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According to the Organic Trade Association’s 2022 Organic Industry Survey released this summer, organic sales between 2020 and 2021 surpassed $63 billion with food sales reaching $57.5 billion. While strong, these figures are only about 2% above those of the previous year, which saw much more dramatic growth in the range of about 13%, thanks in large part to pandemic pantry loading that brought many first time consumers to the space.
OTA attributes this slowdown in part to consumers returning to “more stable, buy-as-you-need shopping patterns,” but the trade group’s CEO and executive director Tom Chapman also acknowledges external challenges, including supply shortages, higher prices due to inflation, increased competition from other value propositions, such as regenerative, and a lack of consumer awareness about organic’s full value proposition.
But, as he explains in this episode of FoodNavigator-USA’s Soup-To-Nuts podcast, many of these headwinds are ‘short-term’ challenges that OTA is aggressively addressing, and longer-range trends show organic still has significant growth potential, which the trade group is working closely with stakeholders and the government to seize.
[Editor’s Note: Never miss an episode of FoodNavigator-USA’s Soup-To-Nuts podcast – subscribe today.]
'Organic saw tremendous growth during COVID'
At Natural Products Expo East in Philadelphia earlier this month, Chapman explains he is very ‘bullish’ about organic’s long-term potential despite a slowdown in growth, in part because many of the reasons why consumers’ flocked to space during the pandemic continue to gain momentum – especially the idea of food as medicine and the desire to improve the welfare of workers, and by extension farmers.
“Organic saw tremendous growth during COVID – that can’t be denied. Consumers really started to focus on the benefit, the way food can be seen as medicine and really turned a corner in an area that we saw a lot of interested in already,” Chapman said.
But, he added, this spike in demand placed pressure on the supply chain and pushed prices up and it is difficult to know the extent to which these, and other factors, hindered sustained and growing sales.
Even as prices rise and consumers look for ways to stretch their budgets, Chapman said he is encouraged that most people aren’t trading away from organic, but rather to private label or less expensive organic options. However, he noted, he is concerned about the aspirational organic shopper who may have an even tighter budget, and worries they may not stay in the segment as the economy constricts.
To keep them engaged, Chapman said that the industry needs to talk about the value proposition of organic, including health benefits and climate solutions – two big points that he adds make him “really bullish for organic” despite current headwinds.
Tackling supply shortages: USDA’s Organic Transition Initiative
Like many segments of the food industry, organic products across categories have suffered supply shortages on and off since the beginning of the pandemic – part of this is due to adverse weather delaying or limiting the planting and harvests of some crops, some is due to farmers choosing to plant more of the organic crops that were more profitable last year and less of other crops, some is due to shortages of other components like packaging, labor and transportation and part of it is due to demand outstripping availability.
Chapman explains that while this last point isn’t new, it is by far the most stubborn and one that OTA is working closely with the US Department of Agriculture to address, including with a recently announced $300 million investment that pulls funds from the American Rescue Plan to help encourage and ease organic transition.
“We’re extremely excited about the Organic Transitions Initiative and that $300 million is the largest single funding for organic programming coming from USDA and using this as a tool to really bolster domestic supply, bring these benefits down to the farmer level and make sure that they’re well supported in their pathway to organic,” he said.
The Organic Transition Initiative plans to do this by offering direct farmer assistance in the form of increased organic expertise throughout its regions and adding organic experts to its regional technology support centers and also by covering a portion of their insurance premiums. The initiative also intends to support additional processing and distribution capacity, which is currently in short supply and holding back production.
Tackling inflation: Balancing farmers’ and consumers’ diverging pricing needs
Increasing supply to meet demand could create additional self-defeating challenges, including driving down price premiums for organic, on which farmers rely because their yields tend to be lower and expenses higher.
At the same time, the higher prices organic currently commands are taking a toll on the industry’s growth by limiting access for consumers who increasingly are feeling squeezed by inflation and beginning to trade down to less expensive options to stretch their budgets.
Chapman acknowledges that balancing both of these needs will be a challenge, but he says it can be done by looking for cost management opportunities between the farmer and consumer and strategically leveraging government procurement.
“This is an ongoing challenge that organic is going to have to figure out – there is no one solution,” Chapman said, noting that OTA is open to ideas from the industry even as it pursues legislative and regulatory options, such as removing barriers to organic for government procurement for school meals, the Women Infant and Children program and other benefits.
Hand-in-hand with increasing consumer access to organic is increasing diversity within the organic industry across the value chain, a transition which Chapman argues could further expand the shopper base by bringing to market more organic products that are culturally relevant and price sensitive.
At Expo East, the Organic Trade Association unveiled a new tool in the form of the Organic Diversity Resource Library, which Chapman explains includes a collection of diverse experts, providers and others that industry players can access.
“That is just one phase of it, though. There’s so much more to do. We also are sponsoring members and businesses who are organic or trying to convert to organic to come in underneath the trad association, work with our experts in the trade association, as well as members to mentor them to provide them the tools that they need,” he said.
In addition, OTA is making the application process more accessible by offering tools in multiple languages and better defining terminology that may not be familiar to entrepreneurs looking to enter organic for the first time.
Leveling the competitive playing field with consumer education
The slowdown in organic’s growth can also be attributed in part to the rise of competing value-based claims and certifications – most prominently regenerative, which appeals to consumers’ rising interest in sustainability, but which Chapman says often don’t go as far as Organic.
He explained that regenerative is a ‘very complex topic,’ and that while it shares many common attributes with organic, it may not share them all. Organic has stricter standards in some aspects and, depending on the regenerative certifier, regenerative may include aspects that organic does not, such as worker welfare and social obligations.
While Chapman says he has no problem with layering additional attributes on top of organic, he worries about consumer confusion and that some valuable components of organic may get lost in the shuffle.
One way OTA is addressing this challenge is through a consumer education campaign that pulls a page from its playbook for managing the competitive threat from non-GMO movement, which Chapman explained similarly threatened dilute the power of organic by playing up one component.
So, like the OTA’s “organic is non-GMO” campaign from a years ago, the trade group has created a toolkit to promote “organic is regenerative.”
In addition, this fall, OTA will develop a toolkit and conversation to educate retailers about the sustainability story of organic, which goes beyond the stringent guidelines for pesticides and chemicals for which it currently is best known.
At the same time, Chapman said, OTA and other stakeholders will step up their efforts to ensure that organic meets consumers’ expectations by working the government to continuously improve the standards.
This has been a source of frustration for some in the industry who are angered that updates to organic pushed forward by the industry have not been officially incorporated into the paradigm by their partners at USDA.
Still, Chapman is optimistic, noting the collaboration with the US government recently has begun moving forward the organic standards, such as the recent adoption of the origin of livestock rule.
If balancing all of these priorities sounds like a tall order, that is because it is, says Chapman, who added that in order to succeed stakeholders from across the organic industry must work together to reinforce organic’s value proposition, recognize the contributions everyone makes in their own space and offer a helping hand, where possible, in other areas for the common good.
Those who are interested in learning more about the evolution of the organic space can visit ota.com and those who want to know more about parsing and supporting sustainability claims, the circular economy and the growing food as medicine movement can do so by registering for FoodNavigator-USA’s upcoming digital summit Nov. 15-17, during which we will take a deep dive into these issues and more. Check out the agenda and register at foodnavigatorsummit.com


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Panasonic to move its European headquarters out of UK
Tokyo : Japanese technology company Panasonic will move its European headquarters outside of the United Kingdom on October 1, before the country leaves the European Union, a move known as brexit, in 2019, a spokeswoman for the conglomerate said on Friday.
Panasonic confirmed to Efe that it will move its European headquarters from Bracknell, in Berkshire County, about 45 km west of London, to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where the headquarters of Panasonic Holding Netherlands (parent of its subsidiaries located outside Japan) and Panasonic Finance (PFI), the group's financing company, are already located.
The move "will allow a high level of cooperation and collaboration with PHN and PFI, whose main objective is to expand shared operations in Europe to achieve greater efficiency and cost competitiveness, while having easy access to the different European markets", spokeswoman said.
The company also took into account the decision of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union in determining the relocation.
"In the future, this may lead to changes in the transfer of labor, products, materials, services, data and potential tax obstacles through the application of different rules and regulations between the UK and the EU," she said.
Panasonic would also like to avoid the problems that could arise if the Japanese government were to consider the United Kingdom as a tax haven if it opts to reduce corporate taxes in order to attract companies after the brexit, planned for March next year, to alleviate the flight of large conglomerates.
The Japanese technology conglomerate said it hopes to "minimise the impact wherever possible for the small number of people involved in this change of our regional headquarters" and stated that "no business operations in the UK will be affected".


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Zinc Matrix Power Changes Name to ZPower, Inc.
Zinc Matrix Power announced that the company name is now ZPower, Inc. The name change reflects one of several key elements in the company’s go-to-market strategy as they move from pilot production to high-volume battery manufacturing in 2008.
According to the company, the name "Zpower" represents the contemporary solution offered by their "revolutionary" silver-zinc battery technology. The company claims that the new name more readily promotes brand recognition as it serves the dual purpose of overall company name and a product name. Under the new name, ZPower, will continue to develop its rechargeable silver-zinc battery which is said to provide a 30% increase in energy density over traditional lithium-ion batteries. This value proposition has recently attracted the attention of several Tier One electronics manufacturers. These companies will continue working with ZPower to incorporate its batteries in their future products, beginning in 2008. The batteries will be called ZPower™ batteries.
Though the company name has changed, the mission of ZPower remains the same. Company President and CEO, Dr. Ross Dueber, said that ZPower is committed to becoming the leading global provider of silver-zinc rechargeable battery technology. "We feel the new company name captures the energy and purpose that drives our company. Our goal remains clearly established. We will continue innovating change in the battery technology field, offering high performance, consumer safety features and clean technology. Those facets of our technology are as important to us now as they ever were."


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Natural Grocers opens the doors to its new Cedar Rapids store on Nov. 23, 2016, but a select group of customers tried food samples, signed up for drawings and shopped early for two hours on Nov. 22. Store manager Josh Smith said about 200 people were expected for the pre-opening party at the new 15,000-square-foot […]
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IOWA CITY – New Pioneer Food Co-op is throwing a party for its co-op members this Saturday, June 27, 2015. The store has been in Iowa City since 1971 and has since expanded to Coralville and more recently, Cedar Rapids.
CEDAR RAPIDS – New Pioneer Food Co-op opened its new store to an ecstatic group of supporters this morning in Cedar Rapids. “I’ve been waiting for this for 10 long years,” said Mollie Schlue, who joined the co-op 25 years ago while living in Iowa City and moved to Cedar Rapids 10 years ago. “I […]
CEDAR RAPIDS – New Pioneer Food Co-op’s number 1 question from the public, of late, has been about the opening date of its Cedar Rapids store. Last fall, Iowa City-based New Pi announced it would open a new store in the former Fin & Feather building, at 3338 Center Point Rd. NE, in Cedar Rapids. […]
IOWA CITY – A development designed specifically with New Pioneer Food Co-op in mind will soon be proposed near downtown Iowa City. The proposal calls for a new 10,000-square-foot store on the main floor, with condominiums or affordable apartments on the upper levels of the new building, possibly at College Street and Van Buren.
CEDAR RAPIDS – Linn County fans of New Pioneer Food Co-op have something to celebrate. The Iowa City-based cooperative, which specializes in local and organic foods, announced today that its third store will open in Cedar Rapids in an existing building at 3338 Center Point Rd. NE “After four years of planning work and effort, […]
CEDAR RAPIDS – An announcement is coming tomorrow – Tuesday, Oct. 1 – about New Pioneer Food Co-op’s search for a new store location and given that the news will be released at the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, odds look good for Cedar Rapids. Speakers will include New Pi Board President Sarah Walz, General […]
Cindy Hadish/Homegrown Iowan New Pioneer Food Co-op’s Board is looking at sites in North Liberty, Cedar Rapids and Marion as it moves forward with plans for a new store location, but a second Iowa City store is also a potential alternative. New Pi’s Marketing Manager, Jenifer Angerer, said – as noted in meetings with members earlier […]
New Pioneer Co-op sent the following today: Iowa City, May 17, 2013 – Today, New Pi’s Board announces plans to pursue opening a third store.


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Businesses want to sell legal highs
Seven southern businesses have applied to sell legal highs under the Government's Psychoactive Substances Act.
Of those, three are in Invercargill, while Queenstown, Gore, Alexandra and Wanaka each have one applicant.
The list has been released by the Ministry of Health and shows who has been granted an interim licence and who is being considered for a licence.
The Psychoactive Substances Act bans businesses from selling to consumers younger than 18, restricts who can sell the products, sets out specific labelling and packaging requirements, limits advertising, and requires that all products have health warnings.
The owner of Invercargill store Pillz & Thrillz, Ann Kincaid, has been issued a licence to sell psychoactive substances from her Dee St shop, while Impuls'd owner Warren Skill has applied to sell legal highs, as well as import, manufacture, wholesale and research psychoactive substances.
Rugby Park Foodcentre and Crinan St Dairy owner Murray Baird has also applied to sell the substances, from a shop beside his Crinan St dairy.
The act prohibits dairies selling the substances.
A ministry spokesman said if a retailer's licence was under consideration and it had been selling psychoactive products for at least 28 days before the act commencing, it could continue to sell approved products.
Premises under consideration selling food, confectionery, soft drinks and other household goods were unlikely to be granted a licence, he said.
The ministry was working through the applications and expected to have them all processed in the next week.
The ministry's business unit responsible for the regulation of medicines and medical devices in New Zealand - Medsafe - says the new law provided a visible and licensed market which was subject to new restrictions.
Medsafe group manager Stewart Jessamine said the act had curtailed a very large part of the previous market, including retailing from dairies and similar stores.
Effective monitoring of compliance with the law by retailers and product manufacturers was now possible, he said.
Dr Jessamine said the interim licences would last until the introduction of the act's regulations, which were being drawn up during the next few months.
Licence-holders would then have to reapply, he said.
Who has applied to sell psychoactive substances:
Warren Skill – Warren Skill T/A Divisions NZ, 261A Elles Rd, Invercargill. Under consideration.
Christopher William Clements – C & C Traders Ltd, 40 Centennial Ave, Alexandra. Under consideration.
Brendon James Cameron – Totally Board New Zealand Ltd – Bay Centre Arcade, 73 Beach St, Queenstown. Under consideration.
Ann Elizabeth Kincaid – Pillz & Thrillz, 124 Dee St, Invercargill. Licence issued.
Ruilin Tu – Ruilin Tu T/A R.Save, 2 Irwell St, Gore. Under consideration.
Murray Allen Baird – Tarewai Fishing Company (1980) Ltd, Shop 2, 249 Crinan St, Invercargill. Under consideration.
Michael Jason Forsyth – B & K Healtheries, 2/237 State Highway 6, RD2, Wanaka. Under consideration.
The Southland Times


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Cayman Islands Brewery has recently launched the “Recycle for a Cause” program. For every case of Caybrew, CayLight, or Becks bottles returned, the brewery will give a $2 refund (as it has been doing) and will donate $1 to the Cayman Islands Cancer Society. According to James Mansfield, commercial manager at the Cayman Islands Brewery, the Recycle for a Cause initiative was inspired by his own experiences with cancer.
As October is breast cancer awareness month, and November is testicular cancer awareness month, the decision was taken to help promote awareness of cancer alongside awareness of recycling. Mansfield explains, “My thoughts around the initiative were that we obviously want to increase our environmental campaign, and a way to raise awareness about recycling is actually to donate some money towards the cancer society.”
The rate of bottle returns has increased about 10 per cent since the company introduced the initiative as part of their wider environmental program and Mansfield hopes that it will soon be 100 per cent. “It is a win-win—we can reuse the bottles, obviously that helps us and the environment and we can donate some money to the cancer society.”
The company site explains, “CIB is passionate about preserving the environment and has adopted internationally accepted environmental practices that contribute to the preservation and protection of the local environment. This is not by any means a cost saving measure; they do this because they genuinely care about the local community and assume responsible stewardship for its environmental wellbeing. By effectively managing precious resources and recycling bottles, spent grains, yeast and water, they have effectively established a new standard for environmentally sensitive brewing.”
For full article, see http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2010/10/05/Caybrew-fights-cancer/


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Many have written in about the closing of the large Pathmark supermarket on 145th Street and have been wondering what will happen going forward after this week. Crain's reported that the parent company A&P has filed for bankruptcy protection and will be letting go of the more expensive sites in Manhattan. We received some information today on what will actually become of the store in the near future.
Basically A&P wants to sell off the site at an auction set for today and another supermarket chain already has one of the highest bids in for the 145th Street location. Everything will probably stay pretty much the same except for changes on the signage and packaging within. Folks who want a Trader's Joe should probably not have their hopes too high on this one since what will be forthcoming is not anything too trendy.


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Hunters, game ranchers and the multibillion-rand muti industry
● The World Health Organisation (WHO) says traditional medicines continue to be used in every country in some capacity as part of a global market valued at more than a trillion rands.
A 2011 study by WHO researchers Molly Meri Robinson and Xiaorui Zhang estimates that in much of the developing world, 70% to 95% of people still rely on traditional medicine for primary health care.
They estimate the global market to be worth about $83bn (about R1.2-trillion) a year, with a growth rate of 10% to 20% a year.
Most of these traditional medicines are derived from herbs and plants, but include some animal parts and minerals.
The WHO estimates that at least 25% of all modern medicines are derived — either directly or indirectly — from medicinal plants, primarily through the application of modern technology to traditional knowledge.
Traditional Chinese medicine, for example, has been used to diagnose, treat and prevent illness for more than 2,500 years.
With certain classes of pharmaceuticals, such as antitumoral and antimicrobial medicines, the WHO says the percentage of plant-derived material may be as high as 60% — but in many developed and developing nations, traditional medicine products are still not officially recognised under the law.
Nevertheless, traditional medicines are used widely as prescription or overthe-counter medications, for selfmedication, as home remedies, or as dietary supplements and health foods.
In some industrialised nations the use of traditional medication is also significant, with Canada, France, Germany and Italy reporting that between 70% and 90% of their populations have at one time used traditional medicines under the titles “complementary”, “alternative” or “nonconventional”.
“This is perhaps not surprising given that until the middle of the 20th century and the advent of so-called ‘modern medicines’ (starting with the commercial production of penicillin in 1943), traditional medicines were the only medicines,” say Robinson and Zhang.
China, India and Japan are reported to have the highest per capita consumption of traditional medicine in Asia, according to a recent study published in the Pharma Review journal.


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Cops With Body-Cams Share ImagesTuesday, 13th December 2016 at 8:17pm
According to Glasgow’s Evening Times website, city centre police will be armed with body-cams in a bid to deter and catch festive shoplifters during one of Glasgow’s busiest shopping periods.
A team of officers from the Retail Crime Unit have been bolstered with the technology in the run up Christmas and will take on the crooks intent on stealing from stores in the city’s prime shopping areas.
Images of shoplifters will be shared with the stores’ loss prevention officers so they can add them to a watch list, allowing them to keep a look out for potential offenders.
To read the full story, click here.
(This will open in a new window from the creator of the article.)


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FRANKFURT, Apr 9 – Germany posted a monthly export increase in February that partially offset a sharp drop in January, official data showed on Friday, benefiting from a rebound in global trade and a drop in the value of the euro.
German exports jumped by 4.7 percent from January and recorded a yearly gain of 9.6 percent, the Destatis statistics office said.
The country\’s trade surplus climbed to 12.6 billion euros (16.8 billion euros) from 8.9 billion euros in February 2008, it added.
The data represented a partial correction of January\’s unexpectedly steep 6.3 percent monthly drop in exports, and indicated that a pickup in global trade was benefitting Germany\’s export-led economy, the biggest in Europe.
Germany lost its title of leading global exporter to China last year, but will get a boost this year from the euro\’s fall in value against other major currencies.
In February, German exports reached a total value of 70 billion euros, while imports increased by 4.2 percent on an annual basis to 57.3 billion euros, Destatis said.
"Today\’s sharp increase in German exports was not, yet, enough to turn net exports into a growth driver in the first quarter but it clearly shows that the export-led recovery is still intact," ING senior economist Carsten Brzeski commented.
Although other German data for February has disappointed, with stagnating industrial production and orders and weak private consumption, a large part of the government\’s stimulus plans have yet to kick in, he noted.
"Positive growth surprises are still in the pipeline," Brzeski concluded.


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The bilateral trade between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan has grown 7 times since 2016, Chief of Uzbek President’s Administration Sardor Umurzakov said during Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Business Forum.
The number of joint ventures in Uzbekistan has grown 8 times, he said.
“I will not cite absolute figures, since they are far from existing potential,” Sardor Umurzakov said.
Sardor Umurzakov noted all prerequisites are in place for development of commercial and economic relations.
Kyrgyzstan imported goods from other countries for $800 million, which analogues are produced in Uzbekistan. He suggested to establish exchange of goods between two countries.
“President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said that we should treat Kyrgyzstani entrepreneurs the same way we treat entrepreneurs of Uzbekistan. This speaks volumes,” he said.


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The coronavirus pandemic has been disastrous for the vast majority of Europe’s retailers. Digital retail has benefitted, though. In Germany, we expect retail ecommerce sales to rise 16.2% this year, and total $92.33 billion.
Germany, a relatively resilient economy, was the only one of the five major markets to see even a modest rise in overall retail sales in 2020, at 1.0%. At the same time, ecommerce grew by 21.9%, to €86.50 billion ($96.86 billion). France saw ecommerce sales climb to €65.91 billion ($73.80 billion). Overall, ecommerce claimed an estimated 14.2% of retail sales in these five countries.
The policy introduced data sharing between WhatsApp and Facebook to allow businesses to use shared resources across the two platforms to enable ecommerce and payment transactions. Users interpreted the data sharing to mean that Facebook could now read or listen to their messages and calls.


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With consumers increasingly shopping via tablet and smartphone, over half (55%) of internet shoppers globally say that they now buy online because they get better deals than in-store, a new PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) research has revealed.
The Report, ‘Achieving Total Retail: Consumer expectations driving the next retail business model’ shows how retailers need to develop a new, customer-focused business model to deliver on expectations for the store of the future.
Consumers want it all and they want it now. Retailers have to figure out how to meet the expectations of today’s always-on, always-connected shoppers in a profitable way.
We are seeing an increasing requirement for retailers to transform their businesses, not just by adding more channels, and this is now more than ever being driven by the consumer. The speed in which consumer behaviours are changing is increasing as technology advances become more compelling.
New Zealand consumers also expect retailers to compete in this global shopping environment. With Kiwi shoppers having so many options at the swipe of a finger (either locally or offshore), retailers need to think how they can up their game by doing more to engage customers, connect emotionally and offer a more personalised and enjoyable shopping experience.
According to the Report, technologically empowered shoppers have eight expectations. They are as follows:
A compelling brand story that promises a distinctive experience: Shoppers are buying from a smaller number of retailers. By connecting emotionally, and telling a good story, retailers have an enormous opportunity to create loyalty, outside of the actual shopping experience, to pull-in customers.
Customised offers based on totally protected, personal preferences and information: Cyber-security continues to be a major issue, and shoppers demand a personalised retail experience, based on their past purchases. Big data analytics give retailers the ability to offer a customised and more enjoyable shopping experience.
An enhanced and consistent experience across all devices: Online shoppers are slowly but surely embracing a range of devices to shop, but latent functionality issues must be addressed.
Transparency, real time, into a retailer’s inventory: Turning the tables, consumers want to benefit from retailers’ big data capabilities. They want the ability to check other store or online stock availability quickly, access to in-store WiFi, and new ways to pay.
Favourite retails are everywhere: Always-on and connected consumers mean more than open stores or an operational website. It means retailers must be ‘on their game’, open for engagement and interaction in every way the consumer is – social media, email, online shopping, telephone and in-store visits.
To maximise the value of mobile shopping, both store apps and mobile sites must improve: Right now, shoppers are evenly split in their preference for mobile browsers versus apps.
Two-way social media engagement: Modern shoppers do not want to just shop, they want to be heard.
‘Brands’ act as retailers and we will treat them that way: The grey area of overlap between manufacturers and retailers has virtually been extinguished. Shoppers are increasingly willing to bypass retailers and buy directly from manufacturers online.
Social media, big data analytics, improved online functionality and a better mash-up between in-store and online service offerings are the tools at our retailers’ disposal to allow them to compete in this global shopping market.
Paul Brabin is Partner & Digital Market Leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, New Zealand


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Lazada, the fastest growing online department store in the region, confirmed that JP Morgan has invested in Lazada. You might be familiar with Lazada since they’re doing a lot of advertisements and they’re selling some pretty good stuffs that you can’t find anywhere in the Philippines. Lazada has already established a name in the Philippines by offering a wide range of products from equipments, toys, bags, consumer electronics and lotta more. Today, there are over 1000 employees are operating streamlined businesses with own logistics and distribution centers in Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia. This is just one of the signs that Lazada is really growing. The amount invested wasn’t revealed but I hope that Lazada will have an improved features and services because of this investment very soon.
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Whist's menu goes Mediterranean with Tony DiSalvo's help.
In the grand tradition of fall, get ready for more comfort food small plates.
The first look at Supper's lunch menu
Mark Cina's kitchen will put out gastropub fare to be served alongside a lengthy cocktail and beer list.
Lobster corn dogs and pancake tacos are on offer at Bobby Bean's new small plates spot.
Hawaiian beer joins South Bay gastro pub fare in Redondo Beach.
Blvd 16 joins L.A.'s Wonderland trend with a one-night dinner.
Fried cheesecake rolls? Yes, please.
Chef Eda Vesterman builds a menu at Breadbar based on the elements.
Some highlights from this year's menu include yak Wellington, llama filet, and piranha ribs.
What's on the food and drinks menu at the Hotel Palomar's new restaurant
SimonLA honors Hanoi cuisine in a special menu inspired by Vietnam's Metropole Hotel.
Diwali is celebrated in style at Tanzore this week.
Canele brings along a blogger friend to cook in their kitchen.
Mike Stollenwerk's new restaurant officially opens Monday
Checker's has a new look, chef, and menu, and will give a peek tonight at Four.
The swanky hotel has a new lower-priced 'bistro menu.'
Learn to cure a duck leg with cocoa this weekend at Rosa Mexicano.


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With the Internet of Things (IoT) becoming a hot topic in the media and cyber attacks being launched through security equipment, such as with the Mirai botnet, the physical security industry is receiving a baptism of fire into the world of cybersecurity. Just as the shoemaker’s kids are the ones without shoes, it seems the physical security industry is the one without security.
Users hold some of the responsibility for insisting and ensuring their installations are secured, but they have other priorities as well, so the integrators are the ones who need to keep abreast with what’s happening in the market and best security practices – both cyber and physical. The manufacturers also have a responsibility to design systems with security in mind.
Obviously that is not happening right now. In the week of writing this article, vulnerabilities in over six camera brands have been made public. Some severe, others not too bad, but all are at risk. To be fair to some companies, there are those who have made cybersecurity a priority – as you will see in this publication. But others seem to be lagging. So what’s to be done?
Perhaps it’s worth starting at the beginning and asking whether these cyber problems are the way of the future? Will cyber security be part of the surveillance manufacturer’s skill set going forward in order to prevent incidents such as those caused by Mirai?
Gerhard Furter, head of innovation at Naxian explains that Mirai was the first public revelation of something that engineers have known for quite a while, that the openness of IoT brings with it a tax, as all technology does.
“I refer to it, egotistically, as Furter’s Law of Security: Security is inversely proportionate to convenience. The more convenient, or easy, it is to use a system, the greater the sacrifice in security,” Furter says. “As an example, the market requires that it be very easy to install a new lighting controller in a normal home. The easiest way to do so is to not issue the device with a password or to use a user-friendly default password, as a sophisticated password will require some technical knowledge on the user’s side, with an accompanying setup and configuration process – not exactly plug-and-play.”
This, he says, is exactly the vulnerability that Mirai and its numerous new offspring are now exploiting. On the positive side, Furter says it also acted as a wake-up call and he anticipates we will now find decently engineered IoT products with a balance between security and convenience hitting the market.
“At Naxian we’re already conducting new, aggressive R&D to address this specific issue. Synapse (www.securitysa.com/8723a) will now take the hassle of setting up secure IoT networks away from the user and into the realm of automation, or plug-and-play. Our platform will allow an unskilled user to buy a secure end device and install it, without the hassle of knowing how to set it up in detail.”
Check Point Software’s country manager, Doros Hadjizenonos extends the bad news a bit further, noting that Mirai was just one type of possible IoT attack. “There are many different attack methods that hackers can use to target IoT devices and the services that are linked to them. Attacks can vary from using IoT devices as launch pads, to getting data from the devices, to actually controlling the device. Unfortunately, there is no single solution to cover the continually evolving attack methods that hackers use.
“In the case of Mirai,” he continues, “it wasn’t necessarily the users of the IoT devices that were affected, but the organisations whose websites were targeted through these devices and suffered denial of service (DDoS) downtime. The security response in this instance would be different than if these Internet-connected cameras were hacked with the purpose of accessing the video of that camera, in which case it becomes the user’s problem and an issue of privacy.”
Hadjizenonos believes that in future we are likely to see more Denial of Service attacks and those attacks will use different launch pads, which could be PCs, mobile devices or all kinds of IoT devices. “The attackers will choose the launch pad that is the easiest to access and gives them the widest reach. The more launch pads they have, the bigger and more distributed the attack.”
As is often the case, the security industry has solutions for many of the attacks, but these need to be implemented and maintained. To achieve this, he says there needs to be cooperation between multiple parties – governments, telecommunications operators, device manufacturers, businesses and the public – it’s not just up to the security industry.
Closer to the security home. PinnSec’s MJ Oosthuizen, who has many years’ experience in the industry, says it all starts with a proper design of where your device(s) will be ‘sitting’ on the internet. “Many users go the easy route to set their devices up without proper firewall rules or even having a firewall available. Variants of the Mirai botnet will become more frequent as more users are engaging remote connectivity. It’s very much like supporting a street vendor at the corner – everyone says its wrong, but everyone keeps on doing it.”
What to do and how to do it?
So what are the options when it comes to protecting your surveillance devices, or to be more realistic, any electronic devices that communicate over a network and/or the Internet?
The reality, says Oosthuizen, is that everyone is looking at remote connectivity, seeing their devices remotely or monitoring what their staff or kids are up to. “Unfortunately any remote access, whether to a file server or a surveillance device needs to be configured and managed properly. Focus on phishing and ransomware filters, and that entails training and educating your employees.”
Furter notes that the smaller, less skilled security companies do not have the skill to address this issue, and as such, cannot offer comprehensive solutions. “The answer to the IoT questions does not lie in traditional security, but rather in logical security, and as such it requires that a security company has this skill set to be able to address ICT challenges in addition to physical security challenges.
“As a matter of fact, some companies are perpetuating the issue by continuing to use device brands that have a known and documented association with foreign intelligence agencies, or that have been compromised, repeatedly, to date. As late as November last year it was widely publicised how a large and respected surveillance device manufacturer had been proven to be providing video footage to some Eastern governments – this brand is still being installed in our country despite this knowledge.”
Taking a practical approach, Hadjizenonos explains that the biggest challenge in dealing with Mirai or other DDoS attacks is how to separate malicious traffic from legitimate traffic. Security vendors offer anomaly detection-based security solutions that solve this problem, but if a link connecting a DDoS victim’s network to their Internet Service Provider (ISP) and, moreover, a link between the victim’s ISP to an upstream ISP is saturated with attack traffic, then it may be too late and the security solution may not be effective.
But once Tier-1 and Tier-2 ISPs start cooperating among themselves, it is possible to dramatically reduce the number of DDoS attacks.
“Let me explain,” he continues. “The Internet is a mesh of networks. At the core are about six Tier-1 operators whose networks span the globe. Connected to them are about 25 to 30 Tier-2 ISPs, which are in turn connected to a number of other tiers and local ISPs. If they all cooperate, they could stop the attack at the source, rather than protecting the targets.
“Let’s say you have a camera at home that is launching an attack. The attack is going through your local ISP, which is often connected to a Tier-2 ISP, which is connected to a Tier-1 ISP. If the attack had been blocked at the source by either the Tier-1 or Tier-2 ISP, then the attack would practically be deemed useless.
“As such, fewer than 50 Tier-1 and Tier-2 providers together have the technical capacity to stop most global DDoS attacks (and in many cases, country-level attacks) at the source. To do this, accurate attack patterns need to be identified and agreed upon, but most importantly, there is a need to define how this can be done in an effective and legitimate way, while maintaining data privacy.”
Stopping the tsunami
Of course, getting such cooperation is not all that simple, so we have to look at other means of dealing with these types of threats.
The nature of our networks and the protocols we use does not offer much in the line of defence against ultra-large scale attacks for now. “I agree that the solution lies with the systems being exploited and the users who own said systems,” notes Furter. “If end-users secure their IoT networks and devices, the potential for abuse is greatly reduced as the greatest weakness of the criminals exploiting IoT systems is their dependence on open IoT networks. Remove the source of these open networks and the threat is reduced exponentially.”
Hadjizenonos echoes (as we all know, but never do), that corporations and individuals using these devices need to ensure that they have adequate levels of internal security, that is, good authentication mechanisms. They need to make sure that they’re using strong passwords rather than the default passwords that are available on the devices, and they need to make sure that access to these devices is controlled and authorised using standard practices. They should also apply segmentation and have a VPN were applicable, etc.
“One of the reasons these cameras were attacked [by the Mirai botnet] is because they were using default passwords. If people were changing their passwords, it would have been more difficult to hack them.”
The surveillance industry has seen a dramatic shift over recent months in the area of passwords. Most if not all major brands now require administrator passwords to be changed at installation, not giving users the option of leaving a default password in place. This change happened primarily before Mirai appeared because a number of organisations were hacked through their network cameras because the installers didn’t bother to change the default passwords due to being in a hurry to get to the next job, laziness or pure ignorance. IP cameras are great, but if they are attached to a network and they are vulnerable to exploits, the network and everything attached to it is also vulnerable.
“Without the vendor forcing the user to change the default settings, the responsibility lies on the individual who ‘installs’ this device onto the Internet,” adds Oosthuizen. “The trouble is, even if one changes the password on the device’s Web interface, the same default credentials may still allow remote users to log into the device using telnet and/or SSH.
“My basic advice to everyone is to put your camera behind a firewall, blocking all ports except the ones required for audio, video and to access the web-based administration panel. This is a fairly straightforward way that vulnerable IoT devices can be safeguarded, making them unavailable for exploitation.”
But really, who’s to blame?
As humans, we love to have someone else to blame for our problems. In this case, however, the blame is spread over all the players, from the manufacturers and consultants, to the installers and integrators, and the users.
“I would gauge the responsibility ratio to be 80/20 in favour of the supplier,” says Furter. “The supplier is responsible for the manufacturing and supply of secure technologies that do not take a great effort to install and setup. Small features such as nag screens asking the user to change default passwords makes the world of difference.
“It is still, however, the user’s responsibility to follow this advice, and the advice of the skilled consultant or middle-man that may be involved in the setup of the IoT system. The installation fees charged by dependable installers are so low that it is actually worth it for a user to simply contract an installer to manage the complete process on their behalf.”
Unfortunately, many Internet-connected products are not designed with security in mind, adds Hadjizenonos, and some of them contain very basic flaws that allow attacks such as Mirai. Public awareness of these security oversights is rising, as cyber attacks targeting well-known services are becoming common, so users also need to understand the role that they play in the security ecosystem in terms of patching devices, having strong passwords, etc.
Apart from strong passwords, users should identify which of the services they use are exposed to the Internet. If they don’t need something to be exposed to the Internet – like a connected kettle, for argument’s sake – then they should rather configure their firewall accordingly and only allow that device to connect on the home network.
“Manufacturers do have a responsibility to design products with security in mind and incorporate good security controls but this is not easy to achieve, considering there are thousands of manufacturers out there.”
Dealing with convenience
The principles we can all use to deal with the threats posed by cyber attacks are relevant, but they are not always practical. In today’s world of choice, very few things are unique and there is always an option for a cheaper or better-looking solution, no matter what you are buying. Simply look at the number of people that by cheap surveillance cameras as an example. The fact is, these devices are cheap for a reason, and that will almost always include a lack of security thinking in their design.
How can your average user, who is not a technical expert and wants things that simply work, get around the different designs and motivations, proprietary protocols and other issues that will have an impact on the security of their devices, whether cameras, baby monitors or whatever else?
From a corporate point of view, Furter says this is simple: “implement a suitable IoT management platform”.
He says the management platform acts as the common denominator between the different IoT devices, and should be sufficiently brand agnostic to allow sustained functionality irrespective of the brand. Devices are now reduced to functional resources, and can collaborate with opposing brands with very little effort. It is the purpose of the IoT management platform to be the nexus of the IoT solution, and to manage the various processes involved in a manner that is transparent to the user, but still under the user’s control.”
Linking millions of devices over a network of cables is nothing new though. As Hadjizenonos points out, the most widespread grids in the world, alongside the Internet, are the electrical grid and the telephone grid. Both are designed for high resilience and require every device connected to them to be certified and to meet various standards that ensure that it will not pollute the grid. Manufacturers are not allowed to sell electrical appliances or telephony equipment without the appropriate certification, and authorities enforce these certifications.
“Some people suggest that a possible solution could be to require certification of any equipment that is connected to the Internet – ensuring that it will conform to basic security and other standards. This may end up being necessary and may develop over time, but would also be a very complicated process. It will take a long time to agree on the standards and then implement them. But mostly, it is likely to slow down the pace of innovation that we enjoy today.
“A more practical solution would be for the grid to protect itself, however, this would require trust and entails some risks, and yet it can be potentially done by the cooperation I mentioned earlier.”
So what can I do?
Another way to look at securing ourselves, our cameras and other devices, including software, was mentioned at a recent event by Genetec’s regional sales manager, Brent Cary. He spoke about creating a ‘network of trust’ in which each component of the network is a trusted part of the whole. In the IoT world, this means you have confidence in your own devices because you have secured them to a certain level, as well as in others’ devices as they have also secured them to the same level. Additionally, the way the devices interact and share information is also standardised to ensure a secure environment.
It’s like going to the airport. Anybody who’s been on a flight recently has been asked “Did you pack your bag yourself?” when checking in. The right answer, of course, is yes. In other words, you have taken care to ensure that your baggage (your device or application in the IoT world) is secure, while the other passengers have done the same to ensure they are secure and don’t have any issues – security flaws or careless set-up errors in the technology world.
The airline or airport company then does the rest of the ‘security’ work to ensure that only authorised and vetted people are able to get onto the plane, including those flying it and the ground staff. ACSA may have missed this part of the class, but that’s the simple theory behind being safe when you fly and behind a trusted network.
For the vast majority of the readers, inking an agreement between the Tier-1 global service providers is not something we would have a chance of being involved in. At the same time, however, out systems, whether they are corporate surveillance installations, home cameras and routers (and TVs that record every word you say), or even our mobile devices are connected and at risk.
A pragmatic approach is simply to adapt to current realities and plan accordingly. As Oosthuizen points out, “We have to face the reality: we’re trapped in a system in which everything we do is monitored and logged, and in which privacy is a thing of the past. Everything that you do with modern communications equipment leaves a digital trail. And this trail is followed tirelessly, not just by giant corporations, but also by governments and their security services.”
If our devices are used for a botnet attack on someone else, it means that our devices are compromised and whatever private information we hold or transmit is at risk. And when this includes financial details or methods of finding and accessing family members, it becomes more serious than a flippant comment or an “oh well” shrug of the shoulders.
Hadjizenonos offers more insight: “People should understand that an IoT device is a small computer, so the same practices and precautions they would take with their computer apply to IoT devices. You wouldn’t let anyone access your computer from the Internet without having a firewall (hopefully), so the same applies for IoT devices.
“You should make sure that your PC is patched with the latest software that includes security fixes; the same applies for IoT devices. Make sure they are patched with the latest software from the vendor to solve any security issues.”
From the perspective of the everyday user, Furter says security is mostly a function of common sense and some basic logic, in that most security practices are simple and obvious enough that even an untrained user will be able to comply.
“Maintain a good password regime, do
not discuss the details of your IoT network with strangers, and do not grant strangers access to your IoT resources. Just like with your banking PIN and cellphone password, ensure that you change the defaults at installation.
“It is already a fairly common practice to control access to a network resources, such as Wi-Fi, and to ensure that all connected computers have powerful and up-to-date antivirus software. Lastly, it is good governance to follow the manufacturer’s stipulations on security and control, as this will effectively close the loop.”
Oosthuizen notes that the user is not totally without control. “One important difference between digital, Internet-based communication techniques and more traditional methods is that the former often allows you to determine your own level of security. If you send emails, instant messages and VoIP conversations using insecure methods, they are almost certainly less private than letters or telephone calls.
“The flexibility of Internet communication tools and the strength of modern encryption can now provide a level of privacy that was once available only to intelligence organisations. Ultimately it’s your choice whether you utilise encryption – or choose to shoot from the hip.”
For more information:
Check Point Software: www.checkpoint.com
Refer to Hi-Tech Security Business Directory (www.hsbd.co.za) for further details on these companies.
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Moose Toys CEO Manny Stul has been has been named 2015 Australian EY Entrepreneur of the Year at an awards ceremony in Sydney.
The award recognises his achievements as an Australian business leader here and abroad, and he will now go on to represent the nation at the world event in Monte Carlo next year.
The judging criteria by which Stul was assessed included entrepreneurial spirit, innovation, personal integrity and influence, financial performance, strategic direction, and national and global impact.
Stul says the award is recognition of the work put in by the whole Moose team, noting that he works with “incredibly passionate, talented, driven people, and they should all feel very proud of their contribution”.
“I’m also delighted about the recognition this brings to Moose. It will help raise the profile of the company. While people within the toy industry and retail sector know what excellent work we’re doing, not many outside the toy industry , nor many everyday Australians realise that some of their favourite toys are designed and created right here, by a locally-owned and run company.
“The key is our innovation, focus on ‘thinking outside the square’ and aiming for the highest standard and speed to market. Moving on from distributor models in the US and selling direct to the retailers has been a springboard for growth, seeing us firmly establish Moose as a force to be reckoned with in the world’s leading consumer market.
“We are now a significant player on the global stage, an amazing achievement for an Australian-based company and something everyone can, and should, be proud of,” he said.
Moose Toys is headquartered in Melbourne and develops, manufactures and distributes from its factories in China and Hong Kong to more than 82 countries. It is the fifth-largest toy business in Australia and fourth in the massive US market, up against global goliaths such as Hasbro, Mattel and Lego.


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It's over, everyone. Capitalism has won and every single one of us bears the banner of defeat.
Burger King is now using video games to try to peddle their food into our gaping mouths, because nothing in this world is sacred. Undeterred by their failed 2006 advergame Sneak King, the fast food company is now hiring a team of gamers to play alongside us in online PlayStation games to sell us food.
We wish we were making this up, but alas.
Burger King's latest video game venture is called Burger Clan:
lol what is even happening in that video?
If you couldn't tell from the guns and the cars and the burgers, Burger Clan will be racing, shooting, and dribbling alongside us in our favorite games. Oh, and they'll also be ready at a moment's notice to take our burger order.
Here's how it works. Over the next few weekends, Burger King will be operating a "command center" (a.k.a. a restaurant) as it injects itself into your online matches with PlayStation's permission, according to the company's press release sent via email. If you sign up with Burger Clan online, someone who works for Burger King will try to play with you and be ready to put in your Whopper order while somehow being an asset to your team.
And these aren't just regular gamers hired by Burger King — no, only the best for Burger King customers. The fast food company is allegedly hiring "nine professional gamers, champions of the most popular [PlayStation] games," the company said in a press release.
Burger King shared two names of pros that you could be playing with: FIFA champion Alfonso Ramos Cuevas, who seems legit, and another name that doesn't garner any meaningful results when plugged into Google.
These players will be playing and taking orders out of a Burger King restaurant in Madrid, so unfortunately if you're outside of Spain you won't be able to take part in this apocalyptic display of brand synergy.
If this terrible idea manages to turn itself into a success, maybe you'll see Burger Clan popping up in your own country. Maybe it will snowball into some sort of phenomenon and we'll see top esports pros shrugging off six- or seven-figure salaries to hawk burgers and fries online.
This is the future we've built for ourselves. We created this. We deserve this. In the words of Burger King, "Have it your way."


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This week, Nvidia turned the fourth most respected U.S. company, sparking a frenzy as AI shares surged by 41% in 2024. Synthetic intelligence is certainly experiencing its heyday, as seen by the Nasdaq 100, which reported a surge of 54% final 12 months.
Regardless of the development of job cuts within the trade in 2023, it’s off to a powerful begin in 2024 for know-how. This 12 months additionally seems to be persevering with this huge progress development, which is good news for among the prime AI shares in the marketplace.
There have been issues amongst buyers that the thrill round synthetic intelligence is perhaps exaggerated. Nevertheless, there are ample causes to take care of a bullish outlook. AI is barely starting to remodel our each day lives, serving as a powerful driving drive for among the prime AI shares.
Listed below are our predictions for the highest 5 AI shares this 12 months.
1. Nvidia (NVDA)
It goes with out saying that the California-based firm has been doing exceedingly effectively. At the moment, it’s buying and selling at $639, with a goal value of $1,100. It began the 12 months at $481.68 and has been steadily rising.
Why is it value contemplating? In December, Nvidia’s inventory worth noticed a threefold enhance, surpassing the efficiency of all different corporations within the S&P 500. The importance of its chips has been very important throughout a worldwide scarcity.
In line with the Nasdaq, Nvidia has the AI trade’s largest and most succesful provide chain. It has the potential to develop into a $2 trillion firm if curiosity doesn’t wane. Nevertheless, increasingly more corporations purpose to create their very own line of AI chips together with Samsung, Intel, and Google. Microsoft and Meta Platforms reportedly took 60% of the 500,000 chips bought by Nvidia.
2. Superior Micro Units (AMD)
Superior Micro Units stands as a major competitor to Nvidia, with the potential to interchange Nvidia because the chip provider for Meta and Microsoft. These corporations have publicly declared their intention to transition to AMD for his or her chip wants. With the M1 MI300x chips, AMD has a real alternative to problem Nvidia’s dominance and, on the very least, diminish its market lead.
The inventory value elevated in December after launching its new AI chips. AMD CEO Lisa Su mentioned the brand new accelerator chip, which is a big graphics processor designed for AI-oriented servers, and mentioned Microsoft and Meta had dedicated to utilizing the chip.
Chatting with reporters following her speech, Su mentioned the anticipated $400bn marketplace for AI processors in 2027 left loads of area for AMD. “We expect we may get a pleasant piece of that.”
“We’re nonetheless on the very, very early innings of AI,” AMD CEO Lisa Su says. https://t.co/iaUqFj1Hkb pic.twitter.com/3MxjQYo9ng
— CNBC (@CNBC) December 6, 2023
3. Palantir (PLTR)
Massive information analytics firm Palantir continues to have many bullish buyers on its facet. Its inventory doubled in 2023 and stays widespread this 12 months. The newest Synthetic Intelligence Platform (AIP) provides further datasets for its non-public sector and authorities purchasers, which has been essential for its protection income.
Each industries possess deep pockets, enabling the corporate’s business income to develop by 32% year-on-year, and its authorities income to extend by 11% to $324 million. Earlier this month, Palantir shares rose by greater than 19% in after-hours buying and selling after the corporate reported fourth-quarter earnings that beat analysts’ expectations for income.
4. UiPath (PATH)
AI’s function in enhancing office productiveness will function closely this 12 months. That is the place UiPath is available in, because it helps enterprises to streamline repetitive duties. Robotic Course of Automation (RPA) applied sciences have been getting used as early as 2021, with UiPath providing 20 automation merchandise on their web site throughout teams corresponding to Uncover, Construct, Handle, Run & Have interaction.
Within the third quarter of fiscal 2024, ending October 31, 2023, UiPath reported gross sales of $326 million, marking a 24% enhance. This progress is noteworthy, particularly given the tough financial circumstances in 2023. UiPath additionally boasts a sturdy steadiness sheet, with $1.eight billion in money and investments and no long-term debt. On prime of this, they are saying they’ve greater than 10,000 prospects who present $1.Four billion in annual recurring income.
UiPath is undoubtedly a key participant to observe in 2024 and the years to observe for enhancing office automation and boosting effectivity.
5. Amazon (AMZN)
Amazon is one other main participant within the AI recreation; in any case, Amazon Net Providers (AWS) is the world’s main cloud service supplier. Coaching AI fashions calls for substantial computing sources, and Amazon is actively increasing its toolkit and providers to help builders in creating AI functions on its platform.
For one, AWS is introducing chips designed in-house to its platform, such because the Graviton4 for common computing duties and the Trainium2 tailor-made for AI initiatives. The e-commerce large additionally plans to include Nvidia’s upcoming H200 AI chip and greater than 16,000 GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips aimed on the most difficult AI functions.
To not point out, Amazon lately introduced its This autumn 2023 earnings, which have been spectacular. Whole income surged by 14% to $170 billion, accompanied by substantial progress in money circulation and working revenue.
Nevertheless, it’s a aggressive discipline, as among the wealthiest corporations on the earth, i.e., Microsoft’s Azure and Alphabet’s Google Cloud, are additionally positioning themselves as rivals. Nonetheless, AWS has constantly held a lead in market share for a few years.
Featured picture: Canva
The submit AI shares: 5 of the preferred AI corporations to purchase shares in appeared first on ReadWrite.


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ONCE ESTABLISHED, the Continental Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) will offer ‘limitless opportunities’ to world markets such as Japan, says Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“During the recent African Union Summit in South Africa in June this year, leaders of the continent launched negotiations on a Continental Free Trade Agreement. Once established, this free trade area will offer a market to countries such as Japan of nearly limitless opportunities,” said Ramaphosa.
He was speaking at the African Union Parliamentary Association dinner hosted in his honour during a visit to Japan.
The AU has set 2017 as the time for the implementation of CFTA, under which African states are expected to reduce trade barriers among themselves by drastically reducing export and import duties and waiving visa requirements in some cases.
Tripartite Free Trade Agreement (TFTA) covers more than 650 million people in 26 countries with combined gross domestic product amounting to 60 percent of Africa’s total. TFTA will become effective once parliament has adopted it.
Ramaphosa said regional and continental integration is the foundation for Africa’s socio-economic development and political unity, and essential also for South Africa’s prosperity and security.
“Consequently, Africa is at the centre of South Africa’s foreign policy. South Africa cannot succeed alone, but only as part of a broader African success story, even though we would like to see ourselves as the gateway to doing business in Africa.”
He added that South Africa’s vision was to realise a prosperous and a stable Africa without conflict and poverty.
In this light, he said South Africa’s destiny was inextricably linked to that of the rest of the continent‚ a potential market of over one billion people.
“It is our hope and conviction that Japan, as an important member of the world community of nations, sees itself as our partner in the practical promotion of the vision of Africa’s resurgence and development,” he said, hoping that Japan will continue to place herself among the front ranks of those who are driven to act not only within the context of a narrowly defined national interest, but with broader generosity of spirit.
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Paula Deen the “Butter Queen” can’t give up her favorite fat-laden staple.
The diabetic chef, blasted in the past for her high-calorie cooking methods, is hawking a new line of custom butters at Walmart and Walgreens.
Available in five flavors — southern grillin’, lemon dill, European style, sweet citrus zest and garden herb — the “finishing butters” are supposed to be used in moderation, to add flavor to a meal, according to Deen’s marketing folks.
But Deen may not have received that memo, gushing: “My sweet citrus zest butter is hard to practice in moderation” and “it feels so fresh and clean.”
Deen’s new line also includes tortilla chips.


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More than three out of five tradespeople will be caught off guard by a £100 million tax raid, a new survey suggests.
Some 62% of respondents to a survey of more than 1,000 van drivers by online vehicle marketplace Auto Trader said they were unaware of the looming rise in company van tax quietly announced in Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement.
Under the plan, basic rate taxpayers currently paying £720 as a benefit in kind to use company vans for personal journeys will pay an additional 10% or £72 a year from April 6 next year.
Higher rate taxpayers face a £144 extra annual charge.
Increasing the tax in line with the Consumer Prices Index measure of inflation – currently near 40-year highs – will raise an extra £15 million a year, according to Treasury forecasts.
That will be worth more than £100 million by the end of the decade.
April’s tax rise follows soaring fuel costs driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The results of Auto Trader’s survey, shared with the PA news agency, indicated that more than a quarter (27%) of van drivers have been hit by at least £500 in extra running costs this year.
Van purchase costs have also increased.
The average price of used vans on its marketplace has risen by £1,300, or 7%, to £19,429 since November 2021.
New vans have seen an even bigger rise – up £4,300, or 14%, to £33,821 amid supply problems.
An Auto Trader spokesman said: “Our findings show that the new fresh tax raid coming their way in April will be a complete shock to most van drivers, adding to the heavy burden that they’ve already faced this year.
“It might even be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for many of them.”
Mr Hunt also announced in his autumn statement that new zero-emission cars will no longer be exempt from vehicle excise duty from April 2025.
A Treasury spokesperson said: “Drivers who only use their vans for business are not subject to the Van Benefit Charge because it only applies to private use – and those who do pay it will not see a real-terms increase next year.
“In addition, this year’s £2.4 billion fuel duty cut continues to save van drivers around £200 each.”


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Rihanna’s uncle is loyal to no one but the money. 53 year old Leroy Fitzgerald Brathwaite has been charged under the Fair Trading Commission’s (FTC) Consumer Protection Act for selling knock-offs from his nieces Puma line. According to Barbados leading newspaper Nation News, police says, it was not until Rihanna was in Barbados that she noticed the knock-offs of her hugely Puma brand being sold in Swan Street. After reporting her suspicions to her Puma representative, they flew out to the island to check it out in person which led to them filing a police report immediately. Leroy made an appearance in the District “A” Magistrates court yesterday on November 21st where he plead not guilty.
According to Nation News, “he also denied that in trade or commerce, he engaged in conduct, to wit, exposed for sale goods bearing the trademark known as Puma which would mislead the public as to the nature of the goods.”
And to make matters worse, On May 29th, 2017 Brathwaite was charged with
“a view to gain for himself or another, or with intent to cause loss to another and without the consent of the registered owner of a trademark Puma, he exposed for sale goods which bear the sign Puma, and which were likely to be mistaken for the registered trademark Puma,” Looks like this is not his first offense.
Leroy’s attorney Sian Lange pointed out Sections 54, 55, and 56 of the Consumer Protection Act which requires that before any charges are made the FTC is to provide prohibition notice, prohibiting supplying, offering and/ or agreeing to supply. Lange has made claims that her client has not received such notice, “My client has never been contacted by the Fair Trading Commission and has never been served with a warning in accordance.”
After submitting the matter to the courts, the case was adjourned until next Tuesday November 28th. Leroy Braithwaite was released with a 1,000 bail. This would probably cause a strain in the relationship between Rihanna and her uncle.


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National Chiao Tung University professor Edward Chang, center, smiles during a press conference in Taipei yesterday announcing a new high electron mobility transistor his team developed. The transistor has the highest oscillation frequency in the world.Apr 16, 2013FULL STORY
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
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Listing from 2017-02-21 to 2017-02-28
- Most read
- Most e-mailed
1Hotel smartphone leaser Tink Labs plans big expansion
2EDITORIAL: The KMT’s ‘milking’ of the nation
3Museum exhibition marks 70th anniversary of 228
4Japanese photographer thanks Taiwanese through art
5Judicial reform must come first


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JPMorgan says Chase UK could be profitable much sooner than expected
Consumer confidence: The mood among US consumers is expected to have deteriorated slightly in November, with the Conference Board’s consumer confidence index forecast to decline to a reading of 101 from 102.6 in October.
Housing: The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller home price index, which tracks home prices in 20 major US metropolitan areas, is projected to have increased by 0.8 per cent in September after rising 1 per cent in August.
Fedspeak: US Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller will deliver a speech on the economic outlook at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. Fed governor Michelle Bowman will give an address on monetary policy and the economy at the Utah Bankers Association and Salt Lake Chamber in Salt Lake City. Chicago Fed president Austan Goolsbee will give opening remarks at an agricultural conference.
Earnings: Several tech companies, including Intuit, Workday, CrowdStrike, Splunk and HPE will report their latest quarterly earnings after Wall Street’s closing bell.
Biden: US president Joe Biden will travel to Atlanta to attend the funeral of former first lady Rosalynn Carter, wife of former president Jimmy Carter.


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On October 29, the opening ceremony and project signing ceremony of cooperation and exchange between overseas Chinese merchants in the Yangtze River Delta and Shangqiu were successfully held in Shangqiu, Hebei Province. The cooperation and exchange activity attracted more than 300 overseas Chinese merchants from home and abroad and the Yangtze River Delta to gather in Shangqiu, discuss cooperation and seek common development. Zhu Yilong, vice chairman of the Federation of overseas Chinese, Yang Yuhuan, former vice chairman of the Federation and chairman of the Shanghai Federation of overseas Chinese, Wang Zhanying, Secretary of the municipal Party committee, Liu Hesheng, deputy inspector of the Provincial Federation of overseas Chinese attended the opening ceremony.
Shangqiu is a comprehensive transportation hub city determined by the Ministry of transport of the people's Republic of China and a demonstration city of industrial transfer undertaken by the Central Plains Economic Zone. From January to September 2019, there are 11 major economic indicators in Shangqiu City, with the growth rate ranking the top three in Henan Province, of which 6 indicators rank the first in the province. The implementation plan of establishing a more effective new mechanism of regional coordinated development recently issued by Henan provincial Party committee and provincial government further clarifies the position and orientation of Shangqiu in the overall development of Henan Province the holding of the communication and cooperation docking activities between the Yangtze River Delta and Shangqiu not only highlights Shangqiu's ability to create an excellent business environment, promote high-level opening, vigorously develop the hub economy and accelerate the construction of a national regional center city, but also further indicates that Shangqiu will not be a bridgehead for Henan to integrate into the Yangtze River Delta and enhance the competitiveness of Henan Province The support point of.
As an important part of China's business community, since the reform and opening up, more and more overseas Chinese businessmen favor Shangqiu, invest in Shangqiu and take root in Shangqiu. Now, the holding of docking activities has also opened a new chapter of exchanges and cooperation between the two sides. A total of 23 projects were signed at the site of this activity, with a total investment of 26.62 billion yuan. Li Mingxian, chairman of Henan dejiali Technology Development Co., Ltd., was invited to attend the opening ceremony of the event to witness the in-depth exchanges between the two sides Li Mingxian, chairman of the board of directors of degali, came to the Chinese business culture square to participate in the economic and cultural exchange activities such as the international Chinese Business Festival in Shangqiu, China Shangqiu is not only a famous economic city in Henan Province, but also has a bright history and culture. The annual China Shangqiu International Chinese Business Festival is held in Shangqiu, Henan Province. It aims to promote the spirit of Chinese business, promote the cooperation of Chinese business, accelerate the development of Shangqiu, focus on building a famous cultural city, and make a strategic decision to promote the coordinated and healthy development of economy, culture and society. At the same time, it strengthens the connection of Chinese business in the world, vigorously promotes the excellent culture of Chinese business, and absorbs and draws lessons from the world The advanced achievements of modern commercial civilization in various regions have enhanced the national cohesion and cultural identity of Chinese businessmen, conspired for economic development and expanded the influence of Chinese businessmen at home and abroad.
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The Official Website of Echemi Solutions GmbH is Online!
Cyclohexanone production capacity in China increased by 11% in 2019
BASF and Tongcheng New Materials Co., Ltd. produce compostable copolyester
Gold Coast promotes natural smoked Gouda cheese flavors, no dairy products
Firmenich completes acquisition of DRT to lead sustainable raw materials market
Chemical Makers Crank Up Supplies to Meet Demand


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Motorola’s X Phone campaign went live today, and with it comes a sign up page to be the first to know about the device when it becomes official. Normally, you find out the official details of a device way before they come out thanks to leaks ahead of time, but with how much mystery Motorola has surrounding this phone, signing up might be a good idea. You can get to the official registration page at the link below.
via: 9to5 Google
While Twitter is certainly doing its best to lay the smackdown on Falcon Pro, it doesn’t mean that the awesome Twitter client should be left for dead just yet. Developer Joaquim Verges recently announced that while Falcon has used up all its tokens, the app can still be used— albeit in a few unorthodox ways. If you are an app user and still happen to have a token through Falcon Pro, you can use the 2.0.4 version of the app. If you don’t— there’s a hidden way to log on from within the app, so you can still get in on the Falcon party anyways.
You’ll find more deets at the source links below.
source: Falcon Pro
via: Android Central
After multiple rumors swirled around the web, Korean publications confirmed today that both the LG Optimus G2 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 would feature 3GB RAM, the first devices to do so on the market. The high specs will allow the devices to handle multitasking much better without any hiccups, boosting performance by a pretty hefty amount.
Both devices are rumored to feature Snapdragon 800 processors, so these devices will certainly be competing against one another on the market. We expect both phones to be officially announced pretty soon with plenty of hype to go along with the release.
Sources: Phone Arena / SAM Mobile
With all the buzz that the Galaxy S 4 isn’t selling so well, news comes out of Korea that Samsung has shipped 20 million units. How does this compare to the Galaxy S III? It took 100 days for the Galaxy S III to hit the same milestone. The Galaxy S 4 achieved this same goal in 68 days. This is pretty darn good, but unfortunately investors still might think this improvement is not enough. Time will tell, but one thing you can’t argue is the fact that the Galaxy S 4 is the fastest selling Android phone ever.
Since the official announcement of Google Glass and its wide spread over social media and the internet, many questions have been raised concerning the device, what it does, what it’s meant to do, and what it will do in the future. Google hopes to quell some of these concerns through a new FAQ page on their Google Glass site, focusing on some of these issues and explaining what exactly they’re trying to do with this extensive project. Specifically, Google mentions app policies, privacy concerns, and even technology addiction. It’s not likely that this is enough information to please everyone, but this is certainly a start for those looking for answers. Check it out in the source link below.
Source: Google Glass FAQ Page
Redbox Instant was quietly updated with a very important feature if you are rooted. You can now stream to your heart’s content, even if you’re rooted. This update brings it to version 1.2 and among the usual bug fixes, the changelog states, “We changed the way we handle rooted devices”. So if you’re rooted and have been wanting to try Redbox, now is your chance. Hit the break for download links.
Unfortunate news for HTC One S owners: your device will no longer be receiving OTA Android updates. That means that the phone will forever remain on Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean unless owners look elsewhere for custom ROMs to grab the latest version of Android, 4.2.2 and above. It certainly isn’t the best news, but it’s a sign of good things to come with the Google Play Edition HTC One, which will most likely receive updates very soon after a new OS release by Google. Hit the break for the press release by HTC.
“We can confirm that the HTC One S will not receive further Android OS updates and will remain on the current version of Android and HTC Sense. We realize this news will be met with disappointment by some, but our customers should feel confident that we have designed the HTC One S to be optimized with our amazing camera and audio experiences.”
Popular image messaging service Snapchat has received a big update today to try and catch up with the iOS version, which was updated last month. Along with version 3.0.1 comes a brand new user interface that makes the app a little less clunky and a little more streamlined.
The camera refresh is very transparent, allowing you to see more of what you’re trying to capture. You can now swipe to the left to view friends, swipe to the right to view your latest snaps, and double tap a received snap to reply to the sender. In addition, the camera is faster, and users can now easily search for friends.
Facebook Home vowed that they would push out updates every month to its users. Considering the last update was on June 6, we were due for an update, and we have received one. However, we have no idea what this update actually updates. There’s no changelog on Facebook Home’s Play Store page, and the version number has remained the same from the previous version.
Facebook is using the staged rollout option to send out this update, so perhaps we will know what exactly has changed in a few days, once the update is available to everyone. In the mean time, you can try downloading the update from the Play Store link after the break, if you still use Facebook Home.
Play Store Download Link


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Facebook IPO: Stock goes on sale
"It's probably one of the first times there has been an IPO where everyone sort of has a stake in the outcome," said Gartner analyst Brian Blau.
While most Facebook users won't see a penny from the offering, they are all intimately familiar with the company.
Earlier Friday, the company's 28-year-old CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, smiled as he rang the opening bell from Facebook's headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif.
Surrounded by cheering Facebook employees and wearing his signature hoodie, he pushed the button that signals the opening of the stock market in New York.
The morning's events followed an all-night "hackathon" at the company, where engineers stayed up coding software and conjuring up new ideas for Facebook and its 900 million users.
"Right now this all seems like a big deal. Going public is an important milestone in our history. But here's the thing, our mission isn't to be a public company. Our mission is to make the world more open and connected," Zuckerberg said. "In the past eight years, all of you out there have built the largest community in the history of the world. You've done amazing things that we never would have dreamed of and I can't wait to see what you guys all do going forward."
Afterward, employees tried to get back to business as usual, building the company under immense new pressure to meet shareholders' expectations.
To remind everyone not to get caught up in the hoopla, Facebook's employees were given t-shirts that read "Stay focused & keep hacking."
On Thursday, Facebook and the investment bankers settled on a price of $38 per share.
The company and its early investors raised $16 billion in the offering, which valued Facebook at $104 billion.
That makes Facebook the most valuable U.S. company to ever go public.
Now, the stock market will begin assigning a dollar value to Facebook that will rise and fall with investor whims.
It will be subject to broad economic forces and held accountable for profit it earns -or loses- from one quarter to the next.
But Facebook is one a rare companies whose IPO transcends Wall Street's money lust. It is a cultural touchstone for the way technology reshapes our lives.
Since its start as a scrappy network for college students, Facebook has come to define social networking by getting people around the world to share everything from photos of their pets to their deepest thoughts.
It has done so while becoming one of the few profitable Internet companies to go public recently. It had net income of $205 million in the first three months of 2012, on revenue of $1.06 billion.
In all of 2011, it earned $1 billion, up from $606 million a year earlier. That's a far cry from 2007, when it posted a net loss of $138 million and revenue of $153 million.
The company makes most of its money from advertising. It also takes a cut from the money people spend on virtual items in Facebook games such as "FarmVille."
Would you like to contribute to this story? Join the discussion.


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News – Star Wars Battlefront’s Season Pass is £39.99
EA have revealed a £39.99 Season Pass for the upcoming Star Wars Battlefront on PS4, Xbox One and PC. EA Access members will be able to buy the Pass for the cheaper price of £35.99.
If you purchase the Season Pass, it will offer you two week early access to four upcoming expansions for the game.
Currently there’s a beta of the game running, although if you have yet to play it, you’ll have to be quick as the beta is coming to an end at 4pm tonight.
Star Wars Battlefront is to be released across all three formats on November 17th.


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Last week, after a month-long buildup, the New Orleans Pelicans officially changed the name of their arena to the borderline-laughable Smoothie King Center. The formerly cash-strapped team, which was actually owned by the NBA until owner Tom Benson took over in 2012, trumped up the health-conscious company’s more sensible options, asking fans at the arena to “Get More Jump in Your Game” via the brand’s in-arena offerings.
What the team didn’t disclose is that some of the Smoothie King’s smoothie-less fare once included substances that are banned by the NBA, and that the company had to give its outlets a proper cleaning before following through with the name change.
According to Rocky Gettys, Smoothie King's vice president of product development, some of the retail products found on Smoothie King's shelves were found to contain substances on the NBA's prohibited list. The substances included two steroid hormones: dehydroepiandrosterone, commonly known as DHEA, and androstenedione, made famous by home run king Mark McGwire, who said he took the over-the-counter muscle enhancer before it was banned by Major League Baseball in 2004.
"Our menu of smoothies was not impacted at all," Gettys said. Instead, the banned substances were present in "a few nutritional supplements we carried, and which make up less than 1 percent of our system-wide sales."
Gettys declined to say which nutritional supplements contained the prohibited substances. But he made it clear that the products have been eliminated from Smoothie King's inventory.
Gettys went on to defend the supplements’ one-time placement in their stores, pointing out that the enhancement-ridden products were of no real health risk to Smoothie King’s consumers, and that they just were NBA-kosher. That’s an understandable take from both sides, and it’s not as if the company was caught with egg in its face – or even andro in its shakes. They simply had a sampling of exercise-enhancing products to ingest, and willingly beat the NBA to the punch by lopping them off the shelves.
In all, a sensible solution. One doesn’t want a power forward being suspended by the league after, say, taking advantage of a $25 gift card from Smoothie King for appearing on a post-game radio show.
Way to keep it clean, Smoothie King.
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Americans hear a lot about the trade deficit. Indeed, for a lot of people the phrase “Made in America” seems to reflect a bygone era as the country’s manufacturing sectors have waned with the rise of the so-called digital economy.
However, the United States is still a force to be reckoned with as far as exports go. In 2017, for instance, America sent $1.45 trillion worth of goods and services abroad. That adds up to $4,500 of economic activity for every man, woman, and child in the country. So, what are the top ten commodity products that America sends overseas?
1. Machinery – $206 billion
Industrial equipment made in the U.S.A has the best reputation of any in the world. These products are sold to any country that requires mining equipment, tractors, or advanced pumps, which pretty much includes most of the industrial world.
2. Electronic equipment (including computers) – $170 billion
The United States is still at the forefront of the most advanced computing devices.
3. Spacecraft and aircraft – $131 billion
Europe’s Airbus can’t compete with Lockheed-Martin or Boeing in terms of quality or reputation. This is our number #1 export to the U.K.
4. Cars – $127 billion
Several years ago, Asia was giving Detroit fits. Today, however, American-made vehicles are making a comeback.
5. Petroleum – $106 billion
This may come as a shocker, but America is now a net exporter of oil.
6. Medical equipment – $83 billion
Nobody makes life-saving devices to higher standards than the U.S.
7. Plastics – $60 billion
The United States exports this commodity to nearly all of its FTA partners.
8. Gems, precious metals, and coins – $58 billion
This category is America’s 2nd most popular export to Hong Kong.
9. Pharmaceuticals – $47 billion
The United States is second only to Germany in terms of its market share for prescription drugs.
10. Organic chemicals – $39 billion
China and Japan buy a combined $5.2 billion of this commodity from the U.S.
Countries all across the globe buy American-made products:
• Canada accounts for 19% of our exports.
• Mexico accounts for 16% of our exports.
• China accounts for 8% of our exports.
• Japan accounts for 4% of our exports.


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Ten Actions You Can Take Now to Protect Your Financial Information During Cyber Security Awareness Month NYS Tax Department and NYS Division of Consumer Protection offer tips to prevent identity theft and fraud
For Release: Immediate,
For press inquiries only, contact: James Gazzale, 518-457-7377
The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, along with the Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection, today reminded taxpayers to remain vigilant against scammers and identity thieves. October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, however protecting private information should be a year-round practice.
“Taxpayers contact us throughout the year, not just during tax season, to report fraud and identity theft,” said NYS Tax Department Acting Commissioner Nonie Manion. “It’s critical that New Yorkers ensure that their financial information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. That’s why we’re offering these simple steps that taxpayers can take now to guard their money and identity.”
“Online theft of private data and information can result in identity theft and a loss of time and money for those who are victimized,” said New York Secretary of State Rossana Rosado, whose agency oversees the State Division of Consumer Protection. “We recommend consumers consistently monitor all their accounts, as a few easy steps now can save one a lot of aggravation later.”
1. Be wary of aggressive phone scams – Be sure to only give personal information—including social security numbers—to someone you trust. Remember, the NYS Tax Department and the IRS will contact you by mail first and will never threaten you over the phone or demand payment be made through MoneyGram, Western Union, or other wire transfer services; or using iTunes, Greendot, or other cash or gift cards.
2. Avoid phishing scams – Taxpayers may receive emails with authentic-looking government logos that offer assistance in settling fake tax issues. The NYS Tax Department and IRS will never request personal or financial information by email.
3. Protect your computer – Ensure that your computer is secure when accessing your financial accounts online by looking for “https,” with an “s” after the “http,” in the website address.
4. Use strong passwords – Use a combination of upper- and lower-case letters as well as numbers and symbols when creating a new password. Don’t use your name, birthdate, or common words. Use a different password for each of your accounts.
5. Use secure wireless networks – Always encrypt your wireless network with a strong password. Never access your personal accounts on a public Wi-Fi network.
6. Review bank accounts and statements – Check your credit card and banking statements regularly to spot any suspicious activity.
7. Review credit reports annually – Review each of your credit reports annually to spot any new lines of credit that you didn’t apply for or authorize. This can be a sign that a thief has stolen your identity and opened up a credit card, for example, in your name.
8. Think before you post – The more information and photos you share via social media, including current and past addresses, or names of relatives, can provide scammers possible answers to your security questions or otherwise help them access your accounts.
9. Secure tax documents – Store hard copies of your federal and NYS tax returns in a safe place. Digital copies should also be saved. Shred documents that contain personal information before throwing them away.
10. Review and respond to all NYS Tax Department communications – You should review and respond to all notices sent from the Tax Department. Any unexpected correspondence from the Tax Department can be a potential sign that your identity has been stolen. It’s important that you contact the Tax Department immediately to confirm any liabilities.
If you believe that you’ve been contacted by a cyber criminal attempting a scam, have been the victim of fraud or identity theft, or suspect a tax preparer is engaging in illegal activities, visit the Tax Department’s Report fraud, scams, and identity theft webpage to learn how to report it. The Tax Department takes this type of illegal activity seriously, promptly reviews each complaint, and takes corrective action when appropriate.


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ZTE, few days ago listed a new device Nubia Z17 on their official site. Now it again surfaced on Antutu with specs detail. The benchmarking site revealed 6GB of RAM like Geekbench claims. But there also some rumor for 8GB RAM Z17. It expected that the new ZTE device might launch in two variants: 6GB RAM and another one with 8GB RAM under the hood.
According to Antutu listing, The Nubia Z17 will feature 1080p Full HD display whereas screen size still unknown. It will include Snapdragon 835 processor paired with Adreno 540 GPU. The handset will run on Android 7.1.1 out of the box. In terms of camera, the device will sport Dual 12MP rear camera but front camera not listed. To recall, The Nubia Z17 mini was launched last month.