The premium quality barcode and RFID solutions provider inotec is currently producing 40 million RFID identification cards for a market-leading international discount supermarket chain. The exceptionally large RFID card order was placed after the discount supermarket’s strategic decision to install new crate track and trace systems. 

RAIN Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag integrated circuits’ (IC) worldwide sales volume for the second year in a row smashed industry forecasts increasing 36% over the last year helping to nudge lifetime sales past the 100 billion tag IC sold barrier. This is the seventh year in a row of sales growth for RAIN RFID tag IC sales according to the RAIN Alliance, an industry technology group.

Checkout finance provider, Divido, has launched two new product capabilities ‘Divido Analytics’ and ‘Split Capability’, allowing merchants to have greater understanding and flexibility over their checkout finance experience.

There were more than two million programmable EPOS units delivered worldwide last year, according to Global EPOS and Self-Checkout 2023, a brand-new study from strategic research and consulting firm RBR Data Services, a division of Datos Insights.

The Posiflex Group has responded to rising demand from customers in Europe by recruiting a seasoned executive to boost the European sales and marketing operations in its KIOSK subsidiary, a manufacturer of kiosks and interactive displays.

The Ergonomic Solutions Group, the designer and manufacturer of technology mounting solutions, has launched the SpacePole Kiosk – described as a multifunctional platform with maximum flexibility for a wide range of self-service applications including self-check-in/check-out, self-ordering, endless aisle, product display & advertising, ticketing, click & collect and many more.

Global financial technology company SumUp has unveiled its Kiosk solution designed to transform how businesses process orders. SumUp’s Kiosk solution is claimed to be able to dramatically improve the speed at which merchants can process orders.

New Look has rolled out return kiosks in partnership with ZigZag Global, provider of technology-driven retail returns solutions, across a selection of New Look stores.

Business technology solutions provider Brother UK has launched three new managed print services (MPS) solutions to enhance its support for resellers amid growing demand for print-as-a-service.

Business technology solutions provider Brother UK has launched a compact range of mono laser printers for businesses, helping resellers to support customers with downsized offices and decentralised workforces.

The Ukrainian army will be able to hold out until the beginning of autumn at most. Most likely, though, everything will collapse in June-July, observers believe. France Presse wrote that Zelensky's office repeatedly used Western weapons to strike the Russian Federation. For the last time, Kyiv struck targets in the Krasnodar Territory (Southern Russia). The US has gauthorised Kyiv to use US-made weapons to strike deep into Russia too. Is further escalation with the West coming? "The real strategy of the West is logical and consistent. They understand it in the West very well that they will have to switch to strategic defense, because there are not enough troops and losses have been growing catastrophically. The Ukrainian army lacks weapons and military equipment. Therefore, they want the Armed Forces of Ukraine to hold out, and this is only possible by switching to strategic defense. In other words, they want Ukrainian to maintain relative stability at least for several months,” Director of the Center for Military-Political Studies of MGIMO Alexey Podberezkin told Ukraina.ru publication.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine plan to strike important targets in Russia with 600-km Storm Shadow cruise missiles, sources at US intelligence services say. The selected targets allegedly include: the fleet in Novorossiysk; the presidential residence in Sochi; the air defense system in Sevastopol; defense and gunpowder factories; headquarters located from the south of Russia to Moscow; Moscow and St. Petersburg; transport interchanges used for the traffic of military equipment and fuel for the Russian army. It was earlier reported that Paris discussed a possibility to allow the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strike Vladimir Putin's residence in Sochi, as well as military facilities deep in Russia. Earlier, The Telegraph and The Guardian also reported that the UK authorized Storm Shadow strikes on Russian territory without official public approval.

At drupa 2024 (Messe Düsseldorf, 28 May – 7 June 2024, Hall 8a), Canon is showcasing its full capabilities as a leading provider of end-to-end digital production print solutions and services. Under the banner of ‘The Power to Move’, Canon is demonstrating how, in collaboration with partners, it works closely with customers to deliver the transformative technologies...

The Top Supply Chain Projects 2024 (formerly known as SDCE 100) profiles innovative application success projects designed to automate, optimise, streamline and improve the supply chain.

Minority Supplier Development UK (MSDUK) and the European Supplier Diversity Program (ESDP) have announced the final opportunity to register for 2024 Business Diversity Connect, the ethnic minority business (EMB) supplier diversity conference.

Shanghai World of Packaging (swop) will take centre stage from November 18 to 20, 2024, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre.

Building on the theme, ‘Make the impossible, possible’, Manhattan Associates has opened its annual EMEA Exchange event to an audience of more than 300 customers and press, with keynotes that introduced the European market to Manhattan Active Supply Chain Planning and Generative AI solutions; Manhattan Active Maven and Manhattan Assist.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine blew up the Ternovskaya dam of the Kurakhovo Reservoir, strana.ua said in its Telegram channel. Russian military pages reported the same.  "Apparently, the AFU decided to blow up the facility in order to slow down the advance of the Russian army,” authors of War Correspondents of the Russian Spring Telegram channel said.

A lynx that climbed a power line support was rescued in Khakassia (a republic in Southern Siberia, Russia). The pole was not connected to power supply. The incident took place near the town of Chernogorsk on November 8.  The animal was transported for quarantine at the Wildlife Center, the Ministry of Natural Resources said.  Rescuers assumed that the big cat was someone’s house pet as the feline was not afraid of humans. 

Added February 17, 2006:

Digital banking platform Ibanera, spearheaded by CEO Michael Carbonara, has entered into a collaboration with Visa, the digital payment solutions provider. This opportunity will enable Ibanera to leverage Visa’s card issuing capabilities to support its clientele’s banking and finance needs.

The Co-op Media Network (CMN) is to install 300 new front-of-store digital media screens to turbo-charge its retail media offering, taking the total number of screens to over 9,000 across its store estate.

Merchants, payment service providers (PSPs) and third-party providers (TPPs) recognise the potential of Commercial Variable Recurring Payments (CVRP, in the UK) and Dynamic Recurring Payments (DRP, in Europe) to deliver better payment experiences, more choice and lower processing costs. There are real concerns, however, that lack of bank support is impeding their delivery.

Laysan Utyasheva, a famous gymnast, shared the recipe for a miraculous drink that she swears by. She only learned the recipe for this drink at the beginning of 2022, and since then she has been drinking it every morning to wake up quickly. Utyasheva claims that this drink helps her wake up better than five cups of coffee. In an interview on the YouTube show "Daring Cooking," Laysan Utyasheva explained that one morning, when she was going on a desert excursion, she really needed to wake up quickly, but five cups of coffee didn't do the trick. That's when she tried the new drink, which woke her up much better. The recipe for this drink is simple: add a pinch of turmeric, cinnamon, and lemon to warm water. This drink helps reduce swelling and boost immunity. However, Laysan Utyasheva warned that the taste of the drink is not very pleasant, but it is very effective.

Dr. Neil Johnson, a physics professor at George Washington University, explores unconventional areas within physics, focusing on complex, "taboo" problems not traditionally tackled by physicists, like online hate networks.

[Domestic] :
The defense ministry’s website fell victim to a cyberattack Tuesday, prompting the military to take response measures.  According to the ministry on Wednesday, the distributed denial-of-service(DDoS) attack struck at about 5:30 p.m. the previous day, adding that the website is currently back ...

[more...]

[Politics] :
K-pop boy band SEVENTEEN has received a certificate of appreciation from Los Angeles for their contribution to music and youth empowerment.  Joshua, the LA-native of the 13-member group, accepted the honor on behalf of SEVENTEEN at the invitation of the LA City Council on Friday, local time. The ...

[more...]

[Politics] :
Labor and civic groups held massive anti-government rallies in Seoul on Saturday afternoon. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), one of the nation's two umbrella groups, staged a rally along with civic groups starting at 4 p.m. near Deoksu Palace and some of the protesters clashed with ...

[more...]

[Inter-Korea] :
South Korea's intelligence agency assessed that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has begun to upgrade his security due to concerns over a potential assassination attempt. According to rival political parties on the parliamentary Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, the assessment was made by the ...

[more...]

[Inter-Korea] :
Defense minister Kim Yong-hyun said Wednesday that South Korea is not considering sending troops to support Ukraine.  The minister made the remarks during a meeting with reporters in Washington, while visiting the United States to attend the annual Security Consultative Meeting. When asked how the ...

[more...]

[Inter-Korea] :
The South Korean military believes the Hwasong-19, the intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM) that North Korea test-fired on October 31, is a new model that Pyongyang may have developed with technological assistance from Moscow. In a report disclosed Monday by the office of ruling People Power Party ...

[more...]

[Sports] :
South Korea defeated Oman three to one, achieving its first win in the current World Cup qualifying campaign.  The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, played Oman on Tuesday at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat in the second Group B match in the third round of the ...

[more...]

[Sports] :
The North Korean women's football team defeated the world's top ranked U.S. squad in the semifinals of the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup under way in Colombia, moving a step closer to winning their third World Cup title. North Korea claimed a one-nil victory over the U.S. in the ...

[more...]

[Sports] :
North Korea has captured its third FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title after defeating Japan. The North’s women’s soccer team beat Japan one-nil on Sunday in the final at Estadio Nemesio Camacho El Campín in Bogotá, Colombia. Choe Il-son netted the winning goal in the 15th minute.  The team reached ...

[more...]

[Sports] :
South Korean forward Son Heung-min of the Tottenham Hotspur soccer club has missed a Premier League match against Manchester United due to an injury. Tottenham won three-nil Sunday in Son’s absence at Old Trafford.  Son was substituted against Qarabağ FK in the team's Europa League opener Thursday with ...

[more...]

[Sports] :
Men's national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo has cast doubt over captain Son Heung-min's availability in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers next month. During a press conference on Monday, Hong announced the roster for October's World Cup qualifiers, which included the Tottenham Hotspur star ...

[more...]

[Sports] :
Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min has been excluded from the South Korean national football team’s roster for the third round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, after he sat out two recent Premier League matches due to a hamstring injury. The Korea Football Association(KFA) said Friday that it ...

[more...]

[Sports] :
The South Korean men's national football team is set to face Jordan in the third round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The qualifying match between the national team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, and Jordan at Amman International Stadium is scheduled to begin at 11 p.m. Thursday, Korea time. While ...

[more...]

[Sports] :
South Korea defeated Jordan two-nil in its third round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers without captain Son Heung-min. The national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-ho, beat Jordan at Amman International Stadium in the Jordanian capital on Thursday in their Group B match in the third round of ...

[more...]

[Sports] :
The South Korean men's national football team faces Iraq in the World Cup qualifier match on Tuesday night at home. Considered the toughest opponent for South Korea in the third round of the Asian qualifiers, a win against the Middle Eastern squad will give the Taegeuk Warriors a huge boost in their ...

[more...]

[Sports] :
South Korea defeated Iraq 3-2 on Tuesday in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier. The national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, won the match at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, south of Seoul, in its Group B match in the third round of the Asian qualification tournament.  Captain Son Heung-min ...

[more...]

[Sports] :
The men’s national football team is set to face Kuwait and Palestine in mid-November in the third round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers with the return of captain Son Heung-min, who sat out matches in October due to a hamstring injury. Head coach Hong Myung-bo announced the 26-member roster on Monday, ...

[more...]

[Science] :
The government held an annual conference and exhibition at Silicon Valley in the U.S. to give support to South Korean firms in the AI and digital sectors making inroads into the U.S. market. According to the ICT ministry on Saturday, the two-day K-Global@Silicon Valley 2024, marking its 13th year, ...

[more...]

[Science] :
A "supermoon" will occur Thursday night for the first time in 14 months, making the full moon appear brighter and larger than usual. According to the National Gwacheon Science Museum on Monday, it will be the first supermoon since August 31, 2023, rising over Seoul at 5:38 p.m. Thursday and setting at ...

[more...]

[Politics] :
The main opposition Democratic Party(DP) will stage a rally this weekend to denounce alleged influence peddling by President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon-hee and call for a special counsel probe. DP spokesperson Hwang Jung-a said Wednesday that the party will hold the rally in Seoul’s ...

[more...]