Apple’s plan to release its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) privacy enhancement feature in early spring has set the ad industry on its ear. ATT requires apps to get a consumer’s authorization before tracking them or the devices they are using. Ray Wang, principal analyst and founder at Constellation Research, told the E-Commerce Times that “at least 40 percent of consumers will say no.”http://dlvr.it/Rtd9nb Continue reading Apple’s New Privacy Framework Pressures the Digital Ad Market

Shopping trends are expanding as the pandemic’s effect on e-commerce continues, forcing retailers to adapt their marketing strategies to meet new consumer expectations and demands, according to a new report. Consumer adoption of digital shopping is driving increased use of user-generated content, new private labels, and access to product sampling.http://dlvr.it/RtcmYP Continue reading Shifting Shopping Trends Push Retailers to Rethink Marketing

Commerce analysts do not see consumers shedding their newfound buying options in the wake of a post-pandemic marketplace. Concerns for health safety, social distancing, and remote working will remain priorities for many shoppers. Merchants who demonstrate that they are able to quickly get products to consumers, resolve issues with customer service, and provide fast delivery and returns will be the ones that thrive.http://dlvr.it/Rtc6v4 Continue reading New Customer Experience Needs and Commerce Trends for 2021

Hong Kong (AFP) Feb 26, 2021 Hong Kong and South Korea kicked off coronavirus vaccination drives on Friday, as momentum builds for inoculation rollouts across the Asia-Pacific region. South Korea plans to inoculate 70 percent of its population within seven months while Hong Kong aims to vaccinate all adults by the end of the year. Both places were among the first to experience coronavirus outbreaks … Continue reading Hong Kong and South Korea start coronavirus vaccination drives

Washington DC (UPI) Feb 25, 2021 The Department of Homeland Security wants troops to stay at the southern border of the United States for the next three to five years, officials told the Government Accountability Office during a review of its role in the region. The GAO’s report examines the military’s role in security operations at the U.S.-Mexico border, which the Department of Defense has … Continue reading DHS expects troops to assist with border enforcement for 3 to 5 more years

Budapest (AFP) Feb 26, 2021 “We should be happy to get any vaccine,” said Laszlo Cservak, a pensioner queueing in Budapest for China’s Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine shot after Hungary became the first EU member to start using it. The inoculations began Thursday as some Hungarian doctors fret that Sinopharm’s Chinese maker has provided only minimal information on clinical trials of its vaccine, particularly for those … Continue reading Chinese coronavirus jab brings relief, and concern in Hungary

Reykjavik (AFP) Feb 24, 2021 A powerful earthquake on Wednesday rocked southwestern Iceland, including the capital Reykjavik, triggering increased volcanic activity but causing no serious injuries or damage, authorities said. The epicentre of the quake was located near Mount Keilir, a small mountain of 378 metres (1,240 feet) on the Reykjanes peninsula, some 30 kilometres (19 miles) south of Reykjavik, authorities addedhttp://dlvr.it/RtRyyr Continue reading Quake rocks Reykjavik, raises Iceland’s volcano activity

Paris (AFP) Feb 24, 2021 Whales, dolphins and porpoises have two properties that should not in theory go together – they have a long lifespan for mammals and they tend to be resistant to cancer. A new study suggests that the reason is written in their genes. In general, when a creature has more cells in its body, they are expected to be more vulnerable … Continue reading Whales’ cancer resistance ‘in their genes’

Retailers are finding new ways to retool their customer experiences to conform with the new contactless “everything” supply chain; and artificial intelligence and computer vision technologies are lending a notable hand. Out are the bulky metal lockers where customers had to open doors that many other people have come in contact with to retrieve their items staged from online purchases.http://dlvr.it/RtRykV Continue reading Contactless Goes Far Beyond Payments: It’s For Everything

United Nations, United States (AFP) Feb 23, 2021 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called a virtual meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday where he urged fellow leaders to take immediate action on the climate crisis or face worsening global instability. The planet’s warming temperatures were deemed inextricably linked to security by most countries, including the United States, France and Germany, though Russia … Continue reading Climate change a grave threat to world peace, Johnson tells UN