in 2012, the company works as an online apparel company that sells trendy clothing to Indian millennials at affordable prices. To date, Bewakoof claims to be driving sales of over 650,000 products per month with a customer base of over four million.
“Bewakoof.com has an impressive team led by its founders Prabhkiran and Siddharth. They offer exceptional products, with a focus on innovation, affordability, capital efficiency, and bottom-line contribution. All these factors make us believe that Bewakoof.com is a unique company amongst Indian digital consumer brands,” commented Gaurav Sharma, Co-Head of Private Equity at Investcorp India.
Investcorp reportedly provided nearly 90% of the funding in the latest round, scoring a 14% stake in the online fashion retailer and securing a seat on its board.
“This is the first institutional funding round in the company. The firm has, so far, worked with very little capital and has focused on its bottomline as well as its topline. Therefore, it has been profitable for the last four years and is one of the few internet startups in the country to have done that,” added Mr. Sharma.


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MommaSaid’s Linger, where our resident experts inform and entertain you.
February 22, 2010
With people more desperate than ever to find employment, they are more likely to fall for a promise of a job–even if there’s a price tag attached. That’s why the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has come up with these four suggestions for avoiding a job scams:
February 19, 2010
Guest blogger Aviva Goldfarb with tips on cooking fish.


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In its heyday mobile phone maker Nokia was never known for high salaries, but it nearly tops a ranking of tech firm wages by business magazine Talouselämä’s parent company. Today the telecoms company has some of the highest-paid employees in the sector, averaging 6,000 euros per month.
Annual median salaries were some 51,000 euros among the roughly 50 biggest tech companies included in the study.
TE found that firms at the top of the list typically had no or very little domestic production and mostly employed engineers.
Companies relying on more hands-on labour paid out the lowest salaries, averaging 44,000 euros annually.
Pets over kids
Amid falling birth rates, the pet industry is cashing in on a trend of pets gradually replacing children.
With pets becoming more like family members, business daily Kauppalehti suggests that Nordic pet food retailer Musti Group's valuation could reach 250-300 million euros. On Monday Musti Group announced it was planning an initial public offering on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.
Statistics Finland has calculated that based on the current trend, Finland’s population will start decreasing in 2031. By 2050, the population would be some 100,000 lower than it is today.
Finland, a country of 5.5 million, is home to some 700,000 dogs, according to Statistics Finland.
At the end of September last year, Musti Group had 277 pet supply shops across Finland, Sweden and Norway, according to the company.
With global tourism increasing by five percent a year, a group of Finnish scientists is encouraging Finland to curb tourism. The Blue Adapt research collective said it wants to limit tourism so it won't damage locals' everyday lives.
Kari Hyytiäinen of Helsinki University told Swedish-language daily HBL that Helsinki must take steps to ensure it does not become overrun by visitors such as Barcelona, London or Paris.
"It may be worthwhile developing services that limit the volume and type of visitors coming here," Hyytiäinen said.
Looking ahead to the year 2100, the group envisions everything from virtual tourism to only allowing entry for fossil-fuel free aircraft or ships.


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The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has confirmed that 8.2 million used cars change hands in 2016 – a 7.3% increase on the previous year.
Superminis were the best-selling body type encompassing more than a third of all used car sales, while SUVs’ were the fastest climbers, up nearly 17%, to take an 8.3% share of the market.
Petrol engines are still the most popular accounting for more than 4.6 million trades, but petrol did lose market share by -1.5% as alternatively fuelled vehicle (AFV) and diesel saw greater growth. Used AFV registrations rose 32.5%, while diesels increased 11.1% and petrol transactions grew 4.7%.
The Ford Fiesta remained the most popular second hand car, followed by the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Corsa. Silver remained the number one used car colour choice ahead of black and blue, while brown entered the top 10 in place of gold.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive said, “On the back of a record 2016 for UK new car registrations, it’s further good news that our used car market is in such good health. Strong demand is testament to the quality, reliability and appeal of cars on sale today, with used buyers enjoying more choice, more low emission, safety and connected technology than ever. Providing economic conditions remain stable and interest rates low, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t see growth in this sector continue in 2017.”


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Ranbaxy Laboratories has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) to launch a cheaper copy of Novartis’ blood pressure pill Diovan, bolstering its outlook after a raft of regulatory bans for poor production quality at its India facilities dented investor sentiment.
Ranbaxy, which is in the process of being acquired by Indian drugmaker Sun Pharmaceutical Industries for $3.2 billion, will be the first company to launch a copy of Diovan in the US and will be entitled to six months of exclusivity to sell it.
Swiss drugmaker Novartis lost its patent rights to its once best-selling Diovan in the US at the end of 2012, but has avoided generic competition because of multiple production quality control problems at Ranbaxy.
All of Ranbaxy India-based plants have been barred by the FDA from exporting to the US due to violations of its good manufacturing practices. Ohm Laboratories, a unit of Ranbaxy in New Jersey, is allowed to make drugs for its largest market. The FDA over the past year has stepped up its scrutiny of drugmakers in India, which is the biggest supplier of medicines to the US.
Worries about quality control problems in India’s $15 billion drug industry came to the fore as multiple plants run by companies including Ranbaxy and Wockhardt were barred from exporting to the US.
Bill Winter, a Vice President at New Jersey-based Ohm Labs, said in a statement the Diovan generic would be launched “as soon as sufficient supplies are manufactured to meet the needs of the market.”


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Haji-Ioannou To Float easyHotel
Published on May 23 2014 7:38 AM in General Industry
Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the founder of EasyJet, is to float his easyHotel business. He has not had a business go public since EasyJet went on the market in 2000. Haji-Ioannou is persisting...
Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the founder of EasyJet, is to float his easyHotel business. He has not had a business go public since EasyJet went on the market in 2000. Haji-Ioannou is persisting with his plans despite an apparent weakening in investor appetite for initial public offerings; this follows a year of big floats, which includes Royal Mail and Madame Tussauds's owner, Merlin Enterntainments. EasyHotel intends to raise up to £60 million on London's alternative investment market to fund expansion. The company declined to state how large a stake it would sell, or what market value it intended to secure. Haji-Ioannou launched his budget hotel chain in 2004, one of his many businesses under the "easy" label. The firm, which is fully owned by easyGroup Holdings, has 20 hotels in total, of which 17 operate as franchises. It has seven hotels in London, one each in Edinburgh and Glasgow; the others are spread across European cities, Dubai, Johannesburg and Haji-Ioannou's native Cyprus. He said "I see easyHotel as one of the best, most natural extensions of the easy brand from the airline. I could have grown it as a private company, whilst enabling me to spend more time on my diversified portfolio of other investments." easyHotel claims to offer comfortable, safe, clean accommodation at bargain prices. It said there is little competition in its "super-budget" category and that the "easy" brand gives it an advantage in marketing to budget travellers.


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Google launches ‘enhanced campaigns’ for Adwords
The changes will help advertisers target ads across multiple platforms and help one of Google’s major advertising platforms to cater better to the needs of brands.
“We’re updating Adwords to work better in a multi-screen world,” said AdWords specialist Kate Conroy.
“When it was created over a decade ago most people didn’t have a laptop let alone two smartphones, a tablet, computer, and so on.”
The changes will allow advertisers to manage their bids across devices, locations and time.
“It’s not just a smartphone, laptop and tablet that people will have access to in the future. Whether that is smart-TVs, wearable computing or all of these kind of blended computers,” she said.
“Adwords needs to work with all of the platforms.”
Google will simplify the process for creating ads across platforms and avoid current processes which require users of AdWords to create separate campaigns for mobile, desktop and other platforms.
“Offering a different user experience based on whether someone is out of home or in home is difficult and time consuming right now with Adwords, but soon it will be a lot easier,” said Conroy.
The company will allow greater flexibility on the bid process for Adwords which allowed advertisers to create the ads in the sponsored links section of Google and allows them to bid and determine which ads appear in the search based on the price paid.
“Now they’ll be able to say I want to bid up 20% in Sydney or down 20% in Melbourne,” she said.
A spokesman for Google said the timing of the changes were not in anyway related to yesterday’s High Court decision which saw the company win against the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
The ACCC had argued some ads on the AdWords platform were misleading because they represented commercial links between companies that were not linked.
“(The launch) is completely unrelated and just a coincidence,” said spokesman Henning Dorstewitz.
“We were planning the roll out of this campaign for weeks.”


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Profit rose to $81.5 million, or $1.11 per share, from $73.2 million, or 91 cents per share, a year earlier.
Revenue rose nearly 8 percent to $1.83 billion from $1.7 billion, helped by higher sales of air bags and seat belts, along with a 15 percent rise in light vehicle production in Eastern Europe.
In North America, however, production cuts from General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC caused light vehicle production to decline around 9 percent.
Analysts polled by Thomson Financial forecast earnings of 98 cents per share and sales of $1.79 billion for the quarter.
The company predicts second-quarter sales will increase by 14 percent.
Autoliv also raised its full-year 2008 sales forecast to 10 percent from 7 percent previously because of the weaker dollar.


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FareShare redistributed a record number of meals last year, but it's just 'the tip of the food waste iceberg'
According to the charity’s annual figures for 2015/16, which were released this weekend (11 June), FareShare received a record 9,070 tonnes of food, worth approximately £19.6 million, from retailers and manufacturers including the Co-operative, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Kellogg’s and Nestlé, with whom it has partnerships.
The charity works with its partners in the food industry to identify and redistribute in-date, safe-to-eat food that is no longer needed by the retailer.
Often this happens before the food has even reached the shelf, becoming unsuitable for sale for reasons like forecasting errors, mislabelling or having damaged packaging.
Having received the food, FareShare then redistributes it to charities and community groups. Last year, 2,849 charities and groups benefitted from FareShare-collected food, an increase of 29 per cent. These organisations include homeless shelters, children’s breakfast clubs and domestic violence refuges, which are then able to provide nutritious meals for their beneficiaries alongside life-changing support.
According to a survey carried out by NatCen Social Research last year, one in five charities that receives food from FareShare says it would probably or definitely have to close without the supply of food from the charity, while 58 per cent say they would have to reduce the amount of food they provide, and one in four would have to cut back other services.
Enough surplus food in UK to provide 800 million meals a year
FareShare is not the only company to be redistributing surplus food from retailers to charities. Last week, Marks & Spencer (M&S) stated in its ‘Plan A’ annual sustainability report that its collaboration with neighbourly, a social network and mobile app that connects charities that want surplus food with the companies that produce it, had played a large part in reducing its stores’ food waste by nine per cent.
“Demand for surplus food is outstripping supply. FareShare has 20 regional centres around the UK, and every one of them has a waiting list of charities that need food. We’re urgently calling for more food companies to work with us to redistribute their good, surplus produce, and for more volunteers to help us get that food to the people who need it most.”
According to the charity, if 25 per cent of the UK’s surplus food was redistributed to charities and community groups, it would save the voluntary sector up to £250 million per year.
France and Italy leading the way on food waste action
In France, a law was unanimously passed in the Senate earlier this year that requires all supermarkets measuring over 400 square metres to sign an agreement with one or more organisations to redistribute unused food. Any retailers found not to be adhering to the measures will face fines of up to €75,000 (£54,000).
Measures included in the law also put in place a hierarchy to recover value from the food, with prevention and redistribution at the top and animal feed and energy recovery at the bottom, while supermarkets will be made to promote the cutting of food waste in school education projects and corporate responsibility programmes.
Similar action has been taken in Italy, where a bill supporting food waste distribution from supermarkets has been strongly supported across the government’s political parties.
Unlike in France, the bill does not intend to punish retailers that do not redistribute, but aid them to do so, reducing the administrative burden on food donations and offering cuts in taxes proportionate to the amount of food redistributed.
At the moment, red tape inhibits food stores from donating excess product as each donation must be declared in advance. Should the law be agreed by the Senate, retailers will only have to complete one monthly form setting out all donations made.
UK Food Waste Bill faces hurdles
Attempts to get a Food Waste Bill heard in Parliament in the UK have so far been unsuccessful, with Shadow Environment Secretary Kerry McCarthy’s bill falling down the order of parliamentary proceedings since being granted a second reading in September.
McCarthy’s bill would mirror the French law in obligating supermarkets to donate unsold foods to charities, as well as publishing food waste arisings in the food manufacture supply chain and concentrating on enforcing the food waste hierarchy through incentives.
The bill would require all large UK supermarkets and manufacturers to reduce their food waste by no less than 30 per cent by 2025, but it is thought that the government prefers the voluntary approach taken by the Waste & Resources Action Programme’s (WRAP) Courtauld Commitment 2025, which challenges its signatories from the UK food and drinks industry to reduce food and drink waste by 20 per cent by 2025.
Food waste campaigner Tristram Stuart, who served as Chief Advisor to TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s War on Waste programme, says that not enough has been done to promote McCarthy’s bill. He told those attending an event last month: “I feel a real culpability, I think we could do more to raise awareness of it with the British public and are not out campaigning for it. I don’t think the UK is going to do it but France has, and there are governments all over the world taking legislative action on food waste.”
Learn more about the worldwide problem of food waste in Resource’s feature article.


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The U.S. government resigned itself last week to an app that allows women to track their periods based on claims that they shared their users’ health information with Google and Facebook. A photo storage app has also backed up claims that it used people’s pictures to set up a facial recognition system.
These app makers got into trouble not because what they were doing looked creepy – but because they weren’t open about it.
In the US, as long as companies don’t mislead their customers, there aren’t many legal restrictions on what they can do with our private information.
That’s not great, is it? But California has a relatively new data protection law that, while cumbersome and flawed, shows interesting ways to empower Americans to limit the use of our data.
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission said the women’s app Flo Health broke its promise to its users to keep their information private when sharing sensitive information, including women’s pregnancy status, with other companies.
Under the terms of the settlement, Flo must now get people’s consent before sharing their health information. (Flo did not admit anything was done wrong. The company stated that it would not disclose users’ health records without permission.)
People should be able to choose which companies to share our personal information with, as long as they are honest about what they do. However, it is often an all or nothing confusing decision: either say yes to a vaguely worded data protection document or not use the website or app at all.
California’s Consumer Protection Act, which came into effect a year ago, is beginning to embark on a promising alternative path.
By law, citizens – and in some cases all Americans – can require large corporations to show people what information they have about you and who they’ve shared it with. Employees can also instruct companies to delete and not “sell” the information they hold about you. (There is no consensus on the legal definition of “selling”.)
The law isn’t perfect and it’s complicated. Employees need to go to any organization whose data may be deleted in order to delete or limit the possibilities.
However, California law also allowed “agents” to exercise data rights on our behalf. Instead of filling out 100 forms to ask 100 companies to delete your data, you would choose a privacy assistant to do it for you. Last month, Consumer Reports offered to offer a data protection assistant as a test project.
The most intriguing idea is that the privacy assistant might just be a web browser where you check a box once and it will automatically notify each website you visit to prevent the personal information it collects from being shared or sold. Think of this as a version of the telemarketers’ do not call list.
Economy & Economy
Jan. 19, 2021, 2:00 p.m. ET
So far, some websites have started adding this privacy agent functionality. (The New York Times is among the organizations involved that help both develop the browser specs and get people to act on it.) If California finds this type of privacy officer legally binding, I expect this project to expand becomes.
These data protection ideas are only just getting underway. But I am fascinated by the possibility of giving Americans real power over our digital lives.
Tip of the week
Troubleshooting your stupid (GAHHHH!) Printer
Many Americans who worked from home during the pandemic bought printers – and that often came with curses and screams. Brian X. Chen, the New York Times personal technology columnist, is here to help:
Printers are probably the worst technology product ever made. My first job outside of college was reviewing printers for a small tech magazine. So I know more about the machines than I ever wanted to. Here are some common problems and solutions:
My wireless printing has stopped working: Last week, you printed this Amazon return label over your Wi-Fi network. You can’t today. Why?
Occasionally, printers go into sleep mode and disconnect from your Internet network. Sometimes when you restart the printer it will come back online.
Another possibility is that the printer has changed its IP address – the identification number assigned to every device connected to the Internet – and now your computer cannot find it. You can fix this by setting a static IP address for the printer in the advanced settings of your internet router. (Do a Google search for your router make and model and instructions on how to set a static IP.)
An error message appears while printing: It’s common and crazy. Often the problem is out of date software. Do a web search on your printer model to check for any new drivers or firmware updates, and then follow the instructions to update the software.
I’m running out of ink too quickly: This can happen if you bought a different brand of ink cartridge. If this becomes a recurring problem, try switching to a different brand – preferably the printer manufacturer’s ink cartridge.
Another possibility is that the printer software is failing and the printer is incorrectly reporting that it is out of ink. A firmware or driver update can also be helpful here.
Finally, remember the golden rule of printers: if in doubt, restart your printer and the device you want to print from. That sometimes makes the problems go away.
Before we go …
More on a possible smoking weapon in Google’s antitrust lawsuit: One of the intriguing claims in a government antitrust case against Google is that the company and Facebook have teamed up to help their businesses at everyone else’s expense. New reports from my colleagues Dai Wakabayashi and Tiffany Hsu found that Google gives Facebook priority in computerized advertising auctions and that the two companies feared they might be investigated to reduce competition.
Saying you are doing something is not the same as doing it: Facebook has said that it has stopped automatically recommending people to join party political or social groups that sometimes lead people to extreme ideas. An analysis of the newsfeeds of some Facebook users through the markup showed that the website did not stop these automatic recommendations.
It’s an opportune time to wallow in nostalgia: Indulge in a childhood love from Sassy magazine on eBay.
Two groups of penguins – one walks to the water and the other comes back – stop to chat. (OK, I don’t know if they’re talking. Use my imagination.)
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At the moment, Changan is mostly focused on its partnerships with Japanese and Western carmakers - the company currently builds certain Ford and Mazda models in a partnership with Ford, and also shares a similar arrangement with Suzuki.
But despite its history as a manufacturer of pre-designed vehicles, Changan is now looking to expand into building its own brand of cars. Currently, the company builds a seven-seater people mover known as the Changan CV8, but the company could now be looking towards expanding its own lineup with a possible crossover SUV developed in-house that would be based on the e301 concept.
While the teaser shots for the upcoming SUV concept reveal a thoroughly modern looking vehicle, the same can't really be said of Changan's current lineup of cars. Hopefully, the new concept may represent a change in direction for the company away from safe styling and market segments and into more risky ventures. Or, conversely, the new concept may just be something to draw attention to the Changan stand at the Shanghai Auto Show.