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Interest will proceed to accrue on the loans through the deferment. Borrowers could make partial or full funds through the deferment period however are not required to. The SBA recommends utilizing Existing COVID-EIDL debtors can discover account balances and payment due dates in the SBA Capital Access Financial System and learn how to arrange an account within the CAFS system by logging in at Capital Access Financial System (sba.gov). Propelled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the current related cyber assaults, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has issued “Shields Up” steerage to aid U.S. companies with cybersecurity. Shields Up offers organizations up-to-the-minute data on the latest advisories and breaches, in addition to practical options to avoid attacks.
Relative Strength at New High A stock’s Relative Strength line compares its price efficiency to the S&P 500. This screen reveals top-rated, progress shares whose RS lines are hitting new highs. It is particularly bullish when an RS line hits a model new high before the inventory scores a brand new worth high. Boost your profits now with our unique inventory lists, powered by skilled evaluation and superior algorithms. 3 out of 4 shares move in the same direction as the overall market… How Last Year’s Weather Impacts Food Prices TodaySal Gilbertie, CEO of Teucrium, explains why the wheat stock was ‘tight’ earlier than Russia invaded Ukraine and the way climate change is impacting meals prices.
The program enrolled over 9,000 people in its first 12 months, however doesn’t cover long-term care — a dangerous pitfall for so much of undocumented seniors. Chicago-based Cresco Labs may get lots bigger after saying its proposed acquisition Wednesday of Columbia Care for about $2 billion in stock. Abbott failed to take care of sanitary conditions at the plant linked to a cluster of infant diseases, according to federal inspectors. Get one of the best business protection in Chicago, from breaking news to razor-sharp evaluation, in print and online. The Chicago-based commerce group contributed an undisclosed quantity to SteelSky Ventures as part of its broader push to help initiatives led by ladies and folks of colour. Department of Justice, he is gotten his 2018 conviction thrown out and he’s averted prison time.
Nearly 30% of survey respondents say they are very concerned concerning the impression rising rates could have on their business. To fight inflation, 67% of small businesses surveyed have raised prices, and 41% reported having to lower their employees or take out a loan. Small businesses throughout each Business News sector, including manufacturing (41%), providers (35%), retail (32%) and skilled services (29%) industries, all cited inflation as the highest challenge for small businesses. There is an alarming gulf between folks thriving within the digital economic system and those shut out of it.
But folks charged with crimes are not often told an algorithm got here into play. Greater Chicago misplaced greater than ninety one,000 individuals from 2020 to 2021 as the pandemic slowed growth within the nation’s largest cities and intensified inhabitants tendencies of migration to the South and West. Join us for a deep dive into a few of the seemingly intractable issues going through our metropolis and state. Must-reads from our most up-to-date articles on leadership and managing people, delivered once a month. Sweetgreen Inc. mentioned Thursday that it’s going to open a drive-through “Sweetlane” in Illinois within the next yr. The pilot location will take orders digitally, and supply dine-in service where customers can order in the restaurant.


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With an estimated 2.3 million Americans behind bars, the U.S. incarcerates a larger percentage of its population than any other nation on Earth. As a result, one out of every 28 children grows up with a parent in jail—an average of one child per classroom.
Kinect hack of the day: Xbox is unveiling a sharp idea called Xbox Kinect TV for the next generation of television: interactive, live-action content, produced in partnership Sesame Workshop and National Geographic. That’s right folks, Sesame Street 2.0 is set to prepare your kids for the new media world. Watch the video & read all about it here.

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The Honda Jazz hasn’t done well in India. The first-gen Jazz, though a good product want available at an expensive price and did not see too many takers by which Honda quietly discontinued the model.
The second-gen Jazz was more features packed yet affordable, still it did not taste success. With rivals like Maruti Baleno and Hyundai i20 featuring in the top 10 cars sold every month regularly, the Jazz can be considered a wrong product at the right time.
But the Japanese company hasn’t given-up hope on it and now decided to launch the Jazz based crossover, codenamed as 2FM. When launched sometime in 2017 in the Indian market, the crossover version is rumoured to be named ‘WR-V’ and will be sold alongside the regular Jazz. Can Honda be lucky third time, only time can tell!
Maintaining the Honda design philosophy of ‘Man Maximum, Machine Minimum’, the Jazz-based crossover is expected to give good space, as in the original model, with the addition ‛magic seats which Honda calls it’ and good boot space. It will compete with the segment leader Hyundai i20 Active, formidable and practical cars like the Fiat Avventura, Toyota Etios Liva and dud-seller VW Cross Polo.
The crossover version will be one of Honda’s big launches happening this-year alongside the new Civic, Accord and the facelifted Brio. These cars are very important, after a slow start to the sales of the recently launched BR-V because Honda aims to get back to form.
To read more on Honda Jazz, Click here
Image Credit: Quatrorodas


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Foggy uses the Taptic Engine in Apple Watch to provide vibrotactile stimulation for gait freezingRead more...
Is social media next?
For a long time I’ve been calling for standards in social media advertising. Today if an advertiser wants to make a social media buy across multiple social sites, they will need to build different creative for each of the different social media advertising products on each of the major companies, Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Rockyou, Slide etc.
Until recently, online video has faced the same problem. But in May, the IAB approved new online video advertising standards.
Two studies have shown a positive impact from the establishment of the standards. Reports Wired:
Riddled with inconsistencies, video advertising has been a difficult marketplace to tap into. Advertisers are often forced to tailor creative for each video ad purchase, which is a big turnoff to advertisers looking to make big buys. Meanwhile, long, poorly formatted ads lead to a high rate of attrition by alienating viewers.
In May, the Interactive Advertising Bureau implemented standards to help streamline video advertising. Today, Break Media, an entertainment community for men, and Panache, a video advertising delivery-platform, released a study showing high rates of success with video ads since the standards went into effect.
Over an 11-week period, the study tested the success of the four standard formats for in-stream video advertising established by the Interactive Advertising Bureau: pre-roll, interactive pre-roll, non-overlay ads and overlay ads. Tracking advertisements for three large corporations — Honda, T-Mobile, and truTV — the study found that viewers had a high tolerance for pre-roll and overlay ads.
All of the four formats had extremely high click through rates. Completion rates for 15-second pre-roll ads were 87 percent, and 77 percent viewed videos with overlay ads for at least 15 seconds.
“Getting major advertisers major advertisers to move and turn into video advertising is going to take time,” says Panache CEO Steve Robinson. But he is enthusiastic about the new standards: “now you can just do the creative and know that it works.”
NewTeeVee notes another positive study:
Meanwhile, in a study of 100 campaigns and nearly 65 million impressions, Tremor Media measured 80 percent completion rates for both 15- and 30-second pre-roll ads. While the study’s size makes it more significant, Tremor did not look at click-through rates. Tremor said it actually saw slightly higher completion rates for 30-second ads than 15-second ones, attributing viewer willingness to watch longer ads to their placement next to high-quality content.
For Social Media to be a business we’ll need to see similar standards for social media advertising. This is why I think AOL buying Bebo is good for the industry. With AOL joining Fox as major media companies with a “dog in the fight”, hopefully we’ll move more quickly towards standards for social media advertising.
For more from Jeremy Liew, go to his blog.
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Slide is the largest personal media network in the world, reaching 144 million unique global viewers each month and more than 30 percent of the U.S. Internet audience. We help people express themselves and tell stories through personalized photos and videos created on Slide.com and viewed anywhere on the web or desktop.
Slide's products — including Slideshows, FunWall and SuperPoke! — are popular on top social networking and blog platforms, including MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Hi5, Friendster, Tagged and Blogger. Slide is also the leading developer on Facebook with more than 84 million applications installed and the most active users than any other developer.
Launched in 2005 and founded by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, Slide is backed by Mayfield Fund, Blue Run Ventures, Khosla Ventures and Founders Fund.
Joined Vator onRockYou is a leading provider of applications and widgets on the web. RockYou widgets include photo slideshows, glitter text, customized Facebook applications and voicemail accessories that are simple to use and enable people to frequently refresh their online style. Founded in 2006, RockYou has over 35 million users, serving over 180 million widget views per day in more than 200 countries. RockYou applications are customized for easy integration across all social networks including Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Friendster, Tagged and hi5.


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PayPal, a global online payment system, starts its service in Bangladesh today (Thursday), paving the way for hassle-free electronic money transfer.
This is expected to increase access to foreign consumers as well as easing the collection of money for the freelancers of the country, reports BSS.
Sajeeb Wazed Joy, information and communication technology (ICT) adviser to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, will inaugurate the international gateway for online payment at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the city, an official of the ICT Division said.
He said customers could receive the service from nine commercial banks, including Sonali Bank, Rupali Bank and Social Islami Bank and the service would be extended gradually.
"The PayPal authorities have taken the decision after reviewing the potential market of Bangladesh," he added.
The official said that the ICT adviser has provided all sorts of cooperation to launch the PayPal for providing the world's most popular online money transfer services to the people.
PayPal, available in more than 200 markets around the world, enables its account holders to receive money in more than 100 currencies, withdraw funds in 56 currencies and hold PayPal account balances in 25 currencies.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express


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In his first Executive Decision segment of "Mad Money" Tuesday, Jim Cramer spoke with Enrique Lores, president and CEO of HP Inc. (HPQ) , the printer and computer maker.
HPQ on Tuesday posted a fiscal fourth-quarter earnings beat and its shares were higher in pre-market trading Wednesday morning.
Lores said HP saw record shipments for both PCs and printers in the quarter and has strong cash flows, which has allowed it to reward shareholders with dividends and buybacks.
Lores said while HP's commercial business slowed significantly during the pandemic, its consumer businesses thrived as people set up home offices with new PCs and printers. Lores said he expects HP's commercial business to return as people begin to return to the office.
Lores also noted that HPQ's 3-D printing business continues to grow, representing a potential $500 billion market.
Let's check and see what the potential is from the charts.
In this daily bar chart of HPQ, below, we can see that prices made a low around the middle of March, followed by a successful retest in May. Prices have rallied the past seven months with frequent pullbacks. HPQ is trading above the rising 50-day moving average line and above the bottoming 200-day moving average line. The On-Balance-Volume (OBV) line shows a rising pattern from early April to tell us that buyers of HPQ have been more aggressive. This confirms and supports the advance. The trend-following Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) oscillator crossed back above the zero line this month for a new, outright-buy go long signal.
In this weekly bar chart of HPQ, below, we can see that prices have been in a wide downtrend from 2018. The rally this year has brought prices up to a point where this downtrend is in jeopardy. Prices are in an uptrend from March and trade above the still-declining 40-week moving average line. The weekly OBV line has been steady this year but now shows some fresh buying in the past two months. The MACD oscillator is bullish.
In this daily Point and Figure chart of HPQ, below, we can see the recent upside breakout in prices and a potential $26 price target.
In this weekly Point and Figure chart of HPQ, below, we can see a possible price target in the $30 area.
Bottom line strategy: In our review of HPQ on Aug. 28 we wrote, "It looks like HPQ can continue to grind higher and eventually retest the February zenith." I will assume traders are probably long HPQ. Raise sell stops to $19.50 and look for gains to $26 initially.


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Free delivery for your favorite family member
Today, taking care of your pets got a tiny bit easier last week.
Duluth's A Place for Fido launched a free delivery service on Friday for those within six-miles of its Fitger’s location.
The canine outfitters will deliver its pet food and supplies on orders over $49, a convenience that pet owners want, the store wrote in a news release.
But don't worry, you can still redeem your Fido Rewards when placing a delivery order.
Submit your sustainable project ideas
We should all live more sustainable lives. But — hopefully — some of us may have ideas about sustainability that reach beyond the individual and to broader communities.
Sound like you? The Northeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships wants to hear your idea.
Until Feb. 14, the organization is accepting project ideas that supports environmental, social and economic sustainability for public purpose or benefit; engages diver communities and encourage community collaboration, according to its website.
Check out z.umn.edu/RSDPideabrief for more information.
A local model for Duluth Trading
Bailey, who runs Duluth’s Makers Movement Collective Studio with her husband, Nathanael, will be modeling its Workday Warrior collection in the company’s spring catalog, Twin Cities Business magazine reports.
Duluth Trading, which started in the city of its namesake, frequently chooses working women — none of whom are models by profession — to wear its clothing.
“Her entrepreneurial spirit, paired with her craft of refurbishing old materials into something new, made her a natural choice to represent Duluth Trading,” the company’s Vice President of Product and Creative Ricker Schlecht told TCB.
Duluth chamber's year ahead
In an email last week, Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce President David Ross shared the organization’s goals for 2020. (Editor's note: News Tribune Executive Editor Rick Lubbers is a member of the commerce board.)
At the forefront is collaboration to address numerous things important to the area, including working to ease the area’s childcare shortage, generate more housing solutions, supporting public funding to support transportation options, creating jobs, advocating at the Capitol to land public support for Duluth-are businesses, and more.
To accomplish all that, Ross wrote in an email to chamber members that it “envisions an engaged, inclusive business community moving forward.”
Kelly Busche covers business and the health care industry for the News Tribune. She’s interested in what your business is looking forward to in the new year. Drop her a line at email@example.com.


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JuiceBox Energy, a manufacturer of connected energy storage systems, has been selected as a finalist for best green tech product at the International Builders’ Show (IBS).
It was chosen for its functionality, design and builder and consumer friendliness. JuiceBox’s connected systems monitor energy output from solar systems, the overall state of the system, as well as connection to automation platforms and the company’s cloud service.
When choosing devices to build a net-zero smart home, connected systems from JuiceBox Energy can help builders market a fully-controllable and efficient home to their clients.
JuiceBox Energy’s smart product is not the only energy storage system at IBS 2016. Ever since Tesla came out with its home battery idea, companies have been lining up to jump on the trend. Similar energy storage systems from Outback Power and Solar City will also be on display at IBS.
When combined with powerful energy generation systems such as solar or geothermal and efficient appliances, the JuiceBox Energy smart battery and similar systems can help upgrade the home from net-zero to a net-positive marketing tool.
IBS finalist winners will be announced on Thursday, January 21st.


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It took a few days longer than expected, but we already know the new Xbox Game Pass games for the second half of September. They were announced via Xbox Wire, and the selection is as diverse as the titles chosen for the first two weeks. They will be arriving on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Cloud in the coming days.
As you can see, the first on the list is Lies of P, announced in the first half of the month and available since yesterday. The rest are all unreleased, and what stands out this time is the number of games that will be released directly in the service’s catalog, as in the case of Party Animals, Payday 3 and COCOON, the new sci-fi game from the creator of LIMBO and INSIDE.
Xbox Game Pass games in September
Games leaving Xbox Game Pass on September 30, 2023
As with every month, some come and some go, so here’s a look at the games leaving Xbox Game Pass on September 30. As always, you can buy them all at 20% off on Xbox Store.


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Demand for peat briquettes soars due to March cold snap
Bord Na Móna says 47% surge in sales of fuel is unprecedented
John Kehoe (left) and James Connolly stack turf to dry on a bog near Portarlington, Co Laois. Bord na Móna says sales of peat briquettes have risen by nearly half on 2012 figures. Photograph: Alan Betson
The cold snap isputting increased pressure on Bord na Móna, with demand for peat briquettes increasing 67 per cent in March.
Bord na Móna commercial manager Michael Coleman said he has seen an “unprecedented” surge in demand for briquettes, with average sales between January and March up 47 per cent on 2012.
Speaking at the company’s Derrinlough plant in Co Offaly yesterday, he said: “Normally we would have over 40,000 tons of briquettes in stock here. We don’t have it. We are selling more or less out of current production.”
He said briquette production is meeting demand despite the wet summer, which resulted in the poorest harvest in the company’s history - with just 37 per cent of the usual quantity of peat harvested.
During peak demand months, from November to January, Bord na Móna met a 30 per cent increase in demand for briquettes. Bitterly cold conditions in March have led to a 67 per cent rise on last year’s demand.
Mr Coleman said the ban on turf-cutting in special areas of conservation has also increased demand for peat briquettes.
A contingency plan has been put in place to maintain retailers’ stocks of briquettes that involves supplying some 5,500 outlets on a week-to-week basis.
Retailers fear stocks could run out if the cold weather continues. Michael Ganly of Ganly’s Hardware, which has three outlets in the midlands, said he is concerned about stock levels.
Pointing to conditions in Northern Ireland, he said: “If there is going to be a few days of bad weather like that in the midlands we are going to run out.”
He believes many people are switching to solid fuel as a result of oil price increases. Rather then pay hundreds of euro at a time for oil, some people are spending smaller amounts on a regular basis buying briquettes, logs, coal or wood pellets, he said.
“What has typically been happening in the market is people have been substituting [for] oil,” Mr Ganly said. “Our own sales of logs are up about 60 or 70 per cent on last year.”
He has seen a steady increase in demand for solid fuel stoves. “People are adapting to their pocket and it’s much easier to budget from week to week,” he said.
Bord na Móna said it is confident it can meet customer requirements through careful management of stocks.


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BioMar is creating solutions targeted towards consumers
BioMar has completed the testing of insect meal in feeds for aquaculture and believe it shows promise as an alternative protein source. This is one among many other novel ingredients like algae oil or single cell proteins that BioMar has been investigating. BioMar believes these raw materials can address some of the needs of the market and are now eager to speed up their adoption through the creation of innovative feed solutions targeting the needs of seafood consumers.
BioMar has been investigating insect meal since 2015 in our Research and Development centres and from 2017 we have been undertaking tests with our customers who have been feeding their fish on diets containing insect meal. These fish have already made their way to supermarkets in Europe among retailers eager to implement future-oriented food solutions that focus on natural foods.
Michel Autin, Technical Director at BioMar’s EMEA Division said, “innovation of course comes at a cost, but farmers who are the first movers with insect meal will benefit from a strong market position. Insect meal has a future as an alternative protein source in aquaculture feeds if the price of this new raw material can be kept at reasonable limits. We have good test results on insect meal originating from black soldier flies, mealworms and others, which makes it a promising raw material.”
According to research undertaken by Deloitte*, today’s consumers are looking for more than just price, taste and convenience when they are shopping. Consumers are seeking more natural food choices that have a minimal impact on nature. BioMar has the capabilities to offer innovative seafood solutions that will help consumers who are in search for healthy and wholesome “back to nature” products that are also mindful of the environment. This is where insect meal can play a role.
Insect meal is only one of the many innovative raw materials in BioMar’s pipeline. They are recipe creators and have other game changing ingredients that can be used in crafting innovative feed solutions. What is important here is the ability to identify the opportunities and consumer trends and the capability to craft the solution with the right combination of ingredients and technology know how.
BioMar has for several years undertaken projects with customers who wanted to create seafood brands that address consumer needs and expectations, to make changes that will shape the future of seafood. The first collaboration project was ‘In the Blue’ a sustainable salmon created by partnership with Kvarøy, Wholefoods and BioMar. Also already in the market is Silverside Coho created with Vertisqueros, but it doesn’t end there, more branded seafood products making a differentiation through their feed recipe will soon be hitting markets across European and the Americas’.
For further information, please contact:
CEO, BioMar Group
Director, Global HR and Corporate Communication


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The microplastics crisis is far worse than we first thought.
For half a century, humans have incorporated plastic into every aspect of our lives, from kids’ toys to food packaging. Yet 91% of plastic doesn’t get recycled, ending up in landfills and the ocean, where it breaks into tiny particles called microplastics. Over the past five years, scientists have discovered microplastics in dust, fruit, drinking water, rain, and the atmosphere. They’ve also been found in human lung tissue and bloodstreams, as well as in infants’ bodies.
Scientists are only just beginning to understand exactly how widespread microplastics are in our environment and their impact on human health. But experts say it’s worth taking some precautions now, particularly since the problem is only going to get worse. And there are now more products on the market that can reduce our exposure to microplastics.
Dick Vethaak, a professor emeritus of ecotoxicology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, has been studying microplastics for a long time. In 2016, he sounded the alarm about their potential dangers on the human body and helped kick-start research on the subject.
“What we know for sure about microplastics is that they are everywhere in our biosphere,” he says. “We eat, breathe, and drink them constantly.”
Vethaak says we still don’t fully understand how the body processes microplastics, which are smaller that 5 millimeters, and nanoplastics, which are smaller than 1 micrometer. These particles may be small enough to enter cells, disrupting cellular activity. In studies with rats, microplastics were found to cause inflammation in the small intestines, low sperm count, and smaller babies.
Albert Koelmans, an environmental scientist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, doesn’t believe our current exposure to microplastics is causing damage—yet. The problem is that plastic consumption is rising. “I am a bit concerned about the future if we do nothing,” he told the scientific journal Nature.
Given how ubiquitous microplastics are, Vethaak acknowledges that it would be very difficult to rid ourselves of them completely.
“They are ambient particles, like others in our environment, like exhaust from cars or specks from a barbecue,” he says, noting that it’s worth taking steps to reduce our exposure to these potentially toxic particles, the way we do with other toxins in our environment. “Making lifestyle changes and changing out some products are quick wins that can reduce our overall exposure by a bit.”
The ultimate solution, Vethaak says, is for countries to work at a systemic level to reduce global plastic consumption and redesign products to cut out plastic. “The situation will only get worse unless we intervene,” he says.
Here are some tools already on the market worth considering.
Microplastics have been found in drinking water. Some U.S. states are taking steps to ensure that municipal filtration plants filter them out, as they do with other pollutants. But there are also home water filters designed to filter out microplastics, including a recent collection from LifeStraw. There’s also a faucet filter called Tapp that promises to filter microplastics from your tap water.
During the pandemic, many people bought air purifiers that they hoped would filter out virus particles (the virus that causes COVID-19 is 0.125 micron—significantly smaller than a microplastic particle). Blueair, for instance, aims to rid the air of these particles. A German brand called Ideal also makes an air purifier that targets microplastics.
Vethaak says air purifiers can be helpful, but consumers need to consider how they’ll get rid of the debris collected by the filter. If you simply take it out and put it in the garbage can, you’re exposing yourself to the particles all over again. Ideally, you would quickly pop the filter into a waste bag that can be tied closed to avoid exposure.
Stainless Steel Drinkware and Tableware
Vethaak says drinking from plastic water bottles and eating from plastic plates can be problematic because they shed microplastics as they degrade. (Separately, microwaving plastic has been found to be unsafe because it leaches chemicals into the food.) This is particularly problematic with kid’s tableware, which is often made from plastic so it won’t break. The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages parents to use stainless steel or glass if possible.
To limit kids’ exposure to plastic, you can serve them food on regular ceramic dishes. But if you’re worried about breakage, stainless steel is a good bet. (It’s not microwavable but is dishwasher safe.) If you’re looking to make the swap, there are plenty of brands out there that make stainless steel products for kids. PlanetBox and Bentgo make lunch boxes for all ages, and Ahimsa, a brand founded by a pediatrician, has a line of stainless steel dinnerware that’s safe even for babies.
For adults, Vethaak suggests switching away from reusable plastic water bottles and choosing stainless steel products like those from S’well or using glass water bottles like those made by Soma. If you carry your lunch to work, it makes sense to use stainless steel as well.
Washing Machine Filters
All the products we’ve shared so far are designed to protect us from microplastics. But can we do anything to protect the planet?
We know that synthetic clothes—activewear, swimsuits, and polyester garments—shed microplastics in the washing machine. Products like the Guppyfriend and the Cora Ball are designed to trap microplastic fibers so they don’t end up in the water. Vethaak says these are well-intentioned and can help raise awareness about microplastics in waterways.
And, of course, reducing our personal impact on the environment is certainly worth doing. But if we use these products, we should be conscious that it’s a tiny drop in the bucket considering the vast amount of microplastics that end up in the ocean.
Vethaak believes that eventually all washing machines will feature built-in filters that remove microplastics. Electrolux has already released a machine that traps nanoplastics. “Again, the key will be figuring out how to remove the debris from the machine, so we don’t ingest these microplastics,” Vethaak says.
As we learn more about microplastics, companies are developing creative new solutions that will help us get them out of our environment. Some aren’t ready for market just yet, but could be soon. The most interesting ones use nature itself to protect us from pollutants.
A moss filter, for instance, is designed to naturally capture and filter out microplastics from water before you drink it. And mussels are known for filtering enormous amounts of ocean water every day, leaving behind microplastics. Scientists are developing strategies to use mussels as a tool to eradicate microplastics from natural environments.


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Safaricom is celebrating 20 years this year, and what many people do not know, is that the giant telecom company started as a department in the now defunct Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation.
Back then, many people did not use mobile phones. In fact, to own a mobile phone, you would need Sh54,000 to pay for the handset, Sh10,000 as a deposit and the rest of the amount was distributed for service and insurance.
At the start of the Y2K in the year 2000, Kenyans started adopting the use of mobile phones and the industry has now grown to become the largest especially with penetration of the internet.
Safaricom formally launched in October 23rd 1998 at the Carnivore with the tagline, “The Better option”. Kencell was already operating in the market after getting its licence first.
Safaricom first launched its services with four offerings retailing its simcards at Sh2,500. Users were billed per second and the lowest denomination scratch cards were Sh100. Many working class consumers were able to afford the services and by October 2004, the company had 2 million subscribers.
“All the decisions we made in the early days were made on gut feeling and instinct,” Safaricom former Chief Executive Michael Joseph told employees and shareholders at the company’s 19th anniversary celebrations last year. “Fortunately, we made more right decisions than wrong ones.”
As it celebrates 20 years, Safaricom now commands a 65 percent market share in mobile subscriptions, 99 percent in mobile money subscriptions, 68 percent in mobile data and 33 percent market share in fixed data.
Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa acknowledges the company’s contribution to the country’s economy. “This year in particular, more than ever, we’ve had to show Safaricom’s strength as a digital and technology service provider because we’ve become a lifeline for many Kenyans during this pandemic,” he said during the launch of the company’s 2020 Sustainability Business Report.
Safaricom has in the past month engaged its users as it celebrated its 20th birthday. Users went down memory lane remembering old adverts and sharing pictures of the various aspects of Safaricom in the early days.
Through multiple Trivia, the company rewarded its consumers with airtime as they filled the timelines with nostalgic memories. Most recently, some users have switched their AVIs to reflect the company’s colours.
Safaricom’s new tagline “Simple, Honest, For You” is more customer focused and they are already running a teaser that might see them change their logo tomorrow.


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Information typed on a wireless keyboard can be easily intercepted, a cybersecurity research firm has warned.
San Francisco-based Bastille said keyboards transmitted what was being typed in "clear text", making it possible for attackers to listen in on from up to 76m (250ft) away.
The firm said affected keyboards could not be updated and should be replaced.
In total, the researchers found 12 different companies producing vulnerable keyboards.
None of the firms had taken measures to warn users or rectify the issue in future products, Bastille said.
"We went into a bunch of big box stores and purchased wireless keyboards," said Ivan O'Sullivan, Bastille's chief research officer.
"We were shocked to find that two-thirds transmitted all of their data in clear text, no encryption.
"We did not expect to see this. We didn't think it would be in clear text. Hackers can intercept all the keystrokes from your keyboard up to 250 feet away. Through glass, walls, floors."
The keyboards affected used radio signals to transmit what the user was typing. By using a cheap, USB-powered radio antenna, the research team was able to follow what was being typed. They could also control the keyboard, inserting their own keystrokes.
'Get a wired keyboard'
Researcher Marc Newlin said a busy office could be targeted as it was trivial to isolate the signals of individual keyboards.
But he said he did not know if hackers were exploiting the weakness.
"We have no evidence to suggest that," he told the BBC. "It's completely passive so there's no way for a victim to know."
To solve the problem, Bastille recommended using keyboards using Bluetooth to connect to a computer, rather than radio. Or alternatively, "just get a wired keyboard".
Many of the devices tested would remain vulnerable, said Bastille, because it was not possible to update the firmware that keeps them operating.
The company praised Logitech, Dell and Lenovo for using higher-end chips in their wireless keyboards that had stronger security.
The research on wireless keyboards complements work Bastille did earlier in 2016 on wireless mice. It found that attackers could spoof poorly protected signals letting them use PCs as if they were sitting in front of them.


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Genshin Impact New Web Event: miHoYo Announces A Wanmin Welcome event
Here is all we know about A Wanmin Welcome.
Genshin Impact is well known for the plethora of events that take place in the game. Quite recently, the developers introduced the Wish Upon A Lantern Web Event with a whopping prize pool of 1 billion Primogems. The event was quite a success with a larger number of taking part in it. However, it did make quite a lot of fans unhappy because of the fact that miHoYo distributed the Primogems unevenly. While miHoYo hadn’t stated that the rewards will be distributed evenly, the fact that some players received five times the amount received by another was something that was not taken really well by the fanbase.
Genshin Impact Web Event: Here’s what we know about “A Wanmin Welcome”
It seems like miHoYo is gearing up to host another web event. However, as of now, we don’t know much about the web event except for the fact that it will be known as “A Wanmin Welcome” and will be starting on March 20. As per reports, the event is already live in China. We don’t know what rewards miHoYo has to offer this time around, but considering that the recently concluded Wish Upon A Lantern event attracted significant backlash, it is expected that the new event will offer better and equal rewards to players.
"A Wanmin Welcome" Web Event Details
"A Wanmin Welcome" web event will officially begin before March 20 on the America, Europe, Asia, and TW/HK/MO servers for all platforms, so stay tuned.#GenshinImpact
— Paimon (@GenshinImpact) March 2, 2021
For now, players can take part in the Genshin Impact daily check-in event. The event is taking place on HoyoLabs and players get the following rewards for daily checking in for a month.
- 26x Adventurer’s XP
- 5x Hero’s Wit
- 16x Fine Enhancement Ore
- 3x Fowl, Meat, Eggs, Fish
- 67,000 Mora
- 60x Primogems
While that might not sound quite appealing to many, considering that there is nothing much required to do to get the rewards, it isn’t that bad either. And considering the fact that a new web event is launching pretty soon, you might as well manage with the daily check-in event till then.
Genshin Impact is available on PC, PS4, and PS5.


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Missoni Search: Day Four
As Venezuelan authorities stepped up their efforts to find the plane carrying Vittorio Missoni that went missing on Friday, they dismissed reports that the Italian fashion executive may have been kidnapped. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry said the government is not working with the possibility of a kidnapping, although the area where the plane carrying Missoni and three others went missing in a region known for drug smuggling. The spokesman also said there is no official time limit for the search, even though there were reports that the government had to continue looking for at least the next four days.
On Monday, Vittorio Missoni’s sister Angela issued a statement saying, “I am in close contact with the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and currently in Rome for appointments and to report to the State Police the disappearance of my brother, while coordinating all the information and offers of aid that we have received from all over the world.” The company’s chief executive officer Alberto Piantoni has joined Luca Missoni and together they are in contact with the Venezuelan authorities, the Italian embassy and crisis unit.
Rachel Zoe Joins ShoeDazzle
Rachel Zoe has joined ShoeDazzle as the online footwear specialist’s chief stylist. With Zoe, ShoeDazzle chief executive officer and cofounder Brian Lee is following the recipe he honed at ShoeDazzle with Kim Kardashian, The Honest Company with Jessica Alba and LegalZoom with Robert Shapiro of pairing a well-known personality with digital efforts. Zoe’s involvement comes at a critical time for ShoeDazzle, where Lee is trying to steady the ship after a rocky 2012 that saw him return as CEO upon the departure of short-lived CEO Bill Strauss, layoffs and an end to the subscription model it pioneered on the Web.
“We really live by the same mantra that everybody can have style and be on trend, take chances and luxury can be affordable. You don’t have to have massive budgets to look great,” Zoe said. “Affordable luxury and fashion is something I wish I had more of when I was coming up in this business and just craving style, and all I really had were thrift shops.” E-mails with product selections and style guidance from Zoe will be sent to ShoeDazzle’s members starting this month. Also this month, a television commercial with Zoe will begin airing.
Target Unveils New Price Policy
Target on Tuesday announced a new year-round price match program, effective immediately, that will include online sites such as Amazon.com, Bestbuy.com, Walmart.com and Toysrus.com.
The Minneapolis-based retailer appears to be addressing several issues with the new policy: the fact that price is the priority for online shoppers and the fact that consumers are increasingly comparing prices online before they buy. Target’s new Price Match Policy also shoots a bow across the deck of competitor Wal-Mart, which has long emphasized every day low pricing, and has a policy that matches prices in competitors’ ads on identical items. Target introduced its first price match policy in 2009.
– Taneisha Jordan
Source & Photo: WWD


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Origin has just unveiled that the next title as part of their “” program is Battlefield 4! Starting today, gamers can download Battlefield 4 for free on PC (until August 14 at 10 AM PT). There’s never been a better time for new recruits to jump in and join us on the Battlefield.
Here’s how Game Time works. Players can start downloading Battlefield 4 to their Origin Game Library starting today. From there, it’s up to them to decide when they want to start their “Game Time” clock – today, next week, next month, next year, whenever. From the minute you launch the game, your “Game Time” clock turns on, giving you full access to the game for one week — 168 hours.
New to Battlefield? Follow this easy Quick Start Guide:
Help us spread the word and keep an eye out for some new recruits coming to Battlefield 4 on PC soon!
For more information, visit


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Valve is taunting CSGO haters with its new Source 2 tease
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s visuals have seen a bunch of upgrades over the past several years, but the game’s likely move to Source 2 might have something even more impressive in store with all the ways Valve is reminding fans that it’s coming.
The developer’s latest tease poked fun at CSGO’s doubters in the form of an unused post-processing setting inside the files of Source 2 game Half-Life Alyx. An unused setting usually isn’t big news, but it was what Valve decided to name the effect that will have fans laughing.
Valve’s “dead game” effect could be another CSGO Source 2 hint
Tucked away neatly inside one of Alyx’s game archives is a post-processing effect called “dead game,” and we’re pretty sure Valve isn’t referring to Dota 2.
Valve doesn’t come right out and say that it’s using Source 2 tools on CSGO, but It’s unlikely that the file is just an unused effect from Half-Life Alyx, either. “dead game” makes heavy use of screen blur at the same time as darkening the edges of the screen, meaning that it’s unlikely part of Alyx’s post-processing settings. After all, Valve spent years trying to make VR less blurry to blur its game out in post-production.
CSGO fans have dodged the “Is CSGO dead?” question for the better part of the game’s lifespan, a fact that’s backed up by a quick Google search. Even today, there are hundreds of articles and social media posts all arguing about whether the shooter is past its prime.
Is CSGO really a dead game?
CSGO is definitely not a dead game, but the question is still one of the game’s most-searched topics. The fact of the matter is CSGO in 2021 is more popular than it has ever been. The competitive first-person shooter has topped 1,000,000 concurrent players almost daily since November 2020, even coming within 200,000 players of the all-time peak it set in April 2020. Nine years after its release, CSGO continues to grow.
If the post-processing setting is a reference to CSGO, it’s a solid joke on Valve’s part. The developer finally seems comfortable with its fanbase’s expectations since the successful release of Half-Life: Alyx last March. Valve has flexed its game dev muscles in CSGO as well, with this week’s excellent Broken Fang strike being a great example. Broken Fang’s finale showed that the developer isn’t afraid to take risks, with some calling the operation’s second co-op strike mission some of the best CSGO content Valve has ever made.
But if Valve’s “dead game” joke wasn’t enough, it’s possible that Broken Fang included another gag, this time aimed at the developers themselves. A boarded-up room in Broken Fang’s finale is labeled H3 and covered in “under construction” signs, in what is likely a reference to the studio’s missing third installment of the Half-Life franchise, Half-Life 3.
It’s all just hints and speculation until Valve decides to make an official announcement regarding CSGO Source 2 or an end to the Half-Life trilogy, but the developer’s hints seem to be getting more and more obvious as CSGO continues to dominate Steam charts.


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Industry officials ask: why aren't tourists coming to Quebec?
Tourism to Quebec has fallen to dangerous lows, as stakeholders discussed at a meeting in Laval Tuesday.
Why aren’t American tourists coming to Quebec?
That question was kicked around by 300 tourism industry stakeholders at a meeting in Laval Tuesday, as some expressed concerns that things could get worse before they get better with the upcoming possibility of government cuts to the sector as part of a Liberal austerity program.
A decade ago Quebec received 900,000 more annual visits from Americans than it does now and with the economic recovery gaining traction south of the border, many feel that the time to recapture that business is now.
And while fewer Americans visit the province, Quebecers are going abroad more than ever, resulting in a $3.13 billion tourism deficit for 2012, according to Yan Hamel president of the Quebec Tourism Industry Association.
He called out for new methods of selling the province as a destination for foreign travellers, as a way to end what some were calling “the lost decade.”
Gilbert Rozon, President and Founder of the Just for Laughs comedy festival, attended the discussions and expressed disappointment that Quebec tourism was so weak while it was booming elsewhere.
-With a file from The Canadian Press


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Russia intervenes to stabilize food pricesSouce:Xinhua Publish By Thomas Whittle Updated 09/10/2012 11:30 am in World / no comments
MOSCOW, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) — Russia decided to take intervention measures in the domestic grain market to stabilize surging food prices, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said Monday.
During a government meeting with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Dvorkovich said 110,000 tons of grain would be sold weekly in a number of Russian regions.
The first batch of grain would be sold on Oct. 23 in Siberia, the Urals and the Far East region, with the price 10-15 percent lower than market prices, Dvorkovich said.
The fourth grade grain would be sold at 7,200 rubles (232 U.S. dollars) per ton and the third grade at 7,600 rubles (245 dollars), he added.
The government vowed to reach two goals with intervention measures: to prevent a sharp price rise for domestic consumers, to weaken export incentives so as to regain balance of supply and demand in the grain market, Dvorkovich said.
Medvedev announced the decision on commodity intervention last week and urged the government to sell grain from the pervious harvest reserves intervention fund, the Kremlin press service reported.
Admitting Russian farmers failed to reach the estimated harvest this year due to drought in summer, Medvedev said “additional supply of grain” was needed to balance the situation in several regions.
Local experts estimate the drought would cost Russia’s agricultural business some 33 billion rubles (1 billion dollars) this year.
Though the government previously lowered its grain export forecast, experts said the bad weather was unlikely to trigger an export embargo similar to that of 2010, as grain output and reserves were enough to offset the damage.
Russian Grain Union President Arkady Zlochevsky said in August that food prices in the country might rise 5 percent to 10 percent this autumn due to surging grain prices.
Russia lowered its harvest forecast this year from 80-85 million tons to no more than 75 million tons. The harvest could exceed 70 million tons this year, as a total of 68 million tons have already been secured,Dvorkovich said.


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Earlier this week Electronic Arts announced that their new sports game engine, Ignite, would be used to power nearly all of their future games. Speaking with Polygon later that day, EA Sports' Andrew Wilson said that the company is also looking to the Frostbite Engine to power most of their non-sports games.
The future for EA, Wilson said, would likely be a company that creates most of their games using these two engines.
Wilson also spoke with us about their decision to not show gameplay footage from Ignite during their on-stage presentation and how they hope to benefit from Microsoft's new relationship with the NFL.
More from Polygon
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- Anime, Cartoons, Comics! Plight Vol. 2, no. 15.1: Silent Crusaders
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The jewelry company’s results missed Wall Street’s expectations, and it cut its full-year earnings forecast. Its shares dropped 6.2 percent.
For the quarter ended Oct. 31, Tiffany earned $63.2 million, or 49 cents a share, compared with $89.7 million, or 70 cents a share, a year earlier. Analysts polled by FactSet had forecast earnings of 63 cents a share.
Tiffany’s chairman and chief executive, Michael J. Kowalski, said in a statement that the company had expected its quarterly results would be affected by continuing economic softness and comparisons with the year-earlier quarter. But he added that the retailer’s gross margin rate of 54.4 percent — down from 57.9 percent in the prior-year period — was weaker than expected and its tax rate was higher than expected. Gross margin, a key performance metric, is the amount of each dollar in revenue a company actually keeps.
While cautious about worldwide economic conditions, Mr. Kowalski said the company anticipated that its results would improve during the holiday season, partly because of easier year-over-year sales comparisons but also because of new stores and new products.
The holiday season is critical for retailers, as it can make up to 40 percent of stores’ annual revenue.Continue reading the main story
Tiffany’s revenue increased 4 percent, to $852.7 million, in the third quarter, from $821.8 million a year earlier. Wall Street had expected revenue of $858.8 million in the latest period.
Tiffany now expects 2012 earnings of $3.20 to $3.40 a share. Its prior outlook was for earnings of $3.55 to $3.70 a share. Analysts are predicting earnings of $3.59 a share.
Tiffany shares dropped $3.93, or 6 percent, to close at $59.80.Continue reading the main story


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By Melissa Luz T. Lopez, Senior Reporter
THE BANGKO SENTRAL ng Pilipinas (BSP) now oversees the operations of two bitcoin platforms, which comes after it issued rules on digital currencies earlier this year.
BSP Governor Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr. said on Friday that the central bank currently regulates two bitcoin exchanges operating in the Philippines, following the issuance of Circular 944 which required the virtual currency providers to be under their watch.
Mr. Espenilla said these were “local-based” firms “with international roots.”
“The reason why we created the requirement is because we see a rapid increase in the trajectory. It is coming from a small base, but it is growing fast – that is why we decided to increase the level of engagement by requiring the registration process,” Mr. Espenilla told reporters on the sidelines of a roundtable discussion with FINTQ on financial technology.
The BSP chief estimates that virtual currency transactions from these two firms alone are now worth $6 million a month, which is a marked increase from a monthly average of $2 million two years ago.
In February, the central bank announced that all platforms converting digital currencies to cash must be accredited by the regulator, and must adhere to existing rules imposed on remittance agents including the reporting of potential dirty money transactions.
A bitcoin is among the types of easily-transferable electronic currency used for paying goods sold via the Internet, and may also serve as an investment for its holders given its fluctuating valuations. It is a form of digital money that is not issued or guaranteed by a central bank, and can be sent or received by anonymous users internationally.
Any person can buy and sell bitcoins, which may be traded by tapping the services of bitcoin dealers or brokers who look for good deals for a bitcoin investor; going to bitcoin exchanges – an establishment that allows bitcoin holders to directly buy and sell the virtual currency; participate in a “mining pool” – a group of individuals with top-of-the-line computers that can solve complex math problems to unlock codes in exchange for a bitcoin; or look for someone to trade cash or goods for bitcoins.
Under the new rules, all virtual currency exchanges need to secure a certificate of registration from the BSP to operate as a remittance and transfer company. They should likewise adopt internal controls for risk management and cybersecurity, similar to those required of banks and other financial firms.
“That’s the importance of putting them under the regulatory framework. They will have to comply with anti-money laundering regulations,” Mr. Espenilla said.
The virtual currency exchanges must also submit quarterly reports on volumes transacted and annual financial statements to the central bank.
Other virtual currencies used globally include ethereum, litecoin, and ripple, to name a few.
The central bank chief also noted that tighter guidelines on cybersecurity will soon be introduced covering all of its supervised entities, while the BSP studies plans to use digital tools for its regulatory oversight.
Mr. Espenilla has been promoting the National Retail Payments System which looks to bring more financial transactions done electronically, a move seen to fast-track settlements and bring more Filipinos aboard formal financial channels.
Some 86% of Filipino households still do not have bank accounts while 36% of towns and cities do not have bank branches, according to data from financial technology provider FINTQ. Meanwhile, Internet penetration hovers close to 60%, with smartphones seen as the new platform that could drive wider financial inclusion in the country.
FINTQ forms part of the digital innovations unit of PLDT, Inc., which offers an online marketplace of financial channels such as digital lending, insurance, micro-investments, and credit scoring.
Hastings Holdings, a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.


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Discover the potential of cryptocurrency, its controversial nature, and three top coins to watch for in 2030. This article provides valuable insights to help investors navigate the vast number of cryptos available.
Cryptocurrency is a controversial topic, with some seeing it as a disruptive force for the financial sector, while others view it as a potential bubble that could burst and cause problems. Despite this, the cryptocurrency market has produced significant wealth, growing over 500% to almost $1.7 trillion over the past two years, even after a recent $1 trillion crash. With the world equity market valued at $120 trillion, the potential for further growth in the cryptocurrency market exists. However, with over 17,600 cryptos in existence, investors must conduct extensive research. The article recommends three cryptocurrencies that may be among the top three by 2030.
The cryptoeconomy was sparked by Bitcoin (BTC 0.19%). A now-famous white paper was issued by Satoshi Nakamoto under a pseudonym in 2008. It explained how a blockchain—a cryptographically secure distributed database—can be used to establish a peer-to-peer electronic payment system. By doing this, consumers might conduct business with retailers directly and avoid paying fees to banks and credit card networks.
Obviously, Bitcoin has not taken the place of established financial institutions, but it has nonetheless gained popularity. Bitcoin is still by far the most valuable cryptocurrency 13 years after its launch. In actuality, its $720 billion market value represents approximately 42% of the total crypto market. Additionally, Bitcoin is worth more than publicly traded firms like Visa and Mastercard.
That success has been powered by a few elements. First, the increasing hash rate, a metric for the amount of processing power miners employ to validate transactions, shows that Bitcoin has grown more secure over time. Second, there are only 21 million coins in circulation for Bitcoin, and any economics student will tell you that when demand exceeds supply, an asset’s value will increase. Third, there is a growing demand.
Over 40 million accounts own Bitcoin, up 21% in the last three years. Perhaps more significantly, institutional investors, who control more than $100 trillion in assets, rank Bitcoin as their preferred digital asset. Institutional investors are getting more interested in digital assets, according to a Fidelity survey. And as adoption increases, the price of bitcoin should too.
Long regarded as the second-most valuable cryptocurrency, Ethereum (ETH 0.03%). Its main technological advancement is a programmable blockchain, which functions as both a ledger of financial transactions and a platform for self-executing software known as smart contracts. Decentralized applications (dApps) and decentralized finance (DeFi) services have been created using that technology, and by a significant margin, Ethereum dominates both.
In reality, the platform hosts over 2,900 dApps, ranging from NFT marketplaces like OpenSea to metaverse video games like Axie Infinity. Over 132,000 active users had used these software applications in the previous day. Ethereum DeFi products account for 59% of all blockchain DeFi investments, and investors have $118 billion in them.
However, the developer community is working on an update that might increase throughput from 14 transactions per second (TPS) to 100,000 TPS. Unfortunately, Ethereum’s success has exposed scalability difficulties that have led to transaction fees rising over the past several years. The launch of that scaling solution is anticipated for 2023, and it has the potential to accelerate Ethereum’s growth by attracting additional users, investors, and developers. As a result, the demand for the ETH coin would increase due to its popularity, raising its price.
A programmable blockchain called Terra (LUNC 1.06%) is intended to upend current financial institutions. The two cryptocurrencies it uses are Terra and Luna. The former is a stablecoin that can be pegged to fiat currencies like TerraUSD, which is pegged to the US dollar, while the latter is used to control volatility and keep stablecoin values stable. When demand for TerraUSD rises above $1, the network encourages investors to convert Luna to TerraUSD, increasing supply and lowering price. In reversal, the system operates similarly.
It is noteworthy that the Terra blockchain has cheap transaction fees due to its strong scalability, which can handle 10,000 TPS with a two-second finalization time. Investors also find this value proposition compelling. With $15.5 billion invested on the blockchain, Terra is actually the second-most well-liked DeFi ecosystem. However, some of those DeFi goods can be considerably larger because they intend to undermine banks and payment systems.
Anchor protocol stablecoin lenders receive interest. Lending TerraUSD on Anchor earns 19.5% APY, compared to 0.06% from a standard bank savings account. PaywithTerra, a payment network that uses Terra stablecoins, lets clients directly transact with merchants. Blockchain technology makes it faster and cheaper than other options. Businesses actually pay $0.05 each transaction.
Demand for Terra stablecoins is generated by Anchor and PaywithTerra together, which results in demand for Luna. The cost of Luna should increase as those items (and others) continue to gain popularity with consumers. Because of this, by 2030, this digital asset might rank alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum as one of the top three cryptocurrencies.


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China invented the compass. Yet in a curious irony, the direction of the world’s second-largest economy has become more or less unreadable. The country’s GDP increased by 6.9 percent in the third quarter, the slowest rate in six years. What investors, corporate chieftains and others really want to know, though, is how well China will manage an alarming slowdown. The signs aren’t terribly encouraging.
The smog of uncertainty descended this summer. A collapse of the Shanghai stock market spooked foreign investors, even though they have almost no exposure to it. Even the surprise devaluation of the currency by 2 percent against the U.S. dollar on Aug. 11 should not have caused too much upset. In real trade-weighted terms, it is still almost 12 percent stronger than a year earlier.
As markets across the Western world fell, however, it was clear that opinions had shifted. The supposedly clever Chinese technocrats who were so adept at deploying assets and raising millions out of poverty had flunked two big tests. Their attempts to prop up share prices were unsuccessful. The wobbly yuan made markets less, not more stable.
It matters a lot that China’s leaders might be mere mortals, because the economic transition they are trying to engineer is super-human. The People’s Republic is attempting to move from high-speed, investment-led manufacturing growth to slower-paced expansion driven by consumption and services. That involves redirecting hundreds of millions of people and trillions of dollars of capital. Nothing like it has ever been attempted.
That transition is getting harder because the old economy is decelerating sharply. Profit at large Chinese industrials shrank 8.8 percent in August, compared with a year earlier. Rail freight contracted by 15 percent. The real estate investment that has underpinned global prices of commodities like copper and iron shrank by 1 percent, compared with a decade-long average growth rate of 21 percent.
The benign view is that the services sector can soak up surplus labour and pick up the slack. Champions of Chinese services, like Peterson Institute scholar Nicholas Lardy, point to the fact that services already make up half of all economic output. In the first nine months of 2015, these “tertiary” industries accounted for 51.4 percent of GDP and in the third quarter they grew by 8.4 percent, faster than broader economic output. Sales of cinema tickets, for example, are growing at close to a 50 percent rate.
Yet many of the numbers often crumble under scrutiny. China’s official data claim that 17 million new services jobs were created in 2014, more than 2010, 2011 and 2012 put together. Look closer, and some positions, like “agricultural services” have simply been rebadged. Investors are left to guess the real picture using too-broad retail sales data, or too-narrow financial statements from companies like e-commerce group Alibaba.
The other great hope is the market. President Xi Jinping vowed to give forces of supply and demand a decisive role in the economy three years ago, something that could help redistribute wealth from the state to consumers. The market is likely to take prominence in the next five-year plan, due to be deliberated by the ruling Communist Party in a meeting that starts on Oct. 26.
So far, though, Xi’s promise has not been fulfilled. China is excellent at rolling out plans and pipelines, like the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, Hong Kong-Shanghai Stock Connect and attempts to internationalise the yuan. But real market functions have been sidelined. The biggest companies are unable to fail, or be acquired. China’s steel sector has around 300 million tonnes of excess capacity, more than triple the entire annual output of the United States. Debt has run up to 280 percent of GDP, according to consulting firm McKinsey, but large defaults are almost unknown.
Working out how China is really doing will get only harder as its transition becomes more complicated. Those who peer at the randomly scattered data points to find patterns usually reveal more about their own prejudices than about China.
The problem is that the lack of direction is getting worse just as the world is paying closer attention. It increasingly looks like there is no coherent plan to deal with a rapid slowdown. The most important lesson is not that China’s mandarins have failed, but that they are doing only as well as might be expected for a group of clever but fallible humans.


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One way or another, the preliminary estimate of Q1 GDP--due Friday--will have a big market impact, following Mark Carney's warning last week that a May rate hike is not a done deal.... More by Samuel Tombs
The Governor's comments late last week successfully recalibrated markets, which had concluded that a May rate hike was virtually certain, despite the MPC's deliberately vague guidance.... More by Samuel Tombs
The 1.2% month-to-month fall in retail sales volumes in March undoubtedly was due mostly to the bad weather.... More by Samuel Tombs
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tech2 News StaffDec 04, 2018 16:27:27 IST
After rolling out Google Assistant for Android Auto earlier this year, Google has now released an improved UI of the Assistant for Google Maps. This, however, according to some users on Reddit, is currently only true for (some) Android users, and its support is being rolled out in version 10.4.1 of Google Maps.
In order to use Google Assistant on the Maps, either say “Hey Google” if you have enabled voice assistant, or you can hit the microphone that you see on Maps.
If you have received the feature, you will now see an unobtrusive panel, which slides up from the bottom. Unlike now, there will not be any pop-up actions that cover up the map. With the separate slide-up, your view of the Map will stay clear at all times.
Notably, I am using the version 10.4.1 of Google Maps on my Samsung Galaxy S9 and I am still seeing the old Google Assistant UI on Maps. I also checked for it on a Motorola G5 and a OnePlus 5T in my office, and none of them seem to have received the new UI.
It is likely that Google is rolling this out gradually. Hopefully, it should be available to all Android users by end of the month, or should I say, the end of the year.
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.


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Global marketing news – 23rd January 2018
- The messaging app WhatsApp has launched a new service for businesses.
- It is now possible to edit keywords within the AdWords app.
- Various South East Asian countries look set to introduce an ecommerce tax in the near future.
- Yahoo Japan has been found guilty of “defaming” a man after its search results contained links to websites containing false information about him.
Visit our YouTube channel to watch these news stories or to watch our wide range of interviews with digital marketing professionals.
Latest posts by Gemma Houghton (see all)
- Eight reasons you don’t want to miss the International Search Summit Boston - August 28, 2019
- How to succeed at global SEO – Join the webinar with leading specialists - August 23, 2019
- Webinar for B2B product marketers – save the date! - June 20, 2019


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Wynn’s International Reports Record ’94 Profit : Finance: Maker of automotive chemicals and components is positioned for acquisitions.
Wynn’s International Inc. said Monday that its profit climbed 32% to a record $11.8 million for 1994 as the automotive market served by the company rebounded from a four-year slump.
The earnings jump, coupled with the success of the company’s debt-reduction efforts, sets Wynn’s up to launch an aggressive acquisition program, President James Carroll said in a recent interview.
Monday’s financial report “shows that the company is right on track,” said Brad Noel, an analyst with the brokerage L.H. Friend, Weinress & Frankson Inc. in Irvine. “This is an extremely well-run company” that so far has done just what it has set out to do, Noel said.
Wynn’s annual profit, which came to $2.08 a share, compared to earnings of $9.0 million, or $1.62 a share, for the previous 12 months. Revenue for the maker of automotive chemicals, air conditioning components and auto and industrial sealing products rose 3% to $292.7 million from $285.0 million for 1993.
For the fourth quarter, Wynn’s reported a profit of $2.7 million, or 48 cents a share, up from earnings of $2.2 million, or 40 cents a share, for the same period a year earlier. Three-month revenue was $66.7 million, down from $69.9 million.
While Wynn’s other divisions charted revenue increases for the year, the company’s Climate Systems subsidiary recorded a sharp sales decline in the fourth quarter. The drop came from the previously announced end of sales to Rover Group in England and the conclusion of much of Wynn’s Climate Systems’ assembly work on air conditioning units for cars produced in the United States by Japan’s Mazda Motor Corp.
The work ended as Wynn’s completed a multiyear effort to change the Texas-based subsidiary from an assembler of original equipment systems for car makers like Mazda and Chrysler Corp. into a manufacturer of more profitable air conditioning system components.
In an interview before the release of the company’s 1994 results, Carroll, who is also Wynn’s chief executive, said the Climate Systems unit now is poised to be a state-of-the-art producer of components for the new generation of environmentally friendly auto air conditioning systems.
Wynn’s Climate Systems last year became the first company to produce a kit for retrofitting older air conditioners to use the new R134 refrigerant after production of Freon-based R12 ends Dec. 31 under a ban imposed in the federal Clean Air Act. The company also completed construction of a manufacturing system for aluminum air-conditioning condensers that work with the new refrigerant.
Carroll said the company ended 1994 with almost $100 million in shareholder equity, including $16.4 million in cash; and less than $24 million in long-term debt.
He said the company hopes to double its size in the next few years through what he termed an “aggressive” acquisition program “targeting mid-sized businesses” in the sealing products industry in which its Wynn’s-Precision Inc. subsidiary is a major player.
Precision, a 50-year-old company acquired by Wynn’s in 1985, posted an 18% sales increase for 1994 to nearly $120 million. Over the past four years, Precision’s earnings have more than than doubled on a 53% increase in annual revenue, said Seymour A. Schlosser, Wynn’s chief financial officer.
The sealing products company, based in Lebanon, Tenn., makes gaskets, O-rings and other plastic and rubber-based sealing devices for the automotive, heavy truck and aerospace markets.
Carroll said that the market in the sealing industry is fragmented among a score of small, entrepreneurial companies that are ripe for acquisition by a corporation of Wynn’s size. He said he wants to capture a bigger share of the auto and heavy truck industry’s needs and to expand into the industrial and medical equipment markets.
Wynn’s original operating unit, Wynn’s Oil, remains a growing and profitable subsidiary, Carroll said. Its future growth lies in the expanding European and Latin American markets, he said, rather than in the U.S.
Once the dominant name in aftermarket engine and fuel additives in the U.S., Wynn’s Oil has been eclipsed by STP and other brands in the retail market for additives and appearance products like car waxes and washing liquids.
It remains a major supplier of chemicals, however, to the professional auto repair industry in the United States and to the retail market in Europe.
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Yearly Wins for Wynn
Wynn International Inc., an Orange-based supplier of chemical and rubber products, reported a 22% profit increase for its fourth quarter, ended Dec. 31. That helped fuel a 32% increase in annual profits, to $11.8 million. Figures in thousands of dollars, except per-share data:
4th quarter 4th quarter 12 months 12 months 1993 1994 1993 1994 Revenue $ 69,936 $ 66,787 $ 284,957 $ 292,651 Net income $ 2,226 $ 2,719 $ 8,981 $ 11,821 Per share 0.40 0.48 1.62 2.08
Source: Wynn International Inc.; Researched by VALERIE WILLIAMS-SANCHEZ / Los Angeles Times


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Amazon Pay launches cash-load at doorstep
Bangalore – January 19, 2018: Amazon Pay has launched cash load, enabling customers to add cash to their Amazon Pay balance account from the convenience of their doorstep. This feature is in addition to the existing facility of adding money to their accounts using their bank accounts and credit/debit cards.
When payingcash for their cash on delivery order, Amazon customers can now simply ask thedelivery associate to add the leftover change or provide additional amount upto INR 10,000 to be added to their Amazon Pay balance. Amazon Pay balance offercustomers a faster and more convenient way to pay, without sacrificing on thesafety and assurance that they expect of Amazon.
With thisindustry first innovation Amazon is continuing to extend the convenience ofAmazon Pay by making it possible for millions of customers to start makingdigital transactions and support the Government’s vision of encouragingelectronic payment leading to a less-cash society in India. The services enablecustomers who are comfortable with only cash to purchase from digital productcategories which they could not buy from earlier. For the Amazon marketplacewhere these digital categories are sold and for merchants who accept AmazonPay, this service significantly expands the addressable customer segment.
Thecash-load service is available across India at all pin-codes where Amazonlogistic services delivers. Amazon Pay cash load, has been launched in linewith Amazon’s commitment to enhancing customer payment experience andincreasing their preference for digital payments.
Commentingon the launch, MahendraNerurkar, Director Amazon Pay said: “We continuously seek to enhanceour customers’ payment experience and increase their preference for digitalpayments. With Amazon Pay cash load, customers across India can now easily loadcash at their doorstep once and pay digitally henceforth. 1 in every 3 ofour cash paying customer has already begun using the service and getting itsbenefits.”
With AmazonPay balance, customers can go cashless and enjoy fast and easy checkouts,quicker refunds coupled with a secured shopping experience only on Amazon.in.Customers get the benefit of ‘one-click’ payments with a faster and smoothercheck out process. Additionally, through Amazon Pay balance, customers canreceive refunds faster than refunds to their bank accounts or credit cards.They can also view the details of balance transactions using an onlinestatement. This statement provides a consolidated summary of all gift cardcredits and debits transactions such as balance added, promotional credits,balance expiry and redemption.
Amazon Payis a convenient and trusted way to pay digitally on and off Amazon. Weare committed to the vision of a less-cash India and are working customerbackwards to invent ways which reduce customer friction, improve affordabilityand foster everyday habits, thereby building preference for digital payments. For more information, visit www.amazon.in/amazonpay.


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Tracking fintech, banking & financial services innovations since 1994
A handful of Finovate alums were among those earning top honors at the second annual PayTech Awards earlier this month. In categories ranging from e-commerce to real-time payments, four Finovate alums won commendations for their contributions to “excellence and innovation in the payments industry.” Another trio of alums took home “Highly Commended” runner’s up recognition.
We’ve listed those honored alums below along with the categories they competed in and a link to their most recent Finovate/FinDEVr conference demo video.
The PayTech Awards consists of three categories: Judged Awards, Leadership Awards, and Ovum Payments Innovation Awards. In addition to those alums that won their categories – or earned Highly Commended honors – a few Finovate/FinDEVr alums were also short-listed ahead of the final votes. These companies – along with their category and most recent Finovate/FinDEVr video – are below:
Dedicated to recognizing “the top companies and products in the financial services and technology industry today,” FinTech Breakthrough has announced its FinTech Breakthrough Award Winners for 2018. This marks the second year the independent organization has sponsored the fintech awards event, recognizing fintech startups and veterans from a wide variety of categories including payments, lending, investing, and regtech.
“The FinTech Breakthrough Awards serve as a testament to the passion, skill and vision of individuals and teams that are truly setting the standard for innovation in the global FinTech industry,” Managing Director for FinTech Breakthrough James Johnson said in 2017 during the Awards’ inaugural year. “We are thrilled to recognize all of the FinTech Breakthrough Award winners for their well-deserved industry recognition as they drive the global FinTech market forward.”
This year featured 20 Finovate alums earning top honors from FinTech Breakthrough. The names and Finovate demo dates for each winning alum – as well as the category they won – are featured below. For a complete list of 2018 FinTech Breakthrough Award Winners, visit the company’s awards announcement page.
This marks the second time both eMoney Advisor and ThreatMetrix have been honored by the FinTech Breakthrough Awards. Among last year’s winners were a significant number of Finovate alums including: Sindeo, BizFi, DriveWealth, Quovo, Jumio, Trulioo, Qumram, and Xero.


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2 Ohio men plead guilty in $2M food-stamp fraud
Two Northeast Ohio men have pleaded guilty to committing a $2 million food-stamp fraud out of four Cleveland stores where they accepted food vouchers for ineligible items such as beer and cigarettes.
U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach in Cleveland on Monday announced the pleas of 41-year-old Saed “Sam” Wahdan and his brother 42-year-old Maher “Mario” Wahdan.
The charges against the Brook Park men include food stamp fraud and unlawful redemption of food stamps.
Prosecutors say the Wahdans owned and operated the four stores, but put them in the names of other people to conceal previous convictions.
Prosecutors say that between 2008 and 2012 the men also purchased food stamp cards from customers and used them at other stores to buy inventory for their stores.
Their attorneys didn’t return requests for comment.


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DUBLIN — Ahead of the U.K. exit from the European Union in March 2019, several Asian financial institutions have already set up hubs in other cities within the bloc to ensure continued access to the continent. Ireland is among the countries hoping to benefit from Asian unease prompted by the Brexit vote, with Dublin regularly touted alongside Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Luxembourg and Paris as possible destinations for banks trying to reposition due to Brexit. So far, Nomura International and Daiwa Securities have set up hubs in Frankfurt, base of the European Central Bank, to serve their European businesses while still keeping their London presence; Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group has chosen Amsterdam for its new European base; and Bank of China has opened a new subsidiary in Dublin.
KUALA LUMPUR — Businesses in Southeast Asia are increasingly counting the cost of land grabs, more than half of which result in delayed projects and nearly three-quarters of which lead to lawsuits, according to a wide-ranging research report. Out of a sample of 51 major land disputes surveyed across the region, all but 6 remain unresolved, meaning that Southeast Asia is the region most prone to land conflict in the world. That is according to research published Tuesday by UK-based consultancy TMP Systems and the Rights and Resources Initiative, a global coalition of land rights activists funded in part by the British and Norwegian governments. That 88% of land disputes in Southeast Asia are not resolved puts the region above the 61% global average, according to the research, which covers land disputes dating from 2001.
JAKARTA — Tens of millions of Indonesians are on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – Indonesia is the photo-sharing application’s biggest Asia-Pacific market – as well as on Tinder, the popular dating app that AyoPoligami is seemingly trying to adapt. “I don’t think the application will be popular,” said Bonar Tigor Naispospos of the Setara Institute, a Jakarta think-tank focused on religion and society. Of polygamy, Naispospos added, “many women, even the religious[ly] devout, disagree.”
SINGAPORE — As Southeast Asia struggles with the rise of modern illnesses that have blighted Western societies such as heart disease and diabetes, a combination of government appeals and changing lifestyle choices suggests a growing awareness of the causes of such conditions. In an Aug. 20 national day speech, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore recommended that citizens cut back on sugar consumption — flagging-up the soft drinks that are popular among thirsty pedestrians cooling down after a walk in the city-state’s often stifling heat. “Just one can of soft drink can contain eight cubes of sugar,” Lee said. “That’s more than you need for one whole day.”=
JAKARTA — For the first time, three Asian universities are in the top 30 of the 2018 World University Rankings published by Times Higher Education. The rankings cover more than 1,000 universities worldwide and are arguably the best-known and most prestigious of such league tables. The new list for 2018 places the National University of Singapore as the highest ranked Asian school at 22nd, level with the University of Toronto. The other Asian schools in the top 30 are China’s Peking University at 27th — tied with New York University and the University of Edinburgh — and Tsinghua University, also in China, at 30th.
JAKARTA — The world’s seaborne trade exceeded 10 billion tons in a single year for the first time in 2015, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, with about 60% passing through Asia. Sitting between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Southeast Asia’s big archipelagos should be well placed to capitalize as trade expands. Indonesia and the Philippines comprise about 17,000 and 7,500 islands respectively, while Indonesia, home to the world’s fourth-biggest population — about 260 million people — has the second-longest coastline after Canada. However, the bulk of this seaborne trade is moving between Europe and Asia’s powerhouse economies in China and Japan, mainly through the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca, which lies between Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. “The largest archipelagic countries in the world are not being optimized,” said Fauziah Zen, an economist with the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, at the recent launch of a report on Southeast Asia’s maritime infrastructure published by The Habibie Center, a Jakarta-based research organization.
TANJUNG GUSTO, Indonesia — The fast pace of development in Indonesia’s cities has spawned many a technology-based startup in the last few years, from ride-hailing apps to online shopping giants to touchscreen food delivery services. These are the early fruits of a tech economy the government hopes will be worth $130 billion by 2020. For many in remote parts of the far-flung archipelago, where standards of living are much lower than in the cities of Java and Sumatra, startups are more homespun and their ambitions are modest. Yet across the gamut of would-be entrepreneurs, from rural remote villages canopied by palm trees to thronged vast cities, there are common challenges: from raising cash, to nudging government into necessary reforms, managing complicated logistics and fending off jealous competitors, many of the hurdles are identical and boil down to the scramble for funding sources and government backing.
SINGAPORE — Asia’s business schools have much ground to cover if they are to blend the region’s business models with the old nuts and bolts of MBA curricula borrowed from longer-established Western institutions. Not only is the region vast and diverse, from wealthy Singapore and Hong Kong to the middle classes emerging in China and Indonesia, the types of companies are also varied. Students come from or aim for companies as disparate as government-linked corporations, Asian-style family businesses, big Western multinationals, as well as an array of tech-based startups launched by the region’s young entrepreneurs. “The culture and the institutional details are very different,” said Nilanjan Sen, associate dean of Graduate Studies at Nanyang Business School in Singapore, discussing the gamut of businesses across Asia.
SINGAPORE/HONG KONG — There are plenty of metrics to chart Asia’s economic rise over the last two decades, ranging from economic growth rates and industrial output to tourist numbers and car sales. Less noticed, but just as striking, is the emergence of around a dozen first-rate Asian business schools. According to the Financial Times* global ranking of Master of Business Administration courses — an annual league table based on jobs found and money earned by graduates — 11 Asian business schools feature in the top 50 this year (including INSEAD, founded in France in 1957, but now French-Asian, with a campus in Singapore since 2000). “We can certainly link this with overall economic growth in knowledge-economies such as Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea, which can regularly be found in the top 20s of global innovation indices,” said Mansoor Iqbal, senior MBA editor at Quacquarelli Symonds, an education consultancy.
JAKARTA — For a decade or so before the market for touchscreen smartphones took off around 2010, BlackBerry’s hand-held communication devices were ubiquitous among thumb-jockeying executives trying to keep in touch with the office outside working hours. After several recent failed attempts to launch new phones and operating systems to compete against Apple, Google and Samsung Electronics products, the company that “made the modern cellphone,” as BlackBerry’s CEO John Chen puts it, is hoping to become the main supplier of secure applications and software for the next generation of internet-linked devices — the much- touted “internet of things” — from web-connected self-driving cars to “smart” domestic appliances that are expected to take off over the coming decade. “It’s going to be very much driven by securing end-point communications,” Chen told the Nikkei Asian Review. “We want to be the number one secure communications in IoT. We have signed a deal with Ford for seven years to help them build their next generation cars.”


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Mumbai: With the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, panic-buying and fear of contagion forced Indians to change their shopping habits, and consumers turned to digital solutions to obtain essential goods. LoveLocal, a hyperlocal e-commerce marketplace, is helping in this process. The Sunday Guardian spoke to Akanksha Hazari, CEO & Founder, LoveLocal. Excerpts:
Q: How has Covid-19 impacted the retail sector, particularly the small format ones? How has the digital wave fueled the need for retailers to go online?
A: The global coronavirus pandemic had a severe and significant impact on consumer behavior, demand for essential items, retail outlets, and the availability of logistics services. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit forcing physical stores to shut down, retailers turned to online storefronts to serve their customers while maintaining social distancing. However, because of increased consumption demand and supply shortages of essential items with e-commerce players/e-retailers, small format local retailers selling essential items stayed afloat due to accessibility. But challenges such as contactless service and lockdown-induced short operational hours did have an impact on their business. Despite the challenges, local retailers strove to keep their businesses afloat by offering home deliveries, takeaways, and online orders.
The digital wave enabled and empowered local retail stores to continue operations during the nationwide lockdown, with up to a 50% increase in business.
Q: How is LoveLocal helping the small format retailers in times like the pandemic?
A: Our platform enables local retailers to smoothly transition to a digital presence while also empowering them to compete with large ecommerce platforms. Retail is a demanding, 24×7 business and many retailers do not have the time or resources to learn new technology. With LoveLocal, retailers get a single platform for all of their retail needs, from data-driven smart catalogues to access to new digital customers. They do not need to pay any margin or commission to LoveLocal, which is a key differentiator.
Q: How has the journey since the launch been?
A: Our journey has been exciting and enriching, with new learnings every day. LoveLocal launched in January 2020 and has grown 20x since then, with over 51,000 retailers and 2.5 lakh consumers registered on the platform to date.
Q: What are your future plans?
A: Over the next 3-5 years, we aim to partner with one million retailers and expand to Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities. We intend to invest more in key hires, product development, and accelerated expansion in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities.


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Cities around the world are beginning to understand the huge potential of the Internet of Things (IoT). Thailand is no different, with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society looking to leverage on the Internet of Things to turn Phuket into a smart city by 2020.
Phuket is a renowned tourist destination in Thailand and plays host to approximately 13 million tourists each year (3 times the size of the city’s population). Taking this into account, the Smart City project looks to improve the quality of life for the people of Phuket and to provide sustainable economic growth.
In 2016, the government allocated THB 430 million from its budget for Phuket’s development. In addition, Phuket is also looking to learn from Busan, South Korea’s second largest city, on its smart city experience. The cooperation between the cities was further strengthened with the Mayors of Phuket and Busan, signing a letter of intent to build an innovation park for startups.
Building Phuket’s IoT Foundation
Connectivity is key for Smart City implementation and Ministry has also allocated 240 million baht to build a public WiFi network and is targeting free Wi-Fi coverage in 1,000 spots by the end of 2017. Taking a step towards this has been to provide Wi-Fi for 50 local retail shops in Phuket’s popular Patong area, so shop owners can opt for digital marketing.
Smart Tourism & Living Communities
To improve local services, data from various sources, Local and National Government, Businesses, Social Media and other Open Data Sources, will be aggregated, visualized and made available to Citizens, Businesses and Tourists via the Smart Phuket Application.
The application will provide users with access to city information, emergency contacts, updates on news and calendars. It will also be connected to an e-payment gateway which allows consumers to make purchases for food and hotel reservations. Emergency Alerts are also communicated via the app when adverse weather conditions are predicted to hit the area.
Implementation of location based technologies will also allow interactive & dynamic content, such as, interactive promotions and tourist information around areas in Phuket to be displayed on the application.
Sensors installed in various parts of the city can help to improving safety and security for both citizens and tourists. For example, 5,000 closed circuit televisions (CCTV) cameras are to be installed in Phuket by 2020, this coupled with video analytics and data from the immigration department can help in identifying and deterring crime.
Another application to improve safety is the Vessel Tracking Management System, implemented by the Harbor department, which allows the location of vessels to be tracked. Combine the location of the vessel with weather forecasting and the sensors placed out at sea, alerts can be generated to inform the vessels of potential hazardous conditions and to head back to shore prior to adverse weather. Out at sea, tourists are also provided with Smart Bands, which can track the distance of the tourist from the boat during activities such as diving. The operators will be aware in real time if tourists go out of range and the appropriate action can be taken immediately to resolve the situation.
Phuket is the forefront of Smart City development in Thailand and will provide the government with the experience to develop Smart Cities across the country.
Join the Phuket Branch Manager from the Digital Economy Promotion Agency as they share their experience on developing Phuket Smart City at Asia IoT Business Platform which will take place on 24-25 July 2017 in Bangkok.
Apr 4, 2017