#Licensed Customs Broker

[internationalfreightforwarding]

Customs Brokerage Strategies: Mitigating Risks in Global Trade

A customs brokerage firm is significant in global trade and goes beyond intermediaries. It is the one that helps exporters and importers manage the intricate field of international trading regulations and procedures.

But what are all the possible international trade risks, and what are the approaches customs brokerage firms take to overcome them?

Navigating Regulatory Challenges

Staying compliant with all the customs laws is vital for importers and exporters to prevent costly penalties and other consequences. Compliance ensures all goods are imported, exported, and progressed correctly.

Customs brokers ensure adherence to diverse international trade laws by meeting all certain documentation necessities. It includes:

Proper labeling of goods,

Accurately measuring all products,

Paying the right amount of taxes and duties, and

Contributing all the precise customs credentials for access to other countries.

Technology Integration for Risk Management

The continuous development of technologies has impacted the worldwide business industry, even the global customs brokerage sector. These technological developments have helped these firms adapt their strategies to the ever-changing landscapes of the field. It has mitigated risks in the importing and exporting process, such as:

Securing global trade by providing tamper-resistant record dealings,

Enhanced customs procedure efficiency, easing the goods’ flow across borders,

Allowed customs brokers to evaluate massive amounts of data and determine patterns to make wise decisions and

Enabled potent monitoring of shipments and cargo conditions and provided real-time updates to clients and customs brokers.

Effective Communication

One of the key factors in mitigating risks in customs brokerage is how obtainable communication is. Clear communication is highly vital between customs brokers, relevant authorities, and clients. Hence, here are some of the effective strategies these individuals should do for transparent communication in global trade scenarios:

Showing vulnerability to build trust,

Utilizing technology to give one messaging platform,

Steady in expressing a well-balanced empathy and privacy, respectively,

Clear on letting their clients know about their values by providing stable communication and

Avoid confusing terminologies and use communicative words that are easy to understand.

Mitigate Risks with Excelsior!

Strengthening risk mitigation is also effective in collaboration with the right shipping company, which could help you find the right government agencies and other stakeholders, like Excelsior.

Excelsior, a well-known freight forwarder international, has been in the shipping industry for fifteen years. It has marked its name in the market by giving the best and most honest service to our clients. Hence, clients are at peace when they book services for Excelsior to get all their shipments to arrive safely at their proper destination.

Engage more with us by calling us at (+632) 8525-9775 or email us at wecare@excelsior.ph.

[accb1]

Isf Customs Filing - ACCB Customs Broker

How long does the ISF filing process take?

The ISF filing process typically requires importers to submit the necessary information to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at least 24 hours before the cargo is loaded onto a ship bound for the United States or a foreign trade zone.

It is important to note that the responsibility for filing the ISF lies with the importer, but they can also rely on customs brokers or authorized agents to handle the filing process on their behalf.

The time it takes to complete the ISF filing process can vary depending on factors such as the availability of the required information and the efficiency of the filing method used. According to one source, it usually takes 48 to 72 hours to gather all the necessary information and compile it correctly for the ISF.

However, it is advisable to request the relevant information from manufacturers and other partners at least a week before the goods are shipped to allow sufficient time for the filing process.

It is worth mentioning that importers have the option to amend their ISF at any point between filing and when the cargo arrives at a U.S. port. This allows for any necessary changes or updates to be made without the need to delete and refile the form.

In summary, the ISF filing process typically requires importers to submit the necessary information to the CBP at least 24 hours before the cargo is loaded onto a ship bound for the United States or a foreign trade zone. The time it takes to complete the filing process can vary, but it is advisable to request the relevant information at least a week before the goods are shipped to allow sufficient time for gathering and compiling the required information

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Cars bricked by bankrupt EV company will stay bricked

On OCTOBER 23 at 7PM, I'll be in DECATUR, presenting my novel THE BEZZLE at EAGLE EYE BOOKS.

There are few phrases in the modern lexicon more accursed than "software-based car," and yet, this is how the failed EV maker Fisker billed its products, which retailed for $40-70k in the few short years before the company collapsed, shut down its servers, and degraded all those "software-based cars":

https://insideevs.com/news/723669/fisker-inc-bankruptcy-chapter-11-official/

Fisker billed itself as a "capital light" manufacturer, meaning that it didn't particularly make anything – rather, it "designed" cars that other companies built, allowing Fisker to focus on "experience," which is where the "software-based car" comes in. Virtually every subsystem in a Fisker car needs (or rather, needed) to periodically connect with its servers, either for regular operations or diagnostics and repair, creating frequent problems with brakes, airbags, shifting, battery management, locking and unlocking the doors:

https://www.businessinsider.com/fisker-owners-worry-about-vehicles-working-bankruptcy-2024-4

Since Fisker's bankruptcy, people with even minor problems with their Fisker EVs have found themselves owning expensive, inert lumps of conflict minerals and auto-loan debt; as one Fisker owner described it, "It's literally a lawn ornament right now":

https://www.businessinsider.com/fisker-owners-describe-chaos-to-keep-cars-running-after-bankruptcy-2024-7

This is, in many ways, typical Internet-of-Shit nonsense, but it's compounded by Fisker's capital light, all-outsource model, which led to extremely unreliable vehicles that have been plagued by recalls. The bankrupt company has proposed that vehicle owners should have to pay cash for these recalls, in order to reserve the company's capital for its creditors – a plan that is clearly illegal:

https://www.veritaglobal.net/fisker/document/2411390241007000000000005

This isn't even the first time Fisker has done this! Ten years ago, founder Henrik Fisker started another EV company called Fisker Automotive, which went bankrupt in 2014, leaving the company's "Karma" (no, really) long-range EVs (which were unreliable and prone to bursting into flames) in limbo:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisker_Karma

Which raises the question: why did investors reward Fisker's initial incompetence by piling in for a second attempt? I think the answer lies in the very factor that has made Fisker's failure so hard on its customers: the "software-based car." Investors love the sound of a "software-based car" because they understand that a gadget that is connected to the cloud is ripe for rent-extraction, because with software comes a bundle of "IP rights" that let the company control its customers, critics and competitors:

https://locusmag.com/2020/09/cory-doctorow-ip/

A "software-based car" gets to mobilize the state to enforce its "IP," which allows it to force its customers to use authorized mechanics (who can, in turn, be price-gouged for licensing and diagnostic tools). "IP" can be used to shut down manufacturers of third party parts. "IP" allows manufacturers to revoke features that came with your car and charge you a monthly subscription fee for them. All sorts of features can be sold as downloadable content, and clawed back when title to the car changes hands, so that the new owners have to buy them again. "Software based cars" are easier to repo, making them perfect for the subprime auto-lending industry. And of course, "software-based cars" can gather much more surveillance data on drivers, which can be sold to sleazy, unregulated data-brokers:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/24/rent-to-pwn/#kitt-is-a-demon

Unsurprisingly, there's a large number of Fisker cars that never sold, which the bankruptcy estate is seeking a buyer for. For a minute there, it looked like they'd found one: American Lease, which was looking to acquire the deadstock Fiskers for use as leased fleet cars. But now that deal seems dead, because no one can figure out how to restart Fisker's servers, and these vehicles are bricks without server access:

https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/08/fisker-bankruptcy-hits-major-speed-bump-as-fleet-sale-is-now-in-question/

It's hard to say why the company's servers are so intransigent, but there's a clue in the chaotic way that the company wound down its affairs. The company's final days sound like a scene from the last days of the German Democratic Republic, with apparats from the failing state charging about in chaos, without any plans for keeping things running:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/03/07/east-germany-stasi-surveillance-documents/

As it imploded, Fisker cycled through a string of Chief Financial officers, losing track of millions of dollars at a time:

https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/31/fisker-collapse-investigation-ev-ocean-suv-henrik-geeta/

When Fisker's landlord regained possession of its HQ, they found "complete disarray," including improperly stored drums of toxic waste:

https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/05/fiskers-hq-abandoned-in-complete-disarray-with-apparent-hazardous-waste-clay-models-left-behind/

And while Fisker's implosion is particularly messy, the fact that it landed in bankruptcy is entirely unexceptional. Most businesses fail (eventually) and most startups fail (quickly). Despite this, businesses – even those in heavily regulated sectors like automotive regulation – are allowed to design products and undertake operations that are not designed to outlast the (likely short-lived) company.

After the 2008 crisis and the collapse of financial institutions like Lehman Brothers, finance regulators acquired a renewed interest in succession planning. Lehman consisted of over 6,000 separate corporate entities, each one representing a bid to evade regulation and/or taxation. Unwinding that complex hairball took years, during which the entities that entrusted Lehman with their funds – pensions, charitable institutions, etc – were unable to access their money.

To avoid repeats of this catastrophe, regulators began to insist that banks produce "living wills" – plans for unwinding their affairs in the event of catastrophe. They had to undertake "stress tests" that simulated a wind-down as planned, both to make sure the plan worked and to estimate how long it would take to execute. Then banks were required to set aside sufficient capital to keep the lights on while the plan ran on.

This regulation has been indifferently enforced. Banks spent the intervening years insisting that they are capable of prudently self-regulating without all this interference, something they continue to insist upon even after the Silicon Valley Bank collapse:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/15/mon-dieu-les-guillotines/#ceci-nes-pas-une-bailout

The fact that the rules haven't been enforced tells us nothing about whether the rules would work if they were enforced. A string of high-profile bankruptcies of companies who had no succession plans and whose collapse stands to materially harm large numbers of people tells us that something has to be done about this.

Take 23andme, the creepy genomics company that enticed millions of people into sending them their genetic material (even if you aren't a 23andme customer, they probably have most of your genome, thanks to relatives who sent in cheek-swabs). 23andme is now bankrupt, and its bankruptcy estate is shopping for a buyer who'd like to commercially exploit all that juicy genetic data, even if that is to the detriment of the people it came from. What's more, the bankruptcy estate is refusing to destroy samples from people who want to opt out of this future sale:

https://bourniquelaw.com/2024/10/09/data-23-and-me/

On a smaller scale, there's Juicebox, a company that makes EV chargers, who are exiting the North American market and shutting down their servers, killing the advanced functionality that customers paid extra for when they chose a Juicebox product:

https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/2/24260316/juicebox-ev-chargers-enel-x-way-closing-discontinued-app

I actually owned a Juicebox, which ultimately caught fire and melted down, either due to a manufacturing defect or to the criminal ineptitude of Treeium, the worst solar installers in Southern California (or both):

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/27/here-comes-the-sun-king/#sign-here

Projects like Juice Rescue are trying to reverse-engineer the Juicebox server infrastructure and build an alternative:

https://juice-rescue.org/

This would be much simpler if Juicebox's manufacturer, Enel X Way, had been required to file a living will that explained how its customers would go on enjoying their property when and if the company discontinued support, exited the market, or went bankrupt.

That might be a big lift for every little tech startup (though it would be superior than trying to get justice after the company fails). But in regulated sectors like automotive manufacture or genomic analysis, a regulation that says, "Either design your products and services to fail safely, or escrow enough cash to keep the lights on for the duration of an orderly wind-down in the event that you shut down" would be perfectly reasonable. Companies could make "software based cars" but the more "software based" the car was, the more funds they'd have to escrow to transition their servers when they shut down (and the lest capital they'd have to build the car).

Such a rule should be in addition to more muscular rules simply banning the most abusive practices, like the Oregon state Right to Repair bill, which bans the "parts pairing" that makes repairing a Fisker car so onerous:

https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/27/24097042/right-to-repair-law-oregon-sb1596-parts-pairing-tina-kotek-signed

Or the Illinois state biometric privacy law, which strictly limits the use of the kind of genomic data that 23andme collected:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=3004

Failing to take action on these abusive practices is dangerous – and not just to the people who get burned by them. Every time a genomics research project turns into a privacy nightmare, that salts the earth for future medical research, making it much harder to conduct population-scale research, which can be carried out in privacy-preserving ways, and which pays huge scientific dividends that we all benefit from:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/01/the-palantir-will-see-you-now/#public-private-partnership

Just as Fisker's outrageous ripoff will make life harder for good cleantech companies:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/26/unplanned-obsolescence/#better-micetraps

If people are convinced that new, climate-friendly tech is a cesspool of grift and extraction, it will punish those firms that are making routine, breathtaking, exciting (and extremely vital) breakthroughs:

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/10/08/norways-national-football-stadium-has-the-worlds-largest-vertical-solar-roof-how-does-it-w

Tor Books as just published two new, free LITTLE BROTHER stories: VIGILANT, about creepy surveillance in distance education; and SPILL, about oil pipelines and indigenous landback.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/10/10/software-based-car/#based

[marygusmans]

HeroFX, an online trading platform established in 2021, offers a variety of trading instruments, including forex, indices, shares, futures, crypto, metals, and energies. However, several significant concerns arise due to HeroFX's lack of regulation and legal compliance. The platform is not licensed by any reputable financial authority, which compromises trader security and credibility.

Regulatory Concerns

HeroFX operates without major regulatory oversight, posing significant risks for traders. The absence of licenses from recognized financial authorities means there is no guarantee of fund safety or fair trading practices. This lack of regulation should be a major red flag for any potential user.

User Feedback

A considerable number of negative reviews highlight issues such as difficulties in withdrawing funds, security breaches, and allegations of fraudulent activities. These complaints underscore the potential risks of trading with HeroFX. Problems with fund withdrawals and poor customer support are common themes in user feedback.

Minimum Deposit and Trading Conditions

HeroFX advertises a low minimum deposit of $20 and high leverage of up to 1:500. However, users report unexpected fees and unclear terms. The platform's reliance on cryptocurrency payments raises additional concerns about transaction transparency and security.

Platform Reliability

While HeroFX offers the MetaTrader 5 (MT5) platform, which is popular among traders, technical issues and platform downtimes have been reported. The broker’s lack of regulation further undermines the reliability and security of these trading platforms.

Conclusion

HeroFX’s lack of regulatory oversight, numerous user complaints, and unclear trading conditions make it a high-risk choice for traders. For a detailed analysis and to understand the full scope of potential issues with HeroFX, visit ForexJudge's comprehensive HeroFX review.

In summary, traders are advised to exercise extreme caution with HeroFX and consider regulated alternatives for a safer trading experience. For more in-depth information, read the full review on ForexJudge.

[lifehackerwhy]

HeroFX: Key Concerns and Issues

HeroFX is an online trading platform established in 2021, offering various trading instruments like forex, indices, shares, futures, crypto, metals, and energies. However, several serious concerns make it a risky choice for traders.

🚨 Regulatory Concerns

No Regulation: HeroFX is not licensed by any major financial authority.

High Risk: Without regulation, there's no guarantee of fund safety or fair trading practices.

📉 User Feedback

Withdrawal Issues: Many users report problems withdrawing their funds.

Security Breaches: There are reports of security issues and possible fraud.

Poor Support: Customer support is often unhelpful and slow to respond.

💵 Minimum Deposit and Trading Conditions

Low Deposit: HeroFX advertises a low minimum deposit of $20.

High Leverage: Leverage up to 1:500.

Hidden Fees: Users report unexpected fees and unclear terms.

Crypto Payments: Reliance on cryptocurrency payments raises transparency and security concerns.

🖥️ Platform Reliability

MT5 Platform: HeroFX uses the popular MetaTrader 5 platform.

Technical Issues: Users report frequent technical problems and platform downtimes.

Unreliable: Lack of regulation undermines trust in the platform’s reliability and security.

🛑 Conclusion

HeroFX's lack of regulation, numerous user complaints, and unclear trading conditions make it a high-risk choice for traders. It's advised to be extremely cautious with HeroFX and consider safer, regulated alternatives.

If you would like a thorough analysis, please visit the full review on ForexJudge.

[cessautomation]

Certainly! Here's the article with bullet emojis and a visually appealing style:

HeroFX: A Critical Review

HeroFX, an online trading platform established in 2021, claims to offer various trading instruments such as forex, indices, shares, futures, crypto, metals, and energies. Despite these offerings, significant concerns arise due to HeroFX's lack of regulation and legal compliance. The platform is not licensed by any reputable financial authority, which compromises trader security and credibility.

🔹 Regulatory Concerns

HeroFX operates without any major regulatory oversight, posing significant risks for traders. The absence of licenses from recognized financial authorities means there is no guarantee of fund safety or fair trading practices. This lack of regulation should be a major red flag for any potential user.

🔹 User Feedback

A considerable number of negative reviews highlight issues such as difficulties in withdrawing funds, security breaches, and allegations of fraudulent activities. These complaints underscore the potential risks of trading with HeroFX. Problems with fund withdrawals and poor customer support are common themes in user feedback.

🔹 Minimum Deposit and Trading Conditions

HeroFX advertises a low minimum deposit of $20 and high leverage of up to 1:500. However, users report unexpected fees and unclear terms. The platform's reliance on cryptocurrency payments raises additional concerns about transaction transparency and security.

🔹 Platform Reliability

While HeroFX offers the MetaTrader 5 (MT5) platform, which is popular among traders, technical issues and platform downtimes have been reported. The broker’s lack of regulation further undermines the reliability and security of these trading platforms.

🔹 Conclusion

HeroFX’s lack of regulatory oversight, numerous user complaints, and unclear trading conditions make it a high-risk choice for traders. For a detailed analysis and to understand the full scope of potential issues with HeroFX, visit ForexJudge's comprehensive HeroFX review.

In summary, traders are advised to exercise extreme caution with HeroFX and consider regulated alternatives for a safer trading experience. For more in-depth information, read the full review on ForexJudge.

This format provides a clear, structured, and visually engaging presentation of the article.

Visit for more information:

[forexjudge]

HeroFX Review HeroFX, an online trading platform established in 2021, claims to offer various trading instruments such as forex, indices, shares, futures, crypto, metals, and energies. Despite these offerings, significant concerns arise due to HeroFX's lack of regulation and legal compliance. The platform is not licensed by any reputable financial authority, which compromises trader security and credibility.

Regulatory Concerns HeroFX operates without any major regulatory oversight, posing significant risks for traders. The absence of licenses from recognized financial authorities means there is no guarantee of fund safety or fair trading practices. This lack of regulation should be a major red flag for any potential user.

User Feedback A considerable number of negative reviews highlight issues such as difficulties in withdrawing funds, security breaches, and allegations of fraudulent activities. These complaints underscore the potential risks of trading with HeroFX. Problems with fund withdrawals and poor customer support are common themes in user feedback.

Minimum Deposit and Trading Conditions HeroFX advertises a low minimum deposit of $20 and high leverage of up to 1:500. However, users report unexpected fees and unclear terms. The platform's reliance on cryptocurrency payments raises additional concerns about transaction transparency and security.

Platform Reliability While HeroFX offers the MetaTrader 5 (MT5) platform, which is popular among traders, technical issues and platform downtimes have been reported. The broker’s lack of regulation further undermines the reliability and security of these trading platforms.

Conclusion HeroFX’s lack of regulatory oversight, numerous user complaints, and unclear trading conditions make it a high-risk choice for traders. For a detailed analysis and to understand the full scope of potential issues with HeroFX, visit ForexJudge's comprehensive HeroFX review.

In summary, traders are advised to exercise extreme caution with HeroFX and consider regulated alternatives for a safer trading experience. For more in-depth information, read the full review on ForexJudge.

[aadamkempfitness]

HeroFX Review: A Comprehensive Look at the Alleged Forex Scam

In the vast and often volatile world of forex trading, the presence of unscrupulous brokers is a constant threat to both novice and seasoned traders. HeroFX, a broker that has recently come under scrutiny, is the subject of many discussions and concerns. This review delves into the various aspects of HeroFX to determine whether it is a legitimate broker or a potential scam.

Background and Overview

HeroFX claims to offer a comprehensive trading platform with a wide range of assets, including forex, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies. Promising competitive spreads, high leverage, and a user-friendly interface, HeroFX aims to attract traders looking for a reliable trading experience.

Regulation and Licensing

One of the primary red flags for any forex broker is the lack of proper regulation and licensing. HeroFX is reportedly not registered with any reputable financial regulatory authority. This absence of regulation means that traders are not protected by any governing body, increasing the risk of fraudulent activities and loss of funds.

Trading Platform and Tools

HeroFX offers its own proprietary trading platform, which is marketed as intuitive and feature-rich. While the platform appears to be functional, there have been numerous complaints about its reliability and execution speed. Some users have reported significant delays in order execution, leading to potential losses.

The broker also provides various tools and resources for traders, such as educational materials, market analysis, and trading signals. However, the quality and accuracy of these resources are questionable, with many users alleging that the information provided is often outdated or misleading.

Customer Support

Effective customer support is crucial for any forex broker, especially when dealing with complex financial transactions. HeroFX has received mixed reviews in this area. While some traders have reported satisfactory interactions with the support team, many others have experienced long wait times, unhelpful responses, and unresolved issues. This inconsistency in customer service further undermines the broker's credibility.

Withdrawal and Deposit Issues

One of the most significant concerns surrounding HeroFX is the difficulty many traders face when trying to withdraw their funds. Numerous complaints highlight delayed withdrawals, with some users claiming they never received their money. This pattern of behavior is often indicative of a scam broker, as legitimate brokers prioritize transparent and efficient fund transfers.

Additionally, the deposit process has also raised suspicions. HeroFX allegedly encourages large initial deposits and offers enticing bonuses that come with restrictive terms and conditions, making it challenging for traders to access their funds.

User Reviews and Complaints

A cursory glance at various online forums and review sites reveals a plethora of negative feedback from traders who have used HeroFX. Common grievances include:

Unresponsive or hostile customer service.

Manipulated trading conditions leading to unexpected losses.

Inability to withdraw funds.

Suspiciously positive reviews that appear fabricated.

These recurring themes paint a concerning picture of HeroFX and suggest a pattern of unethical practices.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while HeroFX presents itself as a reputable forex broker with attractive features, the overwhelming evidence points to the contrary. The lack of regulation, persistent withdrawal issues, and numerous negative user reviews all indicate that HeroFX may not be a trustworthy broker. Traders are advised to exercise extreme caution and conduct thorough research before engaging with this broker. In the unpredictable world of forex trading, it is always better to err on the side of caution and choose a broker with a proven track record of reliability and transparency.

For more check out this article: Herofx-review

[girlactionfigure]

🚨EXCLUSIVE NEW DETAILS ABOUT THE PAGERS - A THREAD:

Just when you thought it couldn't get crazier, Reuters released brand new details about Mossad's brilliant pager operation against Hezbollah in September. I will break down the most important parts and the exciting moments. 

Let's start with the construction of the pagers themselves. The explosive component, Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (otherwise known as PETN), did the most damage. Mossad technicians found a way to insert a very thin square sheet of PETN between two battery cells and a strip of highly flammable material to act as a detonator. This entire package was placed into a plastic sleeve, which was encapsulated in a metal case roughly the size of a matchbox. 

When the command was given, the flammable strip generated a spark to light the detonator and trigger the PETN to explode. The explosives took away some of the battery's power, which Hezbollah noticed when the battery would drain faster than expected. However, they never put two and two together and continued to use and issue the devices. 

The complexity of this construction is essential for one primary reason: without metal components like a standard detonator or wires, the explosive element was utterly undetectable by X-ray. Israel knew that upon receiving the pagers, Hezbollah would likely check them for tampering or explosives, which is precisely what happened. Using airport-style security scanners, Hezbollah did indeed check the pagers, but thanks to Mossad's ingenuity, the explosive was not detected. 

Now we get to the really interesting part, which is the lengths the Mossad went to create a cover story for their ruse. The PETN battery pack that Mossad constructed had a label on it: LI-BT783, and this was an issue because that specific battery did not exist. The Mossad started by creating a custom model for the entire pager, AR-924. They approached a renowned Taiwanese brand, Gold Apollo, to add it to their catalog. 

Hsu Ching-Kuang, the chairman of Gold Apollo, was approached by a former employee and her new boss named "Tom" to inquire about adding the model. Ching-Kuang said that while he wasn't impressed by the AR-924 when he saw it, he agreed to grant a license under the brand and add photos and a description of the product to his company's website, thus unknowingly establishing the legitimacy of the Mossad's pager. 

In September 2023, a website named came online with the AR-924 listed as a product. The site was tied to a Hong Kong-based company, Apollo Systems HK, of which no record exists today. In late 2023, two additional online states came online with the LI-BT783 battery listed in their product list, amongst other legitimate units.

Users in two online forums discussing batteries even made posts about the LI-BT783 and the AR-924, praising its "great performance" and ruggedness for field use. When Hezbollah searched for a new pager, their procurement manager chose the AR-924. The salesperson who brokered the deal offered a "very inexpensive proposition" and continued reducing the price until the Hezbollah manager agreed. 

In the wake of the explosions, Hezbollah launched an internal probe of what went wrong. However, the senior official leading the investigation, Nabil Kaouk, was himself killed in an Israeli strike just 11 days after the pagers went off. The internal investigation is supposedly still in progress... 

@JewishWarrior13

[infinitywithoutparallel]

Know it's probably an odd offer but I've been seeing a ton of people not really understanding tariffs, given Trump's plans I've seen a lot of misinformation on them, but if anyone who follows me has any questions on them I'd be happy to answer. Im a licensed customs broker in the US so these things are my day to day.

[internationalfreightforwarding]

Excelsior Philippines: Your Trusted Licensed Customs Broker and Logistics Partner

When it comes to navigating the complexities of international trade and logistics in the Philippines, Excelsior Philippines stands out as a reliable and trusted partner. As a leading licensed customs broker and full-service logistics company in the Philippines, we provide comprehensive solutions to ensure your shipments reach their destination quickly, efficiently, and in compliance with all customs regulations.

Why Choose Excelsior Philippines?

In today’s global economy, efficient logistics and customs management are critical to business success. Excelsior Philippines has built a reputation for excellence in both areas. Whether you’re importing or exporting goods, our expertise as a licensed customs broker ensures that all customs procedures are handled smoothly, allowing you to focus on growing your business.

Expertise as a Licensed Customs Broker

As a licensed customs broker in the Philippines, we offer expert services in navigating the intricate process of clearing goods through customs. We are well-versed in Philippine customs laws, tariffs, import/export regulations, and international trade agreements, ensuring that your goods are properly classified, valued, and documented for efficient clearance. With our knowledge of the latest changes in customs policies, we help you avoid costly delays and penalties.

End-to-End Logistics Services

Excelsior Philippines is more than just a licensed customs broker; we are a full-service logistics company in the Philippines. We offer end-to-end solutions, from transportation and warehousing to distribution and inventory management. Whether you're shipping goods by sea, air, or land, we provide tailored logistics services that meet your specific needs.

Our logistics team is equipped with the latest tracking technology, ensuring real-time updates and the ability to manage the entire supply chain process efficiently. Whether you need to import raw materials, export finished products, or manage a distribution network, we provide seamless solutions that keep your operations running smoothly.

Personalized Approach to Customer Service

At Excelsior Philippines, we understand that every business has unique logistics and customs needs. Our team works closely with each client to develop customized solutions that meet specific requirements. We believe in building long-term relationships based on trust and transparent communication. Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, our focus is on delivering the best service possible.

Key Services We Offer:

Customs Brokerage Services: Efficient handling of import/export documentation, customs clearance, tariff classifications, and regulatory compliance.

International Freight Forwarding: Shipping solutions via air, sea, and land, with a focus on cost-efficiency and timely delivery.

Warehousing and Distribution: Safe storage and efficient management of your goods to streamline your supply chain.

Supply Chain Management: End-to-end solutions for optimizing and managing your entire logistics network.

Why Logistics Matter for Your Business

The logistics industry plays a crucial role in facilitating trade and business growth. With Excelsior Philippines as your licensed customs broker and logistics partner, you gain access to expert knowledge, advanced technology, and reliable services that minimize risk, reduce delays, and lower costs. We understand the critical nature of time-sensitive shipments and aim to keep your supply chain running smoothly.

Get in Touch with Excelsior Philippines Today

Whether you need expert customs brokerage or a comprehensive logistics solution, Excelsior Philippines is your trusted partner in navigating the complexities of international trade. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help your business thrive in the competitive global market.

Excelsior Philippines – Your trusted licensed customs broker and logistics company in the Philippines.

For more info, visit our site https://excelsior.ph

[accb1]

Customs Clearance Services - ACCB Customs Broker

What is customs clearance process?

Customs clearance is the process through which imported or exported goods are approved by customs authorities for entry or exit from a country. It involves a series of procedures and documentation to ensure that goods comply with local regulations, taxes, and duties.

The customs clearance process typically includes the following steps:

Documentation: Importers or exporters must provide the necessary documentation to customs authorities, including invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, and certificates of origin. These documents help customs officials verify the nature, quantity, and value of the goods being imported or exported.

Customs Declaration: Importers or exporters must submit a customs declaration form, which provides detailed information about the goods being transported, their value, and other relevant details. This declaration is used by customs authorities to assess applicable duties, taxes, and regulatory requirements.

Examination: Customs authorities may inspect the goods to ensure that they comply with import/export regulations, safety standards, and other requirements. This may involve physical inspection of the goods or examination of accompanying documentation.

Assessment of Duties and Taxes: Customs authorities calculate the duties, taxes, and other fees applicable to the imported or exported goods based on their value, classification, and country of origin. Importers or exporters are required to pay these fees before the goods can be released from customs.

Release of Goods: Once all necessary requirements have been met and any applicable fees have been paid, customs authorities authorize the release of the goods. The goods can then be transported to their final destination within the country or exported to their intended destination overseas.

Post-Clearance Compliance: Importers or exporters may be required to comply with additional regulatory requirements after customs clearance, such as obtaining permits or licenses for certain types of goods, or providing additional documentation for record-keeping purposes.

The customs clearance process can vary significantly from one country to another, depending on local regulations and trade agreements. Importers and exporters often work with customs brokers or freight forwarders to navigate the complexities of customs clearance and ensure smooth movement of goods across borders.

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[drgamenstein]

So, going back to some of my older posts about character and setting TTRPGs let's talk about Vampire: the Masquerade. Here's real quick, a fun or stupid way to play each of the 13 clans. First though, if anyone somehow finds this who isn't familiar with the VtM lore, I'll offer a bastardized version of the disclaimer the core rulebook does; there's no such thing as a morally good PC in this game, you're going to be playing as a killer, stalker, monster, however you want to put it. Vampires are monstrous reflections of humanity, and as such can emphasize certain traits that are seen as distasteful or wrong. This isn't an excuse to be an overt and openly bigoted asshole at the table, and no GM or player should ever tolerate real world hate speech at the table when speaking OoC. We cool? Cool.

Ventrue: a new age shop owner, who sells homemade essential oils, skin care products and crystals that mark potential targets for siring based on the virtues each clan upholds. They're cursed blood makes them obsessed with very specific scents, meaning they can't feed on someone unless they're wearing something that makes them smell appealing.

Toreador: a plastic surgeon, who's idea of beauty is the imperfection of the human form. They run a budget clinic and are able to avoid losing their license due to malpractice, because they have a close personal bond with the Nosferatu, and love to skincraft them into an appearance that while still leaving them deformed, could pass as injuries or illnesses, making them less likely to violate the Masquerade. These favors give them connections to blackmail and extort anyone, enough that they can hire a Ventrue lawyer to protect them.

Gangrel: a Pational Park Ranger, who may or may not have connections to many, MANY missing 411 cases. They hold a position of neutrality between almost every faction, by upholding the laws of the Camarilla, by keeping the masquerade intact, while simultaniously cultivating their own open-air human meat restaurant. A safe place for werewolves, and other kindred to engage in their most animalistic urges, without fear of leaving evidence behind.

Malkavian: an autistic dark web information broker, that somehow knows what their customers want long before they even make contact. They have a habit of logging every email, password or other piece of identifying information that pops into their head. Breaking the fourth wall, the player could improve this by listening to business, economics or true crime podcasts during sessions, and talking as if it's a conversation they're having to what's going on at that point in game.

Tremere: a character who wants to form their own autonomous enclave, separate from any form of government be it human or kindred based. This wilderness commune is under constant surveillance by several human law enforcement agencies, and is publicly recognized as a cult, though they are petitioning to be recognized as a religion. They sire high ranking members of their organization, only after several years of indoctrination, at which point the Frog has boiled over and been reduced to a fine broth. The appeal of the cult to outsiders are the opportunity for travel, under the guise of medical and disaster relief efforts. All members are also frequently asked to donate blood for "those in need." Internally they don't believe in any religion, the player could make the argument that Kain wasn't cursed by God, but instead was the first evolutionary offshoot from mankind, and they internally view each vampire clan as related in much the same way as humans are related to other apes. This internalized vampirism racism while a massive negative trait, is effectively used by studying each and every clan solely for the purpose of learning how best to manipulate them.

Bruja: (this one's shorter than all the rest) During life they were a decorated cold war era military veteran, who was honorably discharged with injuries after certain government experiments. After their siring they have dedicated their un-life to spreading good old fashioned western values to the oppressed and impoverished parts of the world as a PMC.

Nosferatu: since almost every nosferatu have the same MO, preferred hiding spots and methods of travel, I think this clan is best defined by they're personality and view of the world. The owner of an Incel forum, who uses it both to unironically post their own thoughts and feelings, but to gather info from their users about all the Chads and Staceys in need of some punishment for their arrogance. They also frequently browse social media, and may or may not be responsible for at least a few throwaway accounts responsible for doxxing public figures. They are an absolute bitch for drama, and spend their downtime binging tea channels and Beauty-tubers but can't see the irony of this hobby.

Lasombre: an old fashioned head of a boston mafia group. He's made a fortune exploiting the working class and extorting the needy for decades, and running a successful shipyard and fishing company. His preferred targets for siring are dock workers, and local gang members that he sees as either beneficial to his criminal empire, or someone that his enemies would hate to lose. He has a unique point of view among most of the kindred, in that he doesn't discriminate among humans, Vampires or oan of the other creatures and organizations around him. They're all of equal value in his eyes, that value being equivalent to a character pip from the Game of Life, meaning tiny l, worthless bits of plastic, that take up space and are only worthy of notice when they directly impact him. His closest friend is actually a human butler, that picks out his clothes, make sure he's in proper order, and takes care of him. He will never sire this friend, as they are fully aware of his true nature and have asked him kindly to not do so. This blatant violation of the masquerade is barely tolerated as an open secret, since covering this particular leak would cause more trouble than just leaving it alone.

Tzimisce: a geneticist, who's network has a hand in every animal centric organization in the world, whether it's pet care, breeding, meat production, pageantry, racing, or law enforcement training, they can somehow be linked to it. They are fascinated by genealogy and genetics, obsessed with the true history of the world and want to prove the lineage of every clan and bloodline, simply for the satisfaction of having that knowledge. They were a successful dog breeder in life and now may or may not be practicing human and clan breeding in secret. They have a strange fascination with the Caitiff, and are regularly observed by many, acting friendly with these undesirables. They have a genuine love for animals, and would never harm any of their precious creatures, but see humans as lower than scum, utterly disgusting parasites hellbent on destroying their precious mother nature. They have no desire to sire an heir, unless eventually forced to do so, have no feelings whatsoever toward the idea of harming humans, seeing their acts as mundane or even justified, and this hatred goes so far that they frequently push themselves to the brink of frenzy just to avoid drinking from these vile creatures. Before their embrace, they had a pet dog that they loved more than anything in the world, but sadly killed during their first frenzy. They keep their friends collar on them at all times, despite the guilt they feel, it's the only thing that gives them comfort and let's them sleep at night.

Hecata: (I thought of this as an experienced player, or storyteller's PC) an elderly person, though not ancient. A member of a long lived and wealthy family dating back possibly to the Methusala. A family man, with an actual family, they sired before their embrace, with the knowledge that they will one day need to make arrangements for their children to be embraced. You take on the role of a mentor figure, teaching them the ways of the kindred, necromancy, and hunting, but are planning to, at the end of their training, have more promising of your spawn, diablerize the other.

Banu Haqim: a vigilante serial killer, think Vampire Punisher, or Dexter. Seeking out rogue kindred who've strayed from their respective code, regardless I'd they're Camarilla, Sabatt, or Anarch. The kindred you hunt are blatant violators of the masquerade and do so without even the little bit of control the Sabatt has over its members. More than anything, they are the biggest threats to kindred society as a whole and expose us all to the threat of human exposure. They are the perfect target for one such as yourself, both as self-proclaimed peacekeepers, and to satiate your own clans curse. It's your solemn duty to ensure that no evidence of kindred society is left behind.

Ravnos: a backpacker, spelunker and base jumper. They are a very popular Social Media personality and travel vlogger that enjoys documenting cave exploration and nighttime adventures into the wilderness. They know all the best tourist spots, what every kind of human blood tastes like, and won't shut the hell up about how they need to take you to Venice to try genuine Venican blood fresh from the source. They have a lot of annoying habits, and frequently humble brag about their enlightened un-life, but are generally good company and easy to get along with. You still wouldn't call them a friend though. They're the type of person that always sleeps over when they visit, but you can never remember them specifically asking if they could crash on your couch.

Ministry: You are a bio-terrorist. After your embrace, you took an interest in medical sciences for all the wrong reasons. Fascinated with your new undeath, and immunity to human illness, you start to question the limits of your new undead body, and decide to push it to new limits, concocting plagues, viruses and diseases and testing them on unsuspecting vampire populations. Occasionally, maybe, sure, some human populations get sick as well, pandemics, happen, and hundreds of thousands die each time you conduct a test, but that's the price of good science.

Caitiff: literally just don't play Caitiff. It's hard to come up with a creative or unique story for this "Clan" since they are effectively nobodies. The best comparison to be made I guess would be that Caitiff are the vampire equivalent of that weird conspiracy theorist who works in retail, has a substance abuse problem and is constantly trying to get you and all his other "work buds" to rise up and unionize against the man, but doesn't have an actual plan or any understanding on how any of that works.

Thin-bloods: Why is this a clan we can pick? Who is picking this one? Don't do it.

[gonzalez756]

How to Sell Your eCommerce Business in 2024 | Imagency Media

The eCommerce landscape in 2024 is more competitive and dynamic than ever. As a business owner, you may have decided that now is the right time to sell your eCommerce business and capitalize on your hard work. Whether you're looking to pursue new ventures, retire, or simply cash in on your investment, selling your eCommerce business can be a lucrative opportunity. However, it requires careful planning and execution. In this guide, Imagency Media will walk you through the key steps to successfully sell your eCommerce business in 2024.

1. Prepare Your Business for Sale

Before you put your eCommerce business on the market, it's crucial to ensure it's in the best possible shape. Buyers are looking for profitable, well-managed businesses with growth potential. Here's how to prepare:

Financials: Make sure your financial records are up-to-date, accurate, and easy to understand. Buyers will scrutinize your profit margins, revenue trends, and expenses. Consider working with an accountant to organize your financials and identify any areas for improvement.

Operations: Streamline your operations to make your business more appealing. This includes optimizing your supply chain, automating processes where possible, and ensuring that your inventory management is efficient. A well-run business is more attractive to potential buyers.

Brand Strength: Evaluate your brand's online presence. This includes your website, social media, and customer reviews. A strong, reputable brand can significantly increase your business's value. Consider investing in professional web design and branding services to enhance your business's appeal.

Legal Documentation: Ensure all your legal documents, such as business licenses, contracts, and intellectual property rights, are in order. Potential buyers will conduct due diligence, and any legal discrepancies could derail the sale.

2. Determine the Value of Your Business

Valuing an eCommerce business is a complex process that involves multiple factors. The most common valuation method is a multiple of your annual net profit, but other factors can influence the final price:

Revenue and Profit: Consistent and growing revenue, along with healthy profit margins, are key indicators of value.

Customer Base: A large, loyal customer base with low churn rates adds significant value to your business.

Market Position: How well does your business stand out in its niche? A strong market position with potential for growth can attract higher offers.

Growth Potential: Buyers are interested in the future potential of your business. Demonstrating a clear path for growth, such as expanding product lines or entering new markets, can increase your valuation.

Consider hiring a professional business broker or valuation expert to help you determine a realistic asking price.

3. Find the Right Buyer

Finding the right buyer is critical to the success of the sale. There are several types of buyers to consider:

Strategic Buyers: These are companies or individuals in your industry looking to expand their market share or acquire new capabilities. They may pay a premium for businesses that complement their existing operations.

Financial Buyers: Private equity firms or investors looking for profitable businesses with growth potential fall into this category. They typically focus on the financial performance of your business.

Individual Buyers: These are entrepreneurs or aspiring business owners who see value in taking over an established business.

To find potential buyers, consider listing your business on online marketplaces, reaching out to your industry network, or working with a business broker who can connect you with qualified buyers.

4. Negotiate the Sale

Once you’ve found a potential buyer, the negotiation process begins. This phase is crucial, as it will determine the final terms of the sale. Key aspects to negotiate include:

Purchase Price: This is the most obvious point of negotiation, but it’s not the only one. Be prepared to justify your asking price based on your business’s financials and growth potential.

Payment Terms: You may receive the full payment upfront, or the buyer might propose an installment plan. Consider the tax implications and risks associated with different payment structures.

Transition Period: Many buyers will request a transition period where you stay on to help manage the business during the handover. Define the duration and scope of your involvement during this period.

Non-Compete Agreement: Buyers may ask you to sign a non-compete agreement, which would prevent you from starting a similar business in the same industry. Ensure the terms are reasonable and won’t limit your future opportunities.

5. Close the Deal

Once all the terms are agreed upon, it's time to finalize the sale. This involves:

Drafting the Purchase Agreement: Work with a lawyer to draft a purchase agreement that outlines all the terms of the sale, including the purchase price, payment terms, and any contingencies.

Due Diligence: The buyer will conduct a thorough review of your business, including financials, operations, and legal documentation. Be prepared to provide all requested information promptly.

Transfer of Ownership: After due diligence is complete and both parties are satisfied, the final step is the transfer of ownership. This includes transferring all business assets, such as inventory, intellectual property, and customer data, to the buyer.

Post-Sale Transition: If a transition period was agreed upon, ensure a smooth handover by providing the necessary training and support to the new owner.

6. Celebrate Your Success

Selling your eCommerce business is a significant achievement. Take the time to celebrate your success and reflect on the journey that brought you here. Whether you're moving on to a new venture or enjoying the fruits of your labor, you’ve accomplished something remarkable.

Conclusion

Selling your eCommerce business in 2024 requires careful planning, strategic thinking, and a clear understanding of the market. By following these steps, you can maximize the value of your business and ensure a successful sale. At Imagency Media, we understand the importance of a well-executed exit strategy. If you're considering selling your business and need assistance with branding, web design, or preparing your business for sale, we're here to help.

Take the next step today. Contact Imagency Media to learn how we can support you in maximizing the value of your eCommerce business and ensuring a successful sale.

This article serves as a valuable resource for eCommerce business owners looking to navigate the complexities of selling their business in 2024. By following these guidelines, sellers can approach the process with confidence and increase their chances of securing a profitable and smooth transaction.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Orphaned neurological implants

The startup world’s dirty not-so-secret is that most startups fail. Startups are risky ventures and their investors know it, so they cast a wide net, placing lots of bets on lots of startups and folding the ones that don’t show promise, which sucks for the company employees, but also for the users who depend on the company’s products.

You know what this is like: you sink a bunch of time into familiarizing yourself with a new product, you spend money on accessories for it, you lock your data into it, you integrate it into your life, and then, one morning — poof! All gone.

Now, there are ways that startups could mitigate this risk for their customers: they could publish their source code under a free/open license so that it could be maintained by third parties, they could refuse to patent their technology, or dedicate their patents to an open patent pool, etc.

All of this might tempt more people to try their product or service, because the customers for digital products are increasingly savvy, having learned hard lessons when the tools they previously depended were orphaned by startups whose investors pulled the plug.

But very few startups do this, because their investors won’t let them. That brings me to the other dirty not-so-secret of the startup world: when a startup fails, investors try to make back some of their losses by selling the company’s assets to any buyer, no matter how sleazy.

A startup’s physical assets are typically minimal: used ergonomic chairs and laptops don’t exactly hold their value, and there’s not much of a market for t-shirts and stickers advertising dead businesses.

Wily investors are more interested in intangible assets: user data and patents, which are sold off to the highest bidder. That bidder is almost certainly a bottom-feeding scumbag, because the best way to maximize the value of user data is to abuse it, and the best way to maximize a failed business patent is to use it for patent trolling.

If you let your investors talk you into patenting your cool idea, there’s a minuscule chance that the patent will be the core of a profitable business — and a much larger chance that it end up in a troll’s portfolio. Real businesses make things that people want. Patent trolls are parasites, “businesses” whose only products are legal threats and lawsuits, which they use to bleed out real businesses.

The looming threat of dissolution gives rise to a third startup dirty secret: faced with a choice of growth or sustainability, companies choose growth. There’s no point in investing in sustainability — good information security, robust systems, good HR — if it costs you the runway you need to achieve liftoff.

Your excellent processes won’t help you when your investors shut you down, so a “lean” startup has only the minimum viable resiliency and robustness. If you do manage to attain liftoff — or get sold to a Big Tech firm — then you can fix all that stuff.

And if the far more likely outcome — failure — comes to pass, then all the liabilities you’ve created with your indifferent security and resiliency will be someone else’s problem. Limited liability, baby!

Combine these three dirty secrets and it’s hard to understand why anyone would use a startup’s product, knowing that it will collect as much data as it can, secure it only indifferently, and sell that data on to sleazy data-brokers. Meanwhile, the product you buy and rely upon will probably become a radioactive wasteland of closed source and patent trolling, with so much technology and policy debt that no one can afford to take responsibility for it.

Think of Cloudpets, a viral toy sensation whose manufacturer, Spiral Toys, had a successful IPO — and then immediately started hemorrhaging money and shedding employees. Cloudpets were plush toys that you connected to your home wifi; they had built-in mics that kids could activate to record a voice-memo, which was transmitted to their parents’ phones by means of an app, and parents could send messages back via the toys’ speakers.

But Spiral Toys never bothered to secure those voice memos or the system for making new ones. The entire database of all recordings by kids and parents sat on an unencrypted, publicly accessible server for years. It was so indifferently monitored that no one noticed that hackers had downloaded the database multiple times, leaving behind threats to dump it unless they were paid ransoms.

By the time this came to light, Spiral Toys’ share price was down more than 99% and no one was answering any of its email addresses or phones. The data — 2.2 million intimate, personal communications between small children and their parents — just hung out there, free for the taking:

https://www.troyhunt.com/data-from-connected-cloudpets-teddy-bears-leaked-and-ransomed-exposing-kids-voice-messages/

Data leakage is irreversible. Those 2,200,000 voice memos are now immortal, child-ghosts that will haunt the internet forever — after the parents are dead, after the kids are dead.

Data breaches are permanent. Filling a startup’s sandcastle with your important data is a high-risk bet that the company will attain liftoff before it breaches.

It’s not just your data that goes away when a startup folds — it’s also the money you invest in its hardware and systems, as well as the cost of replacing devices that get bricked when a company goes bust. That’s bad enough when it’s a home security device:

https://gizmodo.com/spectrum-kills-home-security-business-refuses-refunds-1840931761

But what about when the device is inside your body?

Earlier this year, many people with Argus optical implants — which allow blind people to see — lost their vision when the manufacturer, Second Sight, went bust:

https://spectrum.ieee.org/bionic-eye-obsolete

Nano Precision Medical, the company’s new owners, aren’t interested in maintaining the implants, so that’s the end of the road for everyone with one of Argus’s “bionic” eyes. The $150,000 per eye that those people paid is gone, and they have failing hardware permanently wired into their nervous systems.

Having a bricked eye implant doesn’t just rob you of your sight — many Argus users experience crippling vertigo and other side effects of nonfunctional implants. The company has promised to “do our best to provide virtual support” to people whose Argus implants fail — but no more parts and no more patches.

Second Sight wasn’t the first neural implant vendor to abandon its customers, nor was it the last. Last week, Liam Drew told the stories of other neural abandonware in “Abandoned: the human cost of neurotechnology failure” in Nature:

https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-022-03810-5/index.html

Among that abandonware: ATI’s neural implant for reducing cluster headaches, Nuvectra’s spinal-cord stimulator for chronic pain, Freehand’s paralysis bypass for hands and arms, and others. People with these implants are left in a precarious limbo, reliant on reverse-engineering and a dwindling supply of parts for maintenance.

Drew asked his expert subjects what is to be done about this. The least plausible answer is to let the market work its magic: “long-term support on the commercial side would be a competitive advantage.” In other words, wait for companies to realize that promising a durable product will attract customers, so that the other companies go out of business.

A better answer: standardization. “If components were common across devices, one manufacturer might be able to step in and offer spares when another goes under.” 86% of surgeons who implant neurostimulators back this approach.

But the best answer comes from Hunter Peckham, co-developer of Freehand and a Case Western biomedical engineer: open hardware. “Peckham plans to make the design specifications and supporting documentation of new implantable technologies developed by his team freely available. ‘Then people can just cut and paste.’”

This isn’t just the best answer, it’s the only one. There’s no ethical case for permanently attaching computers to people’s nervous systems without giving them the absolute, irrevocable right to nominate who maintains those computers and how.

This is the case that Christian Dameff, Jeff Tully and I made at our Defcon panel this year: “Why Patients Should Hack Medtech.” Patients know things about their care and their needs that no one else can ever fully appreciate; they are the best people to have the final say over med-tech decisions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i1BF5YGS0w

This is the principle that animates Colorado’s HB22–1031, the “Consumer Right To Repair Powered Wheelchairs Act,” landmark Right to Repair legislation that was signed into law last year:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/06/when-drm-comes-your-wheelchair

Opponents of this proposal will say that it will discourage investment in “innovation” in neurological implants. They may well be right: the kinds of private investors who hedge their bets on high-risk ventures by minimizing security and resilience and exploiting patents and user-data might well be scared off of investment by a requirement to make the technology open.

It may be that showboating billionaire dilettantes will be unwilling to continue to pour money into neural implant companies if they are required to put the lives of the people who use their products ahead of their own profits.

It may be that the only humane, sustainable way to develop neural implants is to publicly fund that research and development, with the condition that the work products be standard, open, and replicable.

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[Image ID: The staring eye of HAL9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Centered in it is a medieval anatomical engraving of the human nervous system, limned in a blue halo.]