German competition guardians Face to face with Google, Apple & Co.

Status: 23.06.2021 3:56 p.m.

The big tech companies from the USA are becoming more and more powerful all over the world. There are also new players from China. The Bundeskartellamt does not just want to accept market power.

From Sebastian Tittelbach, WDR

For a few months now, one hears an abbreviation more frequently in the office corridors of the Federal Cartel Office: GAFA. They are the first letters of the really big ones: Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. And Bundeskartellamt President Andreas Mundt has all of these in his sights. “We are talking about the most powerful companies in the world. We’re getting very strong companies in China – so this is by no means an American event, it’s a global trend.”

New rules have been in effect since the beginning of the year

German competition law changed at the beginning of the year. Since then, the cartel watchdogs have been able to take action against Internet companies more easily. And the 400-person authority from Bonn does not shy away from tech giants from overseas worth billions. “It’s not about throwing sand in the machine”says head of the authorities Mundt. “Our aim is simply to end anti-competitive behavior at these companies.”

Amazon already had to reorganize its marketplace under pressure from the Federal Cartel Office. Amazon has given the smaller retailers who offer their goods there more rights. The Federal Cartel Office is currently taking a look at Apple. “We know what kind of universe Apple maintains, and I personally see it that way that restrictions of competition are possible”, so Mundt. “And now let’s see how this process develops.”

The pandemic is leaving its mark

The corona pandemic did not leave the Federal Cartel Office completely without a trace. In 2020, the investigators only went out for a single search – for reasons of hygiene, the head of the authorities said: “We were out last summer, and we’re honestly looking forward to going back out now, if the numbers allow.”

Even without searches, the Bonn authorities found enough evidence to punish companies. She imposed 349 million euros in fines last year. Half a billion less than in 2019, but still well above the long-term average. Above all, steel and aluminum forges, manufacturers of street sewer castings, such as covers made of cast iron or concrete, and wholesalers of pesticides have to pay. Elsewhere, the cartel watchdogs were more flexible because of Corona: in the automotive industry, for example, they approved collaborations between companies so that the supply chains did not collapse completely in the pandemic. “Then other cooperations are possible between companies where you might have concerns outside of the pandemic, then say in the pandemic: The economic situation is such that you can and must cooperate”, explains the head of the Cartel Office, Mundt.

High hopes, more work

He has great expectations of the new competition register, which was launched in the spring. “The competition register is simply about registering companies that owe something. Violation of minimum wage et cetera.” Such companies can be banned from public tenders for three to five years.

The Bundeskartellamt expects more work on merger control in the current year. Because of the pandemic, there could be more company mergers. The cartel office will examine such mergers without any corona bonus, announces the head of the authorities Mundt. Because when companies merge, it is usually forever – but hopefully not the corona pandemic

MGM and Amazon Is the takeover in danger of failing?

Status: 22.06.2021 10:18 p.m.

Actually, the mega-deal between the traditional MGM studio and the online giant Amazon was already dry. Now the takeover is to be checked again by the US Trade Commission FTC.

From Marcus Schuler, ARD studio Los Angeles

The Wall Street Journal reports that the new head of the FTC Trade Commission, Lina Khan, wants to take another closer look at the planned takeover of the renowned Hollywood studio by Amazon. The reason for this is an already existing competition procedure against Amazon, which the FTC has initiated.

The group actually wanted to take over the 97-year-old film studio from Jeff Bezos for the equivalent of 6.91 billion euros. This was intended to increase the Amazon Prime film library – Amazon’s streaming service – in order to be able to remain competitive with the video platforms of Netflix, Disney Plus and HBO Max. More than 4,000 productions are slumbering in the MGM archive – including all James Bond films. In addition, Amazon is increasingly producing its own content for its Prime video platform. In addition, the company has attracted attention with its aggressive purchasing policy in US sports rights. Among other things, it holds broadcasting rights to the US National Football League (NFL). Compared to other providers, however, their own library of entertainment goods such as series and feature films is relatively small.

In the worst case, no approval

The takeover has now suffered a setback. In the worst case scenario, it could not be approved. Only a few weeks ago, after consulting the Justice Department, the FTC reserved the right to examine the takeover more closely. Neither the US agency nor the online company wanted to comment on the process.

In the US, a great deal of competition has arisen for dominance in the streaming market. This market has so far been dominated by Netflix. The new head of the FTC, the 32-year-old Khan, caused a sensation five years ago with a legal article in the Yale Law Journal. In this she had described what she believed was anti-competitive behavior on the part of Amazon. She came to the conclusion that the current US competition laws are too weak to be able to put a constantly expanding company like Amazon in their place.

Less freedom for tech companies

In the past, Khan had advocated curbing large dominant companies time and again. This is one of the few overlaps shared by the two parties represented in Congress. Both Democrats and Republicans want to tighten the power of tech companies like Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon.

Khan was appointed to office by US President Joe Biden a few days ago. She is expected to regulate the big tech companies in Silicon Valley and on the US West Coast more tightly

Amazon On “Prime Day” there is a strike

Status: 21.06.2021 1:11 p.m.

Ironically, during the “Prime Day” discount campaign, a strike is to take place at seven locations of the online retailer Amazon in Germany. In Bad Hersfeld, employees have already stopped working. At the online retailer Amazon, a few hundred employees in Bad Hersfeld went on strike today at the start of the “Prime Day” discount campaign, which is taking place today and tomorrow. The Verdi union called for a strike at seven Amazon locations. In addition to the two logistics locations in Bad Hersfeld, Hesse, these are Werne, Leipzig, Rheinberg, Bad Hersfeld, Koblenz and Graben. The background to the strike is the wage dispute that has been smoldering for years between the union and Amazon. Verdi has been fighting for years to ensure that Amazon employees get a collective agreement and are paid according to the tariff for retail and mail order.

According to Verdi, around 3,300 women and men work across all five shifts in Bad Hersfeld. Since Sunday night they have been called to participate in the action planned until Wednesday. On Monday morning, the union counted around 300 people absent from work.

Group: No impact for customers

“Amazon spends millions on advertising and makes billions of dollars in sales on the days of the campaign. The employees in the shipping centers have to cope with the influx of customers and don’t get a cent for the increased workload,” said Orhan Akman, who is responsible for retail and mail order at Verdi. Amazon said the group does not expect any impact on customers. Amazon already offers “excellent pay, excellent additional services and excellent career opportunities – all in a safe, modern work environment”.

A spokesman pointed out that the starting wages for all employees in the German logistics network would be increased to the equivalent of at least twelve euros gross per hour from July. In autumn 2022, this is expected to rise to 12.50 euros. In addition, Amazon pays a special allowance for overtime, life and disability insurance and contributions to company pension schemes.

“Far from recognition and respect”

Amazon’s payment currently lags behind Verdi’s tariff requirement in retail and mail order, which is 12.50 euros for all employees. The union is harshly criticizing the group: Verdi called the announced increase in starting salaries to twelve euros per hour “cynical and far from recognition and respect”. Amazon behaves “like a landlord” who, when in a good mood, “has a few benefits for his day laborers”. The trade union is demanding that the federal government facilitate the path to generally binding collective bargaining provisions so that all companies in the respective industry are bound by them.

Competition authority Antitrust Office targets Apple

As of: June 21, 2021 2:46 p.m.

The Federal Cartel Office is now also investigating Apple. Above all, the US group’s business conduct in the App Store wants to investigate. Similar proceedings are in progress against other large tech companies. The Federal Cartel Office initiates investigations against the technology group Apple. The authority wants to find out whether the US group with parts of its business a “cross-market importance” has in competition. Cartel Office President Andreas Mundt said: “We will now examine whether Apple has built a digital ecosystem across several markets around the iPhone with the proprietary iOS operating system.” After all, the US group also produces tablets, computers, headphones and watches and sells them at the same time “a range of device-related services and services”. The Group’s Services division includes the App Store, iCloud, technical support at AppleCare, the Apple Music music service, the range of games in front of Apple Arcade, the Apple TV + streaming service and other services.

EU sees unfair competition

During its investigation, the Cartel Office will also examine Apple’s technical and financial resources as well as access to data, according to Mundt. One focus of the investigation will be on the operation of the app store, as this enables the group in many cases to influence the business activities of third parties.

Apple’s app store system is already being investigated by the EU Commission, which accuses the group of unfair competition with other providers of music streaming services. Among other things, it is controversial that 15 to 30 percent of the digital revenues in the App Store go to Apple. “We look forward to discussing our approach with the Federal Cartel Office and engaging in an open dialogue about any concerns”it said in a response from Apple. The group is “proud to be an engine for innovation and jobs”. The iOS platform alone supports more than 250,000 workplaces in Germany.

Cartel office can intervene earlier

The background to the investigation is a reform of the Act against Restraints of Competition (GWB) in January. A central component is the modernization of abuse control. The supervisory authorities can now intervene earlier in the event of suspected violations by large digital corporations and prohibit anti-competitive practices.

This also makes it easier for the Cartel Office to take action against large digital companies that are important to competition across borders between different market areas. This has already had consequences: the last time the Bonn authority was against the online network Facebook and in May against the mail order company Amazon and against the internet company Google Investigation started.

According to the cartel office, an expansion of the investigation against Apple is imminent. The authority intends to “to take a closer look at Apple’s specific behavior in a possible further procedure”. The Office has received various complaints against potentially anti-competitive practices

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos inspects the New Shepard launch facility in West Texas. A spot on his upcoming flight is up for auction. Photo: EPA This will be the first manned flight conducted by Bezos’ space company, Blue Origin. The flight is scheduled to take place on July 20, the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon. Bezos and his brother Mark, a former advertising executive and volunteer firefighter, will join the flight with the winner of the ship’s airfare auction, with the lowest bid of $2.8 million. USD. In an Instagram post, billionaire Bezos said he had dreamed of traveling into space since he was 5 years old. “I will go on that journey with my brother. The best adventure, with my best friend,” declared the Amazon founder. With an estimated personal fortune of $186.2 billion, Jeff Bezos is one of several billionaire entrepreneurs driving a “new space race,” each pumping billions of dollars into private startups. Their aim is to develop low-cost, commercialized space travel. But while Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson is expected to make a suborbital flight later this year, and SpaceX’s Elon Musk has vowed to “die on Mars,” it’s Bezos who’s the one. Win the race to be the first of this hit trio of billionaires to reach the edge of space. Watch Blue Origin successfully launch and land a reusable New Shepard space rocket (Source: CNBC) Mr Musk has yet to comment on Bezos’ latest statement, while Branson congratulated his rival, saying their two companies are “opening up to space”. “Congratulations to Jeff Bezos and his brother Mark for announcing their plans to go into space. Jeff started Blue Origin in 2000, we started Virgin Galactic in 2004 and now both are opening up access to space – incredible!” Branson tweeted. personal. Musk and Bezos are said to have been head-to-head on several projects over the past decade. Elon Musk sees his tech giant as an “imitation” in some of Amazon’s business ventures, while Bezos mocks the SpaceX CEO’s plans to send people to Mars. Bezos’ company Blue Origin was founded in 2000, touting itself as a means of providing cheaper access to space through the use of reusable rockets – namely the New Shepard that flew 15 times. Jeff Bezos’ space tourism project with Blue Origin is competing with a similar program being developed by Space X, the rocket company founded and run by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and the company. Virgin Galactic is backed by Richard Branson. In April 2017, Bezos revealed that he invests about $1 billion in Amazon stock in Blue Origin every year. Blue Origin’s spaceship system consists of a pressurized crew capsule mounted on top of a reusable New Shepard booster. During the first manned flight into space, the crew aboard the New Shepard will spend at least 10 minutes hovering in zero gravity inside the capsule. Bezos founded Blue Origin in 2000. The upcoming space flight is the culmination of more than two decades of forays into space for Jeff Bezos, who announced plans to step down as Amazon’s CEO just now. 15 days before flight date. Instead, he will become Executive Chairman of the company he founded in his garage in 1994 – allowing him “time and energy” to focus on other business ventures. Blue Origin named its space rocket program New Shepard after astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American to fly into space exactly 60 years ago. The upcoming flight will mark a major milestone in the mission to take paying customers beyond space. However, for now, Elon Musk’s SpaceX seems to be leading in the space billionaire race with multiple launches of NASA equipment to the ISS and a partnership to send tourists to space by 2021. On February 6, 2018, SpaceX launched a rocket to orbit Mars, more than 220 million km from Earth, and NASA selected two astronauts to join the first manned Dragon mission performed by SpaceX. . Watch the video of SpaceX’s Starship rocket being launched and successfully landed for the first time on May 5, 2021 (Source: SpaceX): SpaceX has also begun sending a series of 60 satellites into space to help form its Starlink network. Mr. Musk hopes the program will build a network of interconnected satellites around the Earth, thereby providing free Internet to everyone around the world. Meanwhile, billionaire Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic are taking a different approach to conquering space. Virgin Galactic has repeatedly performed successful test flights of the Unity spacecraft. The first time took place in December 2018 and the last time took place on February 22 this year. More than 600 wealthy clients to date, including celebrities like Brad Pitt and Katy Perry, have booked $250,000 for one of Virgin’s spacewalks. Richard Branson introduces SpaceShipTwo, a spaceship with room for six passengers and two pilots. Photo: Reuters Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo can carry six passengers and two pilots. Each passenger has a seat with two large windows – one on the side and one above. Passengers will become “astronauts” when they reach the Karman line, the boundary of Earth’s atmosphere. The spacecraft will then make a sub-orbital journey with about six minutes of weightlessness. The whole flight took about 1.5 hours.

The first time I contacted Amazon was learning the “reverse work method” proposed by Bezos many years ago: first understand what the customer needs, and then reverse the operation. This theory runs through all aspects of Amazon’s business management.

Obviously, Amazon Overseas Shopping knows what kind of cross-border good products Chinese consumers need most, and this kind of demand connection must be more professional and pure cross-border e-commerce services, which accurately match the supply and demand logic.

Cross-border online shopping is becoming a standard configuration for new consumption. In recent years, we have seen that all major domestic e-commerce platforms have their own cross-border e-commerce sections. This explains at least two trends: First, under the dual-cycle pattern, domestic consumers’ demand for foreign goods is on the rise. Second, reliable cross-border online shopping channels are still scarce. The competition within this track is not simply a competition for “goods”, but is essentially a competition for comprehensive service capabilities of “localization + internationalization”.

Although the demand is real, an unquestionable reality is also in front of us: consumers’ cross-border online shopping behaviors prefer vertical cross-border e-commerce platforms. The international sector of integrated e-commerce platforms still has a long way to go.

It is precisely because of this that Amazon has captured a natural opportunity in the battlefield of domestic e-commerce giants in the battlefield of the pure global cross-border online shopping e-commerce platform for Amazon overseas purchase.

At 618 this year, domestic e-commerce companies are playing hard. Amazon chose to simultaneously open Prime Membership Day in 20 countries around the world in 621. This is also the 5th Prime Membership Day for Chinese buyers, with as low as 30% off and a 64-hour global cross-border online shopping scan for consumers to take over. 618’s baton, continue to buy, buy and buy.

Regardless of PK or relay, in fact, Prime Member Day does not directly compete with 618 and Double 11, because in many aspects, the unique logic of Amazon Prime Member Day is not the same as the latter two.

1

Differences in Prime Member Day

At first glance, Prime Member Day, 618, and Double 11 are all online shopping spree, but if you look closely, in fact, Prime Member Day is essentially different from 618 and Double 11.

First of all, the positioning of Prime Membership Day is different. It is a global e-commerce carnival with a larger scope and longer commodity circulation links, which can be understood as a staggering of N outer cycles. This is not difficult to understand. As a global cross-border e-commerce platform, Amazon’s supply chain logic is “sell the world globally.” In comparison, the focus of domestic e-commerce platforms is on the internal circulation, such as national trendy products, emerging brands, sinking markets, and so on.

Secondly, Prime Member Day has more cross-border online shopping games, more categories, and more fun from a global perspective. On the one hand, Amazon’s global supply chain advantage has its own exotic flavor, regardless of the source of goods, category, and brand have pure origin characteristics. On the other hand, it’s an old truth that things are precious. Prime member day starts on June 21 (China opens at 23:00 on June 20 due to time difference), which lasts for 64 hours, and offers a concentrated discount cross-border online shopping experience. It is bound to be more attractive to “grab”.

Prime member day itself also introduced more innovative gameplay. For example, it launched a unique global promotion synchronization technology, allowing consumers to enjoy the real-time cross-border online shopping experience of “same source, same inventory, and same discount” on the four major overseas sites in the United States, Britain, Japan, and Germany; the third-generation “smart size assistant” “, the granularity of size matching has been increased from “brand category” to “single selection”, bringing consumers an overseas shopping experience comparable to “real-life shopping guide”; in terms of product and promotional information recommendation, a customized information waterfall has been built Stream, use the deep convolutional neural network to accurately perceive user preferences, and integrate the information waterfall flow into discount information such as “Treasure of the Town”, “Seckill” and shopping theme recommendations.

Innovation brings a unique and differentiated experience. From an objective point of view, domestic consumers have passed 618, followed by 621, which complements the dual-cycle consumption pattern of “inner circulation + outer circulation”.

2

One more choice for new consumption

What is more worthy of discussion is actually this kind of value: Amazon’s overseas purchases give new consumers an additional choice.

The first is the shopping experience. The pure cross-border online shopping experience is different from domestic e-commerce shopping. In addition to the scene experience brought about by the above technological innovations, a more differentiated experience depends on Amazon’s insight into the characteristics of domestic consumers’ cross-border online shopping needs. As Li Yanchuan, vice president of Amazon China, said: “Facing the more diversified and personalized cross-border online shopping needs of Chinese Prime members, during this year’s membership day, we will provide more exclusive products and more value-added offers. And a more convenient shopping experience, bringing a fully upgraded Amazon Prime membership day online shopping feast.”

The second is the service innovation of Prime Member Day itself, which not only meets the new needs of consumers, but also reflects the evolution of Amazon’s overseas purchase service capabilities.

China’s Prime Membership Day will start at 23:00 on June 20th with Amazon Japan, and will end at 15:00 on June 23rd with Amazon America.

During these 64 hours, Chinese Prime members will have exclusive privileges for Prime members from Amazon’s four major overseas sites in the United States, Britain, Japan and Germany, as well as 21 customized surprise discounts specially created for Chinese consumers. Log in to z.cn/primeday or download the Amazon mobile app, or search for the WeChat applet of Amazon overseas purchases. New users can enjoy full discounts and participate in the global carnival of Amazon Prime Member Day.

At the same time, China’s Prime members’ cross-border free shipping rights have been continuously upgraded. Prime members can enjoy unlimited cross-border free postal services with zero threshold. Non-Prime member users can enjoy cross-border free postal services with a single order of 300 yuan or more. In addition, relying on Amazon’s world-leading mature logistics system and the innovative layout of cross-border front warehouses, it has now supported the fastest 3 working days of service in some cities across the country during the membership day. During the Prime Membership Day in 2020, it set a record for the fastest cross-border logistics distribution that took only 1.7 working days.

This logistics delivery speed not only kills many overseas market logistics services, but also matches the domestic speed, which means that Amazon China has established a deep business advantage with “global supply chain + localized services in China”.

Finally, the essence of new consumption lies in “new”, new experience, new link, and new hope. Amazon’s overseas purchases have made the competition for new consumption one more choice. This is a differentiated competition. It may be a dimensionality reduction in service capabilities, or it may not, but it is not the same.

For the new consumer demand of “diversified and individualized”, “different” itself is the most important value.

Amazon has launched a Prime membership service tailored specifically for Chinese consumers in China. It is also Amazon’s first global membership service that supports unlimited free delivery of cross-border orders throughout the year. In addition to Prime member day and cross-border free shipping rights, Prime members in China also enjoy a series of member exclusive rights such as Prime Wednesday member day, member exclusive discounts, and accelerated delivery.

A different Amazon China brings a different cross-border shopping experience to Chinese consumers. This is the obvious value.

The imagination behind this value lies in the fact that when “service capabilities” are constantly localized, such as express delivery becoming more and more timely, Amazon China Prime Membership Day may really become a new pole beyond 618 and 11.11.

We say that the successful model has the possibility of unlimited replication, and this kind of localized super service capability based on the global supply chain is also possible. This means that this model is very likely to be replicated indefinitely on the membership days of countries around the world. Come true, Prime Member Day will be the only cross-border online shopping at this level of global vision.

Disclosure report Bezos, Musk and Co. hardly paid any taxes

As of: 06/09/2021 05:04 a.m.

A new report reveals that the richest Americans hardly pay any income tax – among them Amazon founder Bezos and Tesla boss Musk. The tax authority wants to determine how the confidential data became public. By Torsten Teichmann, ARD studio Washington In 2007, multibillionaire Jeff Bezos didn’t pay a dime in US income tax. In 2011, too, the Amazon founder offset his income against losses so much that the US tax authority IRS granted him an income-related child allowance of 4,000 US dollars. This had often been speculated about. But now the numbers are known. The foundation for investigative journalism ProPublica quotes from Bezos tax return. These tax tricks are not illegal. But the network of loopholes and discounts remains denied to most Americans due to lack of assets. They move from salary to salary, as US President Joe Biden complains time and again: “Sometimes I argue with friends in the Democratic Party about it: It’s okay to be a billionaire or a millionaire, but pay your fair share.”

What tax amounts are fair for the rich?

But how much should the top 0.01 percent in the US contribute financially to society? There is a dispute about this. The ProPublica report rekindles this debate. The foundation has obtained official tax documents from thousands of the richest Americans, says the journalist Jesse Eisinger involved in the NPR radio station. They cover a period of 15 years. ProPublica initially refers to the reported income from the tax returns of the 25 richest Americans and the increase in wealth over the period that is not taxed. In addition to Bezos, Tesla founder Elon Musk, Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg and New York’s ex-Mayor Michael Bloomberg will be there.

If we look at the actual tax on capital growth – which is essentially your income – then its tax rate is 3.4 percent. For people like Jeff Bezos or Warren Buffet, it’s even less.

Far from the top tax rate of 37 percent

The investor Warren Buffet paid 0.1 percent tax on income and asset growth between 2014 and 2018, ProPublica calculates. At Bezos it is just under one percent. Americans pay an average of 14 percent income tax. The top tax rate would be 37 percent. America’s billionaires are far from that. The Biden administration reacted cautiously to the findings. Any unauthorized publication of government documents is against the law, said Biden’s spokeswoman Jen Psaki. The Ministry of Finance is trying to clarify how the tax returns have come to the public.

Generally speaking, we know that more needs to be done to ensure that businesses and high-income citizens do more of their fair share. This is what the President says in his proposals, in his budget, and this is how he wants to pay for his proposals. A government proposal provides for higher taxes for households with an annual income of more than $ 400,000. According to the ProPublica report, however, it is completely unclear whether a corresponding reform will generate additional income as long as the loopholes in the tax laws of the USA are not closed.

Photo: Reuters Specifically, when asked about the possibility of Amazon and Facebook being affected by the new proposal, Ms. Yellen said: “It will include companies with large profits and those companies mentioned above, I believe, will be in the bottom line. among affected companies by almost any definition.” Photo: Reuters A joint agreement by the G7 finance ministers recently said it would solve the tax avoidance problem of “the largest and most profitable multinational enterprises”. Reuters says Amazon has a lower profit margin than most other tech giants, and European countries are concerned that Amazon could avoid additional taxes with the US’s initial proposals to the G7. Photo: Forbes For its part, Facebook is open to the changes the G7 team is discussing. The largest social network on the planet also accepts the fact that it may pay more taxes in many countries, Nick Clegg, Facebook’s global affairs director, told Reuters . Photo: Variety “Facebook has long called for a global tax overhaul and welcomes the significant changes introduced by the G7,” Clegg said on Twitter. “Today’s agreement is an important first step toward certainty for business and improving public confidence in the world tax system.”

Social network icon Facebook. Photo: AFP/VNA This is the first antitrust investigation that European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager has launched against the world’s number one social media provider and the latest she has launched into an American “tech giant”. Ms. Vestager had previously forced Alphabet – Google’s parent company to pay a fine of 8 billion euros (about 9.7 billion USD) and is conducting a similar investigation to Amazon and Apple. During the Facebook investigation, Ms. Vestager said she would review Facebook’s huge data warehouse collected from 7 million companies that have participated in advertising on this social network. The European Commission (EC) and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are investigating the possibility of Facebook exploiting its dominant position in the social network or digital advertising by collecting collects and uses data, and examines Facebook’s “distortion” of the advertising market through service classification. Ms. Vestager stressed that in today’s digital economy, data should not be used in ways that undermine competition. This tech giant may have to change its business model with large fines. Reacting to the EU and UK’s decision, Facebook said it will fully cooperate with the authorities of both sides to demonstrate that Facebook’s integrated “Marketplace” and dating platform provides all people with more choices and all operate in a highly competitive environment. In the role of “gatekeeper”, Facebook as well as other social networking platforms have collected a large amount of personal private information of users based on privacy terms to develop an integrated platform. Marketplace aims to increase competitive advantage over competitors. In the past, the UK has rarely conducted independent antitrust investigations into US tech giants. Since withdrawing from the EU, the UK’s antitrust division has become an independent global regulator. Andrea Coscelli, CEO of the CMA, has pledged to tackle companies like Google and Facebook with a series of antitrust lawsuits, and said he is open to working alongside colleagues in Brussels.

Boiling River. Boiling River Our understanding of the history of the Boiling River (as it relates to humans) comes from two primitive sources: local Amazonians and oil field documents from the early stages of oilfield development. Agua Caliente. Map of the boiling regions of the Boiling River, up to the range of the Boiling River merging with other rivers. Ancient history Traditionally, locals say that the Boiling River has existed since “before the days of the great-grandfathers and nuns”. The ancient name of the river was “Shanay-timpishka”, which means “Boiling in the heat of the sun”, although the heat source is likely geothermal. This is a pretty interesting name for a variety of reasons. First, the name speaks for itself as a hypothesis, illustrating how the ancients sought to explain the world around them. Second, the name is in the Amazonian-Quechua dialect which may not be archaic, likely only a few hundred years old. There is certainly a deeper history to explore, and more research will be done to truly understand what the Boiling River meant to the ancestors of the Amazons. According to Mr. Maestro Juan Flores, shaman of the Mayantuyacu region, Peru, the Boiling River has always been considered a place of great spiritual power. In the past, locals were still afraid to go into the forest of the Boiling River, especially the area of ​​Mayantuyacu, in the province of Puerto Inca, western Peru because the jungle is home to very powerful spirits, and There are even man-eating leopards. As a result, only the most powerful magicians (some of whom are ancestors of Mr. Maestro Juan) often visit the river to live with the spirits and learn the art of healing from the spirits. Westerners come to the river In the late 1920s, Peru was looking to expand its Amazon region and better connect with cities like Pucallpa and elsewhere in the country. In 1929, American geologist Robert B. Moran conducted an aerial survey from an airplane for a railway construction project and discovered a large oval mound jutting out of the forest. He immediately identified this as a potential oil reservoir, claiming it to be a salt dome. Below the River. Moran continued to organize field expeditions in 1930, 1931, and 1932. When Moran and his colleagues first encountered the Boiling River, they were concerned that the Agua Caliente Dome was a volcano and not a volcano. are sedimentary structures because geothermal systems can “cook off” oil reserves, rendering them worthless. Fortunately, they found layers of natural oil seeping into other parts of the area (not on the Boiling River) and determined that the river was not of volcanic origin. In their early maps, they referred to the river as “Shanaya” or “Shamaya,” a variation on the name “Shanay-timpishka.” In their accounts of the 1930s, Moran’s group said that “no more than 50 people lived in the area of ​​Agua Caliente”, and that the majority of them were “descendants of people who arrived in the region during the outbreak. rubber explosion”. The account also describes “there were a small number of Indians living in the main rivers, where they were rarely seen and their numbers were practically insignificant”. This is consistent with the shaman Maestro Juan’s description that only the most powerful of magicians go to the Boiling River, so few natives live there. Take a sample of 97oC boiling water. We can only guess what the natives had to think, as the oilmen entered this dangerous land of powerful spirits. Finally, Moran and his team confirmed the potential of the Agua Caliente oil field, obtained a concession to develop and exploit the oil field, and in 1938 they successfully drilled the first oil well in the area. Amazon, in Peru. Over the next 80 years or so, the ownership of Agua Caliente passed through different oil companies. Currently, Maple Energy Company is exploiting this oil field. Since the early 1990s, non-Amazon native visitors have come to the Boiling River region from all over the world, visiting Mayantuyacu and Santuario Huistin for traditional healing. Magus Maestro Santiago Enrique and his wife. Shaman centers on the Boiling River A young shaman has just finished his studies to become a traditional healer and he visits the forest. While walking, he accidentally stepped into a hunter’s trap and was shot in the leg. He was taken to the hospital and the doctors told him he would never walk again. A nurse named Sandra challenged: “If you’re such a powerful magician, why don’t you heal yourself?” Remembering the stories his grandfather used to tell him about the powerful healing spirits present on the Boiling River, the young mage picked up his crutches and walked into the woods. Maestro shaman Don Juan Flores. At the Boiling River, there was a Came Renaco tree that crossed over the Boiling River, its roots clinging to a rock and its branches submerged in the steam of the river. The young mage healed himself using the sap, bark and leaves of the Came Renaco tree along with the river’s water, and he was able to walk again. It was here that he later founded the healing resort of Mayantuyacu and began his journey like Maestro Juan Flores, or sheripiari Asháninka (healer, shaman). He married the nurse Sandra and together, they run the healing center, helping to treat tourists with ancient Amazonian remedies. Maestro Enrrique, shaman of the healing center Santuario Huistin, was originally a builder and tells how he accepted his call to become a curandero (male physician) after having a dream about the Virgin Mary in the forest. The Lady tells him to fold his tools and draw people to the rain forest to reveal its healing secrets to them. He obeyed and sought guidance from Maestro Juan Flores. After completing his training, he founded his healing center named Santuario Huistin on the Boiling River. Together with his wife Ayme, also a curandera (medicine woman) and shaman, they treat travelers with traditional Amazonian medicine. The rain forest around the Boiling River was destroyed. Why is it still a mystery? Before the oil field exploration and development program, the Soi River was a remote location known only to the locals. When the first oil field development began in the area, the rights and welfare of the indigenous peoples as well as the best for the environment were not taken into account. Moran’s accounts make it clear that the oil workers were initially troubled by the presence of the Boiling River in the area because geothermal systems could “swallow up” oil reserves, make them worthless. Fortunately for the oil miners, they found leaks of natural oil in the area (not on the Boiling River), and could see that the Agua Caliente dome was not a volcano. Although the Soi River was included in the original documents in the oil field rights document, it is reported only as a landmark, and as the original northern boundary of the oil field. Andrés Ruzo sits beside the Boiling River. Over the past 80 years, the rules, regulations and requirements related to oil development in the Amazon (especially with regard to environmental and social issues) have dramatically changed things. From the original mining concession to the present day, it is certain that the Boiling River will be identified as an important cultural site. Geothermal scientist Andrés Ruzo. In 2011, the Peruvian geophysicist’s aunt, Andrés Ruzo, introduced him to the Boiling River, as she had visited the Mayantuyacu region. The concept of this landmark quickly became clear to Andrés Ruzo through preliminary tests that the river was of geological importance; While sharing his observations with Maestro Juan, Maestro Juan then decided to bless Andrés in the process of studying the sacred river. Then Maestro Enrrique also blessed Andrés. In doing so, they allowed him to become the first geologist to make a detailed study of the Boiling River. Since this time, Andrés Zuro has worked closely with both the Mayantuyacu and Santuario Huistin treatment centers to study the river, protect it, and in the utmost responsibility they have brought it to the river. world.

After receiving the order, it took 2 months for Amazon to deliver the camera to Bill and Kelly Chiles. When he opened the box, Bill saw two camera boxes inside, but both were empty. Ordered a Sony camera for $7,000 on the Internet but only received an empty box. Photo: Denver7. In an interview, Bill said that he was “shocked” when he did not see any cameras. “I’ve heard the same thing happen with 3rd party delivery, not Amazon,” Bill said the amount of money he and his wife saved up to buy the camera. “We used to buy cameras on Amazon and have not had any problems,” the photographer said. When contacting Amazon, Bill continued to be surprised when the people who received the complaint behaved irresponsibly, claiming the package was authenticated and refusing to refund. Amazon employees even hang up the call themselves when there are no support issues. Kelly Chiles, Bill’s wife, expressed frustration with Amazon’s support, despite sending proof of the problem with the package. Accordingly, the box sent by UPS weighs only 0.9 kg, while the Sony website says that the camera packaging box weighs more than 1.4 kg. Bill expressed frustration when Amazon employees responded irresponsibly, refusing to refund. Photo: Denver7. “Someone stole the camera. In fact, they stole both because 2 boxes have serial numbers close to each other,” Bill did not rule out the case that Amazon employees stole the camera, and they were covering their luggage. vi for each other. In addition, he also discovered that the same model was sold on secondhand markets in the area, cheaper than the original price of the company. Bill and Kelly filed a complaint with the local police and emailed Jeff Bezos. The response email said that once the credit card dispute is resolved, Amazon will process the claim. The platform also entered the investigation after the incident was shared on the Internet. This is not the first time this has happened. In 2018, YouTube channel owner Chasontwowheels reflects ordering a Canon 1DX Mark II camera but only receiving an ice box. When contacting for exchange, the second parcel was filled with bricks. Apple is creating a device with 15 cameras, 2 screens of 8K The headset will integrate 15 cameras, 2 8K screens and an adjustable strap. Perhaps for a long time, AR/VR headsets will become a reality.

According to the two companies, with this deal, Amazon will help “preserve the legacy of MGM and its film inventory” and provide customers with a more dynamic channel to access works by MGM. perform. Due to the impact of the epidemic, the latest installment of the James Bond franchise, titled No Time to Die, has yet to be released. Photo: MGM. MGM is one of Hollywood’s oldest film studios, dating back almost a century. Its resources include more than 4,000 feature titles and approximately 17,000 hours of TV content. The globally famous movie brands produced by MGM must be mentioned: James Bond , The Hobbit , Rocky , Creed , RoboCop , The Pink Panther , Stargate , Silence of the Lambs … MGM is also the name behind the hit TV series like Fargo , Vikings , The Handmaid’s Tale … and programs The Voice , Survivor , Shark Tank … Over the years, the face of the Hollywood film industry has been changing rapidly in the direction of many veteran studios merging into part of multimedia corporations. Disney owns 20th Century Fox, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm and Pixar; WarnerMedia merged with Discovery and now Amazon buys MGM. The deal with MGM is the second-biggest deal Amazon has ever made. In 2017, the company spent $ 13.7 billion to buy Whole Foods. Amazon did not specify when the MGM merger process will be completed. However, internal sources said that it is likely that the buying and selling process will end at the end of 2021. The figure of 8.54 billion that Amazon spent to buy back MGM includes debts up to now. After the merger was completed, MGM continued to operate as a subsidiary of the Amazon brand. MGM’s merger with Amazon is Hollywood’s latest studio acquisition. Earlier, on May 17, AT&T announced it had sold WarnerMedia to Discovery for $43 billion. From here, WarnerMedia will join forces with Discovery to create “an independent and pioneering global entertainment business”.

Amazon has acquired Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), a long-standing Hollywood studio. Amazon has reached an agreement to own movie studio MGM for $8.45 billion, the company announced on May 26. This is considered a significant step forward for the e-commerce giant when Amazon will add to the available content store about 4,000 titles and 17,000 hours of TV series. The deal helps Amazon attract more Prime users, in order to compete fairly with rivals that own a diverse stock of original movies like Netflix or Disney Plus. MGM is the Hollywood studio behind hit franchises like James Bond and Rocky, but also modern adult series like The Handmaid’s Tale and Vikings. In addition, this studio also owns popular TV shows such as The Voice (Vietnamese Voice) and Shark Tank (Billion Billion Deal). However, the most famous and best known by Vietnamese people is the animated series Tom and Jerry. “The real financial value behind this deal is the IP treasure (copyright) that we plan to renew and grow with the talented team of MGM,” said Mike Hopkins, vice president. in charge of Prime Video and Amazon Studios said. Amazon’s television business is still only a very small slice of an e-commerce empire worth $ 1,650 billion. However, to date, there are more than 200 million subscribers to use Amazon Prime monthly service, with a service fee of 5.99 USD/month. News of Amazon’s acquisition of Hollywood’s 97-year-old studio emerged in mid-May. On May 24, the Wall Street Journal revealed that Amazon was very close to a deal to acquire MGM. MGM is owned by a group of investment funds including Anchorage Capital Group, Highland Capital Management, and Solus Alternative Asset Management. Reports about investors wanting to sell MGM to recover capital have surfaced since the end of December 2020. Currently, Hollywood film studios are in a fierce race to fight against the powerful forces of the day like Netflix or Disney. Last week, telecommunications giant AT&T also planned to merge WarnerMedia with Discovery to create the world’s second-largest media giant, after Disney mouse house. At that time, AT&T ambitiously merged HBO Max and Discovery Plus to create a video-on-demand service with a rich content store that could beat the competition. Phuong Nguyen (according to TheVerge)

The lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Karl Racine’s office, accuses Amazon of controlling nearly 70% of e-commerce sales, leading to high consumer prices. Holding nearly 70% of commercial sales, Amazon is sued against antitrust in the US The complaint was received by the District of Columbia Attorney’s Office, which said: “This online retail platform benefits and is protected by Amazon’s anti-competitive business practices. That leaves consumers vulnerable. do not have access to the best products at the lowest cost”. In addition, Amazon also caused prices across the entire online retail market to increase virtual prices for products sold on Amazon.com as well as on competitors’ online retail sales platforms. Also in the lawsuit, the e-commerce group used methods to prevent third-party sellers on its platform from offering products at lower prices than competitors. Amazon also responded to AFP that sellers set their own prices for the products they offer in Amazon’s stores, and this response contradicts comments made by the Justice Department. This e-commerce group also prides itself on offering the lowest prices with the best selection unlike any other online platform, so Amazon reserves the right not to attach deals to products that don’t have it. competitive price for customers. This lawsuit has Amazon possibly forced to charge higher prices on its e-commerce platform. The lawsuit is intended to block Amazon from anticompetitive practices as well as claims for damages and other penalties. According to eMarketer, Amazon’s e-commerce market share in the US in 2020 is 39.8% and will increase in 2021 to 44.1%, equivalent to the amount of 367.19 billion USD. According to statistics, Amazon’s profit in the first 3 months of 2021 reached 8.1 billion USD, 3 times higher than the same period in 2020. In 2020, the US Federal and State Antitrust Enforcement Agency filed lawsuits against Facebook and Google for allegedly dominating illegal markets.

Internet Computer coin traded at 370.3 USD – Photo: Bloomberg Just launched on May 10, virtual currency called Internet Computer has immediately entered the top 10 largest virtual currencies in the world with a market capitalization of about 45 billion USD, according to the ranking on CoinMarketCap.com. Internet Computer was created to help anyone – from software developers to content creators – upload whatever they want to the internet without having to go through tech giants like Amazon. , Facebook or through servers, commercial cloud services. According to Dominic Williams, founder of the Internet Computer project, this virtual currency helps users avoid closed ecosystems of businesses and reduce costs. Users can build their own social networks as well as many other services to compete with giant internet companies. Internet Computer coin price movement after one day of launch – Source: Coinmarketcap.com The Internet Computer’s network uses smart contracts or task execution software to compete with larger cryptocurrencies like Ether (currently the second largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization). Internet Computer is also “shaking hands” with many other cryptocurrencies and related networks – such as Polkadot, Binance Coin – to bypass Ether. The Internet Computer coin was born in the context of virtual currencies from Bitcoin to Dogecoin being mentioned everywhere, at dinners to Saturday Night Live on national television in the US. Top 10 largest cryptocurrency market capitalization, updated price at 9:00 am on May 12 (Vietnam time) – Source: Coinmarketcap.com Dong Internet Computer traded at 370.3 USD at 9:00 am on May 12 (Vietnam time), up more than 1% compared to the previous 24 hours. This virtual currency transaction value reached 1.5 billion USD, an increase of nearly 90% in 24 hours. The market capitalization of the entire cryptocurrency market is now $2,480 billion, up from less than $1 trillion earlier this year.

Amazon’s distribution center in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, April 25, 2020. Documentary photo: AFP/VNA The appeal comes after the LuxLeaks scandal exposed in 2014 revealed 500 tax agreements between Luxembourg and more than 350 international businesses, including many billion-dollar tax frauds and involving corporations. such as Apple, IKEA, Pepsi… These corporations have had tacit agreements with the tax authorities of Luxembourg to enjoy lower tax rates than prescribed. In the case of Amazon, in 2017 European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager accused Luxembourg of having an illegal arrangement with the online commerce giant to pay less tax than other businesses. other profession. Accordingly, Luxembourg has offered a preferential tax policy for Amazon, helping nearly three-quarters of the company’s profits not be taxed. At the heart of the EU’s allegations is Amazon’s violation of the so-called “market price principle”, which ensures that transactions between subsidiaries are based on prices that other independent companies in the market would charge. must return. At the time of the EU case, Amazon said it had not received any special treatment from Luxembourg, and insisted it had paid taxes in full in accordance with both Luxembourg and international tax law. However, analysts are not too optimistic about the ability of the EU’s requirements to be upheld. Less than a year ago, iPhone maker Apple won a spectacular victory in this same court against the European Commission’s request that Apple pay 13 billion euros in taxes to Ireland in 2016. But whether it wins or loses in the appeal, the European Commission will likely emphasize its goal of targeting corporate profits. The agency is also developing new rules to close tax loopholes, especially for tech giants. In recent weeks, the US side has gradually embraced the idea of ​​a global minimum corporate tax. Negotiations on cross-border corporate tax are underway at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). If successful, this tax policy will make special transactions for multinational companies a thing of the past.

As of mid-December 2020, Forbes It is estimated that the net worth of the group of more than 2,200 billionaires in the world has increased by more than $1.9 trillion. Many of these people are spending a large part of their money on personal pleasures, according to NZ Herald . Recently, Jeff Bezos, the owner of Amazon, bought a yacht so large that it needed a “side boat” to support. The total estimated value of this yacht is up to 500 million USD. That figure is just a fraction of the more than $75 billion in earnings Bezos made last year. The super-rich are “crazy” to buy probes and cruisers. Photo: NZ Herald. Over the past year, superyacht maker Cecil Wright & Partners has sold 354 units, costing $840 million to build. Due to travel restrictions between countries, many have been acquired. The super-rich are also eyeing the Arksen marine exploration ship and luxury cruiser. At around $17 million, they allow owners to explore the wildest places on the planet. “The elite want to know how far they can go when it comes to unexpected adventures,” says Jasper Smith, president of Arksen. Longing to travel Helicopters and electric cars are also favored by Ultra-High Net-Worth Individual (UHNWIs) individuals. They hope to make the most of them once the Covid-19 pandemic is over. “Three times in lockdown and spending most of my time at home has made me hungry to travel and experience,” said Martin Reith, president of Luchford, the media agency for luxury brands. In addition, the super-rich also want to find private resorts. For example, Lopud 1483 in Croatia, a renovated monastery with a rental price of 137,000 USD/week, or Deplar Farm, which offers high-speed heli-skiing and luxury trout fishing in Northern Iceland. Private planes and helicopters are loved by the elite. Photo: Insider. Many other rich people are also interested in electric cars. They love buying a Polestar 2 and riding around the city on Porsche’s new e-bike. Meanwhile, helicopters are more popular than ever in the UK. “Bamfords helicopters are a regular occurrence at the Daylesford Shire. I saw them hovering more and more over the Cotswolds. They come in handy for commuting to London. Owners can go anywhere in minutes,” said Harry Gladwin (from the UK). For others, hunting for land and houses is a prerequisite. Jess Simpson, a real estate agent over $20 million, receives three calls a day. Simpson said his clients are always worried there won’t be enough room for nannies, tutors and grandparents should the government blockade again in the future. “Bahamas is a good choice because of the good tax rates. In Europe, the South of France and the Balearics are attracting great interest. Some have moved to Ibiza permanently to send their children to private schools and enjoy life. Also, Portugal is also very popular, because buying a house there can guarantee EU citizenship,” Simpson said. Currently, the richest people in the UK are focusing on buying more houses. Their obsession with space has brought them to Scotland, where there are sports grounds and castles to relax with friends and family. Real estate investment Beach homes are also selling at a rate not seen since 2007. Many are looking for apartments in Norfolk, Dorset and Cornwall. “Private vineyards are gaining in popularity. Many have even established oak plantations,” adds Simpson. While the middle class is fleeing the capital to find a place to live, the super-rich still see London as “true love”. Others are investing in art and furniture. Baird Allis (40 years old), a lawyer, feels happy to own paintings of the Dutch golden age. Modern swimming pools are favored by the rich. Photo: New York Times. In addition, the upper class also splashed money on basements to create multifunctional spaces for working, relaxing, exercising, eating and playing. “Customers often want a meditation room, a ‘vitamin C shower’, a giant changing room, a golf simulator, and a tennis player in their own home,” said Edoardo Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi (UK), real estate developer. real estate, say. After a year without parties, socializing activities are also a priority for individuals with extremely high net worth. It’s no surprise that London’s most exclusive restaurants cater to only 10 pre-booked diners each evening. According to expert Katrina Kutchinsky, the trend of home restaurant-style dining continues to explode. It is normal for the super-rich to invite famous chefs like Alex Webb, the MasterChef champion, to prepare dinner by the pool. Natural swimming pools are equally popular. The list of works of many furniture companies has stretched to 2022. This leaves the super-rich customers with no choice but to endure a summer of “no” new-style swimming pools.

So the statistics still often come from single expert analysis. Recently, according to Variety, TV analytics provider TVision announced that Falcon and the Winter Soldier was the most watched series in March. TVision aggregates viewership among the three main streaming carriers, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon. The latest Marvel Studios show was watched 40.4 times more often than regular TV shows. The series beat out other competitors such as This Is a Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist and The Serpent in April, even breaking WandaVision’s record in March. This development also highlights the effectiveness of weekly releases compared to a series like Netflix. Only a month from now, Loki will hit theaters and with the feat of Falcon and Winter Soldier, surely fans are no longer skeptical about the commercial and communication power of the series that God tricked Asgard into as a pilot.

The amount raised through long-term bonds is only a small portion of the total debt that Amazon has issued, estimated at about 18.5 billion USD. The company says it can use these funds to invest in clean transportation and carbon-free buildings. Amazon’s projects will include purchasing electric vehicles for fleets, as well as other electric delivery vehicles. In addition, Amazon said it will also use electric heating and cooling systems powered by renewable energy at the company’s new headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. In one pledge, Amazon will cut all carbon emissions by 2040 and power all renewable energy operations by 2030. Amazon’s decision to raise funds for social projects comes when the company faced criticism around the labor issue. In addition to being charged with unsafe procedures and affecting employees’ health, Amazon has also been criticized for illegally firing workers and forcing them not to unionize. However, Amazon has denied these allegations and said it has always supported employees’ equal rights. According to Reuters According to Reuters

The Sidewalk was announced by Amazon in 2019 and ready to launch in the middle of next month. Photo: Amazon This is a project that Amazon has been researching and developing for years, it was first announced in 2019. Amazon Sidewalk will connect things like yard lights, pet trackers, or sensors on mailboxes. Sidewalk’s aim is to provide wireless infrastructure for these devices by turning Amazon devices like Echo speakers into connection points that any Sidewalk-enabled device can use. Amazon will use Sidewalk’s low-energy bluetooth connections as a home wifi backup network. On the Echo front, Amazon plans to take advantage of Sidewalk’s low-energy Bluetooth connections as a backup network for your home wifi, which means better stability during device setup and Reconnect to the router faster when you update the network name or password. Amazon says that Sidewalk is expected to support multiple wireless protocols such as Bluetooth Low Energy, Lora low-bandwidth protocol in the 900 MHz band and others, opening the network to more third parties while providing the ability to connectivity and better battery life. Developer LoRa Semtech Corp. said they are partnering with Amazon on the Sidewalk initiative. The combination of Amazon and Tile tracking company to expand Tile’s search network for Find with Tile devices and device partners leverages search technology. Customers can rely on Tile trackers in conjunction with Amazon Sidewalk to find related items such as for money, other keys, or everything. Amazon Sidewalk connection diagram, data transferred from device to application server and back using Sidewalk bridge. Photo: Amazon Amazon’s next partner on this project is CareBand, a maker of wearable technology designed to improve quality of life for people with dementia. An Amazon pilot program will combine Sidewalk’s long-range connectivity with CareBand technology to support features such as indoor and outdoor activity tracking, help buttons, and automated analysis of samples. work. The biggest problem with Amazon Sidewalk is privacy and security, many questions are posed and which Amazon answered that, Sidewalk is built to keep your data safe and give you control. my experience. Data shared over the Sidewalk network is protected with three layers of encryption, accessible only to the devices you choose, and automatically deleted every 24 hours to protect your privacy. Amazon Sidewalk will launch on June 8, users do not have to upgrade hardware from selected devices such as the 2nd generation, 3rd generation spherical Amazon Echo, Amazon Echo Show 10, Ring Floodlight Cam and session The Ring Spotlight Cam is wired and many more, but there are no Eero devices that Amazon purchased in 2019 on this list. Most recently Apple introduced to consumers the Apple AirTag device with a small circular design to track forgotten devices such as keys or wallets, they will be tracked in My Find on iOS, it is for is a feature similar to Tile and will be a direct competitor to the tracking technology firm.

Using this algorithm, Chia mining does not consume too much power because only the hard drive is free. Chia’s network has now mobilized more than 2,700 PiB (1 PiB = 1125.9 TB) of available hard drive space. Very quickly, Chia caught the attention of Amazon and launched a virtual money mining service in the cloud exclusively for the China region. The Amazon website also shows how to set up a cloud service to create a Split wallet, create a space, and how to mine in just 5 minutes. Dong Chia is being traded on a number of small exchanges with a large fluctuation range. Dong Chia started the validation process and allowed mining on March 19, a process known as the mainnet. At that time, Chinese miners flocked to e-commerce sites to buy hard drives and sold these items out of stock, mainly in the super-hard drive segment of 10 TB or more. And after about two months, Chia was officially listed on May 4 last with the virtual currency code XCH, starting price 1,700 USD. But immediately this currency must witness selling momentum causing it to drop in value to only $ 700 before recovering around $ 900 mark. Over time, with the Bitcoin fever, new virtual currencies are constantly appearing and being pumped, making it worth fluctuating up and down. The volatility of the virtual currency market is part of the reason that many countries are afraid of Bitcoin in general and virtual currencies in particular. Phuong Nguyen (According to CoinDesk)

Amazon introduces automatic payment technology into large-scale supermarkets Features of Amazon’s automatic checkout technology, called “Just Walk Out”, appear in the planning document for a store under construction in a suburban mall in Brookfield, Connecticut. This technology allows customers to bypass checkout items by tracking any items they pick up and bill when they leave. Shoppers simply swipe their smartphone at the store entrance, where shoppers will likely scan apps or credit cards when they arrive. Inside, cargo is monitored by cameras, software algorithms and shelf sensors. Ceiling-mounted cameras are capable of tracking items that buyers pick up in the store. Amazon seems to have tackled a significant technical challenge, creating a take-and-go system that can handle shoppers’ scores at the same time and cover major supermarkets without too much cost to construction and operation. This breakthrough will push Amazon ahead of competitors, which are experimenting with similar camera-based technology developed by various startups. The executives of these companies have admitted that they may not be able to install cashier systems in large supermarkets in a year or two. The widespread adoption of automatic payments is likely to lead to criticism from labor unions that accuse Amazon of seeking to eliminate cashiers. Because this is one of the most popular jobs in America. The goal of the Just Walk Out program, the company says, is convenience for shoppers, not cutting labor or costs. Amazon has created thousands of grocery jobs since the launch of its first Fresh store last year. Planning brochure for a shop under construction in Brookfield, Connecticut. Photo: Brookfield Public Records. Industry’s miracle? Since the launch of the Fresh chain in southern California, Amazon has opened 12 stores, with 37 more under development across the US. But beyond testing at a Fresh suburban Chicago store, the new chain doesn’t feature Go-style automated payments, surprising industry followers with a less traditional approach. Instead, Amazon developed the Dash smart cart, which has sensors and cameras that help replenish purchases as shoppers move through the aisles. The shopping cart stops in a seamless shopping experience. They only hold a few bags of food and shoppers are unable to take them out, forcing them to move the bags into a low-tech trolley or transport their food to the parking lot. Keeping track of dozens of people in a large store is a technical challenge. Along with that, cost also slows down the adoption of non-cashier technology. Equipping a camera for a 2,000 square meter convenience store can be done with several dozen devices. However, the coverage of a full-service supermarket is much bigger. With the trend of large area supermarkets in the US, the requirement for more cameras and servers has to be exponentially larger for video processing and storage. That could quickly erase the benefits of hiring fewer cashiers or attracting more people into the store with the promise of seamless payments. Amazon has worked for years to streamline its Just Walk Out system, making it more cost-effective for its own stores and attracting other companies that might license the technology. this. Even as Amazon exclusively opened small convenience stores, the company’s engineers were asked to build a version of the technology that would be available in stores larger than 2787 square meters or more. Smart Shopping Cart Dash. Photo: Amazon. If Amazon completes rolling out the cashier-free payments technology in its Fresh stores, it represents an industry feat. Startups like Standard Cognition, AiFi, and Grabango have all developed autonomous systems for retailers, but widespread adoption of the technology is still costly and challenging to implement in large store format.

Amazon will soon introduce the cashier-free payment technology at its grocery chain Fresh Features of technology automatic payment Amazon’s, called “Just Walk Out”, appears in the planning document for a store under construction in a suburban mall in Brookfield, Connecticut. This technology allows customers to bypass checkout items by tracking any items they pick up and bill when they leave. Shoppers simply swipe their smartphone at the store entrance, where shoppers are likely to scan application or credit card when they arrive. Inside, cargo is monitored by cameras, software algorithms and shelf sensors. Ceiling-mounted cameras are capable of tracking items that buyers pick up in the store. Amazon seems to have tackled a significant technical challenge, creating a take-and-go system that can handle shoppers’ scores at the same time and cover large supermarkets without spending too much to build. build and operate. However, the application is widespread automatic payment feature Amazon faces charges of trying to eliminate cashiers, one of the most popular jobs in the United States. Amazon says its goal is to facilitate shoppers, not cut labor costs. Amazon says it has created thousands of groceries jobs since it opened its first fresh food store last year. Supermarket Under construction in Connecticut covers approximately 3,000 square meters, including warehouse, office space and a temporary storage area for online ordering. The shopping mall should be covered with cameras that are about 2,000 square meters in size. This space is 3 times bigger than supermarkets using Just Walk Out technology today, so automatic payment solution can solve Amazon’s human resource problem. Since the launch of the Fresh chain in southern California, Amazon has opened 12 stores, with 37 more under development across the US. But beyond testing at a Fresh suburban Chicago store, the new chain doesn’t feature Go-style automated payments, surprising industry followers with a less traditional approach. Instead, Amazon developed the Dash smart cart, which has sensors and cameras that help replenish purchases as shoppers move through the aisles. The shopping cart stops in a seamless shopping experience. They only hold a few bags of food and shoppers are unable to take them out, forcing them to move the bags into a low-tech trolley or transport their food to the parking lot. Last year, Amazon launched an identity system that allows shoppers to “wave” to pay. The system is called Amazon One and is deployed in convenience stores, bookstores … in the Seattle area and is planning to continue to expand elsewhere.

It is no exaggeration to say that billionaire Jeff Bezos – the founder of e-commerce empire Amazon – owns a variety of houses suitable for all climates. His real estate block spread across the United States, from Beverly Hills (California) to Texas, even appeared in big cities like New York and Seattle (Washington state). Photo: Bloomberg. In the city New York , Mr. Bezos owns 4 luxury serviced apartments worth 17.5 million USD in The Century apartment building located near Central Park. This 33-storey twin tower was built in 1932 by Irwin Chanin – a famous architect who designed the Broadway Theater, including 410 apartments of different designs. Image: CORE. At the height of the pandemic in April 2020, the online shopping mogul “single-ended” a $ 16 million 3-bedroom apartment on the 20th floor of a 24-storey apartment building at 212 Fifth Ave. This is the 5th time Mr. Bezos has spent money to buy an apartment here. Before that, he spent $ 80 million to buy interconnected apartments and loft apartments on floors 21-24. Billionaire Bezos plans to combine all 5 floors into a single large apartment with a total area of ​​1,580 m2, the Realtor. Photo: Visualhouse. In the capital Washington Jeff Bezos spent $ 23 million in 2016 to buy the Textile Museum in the upscale Kalorama neighborhood, where the Ivanka Trump couple and the Barack Obama family once lived. He then spent an additional $ 12 million to renovate it, according to the report Washingtonian . This property is over 2,500 square meters, first built in 1914. It includes 10 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, 6 dressing rooms and 11 fireplaces. Image: Blue Origin. In January 2020, the Amazon boss also bought a house larger than 445 square meters, located opposite the museum on the side of the road, for $ 5 million. The house was built in 1951 with 5 bathrooms and 2 makeup rooms, domed ceilings, carved marble fireplace, hardwood floors and 700-bottle cellar. Photo: BrightMLS. Just before a pandemic struck, Mr. Bezos bought a mansion Beverly Hills worth $ 165 million from billionaire David Geffen. The villa is more than 1,130 m2 with 8 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, 1 large dining room for 12 people; features a spa, a Koi aquarium, a European garden, a tennis court, a tree-lined cobblestone driveway, and an outdoor fireplace. Image: MLS. Before that, also in Beverly Hills, the Amazon tycoon bought a red tile-roofed 7-bedroom, 7-bathroom solar-powered residence in 2007 for $ 24.45 million. The 8,000-square-meter land has a swimming pool, 4 outdoor gardens, vegetable greenhouses, garage for up to 6 cars … In 2017, Mr. Bezos continued to buy a neighboring real estate for $ 12.9 million. According to Mansion Global, the one-storey villa is designed in a contemporary style, built in 1956 and has a width of 418 square meters, including 4 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, a large swimming pool in the backyard. Photo: Google Earth. The farm is about 121 square kilometers in the westernmost part state of Texas is the basis for Bezos’ private space company Blue Origin. It is estimated that this land is worth about 50 million USD. There is also a four-bedroom house that Mr. Bezos bought from lawyer Ronald Stasny in 2004. It was built in the 20s of the last century, with deer velvet chandeliers, oak furniture, paintings. Historical photos and a warehouse, according to Wall Street Journal. Image: Blue Origin. One of the first homes Mr. Bezos bought after Amazon was so successful was in Medina, a suburb the city of Seattle (Washington state). The e-commerce mogul bought a 1,900-square-meter villa for $ 10 million in 1998, consisting of 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. Image: The Seattle Times. In 2005, Jeff Bezos is said to have spent $ 50 million on a 771 square meter mansion in the vicinity, which includes 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. The property includes a 94-meter coastline, according to Realtor. In 2010, the billionaire spent an additional $ 28 million to renovate both properties above. Photo: SPIEGEL.

By Johannes Edelhoff, Sebastian Friedrich, Markus Grill and Johannes Jolmes NDR, WDR The notice in the Amazon warehouse in Winsen an der Luhe was clear: A green tick was attached to the surgical mask, while the FFP2 mask was crossed out in red. In February, Amazon informed the employees with this notice that only medical disposable masks, also known as “surgical masks”, were allowed to be worn. Research by NDR , WDR and “Süddeutscher Zeitung” point out that nothing has changed in this practice. The ARD magazine Panorama there is another similar notice from April, as well as statements from affected employees. In fact, this practice has not yet violated any applicable regulations or laws, as surgical masks are also allowed. Ivonne Hasch worked at Amazon in Winsen, a good 30 kilometers south of Hamburg, until mid-April. “I would have preferred to wear an FFP2 mask because it offers more protection than a surgical mask,” she says. Hasch spoke to her supervisor about FFP2 masks. He said that these were forbidden so that employees would not have to be given an additional break. In fact, according to a recommendation by the German Social Accident Insurance, FFP2 masks should be worn for a maximum of 75 minutes to two hours at a time, depending on the severity of the work, followed by a 30-minute mask-free time. In the case of light physical activity, it can also be worn for three hours. Amazon does not want to comment specifically on the ban. On request, the group would like to point out that only medical masks are available. Amazon emphasizes, however, that all employees are provided with surgical masks that are “of high quality” free of charge. In addition, Amazon allows “occasional exceptions when employees apply for them”.

Frequent breaks – higher costs

In the Leipzig logistics center, Amazon does at least allow employees to wear FFP2 masks that they have brought with them. For both these and the surgical masks, the management offers employees a half-hour mask-free break after two hours of work – albeit unpaid, as Thomas Rigol, chairman of the works council at Amazon’s Leipzig location, in panorama reported. “The hours are deducted from the overtime account.” Because this leads to considerable negative hours in the long run, the employees hardly use this break. Amazon also confirms the 30-minute unpaid break. “For the type of masks that are offered by Amazon, no additional breaks are necessary, according to the reliable findings of occupational physicians and the publications of the German statutory accident insurance,” said Amazon. The research shows that in other sectors – such as retail or industry – the FFP2 mask is only reluctantly used on a large scale. Apparently because compliance with the mask-free time would lead to higher costs. This was confirmed by several union and retail representatives. In principle, employees in companies are not entitled to higher quality FFP2 masks. Minister Hubertus Heil’s occupational health and safety ordinance provides for a mask requirement in companies under certain conditions – surgical masks are currently sufficient to meet these requirements. A mask is currently required if less than ten square meters are available per employee, the minimum distance of 1.5 meters is not maintained and the room is poorly ventilated. If all of this is not the case, one can work in offices without a mask at all. Heil did not want to answer questions on this topic in front of a camera due to lack of time. Upon request, a spokeswoman said that the Ministry of Labor currently sees no reason for a general FFP2 obligation in the workplace. The current rules have only just been expanded.

Amazon is one of the beneficiaries of the pandemic

The SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach condemns the practice of Amazon as “unjustifiable” and “unethical”. Lauterbach asks in an interview with panorama an FFP2 obligation in companies if aerosol transmission is likely. These regulations are also a much better alternative for the companies, because maybe one day we will get to the point “where we will have to close the companies for a while”. Professor Klaus Dörre describes Amazon’s handling of health protection as scandalous. The work and industrial sociologist from the University of Jena has dealt intensively with the company and its employment model. Amazon only considers Dörre to be the tip of the iceberg. “Overall, we have a lot of carelessness in the company.” In fact, after the first wave in manufacturing companies, business simply continued. This has led to a two-tier society among employees, said Dörre. “Some sit in the home office and others are forced to be present on a daily basis. And one would expect at least those to enjoy the best possible protection.”

How well do FFP2 masks actually protect?

How much higher the protective effect of the FFP2 masks is compared to the surgical masks has not been conclusively clarified. Professor Holger Schünemann also refers to this. The epidemiologist at McMaster University in Canada is director of the WHO “Collaborating Center for Infectious Diseases, Research Methods and Recommendations”. He says that FFP2 masks can protect twice as well as surgical masks, but it always depends on how many infected people there are. “If the risk of infection in a company without a mask is ten percent on a day, then – according to the conservative assumption – surgical masks would reduce that to perhaps seven percent. An FFP2 mask might reduce the risk to four percent. ” If there is a high risk of infection in the company, wearing FFP2 masks could make sense. The German Society for Hospital Hygiene, on the other hand, is skeptical of the FFP2 masks. An FFP2 mask that doesn’t fit properly, i.e. where you breathe out from the side, does not provide any better protection than a surgical mask. SPD health expert Lauterbach does not convince this position. It does not correspond to what international professional societies present.

Cleio Junior, a firefighter at the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Natural Resources, discovered a dead anteater while he was on a fire control mission near the Amazonas state. Photo: Reuters. The above data is based on the research results of MAAP when conducting the analysis of very high resolution satellite images and data, recorded in the territories of all countries in the Amazon Delta, including Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana and Surinam. Accordingly, the Amazon’s primary forest area lost in the past year alone is equivalent to that of the Central American nation of El Salvador. The countries with the most loss of Amazon primary forests in 2020 are Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador, respectively. Still according to the MAAP, more than 65% of deforestation of the entire Amazon region in 2020 was recorded in Brazil. South America’s largest country by acreage has lost a total of 1.5 million hectares of forest in the past year, up more than 13% from the year before. The area of ​​deforestation in Brazil is nearly twice the size of Puerto Rico and is mainly concentrated in the south of the country. Meanwhile, the deforestation area in Bolivia in 2020 amounted to a record 240,000 hectares, mainly due to the fires occurring in the Southeast of the country that destroyed the forests in the ecosystems. Chiquitano and Chaco slices. In the case of Peru, the country lost 190,000 hectares of primary forest last year, up 18% from 2019 and also a record number. The main cause of deforestation in Peru is attributed to the burning of forests for arable land. Since mid-2019, data from the early warning satellite system showed that the deforestation rate in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil tended to increase, to the fastest in a decade. According to the Brazilian Institute of Aerospace Research (INPE), the alarm system recorded forest deforestation in May up to 739 km2. This is higher than the 550 square kilometers recorded in May 2018, and twice as high as the area of ​​forest that was destroyed two years ago. According to the head of INPE, Claudio Almeida, 2019 is a “bad year” for the Amazon. As the country with the most area of ​​Amazon, but Brazil is also the country with the most forest loss in 2018 with nearly 16,187 km2. The main reason is due to deforestation for livestock, soybean cultivation and mining. According to the data of Mapbiomas – a research project on the disappearance of protective forest areas in the Amazon forest, in the last 30 years there has been 953,000 hectares of lost forest including protected areas, lands indigenous and inland lands. It is recognized that this figure is equivalent to 6 times the size of the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city and South America. The results of Mapbiomas add that, excluding protection forests, the Amazon forest area destroyed in the past 30 years has reached 39.8 million hectares, equivalent to 19% of the total natural forest area ever existed. in 1985. Satellite imagery also shows that 84% of the lost area of ​​the world’s largest rainforest has become agricultural land, including pastures and pastures. farmyard. In early December 2020, the European Union (EU) envoy to Brazil, Ambassador Ignacio Ybanez said, until Brazil has not committed to preventing deforestation of the Amazon, the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and the South American Common Market (Mercosur) will not be approved by the parliament of the EU member states to come into force. This happens when the world is concerned about the “green lung of the Earth” that is Amazon being burned more and more. The EU Embassy in Brazil mentioned the deforestation of the Amazon and participation in the Paris Agreement on climate change. In fact, the Amazon wildfire is already at an alarming rate. It not only affects a few countries but is also global because it is the largest forest in the world with immeasurable value.

The technology giants like Amazon, SpaceX, OneWeb continuously pour money to invest in satellite Internet. Photo: TechCrunch In recent years, satellite broadband is becoming an increasingly popular way to connect to the Internet. Major space companies are also in the race to build ultra-high-speed Internet services through orbiting satellites. Now, the field is forming a model similar to the “Seven Warring Heroes”. The companies are all moving towards a common goal: competing to be the biggest brand in broadband satellite and SpaceX’s position with Starlink dominance is being challenged. SpaceX’s Starlink project SpaceX boss – Elon Musk Of all the companies, SpaceX is the one involved with the most satellite launches. Its Starlink project has more than 1,350 satellites in orbit and plans to launch 42,000 satellites by mid-2027. Eventually, SpaceX hopes to have thousands of satellites around the Earth to establish a global network. Starlink’s Beta “Better than Nothing” was launched last October and attracted more than 10,000 users in six different countries. Starlink’s business model connects customers directly with satellites without the intervention of telecom companies between the two parties. Users register for Starlink service through the website. Once the order is accepted, Starlink will send the hardware set to the customer, which includes a tripod, WiFi router and satellite antenna. Monthly subscription fee is $ 99, and maximum download speed can reach 210 Mbps. Starlink is expanding rapidly and plans to install antennas on vehicles and connect them to satellite networks. According to the test of Internet analytics service developer Ookla, the download speed when using SpaceX’s satellite Internet is 95% faster than the normal Internet in the United States. Project Kuiper from Amazon The Amazon project is named Kuiper In 2018, Amazon’s Kuiper Project was revealed. At that time, government documents showed that the tech giant was working to build global space-based Internet services. The goal of the project is to launch 3236 satellites into a 630 km long orbit, very close to the 550 km altitude of the Starlink satellite. In January of this year, the US Federal Communications Commission approved the Kuiper Project to launch Amazon satellites into space before July 2029, and connect them to antennas on Earth to provide translation. Internet service. As of July 30, 2026, 50% of the project’s satellites will operate. Like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, the boss of Amazon, also owns a private rocket and space service company called Blue Orgin. Although no specific plans have been announced, the company is believed to be in charge of bringing the Kuiper satellite into orbit. OneWeb The Soyuz-2.1b carrier missile carries 36 OneWeb satellites that take off from the launch pad of the Vostocini launch pad. OneWeb is a UK owned broadband satellite provider. It currently has 146 satellites in orbit, 1,200 km from the ground and plans to launch a total of 648 satellites to provide global Internet service. In November last year, the company got out of bankruptcy thanks to the British government and India’s Bharti Group. OneWeb hopes to provide Internet services to the entire UK by June. Its latest service will cover the highest latitudes in the world, including Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia and Nordic countries. This British company provides a B2B model, provides satellite Internet to telecom companies, then the telecom companies deliver services to customers. Both SpaceX and OneWeb launched satellites into space on March 25, clearly showing a race between the world’s two leading powers in space technology. Hughes Net Satellite team Hughes Jupiter 2 Hughes Net is the largest satellite Internet provider in the United States. It relies on geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites 36,210 km away to transmit the Internet back to earth. The main difference between a satellite operating in low Earth Orbit (LEO) and a geostationary satellite is that GEO satellites can cause delays in video calls and public calls. other technology. However, the GEO satellites are in a fixed position, so unlike LEO satellites, they will not travel in orbit but target a specific area. The Hughes Network has more than 1.5 million users and six satellites in orbit, covering different areas of North America, South America and Canada, including Mexico, Brazil and Chile. The last satellite that Hughes launched was in June 2018 and its goal is to put another satellite, called Jupiter 3, into orbit by the second half of 2022. It is said that this will be a commercial satellite. the biggest ever. Hughes’ satellite service costs range from $ 59.99 to $ 149.99 per month and download speeds of 25Mbps. The kit is priced at $ 249.99, and the installation costs $ 199. The company also offers public WiFi hotspots for rural Latin America for people who cannot afford subscription fees. Telesat Daniel Goldberg, CEO and President of Telesat, Canada’s satellite operator Telesat has 15 GEO satellites at an altitude of 35,000 km above Earth. The company also plans to build an LEO Internet called “LightSpeed”. The first 298 satellites built by Thales Alenia Space are scheduled to launch in early 2023 and provide global services by 2024. According to reports, Goldberg confirmed at the 2021 LEO Satellite Digital Forum on April 6 that the LightSpeed ​​project would cost $ 5 billion. This is much cheaper than the projects of SpaceX and Amazon, which are more than $ 10 billion. Goldberg recently stated that Telesat has the best pricing in the market. In 2019, Telesat signed a launch agreement with Blue Origin to use New Glenn rockets to send LEO satellites into orbit. David Wendling, Telesat’s chief technology officer, revealed that the company has three other startups underway. ViaSat ViaSat application on smartphone ViaSat is headquartered in California, USA, operates five GEO satellites at an altitude of about 35,000 km from the Earth’s surface. The company will put three extremely powerful GEO satellites into orbit by the beginning of 2022 and achieve globalization goals until 2023. ViaSat also plans to put 288 satellites into orbit LEO by 2026. ViaSat executive chairman and co-founder Mark Dankberg said the GEO and LEO satellites would complement each other. ViaSat is working hard to create a “multi-orbit satellite Internet where users can seamlessly use GEO satellites and LEO satellites.” In December 2020, Viasat asked the FCC to study Starlink’s potential environmental impact. In response, Musk wrote on Twitter: “Obviously, Starlink is a ‘threat’ to Viasat’s profits.” Eutelsat Eutelsat is Europe’s satellite operator with 39 GEO satellites at an altitude of 46,000 km. The company now provides Internet services to the regions of Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and plans to launch another satellite called Konnect VHTS to cover the rest of Europe. Michel Azibert, Executive Vice President of Eutelsat, said: “Konnect VHTS will change the rules of the game and allow Eutelsat to seamlessly deliver powerful Internet services to users at prices comparable to the above operators. ground.” Azibert says Eutelsat’s satellite service “is much lower than Starlink, very well suited to the rural markets we’re targeting in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.” Eutelsat was founded in 1977 and launched its first satellite in 1983.

The Amazon forest was cut down in Brazil. Documentary photo: AFP / VNA According to a report based on satellite data by the Global Forest Monitoring Organization, Brazil was the most severely damaged, the area of ​​destroyed forest in the country was 3 times higher than that of the second ranked country, the DRC. . In 2020, up to 4.2 million hectares of primary forest in the tropics will be destroyed, 12% higher than the previous year. Altogether in 2020, the tropical regions will lose 12.2 million hectares of greenery, including forests and tree plantations, mainly due to agricultural activities. Researchers also pointed out that extreme heat and drought have also caused wildfires, burning vast forests in Australia, Siberia and deep in the Amazon region. The author of the report, Ms. Frances Seymour of the World Resources Institute said that these losses reflect a state of emergency in climate. This is not only an ecosystem crisis, but also a humanitarian disaster, loss of economic potential. The study has provided some evidence that the restrictions imposed by countries to prevent the COVID-19 epidemic are also impacting this trend worldwide, as it increases the rate of illegal exploitation due to the forests are no longer protected, or more people have returned to the countryside. The researchers warn that the worst consequences will happen if countries stop protecting forests for economic purposes. However, according to Ms Seymour, the “worst sign” of last year was that forests became victims of climate change, according to which wetlands are still burning. According to research, trees and soils absorb up to 30% more carbon produced by human pollution each year, so the rapid disappearance of tropical forests will result. Uncompensable damage to the Earth’s ecosystem. The researchers emphasize that destroying tropical primeval forests in 2020 will emit 2.64 tons of CO2, the equivalent of India’s annual emissions, or 570 million cars, or twice as much. the emissions of all vehicles circulating in the US. Ms. Seymour warned that the more the world is delaying preventing deforestation, or slowly pushing towards the goal of neutralizing emissions, the more likely it is that natural forests that absorb CO2 on Earth will disappear completely. In Brazil, the government has cut budgets for environmental programs, leaving many Amazon lands to be exploited for resources and agribusiness, resulting in 1.7 million hectares of primary forest being destroyed in 2020. , up 25% from 2019. Meanwhile, the Pantanal tropical wetlands, the paradise of ecosystems stretching from Brazil to Bolivia, also suffered many fires. Bolivia is the country with the third highest deforestation rate in the world in 2020. Indonesia is a bright spot when reducing deforestation rate by 17% compared to 2019 and for the first time in 20 years, it escapes the group of three countries with the highest deforestation rate in the world. Deforestation rate in Indonesia has decreased for 4 consecutive years. Last year wet weather, combined with government policies, had had a long-term positive impact on the destruction of primary forests, researchers say. Forests cover more than 30% of the Earth’s area, while tropical forests are home to 50-90% of all terrestrial creatures. Earlier this week, research published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution estimated that growing commodity demand in rich countries is accelerating deforestation in tropical regions. Recent studies have warned that to a certain point, deforestation in the Amazon threatens to change the climate of the entire region, turning tropical forests into savannas.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos – the owner of the world’s largest e-commerce group Amazon – currently tops the list of the richest people in the world (according to Forbes magazine). Possessing assets of hundreds of billions of dollars, Jeff Bezos holds many giant real estate blocks, including a penthouse on 212 Fifth Avenue, downtown New York, USA. Inside the large penthouse there are up to 12 comfortable bedrooms. Billionaire Jeff Bezos owns a residence in Medina, Washington, worth about $ 53 million. Jeff Bezos’ residence in Medina is close to the home of Bill Gates and many other famous businessmen. Jeff Bezos generously spent up to $ 23 million to renovate his Medina mansion. Billionaire Jeff Bezos also has real estate in the “rich house” in Beverly Hills, California. In 2007, Amazon boss spent $ 24.45 million to buy a Spanish-style villa in Beverly Hills. 10 years later, Jeff Bezos spent $ 12.9 million to buy a house next door. Also in Beverly Hills, Jeff Bezos has bought more real estate blocks “giant” once owned by billionaire David Geffen. Billionaire David Geffen bought it in 1990 for $ 47.5 million. Jeff Bezos aggressively spent $ 165 million to buy one of the most expensive mansions in Los Angeles. In 2016, Jeff Bezos bought a textile museum in Washington DC for $ 23 million. The Amazon CEO immediately bought two buildings that make up the largest residential complex in Washington DC. He spent $ 12 million to improve his house and the surrounding area. In 2020, billionaire Jeff Bezos buys the opposite building to ensure privacy for the largest housing complex in Washington DC. The house at 212 Fifth, New York City was bought by Jeff Bezos for $ 80 million. In addition, the Amazon boss also bought 3 apartments in an ancient building in Manhattan’s busy street, heading to Central Park for $ 7.65 million since 1999./.

Around the world, distribution teams work hard to get the Covid-19 vaccine to the most remote locations. In areas not accessible by car, people have to resort to sleighs, drones, or even elephants, horses, and camels to deliver vaccines. “The effort to bring vaccines to every country in the world right now is unprecedented,” said Robin Nandy, UNICEF’s head of immunization. In the photo, the vaccine on the ship brought to Great Cranberry Island, Northeastern United States. Photo: AP.

Immunization plans are in disarray in many areas, many people still waiting for their turn to receive vaccines. In the most remote, inaccessible places, a time-race effort to deliver vaccines is underway. These are places, whether the virus has invaded or not, are not equipped with adequate medical equipment to respond in the event of a pandemic outbreak. Photo: AP.

In the icy plains of southern Alaska, the Yukon-Kuskokwim medical organization distribution team used sleighs to deliver vaccines to dozens of villages in the most remote, remote areas. Vaccine delivery efforts kicked off in December 2020, when temperatures ranged from -30 to -20 degrees Celsius, putting the vaccine at risk of freezing inside the needle. In the photo, the vaccine is taken to the village of Napakiak, Alaska. Photo: AP.

“People here are desperately waiting to get vaccinated. It’s thrilling to be able to do something for them, keep them safe,” said Dr. Ellen Hodges, head of the vaccine distribution team. To date, Yukon-Kuskokwim has helped distribute thousands of doses of vaccine to 47 villages in southern Alaska. In the photo, a resident of Great Cranberry Island, is vaccinated. Photo: AP.

In the most remote areas of the Indian state of Assam, the vaccine is delivered to the vaccination site by very rudimentary means. Bahakajari village has 9,000 people waiting to receive the vaccine. To get the vaccine here, the medical teams had to row a boat, and then walk. In the photo, people in Bahakajari take a boat to the vaccination site. Photo: AP.

In Brazil, remote Amazon communities face a huge logistical challenge, traveling by boat for hours to the vaccination sites. For them, access to vaccines is extremely important, because most communities have only minimal medical facilities, and are unable to effectively treat advanced Covid-19 cases. In the photo, the vaccine is transported by small ship in the Amazon. Photo: AP.

As in many other parts of the world, health workers in Brazil face the challenge of convincing people to overcome skepticism, believe in vaccine safety and accept vaccinations. “Vaccine hesitancy is a complex issue, so it is extremely important to have adequate information available to all walks of life,” said a spokesman for the Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI). In the photo, a person in the Amazon is vaccinated. Photo: AP.

On islands off the northeast of the United States, going inland was once the best option for vaccination. Each trip usually takes one day of travel. The harsh winter weather made the situation worse, as it prevented sea-going vehicles from going out to sea for days. The lack of early access to vaccines makes people even more isolated because they cannot leave their homes. Photo: AP.

When teams of volunteers sent vaccines to remote islands, the people here seemed to be rescued. Vaccine provides an opportunity to help people restore a normal life. “We are very excited. This vaccine helps relieve the isolation we have suffered for so long,” said Lindsay Eysnogle, a teacher on Islesford Island, Maine. In the photo, people on Islesford Island celebrate when they receive the vaccine. Photo: AP.

An Nhien Coffee Tea Joint Stock Company with Anni Coffee brand was established and joined Amazon e-commerce floor in 2013. Revenue and customers from this e-trading floor account for 80% of the company’s sales; Growth rates are maintained from 60% to 100% per year. Green Diamond Production and Trading Joint Stock Company with the brand name Light Coffee also participates in the international e-commerce trading floor of Alibaba and has achieved many positive results in business activities.

Livestream connects with many customers to help businesses increase sales efficiency and reduce costs.

In the context that the world economy is affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the participation in international electronic trading floors helps businesses connect with customers around the world.

Mr. Kuo Yiling, Chief Representative of Asia-Pacific of Alibaba said that Vietnam currently offers over 600,000 products on Alibaba. On average, these partners receive over 50,000 quotation requests from around the world each day.

Customer care and international transactions through e-commerce floors at a tea and coffee exporting enterprise in Ho Chi Minh City.

Mr. Kuo Yiling assessed that Vietnam has the ability to provide competitive goods on international e-commerce floors.

“Alibaba has approached and accompanied many partners in Vietnam for more than 10 years. The number of reputable suppliers from Vietnam has increased rapidly since the first days. We see Vietnam has a great potential for globalization, with the ability to provide competitive goods and the quality of the staff becoming more and more proficient, ”said Mr. Kuo Yiling.

How rich is Bezos? Just two months after spending $ 34 billion as a divorce agreement with his ex-wife, he “aggressively” swung $ 80 million for three apartments located on three consecutive floors in an apartment building in New York.

After that, he continued to spend $ 16 million in exchange for the 4th floor for his apartment on 5th Avenue, with about 15 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, a cinema room, a game room, a room. exercise and even a golf course.

In addition, Bezos also spent $ 7.6 million to own 3 luxury apartments in a building across from Central Park. In February 2020, he was shocked when he bought the “terrible” mansion of entertainment tycoon David Geffen in Beverly Hills, California for $ 165 million. The real estate has an area of ​​more than 1,250 m², a spacious garden, with 8 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, tennis court, swimming pool and a 9-hole golf course.

In 2007, he spent $ 24 million on a Spanish-style mansion with 7 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms and a garage that can hold 6 cars. Ten years later, the owner of Amazon bought another 424-square-meter house right next door for $ 13 million.

The world’s top billionaire also spent $ 23 million to buy textile museums in Washington DC. He continued to buy the house next door to turn the museum into a residence of 2508 square meters, also the largest house in the city.

When Bezos arrived in Seattle, he could choose to live on one of the two riverside properties in Medina, Washington. There, he spent $ 10 million on a five-bedroom and four-bathroom house on Lake Washington. His mansion nearby costs $ 53 million.

His largest property is believed to be a 37,161 m² corn farm in Van Horn, Texas. This place is being used as the headquarters for Blue Origin.

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Helping you fully enjoy the music on every song melody, detached from the noise of the outside world and focused heavily on the purpose of listening to music, is a great choice for endless travel.

1. Headphone Headphone ANC Cowin E7

Headphone ANC Cowin E7 stands out with extremely powerful active noise cancellation. Significantly reduce noise when traveling, working and anywhere. Advanced active noise reduction also reduces noise in airplane cabins, city traffic or business centers to help you focus on what you want to hear, enjoy music, movies and videos. to the full extent.

Learn more about the Active Noise Canceling COWIN Headset models: Here.

ANC E7 earphone kit.

Large 45mm speaker driver for deep and powerful sound, enjoy your music passionately.

Lightweight, comfortable design around the ear, you can wear all day without discomfort.

• Advanced Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC.

• Music time up to 30 hours.

2. True Wireless Headset ANC Cowin Apex Elite BT918

A Bluetooth headset equipped with advanced ANC active noise canceling. Helps you eliminate background noise and focus on what you want to hear. Optimized driver delivers powerful bass, while giving you rich, high-resolution, immersive sound as if you’re enjoying a concert in the front row of a performance. .

Cowin Apex Elite headphones feature a compact design that is comfortable to wear all day.

Cowin Apex Elite BT918 headphones also feature an innovative ergonomic design and ultra-advanced materials, compact and lightweight at just 5.6 g for comfortable wear all day. This revolutionary slim profile keeps them snugly in your ear for any action.

The high-performance micro-battery will immerse you in your favorite tunes for up to 6 hours on a single charge. You can easily own this super quality headset at CellphoneS for just under VND 1.5 million

From April 12 to April 30 at Cellphones, the program to open sale of COWIN Headsets will take place with a discount of 30% for all products. Details here.

Choosing genuine distribution unit is a factor that Cowin attaches great importance to. Because this directly affects the reputation and brand of Cowin. If the choice of a distribution unit does not have enough vision and potential, Cowin will face many great risks. Therefore, the distribution company must be a reputable and well-known unit in the market in Vietnam.

With over 15 years of experience importing, distributing and trading in the field of technology products with solid financial potential, professional staff and prestigious – quality warranty center in Ho Chi Minh City . Ho Chi Minh. Phuong Linh JSC is currently one of the leading Distributors in the field of genuine technology accessories in Vietnam.

All COWIN products distributed by Phuong Linh JSC are warranted for 12 January for 1.

COWIN Vietnam – Raising the musical connection to create value for your life. Discover the very best in active noise canceling headphones. Details at Website: COWIN Vietnam.