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F-Secure survey: Are Spartans a threat to your online security?
February 2009 by F-Secure
F-Secure’s annual Online Wellbeing survey, conducted in December 2008, shows that over 90% of people have security software installed on their computers. However, the knowledge of online threats is not as high: 71% may have a false sense of security and it is a Trojan not a ‘Spartan’ which presents a threat to your online security. For the first time the survey was also conducted in India and Hong Kong as well as Italy.
F-Secure announced results from its annual Online Wellbeing Survey. This third-party survey of Internet users aged 20-40 in the United States, Canada, UK, France, Germany – and for the first time – Italy, India and Hong Kong, tested the respondents’ knowledge of online security issues (their ‘security IQ’).
The majority of respondents across the countries – 92% – said they have security software installed on their computers. At the same time only 21% of all the respondents knew that antivirus definitions need to be updated many times a day. This indicates that a large population of users may have a false sense of security if their security software is expired or does not update automatically often enough. However, 67% were also aware that they need more than antivirus to keep them safe and almost 90% knew that they can get infected by visiting a malicious website, even if they don’t download anything.
Sean Sullivan, Security Advisor and blogger form F-Secure Security Labs in Helsinki says: “The fact that millions of PC’s keep getting infected shows that people do not always understand the way their security software works. Their software they have chosen may be manual and curative, rather than automatic and preventative. This is often the difference between free and trial software and a paid security service, which is automatically updated.”
The results show that people rely on their security software for online safety and secure websites to ensure the safety of their online shopping and banking. Just over 20% realize that appropriate online behavior on their own part also plays a big role. Respondents in Hong Kong and Germany were most aware of this. Respondents in the UK were least likely to pay attention to their own online habits to keep them safe.
Respondents in India and Hong Kong relied on the security software they had purchased or the security service from their Internet Service Provider (70% India, 50% Hong Kong). Those surveyed in the US had the least confidence in purchased software but rather relied on secure websites. In France, respondents relied more on the security of their online shopping and banking websites than their software.
When asked which concept in a list (worms, phishers, Trojans, Spartans, bots) did not refer to an Internet security threat, 40% answered that they didn’t know. Germany had the highest percentage of respondents (54%) who answered correctly that Spartans are not a threat. The second savviest respondents were from Canada (38%). Only 4% of respondents in Hong Kong knew that Spartans are not threatening.
The Internet Explorer vulnerability in December 2008 and the Downadup/Conficker worm which spread widely in corporate networks in January 2009 highlighted once again the need for users to update their applications with the latest patches and updates. F-Secure’s Online Wellbeing survey showed that only 17% of respondents were absolutely sure that they had the latest patches and updates. 40% of respondents were less sure but agreed with the statement. Canadians were the most sure (22%) that their applications were patched, with Germans coming in second (21%).
The survey was carried out by independent third party Zoomerang in December 2008 across 2019 Internet users aged 20-40 in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, UK, Italy, India and Hong Kong. There were approximately 200 persons surveyed per country. F-Secure asked respondents a series of basic online security questions and, using a Likert scale, asked them to rate the extent to which they were confident in the security of given online activities.


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In trading today, the technology sector did pretty well, closing on the up side by about 1.4%
Electronic Arts, however, took a bit of a bath in the market, closing on the down side by 1.1%, bringing the tech sector down, as a whole.
As I stated in a previous article, EA has been posting gains for a while now which can probably be attributed to investor confidence based on what seems to be a number of good strategic buys, AAA releases, and a great deal of “cutting edge” work, like their upcoming and highly anticipated MMORPG “Star Wars : The Old Republic“, which is set to release on December 20th, with an early play program for pre-order customers, which is set to begin on December 15th.
We previously reported a couple of issues, however, which could have potentially shaken investor confidence and could have been to blame for this downturn.
First among those was the cancellation of a number of unused – read UN-BOUGHT – online passes, before the consumers had a chance to get to them, leading a number of buyers to finding invalid codes in newly purchased software packages.
As we reported, this was a pretty major dick-move and certainly upset the consumer base around the world, which could have investors wondering how the world’s gamers will respond.
Another big issue occurred within the last few days, when consumers started reporting receiving emails from Walmart indicating their Star Wars : The Old Republic pre-orders had been mysteriously cancelled and that Walmart was having some form of fulfillment issue which would stop them being able to deliver the pre-orders until an unknown future date, if at all. Some consumers also reported being told that they would not be able to receive a refund for their lost or canceled pre-order.
With the release of this major title being just around the corner, this could also serve to shake investor confidence in EA and could also potentially explain this downturn for them.
I, for one, think EA will be able to recover from this in a major way, especially if the prediction of selling 3 million copies of Star Wars : The Old Republic come to pass.
This won’t sway me in the slightest, though. I’ll still be out there hopping around the galaxy, stabbing those dirty Jedi pigs with my lightsaber, come the 15th. Beware!

domain: news


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When It Happens Panel Get involved: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting 'OXFORD NEWS' to 80360 or email
11:04am Thursday 21st February 2013
8:10am Thursday 19th July 2012
8:20am Thursday 21st June 2012
Imagine trying to measure and quality check objects you cannot see at high speed during a manufacturing process.This is the challenge faced by manufacturers of semiconductor chips used in smart phones and other electronic gadgets as they become ever smaller and more sophisticated to meet consumer demand for compact design combined with higher functionality and lower power.
4:01pm Wednesday 16th May 2012
Years before anyone had heard of an iPhone, Neil Bailey and Stewart Thompson, academics in the Life Sciences department at Oxford Brookes University, realised mobile devices could be superb data collection tools.
4:10pm Thursday 15th March 2012
4:06pm Thursday 19th January 2012
10:47am Thursday 8th December 2011
A dinner between friends was the starting point for the creation of Radius Diagnostics, a new company that uses technology straight from the the European space programme to design X-ray machines the size of laptops.
5:02pm Thursday 17th November 2011
5:06pm Thursday 20th October 2011
8:00am Thursday 18th August 2011


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Despite the global supply chain shortage causing a bottleneck for technology vendors’ production and choking revenues, increasing investment in high-quality originals, image expression and interactivity are keeping the overall outlook for Create & Produce positive,” said Lorenzo Zanni, Head of Knowledge at IABM.
Zanni was speaking as IABM launched a new Content Creation & Production Trends report, which assesses the key drivers, trends, and investment outlook in the Create and Produce segments of the IABM BaM Content Chain.
He added, “The explosive growth of the ‘creator economy’ is also offering new business opportunities for tech vendors, many of whom have already responded to the increasing need for smaller, cheaper, connected cameras by launching products to this new vertical.”
Content creation and production are greatly affected by the transition to direct-to-consumer (D2C) business models, which is changing tech demand in all sectors, particularly in live sports.
IABM’s new report examines business and technology trends in D2C, the creator economy, cloud and remote, and imaging and immersive, and finally rounds up the key technology developments in create and produce.
Media businesses’ move to the cloud and IP-based workflows has also facilitated companies to do more remote production, supporting their aims to permanently consolidate crews, decentralise productions and control costs with integrated production systems, said Zanni.
With collaboration remaining a key investment driver, cloud-based and AI-enriched post-production solutions are playing a key role in bringing media companies and a massive pool of creative freelancers together, he added.
He also noted, “Gamification of content creation is making immersive AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) enhancements an increasingly important part of sports productions, pushing media companies to prepare for the next visual reality — the metaverse.”


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What to expect at CES 2015: 4K TVs, Broadwell chips, and the smart home
"GoMore, which is being marketed as a “stamina sensor” that helps calibrate workout intensity."
Wearables: Here we go again
It would be much too generous to say wearables are “growing up” this year, but clearly the consumer tech industry is advancing and expanding the definition of what a wearable can be. At this year’s CES, expect a new generation of much more niche and mission-specific wearables—perhaps a reaction to the fact that activity trackers have become ho-hum commodity hardware; that Android Wear and Apple Watch have sucked all the oxygen out of the smartwatch space; and that all current-generation wearables are still struggling to find a receptive audience.
Among the highly specialized flights of fancy we anticipate seeing, a new wearable called Thync promises to alters one’s mood, using “enhanced neurosignaling” to shift one’s “vibe” to either an energized or relaxed state. Fuhu, meanwhile, is planning to demo a “child-friendly, gamified” pedometer, while Sensoria Fitness will show off new “smart socks” that help track cadence and center-of-balance while you run. We should also see Vert, a wearable that tracks your jumping stats (perfect for volleyball and basketball training); GoMore, which is being marketed as a “stamina sensor” that helps calibrate workout intensity; and Linx, a new head concussion monitor that could be great for anyone who competes in impact sports.
And those are just the niche players. We’re already hearing that a number of much bigger-name companies will have wearable-tech announcements. The question is: Will they stick to traditional formulas like the conventional activity trackers, or will they go big with innovative risks?


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SNEK, the popular meme coin based on Cardano, has announced its latest breakthrough in gaming. This happened just two months after the Cardano-based meme coin launched a branded energy drink.
In a new tweet, sneck We announced that the snake game is now live. The game was developed in partnership with Paima, Vacuum Labs, and Anvil and was inspired by the famous Snake game for Nokia phones. This will be his first Play-to-Earn game in the Snek ecosystem.
According to the Snek team, the game is currently only available on desktop, but a mobile version could be released in 2024. To celebrate the game’s release, Snek says he will be adding 69 ADA to the prize pool every day until February 1st. .
The Snek gaming innovation with wrapped smart contracts is noteworthy as it demonstrates the potential of the Cardano blockchain in gaming and entertainment.
The price of SNEK has risen dramatically in recent months on the back of positive developments, reaching an all-time high of $0.002246 on December 16, 2023. At the time of writing, the SNEK token is trading at $0.001271, an increase of 319% in the past 30 days. .
Cardano blockchain will make big strides in 2024
Cardano is a rapidly growing ecosystem of DeFi, NFT, and other decentralized applications that use tokens to exchange services and value.
Along similar lines, sebastian guillemotThe Paima Studios co-founder hinted at upcoming new dApps powered by Cardano and Arbitrum that are scheduled to launch in mid-January.
Paima Engine transforms deterministic state machines into L2 that can be connected to multiple chains such as Cardano and Arbitrum and used in any app. This opens up the possibility of running games on Arbitrum while allowing users to own NFTs on Cardano if they wish.
Speaking of updates, the Chan hard fork is expected to be implemented in 2024, starting a bootstrapping period for the Cardano governance model. Cardano also plans to take some major steps in 2024 to achieve full community governance.
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American Eagle Outfitters has had a difficult time driving store traffic over the past year-and-a-half, due to its limited fashion variety and industry-wide shift to online shopping. Moreover, the company has lost a number of its customers to fashion-forward brands such as
American Eagle’s problems continue to persist in 2014 as its comparable sales in the first quarter declined by a staggering 10% due to unfavorable weather and heavy promotions. The retailer once again disappointed with its results as its second quarter earnings and comparable sales fell significantly owing to weak mall traffic and higher promotional activities.
Our price estimate for American Eagle Outfitters stands at $14.74, implying a premium of less than 15% to the market price. However, we are in the process of updating our model to include the recent earnings release.
In its recently reported Q2 results, American Eagle recorded a decline of 2% in its overall revenues primarily driven by 7% fall in comparable sales and closure of five under-performing stores, partially offset by new store expansion. The retailer’s comparable sales decline can be mainly attributed to weak traffic in shopping malls resulting from sluggish economic environment and customer shift towards online shopping. It is worth noting that American Eagle’s comparable sales include its e-commerce revenues, and heavy decline in this metric suggests that the company’s omni-channel platform still isn’t strong enough to have a material impact. To compensate for weak store traffic, the company offered heavy discounts that dragged its gross margins down to 33.4% from 33.8% a year earlier. However, interim CEO, Jay Schottenstien, stated that although aggressive promotions impacted the company’s results, they helped it attain a clean inventory position for the second half of the year.
The most disappointing aspect of American Eagle’s results was the alarming 70% decline in its earnings. The company reported a profit of $5.81 million in the second quarter, down from $19.6 million in the same quarter last year. Last quarter, American Eagle laid out plans to close 150 of its under-performing stores in the next three years, to reduce its operating expenses as percentage of revenues. Since the idea behind this strategy was to increase sales productivity and profitability, the drastic decline in profits is a big concern for the company.
Despite closing five under-performing stores and opening 20 new stores, American Eagle’s SG&A expenses relative to revenues increased by 110 basis points. This indicates that shutting under-performing stores did not have the desired impact and new stores did not generate adequate revenues. However, over the next few years, when the company closes a significant number of stores that do not generate sufficient revenues but contribute proportionally to SG&A expenses, it can realize a modest positive impact on its operating margins.
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Signs of construction can be seen all over town, and that includes a new Aggieland Outfitters that is being built next to the existing store on University Drive.
The store is being built on property acquired over the past few years and the new building with expand the Aggieland Outfitters store from 2,000 to 8,000 square feet.
All other Aggieland Outfitters stores will remain open, but thanks to success of the A&M football program the store felt it was time to expand.
"When they bought this property on University Drive, the long term plan was always to build a larger store. With the success of the football team last year, that really helped us make sure we got that done in 2012 so we're excited to open up in the fall," said Aggieland Outfitters Marketing Director Dallas Shipp.
The store is expected to be open in time for Texas A&M's first home football game of the season.
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Realme C31 renderings are filtered by an informant, indicating the design of the phone. In addition, the informant confirmed a first leak on the color variant and configurations. The Chinese company’s next entry-level phone. Realme C31 has already cleared several certificates. Realme’s C-Series phone was spotted on several certification websites in December last year. He has also earned FCC certification. Another informant stated in February that he could launch Realme C31 in March.
Realme C31 specifications and features
The filtered renderings SnoopyTech shared the news on Twitter, adding that the next Realme C31 will have two color options – Dark Green and Light Silver – and two memory + storage options that will be 3GB + 32GB and 4GB + 64GB. This coincides with a leak made in February by informant Mukul Sharma. Rendering shows that the display panel of the Realme C31 will place the front shooter inside a drop of water. The renderings also show a giant chin at the bottom of the front panel.
The rear panel of the Realme C31 will place a rectangular camera module in the upper left corner, showing the rendering. This module is similar to the Realme C35. The main sensor of the device will be a 13 megapixel shot, as the text of the 13MP AI Camera can be viewed inside the camera module.
The back panel appears to have curved edges. Realme’s next phone will feature a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, which will also double as a power button. The volume buttons will be located on the left edge of the Realme C31.
In January, it was the Realme C31 recognize With the RMC3501 model number on the US FCC site, it shows details like 4890mAh (5,000mAh) battery, 10W charging, Android 11 and Bluetooth 5.0.
In December, Abhish informant Yadav said that the RMX3501 model number Realme C31 appeared on NBTC and TUV certification. Realme C31 may be the successor to Realme C21, which made its Indian debut in April last year. He also said that this particular phone will be capable of charging 10W. Some reports also speculate that the Realme C31 will have a 6.5-inch HD + screen like the Realme C21, and a Unisoc SoC like the Realme C35.
Realme C31 price, availability (expected)
According to a report by Appuals, the Realme C31 will be priced at 129 euros (approximately Rs.) For the basic 3GB + 32GB model, and 149 EUR (approximately Rs.) For the 4GB + 64GB model.
In the meantime, we look forward to launching the Realme C31 in the near future. According to an informant in February, the phone will be launched in March, so we have less than a fortnight to go.


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Retail News Breaks Archives
Research turns spotlight on need for retail clinics
November 1st, 2010
CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. – Walgreen Co.'s Take Care Health Systems subsidiary is trumpeting research showing that alternative sites for health care — including retail clinics and urgent care centers — could alleviate overcrowded emergency rooms and save the nation's health care system billions of dollars.
The company said Monday that according to new research published in the September issue of the health care journal Health Affairs, between 13.7% and 27.1% of emergency department visits, or up to one in four visits, could take place at retail clinics or urgent care facilities, with a potential cost savings of $4.4 billion annually.
What's more, the research indicates that health clinics such as Take Care Clinics, situated in select Walgreens drug stores, have been shown to save patients $279 to $460 a visit compared with emergency department costs.
Take Care noted that a second study in the September Health Affairs found that only 42% of the 354 million annual visits for acute care are made to patients' personal physicians. The company explained that as the primary care doctor shortage increases, retail clinics can reduce some of the pressure by treating more patients in nonemergency situations at a lower cost than other settings, while also helping to advocate for patients who need to be connected to the health care system.
"This research reaffirms the need for alternative sites of care to help ease the pressure of overcrowded emergency departments and long wait times that are often necessary to get an appointment with patients' primary care providers," stated Hal Rosenbluth, senior vice president at Walgreens, president of the Walgreens Health and Wellness division and co-founder of Take Care Health Systems.
"The fact that $4.4 billion could be saved by utilizing options like Take Care Clinics and other retail and urgent care clinics is a wake-up call to patients, employers and health plans that money spent on health care can be better allocated to help ease the pressure on an already burdened system. We have always believed that Take Care Clinics were an important part of the solution to the health care crisis in the U.S., but this research, along with Take Care Clinics' record of high-quality care, makes this point more poignantly than ever."
Take Care Health Systems reported that the Health Affairs article looked at data provided by retail clinics and urgent care centers in 2007 and compared it to emergency department visit data in 2006. The researchers used a list of health conditions commonly treated at retail clinics and urgent care centers to determine the number of visits that could have been treated at alternative sites. The study found that 13.7% of emergency room visits could take place at a retail clinic and another 13.4% of visits could take place at an urgent care center, for a combined total of 27.1%. The researchers lowered this estimate to 16.8% when taking into account hours that retail clinics and urgent care centers are open.
Earlier this month, the American Journal of Medical Quality published a study from the Jefferson School of Population Health showing that the quality of care delivered in Take Care clinics for treatment of pharyngitis (inflammation of the throat) and upper respiratory infections meets or exceeds the quality of the care delivered in other settings. And in August, Retail Clinician published a report from Gallup highlighting the patient experience at Take Care clinics. The study has found that Take Care clinics rank among the top 10% of all organizations globally in engaging their customers.
"Take Care Clinics were designed to offer patients high-quality care in a simple and easy fashion," Sandra Ryan, chief nurse practitioner officer for Take Care Health Systems, said in a statement. "We are playing an integral role in health care reform by providing an entry into the health care system for many Americans through both our retail clinics as well as our work-site health centers. By offering quality health care where people live and work, Take Care Health Systems is improving the lives of our patients, connecting them within the existing health care community and reducing the burden on the health care system as a whole. This trend could continue as health plans and employers explore ways to encourage patients to utilize retail clinics more frequently instead of making trips to the emergency department."


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Victoria Beckham turned heads when she stepped out in this daring dress, which left her back completely exposed. Victoria, 33, eclipsed supermodel Heidi Klum and actress Selma Blair at designer Marc Jacobs' show, part of New York Fashion Week. She has been signed on as Jacobs' muse, and appears in his advertising campaign for his spring collection. Taking a break from the Spice Girls reunion tour, this week Victoria also appeared on the American fashion TV show, Project Runway, as a guest judge.
The Spice Girls have cut short their tour due to family commitments. It will end in Toronto on February 26.


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It’s time we bent the rules
In a glitzy nightclub in Ukraine, models sashayed down the ramp wearing beautiful evening gowns and edgy hats. What was unique was not the sartorial glamour, but the spirit of the models — who were either wheelchair bound, or lacked the power of vision. Is the West out to break catwalk norms? Will India follow?fashion and trends Updated: Jul 28, 2012 01:24 IST
In a glitzy nightclub in Ukraine, models sashayed down the ramp wearing beautiful evening gowns and edgy hats. What made this showcase unique was not the sartorial glamour, but the spirit of the models — who were either wheelchair bound, or lacked the power of vision. These ramp strutters relished their Cinderella moment and flashed super smiles during Fashion Chance, an event put together by 28-year-old Yulia Kozluk, a differently-abled woman who dared to think out-of-the-box, and infused confidence in many.
Will India dare to be different?
Apart from the differently abled, recent fashion campaigns in the West have also used octogenarians and even transgenders as models. Will desi designers too break the norm of usinng wafer-thin, leggy models and give a chance to those who are different? “It’s a great idea to explore such people in fashion shows, who could be unique in themselves, and therefore make for interesting muses. But, we are so glamour-struck that even when we experiment, we do it in a very Bollywoodish way,” says designer Gaurav Gupta. He recalls watching one of John Galliano’s shows as a student, where the British designer had old women wearing his cotoure creations. “It’s time we started representing things differently. It gives you a true feel of a show,” adds Gupta.
We need a mindset overhaul
Designer Rina Dhaka agrees that designers must take on the challenge of not using regular models and do something exciting. But, she adds that it’s usually the fear of negative publicity that deters designers from doing so. “Art and design is still too conservative in India, and people don’t dare to be different,” she says. “Two minutes of fame for those who are marginalised could bring them a lot of joy,” she adds.
Designers Kapil and Mmonika Arora also give a thumbs up to the idea of using real people. We must kill the clichés. Why do drab shows where you see faces and bodies that look like clones ? It will be super exciting to see real people show off my designs,” Kapil says. “It’s often the fear of backlash that delfaltes our spirits. But, it is time we started respecting those who are different,” he adds.
The designers will soon have a show where people from the LBGT community will walk the ramp wearing their creations.
The west is already creating a stir:
French fashion house Lanvin’s Fall 2012 campaign features the 81-year-old dancer Jacquie ‘Tajah’ Murdock. Fashion brands abroad do not hesitate from using transgender models as well. US brand American Apparel’s latest print campaign features transgender model Isis King. King has been walking the ramp for more than a decade.
We have talent, but where’s the spirit?
While finding a job for the differently-abled is a problem that plagues many countries, the absence of an anti-discrimination legislation in India makes the situation trickier. “Some of the differently-abled people are very good looking and modelling can be a career option for them,” says technology consultant Pranav Lal who was born blind. “But sadly, unlike the West, there are hardly any takers for such ideas,” he adds. Transgender Danish Khan aka Chahat’s modelling dreams too are yet to materialise. “It is sad that we have remained regressive while the world has got rid of prejudice against those who are different,” she says.
First Published: Jul 27, 2012 18:28 IST


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PORTLAND, Ore. — Running a business and getting it off the ground is challenging enough as it is without a pandemic in the mix.
Portland based media company, Supermaker, is offering help. It launched the Entrepreneurial Dream Project to support new businesses nationwide in the era of COVID-19.
Supermaker co-founder Jaime Schmidt said the project will benefit entrepreneurs pursuing their business goals in the face of adversity.
"Our goal is to provide financial resources so we have a grant, it’s $100,000 and will be split between two winning companies." Schmidt says additionally, ten companies will receive mentoring from the Supermaker Mentor Network of acclaimed founders and executives, such as Mark Cuban and Rebecca Minkoff.
"In today's circumstances with COVID-19, we really just wanted to help, like I said, keep that spirit alive for new entrepreneurs and really help people power through this really challenging time," said Schmidt.
Supermaker, is also the company behind Portland Made, a business networking company that holds events to help business grow.
Local business owner, Angela Medlin used Portland made as a resource when she started House Dogge three years ago.
As an entrepreneur herself, who now mentors others, Medlin encourages everyone that qualifies to apply, especially people of color.
“I want people of color to see that there are opportunities to be that creative that you want to be and have a business of your own whether you decide to do that or going to corporate like you should be able to see yourself in this position.”
Eligible applicants will be evaluated according to a number of criteria. Visit the Entrepreneurial Dream Project for more information and to apply. Submissions are open now until June 22, 2020. Winners will be announced next month.


text: After hearing whisperings about Yves Saint Laurent's possible name change, WWD just confirmed that the French brand's new creative director, Hedi Slimane, is indeed taking the "Yves" out of Yves Saint Laurent, at least partly. The new name for the house's ready-to-wear collection is now "Saint Laurent Paris" and is expected to make its debut when Slimane's Spring '13 collection hits stores. However, the iconic YSL logo designed by Ukrainian-French artist A. M. Cassandre in 1961 — adorning everything from shoe soles to makeup products — will live on. The Yves Saint Laurent brand has become a namesake since its inception in the early '60s and we were happy to hear from their communications department that the house will continue to go by the name Yves St. Laurent. What do you think? Is the name change an epic move on Hedi Slimane's part to refresh the RTW brand or do you think it's a strange decision?


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SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Canvas, the open online learning management system (LMS) that makes teaching and learning easier, today announced it is now open sourcing the code for Canvas skill creation within the Amazon Alexa environment. The new, more open environment within the Canvas skill for Amazon Alexa, which initially launched last year, makes way for significant growth in the numbers and types of skills that can be synced to Canvas.
"When it comes to 21st-century education, students and teachers want 21st-century solutions to enhance teaching and learning," said Melissa Loble, SVP, Custom Success and Partnerships, at Instructure. "With the release of Canvas Skill for Amazon Alexa we enabled users to link their Canvas account in the Alexa app, then simply ask Alexa for details about their courses. Now by open sourcing the code, we're enabling our institutions to expand the cooperation of Canvas and Alexa in nearly any way they can imagine."
The last few years have seen a proliferation of voice services, such as Amazon Alexa, in ever-expanding roles. Designed to make it easy for people to ask questions, perform quick tasks, and easily get information from their devices, these applications continue to evolve the way we interact with technology.
By open sourcing the code to the Canvas skill for Amazon Alexa, the makers of Canvas enabled the roughly 350,000 members of their online customer community to drive innovative applications that can be deployed on Amazon Alexa. These applications move beyond the skills already being developed by Canvas, such as helping users craft a new announcement, providing feedback to students or checking in on at-risk students. Canvas' goal of open-sourcing this code is to lower the barriers to information and tools to help empower learners and instructors alike to create skills that can improve learning outcomes and experiences.
"We've seen the emergence of virtual reality, augmented reality, and other tools allowing multi-modal interaction. We envision the power of the community really driving where we go with these types of technologies," said Loble. "The way we interact with technology is evolving, and our approach to supporting those interactions has to evolve as well."
Additionally, Loble will participate in a panel about voice-enabled technology during the 2018 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference in the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. The interactive panel discussion, "Voice-Enabled Technologies: Is Higher Education Ready?", will take place in the Mile High Ballroom 2B/3B, Ballroom Level on Thursday, November 1 from 1:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. MT. To learn more, visit the EDUCAUSE agenda.
More information will also be available at the Canvas booth (#941) at EDUCAUSE.
Through open, usable, cloud-based technologies, Canvas enables easy integration of the content, tools, and services that teachers need and students want. As the most usable, customizable, adaptable and reliable learning platform (think 99.9% uptime), Canvas is adopted faster and deeper (or, is used in more ways by more users) than any other LMS. So, in the end, investing in 21st-century education technology actually makes teaching and learning easier (like it's supposed to). Learn more about Canvas at www.CanvasLMS.com.
Instructure, Inc. is a leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology company that makes software that makes people smarter. With a vision to help maximize the potential of people through technology, Instructure created Canvas and Bridge to enable organizations everywhere to easily develop, deliver and manage engaging face-to-face and online learning experiences. To date, Instructure has connected millions of instructors and learners at more than 4,000 educational institutions and corporations throughout the world. Learn more about Canvas for higher ed and K–12, and Bridge for the corporate market, at www.Instructure.com.
Senior Director, Corporate Communications


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Samsung Electronics East Africa has today unveiled the Galaxy Pocket smartphone first revealed to Africa at the Samsung Africa Forum 2012 in Cape Town. The device which will retail at Ksh 9,999 is particularly targeted at the African users who loves social media and entertainment.
With the device, Samsung is targeting the 10 – 15% (8 to 15 million users) smartphone market in the region who are mostly entry level users. The electronic giant is riding behind recent gains in all verticals of the mobile phone market to promise users superior products backed up by 2 years warranty.
In a strategic market development effort, Samsung electronics has introduced the Samsung Galaxy Pocket handset which is designed to provide a platform for more than 8 million mobile subscribers to upgrade from basic mobile handsets functionalities to smart phone capabilities.
Speaking during the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Pocket handset, Samsung Electronic East Africa Business Leader, Robert Ngeru said:
“Samsung Galaxy Pocket provides our users with ability to multi task between several applications without having to close any of them. Secondly, Samsung smartphones allow the users to add new features and services to their phones using a downloaded application restricted to only the factory installed applications but can expand their experiences by downloading new applications. More than 400,000 applications are available for download.”
The new GALAXY Pocket has been developed and priced to bridge the cost of ownership barrier that has been long identified as a drawback to internet penetration in developing countries.
Through the music hub, the Galaxy Pocket will give you the power to search and download local and international music without worrying about you pirating them. The device packs 832Mhz Processor, 3GB internal memory, 2MP camera, Samsung touch wiz and a music hub.
At 11.98mm slim and weighing only 97g with a 2.8” display, the Galaxy pocket is portable enough to ensure you enjoy the versatility of such a device.
The device has yellow, white, orange, pink and back covers.
This is a device target just above entry level smartphone so don’t compare it with Huawei X5 or Galaxy S Plus
Samsung GALAXY Pocket Specifications:
|Network||HSDPA 3.6UMTS 900/2100|
|Display||2.8” QVGA(240×320) TN LCD|
|Camera||Main(Rear): 2 Megapixel Fixed Focus Camera|
|Video||Video: MPEG4, H.263, H.264|
|Audio||Codec: MP3, OGG, AAC, AAC＋, eAAC＋, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, WAV, MID, IMY|
3.5mm Ear Jack , Stereo FM Radio with RDS
|Samsung TouchWiz UX|
-Integrated Messaging(Email, SNS), Contacts, Calendar Sync
|Samsung ChatON mobile communication service|
(Downloadable via Samsung Apps)
|Google™ Mobile Services|
– Android Market™, Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Maps™,
Syncing with Google Calendar™, Google Search, Google ＋
|Connectivity||Bluetooth® technology v 3.0|
|Sensor||Accelerometer, Digital Compass|
|Memory||3GB User memory|
microSD (up to 32GB)
|Size||103.7 x 57.5 x 12 mm, 97g|
|Battery||Standard battery, Li-ion 1,200 mAh|


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RIM is already a beleaguered company, and what they need the most at this moment would be a boost of good news – but that is seemingly lacking in generous measure this day, where the latest blow to hit RIM would be word that The New York Times (NYT) has dropped its downloadable application for BlackBerry users. Those who still use a BlackBerry are able to access the newspaper via the mobile website, which will now be the main focus of its electronic- publishing efforts.
I guess NYT is sticking to tried and tested winners, where those who run on Android or iOS devices will still be able to get their daily dose of New York Times news via dedicated apps on its respective platforms. How does this affect you as a media consumer – is it any huge loss to your everyday news reading sessions, or have you long ditched the BlackBerry bandwagon and moved on to greener pastures in the form of an Android or iOS smartphone?
Temple Run Franchise Surpasses 300M Downloads; Temple Run 2 Update Incoming
iOS Devices Now Approved For Military Use By Department Of Defense
Samsung Releases TecTiles 2 NFC Tags With Galaxy S4 Support For $15
LG Optimus GJ Headed For Taiwan


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'Doctor Who' hits Hulu in content deal with BBC
- Staff New York Business Journal
Fans of British shows “Doctor Who” and “Sherlock” can now catch the popular BBC shows on Hulu Plus.
BBC Worldwide North America, based in New York, has signed a nonexclusive, multi-year agreement to offer BBC content on the U.S. Hulu Plus subscription service.
The pact helps Hulu Plus keep up with Netflix and Amazon.com, which also have streaming agreements for BBC shows. Variety said the deal is "part of a larger attempt for (Hulu) to boost its base of paying subscribers, which is now north of 4 million."
Shows will include “Doctor Who,” The Sarah Jane Adventures,” “Torchwood” and “Blue Planet.” This fall, the series “Top Gear,” “Sherlock,” “MI-5” and “Luther” will launch on Hulu Plus, as well as comedies such as “Fawlty Towers,” Twenty Twelve,” and “Blackadder,” as well as sci-fi favorites “Bedlam,” “Red Dwarf” and “Primeval,” and natural history shows, including selections from David Attenborough's “Life in the...” series. In addition, other titles like “Upstairs, Downstairs,” “Wallander,” and “Bleak House” will also be available.
Additional series will roll out throughout the year, giving Hulu Plus subscribers access to more than 2,000 episodes of BBC Worldwide titles, the companies said. A selection of BBC Worldwide library programs will rotate through the free Hulu.com service.
Andy Forssell, acting CEO and senior vice president of content for Hulu, said the deal "solidifies (Hulu) as a top streaming platform for the best British programming available in the U.S.”
“Hulu has been a fantastic partner and innovator bringing many BBC flagship programs exclusively to the U.S. online audience,” said Matt Forde, BBC’s executive vice president of sales and co-productions.
Hulu, which is owned by 21st Century Fox, Walt Disney Co. and NBCUniversal, first began airing shows from BBC Worldwide North America in 2010.
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William Gervais, president of Qualstar Corp., counts himself and his company among the few lucky survivors of the boom-and-bust that built the San Fernando Valley into a center of data storage equipment in the 1980s, only to see most of it go away.
Former stalwart companies such as Pertec Computer, Tandon, Computer Memories and Micropolis were once scattered around the west Valley like a mini version of Northern California's Silicon Valley. In a few years, however, they were all gone, victims of plummeting prices, overseas competition and fast-changing technologies.
Qualstar, founded in 1984 as a maker of magnetic tape drives for computers, has survived by finding new niches for itself in a cutthroat market. Now, after years of percolating as a tiny, but profitable company, it is beginning to reap the benefits of living into the Internet Age.
In June, the Canoga Park-based company launched its first public stock on Nasdaq. Starting at $7, its shares have been on the rise, closing at $11 Friday. That's a respectable showing in a market that over the same period has seen the Nasdaq index lose more than 500 points, or 14%. Gervais, 57, owns a quarter of the company--a stake worth about $35 million.
Qualstar's revenue jumped 65% this year, growing from $29.7 million in 1999 to $49.4 million for the fiscal year ending June 30. The company's profit grew at an even faster pace in the same period, increasing $4 million last year to $7.8 million--a 95% increase.
The company makes automated systems, known as magnetic tape libraries, that back up and store critical computer data on tape cassettes. The backup process has become a routine part of computing for most businesses to protect themselves from losing information due to viruses, human error, machine failure or hacking attacks. Many companies also archive their records on a regular schedule, resulting in trillions of bytes of information that need to be stored in a safe and cheap way.
It is admittedly an unglamorous product in an industry that even Gervais describes as the "U.S. Steel of high technology."
But the growth of the Internet in the last few years has sparked an explosion in the amount of computer information that needs to be stored, archived and cataloged.
Qualstar focuses only on the backup and archiving piece of the puzzle, and has found itself with about 2% to 5% of a quickly expanding market, according to the research firm IDC. "It's a rising tide, and all the boats are going up," Gervais said.
The boom in information is largely due to the proliferation of Web sites, e-mail, Internet video and e-commerce transactions since the mid-1990s.
All those pieces of information are stored on large arrays of disk drives, leading to a demand for disk storage that is growing 80% a year, according to IDC.
Eventually, backup copies of that information are made onto magnetic tape, which is the cheapest method of storage.
The tapes are stored in racks that are accessed by robotic arms programmed to find the right tape, record the right information on it, and then return it to its proper slot. The total magnetic tape library industry now stands at about $3.1 billion in sales, according to Robert C. Abraham, president of the Freeman Reports, an Ojai-based research firm focused on magnetic tape storage.
Even though the demand for data storage is growing quickly, revenue from magnetic tape library sales will grow at a more modest 15% a year because the price of equipment is constantly dropping, Abraham said.
But he added that by 2004, tape libraries should be a $4.2-billion industry--enough to support good growth for small companies such as Qualstar. "Qualstar is definitely a viable player," Abraham said.
Qualstar was founded by Gervais, a mechanical engineer by training, and Richard Nelson, an electrical engineer who was Gervais' roommate at Cal Poly Pomona in the 1960s. Nelson is now vice president of engineering at the company.
Both men found themselves at Pertec in the late 1960s just as the minicomputer industry was beginning to boom. Before then, the computer world was dominated by large mainframe computers--usually made by IBM. IBM had developed a system to store information using a type of 9-track magnetic tape held on large reels, just like on an old tape-recording machine.
Pertec realized that the new minicomputers from rival companies would also need 9-track tape drives. Pertec found a niche for itself below the radar of IBM and thrived.
It was a lesson that Gervais and Nelson took to heart.
Learning From Pertec's Example
Fifteen years after joining Pertec, the two men launched Qualstar with the idea of making 9-track tape drives for the newly created world of personal computers. "We saw an opportunity to do exactly what Pertec did when the minicomputer came out," Gervais said.


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By Mariah Melendez
CHESHIRE – Crossfit Cheshire has received Planning and Zoning Commission approval to move to a new location.
Josh Colburn, owner of Crossfit Cheshire, plans to move to the building behind Rossini’s Italian Restaurant and Pizza, at 51 Railroad Ave. The proposal was approved at a meeting late last month.
“We (Crossfit Cheshire) focus on smaller, more personal workout classes and fitness training,” Colburn said. “I want to move into that location in order to maximize the quality of time I get with my clients, and it will allow me to be able to take on more personal-training clientele.”
Crossfit Cheshire is currently located at 360 Sandbank Road. It opened in 2010.
Crossfit is marketed as a branded fitness regimen that combines physical exercise and competitive fitness sports such as weightlifting and gymnastics.
With the move to the new facility, Colburn hopes to focus more on his individual training classes and less on larger, group classes. Although Colburn says his personal training classes tend to have no more than six attendees, PZC members Jeff Natale, Louis Todisco and Woody Dawson were concerned about whether appropriate parking would be available at the new location.
“It is important that you work with the surrounding businesses to figure out (the) parking,” Natale said during the Nov. 25 meeting. “We don’t want to interfere with people trying to get on the (linear) trail or (to) Rossini’s.”
“I would recommend limiting the staff parking to the back or the gravel lot on the side in order to keep all six spaces available for your customers.” Todisco added.
“While I have some concerns about the parking situation — you will have to police the parking yourself — I do support this.” Dawson said.
Despite the parking concerns, the proposal passed unanimously. There is no official grand opening scheduled at Colburn’s new location yet.


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With its focus on a leaner product line, HTC has been fairly quiet in recent times, releasing a handful of devices each year. The time is nigh for a new smartphone from the company, and if the rumors hold true, it’ll be a high-end device with specs to satisfy power users. The HTC [...]
The “Made for Google” program aims to guarantee that any accessory you buy with that badge is a quality part. Of course, it’s also a clever business move to make some money and feature certain companies, but that’s good business. And now the site for the program is up!
You can now use PayPal to send money through Facebook Messenger
Technically speaking, Facebook Messenger has supported the ability to send and receive money for quite awhile. But if you prefer to handle your online transactions with PayPal, that base is now covered, too.
PayPal announced today that you can use Facebook Messenger to send money. To get it to work, Messenger users just [...]
Google’s ‘Try It Now’ feature will let you try Instant Apps before you download
Google announced “Instant Apps” back at its I/O conference back in 2016. The initial aim of the project was to let Android users quickly try an app they discovered through Google Search without actually downloading and installing the app onto their device.
That idea is now extending into the Play Store directly [...]
Samsung Galaxy Tab Active2 now official with 8-inch display
Samsung today officially unveiled a brand new tablet which will launch before the end of the month.
The Galaxy Tab Active2 sports an 8-inch display with a resolution of 1280×800. It’s got a rugged design and is IP68-rated for water and dust resistance. Under the hood the Galaxy Tab Active2 boasts an octa-core Samsung Exynos [...]
Asia Pacific Telecom gearing up for 5G network deployments
Asia Pacific Telecom (APT) is actively proceeding with deployments of 5G mobile communications infrastructure, with a spate of tests and certifications of network technologies scheduled to kick off by the end of 2018, according to company sources.
Epson developing versatile inkjet printers to achieve ambitious goals by 2025
Inkjet printer and robotic arm supplier Seiko Epson is aggressively moving to expand its product lines and boost sales of high-performance printers for uses by other sectors than consumers, aiming to achieve an annual revenue and profit goal of JPY1.7 trillion (US$15 billion) and JPY200 billion, respectively, by 2025, after scoring an impressive revenue record of JPY 1.02 trillion and net earnings of JPY65.8 billion in fiscal 2016 ending March 31, 2017, according to Koichi Kubota, the firm's senior managing executive officer .
Taiwan foundries seeing brisk demand from fabless firms
Taiwan-based IC foundries including 8-inch ones have seen orders from their local fabless clients grow, which would indicate a particularly strong fourth quarter for Taiwan's IC industry, according to industry sources.
YouTube Suspends Account of Popular Chinese Dissident
schwit1 brings news about an exiled Chinese billionaire with 500,000 followers on YouTube. The Washington Free Beacon reports:YouTube has suspended the video account of popular Chinese dissident Guo Wengui amid a mounting pressure from the Beijing government to silence one of its critics. According to a person familiar with the action, YouTube issued what the company calls a 'strike' against Guo, who since the beginning of the year has created an online sensation by posting lengthy videos in which he reveals details of corruption by senior Chinese officials. The suspension involves a 90-day block on any new live-stream postings of videos and was the result of a complaint made against a recent Guo video for alleged harassment. The identity of the person or institution who issued the complaint could not be learned... Other videos by Guo posted prior to the suspension remain accessible.
The suspension coincides with this week's once-every-five-years congress of the Chinese Communist party to reveal which top officials will serve President Xi Jinping, according to Financial Times, adding that "China's choreographed politics is not designed for public participation or questioning."
2 Million IoT Devices Enslaved By Fast-Growing BotNet
An anonymous reader writes: Since mid-September, a new IoT botnet has grown to massive proportions. Codenamed IoT_reaper, researchers estimate its current size at nearly two million infected devices. According to researchers, the botnet is mainly made up of IP-based security cameras, routers, network-attached storage (NAS) devices, network video recorders (NVRs), and digital video recorders (DVRs), primarily from vendors such as Netgear, D-Link, Linksys, GoAhead, JAWS, Vacron, AVTECH, MicroTik, TP-Link, and Synology. The botnet reuses some Mirai source code, but it's unique in its own right. Unlike Mirai, which relied on scanning for devices with weak or default passwords, this botnet was put together using exploits for unpatched vulnerabilities. The botnet's author is still struggling to control his botnet, as researchers spotted over two million infected devices sitting in the botnet's C&C servers' queue, waiting to be processed. As of now, the botnet has not been used in live DDoS attacks, but the capability is in there.
Today is the one-year anniversary of the Dyn DDoS attack, the article points out, adding that "This week both the FBI and Europol warned about the dangers of leaving Internet of Things devices exposed online."
Data Science Meets Sports Gambling: How Researchers Beat the Bookies
"A trio of data scientists developed a betting strategy to beat bookmakers at football games," writes austro. [The game Americans call soccer.] New Scientist reports:
The team studied 10 years' worth of data on nearly half a million football matches and the associated odds offered by 32 bookmakers between January 2005 and June 2015. When they applied their strategy in a simulation, they made a return of 3.5 per cent. Making bets randomly resulted in a loss of 3.32 per cent. Then the team decided to try betting for real. They developed an online tool that would apply their odds-averaging formula to upcoming football matches. When a favorable opportunity arose, a member of the team would email Kaunitz and his wife, one of whom then placed a bet. They kept this up for five months, placing $50 bets around 30 times a week. And they were winning. After five months the team had made a profit of $957.50 -- a return of 8.5 per cent. But their streak was cut short. Following a series of several small wins, the trio were surprised to find that their accounts had been limited, restricting how much they could bet to as little as $1.25. The gambling industry has long restricted players who appear to show an edge over the house, says Mark Griffiths at Nottingham Trent University, UK.
The paper "illustrates how the sports gambling industry compensates market inefficiencies with discriminatory practices against successful clients," adds austro, noting that the researchers posted a paper explaining their methodology on arxiv last week. "They also made the dataset and source code available on github. And best of all, they made an online publicly available dashboard that shows a live list of bet recommendations on football matches based on their strategy here or here for anyone to try."
Google Offers $1,000 Bounties For Hacking Dropbox, Tinder, Snapchat, and Others
An anonymous reader quotes Mashable:
Google, in collaboration with bug bounty platform HackerOne, has launched the Google Play Security Reward Program, which promises $1,000 to anyone who can identify security vulnerabilities in participating Google Play apps. Thirteen apps are currently participating, including Tinder, Duolingo, Dropbox, Snapchat, and Headspace... If you find a security vulnerability in one of the participating apps, you can report that vulnerability to the developer, and work with them to fix it. When the problem has been resolved, the Android Security team will pay you $1,000 as a reward, on top of any reward you get from the app developer. Google will be collecting data on the vulnerabilities and sharing it (anonymized) with other developers who may be exposed to the same problems. For HackerOne, it's about attracting more and better participants in bounty programs.
An anonymous reader shares a report: Now that AlphaGo's arguably got nothing left to learn from humans -- now that its continued progress takes the form of endless training games against itself -- what do its tactics look like, in the eyes of experienced human players? We might have some early glimpses into an answer. AlphaGo Zero's latest games haven't been disclosed yet. But several months ago, the company publicly released 55 games that an older version of AlphaGo played against itself. (Note that this is the incarnation of AlphaGo that had already made quick work of the world's champions.) DeepMind called its offering a "special gift to fans of Go around the world." Since May, experts have been painstakingly analyzing the 55 machine-versus-machine games. And their descriptions of AlphaGo's moves often seem to keep circling back to the same several words: Amazing. Strange. Alien. "They're how I imagine games from far in the future," Shi Yue, a top Go player from China, has told the press. A Go enthusiast named Jonathan Hop who's been reviewing the games on YouTube calls the AlphaGo-versus-AlphaGo face-offs "Go from an alternate dimension." From all accounts, one gets the sense that an alien civilization has dropped a cryptic guidebook in our midst: a manual that's brilliant -- or at least, the parts of it we can understand. Will Lockhart, a physics grad student and avid Go player who codirected The Surrounding Game (a documentary about the pastime's history and devotees) tried to describe the difference between watching AlphaGo's games against top human players, on the one hand, and its self-paired games, on the other. According to Will, AlphaGo's moves against Ke Jie made it seem to be "inevitably marching toward victory," while Ke seemed to be "punching a brick wall." Any time the Chinese player had perhaps found a way forward, said Lockhart, "10 moves later AlphaGo had resolved it in such a simple way, and it was like, 'Poof, well that didn't lead anywhere!'" By contrast, AlphaGo's self-paired games might have seemed more frenetic. More complex. Lockhart compares them to "people sword-fighting on a tightrope."
Consumer Reports Refuses To Recommend Microsoft Surface Book 2
An anonymous reader writes: Earlier in the year, the review group said that problems with reliability meant that it was impossible for it to recommend any Microsoft laptop or tablet. Now Consumer Reports says that this extends to the Surface Book 2, meaning that the device will not be recommended. Microsoft is likely to be similarly disappointed with Consumer Reports' statement about the Surface Book 2. Speaking to Benzinga, Consumer Reports' spokesperson James McQueen said: "We will evaluate the performance of the Microsoft Surface Book 2 once we get it into our labs next month for testing, but we will not be able to recommend it. Our decision to withhold our recommendation of all Microsoft laptops and tablets is still in effect."
Student Expelled After Using Hardware Keylogger to Hack School, Change Grades
Catalin Cimpanu, writing for BleepingComputer: Kansas University (KU) officials have expelled a student for installing a hardware keylogger and using the data acquired from the device to hack into the school's grading system and chang his grades. KU did not release the student's name to the public, but they said the keystroke logging device had been installed on one of the computers in its lecture halls. The student used data collected from the device to change F grades into A grades. Professors said the incident would not have been noticed if the student didn't get greedy about modifications. The hardware device the student used was a run-of-the-mill hardware keylogger that anyone can buy on Amazon or eBay for prices as low as $20. Speaking to local media, various KU professors said they hope not to see any copycats in the near future.
Laptops Could Be Banned From Checked Bags on Planes Due To Fire Risk
Readers share a report: Laptops could be banned from checked baggage on planes due to a fire risk under a proposal being recommended by an international air safety panel. According to a report, an overheating laptop battery could cause a significant fire in a cargo hold that fire fighting equipment aboard the plane would not be able to extinguish. That could "lead to the loss of the aircraft," according to the proposal. The ban will be considered by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations organization, at its meeting this month. Even if the organization endorses the proposal from its Dangerous Goods Panel, which is making the recommendation, it would be up to regulators in individual nations to pass rules to enforce it. The U.S. FAA has no comment on the proposal. But it is represented on the panel that is supporting the ban, and its research on the risk of fires from laptops is included in the proposal.
Sprint: LG G Flex Will Launch Online on January 31 for $299 on Contract
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Motorola Announces Moto X Launch in UK, France, and Germany on February 1
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US Coast Guard sets Port Condition Four for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Effective 1 pm on Thursday, the US Coast Guard Captain of the Port San Juan set Port Condition Four for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. The maritime community was strongly urged to remain vigilant and take the necessary precautions, as tropical cyclone Irma...
MIAMI, USA -- Hurricane Irma maintained its category 3 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale on Friday and is forecast to remain a powerful hurricane for days, as it turned westwards as expected. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami...
Antigua-Barbuda student selected as education grant recipient at UWI
ST JOHN’S, Antigua -- Mill Reef Fund board chair James Lewis has announced that the University of the West Indies (UWI) has selected Charrelle Browne, an incoming third year student to Cave Hill, Barbados, to receive a Mill Reef Fund Education Grant for this school year. Lewis said, “We congratulate...
Commentary: Guatemala political corruption: Impunity starched out by reform
As thousands of protesters marched through the streets of Guatemala City on March 7, 2017, Estuardo Batz was expressing his indignation over the broken promises of the new administration. Batz, a leader of the diverse, unified group of dissenters, called for the resignation of President Jimmy...


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Google Apps Conforms to Flexible Pricing Structure
If you follow the technology and business news at any degree, I believe that it goes without saying that it’s a rarity (at best) to witness a “trend-setting” company like Google blatantly and openly mimic the actions of a competing company; although I’m sure there are a few iPhone users who got a chuckle at that statement. But regardless, one cannot deny that Google’s business practices are usually seen as new and often unorthodox in a practice that often-times leaves Google one step in front of their competition. One great service that Google has been mildly successful with is previously reviewed Google Apps, a service that allows Internet domain owners to quickly and easily set up managed and branded Google services for their organizations. And while Google was indeed one of the first companies to bring third-party email and cloud hosting into the mainstream, the company has recently been subjected to stiff competition from a surprising source.
You see, Redmond-based Microsoft recently released a public beta of a new small-business targeted collaboration and communication system dubbed “Office 365”. When looking at the service last week, I quickly came to the conclusion that Microsoft was definitely heading in the right direction with their new service which gives smaller businesses and organizations cost-effective access to the same services (Exchange, Sharepoint) that are typically only seen in larger businesses, leaving Google with a bit of catching up to do.
This is because Office 365 does more than offer the features that organizations of all sizes need, but it also implements a pricing structure that makes it a bit more attractive for users. At six dollars per user per month, Microsoft’s pricing is more reasonable (and flexible) than one probably would have guessed.
With this development, Google has followed suit by moving Google Apps over to a similar monthly subscription product. While this isn’t necessarily a big deal, the new pricing terms suggest that Google is shifting focus from catering to large enterprises to working with small and medium-sized businesses, organizations, and groups. But why?
Well, as great of a service as it is, many people speculate that Google isn’t doing too well with Google Apps at all. Seeing as how Google is targeting large-scale businesses that often-times have their own in-house systems in place, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why Google Apps has yet to gain enough traction to make it a profitable venture.
But while I can appreciate Google’s new target towards small businesses and applaud the fact that they are moving over to a more commonly used monthly system, doing the quick math shows that Google’s five-dollar per month per user plan is really taking advantages of businesses on the monthly term by charging them ten dollars more per user in a given year than they would pay on the annual term. Now don’t get me wrong; I understand that costs and prices go up. However I think it’s rather sad that Google is essentially targeting customers for more money whilst not providing any new features or services to justify the price hike.
For Google this business move is pretty silly, as the company has now managed to narrow the price gap between their (now outdated) service and Microsoft’s newer and more robust service. This ultimately gives businesses less of a reason to use Google Apps, and may very well convince newer customers to use Microsoft’s new product instead.
To boot, Google is now imposing stricter limiting the number of users that a standard (free) Google Apps organization can have. Effective immediately new domains can only have ten users; down forty from the old limit of fifty. In retrospect, I opened a free Google Apps account quite some time back, and was given scalability of up to seven-hundred users without any questions; all for free.
Really, I get that Google has to make money. It just confuses me as to why they’re starting to charge more for a service that they haven’t added any functionality to for quite some time now. While the old and more cost-effective pricing structure can still be used and Google is quick to point out that the new limits are only applicable to new domains/organizations, I honestly think they’ve managed to make their product less attractive to small businesses; a group that they quite obviously need to target in order to see future success with Google Apps.
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At a time when Samsung was enjoying the respite of new innovations from its best rival – Apple, they released the Samsung Galaxy S5 which became instantly popular but for some reason, sales did not pick up. Several reports indicate that S5 sales were 40% lower than Samsung originally expected it to be.
Sales further plummeted down when Apple unveiled the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Despite sharing almost the same features and even with iPhone being criticized with failures in bending and screen crashing tests, iPhone 6 walked away with much better sales figures.
As a result, Samsung had to come up with something innovative and totally different from the previous S5 to once again get the consumer’s attention. Samsung’s redemption from their slumped position right now could very well be the rumored Samsung Galaxy S6. But could the Galaxy S6 live up to its promise of regaining the throne?
If Samsung is really decided to take the smartphone battle to the next level, critics say that they have to release Samsung Galaxy S6 before the year ends or they will lose their chance. Another thing is that the S6 should be well worth the wait most especially given the S5’s failure of success.
Rumors about the specifications and features of the supposedly Galaxy S6 are already circulating around the internet. However, as of writing, there is no definite word yet as to when this Samsung Galaxy S6 is really going to be released.


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Google Workspace gains passkey support
Following on from its adding passkey support to Chrome and Android at the end of last year, Google is continuing to rollout the technology across all its platforms.
The company is now bringing passkeys to Google Workspace. Passkeys offer a convenient and secure passwordless authentication experience across websites and apps, allowing users to sign in with a fingerprint, face recognition, or other screen-lock mechanism across phones, laptops, or desktops.
Since May, passkeys have been available as a sign in option for personal Google accounts. From today, in an open beta program, organizations can allow their users to sign in to Google Workspace and Google Cloud accounts using passkeys instead of passwords.
Administrators can allow users in their organizations to skip passwords at sign-in using a passkey. By default, this setting is off, which means that users can't skip passwords during sign-in, but can still create and use passkeys as a 2-step verification (2SV) method.
To allow users to skip passwords, administrators need follow some simple steps in the Admin console. Users can set up passkeys on their Google account by going to http://g.co/passkeys and clicking Create a passkey.
You can read more on the Google blog.


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Allen Edmonds to be sold to private equity firm Brentwood Associates
The new buyer of Allen Edmonds will keep its management team and its Port Washington headquarters, according to Allen Edmonds CEO Paul Grangaard.
Brentwood Associates, a Los Angeles private equity firm, has reached a deal to buy the high-end shoemaker from fellow private equity firm Goldner Hawn Johnson & Morrison, according to a news release issued Monday.
"This is terrific for all of our employees and Milwaukee," Grangaard said.
The entities are not yet revealing the purchase price. Grangaard expects the deal to close by the end of the year.
Brentwood is a perfect match for Allen Edmonds, Grangaard said Monday afternoon in an interview with The Business Journal. The company has previously owned Ariat International, a high-end brand of cowboy boots; Bell Automotive Products, a maker of car accessories; Oriental Trading Co., a direct marketer of novelty gifts; and Prince Manufacturing, one of the top manufacturers of tennis racquets.
“They have a great deal of experience and expertise with growing consumer companies,” Grangaard said.
The firm will be able to invest additional capital into the company, allowing it to add more retail stores, stretch product development and continue to invest in e-commerce, he said.
Brentwood believes strongly in “omnichannel retailing,” or selling products however the customer wants to receive them, Grangaard said. Allen Edmonds has been growing its online presence and adding additional retail stores to supplement the network of department and shoe stores that sell its shoes.
Associate Editor Stacy Vogel Davis covers retail and tourism for the Milwaukee Business Journal. She also covers restaurant news through her Table Talk blog on The Business Journal website and column in the weekly edition.
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dhoni’s decision to invest in khatabook comes at a period when 2 crore registered merchants were reached by the business on its device.
The company has established ambitious growth goals across smaller towns and villages.
Speaking about the new collaboration, Khatabook co-founder and CEO Ravish Naresh said “We are pleased to welcome Mahi to the Khatabook team.
Commenting on this partnership, MS Dhoni said, “At grassroots stage, there are several new-age companies in the world, just a few like Khatabook, making a difference.
speaking of the company’s ambitions to extend its market share through this partnership, ved prakash, vp marketing, khatabook said, “the initial growth of khatabook came organically and we now have a market penetration of 25-30%. Now the aim is to boost trust and efficiency on a large scale. that’s why doing our brand strategy with dhoni is a perfect match.
Arun Pandey, Rhiti Sports CMD, pleased with the partnership, said “Khatabook has revolutionized the ways mid- and small-scale merchants do business in our region, in particular minimizing human errors in day-to-day accounting transactions.
Today the Khatabook software is used by merchants throughout 5000+ Indian towns.
Having completely automated the country’s conventional market ledger mechanism, the software lets 2 crore Indian merchants each save more than 700 active working hours each year.
This content was originally published here.


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If you do not want to be moderated by the person who started this topic.The New rich list. As well as Bitcoin Revolution ebook you will receive these.Bitcoin is the currency of the Internet: a distributed, worldwide, decentralized digital money.
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Just weeks after their Beltway counterparts in Baltimore banned post-game pies to the face, the Nationals are retiring their own sweet celebration.
Pitcher Max Scherzer told SirusXM’s Jim Duquette and Jim Bowden (via the Washington Post) the Nats won’t be pouring chocolate syrup on each other after game-winners and amazing performances, like this:
“That was last year. That was just a one-year thing. It was kind of a spur of the moment how it even came about. We’ll look for a new way try to have some more fun this year, in ’16.”
Maybe try something a little less sticky? I hear water is all the rage these days.


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The government said it has reviewed the extant FDI policy to regulate acquisitions during the Covid-19 crisis
The investments from India’s land-sharing neighbours can be done only after receiving government approval
Foreign investments are considered crucial for Indian startups as a source of capital and market access
In a bid to minimise the business impact of the pandemic, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has revised the rules of foreign direct investment (FDI) in India to curb opportunistic takeovers or acquisitions of Indian companies and tech startups due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
In a Press Note (3), DPIIT said that the government of India has reviewed the extant FDI policy to minimise acquisitions that businesses might be forced into due to the revenue impact from Covid-19.
The notification says that an entity of a country which shares a land border with India can invest only after receiving government approval. “However, an entity of a country, which shares a land border with India or where the beneficial owner of investment into India is situated in or is a citizen of any such country, can invest only under the government route,” the note stated.
The new rules will also apply to ‘the transfer of ownership of any existing or future FDI in an entity in India, directly or indirectly,’ the DPIIT has said. Foreign investments are considered crucial for India, which needs billions of dollars for overhauling its infrastructure sector such as ports, airports and highways to boost growth. Sustainable and regular revenue flow is extremely vital to sustain long-term in the digital insurance sector.
Earlier, the concerns arose that the possibility of a global recession in the current year has made the future ambiguous for sectors like IT and services, which receive the maximum FDI. The services sector that includes financial, banking, insurance, non-financial / business, outsourcing, R&D, etc receive 18% of the total FDI received in the country, according to government data.
The IT services and telecommunications sectors receive the second and third highest FDI. Automobiles, power, chemicals, and drugs & pharmaceuticals sectors also come in the top 10 highest recipients of the FDI.
The fears of takeovers come amid the disruption caused in the regular businesses of startups. Several startups are already facing troubles raising fresh funding and experts have speculated several M&As going forward for businesses to survive the pandemic.
As per DataLabs by Inc42 estimates, between 2014 to 2019 the total capital inflow by China-based investors in Indian startups was over $27 Bn. Two of the prominent Chinese investors in India are — Alibaba and Tencent, which have stakes in Indian Unicorns such as Paytm, Zomato, Bigbasket, Hike, Flipkart, MX Player, BYJU’s and others.


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Construction is underway on a new ground-up retail center in Wayne that will bring a mix of eateries and services to one of the township’s busiest shopping corridors.
Irgang Group has inked a 36,500-square-foot anchor lease to bring Fun City Adventure Park, a family entertainment concept, to a 393,000-square-foot retail center in Millville.
Franchise brand VIO Med Spa has picked R.J. Brunelli & Co. LLC as its exclusive real estate broker for new locations in central and southern New Jersey and the Philadelphia area.
Planet Fitness is taking more than 19,000 square feet for a new location in Weehawken, in one of several newly announced deals by Jeffery Realty.
A new Asian Food Market is coming to a 100,000-square-foot retail property in East Brunswick, in a newly announced deal by R.J. Brunelli & Co. LLC.
Dollar Tree and sister chain Family Dollar have secured two of their first combination locations in New Jersey, according to a leasing team with R.J. Brunelli & Co.
Dollar Tree has leased nearly 12,000 square feet at a Route 46 retail center in Parsippany, in the largest of six newly announced transactions by R.J. Brunelli & Co. LLC.
An investment firm has acquired a large Morris County shopping center for nearly $50 million, in a newly announced transaction by R.J. Brunelli & Co.


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Ottawa restaurants split on changing tips because of new minimum wage
Dishwashers at Clocktower Brew Pubs will no longer receive tip outs as of Jan. 8
One Ottawa restaurant is changing its tip-out policy to cope with the upward pressure on salaries it says comes from the increase in Ontario's minimum wage.
Another reacted by raising its salaries to more than the new minimum wage weeks before the increase took effect.
Servers at restaurants are often required to contribute, or tip out, to a pool for other workers who don't get tipped.
Sean Rutherford, vice-president of Clocktower Brew Pub and Brewery Group, said servers and bartenders will have to increase what they pay into the tip pool by 1.5 per cent.
That is now a five per cent tip out for servers and six per cent of food sales for bartenders, both applying to bills greater than $100.
"It's not astronomical," Rutherford said.
He said the change in the tip-out policy is meant to provide more money to cooks and other back-of-house staff who were already earning $14 an hour before the minimum wage hike.
They had been seeking a similar increase to the $2.40 minimum wage workers got, from $11.60 to $14.
"We can't do that across six restaurants with the entire heart-of-house team. We can't increase everybody the exact same increase from minimum wage to [the $15] minimum wage in 2018," Rutherford said.
He said kitchen staff will be eligible for raises based on performance.
Dishwashers will no longer receive tip outs, since their pay is increasing because of the new minimum wage.
Rutherford said that amounts to about a half dozen employees who work part-time and are mostly high school students getting their first experience.
He added Clocktower has already absorbed most of its increased costs through reviews of kitchen and front-of-house operations and won't be increasing prices.
"You can't rely on the great margins to absorb the impact of labour costs," Rutherford said.
"Labour costs are the number one expense in the hospitality business."
'Protecting completely what you have'
Ivan Gedz, co-owner of Union Local 613 in Centretown, said restaurants changing their tip-out policies are protecting profits at the expense of service staff.
"You're taking one pool of money out of one area to move it to another area so that — you being the owner or investor, whatever it might be — you're protecting completely what you have," Gedz said.
The Clocktower policy is less dramatic than changes in tip outs at other restaurants.
Servers at Sunset Grill, a popular Ontario chain of breakfast restaurants, reportedly had tip outs increased by 25 per cent as the minimum wage went up about 20 per cent.
Servers at Wimpy's and East Side Mario's also told CBC News their tip outs went up as of Jan. 1.
Gedz said he doesn't like how many business owners have responded to the minimum wage hike.
"There's an incredible amount of entitlement among owners," Gedz said.
"The term itself, I think owners think they own their employees, to be honest with you. And I think that's shining through with these comments."
Gedz said his lowest-paid employees at Union Local 613 have been paid at least $16 an hour since November, an expense he said wasn't a challenge to reconcile at his business.


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|By Maureen O'Gara||
|February 24, 2011 07:45 AM EST||
Apple stockholders Wednesday morning voted down a proposal to make the company disclose its succession plans in case its frail CEO Steve Jobs, who's had cancer surgery and a liver transplant and can't seem to put on weight, can't come back from his latest indefinite medical leave.
Jobs, who left COO Tim Cook to run Apple again day-to-day, did manage to make a private dinner with Barack Obama and a bunch of other Silicon Valley CEOs last week. He is also said to be working from home.
Apple opposed the succession disclosure claiming it would weaken its chances of retaining and recruiting top talent and give away secrets its competitors would like to know.
In a surprise move, however, stockholders did approve a CalPERS-backed proposal to require board members to be elected by a majority vote rather than a plurality. It wasn't expected to pass and Apple claimed it will make it harder to keep directors. It gives stockholders more say.
The whole board reportedly showed up at the stockholders meeting.


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Frankfurt's world-class book fair beckons the public this weekend
Stars and Stripes October 8, 2004
FRANKFURT, Germany — Get to know the world — its people, food, interests, music and spirit — all in a day.
The Frankfurt Book Fair, which will be open and selling to the public Saturday and Sunday, features an expansive selection of books, magazines, films, software, calendars, bookmarks and toys from around the world.
There are children’s books, comics, maps and do-it-yourself manuals. There are books on people, history, cooking, fashion, photography, travel and just about any other fiction or nonfiction book imaginable from 111 countries and myriad languages.
The book fair calls itself “the biggest literary festival worldwide.” This year there are 6,648 publishers and companies covering an area of 42 acres within the multistory steel-and-glass halls of the Frankfurt Messe, ready to offer insight into their culture and countries through literature, as well as through food, drink and language.
For instance, a German cookbook stand offers freshly sliced ham, while an Italian exhibitor offers grapes and wine. Turkish stands have dishes of candy-covered nuts and Greek publishers offer tiny pastries.
Visitors are given maps as they arrive, and there are larger maps in front of each hall to help bookworms navigate the fairgrounds. Good walking shoes are suggested.
This year’s display is slightly larger than last year’s, with about 350,000 titles to view. Though some items are for sale during the event, many new books are just for viewing, but can be ordered from bookstores while at the fair.
The Arab World is this year’s guest of honor. Exhibits showcase Arab handicrafts, posters and shelf after shelf of Arabic books in many languages on an entire floor in Hall 6. There are U.S. military books translated into Arabic, as well as war on terror books in English.
The library-quiet hall also showcases the Arab world’s move into technology with a large computer room and film viewing area. Digital copies of manuscripts written before Christ on papyrus are displayed on computer screens, with multi-language speaking assistants explaining how to view the manuscripts, which are usually locked behind museum glass.
In other halls, where many countries are lined back-to-back, English-language readers can get a feel of what’s up and coming in the literary world with displays from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and many other English-speaking countries. There are about 1,600 displays in Hall 8 for English speakers.
U.S. publishing companies line up their favorites and showcase what will be on bookshelves in the coming months.
“Our big book right now is Jon Stewart’s ‘America (The Book),’” Robert Michel, vice president and director of International Sales for Time Warner Book Group, said of the new release from the “Daily Show” frontman.
“This will have strong military sales and will be sold at [Army and Air Force Exchange Service] BookMarks.”
Though “America” is not be on sale at the book fair, Comedy Central and Stewart fans can get a glimpse of what’s to come, which, Michel says, is what the book fair is all about.


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California Assembly Bill 315, simply titled Pharmacy benefit management, was previously stalled and set as inactive in the Senate but recently was revived with an amendment on August 20, 2018.
The legislation, if passed, would require PBMs to be licensed by the California Department of Managed Health Care; require that a PBM exercise a duty of good faith and fair dealing in the performance of its contractual duties to a purchaser, and would require the PBM to disclose to a purchaser any conflict of interest that would interfere with the discharge of that duty; require a PBM to periodically disclose to a purchaser, at their request, certain information such as drug acquisition cost, rebates received from pharmaceutical manufacturers, and rates negotiated with pharmacies; require PBMs to notify pharmacy network providers of certain material contract changes at least 30 days before those changes take effect; prohibit PBMs from including in a contract with a pharmacy network provider provisions that prohibit the provider from informing consumers of alternative medication options or from dispensing a certain amount of prescribed medication; and would also create a toll-free provider line for pharmacies to report any PBMs who are in violation of the law.
PBMs were initially created in an attempt to reduce prescription drug prices. The idea behind them is that they will wield a large purchasing power from the payers (i.e., consumers, insurance companies, and businesses) and use that power to negotiate lower drug prices from manufacturers and lower fees from pharmacies. One of the issues many take with PBMs is that they are not as transparent and accountable as would be ideal – three companies tend to hoard the market share and in turn use their market share power to restrict consumers to use their own mail order and specialty pharmacies, thereby reducing the choice and quality of care for patients.
Thus far, however, the federal government has taken a hands-off approach to regulating PBMs, and the Federal Trade Commission voted to approve a merger between two PBMs back in 2012.
A group advocating for the regulation of PBMs, the California Pharmacists Association, alleges that PBMs have an “inherent conflict of interest and lack of transparency in how they operate.” They further allege that PBMs use their leverage to steer patients to company-owned mail order pharmacies. The group believes that the passage of this legislation is a “critical first step in bringing to light how PBMs contribute to the rising costs in healthcare.”
David Balto, the former Policy Director of the Federal Trade Commission and a public interest antitrust attorney, is also advocating for the bill’s passage, writing, “A.B. 315 is a solid first step toward regulating PBMs and ensuring that they truly help consumers. This industry is extremely opaque and unaccountable, and this bill would begin the journey toward informing payers, protecting consumers, and ensuring savings for all.”


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Hyderabad, 30 October 2021: Xiaomi India, the country’s No.1 smartphone and smart TV brand, today announced the opening of its Company Owned and Company Operated (COCO) Mi Home in Madhapur, Hyderabad. With this announcement, Xiaomi India continues to expand its footprint in the country with the focus to provide a best-in-class showroom experience. Owing to its contemporary interiors with a futuristic touch, Mi Home provides all Xiaomi Fans and customers a valuable opportunity to experience, explore, and buy all Xiaomi India products under one roof.
With the launch of #TheFuture Tech Store, Xiaomi Fans not only get a chance to witness our innovative range of Smartphones & Smart TVs but also get a chance to experience the Smart Home/IoT devices from the house of Xiaomi at their convenience. Currently, the showroom showcases over 200 products including global products for customers to experience.
While Xiaomi India continues to have the largest exclusive retail network in India, the company’s Mi Homes have also emerged as the Best Premium Exclusive Stores. As per research study by UNOMER, Mi Home ranked no.1 in Customer Satisfaction Index. With over 75 showrooms spread across 19 cities, Mi Homes were the most preferred single-brand showrooms in terms of store layout, ease of movement in the store, in-store merchandising, staff knowledge, etc. amongst buyers.
Commenting on the milestone, Muralikrishnan B, Chief Operating Oﬃcer, Xiaomi India, shared, “At Xiaomi India, we believe in keeping the consumer at the core of everything we do. Our ﬁrst Mi Home was inaugurated in India in 2017 with an aim to provide the best in class retail experience for our products. The new Mi Home sets a new benchmark in the retail segment redeﬁning how consumers experience our offerings. Prioritizing our commitment to the country, the new store is an addition to the brand’s vision of reaching the remotest areas in the country to address the needs of customers and making technology more accessible to all. We hope that our Mi Fans and customers in Hyderabad take the opportunity to visit this store and make the most of our innovative product line-up.”
Starting on its oﬄine journey, Xiaomi India inaugurated its ﬁrst ﬂagship retail store on 15th August 2018 in Bengaluru and in a little over 2 years, reached a milestone of opening 3,000+ oﬄine retail stores in the country, thereby fostering employment for over 6000 people across India. In March 2021, with its Grow with Mi Initiative, the company had announced its plan to double the number of oﬄine retail touchpoints as well as a number of exclusive retail stores in India. Further, the company had committed to open 6000 stores in the next 2 years with an investment of INR 100 crore to strengthen its commitment towards its consumers and mission to democratize access to technology for everyone.
About Xiaomi Corporation
Xiaomi Corporation was founded in April 2010 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on July 9, 2018 (1810.HK). Xiaomi is a consumer electronics and smart manufacturing company with smartphones and smart hardware connected by an IoT platform at its core. Embracing our vision of "Make friends with users and be the coolest company in the users' hearts", Xiaomi continuously pursues innovations, high-quality user experience and operational efficiency. The company relentlessly builds amazing products with honest prices to let everyone in the world enjoy a better life through innovative technology. Xiaomi is one of the world's leading smartphone companies. The company's market share in terms of smartphone shipments ranked No. 3 globally in the third quarter of 2021. The company has also established the world's leading consumer AIoT (AI+IoT) platform, with 374.5 million smart devices connected to its platform as of June 30, 2021, excluding smartphones and laptops. Xiaomi products are present in more than 100 countries and regions around the world. In August 2021, the company made the Fortune Global 500 list for the third time, ranking 338th, up 84 places compared to 2020. Xiaomi is a constituent of the Hang Seng Index, Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, Hang Seng TECH Index and Hang Seng China 50 Index.
Xiaomi India is the number 1 smartphone player since Q3 2017 IDC Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker report. Xiaomi India is the number 1 Smart TV brand since Q2 2018 IDC Worldwide Quarterly Tracker.