Latest news with #Maro
SoraNews24
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Pokémon Happy Meal trading cards cause chaos at McDonald's branches in Japan
The Pokémon card battle at McDonald's was tougher than anyone anticipated. This past weekend, Pokémon fans in Japan had an adventure to go on, as McDonald's announced it would be giving away free Pokémon cards with its Happy Meals on 8, 9, and 10 August. For each Happy Meal purchased, customers were able to receive two Pokémon cards — one being a guaranteed standard Pikachu, and one randomly chosen from five possible varieties. With the cards being limited in quantity, fans were prepared to go into battle to get them, including our reporter Maro, who got up early in the morning on release day to catch a set of her own. While Maro knew demand would be high for the cards, she wasn't prepared for the crowds she found when she walked down to her local branch at around 7:15 a.m. Even at her quiet countryside branch, the parking lot was full of cars and there was a long line of vehicles for the drive-thru that stretched all the way down the road. This was a sight she'd never seen before, and when she stepped into the store she felt bad for the staff, who were rushing around trying to fulfill everyone's orders. It was busier than ever, yet staff did a brilliant job of serving everyone patiently with kind smiles. While there were plenty of children and families here, there were also lots of adults like Maro who were just as excited to pick up the limited-edition cards. Although she'd ordered her Happy Meal in advance through the mobile app, she still had to wait 50 minutes for her order to be ready, but at this point she was just thankful that she was able to even place an order, given that the cards were likely to run out before the weekend was over. Making the Happy Meals even more sought after was the fact that they came with one of nine Pokémon toys, which are being released over the space of three weeks. Thankfully, due to her early-morning efforts, Maro was able to receive her Happy Meal with its bonus extras, and before racing home to open her pack, she held her card set up in triumph as she left the store. After returning home, still sleepy from her early outing, Maro's mood lifted as she pulled out her breakfast. In addition to her apple juice, hotcakes, and hash brown, or 'hash potato' as it's known in Japan, Maro received… ▼ … the Charmander's Spinning Top! It looked even cuter in real life, and now the time had come for her to open the card pack and find out what mystery card she'd received. ▼ She got the guaranteed Pikachu, with Ralts as the bonus card! Cards like these are super rare, especially when the campaign ends, making them even more special in Maro's book. After admiring their beauty, she ate her breakfast while scrolling through social media, where she found that the Pokémon Happy Meal craze had gone haywire nationwide, with some stores selling out by 7 a.m., and loads of customers lining up to collect 'em all. While many customers were genuine fans, it soon became apparent that some were resellers. Photos on social media showed large amounts of uneaten Happy Meals in plastic bags, wastefully left behind by those who bought excessively just to get the cards. After seeing all the happy families in the store with their Pokémon cards, Maro felt a surge of anger toward the resellers who were buying up all the Happy Meals and depriving fans of joy by depleting stocks to turn a profit. While she's happy that big chains like McDonald's can offer exciting campaigns like this, she does hope that they'll implement measures like limiting sales to one per customer or banning mobile orders in future, so that true fans of the franchise can get their hands on these Pokémon cards the way they're meant to… and not at premium prices. Photos©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Maro Secures $4.3 Million in Seed Funding to Eliminate Human Risk in Cybersecurity
Maro's new cognitive security platform intervenes in the moment, redefining how companies manage human risk across social engineering, insider threats, human error, and ungoverned AI usage NEW YORK, July 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Maro, the cognitive security platform company created to empower security leaders to manage human risk proactively, announced today it successfully raised $4.3 million from Downing Capital Group. With the Maro platform now available, the company plans to use the seed round for team growth, product development, and executing its go-to-market strategy. Maro empowers security leaders to take control of human risk and defend against human error and threats amplified by AI, including social engineering, insider risk, and ungoverned AI usage. Maro's platform dynamically intervenes in the moment to prevent cognitive risks from becoming security or compliance incidents, providing security teams with instant visibility into their workforce's behaviors and intentions. Verizon's 2025 Data Breach Investigation Report (DBIR) cites breaches involving a human element at 60%. Maro reinforces secure behaviors in real-time, securing decision-making in the workflow with use-case-level policy enforcement. "When stress levels are high and attackers use that opportunity to manipulate your workforce into taking risky actions, Maro protects how people think, decide, and act," said Jesse Downing, CEO at Downing Capital Group. "Maro's founding team has deep cybersecurity experience solving human-focused problems, working together across three companies, including several with successful exits." Maro was founded in late 2024 by Jadon Montero, Gwen Betts, and Jen Andre, a repeat cybersecurity founder team with more than 40 years of combined experience building and scaling category-defining security companies. Jadon Montero, Maro's CEO, has deep experience in designing and bringing innovative security solutions to market, including SOAR, EASM, and MDR. Montero also served as a former product leader at Bitdefender, Censys, Rapid7, Komand, and ThreatStack, and began his career studying cyberwarfare under the first United States Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte. Gwen Betts, CXO, led the global product design team at Rapid7, encompassing detection and response, vulnerability management, and cloud security. She is known for scaling human-centered product solutions in complex domains. Betts was also the founding design and GTM leader at Komand. Jen Andre, CTO, is a repeat founder and technologist with extensive expertise in cybersecurity, including as founder of Komand (acquired by Rapid7) and Threat Stack (acquired by F5). Andre also served as the vice president of product at Greynoise and Rapid7. She built her early career at Symantec and Mandiant as a Security Operations Center (SOC) analyst and product builder, respectively. "Maro was born from our years spent inside broken security workflows where SOC analysts didn't have time to speak directly to every employee who urgently needed their help after legacy tools failed to stop the employee from taking a risky action," said Montero. "The acceleration of generative AI, coupled with remote work and shadow software as a service (SaaS), exponentially increases the risk that users run afoul of company policy without even knowing it. With Maro, governance, risk, and compliance happen in the moment so that human risk is managed and mitigated - before issues even reach the SOC." Maro was developed with input from 50 CISO and CIO leaders in financial technology, healthcare technology, and retail. Overwhelmingly, these leaders identified AI usage governance as the most pressing human risk factor today, followed closely by targeted social engineering and insider risk. They emphasized that existing human risk tools generated excessive noise, lacked visibility at the usage level (where most knowledge work occurs: in the browser), and lacked enforceable policies responsive to both timing and behavioral context. As a result, security teams struggled to demonstrate ROI or drive measurable reductions in human risk. With Maro, security leaders can: Enforce a behavioral policy that integrates GRC oversight into everyday workflows, transforming static rules into real-time behavioral controls. Prevent data loss to AI Chatbots and stop sensitive data exposure without disrupting productivity or blocking innovation. Intercept real-time deception like clickjacking and typosquatting with browser-level protection. Intercept intelligent social engineering that catches psychological attacks at the moment they strike, including Adversary-in-the-Browser and other AI-powered threats. Improve CIS coverage by 52% in as little as a week. Maro's platform is designed to intuitively identify, shape, and mitigate human risk factors in real-time, providing leaders with a novel way to prevent incidents before they occur. Security leaders can learn more and request access to Maro at About MaroMaro empowers security leaders to proactively manage human risk across social engineering, insider threats, human error, and ungoverned AI usage. Maro engages directly with risky user behavior as it happens. While conventional solutions depend on repetitive training or static policy enforcement, Maro uses AI to monitor real-world usage, classify intent, and deliver context-aware, just-in-time interventions. To learn more, visit Media ContactKelly Crummeykelly@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Maro
North Wales Chronicle
01-07-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Blair Kinghorn links up with Lions – and wakes up captain Maro Itoje
Two days after helping Toulouse clinch a third successive Top 14 title by beating Bordeaux in extra-time at the Stade de France, Kinghorn joined up with his new team-mates for the first time. And the Scotland full-back was given a shock when he entered his bedroom at the Lions' Brisbane hotel on Monday night. 'I was with Maro. I got in about quarter to 12. I was thinking, 'Surely there won't be anyone in the room',' he said. 'I go in, chuck the bags down and up he pops. I was like, 'Uh, sorry!' He'd been sleeping and I woke him up. It was funny – he woke up, shook my hand and went straight back to sleep.' Kinghorn played 100 minutes of the Top 14 final and celebrated deep into the night before heading to the airport at midday to catch his flight from Paris to Brisbane. 'My bag was packed. I had to make sure everything was ready before going up from Toulouse to Paris on the Thursday,' said Kinghorn, who recently returned from eight weeks out with a knee injury. 'Luckily my mum and my wife were there to help me take everything up because packing for two separate things is a bit stressful. 'I think I've got everything. All you need is your boots and your passport, so that's fine. One down, eight to go! 🍿🦁#Lions2025 — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) June 30, 2025 'It's good to finally be here and it feels a bit more real for me now. I've got all the kit and I'm with the boys.' The Lions' third fixture on tour, against the Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Wednesday, has come too soon for Kinghorn to make his debut, but Saturday's New South Wales Waratahs clash is a realistic target. While he is playing catch-up in the race for full-back duties against Australia, having arrived eight days later than the rest of the squad, he is very familiar with the environment he has entered. 'At Toulouse, the squad is so deep and so talented that you've got to be on top of your game. You've got to work hard in training every day,' he said. 'Coaches are on your back the whole time, which is great. It's high pressure, but it makes you thrive. 'It's the same with the Lions. Everyone's here to do their best and to win the Test series and have a successful tour. Every training session is going to be competitive.' #NouvellePhotoDeProfil #FinaleTOP14 — TOP 14 Rugby (@top14rugby) June 28, 2025 A future Lions tour to France became a talking point in the build-up to the expedition Down Under, but Kinghorn believes the Top 14 would provide a significant obstacle to overcome if the rotation of destination countries is to be expanded. 'There would be no jetlag for starters. It would be pretty cool,' Kinghorn said. 'I don't know how happy the French clubs would be, though, because the Top 14 season is so gruelling and so long. But the public would love it. It would be awesome.'
Irish Independent
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
‘He woke up, shook my hand and went straight back to sleep' – Late arrival Blair Kinghorn startles Lions captain
Two days after helping Toulouse clinch a third successive Top 14 title by beating Bordeaux in extra-time at the Stade de France, Kinghorn joined up with his new team-mates for the first time. And the Scotland full-back was given a shock when he entered his bedroom at the Lions' Brisbane hotel on Monday night. "I was with Maro. I got in about quarter to 12. I was thinking, 'Surely there won't be anyone in the room'," he said. "I go in, chuck the bags down and up he pops. I was like, 'Uh, sorry!' He'd been sleeping and I woke him up. It was funny - he woke up, shook my hand and went straight back to sleep." Kinghorn played 100 minutes of the Top 14 final and celebrated deep into the night before heading to the airport at midday to catch his flight from Paris to Brisbane. "My bag was packed. I had to make sure everything was ready before going up from Toulouse to Paris on the Thursday," said Kinghorn, who recently returned from eight weeks out with a knee injury. "Luckily my mum and my wife were there to help me take everything up because packing for two separate things is a bit stressful. "I think I've got everything. All you need is your boots and your passport, so that's fine. "It's good to finally be here and it feels a bit more real for me now. I've got all the kit and I'm with the boys." The Lions' third fixture on tour, against the Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Wednesday, has come too soon for Kinghorn to make his debut, but Saturday's New South Wales Waratahs clash is a realistic target. While he is playing catch-up in the race for full-back duties against Australia, having arrived eight days later than the rest of the squad, he is very familiar with the environment he has entered. "At Toulouse, the squad is so deep and so talented that you've got to be on top of your game. You've got to work hard in training every day," he said. "Coaches are on your back the whole time, which is great. It's high pressure, but it makes you thrive. "It's the same with the Lions. Everyone's here to do their best and to win the Test series and have a successful tour. Every training session is going to be competitive." A future Lions tour to France became a talking point in the build-up to the expedition Down Under, but Kinghorn believes the Top 14 would provide a significant obstacle to overcome if the rotation of destination countries is to be expanded. "There would be no jetlag for starters. It would be pretty cool," Kinghorn said. "I don't know how happy the French clubs would be, though, because the Top 14 season is so gruelling and so long. But the public would love it. It would be awesome."
South Wales Guardian
01-07-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Blair Kinghorn links up with Lions – and wakes up captain Maro Itoje
Two days after helping Toulouse clinch a third successive Top 14 title by beating Bordeaux in extra-time at the Stade de France, Kinghorn joined up with his new team-mates for the first time. And the Scotland full-back was given a shock when he entered his bedroom at the Lions' Brisbane hotel on Monday night. 'I was with Maro. I got in about quarter to 12. I was thinking, 'Surely there won't be anyone in the room',' he said. 'I go in, chuck the bags down and up he pops. I was like, 'Uh, sorry!' He'd been sleeping and I woke him up. It was funny – he woke up, shook my hand and went straight back to sleep.' Kinghorn played 100 minutes of the Top 14 final and celebrated deep into the night before heading to the airport at midday to catch his flight from Paris to Brisbane. 'My bag was packed. I had to make sure everything was ready before going up from Toulouse to Paris on the Thursday,' said Kinghorn, who recently returned from eight weeks out with a knee injury. 'Luckily my mum and my wife were there to help me take everything up because packing for two separate things is a bit stressful. 'I think I've got everything. All you need is your boots and your passport, so that's fine. One down, eight to go! 🍿🦁#Lions2025 — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) June 30, 2025 'It's good to finally be here and it feels a bit more real for me now. I've got all the kit and I'm with the boys.' The Lions' third fixture on tour, against the Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Wednesday, has come too soon for Kinghorn to make his debut, but Saturday's New South Wales Waratahs clash is a realistic target. While he is playing catch-up in the race for full-back duties against Australia, having arrived eight days later than the rest of the squad, he is very familiar with the environment he has entered. 'At Toulouse, the squad is so deep and so talented that you've got to be on top of your game. You've got to work hard in training every day,' he said. 'Coaches are on your back the whole time, which is great. It's high pressure, but it makes you thrive. 'It's the same with the Lions. Everyone's here to do their best and to win the Test series and have a successful tour. Every training session is going to be competitive.' #NouvellePhotoDeProfil #FinaleTOP14 — TOP 14 Rugby (@top14rugby) June 28, 2025 A future Lions tour to France became a talking point in the build-up to the expedition Down Under, but Kinghorn believes the Top 14 would provide a significant obstacle to overcome if the rotation of destination countries is to be expanded. 'There would be no jetlag for starters. It would be pretty cool,' Kinghorn said. 'I don't know how happy the French clubs would be, though, because the Top 14 season is so gruelling and so long. But the public would love it. It would be awesome.'
