Snippings

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The genius of the Tudor ice shipping scheme centered on three simple principles. First, the ice was free and was harvested locally from Fresh Pond, Walden Pond and other ponds and lakes in the area.  The only cost was the labor to cut the blocks.  Secondly, after much trial and error, Frederic discovered that layering sawdust between the blocks of  ice provided the best insulation for the journey. Sawdust was the byproduct of the local sawmills, again free.  Lastly, ships often left  Boston Harbor empty, heading to the West Indies to pick up exotic produce and goods. Filling the holds with Tudor ice for the voyage south allowed Tudor to negotiate better shipping prices.

From: Historic Houses of the Month Frederic Tudor and Charlestown’s Ice Trade.

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Santander CEO Hector Grisi confirmed that “1425 was the number of people we are reducing”.

However, “in this sense as we simplify and automate we will be able to do some more [layoffs]”, he continued.

From: Santander cuts 1400 UK jobs.

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Consumer Reports are optimistic about this way of working where AI agents will interact not just with traditional online systems, but where AI agents negotiate and transact with each other on our behalf. This could lead to a more efficient and potentially fairer marketplace.

From: Empowering Consumers with Personal AI Agents: Legal Foundations and Design Considerations – Innovation at Consumer Reports.

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personal AI agents could be entrusted with a “duty of loyalty” that binds the service provider to operate the agent in the best interests of the user. These agents could manage tasks like travel bookings or e-commerce purchases with the same trustworthiness as a high-end fiduciary representative, advocating only your interests.

From: Empowering Consumers with Personal AI Agents: Legal Foundations and Design Considerations – Innovation at Consumer Reports.

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Consumer Reports is exploring the potential for developing pro-consumer AI agents that prioritize user interests above all else. This approach comes with unique legal and design challenges that set it apart from purely commercial offerings.

From: Empowering Consumers with Personal AI Agents: Legal Foundations and Design Considerations – Innovation at Consumer Reports.

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Meta says that as soon as the video selfie is uploaded it will be encrypted and stored securely

From: Meta reboots Facebook face biometrics to combat ‘celeb-bait’ ads | Biometric Update.

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We’re handing so much money over to owners of prime residential or commercial land, to owners of oil and gas fields, intellectual property and infrastructure that there isn’t enough left to create enough demand for dynamic sectors of the economy.

From: 26 October 2024. Capitalism | History – by Andrew Curry.

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In fact, the past two years have been the best for banking since before the Great Recession. Globally, banks generated $7 trillion in revenue (Exhibit 1) and $1.1 trillion in net income, with return on tangible equity (ROTE) reaching 11.7 percent. Banks have returned to healthy levels of capital (12.8 percent common equity tier one capital divided by risk-weighted assets) and liquidity (77.2 percent), which both improved over 2022. In fact, banking generated more total profit than any other sector around the world.

From: McKinsey’s Global Banking Annual Review 2024 | McKinsey.

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Fraudsters posing as legitimate wholesalers received the 950 clothbound cheeses from the Southwark-based company before it was realised they were a fake firm.

From: More than 22 tonnes of cheddar stolen from Neal’s Yard Dairy.

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A May 2024 study by the American Land Title Association and economic research firm NDP Analytics with 783 responses found seller impersonation fraud — when someone fakes the identities of property owners with the aim to sell their properties — is fairly common. Twenty-eight percent of title insurance companies experienced at least one seller impersonation fraud attempt in 2023; 19% saw attempts in April 2024 alone.

From: AI Is Making It Easier for Scammers to Steal Homes From Their Owners – Business Insider.

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