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Though Congress may act to delay until August the enforcement of new federal food labeling rules, some big brands have already changed names.
Among those affected are potato chips, hot dogs and cheese brands with too much fat to call themselves "light." The new rules define a light product as having half the fat of the regular version. The rules took effect May 8, but Congress may suspend them for a few months to give food manufacturers time to use up old labels.
Relying on feedback from surveys and focus groups, Procter & Gamble has changed the name of one line of its potato chips to Pringles Right from Pringles Light. Frito Lay has changed the name of Ruffles Lite chips to Ruffles Choice. The companies say these names suggest consumers are buying the right product and making good choices.
Other companies have taken a less-imaginative approach. Kraft has dropped the Light Naturals name from its cheese in favor of the description "one-third less fat." Similarly, Hebrew National Lite beef frankfurters are now "reduced-fat" frankfurters.
"We decided to call it what it is," said Martin Silver, vice president of Hebrew National Foods. "We didn't want to make up a cutesy name. It would have meant trying to explain in our advertising what the name meant."
The straightforward approach is not without problems, as it links the word fat, albeit reduced-fat, to the brand name. Silver says Hebrew National is concerned about how consumers will react.
"In today's vocabulary, fat is a negative word," he said.
Pointing the way: Under pressure from other cards offering rewards, AT&T; Universal Card is awarding consumers one bonus point for every dollar they charge. Consumers accumulating enough points can exchange them for airline tickets, discounts on new Hondas and other merchandise.
The incentive is a direct challenge to the highly successful GM Card, which offers consumers discounts on new General Motors cars, among other things. On Thursday, Chase Manhattan Bank announced a reward program that returns to cardholders 1% of purchases over $200 and also offers them a rebate on finance charges.
William O. Adcock, chairman of Synergistics Research Corp., an Atlanta-based consulting firm, said other large credit card companies are likely to follow with reward programs.
"The question is not whether, but when," he said.
Over the last several years, many credit card issuers have lowered their rates and reduced or eliminated annual fees, imitating the strategy that made AT&T; Universal Card successful. These days, Adcock said, it takes more than simple price cuts to attract consumers.
AT&T; has designed the point system to encourage users to carry monthly balances, an important source of revenue for card companies but one that has not been as lucrative as it might be for AT&T.; About two-thirds of all credit card users carry balances, but the figure is lower at AT&T; because, analysts say, consumers tend to use it as their second card.
By rewarding consumers with points on their balances, as well as on their new purchases, AT&T; is trying to change the way some consumers use the card.
The points program is also designed to give the long-distance side of AT&T; a boost. The points are easily redeemed for free telephone calls on AT&T;, giving consumers an incentive to use the company.
It's not clear whether consumers should change their credit habits just to earn points, however. Consider the example on AT&T;'s promotional mailer sent to consumers this week. It says people who carry monthly balances of $1,700 will earn enough points in one year to receive five hours in long-distance calls.
At current rates, you'll pay more than $260 a year in interest. By comparison, it costs $81 for five hours of daytime calls between Los Angeles and Manhattan.
Check fees: A consumer group on Thursday reported a sharp increase in the number of banks charging fees to people who deposit someone else's bounced check.
The California Public Interest Research Group said 85% of 295 banks surveyed nationwide charge the so-called "deposit item returned" fee, up from 35% three years ago. California banks surveyed charged an average DIR fee of $4.53, below the national average of $5.29. New York banks had the highest average fee, at $8.55.
CalPIRG argues that the fee should be eliminated because banks already more than cover their expenses by charging "not sufficient funds" fees to the people who bounce the checks. "The people receiving these checks shouldn't pay for the mistakes of others," said Ed Mierzwinski, CalPIRG program director.
A representative of the American Bankers Assn. said the fees encourage check recipients to scrutinize check-writers' identification.


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Advent Partners has become the latest private equity firm to wade into the sought after laser clinics industry, after it secured a deal in recent weeks.
Street Talk understands Advent's latest fund has snapped up a majority stake in SILK Laser Clinics, in a transaction that values the company at $50 million to $100 million.
SILK's website notes it has 12 clinics which provide services including laser hair removal, cosmetic injections and skin treatments.
It's an industry that has been firmly in the crosshairs of private equity, after KKR & Co last year paid more than $600 million to win the auction for Laser Clinics Australia.
Sources said Advent had been trawling the sector for acquisition targets in the past few years and part of its strategy includes the roll out of further SILK clinics.
Advent is also cashed up. This column in January flagged that the Melbourne-based firm was planning to rule off its latest $300 million fund by the end of March, and was in advanced due diligence on several potential acquisitions.
SILK was founded in 2009 when its first outlet opened in Hyde Park, South Australia. It now has locations spanning South Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania.
As part of the transaction with Advent, SILK founder Martin Perelman is said to be retaining a holding in the company.
Private equity firms that are scouring the sector are betting that demand for cosmetic treatments such as Botox injections and laser hair removal continues to grow in Australia.

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“The reduced supply of staple food items has consumers feeling the pinch at the grocery store, but farmers and ranchers only see a fraction of the higher prices,” TFB President Kenneth Dierschke said.
The survey showed prices for pork chops rising to $4.54 per pound from $4.25 last quarter and ground beef prices rising to $4.09 per pound from $3.95 last quarter. Sliced turkey increased to $4.68 this quarter, as compared to $4.36 in the first quarter of 2014. Smaller increases occurred for beef sirloin and boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Dairy products—milk and cheese—saw increases in the second quarter, as well.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of this story at myhighplains.com.
Copyright 2016 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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China Grove gives warm welcome to Macy’s after company announces Rowan County fulfillment center
Published 12:03 am Friday, April 1, 2022
CHINA GROVE — Local elected leaders and economic officials gathered in China Grove’s Town Hall on Thursday evening to welcome the town’s newest corporate resident and celebrate the single largest job announcement in Rowan County’s history.
With banners bearing the company’s logo, red and white balloons floating in the air and a congratulatory cake sliced for all to enjoy, the only thing missing was a parade.
The celebration came just hours after it was announced that Macy’s will invest $584.3 million in a 1.4 million-square-foot e-commerce fulfillment center at exit 68 in China Grove.
“The warm welcome that you all have played out for us, I can’t even thank you enough for how great it feels that you are welcoming us,” said Jodi Buhrman, vice president of supply chain for Macy’s. “The excitement that you all feel is how we feel as well and I would love to echo all of the thank you’s that have been shared. The community has done such a fabulous job at offering us the incentives and the growth opportunities to come here that we know this is going to be a great partnership.”
The project is expected to generate 2,800 jobs, more than double the amount announced when Chewy signaled its arrival in 2019 — the previous record. Rod Crider, president of the Rowan Economic Development Council, pointed to Chewy’s arrival as being the catalyst for the growth that has happened since, including Macy’s arrival.
“Chewy really put the ball in motion for us and what we’re hearing from a lot of developers is that if Chewy came to Rowan County, maybe they should take a look too,” Crider said.
Founded in 1858 in New York City, Macy’s has been around much longer than Chewy. While the heyday of department stores appears to be in the past, the well-known company is marching forward with its focus on an online retail future.
“I’m excited it’s Macy’s because Macy’s is a company that’s been around for a long time and to be around that long a time, they’ve done something right during that time,” China Grove Mayor Charles Seaford said. “I see them with this fulfillment center as taking the next step toward growth for their company.”
County Chair Greg Edds said Macy’s brings more than experience and strong brand recognition to Rowan County.
“You’re not just building a building, and you know that,” Edds said. “You’re building a community and this is a big deal for us because it’s a four letter word and I’ve said it, it’s hope. It really brings hope to our community.”


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For the year ended Dec. 31, 2015, $WU repurchased 25.1MM shares for $500MM, excluding commissions, at an average cost of $19.96. As of Dec. 31, 2015, $711.9MM remained available under a share repurchase authorization approved by the company's Board of Directors through Dec. 31, 2017.
$DB is going to cut off services for about 3,400 clients in equities trading.
$F stock slid more than 2% after the company issued two safety recalls involving more than 650,000 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ model cars.
The new CEO of $SBUX, Kevin Johnson, has some pretty large shoes to fill but there are many who have good faith in his ability to do so.
$TSLA opening a showroom in Michigan. A bold move !!


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'Brothers ran counterfeit clothing operation which could have caused potential loss of €3m to multinational clothing companies'
Two men have received suspended jail terms for their part in a counterfeit clothing operation which could have caused a potential loss of €3million to multinational clothing companies.
Brothers, Erol and Ali Basak ran the operation from a lock up container in Tallaght, south Dublin. Gardai raided the premises and found it was fitted out as a workshop with sewing machines, heat presses for pressing transfers and presses to press labels onto footwear.
Gardai also seized clothing which had trademarks logo for well known clothing companies sewn on to them. They found around quarter of a million unused trademark labels for clothing companies Adidas, Nike, Converse, North Face, Abercrombie and Fitch and Superdry.
Brand protection agents from the multi-national companies inspected the clothing and estimated that the finished items would have resulted in an estimated loss to the companies of €65,000.
Detective Garda Gareth Lynch told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that the agents estimated that if all the unused labels had been used to produce counterfeit items the companies estimated the loss to them would be €3 million.
These figures are based on the assumption that each purchase of a counterfeit item resulted in a lost sale of a non-counterfeit item. The counterfeit items were being supplied to marts or Sunday markets around the country.
Erol Basak (43) of Liffey Park, Lucan, Co Dublin had pleaded not guilty to twelve counts of fraudulent possession of goods bearing trade marks and eleven counts of fraudulent application of trade marks. A jury unanimously convicted him of all charges, committed on dates in November 2012 at the premises in Cedar View, Corbally, Tallaght.
Ali Basak of Edenderry, Co Offaly and formerly of Hannah Square, Saint Edmunds, Lucan pleaded guilty before his brother’s trial to similar offences, which are contrary to section 92 of the Trade Marks Act, 1996.
Judge Mary Ellen Ring suspended a sentence of two and a half years imprisonment on both men on condition that they each pay €5,000 by December 2017. She said €2,000 of this should go towards the expenses incurred by the State in having to fly over and accommodate trademark witnesses from the clothing companies.
She noted that both men have previously unblemished records and are unlikely to re-offend.
Judge Ring asked what would be done with the counterfeit clothes seized by gardai. It is normal that the evidence in a criminal trial is destroyed after sentence is passed.
She said: “It seems to me that to destroy clothing that is useful is inappropriate”. She noted that there were many organisations such as Focus Ireland would could make good use of them.
Paul Carroll BL, prosecuting, said there may be legal provision for the District Court to deal with items in another way but said the issue is that the counterfeit labels are on the items.
Judge Ring said the multinational companies would not want the items back, adding: “I’d be surprised if a charitable donation of their clothing would be something that would stand in the way of”.
She noted that in 2013 Erol Basak had himself arranged for the exportation of nearly 12,000kg of clothes as a charitable donation to victims of the Syrian crisis.
Both men are Turkish nationals. Father of five Erol Basak is an Irish citizen. His brother had worked as a waiter in the capital before this offending.
Erol Basak had registered a legitimate clothing importation company called "Majestic Textiles Ltd” and had obtained contracts supplying work and school uniforms.
He would buy unbranded items and put the relevant school or company logos onto the clothing using sewing machines or clothes presses.
After business took a downturn in the recession he was no longer able to pay the rent of his business premises and began operating from the attic of his own home.
Morgan Shelly BL, defending Erol Basak, said that his stock became musty then and he moved them into containers.
Ali Basak met some people at Sunday markets around the country and they obtained the counterfeit logo labels. The pair would put the labels on and sell them wholesale to market traders.
Eanna Molley SC, defending Ali Basak, said his client had studied in Portobello college and gone on to complete post graduate studies in economics.
He handed in a reference from Prof John O’Hagan who described him as a busy student and said his dissertation was on the Turkish banking crisis from 2001 to 2003.
Mr Shelly said his client had engaged in charitable works. He has since left the clothing business and he is seeking to import specialist Turkish goods into Ireland and to export Irish goods to Turkey
The court heard that their clothing company had engaged in some legitimate business and had paid VAT and duty for the importation of the unbranded clothing.
Det Gda Lynch said there were no VAT records on the sales to the markets.


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COMMENT: Coca-Cola milking demand for healthy drinks
Coca-Cola is targeting a growing market for healthier drinks with its new milk-based beverage Swerve. But while the company's marketing clout should put Swerve on track for success, there have been a number of recent failures, including one of Coca-Cola's own attempts at cracking the market.
Under threat from initiatives aimed at curbing people's sugar intake, Coca-Cola is preparing to launch a new, healthier, milk-based drink. Coca-Cola has always fervently denied any claims that its products carry an unhealthy amount of sugar. Nevertheless, the growing consumer concern is creating a new market for ostensibly healthier drinks. These fall into three categories - water, fruit juice and milk-based.
Swerve, Coca-Cola's new offering, is milk-based. As its milk content is above 50%, Swerve will have the backing of the American Dairy Association - an important factor in establishing the drink's healthier than healthy credentials. Milk-based drinks are particularly well suited for targeting to children and tweenagers, a key market for Coca-Cola, as milk's health benefits are usually seen as being especially good for children. Water and fruit juice drinks have a greater appeal to adults.
However, attracting the attention of parents is not enough to make the drink a success. More and more, children and tweenagers have discretion over parental spending on food and drinks, not to mention their own disposable income. Attracting their interest is trickier, and health concerns can only be a small part of the mix. Dr Pepper/Seven Up's Raging Cow, a new and fairly successful milk drink, has a carefully constructed appeal to tweenagers, complete with website, iconic characters and eye-catching artwork.
The success of Raging Cow has partly prompted Coca-Cola's own launch at this time.
Coca-Cola's budget and marketing expertise should help to make Swerve a success. However, the company has already withdrawn Choglit, the chocolate milk drink it created with Nestle in August last year. The drink did not catch on among its key target market. Swerve has a wider variety of flavours and has the added benefit of entering a more established market. As a result, it should have a better chance of success where its predecessor failed.
Coca-Cola announced last week that it was taking over full control of its US water joint venture, CCDA Waters, buying out its partner, Danone. However, speculation over the poor performance of the CCD...
Nestle Waters Direct Portugal is to by the Portuguese office delivery water company Peyroteo & Caravela, it was reported this week....
Nestle Waters is to bottle its Contrex and Vittel water brands at the same plant in France, according to local press reports....
Nestea, the tea brand developed jointly by Coca-Cola and Nestle, has announced that it is to introduce Nestea Ice, already available in the Asia-Pacific region, in the US....
Nestle Waters has bought a majority stake in a new joint venture in Algeria....
Nestle Waters Spain has inaugurated a new water plant in Herrera del Duque near Badajoz, western Spain, a company spokesman has confirmed to just-drinks....
Nestle Waters has finally reached an agreement with the CGT trade union over restructuring plans for its Perrier bottling plant....
Nestle Waters is to launch a range of sugar free water drinks under its Vittel water brand in time for summer....
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We need to stop romanticising Ireland’s agri-food industry
Is it a coincidence that we are a large producer of infant formula and have one of the lowest breastfeeding rates?
Any criticism of agriculture is interpreted as an attack on rural Ireland. Photograph: iStock
If any part of Irish society can be said to have prospered during the recession, it has to be the food industry.
From the restaurant scene, where new ventures continued to open during the bust on a near daily basis, to the agri-food business, where exports boomed year on year, the food sector has had a good decade.
We think this is a good thing. We take pride in Ireland being a “food nation” exporting green-tinged produce to the four corners of the earth. We lionise the latest celebrity chef and cheer when they win their heavily sponsored awards. We enthuse on our couches at reality TV food shows pitting chefs and ordinary punters against each other.
Food, or more precisely, “foodie-ism”, has come to stand for modernity, sophistication, sensuality, plenty and an outward view on the world. As we become a post-Catholic society, it marks our move away from older values – some of them enforced – of moderation, privation and abstention.
Foodie-ism is also the bling that survived the Celtic Tiger. Diners in Dublin’s best restaurants make their way past soup kitchens and beggars to spend the average person’s weekly wage on a single meal. The latest recipient of a Michelin star is, at the time of writing, booked out until the end of March 2017.
To some extent, it was ever thus. It is also true that the importance of the food industry to the economy – 230,000 jobs and €10.5 billion in exports – cannot be gainsaid. Farmers and farming are, patently, the backbone of rural Ireland.
But this doesn’t mean the pre-eminence of the agri-food sector should not be critically evaluated, both the negative and positive implications. Or that the industry should not be portrayed as it is, rather than the romanticised version we often get.
Irish agri-food is successful precisely because it is highly mechanised, makes extensive use of fertilisers and antibiotics, and is skilled at the business of trading commodities internationally. The organic production we hear so much about is just niche product and doesn’t reflect the mainstream output of the system.
Little enough is heard about the possible detrimental effects of our obsession with food. Is it a coincidence that Ireland is the biggest exporter of food in Europe – and also one of the fattest nations on the continent?
Is it just a coincidence that we are the largest producer of infant formula in the world, while we have one of the lowest breastfeeding rates globally?
Studies show we eat more meat, and less fruit and vegetables, than most other countries. But we also have some of the highest rates of cancer, including those cancers linked to an unhealthy diet. Something similar could be said about our consumption of alcohol and the trail of disease it causes.
Obesity, alcohol and other diet-related disorders exact a huge toll on our health system, one that is growing by the day. Yet there is little debate about this.
One reason is that public discourse is dominated by a “green jersey” agenda on food. What is good for agriculture is good for Ireland. Any criticism of agriculture is interpreted as an attack on rural Ireland.
Just look at the “how dare she?” assaults on Mary Robinson for suggesting that we all, in the name of the planet, might like to consider eating less, or even no, meat. To anyone knowledgeable about the science of food and diet, the idea is a no-brainer, both for the individual and for the future of the earth.
Yet an outraged farming lobby played the man not the ball, by questioning her bona fides rather than engaging with the point the former president made.
Consider too how restaurants get the benefit of an artificially low VAT rate, which was supposed to have been introduced for a year but has been extended annually since 2011.
This is the same sector that has, by and large, refused to provide their customers with simple information about the calorie content of the meals they serve. The very mention of the proposal brought some of the celebrity chefs mentioned above close to apoplexy.
Meanwhile, the industry churns out an unrelenting diet of propaganda in support of the status quo. Conferences are held to which overseas “experts” proclaim the evils of a sugar tax, or the virtues of red meat. Dietitians are retained to spout platitudes such as “It’s okay to eat white bread”, to quote the headline from a recent press release by bread manufacturers.
It helps that nutrition is such a vague science, capable of interpretation in so many ways. University departments depend heavily on the food industry to support their research. It is hard to know how this wouldn’t affect the focus of the work they do.
The Government plays its part through a system of light-touch regulation. Issues relating to salt reduction, product reformulation, folic acid supplementation and marketing have all been left to voluntary regulation, even where it is clear that industry is not playing ball. The new obesity action plan is shot through with the same “softly, softly” approach.
Regulation is promised alright, but has yet to materialise. We still don’t have the much-needed package of measures to counter alcohol abuse, or mandatory calorie posting.
That, of course, may be just another coincidence.


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OSL Digital Securities Limited (“OSL Digital Securities”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of BC Technology Group Limited (Stock Code: 863), has been granted an uplift to its existing license by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong. This immediate change allows retail investors to register on its platform and trade popular cryptocurrencies Bitcoin and Ethereum.
The license uplift aligns with Hong Kong’s new regulatory rules, marking a substantial milestone not only for OSL Digital Securities and its parent company, BC Technology Group, but also for Hong Kong’s position as a forward-thinking hub for digital asset regulation.
This development is seen as a testament to the Group’s commitment to compliance, regulation, and excellence in the digital asset space. The Board of BC Technology Group views this as a significant first-mover advantage, reflecting the Group’s strategy of prioritizing regulation and compliance. It further emphasizes how regulation is the foundation of future growth and mainstream acceptance in the digital asset space.
As part of its commitment to investor protection, the Group will continue to implement stringent investor protection measures and maintain a high cold to hot storage ratio to ensure the security of client assets. This move positions OSL Digital Securities to lead the transformation of the digital asset market, setting the stage for a more robust and secure digital asset environment.
The license uplift is seen as a significant step in Hong Kong’s ambition to become a leading global hub for digital assets, allowing retail users to participate in one of the fastest-growing asset classes. It underscores Hong Kong’s progressive approach to digital asset regulation.
BC Technology Group Limited, incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability, operates through its subsidiaries, including OSL Digital Securities. The company’s latest announcement was made on a voluntary basis to inform shareholders and potential investors of the latest information about the Group.
On the same day, August 3, 2023, HashKey Exchange asserted that it is the first licensed virtual asset exchange for retail users in Hong Kong. The upgrade of its Type 1 and Type 7 licenses allows the platform to expand services to retail users. Security measures include 98% of funds in cold storage, and the platform has launched a compliant OTC trading service.
HashKey Exchange has also partnered with Standard Chartered Bank and onboarded senior professionals to enhance services.
Image source: Shutterstock


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The U.S. Justice Department sued Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google on Tuesday of exploiting its dominance in digital advertising, threatening to destroy a key business at the heart of one of Silicon Valley’s most profitable internet companies.
The government said Google should be compelled to divest its ad manager suite, tackling a business that made nearly 12% of Google’s revenues in 2021, but also plays a significant role in the search engine and cloud company’s overall sales.
“Google has used anticompetitive, exclusionary, and unlawful means to eliminate or severely diminish any threat to its dominance over digital advertising technologies,” the antitrust complaint said.
Google, whose advertising business is accountable for about 80 percent of its revenue, said the government was “doubling down on a flawed argument that would slow innovation, raise advertising fees, and make it harder for thousands of small businesses and publishers to grow.”
The federal government has said its Big Tech probes and lawsuits are intended for leveling the playing field for smaller rivals to a group of powerful companies that includes Apple Inc (AAPL.O), Amazon.com (AMZN.O), and Facebook owner Meta Platforms (META.O).
“By suing Google for monopolizing advertising technology, the DOJ today aims at the heart of the internet giant’s power,” said Charlotte Slaiman, competition policy director at Public Knowledge. “The complaint lays out the many anticompetitive strategies from Google that have held our internet ecosystem back.”
Tuesday’s lawsuit by the administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat, comes after a 2020 antitrust lawsuit filed against Google during the term of Donald Trump, a Republican.
The 2020 lawsuit claimed violations of antitrust law in how the company acquires or retains its dominance with its monopoly in online search and is scheduled to go to court in September.
Eight States In Google Lawsuit
Eight states took part in Tuesday’s lawsuit, including Google’s home state of California.
California State Attorney General Rob Bonta said that Google’s practices have “stifled creativity in a space where innovation is crucial.”
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said that Google’s dominance had resulted in higher charges for advertisers and less money for publishers with ad space to offer. “We are taking action by filing this lawsuit to unwind Google’s monopoly and restore competition to the digital advertising business,” he said in a statement.
Google shares plunged 1.9% on Tuesday.
Besides its widely known search, which is free, Google generates revenue through its interlocking ad tech businesses. The government called for the divestiture of the Google Ad Manager suite, including Google’s ad exchange, AdX.
Google Ad Manager is a suite of tools including one that enables websites to provide advertising space for sale and an exchange that acts as a marketplace that automatically links advertisers to those publishers.
Advertisers and website publishers have accused Google of not being transparent about where ad dollars go, particularly how much goes to Google and how much to publishers.
The lawsuit sparks concerns about certain products in the ad tech stack, where advertisers and publishers use Google’s tools to buy and sell ad space on other websites. That business was around $31.7 billion in 2021 or 12.3% of Google’s total revenue. Almost 70 percent of that revenue goes to publishers.
An ad tech divestiture “may not be a game changer but it could be sneaky important to Google’s ad targeting capability,” said Paul Gallant with the Cowen Washington Research Group.
“It connects to all of Google’s other businesses and ties them together. I think Google might be more concerned about losing ad tech down the road than people might think,” Gallant said.
The company made a string of purchases, including AdMob in 2009 and DoubleClick in 2008, to help make it a dominant player in online advertising.
While Google hangs on as the market leader by a long shot, its share of the U.S. digital ad revenue has been weakening, dropping to 28.8 percent in 2022 from 36.7% in 2016, according to Insider Intelligence.
The Justice Department requested a jury to decide the case, which was submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The lawsuit details several of Google’s attempts to dominate the advertising market.
The complaint discussed header bidding, which was a way that firms could sidestep Google to bid on ad space on websites.Buy Crypto Now
It details a series of projects including one dubbed “Project Poirot” named after Agatha Christie’s master detective, Hercule Poirot.
The project “was designed to identify and respond effectively to ad exchanges that had adopted header bidding technology.”
The 149-page complaint said Google doubled down after Project Poirot’s initial success in manipulating its advertisers’ spending to lower competition from rival ad exchanges. Rivals OpenX would lose 42%, AppNexus/Xandr lost 31 percent of DV360 advertiser spending, Pubmatic would lose 26%, and Rubicon would lose 22%, the complaint said.
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EchoPark Plans Aggressive Expansion
Automotive News reports that Sonic Automotive is looking to aggressively expand locations of their EchoPark stand-alone used-car stores: adding 34 new stores in 2016-17, with three additional Colorado stores to be added this year.
Sonic’s currently has three existing EchoPark stores in the Denver area.
Sonic plans to open up to 16 EchoPark stores in the Texas markets of Dallas, Waco, San Antonio and Austin. Another 12 to 15 stores are planned for Charlotte, N.C., and the South Carolina markets of Fort Mill, Charleston and Columbia.


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CES 2018: Panasonic Interview – FZ952 and FZ802 OLED 4K TVs
We interview Panasonic Head of TV Rob Taylor about their new OLED 4K TVs – the FZ952 and the FZ802. He also speaks about the importance of colour accuracy, the addition of HDR10+ and why Panasonic feel that their TVs offer consumers the best overall experience.
To comment on what you've read here, click the Discussion tab and post a reply.
In This Article


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D. Medical in strategic reorganization
D. Medical Industries (NASDAQ, TASE:DMED) has initiated a strategic restructuring designed to focus its business on maximizing and realizing the value of the company’s novel technology and intellectual property by licensing and/or selling the technology, or part of it, to third parties.
At the same time, D. Medical said it will continue to pursue new OEM and high volume sales opportunities.
The restructuring is designed to significantly reduce the company’s ongoing operating expenses, effective immediately. It includes a contemplated staff reduction and a voluntary cut in the compensation of the chairman of the board, the CEO, CFO and COO, among others.
D. Medical figures the moves will reduce its cash burn rate to approximately 700,000 to 800,000 NIS a month. The company is also considering a possible reduction in the size of its board.
In a statement, CEO Efri Argaman said the company and its subsidiaries will continue to support its current customer base and will continue to employ its management and customer support personnel.
“The strategic restructuring announced today is a direct result of the challenging market conditions the company is facing,” he said.
Mr. Argaman listed a series of corporate accomplishments and milestones, and said the industry has reacted very positively to D. Medical’s products, including the Spring Universal Infusion Set. Approximately 100,000 units of the product have already been supplied to customers.
“Nevertheless, we believe that under the current and foreseen market conditions, this reorganization is in the best interest of the company and its shareholders,” Mr. Argaman said. “Accordingly, we plan to focus on marketing the company’s technology in a way that will maximize its value.”


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Burj Khalifa opens
The opening ceremony of the world’s tallest building was spectacular. Here are Kipp’s pictures from the event.
January 5, 2010 11:39 by kippreport
5 Dubai Police Smart services
Fashion Forward Season Four a success
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5 Smartphone brands you haven't heard of
Omo and Comfort break a world record


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Final days for Lowestoft TV factory
FOR a coastal town mourning its declining fishing industry, the arrival of a multinational Japanese company was the start of a new era.Sanyo, a big-hitter from the economic powerhouse of Japan, chose Lowestoft to open a television factory in 1982.
FOR a coastal town mourning its declining fishing industry, the arrival of a multinational Japanese company was the start of a new era.
Sanyo, a big-hitter from the economic powerhouse of Japan, chose Lowestoft to open a television factory in 1982.
Renowned Japanese efficiency combined with a skilled and dedicated workforce to be one of Lowestoft's success stories for many years. At one stage, a workforce of about 450, decked out in their smart uniforms, produced 500,000 television sets a year.
Yesterday, it came to a crushing end as the School Road factory closed and its 60 remaining staff faced the challenge of finding new jobs.
In 1996, fresh-faced prime ministerial candidate Tony Blair visited Sanyo and said such companies offered a way forward for Waveney's struggling economy. 'There is a great spirit here in Lowestoft,' Mr Blair told reporters as he toured the hi-tech factory.
Perhaps even more significantly, bosses from Sanyo's Japanese base committed themselves to a continued presence in the town during the 20th anniversary of the factory in 2002.
- 1 Deal struck to acquire major Lowestoft shopping centre
- 2 Vicious burglars jailed for 25 years for 'utterly terrifying' raid
- 3 New car rental development unveiled to 'rejuvenate vacant site'
- 4 Coastwatch volunteer encourages public to stay on the lookout for body parts
- 5 Lowestoft's new beach huts hit the market at £30,000 each
- 6 Road to be closed as next phase of major flood defence works begin
- 7 Vandals target parked car with damage caused overnight
- 8 Taco Bell set to open in McDonald's former town centre premises
- 9 Woman arrested after cannabis and edible highs seized in police raid
- 10 Travel: Stay on the UK's first floating glamping pod...in Beccles
But just over six years on, production has ground to a halt after the current economic crisis dealt a final, fatal blow to the last major TV manufacturer in the UK.
However, scores of jobs were shed at the Lowestoft factory from 2006 onwards as the market was flooded with cheap LCD televisions from China, Turkey and Eastern Europe.
In response, Sanyo moved away from making domestic sets to produce large- screen monitors, primarily used by the advertising industry in shopping centres, sports' venues and airports.
Demand dropped away during the past 18 months, but the company pioneered even larger monitors, which prompted Waveney MP Bob Blizzard to lobby Sanyo bosses in Japan in a bid to save the Lowestoft operation.
His letter prompted a reply promising to review its decision, but that was the last he heard and the Lowestoft factory's fate was finally sealed.
Mr Blizzard said: 'It's a very sad day, especially for the employees who have lost their jobs. I think these people deserved better from Sanyo after all the years of service that they have given to the company. I tried my best to save the factory and I put what I thought was a strong case to Japan to give the Lowestoft factory more time to develop this exciting new product.'
Mr Blizzard revealed that Sanyo's monitors were the 'talk of the show' at a recent trade exhibition in Amsterdam, but no orders were immediately forthcoming.
He added: 'Sanyo should have had a little more faith in Lowestoft and given them longer to develop this product, which I think would have reaped rewards. The way it has ended is sad and unsatisfactory. I think the factory could have been saved and should have been saved.
'I obviously want Jobcentre Plus to do what it can to help these people find other jobs. They are excellent people; hard-working and very skilled. That has been the success of the factory down the years.'
Sanyo launched its Lowestoft operation in 1982 after buying the former Pye factory from Philips. The first task was to produce a 14in television and, in its inaugural year, 60,000 sets were made for the UK.
By 1985, the factory was making 21in and 26in sets and it continued to flourish as new technology speeded up the production process.
Sanyo also boasted harmonious labour relations. In 1982, it was the first UK firm to sign a single union agreement banning strikes, working to rule and overtime bans.
In return, Sanyo agreed to consult with the union on all issues and committed itself to providing lifelong training and education for staff.
A spokesman for Sanyo, in Lowestoft, would not comment yesterday, except to confirm it was the factory's last day.


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Starbucks is lowering its 2020 adjusted earnings growth forecast, sending the coffee chain’s shares falling before the opening bell.
Starbucks Corp. said Wednesday during a presentation that it now foresees profit falling below the ongoing growth model of 10% or more. Its prior outlook was for at least 13% growth.
Shares dropped 3.5% to $93.40 in Wednesday premarket trading.
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American engineering company Ford is preparing for the release of the next generation of the iconic hatchback Ford Focus, which is quite familiar to domestic motorists. American specialized portal motor1 released the latest photos from test drive new products.
It is noted that the prototype of the new hatchback Ford Focus hidden beneath the interesting colored camouflage tape that hides the appearance of the new car. The front half of the car body the interesting completely redesigned headlights with a horizontal line of navigation lights in daylight. The model remained raised the hood and the family grille and the bumper are fog lights.
In the interior of the updated hatchback Ford Focus noticeable expensive trim, which gives the opportunity to compete for customers with Honda Civic and Volkswagen Golf. Functional list of 5-door model is still kept secret.
What lies under the hood of the new Ford Focus hatchback is still unknown. Insider sources report that there will be a turbo engine capacity of 1.5 liters, which is offered in all international car markets. The debut of the car is due in January next year.


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Japanese shipbuilder to set up factory in Viet Nam
Japan’s leading shipbuilder, IHI Corporation, will establish a 100-percent foreign-owned factory in Viet Nam’s northern city of Hai Phong.
The move makes the first time that a giant foreign shipbuilder has established a facility specialising in ship design in Viet Nam. The IHI’s decision was attributed to the Southeast Asian country’s high prospects in the field.
The factory is expected to represent 25 percent of the design of commercial ships for the corporation over the next three or four years.-(VNA)


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It’s no secret what the advent of digital technology has done to mail volume, particularly First-Class Mail. But there’s an emerging digital technology catching hold that could be a boon to the U.S. Postal Service. It’s called 3D printing, and it’s expected to increase the number of lightweight parcels, a segment of the parcel market where the Postal Service excels.
3D printers build solid objects usually one razor-thin layer at a time using plastics, powders, metals, polymers, or other materials. Examples include one-of-a-kind jewelry, custom-fit dental implants or hearing aids, unique iPhone cases, and the like. Mostly small-size things, at least so far. But one of the big advantages of 3D printing is the ability to customize just about anything to anyone’s taste or whim, and people increasingly like custom-made products.
Retailers are already using 3D printers to make these kinds of goods, which consumers are buying and having shipped to them. The total 3D printing industry was valued at around $3 billion in 2013 but is expected to grow to $16.2 billion by 2018. And as it grows, 3D printing could lead to more single-item parcels being shipped to consumers over shorter distances, instead of hundreds of thousands of identical items sent by containerized cargo over vast distances.
In our new white paper, If It Prints, It Ships: 3D Printing and the Postal Service, we explore how 3D printing could lead to an increase in packages delivered by the Postal Service representing $485 million in new annual revenue. Emerging 3D printing businesses could take advantage of the Postal Service’s unique and ubiquitous first- and last-mile network: Carriers already delivering mail every day, making the addition of lightweight parcels easy and cost-effective. And the Postal Service could partner with 3D printing businesses, perhaps using excess space in postal facilities, to help streamline the fast delivery of 3D printed goods.
Tell us what you think:
How much experience have you had with 3D printing?
In what areas do you think 3D printing will have the most impact?
How could the Postal Service adapt its business strategy to handle a rise of 3D-printed goods?


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From the article:
Swapping one ingredient for a less expensive one extends beyond fish and is not always the fault of the person who sells food to the restaurant. Many a pork cutlet has headed to a table disguised as veal, and many an organic salad is not.
At Mr. Colicchio’s New York restaurants, all but about 5 percent of the meat he serves is from animals raised without antibiotics, he said. It costs him about 30 percent more, so he charges more. “Yet I have a restaurant down the street that says they have organic chicken when they don’t, and they charge less money for it,” he said. “It’s all part of mislabeling and duping the public.”
Read it all here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/us/...


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Breaking News! Darker Forces Operating Behind Solitics Revealed
Solitics is a Software as s service (SaaS) company offering a targeted marketing platform for businesses seeking to expand their customer base. The SaaS platform is owned and managed by Israel-based Beezer Technologies Ltd.
Despite having an innocent name with powerful tools for targeted marketing, the company collaborates with some behind-the-show fraudsters who target unsuspecting clients and lure them into making investments in the company on a revenue-share deal with the criminals.
As we explained in our first article on this subject, the company works with many other companies dealing in Forex, Gambling, and binary options trade, where many victims have suffered severe losses in the past. Fraud perpetrators use the Solitics platform to target potential clients before making automatic retention that often ends up in the clients losing their money in the end This article will show you how the consumer data analytics company, Solitics, collaborates with fraudsters to get clients and split the profit on every deal they make and how the company hides the dirty dealing from public knowledge.
Serial Criminals Behind Solitics Company
Besides the might of their powerful targeted marketing tool, Solitics is part of a well-established fraud scheme in which they collaborate with other unscrupulous actors. According to the information gathered by our team of investigators, Solitics collaborates with Ilan Tzorya through his company known as Biz Dev.
Biz Dev is one of Ilan Tzorya’s companies under the famous mother company DTIG, which is fully owned and operated by Tzorya. Ilan Tzorya owns 80% of Biz Dev Shares, while Milena Kabadzhova takes up the remaining 20% stake. It’s important to note that Kabadzhova is among the key suspects mentioned in Tzorya’s indictment in Austria.
In Tzorya’s interrogation by the Austrian police, he admitted that Biz Dev is one of his companies but denied the fraud schemes hatched by his network of companies operating in various countries, including Austria.
According to the indictment, Kabadzhova, who is also Tzorya’s partner at Biz Dev, was mentioned as one of the immediate perpetrators of fraud that led to thousands of innocent victims in Austria, Germany, Bulgaria, other countries losing a massive chunk of money to Ilan Tzorya-led and run fraud networks.
Milena is also the defacto signatory of Tzorya’s fraud companies, making her one of the critical and immediate perpetrators within the sophisticated network that nets hundreds of millions of euros.
From the screenshots of Tzorya’s indictment by a court in Vienna already shared earlier in this article, it is crystal clear Ilan, and Milena are criminals awaiting prosecution for large-scale fraud carried out through hundreds of call centers and strawmen in Europe.
How Solitics Hides the Dark Forces behind Its Platform
Considering that Ilan Tzorya is synonymous with online fraud around binary options and crypto trade, Solitics fools people they are only working with Bid Dev but not Tzorya. But in the real sense, Tzorya is at the top of Biz Dev’s operations as a signatory of the deal.
Using a complex online fraud system, Tzorya is famous for stealing from his clients through manipulative software known as the Tradologic platform that makes nearly every investor on his trade website lose all their investments.
Tzorya still uses his old dirty tricks of compelling clients into making investments in his companies and getting enormous quick profit and lure potential investors into investing in Solitics without them knowing. According to commercial agreements between the two companies (Beezer Technologies Ltd and Biz Dev), Tzorya receives at least 25% of the customers’ investment.
Despite Solitics having such direct collaboration with Ilan Tzorya, Solitics never discloses their cooperation with Ilan Tzozya. However, they only claim to know Biz Dev but not Ilan Tzorya, who owns 80% of the stake in the company.
With the above evidence, it’s doesn’t take a brainer to understand how Solitics is part of a larger fraud network run by Ilan Tzorya. The company also gets most of its clients from Tzorya’s team without the customers knowing.
In our next piece, we’ll reveal in detail how Solitics collaborated with Tzorya’s Biz Dev on a revenue share deal through a legal contract and how the two companies operate their businesses together.


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Can Amazon Solve a Murder?
In Arkansas, the year 2015 November 22nd, Collins Victor who fathered five kids was found dead in a boiling tub. He was suffocated and drowned. This man was chocked and later drowned. Hoping to find some solutions, the police went on to look for evidence from the Amazon Echo.
There is no proof to show that the police were asking Alexa whether the device could provide them with a solution to the murder case at hand. The authority had a positive feeling that the device has what they were searching for the evidence of key audio. The Amazon has been hiding the recordings of the scene of murder, although it was plugged in ,and proved that it was listening to all that had happened. The police are continuing to emphasize about the Amazon sharing the important information, and that is the first thing that the Amazon has ever agreed to this year in March.
Despite the law enforcement sending an affidavit that could have helped reach data to solve the crime at hand, the Amazon still used its power to fight. Perception of data and business was what could only have assisted in understanding their resistance. clearly, the Echo was not formed to be collecting data about the actions and talks of people just for the Amazon to make use of it as an accusation to the clients. That could only lead to ruining of the dependence between the Amazon and its customers. For that, the company had nothing left but to give away the information for the authorities to get access.
A similar case arose and also the world of tech found itself in trouble once more. In December 2015, there was a gun shooting in San Bernardino. Since the FBI wanted the way to reach some data from one of the shooter’s iPhone, they sent an order from the court which was demanding Apple to obey and give out the information. Apple kept in mind that something was not right about revealing their client’s confidential information and disapproved to the order. It is crystal clear that Apple keeps the data of clients from public and the police as well. A third party meddled and unlocked the telephone which led to ending of the case. Questions to do with data privacy nature and tech firms obligations to their clients raised after the two scenes. Also, some people see how meaningful it is for such information to be disclosed so as to put the responsible criminals behind bars.


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Xiaomi is a Chinese tech brand. For the very first time, the company behind the Mi Mix 2 bezel-less phone and many other gadgets has now started to sell its products in Europe. But there is recently given no explanation for a UK and US expansion.
Xiaomi has selected Spain as its 1st European country to sell its complete range of the products that include the newly released Mi A1 and Mi Mix 2 phones as well as home products in the new retail stores and on its online store.
The Xiaomi has yet to officially announce about when it has plans to sell its gadgets in the other markets. But Xiaomi is moving its products into Spain might encourage its fans in the UK and US.
According to Senior Vice President of Xiaomi, Wang Xiang, “We have chosen Spain as our 1st entry into Western Europe”. It suggests that the company has plans to spread its business to further markets in Europe.
Which country is next?
Wang did not talk about the next countries, Xiaomi would be targeting. He just mentioned Italy and France as the next targets. Wang believes that the release in Spain would help the country to learn about the European market and it will help to push into the other European countries.
He said, “It is very early to say about next plans, but I think there are a lot of similarities in EU. We would learn about the preferences of the European consumers and also at the same time we will enhance the resources like technical support as well as supply capabilities. Then we will be able to go aggressively in some other countries in Europe.”
This brand is very large in India and China as well as it is selling its gadgets in the Australian market.
Probably the best news about the release in Spain is that the Xiaomi has managed to keep the prices low despite it is entering the new market. The flagship Mi Mix 2 is charged at 499 euros (about $580, AU$750, £440).
Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 2 has a bezel-less design with a 5.99-inch, 18:9 aspect ratio, and 1080 x 2160 resolution display. It is also designed by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 It has 6GB and 8GB RAM. It has a 12MP rear camera.


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Call of Duty: Mobile Has Reached 35 Million Downloads Since Launch
After launching this Tuesday, Call of Duty: Mobile has gone on to reach 35 million downloads.
In a report from Gamesindustry.biz, Call of Duty: Mobile has reached 35 million downloads.
Having been out since Tuesday, these numbers include downloads off of the Google Play store and the App Store. Additionally, the game has reached these numbers without launching in China.
“The response from fans across both Android and iOS has been amazing. Already, Call of Duty: Mobile has surpassed 35 million downloads on its way to becoming the #1 ranked iOS in downloads overall, not only among games, but among all apps, in 100 countries,” says Rob Kostich, President of Activision in a press release. “This is an incredibly fun experience, and we’re only getting started. Congratulations to the teams at Activision and our partners at Tencent’s TiMi Studios for making such a great game for players. And special thanks to our fans for their continued support. There is a ton more to look forward to as we release more content and updates.”
Call of Duty: Mobile was officially announced last month and it’s a free-to-play mobile game that features different characters, maps, and more from other games in the Call of Duty franchise.
Call of Duty: Mobile is available now on iOS and Android. If you’re looking for more Call of Duty, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare launches on October 25 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.


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What this means is that the increases will affect existing buyers with vehicle finance agreements structured around a linked interest rate.
Therefore, the interest on these loans will have to be recalculated, leading to an increase in their monthly instalment.
“Although this increase is minimal, with a minor effect on the monthly instalment, buyers should not downplay any hikes in the interest rate,” said Rudolf Mahoney, head of Brand and Communication at WesBank. “Those with other debts – such as credit cards and home loans – will find themselves with less disposable income,” added Mahoney.
Wesbank provided a great example of how this hike will affect a person. For a car loan of R250 000, financed over 60 months at an interest rate of 10.5 percent, the interest rate will now be 10.75 percent, resulting in a monthly instalment that is R31.15 higher, at R5 486.13.
The people who will really feel the increase are home owners and people with other debt to pay as the belt which squeezes out the occasional sum of disposable income is forever being tightened. South African household debt levels remain high, which is affecting consumer credit profiles as well as their ability to obtain new credit.
Used cars for sale in Namibia


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Hudson Global: Q4 Earnings Snapshot
OLD GREENWICH, Conn. (AP) _ Hudson Global Inc. (HSON) on Friday reported fourth-quarter earnings of $2.1 million.
On a per-share basis, the Old Greenwich, Connecticut-based company said it had profit of 67 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, came to $1.02 per share.
The staffing company posted revenue of $50.1 million in the period.
For the year, the company reported net income of $3.2 million, or $1.07 per share, swinging to a profit in the period. Revenue was reported as $169.2 million.


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- INDICATOR: July Retail Sales and Wholesale Prices
- KEY DATA: Sales: 0%; Excluding Vehicles: -0.3%/ PPI: -0.4%; Excluding Food and Energy: 0%
- IN A NUTSHELL: “The consumer paused in July and with price pressures soft, the Fed members will probably gain a few more grey hairs.”
WHAT IT MEANS: The consumer has been the rock on which the economy has depended for its modest growth. Well, it looks like households went on a July vacation. Retail sales went nowhere and even that result was due largely to solid vehicle demand. Excluding that segment, demand declined. The spending malaise spread across the economy. Clothing, gasoline, food both at home and away, building materials, general merchandise, electronics and appliances all posted declines. We did buy a lot online and some more furniture, but that was it. Core sales, which best mirror the GDP numbers on consumption and exclude gasoline, vehicles, building materials and food services, were flat as well. That said, these data are not price-adjusted. We know that gasoline prices were down and it wouldn’t be surprising if clothing costs also dropped. So don’t write off the consumer just yet.
If soft consumer spending was not enough of a concern for the worrywarts at the Fed, they also have to deal with soft wholesale prices. Producer costs were down in July, led by drops in both food and energy. Excluding those components, prices still went nowhere. Even services, which had been rising sharply, posted a decline. It’s hard to explain this sudden turnaround, so we need to be a little cautious in the interpretation of the numbers. It should also be noted that the path from producer prices to consumer prices is not straight and often a dead end. Looking forward, there is some pressure at the intermediate level for services and some goods, so future reports may not look this weak.
MARKETS AND FED POLICY IMPLICATIONS: Consumer spending has been robust and once in a while, households do cool their spending. Since this has been a really warm summer, spending on air conditioning is likely to be high and that is in the services component, not retail sales. So don’t assume that there will be a weak third quarter consumption number just because a non-price adjusted retail sales report came in below expectations. Still, the Fed members are afraid to come out from under their rocks until growth is sustainably solid and inflation in near or at their target, and today’s reports don’t provide them with any comfort that will happen soon. As for investors, they should be concerned about the soft consumer demand but happy about a Fed on hold. Which one drives the markets is anyone’s guess, but as an investor, I would really like to see better profits that are driven by stronger sales.
Joel L. Naroff is the president and founder of Naroff Economic Advisors, a strategic economic consulting firm. To read more of his blogs, CLICK HERE NOW.
© 2022 Newsmax Finance. All rights reserved.


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CES 2012: ViewSonic Announces $170 Tablet Featuring Android's Ice Cream Sandwich
January 11, 2012 12:50 PM
comment(s) - last by
ViewSonic ViewPad E70
ViewSonic's ViewPad E70 will be released in late Q1 for $169.99
Many Android-based tablets have came, saw, but hardly conquered in the tablet arena over the past year. Standing up to the iPad 2 has been a difficult challenge for many, but ViewSonic is willing to give it a shot.
ViewSonic, a global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions, revealed its ViewPad E70 tablet at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week.
The 7-inch ViewPad E70 tablet features Android's latest mobile operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich, as well as a 1 GHz processor, 4 GB memory storage, microSD expandable storage to 32 GB, front-facing camera, and Wi-Fi capabilities. Like other Android-based tablets, users will be able to download various apps from the Android Market for a full tablet experience.
"ViewSonic is committed to delivering advanced technology designed with the consumer in mind," said Michael Holstein, vice president of business development for ViewSonic. "Featuring the latest Android operating system, along with leading apps and services for entertainment content, the ViewPad E70 continues the ViewSonic tradition of bringing feature-rich products to new markets."
Apple may be top dog when it comes to tablets for now, with its iPad accounting for
97.2 percent of U.S. tablet traffic
back in August 2011 alone, but a report by technology analysis firm J. Gold Associates said Android tablets are
expected to "overwhelm" iPads
ViewSonic's ViewPad E70 will be released in late Q1 for $169.99.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
Nice but needs Tegra2 dual core to compete with Fire....
1/11/2012 7:18:40 PM
Nice attempt, but whats the deal with a single (no mention of dual) core 1ghz power....
The Fire has dual-core....which is worth the additional cost compared to this model.
The Tegra2 has been mainstream and is moving back with the release of the new Tegra3. Production costs should be quite low by now.
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Freedonia In The News
Article Title: Study: Demand for countertops is growing
Publication: Home Channel News, 9/26/2011
Freedonia Study: Countertops (2788)
Quote from article
A report from Freedonia Group estimates demand for countertops in the United States will reach 760 million sq. ft. in 2015 -- valued at $24.6 billion.
After falling 2.4% from 2005 to 2010, countertop demand will increase 4.8% from 2010 to 2015, according to the Cleveland-based research firm.
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COVID-19 is forcing companies to reevaluate their strategy. It’s an unfortunate reality that those companies that cannot adapt might well not survive.
Millions of people will have gained some experience of working from home, and many of them will have come to realize remote work’s benefits.
A common way to anticipate the future is to look to the past. Back in 2001, IP telephony, videoconferencing, and resources mostly didn’t exist—at best, they were rare and expensive, and they lacked scalability.
Today, all that has changed. Good-quality internet connectivity is close to ubiquitous in the developed world. Cloud services enable anywhere/anytime management—whether on a PC or on a smartphone—of all the applications people would typically have to be in an office to run.
Logitech Collaboration Program ensures you get an integrated video solution with easy setup and a great video experience. For partners, the LCP provides access to Logitech Software Reference Kit as well as marketing resources and product innovations to help grow your business.
Read more to discover the perfect videoconferencing solutions for your work space.
As we’re living in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution, driven by the rise of smart factories, big data and machine learning, these technologies are forming the foundational infrastructures of our industry today. By 2025, there will be over 75 billion internet-connected devices, embedded into objects ranging from smart home thermostats to control systems on factory floors.
Amid this hyper-connectivity, cyberattacks are set to explode. Around 70% of companies recently surveyed by Kaspersky consider an attack on their OT/ICS infrastructure likely. Despite this, many have yet to define their approach to implementing OT/ICS cybersecurity.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2020 will be be held online, in an all-digital version, on August 5.
Samsung will host its Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event in an all-digital version this year.
On Tuesday evening, Samsung announced that Galaxy Unpacked 2020 will be held online at www.samsung.com at 10 am ET on August 5.
Samsung traditionally holds two Unpacked events each year, with one event in February and one in August. The February event is typically when phones in its Galaxy S line are unveiled.
This year, on February 11, Samsung announced the S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra phones, all with built-in 5G. As Lance Whitney reported in TechRepublic, all three Samsung models come with built-in 5G, an Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED display, and a Snapdragon 865 or Exynos 990 processor, but each has different display sizes and different camera specs.
The Galaxy Z Flip, a foldable phone that folds into a square, was also announced at the February Unpacked event earlier this year, as were the Galaxy Buds+ earbuds. The Z Flip is a $1,380 phone with a hinge design that makes it possible to have an AMOLED screen made of seamless, foldable glass. The Galaxy Buds+ are designed to be a notch (or two) cooler than competitor Apple’s AirPods, coming in four different color options instead of basic white.
There could be a range of items announced at next month’s event.
August Unpacked event has typically been when the Note line of Samsung phones have a new reveal. The Galaxy Note 10 was announced at the event on August 7, 2019. In 2018, it was the Galaxy Note 9. Both of those events were held to huge crowds at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
The Note 9, in its 512GB configuration, was the first phone to offer a terabyte of memory, which was achievable through an optional MicroSD card to tack on an additional 512GB. That made it ideal for business users who needed to store and access large files. It also offered an easy DeX connection, which is Samsung’s Android-based interface that allows mobile users to connect a Samsung phone or tablet to an external monitor for a PC-like experience.
Samsung Unpacked held in February before COVID cancellations
This year, the February 11 Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event was one of the last tech events to be held before the coronavirus pandemic resulted in the cancellation of conferences and similar events around the globe. The very next day, on February 12, Mobile World Congress stunned the tech community when it announced it was cancelling its conference in Barcelona set for later that month. Many other conferences were quick to follow suit and within a few weeks, it was commonplace to see a daily stream of cancellations due to COVID-19.
Now, virtual conferences and events are the norm for the foreseeable future.
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As remote work is expected to remain the predominant model at least through the end of 2020, here are the positions companies want and key technologies they should have in place.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed, IT has never played a more integral role than over the past few months helping companies transition their staff to working remotely. Now IT hiring is on the rise to support a work-from-home plan for the rest of 2020, said Paul Wallenberg, director of technology services at LaSalle Network, a national IT staffing, recruiting, and culture firm.
The greatest demand for tech staff right now is in cybersecurity and general IT support and systems administration, the latter being responsible for supporting and maintaining systems so remote users have full access to their companies’ networks, Wallenberg said.
In terms of specific verticals, “the biggest uptick has been in essential businesses like logistics and companies that serve our food supply chains and consumer packaged goods,” he said. “Early on, there was a surge in financial services,” especially IT staff who provided access between systems that connect to market data feeds and trading exchanges, which Wallenberg said weren’t capable of being fully virtual.
Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) “had to be deployed very rapidly to enable financial professionals to continue their normal day-to-day operations,” he said. “So there was a big uptick in system administration and support professionals with remote connectivity and VDI implementation [experience] across VMware and Citrix and common virtualization technologies.”
An emphasis on hiring more diverse staff
At the beginning of the pandemic, all the hiring of IT staff was on the temporary and contract side, Wallenberg said. “I will say, over the last four weeks we’ve seen a significant uptick in permanent hiring” mainly for security and systems admin professionals.
As companies are interviewing candidates, there is also an emphasis on diversifying their tech hires, he said. SEE: Diversity and Inclusion policy (TechRepublic)
“Diversity and inclusion initiatives even before the pandemic were topical, and they’ve remained topical and become even more significant, and not just from the companies themselves, but there is also a demand by job seekers,” Wallenberg noted. “They want to know on the front end what diversity and inclusion initiatives are already in place–or as result of some of the cries for social justice–what will be pursued in the near term.”
While there is still an emphasis on hiring the best candidate available, companies want to do that “from a diverse talent pool,” and they are receptive to implementing new initiatives, he said.
The necessary technologies and skills to stay remote
Zoom, WebEx, and Teams remain among the most predominant technologies companies need to ensure a successful work-from-home model for the rest of 2020, Wallenberg said. Companies are also interested in business software suites like Microsoft 365 and G Suite by Google.
“If you haven’t gone to either of those, you’re going to have to make some pretty significant strides over the next six months to make remote work seem as close to in-office work as possible,” he said. So demand is strong for IT people who have experience in three buckets: Teleconferencing apps, cloud-native apps, and networking software that allows for reliable VPN connectivity, Wallenberg said.
Additionally, “the emphasis on soft skills is more important than ever before: organizational skills, customer service; things are so different for people when they talk to IT,” he noted. “They need to feel comforted more than ever because of the challenges inherent in not working next to a coworker … so that ability to manage conflict rationally and the ability to calm people if there are high-stress situations is crucial.”
Companies want people who are good communicators and who will be proactive–for example, quickly addressing a support ticket that comes in in the morning, so users don’t have to wait, Wallenberg added.
In terms of security hiring trends, “there have always been really brilliant people who can sell the need for security to the business,” and that is needed now more than ever in IT, he said. “In a perfect world, it shouldn’t have taken high-profile breaches of personal and identifiable information for companies to wake up and say we need to invest more money in it. So security leadership and, further down the pole, they have to sell their vision on steps they need to take to more systematically ensure systems are safe and companies are protected from threats.”
Because of the current climate, it is also critical that companies are prepared to handle remote onboarding of new tech team members, Wallenberg said.
“Companies that adopted a cloud-first strategy years ago are in a much better position to onboard [new staff] than people who need an office network to connect,” he said. In the former scenario, hiring is just a matter of making sure all hires can be provisioned quickly and then deciding whether they are going to have a BYOD approach or if they’ll need to ship a laptop and phone, according to Wallenberg.
“Obviously, in that case you need to have the process scripted,” he said. “It’s a little more tricky with companies that don’t have all their apps and services in the cloud.” In that case, “hopefully, by now, most companies have expanded those capacities for people to access resources via a VPN.”
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Many users save their email password and so don’t remember it if they have to enter or reset it, says NordPass.
Juggling all your website and account passwords is one of the most challenging and frustrating aspects of using technology. You may use simple passwords, complex passwords, or a combination of both. However you set them up, if you don’t enter a certain password on a regular basis, it’s easy to forget it. A recent study and survey from password manager NordPass reveals which types of passwords people typically forget and need to reset.
In new research released on Tuesday, NordPass found that email passwords were the types of passwords most often forgotten. Looking at the kinds of password-related web searches conducted by people across three different countries, NordPass discovered that searches for “how to reset email passwords” were the top ones for 40% of those in the US, 49% of those in the UK, and 48% in Australia.
Looking at different email providers, searches on how to reset a Gmail password was the leading email password reset query in all three countries. But, people also wanted to know how to reset passwords for Outlook, Hotmail, and Microsoft Live (which now defaults to Outlook).
The second most popular search about password resets was on how to reset them for different operating systems, most notably for Windows, with a small percentage in the US for Apple and Android platforms. Password reset queries for Google accounts came in third, followed by more general searches for “forgot password” or “change password.” Less searched were queries for password resets for social media providers, entertainment sites, various devices, and productivity applications.
Searches for resetting an email password likely were the most common for a few different reasons, according to NordPass.
In a survey conducted earlier this year, NordPass found that people considered email accounts one of their most valued accounts. In just the US, 73% of respondents said it would be very or extremely harmful if their email account was hacked. However, less than half of those surveyed said they use a unique password to protect their email.
Further, most of the respondents have saved their email password on their computers and don’t need to enter it each time they log in, according to NordPass security expert Chad Hammond. For that reason, they have trouble remembering the password and have to learn how to reset it when required.
On the other end, people are better at remembering passwords for their productivity apps because those passwords tend to be simple.
“According to the same password habits survey from April 2020, users rarely use unique passwords to protect their productivity applications,” Hammond said. “Only 21% of respondents from the US use a unique password. Since the passwords are simple and memorable, users are less likely to forget them and don’t need to search how to reset them.”
Whatever systems and devices people use, why do they need to reset their password so often? NordPass offers a few explanations.
No need for a password to log in. Most people don’t log out of their accounts or their personal devices and only need their credentials when signing in to a new device. If the password hasn’t been used in a while and is suddenly required, the person isn’t likely to remember it.
Too many passwords. The average person has around 80 passwords. Unless you make your passwords rhyme or use the same one for every account, you’ll find it difficult to remember them all.
Passwords can be automatically saved. If we create a password knowing that it can be autosaved, we are more likely to forget it. A study conducted by Rutgers-New Brunswick and Aalto University in Finland suggests that the likelihood of remembering a password has less to do with its complexity than with how often we anticipate using it. You’re far more likely to remember a complicated password if you know you’ll be using it frequently and less likely to remember a simple password if you don’t expect to use it often.
Complexity of resetting a password. With data breaches and leaks happening every day, each reputable website makes resetting your password more and more complex. You might need to answer additional security questions or use two-factor authentication. While this is a great security practice, many users find it too complicated and often turn to Google for help.
How can people better handle their passwords? Well, since NordPass makes a password manager, the company naturally advises people to use such products to help juggle their passwords. No matter what the source, that advice is always sound and people can choose from a variety of products, including NordPass, LastPass, 1Password, Dashlane, and Roboform.
“These tools will not only remember your password for you and make it secure and convenient but will also help you generate unique credentials as well as check if they have been breached before,” Hammond said.
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To enhance tracking and security in public spaces, the facial recognition technologies market is expected to surge in the years ahead.
In the era of digital transformation, more organizations are utilizing facial recognition technologies for a host of applications in public spaces. These systems have also been implemented to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus pandemic as the technologies can be plugged into larger surveillance networks to monitor mask compliance and more. Studies have shown that facial recognition systems are prone to false-positive identifications. In recent weeks, major players in the tech industry including IBM, Microsoft, and Amazon recently made waves by pulling their facial recognition systems from the market altogether or banning law enforcement agencies from using the technologies. Despite these moves by titans in tech, the future of facial recognition systems seems bright according to a new report from Global Market Insights.
By 2026, the organization estimates that the facial recognition market valuation will top $12 billion. For comparison, Market Research Future valued the global facial recognition market at $3 billion in 2016. Security concerns related to public safety in public spaces are expected to cause a surge in demand for these technologies in the years ahead. Across North America, the facial recognition market will be spurred by investments in retail, healthcare, defense, and homeland security.
Major investments in security and surveillance are driving this particular market, according to the report. Currently, many organizations ranging from airports to large sporting venues are investing in surveillance systems leveraging these facial recognition systems alongside artificial intelligence, IoT sensors, thermal imaging cameras, and more. Companies are creating new software capable of fastidious integration with an organization’s existing technology suite to assist with identification and “attendance monitoring,” per the report.
Global Market Insights also predicts that facial recognition systems will revolutionize advertising and retail in coming years. The use of interactive “intelligent signage” will allow advertisers to better understand the demographics of their customers to more aptly deliver personalized advertisements to these individuals. The overall success rate of these advertising and targeted campaigns can also be measured using facial recognition systems.
The report notes that facial recognition market growth will mainly be driven by 3D systems rather than more limited 2D systems. Comparatively, 3D systems offer more accurate information in lower light environments “as they use facial parameters, such as the depth of the eyes or the shape of the nose & chin of the captured image, for comparison with the available database of images,” per the report. More advanced 3D systems can also identify variables such as minute changes in the texture of skin and aging.
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Between supply issues and surge pricing, many pitfalls have surfaced as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but Popcart can assist.
The coronavirus pandemic sent shock waves through the enterprise and economy, affecting all industries, but especially retail. With brick and mortar stores forced to close their doors or reduce accessibility, shoppers opted for online orders and curbside pickups to get necessary items.
“The impact of COVID-19 on the retail industry has been profound. Even as essential retail businesses such as food/grocery/consumables that remained open through the crisis saw a topline boost in demand, the sector incurred huge escalations in operating costs that dented their profitability,” said Sandeep Unni, senior research director at Gartner.
“For other discretionary segments, the impact has been pretty devastating due to continued closures of physical stores and decrease in consumer spending,” Unni said. “For many of the first casualties of the crisis such as Neiman Marcus, JCPenney, J Crew or Lord & Taylor, the pandemic proved to be the last straw for businesses that were already struggling pre-crisis.”
As a result, online shopping took off, especially in the US, said Omri Traub, founder and CEO of Popcart, an e-commerce browser extension.
“[Coronavirus] has transformed the way we shop,” Traub said. “Some people believe that the whole e-commerce adoption in the US has been accelerated by five to 10 years.”
The major items consumers turned to online were associated with essential goods, such as household cleaners or toilet paper.
“One of the main changes we have seen in consumer shopping behavior is the shift of spending towards more essential categories,” Unni said. “There has been a spike in digital activity even in historically underpenetrated segments like grocery.”
“For example, pre-crisis online penetration in grocery was only 2-4% of total sales in the US market, and has lagged behind other markets such as China or even the UK. The sudden rise in demand driven by the crisis has further amplified pain points in last mile execution and delivery,” Unni noted. “Anyone that has ordered grocery online would have likely experienced logistical challenges such as availability of/delays in delivery windows, item availability and substitutions. We’ve also seen price inflation particularly in online channels.”
However, developing technology, like Popcart, is stepping up to the plate to help with these issues.
Tech and online retail issues
Traub echoed the same problems with retail that Unni mentioned, particularly the supply issues and surge pricing.
These problems were what inspired his creation of Popcart, an online internet extension that compares prices of items across online retailers and locates the lowest one.
Popcart is similar to the other popular browser extension, Honey, however, Popcart doesn’t only search for coupon codes, but rather the overall lowest price, Traub said.
Surge pricing often happens on Amazon, Traub said, and people looking for an item for the first time may not realize that the offered price is really high.
“If you’re just shopping on Amazon, $29, $89, $87, or whatever it is, could look like a good price,” Traub said. It’s only through comparing prices that you’re really benchmarking what is a fair price for this? And it turns out that at Walmart [the item] is available for less than half the price.”
Popcart does all the work, tracking price fluctuations at different stores, comparing them, and then presenting the options to the user.
Prices also fluctuate when third-party sellers swoop in. Many large online retailers offer sales by third party sellers, and these sellers sometimes ratchet up the price of items to make a bigger profit. Popcart helps avoid users falling into that pitfall by also comparing those third-party sellers with other stores, Traub said.
The online extension tool can even help users when e-commerce platforms run out of supply.
“We call it the Supply Finder by Popcart, which looked specifically at the hard to find items, like masks and disinfecting wipes and toilet paper, during the period where there was the most severe shortage. And there’s still a significant shortage of many of these,” Traub said.
“We tailored the way our system worked to offer you a real-time feed of when these products come back into stock,” he added.
While the pandemic has made getting important, and desired, items difficult, technology is helping to mitigate those problems.
According to CyberSecurity Ventures, global damage costs from ransomware are estimated to be more than $20 billion in 2021, up from $11.5 billion in 2019.1 By the end of 2021, they expect there to be a ransomware attack every 11 seconds, up from every 14 seconds in 2019.
No industry is immune to ransomware attacks. For instance, Cyber Risk Management (CyRiM), a Lloyds of London partner, projected potential healthcare industry losses of $25B2 in the event of a major attack such as NotPetya. NotPetya affected a number of companies worldwide, with Merck estimating over $670M and FedEx over $400M in losses.3 Yet these weren’t even “criminal” attacks — according to the U.S. White House, the attack was launched by the Russian military against the Ukraine.4 Merck and FedEx losses were simply collateral damage, and many corporate insurance policies exclude losses caused by acts of war.
The certification company will host prep sessions for the National Cyber League’s cybersecurity competitions for individuals and teams.
The National Cyber League (NCL) has a new partner in its work to promote careers in cybersecurity: CompTIA. The certification company is helping the NCL with the twice-a-year cybersecurity competitions designed for students interested in the field.
CompTIA will host educational sessions on the CompTIA Cybersecurity Career Pathway and offer prep sessions to help NCL players get ready for the 2020-21 competition schedule.
NCL’s chief Player Ambassador Kaitlyn Bestenheider (aka “CryptoKait”) will work with CompTIA to ensure that all industry domains are incorporated into the NCL competition.
More than 10,000 students from 300 colleges and universities across the US compete in these games. Here are the dates for the NCL 2020 Fall Season:
Registration opens Aug. 23
Practice sessions go from Sept. 14 – Dec. 8
Preseason to get bracketed for the individual games is Oct. 12 – Oct. 19
Individual games are Oct. 23 – Oct. 25
Team games are Nov. 8 – Nov. 8
The competitions are open to US high school and college students and will test competitors on the ability to identify hackers from forensic data, pentest and audit websites, and recover from ransomware attacks. It costs $35 to participate.
Players who place at the top of each bracket during the NCL’s Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 individual competitions will receive a free CompTIA student membership.
Students on the championship teams will receive a free CompTIA certification exam voucher, self-study test preparation materials, and full CompTIA membership.
CompTIA has three security tracks: Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+), CASP+, and PenTest+. The CySA+ applies behavioral analytics to the IT security field. The CASP+ validates critical thinking and judgment across multiple security disciplines in complex environments. PenTest+ is for midcareer professionals who use penetration testing to manage vulnerabilities on a network.
The NCL is a nonprofit founded by public agencies dedicated to developing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. The training company Cyber Skyline sponsors the NCL.
There are free resources available for students and people new to the cybersecurity field, including:
Trail of Bits CTF Guide: This resource explains how capture the flag competitions work and includes a list of competitions and ideas on how to prepare.
Awesome CTF: Github put together this list of tutorials, software, resources, frameworks and libraries to help people new to CTF competitions as well as veterans.
Reddit’s SecurityCTF: This forum hosts real-time questions and answers to questions about competitions and strategies.
Vulnhub: This practice zone includes labs built for beginners to test cybersecurity skills.
There are several collegiate-level competitions as well, including the CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, and the Global Cyberlympics. Cyber Quests are online challenges that also test participants’ security skills.
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text:
President Jokowi Urges Universities to Make Changes to Face Rapid Global Changes
President Joko Jokowi Widodo said that it is universities that are most prepared in facing rapid global changes.
Therefore, the President hopes that universities in Indonesia, including Padjadjaran University, can take part in anticipating those rapid changes. Now due to those changes, 30% of malls and stores have been closed because the people buy things online. It means, how many people are now unemployed? Due to purchasing things online people do not have to go to the stores. Buying online is cheaper and faster, said President Jokowi in his academic lecture at the 60th Dies Natalis (anniversary) event (1957-2017) of Padjadjaran University in Bandung, West Java, Monday (11/9).
As for anticipatory measures that have to be prepared, President Jokowi said that Indonesias universities must dare to make changes. President Jokowi lamented that for years, there have been no changes in faculties at universities in Indonesia, including at faculties of economy which offer the same old programs such as management, development, and accounting.
In fact, what is needed now, the President added, is that universities have to dare to reform faculties of economy by offering programs such as logistic management, retail management, or online store management because the world has indeed changed. This is what we have to anticipate. Otherwise, we will lose the competition with other countries, the President said.
President Jokowi also regretted that there is no faculty that offers programs related to social media because according to the President, social media will later influence socio-political issues and because people now want to interact with each other through social media.
President Jokowi further said in that in the next 5 10 years, Generation Y or the the Millennial Generation will become the driving force of the changes and will decide the market, as well as influence politics and the economy. All countries have already talked about this. We also have to be prepared for that, the President concluded.
Also attending the event were Presidential Chief of Staff Teten Masduki, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Minister of Communication and Informatics Rudiantara, Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, Rector of Padjadjaran University Try Hanggono Ahmad, and West Java Deputy Governor Dedy Mizwar. (FID/OJI/ES) (ES) (EP/YM/Naster)