Apple, dear reader, has been missing you — and it's banking on the fact that you've been missing the opportunity to touch its products before you buy them, too. 

In an effort to ease this assuredly mutual feeling of longing, the company confirmed on Friday plans to begin reopening some of its U.S. stores as early as MondayApple had been aiming for a May reopening for some time, but now it's official. 

So reports CNBC, which notes that the openings are, for now, limited to stores in four states: Idaho, South Carolina, Alabama, and Alaska.

"We've missed our customers and look forward to offering our support," an Apple spokesperson told CNN Business.  Read more...

TL;DR: Have a hot meal wherever you go with the Go portable solar oven for $119, a 14% savings as of May 9.

As we look toward upcoming summer festivities, our calendars are looking pretty bleak. Nearly every event has been postponed. Festival season was straight-up canceled. And gatherings in public places are basically extinct. With fewer options on the table, you're probably going to be spending a lot of time enjoying the great outdoors in small groups or on your own as the weather warms up. By then, you'll be sick of staying home, so it's a good thing nature isn't canceled.

As you head outside for your camping, hiking, biking, and beach excursions, you'll probably need a way to cook your own food, especially if restaurants are still closed or operating on abbreviated hours. We've got just thing, and it's on sale: the Go Portable Solar Oven. All you need is a little bit of sun and this lightweight grill can cook just about anything. Read more...

TL;DR: Give a meaningful gift during these difficult times with a Tribute Video Montage for $64.99, a 34% saving as of May 9.

A Zoom happy hour only goes so far.

If you're looking for a way to celebrate and send affection to your loved ones, regardless of the reason, check out Tribute Video Montage as an alternative to those wonky (and sometimes awkward) video calls. 

Sending a Tribute might just be one of the best morale-boosting presents you can send during these trying times. It's a way for friends and family to share their love and appreciation for someone they want to celebrate, whether for a major milestone, like a 50th anniversary or 30th birthday or just because. The platform is super easy to use and breaks a 10-hour process down to just 10 minutes. Read more...

TL;DR: Skate just about anywhere you please with the lightweight Ubran E-Skateboard for $124.95, a 75% savings as of May 9.

When in doubt, skate it out. But not everyone is cut from the same cloth as Tony Hawk, and it won't make sense to try and skateboard if you know you're just going to fall flat on your butt. 

Luckily, the universe is on the side of frustrated skaters everywhere with the emergence of devices like the Urban E-Skateboard. Not only does it take all the guesswork out of skating, but it's eco-friendly, too. And for a limited time, you can get it on sale for $124.95.

At only 7 pounds and 17 inches, the Urban E-Skateboard makes it easy for you to transport it anywhere you go. When you're not, you know, skating, you can easily stuff it in your bag for fuss-free storage. It connects with a wireless remote that allows you to control your speed and choose between three speed modes, accommodating just about every rider's experience level. Read more...

Americans have been receiving contradictory information about the coronavirus pandemic, so much so that it's become a joke. One example is face masks: In March, the World Health Organization advised people to not wear masks if they aren't sick or caretakers of the sick. 

But given that some coronavirus patients are asymptomatic, opinions of masks from top officials have shifted. The CDC and the media now advise you to wear a damn mask. And a new study may provide more evidence that masks can help beat the outbreak.

According to this study, if 80 percent of Americans wore masks, coronavirus infections would plummet, Vanity Fair reports. The title of the study makes the researchers' view clear: Universal Masking is Urgent in the COVID-19 Pandemic. Read more...

Work(out) From Home is a weekly column where we review smart fitness machines and apps in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Thanks to technology, there are still plenty of ways to exercise if your gym is closed. Read more...

The internet is a scary enough place as it is, and now with the added misinformation and panic surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, it's even scarier. Thanks to the United Nations and dozens of artists, however, the internet just got a little more beautiful. 

In late March, the UN put a call out to artists to help combat the spread of COVID-19. They sought creatives to create content around six areas of WHO and UN priority actions: personal hygiene, social distancing, knowing the symptoms, spreading kindness, myth-busting, and doing more/donating. Tens of thousands of artists answered the call in two weeks, and now the COVID-19 Response Creative Content Hub is available for browsing.  Read more...

India has moved up 14 places to be 63rd among 190 nations for ease of doing business, in the World Bank’s Doing Business 2020 report, released on 24 October.

The use of innovative technology in agriculture – agtech – has fundamentally disrupted conventional production techniques and market linkages in the Indian agricultural sector.

Perceptions of political uncertainty and community opposition continue to weigh heavily on Mexico’s mining sector.

Australian food businesses will find a warm reception in India, where the expanding middle-class population, modern retail formats and entry of international e-commerce platforms are driving growth in the country’s food and beverage (F&B) retail sector.

Like many countries, Japan is undertaking a significant renewal and upgrade of its defence and security capabilities. The Japanese Government is spending just under A$370 billion on defence up until early 2024. With the industry gradually opening to collaborations with overseas partners, this presents many opportunities for Australian businesses.

While the China market has been a miracle for Australian food exporters, the data belies many of the operating challenges individual Australian firms face.

Australian table grape exports to Korea have continuously increased year on year, with a three-fold increase each year from 162 tonnes in 2017; 776 tons in 2018 and 3,224 tons in 2019.

India’s consumers have embraced online retail, creating a market worth A$52 billion that is expected to reach over A$100 billion by 2026. With a fast-growing ecommerce sector, India is creating major new market opportunities for Australian companies.

A strong and trusted partnership between a Wuhan based distributor of Australian beef and their Australian supplier ensured shipments continued during the worst of the pandemic crisis.

Recent changes in the Indian Government’s approach to mining has opened up opportunities for private sector involvement in the sector, including international METS firms.

Austrade in partnership with Flinders University New Venture Institute with innovative manufacturing technologies an opportunity to partake in an intensive 5-day boot camp at the Australian Landing Pad in Berlin with some of the world’s best global manufacturers.

Rheology Solutions are the exclusive Australian distributor for the world leading manufacturers of optical control systems, temperature control, polymer, rheology and viscometry instruments and equipment.

Datasec Solutions Pty Ltd (Datasec or the Company) is an IT security company based in Melbourne, Australia.

Australia, India and UK Pursuing Centralized Approach Many Privacy Experts Warn Against
Technology is no panacea, including for combating COVID-19. While that might sound obvious, it's worth repeating because some governments continue to hype contact-tracing apps. Such apps won't magically identify every potential exposure. But they could make manual contact-tracing programs more effective.

We Need These Apps, But Some Nations' Security and Privacy Follies Don't Bode Well
Despite the need to battle COVID-19, several nations' in-development digital contact-tracing apps are already dogged by security and privacy concerns. Whether enough users will ever trust these apps to make them effective remains a major question. Is it too late to get more projects back on track?

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report analyzes the privacy issues raised by COVID-19 contact-tracing apps. Also featured: An update on efforts to fight fraud tied to economic stimulus payments; John Kindervag on the origins of "zero trust."

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report analyzes the many challenges involved in developing and implementing contact-tracing apps to help in the battle against COVID-19. Also featured: A discussion of emerging privacy issues and a report on why account takeover fraud losses are growing.

The European Network and Information Security Agency has released a new guide on building effective IT security public private partnerships.

The European Network and Information Security Agency [ENISA] has launched information security awareness videos in 23 European languages.

ENISA has issued guidance to national telecom regulatory authorities about the implementation of Article 13a, in particular about the security measures that providers of public communications networks must take to ensure security and integrity of these networks.

ENISA has issued guidelines to national telecom regulatory authorities about the implementation of Article 13a, in particular, the two types of incident reporting mentioned in Article 13a: the annual summary reporting of significant incidents to ENISA and the European Commission and ad hoc notification of incidents to other NRAs in case of cross-border incidents.

Naikon Hacking Group Targeted Asia-Pacific Countries With New RAT
Over the last five years, a hacking group that's apparently tied to China has been targeting government ministries in the Asia-Pacific region as part of a cyber-espionage campaign, according to Check Point Research.

Data Apparently Obtained From Three Breaches, ZeroFox Reports
Hackers are attempting to sell a fresh trove of approximately 26 million user records apparently obtained from three data breaches, according to researchers at the security firm ZeroFox.

National education projects sponsored by the Russian Government have enabled Russian universities to compete globally, while encouraging academic mobility and joint research. This has opened more opportunities for international collaboration.

The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) has partnered with social learning platform, FutureLearn.com to provide free online courses and help students stay ahead of the learning curve.

A strong and trusted partnership between a Wuhan based distributor of Australian beef and their Australian supplier ensured shipments continued during the worst of the pandemic crisis.

While light is finally appearing at the end of the COVID-19 crisis tunnel, the Australian Government is working closer than ever before with states and territory governments, education providers and community organisations, to deliver support measures for our international student community.

Austrade will provide weekly regional updates on the progression and impact of COVID-19 around the world, to support the international education sector as the situation continues to evolve. These reports are compiled using the latest on-the-ground information and advice.

A leading overseas talent recruitment platform in China is seeking to partner with Australian universities for its online internship system. Successful partners will work with established companies in China to provide online internship opportunities to graduates.

A not-for-profit in the US is seeking expressions of interests from organisations, including academia, for their COVID-19 Health Coalition, to help preserve the healthcare delivery system and protect US populations.

The Australian Government has acted again to ensure the movement of critical freight such as agricultural produce, medicines and medical equipment can continue.

An Australian water treatment company is winning business in China amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Recent changes in the Indian Government’s approach to mining has opened up opportunities for private sector involvement in the sector, including international METS firms.

An Indian university in Mysuru, Karnataka seeks research collaborations across pharmacy, medicine, dental and life sciences. Opportunities also exist for short term training programs and fellowships abroad.

Thai universities have shifted all classes to online channels to help manage the spread of COVID-19. The Thai government imposed closures of all educational institutions until August, as part of efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

While light is finally appearing at the end of the COVID-19 crisis tunnel, the Australian Government is working closer than ever before with states and territory governments, education providers and community organisations, to deliver support measures for our international student community.

Austrade will provide weekly regional updates on the progression and impact of COVID-19 around the world, to support the international education sector as the situation continues to evolve. These reports are compiled using the latest on-the-ground information and advice.

This page has information to help Australian exporters manage the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on their business.

Australian exporters will soon start reaping the benefits of the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA), with Australia receiving formal notification that Indonesia has completed its domestic ratification processes.

Australia, India and UK Pursuing Centralized Approach Many Privacy Experts Warn Against
Technology is no panacea, including for combating COVID-19. While that might sound obvious, it's worth repeating because some governments continue to hype contact-tracing apps. Such apps won't magically identify every potential exposure. But they could make manual contact-tracing programs more effective.