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Look, it's cold, it's windy, it's wet, and to be honest, I don't really want to battle the elements (or battle Auckland's drivers that actually get worse in bad weather) just to go to a bar and order a drink I could've made in the comfort of my own home.
It may go without saying, but it doesn't exactly take a rocket scientist to whip up a gin and tonic, a Cape Cod or a Jack and Coke - you probably have the ingredients for a number of classic cocktails already in your kitchen.
But if you're rained in and feeling particularly uninspired, this brand-new collaboration could be just the ticket. Coca-Cola and Jack Daniel's are cutting out the middleman (or in this case, the bartender) to make the classic American cocktail even more easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy to create - all you need to do is crack open the can.
The Coca-Cola Company and Brown-Forman Corporation, the maker of Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey, announced on Monday (local time) that they are teaming up to launch premixed, ready-to-drink cocktails - yup, Jack and Coke in a can.
The premixed Jack and Cokes will be sold internationally following its initial launch in Mexico late this year. A zero-sugar version will also be available, the companies said.
"This relationship brings together two classic American icons to deliver consumers a taste experience they love in a way that is consistent, convenient, and portable," Brown-Forman president and CEO, Lawson Whiting, said in a statement issued to local media.
The move to simplify the humble Jack and Coke even further comes amid strong global sales of ready-to-drink (RTD) alcoholic beverages, such as hard seltzers and premixed cocktails. International consumption of RTDs increased by 26 percent in 2020 - I'm sure we can all figure out why - and 14 percent last year, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, an alcohol market research firm.
For comparison, the global consumption of all alcohols was up 3 percent, as reported by the Associated Press.
The Brown-Forman Corporation has been mixing and muddling ready-to-drink cocktails since 1994, when it launched spiked lemonade, cola and apple juice in Australia.
By contrast, Coca-Cola has been slower to introduce alcoholic drinks to its repertoire of 200 brands ever since it sold off a California winery it owned in the early 1980s. Coke launched Lemon-Dou, its first ready-to-drink alcoholic beverage, in 2018 in Japan. More recently, it launched Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, Simply Spiked Lemonade and Fresca Mixed, the Associated Press reports.
"We are strategically experimenting and learning in alcohol," said Khalil Younes, Coke's president of emerging categories. "We are excited about the opportunities, but we also know it will require effort and patience."
The new product comes shortly after Coca-Cola announced that its no-sugar options, Coke Zero and Coke No Sugar, would be scrapped from the lineup and replaced with a brand-new addition, Coke Zero Sugar.
Coca-Cola has promised the new beverage tastes "as close as possible" to its classic, full-sugar counterpart.


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Let's agree that there is a general consensus today that business plays an ever-increasing role in society and a corporation’s responsibility goes beyond just making profits.
The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) however has evolved from the understanding that a company should look after not only its investors and customers but also its employees, the larger society and community, and even the environment, thus giving rise to the triple-bottom-line approach of enhancing profit, people, and planet.
According to an Arlene Garrick article published in LinkedIn, "companies deemed good corporate citizens are attractive to new customers and workers, and assist in raising staff morale, and have lower operating expenses. A recent study by a University of Chicago professor published in Management Accounting revealed that companies that are perceived by the public to demonstrate more socially responsible business practices and ethics are likely to perform financially better than those who do not. In 1995, a study conducted by Vanderbilt University found that eight of ten cases of low-polluting companies financially outperformed their dirtier competitors (Brands that do good, 2003; Act responsibly, 2004; Clark, 2006). As such, consumers prefer to do business with companies that have good CSR reputations."
For us, at Amsa Hospitality, engaging in CSR is not only motivated by the focus on return on investment, but a genuine desire to create positive change in society.

domain: news


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iPhoneForums.Net News Team
- Jun 18, 2010
- Reaction score
Facebook has announced the launch of its new virtual assistant for Messenger, which it has called
“M,” which it says is designed to “make your Messenger experience more useful, seamless and delightful.”
Currently only available in the US, but soon to roll out worldwide, M is powered by artificial intelligence, and will “pop” into your conversation to suggest relevant content.
According to Facebook, when M was first announced more than a year ago, “it was a small AI experiment powered by humans that could fulfill almost any request.”
Facebook adds that it learned a great deal from this experiment, with that knowledge then leading to the creation of the “completely automated” version of M that has just been launched today.
Facebook has been testing the feature with a small number of users over the past few months, and proclaims it “a great success.”
Here are M’s main features:
Source: M Now Offers Suggestions to Make Your Messenger Experience More Useful, Seamless and Delightful | Facebook Newsroom
- Sending stickers: M shares fun sticker suggestions for your daily life interactions like “Thank you” or “Bye-bye.”
- Paying or requesting money: M recognizes when people are discussing payments and gives them the option of easily sending or requesting money.
- Sharing your location: M can suggest an option to share your location during a conversation.
- Making plans: If people are talking about getting together, M helps coordinating a plan.
- Starting a poll (in group conversations only):Have a hard time making decisions in a group? M lets you set a poll topic and vote in group conversations.
- Getting a Ride: Talking about going somewhere? M suggests “Get A Ride” and shares an option of Lyft or Uber.


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In the news
You may not be thinking about saving the planet when you’re buying a pint of ale, shopping for an outfit or slathering mayo on your sandwich. Increasingly, though, the makers of those products are thinking that way.
A number of high-profile businesses are embracing, or at least talking about, regenerative agriculture—generally defined here as "a system of principles and practices that generates agricultural products, sequesters carbon, improves soil health and enhances biodiversity at the farm scale."
The idea is that the ingredients that make up our food and drink, the textiles from which our clothes are made and other products should push beyond sustainability to actually help reverse the degradation of the world’s soil.
Companies that have embraced the concept include Diageo (parent company of Guinness), Unilever, The North Face, General Mills, PepsiCo, Walmart and plenty more. But as with other initiatives that fall under the environmental, social and governance rubric, the devil is in the details; it’s not always easy to distinguish commitment from a PR push.
So, to what extent does a corporate embrace signal real change in the relationship between humans and the environment? And what are the potential consequences of this change for global food systems?
The Cognizant take
“There’s been a big push in the food and beverage industry for the last five years or more,” says Jenny Edwards, Principal Sustainability Advisor at Cognizant's Sustainability Services practice. “It’s widely viewed as an important step in ethical, sustainable sourcing, so there’s a lot of momentum—especially in the US.”
Interestingly, regenerative agriculture takes farming back to its roots (groan) in many ways. It’s less intensive than the farming of the past half-century, which has focused ruthlessly on gross yield. By contrast, Edwards says, regenerative agriculture “is about crop rotation, and growing what should be grown in a particular region, not what economics wants to see grown.” With fewer chemicals and integrated pest management, “you could say it’s like farming in the 1850s,” she adds.
And there’s the rub, because we are by no means living in an 1850s economy. The challenge around regenerative agriculture is to gain sustainability benefits while keeping farming economically viable. When farmers adopt the new (old) ways, “they don’t save money immediately,” Edwards notes. In the long run, they benefit from better soil and stronger plants—but the transition costs money.
Digital technology has a big role to play in this transition, and in regenerative agriculture in general. The push is on to use 21st-century tools like drones, satellites and sensors to gather and analyze enough data to establish key performance indicators and metrics. Going forward, farms that can claim to practice regenerative agriculture will gain competitive advantage—but creating a level playing field for such claims across countries, regions and crops is a challenge.
Moreover, doing all this “without increasing the data burden on farmers” is a must, Edwards notes; it’s already a tough way to make a living.
Despite the obstacles, increasing awareness around biodiversity and sustainability is driving the industry back to the good old days—with a modern twist.


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Well, well, well. Is Google holding back even more information from online marketers? First we were hit with "keyword not provided" and now Google Alerts appears to be fading. What is going on with Google Alerts? Danny Sullivan, the author of this article and an SEO authority, thinks something's up and he's looking into it. Interesting... at my company, we've noticed fewer and fewer alerts coming through too.
Who Voted for this Story
May 13, 2014
We know that as a small business owner, you have your hands full. Aflac has made it easier for you to communicate …Sponsored By Aflac
Nick Stamoulis has the solution for getting your business noticed. With 12 years experience, Stamoulis is founder and … MoreMore Contributors


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As mobile banking adoption rapidly grows this year, financial institutions need to identify and fill security gaps, says Aite Group analyst Julie Conroy, a featured speaker at the May 14 Fraud Summit Chicago.
Third-party risks and the Fed's plans for emerging payments will be highlighted at ISMG's Fraud Summit Chicago on May 14. How banking institutions and retailers are expected to respond to new risks posed by external parties will be a focus for our keynote panel.
Police have withdrawn their allegation that a man arrested for fraud in Georgetown, Texas, also may have been involved in the Target Corp. data breach last December that impacted millions of customers.
Banking institutions that are considering whether to accept virtual currencies, such as Bitcoin, must consider the risks involved, including money-laundering. Learn about the very latest Bitcoin developments.
Industry analysts are debating why it took retailer Michaels nearly three months to confirm a breach of its point-of-sale network, and they're asking if the breach is linked to others, including those at Target and Neiman Marcus.
Verizon's latest annual breach report shows that Web application attacks increased more than malware-fueled point-of-sale intrusions in 2013, says analyst Dave Ostertag, who provides an overview of the report's findings.
In the wake of recent high-profile retail breaches, the PCI Security Standards Council is supporting a move toward chip card technology that conforms to the Europay, MasterCard, Visa Standard, says General Manager Bob Russo.
Analysts say it's easy to believe the Neiman Marcus data breach may be tied to attacks on Heartland Payments Systems Inc. and other entities. But tracking the crimes is one thing; prosecuting is quite another.
In many if not most enterprises, the chief information security officer reports to the chief information officer. After all, enterprises cannot function without IT, and security is a support function to safeguard data and systems. Or is it?
A class action lawsuit filed by two banks against Target in the wake of its 2013 breach has an unusual twist: It seeks damages from Target and Trustwave, allegedly the retailer's qualified security assessor. Experts offer an analysis.


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Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) is about to report outcomes for its fourth and remaining quarter of 2020 on Tuesday after the market shut. And whereas its leads to 2020 have been extraordinary total, the majority of the expansion occurred within the first half of the yr. Individuals have been signing up for its service by the tens of hundreds of thousands on the onset of the pandemic, however that subscriber development slowed within the third quarter.
This newest interval will likely be an attention-grabbing one as coronavirus circumstances are nonetheless surging worldwide, and maybe folks have been once more drawn to in-home leisure choices like Netflix through the vacation season. Listed below are three issues traders will wish to observe intently when the streaming firm experiences.
Netflix present Stranger Issues proven on its app. ” src=”https://g.foolcdn.com/picture/?url=httpspercent3Apercent2Fpercent2Fg.foolcdn.compercent2Feditorialpercent2Fimagespercent2F608683%2Fenglish-tablet-android_ui.jpg&w=700″/>
Picture supply: Netflix.
Can subscriber development proceed with out growing content material spending?
In the beginning, traders will wish to have a look at web subscriber development at Netflix. In the latest quarter, the corporate added 2.2 million subscribers, in comparison with the 6.eight million it added within the year-ago interval. The slowdown’s foremost trigger was the substantial improve in members within the first half of the yr — those that have been planning on signing up already did. Total, Netflix has added 28.1 million subscribers within the first three quarters of 2020, which is already greater than it added in all of 2019 (27.eight million).
Second, these following the corporate will wish to know the typical income generated per consumer (ARPU) within the fourth quarter. A lot of the development in paying members is coming from areas the place the corporate prices much less monthly to entry its service. ARPU varies primarily based on geography, and it may be as excessive as $13.40 for members from the U.S. and Canada and as little as $7.27 for Latin American members.
Lastly, traders will wish to hear what administration has to say about content material spending. Netflix has benefited from the industrywide slowdown in spending because the begin of the pandemic. That growth induced the corporate’s free cash move to show optimistic and development upwards for 3 straight quarters. It seems, nonetheless, that spending on manufacturing is selecting again up. For the reason that pandemic started, Netflix has produced 50 initiatives, however the firm expects that tempo to extend with capturing for 150 initiatives accomplished by the top of the fourth quarter. The sudden improve, and the related security protocols it must implement to guard towards coronavirus outbreaks at worksites, may take their toll on free cash move.
Nonetheless, growing investments in content material may be mandatory now that competitors for streaming subscribers is heating up. Disney‘s companies are rising quick, and Disney+ has already reached a subscriber complete approaching half of Netflix‘s rely regardless of solely being round since Nov. 2019.
What this might imply for traders
Common analyst expectations on Wall Street are for Netflix to report income of $6.61 billion and earnings per share of $1.38, which might be year-over-year will increase of 21% and 6%, respectively. Administration is guiding for subscriber additions of six million, that means development would reaccelerate from the third quarter. That is doubtless a mirrored image of the anticipated improve in demand for streaming leisure because the pandemic raged on by the top of 2020.
If this media big beats subscriber, income, and earnings expectations on Tuesday, search for its shares so as to add to the almost 50% achieve they’ve seen previously yr.
10 stocks we like higher than Netflix
When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it may well pay to pay attention. In spite of everything, the e-newsletter they’ve run for over a decade, Fintech Zoom Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*
David and Tom simply revealed what they consider are the ten finest stocks for traders to purchase proper now… and Netflix wasn’t considered one of them! That is proper — they assume these 10 stocks are even higher buys.
See the 10 stocks
*Stock Advisor returns as of November 20, 2020
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the creator and don’t essentially replicate these of Nasdaq, Inc.


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Buybacks have gotten a bad rap from both Republicans and Democrats. But stocks would be trading at a massive discount without them.Marketsread more
Fiat Chrysler and France's Renault could soon partner up to take on the sweeping changes to the global auto industry, according to a report in the Financial Times. The...Autosread more
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When commercial real estate investor Manny Khoshbin spent $2.2 million on the fastest production car in the world, he had no idea it would very quickly also become the...Autosread more
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The Mega Millions jackpot has spilled over $400 million. It would be the ninth largest winning since the game began in 2002.Personal Financeread more
Trump was speaking at a meeting of Japanese business leaders in Tokyo during his state visit to Japan on Saturday.Marketsread more
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Stocks rose on Friday, but notched weekly losses as investors worried the U.S.-China trade war is hurting economic growth.US Marketsread more
Companies around the world are set to spend $65.8 billion on sponsorship deals in 2018, but few businesses know whether it actually works.
Money spent on deals is set to rise 4.9 percent this year, with most of the cash going on sports, according to data by the World Advertising Research Center (WARC).
However, only 19 percent of sponsorship professionals say they can measure return on investment, in research by agency MKTG and quoted by WARC. The agency surveyed 500 executives globally and also found that 37 percent of people have a standard way to measure the impact of sponsorship, with digital and social media analysis popular methods.
North America is set to take the greatest share of sponsorship money from brands, with $24.2 billion; followed by Europe with $17.6 billion; Asia-Pacific with $16.6 billion; Latin America with $4.6 billion; and the Middle East and Africa with $2.8 billion. These figures cover the right to be associated with a sports team, but not additional spend such as advertising to promote, or "activate," the partnership.
Sport still offers "large, engaged, multi-screen audiences," according to WARC, with 44 percent of people watching this year's World Cup on television.
Putting a logo on a sports team's shirt or advertising on stadium hoardings can improve people's recognition of that company, with 73 percent of those surveyed by MKTG saying "brand awareness" is the main point of sponsorship.
Brands spend millions on partnership deals with sports properties. At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, for example, official sponsors forked out an average of $25.8 million each.
This year's World Cup in Russia made around $1.7 billion in sponsorship, although three large companies — Continental, Johnson & Johnson and Castrol — opted not to renew their deals in 2015 after alleged corruption at the top of FIFA.
Sponsorship of Formula One motor racing is set to change, after the sport was opened up to betting and gambling brands in a $100 million deal announced last week.


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While the Epic-Apple court battle is sure to continue for years thanks to appeals, Apple might have to implement a major change long before the case is settled. After the judge in the case denied the company’s motion for a stay over a ruling targeting its so-called “anti-steering policies,” Apple may need to scramble to bring “live links” to outside payment sites by December 9.
In the order, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said Apple’s motion, which sought to delay the ruling until the conclusion of the appeal, “is based on a selective reading of this Court’s findings and ignores all of the findings which supported the injunction.” She ordered that Apple comply with the injunction as written.
Apple argued that the stay would give the company time “to protect consumers and safeguard its platform while the company works through the complex and rapidly evolving legal, technological, economic issues.” Furthermore, Apple attorney Mark Perry said the “exceedingly complicated” rule change will “harm” consumers and developers and will “take months to figure out the engineering, economic, business, and other issues.”
In her ruling, Judge Gonzalez Rogers flatly said Apple “has provided no credible reason for the Court to believe that the injunction would cause the professed devastation.”
In August, Apple rolled out several changes to its App Store terms, including the ability for developers to promote outside payment methods to its customers. However, it has stopped short of making any meaningful in-app changes to the way purchases are made.
Apple plans to appeal the ruling and “believes no additional business changes should be required to take effect until all appeals in this case are resolved.” If that appeal is denied, the changes are due to be implemented by December 9.


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The online shopping frenzy: Web retailers see fastest sales growth for 13 years
- Online sales increased by 13 per cent in a month
- They rose 20 per cent in comparison with last September
- This is the fastest growth in 13 years, according to the e-Retail Sales Index
Online retailers are seeing their fastest growth in sales in 13 years, confirming Britain as the internet shopping capital of the world.
Web sales rose by 13 per cent last month compared with August, and were 20 per cent higher than in September last year, said the e-Retail Sales Index compiled by industry experts IMRG and Capgemini.
Clothing, particularly lingerie, saw strong increases following the success of sites such as ASOS, which has grown into a global brand.
Booming: Web retailers such as Amazon are experiencing the fastest growth in more than a decade
There has been a 150 per cent increase in shopping via smartphones, such as the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy, compared to a year ago.
Shopping over the internet has also been boosted by the fact more companies, such as ASOS and Dixons, offer same-day delivery.
The September figure was the fastest increase for the month in the 13 years that the e-Retail Sales Index has been running.
The same index suggested total sales in September were some 20 per cent higher than the same month last year.
While high street bricks and mortar stores are seeing a fall in sales of fashions and shoes, this is being more than made up by increases over the web.
More than 10 per cent of all retail sales are now made over the internet in the UK, with this proportion predicted to more than double by 2020.
Web shopping in Britain is particularly strong because the nation is doing a significant amount of its weekly food purchases online, alongside all the other products, from clothes and books to TVs and other gadgets.
Some 21 per cent of families here shop online for food and groceries, compared to less than 10 per cent in Europe and the rest of the world.
Freshly clicked: The UK's fondness for online shopping helped the internet shopping sector grow faster than in the US
A new EU study shows 82 per cent of British internet users regularly shop online, which is the highest of the 28 member states.
Denmark and Sweden come in second at 79per cent, with Germany on 77 per cent, Luxembourg on 73 per cent and Finland at 72 per cent.
At the other end of the scale are Italy and Estonia, at just 29 per cent, and Romania at just 11 per cent.
The research showed that internet users in the UK lead for online purchases of clothes and food, while Sweden is number one on travel and Luxembourg for books.
Internet shopping is also stronger in the UK than the US, because web purchases of food and groceries has not taken off there to the same extent.
Last week, Marks & Spencer launched a new online butcher and fishmonger, while the Morrisons chain will start selling food over the web with home deliveries in partnership with Ocado in January.
IMRG said web sales of clothing were up by 18 per cent to this time last year, with lingerie up 30per cent, accessories by 20 per cent and footwear by 20 per cent.
Tina Spooner of IMRG, said: ‘The latest Index results are encouraging as we enter the fourth quarter, with retailers preparing for the crucial festive trading period.
‘The record monthly growth in September is an indication of increasing consumer confidence and with smartphone year-on-year sales growth reaching an impressive 150 per cent, it is also evident that shoppers are becoming more comfortable with shopping via their mobile devices.’
Chris Webster, the head of retail consulting at Capgemini, said: ‘This month’s Index is a good indicator that we are headed towards economic recovery, and a great sign for a strong Christmas.
‘The fact that e-retail has seen its sharpest period of growth for September suggests that consumers are shopping with confidence.’
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Rice Prices Stay Strong
Grains futures, Philippines’
| By Gene Johnson|
After some profit taking, the rice market took off again the first two weeks in April. The market is being fueled primarily by the grains futures market and the announcement of the Philippines’ re-tender under the GSM 102 credit program. The first week of April, the Philippines reportedly purchased 72,000 metric tons (mt) of U.S. long grain rice with $75 million of U.S. credit to be delivered May 15-Sept. 30.
The Philippine Agriculture Secretary says the county needs a minimum of 2.1 million mt of rice imports in 2008. Other sources put their needs at 2.4 million mt or more. To date, the Philippines have imported 1.1 million mt. The Philippines have asked Vietnam and Thailand to guarantee large tonnages, but neither will guarantee as much as needed. On April 17, the Philippines bought 325,000 mt from Thailand and Vietnam – 5 and 25 percent brokens at about $1,000 to $1,200 per mt. They didn’t get the 500,000 mt they wanted. That’s going to be the problem. There is not enough rice to go around.
Iraq received a tender for 100 mt. They opted to buy Thai rice.
Cash prices are up sharply with No. 2-4 percent now quoted at levels that reflect $790-800 mt bagged FOB vessel or $775-780 basis bulk. And the Philippine tender is likely to move prices higher yet. Cash bids for rough rice increased again the second week in April, with bids FOB farm for long grain reported in south Louisiana at $32/barrel ($19.75/cwt); in southeast Arkansas at $9/bushel ($20/cwt); and for medium grain in California at $11.35 to $11.40 over loan price.
In south Louisiana, there is not much unsold rough rice. Bids on new crop moved up to $25.50/barrel ($15.74/cwt) with very light contracting. In Texas, old crop rice is virtually sold. New crop bids for long grain are reported at $8.50 over loan, with few takers.
USDA made no changes in the basic supply/demand numbers in April’s report. USDA did increase its estimate of average price of all types of rice for the 2007 crop to $12.20/cwt, compared to $9.96/cwt for 2006 rice.
The bullish trend continues in Thailand as fresh trading is virtually non-existent because of lack of offers in the local market. Defaults, renegotiating of contracts and buyouts are quite prevalent in the midst of this never ending upward spiral in prices. Major exporters in Thailand continue to quote rice on a hand-to-mouth basis, with quotes steadily rising, now near $800/mt for white rice 100 percent B and over $1,000/mt for fragrant.
There is no formal export ban in place; however, for all practical purposes it exists in principle. The situation is not altogether different in Vietnam.
However, there is a partial export ban in place for April/May shipment. The one glaring exception is the Philippines, where the Vietnamese government has pledged support to the Philippine government.
The world rice market continues in a state of near panic, with reports of widespread civil unrest over high consumer prices and food shortages. Riots are occurring in Haiti and Africa.
Gene Johnson is a professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness with LSU AgCenter.


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Program manager of DARPA, Michael Walker, once said in a program that the threat of IoT devices being hacked by bad guys is a “challenge for civilization.” Just over the last two years, IoT devices penetration increased by a whopping 70%. There are around 6.4 billion IoT devices in the world, according to the research firm Gartner. People will connect almost everything with the internet in the near future, which will result in increased opportunities for hackers. Following are some of the biggest cyberattacks and hacks related to Internet of Things devices.
2016 Attack on Dyn Using Mirai
Perhaps the biggest Internet of Things related cyberattack took place in October, 2016, when thousands of websites and devices were taken down after a team of hackers spread around the world leveraged access to connected devices such as video surveillance cameras and printers to initiate a DDoS attack. This attack overwhelmed almost every famous website and took it down within minutes. Millions of people were affected. The attack targeted Dyn, the biggest DNS service provider. Most of the hardware devices which were affected in this IoT cyberattack were made by a Chinese company, XiongMai Technologies. The software that was used in the attack is known as Mirai.
A few weeks ago, a massive ransomware attack unfolded around the world, and affected over 29 countries and thousands of hospitals, universities, banks and households. The attack was launched using a Windows exploit. While the attack wasn’t directly related to Internet of Things, analysts believe that hackers will soon start asking for ransom by hacking connected devices. Last year, two researchers from the UK-based cybersecurity firm Pen Test Partners successfully demonstrated a cyberattack in which thermostats and household connected devices get hacked for ransom. Andrew Tierney and Ken Munro showed the world how easy it is for hackers to breach the home thermostats and make money.
In 2015, in one a spectacular and somewhat terrifying move, two white hate hackers Charlie Miller and Chris Valase demonstrated a hack by taking control of a Fiat Chrysler car. The hackers remotely took control of the car, manipulated chillers, the steering and all the functions of the vehicle. Immediately after the report, Fiat Chrysler recalled 1.4 million vehicles to fix a software vulnerability in its Uconnect dashboard computers. This is one of the biggest evidences that some of our most crucial devices and products remain at risk.
Attack on Brian Krebs’ Website Using Botnet
In 2016, hackers forced famous cybersecurity analyst and journalist Brian Krebs to shutdown his website using botnets. Hackers used about 98,000 hacked devices, including IoT-based cameras, to launch unending requests to his website. Hackers targeted Krebs because he regularly exposes the secrets of the organized crime world of hackers.


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Dubai Economy (Dubai Department of Economic Development or DED) and Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the MENAT region (Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey), have announced the go-live of the UAE KYC Blockchain Platform.
The project is described as an initiative that facilitates secure digital customer onboarding, instant bank account functionality, and sharing of verified KYC data between licensing authorities and financial institutions via blockchain technology. The initiative is being powered by Sweden based norbloc blockchain KYC technology, according to a release.
First announced in February 2020, the KYC platform is said to be designated as a nationwide ecosystem for exchange of verified KYC data. The blockchain project is being supported by Smart Dubai and the Central Bank of UAE who plays a key regulatory role in the initiative.
Additionally, the Commercial Bank of Dubai, ADCB, HSBC, and RAKBANK are said to be preparing to go live with the service very soon.
Omar Bushahab, CEO of Business Registration and Licensing Sector at DED, said they are very proud to announce that the UAE KYC Blockchain Platform is now production-ready with over 120 companies already onboarded.
“This is one of the initiatives that contribute to Agenda Number One of Dubai Model which focuses on improving customer experience, ” said Bushahab. “This marks a key milestone in establishing a UAE-wide ecosystem for KYC data sharing and instant digital onboarding of companies by financial institutions. It is in alignment with the government’s vision around digitization and paperless as crucial strategies that enable continuation and sustainability, especially during these challenging times, further enhancing ease of doing business in the country.”
Bushahab said that Emirates NBD is the first banking group to go live on the platform with its initial use case covering E20, its digital business bank. The next milestone will be the go-live of Emirates NBD’s additional use cases.
“We are also in advanced discussions with a second wave of financial institutions and free zones to further expand the initiative, and we welcome the remaining financial institutions and free zones to join this effort,” added Bushahab.
According to DED, with the launch of Phase I the organization has migrated all active trade licenses onto the blockchain platform, representing over 40% of all active trade licenses in the UAE.
In addition to receiving new leads to open bank accounts, participating financial institutions are now able to leverage the blockchain platform to pull data of their customers and receive real-time updates made to their customer data.
Abdulla Qassem, Group Chief Operating Officer of Emirates NBD said they are delighted to be the first banking group in the UAE to partner and go-live with Dubai Economy on the UAE KYC Blockchain platform.
“Emirates NBD is a leading supporter of home-grown SMEs and start-ups who are key contributors to the UAE economy, and we are proud to announce our first live use case which enables SME customers to open accounts instantly through our E20. Digital Business Bank app. With multiple use cases covering both Emirates NBD and Emirates Islamic, this pioneering solution aligns with our shared commitment of making banking simpler for our customers, enabling them to focus on their business.”
Astyanax Kanakakis, CEO of norbloc, said the UAE is one of the first countries in the world to implement a blockchain-based ecosystem for data sharing.


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The Family Online Safety Institute supports today’s launch of the Voluntary Principles to Counter Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.
Stephen Balkam's presentation at Tencent Tech For Good | Beijing, China
TikTok is introducing a new "family safety mode" designed to give parents tighter control over teens' mobile phone habits. It will let parents link their own TikTok accounts to their child's - and turn features on and off remotely. That includes a "restricted mode" that tries to filter out inappropriate content, and turning off messaging. TikTok has an age limit of 13, but many pre-teens still use the Chinese-owned app. A recent survey by UK media regulator Ofcom found that TikTok was used by 13% of all children aged 12-15 in 2019 - up from 8% the year before.
With virtual assistants sitting on our kitchen counters, connected toys living in our kids’ bedrooms, and facial recognition software popping up on our street corners, it can sometimes feel like we are living in an episode of Black Mirror. Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be revolutionizing our world, but we can’t take it for granted that these technologies will be positive for our kids and the next generation. To keep kids safe online, we must develop a culture of responsibility now — one in which online safety relies upon government, tech companies, schools, parents, and kids themselves.


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Digital technology are at the forefront of the energy transition, with energy startup companies at the center of the transition. We all interviewed market kings to find out what these online companies have to offer and why they’re the right choice in this sector. These kinds of energy startups are having energy to consumers through innovative products, including solar power panels and batteries. Ultimately, they’re producing sustainable energy accessible to more people than ever before. So what makes a B2C startup therefore appealing?
A good example is Nostromo Energy. This startup can be described as competitor of Tesla, and both companies are trying to revolutionize the energy sector. Both of these companies make use of the wind it manually, solar, and hydroelectric solutions to generate energy. The CEO of the enterprise has efficiently developed the first industrial kite-driven electric power station choice. The startup company hopes to extend its offerings and plans to be the first choice digital platform for photovoltaics.
Moment Energy aims to convert vehicle battery power into renewable energy storage. The business partnered with Nissan The united states to develop their supply sequence. GridBeyond is actually a software platform intended for managing electrical power grids that connects households to renewable options. The startup’s software possesses a market potential of more than $7M annually. And last but not least, AquaGreen changes waste biomaterial into power. The medical has eight investors, which include Nordic Alpha Partners.
The industry has to change in so that it will meet the needs of consumers. Increasing carbon emissions are contributing to around the world and wrecking our environment. For that reason, energy innovators are creating new solutions to address problems. From solar yard lights https://rockstarstartup.co.uk/the-market-innovation-circuit-emerging-tech-and-agrifood-startups systems to wind generators, these startup companies are the best think for traders. They are also the most likely to succeed. In addition , a growing number of energy startups happen to be tackling the issue of climate change.


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More wealthy shoppers are prowling the aisles at discount grocery stores in search of deals amid soaring food inflation, Loblaw Companies Ltd. said Wednesday.
“We’re seeing a lot more Mercedes and Range Rovers in the parking lots in those (discount) stores than would have been the case before,” chairman and president Galen G. Weston told analysts during a conference call to discuss the grocer’s latest results.
“The discount formats are successfully converting higher-income customers.”
His comments came as Loblaw reported its third-quarter profits rose about 30 per cent compared with a year ago.
The grocery and drugstore retailer said its net earnings available to common shareholders totalled $556 million for the quarter ended Oct. 8, up from $431 million in the same quarter last year, while revenue climbed to $17.39 billion in the quarter, up from $16.05 billion in its third quarter of 2021.
Food retail same-store sales rose 6.9 per cent, led by the grocer’s discount banners, including No Frills and Real Canadian Superstore.
“Performance in our discount banners continued to strengthen as market share and traffic improved year over year,” Loblaw chief financial officer Richard Dufresne told analysts.
“We continue to see a larger share of wallet spend in our discount banners.”
The grocer also noted a continued shift to private-label brands like President’s Choice and No Name.
Loblaw has recorded “an enormous amount of new trial” of customers buying its No Name brand, Weston said.
“I don’t know what it was like in the 1980s but certainly in my time in the business I haven’t seen this kind of growth in an opening-price-point brand ever,” he said. “It’s pretty significant.”
One of the key drivers of No Name sales is the brand’s broad assortment, including in the produce aisle where inflation has been acute, Weston said.
Meanwhile, the President’s Choice brand is also growing, though not at the same rate as No Name, he said.
In September, the price of food purchased in stores rose 11.4 per cent compared with a year earlier, the fastest pace since 1981, Statistics Canada said.
The agency said Wednesday the price of food from stores in October was up 11.0 per cent compared with a year earlier, a somewhat slower clip than the previous month, but still the eleventh consecutive month where groceries increased at a faster rate year over year than the overall consumer price index.
Loblaw said Canadian retail food inflation remained among the lowest of G7 countries but that “global inflationary forces continued to increase the cost of food in the quarter” and that it continues to field new cost increases from suppliers.
“We are largely dependent on what suppliers ask us to pay for their products,” Dufresne said. “Suppliers determine the cost and we determine the retail prices.”
Dufresne added: “Our objective is to make sure that our price on the shelf does not rise faster than supplier costs.”
Loblaw tracks its margins closely, he said, and every quarter since inflation took off last summer the company’s food gross margins have been essentially flat.
“This gives us the confidence to say categorically that retail prices are not growing faster than costs and the company is not taking advantage of inflation to drive profit,” Dufresne said.
On an adjusted basis, Loblaw says it earned $2.01 per diluted share, up from an adjusted profit of $1.59 per diluted share a year ago.
Analysts on average had expected a profit of $1.96 per share and $16.85 billion in revenue, according to estimates compiled by financial markets data firm Refinitiv.


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Jam City has been responsible for some of the most addictive games currently getting a workout on your iPad, including Cookie Jam and Panda Pop. Now, they’re continuing the tradition of addictive games with their newest creation, Snoopy Pop, featuring the lovable beagle from the Charles Schultz comic strip.
In the official press release for the app, it was announced that Snoopy Pop — created in conjunction with Peanuts Worldwide — is a bubble shooting game that allows the user to “rescue” Woodstock and his friends, who are trapped in bubbles.
Though the game is free to play, it also offers in-app purchases — like most games of its kind — and the game, which was already launched in some regions, is going live worldwide today.
Jam City President and COO Josh Yguado said that it’s long been his dream to partner up with Peanuts Worldwide, and now, with Snoopy Pop, he’s realizing his dream.
“Jam City is proud to be launching a game with one of the world’s most iconic brands. Creating a game with Snoopy and the Peanuts gang has been a labor of love for our artists, storytellers and technical teams. Additionally, and in honor of Charles M. Schulz’s legacy and love for the organization’s mission, Jam City is moved to be supporting the important work of Canine Companions for Independence through Snoopy Pop. Canine Companions enhances independence by providing highly trained assistance dogs to Veterans and people with disabilities.”
Today seems like a good day to have cookies for breakfast???? pic.twitter.com/ghu1CnbMTA
— PEANUTS (@Snoopy) July 10, 2017
The fact that Snoopy Pop has a charity angle makes it even more special. According to GameSpace, Jam City — on behalf of the Snoopy Pop game — made a $100,000 contribution to Canine Companions for Independence, which partners service dogs with people who need them, whether they are children or adults.
Jean Schulz, National Board Member and Chair Emeritus of Canine Companions for Independence and wife of Charles M. Schulz, said that she and the rest of the Peanuts family appreciate the fact that Jam City has added the charity donation to their newest game.
“Supporting Canine Companions for Independence has a special place in my heart, and this Snoopy Pop collaboration is a fun way to do just that.”
Check out the video for the game below.
Proud to be me! pic.twitter.com/B25z2LVFN3
— PEANUTS (@Snoopy) July 6, 2017
You can download Snoopy Pop on all Apple and Android devices. Remember that it’s free to play, but it offers in-app purchases — if you’re under the age of 18, get your parents’ permission before you make purchases.
Leave your thoughts about Snoopy Pop in the comments below.
[Featured Image by Jam City]


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The motorcycle world got knocked for a bit of a loop last week when Polaris Industries announced it would be shutting down its Victory Motorcycles division after two decades of trying to cut into Harley-Davidson’s stranglehold on the American cruiser market.
Polaris is Closing Victory Motorcycles
Fans of Victory Motorcycles were saddened, as were proponents of U.S. manufacturing, but let’s not forget Polaris continues to pump out Indian Motorcycles and is doing it at a pace the Victory crew could only dream of.
“(Indian has) been growing rapidly over the last three or four years, and we’ll be putting more investment into the brand in the future,” explained Steve Menneto, Polaris VP of Motorcycles, in a phone call with MO. He added there will be limited cuts at the company’s Spirit Lake, Iowa, factory, but most workers will be absorbed into different areas of Polaris’ businesses or will be offered early retirement.
Menneto told us 2012 was biggest year of sales for Victory, somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 units, with a market share that reached into the high single-digits. But then, he said, Indian debuted, H-D got aggressive, and the whole marketplace became highly competitive.
Top 10 Best Victory Motorcycles Of All Time
Menneto was a key figure in the relaunching of the Indian marque almost four years ago with the debut of the all-new Chief, and he told me then he was intending Indian and Victory to both survive by diverting paths, allowing Vic to angle into more of a performance realm. More from that interview can be seen in the link below.
2014 Indian Chief – Reinventing an icon
Now, with Victory out of the picture, Menneto says Indian will be able to develop sportier bikes than just cruisers.
“Closing down Victory was a tough decision for us, but it allows investments in Indian to grow in the area of performance,” Menneto told us. “We started to find our customers asking for sportier Indians – they love the heritage style, but they’d like something sportier and with a different look.
“Right now,” Menneto continued, “Indian has been a cruiser/bagger/touring brand. Now there’s nothing constraining Indian to go into new segments of performance and technology.”
Victory Motorcycles is known best, of course, for its cruiser and touring bikes, but it was also making a grab at the future with the acquisition of Brammo’s motorcycle assets and the debut of the electric-powered Empulse TT. Now what?
2016 Victory Empulse TT First Ride Review
“We’re going to continue the electric part of the business,” Menneto responded. “Future products and markets will develop, both on-road and off-road. What will change are those efforts will transfer over time to Indian in the two-wheel space and Slingshot in the three-wheel space.”
When I asked if his response meant we’ll one day be seeing an Indian with an electric motor, he carefully said: “I think that’s a fair assessment.”
Another performance avenue open to Indian is in the area of dirt-track-inspired standards. Keep in mind that Indian is making an assault in flat-track racing this year with the introduction of its FTR750 racebike powered by a tidy little V-Twin.
Indian Scout FTR750 Ride Review
Surely, I posited to Menneto, the dirt-tracker must be capitalized on with some sort of production version?
“There will be more focused investment in Indian,” he replied without really addressing the question. “There’s a push to go bigger and faster. There’s some exciting stuff in our future.”


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ZIMBABWE’S trade deficit continues to narrow, following a sharp 72,7 percent rise in the value of exports recorded for the month of November last year. Latest data from ZimStat shows that the country`s trade balance also received a boost from a 12,9 percent drop in imports in the same month.
Total exports amounted to US$408,1 million while imports for the month of November 2015 were US$449,1 million, statistics reveal.
Zimbabwe`s overall trade gap for November further narrowed to only 0,29 percent of GDP from October. This followed a 225,5 percent spike in flue-cured virginia tobacco exports from US$84,5 million in October to US$275,2 million. Nickel exports also rose from US$11,4 million in October to $12.2mln in the same period.
Generally, a trade deficit is not necessarily a bad thing as it tends to correct itself over time, and if the amount of foreign capital flowing back into a country exceeds the money flowing out through imports, then deficits are not at all bad. However, for Zimbabwe, a low-growth country, sustained trade deficits are now a cause for concern as they come on the back of low inward capital flows and slowing demand for imports – in spite of the stronger dollar – as aggregate demand in the economy remains weak.
The improvement in Zimbabwe`s trade deficit from the October figure lends weight to the theory that trade deficits tend to contract in times of recession, amid growing fears that Zimbabwe is on the cusp of entering a recession. Overall the trade deficit was at US$3,03 billion from imports of US$5,51 billion and exports of US$2,48 billion.
In the month under review, South Africa remained Zimbabwe`s biggest trading partner, with total exports to Africa`s second largest economy rising 101% from US$177,7 million in October 2015 to US$358,9 million in November.
Mozambique was the second biggest export destination for the country, accounting for 5,89 percent of Zimbabwe`s total exports, at US$24.0 million. Belgium and the United Arab Emirates came in at a distant third and fourth with the value of exports to these countries coming in at $4.15mln and 4.10mln respectively.
Tobacco was the country`s biggest foreign currency earner in November, with US$275,1 million worth of tobacco being exported. Gold, Nickel and Ferro-chrome earned the country US$55,8 million; US$12,3 million and US$8,4 million respectively.
Imports from South Africa constituted 43 percent of total imports for the month of November at US$193,1 million. The data also shows that, $84.8mln worth of goods were bought from Singapore, followed by China, which supplied goods valued at US$38,5 million. Zambia was Zimbabwe`s fourth biggest import source country, with goods worth US$26,3 million being imported in the same period.
Diesel, which was the country`s most imported product by value for most of last year, steadily declined in November to US$64,7 million after it had peaked to US$132,0 million at the close of Q3. This fall comes, as global oil prices have been hovering around the US$35/barrel mark. The Organisation for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) forecasts that world oil prices will gradually rise to us$80/barrel in 2020, and if this were to hold true, Zimbabwe`s trade gap will get some respite from the low oil prices in the short to medium term.
US$464,7 million worth of unleaded petrol was imported last November, followed by maize (excluding seed) imports amounting to US$15,6 million. Wheat imports also came in at US$5,2 million in the month under review.
Zimbabwe largely remains a consumptive economy, importing fuels and food-stuffs at the expense of capital goods. Unsurprisingly, unfinished products continue to underpin total exports as the local manufacturing industry remains hamstrung.
With a drought being forecast, Zimbabwe will need to import maize to stave off hunger, predominantly for the estimated 70 percent of its population that lives in the rural areas this year, and this will likely cause a surge in imports going forward. Despite South Africa`s rand weakening to the dollar, increasingly lower disposable incomes and shrinking government revenues will all contribute to low aggregate demand in the economy, and slower economic activity in the overall economy. Zimbabwe`s fiscal deficit will potentially keep narrowing further.FinX


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It’s always something with Google.
While the company is set to show off lots of new services at its Google I/O conference in San Francisco tomorrow, it always has room for more announcements. After all, more than 40,000 people work for the tech giant.
Now the company has gone and doubled the memory inside its Google Glass wearable. The device now carries 2 GB of RAM, not just 1 GB, according to a Google+ post from the Google Glass account today.
With applications developers fawning over Google’s latest technology platforms this week, the timing is good.
In addition to the memory boost, Google has added cards to the Google Glass interface. Now the device will show Glass owners where they parked their cars and alert them when packages are coming to them.
Also, the device now shows a viewfinder in Glass’ tiny screen when owners are using its camera. A voice command or the push of a button triggers the camera’s shutter.


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Arthur Delaney writes in the The Huffington Post thagt financial firms have long lobbied the Federal Reserve, high-minded maker of monetary policy. But the Fed’s foray into lending during the financial crisis this year has opened it up to lobbying from niche industries like recreational boat manufacturers, rental car companies, and — Dunkin’ Donuts?
Indeed. Dunkin’ Brands, parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, began lobbying the Fed in the second quarter of this year, according to lobbying disclosure reports filed with Congress.
The New York Times reported in June that economists were uneasy with the Fed’s role as a credit allocator, because decisions to favor one industry or another can be seen as political, and the Fed is supposed to be insulated from such pressure.
The number of special interests that reported lobbying the Fed shot up from 102 to 143 from the second to third quarters of 2008, as the Fed prepared to announce its Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF), which lends money to investors who buy asset-backed securities from lenders in order to keep credit flowing to borrowers. When it was announced last November, the program was for securities collateralized by student loans, auto loans, credit card loans and loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration. The program officially launched in March, and was expanded to include commercial mortgage-backed securities in July.
So what does Dunkin’ want from the Fed, exactly?
In a statement to the Huffington Post, Dunkin’ Brands emphasized the fact that its franchises across the country are small businesses, and said its lobbying is on behalf of its franchises and “our nation’s entrepreneurial spirit.”
“While financing is still available for strong brands such as ours, for the small business community as a whole, gaining access to credit has been challenging and this has limited opportunities for entrepreneurs to go into business for themselves,” said Cicely Simpson, top lobbyist for Dunkin’ Brands. “On behalf of our nation’s entrepreneurial spirit and in honor of our more than 2,200 franchisees, Dunkin’ Brands has engaged in conversations with the Federal Reserve, the Administration, and Congress to ensure that they are aware of the credit needs of small business owners.”
Simpson was not made available for a conversation, but LobbyBlog wanted to know more. What exactly was on the table during Dunkin’s conversation with the Fed — Donuts? Ice cream?
Joking aside, economists queried by LobbyBlog confirm that there is, in fact, something funny about Dunkin’ lobbying the Fed.
Read more at: The Huffington Pos


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Rice hints at U- turn on LucasVarity's US plans
LUCASVARITY'S UK shareholders mounted a fillibuster to delay the company's controversial move to the US, leaving the issue in the balance last night as the vote count stretched over several hours.
Led by former Lucas chairman Sir Anthony Gill, the rebels pummelled the board with a series of awkward questions.
There is outrage among small investors over the loss of yet another British company. Engineer Lucas merged with American Varity in 1996, and 60pc of shares are now in US hands.
But in a bizarre twist, chief executive Victor Rice, architect of the plan, suggested he might abandon it even if it passed.
Rice said: 'Because this issue is so sensitive, I will make sure that the votes cast by the board on behalf of ADR holders are cast in line with their intentions. .
'I will make absolutely sure of that between now and the court hearing.' The hearing, to ratify the move, is scheduled for November 30.
ADRs are the group's New York-listed shares. Many holders did not vote, and the board initially planned to vote those shares for the move. Rice's statement took investors and his own spokesmen aback.
The 10 directors hope moving to America will add millions to their shares and options.
City advisers told them it would make Lucas shares worth 33pc more. That would add £1.15m to their shares. Victor Rice would gain £800,000.
Their 20.8m options to buy shares, exercisable next century, would be worth an extra £12.5m. Rice's options would gain £7.3m.
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MANILA -- (UPDATE) A fire hit the warehouse of SM North EDSA in Quezon City Sunday night, affecting the third and fourth floors of the popular mall's department store.
The blaze was first reported at around 9 p.m. and threatened disruptions as shoppers head out to grab deals during the tail-end of the mall's three-day sale.
Fire trucks were sent to tackle the flames, which reached third alarm as per the city's Bureau of Fire Protection.
The fire has been already contained, according to the mall's management, and that no one has been declared hurt.
An investigation on the cause of the fire is still ongoing.
Mall operations have resumed to normal.


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PlayStation 5 users in the Middle East can now enjoy a free six-month trial of Apple Music.
YouTube has launched a new monetization tier for the YPP in the MENA region, with lower eligibility requirements providing access to select monetization features.
eVision has launched STARZ ON, a free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) platform in the Middle East and West Africa region.
Amazon.ae has extended its online shopping and delivery services to Qatar, completing its coverage of the GCC region. Qatar residents can now browse and purchase products across 30+ categories in both English and Arabic, with clear pricing and delivery details.
Popular messaging app WhatsApp is rolling out Channels to the MENA region, bringing broadcasting messages to users following their favourite topics within the app.
Samsung is giving the Middle East some special wearable love with the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic Astro edition. It’ll be exclusive to the Middle East and North Africa region.


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An increasing amount of the cocoa processed by Dutch companies is sustainable, according to a report by the national statistics office CBS which was published on Thursday.
The percentage of sustainable cocoa used for processing in Dutch plants rose to 30% in 2016 from 21% in 2014. Amsterdam is the largest cocoa importing port in the world, handling 20% of the annual harvest.
The beans are processed by several large companies in the Zaan region north of Amsterdam into semi-manufactures like cocoa mass, cocoa butter and cocoa powder. The largest part of this is exported to other European countries.
The remainder is sent to chocolate producers, bakeries and other foods companies in the Netherlands for further processing.
The CBS report said that 70% of processed cocoa was exported in 2016, while 25% was sold in Dutch supermarkets. A full 86% of the chocolate products sold in Dutch supermarkets in 2016 were sustainable, the report, commissioned by the agriculture ministry, said.
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LG’s newest updated webOS version, WebOS 2.0, will be the smartest and fastest webOS platform yet. Some of its features include: an all new “My Channels” app, and access to an expanded variety of 4K ultraHD streaming options. All “My Channels” app users will be able to customize the broadcast they enjoy the most, be it set-top box channels or cable.
Palm originally created the webOS mobile operating system to be used on its early smartphone models. HP purchased the company for nearly $1.2 billion and then closed it down the very next year. Last year, LG brought the platform back to life in its smart TV line. LG calls this latest update “an innovative smart TV solution.”
The vice president of LG, In-kyu Lee stated that the new, smarter webOS 2.0 features will enable its users to experience an easier, simpler, more intuitive than ever before, next-generation smart TV platform. LG considers the new platform to be another example of the company’s “commitment to its leadership role in the next generation TV market.”
LG’s new webOS 2.0 smart TV platform will come equipped with a 2015 “New Magic Remote” for its new smart functions. The new remote will be normal remote-sized and will feature a numeric keypad for manually keying in channels.
This new ultimate remote control will be a universal one, enabling the control of all LG devices. It also has the ability to be stood up on its short end, a feature that may be essentially helpful to those who tend to “lose the remote in the sofa cushions.”
With more 4K content, reduced boot times, faster UI navigation speed as well as a list of other new innovative features, the new platform will be making its initial debut on smart TVs from LG’s new lineup. The company’s new Quantom Dot as well as other LCD and OLED smart TV sets will be running the new platform.
The 2013 CES, was where LG first introduced webOS and over 5 million smart TVs equipped with the platform have been sold since then. According to an announcement made by LG, the company plans to reveal the new and improved webOS 2.0 smart TV platform at the 2015 CES.


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Barclays Plc, a UK bank, announced on Saturday that there is an email scam across the internet that convinces users to enter their personal details by falsely claiming to be from Barclays.
The email includes a link that leads to a dummy website. A Barclays spokesperson said "Barclays is in no way involved with this email and the Web site does not belong to us." Five websites have been closed down since the scam came to light.
400 Barclays customers have been in contact with the bank, of which only 8 reported giving their personal information. The 8 accounts have been blocked and Barclays have said they will cover any financial losses endured because of the scam.


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An Instagram user posted an advanced peek at the latest Steph Curry Under Armour shoe. So far, the Curry 3.5 has gotten mixed reviews. From two fire emojis to they look like K-Swiss 3.5s.
The Golden State Warriors star is just getting over the release of the all white Curry 2 “Low” Chef shoe, which many dubbed “dad” shoes, — so Steph can ill afford another bomb.
So what do you think? Expect these kicks to be on the market around May.


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Malaysia can be proud of its centennial oil palm industry
Today marks a century of the Malaysian oil palm industry. The country is the second-largest producer of the world’s most used vegetable oil accounting for 39 percent of global production. Together with neighbouring Indonesia, the world’s largest producer, the duo accounts for about 85 percent of the global supply.
Palm oil is found in everything from cookies to soaps. Figures from Gro Intelligence show that global palm oil production 2016 – crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel oil (PKO) was around 72 million tonnes. Furthermore that the global per capita consumption has over doubled since 2000 to 7.7 kg per capita in 2015.
This rapid expansion has given rise to public concerns over tropical deforestation, land tenure issues and sustainability culminating with European MEP’s backing a resolution calling for a clampdown on imports of “unsustainable” palm oil and phase its use in biofuels preferably by 2020. In addition, said MEP’s want the EU to introduce a single certification scheme for palm oil entering the EU.
Whilst many of the concerns surrounding oil palm cultivation, processing and expansion are legitimate and well-founded so too are many of the actions being put into place to address these. Both Malaysia and Indonesia have introduced national certification schemes and then there is the Switzerland-headed multi-stakeholder Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil initiative (RSPO). Not to mention industry driven initiatives.
Somewhat ironic given the current negative sentiment towards palm oil in Europe, is that the oil palm was first introduced to Malaysia by the British in the 1870’s. Hailing from West Africa it was introduced as an ornamental plant. It was though the celebrated French author Henri Fauconnier who is credited with having established the commercial first oil palm plantation in the country in 1917.
Apparently almost by accident. The story goes that it was a last resort to rescue a failing coffee plantation by substituting coffee with oil palm. Fauconnier is reputed to have visited a plantation in Indonesia, where oil palm had been introduced by the Dutch, and came back to Selangor on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia with the inspiration and seedlings.
Just like the forest industry value chain, the oil palm value chain is far more than what a simplistic EU “clampdown” on the use of CPO and Palm Fatty Acid Distillate (PFAD) in biodiesel or hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) gives credit for or shows any understanding of.
Just as a centennial Finland can be proud of the achievements and leadership shown by its forest industry, Malaysia can be proud of its centennial oil palm industry that is also showing leadership right across its value chain.


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Anaheim and Santa Ana police are warning residents about various scams that persuade victims to buy Green Dot MoneyPak cards that thieves convert into cash.
Anaheim police report con artists claiming to be from Anaheim Public Utilities and the city’s public works department have contacted residents, telling them they need tree maintenance.
Thieves also have called and paid visits to utility customers, requesting payments to replace equipment. Police said that in some cases thieves have used “spoofing software”, which can trick residents into thinking they’re getting legitimate phone calls through caller ID systems.
The victims are often asked to buy a Green Dot MoneyPak card and instructed to phone in the card number, which is easily converted into cash by the thieves.
According to information on moneypak.com, the card works much like a debit card, but isn’t connected to an account. Purchased with cash, it can be used to reload prepaid cards, add money to a PayPal account or even make payments to major companies, the site claims. Because the cards can be bought only with cash, consumers never need to disclose personal or financial information to a retail cashier or to make a payment, the company says.
In Santa Ana, police say thieves have posed as Southern California Edison employees, targeting business owners by telling them their accounts are delinquent. The business owners are then told their power will be shut off unless they make payments with a MoneyPak card. Police say the scams have cost victims about $2,600.
Anaheim officials say utility representatives will never make unsolicited calls or visits to collect money due. Customers are advised to pay their bills by mail, in person or through its automated telephone system.
Police also warn residents to never give anyone personal information over the phone.
City News Service contributed to this report


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WASHINGTON, May 15 (UPI) -- The Consumer Price Index was unchanged in April on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Commerce Department said Tuesday.
On a 12-month basis, the CPI for all items rose 2.3 percent before seasonal adjustment, the lowest figure since February 2011. The index for all items minus food and energy also rose 2.3 percent.
The energy index, which had risen in each of the three previous months, declined in April on a seasonally adjusted basis and offset increases in the other major indexes.
The gasoline index fell 2.6 percent in April and accounted for most of the decline in energy though the indexes for natural gas and fuel oil decreased as well.
The food index rose in April as five of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased.
Increases in the indexes for shelter, used cars and trucks, medical care, airline fares, apparel and new vehicles all contributed significantly to the April increase.


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-dealers ask Govt. to reconsider proposed tax change
By Leonard Gildarie
A plan by Government to restrict the importation of vehicles older than eight years into the country will only make the vehicles more expensive for the working class, auto dealers are warning.
The body now wants Government to rethink those plans and to meet with them to talk about a new tax structure that will not cause hardships for stakeholders.
Finance Minister Winston Jordan in his 2016 presentation of the National Budget gave notice of the administration’s intentions to remove the Excise Tax on motor vehicles that are under four years old and lower than 1500cc. These vehicles currently attract Excise Tax at the rate of 30 percent with an effective tax rate of 118.7 percent.
With this removal, Jordan explained, the effective tax rate will be reduced to 68.2 percent.
Another major impact from the budget would be the reduction of excise tax from 50 percent to 10 percent on motor vehicles under four years old – that is for vehicles between 1500cc and under 2000cc. The effective tax rate of 152.3 percent for this category will be reduced to 85 percent.
From May 1, the Finance Minister also announced, there will be restriction on the importation of used and/or re-conditioned vehicles older than eight years old from the date of manufacture to the date of importation.
It was widely felt that vehicles, especially the popular Premio and Allion sedan family cars, would become cheaper.
Not so fast, says auto dealers.
The changes in the tax structures if allowed to go ahead the way they are proposed will make those cars way too expensive for a normal working class family.
With many families depending heavily on the local banks for a loan, many workers barely are eligible for a $2M loan. And these are for the cheaper cars, more than eight years old.
According to the Guyana Auto Dealers Association (GADA), already there is a demand for used Japanese cars that are 2008 and newer. This demand has pushed prices for sedans like Allion and Premio to around US$10,000.
“The import duties paid on these will in most cases still be way higher than the current flat rate structure taxes that we currently pay on vehicles that are older than four-years-old.
“Since the purchase cost overseas will be higher…and the import taxes will be higher, it’s obvious the cars will cost much more and thus be out of the reach of the average Guyanese,” GADA said in a statement yesterday.
The association is also concerned over the restriction of motor vehicles older than 2008 which will have a huge impact on prices and affordability.
It is a fact that the used vehicles in the biggest demands now in Guyana, from an affordability standpoint, ranges between the years of 2002 to 2010. The majority of sales are the 2002 to 2007 models which range from between $2M and $3M.
Based on the current tax formula proposed by Government, a 2008 Premio would have cost beyond $3M. In the past, just of the few of the 2008-2010 models sold, costing between $3M and $4M have been selling, the association insisted.
A 2003 Premio is around $2.2M currently.
“With the proposed ban, we will be removing the $2M and $3M ranges and basically just leaving the $3M-up range which knocks out the most purchased and afforded models currently in Guyana.”
The association said it has worked out the costing based on the current formulas and it can be concluded that the most popular models will cost more.
“A Toyota Allion was chosen because it’s one of the most popular and wanted cars on the market. It works for many purposes and applications from families, individuals, executives, taxi drivers, car rentals, etc. So it should be a model that will give us a good base to examine the various structures and how they will relate to selling price and affordability.”
GADA also note that what is also worrying is that majority of the customers that purchase the 2002 to 2007 models do so based on financing either via the bank or through the dealer.
“…and in most cases these customers barely qualify and barely make the necessary payments. And now to ask them to increase the acquisition cost to $3M upwards will either make it too expensive for them to afford or force them to sacrifice financial resources from other key aspects of life in order to afford a vehicle which has become a necessity for many.”
Another concern for the association is the eight-year restriction will impact negatively also on the costs for buses, pickups and trucks, including the mid-size “Canter”.
In the cases of the buses, the 2002-2008 models cost between $2.2M and $4M with the most bought pickups being for the period1990-2008. These cost between $2.4M and $5.5M.
Trucks and Canters trucks for the 1997-2004 period are on average between $1.7M to $4.8M.
Newer models, between 2008 and 2016, will cost more and see customers paying millions of dollars more, dealers said yesterday.
The association stressed that customers prefer the older, sturdier pickups which are more suited for the hinterland roads than the softer, newer ones.
“We, the auto dealers of Guyana, respectfully ask that the tax structure be reconsidered so that the perfect balance can be found between revenue earner, newer models and affordability.
“We also suggest that discussions be held with the auto dealers, Government and all stakeholders to find the perfect balance that meets the needs of all.”
The association estimates that with 80 percent of customers only affording up to $3M in spending for a car, the proposals by Government will have huge, negative impacts on the used car importation business and that of vehicle ownership in the country.
The David Granger administration, which came in office last May, had vowed to reduce the cost of vehicle ownership, by reducing the taxes.
Mar 21, 2019Bacchus Bulls emerged champions of the RG Mining and Thakur Samlall T10 cricket competition which was played on Sunday last at Imam Bacchus ground on the Essequibo Coast. Bacchus Bulls defeated...
Mar 21, 2019
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Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
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With UK gin sales doubling in the last five years and Brits spending around £516 million on bottles of ‘mother’s ruin’ – the popularity of gin shows no sign of slowing.
It was a combination of these promising stats and a love for the quintessential British drink that inspired Banchory brothers Guy and Mungo Finlayson to bring the very best of local gin to consumers as well as creating their own bespoke gin brand, which will be launched at the festival.
The brothers run MFGF Events and organise the annual Banchory and Inverurie Beer Festivals, which have also featured gin in recent years.
Spearheaded by a passion to celebrate the very best in Scottish gin, based on quality and authenticity, the pair launched True OriGINs – the Scottish Gin Festival in London last year.
Following the huge success of the London event, which attracted over 4,000 visitors over four days, the Finlayson brothers have announced plans for a series of festivals across Scotland, bringing the very best in Scottish gin back to its home.
Taking place on Friday, April 19 at Lochter, True OriGINS will include eight different bars at the festival, split up into different regions of Scotland.
Among the selection of gins will be the true Scottish hospitality that has made Scots famous across the globe. This includes fresh local food, some of which will be perfectly partnered with the gins, as well as local music acts to keep the party atmosphere going.
Backed by a wealth of industry experience in the drinks sector and a passion for knowing where the product is from, Guy, alongside brother Mungo, is thrilled to be bringing a taste of Scotland to gin lovers.
Guy said: “Through our festivals, I want people to have passion in the country, learn about the products we make locally, discovering where things are from, how they are made and who makes them.”
Tickets for the True OriGINS Festival are available at trueoriginsco.com/pages/live-events.


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© 2021 Greek Community Tribune All Rights Reserved
Australian Wine grapes stay to rot on the vines
Australian winegrape growers are calling for government assistance with
an oversupply of grapes that is sinking prices and leaving fruit unsold.
The crisis in the global freight sector, along with China's decision to
impose massive anti-dumping tariffs just as Australian growers
produced a large crop in 2021 are behind the glut.
The latest Wine Australia figures show exports were down 26 per cent
This has been coupled with rising input costs, which have at least
doubled in the past year due to increased disease-pressure and the cost
of chemical, fertiliser, fuel and labour.
Industry body Australian Grape and Wine said it expected difficult
commercial conditions for the next three to five years.
"It’s a tough message to deliver, but we can’t afford to stick our heads in
the sand," Australian Grape and Wine chief executive Tony Battaglene
The situation is especially dire in South Australia's Riverland, where 80
per cent of the wine produced is exported.
Riverland wine executive officer Lyndall Rowe said while interest from
south-east Asian markets had been promising, it could not absorb the
supply in the short term.
Ms Rowe said the drop in demand had led many wineries to seek
outside storage and build additional tanks.
While the region finished harvesting grapes in early May, Riverland's
CCW Co-operative chief executive Jim Godden said storage at most
wineries was full by March.
Mr Godden said he did not know how many members were out of
contract but had received numerous calls from people trying to find a
home for their grapes.
The Riverland is home to more than 900 growers but some are choosing
to get out of the game.
Real estate agent Sam Hayes from Toop Toop Rural said a number of
vineyards in the region have been listed for sale recently.
Τhere are growing concerns that wineries could cap grape deliveries for
next year, which could see the price of red grape varieties drop even
Adelaide, South Australia


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Uganda Trade Mission to India
Minister Amelia Kyambadde
Trade, Industry and Cooperatives minister Amelia Kyambadde has urged Ugandan traders to be prudent in their finances in order to compete favourably. Kyambadde made the remarks while flagging off 40 traders sponsored by Barclays bank on a trade relations tour of India. “Currently, Uganda is witnessing trade imbalance with India to the tune of $900m, a situation that is worrying,” she said.
Kyambadde, therefore, urged small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) to master the art of doing business profitably. Kyambadde thanked Barclays bank for supporting traders and noted that the Indian tour would go a long way in creating the much-needed trade links between the two countries.
Charles Ongwae, Barclays Bank (Uganda) Managing Director, highlighted the bank’s commitment to supporting its business customers to open up avenues for business growth. “At Barclays, we see ourselves as trade facilitators. We provide suitable financial solutions to enable our customers to carry out trade in goods and services,” he said.
For the last five years, Barclays has been organising trade development missions of their customers in various countries like China, Malaysia, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
“These trips are important because they create opportunities on new trade horizons for our people. Several of them have established networks and grown their businesses,” added Ongwae.
Source: The Observer


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THE Zambia Revenue Authority has announced that importation and exportation of commercial cargo by road through the Victoria Falls border will only be allowed on rail transport.
This is in line with SI No. 115 of 2020 that came into effect on January 1.
Corporate communications manager Topsy Sikalinda said in a statement that all commercial cargo intended for import and export using road would have to use alternative entry or exist points such as Kazungula or Chirundu.
“Please note that non-commercial cargo or vehicles below 16 tonnes will still be allowed to use the border post. The border remains available for use to all hawkers, individual traders and tourists,” he said.
Sikalinda said this measure was meant to preserve the Victoria Falls bridge and also bring sanity to Livingstone – Zambia’s main tourist capital.
He said the measure was also meant to reduce human/animal conflict around the border area where truck accidents had been recorded.
“Further, note that the limited facilities at Victoria Falls Border Post were not designed to handle commercial cargo. Over the years, trade volumes have increased in the region hence creating challenges for border officials who are unable to conduct detailed physical inspections due to limited space and other requisite handling facilities at the border post,” Sikalinda said.
“In addition, due to the location of the border post in the national park, there has been an increase in animal and human conflict of late.”
He advised the business community to familiarise themselves with the Statutory instrument No. 115 of 2020 and the Eighth Schedule of the SI.


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One of the most storied VC shops in Silicon Valley is fighting a sexual harassment suit, and talk is in the air about the "brogrammer" culture that excludes women from startups. All that's not to mention a certain former private equity player's binders full of women.
What better time to stage a play in San Francisco about women in venture capital? And that is just what San Francisco audiences will be getting. Jennifer Wilson has written a play about her struggle back in the 1980s to raise $20 million to start a venture firm aimed at funding women entrepreneurs. And it's being staged this week.
Wilson tells the San Jose Mercury News' Peter Delevett that the issues in the play, though set decades in the past, are plenty current today. Delevett writes:
"In talking to women friends, I realized things hadn't really changed that much." Women still faced steep hurdles in starting a business or ascending to power.
The numbers speak for themselves: Dow Jones this month released a survey of 21,000 companies that received venture capital between 1997 and last year. Women founded just 1.3 percent of them.
Venture capitalists themselves are overwhelmingly male.
Further, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a firm famous for backing Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) among others, is embroiled in a lawsuit with former partner Ellen Pao, who alleges she was passed over for plum gigs at KPCB because of her gender. Kleiner has more female partners than other firms, and denies Pao's allegations.
But there's no denying that Pao's suit has brought attention to the dearth of women with power in the startup ecosystem. Her battle has even erupted on the popular geek Q&A site Quora.
Since coming aboard with Upstart’s parent company, Kent has covered sustainability and business, entrepreneurs, technology, and venture capital. Now, he covers all the ways upstart businesses get their money.
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6.16.22 - Time to Panic?
Gold last traded at $1,852 an ounce. Silver at $21.92 an ounce.
NEWS SUMMARY: Precious metal prices held firm Thursday following the latest Fed rate hike. U.S. stocks extended further into the red as investors worried the Fed may drive the economy into recession.
CNBC--"Gold prices pulled back from their highs of the day after the Federal Reserve opted for one of the sharpest U.S. rate hikes since 1994.
Uncertainty regarding the outcome of Wednesday's FOMC meeting had prompted some buying interest in safe-haven metals, said Jim Wyckoff, senior analyst at Kitco Metals....
Investors also took stock of data showing an unexpected fall in U.S. retail sales in May amid record high gasoline prices.
Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs said a 'wealth shock' due to lockdowns in China merely delayed rather than derailed its upside view for bullion.
A rebound in emerging market demand, strong ETF inflows, central bank buying amid U.S. growth weakness into 2023 all augur well for gold, the bank said, projecting a three-month price target of $2,100 an ounce."