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Google, one of the best IT companies, has declared about an upgrade to its different financial items and services. Now, this also includes policies related to crypto advertisements. And the new rules will start in August. Along with this, they will revoke previous crypto exchange certificates. So, marketing advertisers of different companies should ask for new crypto exchanges and wallet certification from Google for further continuation.
Let’s see what the rules by Google are
We saw on Wednesday that Google Inc. has posted regarding the new crypto ad policy. And whatever the policies might be will take place worldwide, especially the accounts responsible for endorsing financial items.
Google explains that existing financial products and services will upgrade to their newest version, and this will ensure better scope or requirements related to crypto services and business. The notice continued, and it said that this would take its effect by 3rd August. In addition, there are many advisors globally who are working on cryptocurrency exchange and policies involved. However, Google Inc. said that accounts targeting the US could continue their work when the requirements are fulfilled.
The firm continues explaining the certification process that the advertisers need to go through. First, one needs to register themselves under Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Additionally, all of these comes under money service and business, and only one state acts as a money transmitter. So, the advertisers can now become an entity of chartered banks.
Secondly, it must be of utmost importance to meet all legal requirements, including state, local, and federal laws. Advertisers must also ensure that their ads and landing pages would fulfill every Google Ad policy. Google goes on about the crypto exchange policy and informs its fellow users that the application form will be live on July 8, 2021.
More about the Ad Policies
Google does not allow many advertisements from now onwards. For example, the company does not allow advertisements like Initial Coin Offerings and Defi Trading Protocols. And, the internet giant also does not allow advertisements promoting buying, selling, or trading cryptocurrencies. Additionally, advertisements that endorse or compare issuers of crypto and related blockchain products are also under the roof of prohibition.
Here are some more examples of ads that are not allowed.
- Cryptocurrency Trading Signals
- Token Liquidity Pools
- Crypto Loans
- DEX offerings
- ICO pre-sales/public offerings
- celebrity endorsement
- unregulated Dapps
- Crypto-related advice
- Broker Reviews
Google has always been ahead in the Tech Business, and there is no one in the world who doesn’t use Google. Furthermore, the company added that they consider financial services related to the management or investment of money. And, in this case, cryptocurrency is also included in the discussion. US and Japan are the only countries where crypto ads are allowed.
What are your thoughts related to the policies invoked by Google? Let us know in the comments section below. If you like the content, do not forget to like and share it with your close ones.
Also, read:- OnePlus might launch Crypto Wallet after Samsung!


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Travis Kalanick, CEO of the $US1.5 billion company, Uber Technologies, reckons running his company is a bit like running for president. “What we maybe should’ve realized sooner was that we are running a political campaign and the candidate is Uber,” he told Vanity Fair back in 2014. “And this political race is happening in every major city in the world. And because this isn’t about a democracy, this is about a product, you can’t win 51 to 49. You have to win 98 to 2.”
Well, the campaign might have just hit a snag akin to the candidate being busted peeping in some pretty girl’s window. For the first time in its long winning streak, Uber’s on the nose.
In news that’s caused a lot of chatter on tech sites over the last 48 hours, Uber’s latest app update allows the global ride-sharing service to track the movements of a passenger for a whole five minutes after the trip has concluded, even when the app is switched off on the passenger’s phone.
Previously, the Uber app has had to be switched on in order for a driver to locate a passenger’s position, but no more.
“Apple typically offers three location-based settings: ‘Never’; ‘While Using the App’; and ‘Always.’ Up until recently, Uber requested the ‘While Using the App’ permission. But Apple gives developers the ability to effectively disable the ‘While Using the App’ permission, forcing users to choose between ‘Never’ and ‘Always,’ which is exactly what Uber has done in its latest update.”
Police and thieves (good ones) have been able to do this for a while – not just on Breaking Bad, but in real life – and there have always been a variety of safeguards available to spies, crooks and the constitutionally paranoid.
But an app gives a company – or an intruder – extraordinary access to private information, and exactly how the new feature may be of assistance to Uber customers is unclear. A statement released on Uber’s website doesn’t shed all that much light on the matter:
“Uber collects your location data from the time of trip request through five minutes after the trip ends, including when the app is in the background. We do this to improve pickups, drop-offs, customer service, and to enhance safety.”
— Jeremiah Trein (@jtrein) December 5, 2016
Which is understandable. In news just to hand, an Uber driver in Melbourne has had his access to the ride-sharing app removed after he allegedly sexually assaulted a female passenger.

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If you’re looking for something to do July 18th – 22nd then consider the NCM’s Performance Tour III. For a generous donation you and 39 other Corvettes can tour the Bowling Green Assembly Plant, NCM, Warren Tech Center, and the Milford Proving Grounds. Think of this as a Corvettes-only version of the Hot Rod Power Tour.
National Corvette Museum
Want to get a better handle on your classic car insurance policy? Customers (and non-customers) of the National Corvette Museum’s Insurance Agency can now download a new app designed for iPhones/iPads that will offer users a bevy of features not seen anywhere else. Great for the on-the-go customer, this new app can be downloaded directly from iTunes.
So here’s a fact for Corvette trivia fans: In the last 30 years, which model year of Corvette has been reported stolen more than any other? If you answered the 1984 Corvette, then give yourself a hand.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau has looked a thefts of Corvettes from 1981-2011 and issued their report to the insurance industry. Over the last 30 years, 90,427 Corvettes were reported stolen in the United States and Puerto Rico with the 1984 model year leading the way with 8,554 thefts.
Corvette Racing Program Director Doug Fehan and Dan Binks – crew chief for the #3 Corvette C6.R – took time out of their schedule to come visit Corvette owners and enthusiasts attending the 2012 Bash at the National Corvette Museum in April.
Here is a brief walk around video we shot and posted to YouTube.com in HD as we tried to capture the new blue color on a 2013 427 Convertible Corvette that was on display at the National Corvette Museum’s Bash held in April 2012. Night Race Blue is the new blue exterior color for the 2013 Chevrolet Corvette. It’s very dark but when in direct sunlight, the metallic color really shines.
Want to get a mini-Corvette fix? Then come on down to the National Corvette Museum on Saturday, May 5 at 9:30 a.m.
Junior Achievement of South Central Kentucky will be holding its annual Mini-Corvette Challenge that day, helping to raise money for JA programs.
On Friday Afternoon at the National Corvette Museum’s 2012 Bash, Team Corvette members and enthusiasts gathered outside for an up-close look at the new 2013 427 Convertible Edition Corvettes and the new 60th Anniversary package. Leading the presentation was Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter and Product Manager Harlan Charles.
One of the highlights of the NCM Bash at the Corvette Museum is annual seminar that recaps the current production year and then showcases the changes for new model year. At the “What’s New for 2013 Corvette” Seminar presented to a standing room only crowd in the Chevrolet Theater on Saturday morning, Team Corvette Members Tadge Juechter, Harlan Charles, Kirk Bennion and Craig Sass went through their areas of expertise and then opened up the forum for questions. Watch the complete 1-hour seminar after the jump.
The National Corvette Museum’s plans for a motorsports park remain on track for a proposed 2014 opening after the Warren County Fiscal Court on March 21 unanimously approved the first reading of a rezoning ordinance.
The museum must have the 405 acres of land changed from agriculture to planned unit development zoning for the facility to be built.


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Thailand’s tourism industry has welcomed the news that the Chinese government is allowing the group tour market to resume after a hiatus of almost three years. The Chinese tourists will be able to visit 20 countries including Thailand, a blessing for the hospitality industry which stands to benefit from the return of a significant increase in these international tourists and the revenue they would bring.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects at least 5 million Chinese tourists to visit Thailand this year. Approximately 11 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand in 2019 before the Covid-19 outbreak, and they generated 531 million Baht in tourism income. TAT expects the revenue from Chinese tourists this year to exceed that of the pre-Covid era.
In a reassuring message to the public, the Thai government says it believes that Thailand would be able to contain the spread of Covid-19 despite the influx of tourists from China, which is seeing a massive increase in cases following the relaxation of the zero-Covid policy. The TAT’s offices in five Chinese cities, namely Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Kunming, have put in place a promotional programme called “China is Back” starting with a tourism campaign dubbed “Two Lands, One Heart”.
Hotels target more than Chinese guests
Proudputh Liptapanlop, executive director of Proud Real Estate Plc, said that the overall tourism sector will make a full recovery once the Chinese tourists return in full. As a hotel owner, her company expected Chinese groups to start arriving in the fourth quarter of 2022, but that didn’t happen. It is now anticipated that the numbers will soar in the second half of this year.
Proudputh was speaking at the recent “Thailand Tourism Forum 2023: Innovation in Hospitality” where she joined others from leading companies in the hospitality sector.
The slower-than-expected return of Chinese tourists prompted Proudputh’s company to look for new markets like Russia and the Middle East to make up the numbers.
“Although the Chinese are returning, it is vital that we maintain diversity. We must not neglect our new markets especially the Russians which have exceeded our target,” she added.
A more diverse mix of guests is considered healthy for the hospitality business. Ho Ren Yung, Senior Vice President – Brand and Commercial, Banyan Tree Group, shared a similar view at the forum.
“Before the pandemic, one-third of the Banyan Tree’s guests were Chinese. We are anticipating rising bookings in February as the Chinese tourists return. But we will certainly retain our guest diversity,” said Yung.
Wallapa Traisorat, CEO and President, Asset World Corporation (AWC), said she was excited to welcome back the Chinese tourists. The AWC hotels have recently welcomed the Chinese FITs (Free Independent Travellers) which is an interesting group. “About 10% of our guests are from China and after we started seeing the arrival of FIT guests from China this year, that proportion has remained at 10% though the spending per room has already surpassed that recorded in 2019.
“It’s a good signal that quality customers are coming to Thailand,” she said.
Wallapa said that she expected the Chinese group tours to return in March.
By Veena Thoopkrajae


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Honda Motorcycle to roll out CB Shine from Karnataka facility1 min read . Updated: 14 Jan 2014, 06:14 PM IST Two-wheeler manufacturer Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) is revamping its Karnataka facility, from where it plans to roll out the 125-cc motorcycle CB Shine amid rising demand for the model.
Two-wheeler manufacturer Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) is revamping its Karnataka facility, from where it plans to roll out the 125-cc motorcycle CB Shine amid rising demand for the model.
The company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Japanese auto giant Honda, currently manufactures the model at its Tapukara plant in Rajasthan.
'It is a strategic decision taken by the company. In order to cater to the demand for the CB Shine, we are coming up with changes in our Bangalore facility. So CB Shine will become the fourth model to roll out from the Bangalore facility,' HMSI Vice-President (Sales and Marketing) Y S Guleria told PTI.
The Karnataka plant, which has a production capacity of 12 lakh units a year, currently makes the Dream Series motorcycles and Activa scooters.
Guleria said there has been some production loss due to the changes being made at the Karnataka plant.
'In FY13-14, our target is to sell 39.3 lakh units. Due to changes being affected at the Karnataka plant, we may not be able to achieve the target. But it is going to be very, very close,' Guleria said.
The company sold 27.55 lakh units in FY 12-13. Until December, HMSI's production capacity stood at 40 lakh units across its three plants in the country.
'By March 2014, we plan to hike the production capacity to 46 lakh units,' Guleria said.
Asked if the company is looking at setting up a fourth production facility to cater to increasing demand, Guleria said: 'Yes, we are considering it.' HMSI has 2,500 outlets and is aiming at expanding its
network and entering tier-III cities.
'By March 2014, we aim to have 2,700 outlets. We are focusing on tier-III towns as we think we are under-represented at the tehsil level,' Guleria said.
The company, which posted sales growth of over 30 per cent in April-December, today entered into an association with Pogo channel to promote road safety among children.
'HMSI has further built its commitment towards road safety by associating with Pogo and popular character Chhota Bheem. Honda, together with Chhota Bheem, shall spread the message on importance of road safety across the country,' HMSI President & CEO Keita Muramatsu said.


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Japan economic news website recently reported that Mitsubishi Chemical, Toyota Motor and the University of Tokyo plan to carry out large-scale empirical research in 2030 to test the new technology of using sunlight and carbon dioxide to make plastic raw materials - artificial photosynthesis technology. The main principle is to produce plastic raw materials by reacting hydrogen decomposed from water with carbon dioxide. Since no carbon dioxide is produced in the process, this technology helps to achieve the goal of decarbonization. Compared with plastic raw materials made from fossil fuels, it has lower cost and stronger competitiveness. Researchers strive to realize the commercial application of this technology by 2040.
Contact Person: Mr. Fan


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Happy Wars, the free-to-play multiplayer online game first released to Xbox Live Arcade on Xbox 360, is coming to Xbox One, it was revealed during Microsoft's E3 conference, today.
Originally developed by Toylogic, Happy Wars is a role-playing strategy game with a short-story driven single player campaign mode. In multiplayer, two teams of up to 15 players try to destroy the other team's castle while defending their own.
The game was released to Microsoft Windows via Steam on May 27 of this year. It will be out later this year, according to Microsoft.


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Two weeks after the release of the first iOS 14.2 beta, Apple today released iOS 14.2 beta 2 to developers. Apple also today released macOS 11 Big Sur beta 9 and watchOS 7.1 beta 2.
In iOS 14.2, there are revamped now playing controls on the lock screen alongside redesigned AirPlay 2 controls in Control Center. Another one of the new changes in iOS 14.2 is a brand new Shazam toggle that can be added to Control Center.
Apple has also released macOS 11 Big Sur beta 9, iPadOS 14.2 beta 2, watchOS 7.1 beta 2, and tvOS 14.2 beta 2 to developers today.
As for iOS 14.1, it’s likely that Apple skipping straight to 14.2 for beta testing indicates that iOS 14.1 will be coming soon to the general public — or Apple could be saving it for the new iPhone 12 launch next month.
MacDailyNews Take: Have at ’em, beta testers!


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It is a truth universally acknowledged, and then silkscreened onto a t-shirt you can buy on Amazon: Everything—politics, protest, feminism, the ephemeral warmth of interpersonal connection—will get commercialized, in the end. We buy the products; we are the products; that those two facts are intimately bound up in each other is part of the agreement American culture has made with its unique kind of capitalism. Brands will be #brands, and all that; Starbucks serving extra shots of empathy along with its caramel macchiatos is in one way simply another extension of the #brand-being.
It’s notable, though, that morality-via-marketing is trending during a time that has also brought “fake news” and “alternative facts” and general epistemic panic to the minds of many Americans. Public faith in “the media” and its institutions is, at the moment, extremely low, in some part expressly because that media and its institutions have engaged in the kind of subtle sermonizing these ads are now engaging in. And companies, at the same time, are more powerful than ever: Facebook has more users than the most populous country in the world. Its CEO has recently been talking like a presidential contender. “It used to be that brands, by definition, tried to play it safe, or be apolitical,” JWT’s Lucie Greene told me. Now, she said, “we’re looking to brands to be some sort of port in the storm.”
We used to look to other things to anchor us as the world churned. And we still, to some extent, do. But what does it say about us—the “us” that the commercials assure us we still can be, together—that brands are now helping to fill that role? What are we to make of ads that engage in the kind of discourse once reserved for pulpits and art and books and op-ed pages? When marketers act as arbiters—of goodness, of rightness, of us-ness—does that suggest something profoundly optimistic, or profoundly cynical, about what it means, at this moment, to be 🇺🇸 to each other?
Here’s a case for optimism: You could see such commercials as responses to a situation that finds Americans more politically empowered than they have ever been before. Susan Strasser, a historian of American consumer culture, told me that while, on the one hand, today’s expressly political ads have a long precedent in the U.S.—see Kellogg’s co-optation of Roosevelt’s Square Deal in 1913—they are also, at the same time, very much of their time. They take for granted the fact that today’s citizens can make their voices heard not just at the voting booth, and not just at the protest march, but also on social media. People can easily, and instantly, become part of a movement or a boycott. (As Strasser pointed out, “We’re all pretty quick to say, right now, ‘Yes, we’re going to Nordstrom,’ and ‘No, we’re not doing Uber.’”) So while brands can shape public opinion, in the way #brands have always shaped public opinion, they are also shaped by it. Producer and consumer describes an economic reality; it also describes an economic tautology.


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For several years now, government agencies and companies have experienced massive data breaches exposing our most sensitive information. But it seems the general population of users affected by the breaches simply shrug them off. This article takes a closer look at the major breaches and their impacts.
During my experience as a CISO for iconic American companies, military and government agencies, my “go-to” source for data breach information was the Privacy Rights website. The site collects and reports data breach information going back to 2005 which can be sliced-and-diced by year, breach type, and organization type. I would use these data points in my various management presentations to emphasize cyber security-related risks and also focus on breach trends (e.g., losses due to portable devices, etc.) to develop security budgets and strategies. I also augmented Privacy Rights data with the latest Ponemon Institute’s Cost of Data Breach studies.
Over the last 13 years, the Ponemon Institute “has conducted an annual Cost of a Data Breach Study in order to measure exactly how much lost and stolen records could cost companies around the world.” Including Privacy Rights and Ponemon data in my security presentations went a long way in opening management’s eyes data breaches in general and their associated costs.
However, it seems that the public at large has been desensitized to these “mega” data breaches (breaches that involve 1 Million or more records). There doesn’t seem to be much in the way of accountability although some CEO’s, CIO’s and CISO/CSO’s have lost their jobs in the wake of a data breach. Let’s look in more detail at several significant data breaches:
- 2014 Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Data Breach is arguably one of the most egregious of recent data breaches in terms of the sensitivity of data that was compromised. Attackers exfiltrated 4.2 Million personnel files and security background investigation on 21.5 Million individuals including 5.6 Million fingerprint files. As early as 2005, OPM’s Inspector General (IG) warned the “despite this high value information maintained by OPM, the agency failed to prioritize cybersecurity and adequately secure high value data.”
Now we find that three years after the OPM breach a February 2018 article states that despite being given $11 Million by Congress to improve its cybersecurity the OPM IG’s “latest management report on the IT modernization initiative, auditors called into question the agency’s planning process. The IG says OPM continues to make the same mistakes that plagued its recent unsuccessful ‘shell’ initiative.”
And in June 2018, “a woman admitted in federal court this week that she used the identities of OPM breach victims to take out fraudulent loans through a federal credit union. It appears to be the first criminal case involving OPM data that the Justice Department has publicly disclosed.” Since I held security clearances throughout my career, my personal data was also compromised, and I was notified and provided with credit monitoring. In the aftermath of the data breach, OPM Director Katherine Archuleta and the CIO, Donna Seymour, resigned.
- 2017 Equifax Data Breach saw the entirely preventable compromise of sensitive personal data of 148 million Americans including names, home addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, social security numbers, and driver’s license numbers. Credit card numbers of approximately 209,000 consumers were also breached. As a result of the breach, Equifax’s Chief Security Office, Chief Information Officer, and Chief Executive Officer all “retired”. If we look at Equifax’s stock prices, we see that concurrent with the September 2017 disclosure of the breach, the September 15, 2017 market close experienced a precipitous drop in stock price of $92.98 from a September 1, 2017 closing price of $141.59. However, one year later, the stock price on September 14, 2018 closed at $136.68, only a 4% decline. Equifax may face future fines from U.S. agencies such as the New York Department of Financial Services, the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Protection Bureau.
- 2013, 2014 and 2016 Yahoo Data Breaches – if the OPM data breach was the worst in terms of the sensitivity of data compromised, the Yahoo breaches were the worst relative to the numbers of records breached. “In October 2017, Yahoo! updated its assessment of the hack, and stated that it believes all of its 3 billion accounts at the time of the August 2013 breach were affected.” Yahoo was subsequently acquired by Verizon and in the wake of breach disclosure and due diligence analyses, it was determined that Yahoo’s “reputation wasn’t damaged beyond repair”. Verizon stuck with the “deal but lowered its original offer by $350 million”.
- 2014 Home Depot Data Security Breach - 56 Million debit and credit card numbers were stolen from its customers between April and September 2014. As the result of the breach, Home Depot reached a settlement to pay a minimum of $19.5 million in consumer lawsuits, a requirement for the company to improve its data security efforts and to hire a chief information security officer, and pay legal fees for impacted customers, which could cost more than $8.7 million. On September 5, 2014, Home Depot stock closed at $91.61 and one year later closed at $114.42 on September 4, 2015. The stock has been on a steady climb and on December 31, 2018, the stock closed at $171.82 or a 47% increase in the four years since the breach was disclosed.
- 2014 - 2018 Marriot/Starwood Data Breach - September 2018, Marriott launched an investigation after receiving an alert from an internal security tool that triggered on an unauthorized attempt to access the Starwood guest reservation database. The investigation revealed that there had been unauthorized access to the Starwood network since 2014 and hackers exfiltrated financial and personal information of more than 500 million guests from the Starwood guest reservation database. On September 4, 2018, Marriott stock closed at $126.55 and at year’s end December 31, 2018, closed at $108.56 a 14% decline.
I personally dislike the phrase “new normal” since it seems most every aspect of life is not normal at all. The phrase implies that we should just sit back and accept the “status quo”. Our personal, private and financial data are not only stolen, but also commoditized and sold by social media platforms. A December 31, 2018, Electronic Frontier Foundation article suggests that “In the United States, 2018 may go down as the year that government began to get serious about privacy.”
We can only hope that the onslaught of continuing data breaches will result in serious privacy proposals on the legislative floor. But given the current political climate – don’t bet on it.
Regardless, incident response has become more important than ever. Get in touch to learn how CISOBox can help.
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Doing Business 2012: Doing Business in a More Transparent World assesses regulations affecting domestic firms in 183 economies and ranks the economies in 10 areas of business regulation, such as starting a business, resolving insolvency and trading across borders. This year’s report data cover regulations measured from June 2010 through May 2011. The report rankings on ease of doing business have expanded to include indicators on getting electricity. The report finds that getting an electrical connection is most efficient in Iceland; Germany; Taiwan, China; Hong Kong SAR, China; and Singapore.


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Sales tax revenue growth continues in Oklahoma City
Collections for the city's general fund are up nearly 10 percent for December, marking 15 straight months of sales tax growth. City budget director attributes growth to low unemployment and “macro” level positives in local economy.
The latest monthly sales tax report for Oklahoma City shows a 9.9 percent increase in collections over the same time period last year as job growth continues to boost the local economy.
Sales tax collections for the last two weeks of October through the first two weeks of November totaled $33.1 million, marking the 15th straight month of sales tax growth for the city.
Doug Dowler, budget director, attributed the growth to a positive economy, jobless rate and retail environment in the city.
The sales tax is the largest revenue source for the city, and retail dollars comprise the majority of that tax, he said.
“And really what people have available to spend is driven by two things — how many people are working and how much they're making at those jobs,” Dowler said.
The Oklahoma City metropolitan area had 4.8 percent unemployment this fall, according to a report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics in November.
Statewide, the jobless rate was 5.2 percent, according to the report.
Dowler said sales tax growth was positive in Edmond, Moore, Yukon and most other suburbs of Oklahoma City, as well as in Tulsa.
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Albany County extends hours for wine, liquor sales
The Albany County Legislature has approved extending hours for wine and liquor sales during the holiday season.
The stores will be able to stay open until 11 p.m. from Nov. 15 to Jan. 7 each season instead of the normal 9 p.m. closing time. They will also be able to open an hour earlier, at 8 a.m.
It’s not a mandate, the county said, just an option for stores.


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Raghu Raghavan had been through the drill before -- starting an Oregon company and watching it leave town after Bay Area venture capitalists lured it south.
This time, Raghavan was having none of it.
So when his new business, Beaverton's Act-On Software, went looking for investment last year, Raghavan said he turned down an otherwise appealing offer that required a move to California.
"Who are these guys to tell me that I should only succeed down there?" asks Raghavan, Act-On's founder and CEO. "It's ridiculous to think you can't succeed in Oregon."
Now, his patience has been rewarded.
Act-On plans to announce $4 million in new venture backing Monday, from US Venture Partners and Voyager Capital. The company plans to use the money to accelerate its marketing and development efforts, adding jobs as it tries to broaden its reach.
Oregon entrepreneurs have long complained that they can't get traction locally, either because they can't find local investors or because they can't find skilled executive talent.
in search of better opportunities.
Earlier this year, for example -- Portland's most prominent young tech company -- Jive Software --
, closer to its venture backers and the Silicon Valley's skilled developer talent.
: Online marketing software to help companies target their sales efforts
: 12 -- eight in Beaverton and four in a Sacramento sales office
: About $4 million in new venture backing from US Venture Partners and Voyager Capital; prior backers include Cisco Systems
Oregon attracts venture capital at half the rate of the nation as a whole, and no big-time success has emerged from the state's startup scene in more than a decade. No Oregon tech company has held an initial public stock offering in six years.
Raghavan moved to Oregon in the 1980s to work at Mentor Graphics. He later co-founded Responsys, an e-mail marketing company that moved to California after winning venture backing.
By digging into his own wallet, and tapping former colleagues to fill Act-On's executive positions, Raghavan said Act-On was able to meet its business goals last year. With today's funding, he said, the Beaverton company can open up its market.
Its software tracks sales prospects' online activity, integrating with other online tools (Salesforce.com and online conferencing specialist WebEx) to spot potential customers' "digital body language" and target them for sales calls.
While Raghavan originally envisioned his software appealing to startups without large marketing budgets, Act-On quickly attracted customers including Progressive Insurance, IBM and Motorola. So he and his new backers envision great growth potential.
"This is a business disruption to a large, growing marketplace," said Diane Fraiman, venture partner with Voyager Capital. She said Act-On has built a straightforward system that compares favorably with far more expensive options from larger companies.
Fraiman opened Voyager's Portland office when she joined the Seattle firm two years ago. She said there are a small but active group of Bay Area venture capitalists who don't want an Oregon company in their portfolio. But others see an advantage to operating in Portland.
"It costs them less to run a business," she said.
Labor costs in the Bay Area are only rising. Google was widely reported last week to have given its entire work force a 10 percent raise amid growing competition for talented personnel.
To Raghavan, the inflated cost of hiring Bay Area developers looks like a "bubble." So he's committed to staying put.
"Somebody moves to Silicon Valley -- I don't think that guarantees their ability to build a team there," he said. "I'm firmly of the opinion that you can build a great company in Portland."
; phone: 503-294-7699


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China: Internet Regulation Legitimate, Reasonable
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China's regulation on the Internet industry is in line with the laws and should be free from unjustifiable interferences, a Chinese government official said Sunday.
A spokesperson with China's State Council Information Office told Xinhua in an exclusive interview, that China is regulating the Internet legally to build a more reliable, helpful information network that is beneficial to economic and social development.
Such regulation, the spokesperson said, are based on laws and regulations such as the Constitution, the Law on the Protection of Minors, and the Decision on Internet Safety pass by the National People's Congress Standing Committee.
Online information which incites subversion of state power, violence and terrorism or includes pornographic contents are explicitly prohibited in the laws and regulations, the spokesperson said.
China has full justification to deal with these illegal and harmful online contents, the spokesperson said.
This has nothing to do with the claims of "restrictions on Internet freedom", the spokesperson stressed.
Different countries have different conditions and realities, thus they are regulating the Internet in different ways, the spokesperson said.
China's regulation on the Internet industry is proved to be suitable for China's national conditions and in line with common practices in most countries as well, the spokesperson said.
China is willing to cooperate and exchange opinions on issues about Internet development and management wit other countries, but opposes firmly to any defiance of Chinese laws, or intervening Chinese domestic affairs under the pretence of "Internet management" regardless of the truth, the spokesperson said.
According to the spokesperson, as of the end of 2009, the number of netizens in China reached 384 million, and websites topped 3.68 million.
China has millions of online forums and more than 200 million blogs, and every day, there are more than four million new blog entries posted online, the spokesperson said.
Chinese netizens' right to express opinions within the law is well protected, and their opinions are given full consideration by the government in policy making process, the spokesperson said.
(Xinhua News Agency January 25, 2010)


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June Midsize Sales: Toyota Camry Number One Again, Accord Gains
The Toyota Camry led midsize sedan sales again in June with 35,870 units sold, less than the nearly 40,000 sales it saw in May but still plenty to pull ahead of second-place finisher Honda Accord's 31,677 sales. Mirroring last month's top three results, the Nissan Altima came in third place, with 26,904 units sold.
The Ford Fusion was again the fourth best-selling midsizer in June, with sales of 24,313 units. The Chevrolet Malibu finished fifth with 21,288 units sold, ahead of the Hyundai Sonata's 19,454 sales. Despite that victory, the Malibu, which received an emergency refresh for the 2014 model year, was down significantly from the 31,402 units it sold the same month last year. Kia moved 14,599 Optima sedans off dealer lots in June for a seventh-place finish.
Read about May 2013 midsize sedan sales: Camry Back on Top, Altima Overtakes Fusion
The Chrysler 200 was eighth with sales of 12,360 units, sandwiching the Volkswagen Passat (10,874 units) between its platform-mate, the Dodge Avenger (7582 units). Though the Passat beat the Avenger in June, the Dodge-branded sedan leads in year-to-date sales at 61,018 units versus the VW's 56,119 units. The Subaru Legacy was 11th with 4363 sales, while the new Mazda6 again found itself in last place, but with far more midsize sedans sold than during May 2012.
Source: The Automakers
|Model||June 2013 sales||June 2012 sales||Year-to-Date|
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Canceling plans or turning someone down? Here's why you shouldn't apologize for it according to science.
Canceling plans or turning someone down? Here's why you shouldn't apologize for it, according to science.
We've all been there: You'd rather sit at home in your underwear watching the early seasons of Game of Thrones than grab drinks with your buddies. You skip out on lunch plans with your colleague to get out of the office early. You dodge your neighbor's not-so-subtle hints to go out for drinks. What do they all have in common? That weak, unapologetic 'Sorry' bringing up the rear.
Even if you are truly sorry, you might want to skip it.
That well-intended apology actually has the potential to make the person who's being rejected feel even worse, according to a new study from Dartmouth College.
In the study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, researchers found rejection with an added apology only adds insult to injury. It made people feel obligated to say they forgive the rejector, even though they didn't want to.
It seems normal and harmless to throw an apology in with a rejection, and there are certain benefits to it, according to the study. For example, it's been shown to make the rejector look better, and it can make the person being rejected feel less angry or aggressive. But if you're trying not to hurt someone's feelings, apologizing may backfire.
"Our research finds that despite their good intentions, people are going about it the wrong way," lead study author Dr. Gili Freedman said in a press release.
Because social rejection is complicated and every situation is different, researchers don't have any exact recommendations for what to say when you have to reject someone. But one thing's for sure: Think about what you're going to say beforehand, and maybe offer another date or plan to make it up to him/her.
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NORTH CAOLINA -- The National Christmas Tree Association said last decade's recession is having an impact on this year's harvest of Christmas trees across the country, adding that low sales during the recession may be to blame.
RELATED: San Jose charity spreads holiday cheer with new delivery truck
"We backed off on planting some back then and unfortunately, the results are that we have a lower supply today and of course, in the booming economy that we have, we have high demand," said a spokesperson for the National Christmas Tree Association Doug Hundley.
The State Farmer's Market manager Ronnie Best told ABC11 about 8,000 - 9,000 trees are up for sale there every year, adding that farmers bring in more supply from the mountains as needed.
When it comes to the price tag, the National Christmas Tree Association said shoppers could expect to see a five to 10 percent increase across the country as their market adjusts.
Click here for a look at more stories, videos, and photos about the holidays!
Recession bringing Christmas tree prices up this holiday season
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Toyota Motors has recently introduced a new safety option to the market.
According to the news, in the latest version of the Lexus LS an automatic braking system designed to be used in emergency situations will be available as an option. Starting next week, auto dealers who are being briefed will start to offer the new vehicles with the new braking system.
The system is reportedly meant to avoid medium to low speed auto collisions by applying the brakes when a collision is unavoidable.
For more details, read the full article here:
New Lexus LS Safety Systems Include Automatic Braking


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What you need to know
- Bloomberg says that iPhone 9 will be announced next month.
- That's despite the impact of factory closures due to coronavirus.
- This as Apple has warned investors that it will miss its Q2 revenue guidance.
Amid a backdrop of Apple's message to investors warning of its inability to meet its own Q2 earnings guidance due to production issues related to coronavirus, Bloomberg now reports that we can expect iPhone 9 to be announced next month as planned.
The report notes that while Apple is struggling to make iPhones at the predicted pace due to factory closures, it will still announce the low-cost iPhone next month as had been expected. The plans are, however, still "fluid".
Amid its coronavirus troubles, Apple has been preparing to launch a new low-cost iPhone at around $400, Bloomberg News has reported. The model is still on track to launch in March, though the plans are still fluid, according to people familiar with the matter. Apple has also been preparing updated iPad Pro models with a new camera system for the first half of 2020 and the virus may yet impose delays or constraints on those plans.
That suggestion of a new iPad Pro refresh matches recent reports from DigiTimes suggesting a new 12-inch iPad Pro – at least – will be announced soon.
Apple has held March events before, so it's possible this year, too. If there is to be a new announcement it's possible we will also see the Apple AirTags trackers we've been waiting for.
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Bollywood movies have a deep impact on Indian audience, movie directors have now become aware of the fact that they play an important role in our society. In past few years, Hindi cinema has tried to convey important social messages through their movies. The latest one in this list is Akshay Kumar starring Padman which will release on 9th February.
PadMan is based on a man living in Coimbatore who makes low-cost sanitary napkins after he discovered that his wife couldn’t afford to buy one. He doesn’t just sell the sanitary pads but also takes bold steps to make women aware of the importance of these pads.
The marketing campaign of PadMan is making a lot of buzzes as many big names in Bollywood are supporting it. But, is it really a good idea to waste pads just for the marketing purpose?
The movie is based on making the sanitary pads affordable for every lady in the country and the Padman challenge is helping the movie to gain popularity.
Menstruation is still a taboo in India and such marketing campaigns can make a change if done perfectly. Campaigns can help in educating Indian women about the health problems that they can face during period days and this would have made them buy pads.
Celebrities taking pictures while holding pads will not change the reality of rural India. People living in big houses don’t even know about the problems that poor people face in their daily lives.
Our intention is not to disrespect anybody but the question arises that is it enough to create awareness among Indian women? A big portion of the people who are sharing their images on social media with the pads will throw them right away which will result in wastage.
The marketing campaign should have involved some stories about activists who have done so much for bringing a change in the mindset of Indian people regarding menstruation. But, we guess the marketing team may have chosen the pad challenge as previous Bollywood challenges like Beat Pe Booty were very successful and had helped the movie a lot.
This challenge will only remain popular for some days and everyone will forget about it after the release of Padman. If the marketing of Padman had been original and more creative it would have made a huge impact in solving a very critical issue for the women of our country.
People are taking a selfie with sanitary pads and wasting it but we suggest to distribute it to the ladies who are too poor and unaware to buy one.
What’s your take on this? Do let us know in comments so that we can share your views.


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Ghana is a long way from Silicon Valley, but thanks to a tech boom facilitated by its population of less than 30 million, the once-disadvantaged country is experiencing an impressive technological renaissance. While local tech firms have benefitted from a strong Internet of Things (IoT) push fueled by large global brands like Dell, Intel, and Samsung, relatively untouched is the area of clean technology, especially clean energy. As recently as 2013, only 10 percent of Ghana’s power was generated from renewable sources. But two weeks ago, the West African nation became the first in Africa to generate all of its electricity from solar in a one-year experiment.
Ghana’s commercial rooftop solar market has been heating up in recent years. According to global market research firm Forest Research Associates, a surge in projects will soon send the market soaring to $350 million by 2022.
U.S. solar manufacturing firm SunPower has been delivering solar modules to Ghana as of late. That’s a big deal for Ghana’s green movement because SunPower is among the world’s largest producers of thin-film solar panels. Thin-film panels, made with a chemical process, can be a cheaper alternative to traditional, multi-layer photovoltaic (PV) panels. And they tend to last longer, which is of concern in a country with a high rate of electricity outages.
The sky is the limit when it comes to renewable energy in Ghana. “The future of Ghana depends on sustainable technologies,” said Xavier K. Oculi, president of the World Bank Ghana Office, after a panel discussion at the 15th Annual Ghana Energy Forum. “We have a lot of financing companies, investment banks, and our government working in this area and making Ghana a center of excellence.”
Ghana now ranks 14th in the world when it comes to clean-energy financing, according to Empower, a research organization that helps to raise awareness about clean technologies. That figure shoots up to 7th for Africa. (By comparison, Japan and the United States are number 1 and 2, respectively.)
One of the reasons why clean-energy financing in Africa is slowly catching up is that there is tremendous room for growth. “Wind and solar can be achieved with small systems. It makes sense to actually reduce the cost of electricity so that every household in Ghana can get access to clean energy,” said Tom Hage, an Empower analyst.
Though some investors initially balked at investing in solar power, technology is helping make the products more affordable. When Victoria Tuffailor, CEO of the sustainable solar company SolarPro, met with investors to pitch a solar systems financing plan for Ghana in 2015, she had no more than a handful of options. Now, she says she can attract $20 million per year.
The possibility of cheaper solar power in Ghana has already played a role in attracting major investment. In July, Paris-based battery manufacturer Solid Solar bought a majority stake in Silverthorne Technologies, a Ghanaian startup that makes thin-film solar panels. The investment values the firm at $40 million.
“I told them, ‘You don’t have to come here with $15 million. You can come with $100 million and you’ll get $25 million for every megawatt-hour delivered,’” said Michael Chriscowos, CEO of Silverthorne Technologies.
With industrial giants from China to India playing off Ghana’s investments in clean technology, Ghanaian leaders hope the country is on the verge of a transformative industrial revolution. “The most exciting story in the next 10 years is making power available to all,” said Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo.
We Review 4 Solar Power Markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, Ranked in Confidence
Ghana Now Poised to Lead Africa in Future Clean Energy Futures
There’s a New ‘Sustainable Development Bank’ in Ghana


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Big Apple commits 10 per cent of energy budget to slashing emissions by 30 per cent by 2017
New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg last week pledged to spend 10 per cent of the city's energy budget each year for the next decade to slash the city's carbon emissions. The investment – which aims...
Rich countries must scale up efforts to cut carbon emissions, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development tells world leaders in New York
Meat giant reports significant progress on cutting plastic use since it joined the industry-wide Plastics Pact earlier this year
Champions 12.3 coalition assesses progress towards meeting UN SDG to halve global food waste by 2030
October is peak apple season in the UK but you'll be lucky to find more than four varieties in the supermarket - Louise Gray asks what happened to diversity in our shopping baskets?


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As more and more people decide to cut the cord for good, the war for streaming domination continues to heat up. Netflix and Amazon continue to reign as kings of the playground, while newcomer Disney eyes from the sidelines with plans to unleash a behemoth of its own. Plus, with Hulu now a part of the family, the House of Mouse seems poised to wreck the status quo.
But one other entity has its sights set on igniting the streaming ecosystem with another new service: Apple. We’ve covered the tech titan’s massive plans previously, but new reporting suggests that the company is taking the whole streaming enterprise even more seriously than we could have expected — with billions of dollars in cash backing star-studded original content.
Apple TV Plus is just one more entry in a rapidly growing field of entertainment options. But if you’re looking to see if this service is worth paying a monthly subscription for, we’re diving into the latest information surrounding Apple’s mysterious streaming platform.
A multi-billion-dollar idea
Despite being a relative newcomer to the world of streaming video, Apple is willing to bet big on its upcoming platform, Apple TV Plus. According to reports from the Financial Times, the company plans to invest nearly $6 billion in original content in the coming year, although some sources associated with Apple have disputed the exact amount.
To put it bluntly, Apple must be fairly confident in its platform and material if it’s willing to put that kind of money behind it.
Apple TV Plus isn’t a spur of the moment endeavor, either — as development has been chugging along for several years now. A good chunk of the budget, however, may be dedicated to attracting talent, content and the all-important celebrity brand ambassadors. Yes, you heard right.
The revelation of the massive Apple TV Plus budget comes alongside news that the platform’s opening salvo will include some major star players. This includes material from monumental personalities like Steve Carell, Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey.
In fact, one of the first shows to launch, “The Morning Show” starring Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon is said to have a per-episode budget rivaling HBO mega-hit Game of Thrones.
More importantly, these entries are said to be “exclusives” in the same vein as Amazon or Netflix’s original offerings. This means that Apple TV Plus will be the only place to catch the latest episodes of these new shows — but whether they’re a hit with audiences remains to be seen.
The same goes for whether or not the original content is worth the cost of admission — which, by the way, isn’t currently known yet. Rumors, however, point to a potential free trial for Apple customers and an overall monthly fee of $10. Compared to some competitors like Netflix or Amazon Prime, it’s actually a bit cheaper.
But ultimately, Apple’s efforts are all for show if there’s nothing worth watching. We’ll have to wait and see until November, which is when the platform is rumored to launch.
More fun from Apple
But the streaming shenanigans aren’t the only cool news coming from Cupertino. Just this week, Apple officially launched the Apple Card, which iPhone users can easily apply for inside the Wallet app. Approval depends upon credit qualifications, but the attractive cashback features are at least worth a look for those who are curious.
And speaking of curiosity, for Apple users looking to find new games to play on their devices, Apple’s upcoming Arcade service is rumored to be launching with a $4.99 monthly subscription price, as well as Family Sharing options so everyone can get in on the action.
All that remains to be seen now is whether or not the company reveals some new hardware at the usual time this fall. But from all we’ve seen, signs clearly point to “iPhone 11” territory. See you in September!