As digital natives, Gen Z -  those aged 10 to 25 - have been surrounded by technology, social media, mobile devices, and the internet their entire lives.

According to the latest Canalys data, worldwide tablet shipments reached 33 million in Q3 2023, marking a 7% annual decline. But this represents an 8% sequential increase, reflecting a revival of the tablet market ahead of the crucial holiday season and the strong performance of new entrants in the space.

Some industries are more vulnerable to cyber threats hence facing a high risk of experiencing data breaches or other types of cyber attacks in the future.

With the continuous and rapid evolution of the technological era, digital currencies are gaining popularity daily. They have been gaining traction from the past half-decade. Despite the fluctuations in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies' value, more and more people start seeing cryptocurrency as a profitable investment. For instance, if we talk about Bitcoin, one of the most popular types of cryptocurrency, it has taken over the digital currency market. If we further discuss its fame, you'll see that it is being used in some of the biggest business names around the globe, including Microsoft, Overstock, and AT&T, now accept it as a method of payment. Here, you might be thinking, why do people use cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency wallets? What are their pros and cons? Is it worth investing in cryptocurrency wallets in 2020? If you have such questions, get them answered here. But first, let us tell you about the MOST USEFUL cryptocurrency wallets. A lot of wallets are designed solely for the storage of cryptocurrencies. At a time when there was a peak in online currency exchanges and thefts, there was a need to create a wallet that will provide ultimate protection. OWNR Wallet is one of the safest bitcoin wallets to buy crypto in 2020. It helps people in keeping their digital money safe from external threats. Along with security, OWNR Wallet offers a variety of useful features for both holders and traders.

The US will expand sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project. The sanctions will now affect companies that provide services or funding to install equipment on board the vessels that take part in the project. Such a move may permanently halt the construction of the pipeline. The news to expand the sanctions was reported on the website of the US Department of State. Similar restrictions are to be imposed on the participants of the Turkish Stream and other similar projects.The Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline provides for the construction of two sections of the gas pipeline system with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from the coast of Russia to Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Originally, the construction of the pipeline system was supposed to be completed in 2019. However, the work on the project was suspended after US Congress passed a package of sanctions against the participants of the project. The USA remains opposed to the project, claiming that it makes Europe overly dependent on Russian natural gas and increases political pressure on Ukraine, which transits natural gas further to Europe. Kiev and several countries of the European Union share the same position. "Russia uses its energy export pipelines to create national and regional dependencies on Russian energy supplies, leveraging these dependencies to expand its political, economic, and military influence, weaken European security, and undermine U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. These pipelines also reduce European energy diversification, and hence weaken European energy security," the US State Department said in a statement. Russia, Germany, Austria and a number of other countries, whose companies are involved in the construction, insist that this is nothing but a business project.In late 2019, the United States imposed sanctions on Nord Stream-2, having demanded the companies involved in the construction should immediately stop their works on the project. Allseas, a Swiss company, pulled out of the project almost at once.Representatives of Russia's natural gas monopoly, Gazprom, stated that they would be able to complete the construction of Nord Stream-2 independently. For the time being, one needs to finish the construction of the section that is 100 kilometres long. On October 17, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in an interview with RND that the project would be completed.

It's difficult to highlight any positives of the recent pandemic. However, if one exists in the business world, it's the virtual infrastructure that was built on the fly to allow companies to make the shift away from traditional brick and mortar operations. If you've been on the fence about a permanent shift in the virtual direction, this is your time to shine. The benefits of going virtual

On March 8, McDonald's fast food restaurant chain announced a temporary closure of all of its restaurants in Russia. It goes about 850 outlets that employ 62,000 employees. McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said that employees would still be paid their salaries during this period, but did not specify for how long and in what amount. McDonalds' decided to suspend its activities in Russia due to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine as the company cannot ignore the human suffering. Starbucks coffee chain made a similar decision the same day. Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said that all activities in Russia were suspended, including all shipments of all products.

Rising global commodity prices and falling economic growth around the world are the result of the decision by Biden and his European "acolytes" to declare economic war on Russia. The U. S. and the European Union announced tougher sanctions against Russia because of the "Bucha incident" without an international investigation. Nevertheless, as Pravda previously wrote, the "atrocities in Bucha" were most likely staged by the Zelensky regime. The economic war of Western civilization against Russia has in any case been declared and its goal is clear: the complete destruction of Russia, the seizure of its territories and natural resources. Most likely, the total energy blockade of Russia will only intensify, throwing the world financial markets into chaos.

With Halloween coinciding with school half-term and the religious festival of Diwali this year, UK shoppers embraced spooky season, delivering a boost to in-store shopper traffic, the latest data from Sensormaic Solutions, the leading retail traffic consulting and analytics group from Johnson Controls, shows.

Shipster, a custom shipping integration platform, and Futura Retail Solutions, an advanced retail and warehouse management software, have announced a strategic partnership to target growing omni-channel retail markets.

Online retailers saw a significant increase in online Halloween sales, bolstered by the event (31 Oct) falling during school half-term as well as coinciding with Diwali, according to data from Wunderkind, the AI-driven performance marketing solution.

The 2024 festive period could be a tricky one for retailers as shoppers hunt down the best deals amidst an ongoing cost of living crisis and focus the majority of their bargain hunting on the Black Friday weekend.

With the holiday season fast approaching, retail payroll teams around the world are bracing for the strain of seasonal hiring. The influx of workers means added payroll runs, and yet too few are turning to technology to ease the pressure.

Gold prices rose to a record high on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) on April 1, RBC reports with reference to data from the trading platform. June contracts for the supply of gold rose in price by 2.14 percent, to $2,286 per ounce. The price neared the level of $2,300 and reached a new all-time high. Gold is rising in price amid expectations for the US Federal Reserve to cut the rate in June, Warren Patterson, head of commodity strategy at ING Groep NV said.

RAIN Alliance, the non-profit industry organisation supporting the development and adoption of Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), has announced that 44.8bn RAIN RFID tag chips were shipped globally in 2023.This figure represents year-on-year growth of 32%, and reflects increasing demand across a variety of industries....

By Ed Smith, freelance journalist

Self-checkouts have proven to be an increasingly popular option for shoppers to take control of their own scanning of items. It can feel a little quicker and allows you to scan then pack your goods at your own pace rather than trying to keep up with a cashier.

EKM, the software solutions provider for simplified managed print, remote service automation, and anything-as-a-service (XaaS) subscription enablement, has entered into an international partnership with Global Document Lifecycle Solutions Integrator, @DOCS, an end-to-end provider for document, records, print and visitor management solutions.

Russia will build a line of struggle against the "terrorist enclave” in Ukraine similarly to the line that Israel is building in its struggle against Hamas. The world will again look at the double standards of the United States at their finest. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Ukraine of: bomb terrorism; financing of terrorism. The ministry said that investigative actions revealed Ukraine being behind the latest terrorist attacks in Russia. The department also demanded Kyiv should "arrest and extradite all persons involved” within the framework of the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings (ICBT) and the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. The Foreign Ministry clarified that a note to Kyiv regarding the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall would be sent separately after the completion of the investigation.

US Congress will provide $61 billion in military aid to Ukraine. Will Joseph Biden decide to transfer long-range missiles to Kyiv? Does Washington prepare for a terrorist war against Russia? Pravda.Ru asked these and other questions to Alexander Dudchak, candidate of economic sciences, leading researcher at the Institute of CIS Countries. The US Congress approved $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, but this money will be distributed between Ukraine, the American military-industrial complex and allies in Europe for arms procurement. What do you think of the bill? The decision did not come as a surprise. Of course, the bulk of the amount will be spent to support the US defence industry. The Americans say that they need long-term contracts to support the defence industry, and Washington is getting them by supporting Kyiv and the hostilities in Ukraine. A lion's share of those billions will be spent to support the US defence industry in the first place. In addition, they will allocate money for the National Nuclear Safety Committee and the Ministry of Health.

In the recent 2-3 years, an increasing number of malls and retail chains have adopted real-time video analytics and facial recognition to enhance security, customer experience and footfall analysis.

Some of these technologies are showcased this week at the NRF Protect Conference in Long Beach, California.

The National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. (NMFTA) served as the lead sponsor for the CyberTruck Challenge. This year marked the third year that NMFTA had served in this sponsorship role.

PPDS is participating at EquipHotel 2024 (3-7 November), with the latest innovations in its portfolio of hospitality display solutions, plus the launch of a brand new ‘all inclusive’ streaming partnership for Philips MediaSuite TVs.

The authorities of the Republic of Abkhazia again put spokes in the wheels of the law that determines the procedure for Russian legal entities to invest in the country. Abkhazia protests against investment agreement with Russia The agreement between Abkhazia and Russia on investment activity was submitted to the Abkhazian parliament for consideration, but the "opposition" rioted near the parliament building demanding that its ratification be removed from the current agenda. The document is aimed at developing infrastructure:

Russian military correspondent Alexander Kots said that the Russian Armed Forces use Elon Musk's technology in military actions. According to Kots, the Russian military use Starlink satellites in the special military operation zone. "The troops actively use Starlink in the SVO (SVO is a Russian abbreviation for special military operation — ed.). We use it, among other things, for broadcast to command posts, to get images from reconnaissance UAVs,” the military correspondent said. This has significantly raised the level of Russian intelligence, the military correspondent added.

Recently I've been on a couple of blogs, challenging creationists to classify some of the more problematical (for them) specimens from the hominid fossil record. Let's see if I get much of a response...

Updated July 25, 2006: Young-Earth creationists consider the helium diffusion studies of D. Russell Humphreys and others to be one of their greatest achievements in arguing for a 6,000 year old Earth. A geologist shows that these studies are extensively flawed and include: serious miscalculations in their data, sampling the wrong rock type, failing to eliminate possible contamination, using equations that are based on invalid assumptions and relying on questionable data. Appendices C and D have been added in response to Dr. Humphreys' most recent statements in his January 2006 "Trueorigins" essay.

Added August 17, 2006:

A new study from Juniper Research, the expert in fintech and payment markets, has found the volume of global transactions via A2A (Account-to-Account) payments will rise from 60 billion in 2024 to 186 billion by 2029; an increase of 209%.

As the peak festive sales season approaches, retailers face greater cybersecurity risk during the fourth quarter than any other time of year. Last year the average cost of a data breach jumped up 10% between 2023 and 2024. For retailers the cost has increased beyond the global annual average and sits at an 18% YoY increase ($2.96m).

By Franklin Carpenter, freelance writer.

The importance of customer data in retail continues to grow, pushing businesses to seek efficient management strategies. Cloud computing has proven to be a powerful resource for tackling customer data challenges, enabling retailers to streamline their processes.

Supporting a loved one as they near the end of their life can be confronting. Palliative care is there to help but such services are not equally accessible to all Australians, particularly those in rural areas.

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) announced that they have developed an advanced disease diagnosis and treatment system based on nanomaterials.

Dallas Martin, a first-generation senior nursing major from Helena, Arkansas, really does it all. This wife and mom of two is a full-time student at UA Little Rock, set to graduate in December with her bachelor's degree in nursing, while also working full-time as a physician's registered nurse in oncology and hematology at Carti Cancer Center in Little Rock.

Supporting a loved one as they near the end of their life can be confronting. Palliative care is there to help but such services are not equally accessible to all Australians, particularly those in rural areas.

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) announced that they have developed an advanced disease diagnosis and treatment system based on nanomaterials.

[Domestic] :
Medical students will be allowed to take a leave of absence as long as the request is for personal reasons.   The education ministry revealed the decision on Tuesday after holding a closed-door meeting with the presidents of 40 universities that have medical schools.   Previously, medical students were ...

[more...]

[Domestic] :
The nation has confirmed its first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza so far this fall season at a poultry farm in Gangwon Province.  Quarantine authorities said Wednesday that the birds at the farm in Donghae had the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the virus. The farm, which raises some 700 ...

[more...]

[Domestic] :
A new online labor union welcomes all members, regardless of occupation or industry, including job seekers who are not currently employed. The civic group Workplace Gapjil 119 announced the union’s launch Monday, saying it is based on an internet community and anyone can participate. The group said ...

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[Politics] :
Myung Tae-kyun, a self-proclaimed political consultant and a key figure in a high-profile scandal involving the president and first lady, appeared for questioning for the second consecutive day. Prior to interrogation by the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office on Saturday, Myung once again denied ...

[more...]

[Politics] :
Massive rallies by labor and civic groups are set to take place in Seoul on Saturday afternoon. The Federation of Korean Trade Unions(FKTU), one of the nation's two umbrella groups, staged a rally in Yeouido at 2 p.m., denouncing what it calls the government's "anti-labor policies." The other umbrella ...

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[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 ...

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[Politics] :
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said he is confident that the South Korea-U.S. alliance will continue to grow stronger under the incoming Donald Trump administration. At a press conference on Tuesday, Cho said President-elect Trump’s foreign policy, which prioritizes U.S. allies’ expanded role and ...

[more...]

[Inter-Korea] :
North Korea has reiterated its accusation that the South Korean military flew a drone over Pyongyang earlier this month, claiming it took off from South Korea’s Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea.  In a report on Monday, the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) said the country’s ...

[more...]

[Inter-Korea] :
A group representing families of South Koreans abducted by North Korea called off plans to send anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets north of the border, amid opposition from residents and the presence of law enforcement officers. Choi Seong-ryong, the head of the association, announced the decision Thursday ...

[more...]

[Inter-Korea] :
North Korea and Russia have accused the United States and its allies of escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with Moscow expressing its full support of the North's measures against the United States. Pyongyang and Moscow released press statements on Saturday, a day after a strategic dialogue ...

[more...]

[Inter-Korea] :
After demolishing sections of the inter-Korean roads and railways, North Korea has deployed troops to install anti-tank trenches there. The Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) announced on Monday that the North’s military recently installed concrete anti-tank trenches where the Gyeongui and Donghae roads and ...

[more...]

[Inter-Korea] :
North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Tuesday morning, just hours before the start of the U.S. presidential election.   South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) said it detected the launches around 7:30 a.m. from the Sariwon area in North Hwanghae ...

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[Sports] :
Former national football team member Son Jun-ho has been permanently banned by the Chinese Football Association(CFA). The CFA on Tuesday announced the disciplinary action against Son, accusing the football player of engaging in match-fixing and bribery. With the latest decision, Son is permanently ...

[more...]

[Sports] :
The national governing body of badminton has strongly protested the sports ministry's allegations of embezzlement and breach of trust by its chief, Kim Taek-gyu. In a statement late Friday, the Badminton Korea Association(BKA) said it will hold the government legally responsible for defamation, ...

[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...]