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Sprint Teams with Working Solutions in Multiyear Deal
Sprint, one of the world's largest telephone service providers, has teamed with Working Solutions, which claims to be the world's largest virtual call center, in a deal that will connect more than 16,000 agents via a high-speed voice and data services network.
The multiyear, multimillion-dollar agreement between the two companies will create an international network that will, according to experts, strengthen the growing dominance of virtual call centers.
Working Solutions, based in Plano, TX, uses a virtual agent community of more than 16,000 agents, all of them working from home via their computers and telephones. Using ASP and propriety technologies has been a profitable strategy for Working Solutions. According to CEO Tim Houlne, its reputation as reliable and professional will grow through its partnership with Sprint. "Our agreement with Sprint links us to a company that has the integrity, financial stability, and technical expertise that we can depend on and that our customers can trust," Houlne says.
For Sprint the challenge will be to maintain the stability of a network designed to handle hundreds of calls instantaneously, says John Dupree, vice president, Sprint Business Southwest. "For Working Solutions, the network is the business," Dupree says.
According to Michelle Curless, director of The Customer Group, a Chicago-based consulting firm specializing in customer interaction, the trend of organizing customer services through virtual call centers will only continue. "A few years ago the model for call centers was about consolidation and becoming more customer-centric. Organizing around virtual call centers is a very effective way to do that," she says.
In a market where consolidation and cost management is key, Curless says that moving toward a virtual call center model is going to occur more and more, and the trend has yet to plateau.


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This week on GH Radio, Chris, Joe Alfred and Eric talk about
Xbox 20/20, EA's idea of "Smart Delivery" in Madden 21, a couple of
remasters heading our way and a PC showcase event coming in June.
All this plus so much more on GH Radio!
About the Podcast
Listen to GH Radio for video game news and opinions from Chris, Joe, Alfred and Eric. From mobile to consoles, we'll discuss it, paint the big picture and have some laughs along the way.

domain: news


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GM Recalls Nearly 3.8M Pickups, SUVs To Fix Brake IssuesUnder pressure from the federal government, General Motors is recalling nearly 3.8 million big pickup trucks and SUVs in the U.S and Canada to fix a brake problem.
Muscle Cars Aren't So Strong In Crash TestsMuscle cars may look cool, but they don't offer the best protection in a crash. The Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger didn't get the highest ratings in new tests.
2015 Chevy Colorado Crowned Truck Of The YearThe new mid size pickup was cited for what Motor Trend called a “right-sized” package.
GM: Parts Ready To Fix SUVs That Can Catch FireFor the owners of 189,000 General Motors SUVs, the days of parking them outside the garage for fear that they could catch fire will soon come to an end.
GM Ignition Switch Death Count Rises To 29At least 29 people have died and 27 people have been seriously injured in crashes involving General Motors cars with defective ignition switches.
GM Expert Says 21 Deaths Eligible For CompensationThe death toll from crashes involving GM small cars with faulty ignition switches is at least 21.
GM Recalls Natural Gas Powered VansVehicles could leak, posing a fire risk. No fires or injuries have been reported.
New Corvette Feature Keeps An Eye On ValetsNow, the new car can tattle on any valet who doesn't take a slow, direct route to a parking space.
US Opens Probe Of Chevrolet Impala Air Bag PerformanceThe probe was opened over an April 2011 car crash that severely injured an elderly man when the passenger air bags didn't deploy.
May Car Sales Return To Pre-Recession LevelsGood weather and a strong Memorial Day weekend helped car buyers ignore reports of recalls, pushing car and truck sales up more than ten percent in May.
Chevy Impala Among 8 Vehicles To Earn Top Rating For Collision WarningThe 2014 Chevrolet Impala is the only non-luxury car to earn the highest rating in tests of high-tech crash prevention systems.
GM Adds 218,000 Chevrolet Aveo Cars To Growing Recall ListThe recall is General Motors' 29th this year, bringing the total number of recalled GM vehicles in the U.S. to around 13.8 million.
Chevrolet Bringing Tiny Trax SUV To U.S. And ChinaGeneral Motors unveiled the 2015 model Tuesday evening ahead of the New York International Auto Show.
GM Says New Corvette To Get 29 MPG On HighwayGeneral Motors says the new Chevrolet Corvette sports car will get 29 miles per gallon of gas in highway driving.
GM Says Diesel Chevrolet Cruze Gets 46 MPGGM is reporting that the diesel Chevrolet Cruze is more efficient than some hybrids.


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Crystal Serenity in Sydney
While a few cruise lines stay in the Mediterranean over winter, cashing in on the growing popularity of visiting cities and sights when the crowds have gone, generally speaking the new season means new destinations and itineraries as ships leave Europe in search of alternative climes.
The Caribbean is a perennial favourite, but other destinations are gaining in popularity. Asia and Australasia are always popular while the Arabian Gulf, with cruises from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, is the hot new winter cruise destination. Plus Antarctica, the coldest and most inhospitable place on earth, remains a must-do for many cruisers.
“Winter for us means exotic cruises,” says Pieter van der Schee, Princess Cruises head of brand marketing. “The Far East is our big seller, followed by Australia and New Zealand, and the Panama Canal. These are big holidays so people book early. Our 2011-12 exotics brochure was out last year.”
Highlights of Royal Caribbean’s winter 2011-12 programme include 12-night Caribbean cruises from Bayonne in New Jersey on new ship Celebrity Silhouette, launching in July. Jo Rzymowska, associate vice-president and general manager, UK and Ireland, reckons others to watch this winter are cruises from Dubai on Brilliance of the Seas, Southampton on Independence of the Seas and Fort Lauderdale on Allure of the Seas, one of the world’s biggest cruise ships.
Agents admit winter 2012 sales are not easy as widespread discounting this summer has conditioned clients to wait for prices to drop. “Things are selling but it is a challenging market,” says Steve Philippou, managing director, Gill’s Cruise Centre. “We are having to work a lot harder for the business.”
There are already plenty of winter discounts out there (see below), with Nile cruises among the bargains.
Discover Egypt commercial director Philip Breckner says this is a great time to sell a Nile cruise as the prices are good and feedback from clients is that the sightseeing is great because tourist numbers haven’t recovered from the political unrest in January.
Discover Egypt has a 50% reduction for a second person booking a Nile cruise this winter to stimulate bookings. Fly-cruise prices in December start from £699 for seven nights including sightseeing, which means the second person pays only £349.
Red Sea Holidays has seven-night Nile cruises in December from £599 fly-cruise including shore excursions. Sales director Jason Hilton says keen pricing is helping Nile bookings bounce back. “We expect to see a strong season and have added capacity into the programme.”
However, Norwegian Cruise Line has cancelled its Egypt itineraries this winter, and is instead sailing to the Canary Islands from Barcelona. Introductory fly-cruise prices start from £667 including savings of £150 per cabin.
Top deals for winter 2011-12
Voyages of Discovery: £260 off a 17-day Tales of India and Arabia cruise brings the lead fly-cruise price to £1,799 including gratuities.
Thomson Cruises: £200 off a 14-night Caribbean cruise on Thomson Dream on January 12, 2012, brings the lead fly-cruise price to £1,449, plus £100 onboard credit.
SeaDream Yacht Club: Almost $3,000 off a seven-night Caribbean cruise from Barbados on February 6, 2012, reduces the lead cruise-only price to $4,391.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises: £560 off a 12-night Idyllic Isles Caribbean cruise on December 4, brings the fly-cruise price to £3,119 including shore excursions, drinks and gratuities.
The Arabian Gulf
The Arabian Gulf is the hot new cruise destination, growing steadily in popularity since Costa Cruises tested the market in Dubai in 2001 with one of its older ships. Last year, the line named Costa Deliziosa in Dubai and based the vessel there alongside another new ship, Costa Luminosa.
For winter 2011-12, Costa in back in Dubai – new ship Costa Favolosa, which launches in July, is sailing seven-night Jewels of the Emirates cruises – and it’s also trialling cruises from Abu Dhabi on Costa Mediterranea.
The cruises visit Muscat in Oman, Fujairah, Dubai and Bahrain. Two are in December and one sets sail in January 2012. Fly-cruise prices start from £1,029.
MSC Cruises is making its Arabian Gulf debut this winter, sailing cruises from Abu Dhabi on MSC Lirica that call at Muscat, Fujairah, Khasab in Oman and Dubai. Passengers can also sail round-trip cruises from Dubai. Fly-cruise prices start from £849.
Royal Caribbean International is starting its third Dubai season earlier than usual, in November, in response to demand. The seven-night cruises, on Brilliance of the Seas, visit Fujairah and Abu Dhabi, and stay overnight in Muscat in Oman. Fly-cruise prices start from £1,034 on December 12, down
This year, 103 cruise ships, up from 13 in 2005, carrying more than 390,000 passengers will visit Dubai. Some are there for a day, others are based there.
Asia-Pacific and Latin America
Winter is the perfect time for clients looking for an exotic cruise in destinations such as the Far East and Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand.
Voyages of Discovery is making its Far East debut this winter, sailing an Empires of Sun cruise that visits Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and the Philippines, as well as Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Osaka and Nagoya in Japan.
Discovery will also be visiting Australia for the first time, on a 21-day cruise from Manila to Sydney and a 26-day voyage from Sydney to Singapore. Fly-cruise prices start from £2,679.
Ultra-luxury line Regent Seven Seas Cruises is circumnavigating South America on January 6, 2012. The 72-night cruise, on Seven Seas Mariner, costs from £22,179 including flights, transfers, drinks, unlimited shore excursions and gratuities.
Princess Cruises has voyages up the Amazon and around Cape Horn, while Azamara Club Cruises has a 14-night cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong in February 2012 that visits Ho Chi Minh City, Danang and Hanoi in Vietnam.
Antarctica continues to be popular. This winter Compagnie du Ponant will have Le Boréal and L’Austral sailing to the White Continent, while Hurtigruten’s Fram will be sailing 10 voyages and six itineraries ranging from a 12-day Antarctic Discovery voyage to a 20-day Shackleton’s Antarctica, which takes in South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.
The 15-day Polar Circle Quest cruise from Ushuaia on February 2, 2012 ventures beyond the Antarctic Peninsula and into the Antarctic Circle. Cruise-only prices start from £4,271.
Hurtigruten managing director Kathryn Beadle said: “Antarctica is one of the last unexplored areas of the earth, appealing to well travelled customers who want to experience something different. Our customers want to physically experience the destination by going ashore, rather than just viewing the scenery from the ship.”
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PC makers can thank the health crisis. With the explosion of remote work and online education, demand for PCs has surged throughout 2020, reaching the highest levels the market has seen in a decade. , according to the latest figures from IDC.
Global PC shipments reached 91.6 million units in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to the research firm’s latest quarterly report, an increase of 26% from the fourth quarter of 2019. Overall for the year, PC shipments reached 302.6 million units, an increase of 13.1% over the previous year. Note that the category of PC taken into account by IDC includes desktops, laptops (especially Chromebooks) or workstations.
While the market has experienced unusual growth, the hierarchy between manufacturers has not changed much. The top three vendors remain unchanged from last year, with Lenovo taking first place with a 25.2% share of the PC market, according to IDC. HP and Dell follow by occupying second and third place respectively with market shares of 20.9% and 17.2%, while Apple and Acer complete this top 5 with 8% and 7.2% market share. .
According to IDC, the PC market has not experienced annual growth of this magnitude since 2010, when the market grew 13.7%. Over the next ten years, the PC market experienced six straight years of decline, along with one year of zero growth. “Demand is driving the PC market forward and there is every indication that this push is far from over,” said Ryan Reith, vice president of the Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers program at IDC.
However, the health crisis is not everything, and the growth of the PC market is also the result of a basic trend. “The obvious drivers of growth over the past year have been focused on work from home and distance education needs, but the strength of the mainstream market cannot be overlooked. We continue to see gaming PCs and monitor sales reaching historic highs, and Chrome-based devices are expanding beyond education into the consumer market, ”said the IDC leader.
Gartner also released its 2020 PC sales results on Monday. The firm said PC shipments totaled 79.4 million units in the fourth quarter of 2020, an increase of 10.7% from the same quarter. of the previous year. Full-year PC shipments reached 275 million units, an increase of 4.8% from 2019. Gartner and IDC agree that PC growth in 2020 was the strongest for 10 years.


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Carrefour and Wal-Mart, the world's two biggest retailers, saw robust sales growth in their China operations in 2004, according to figures from the Ministry of Commerce. France-based Carrefour, currently the biggest foreign retailer in China, posted sales of US$1.9bn in 2004, up 20.9%. In the same period Carrefour added another 19 stores to its China network, taking the total to 62 as restrictions on the location of new stores were lifted in accordance with China's WTO commitments. It plans to add 40 within five years. Wal-Mart sales grew 30.5% year-on-year to US$923m in 2004. Wal-Mart added 10 stores in 2004, for a total of 43. But domestic players dominated, with Shanghai Bailian accounting for 22.5% of retail sales nationwide.
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The bacon trend began around 2007, when better pork was appearing in restaurants, said Kara Nielsen, who studies trends at CCD Innovation, a culinary consulting firm in San Francisco. “It trickled up to groceries. They started getting more natural pork supplies,” Nielsen said. “ And this new resource kicked off an interest in using the […]
Tag: "bacon is big"
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The supply chain issues that came for toilet paper early on in the Covid-19 pandemic are slamming another beloved paper product: printed books—and just in time for the holiday shopping season. The culprits: paper shortages, hiring challenges, and transportation issues.
As more titles sink into the supply chain tar, the problems could get stickier. What do you do with a Halloween book that won’t be ready for store shelves until, as The Washington Post reports, November 2? A haunting problem. And when the cargo ships floating offshore finally get to dock, how will they move the books out? The trucking industry remains an understaffed mess.
Though readers on #bookTwitter are focused on tales of reading joy, authors are sending up flares. Author Roxane Gay posted about the anxiety-producing state of the book Why Design Matters: Conversations With the World’s Most Creative People, which is by her wife, author Debbie Millman. Originally set to debut on October 26, the book’s pub date was pushed to Nov. 9 and now won’t hit shelves until early 2022, shelving any plans for holiday gift sales. The reason? “It’s stuck on a boat in the ocean,” Gay tweeted earlier this month.
The basic plot summary
As long as readers and gift givers are ok with buying a backlist title (that term refers to older books), they won’t get stung by the supply chain muddle. And the backlist has been getting quite a bit of love from consumers over the past couple years. In 2020, backlist titles made up a stunning 67 percent of the 751 million print units sold, according to NPD BookScan. That was up 4 percent from 2019 and 13 percent from 2010.
“I don’t think it’s going to be horrible [for consumers],” says Brian O’Leary, executive director of the Book Industry Study Group. “One thing to keep in mind is that there are something in the range of 20 million books in print. A small bookstore might be stocking 40,000 different titles. A larger [chain] bookstore might be up to 150,000 or 200,000.”
Kristen McLean, primary industry analyst at NPD BookScan, seconds the idea that this isn’t something readers need to worry about. “Publishers are going to be hurt by this. Authors are going to be hurt by this. Distributors are struggling. But consumers, not so much,” she says. “Consumers by and large will go and pick a different book if the book they want is not there in person.”
New titles that are expected to hit bestseller lists will, most likely, be fine this holiday season, says O’Leary. “The planning around bestsellers and anticipated bestsellers is pretty good because [publishers] go in…hoping for demand, and [they’re] going to try and get those books into as many different stores as possible.”
So what books will elude consumers grasp? Maybe a niche title set to be released in December that you really want to buy for a relative for Christmas—but random rave reviews turned it into an unexpected bestseller. Or a widely-anticipated cookbook that you refuse to cook from unless you can spill sauce on real paper pages.
But as much as consumers can breathe easy and just pick a different book, publishers, authors, and distributors are under pressure. Forty percent of book sales occur around the Christmas-buying season and if a new title doesn’t make it to store shelves in time? Oof.
Meanwhile, it makes sense to wonder: What can’t people just buy e-books? Of course, that’s a solution in some cases, but while reports of e-books taking over the industry swamped publications some years back, paper books remain all the rage and are dominant. In fact, e-books hit their high-water mark in 2013 but print has been taking market share back ever since, says McLean.
Another problem: North American paper markets aren’t exactly a happy industry right now. Mills that remain open have switched up to 40 percent of some machines’ capacity from paper to packaging grades (such as the material for boxes), according to Quad, one of the few major American printing companies left.
Speaking of printing, there’s a reason that so many books are taking a longer-than-planned cargo ship cruise: the full-color glossy cookbooks and gift books that are popular for holiday gift giving can only be printed overseas. There aren’t any printing plants that can churn the beauties out in the United States.
Though there are exceptions, the timeline for new titles generally has publishers sending final files to the printers three months before the pub date, with printing and binding taking place two months out, and “then you want to try and get the inventory into the supply chain somewhere between four and six weeks before on sale,” says O’Leary. And the schedule is even tighter for mass market paperbacks, which have their own distribution programs.
A ghosting story
One way the industry could expand printing capacity to move more books through faster would be to add a third shift. But those staffing issues happening at local restaurants and pretty much every other job in America? Printers are short-staffed too.
Competition for workers is also hitting printing. Many printing plants are located near warehouses owned by Amazon or other publishing services. With wages going up, workers know they have options, “and they’ve been taking them,” says O’Leary.
“It’s been hard during the pandemic to maintain third shift partly because people have been getting sick and in other cases, they may not be sick but they may have family members who are sick,” says O’Leary.
A moving tale
Nowadays, most books travel from the printing companies to a distribution center. That’s a time-zonking change from the printer-to-store process that took place years ago. Moving that many books requires dedicated trucks, which is currently the biggest crapshoot component of the whole supply chain.
O’Leary says the country is tens of thousands of drivers short: “That’s a long-term problem and they’re increasingly being used [to handle online] individual deliveries. It’s a more complicated and demanding set of tracking requirements that we’re just not able to keep up with.”
But both McLean and O’Leary think the book publishing problems will start to ease up in the middle of 2022.
“Yeah, there could be [continued] disruptions,” says O’Leary, “but I’d be much more concerned about toilet paper.”


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- Magic has raised $52 million in a funding round led by PayPal Ventures.
- Cherubic, Synchrony, KX, Northzone, and Volt Capital also joined the round.
- The web3 Wallet-as-a-Service provider has now raised $80 million in total.
PayPal has expanded its web3 investment portfolio with a leading role in a $52 million round for Magic. The fundraising also attracted participation from Silicon Valley-based early-stage venture capital firm Cherubic Ventures, Synchrony Ventures – the VC arm of NYSE-listed Synchrony Financial, decentralised finance venture company – KX, Northzone, and Volt Capital.
Magic has now raised a total of $80 million as it seeks to accelerate the mass adoption of web3.
The company offers a Wallet-as-a-Service infrastructure to enterprise companies that include publicly listed retailer Macy’s and global toy manufacturer Mattel, as well as, video game monetisation company Xsolla and the layer 2 Ethereum scaling solution Immutable, among others.
Magic offers an enterprise-grade solution for web3 migration, allowing enterprises to onboard users onto web3 through products like customer loyalty programs, digital collectibles for employees, ticketing, and memberships, among others.
Commenting on the announcement, Sean Li, Magic’s co-founder and CEO said: “Our vision is to ignite new economic opportunities by enabling authentic digital ownership for everyone – starting with building the necessary infrastructure to onboard the next billion users to web3. With this new funding, we’re focused on expanding functionality and enabling growing use cases to continue delivering more value to our customers. We are also looking forward to making a deeper integration within the EU and APAC.”
Magic launched in 2018 to capitalise on the rising adoption of web3 technology in the mainstream sector. Over the last five years, the number of web3 use cases has continued to increase, from being just the technology behind digital assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum and altcoins, to powering the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), blockchain games, and the metaverse, among others.
Magic is working closely with Fortune 500 companies to bring their web3 use cases to everyday users,” Li added.
On the other hand, Alan Du, Partner at PayPal Ventures highlighted the important role Magic is playing in the mass adoption of web3 saying the company is facilitating the transition to web3 “with a safe and simple solution.”
“Magic’s wallet creation service allows companies to reach millions of users on their apps and onboard customers who are new to web3. We’re proud to be investing in Magic and believe the company will help drive the growing number of web3 use-cases amongst global brands.”
Once integrated into an online payments system, Magic’s wallet infrastructure SDK allows users to easily create non-custodial crypto wallets using existing email, socials, SMS, or federated logins, also allowing them to have complete control over their assets.
The company claims to have generated more than 20 million unique wallets to date while its SDK is used by over 130,000 developers.
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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Aviall Inc.'s shares slumped as much as 25% Friday after the aviation-services specialist reported higher third-quarter sales and earnings that came up short of the growth rates forecast by analysts.
The Dallas-based company's net earnings totaled $14.3 million, or 41 cents a share, up 43% from the $10 million, or 31 cents, earned in the third quarter last year. Operating income totaled $25.5 million, Aviall said.
Quarterly revenue rose 13% to $334 million.
Analysts had forecast, on average, a profit of 44 cents a share with revenue of $380 million, according to Thomson First Call.
Aviall stack ended the day down 12% to $31.85 on volume of 3.5 million shares.
The sales shortfall appears to have been a short-term issue, according to Credit Suisse First Boston analysts. "We remind investors to recognize that this is not an earnings momentum story, and instead focus on Aviall's strong market-share growth opportunity," wrote CSFB's Robert Springarn in a research note.
Springarn also noted that sales expectations for Aviall's contract parts work on engines assembled by General Electric Co.


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Many of us fantasize about journeying to exotic, far-off locations, and for some people cruises are the perfect way to realize that dream. Indeed, with more than 12 million North Americans setting sail on cruise liners every year, the industry is one of the biggest tourist sectors in the world. However, behind their promise of paradise, cruise ships often cover up some less than idyllic secrets. From work violations to deaths and disappearances, these are the strange facts travel companies would rather keep to themselves.
20. Companies exploit labor and tax laws through legal loopholes
While U.S. cruise lines generate around $38 billion annually, little of this profit actually goes back into the U.S. economy. Thanks to flag-of-convenience tactics, which involve companies cynically registering their ships in foreign countries, businesses can avoid paying tax altogether. In addition, they make U.S. companies exempt from American labor laws, allowing them to pay their workers pitiful salaries.


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Vodafone launched Digital Asset Broker (DAB)a global platform that allows connected and verified devices to transact seamlessly, securely, without human intervention but at the same time with full owner control, such as electric vehicles to transact directly with charging points .
Building on the platform Internet of Things (IoT) of Vodafone, one of the largest in the world with over 140 million connections, the new Digital Asset Broker platform for the company will help customers benefit from the ‘Economy of Things‘(‘ Economics of Things’), the next generation of the Internet of Things, a world in which companies from various sectors can transform physical assets into marketable digital assets to compete in new online markets.
Today, most connected devices and sensors collect and send information over the Internet. Vodafone predicts that the number of connected devices will grow globally to 30 billion by 2025. Vodafone’s new Economy of Things platform goes further. In fact, tAll devices and machines connected to Vodafone DAB are verified as reliable and therefore authorized to exchange data and money over secure and encrypted connections. Companies can thus launch new products that are quickly “certified” as safe, and the devices are ready to transact in real time.
In addition to the devices on Vodafone’s global IoT platform, the company plans to deliver as well secure links to many other third party platforms and related device ecosystems during 2022, covering different sectors, from automotive to energy, manufacturing, supply chain and logistics.
Johan Wibergh, Chief Technology Officer of Vodafone, said: “We are building new scalable platforms in-house for our customers in Europe and Africa. This, our latest platform, will drive the new Economy of Things where everyday objects and devices can trade, buy and sell services on our behalf. We are actively talking with many other companies to rapidly expand partnerships and expand the ecosystem around the world to include other features and payment schemes. “
The service is announced today with a trial in which a connected electric vehicle communicates autonomously and safely with a charging point in Newbury, UK: drivers receive real-time information on the status and compatibility of the available charging point. close and they can authorize their vehicle to recharge effortlessly, thus eliminating “range anxiety” or the fear of running out of battery power, and they can also consciously choose renewable electricity suppliers.
Jesse Morris, CEO of the Energy Web Foundation, said: “Electrification is an important part of global decarbonization efforts. However, there is currently no way for electric vehicle drivers to ensure that all electricity used to charge their vehicles comes from renewable sources. As access to green energy solutions is democratized, this is absolutely necessary. By working with any on-road electric vehicle charger, our solution can offer individuals and businesses the assurance of clean energy use, a real game changer for electric vehicle users and companies with electric fleets. “
Other business opportunities for Vodafone’s platform include a rental car that recharges motorists pay-as-youdrive or subscription, smart meters and industrial intrusion alarms that pay by direct debit, as well as authenticating supplies. medical and other goods. In the future it will also be possible for coffee machines to automatically sort pods or for a street lamp to exchange data on traffic flows with other objects in a smart city.
Vodafone DAB has the potential to solve the problem of most existing connected devices and systems, which tend to operate in an isolated and limited way. For example, if a vehicle needs to communicate with a car park to reserve a space, the integration of multiple systems is typically required, which is expensive and time-consuming. The Vodafone DAB platform can serve as a single access system for trusted vehicles, or any other device, to interact with multiple car parks or systems.


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Liichokoshkomo’ (pronounced Lee-cho-kosh-ko-MO) is a Chickasaw phrase for “Let’s Play!” It is also the name of the new trailblazing outdoor education and play space dedicated to providing learning through STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math).
Shoppers will once again have an opportunity to visit more than a dozen Holiday Pop-Up shops and purchase special one-of-a-kind Oklahoma gifts for each person on their holiday list.
The Paseo Arts Association was able to bring the Oklahoma Sculpture Society’s Winter Sculpture Show to the Paseo Arts District for the first time ever.
Friday, November 20th from 5 to 9:30 p.m. at ARTSPACE at Untitled you can experience Postcard Perspectives, a postcard-sized glimpse into the creative genius of artists from 25 different countries and over twenty states from right here inside the USA.
DG Smalling's “Lady Justice” was displayed at the White House during the signing of an executive order establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.
We highlight some of our favorite Chamber members from whence you can source a cup of joe, as well as the growth of our local roasting industry and those that turn the world’s favorite green bean into what many of us might refer to as our “dark master.”
Art connects us and artists are our conduits.


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OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta, in partnership with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced a settlement with CRI Genetics (CRI), a Southern California company that offers DNA testing and ancestry services to consumers. Today’s settlement, which is subject to court approval, resolves allegations that CRI misled consumers about the purported superiority of its genetic testing services, presented false and misleading consumer testimonials and reviews, and engaged in deceptive billing practices. The settlement requires CRI to pay the state $700,000 in civil penalties and restricts CRI and its founder from engaging in future deceptive conduct. CRI’s customers will also receive greater privacy protections as a result of the settlement.
“CRI Genetics could have found legitimate ways to market its services. Unfortunately, in its pursuit of growth and profits, the company repeatedly misled consumers. The FTC and my office took notice, we investigated, and we are delivering results today,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Our settlement not only holds CRI Genetics accountable for its past misconduct — it also aims to ensure that CRI Genetics doesn’t engage in similar misconduct going forward. I want to thank our federal counterparts at the FTC for their continued partnership and commitment to ensuring that all businesses play by the same rules.”
“Today’s action continues the FTC’s crackdown on deceptive reviews, dark patterns, and baseless claims around algorithmic solutions,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “We are proud to partner with California on this important matter and will continue to carefully scrutinize claims around biometric information technologies.”
The complaint, which was filed simultaneously with the proposed judgment that details the settlement terms, alleges that CRI engaged in a number of misleading marketing practices, including misrepresenting that its DNA testing services are more accurate and detailed than those of its competitors, and that its ancestry reports show exactly where a consumer’s ancestors are from with over 90% accuracy. Further, CRI created a genetics testing review website deceptively formatted to look independent. Through that website, CRI provided inflated reviews of its genetic testing services. In addition, the company presented false consumer testimonials on its own website and social media platforms like Facebook. Moreover, the complaint alleges CRI manipulated consumers into purchasing unwanted add-on services, forcing consumers to go through a time-consuming and confusing refund process.
Under the terms of the settlement:


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Retailers this year will open for Black Friday sales early enough to make shoppers choose between hot deals and hot apple pie after Thanksgiving dinner.
From Toys R Us to Target to Walmart, retailers are opening as early as 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
Toys R Us will begin its Black Friday on Thursday when doors open at 8 p.m, an hour earlier than last year. To entice shoppers to line up even earlier, the retailer will give the first 200 customers at each location a "Great Big Goody Bag" full of stocking stuffers up to $30 in value. ...


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With all the excitement stirred by ARM processors, some may be wondering if maybe the architecture will replace the x86 technology that Intel, VIA and AMD use. The answer, AMD firmly believes, is no.
AMD saw fit to come out and make this statement because of all the rumors concerning its chip practices.
As people may know, the company has decided to stop measuring itself against Intel and place more emphasis on performance and design wins.
The company has also signed a deal with ARM, of all things, so that it may create chips of that type as well.
Thus, some may think that the Sunnyvale, California-based company foresees a decline in x86 importance.
This is not so, the company's CEO stated during the Credit Suisse Technology Conference earlier this week. In fact, the man believes that x86 will stay strong and important for two or three decades more at least.
“There are no doubts that x86 is going to be a huge portion of our business,” CEO Rory Read said.
“I think that it is going to be an important segment of our business for 5 – 10+ years. The x86 is going to be here long after I am retired. […] There will be x86 applications just like there are mainframe applications today, 25 – 30 years later. That is not going to fundamentally change.”
Nevertheless, AMD's leader doesn't deny that low-power chips are more important than ever. Processor design and manufacturing has really come a long way lately. CPUs are so strong that Intel and AMD can actually afford laying off on performance in favor of energy efficiency, as they will still be able to run games and whatever else.
This is what makes ARM so appealing, especially now that 64-bit instructions are supported (ARMv8). Still, expectations were clearly exaggerated.


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Don't miss the latest stories
Starbucks’ New Smartphone Cases Let You Pay For Your Drinks With A Tap
By Melissa Goh, 06 Aug 2015
You can now order and pay for your favorite Starbucks beverage by simply flashing the ‘Starbucks Touch’ smartphone case.
Starbucks has teamed up with Uniform Experiment, a Japanese-based men’s clothing line, to create a phone case that will automatically order and pay for your drinks, through an accompanying app.
The Starbucks Touch case is designed to look like a take away cup, featuring a “cup sleeve” with the coffee chain’s logo printed on it—a second design features a colorful mosaic pattern.
The cases are currently sold in two stores in Japan, and fits only an iPhone 6. Starbucks has yet to announce whether the phone cases will be available in the U.S. and other countries.
Scroll down for a closer look at the Starbucks Touch case.
[via PSFK, Starbucks Touch]
More related news
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Recall sale killed, but watch this spacePUBLISHED: 08 Jun 2012 19:17:17 | UPDATED: 07 Sep 2012 20:51:25PUBLISHED: 08 Jun 2012 PRINT EDITION: 09 Jun 2012
Brambles put its Recall document management business up for sale in August last year and, until a week ago, the company was confident of closing a deal.
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"I'm delighted to confirm what so many have been waiting so long to hear: Volkswagen's mid-size SUV for America is on its way," said Martin Winterkorn, CEO of The Volkswagen Group.
Volkswagen has begun development of a seven-seat SUV for the North American market, Winterkorn said in a release from the North American International Auto Show.
Meanwhile, the automaker brought the six-seat CrossBlue mid-size SUV concept to the North America International Auto Show in Detroit. The automaker said the vehicle is designed specifically for North America.
The CrossBlue SUV, which appeared at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, is a diesel-electric plug-in hybrid with a fuel economy of 35 miles per gallon combined.
The hybrid concept vehicle mates a TDI clean diesel engine with two electric motors, a DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission, and an electric all-wheel-drive system. The powertrain produces up to 305 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque, according to Volkswagen.
The CrossBlue uses a 9.8-kilowatt lithium-ion battery that offers a range of 14 miles in all-electric mode. The overall driving range is 661 miles when the 18.5-gallon tank is filled with ultra-low-sulfer diesel fuel.
Read VW's press release for full details.
Originally posted on Automotive Fleet


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Using Skype or any program with a webcam, to talk to friends, family or conduct business has one inherent flaw, the lack of eye contact that comes from staring at the computer screen and not the camera. New software is looking to correct that problem, letting users make direct eye contact and solving years of awkward conversations.
The software solution, developed by researchers from Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zurich (ETH Zurich), is rather simple and can go a long way to creating a conversation that feels “real.” Artificial eye contact can be created by rotating the face in the video and can be adjusted by the user.
Using Kinect, a camera developed by Microsoft and used in the Xbox 360 and PCs, the developers have created software that can create a depth map that is combined with a facial recognition program. The recognition occurs in real-time and the software, developed by Claudia Kuster, a doctoral student at the university, uses an algorithm that only rotates the face. According to the developers, the rotated image is blended on to the original image by finding a border with similar colors.
The software can adjust the image based on changing light conditions and will not alter the image, leaving the original image in place as a user turns away from the camera or if their face is hidden by a cup or other object. “The software can be user adjusted in just a few simple steps and is very robust,” said Kuster in a statement. The gaze-correcting software can process two faces at the same time, allowing for multiple users in a video conference call, but the program cannot recognize a face when users wear glasses.
For now, the software is limited to the Kinect but there plans to create a Skype plug-in that users can download. The developers are also creating software that can be used on a smartphone using a standard camera system.


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This time it was for the much-anticipated Jeremy Scott for Moschino SS15 show, which took place on September 18th during Milan Fashion Week.
Having previewed the Moschino men’s collection at Men’s Fashion Week earlier this year, it was time for the women’s collection to walk the runway, and in typical Jeremy Scott fashion, the show was as wacky as ever.
Using Barbie as the main inspiration, the show was a crazy combination of bubblegum pink, fun prints and out-there styles, with models wearing platinum blonde wigs to complete the Barbie look.
The iconic Smiley adorned sassy swimwear, large tote bags and retro silk headscarves adding a colour pop of yellow to the vintage-themed feminine catwalk. Chunky gold necklaces in the shape of Smiley’s added a street look to the second half of the show, which was viewed by Italy’s fashion elite.
The movement of happiness as a global fashion trend continues to grow, and once again Smiley are at the forefront of that culture.


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Top Google Plus Local Stories
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Google Plus Being Used by Elite Lawyers to Help Each Other and the Public … – U.S. Politics Today
Google Plus Being Used by Elite Lawyers to Help Each Other and the Public …U.S. Politics TodayEhline says that Google Plus is a “game changer since they include your likes in Google Webmaster Tools, and they also let you display your picture next to search results for your website or blog.” Ehine says that when he saw so many lawyers who had …and more »
Google Plus: The new centre of local search – browser media
San Francisco ChronicleGoogle Plus: The new centre of local searchbrowser mediaGoogle Plus Local incorporates information from restaurant review engine Zagat, which Google bought last year, as well as allowing Google Plus users to leave reviews. Google Plus Local incorporates all the social features of Google Plus, including …Watch Out, Google: Facebook’s Social Search Is ComingBusinessweekall 135 news articles »
Facebook developing a Google search competitor (but no phone) – Upstart (blog)
TIMEFacebook developing a Google search competitor (but no phone)Upstart (blog)Mark Zuckerberg today told the founder of TechCrunch he wasn’t mad at Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) for launching Google Plus, Facebook’s most direct competitor. But he then quickly acknowledged he was preparing to launch a competitor of his own against …Facebook Search Engine: The Death Of Google?Seeking AlphaZuckerberg ready to ‘double down’ on FacebookSan Francisco ChronicleFacebook turns its attention to social search, says ZuckerbergMarketing magazine AustraliaVentureBeatall 1,904 news articles »
Google Plus API One Year Later – ProgrammableWeb (blog)
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Not your mom’s ginger ale: cannabis infused drinks to hit shelves in December
In a change that will likely have an even greater effect on the market than legalization of recreational cannabis itself, new drinks and edibles are set to hit Canadian storeshelves in mid-December for people who want to try marijuana, without smoking it. Tweed opened up it’s new production facility on Tuesday, displaying new products including a product called Bakerstreet and ginger ale. “There’s really nothing like this in the world,” said Canopy Growth Corporation CEO Mark Zukelin. Tweed plans to produce more than 30 pot-infused products included edibles, and beverages that replicate the effects of alcohol. “Onset, duration, intensity,” said Zukelin. “And we can deliver it with no hangover, no calories, and make it taste great.” The beverages range in flavour and taste, and have a content of THC from 2 mg., to 10 mg. But the cannabis giant isn’t stopping there. In a partnership with Almonte’s Hummingbird chocolate, Tweed will also be churning out dark and milk chocolate edible Cannabis product. “We have some of the world’s best cannabis chocolate,” said Hummingbird Chocolate owner Drew Gilmour. “Matching it with Tweed’s cannabis is a marriage made in heaven, it’s something new and extraordinary.” There are currently three chocolate bars which each…
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"They must have gone and found the cheapest watch in the world," Dooley recalled. "Within one month after we got back the crystals all fell off of every watch.
"The jacket came down to our knees with the biggest Gator Bowl emblem I have ever seen, it must have been 12-inch letters. We felt like we were walking around with a neon sign."
Clearly, Dooley played in the wrong era.
Bowl gifts have evolved into an exercise in excess. This season, Alamo Bowl participants Arizona and Oklahoma State will receive an Xbox, Kicker headphones and an iPod; Alabama and Michigan State will be going on a Best Buy shopping spree courtesy of the Capital One Bowl; and Liberty Bowl participants Georgia and UCF will receive a package that includes an iPod, a watch and Nike shoes, sandals and sunglasses. At least five bowls are giving players Best Buy gift cards.
Given how scandals involving players receiving extra benefits have cast a dark cloud over college football, the practice of bowl gifts may seem hypocritical to outsiders. But it's all done by the book and within a tight dollar restriction. The NCAA rule states that players can receive $500 from event management (i.e. the bowls) and another $350 from their institution for participating in a postseason event. Each team is allowed to receive a maximum of 125 gifts, enough for every player and member of the coaching staff. Players are not permitted to sell their presents or turn their gift cards into cash.
"We've encouraged that they have some kind of memento," said Dennis Pope, the director of championships for the NCAA. "These are all key mementos; it's not cash. ... There's a distinction between an outright dollar value given to them and a redeemable gift certificate."
The NCAA implemented an original limit of $100 in 1971, then raised it to $200 in 1975. In the years prior to the cap, the Cotton Bowl gave out Rolexes, which would be worth more than $1,000 today. (Somehow the bowl managed to keep the watches within the budget restrictions before ending the practice in 1976.)
"I know some people got around the cap by giving a nice watch in those days by buying a couple hundred of them," said former Florida Citrus Bowl executive director Chuck Rohe, who remembers the early restrictions limiting his game's packages to a watch, shirt and jacket or sweater.
The NCAA increased the limit to $300 in 1982, $350 in 2004 and pushed it up to the current amount of $500 one year later. With a sizable budget in place, the challenge for bowls lies in giving gifts that create buzz, incorporate the bowl logo and bowl partner brands and, most importantly, please the players.
"You want the kids to say 'Oh, I'm going to the Chick-fil-A Bowl. I'm going to get a good gift bag,'" said Derek Martin, the bowl's vice president of events. "You want them talking like that."
Generating that reaction usually means giving electronics, which remain the king of swag with 20 bowls featuring an electronic item or a gift card for an electronics store. Some games dare to venture elsewhere, and the results can be hit or miss. Recently, players have received engraved PING putters (2002 Fiesta), throw-back jerseys bearing the bowl's color scheme (2003 Alamo) and $300 custom-fitted Nocona cowboy boots (2008 Texas). But for the past 35 years, few gifts have been as perplexing as what the Sun Bowl has given out: a hair dryer.
Yep. A hair dryer.
"I thought it was a little strange," said former South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe, who played in the bowl in 2007. "But I just gave it to my mom."
It's only one item in a package that this year includes a gift suite, a watch and apparel, but the hair dryer has long been the Sun Bowl's signature gift. It's a byproduct of its relationship with Helen of Troy, a hair dryer maker which owns the game's former title sponsor, Brut. According to the Sun Bowl, Helen of Troy has donated more than 6,500 hair dryers to support the game.
While the Sun Bowl adheres to tradition, at the Chick-fil-A Bowl the act of gift-giving has evolved into a customer-service driven experience.
Weeks after Florida State and South Carolina play in the Georgia Dome on Dec. 31 and leave town with their swag (which includes a $250 Best Buy gift card and Fossil watch), Martin will travel to their campuses to gauge their reactions to their time in Atlanta.
This is what makes the Chick-fil-A Bowl's process unique. After initially sending players and staff online and paper surveys, Martin will hit the road to dig a little deeper. He will talk to at least two players from each class, asking them what the Chick-fil-A Bowl can do to better the experience for future teams, and it's a bet that he'll hear one all-too-common response.
"They'd like to have five $100 bills," Martin said laughing. "But a lot of them back up and go 'Give us one keepsake and then give us the rest in money.'"
Ultimately, Martin has gleaned from his many conversations that players want flexibility.
In past years the bowl gave iPods and Xboxes, but many players already owned the items. "We decided we would just let them buy what they want to buy," Martin said. They've looked into a gift suite in a hotel -- players would pick an item or items based on a points system -- and considered an in-store shopping spree, but they've settled on giving gift cards because "You can go out and buy your gift anywhere," Martin said. "It might sound impersonal, but we've listened to the players and that's what they want."
It's all part of creating a lasting bowl experience. Bowls like the Chick-fil-A realize they're not the national championship game; their place is to be a celebration of a successful season, and they treat it as such.
"It's a reward for the players, is how we look at it," said Matt Garvey, the Chick-fil-A Bowl's vice president of communications. "Everything we do during the different bowl week events ... is meant to be about them and for them and give them that reward."
From cameras to watches, rings to sunglasses, 'tis the season of giving, and nobody gives quite like the bowls.


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Zapak extends online games to discs to expand reach
Reliance Big Entertainment’s online gaming arm, Zapak Digital Entertainment, is now offering gaming CDs to beat the lukewarm response for its downloadable online games segment.
“The downloadable games business is taking time to take-off. Issues like robust payment mechanisms and peoples reservation to pay online are some of the reasons for slow adoption. Hence the need to launch these games on CDs. However, online gaming segment continues to be the focus of the company,” said Rohit Sharma, Chief Operating Officer, Zapak Digital Entertainment.
Zapak has already released 150,000 CDs of 47 titles in the action, adventure, sports and classic genre. The CDs are priced between Rs. 49 and Rs. 99 depending on the publisher, gameplay and the artwork. With this launch, the company is targeting a revenue in the range of Rs. 5 crore in the next three months. “We intend to launch 10-15 games every two to three months. We currently have tie-ups with over 30 studios in the US, UK and Europe and are in the process of signing more,” adds Sharma. Currently Zapak has a 60-game catalogue. By year end Zapak’s target is to launch 150 titles.
The game CDs will be available in 3,000-4,000 retail outlets, including large format stores, across 77 cities. Along with 25 Zapak gaming outlets. The company has a target to have 400-500 gaming cafes by March 2009. The company has already invested in 70 new properties and are also looking at franchise route.
Sharma explained that launching of the CDs will allow Zapak to reach out to B and C Cities. “These markets are very critical to us. Cities like Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and others are doing much better than metro centres. Some of the occupancy rates that these cafe’s have are really high,” said Sharma.
Zapak also intends to use CDs to divert traffic to its portal. The CDs will have the beta version of massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) that the company plans to launch soon.
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Foxconn, the giant Chinese manufacturer of iPhones has been in the news lately, most recently in yesterday’s Times piece on how they were able to respond quickly to retool to make glass-fronted iPhones:
In mid-2007, after a month of experimentation, Apple’s engineers finally perfected a method for cutting strengthened glass so it could be used in the iPhone’s screen. The first truckloads of cut glass arrived at Foxconn City in the dead of night, according to the former Apple executive. That’s when managers woke thousands of workers, who crawled into their uniforms — white and black shirts for men, red for women — and quickly lined up to assemble, by hand, the phones. Within three months, Apple had sold one million iPhones. Since then, Foxconn has assembled over 200 million more.
The point of the article is that Apple just couldn’t get that done in the US, and if you read the muted Times’ description of Foxconn, or, better yet, listen to Mike Daisey’s eyewitness account of visiting Chinese factories, it’s easy to understand why. Those workers live in dorms which house 13-15 people in bunks in 12 by 12 rooms. They officially work 12 hour days, but often work for up to 16 hours a day, for a little more than Chinese minimum wage (about $1.30/hour if my math is right). Turnover at the plants is estimated at 10-20% per month. And their leader has this attitude:
According to WantChinaTimes, Terry Gou, the head of Hon Hai (Foxconn), the largest contract manufacturer in the world, had this to say at a recent meeting with his senior managers:
“Hon Hai has a workforce of over one million worldwide and as human beings are also animals, to manage one million animals gives me a headache,” said Hon Hai chairman Terry Gou at a recent year-end party, adding that he wants to learn from Chin Shih-chien, director of Taipei Zoo, regarding how animals should be managed.
There’s nothing new and sophisticated about the way that digital devices are assembled. It’s just brute manual labor of the most repetitive and mind-numbing sort, done by underpaid workers who have to threaten mass suicide to get any changes in their working conditions.


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“Honestly, Musk is becoming a liability and the Tesla board needs to seriously consider ousting him,” wrote Markos Moulitsas, author of “The Resistance Handbook: 45 Ways to Fight Trump.” “And I say that as a proud owner of a Tesla and a SpaceX fanatic who truly appreciates what he’s built.” ...
The idea of taking the red pill ... grew to mean waking up to society’s grand lies. It was embraced by the right, especially by members of its youngest cohort who organized and spent their time in online forums like Reddit and 4chan.
The truth to be woken up to varied, but it ended up usually being about gender. To be red-pilled meant you discovered that feminism was a scam that ruined the lives of boys and girls. In this view, for a male to refuse the red pill was to be weak.
Red Pill forums were often filled with deeply misogynistic and often racist diatribes. The more extreme elements splintered into groups like involuntary celibates (“incels”) or male separatists (Men Going Their Own Way, or MGTOWs). Conferences like the 21 Convention and its sister convention, Make Women Great Again, sprang up to gather red-pilled men. Being red-pilled became a sort of umbrella term for all of it.
As these conversations seeped into the mainstream, pulled along by a host of other internet language from message boards to establishment Republican conversations on sites like Breitbart, the meaning broadened and got watered down. To be red-pilled can now mean being broadly skeptical of experts, to be distrustful of the mainstream press or to see hypocrisy in social liberalism. ...
Most recently, Mr. Musk has been a prominent skeptic online of the coronavirus, calling the response to it a “panic” and “dumb” and wrongly predicting close to zero new cases by the end of April. As of Tuesday, there were more than 90,000 deaths from the virus and more than 1.5 million cases in the United States alone.
The night before Tesla’s earnings were released last month, Mr. Musk tweeted an anti-lockdown rallying cry: “FREE AMERICA NOW.” He had a showdown with local lawmakers, threatening to move Tesla headquarters out of California and deciding to reopen a Tesla factory in Fremont, Calif., despite the local county’s restrictions to prevent the virus from spreading.


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Hundreds of locals waited two hours in line on Sunday to see the grand re-opening of the Glendale Galleria’s Disney Store.
Lyn Capulong of Burbank waited an hour and a half with her 4-year-old daughter and husband — all three of them wearing silver Mickey Mouse ears, a free giveaway for the first 500 people to show up.
“I wanted to see it,” she said. “I wanted to be here.”
The remodeled store on the Galleria’s first floor near the food court is strategic, according to Jeff Zimmerman, regional director for West Coast Disney stores.
“We were looking for an opportunity to get to where the kids congregate,” he said.
Today, there are more than 200 Disney stores across the U.S. and more than 100 in the U.K. Japan has 40 stores alone. But since 2010, Disney has been converting stores in the image of the interactive location in Times Square, where new technology engages children as they move through the retail floor.
Princess castles are outfitted with bejeweled “magic” mirrors, in front of which children wave items like headbands or wands to bring up various digital scenes with one of nine Disney princesses.
At the store’s theater nook, children can color with crayons or touch a screen to clips, music and cartoons from a virtual database.
A blue “Pixie Dust Trail” at the entrance winds through the shop with merchandise off to the side in various themes. Translucent trees convey the seasons of the year, project animated characters and feature Mickey Mouses hidden in the animation for children to find.
A personalized mural on the walls of Glendale’s store depicts Disney characters walking or flying among the city’s landmarks, such as the Alex Theatre and City Hall. Snow White’s silhouette is seen walking near Casa Adobe de San Rafael and Buzz Lightyear is near Walt Disney’s first Imagineering studio on Flower Street.
Up to 10 times each week, Zimmerman said the store will offer story hours and animation classes for children.
“For adults, we do a lot of different trivia classes,” he added. “So [it’s] a lot of fun, day or night, to find an oasis away from the mall and the everyday world."
-- Kelly Corrigan, Times Community News


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In an interview with IGN, EA Games President Frank Gibeau said that despite reports a few weeks ago, Mirror’s Edge 2 was never canceled and EA Games is working with DICE in an attempt to bring Mirror’s Edge protagonist, Faith, back.
When questioned about the sequel, Gibeau said,
“We’re looking at ideas for it, absolutely. We just haven’t figured out the right way to bring it back yet. It was a franchise that reached an audience, but it didn’t reach a large audience, and from a quality standpoint it was good, not great. Working with DICE, we’re really trying to figure out a way of bringing Faith and the Mirror’s Edge property back, but we just really haven’t crafted the idea yet. We’re looking at it.”
Although well received by critics, sales of Mirror’s Edge were well below expectation. Although a team was working on the sequel in 2009, the game has recently been in the news as it was rumored to have been canceled completely.


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OKLAHOMA CITY – The rapid, mostly unregulated evolution of electronic cigarettes has created a conundrum. They are smaller, cleaner and easier to use, helping smokers who haven’t otherwise been successful switch to a less-harmful product.
But that’s also what makes liquid nicotine delivery devices more attractive to adolescents, said Ted Wagener, tobacco regulatory science director of the Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center.
Though federal agencies and one of the largest e-cig devices are making moves to limit flavored products and to cut young adults’ access and exposure, more is necessary to stop adolescents from becoming addicted to nicotine, he said. Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust spokeswoman Julie Bisbee said a state law raising the legal age to purchase tobacco to 21 would definitely help. Limiting adolescent access to addictive nicotine also reduces the chances that e-cig users switch to potentially deadly tobacco. A Rand Corp. study found that youth who vape nicotine are more likely to switch to combustible tobacco products as they age.
Though the current generation of children’s perspectives on smoking has changed, there isn’t the same perception around e-cigarettes. More than half of e-cig users are younger than 35, and 44 percent said they never smoked. Nationwide, use rates among high school students jumped from 1.5 percent in 2011 to nearly 12 percent in 2017. About 16 percent of Oklahoma high schoolers use e-cigarettes, also known as vaping devices.
High school bathrooms are no longer places where teens take a smoke break between classes, like the 70s-era rock song suggests. Now it’s a place where vapor clouds billow from the mouths of adolescents who are using electronic cigarettes. Bisbee said participants in TSET’s community-based grants said they’ve had school administrators report that they need to revisit how their pass periods work so they can get a handle on the high vape usage between classes.
Wagener outlined some of the trends at a late-September interim study. His research has shown that newer e-cigarette devices deliver much higher nicotine doses and are much easier to use.
The popular Juul brand is known for its mod-pod devices, which are small, can quickly be recharged with a USB charging port and can be easily refilled by inserting a small pod filled with liquid nicotine, sometimes flavored. It can deliver more than eight times higher doses compared to larger, tank-style nicotine vapes. Juul uses nicotine salts, which have a different pH, are smoother when inhaled and don’t require the user to inhale as much vapor as the older, tank-style devices.
That’s good for smokers who are trying to quit but haven’t been successful with other nicotine replacement therapies, such as prescription pills, nicotine gum or nicotine patches, Wagener said. But it’s bad because it makes it easier for adolescents to get a nicotine dose without harsh inhalation effects that other vapes and cigarettes bring.
”In an attempt to create a product that is better for smokers (trying to quit) they made a product that is very tempting to youth and very easy for youth to use,” he said.
While vaping nicotine is much less harmful than smoking tobacco, eliminating carbon monoxide and dramatically reducing formaldehyde and other carcinogenic chemicals, there are still health effects from consuming nicotine. Nicotine increases one’s risk of heart, lung and gastrointestinal disorders, reduces the immune system and harms reproductive health.
But about 63 percent of Juul users didn’t know that the products always have nicotine in them, a recent study found.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said last week that he’ll advance an effort to ban menthol flavors in all combustible tobacco and tighten restrictions on flavored nicotine intended for vapes. Juul announced two days prior to that it would no longer sell fruit-flavored nicotine pods to stores and will only continue to sell to retailers that scan IDs and ensure the user is 21 years of age, the Associated Press reported.
Read more about FDA efforts to crack down on menthol cigarettes, flavored tobacco.
Wagener said he doesn’t think Juul was targeting children when they made their product easier to use. And flavored-vape liquid nicotine isn’t why adolescents keep using those devices. But it is what attracts them, he said.
“Once they start inhaling pharmacologcially addictive doses of nicotine, it increases their changes of becoming addicted,” Wagener said. “And Juul is the first company that figured that out.”
He said Gottlieb’s moves are positive, but leaves room for the agency to do more. Clean Indoor Air statutes, Tobacco 21 policies, and increased taxes are three proven policies that will continue to drive down tobacco and vape usage, he said. Those policies also prevent others from being exposed to secondhand smoke and aerosols.
Clean Indoor Air rules aren’t just about avoiding potentially toxic substances in the air. They’re about changing the norms of what’s acceptable, he said. Tobacco 21 policies are similar. Getting teenagers further away from the legal age of buying tobacco and liquid nicotine will delay the chances they’ll use those products.
Bisbee said she was glad state lawmakers were receptive to the interim study and requested more information from Wagener and others. Nationwide, 360 cities in 22 counties or states have Tobacco 21 policies in place. In Oklahoma, those rules must be statewide; a state law prevents municipalities from passing stricter tobacco laws than what Oklahoma has.
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There’s nothing new about companies influencing politics and vice versa. Corporate lobbying is thriving, a common practice in the U.S. since roughly the 1970s (though it’s been around much longer than that). But with the election and induction of President Trump, some of the biggest brands in the country—in some cases, the world—that previously worked behind the scenes with Congress, or had little interaction with it at all, are starting to take a different and, more importantly, public tone. Google, Starbucks, Apple, Nike, Netflix, Goldman Sachs and hundreds more have spoken out via social media, external open letters, public announcements and other outlets on issues ranging from the temporary travel ban to concerns over the U.S.’s commitment to the Paris Agreement. And, from the conservative side of the aisle, companies like Yuengling, MillerCoors, Hobby Lobby, and Home Depot have shown their support of President Trump, mostly in the form of public statements and fundraisers prior to the election in November.
So how do these statements connect with brand strategy? And what are the implications for brand image?
Effects vary widely, but the impact has a few unifying theme:
1) It exposes your values to scrutiny.
Corporate values are usually something brands try to highlight for consumers through CEO interviews or equity-building TV spots. That won’t be a problem after a statement like this. You will find yourself defending your values to the party opposed. Make sure you and your team will stand behind the message and there aren’t any glaring inconsistencies with that message and your brand’s past actions, business model, policies, etc. Starbucks ran into a similar problem when it came to light that one of its store is located in Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in New York.
2) It makes a huge PR splash.
Could you name a single lumber company outside of Home Depot or Lowe’s (which are really home improvement stores that happen to sell lumber) before last week’s “Big Game”? No? Can you now? Right.
3) It perpetuates polarization.
By joining the conversation, your brand will side with a team and enjoy all the perks and backlash associated. That participation presents consumers with an opportunity to demonstrate their political beliefs through either purchasing or avoiding your brand. In this small way, you help broaden an already growing divide in our culture. So consider how these actions fit into the bigger picture.
4) It conveys authenticity.
The first three points are no-brainers, but the last presents an interesting opportunity for marketers. It makes authenticity, normally a subjective, fuzzy buzzword, suddenly concrete and attainable. Consumers will know what your brand’s values are and, more to the point, that your brand will make a stand for them. You will add a genuinely human quality to your brand that no other marketing stunt can match. So. If you’re a marketer looking to generate brand loyalty, awareness and maybe even a sale or two with new consumers (cough—MILLENNIALS—cough), this is a bold move. And the impact is immediate.
How can you determine if this is right for your brand? Here are a few questions to ask:
It’s a high-stakes game. But hundreds of brands are opting in, and they’re all over the categorical map.
Need help answering some of these questions?
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