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News about Attack.
March 3rd, 2015
Android users can spend their iPhone-owning friends’ money using a new app that can capture NFC payment transaction tokens from other devices and hold onto them before spending them later.
July 9th, 2014
ATM manufacturers Diebold and Wincor Nixdorf have partnered to found an association aimed at working to improve cash machine security. The ATM Security Association aims to compile information on recognised and potential attack scenarios, and share it with specific industry groups to rapidly deploy and implement counter-measures at a global level. Participation is open to institutional operators, global ATM manufacturers and their suppliers.
April 29th, 2014
“Host card emulation is good for the NFC ecosystem as a whole, but remains immature, unstandardised and, relative to secure element based deployments, vulnerable to malicious attack,” says SIM card manufacturer association SIMalliance, which has…
November 27th, 2013
An Australian startup is to begin issuing NFC tags that act as Bitcoin wallets, NFC readers that merchants can use to charge customers in Bitcoins, and to provide Bitcoin ATMs that can be used to issue new wallet tags as well as top up and withdraw funds from Bitcoin accounts.
August 1st, 2012
“The NFC Forum works to ensure that tools are available to allow applications to operate with the appropriate level of security,” says the industry standards body. “Mr Miller’s demonstration underscores the importance of providing appropriate security measures at the application layer and enabling users to adjust security settings to suit their own needs and preferences.”
June 21st, 2012
Secure element standards body GlobalPlatform has released Secure Element Access Control, a new specification designed to ensure that unauthorised applications residing in a mobile device are unable to communicate with an NFC secure element (SE)….
February 11th, 2012
“To address an issue that could have allowed unauthorized use of an existing prepaid card balance if someone recovered a lost phone without a screen lock, tonight we temporarily disabled provisioning of prepaid cards,” says Google Wallet VP Osama Bedier.
February 9th, 2012
Zvelo engineer Joshua Rubin has released details of a security vulnerability in rooted Android phones running Google Wallet. Rubin was able to crack and expose the four digit PIN used to protect access to Google…
January 4th, 2012
GlobalPlatform and SIMalliance have announced they are to work together to create a standard way for mobile app developers to securely include calls to NFC secure elements from within their programs. The memorandum of understanding…
December 13th, 2011
The amount of unencrypted data stored by the Google Wallet app “surpasses what we believe most consumers find acceptable,” says digital forensics specialist viaForensics in a report on the security of the search giant’s NFC wallet — but no access to the secure element was gained.


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Sally and Michael Moyers' franchise, Wegoshop.com, shops and delivers groceries and other items for a small fee. They've expanded their franchise into Valparaiso and Chesterton areas in Porter County. .
Sally Moyer, of Michigan City selects olive oil while shopping at a local food store. Moyer and her husband, Michael, opened a shopping and delivery franchise, Wegoshop.com. They shop and deliver groceries and other items for a small fee. They've expanded their franchise into Valparaiso and …
Michigan City Paper Box Co. employees on Thursday assemble small custom printed boxes intended to be used at the Dallas Cowboys football team souvenir shops.
Michigan City Paper Box Co. employee Kevin Larson watches over an automated machine gluing and folding boxes on Thursday. The company plans on expanding its machinery and adding at least five more jobs.
Michigan City Paper Box Co. CEO Al Hoodwin, left, talks Thursday about adding machinery and adding at least five jobs to its current facility that provides custom packaging.
Michigan City Paper Box Co. CEO Al Hoodwin shows the larger sized box the company is planning on providing with new machinery at its Michigan City facility on Thursday. Hoodwin said the company will add at least five more jobs with the new automated machines.
Boxes with the Dallas Cowboys football team logo wait to be delivered to souvenir shops at the Michigan City Paper Box Co. on Thursday, November 17, 2011. The Michigan City Paper Box Company plans on expanding its machinery and adding at least five jobs to its current facility.
Mature business man congratulating a colleague at a meeting
Summer is the right time for college students to work on acquiring internships.
Tim Kulchar, owner of Region Voiceover Co., operates out of his home where he looks to help local business owners promote products through radio advertising, commercials, websites, narrations and other media forms.
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Kempo Jujutsu Martial Arts Academy is not just another martial…
PLH Financial is locally owned and family operated.
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HubSpot announced today that it has acquired Motion AI, one of the top visual chatbot builders. The company’s industry-leading cross-platform technology enables anyone to create a chatbot for their site, via SMS, on Facebook Messenger, Slack, and more – no programming skills required.
Facebook recently announced that Messenger now has more than 1.3 billion monthly users, and according to Facebook’s own research, 53% of people are more likely to shop with a business they can contact via a chat app. Today’s consumers want to be able to engage with a company when and where it's personally convenient for them, meaning that businesses that are unable to respond quickly are leaving money on the table. In fact, a recent report from HubSpot Research found that 40% of respondents don’t care if they’re serviced by a person or an AI tool, as long as they get help quickly and easily. Chatbots make it easy for customers to engage with a brand, whenever and wherever they prefer – whether that’s on Facebook Messenger, on a company’s website, or in a messaging app. Because of their ability to deliver always-on, one-to-one experiences, chatbots are becoming more prevalent for companies and consumers alike.
“It’s impossible to ignore the impact of chat and messaging, not just on the way B2B companies operate, but on society as a whole. We’re in the midst of a massive shift as businesses embrace this new platform and consumers come to expect more immediate, always-on communication from brands,” said Brian Halligan, co-founder and CEO of HubSpot. “HubSpot’s mission has always been to build technology that helps SMBs grow and evolve with changing consumer behaviors, and acquiring Motion AI is another great step in that direction.”
Motion AI’s powerful technology enables users to build, train, and deploy AI robots to do almost anything imaginable – from booking meetings and qualifying leads, to running customer service chats and diagnosing problems, all without needing technical skills. The company originally launched on Product Hunt in November 2015, where it was voted the number one chatbot builder. Motion AI has facilitated more than 40 million total messages since May 2016, with over 80,000 bots built to date.
Prior to the acquisition, HubSpot was a customer of Motion AI, having fully integrated it with the HubSpot Free CRM. The integration deploys Motion AI bots to take CRM contacts through a journey specifically built for them, offering a more personalized, always-on buying experience than what consumers would typically see in traditional email communication. The team has generated six times the number of marketing qualified leads using Motion AI bots as it has using email. Being able to experience the power of Motion AI’s technology first-hand was a key factor in HubSpot’s decision to acquire the company.
"Motion AI was born out of the idea that anyone, regardless of their level of tech knowledge, should be able to build a chatbot. We believe that this aligns well with HubSpot's mission of creating technology that helps businesses address and adapt to the latest trends," said David Nelson, founder and CEO of Motion AI. "We're excited to be joining the HubSpot team, and can't wait to get to work on some really innovative AI tools."
The Motion AI technology will be incorporated into the HubSpot platform over the next several months, with the team working to create tools that help users automate important tasks, scale conversations, and proactively engage and acquire new customers. HubSpot VP of Product Christopher O’Donnell will provide more information about the vision for how the technology will be integrated into the product during his spotlight at INBOUND 2017, which will be livestreamed at hubspot.com/new starting at 4:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday, September 26.


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Ola Electric reveals its roadmap for India; plans 6 new vehicles1 min read . Updated: 29 Dec 2022, 12:20 PM IST
- The manufacturer’s product pipelines suggest that in 2023, there will be a mass-market scooter such as the S1 Air. Then for 2024, the company will introduce a premium motorcycle (cruisers, sports, adventurer and road-bikes) along with a mass-market motorbike.
Ola Electric, an EV manufacturer, is currently planning to bring six new electric vehicles in India, reveals the Founder of the company. Bhavish Aggarwal, Founder of Ola Electric stated that the company will bring these products for the Indian market in near future.
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CCMP Capital Advisors LLC has exited its investment in Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings Inc after four years and is making 2.7x its money on the deal, according to a limited-partner letter obtained by Buyouts.
CCMP on Sept. 12 sold its remaining 22.8 percent stake in Ollie’s, an SEC filing said. The PE firm made $358 million from selling 13.7 million Ollie’s shares through the secondary, the letter said.
Ollie’s, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, sells brand-name merchandise, such as housewares, food, books and toys, at reduced prices. (Ollie’s signature catch phrase: “Good stuff cheap.”) The company opened its first store in 1982 and currently has 216 Ollie’s Bargain Outlets across 19 states.
In September 2012, CCMP invested $344 million in Ollie’s, the letter said. The firm used its second fund, which collected $3.4 billion in 2007, to invest in Ollie’s. The transaction is generating a 35 percent gross IRR for CCMP II, the letter said.
CCMP has since raised a third pool, which closed at $3.6 billion in 2014.
Ollie’s went public in July 2015. The company priced its shares at $16 each and the stock surged more than 40 percent to close at $21.15 on its first day of trading. Ollie’s shares closed at $25.23 on Sept. 13.
CCMP did not sell stock into the Ollie’s IPO. The firm owned 34.6 million shares, or 59.2 percent, of Ollie’s after the offering, an SEC filing said.
CCMP has been offloading Ollie’s stock this year. It made about $500 million through two secondaries, including selling 7.87 million shares at $19.75 each in February and another 13.975 million at $25 each in June, SEC filings said.
Ollie’s has paid dividends, including $48.8 million in May 2015 and $58 million in 2014, according to a regulatory filing.
Executives for Ollie’s couldn’t be reached for comment.
Action Item: To contact Ollie’s, email firstname.lastname@example.org
Photo courtesy ©iStock/phive2015


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Helix Recognized for Being Among the Best Banking-as-a-Service Providers
AUSTIN, TX. (August 23, 2022) – Helix by Q2 (NYSE:QTWO), a cloud-native core purpose-built for embedded finance, today announced it has been named a Finovate Award finalist for the Best Embedded Finance Solution category. This marks the first time Helix has been named a finalist, recognizing its innovative approach to humanizing embedded finance through personalized banking solutions.
Helix engages innovative brands and fintechs across different verticals – including Acorns, Betterment, Credit Karma, Gusto, Rocket Money, and more – to develop a fully customizable embedded finance offering. By providing these companies with, among others, accounts, debit cards, payments and data controls, Helix provides the building blocks of human-centric finance.
“I'm proud of the work our Helix team has done this year to make finance human, and this recognition from Finovate is a strong testament to the value we deliver to our customers and their end-users," said Ahon Sarkar, general manager of Helix. "Our goal is to empower fintech and leading consumer brands to deliver exceptional personalized banking experiences – creating a world where the financial products that serve us are as unique as the people that use them.”
Helix serves more than 12 million users nationwide and processes over $20 billion in transactions per year. Helix offers the building blocks of banking – accounts, cards, payments, data and controls, administrative tools and monetization solutions – all in one place, making it easier for innovative companies to embed personalized financial experiences at scale in the context of the applications that people use in their daily lives.
About Helix by Q2
Helix gives innovative fintech and brands the building blocks of banking — accounts, cards, payments, data and controls, admin tools, and monetization solutions — to make it easy to embed personalized financial experiences that easily integrate and scale. For more information on Helix, visit helix.Q2.com.


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Though recent reports say there’s a cooldown happening for the housing market, Zillow predicts home prices will not start to slow until summer 2022. Zillow economists believe home values will increase 5.2% by October, reach an increase of 8.2% by December, and hit a 12.1% increase by July 2022 before prices will dip. These are slightly adjusted estimates from previous Zillow forecasts due to the uncertainty of the delta variant spread and potential impact of expiring forbearance programs. Expectations for existing home sales were also adjusted to a total of 5.89 million existing home sales for the year, slightly down from the previous prediction of 5.91 million.
Recent declines in pending home sales volume outweighed what was otherwise a surprisingly strong June existing home sales report, and a continued slowdown in household formation also dented our longer-term outlook for sales.
Continued high inflation also factors into the home value appreciation outlook, presenting both upside and downside risks. On the upside, nominal home prices are likely to stay high with elevated inflation; on the downside, high inflation will put upward pressure on interest rates which can potentially dampen home purchase demand and home value appreciation.
Source: "Zillow Predicts Price Increases Through Summer 2022" https://www.probuilder.com/zillow-predicts-price-increases-through-summer-2022


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Level three fashion student Luke Hards will see a dress he designed displayed in the womenswear department of a John Lewis store.
Fashion students from across Barnet and Southgate College were challenged by the retail chain to draw designs for dresses that combined vintage and 21st Century influences, through a competition to celebrate John Lewis’ 150th birthday.
Luke, aged 23, who produced the winning design, won an Apple iPad and was invited to spend a day in the fashion design studio at John Lewis’s head office, in London.
His design will also be made into a dress which will be displayed in a John Lewis store, in Brent Cross, throughout August.
Luke said: “I was delighted to win. I can’t wait to see my design come to life.”
Cap: Student Luke Hards and operations manager for fashion at John Lewis’s store in Brent Cross Nicola Smith. Inset: Luke’s dress designs


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The Nintendo Switch is a great games console. But when it comes to video? Not so great – it's recently received YouTube and (in the States) Hulu apps. And that's it – there's no onboard disc player, no Netflix, no Amazon.
Which makes the news that VLC may be coming to the Nintendo all the more intriguing.
VLC is one of the most flexible and useful free media playing apps on PC, and has made its way to the Xbox One console and mobile phones previously.
Now Jean-Baptiste Kempf, lead developer at VLC parent company VideoLan has told VentureBeat (opens in new tab) of his plans to bring the application to the Nintendo Switch, too.
It would open up the console to personal video files for Switch owners, letting them playback all manner of video files on the Switch.
He also spoke of bringing the application to the PS4 too, though it's a little less needed there, with the PS4 already having its own media player app, as well as a full complement of streaming services. A Roku version of the app is also being considered.
VLC has some other updates in the works too. It's next Android build will include support for Apple AirPlay streaming, , while the VLC VR app will bring native VR video playback to VLC, with support for 3D interactions, VR-friendly stereo sound and a virtual cinema playback room.
- Best Nintendo Switch games: what to play on your portable console


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The latest Manheim data is showing that wholesale used vehicle prices are stable. However, this stability was largely the result of strong SUV, crossover and truck pricing. Smaller vehicle segments, like midsize, compact and subcompact cars, continue to see declining prices. This presents consumers in the market for a car with the chance to save money.
Vehicle Pricing Data
Manheim is the world's largest wholesale auto auction company. They keep track of wholesale used vehicle prices with their Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index. This measure of vehicle pricing is adjusted for make and model, mileage, and season.
In December, Manheim reported that used vehicle prices increased by 0.2 percent. This brought the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index to a reading of 124.9, which is still down 0.6 percent from a year ago.
The company noted that this was the sixth year in a row where wholesale pricing has remained relatively stable. This was despite the fact that 2016 saw a "significant" increase in the number of vehicles at auction.
However, that doesn't tell the whole story.
While pricing as a whole has remained stable, certain vehicle segments are rising in price while others are falling. For example, because gas prices have been low and the economy has been strong, the industry has seen trucks, SUVs and crossovers explode in popularity in recent years. This, in turn, has led to cars becoming less popular.
And Manheim's data backs up those claims. Over the last four years, the adjusted wholesale prices for pickups have risen 28 percent. Meanwhile, compact car values have fallen 14 percent over that same time period.
Furthermore, compact car prices saw the biggest pricing decrease of all vehicle classes between 2015 and 2016. Midsize cars weren't far behind and finished, as a segment, with the second biggest pricing decrease.
Leasing Has Impacted Used Vehicle Pricing
A big reason why we are seeing lower used vehicle prices in many segments is new car leasing.
Leasing started to grow in popularity following the recession and it has exploded in the last couple of years. It helped to drive the growth of the auto sales market that broke records in 2015 and in 2016.
And all of this leasing is beginning to impact the used car market in notable ways. How? When a car is leased, it's typically returned to the used car marketplace in a few years (generally three) time.
So when all of these vehicles go off-lease, dealers see an increased supply. When there is increased supply, we typically see prices that get pushed down. And when prices get pushed down, consumers can swoop in and get good deals.
What It All Means
Manheim's data suggests that while pricing is pretty stable, certain vehicle segments (sedans and small cars) are seeing significant wholesale price drops.
Wholesale price refers to what a dealership pays for a car, while the retail price is what the dealer sells the car for. Lower wholesale prices typically lead to lower retail prices, which means consumers can buy these cars for less.
At the same time, most people are flocking to larger vehicles like SUVs and trucks, which is keeping their prices up. Meanwhile, small vehicle segments are being pushed to the side, which is why their prices are generally dropping.
This means that it's a great time to find a good deal on smaller sedans and hatchbacks. If you're in the market for a traditional car or want to save money, look no further than the midsize, compact and subcompact car segments. There should be some great pricing out there on recent model used vehicles, including those that have just come off-lease.
These cars also make great targets for buyers with less than perfect credit. Their affordable pricing should make it easier to keep your payments reasonable, and they are cheaper to own and operate, as well.
If you have bad credit and are worried that you won't be able to get auto financing, think again. Auto Credit Express assists people dealing with imperfect credit get connected to dealerships in their area that may be able to help. Get started today by completing our safe and secure online loan request.


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Family Businesses – a mix of concern & optimism post pandemic
Family firms are the engine room of the Scottish economy, and they continue to contribute significantly to employment, economic output and the creation of wealth, on top of making a real impact on the communities in which they are located. The Top…
Blog17th Jun 2021
Family firms are the engine room of the Scottish economy, and they continue to contribute significantly to employment, economic output and the creation of wealth, on top of making a real impact on the communities in which they are located.
The Top 100 Scottish Family Firms 2020 report, published by Family Business united last month, found that:
- Top 100 Scottish family firms generate £22.6 billion every year.
- Top 100 Scottish family firms employ over 111,000 people.
Despite the prevailing uncertainty at the time many of these firms reported their results, the Top 100 remained profitable, generating £1.4 billion of turnover, demonstrating their importance, especially as they will undoubtedly be a key driver of Scotland’s recovery from the pandemic.
Our more recent business survey, in conjunction with the Association of Practicing Accountants (APA), highlighted a number of key area’s that family businesses would continue to focus on in the short to medium term post pandemic.
The survey was completed by 435 owner managed businesses, with a significant amount of these being family businesses. Whilst different business owners across multiple trade sectors were surveyed, a number of similar key challenges and priorities were identified, including:
- Uncertain trading conditions
- Brexit supply chain issues
- Hybrid working
- Lack of capacity
Key priorities over the short term:
- Capitalising on post lockdown opportunities
- Return to office
- Getting back up and running!
Whilst almost half of businesses reported that their turnover had decreased since January, over one fifth had actually seen an increase since January 2021.
Despite serious concerns from business owners about the potential for higher tax rates for both companies & individuals, in view of the inevitable government focus on raising funds to repay debts, an overwhelming majority of businesses were confident that they would be able to access any financial support they require to continue their trading recovery in 2021. On top of this most of the businesses surveyed maintained that redundancies were very unlikely in the next 3-6 months, even when the furlough scheme is due to end altogether.
However, as we emerge from lockdown many businesses are still struggling. With growing concerns over uncertain trading conditions, we do hope that the government recognise that uncertainty remains across many sectors of the economy, and that businesses need reassurance as well as unambiguous advice & support.
Our experience of working with Owner Managed Businesses, many of whom are also Family Businesses, provides us with knowledge and awareness on trends, opportunities, and potential challenges. These are some of the reasons we reviewed & summarised the findings from our recent survey with APA – knowing that the results would be relevant for family businesses too. After all, its already been proven that businesses like those surveyed are vital to the post Covid-19 recovery of the UK.
If you would like any further information please contact Stuart Petrie or your usual AAB contact.


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What's going on?
Fresh data released on Tuesday showed that the eurozone economy grew 1.2% larger in the first quarter than it was a year ago – a low figure that was still higher than predicted.
What does this mean?
The 19 euro-using countries have had a tough start to 2019. Manufacturing in Europe’s biggest economy, Germany, all but ground to a halt thanks to disruptions plaguing its crucial auto industry; the French economy was brûléed by ongoing protests; and Italy succumbed to a dreaded recession. Economists accordingly slashed their growth forecasts left and right – and the European Central Bank said it’d start offering commercial banks a fresh round of cheap long-term loans from September, hoping to get some money moving around and grow the economy.
But economic growth already started accelerating last quarter, with Italy expanding all of 0.1% and thus escaping recession. Investors will be breathing a sigh of relief – and wondering whether monthly surveys are as reliable as they’d thought.
Why should I care?
For markets: China giveth, China taketh away.
The eurozone’s better-than-expected economic growth last quarter might not have been a surprise to those looking east: China’s first-quarter economic growth surpassed predictions too. With an estimated 35% impact on the well-being of the eurozone economy (and 15% on the US’s), a rising Chinese sun should mean fair weather for Europe too. But new Chinese data suggests it may have been a false dawn.
The bigger picture: Our survey says… manufractured.
Two closely watched surveys of Chinese manufacturing activity on Tuesday showed that the country’s strong first quarter was followed by a flimsier April. According to both reports, manufacturing activity barely grew – confounding expectations that government support would maintain momentum. US-China trade negotiations are currently on the home straight, and it’s likely that both countries are watching one another’s economic data for any signs of weakness. That said, Europe just proved survey data isn’t the be-all and end-all…


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Startup accelerator and early-stage seed fund in India for Internet and mobile technology startups, TLabs has announced its sixth batch, which kicked-off earlier in September.
TLabs will be conducting a four-month mentoring programme for five promising startups that provide unique solutions across a variety of markets, stated an official release.
With the current batch, TLabs has raised the valuation of each startup that it accepts in the programme to US$2,42,589 (INR 1.5 crore) from US$1,61,902 (INR 1 crore). It will invest US$19,407 (INR 12 lakh) in each startup; the earlier investment was US$16,190 (INR 10 lakh).
“The journey has been very exciting as each idea is unique and prominent in its respective target market,” said Abhishek Gupta, Head, TLabs. According to him, this change was necessary keeping in mind the rising operational costs for startups and market dynamics.
With this batch, TLabs takes its portfolio count to 36 startups. It has also opened applications for its next batch.
Here’s a brief introduction to startups that constitute Fall 2014 batch of TLabs:
Vidooly: An intelligent YouTube marketing and analytics suite for content creators, brands and MCNs, Vidooly helps grow their channel, build audience base and earn more revenue organically.
Wibe: The startup re-imagines the web where users can watch videos relevant to the content they are reading on any website. Wibe is currently offered as a browser extension compatible with all popular websites such as Google, Wikipedia, Amazon, etc.
Neuron: Neuron is a Big Data tool that examines a brand’s social presence (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest), picks up users who are interested in its products and then calculates which users might become its customers.
Flynx: Flynx is a floating browser for Android that makes multitasking easy while browsing the web on mobile. It doesn’t obstruct the current workflow; it loads the web pages in background while the user can do something else rather than waiting for the pages to load.
Mobapper: The startup helps web-publishers optimise their website for mobile experience by creating native mobile apps. It can create native apps for iOS, Android, Windows and Blackberry without any coding. It show ads in the app and monetises content using admob.


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Bengaluru Restaurants Can Either Increase Price By 10%, Or Compromise On Quality Of Food!
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis has added to the already multi-year high inflation pressures, as supply concerns have erupted, prices of crude oil and commodities have skyrocketed.
Supply disruptions and prices of edible oils, cooking gas, and coffee powder, among others, have elevated over the past one month’s period, amid geopolitical tensions.
As a result, hotels and restaurants have been demanding a price hike of about 10% for over a month now that the prices of vegetables, oil and other key materials are increasing.
Restaurant Prices Could Surge By the Next Week
Earlier this week, the Bruhat Bangalore Hotels’ Association met and suggested hoteliers to appreciate food prices across the board by as much as 10%.
This is because the hospitality industry has been bearing the brunt of rising oil prices and all of its unwelcoming impact. Price hikes across hotels and restaurants could start as early as next week.
“We have been left with no option but to raise prices. They will probably come into effect over the next one week,” said the President of BBHA, P.C. Rao.
According to the Karnataka Regional Hotels and Restaurants’ Federation’s President, Chandrashekhar Hebbar, hotels and restaurants are considering the price hike, due to the surge in edible oil prices, led by the Ukraine-Russia war and the rise in fuel prices, including cooking gas, which has hit the hotel industry hard, a Hindu report cited.
If Prices Not Hiked, Hotels Could Compromise Food Quality
According to Hebbar, the industry is yet to recover from the losses it suffered during the pandemic. Despite COVID-19, we did not hike prices, but now it is becoming increasingly unviable. If we do not raise prices, it will invariably push us to compromise on the quality and quantity of the food we serve.
In the meeting, the board decided that it would not be viable to compromise the quality and/or quantity of the food served, as it would impact the long-term performance of the industry.
He added, “Hence we have opted for a price hike.”
However, while the association has suggested a 10% price hike across the board, it has left it to individual hoteliers to take a call depending on the situation, added the report.


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- Sen. Claire McCaskill to tackle sex assault at college next
- Judge’s order preserves NSA surveillance records
- Refurbished Pollock masterpiece goes on display
- Iditarod becomes mad dash for Nome
- ‘Burger King baby’ now seeks birth mom on Facebook
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- Ukraine’s Crimea seeks to become independent state
Kenneth Cole returns to fashion week on his terms
Cole is capable of connecting with consumers _ and he did it long before social media, largely through the ads and buzz-generating events. (He is personally active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. His new fascination is with Snapchat, where photos are shared and then disappear.)
He says he believes the modern business model for fashion companies isn’t to worry so much about exact products. Other than quality, companies shouldn’t get bogged down in delivery dates and magazine picks, he says. Shoppers aren’t looking to match the exact handbag or sweater they see on the catwalk or on a cover, Cole says, they are buying a dream.
“What people are consuming is what things represent. It’s people defining themselves through what they wear.”
On this day, he has two jackets in his office _ which boasts old-fashioned shoemaking stations. One is a slim, stylish blazer, the other a ski jacket that makes more sense on a chilly afternoon.
He goes jacketless, however, to his meeting with his men’s shoe team. With his shirt sleeves rolled up and two smartphones (one an iPhone, the other a Blackberry) hanging from the pockets of his jeans, he asks about the textured treatments to the leather and the placement of the shelves in the showroom.
Cole’s top-level corner space on the building where his offices are located on the far west side of Manhattan provides a view of the Hudson River. But one gets the sense that he spends a lot of time in the elevator, starting many days in the new digital photo studio in the basement and then moving upstairs to sample production rooms and then the showrooms, which are divided by brand, gender and vibe. An electric guitar and skateboard hang on the walls of the more casual Reaction room. There are more books for the Collection customer.
“We are trying to speak to the consumer by their lifestyle. We are trying to match product to their lifestyle, and that’s what brings it to life now,” Cole says. “Doing it this way forces you to know those people that we’re trying to sell to. We all have to know this guy and we all have to like this guy.”
Samantha Critchell tweets fashion at (at)AP_Fashion and can be reached at (at)Sam_Critchell.
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The spreading coronavirus hasn’t derailed growth in the U.S. or most developed countries, but it is changing economic, bond market and corporate earnings outlooks.
Kathy Jones, chief fixed income strategist at the Schwab Center for Financial Research, now expects the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield will remain under 2% this year rather than drifting up to 2.25%-2.50%, which she had expected previously. The 10-year yield fell 3 basis points to 1.55% Tuesday. Treasury bill rates were generally unchanged.
“We doubt that interest rates will return to previous levels,” writes Jones in a bond market outlook titled “Coronavirus Changes the Picture.” “The negative economic impact is likely to mean slower global growth and easier central bank policies.” She expects the coronavirus will shave 0.2%-0.4% from global GDP growth, which the IMF had forecast at just 3.3% for this year.
China, the epicenter of the outbreak, “is effectively the world’s factory floor, accounting for 35% of global manufacturing output,” Jones explains, adding that Chinese consumption also plays a large role in driving demand for commodities such as oil and industrial metals and in world tourism. China represents an even larger percentage of the global technology supply chain, about 50%, according to Credit Suisse analysts.
Apple, which depends heavily on Chinese plants for the manufacture and assembling of the iPhone and other products and for their sales to Chinese customers, cut its sales expectations for the quarter on Monday as a result of the spreading coronavirus.
“Worldwide iPhone supply will be temporarily constrained” and “demand for our products within China has been affected,” said Apple in its quarterly update to earnings guidance. Its stock fell close to 2% on Tuesday, almost six times the 0.3% decline in the S&P 500.
Apple’s suppliers have had to close some facilities in China, though it is slowing reopening some, while it has closed stores in the country, along with Starbucks, McDonald’s and many more companies.


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The U.S. head of state reiterated that the company is “a national security threat” and that it will announce a decision Monday.
United States President Donald Trump told reporters Sunday that his country is actually “looking at not doing business at all” with Chinese tech company Huawei, contrary to media reports that said Trump would grant a new 90-day license extension.
“It was reported today, I was surprised, that we are open to doing business [with Huawei], we actually open to not doing business with them, so I don’t know who gave the report,” Trump said.
The U.S. head of state reiterated that the company is “a national security threat” and that it will announce a decision Monday regarding the situation to allow the Chinese company to buy supplies from U.S. tech firms for yet another three months.
“Huawei is a company we may not do business with at all.”
At the end of June, Huawei became the main target of Trump's trade war against China after Washington blacklisted the firm, prohibiting it from selling its equipment to U.S. firms. This unilateral economic sanction was executed because the Chinese company and its 5G technology supposedly represent threats to U.S. national security.
As markets and manufactures responded poorly to the decision, Trump was pushed to step back, and after meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping in the G20 summit in Japan granted a three-month reprieve till Aug. 19.
Meanwhile, Chinese and U.S. negotiating teams intensify trade consultations at the work level they prepare for the 13th round of chief trade negotiators which will restart in September, hoping to reach a trade deal.
Trump administration economic adviser Larry Kudlow said trade deputies from the two countries would speak within 10 days and “if those deputies meetings pan out...we are planning to have China come to the USA” to advance negotiations over ending a trade battle that has emerged as a potential risk to global economic growth.
Despite the sanctions, China's tech company reported a profit of US$58.3 billion, which means it billed 23.2 percent more in the first half of 2019.


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Zytoun Gourmet Mediterranean and Old Harbor Distilling Company are the latest businesses to join the San Diego Bayfront Retail Center. With the two additions, it means 17 spaces are now filled since the Port began its revitalization project.
Zytoun, the owner of Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant in San Diego, will operate a full-service Greek and Mediterranean restaurant along the boardwalk in the Carousel District of Seaport Village. Old Harbor Distilling Company will open its second San Diego location in Seaport Village’s Lighthouse District. It will include a craft tasting room and a fast-casual seafood restaurant concept. The original Old Harbor opened in 2013 in the East Village.
“Our more than $2 million investment in enhancing and elevating the Seaport Village experience continues to pay off with the addition of Zytoun Gourmet Mediterranean and Old Harbor Distilling Company,” said Michael Zucchet, chairman of the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners. “Seaport Village is a San Diego hotspot. We hope everyone gets a chance to visit soon and keeps coming back.”
Seaport Village, owned by the Port of San Diego and operated in partnership with Protea Property Management, has recently undergone a series of site enhancements. With Zytoun and Old Harbor, 63 of the approximately 71 spaces at Seaport Village are filled. Other now open or soon to open tenants include: XEWT Channel 12 Studio, Mike Hess Brewing, Mr. Moto Pizza, Spill the Beans, Influencer Boutique, Samburgers, Chris Harvey Studio, Tuk Tuk Eatery, Louisiana Charlie’s and Malibu Farm.
Travel & Hospitality reporter Mariel Concepcion can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org or 858-634-4625.


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BA says no evidence global IT outage caused by cyber attack
LONDON, May 27 British Airways said on Saturday there was no evidence that a global breakdown of its IT systems had been caused by a cyber attack.
Sept 29 Dunkin' Brands Group Inc:
* Dunkin' Donuts to launch ready-to-drink coffee in 2017
* Says Coca-Cola Company will manufacture, distribute and sell product
* Will launch a line of Dunkin' Donuts branded ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee beverages in United States in early 2017
* Financial terms of agreement were not disclosed
* Will equally share with U.S. franchisees its profits from sales of ready-to-drink coffee via outlets outside of restaurants Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:
LONDON, May 27 British Airways said it had cancelled all flights from London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports scheduled before 1700 GMT on Saturday due to a global computer outage.


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Gaming is a huge industry right now. Not only are the number of gamers increasing every year as all genders and age groups find games they enjoy, but the industry is growing larger and worth more every year.
According to recent data, there are 3.11 Billion gamers around the world and that number keeps increasing year after year.
You might be wondering what the statistics look like for gamers. With the industry growing at such a rapid pace, numbers are important. This makes them readily available for anyone who wants to know all the information about games.
Keep reading below to get a good idea of how the gaming industry works and the types of gamers you might encounter throughout the world.
Check out this article for more statistics on mobile games.
The Countries With the Most Gamers
Looking at the big picture, Asia has far more gamers than any other region in the world. They have roughly two times the total number of players as the next-highest region, Europe. North America only places 4th on the list, just above MENA (Middle East and North Africa).
|Total Number of Gamers
To put these numbers into perspective, roughly two out of every five people are a gamer of some sort. This is the case globally, and not per a specific country or region.
The US makes up a lot of the North American gamers. About three-fourths of American households have at least one gamer in the home, whether that be a console, a mobile device, or a PC.
The country with the most gamers is China. They have roughly 665 million players. This number has increased dramatically from 2010 to 2023. This is despite bans to stop the youth from getting addicted to games.
PC and mobile games are the top two categories in China. Console games aren’t as popular thanks to the country’s 14-year ban on game consoles and imports. In 2018, the growth of the gaming industry slowed a little thanks to another ban on new games, but it didn’t stop the industry from still growing.
Age and gender are the two most common genders when it comes to video games.
Gamers have long been thought to be a male-dominated industry. For the most part, that is true, but women are starting to come up and are now almost even with the total number of male players in the world in 2023.
These charts show the percentage of girl gamers is starting to slowly increase. This means a shift in the gaming industry as companies struggle to create games that both men and women enjoy. Some companies aim to target both genders at the same time while others focus on one demographic over the other.
Women gamers tend to not be hard-core or mid-core gamers. Most women who identify as gamers are mobile game players. There are still plenty of women that play on PC and console, however.
Now, take a look at the age demographic. This better fits what one would expect from the gaming industry with people under the age of 34 years old taking up over half of the industry.
|Number of Gamers
But what about when you combine these two demographics? You’ll find that there’s a higher percentage of older women that play games than older men. So while women make up less of the total demographic, they are the majority of gamers after the age of 36.
One group even went above and beyond with their survey. Not only did they calculate the total percentages of guy and girl gamers, but they broke them down into different categories of why they play and the devices they often use.
|75% play on a console 51% most often play action games 68% prefer playing with friends 70% say games help them stay connected with family and friends
|77% play on a smartphone 46% most often play casual games 48% prefer playing with friends 55% say games help them stay connected with family and friends
|70% play on a console 38% most often play action games 44% prefer playing with friends 83% say games help them relax
|78% play on a smartphone 67% most often play casual games 58% prefer playing with friends 77% say games help them relax
|56% play on a smartphone 48% most often play casual games 42% prefer playing with friends 87% say games provide mental stimulation
|63% play on a smartphone 74% most often play casual games 37% prefer playing with friends 82% say games provide mental stimulation
|68% play on a PC 58% most often play card games 77% prefer playing alone 46% have been playing games for 10 years or less
|60% play on a PC 76% most often play card games 81% prefer playing alone 63% have been playing games for 10 years or less
This is a great table for anyone looking into creating a game, but unsure of their target audience. It’s an amazing visual that breaks down the differences in gender and age groups when it comes to playing all sorts of games, both digital and physical.
Check out this article where I compare 2 of the best game engines out there, Unity versus Unreal engine.
Another interesting statistic is that while the total number of female gamers is going up, the total number of male gamers is decreasing. Men are still winning out in total percentages, but the totals are getting closer every year as fewer men play and more women join in on the gaming craze.
|Percentage Of Male Gamers
|Percentage Of Female Gamers
|Less than 55%
|More than 45%
Types of Gamers
According to NewZoo, there are nine main categories of gamers. These categories are:
- The Ultimate Gamer
- The All-Around Enthusiast
- The Conventional Player
- The Subscriber
- The Lapsed Gamer
- The Backseat Viewer
- The Popcorn Gamer
- The Hardware Enthusiast
- The Time Flier
Of these nine categories, the Time Flier and the Subscriber make up the highest percentages.
Interestingly, the Conventional Gamer takes up the lowest spot, with only three percent of all gamers falling into this category.
Looking for a Game Art Outsourcing Studio? check out this article.
Most of the people in this category are men, much more so than the average gamer. They also tend to be around the age of 32 and are people that have kids.
How Has The Number of Gamers Changed Over the Years
Gamers have been steadily increasing every year. The biggest increases were in the years just before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even now that COVID is done, the industry is only expected to grow.
|Number of Gamers (in billions)
|Increase (in millions
|Percentage Rate Increase
Why People Play Games
Most people play games to relax and decompress. They may want to escape from the world or have something to keep them occupied while waiting in line.
These numbers tend to be relatively the same in every country, with the same categories winning out globally and per country or region.
|Share of Respondents
|Number of Gamers (Global)
|Unwind, relax, and decompress
|Fill time while taking a break, waiting, or commuting
|Escape and be highly entertained
|Spend time by myself
|Solve a problem, use my brain, and think logically
|Be comforted by something familiar
Many people also believe that games offer positive benefits. There have been studies that prove that certain games bring stress relief and mental stimulation, while other studies find that games have negative by-products.
While the actual benefits from games are still up in the air, the placebo effect influences people enough for them to continue playing games in the hope of improving their mental health.
How Long People Play Games
Most gamers play games for between one and five hours a week. Usually, they do this during free moments, such as just before bed or while traveling or waiting in line. This only accounts for people 18+ or working professionals. Children weren’t included as they might skew the results.
This number was broken down further, showing how many hours on average a week each age group plays games. As you can see, the ages between 18 and 35 tend to play the most games and for the longest each week.
Though it’s not shown on the table, men also tend to play more on average than women by a whole hour.
However, when you start looking at long stretches of gaming, such as 10-15 hours consecutively, it’s actually women that come out on top. Women tend to play longer during long stretches for anything over 10 hours.
This may have something to do with streamers. While both men and women stream themselves playing games and do marathon gaming, it is possible that women streamers do longer marathons than men, which increases the percentages.
Check this list of the Best Game Engines used today!
You can also look at the average hours people play games per country. Though China and the United States have the most number of gamers, they don’t play as often as other countries like Germany and the United Kingdom.
The Number of Professional Gamers
Interestingly, the number of e-sport players is roughly three times higher in the United States than in any other country, though it doesn’t necessarily have the highest number of gamers.
In fact, the US has such a high amount of e-sport players that it has the same number of professionals as the next five countries combined.
|Number of E-Sports Players
Many people guess that the reason for this is due to the video gaming industry in the US. The country is roughly worth $90 billion when it comes to e-sports.
It’s interesting though. With China having over 660 million gamers, you expect them to be higher up than just third place. China’s video game market is the largest in the world. Out of all the gamers, over 500 million of them play online games on a daily basis.
The e-sports industry as a whole is worth quite a bit of money. In 2021, the winner of the Dota 2 e-sports tournament won a $40 million prize pool. The team that ended up winning went home with over $18 million.
Another interesting fact is that although the demographics for girl vs guy gamers are relatively balanced, the number of men in e-sports is significantly higher. Roughly 70 percent of all e-sports players are male and 80 percent of the viewers were also male.
Though the US has the most e-sports players, most of the viewers come from the Asia Pacific region. They’ve always had a huge fan base and with TV stations starting to broadcast the competitions live, the number will likely stay high for quite a while.
Favorite Genres of Games
Since many people play games to relax, according to surveys, you might expect casual and relaxing games to rank at the top. In this case, you’d be right. However, what’s interesting is that the next few categories tend to be fast-paced and adrenaline-inducing games like action, shooters, and racing games.
As you can see from the chart above, the US follows this principle, with casual games leading by quite a bit, followed by action, shooter, and racing games. What is neat is that this game preference is the same throughout the world.
Whether you’re questioning just the US population or people throughout the globe, the top categories are always the same, as well as the order they’re in.
At most, the games change percentages, but not enough to put them in a different order. Since the US isn’t the country with the highest number of gamers, you might expect the numbers to differ a little, but they’re almost exactly the same.
|Type of Game
|Share of Respondents
|Number of Gamers (Global)
Favorite Devices for Games
For the millennial generation, the majority of them find their favorite device to play games on is a PC. 56 percent of millennials say they prefer playing on a PC over a console or a mobile device.
This is a different number than most people expect. 43 percent of smartphone usage has to do with gaming of some sort. This has led many people, both in the industry and outside of it, to assume that mobile games are the favorite, but that is far from the case.
In the UK, the statistics are a little skewed. Only a quarter of the total gamers in the UK play games on computers. Some of this is due to the difficulty in getting computer parts, especially right now in 2023 where a shortage of all sorts of computer chips is very common.
Although PC games tend to be the most popular throughout the world, they offer the lowest market revenue. Mobile games take the lead with over $86 billion. Consoles are next at $51 billion, and PC games (both browser and downloaded games) come in last at only $37 billion.
How Many People Pay for Games and Game Subscriptions
Like much of the rest of the digital world, gaming is heavily subscription-based. About 52 percent of all gamers have at least one gaming subscription. This is most common with console gamers, as it often costs a subscription in order to play online or get access to games for a discounted price.
About 74 percent of all console gamers use a subscription, which puts consoles in first place for game types with the most subscription-based gamers.
There are a total of 2.29 billion console players that use one form of subscription or another. Xbox consoles are the ones that tend to have the most subscriptions with over 100 million Xbox Live users throughout the world.
Sony, the creator of the PlayStation, is in second place with 47.3 million people subscribing to their service.
In comparison, only 66 percent of PC users pay for a subscription. This is about 2.04 billion people. However, the numbers for both PC and console gamers are only increasing. Already, the number has doubled from 2016 to 2023.


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China News Service, Xiamen, September 8 (Zheng Jiangluo) On the 8th, the 21st China International Investment and Trade Fair was launched in Xiamen. One of the supporting activities-Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) New Investment Opportunity Seminar Day Held at the same time in Xiamen.
"The total trade volume between China and RCEP member countries accounts for about one-third of China's total foreign trade. It comes from the actual investment of RCEP members and accounts for more than 10% of China's actual use of foreign capital." Ma Xiuhong, president of the China Council for the Promotion of International Investment, said that RCEP covers This accounts for 47% of the global population, 32% of global GDP, 29% of global trade and 32% of global investment.
"It is a free trade zone with the largest population, the most diverse cooperation and the greatest development potential in the world, and an important engine for the recovery and development of the world economy."
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) is the largest and most important free trade agreement negotiation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Initiated by ASEAN in 2012, it lasted 8 years and was an agreement drawn up by 15 members including China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the ten ASEAN countries.
On November 15, 2020, the 10 ASEAN countries and 15 Asia-Pacific countries including China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand formally signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
Ma Xiuhong pointed out that China and RCEP member countries are highly complementary in economy and have a wide range of cooperation areas. RCEP member countries are China's important economic and trade partners, among which the ten ASEAN countries are China's largest trading partners.
"China, RCEP member states and the industry should work together to complement each other's strengths and seize the opportunities brought by the RCEP agreement."
The ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to China Jose Santiago San Romana stated that the Philippines’ GDP in the second quarter of this year increased by 11.8% compared to the first quarter, and the outside world still maintains a positive view of the Philippines’ economic status.
It is hoped that the RCEP agreement will strengthen the flow of trade and investment, and the integration of the supply chain.
Chen Ning, the second-level inspector of the Department of International Economic and Trade Relations of the Ministry of Commerce, said that the new crown pneumonia epidemic has repeated, the world economic recovery is fragile, and the process of globalization has encountered a countercurrent. In this context, the member states of the RCEP agreement have jointly pledged to reduce tariffs. Opening the market, reducing profits, demonstrating a clear attitude of opposing unilateralism and protectionism, and firmly supporting free trade and the multilateral trading system, has greatly boosted the confidence of all parties in economic growth, and contributed to international cooperation in the fight against the epidemic and the recovery of the world economy. Infused with positive energy.
Zhao Jinping, chief economist of the National Research Institute think tank, delivered a keynote speech on "The Role of RECP in Improving the Regional Investment and Trade Environment".
He said that East Asia is one of the world's most important commodity manufacturing and cross-border trade centers. From 2017 to 2020, the trade dependence among East Asian members has further increased. "Compared with 2017, the global trade volume in 2020 has dropped by 1.1%. , East Asia’s exports and imports to the world increased by 13.9% and 6.6% respectively. Compared with the general decline in major economies, the performance was particularly outstanding. Among them, China’s exports to ASEAN and ASEAN’s exports to the United States both achieved growth of more than 35%. "
Zhao Jinping further pointed out that intra-regional trade has become the main influencing factor for stabilizing and promoting the growth of East Asian trade, and the expansion of mutual investment provides strong support for the adjustment of the East Asian regional industrial chain supply chain.
"Next, we should strengthen East Asian industrial chain cooperation and accelerate the construction of the East Asian regional economic integration system." (End)Keywords:


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The gateway power of Google and Apple is being challenged even as apps are drawn into geopolitics
When Mark Zuckerberg says that Apple charges “monopoly rents" and that it has a “stranglehold" on apps allowed on its store, thereby curtailing innovation, you have to sit up and listen. You might think that it is a bit rich, considering that he, arguably, runs one of the biggest monopolies ever created—his properties Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp together have more than 90% of all digital pictures.
Lately, the two app stores that divide up the world, Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store, have been under attack from apps, alleging that these “gatekeepers" have started behaving like monopolists. Let’s sift the evidence.
Exhibit 1: Epic Games, maker of Fortnite, threw down a gauntlet to both Apple and Google, refusing to pay the “usurious" 30% fee that they charged to host its game on their app stores on the argument that it was not justified.
Exhibit 2: Spotify introduced a streaming music service at $10, and Apple followed soon with Apple Music at $10 too, but Spotify had to pay $3 of its $10 to Apple. Spotify delisted from the App Store, saying that this was unfair.
Exhibit 3: Store wars erupted closer home when Google’s Play Store suddenly pulled Paytm’s app off. Now, Paytm is India’s most valuable unicorn, a generic term for digital payments in India, and, interestingly, the biggest competitor of Google’s own Pay app on the store. Google said that this was because Paytm’s app was indulging in “gambling". “This is bullshit to a different degree," said the feisty Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder of Paytm, “Google is not allowing us to acquire new customers right now. That’s all what this is." Google claimed that, besides gambling, Paytm’s Indian Premier League cricket themed campaign was promoting fantasy gaming too. Google does not allow fantasy gaming apps (while Apple does), and Dream11 is locked out of 95% of India’s smartphones. Curiously, though, Google permits fantasy sports app operators to advertise on its Search tool in India.
There are plenty of other such instances. Mike Isaac, who wrote Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber, narrates how its combative then-CEO Travis Kalanick did not bow to city mayors and national governments, but went to Apple’s headquarters in genuflection when Apple threatened to take Uber off its App Store.
There is a lot of buzz about tech monopolies. The recent Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma brings home how they now control our lives, societies and politics. As I have written before, they’re not classic monopolies, as they don’t “price gouge" customers. Most of these products are free. They do monopolize and monetize our attention though, making billions by pushing us further into an “attention economy".
When we think of a monopoly, we tend to think of Google’s Search tool, which has more than 90% of the market in most countries, or Facebook’s social network, which is the internet in many places, or WhatsApp, or even Amazon. While they dominate their spaces, they have alternatives. You could use Bing or Duckduckgo for search, get off Facebook and survive, use SMS instead of WhatsApp, and shop elsewhere.
But there are no options to the app stores of Google and Apple. If your app isn’t listed, you might as well quit business. They are the powerful tollkeepers, picking who gets to cross the velvet ropes. They have largely been fair and had good governance norms for apps, but what happens when they launch apps that directly compete with these? Or if other considerations come in? With some apps now embroiled in geopolitics, this is no small matter. Apps have even become battlegrounds for governments. Think of TikTok in India and the US, the ‘digital strikes’ against Chinese apps by the Indian government. Both apps and governments are fighting over phone-screen real estate. Paytm’s Sharma underlines this point when he says, “It’s disgraceful that we are standing here at the cusp of an internet revolution in India and we are being sanctioned by companies that are not governed by the law of this country."
Heimdall, in Norse mythology, was the gatekeeper to Asgard, the dwelling of the gods. He was very powerful—slept less than a bird, could see a hundred leagues, and could hear grass growing in meadows and wool growing on sheep. He wielded a “ringing" horn, Gjallarhorn, which could be heard throughout heaven, earth and the lower world. It was believed that Heimdall would sound the horn to summon the gods to war. Online, the horns have started blowing.
Jaspreet Bindra is the author of ‘The Tech Whisperer’, and founder of Digital Matters


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Save Mart Supermarkets will pay more than $2.5 million in a settlement with 35 California district attorneys over hazardous waste violations.
The Modesto-based chain, which has a large presence in the region, will pay $2.557 million in civil penalties, costs and expenses for future environmental enforcement activities in California, according to a news release.
Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully announced the settlement today.
The judgment covers violations that took place over several years, according to the district attorney’s office. The settlement covers all of Save Mart’s 251 stores and distribution centers in California. The chain operates Food Maxx, Maxx Value Foods and Lucky brands.
In Sacramento County alone, Save Mart operates 16 Save Mart stores and three Food Maxx stores.
The settlement concerns Save Mart’s storage, handling and disposal of hazardous waste, according to the news release.
According to court documents, the hazardous materials include “over-the-counter medications, pharmaceuticals, aerosol products,ignitable liquids, batteries, electronic devices, pool chemicals, and other toxic, reactive, ignitable and/or corrosive materials.”
The grocery chain “moved quickly to address its shortcomings in handling hazardous wastes” when notified of the investigation, according to the news release.


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A semi-naked guy gets weird
Capcom releases a new teaser of the upcoming new Devil May Cry game. Check it out inside!
Capcom has just released new footage of the upcoming DMC or the new "remake" of Devil May Cry with a revamped Dante (Who nows like to run almost naked). Watch it now below.
And remember, the game is expected to hit shelves this year on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
Our thanks to 'Kaos2K' for this news item!