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Mercedes-Benz Recalls 254,000 Cars, Vans, and SUVs to Fix Emergency Call Function
A software problem may prevent these vehicles from calling emergency services after a crash
Mercedes-Benz is recalling over 254,000 cars, SUVs, and vans because their automatic crash notification systems might not work. Included in the recall are CLA-Class, GLA-Class, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, SLC-Class, A-Class, AMG GT-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, SL-Class, GLC-Class, CLS-Class, GLB-Class, and G-Class vehicles from the 2017 through 2022 model years, and Freightliner Sprinter, Mercedes-Benz Metris, and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans from the 2019 through 2021 model years.
The automaker told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it is aware of 191 complaints related to this issue but says there have been no reports of crashes, injuries, or property damage.
Mercedes will automatically issue an over-the-air (OTA) software update to fix the problem. If this update fails, owners can bring their vehicles to a Mercedes-Benz dealer for a free software update.
OTA updates are becoming more common as new vehicles increasingly feature built-in wireless connections. In addition to Mercedes-Benz, Tesla and GM have previously used over-the-air updates to address product recalls as well.
• 2017-2022 A-Class, C-Class, CLA-Class, CLS-Class, E-Class, and S-Class sedans and E-Class wagons
• 2017-2022 AMG GT-Class, C-Class, E-Class, SLC-Class, and SL Class coupes
• 2017-2022 G-Class, GLA-Class, GLB-Class, GLC-Class, GLE-Class, and GLS-Class SUVs
• 2019-2021 Freightliner Sprinter, Mercedes-Benz Metris, and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans
The problem: The SIM cards installed in the affected vehicles have faulty software that can prevent them from making a connection.
The fix: Mercedes-Benz will provide a free software update—either over the air or during a visit to a dealership.
How to contact the manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz will contact owners by mail starting in mid-June. Owners of cars and vans may also contact the automaker at 800-367-6372. Van owners can call 877-762-8267.
NHTSA campaign number: Cars and SUVs were recalled as part of campaign number 22V365. Vans were recalled as part of campaign number 22V360.
Check to see whether your vehicle has an open recall: NHTSA’s website will tell you whether your vehicle has any open recalls that need to be addressed.
If you plug your car’s 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) into NHTSA’s website and a recall doesn’t appear, it means your vehicle doesn’t currently have any open recalls. Because automakers issue recalls often, and for many older vehicles, we recommend checking back regularly to see whether your vehicle has had a recall issued.


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Conductor Jaap van Zweden has gained a national reputation with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. But recordings of his work with the DSO have had frustratingly limited distribution. Which is why KERA’s Jerome Weeks reports that the orchestra’s new deal is a big deal.
- KERA radio report:
- Expanded online report:
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra announced today that it has signed a new distribution contract with the major classical record label, Naxos. Currently, if people wish to hear the symphony with van Zweden on a CD or a download, their only recourse has been two CDs for sale on Amazon in America. Otherwise, they’d have to come to the Meyerson in person to buy the CDs.
Of course, the symphony’s recordings with its previous music directors are available on various platforms under a bewildering array of labels (RCA, Telarc, EMI, ProArte, Dorian, Delos and Hyperion). But none of the DSO’s work with van Zweden has been available for download. And none of that work has been available in any form internationally.
Conductor van Zweden says that increasingly, people in other cities have heard of the Dallas Symphony and his work here. But the DSO has not been able to capitalize on its growing reputation.
Van Zweden: “If I conduct in Europe or Chicago or like last week in Boston, and they ask for the records of me and the Dallas Symphony, I have to say, ‘Well, they’re not out yet.’ “
Naxos is one of the two largest-selling classical labels in the world; it’s the largest independent classical label (it’s owned by Hong Kong-based German businessman, Klaus Heymann and not by a parent media conglomerate. Coincidentally, van Zweden recently was appointed music director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic).
In addition to internet downloads, the DSO will gain access to markets in Europe and Asia, where music stores continue to play a major role. Naxos will start by distributing three recordings on the orchestra’s own label, DSO Live — two Beethoven symphonies, two Tchaikovsky symphonies and Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien and Mozartiana Suite. A fourth recording will be released later this month: Composer Steven Stucky’s August 4,1964, the oratorio about Lyndon Johnson that the DSO commissioned and premiered in 2008. And this week, the DSO is performing Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony at the Meyerson — it’s being recorded for release later this year.
Whether as CDs or downloads, classical recordings rarely turn a profit these days. But van Zweden says it’s not about the money.
Van Zweden: “If you’re a fantastic orchestra but invisible on records, then nobody knows this. And so I’m very delighted that Naxos is willing to bring this out and even work with us in the future.”
The press release follows, naturally:
Dallas Symphony Orchestra Announces International Distribution Partnership with Naxos
Recordings by Jaap van Zweden and the DSO available via download for first time
DALLAS, TX (February 15, 2012)- Dallas Symphony recordings on its DSO Live label will soon be available around the world for purchase and downloading through a new agreement with Naxos, one of the world’s largest distributors of classical recordings, Dallas Symphony Orchestra Interim President and CEO David Hyslop announced today.
The distribution partnership begins its three-year term April 1, 2012. The agreement covers all of the recordings with Music Director Jaap van Zweden that have been released or are scheduled for release on the DSO Live label during the contract.
“This agreement will put our superlative recordings in the international market place,” Hyslop said. “Naxos is a pipeline to vendors throughout North, Central and South America, in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. This partnership will also allow music lovers around the globe to download Dallas Symphony recordings.”
“Naxos’ interest in the Dallas Symphony is proof of the tremendous artistic growth of this orchestra,” van Zweden said. “This international exposure will reflect well not only on the musicians of the Dallas Symphony, but on the city itself as a major cultural center. We are proud to serve as cultural ambassadors for Dallas through this new partnership.”
The recordings to be distributed initially include Beethoven’s Fifth and Seventh Symphonies; Tchaikovsky’s Fourth and Fifth Symphonies; Capriccio Italien and Mozartiana Suite; and Steven Stucky’s August 4, 1964, an acclaimed work for soloists, chorus and orchestra about the Presidency of Lyndon Baines Johnson. The Stucky is scheduled for release in late February, 2012. Future recording projects will include Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony and Rococo Variations, which will be recorded live at concerts in February and May of this year.
“We are delighted to add the Dallas Symphony’s recordings under Jaap van Zweden to our distribution family,” said Jim Selby, CEO of Naxos of America. “This is a very fine orchestra, and its exciting recordings deserve to be heard by music lovers all over the globe.”
Celebrating 25 years in 2012, Naxos has evolved from its beginnings as a budget label to a leading classical music group. Headquartered in Hong Kong with distribution and marketing subsidiaries in 15 countries, the group distributes its Naxos, Naxos AudioBook and Marco Polo labels, while providing distribution and licensing services to more than 200 independent and major CD and DVD labels. The Naxos group is also an industry leader in music education, boasting a wide range of physical and digital education products. Operating across six platforms, the Naxos Group’s digital products include the Naxos Music Library, Naxos Spoken Word Library, Naxos Video Library subscription service, and the ClassicsOnline download platform. For more information, visit www.naxos.com.

domain: news


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DETROIT (AP) -- Ford's C-Max minivan will have an exclusive feature when it goes on sale in the U.S. next year: A hands-free liftgate.
The minivan's liftgate opens when someone holding the key fob passes his or her foot under the back of the van. Ford says the C-Max will be the first vehicle to have this technology when it goes on sale in the U.S. next fall.
The C-Max marks a return to the minivan market for Ford, which stopped selling the family haulers in 2006. It seats seven, which makes it unique in the small minivan market. Its closest rival in size, the Mazda5, seats six.
The C-Max is already on sale in Europe. Ford plans to show the U.S.-bound version of the C-Max at next month's Detroit auto show.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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Carolina Curious: Why Are There So Many Mattress Stores?
Since our series Carolina Curious began, we've received a wide range of questions. But there’s one that comes in again and again, month after month:
"Why are there so many mattress stores?"
According to listener Keisha Redd, a lawyer from Winston-Salem, she's seen five on Stratford Road alone.
Others have asked, “Are mattresses really that much in demand?” “How do they all stay in business?” “Does every shopping strip have one?”
To put this question to rest, we found an expert: Dave Perry, the Executive Editor and mattress writer for Greensboro-based Furniture Today, which is the trade newspaper of the entire furniture industry.
Perry has been writing about the mattress business for over 30 years. A big part of his job is following the trends of retailers. He says there are a few reasons why there are so many mattress stores.
"Mattress retailers (like Mattress Firm) have been aggressively expanding," says Perry. "In addition, there's a fairly low cost point of entry to open mattress stores. Mattresses are a product that sells pretty well, significant dollar growth year after a year. And, its a product that consumers need."
According to Perry, there are around 10,000 mattress stores operated by the top 25 mattress retailers in the United States. But that is starting to change. The industry will be "right-sizing," meaning they will begin scaling back on store openings.
"Mattress Firm right now is trying to figure out what the right number of stores is. One complicating factor is existing leases. Even if they want to exit a store, they may have to let the lease run out. They'll have to weigh that as they look at store closings."
A rising star in the densely populated mattress retail arena is Casper. They sell their product exclusively online, and have become a major player.
"Casper positions themselves as a disrupter, which they are," says Perry. "Casper is the #2 bedding e-tailer. They did about $100 million in retail sales last year. And that's a very good point to think about when you look at all these brick and mortar stores. The online retailers are proliferating in a very vibrant, fast-growing space."
The mattress business is showing no signs of slowing down. Data from the Better Sleep Council shows that Millennials expect to replace their mattress every 6.6 years. Why? Experts say it's because they replace cell phones every year, so they're in more of a replacement mode. Perry says that as long as young consumers still feel they are buying a quality product, this is great news for mattress retailers everywhere.
By the way...
Furniture Today's Dave Perry has a heavy metal alter ego that may surprise you. According to mattress industry legend, his friends at Sealy tweeted him a bedding-related country music lullaby, and Perry countered with a "Metallica inspired" response. But all kidding aside, Perry says, "a lullaby is a much better choice for getting to sleep."
What question would you like WFDD reporters to take on next?


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“It’s that time of year again when people flock to stores and surf the web to find that perfect gift for friends and family,” Morrisey said in a statement. “It’s also a popular time for thieves to take advantage of those not paying attention, so I urge everyone to be extra careful with their personal information.”
The Attorney General's office recommends that consumers pay close attention to holiday credit card offers, limit their use of debit cards and be aware of fraudulent websites that look like the real thing.
Consumers must carefully read contracts associated with deferred interest credit card promotions. These deals may promise zero-percent interest through December 2017, but failure to pay off the entire balance by the promotion period’s end could stick the consumer with an interest charge dating back to the item’s original purchase date.
Still yet, the office suggests consumers use credit as opposed to debit. Credit cards offer broader protections to dispute charges when goods or service do not arrive as promised. Debit cards, in contrast, are no different than cash and come with no special protection.
Online shoppers also should watch for spelling mistakes, low-quality images and ensure URL addresses legitimately match the known retailer’s website. Those tips will help identify fraudulent websites hastily created to steal money and personal information.
Consumers should rely upon secure payment systems such as PayPal, avoid money transfers to unknown people and make sure any payment website starts with https:// as the “s” indicates a secure page.
The office asks that anyone who feels as though they have been scammed while shopping to call the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division toll free at 800-368-8808 or visit the office online at www.wvago.gov.


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It should not surprise anyone if the claim is made that Sony Interactive Entertainment after the PlayStation 4 generation also the era of the PlayStation 5 will initiate. However, the question arises how potent the hardware of the next console generation will be. Even if Sony Interactive Entertainment does not yet provide any information, the developers are already beginning to speculate about the future.
This time, Jamie Fisher from the Climax Studios has spoken out and emphasized that the next generation is no longer past the Fotorealismus. However, he is not necessarily excited about the pure hardware performance, but would rather irritate the games that we get offered in the next generation. So he hopes that good games will continue to appear.
On the other hand, he calls “Fotorealismus” an “inevitable“. GamingBolt said to Fisher, “If we continue to push the hardware power up, what we will do 100 percent, we’ll reach a level that allows us to show a photo-realistic graphic, regardless of whether it’s going to be in the next generation or not.”


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I’ve had both Facebook and Google it blocks ads and digital in March last, and their Twitter and Snapchat shortly after, the company said four-this step within the context of an updated ads in the midst of maintaining the consumer and in case of their scam operations.
Has Google banned the ads last June to protect the consumer from any potential harm justified it on the tongue, director of Product Management in the company Scott Spencer, who said back then they don’t have a magic ball to see the future of this currency encrypted, but the company considers that they pose harm to the consumer and providing you to handle with extreme caution.
In contrast, after about six months of total ban by Google on this type of advertising and of private trade, the company decided today to allow the return of some of those ads, but within the procedures of the organization in both the United States and Japan, and this step after the establishment of Facebook to mitigate the extent of the ban on advertising and trading of electronic currency in June last.
Will be a new policy to allow the promotion and advertising for the trading of digital currencies under implementation in October, while staying all of the job offers the initial (ICOs) and the governor storage of crypto-currencies as well as tips business process flow under the ban.
Despite that the policy of the new ads will be in all parts of the world but ads and encrypted will appear in the current time, only the United States and Japan, and for such declarations to apply for a license to view the article in the country concerned separately.


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Code Name: Project Panama
If you haven’t heard yet, Yahoo! has announced it is holding off updates to its paid search advertising platform. For those of you that are new to Paid Search, you might be scratching your head asking Project Panama, new platform, Yahoo!? What?
Well, never fear. I will give a brief rundown of what was supposed to happen, when, and why it isn’t now.
What: Project Panama (aka Google-clone)
Essentially, Yahoo! Search Marketing plans to become more Google-like in nature. Yahoo’s new “easy-to-use” ad control panel would allow for some of the following:
- Ad testing, allowing different variations of ads to rotate within a keyword group
- Geo-targeting, by city, state and country
- Scheduling, campaign day parting
- Forecasting, improved keyword search volume estimations and suggestions
- Fast editorial, automated system allowing listings to appear almost immediately
When: Originally expected to roll out during the third quarter of 2006, before the ever so popular fourth quarter, now pushed back until the first quarter of 2007. What more could the competition ask for? It’s like Christmas in July!
Why it isn’t: Yahoo! states that they did not want to disrupt the ad purchasing and management during the 2006 holiday season.
My question is simple, why would Yahoo! think twice about waiting to roll out Project Panama if it would put them in a position to compete closer with rival, Google? Not to mention, Yahoo! anticipated revenue increases of at least 20%, an estimated $125 million by the end of 2006, potentially $600 million in 2007.
I understand that this is quite an undertaking to completely revamp its search marketing platform, but how confident is Yahoo! in its new system to not roll it out before the fourth quarter rush? It looks like Google will prevail again. Perhaps those of us advertising in Yahoo! should start filling out our Christmas lists early this year, in the hopes that Santa brings us a new Yahoo! Search Marketing interface for 2007.


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December 12, 2017
By: Andrea Hill
I am pleased to bring you this instalment of my blog, rounding up what’s currently happening in the cannabis industry in Canada and abroad.
“Financial guerrilla tactics” and Pick your poison: Aurora grapples with CanniMed in the public eye
- The board of Cannimed Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: CMED) has formally responded to a takeover bid launched by Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX: ACB), under which Aurora is offering $24 worth of Aurora’s shares for each CanniMed share tendered. CanniMed issued a directors’ circular yesterday and pulled no punches in rejecting Aurora’s offer – here’s the eye-catching first page:
- Aurora has set up a website dedicated to its bid, and has invested in its own flashy graphics:
- Aurora’s market capitalization currently hovers around $3 billion, the product of a recent tripling of its stock price after it spent a year hovering around $2.50 per share. Aurora is known for its big, brash projects: for example, its 800,000 square foot “Aurora Sky” greenhouse under construction will, the company says, be the world’s biggest and most advanced.
- CanniMed, which has 17 years of operations as the federal government’s former incumbent medical cannabis producer, has taken a more measured approach to growth and has never had a recall or product shortage. But the fact that CanniMed’s share price has remained around $12 for the past year and has not followed the sharp November spike experienced by Aurora and several other major licensed producers could be a cause of shareholder grumbling.
- Aurora, however, is offering its own shares as consideration for the CanniMed shareholders, meaning that CanniMed shareholders will become Aurora shareholders. In the frothy world of cannabis stocks where companies can gain or lose hundreds of millions of dollars in value in a day, cannabis companies are hard to value and share-for-share deals are tricky to assess.
- Both companies are courting CanniMed’s shareholders. But their open hostility to each other – rare in an industry where 80 LPs share an insatiable consumer market and oceans of investment capital – makes for drama worthy of a legal thriller:
- When Aurora first announced its intention to make a bid, CanniMed was already in the middle of negotiating a deal to acquire Newstrike Resources Ltd. (TSXV: HIP), parent company of licensed producer Up Cannabis Inc., famous for its association with Canadian rock legends The Tragically Hip. The Aurora offer forced CanniMed to disclose the existence of the Newstrike negotiations, perhaps sooner than they would have liked. Aurora made its formal take-over bid subject to the Newstrike transaction not proceeding, and stated that it “will be able to accelerate CanniMed’s growth more effectively than current management”.
- Aurora also announced that it had locked up 38% of CanniMed’s shares, surely a blow to CanniMed to know that their three largest shareholders were speaking with Aurora behind their backs. Aurora has even said that the whole idea for the takeover came from these shareholders looking to find a buyer for CanniMed and choosing Aurora as the best suitor. More recently, CanniMed has alleged that several of its own board members were also quietly taking part in that search.
- CanniMed responded by calling Aurora’s stock price “inflated” and having a “value that does not appear to be based on any substantive decisions or value created by its management”.
- CanniMed then issued an additional press release self-evidently titled “Actions Versus Words: Aurora CEO’s Actions Reveal That Aurora Stock is Inflated; Insiders Sell $17 Million in Stock During Their Hostile Take-over Bid for CanniMed and During a Financing”.
- CanniMed also adopted a poison pill, which is legal parlance for a shareholder rights plan which makes an attempted takeover uneconomical. CanniMed’s plan issues a “right” to each of its shareholders which, if activated, allows the holder to purchase additional shares of CanniMed at a substantial discount – effectively multiplying the acquisition cost for the acquiror. Aurora could activate this right by purchasing any CanniMed shares or by entering into any new lock-up agreements, among other things.
- What this means is that Aurora effectively is not able to take up any CanniMed shares while the poison pill is in place. Unlike the US, however, where target companies can sometimes keep these shareholder rights plans in place indefinitely, Canadian regulators will eventually cease-trade a poison pill and let the shareholders decide whether or not to tender their shares to the offer. The view in Canada is that poison pills can buy a target company more time, but (unlike the response to drugs that we’re taught in grade school), a target cannot “just say no”.
- After the poison pill announcement, Aurora fired back that it was “astonished” by CanniMed’s continued refusal to negotiate, and vowing to challenge the “self-serving,” “oppressive”, and “rash” poison pill. “It looks to us like they’re scrambling,” said an Aurora executive. In a BNN interview, CanniMed’s CEO said that he can’t talk to Aurora because of its exclusivity agreements with Newstrike, called Aurora’s conduct “financial guerrilla tactics”, and accused the major CanniMed shareholders who had approached Aurora of breaching their exclusivity obligations to the company.
- Pulling no punches, CanniMed also asked the Saskatchewan government to block the takeover (perhaps hoping that, as with the 2010 attempted takeover of Potash Corp. by BHP Billiton, the provincial government would intervene). But a government spokesperson shut down the idea, saying that the Ministry of Economy “views this strictly as a commercial transaction, and will not be commenting further.” Aurora crowed that this was “the latest in a series of increasingly desperate schemes by CanniMed.”
- Takeover bid offers must remain open for acceptance for at least 105 days – a period reflecting a recent extension from 35 days which was intended to give offeree boards more time to consider and respond to a bid, including seeking out “white knight” preferred alternative acquirors. Aurora’s offer remains open to acceptance by CanniMed shareholders until midnight on March 9, 2018, but Aurora has applied to the securities regulators to have the poison pill cease-traded and has also asked to reduce the 105-day period to the previous regulatory requirement of 35 days. CanniMed is opposing this.
- Yesterday, CanniMed also asked the securities regulators in Ontario and Saskatchewan to cease trade Aurora’s bid on a number of grounds, the most interesting of which is that the bid is actually an “insider bid” under Canada’s minority shareholder protection rules, Multilateral Instrument 61-101. The argument is that the CanniMed shareholders who entered into the lock-up agreements are “joint actors” with Aurora on the bid. It’s an interesting proposition, especially as Aurora executive vice-president Cam Battley is on the record as saying that those major shareholders approached Aurora.
- If CanniMed is successful, the regulators would tell Aurora to start over with a brand new bid – but this time, an insider bid, which would require additional disclosure including a formal valuation (unless an exemption is available), a 50% minimum tender condition for minority shareholders excluding the locked-up shareholders and other interested persons (a higher tender threshold than Aurora currently needs), and most importantly a reset of the 105-day clock.
- Aurora’s attempt to buy CanniMed comes amid a string of smaller purchases, including Aurora’s acquisition of greenhouse design firm Larssen Ltd., which is in the midst of working on greenhouses for five other licensed producers. Aurora made it clear that the terms of Larssen’s engagement with those other LPs (which remain unidentified, but which probably include The Green Organic Dutchman Ltd. based on a press release issued by one of its shareholders) were likely to change once the buyout is completed: “We’re going to certainly encourage those to proceed but we’re going to require some level of partnership, whether that be an equity stake or a supply agreement or other things”, said Aurora’s executive vice-president Cam Battley.
What’s Up in Weed is not legal or financial advice. It is a blog by SkyLaw which is made available for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional advice from a lawyer. This blog is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without our permission.
If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact us. The SkyLaw team would be delighted to speak with you.
© Copyright SkyLaw 2017. All rights reserved. SkyLaw is a registered trademark of SkyLaw Professional Corporation.
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He brings a tremendous amount of industry knowledge, both as an end-user and a vendor. We’re confident he’ll help DSA expand its influence in the digital omnichannel industry.
Louisville, KY (PRWEB) November 01, 2013
Networld Media Group, online publishers of B2B websites covering the ATM, digital signage, self-service kiosk, mobile payments, restaurant and retail industries, has announced the appointment of David Drain as senior vice president of events. Drain formerly served as executive director of the Digital Screenmedia Association (DSA), a not-for-profit trade association client of the company.
Networld Media Group also announced the hiring of digital signage industry veteran Paul Flanigan to replace Drain as executive director of the DSA. The selection of Flanigan was made in consultation with the association’s Executive Committee.
Drain joined Networld in 2006 to serve as executive director of the Self-Service & Kiosk Association (SSKA). He helped co-found the Digital Signage Association (DSA) in 2007. In 2010, the advisory boards of SSKA and DSA agreed to merge to form the Digital Screenmedia Association.
During his tenure as executive director, Drain became a spokesperson for the kiosk and digital signage industries, oversaw the introduction of new websites, conducted numerous webinars, launched two awards programs and was instrumental in the development of the Digital Screenmedia Symposiums.
In his new role, Drain will be responsible for the Fast Casual Executive Summit, Retail Customer Experience Executive Summit and ATM & Mobile Innovation Summit.
Flanigan is a well-known industry blogger who was most recently vice president of communications and business development for Pro-Motion Technology Group, a digital signage solutions provider.
For several years Flanigan managed the $5 billion in-store digital multimedia network for Best Buy, which had over 100 million monthly impressions. His background also includes stints as a consultant, an adjunct professor (where he taught courses in digital multimedia) and a manager of marketing and entertainment for the Sacramento River Cats and San Diego Padres, respectively.
Flanigan has been an active member of the DSA, most recently serving as EVP of marketing. In his new role, Flanigan will be responsible for the day-to-day administration of the DSA as well as carrying out the short- and long-term objectives of the DSA Board of Directors.
“David has a strong background in events and will be leading our company’s expansion in this area,” said Alan Fryrear, CEO of Networld. “Paul was a natural for assuming the leadership of the DSA. His background in digital media and long-term involvement in the association will keep the momentum going.”
“DSA is excited to welcome Paul as our new executive director,” said Bill Lynch, president of DSA. “He brings a tremendous amount of industry knowledge, both as an end-user and a vendor. We’re confident he’ll help DSA expand its influence in the digital omnichannel industry.”
Both Drain and Flanigan will be on hand for the DSA Advisory Board meeting and Customer Engagement Technology World show, both taking place in New York City next week.
About Networld Media Group
Founded in 2000, Networld Media Group is a leading business-to-business (B2B) media communications company specializing in digital media, associations and events in the mobile, self-service, digital signage, retail, food service and financial services industries. Properties published by Networld Media Group include: ATMmarketplace.com, DigitalSignageToday.com, FastCasual.com, KioskMarketplace.com, PizzaMarketplace.com, QSRweb.com, RetailCustomerExperience.com, MobilePaymentsToday.com and ChurchCentral.com.
About the Digital Screenmedia Association (DSA)
DSA is an independent, not-for-profit trade association whose purpose is to advance the growth and excellence of the global digital signage, interactive kiosk and mobile community through advocacy, education and networking. Members include users of digital screenmedia in all vertical markets, as well as manufacturers, resellers and distributors of hardware and software, network operators, integrators, advertising agencies, consultants, analysts, publishers, tradeshow organizers and service companies. See http://www.digitalscreenmedia.org.


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PrestoMall Banks on Alibaba Cloud’s PolarDB for its Next Phase of Growth
Jan 9, 2020
An early adopter of the next generation relational database technology benefits from fully managed cloud-native database solutions
Kuala Lumpur, January 9, 2020 – Alibaba Cloud, the data intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, has offered PolarDB to PrestoMall, a leading e-commerce platform in Malaysia as a catalyst for growth. With this next generation relational database technology PrestoMall will scale and manage its operations more effectively.
PrestoMall, previously known as 11street Malaysia, is the largest homegrown online marketplace in the country seeing a steady and significant rise in its business in Malaysia. From fiscal year 2015 to2018, the company registered a growth of 256% in revenue. With the growing business potential and increasing competition, digital transformation was a competitive requirement for PrestoMall.
To power its next phase of growth, the company required a solution that offered elasticity and scalability, while maintaining cost efficiency. The previous infrastructure was not designed to meet the requirements of elastic growth and the licensing fees was too expensive, making it difficult for the company to optimize its operations.
With that, PrestoMall chose Alibaba Cloud's PolarDB, taking advantage of some significant benefits around cost, performance, and resilience. The elasticity, scalability and high availability features of PolarDB helped PrestoMall prepare its system to resume to normal performance quickly in case of any hardware failure, which is essential in supporting the business's online activities real-time.
PolarDB is compatible with MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle, supporting up to 100TB of data. During the recently concluded 24-hour 11.11 Global Shopping Festival of Alibaba, wherein Alibaba Cloud powered US$1billion of GMV in 68 Seconds, PolarDB dealt with over 87million requests per second, and supported the analytics that was generated by customer activity in real-time.
Powered by the technology, PrestoMall's current infrastructure is capable of processing millions of queries per second and can support up to 100TB of data, which at the same time delivers the security, reliability and availability of traditional commercial database. Over 40% cost reduction has been achieved after the data migration, according to the company.
Mr Erwin Foo, Group Chief Technology Officer of PrestoMall said: "As one of the leading e-commerce players in Malaysia, we are constantly looking to adopt future proof and affordable solution to enhance our platform and provide more unique and remarkable experience for our customer. Due to the complexity of the e-commerce platforms, we need a reliable, robust and scalable database that can enable the growth of our dynamic business without worrying too much about the infrastructure and support needed."
"We are very happy to work with Alibaba Cloud Intelligence for the migration of our database to POLARDB. I am very impressed with their commitment, dedication and professionalism. They are always willing to go the extra mile and also helped us migrate the database successfully within a very short period of time. We look forward to taking this collaboration to the next level in the near future."
Dr. Feifei Li, Vice President of Alibaba Cloud, President and Senior Fellow of Database Systems, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence said, "As businesses aim to cater for users in a fast-paced internet age, the need for cloud-native databases that are truly elastic, available, intelligent, and secure will only continue to grow. It is essential for companies to have access to reliable, cost-efficient and high-performance cloud computing infrastructure. We believe PolarDB will add enormous value to ecommerce companies in particular."
"We are proud to provide PolarDB to the Malaysia market to give an option for local companies to use the high performance, yet cost-effective technology to meet growing digital demands, staying ahead of the digital race," he added.
In a recent industry research, it was predicted that the future of the database market is cloud. On-premises Database Management System (DBMS) revenue continues to decrease as DBMS market shifts to cloud. With this trend continue to grow, by 2022, 75% of all databases will be deployed or migrated to a cloud platform.
About Alibaba Cloud
Established in 2009, Alibaba Cloud (www.alibabacloud.com), the data intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, is among the world's top three IaaS providers, according to Gartner. It is also the largest provider of public cloud services in China, according to IDC. Alibaba Cloud provides a comprehensive suite of cloud computing services to businesses worldwide, including merchants doing business on Alibaba Group marketplaces, start-ups, corporations and public services. Alibaba Cloud is the official Cloud Services Partner of the International Olympic Committee.


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We may still have Halloween and Bonfire Night to negotiate but nevertheless department store John Lewis has decided to get festive and reveal its top 10 toy predictions for Christmas 2017.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, John Lewis toy expert Harry Boughton, said: “This year we’re expecting to see a rise in the demand for toys that combine learning with fun and play.
“As technology continues to improve our day-to-day lives with the rise of smart home devices, tech toys have also seen a rise in popularity, and they’re set to be the biggest trend this Christmas.”
Here are John Lewis's top 10 toys for Christmas 2017:
John Lewis cash register £20
John Lewis Wooden Pirate Ship , £40
LEGO Creator 10254 Winter Holiday Train £74.99
John Lewis Leckford House Wooden Doll's House £100
Anki Cozmo Robot , £199.99
Meccano Robot M.A.X £139.97
LEGO Boost 17101 Creative Toolbox £149.99
FurReal Roarin’ Tyler The Playful Tiger £134.99
FurReal Friends Makers Proto Max Interactive Pup £89.99
Mini Micro Deluxe Scooter, 2-5 years £79.99


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DETROIT -- President Barack Obama is the best thing to happen to American gun and ammunition manufacturers since they invented the Defense Department.
Convinced that Obama is going to seek drastic limitations on gun ownership and huge taxes on ammunition, people who view the world through Second Amendment glasses are cleaning out handgun ammunition from the shelves of outdoors stores across America and buying handguns and even some rifles like they're going out of style.
At Jay's Sporting Goods in Clare, Mich., salesman Tim McCall said the store had been largely cleaned out of 9mm pistol ammunition and was experiencing massive sales of .40 and .45 caliber ammo.
"Anything for personal protection is selling like crazy," he said. "They're also buying a lot of .223 and 7.6x39 Russian."
The latter are common calibers among the so-called "black guns," semiautomatic versions of U.S. and Russian military guns that have a Rambo look but in truth are no more deadly than traditional semiautomatic hunting rifles.
At Cabela's in Dundee, Mich., operations manager John Woniewski said ammunition "is selling like wildfire. Anything that's a center fire round is selling."
And while some stores have raised prices on ammunition, Woniewski said, "Our prices haven't really changed much this year. The only question is whether this demand will keep up."
I first saw the ammunition sales phenomenon in Florida about a month ago when I stopped at an outdoors store to price a handgun. The display case had only a few .22 caliber revolvers left, and the store had a backorder of at least two months on new shipments.
Standing at the cash register was a man with enough ammunition in his arms to overthrow the government of a small country. It was for 9mm and .45 caliber handguns and a .223 rifle.
When I asked why he developed a sudden urge to buy a few thousand rounds, he looked at me like I came from Mars.
"I'm stocking up before Obama puts that $100-a-box tax on shells. This is the fourth store I've been to in a week, and I've taken all they'd give me. Some stores are limiting what you can buy," said the man, who would only give a first name of Mark.
"And we'll be lucky if that's all he does," Mark said. "What he really wants to do is ban the sale of all semiautomatic pistols, rifles and shotguns."
When I asked Mark how he knew this, he gave me another incredulous look and said, "It's all over the Internet. Don't you read the gun forums?"
Oh, that explains everything. If it's all over the Internet gun forums, it must be true.
When I got back to Grayling, Mich., a few days ago, Missy Millikin, who owns Skip's Sports Shop with her husband, Jack, had been cleaned out of 9mm ammunition but still had a good supply of .45 caliber pistol ammo.
"I'm getting calls from people (downstate) who say they'll come to Grayling to buy it," she said. "Some of them want to know what kind of price I'll give them by the case."
I suspect Obama would be amenable to reimposing some Clinton-era restrictions on guns that are routinely but inaccurately describe as assault rifles (an assault rifle can be switched to fully automatic, like a machine gun, and it's very difficult for most people to get a machine gun permit).
He also might like the idea of increasing the tax on some ammunition to discourage people from buying it in wholesale amounts. But neither of those measures would have any real effect on gun crime or on the average American hunter.
And it's very unlikely that any seriously restrictive guns laws would pass a Congress whose constituency includes huge numbers of gun owners and which is fed enormous amounts of campaign money by the National Rifle Association.


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Rivals unite to challenge Sohu Olympic coverage
Mainland internet heavyweights Tencent, Sina and NetEase have formed an alliance to unite their news coverage of next year's Beijing Olympics, setting themselves up against Sohu, the country's second-largest online portal and official internet sponsor of the games.
The Olympic Coverage Alliance formed last week and later joined by 10 more mainland internet companies would combine their media resources for the Olympics, Tencent, Sina and NetEase executives said at a ceremony in Beijing, according to media reports.
The alliance is challenging an impression that Sohu has exclusive rights to Olympics news reporting over the internet while it also seeks to grab a larger share of Olympics-related advertising spending.
The mainland online advertising market grew 43 per cent last year to 4.63 billion yuan, according to Beijing research firm Analysys.
The Olympics might add an extra 10 to 20 percentage points to internet advertising growth next year, said Richard Ji, executive director of Morgan Stanley. The US bank believes the total internet advertising market will grow 40 per cent to 50 per cent next year.
The three alliance leaders will be joined by Tom Online, MSN China and China Yahoo. The websites of Phoenix TV, Chinese blog Bokee and ChinaByte subsidiary Yesky.com will also join the alliance and so will Oak Pacific Interactive's online community Mop.com and forum content aggregator and search provider Qihoo.
Hexun, a consumer financial information website owned by Hong Kong-listed SEEC Media Group and finance website China Finance Online complete the alliance list.
The formation of the alliance 'dispels some claims that Sohu made to advertisers', said Dick Wei, JP Morgan's China internet analyst.
Sohu has given its role in the games a high profile since it was selected as the official internet sponsor by the Beijing Organising Committee in November 2005.
Under the agreement, Sohu will construct, operate and host the game's official website, www.beijing2008.com. It would also enjoy advantages over other websites, such as the right to have first interviews with athletes, exclusive participation at official events and first-hand access to Olympics information, said Mr Wei.
'However, it does not mean other websites cannot report Olympics news - an impression some advertisers were falsely led to believe in,' said Mr Wei.
'The alliance may negotiate with the Olympic committee for additional rights, for example using the Olympic logo.'
The addition of competition also means greater marketing costs for Sohu.
'If Sina, Tencent and NetEase cooperate for a large-scale promotion campaign, users may turn to the alliance sites for Olympics news and Sohu may need to increase marketing spending to match,' said Mr Wei.
On the other hand, the alliance might also entice advertisers to increase online spending during next year's Olympics, benefiting the whole market, he said.
The remaining uncertainty over the next year's Games coverage was who would get the mainland real-time online broadcasting rights with the Olympics committee still to name its pick, said Mr Wei.
The winner's prize will be big. Millions of people would be watching the Olympics live online from their offices or as they go about their business because the alternative, watching television, was less possible as the games would be held during working hours, said Mr Wei.
The alliance dispels Sohu claims of exclusive rights to games coverage
Value of the mainland online advertising market last year 4.63b yuan


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HARRIS Scarfe's second-best department store in the country is likely to be closed for the foreseeable future thanks to a deliberately lit fire that consumed $1 million worth of stock and caused $500,000 in of structural damage.
Loss assessors have begun assessing the damage to the site and will soon make a decision on its future. Until then, the now vacant store will create a huge dent in the Central Coast retail sector.
"I'm sure it's going to have a huge impact, that's the chamber's stance," Central Coast Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Leonie Hiscutt said.
Ms Hiscutt said the fact that the Harris Scarfe store was the second most successful in the chain was evidence of the fact that people came from outside the region specifically to shop at Ulverstone.
"They come and have coffee, shop at Harris Scarfe and have lunch and then they go and shop at the other shops in the area," Ms Hiscutt said.
"So, in that perspective it's going to have a huge impact, economically."
Ms Hiscutt said the store, which is run by manager Annette Overton, herself an active member of the chamber, would not only impact the region in an economic capacity but also in a social way.
"The team at Harris Scarfe were always so friendly and caring," Ms Hiscutt said.
"Some of them would even greet you by your first name."
Ms Hiscutt said the store was not just a retail outlet but a social noticeboard for the community, actively promoting and involved in community events and fundraisers.
Ms Hiscutt said she hoped the success of the store and its reputation would help to nudge the company in the right direction and that it would soon reopen its doors.
"We just don't know what's going to happen. We'll just have to wait and see."
Central Coast Mayor Jan Bonde said it was a devastating loss for the community and hoped that the store would be back on its feet soon.
"It (the store) provides such a valuable service to the community," she said.
"It will be sadly missed."
Cr Bonde expressed disbelief at the "senseless act" and said she hoped the disruption of the closure of the store would be minimal on staff and the community.


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The World Health Organization (WHO), a globalist quasi-biological terrorist and population control org that now exercises more authority over the world human populations than elected officials or even the most ruthless military commanders, initially spread misinformation that paper money potentially spreads COVID-19 coronavirus.
Not to worry about anthrax, which is a bacterium, or any other respiratory virus like tuberculosis, it’s just COVID-19 coronavirus that the world should fear and that adheres to paper money, even though more die of TB than COVID-19 every year. So, you know there must be some hidden agenda here.
DON’T TAKE CHANCES
Back in March of 2020 the WHO encouraged use of digital payments over paper money to slow or prevent the spread or infection from COVID-19 coronavirus. Oddly, throughout history, the spread of infectious disease has not been linked with handling paper money or even hand shaking. Saying, “don’t take chances if you don’t have to,” the WHO warning in news reports buries its qualifying statement: Typhoid Mary Best Price: $17.08 Buy New $12.22 (as of 02:40 UTC - Details)
“But this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads,” the CDC says. It is transmitted by airborne route from infected to uninfected lung.
On March 6th, 2020 the backtracking WHO said: “We did NOT say that cash was transmitting coronavirus.” But that is how the fear is started. Wearing face masks started as a voluntary practice and morphed into a law-breaking offense if not worn in some communities.
MITs Technology Review headlined a report entitled: “No, coronavirus is not a good argument for quitting cash.” The MIT report said: “For virus particles on a dollar bill to infect a human, they must follow the ‘primary route of infection’ it appears that people become infected by inhaling particles someone else has coughed or sneezed into the air…”.
NO LAW, BUT BUSINESSES DON’T ACCEPT CASH NOW
But many businesses now don’t accept cash. No edict or law has to be passed — just get private businesses to do what is expedient for them. Refuse legal tender, then businesses don’t need armored trucks delivering cash and coin, nor even handing out pennies in change, or face robberies or internal theft. And there goes American freedom.
Globalist digital money is just what the Romans used to build their empire in conquered territories and ushered in its own Denarii as a way to rule. A military mint travelled with Caesar. Caesar’s denarii were real money, real gold coins. Digital fiat money can only represent money and can vanish with a single hack of the whole system. That’s already happened to Bitcoin. 1984 (Signet Classics) Best Price: $1.49 Buy New $3.58 (as of 10:53 UTC - Details)
THE HIDDEN AGENDA
But only in passing did the MIT article refer to viruses being transmitted by paper money which included mention of going to a cashless society. And therein lies the hidden agenda. You need a global pandemic to usher in a global currency.
The European-based World Economic Forum (WEC) has announced a RESET of the world economy is scheduled to launch in January of 2021 and the key part is selling the idea of a cashless society.
The US Federal Reserve is reported to be tinkering with such an idea – digital dollars. Don’t think the FED isn’t ready to put digital currency into emergency use over some contrived biological threat. All the FED has to do is start limiting the amount of money in circulation to cause the public to demand an alternative currency.
Anticipate banks to close branches (already underway), limit or remove ATMs, and for government to create a shortage of cash money over some contrived report that COVID-19 coronavirus is spread via money like Typhoid Mary spread disease. In fact, the Typhoid Mary analogy is being used to scare people into submission.
Mary Mellon was an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever in 1907. Typhus is a bacterium, not a virus, that is spread via contaminated water or food. For the record, typhoid fever was virtually eliminated by chlorination of tap water, which began in 1908. Prevention and public hygiene are superior to vaccination. In fact, water chlorination abolished cholera, Legionnaire’s disease and dysentery as well.
DIGITAL CURRENCY TO BE USED ON MULTIPLE FRONTS
It’s not germ protection, or even faster payments that digital money would facilitate, it is mention of digital dollars being used on “multiple fronts,” says a report at Nasdaq.com. The Clash of Economic ... Best Price: $44.34 Buy New $44.36 (as of 02:40 UTC - Details)
Digital money can become a way to invoke behavior modification. There would be penalties for failure to vaccinate, buying petrol-fueled vehicles, even buying sugary foods. This is the social credit score that China has already launched. Jaywalk and get caught on a camera and you automatically lose points on your social credit score. Maybe you have to pay fines and they are automatically deducted from your digital account. So much for a hearing and due process.
HOLD ON TO YOUR “DUMB DOLLARS”
Nasdaq.com article says: “The coming digital dollar, call it the ‘smart dollar,’ will be far more versatile and powerful than the old dumb dollar.” Smarter, or more sneaky?
Nasdaq.com admits the so-called smart dollar “would further tighten any government’s grip on its citizens.” As if listening in to every phone call, intercepting email messages, snooping into where you go online or even geographically isn’t enough. Welcome to the scary world of Orwell’s 1984.
Nasdaq.com says: “a central-bank-issued digital currency will range from nuisance to nightmare. Programmable digital currency would also be a kind of monetary panopticon, spying on everything you do by way of transaction data.”
But for all their drawbacks, digital currencies are thought to be inevitable. To fulfill its greatest promise, just one currency will do for the globalists, who seek to control the world by control of currency. Use their digital dollars and you will, in effect, be voting for the globalists. There will be no more sovereignty, just the globalists running the world by coercion, not election.
Brian Brooks, the acting comptroller of currency at the U.S. Office of Comptroller of Currency (OCC), says America must adopt digital currency payment rails if the country hopes to compete with global payment rails in the future.
IS THE PUBLIC REALLY DEMANDING DIGITAL MONEY?
Economics in One Lesso... Best Price: $2.43 Buy New $7.43 (as of 12:35 UTC - Details) Brooks says part of “the reason why payments activity has moved outside the banking system is because consumers now want to receive their services in a different way.” No, it is banksters and governments that want digital fiat money to be the preferred payment platform. Government will collect billions more in taxes and banks will cut their costs tremendously – – – online banks would prevail and 472,000 bank tellers would lose their jobs and actual physical bank buildings would be a thing of the past.
NOT TO WORRY; WE CAN TRUST THEM (SURE)
But to calm our fears, the Bank of International Settlements, the central bankers bank in Europe says: “None of the digital currency projects surveyed seek to replace cash; all aim to offer a digital complement.”
Sure, sure. But these assurances are nothing but false promises. Recall gold was confiscated in free-market America. That is why a shortage of coins has also been declared. They want all forms of money outside of digital to be gone. The public is none the wiser.
PAPER MONEY EVAPORATES BY PRACTICE, NOT LAW
Let’s not forget what comrade Vladimir Lenin said: “”There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”
Let’s not forget, in the span of a few days, church-going became a risk while liquor stores remained open. Numb the society. Let’s handle the stress and anxiety with booze rather than votes against all this destruction of individual liberty.
ONCE GONE, WILL WE EVER GO BACK TO PAPER MONEY?
Just how does a society return to “normal” when fears are so quickly instilled in the human soul? Will church parishioners or baseball fans return to their pews and seats? Maybe never in this generation. Will we ever go back to paper money after it too is feared?
Economist Lawrence H. White says a digital currency “won’t be a “win” for the public.” According to White who is quoted in a Wall Street Journal report:
“The Fed (central bank) would provide households and nonbank businesses with transaction accounts on its own books, giving government the ability to track all payments and eliminating the anonymity provided by physical cash today.”
It’s like having the Federal government placing a camera pointed inside your wallet, peering in at every source of income, taking Social Security and Medicare (FICA) funds out automatically, invoking unappealable penalties, lowering your social credit score (you only can go down). The Federal government will manage your pocketbook from afar.
And how do you give your kids spending money? Pay your baby sitter? Teach your kids how to use money? Kids in families on welfare will believe money comes from the card and government, not hard work. And even if your baby sitter has a digital money card, she is now going to pay taxes, or at least make FICA payments. Your kids won’t be able to buy ice cream off the ding-dong truck because they don’t have a digital money card. Forget the curbside lemonade stand. There will be no money for the beggar at the end of the freeway offramp either because he doesn’t have a digital money card. And sugary ice cream may cause dental decay, so that transaction could be blocked. And there goes American life, not just our freedoms.


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ABBA announce date for new music
Finally, new music from the iconic band
© Getty Images
The last time ABBA released new music was decades ago, but the Swedish pop group just announced that new songs from them will drop in either September or October of this year.
While you wait in anticipation, click through this gallery for everything you need to know about the legendary group.
Are you guilty of these annoying office habits?
Showstopping drag queens around the world
Actors who look like their real-life character
US presidents with the British royal family
The most iconic LGBT music artists in history
TRAVEL Portugal beaches
Where to find Portugal's finest beaches
FASHION Japanese street fashion
The sad decline of Japan's street fashion subcultures
CELEBRITY Celebrity deaths
Celebrities who've passed away in 2019
A colorful history of LGBTQ Pride Month
TRAVEL Cruise ship
Should you still vacation on cruise ships?


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Well, iOS 11 isn’t all bad. Despite thousands of users reporting difficulties with the new upgrade, the Apple OS will be receiving a new batch of 56 emojis so that you can more accurately express your feelings through static, animated characters. Exactly what we need in 2017, right?
Thirty or so of the emojis were teased back in July by Apple CEO Tim Cook. Included in the new emojis is a greater emphasis on diversity, including more skin tones for emojis as well as apparently some gender-neutral emojis. Other emojis will include a hedgehog, a carton of Chinese takeout, a giraffe, fairy, dinosaur, broccoli, sled, a scarf and vampire.
The emojis will be available on iPhone and iPad via iOS 11.1 next Friday, said Apple.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) July 17, 2017
H/T New York Times


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OxeFit enters the home market with a $6,000 strength training system – TechCrunch
OxeFit kicked off 2021 with a healthy $12.5 million Series A and vague plans to “bring advanced robotics and artificial intelligence to the world of bodybuilding.” In April, that manifested itself with the arrival of the XP1, a commercial gym/rehab/sports system with a 43-inch touchscreen and up to 500 pounds of weight training.
This week, the company joins the burgeoning world of home fitness with the XS1, a toned down version of the commercial product designed to support popular home strength systems like Tonal and Tempo.
The system features a 32-inch touchscreen and a wide range of adjustable strength exercises up to 250 pounds. The system offers a wide range of workouts, including standard strength, rowing and pilates, performed with a variety of different additional accessories. The company has long insisted that its approach to AI/robotics sets it apart from the growing lineup of home fitness platforms.
“The XS1 is the only home fitness system that offers the same level of full-body cross-functional workouts available at professional fitness centers, while leveraging robotics and artificial intelligence to deliver personalized information and coaching that empowers you to take control of your own personal journey to a stronger life,” co-founder and CEO Mohammed Shanableh said in a statement.
In addition to increased competition over the past year, the company will face a broader industry downturn in sales as gyms have reopened in various locations. Meanwhile, companies like Peloton and Tempo recently announced entry-level products under $500, while OxeFit’s system starts at $5,999 (initial press material mispriced it at $4,700), plus a monthly software subscription of $40. Still a premium over the $2,000-$3,000 price range for other touchscreen home fitness brands.
Although the company is taking a more professional athlete-centric approach to the market, it is bringing in names like Dak Prescott, Jalen Ramsey and Matt Kemp to help promote its platform.


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The charity will kicked off its 10th annual distribution today the first day of school and will continue to deliver books to children during the first 6 weeks of the school year.
Books4Kids Jamaica announced today that its 6th Annual Online Charity Auction will kick off on Thursday April 27, 2017.
11,367 Kindergarten children at 113 schools across Jamaica received a book bag during its 2016 distribution.
The Most Honourable Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica, took part in the charity’s delivery of books.
Member of Parliament, Minister Vaz was delighted to hand out books to 45 three, four and five year old pre-school children.
Record participation of sponsors in this year’s delivery of books to schools and Early Childhood Institutions across the island.
Books4Kids Jamaica announced today that its 5th Online Charity Auction is set to go live.
Books4Kids Jamaica has presented Sponsorship Award Plaques to 45 companies and individuals.
Books4Kids Jamaica announced today the official completion of its 2015 book distribution.


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Home > Business > Business Headline > Report
Corporate India makes peace with rising rupee
BS Corporate Bureau in Mumbai |
January 01, 2004 16:51 IST
The report takes a look at how the surging rupee has impacted various sectors.
The biggest export success story -- software -- will witness only a negligible impact on profitability owing to the surging rupee. The effect will only be to the extent of about 0.5 per cent, analysts say.
The software industry, which was caught on the wrong foot when the rupee began appreciating quickly learnt the business of hedging. This is very important since about 85 to 90 per cent of the billing in this sector is in dollars.
"A word of caution here: hedging can only help in the short term. In the long term if the rupee continues to strengthen against the dollar then hedging will not work as a solution," an industry analyst warns.
"Another factor that has been safeguarding the margins in software sector is the practice of doing business with contracts where the value of the dollar is pre-determined. This acts like a natural hedge where the company does not actually have to dabble in the forex market," a senior executive with a software company said.
This has however not become a industry practice yet and is largely restricted to the bigger companies in the industry.
The steel industry is a classic case of the rise in the rupee being offset by the rise in realisations. Global prices have been on an upswing with a sharp rise in the last six months.
Hot rolled coil prices are currently hovering around $400-$410 a tonne, representing a jump of more than 20 per cent over the ruling prices six months ago.
"The impact of the rising rupee on the bottomlines of the industry has been negligible because of the global firming up of prices," analysts say.
Any fluctuation in the rupee vis-a-vis dollar will have a minor impact on refining oil companies. According to an executive with an oil company, refining companies have rupee exposure in terms of buying raw materials such as crude.
For the refining companies it is a back-to-back pricing mechanism. In case the rupee strengthens than there will be a slight negative impact whereas if the rupee depreciates then it has a positive but marginal impact on the company's bottomline.
For the refining companies the crude refining margins on an average is around $3 a barrel. In value terms if there is 10 paise movement, high or low, compared with dollar, it will reflect only thirty paise per barrel.
But this is not the case with that of upstream oil companies, which are in the production of crude. They are considered under the exporter's category and for them even a minor fluctuation has a cascading effect.
"Consider a case when there is 10 paise appreciation of rupee. Crude is priced at $28 a barrel and our upstream companies produce crude in tonnes. One tonne is equivalent to approximately seven barrels of crude oil. So any appreciation will have to be multiplied by seven to get the impact on crude per tonne," the executive added.
The rising rupee is expected to dent realisations of the Indian textile industry in current fiscal. Textiles forms a major part of the export basket and is one of the main contributors to the forex kitty.
A one per cent rise in the rupee would lead to a decline in profitability by 1.2 per cent, textile industry sources say.
This means that since the rupee has appreciated by about five per cent since January 2003 year and should logically impact profitability this fiscal by about five to six per cent say analysts. Companies are, however, not prepared to quantify the impact.
Says a senior executive of Arvind Mills, "In terms of export realisations, no doubt, the rising rupee has impacted the textile industry. This coupled with the rising cotton prices has been a cause for worry especially for large players with sizeable dollar exports."
Pradeep K Bhandari, deputy group president, Raymond Ltd points out: "The appreciation of the rupee does hurt exporters who have been used to the additional value from rupee depreciation. However, it is time that we learnt to live with two-way fluctuations in the home currency just as the rest of the exporting world has learnt to live. This should be looked upon only as one of the inconveniences of integration into global markets."
"Not only is RBI doing a good job of smoothening the trend but also a wide variety of hedging products are available to exporters today to manage currency risks. Indian exporters should quickly move up the learning curve in currency hedging skills to protect budgeted earnings,"
According to Apparel Export Promotion Council, garment exports, the largest contributor stood at Rs 23035.35 crore (Rs 230.35 billion) for 2002-03.
According to Cotton Textile Export Promotion Council, exports of cotton textiles stood at Rs 16,558 crore (Rs 165.58 billion) for 2002-03 and on an average it is expected to increase by 7 per cent this fiscal.
According to The Synthetic and Rayon Textile Export Promotion Council, the total exports comprising of fabrics, yarn, made-ups and fibre stood at Rs 7,629 crore (Rs 76.29 billion) for the period 2002-03 and is expected to increase by 15 per cent in the current fiscal.
On an average 6.45 per cent of the export earning is being affected due to such appreciation of Indian rupee. Now, with the value of the dollar declining over a period of time, exporters have been taking precautions and reduced the invoicing in dollar terms.
The auto ancillary sector has been touted as the biggest driver of export earnings in the coming years. About 15-20 per cent of the total auto component production is exported.
"Exports in this sector have just taken off and they are not big enough to feel the impact of the rupee rally yet. Most contracts are structured in a manner that they absorb most of the currency fluctuation," said industry analysts.
"The main point to be kept in mind is that only 30 per cent of the billing in the auto ancillary sector is dollar-denominated. If you take the case of some big companies, almost all their billing is Euro-denominated and the Rupee has remained weak when compared with the Euro. So the impact of the rising rupee has been cushioned to that extent," said an industry analyst.
The China example should assuage any fears of the negative of the rupee rally. The yuan has been steadily appreciating against the dollar but at the same time their export earnings are also on an upswing.
Gems and jewellery
The gems and jewellery industry remains unaffected by the rising rupee. The reason for this is that the surging rupee has been offset by the rise in exports.
According to figures issued by the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, the sector saw a 20.76 per cent jump in the total exports to $6,968 million for the period from April to November, 2003 from $5,770 million in the same period last year.
Total imports saw an increase from $4,854 million in April to November 2002, to $5,688 million in the same period in 2003.
Sanjay Kothari, chairman, GJEPC said, "The rising rupee hasn't drastically affected the gems and jewellery sector. The overall demand has in fact been very good.
"The industry is dependent on the pre-Christmas sales in the western countries and the indications have been promising. We are targeting a 10 per cent rise in exports over last year."
The rising rupee is unlikely to have an impact on hotels. The hotel industry is witnessing a boom with high occupancy levels. This has enabled the industry players to hike tariffs and offset the impact of the surging rupee.
The industry has also gained from the depreciation of the rupee against the euro. Since, there are a large number of travellers from Europe this has cushioned the impact to some extent of the rising rupee against the dollar.
The impact of the rising rupee on shipping is expected to be negligible, say analysts. Technically a rising rupee should hit shipping companies as the freight earnings are in dollars or dollar denominated.
Consequently, they should lose out on the exchange rate and get less rupees for the dollar. On the other hand, most of their expenses like bunker, port charges interest costs are in dollars. Consequently, they will gains as they have to pay less rupees per dollar.
"In effect it depends on whether a shipping company is a net earner or net spender of foreign exchange. If a company is a net earner, it loses out. On the other hand, if it is a net spender it gains. In the current context, it hardly makes a difference as freight rates are at record levels. Consequently, a rise in the rupee by about 5 per cent has negligible impact," analysts say.
PowerAlthough companies with coal-based plants will theoretically gain as they import a part of their requirements, this is negated by the rise in coal prices. Overall the impact will be negative on consumers.
There will be negligible impact of the rising rupee on the power industry.


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Corporate travel company CTI has re-branded as Amber Road as it pushes to double turnover in the next three years.
The private equity-backed firm will look to invest in staff as well as new technology under its new guise.
Established in 1983 Amber Road has around 125 staff based at three hubs including Manchester and is led by Clive Wratten, a former UK executive at global airline Etihad.
The refresh sees the company make reference to a 16th century ancient trade route for the transfer of amber from the North Sea to the Mediterranean.
He said: “The ‘Amber Road’ is the original business travel route, enabling traders to transfer a valuable commodity across Europe and to the wider world.
"The route provided people with the freedom to grow their own business – a message that resonates with us as a company today.
“We understand that no two businesses are alike, so when it comes to creating bespoke experiences for our clients, customer service has to be at the heart.
"Using their expertise, our travel professionals make the journey a part of the experience, creating memories that last far beyond the trip.
“Following our investment from Endless last year, this rebrand is a key foundation in our future growth strategy, and I look forward to working with the team to build on this in the coming months.”
The company has more than 500 clients including global manufacturing firm NSG and BT.


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Drake, the famous Hip-hop/Rap artist, ventures into gaming again with investing on a player wagering site- Player’s Lounge.Players’ Lounge started as an organization focused on creating live gaming competitions in New York, later shifted to the worldwide online platform.
This comes as no surprise as Drake has reportedly shown interest in gaming for a long time and his desires to venture more into gaming.Just a year back Drake was seen playing fortnite with Ninja live on stream, from then he went with different gaming ventures such as Funding the gaming org 100 Thieves.
In a post on Medium the CEO of Player’s Lounge, Austin Woolridge said that the organisation has secured a $3 million funding from various sources which included some big names such as Comcast, Drake and Strauss Zelnick. With the latest funding talks completing, Player’s Lounge will be looking to add more games and streaming capabilities to the platform. Today, Players’ Lounge offers tournaments in a variety of games, including Apex Legends, Fortnite, and FIFA.
With this investment Drake will be officially be joining other big orgs in gaming ventures. Drake later on commented that this is just starting and he is looking to invest more into gaming.


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- Popular ridesharing service Uber to open Miami headquarters Updated: Jul-20-15 7:05 pm
MIAMI - The popular ridesharing service Uber has announced plans to set up a Miami headquarters.
- Headquarters of Kraft business heading to downtown Chicago Updated: Jul-16-15 1:47 pm
NEW YORK - Two weeks after shareholders signed off on a tie-up between Kraft and Heinz, the company has announced a move that will bring its Kraft headquarters from the northwest suburbs of Chicago into the city itself.
- Furniture Factory Outlet moving HQ to Arkansas Updated: Jul-07-15 7:06 pm
FORT SMITH, Arkansas - A chain of discount furniture retail stores is moving its corporate headquarters and manufacturing operations from Oklahoma to Arkansas.


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In the least surprising news ever, Netflix has said that it is already looking into making an official Squid Game video game adaptation.
Considering how many unofficial homages there have been via Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, and Call Of Duty it was really only a matter of time until Netflix talked about an official video game version of Squid Game.
They’re nowhere near releasing anything yet but according to an interview with The Hollywood Reporter there have already been calls from within Netflix – which is already trying to get into gaming – to create an interactive adaptation of the show.
‘We are looking at multiple different areas – from games, consumer product, and others – to really figure out what we can bring to our audiences to increase their affinity towards our content and give them more joy, while staying true to the world that our creator has built’, said Minyoung Kim, VP of Content for Asia Pacific.
So far Netflix has only experimented with mobile games in Poland and Italy, using existing mobile apps such as Strangers Things 3 and Stranger Things 1984 to test the waters.
Their priority is to make sure the games are playable through the existing Netflix app, which at the moment limits it to mobile games. Although theoretically game streaming services, such as those operated by Google and Xbox, could enable console quality games to be played as well.
We’re probably a good few years away from that though and whatever is being planned for Squid Game is almost certainly going to be just a mobile game for now.
That in itself may make it easier to adapt the show, which despite being based on the concept of battle royale involves only very simplistic children’s games, that aren’t necessarily much fun to play in their own right.
In the context of the show that makes perfect sense, but it creates a major problem when trying to turn it into a video game, especially given how in some cases, such as the marble game, there are no clearly defined rules.
Follow Metro Gaming on Twitter and email us at email@example.com
For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.


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Source: Borderlands 2 Announced
Source: Borderlands 2 Announced
stupid_is writes with news that Duke Nukem Forever has now gotten a firm US release date: May 3rd. It will release worldwide three days later. The game was resurrected last fall by Gearbox Software and 2K Games after 3D Realms’ 12-year attempt at development came to an end in 2009 when the company closed its doors.
Chief exec Ben Feder has decided to step down, effective January 1, 2011, in order to pursue plans to travel in Asia with his family for an extended period. Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two’s Executive Chairman, will take on the additional role of Chief Executive Officer.
Karl Slatoff, an EVP of Take-Two since 2008, has been named to the newly created role of COO. Slatoff previously worked with BMG Entertainment and The Walt Disney Company.
Take-Two’s headquarters are in New York City, with international headquarters in Windsor, United Kingdom. Development studio locations include San Diego, Vancouver, Toronto and Austin, Texas.
Take-Two, which wholly owns 2K Games and Rockstar Games, has developed and published many notable games, including the Grand Theft Auto series, the Serious Sam shooter series, the Midnight Club racing series and BioShock.
The company was the target of hostile takeover bids from rival Electronic Arts issued in February 2008. The multi-billion dollar bid expired August 18, 2008.
Launching November 15, Microsoft says the Games for Windows Marketplace will offer PC gamers a “robust lineup of games” and recurring specials such as Deal of the Week.
It names a few publishers on the landing page of the upcoming store, namely Microsoft Game Studios, 2K Games, Capcom, Rockstar and Warner Brothers. In the press release, it also names Square Enix and promises to retail new indie titles in addition.
Microsoft promises that the store will be optimized for speed, allowing for rapid obtaining and gameplay with fewer clicks to actual purchase and download. Gamers will be able to search for and download games on a PC, anytime, and redownload games they purchased at some point in the past if need be.
From the looks of it, you’ll need a (free) Xbox LIVE gamertag, Zune tag or Windows Live ID to purchase titles on the Games for Windows Marketplace. The new store also supports Microsoft Points as well as credit card purchasing.
The store will also feature promotions on select games every time they visit the Marketplace, combined with the “Deal of The Week” and other recurring and seasonal offers. To get a taste of what to expect: right now, the Deal of the Week on Gamesforwindows.com is Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for $3.75 (or 75% off).
sopssa writes “2K Games today announced that Civilization V will be using Steamworks for online matchmaking, automated updates, downloadable content and DRM for the game. Steam’s Civ V store page is also available now, revealing some new information about the game. There will be an ‘In-Game Community Hub’ for online matchmaking, communication and for sharing scenarios between players. While including Steamworks might put some people off, it might also indicate better online gameplay than in the previous Civilization games, where it was almost impossible to have a good game without playing with just friends.”
Source: Civilization V To Use Steamworks
An anonymous reader writes with this quote from 1Up:
“Trouble is brewing in Rapture. The recently released Sinclair Solutions multiplayer pack for BioShock 2 is facing upset players over the revelation that the content is already on the disc, and the $5 premium is an unlock code. It started when users on the 2K Forums noticed that the content is incredibly small: 24KB on the PC, 103KB on the PlayStation 3, and 108KB on the Xbox 360. 2K Games responded with a post explaining that the decision was made in order to keep the player base intact, without splitting it between the haves and have-nots.”
adeelarshad82 writes “After eight years of development, remote gaming service OnLive is scheduled to roll out on June 17 for Windows and Mac. The company also announced its service pricing: users will need to pay $14.95 per month, which will allow them access to the service. However, the company did not disclose the price to rent or purchase games. ‘It is partnering in this launch with publishers including Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, 2K Games, THQ and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The games will also include new releases like Mass Effect 2, Borderlands, Assassin’s Creed II, as well as a bunch of other titles. Perlman anticipates anywhere from a dozen to 25 titles to be available at launch time, and more after that, depending on how negotiations with other publishers proceed.’”
sopssa writes “2K Games announced today that they will be releasing Civilization V in the fall. For the first time in the series, the square tiles will be changed to hexes, which 2K Games says provides ‘deeper strategy’ and ‘more realistic gameplay.’ Civilization V will also include a new graphics engine, new combat system including ranged bombardment, multiplayer and good support for the modding community. ‘Each new version of Civilization presents exciting challenges for our team. Thankfully, ideas on how to bring new and fun experiences to Civ players never seem to stop flowing. From fully animated leaders and realistic landscapes, new combat tactics, expanded diplomacy and shared mods, we’re excited for players to see the new vision our team at Firaxis has brought to the series,’ Sid Meier said. In addition to Civilization V, the Facebook-based Civilization Network will also be released during 2010.”


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AOC Announces AGON AG274QX availability in Egypt.
VMware to reveal how organisations in Egypt can navigate the multi-cloud era and tap the transformative power of applications.
CNME Editor Mark Forker secured an exclusive interview with Dr. Abeer Shakweer, Assistant Resident Representative, Inclusive Growth and Innovation Team Leader, UNDP Office, Egypt, to find out more about the key role she is playing in terms of making digital transformation accessible to all segments of society in Egypt.
ITIDA Awards New Licenses to ‘Fixed Misr’ and ‘El-Delta Electronic Systems’ to Fast-track Digital Signature Adoption across Egypt.
StarLink Expands Egypt Operations, To be Headquarter of Africa. Opens brand new office which will act as a hub for Africa business growth.
Spectrami has announced that it will distribute the entire range of OneSpan digital identity and anti-fraud solutions in Egypt.
MCIT Egypt, UNDP and Avaya have collaborated to add AI-powered COVID-19 diagnosis service to WASEL to assist People of Determination.
Swedish telecommunications provider Ericsson has reinforced its calls for gender diversity in the ICT sector by supporting an initiative that …
Egypt, represented by the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) and ITFEDCOC, is officially participating with a country-pavilion in the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2020).
Egypt’s Ministry of Communications & Information Technology has launched WASEL, a first-of-its-kind contact centre service in the region that provides hugely enhanced access to a variety of services for people with disabilities.


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Visitors are taking photos of a mechanical arm showcased at the 2019 International Industrial Internet Conference and Exhibition in East China's Qingdao on Thursday. Experts and entrepreneurs in industries of internet and manufacturing from six countries and regions, as well as more than 20 domestic regions have been attracted to the event. Photo: IC
Emerging security challenges in the 5G era must be taken seriously and China will actively promote the development of the cybersecurity sector, representatives to the 7th Internet Security Conference (ISC 2019) said on Monday as the event opened in Beijing.
Wu Hequan, honorary chairman of ISC 2019, said that with the advent of the 5G era and the Internet of Things, security issues are becoming increasingly critical.
"Not only is 5G faster than 4G, it supports more types of services and has a wider range of applications," Wu said. "However, 5G also brings new security challenges to sectors including the industrial internet, which is based on 5G and regarded as the next direction of internet development."
The development of the industrial internet blurs the boundary between the physical and virtual worlds, and ensuing cyber attacks might have much more serious impact than those in the past, said Wu.
There were several major network outages and power failures in cities in Australia, the US and other countries in July, which showed that security threats have moved from the internet to manufacturing, electricity grids, transportation, medical and other sectors, Wu noted.
Liu Dingding, a Beijing-based veteran industry analyst, told the Global Times that security issues in the 5G era will touch many facets of society since the next-generation internet won't only connect smartphones and computers -- it will also affect buildings, automobiles and other areas.
For instance, autonomous vehicles and medical devices that operate via the internet will make any network attacks far more damaging to humans and societies, Liu said.
So far China has 802 million netizens and a digital economy of 27.2 trillion yuan ($3.86 trillion), equivalent to 32.9 percent of its GDP, Li Aidong, an official of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, told the conference on Monday.
By 2021, China's cybersecurity market is forecast to reach 92.68 billion yuan. With the arrival of 5G and artificial intelligence era, related industries are likely to have broad prospects, media reports said, citing data from Beijing-based consultancy CCID Consulting.
The global internet is highly interconnected and cybersecurity challenges cannot be solved by a single country or enterprise, Li said. China will accelerate the development of cybersecurity guidelines and help enterprises play a major role in technology research and development. The nation will promote the development of related industries in an open environment.
The coming 5G era has given the cybersecurity industry a critical mission, and tailored solutions for each sector must be developed by cybersecurity companies and related bodies, Liu said.


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Last year, real-estate developer and art collector Ron Pizzuti opened the doors to the Pizzuti Collection in the Short North, a venue at which to showcase his vast art collection. After purchasing his first piece of art in 1972, he has since amassed more than 1,500 works by artists ranging from Frank Stella to Ai [...]
Workers Accuse DHL of Antitrust Violations
Listen to the Story
Six weeks ago, DHL announced plans to close down its Wilmington based overnight delivery service and move to Kentucky taking between 6,000 and 9,000 jobs with it.
Since then, elected officials statewide have scrambled to find a way to keep the job giant in southwest Ohio.
Monday at the statehouse, workers with D H L and other businesses associated with the package deliverer said state leaders should go after the company for possible anti trust violations. Ohio Public Radio’s Jo Ingles reports .


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Wednesday, February 23 rd at 4:30 p.m. William Tauscher, founder of The Tauscher Group, will present his keynote address.
William Tauscher is the founder of The Tauscher Group, which invests and assists in the management of enterprises in various industries. Before founding The Tauscher Group, Mr. Tauscher served as chairman and CEO of Vanstar Corporation, formerly ComputerLand Corporation, having led the group that acquired ComputerLand in 1987.
(1987? Why couldn’t they have bought it by 1986, when this reporter had a terrible customer experience at ComputerLand? Hopefully that salesperson is now in the Malbowges where he so richly belongs.)
Under Mr. Tauscher's guidance, Vanstar grew to be the largest PC sales and service company in the world, and was sold to Inacom in 1999. Prior to Vanstar, he was the chairman and CEO of FoxMeyer Corporation, a wholesale pharmaceutical and beauty-aid distributor, from 1977 until its sale to National Intergroup in 1986.
Mr. Tauscher also helped engineer the leveraged buyout of Household Merchandising, the retail subsidiary of Household Finance. He subsequently acquired Coast to Coast from Household, engineering its IPO and subsequent sale.
Exactly one year ago from his keynote address, on February 23, 2004 he was named the chairman of Artisoft Inc.’s Board of Directors. Artisoft provides open systems IP-PBX and call center products. Tauscher succeeded Michael Downey.
David Sims is contributing editor and CRM Alert columnist for TMCnet.


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Apple has been in hot water with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) over its policies on refunds and replacements of faulty Apple gadgets. The ACCC has found that Apple misled its customers in Australia into thinking they were entitled to less recourse than consumer protection laws in Australia provide to buyers.
The result of this misleading policy by Apple is that the tech giant has now promised to retrain staff and reassess claims going back for two years. The ACCC found that Apple told customers in Australia that they were entitled to only what Apple was willing to give them, rather than what the law provides in Australia. ACCC chairman Rod Sims noted that Apple was applying its own warranties and refund policies rather than following the letter of the law.
The ACCC also stated that the action against Apple serves to prove to companies in Australia that their own warranties and policies can add to the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), but they can’t replace the ACL rights guaranteed to consumers. The ACCC says that it will take Apple to court if it fails to make good on its promises to reform its policies in the country.
Apple has promised to reassess all warranty or refund claims for the last two years and give the consumers what they are entitled to under the law. Apple will begin its reassessment on January 6 and will assess the old claims for 90 days. The main allegation against Apple appears to be its assertion to buyers that it didn’t have to replace or refund products that had a major failure, when the customer should have been allowed to choose a refund or replacement under Australian law. Apple was maintaining that consumers could only get a full refund if the item was returned within two weeks and for repair or refund if the item was damaged within one year of purchase.


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Apple and its Asian supplier Pegatron, which manufactures the iPhone 5c, have come under heavy fire this week following the unexplained deaths of at least five factory workers. Even worse is that one of them, a boy, was just 15 years old.
It’s since been determined that the teenager used forged identity documents saying he was 20 years old to get the job. And today, Apple gave an official statement on the incident, saying it has sent independent medical experts to investigate…
Reuters has the statement from Apple:
“Last month, we sent independent medical experts from the U.S. and China to conduct an investigation of the (Pegatron) factory,” Apple said in a statement on Thursday. “While they have found no evidence of any link to working conditions there, we realize that is of little comfort to the families who have lost their loved ones.
“Apple has a long-standing commitment to providing a safe and healthy workplace for every worker in our supply chain, and we have a team working with Pegatron at their facility to ensure that conditions meet our high standards.”
Apple’s team of experts found that the boy died of pneumonia, and not because of something related to working conditions. The company did not comment, though, on the other [at least 4] deaths of workers employed at plants owned by Pegatron.
Pegatron also gave the outlet a statement:
“Pegatron has strict measures in place to verify workers’ ages before and after they are hired, and we work with health and safety experts to provide a safe working environment for each and every worker.”
Apple has been the target of the China Labor Watch and several other labor rights groups over the past several years due to the working conditions inside the factories of its suppliers, which have been accused of child labor and other violations.
Pegatron in particular has been in the spotlight in recent months. Back in July, the New York-based China Labor Watch held an investigation and counted 86 labor rights violations in three manufacturing facilities operated by the manufacturer.
Apple, for its part, has begun monitoring its supply chain partners more closely in recent years—especially their working hours. Employees aren’t supposed to work more than 60 hours per week, and Apple says it has over a 90% compliance rate.


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According to several research reports, in the first quarter, China’s market may plunge in terms of smartphone sales by as much as 50%. The lower sales of smartphones is being attributed to the extended period closure of many retail shops and halt in production, which is yet to fully resume due to the spread of coronavirus.
The outbreak that has already claimed 1000 odd lives in China and has also rolled in its manufacturing industry. The virus has affected the market to such extent that its top smartphone vendors Huawei who has 5G rollout plans this year expected to help the world’s largest smartphone market to rebound after falling sales.
Last week, Canalys research firm, noted that the vendors will cancel or delay product launches as large public gatherings are not allowed in China. Vendors have to now change their launch plan, which will likely dampen 5G shipments. However, IDC, another research firm, has forecasts a 30% drop.
Last week, Apple Inc. announced its plans to extend retail store closures without any final opening dates, as it’s which assembling unit, Foxconn, struggles to fully resume work. Huawei has said that its manufacturing capacity is running normally as the company relies heavily on third-party manufacturers for production.
In the first half quarter, China’s three top Android brands, Huawei, Xiaomi Corp, and Oppo are expected to announce flagship devices. Oppo has said that while some operation in the country might get impacted due to the virus but its production won’t be hampered due to manufacturing units overseas.
Will Wong, an IDC analyst, has said that the delays in factories reopening and the labour return time will affect both shipments to stores and the product launch times in the mid- and long-term.


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Photo by Alexandra Whitney Photography.
Great restaurants not only serve delicious food, they’re also passionate about wine. Wine Spectator, the world’s leading authority on wine, has released the winners of the 2016 Restaurant Awards, which recognize outstanding wine programs. Wine Spectator began its program to recognize the world’s best wine lists in 1981.
“On behalf of Wine Spectator, I’m thrilled to congratulate each and every award-winning restaurant. They should be very proud,” said the magazine’s editor and publisher, Marvin R. Shanken. “With the debut of the Restaurant Awards app and digital platform, wine lovers now have exciting new resources they can take advantage of and enjoy.”
The Restaurant Awards app, launched this year, allows users to find nearby award-winning restaurants, as well as helpful information about cuisine, wine and pricing.
The Award of Excellence recognizes restaurants whose wine lists feature a well-chosen assortment of quality producers along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style. Best of Award of Excellence recipients offer more extensive selections with significant vintage depth and excellent breadth across multiple regions.
Paramour’s Steven Gullo//Photo courtesy of Paramour.
Area winners this year include:
Brandywine Prime (Chadds Ford)
The Capital Grille (King of Prussia)
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar (Radnor)
Joseph Ambler Inn (North Wales)
Legal Sea Foods (King of Prussia)
Margaret Kuo’s Restaurant (Wayne)
Morton’s The Steakhouse (King of Prussia)
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse (King of Prussia)
Savona (Gulph Mills)
Seasons 52 (King of Prussia)
Sullivan’s Steakhouse (King of Prussia)
Yangming (Bryn Mawr)
The complete list of award winners is available in Wine Spectator’s August issue.


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The price of gold is falling today, while the price of silver is down by 0.21%. Gold June futures were down Rs 146 or 0.24% to Rs 61,273 per 10 grams on the Multi Commodity Exchange. At Rs 77,290 per kg on the MCX, silver July futures were trading 166 rupees lower. According to Reuters, the price of yellow metal slipped within a narrow range on Wednesday as market participants prepared for important U.S. inflation data that will be released later in the day and potentially affect the Federal Reserve’s policy stance. Spot gold had fallen 0.1% to $2,031.43 an ounce. The price of U.S. gold futures was $2,038.20, down 0.2%.
The price of gold remained unchanged in the early Asian hours as traders prepared for inflation statistics that would affect the U.S. Federal Reserve’s stance on policy. While New York Fed President John Williams said that it is still too early to determine if the US central bank has finished raising interest rates, Fed Governor Philip Jefferson stated that the US economy is slowing in an “orderly fashion”.
Williams’ remarks last month also altered the mood in the market and increased expectations for a rate hike from a pause. Market participants now anticipate a pause with a 77% probability, down from over 90%. President Joe Biden and top lawmakers decided to continue their negotiations on raising the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling on Tuesday. There are now only three weeks left until the United States might experience an unprecedented default. The Fed’s decision to raise interest rates will undoubtedly be influenced by important consumer price index inflation data that is scheduled for release later today.
Although it is anticipated that inflation will have marginally decreased in April compared to the previous month, it is still anticipated to register considerably above the Fed’s 2% annual objective. According to Manav Modi, MOFSL, the overall trend on the COMEX might be between 2015 and 2045 dollars, while the local gold price could be between Rs 60,800 and 61,600.