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12 Aug 2016 Latest, lifestyle trends, New Apps, New Release, Tech News	#eCom, #inspire, Alternative, android, atypical beasts, Atypical Beasts Agency, atypical sounds, brooklyn, Check Point, click-fraud, Code, Computer Science, cyber security, Cyber-attack, Cyber-war, Cybercriminal, e commerce, e-com, Ecommerce, Hacker, HummingBad, Innovation, magazine, Malware, Media Law, new tech, nyc, online, Online Magazine, privacy, Programming, red hook, Rootkit, smartphone, startup, tech, tech news, Technology, Umeng, Virus, Yingmob	0
Clint Owens
There has been a lot of buzz in the tech community recently about a particularly bad piece of Android malware called HummingBad. The malware infects Android phones when users accidentally download a malicious third-party app, or opt for an unverifiable download on a website which comes loaded with the HummingBad package.
Once HummingBad has infected the device, it establishes a persistent rootkit and takes over its native functions. According to Check Point, an I.T. security company, once HummingBad has infected a device it can install fraudulent apps and even generate false revenue by tricking users into clicking fake ads and links. Check Point estimated that HummingBad was able to yield cyber-criminals nearly $300,000 a month, through this process of click fraud.
The group effectively controls an arsenal of over 85 million mobile devices around the world. – Check Point
These types of click fraud campaigns are common, although often not as financially successful, and can present real issues when it comes to security. Rootkits are packets of malware that establish themselves at the core of the device, or "root," and they are dangerous because they often hide their existence by maintaining the appearance of something that is not harmful.
Many people whose devices have been infected with this type of malware are entirely unaware that they are being victimized by a cyber-attack, while at the same time their information is being stolen and sold to the highest bidder.
According to Check Point, the dangers of these types of malware go beyond individual users. Malware packages like HummingBad could be used to target government agencies and businesses.
Emboldened by financial and technological independence, [cybercriminals'] skillsets will advance putting end users, enterprises, and government agencies at risk. – Check Point
According to Check Point, this malware attack was part of an elaborate scheme by the Chinese Yingmob, in which the malware was sending notifications to the Umeng tracking and analytics service. Devices have been infected world-wide, with the primary number of infected users in China.
Malware attacks like this that rely on click fraud and that are money-generating are certainly dangerous, but what is perhaps even more frightening is the potential that these rootkits, and the access to your device, has the potential to be sold. We are entering a time when access to certain peoples' or companies' device root is a highly valued black-market commodity.
"Check Point believes this dangerous trend will escalate as other groups learn from Yingmob and find new ways to achieve the independence they need to launch larger and more sophisticated attack campaigns in the future." – Check Point
Regardless, taking the necessary precautions to ensure that a device does not become infected with malicious malware in the first place is the best step towards protection. Stay away from unverified third party apps, and make sure you know the source of files that you are downloading.
26 Jul 2016 Latest, lifestyle trends, New Apps, New Release, Tech News	#eCom, #inspire, Alternative, atypical beasts, Atypical Beasts Agency, atypical sounds, brooklyn, Code, communications, Computer Science, dark web, darknet, deep web, e commerce, e-com, Ecommerce, encryption, Futurology, hacking, Home Assistant, indie, Indie Rock, Innovate, Innovation, Internet of Things, IoT, magazine, Massachussetts, Media, music, Nathan Freitas, nonprofit, nyc, Onion Rooting, online, Online Magazine, privacy, Programming, Python 3, Raspberry Pi, red hook, startup, tech, tech news, Technology, The Guardian Project, The Tor Project, Tor, Tor Browser	0
Many people know of Tor, and the Tor Network, as a way to preserve anonymity online. What is less known is that Tor began as a U.S intelligence communications tool, but was repurposed in 2006 by the nonprofit The Tor Project.
Since this transition, Tor has developed into a service that is used by multitudes of internet users across the globe. Tor users can download The Tor Browser, which is free and open-source, to connect to the Tor Network and browse the web, or send messages, while keeping their information private and anonymous.
Some people associate Tor with the dark web, and people who wish to browse hidden, unmonitored areas of webspace for official purposes, whether malicious or benevolent. In actuality, many people that use Tor are simply normal, everyday individuals surfing the web. The reasons behind using Tor are many: protecting against identity theft, maintaining online privacy, avoiding censorship, discussing socially sensitive information, etc.
According to The Tor Project FAQ, regular users include, but are not limited to: journalists, law enforcement officers, activists, military officials, business owners, bloggers, IT professionals, whistleblowers and many more.
Using Tor protects you against a common form of Internet surveillance known as "traffic analysis." Traffic analysis can be used to infer who is talking to whom over a public network. Knowing the source and destination of your Internet traffic allows others to track your behavior and interests. – The Tor Project
Now, The Tor Project is expanding its functionality to include privacy for "The Internet of Things" (IoT). The Internet of Things is a term used to reference the interconnection of anything that has the potential to be connected to the internet, or that functions in a digital space.
"The Internet of Things" is the remote control and networking of everyday devices ranging from a family's lawn sprinkler or babycam to a corporation's entire HVAC system." – The Tor Project
By using Home Assistant, an automation platform that runs on the programming language Python 3, Tor is incorporating privacy technology into everyday life, rather than exclusively online. In regard to the digitization of everyday tasks, jobs and items, as well as the IoT, taking measures to ensure privacy now demands attention beyond monitoring your web presence.
This project was developed by Nathan Freitas, Executive Director of The Guardian Project, which also focuses on maintaining privacy through mobile device customization and the development of encrypted mobile applications.
Too many 'Things' in our homes, at our hospitals, in our businesses and throughout our lives are exposed to the public Internet without the ability to protect their communication. Tor provides this, for free, with real-world hard ended, open-source software and strong, state of the art cryptography. – Nathan Freitas
It may be a while before Tor users and people browsing regularly on the Tor Browser rival the number of people using more popular web browsers like Chrome, Safari or Firefox. That said, in regard to the speed at which technology changes, the development of Tor Home Assistant may be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ensuring privacy for everything, not just your computer.
For more information check out the Home Assistant page for Tor setup, dubbed "Home Assistant Cookbook."
21 Jul 2016 Latest, New Release, Tech News	#eCom, #inspire, Alternative, Amazon, atypical beasts, Atypical Beasts Agency, brooklyn, e commerce, e-com, Ecommerce, Gaming, indie, Indie Rock, Innovate, Innovation, live streaming, magazine, music, nyc, online, Online Magazine, pc, performance art, ps4, red hook, startup, tech, tech news, theatre, Twitch, Twitch Creative, Twitch.tv, TwitchCon, video games, Video Streaming, voice acting, Web	0
Since its launch in 2001, Twitch.tv has exploded in popularity and is now viewed by many gamers, artists and talented individuals as the pinnacle in online video-streaming. With the use of a webcam, Twitch users stream their interests online for other Twitch users to see, follow or subscribe for a small fee, which goes to the streamer. Some Twitch streamers offer additional perks to subscribers, or "subs," such as access to private chats or shout-outs on streams.
Each month, more than 100 million community members gather to watch and talk about video games with more than 1.7 million broadcasters. – Twitch
Most people know of Twitch.tv in regards to gaming and people who stream live video of playing popular video games while narrating and providing commentary over top. This extends to game development, events and larger e-sports spectacles, such as the 2016 Evolution Championship Series (EVO).
In October of 2015, Twitch launched Twitch Creative, a platform to expand their functionality to all kinds of broadcasters, not just gamers. This opened the floor for almost any type of creative arts, allowing for things like tutorials, live-creation, interaction with fans and live-streams of the development of popular projects.
To name a few, of the many, things users can broadcast on Twitch Creative: Photo Editing, Model Making, Brewing, Construction, Cooking, Video Editing, Programming, Jewelry Making, etc. The list goes on and on, and is really limited only by imagination (within the Twitch broadcast guidelines of course).
Now, Twitch.tv is expanding Twitch Creative to include performance art. Up until this point Twitch Creative focused primarily on the creation of art, not the demonstration. With this addition streamers will have a new way to share and perform their art.
We are evolving Twitch Creative to become a central place for these acts of creation, including performance and music. – Twitch
According to Twitch, this addition includes the ability to stream live Magic tricks, Comedy performances, Theatre, Music, Voice Acting and Dramatic Readings.
Performers, and people broadcasting within the Twitch Creative platform, have the option to join a "Community," which is a group of other streamers with similar interests. Users also have the option to create their own Community for others to be a part of.
As a way to commemorate the addition of performance art streaming capabilities, TwitchCon is hosting an online talent show.
We are looking for the best acts in theatre, comedy, dance, music, poetry, magic, and art. Think you got what it takes? – Twitch
For more information check out the audition page.
Featured Image Source – Twitter, @TwitchCreates
July 5, 2016	11:43 am
5 Jul 2016 Latest, New Release, Tech News	#inspire, Adventure, Alternative, Atlas, Atypical Beasts Agency, atypical sounds, Deep Space, Digital Trends, England, Explore, Gameplay, gamer, Gaming, Hello Games, IGN, indie, Indie Rock, Innovate, Innovation, magazine, MMO, music, No Man's Sky, nyc, online, Online Magazine, Playstation, playstation 4, Polygon, Procedurally Generated, Programming, red hook, RPG, sci-fi, Sean Murray, Space, SPACEMMORPG, startup, Survival, tech, tech news, video games	0
Gamer anticipation is building for the upcoming release of the Sci-Fi adventure survival game, No Man's Sky. Developed by indie game studio Hello Games, No Man's Sky has people on the edge of their seats, eager to test out the game's essentially infinite open-world platform.
No Man's Sky was originally scheduled for release in June 2016, but was pushed back because Sean Murray, Managing Director of Hello Games and programmer on No Man's Sky, felt that the game needed to be "polished" slightly before a full release.
"I have had to make the tough choice to delay the game for a few weeks to allow us to deliver something special." – Murray
Now, nearly three years after the initial announcement of No Man's Sky at the VGX in December 2013, the game is slated for worldwide release on August 9, 2016 for both PS4 and Microsoft Windows.
No Man's Sky is built on a procedurally generated universe. Planets, and the unique flora and fauna that occupy them, are generated from a deterministic algorithm, creating a massive, and truly random system of explorable planets.
Hello Games developers have estimated that there are over 18-quintillion explorable worlds, each with unique life, environments and resources to gather. This immense amount of options allows players to approach No Man's Sky in a way that caters to their imagination and fits their individual style of gameplay.
Players can spend time exploring new worlds aboard a starship, collecting resources and discovering new species on distant planets, or even engaging in combat with first-person weapons on a planet's surface or dogfights in a spaceship. If you wish, you can even kill the local wildlife on individual worlds, but be wary, too much destruction will attract sentinels that will attack, forcing you to flee or fight for your survival.
As Murrary said in the IGN First: 18-minute Gameplay Demo, "That's another way you can play the game. You can, you know, not come in peace." – Murray
Another significant feature of No Man's Sky is The Atlas, a player-submitted database of information of the discoveries they make during the game. This allows No Man's Sky players to share the coordinates of the worlds they locate and info about things they unearth within them. Players can choose to play either offline locally, or online in a universe shared with other players.
No Man's Sky is designed similarly to a real solar system. Planets located the optimal distance from a sun will have more varied life and potential for interaction with other players, whereas planets that are too close or on the outer rim may be barren and devoid of life.
"As much as we can possibly manage, this needs to feel real, and true to what it is, which is a galaxy." – Murray
Nevertheless, these barren planets may still have some valuable resources as well as hidden secrets for players to discover as they explore.
No Man's Sky presents many of the signifying aspects of the adventure-survival genre such as character development, acquiring items and artifacts, and learning new skills such as a better knowledge of Alien languages.
All in all, No Man's Sky is an ambitious venture in open-world gaming. Come August, we will see if the game can deliver the rich world of deep space exploration and discovery that we are hoping for.
30 Jun 2016 Artist News, Latest, Music Related News, Tech News	Academics, beat music, beats, Code, coding, computer, Computer Code, Computer Coding, Computers, Danny Brown, design, Digital, Digital Magazine, Digital Marketing, DJ Shadow, Ecommerce, Educate, education, emcee, emceeing, Entrepreneurship, festival, google, harvard, Hip Hop, Hip Hop Music, Illmatic, Innovate, iNNOVATIVE, Ivy League, Ivy League School, Jams, Live At The BBQ, M.C., Machine Gun Kelly, Mainstream, Marketing, Mass Appeal Magazine, MC, Microsoft, music, music festival, Music Festivals, Nas, Nasir Jones, Nasir Jones Hip Hop Fellowship, new york, pop, queens, Queens New York, Queensbridge, Queensbridge Projects, radio, rap, Rap Music, Rhyme, Scholarship, Software, Software Design, Software Engineering, Spitting Bricks, startup, Startup Culture, Startups, Summer Music Festivals, tech news, Technology, The General Assembly, The Hip Hop Archive & Research Institute, Ty Dolla $ign, W. E. B. Du Bois, W. E. B. Du Bois Research Institute	0
Who's World is This? (The World is Yours The World is Yours) It's Mine It's Mine It's Mine, Who's World is This?
This year, the world clearly belongs to Nas. Everyone else is just living in it.
Nasir Jones–better known by his stage name Nas–is consistently ranked among the top rappers of all time. He's been spitting bricks about social justice for minorities and growing up in the Queensbridge housing projects since he dropped his 1994 Illmatic, an essential hip-hop classic. Since then seven of his records have been certified platinum–he is an undisputed master, an urban poet laureate.
Even Harvard University can't deny his profound impact on culture.
In 2013, Nas forged a partnership with the Ivy League School, thus establishing the Nasir Jones Hip Hop Fellowship with the broad intention of funding scholars and artists who demonstrate exceptional creative ability in the arts, in connection with Hip Hop. Now I know what your thinking–Harvard?! But hip-hop is less than 50 years old, has introduced sampling to the general collective conscious, and has been a key factor in not only enabling people of all backgrounds to think critically about society, but also acting as a tool for minorities to offer a strong sense of community and an expression of life through the eyes of the silenced. The Hip Hop Archive & Research Institute and the W. E. B. Du Bois Research Institute will utilize the fellowship to bring in hip hop talent, fund projects, and allow the next generation of underprivileged poets to reach the pinnacle of academic achievement. It doesn't stop there. In addition to helping pave the way for the next generation of hip-hop talent, Nas also wants to shake up the white and male-dominated tech sphere.
Nas isn't alone in his assertion that Silicon Vally doesn't have a diverse enough workplace–especially when you factor in that California is also one of the most diverse states in the country. Even Google admitted they needed to work on diversity when they released this report a few years ago. Then in 2014, the Internet services giant, along with Nas and software mainstay Microsoft, began collaboratively funding an initiative by The General Assembly (GA). The New York-based vocational program specializes in providing scholarships to underrepresented African Americans, Latinos and women that want to persuit a career in software engineering and web design. Pretty cool stuff Nas.
If you're still unimpressed, Nas isn't done giving back quite yet either. Nas will be hosting a free music festival for you New Yorkers this summer! In collaboration with his own Mass Appeal Magazine, Live At The BBQ will feature Ty Dolla $ign, DJ Shadow, Danny Brown, and Machine Gun Kelly.
#MassAppealBBQNYC https://t.co/m2sb3gzxzr pic.twitter.com/AhWPsThULB
— Nasir Jones (@Nas) June 22, 2016
16 Jun 2016 Latest, New Release, Tech News	#eCom, #inspire, Alternative, atypical beasts, Atypical Beasts Agency, atypical sounds, brooklyn, DRL, drone, Drone Pilot, Drone Racing, e commerce, e-com, Ecommerce, ESPN, FPV, Future, Gadgets, governor's island, IDRA, indie, Indie Rock, Innovate, Innovation, magazine, music, new tech, new york, nyc, online, Online Magazine, Quadcopter, Radio Control, RC, red hook, startup, tech, tech news, Technology, Twitch, UAV, Video Streaming, World Drone Racing Championships	0
In the last few years, personal drones have surged in popularity. In addition to being a pastime for hobbyists and people interested in RC technology, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are now being used in a variety of fields including film-making, package delivery, agriculture, news and even health care.
One group of drone enthusiasts have embraced the competitive potential of RC piloting, leading to the rise of a new sport: drone racing.
In drone racing, pilots race high-speed quadcopters around a predetermined course. The drones are equipped with on-board cameras that stream live video to pilots wearing FPV (first person view) goggles. This allows pilots to react quickly, and in real time, to the events of the race. The pilots complete laps while flying through brightly lit LED gates and around markers at speeds of up to 120mph.
Given that drones have the ability to hover, and move in 3-dimensional space, race courses are not limited to a circular arena. Drone races often take place in abandoned buildings, through the inside of stadiums or even around popular monuments or event expos. This presents an interesting dynamic for spectators, who will be equipped with similar video goggles allowing them to view firsthand what the pilots are seeing as they navigate the race course.
The drones are created as lightweight as possible using carbon fiber components and innovative engineering to keep them fast and agile. Some race series, such as those by the Drone Racing League (DRL), are restricted to the specially designed DRL Racer2, a 255mm high-speed quadcopter built for agility and endurance. Other competitions allow the use of multiple types of drones, as well as fully customized RC functionality.
DRL is taking drone racing to the next level as a competitive sport. The league combines the best FPV drone pilots in the world, advanced drone piloting technology and high-quality media coverage, giving the sport the same feeling as other major spectator sporting events. The DRL brings pilots from all over the globe, with top pilots from areas including the USA, Australia, Mexico and Brazil.
According to ESPN, in the coming months drone racing has the potential to gain notoriety comparative to that of other major racing series such as Formula 1 and NASCAR. This August, as a result of a partnership between the International Drone Racing Association (IDRA) and ESPN, drone racing will be internationally distributed as the first IDRA event showcased by a major sporting network.
This event will take place on Governors Island, and has the potential to bring out the best of the best drone pilots as the winner will receive the title of the fastest drone pilot in the United States. In addition, ESPN3 will stream the upcoming 2016 World Drone Racing Championships, which offers drone pilots the chance to win prestige and a $200,000 cash prize.
In many ways drone racing gives the same sensation as competitive e-sports; it's entertaining, futuristic, has a devoted fan base and it's hard to believe that it's actually a sport. Who knows, in the next few years drone racing could really take off as the sport of the future.
Featured Image Source – Drone Racing League
7 Jun 2016 Latest, New Apps, Tech News	#eCom, #inspire, Alternative, atypical beasts, Atypical Beasts Agency, atypical sounds, audio, brooklyn, e commerce, e-com, Ecommerce, Harman, Headphones, indie, Indie Rock, Innovate, Innovation, JBL, JBL Everest Elite 700, magazine, music, nyc, online, Online Magazine, Quality, red hook, Sennheiser, Sound, startup, Startup Battlefield, Studio, Swag, tech, tech news, tech review, TechCrunch, TechCrunch Disrupt, TruNote	0
If you have been following the tech industry, you have probably heard of TechCrunch Disrupt. For those who are unfamiliar, Disrupt is an event that brings tech enthusiasts, entrepreneurs and companies together for a three day expo of competition, networking and fun activities.
At an event in Brooklyn, New York on MAY 9-11, 2016, TechCrunch Disrupt incorporated item giveaways, where some startup competitors received some pretty legit "swag."
One of the items given out by Harman, an audio technology and connected product engineering company, was the JBL Everest Elite 300 Headphones, which are now used regularly by Atypical Beasts Agency founder and ATYPICAL SOUNDS Executive Producer Kimberley Gantz.
The JBL Everest Elite 300 headphones have some slick functions. A Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity option allows you to use the headphones wirelessly, and they can be charged via Micro USB. The built-in microphone is equipped with echo cancellation for voice calls. A sculpted ear cushion makes the headphones comfortable to wear, while delivering studio-quality sound.
"They feel like heaven, they're so soft and cushion-ey around the ear," Kim said.
The headphones can connect to the MY JBL app, in which listeners can use their phones to customize settings for the headphones, and use the NXTGen Active Noise Canceling Technology to adjust how much outside noise they let in. The app is available for both iOS and Android platforms.
The headphones are equipped with TruNote Auto Sound Calibration, which can adjust the sound automatically by measuring how the headphones fit the individual user. The headphones come stock with a dynamic frequency response range of 10 – 22 kHz.
"I used them as studio headphones to mix the audio from our last event, and they were comparable to my $700 Sennheiser Pro studio headphones," Kim said.
At a price-point of $249.95, the JBL Everest Elite 300 is an affordable, quality option when shopping around for a set of studio headphones. For those concerned about the bulkiness of the over-the-ear design, (as opposed to earbuds), the JBL Everest Elite 300 can fold into a compact case, making them easy to transport and good for frequent travelers.
Featured image source – HARMAN
2 Jun 2016 New Apps, Tech News	#eCom, #inspire, Alternative, atypical beasts, Atypical Beasts Agency, atypical sounds, Blockly, brooklyn, Code, coding, Computer Science, Computer Science Education Week, ComputerCraft, ComputerCraftEdu, e commerce, e-com, E-Learning, Ecommerce, Game Development, Gaming, Hour of Code, IGN, indie, Indie Rock, Innovate, Innovation, JavaScript, Jens Bergensten, magazine, Minecraft, Minecraft: Education Edition, MinecraftEdu, Mojang, music, nyc, online, Online Magazine, Programming, Python, Raspberry Pi, red hook, startup, TeacherGaming, tech, tech news, Technology, Video Game	0
Even if you haven't played it, you've probably heard of Minecraft. For those unfamiliar, Minecraft is an open-world, sandbox game in which players can build 3D environments with various blocks.
The game exploded in popularity after its release in 2011, and has since attracted a devoted following of players. IGN ranked Minecraft as the #3 best-selling game of all time, with 70 million copies sold over a variety of platforms (Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Mobile).
In conjunction with the Hour of Code movement and TeacherGaming, Mojang, the developers behind Minecraft, have learned ways to incorporate programming into the game.
Hour of Code is a global initiative designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of computer science. Launched by Code.org and Computer Science Education Week, Hour of Code helps bring programming and computer science to students at the grassroots level.
When starting out you don't even have to purchase Minecraft. Simply visit https://code.org/mc, where after a short introductory video by Minecraft's lead developer "Jeb," you'll enter a version of Minecraft. Using Blockly, a visual programming editor that displays bits of code as connected blocks, you will help "Alex" or "Steve" (The two Minecraft characters) navigate the Minecraft world by solving a series of puzzles.
Each time you solve a puzzle, you are given the option to view the code behind what you just created. The code you are writing, while helping Alex or Steve build a house or plant crops, is actually JavaScript, a programming language used for HTML, the Web and various other functions. JavaScript is a popular language for people new to coding, so by using Minecraft, players can learn JavaScript fundamentals in a fun and interactive environment.
Learning programming with Minecraft is not limited to this online coding activity. MinecraftEdu, an independent learning project by TeacherGaming supported by Mojang, uses Minecraft gameplay to teach a variety of subjects. MinecraftEdu has an Hour of Code activity package as well, in which students use a Minecraft mod called ComputerCraft.
Created by modder Dan200, the mod incorporates interactive blocks dubbed "turtles" into Minecraft to teach students programming and computer science through new ways to interact with the game. MinecraftEdu comes equipped with ComputerCraftEdu, or the mod can be downloaded and applied to the regular Minecraft game. If students or teachers want to delve deeper into Minecraft-based learning there is now a full expansion of MinecraftEdu called Minecraft: Education Edition, which will be released as an early access program for educators this summer.
To account for students without regular access to the internet or Minecraft, there is even an option for a printable MinecraftEdu board game! Another option is the Minecraft edition offered through Raspberry Pi. The Pi 3 comes pre-loaded with a version of Minecraft, that can teach players how to code with the programming language Python.
It can be scary to dive into programming, especially if you have no prior experience with computer science. Game-based learning, like learning to code with Minecraft, is helping to alleviate some of these hurdles by making coding fun and interactive. These types of initiatives are changing the norms of not only what we learn, but how we learn. Who knows, in the next few years game-based learning and interactive e-learning activities could become standard over traditional teaching methods.
25 May 2016 Latest, New Apps, Tech News	#eCom, #inspire, Alternative, android, Application, atypical beasts, Atypical Beasts Agency, atypical sounds, Beme, blog, brooklyn, Casey Neistat, Community, e commerce, e-com, Ecommerce, google play, indie, Indie Rock, Innovate, Innovation, iOs, magazine, music, nyc, online, Online Magazine, red hook, sharing, social media, startup, tech, tech news, Technology, Tumblr, Video, video sharing, Vlog, Vlogging, youtube	0
Most people use at least one form of social media, be it Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or some other platform. Many of us are active on multiple networks. Simply put, the internet has changed the way we interact with others. A byproduct of this interconnectivity is the attention to our online presence. With editing and selection, social media users can create an online identity that may, or may not, accurately represent who we are.
Beme , a video-sharing application launched as a beta version in July of 2015, is re-envisioning the nature of social media. When sharing on Beme there is no way to edit what you are posting. You don't even have to look at your phone.
Created by vlogging icon Casey Neistat and former Tumblr VP of Engineering Matt Hackett, Beme is an attempt to bring authenticity back into social media. In the words of Neistat, "[Beme] is a platform to share your perspectives, to share your world with video, and to see other people's perspectives via video that you can trust, that's real."
Here's how it works: Beme uses the proximity sensor on your phone's camera to begin recording videos up to 8 seconds long. By covering your phone's sensor, Beme records what you are actually seeing and then automatically posts it online. There are no filters, no hashtags and no way to preview clips. To take a selfie, flip the phone around and repeat the process.
You can also record by tapping and holding a camera icon within the app, but the video recording screen remains black until the clip is posted. This helps to counteract issues when recording with devices without a proximity sensor, or if covering the sensor makes it difficult to capture what you want to record, while maintaining Beme's unfiltered nature.
Beme users can fill up their personal Beme profiles with clips for people to view and share reactions to other people's videos. The result is a unique, unaltered insight into the way that people experience the world. When other users view your Beme videos the app even notifies you that, "1 person has spent [insert seconds] as you."
Beme has a lot of the same flavor as Casey Neistat's daily Vlog. The videos of his life make a point to maintain an honest relationship with his audience. Although edited in Final Cut Pro X, all of Neistat's YouTube videos have a raw and unscripted feel, the same sensation you get when using Beme.
The app's interface is intuitive, but may be challenging if using Beme is your first foray into social media. Other than a short introductory video and walkthrough after launching the application, Beme doesn't give you much direction for navigating the app or posting your videos. That said, figuring out Beme's nuances can be accomplished by tinkering with the app for a few minutes.
After encountering some issues following the initial launch, the Beme team went back to the drawing board and produced a product that is a fresh and innovative approach to social media. Now out of the beta-version, Beme is on full-release for iOS and Android platforms, and can be downloaded in the App Store and Google Play.
Enjoyable Casey Neistat vlog: breaking up is hard to do
17 May 2016 Tech News	app, atypical beasts, atypicalsounds, Communication, Innovate, Innovation, magazine, Mobile, music, online, Peerspace, startup, tech, tech news	0
It is hard to picture the ideal creative space, because artists and event planners are so different in the spaces that inspire them. Whether you're planning a birthday party or fine art gallery showing, shooting a film or hosting a company mixer, having an appropriate creative space is essential to the event's success.
Peerspace, an app launched in 2014, is helping to connect event planners, visionaries and companies with personalized creative spaces.
Through a website and mobile app, Peerspace links people looking for short-term spaces with hosts who have a space to share. Renting permanent space can be pricey, especially in metropolitan areas like New York where there is high demand.
Peerspace helps alleviate these difficulties by providing a streamlined method of communication. Event planners can find a place to host gatherings. Production teams can find an off-site work area. Hosts can bring guests to their space and make some money in the process.
Rather than exclusively offering expensive galleries or production studios, Peerspace provides access to all types of venues. For example, on the Peerspace Blog, one section is devoted to unusual repurposed spaces, offering a selection of locations ranging from a vintage trailer to an unoccupied airport hangar.
For people worried about security, Peerspace has taken measures to ensure that the interaction between hosts and guests remains positive. They offers automatic, free-of-charge liability protection guaranteed up to $1,000,000. That said, this coverage only applies to hosts who make arrangements using the Peerspace platform, so when setting up a host and guest arrangement it is essential to keep communication within Peerspace.
Peerspace does not stop at providing communication between hosts and guests. Guests can use concierge@peerspace.com to supply their events with additional amenities, including furniture rental, event staffing, catering and audiovisual equipment rental.
The Peerspace interface is sleek and intuitive to use. Users select a location, and the type of event they are planning or workspace they desire, and are provided with an interactive map that shows spaces that match their criteria.
Users can narrow their specifications by selecting specific price-points and the number of guests that will be attending. After selecting a space, users are directed to a page where they can view information about the space, venue rules, customer reviews and other necessary details.
Peerspace is taking a refreshing approach to venue listing, allowing creative people to explore numerous possibilities when selecting a unique space. For events as diverse as weddings, film-shoots, music video sets or gallery showings, Peerspace is a good place to start.


TRADA's University Challenge competition saw students design "healthy" multi-storey student accommodation from timber.
A party of 16 architects, structural engineers, specifiers, and timber industry organisations were welcomed by Timber Trade Federation (TTF) member East Brothers to the first of a series of TTF TimberWorks events.
The Timber Trade Federation (TTF) and the Wood Protection Association (WPA) are joining forces under a strategic partnership agreement aimed at strengthening the UK market for treated wood.
Surprisingly positive UK softwood forecasts were shared at the Timber Trade Federation's (TTF) UK Softwood Conference last week.
The Timber Trade Federation (TTF) has reported new members joining and an alteration of structure to focus on increased market-facing activities.


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Riverwerk: The Werks return to the stage with a socially distant concert in Cincinnati
Dayton, Ohio based jam quartet The Werks announced a much-anticipated return to the stage with a socially distant concert event called Riverwerk. Hosted on the bank of the Ohio River at Riverfront Live in Cincinnati, the band will play an outdoor multi-set show, with fans situated in designated socially distant areas. Hometown progressive rock quintet Peridoni will open the show.
The Werk Out Announces 2019 Daily Lineups
Werk Out Festival
Melvin Seals
Sound Tribe Sector Nine
The Werk Out Festival has announced its daily lineup schedule for August 1st-August 3rd, 2019. In its 10th year founded and curated by The Werks, this year presents the most robust lineup yet with Big Gigantic, STS9, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, Steel Pulse, The Floozies, Twiddle, Matisyahu, and more rounding out the genre-spanning lineup handpicked by the festival's namesake band. In addition, the festival has announced single-day tickets available for the first time in their history.
The Werk Out Festival Announces 2019 Lineup
The Werk Out Festival | Legend Valley Music Center
The Werk Out Music and Arts Festival 2018 | Legend Valley Music Center and Campground
Ticket URL
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-werk-out-music-and-arts-festival-2018-tickets-…
Thornville, OH
Thu, 08/02/2018 - 12:00 pm Add to Calendar 2018-08-02 18:00:00 2018-08-02 18:00:00 Title Description Location Grateful Web aaron@gratefulweb.com America/Denver public
The Werk Out Festival Initial 2017 Lineup
For the past 7 years, The Werks have put on The Werk Out Music & Arts Festival which has hosted some of the top names in the business. The initial reveal of the lineup includes 3 nights of The Werks, Gramatik, The Floozies, Emancipator, Dopapod (two nights), Dumpstaphunk and many more.
The Werks 2017 Winter Tour Dates
Beloved Ohio jam rockers The Werks have responded to tragedy and transition by solidifying the strongest lineup in their decade of existence. They're ready to launch 2017 with an 8-week coast-to-coast run in support of this effort, their fifth full studio release entitled "Magic".
RIP Norman Dimitrouleas
The Werks long time keyboardist, Norman Dimitrouleas, died over the weekend, he was 33.
The Werks to Release Inside a Dream
With their 4th studio album, Inside a Dream, set to be released on November 20th, genre benders The Werks take listeners on a track-by-track musical voyage through the heart of a dream; into their own hopes, fears, and aspirations.
The Werks to Release New Concept Album: Inside a Dream
With their 4th studio album, Inside a Dream, set to be released on November 20th, genre benders The Werks take listeners on a track-by-track musical voyage through the heart of a dream; into their own hopes, fears, and aspirations. The seasoned jam-centric quartet brings a sonically superior mix of otherworldly explorations and revelatory lyrics to this artistic and mature musical statement.
Fourth Annual The Mad Tea Party Jam Features Over 50 Bands
The Mad Tea Party Jam
The fourth annual The Mad Tea Party Jam, presented by Appalachian Jamwich, takes place June 18-21 in Hedgesville, WV.
Subscribe to The Werks

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Ime Udoka: Celtics are "giving away" wins at the end of games
The Celtics got some coal in their stocking after blowing a 19-point lead to the Bucks on Christmas
By Jack Simone@JackSimoneNBA Dec 26, 2021, 8:00am EST
Share All sharing options for: Ime Udoka: Celtics are "giving away" wins at the end of games
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Celtics did not have a holly jolly Christmas after blowing a 19-point lead to the Milwaukee Bucks. Injuries aside, this game will be added to a tally of contests the Celtics have let slip away this season. It's been a rough year in that regard.
There have been numerous games where the Celtics have gone up big and then crumbled in the fourth. The Chicago game was one, the first Cleveland game was another, and the list goes on and on. Boston's inability to close out wins has been a major factor in them hovering around the .500 mark all season.
Head coach Ime Udoka spoke about the nagging issue after the loss to the Bucks yesterday. He admitted that the team has a problem and that they need to all come together in order to figure it out.
"We have to figure this out as a team and a coaching staff, how to maintain these leads especially late in the game. It gets a little frustrating, obviously. And sometimes it's as simple as making shots... The endings in a lot of these games we feel like we're giving away."
With 5:20 left in the game, the Celtics were up 109-96. From that point on, the Bucks went on a 19-4 run, closing out the game with a four-point win. Giannis Antetokounpmo came alive on both ends. He not only dictated the pace on offense, but was a force on the defensive end as well.
Despite the lack of scoring in the final five minutes, Udoka wasn't too upset with Boston's offensive attack. He acknowledged the need to play as a team and not settle for bad looks, but he thought "the shot quality was good at the end" of the game. Boston just couldn't get any of them to fall.
"Settling at times instead of attacking the basket when we can... It's multiple guys that'll try to do it on their own.. Like I said, the wide open looks we got, couldn't have asked for better shots than those late. But you got to knock those down.
As usual, though, Udoka had something to say about Boston's defense. He's been focused on the defensive end all season, and the Celtics were letting the Bucks run all over them towards the end. Sophomore guard Payton Pritchard even commented on the team's lackluster defense against Antetokounmpo down the stretch.
Udoka: "If we defend like we're capable of, it's not really even a close game there because we were scoring enough in that quarter."
Pritchard: "I think it's similar to the Philly game. We just can't give them easy buckets that we gave Giannis. Two rebounds and a putback."
Now, does being down so many players including Al Horford and Grant Williams put the C's at a disadvantage? Of course. Should they have won the game after the first half they had? Absolutely. Both can be true.
If the C's want to make a push in the latter half of the season, this issue needs to be a top priority. They've shown that they can play like a top team, but now they need to do it in the fourth quarter.


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Pennsylvania stakeholders gear up for lengthy solar planning process
Array Technologies Inc.
Solar energy stakeholders in Pennsylvania last week kicked off a 30-month planning process aimed at bringing more solar energy onto the state's grid. Participants in the "Finding Pennsylvania's Solar Future" include government officials, consumer advocates, utility representatives and the solar industry.
Under the initiative, solar stakeholders will explore options to increase solar-generated energy, with an aspirational goal of 10%. The project was funded by a $550,000 award from the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative.
Under current state law, the percentage of the electricity sold in Pennsylvania that must come from solar power must be 0.5% by 2021, but the state's Department of Environmental Protection wants the state to be a solar leader by 2030.
Pennsylvania is far better-known for coal mining and Marcellus Shale gas, but state leaders want to greatly increase the amount of renewable energy used in the state.
"In the same way that Pennsylvania is now among national leaders in fossil fuel-based energy, we want to lead in solar energy development," DEP Acting Secretary Patrick McDonnell said in a statement. "This planning process demonstrates our proactive strategic work to position the Commonwealth as a solar energy leader by 2030."
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2014 the state was the second-largest producer of natural gas and fourth largest producer of coal. But the amount of renewable energy is negligible, totalling 564 MWh.
Passed in 2004, the Pennsylvania Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard Act requires that electric distribution companies and electric generation suppliers by 2021 reach 0.5% solar energy. But after that, said McDonnell, "there will be no new requirements for companies to purchase electricity from alternative energy sources."
"That's why it's so important that all stakeholders—government, industry, utilities, nonprofits, and communities—begin planning now for what comes next, so that markets have the opportunity to plan and respond such that all Pennsylvanians are included in the economic and environmental benefits of solar," he added.
At the first meeting of the planning group, held March 2, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation presented an introduction to data modeling and overview of current baseline solar scenarios in Pennsylvania. By the group's next meeting in June, they are aiming to generate inputs to a baseline scenario. A draft plan is expected in a year, with a final plan due in 18 months. An implementation report is expected within 30 months.
Solar Industry Magazine Pennsylvania Kicks Off Statewide Solar Development Planning
Filed Under: Solar & Renewables
Two barriers to utility and customer savings with flexible loads and how regulators can help
Utilities, regulators and load flexibility authorities say better distribution system control technologies and compensation are needed to increase the use of flexible customer-sited resources.
Explore the Trendline➔
Yujin Kim, Industry Dive
Electrification and EVs
The trend toward increased electrification in transportation, buildings and other sectors continued to increase in 2020, but while momentum is growing, various challenges lie ahead.
By Utility Dive staff
Burns & McDonnell Announces Key Leadership Promotions as Power Industry Sees Rapidly Changin... Press release from Burns & McDonnell
Power TakeOff Doubles Utility Partnerships in 2020, Providing Energy Savings to Thousands of... Press release from Power TakeOff
Power TakeOff Doubles Utility Partnerships in 2020, Providing Energy Savings to Thousands of...
Power TakeOff
Latest in Solar & Renewables
By Emma Penrod • Jan. 19, 2021
Following Google's footsteps, Des Moines pledges 24/7 clean electricity by 2035
California releases final root cause analysis of August rolling blackouts
Arizona grants 'innovative' electric rate schedule for Nikola green hydrogen project


Security issues are a concern for most travelers. Physical safety gets the most attention — in the air, on the road, pick-pockets, hotel break-ins and all the rest.
That's only half the story, though. While we're off wandering round exotic cities or sipping cocktails beside the pool, what's happening back home?
We recently had an issue while traveling that drove us to find a technology solution. Much of our furniture and artwork had been moved around various rooms in our condo while we were away.
While the building management does have the right to enter our apartment for routine maintenance and emergencies, they are supposed to keep detailed records of such visits. However, they couldn't (or wouldn't) identify who had been in our home, leaving us none the wiser.
About that time, one of our travel mates became aware of an iOS and Android app that seemed like it might provide a solution. Cammy offers a cloud-based surveillance camera system that provides a live view of my home from my iPhone or iPad, anywhere I've got an Internet connection, and alerts me if there's an intruder.
Their web site offers plenty of detail about how it works prior to purchase. The company is based in Australia, and currently ships there, the US and the UK, with plans to expand over time.
Cammy is a monitored service that incurs a monthly fee, currently about $30 per month. This isn't inexpensive, but for as much as I travel, it is money well spent. Also, you need to get used to living with a video camera. You get what that means.
The company currently offers a plan where you can prepay $300 for the first year and get two free Cammy cameras. I went for this deal because I figured their cameras would be easy to set up and connect to the app, and so it turned out to be. The web site says other cameras will work, but I haven't tried any yet.
Setup was actually easier than expected. I just plugged in the camera's power cord and connected it to an Ethernet connection on my home router. Although this initial setup needed a network cable, the cameras can be put anywhere within Wi-fi range after that.
After connecting both devices, I downloaded the app from the Apple store. It found my cameras, asking me to set a password for each one. I also needed to input the password for my Wi-fi network, and that was it. It really was as easy as the instruction videos showed.
The system has numerous options for alarms and alerts, all adjustable remotely from my iPhone. I use "auto arm" to turn everything on whenever my phone goes outside a certain area keyed to my address. The alarm settings permit more than one user whose device can trigger the auto-arm function.
The motion detection technology in Cammy's cameras recognizes human movement, with several options for what happens when an intruder enters the camera's view. Alerts can be sent by email (to a computer or mobile device) and by phone. I chose the siren alert for my iPhone and iPad.
The app recognizes when an alert is viewed – if that doesn't happen within a specified number of minutes, an automated phone call is sent to any numbers you select. The options for responding to an alert are do nothing, call the police or disarm the alarm for a period of between 15 minutes to 24 hours (or indefinitely).
Unless the alarms are set to record only when armed, a video or still image of anyone passing the camera is recorded. Called "events", these are stored on Cammy's servers for thirty days.
If you need it longer, any video or image can be downloaded and saved on a hard drive or in a cloud application like Evernote. Remember, though, this needs to be done within the thirty days before Cammy deletes the event.
For me, the attraction of Cammy is having a live view any time, anywhere there's Internet. Using Cammy's alarms and alerts and live view, we are very confident that nobody has entered our home without our knowledge.
I even can adjust the camera's live view right from my iPhone, via the camera's pan and tilt functions. The camera can pivot 300 degrees horizontally and 120 degrees vertically, even has a microphone and speaker for remote communication.
So far, Cammy is a great addition to my tech travel tools, but it's not perfect. Like most newer technology, there are a couple of minor things that could be improved.
On the app, the color scheme makes some functions difficult to see, when the white print gets lost in a light blue background. There's no way of setting all events to be deleted — they need to be selected, and then deleted, one at a time. I've brought these to the company's attention, and they've acknowledged the issues. No news on timing, though.
Anyone who travels a lot, whether for business or pleasure, should take a look at Cammy if they're concerned about what's going on at home. There are similar services out there, but I haven't found one that has cloud monitoring combined with intrusion alerts.
Many Wi-fi cameras offer remote live view, but Cammy's alerts remove the need to constantly check your device. The ease of setup and use, and the convenience of live views from anywhere with an Internet connection, make this a "must have" travel technology for me.
For more information, Cammy has a blog, and more videos on its YouTube channel.
Several years ago I retired from a 30 year professional career. Since then, I've been fortunate enough to spend most of my time traveling the world. My travels have taken me to over 100 countries on all seven continents, and provided the opportunity to meet people and see things in places I had only imagined.


A four-year battle over aquatic plants is pitting neighbor against neighbor at Haven Lake in Mason County. The bitter dispute over how to treat the common waterweed and big leaf pondweed that grow on the lake bottom has spawned two lawsuits, accusations of threats and gunfire and thousands of calls and emails to the Governor's office, State agencies and the Mason County Sheriff's Office.
The NSW government is launching an offensive against aquatic weeds that it says are damaging rivers in the Hawkesbury-Nepean region.
"The project will tackle some of the most serious and destructive aquatic weeds in the country, including Salvinia, Water Hyacinth, Alligator weed, Senegal Tea plant and Egeria," Ms Hodgkinson said in a statement.


text:
Daiva Balam () is a 1959 Telugu-language swashbuckler film, produced and directed by Ponnaluru Vasanthakumar Reddy. It stars N. T. Rama Rao and Jayasri, with music composed by Ashwatthama. The film is the debut of Shobhan Babu in the film industry. The film is known to be one of the earliest Telugu film containing sequences in Eastmancolor.

Plot
Once upon a time, there was a kingdom called Malava. King Ugrasena (Gummadi) has a daughter, Rupa. According to the astrologer's prediction, Rupa marries an ordinary citizen. Ugrasena becomes furious and wants to change this fate so he finds the whereabouts of the boy (Chandrasena), through astrologers, and orders him eliminated. But the boy escapes and grows up at an ashram along with his mother Annapurna (Malathi). Years roll by, and, once, while hunting, Rupa (Jayasri) gets acquainted with Chandrasena (N. T. Rama Rao) and they fall in love.

King Ugrasena announces a sports competition in the capital in which Chandrasena prevails and the king honors him. That night, Chandrasena secretly enters the fort, meets Rupa, and is captured by soldiers. At that moment, Annapurna pleads with the king to leave her son, but in vain Ugrasena recognizes him as the same and commands him to throw him into the cellar of demons. But Chandrasena kills the demon, reaches Rupa, and while escaping they drop into a dead house. Hence, the king announces whoever brings his daughter will be largess with a huge amount for which two guys, Takku (Relangi) and Tikku (Ramana Reddy) move. In the death house, Rupa is caught by an enchanter (Shobhan Babu) and takes her to their Queen Gandharva Rani (Mohana), and entrusts a challenge of getting a musical tree to Chandrasena from Chambala Island, ruled by wizard Kanakaksha (Mukkamala) in exchange of Rupa.
After setting off on an adventurous journey, Chandrasena reaches the island where Kanakaksha's daughter Champa (Girija) falls for him, trapping her, he succeeds in achieving the musical tree and relieves Rupa. But unfortunately, Kanakaksha takes Chandrasena back by transforming him into a garland. Helpless, Rupa was seized by Takku-Tikku. Parallelly, on the island, Kanakaksha demands Chandrasena to marry his daughter, but he refuses, so, he keeps him in the prison and tortures him.

Fortunately, Rupa escapes from Takku-Tikku and gets back to the death house, reaches Chamba Island with the help of the musical tree, and lets Chandrasena free. Chandrasena eliminates Kanakaksha, blasts the island and both of them return Malava kingdom when Ugrasena also realizes no one can change the fortune. Finally, the movie ends on a happy note with the marriage of Chandrasena and Rupa.

Cast
N. T. Rama Rao as Chandrasenudu
Jayasri as Rupa
Shobhan Babu as Enchanter
Gummadi as Ugrasena
Relangi as Takku
Ramana Reddy as Tikku
Mukkamala as Kanakasha
Vangara as astrologer Jaganatha Pandit
Kasturi Siva Rao as Madhava
Girija as Champa
Malathi as Annapurna
Mohana as Gandharva Rani

Soundtrack

Music composed by Ashwatthama.

References

1950s Telugu-language films

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Beware of Flying Hotdogs: Inherent or Unreasonable Risks?, pp. 115-117
Matthew T. Brown
Todd Koesters
In-game promotions are a marketing mainstay designed to entertain spectators at sporting events as part of the total entertainment environment (Veeck, 1996). Spectator sporting events are designed as experiences that should never let spectators become bored (Brown & Kreutzer, 2002). As a result, there has been an increase over time in the number and variety of promotional activities held during sporting events. From "Kiss Cams" to mascot and dizzy bat races, the number and variety of promotional activities held during a game seems never ending (Crenshaw, 2014)Read more
Social Media's Changing Legal Landscape Provides Cautionary Tales of "Pinterest" to Sport Marketers, pp. 47-49
Alfonso N. Cornish
Ben Larkin
The use of social media as a communication tool to engage others has rapidly proliferated over the past decade (Wallace, Wilson, & Miloch, 2011). According to the Pew Research Center, 73% of all online adults were using social media as of September 2013 (Brenner, 2013). Facebook leads the way with 71% of all online adults using the platform in 2013; however, a growing number of individuals are also using other emerging platforms such as LinkedIn (22%), Pinterest (21%), and Twitter (18%) (Duggan & Smith, 2013). Further, approximately 42% used multiple social media platforms (Duggan...Read more
Keep Calm and Johnny Football: The Evolving Trademark Rights of College Athletes, pp. 246-248
John Grady
Mark S. Nagel
On February 15, 2013, Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel's licensing company, JMAN2 Enterprises LLC, filed suit against Eric Vaughn, who had been selling a variety of shirts that featured the phrase "Keep Calm and Johnny Football" with various uses of Texas A&M's color scheme and/or protected logos (Watson, 2013a). Manziel filed to register a trademark in his nickname "Johnny Football" during the 2012 season prior to winning the Heisman Trophy (the trademark registration was still pending approval before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office [USPTO] at the time of this writing). His...Read more
Are Ticket Lotteries Fair Game? George v. NCAA Sets the Standard, pp. 181-183
Mark Dodds
James T. Reese
Kristi Schoepfer-Bochicchio
Can a high demand sporting event institute a random selection process to distribute tickets and create revenue while doing so? Recently, the NCAA was sued for using such a ticket distribution method (George v. NCAA, 2011). The plaintiffs to the lawsuit claimed the NCAA ran an illegal lottery by charging a non-refundable handling fee for all ticket requests, including those that were not able to be met due to the high consumer demand. Ultimately, the Indiana Supreme Court held the NCAA's actions did not legally constitute a lottery, and thus the NCAA's ticket distribution method was allowed...Read more
Like It or Not … Coastal Contacts Case Sets Guidelines for 'Like-Gating' on Facebook, pp. 113-116
Natasha T. Brison
Social media provides brands with "personal, trusted, and direct" connectivity to consumers (Drury, 2008, p. 277). Through social media, brands are able to target specific consumer demographics about new and existing products, thereby increasing the likelihood of purchase of those products. With more than 1 billion active users ("Facebook Newsroom," 2012), Facebook has become a leader in social media and an important vehicle through which sport marketers connect their brands with consumers. From the London 2012 Olympics alone, brands saw significant growth in fan interaction on Facebook....Read more
New FTC Guides Impact Use of Social Media for Companies and Athlete Endorsers, pp. 59-62
Steve McKelvey
James T. Masteralexis
In 2012, Nike became the first company in the United Kingdom to have a Twitter campaign banned after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the U.K.'s equivalent of the United States' Federal Trade Commission, held that soccer star Wayne Rooney had violated rules for clearly communicating to the public that his tweets were advertisements for Nike (Furness, 2012). Nike, through its endorsement deal with Rooney, encouraged Rooney to engage in Twitter messaging as part of its wider "Make It Count" advertising campaign. Rooney's tweet, which went out to his 4.37 million followers, said: "...Read more
Jordan v. Jewel Food Stores, Inc.: Do the Shoes Make the Man?, p. 253-255
Jonathan Goins
Michael Jeffrey Jordan. MJ. Air Jordan. No. 23. Six-time NBA Champion. Six-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Five-time NBA Most Valuable Player of the Year. Ten-time NBA scoring champion. Naismith College Player of the Year. Two-time Olympic gold medalist. NBA Hall of Famer. Who would not want to pay homage to arguably the greatest player in NBA history? In tribute to Jordan's induction into the Hall of Fame, a grocery store's advertisement tried to do just that.Read more
Time Out! Federal Court Decision Clarifies Ownership of Broadcast Rights in High School Sports Events, pp. 53-55
Barbara Osborne
Paul J. Batista
Can the local newspaper simply show up at a post-season high school football game, set up a video camera and live stream the entire game on its website … all under the banner of the First Amendment? That was the crux of the issue in a federal court case decided this past summer (WIAA v. Gannett Co., 2011). At stake was the ability of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA), the governing body for middle and high school athletics in the state of Wisconsin, to exclusively sell the video rights to its post-season tournament games.Read more
American Needle v. National Football League and the Future of Collective Licensing Agreements in Sport, p. 166-169
Lisa Pike Masteralexis
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in American Needle v. National Football League is not the "death knell" of collective licensing agreements in sports, but it will hold the NFL and other professional sports entities to a higher level of antitrust scrutiny than they had hoped. The issue in American Needle v. National Football League was whether the NFL's collective licensing arm, NFL Properties, LLC (NFLP), was a single entity, and therefore, exempt from antitrust liability under Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. Section 1 deems "[e]very contract, combination in the form of a...Read more
Sport Lotteries: The Professional Sports Leagues take on the State of Delaware, Again!, p. 107-109
Anita M. Moorman
The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) prohibits state lotteries that employ a wagering scheme related to the outcome of sports contests (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, 2010). Four states (Oregon, Nevada, Delaware, and Montana) which had operated sports betting schemes before the passage of PASPA were provided a limited exemption from PASPA. PASPA "grandfathered" gambling schemes in these states "to the extent that the scheme was conducted by that State" between 1976 and 1990. Following the passage of PASPA, only two states, Nevada and Oregon,...Read more


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The Manc - The tragic story behind Northern Quarter's latest graffiti mural"
The tragic story behind Northern Quarter's latest graffiti mural
By Sam Ridgway Follow	19th November 2019
NQForum
A new Northern Quarter mural went up over the weekend and there is a heartbreaking story behind it.
The brand new piece, which is a stunning mural of a woman, was sprayed onto a familiar wall near Tib Street car park by legendary Manchester-based artist Akse.
However, the identity of the woman wasn't abundantly clear to everyone at first and left people guessing – until yesterday when it was finally revealed.
Nicola with the GMB team
The woman in the portrait is Nicola Mendelsohn, a 48-year-old businesswoman from Manchester who is one of Facebook's most senior bosses and one of the most powerful women in the UK tech industry.
Heartbreakingly, Nicola is currently battling Follicular Lymphoma, an incurable form of blood cancer that affects thousands of people – despite being one of the lesser known diseases.
Nicola commissioned the piece to coincide with the launch of her new charity, the Follicular Lymphoma Foundation, with which she aims to find a cure for the disease.
Help us cure it.https://t.co/ZJrzTQaGdo#cureFL pic.twitter.com/9tuA7Aeuvc
— Follicular Lymphoma Foundation (@Cure_FL) November 18, 2019
Speaking to Marie Claire, the mum of four said: "The diagnosis was a complete shock. I was fit and healthy and I didn't even feel ill."
"As Facebook's Vice President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, I was used to a life constantly on the move."
"Luckily Facebook has been very supportive. The immediate reaction was 'we'll look after you' and there's been so many little acts of kindness."
"My goal is to raise £15 million in the next three years to help fund targeted and advanced research into the disease. It's a big ambition but one I'm determined to achieve."
Akse by Weronika Kordonska and Aleks Paluszek
Nicola is determined to make a difference, and we are 100% behind her and the cause she is fighting for.
Go and check out her mural in Northern Quarter and show Akse some love – through his graft in recent years, he has produced some of Manchester's most loved murals.
You can find Nicola's portrait on Tib Street (off Thomas Street) next to Affleck & Brown – and can follow her foundation on Twitter here.
Hamster reunited with owner alive and well after Bolton student flats fire
McDonald's has released its Christmas menu and my diet ends here


text:
Q: Getting entire POST response in one line I've modified the following code from an example on the internet. Currently it POSTs and returns the response line by line. How can I modify the code so it returns the entire response  in one line, so I can parse it more easily.
static void updateIp() throws MalformedURLException, IOException {
    String urlParameters = "name=sub&a=rec_edit&id=9001";
    URL url = new URL("http://httpbin.org/post");
    URLConnection con = url.openConnection();

    con.setDoOutput(true);

    BufferedReader reader;
    try (OutputStreamWriter writer = new OutputStreamWriter(con.getOutputStream())) {
        writer.write(urlParameters);
        writer.flush();
        String line;
        reader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(con.getInputStream()));
        while ((line = reader.readLine()) != null) {
            System.out.println(line);
        }
    }
    reader.close();
}

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

A: You can't determine how many lines the URL response will be over, so you need to join them all together yourself in one line using StringBuilder:
static void updateIp() throws MalformedURLException, IOException {
    String urlParameters = "name=sub&a=rec_edit&id=9001";
    URL url = new URL("http://httpbin.org/post");
    URLConnection con = url.openConnection();

    con.setDoOutput(true);

    BufferedReader reader;
    try (OutputStreamWriter writer = new OutputStreamWriter(con.getOutputStream())) {
        writer.write(urlParameters);
        writer.flush();
        String line;
        StringBuilder urlResponse = new StringBuilder();
        reader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(con.getInputStream()));
        while ((line = reader.readLine()) != null) {
            urlResponse.append(line);
        }
        String response = urlResponse.toString();
        System.out.println(response);
    }
    reader.close();
}

The response string variable will now contain all the output in a single line.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


So rude not to let you ride your bike to work. Unfortunately we all need to work to support our motorcycle habits.
Life is indeed good. No matter whether we are bored, happy, sad, busy, crappy weather, etc, life is good.
Thank you Trobairitz. Have a happy new year.


text:
Dealroom Premium
Ecosystem Solutions
Dealroom API
Why Naspers just committed another $500M to Letgo: the global marketplace battle
14 August, 2018 by Yoram Wijngaarde
Letgo, the USA/Spanish shopping app for second-hand products, received $500 million in funding commitment from Naspers at an undisclosed valuation last week. Founded in 2015, Letgo raised nearly $1 billion already, the majority of which from Naspers. Letgo's ownership is separated between the USA and Europe, but it now seems likely Naspers' effective overall ownership exceeds 50%, alongside venture firms like Insight, Accel, Northzone and many others.
Meanwhile, competitor OfferUp is seeking $150 million in funding. Competition is heating up among startups going after US$300bn in unused goods in U.S. households alone (data by Forrester, via Naspers). Letgo and OfferUp are going head to head (according to comScore data). Both are mobile-first apps with a focus on convenience. The apps categorize postings automatically. The massive amounts of capital required to enter into this market reaffirm just how entrenched Craigslist is. This is generally seen as a winner-takes-all market, hence Letgo and Naspers are going all-in.
While OfferUp and Letgo are both still free, the revenue potential is big: online classifieds could generate $40-50 billion in revenues by 2020, according to a famous Goldman Sachs report from 2015. Profit margins can easily exceed 50% in matured markets. Facebook is making an effort to enter the market too. Online classifieds is currently dominated by 6 global players (the big six), plus numerous strong local players (think of Rightmove, Zoopla, MercadoLibre, Idealista).
Global classifieds: strategic map
Naspers is keen to find another big market opportunity that it could develop into a multi-billion business. Indeed, it is one of the world's most active corporate investors, ranked fourth corporate in Dealroom's European investor prominence rank. A closer look at the company explains why.
Naspers' rise
South African Naspers was founded in 1915 as a publisher and printer of newspapers and magazines. It was then called De Nationale Pers (in short, Naspers). The company developed into a media conglomerate when in 1985 it moved into the pay-TV business, through M-Net which became a leading pay-TV service in Sub-saharan Africa.
In 1994, Naspers went public, at a valuation of roughly $200 million. In 1997 it founded internet service Mweb. That same year Koos Bekker was appointed as CEO, after successfully leading the pay-TV business. In 2001 Naspers (with Koos Bekker as CEO) invested $32 million in Tencent for a 46.5% stake. This deal may be one the best investments ever, as Tencent subsequently became China's leading internet company (alongside Alibaba) and is now worth nearly $500 billion. At the time however, the dot-com bubble had just burst and Tencent was an unprofitable Chinese operator mainly known for instant messaging platform QQ.
Naspers market cap vs. Tencent stake
An acquisition & investments spree
The Tencent deal arguably gave Naspers the confidence to pursue many more internet deals. In January 2007, Naspers acquired 30% shares of Mail.ru Group for $165 million. Today Naspers' 28.7% stake is valued at about $1.5 billion on the Russian stock market (Mail.ru Group owns and operates multiple Russian internet assets including Mail.ru and VK).
In 2008, Naspers acquired Polish eCommerce platform Allegro through a $1.9 billion acquisition of UK publicly traded Tradus Plc which also owned assets in Switzerland, Russia, Bulgaria and Romania.
Then in 2010 came another defining investment, when Naspers acquired a majority stake in global classifieds player OLX for a rumoured $40 million price. OLX had been founded four years earlier (2006) as the eBay and Craigslist alternative for the world outside of the United States, by Fabrice Grinda and Alec Oxenford. OLX raised at least $28.6 million from venture firms Bessemer, DN Capital, General Catalyst, Nexus, Founders Fund and Nexus and made several acquisitions in emerging markets. Naspers turned OLX into its main brand for global online classifieds. In 2014, Naspers increased its stake in OLX to 95%. Since then, Naspers has re-branded many of its global classifieds assets to OLX.
In 2015, Naspers acquired a majority in Avito and became the biggest investor in Letgo, thus consolidating its position as a global classifieds leader. Some of the founders have Letgo previously founded OLX.
Between 2014 and 2018 Naspers also made numerous venture investments such as SimilarWeb, Frontier Car Group, Udemy, Brainly, Codecademy, Twiggle, Kreditech and others. In 2017 Naspers became the biggest investor in the global food delivery marketplace Delivery Hero.
Naspers investments are too many to capture in one blog post but you can find most of them on Nasper's Dealroom profile. But Naspers has been a successful investor: even excluding Tencent, Naspers claims an unrealised investment return of 17% (IRR) and 2.2x on all investments (including disposals) and investment return of 23% 2.2x IRR on its current portfolio.
A strong investment track-record
Naspers' problem: discount to net asset value
As the previous chart showed, Tencent has been responsible for most of Nasper's value increase since 2001. Indeed, Naspers' stake in Tencent is worth more than Naspers itself. In addition, Naspers owns many other big public stakes (Delivery Hero, Mail.ru), classifieds assets, pay TV and newspaper assets. The below chart shows the discrepancy even more clearly.
The problem: a massive valuation gap
So why is Naspers trading at a discount to the sum of all its assets? Two main reasons:
First, Naspers is basically too big for the Johannesburg stock exchange. This a rather technical issue: a statutory limitation for certain big institutional investors, but with a real impact. The company has tried to address this by extending its UK and US ADR program (i.e. share certificates), but this had little effect. A secondary listing in Hong Kong has been suggested by analysts, and could provide access to additional pools of capital. This would also limit part of the FX translation risk with Tencent.
Second, shareholders are not happy about Naspers' governance. Due to a complex voting control structure (see below), Naspers' free float is about 84% but its vote adjusted free float is only 28%. Naspers says that the aim of its voting control structure is to ensure the continued independence of the group, and that this is vital to its investment strategy as it can assure regulators and other of its continuity and identity.
A complex voting structure...
Notably, taxation should not be an issue as the capital gains on Tencent are tax free.
There are many steps Naspers could take to reduce the discount, including more drastic measures like creating a tracking stock of its Tencent investment, or even a complete de-merger. In July, Naspers' CEO Bob van Dijk said considers listing some businesses separately to reduce size on the South African stock market.
Naspers' position & strategy today
In March 2018, Naspers sold 2 percent of its holding in Tencent (for the first time) for about $10 billion to invest in these three areas. Naspers' cash position is currently about $8 billion. Naspers said it had no plans to further reduce its holding for the next three years. Most of its eCommerce activities (Allegro and Flipkart) have been sold, both at a significant profit (Flipkart at 3.6x and Allegro about 1.6x). Naspers would probably sell eMag if it found a keen buyer.
For its Pay TV business, focus lies on profitability.
The proceeds are used to invest in its three focus areas: Online Classifieds, Food, and Payments.
In classifieds, OLX turned profitable last year and growing revenues about 30%+. That excludes Letgo where heavy investment is obviously taking place.
Creating value when your Tencent stake is worth $150B...
What can we expected from Naspers? The company will take some steps to narrow the valuation gap: pursue a dual listing in Amsterdam or Hong Kong? List some assets separately?
It also makes sense to make big bets that are able to "move the needle. Letgo fits this criteria, as we've seen above. How big is the US marketplace opportunity? eBay's USA marketplace is worth about $30-40 billion alone: this is an indication for how big Letgo could be.
Big investments can also be expected in food or fintech.
More Dealroom research on the state of marketplaces and classifieds coming soon!
Letgo, Naspers and the global marketplace battle
Download the free 7-page presentation on Naspers.
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My Toddler Won't Play Without Me, So I Asked a Psychologist What to Do
What to Do When Toddler Won't Play Alone
23 May, 2019 by Taylor Murphy
Some of the most enjoyable moments I've spent with my daughter have happened through play. From tummy time as an infant to dressing up as a princesses in a make-believe castle, I've witnessed first-hand how much she has grown already in just three years whenever we play together. As a toddler, her imagination is so remarkable — and I'm always blown away with her ever-changing vocabulary skills and creativity while we're playing with her doll house or toy doctor's kit.
Recently, though, my daughter has had a really hard time playing by herself. I mean, really hard time.
I noticed her strong resistance to playing alone for the first time shortly after her third birthday — we were nearing the second hour of playing with her carton of Hatchimals when I told her I had to start doing some laundry and cook dinner. Aside from throwing down the usual toddler tantrum, she whined and begged for me to keep playing with her. Instantly feeling that mum guilt (and secretly feeling good about the fact that I was that fun to be around), I agreed to play for a few more minutes.
I Let My 4-Year-Old and 6-Year-Old Play in the Yard Unsupervised
Shortly after that first instance, it's escalated to the point where I can't even go to the bathroom alone without her crying and pleading for me to keep on playing with her. But as much as I would love to dedicate all of my free time to her and play for hours on end (because I really do enjoy it), the bills don't pay themselves — I have to work, and also do laundry, cook dinner, clean, shower, and occasionally take a few moments for myself throughout the day, too.
Like most other mums who enter a state of momentary panic, I breathed a sigh of relief when I learned this behaviour is pretty normal for some toddlers . . . and that there were a few things I could do to help my daughter play happily on her own.
"There is a lot going on during the toddler years, and independent play is a really important developmental milestone," Beatrice Tauber Prior, Psy.D., clinical psychologist and owner of Harborside Wellbeing tells POPSUGAR. "Play is a powerful tool for expressing feelings, learning boundaries, making sense of the world, and learning how to relate to others.
How I'm Teaching My Kids to Find Their Own Adventures
Why don't some toddlers play independently?
There's a big underlying reason behind why some 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds have a hard time playing without Mom or Dad there, and it doesn't always have to do with the fact that parents are really fun to have around (sorry). In fact, Prior explains that a child's negative reaction to playing alone without one of their parents is mostly related to how securely attached they are to their parents. The crying and inability to play alone when a parent walks out of sight is due to separation anxiety. "Separation anxiety is normal in young kids, especially between the ages of 8 to 14 months," says Prior. "But no parent can be attentive to their child 24 hours a day."
How do you get a toddler to play without a parent?
So, if you're a busy parent with one heck of a to-do list (read: all of us) and need your child to play by herself so you can get a few things done, don't panic — Prior provides a few quick fixes and easy approaches for encourageing independent play for toddlers:
Model how to play. "When a parent spends time with their toddler, they're modelling what play should look like," says Prior. "Once your child has learned what play 'looks like', they will imitate the play on their own."
Eliminate distractions. "During play time with your child, make sure to turn off all technology and minimize distractions," she advises. "It's easy to leave the television on, answer a text, or respond to a work email, but make sure to spend some time each day solely devoted to playing with your toddler so they also see what uninterrupted play is like."
Provide toys for open-ended play. When a toddler can be creative without having to follow specific instructions or rules, they're engageing in open-ended play — the kind of play that lends itself nicely to solo play. "Dolls, blocks, crayons, and paper are a few great items to place on the floor and allow your toddler to explore and pick up as the items grab their attention," explains Prior.
Keep toys fresh. "Sometimes new toys can grab a child's attention faster than an older toy, so I recommend that parents only put out one new toy at a time to give the child time with the new toy," says Prior. "If you don't want to buy new toys, consider swapping toys with friends."
Move outside. "Spending time in nature provides ideal opportunities for independent play," she continues. "Nature will grab your child's attention, give them the tools to be creative, and provides the added bonus of fresh air, exercise and a healthy dose of much needed vitamin D."
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Levi Mandel
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It was hot when we were in Japan in May. To be out sightseeing and climbing up hills to temples and shrines wasn't easy no matter how many iced soy matcha lattes with cat and moustache cup options there were there when you got back down. Why is the soy milk so creamy there? Why was matcha not making me gag? (clue: I don't know. Japan is magic.) I still went and saw whatever I wanted to see and laid low writing postcards in my neighbourhood cute coffee shop in the afternoon when it was peak-vacation naptime in Kyoto….


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This welcome development is an important sign that Cleveland's lower-income communities may not face a new round of digital redlining, after all.
New fiber lines have recently proliferated on AT&T's poles in Fairfax, Hough, Glenville and other areas of the city's northeast side. Driving through Fairfax and along East 79th, St. Clair and East 105th St. this afternoon, CYC saw newly installed fiber everywhere, on both main and side streets.
A source close to AT&T confirms that these new lines are part of a large-scale gigabit fiber deployment that will support both AT&T Fiber and 5G wireless services in areas served by four Cleveland "central offices" (aka COs or wirecenters) that were bypassed in the company's last big broadband technology buildout — the 2008-2014 deployment of "fiber to the neighborhood" for fast Internet and video services.
Those four COs, located at 6513 Guthrie, 5400 Prospect, 2130 East 107th, and 12223 St. Clair, provide AT&T service to households and businesses in most of the city's northeast side and several West side neighborhoods as well. Their service areas include a majority of the city's high-poverty Census tracts.
For the past decade, households in these redlined central office areas have been relegated to AT&T's old, slow all-copper ADSL2 service, resulting in uneven, often severely limited Internet access – in many cases 3 Mbps down or less. Meanwhile, consumers in better-off neighborhoods and suburbs have grown accustomed to paying similar bills for "normal" download speeds of 50, 80, or 100 Mbps… and now can enjoy 300, 500, or 1,000 Mbps via fiber to their homes.
Since CYC and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance first revealed AT&T's digital redlining in a March 2017 report, we've repeatedly made the point that AT&T could cure this glaring inequity simply by extending its mainstream network to the central offices and neighborhoods that were skipped between 2008 and 2014.
It now seems someone at AT&T may have taken that point to heart.
Stay tuned for more information as we get it.
As of today Hough and most of the East side of Cleveland, other than Case Western Reserve University CWRU and Cleveland Clinic Foundation(CCF)2 blocks away still do not have high speed or fiber from AT+T after ^ Freaking YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dan Misenko says:
We live in the Southeast section of the CLE…the best we can get here is DSL with 1.5 mbps…..there is no faster speed…. U-verse is about 2 miles away….. and AT&T own tech told us that at that distance …the fiber would be just as bad as the DSL….even if the fiber was available…the best we could get would be 6 mbps……price 44.00 a month!
Charles E Bright says:
The whole entire city needs to be done. Not just select areas of the city. I only get 3 mbps where I live (west side). Hopefully it doesn't take a decade.
cycCleveland says:
It looks like AT&T's new fiber buildout includes at least part of East Cleveland.
Wells says:
What about East Cleveland? Many areas do not have fiber optic cable. Citizens have been asking ATT for a couple of years – still nothing.
Stanford A Garrett says:
I am glad to see that Glenville, Hough, and lower West side communities are getting their just do as far as receiving fair service as the more prominent communities as we are being charged the same price. This correction in service distribution is long over due.


With a global turnover of £200m and a staff of just 43, Frances Dickens' company, AstusUK has conquered the UK media barter market – while creating a culture that encourages mothers (and fathers) back to work.
Can you explain what media barter is?
Our business allows clients to pay for advertising with their own goods and services, which therefore lowers the cost of advertising. For example, a car manufacturer can use their cars to pay for a portion of their advertising costs which is cheaper than paying 100% in cash.
When did you start the business and how has it grown?
We started in 2003 and we are now the UK's biggest media barter specialist with around 50% of the market. Our philosophy has always been to focus on doing a good job, and growth will naturally follow – which it has.
You support flexible working – can you tell us why?
It makes good business sense. If you invest in people, you are investing in the future of a happy team, and a happy team means you have a more productive business.
Imagine if you had an inflexible approach with clients – you wouldn't last long!
How has it contributed to the success of your business?
We've found that people working for us appreciate that we are prepared to listen to their needs and our loyalty inspires loyalty.
We get far more out of people because we are flexible. In fact I think that everyone ends up doing the same amount of work – but in less time.
Women here know they can have a baby and expect to come back. And it is the same for fathers too. Many of our dads want to be at the school gates for drop off and pick up and we are really happy for them to do so. It's not just parents who want flexibility – someone might want to go to the gym at 10am instead of lunchtime and that is okay too.
50% of our staff are women however we recruit based on who is best for the job not on gender – I don't like diversity quotas.
You're a mother to an 18-year-old boy – how was it for you to go back into the workplace after he was born?
It was so difficult. I had to be bloody-minded in order to make it work. I left at 5:30 to pick him up from nursery but this was usually ignored, so I often had to walk out of client meetings and of course I dreaded that.
I would not want to put anyone under that kind of pressure. I want people to be happy to say they have children and that is the open culture I have tried to create in my own business.
As a back-to-work mother what skills do you acquire at home that are important for the workplace?
There are numerous transferable skills: organisation; dedication; keeping calm; multi-tasking, forecasting and forward planning – to name just a few.
Mothers often return to work with more determination and professionalism. There is a real maturity in becoming a parent – you certainly don't have the problem of being tired at your desk from a big night out!
How are companies missing out if they don't encourage mothers back to work?
They're missing out on a large part of the talent pool and that is just crazy. Investing in people and then walking away from that investment is simply not a good business decision.
Some people have said we need to refocus maternity leave as if it were a gap year – do you agree?
That's a very good point – going sailing and lying on a beach in a gap year is accepted and yet returning to work from maternity leave is seen very differently. We need to reframe the positive aspects of becoming a parent.
How do you encourage mothers back into the workplace?
It's about sitting down, listening and working out individual needs. You can't have a one size fits all package because everybody is different. With all of our parents, it's a case of working out the best possible scenario.
Smaller companies often say it's easier for larger organisations to offer flexible working – do you agree with this?
Actually, I think it's easier for us to be flexible because we are small. Larger companies might try but they often have a more "cookie cutter," one size fits all approach but it doesn't work like that in reality, because everyone needs something different.
We don't have an HR policy. We just want to create a situation where we all enjoy coming to work.
Are there any difficulties with the flexible model and how have you overcome them?
I don't find it difficult – we just put the effort in and it's paid back every time. However, I would say that organisation and communication are crucial.
You have to create a culture where people can be open and say what they need but the flexible model also relies on mothers getting their home life in order. By that I mean you might have to accept that as a working mum or dad, you simply aren't going to be able to be everywhere.
As a mother, in order to work flexibly, you will need to create a home situation where partners and other people can take the pressure off you. Balance is important.
Do we need to change the narrative around part-time/flexible work and how do we do this?
You can't change a situation by ignoring it. Employers need to recognise that parents wanting to spend time with their children is not a situation that is going to go away. It does no good to box someone in the corner when they're back from maternity leave and expect them to perform. You have to embrace people and help them by creating a culture of openness.
Senior women need to help other women and men need to be more vocal about wanting to spend time at home.
What would be the ideal working situation and what should we, as a society, be working towards?
The workplace should reflect the world as it is and be a proper representation of society. If it fails to do this, we all run the risk of missing out. What we want to do for working mums, we need to do for working dads too, so the next generation can see both mum and dad helping out at home and going to work.


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Q: HTML+CSS: resize (pixelated) a container with several images I am trying to construct a simple pixel-art game in html.
The basic idea is to make a fixed-size div inside which I am placing my images in pixel coordinates. I would like to keep individual img tags as I then can easily work with the mouse events (clicks) on them. I have this up and working:
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />

This is just a very basic test. "field_base.png" is a sample image 32x16 px in size:

Works fine.
Now I want to scale the whole thing to somewhat better visible, but I want to retain the pixel visuals. For a simple image I found this solution:
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />

example.png is a pixel-art-image with size 168 x 97. Chose anyone you like.
This also works fine.
My question is now: can I get both together? Can I somehow "scale" my div-container in the upper example to, e.g., 75% page width, but keeping the pixel-content and pixel-based coordinates for the images inside?
Or do I have to use the canvas element and do the mouse interaction the hard way?


Yakuza 6: The Song of Life pushes new advertising boundaries with a GameStop partnership with in-game rewards via Clan Creator codes.
In an odd sponsorship deal, retailer GameStop and publisher SEGA has teamed up to create a browser-based scavenger hunt in a 360° Kamurocho District that is offering real-time rewards for Yakuza 6: The Song of Life.
The fun side-game was revealed in a brand new trailer by SEGA, which you can catch below. The premise is simple: by visiting the Yakuza website, players can log in with their Facebook accounts where you can get that 360° view of Kamurocho District, including more information about locations and characters. In doing this, you can discover Clan Creator codes which offer a leg up in the in-game Clan Creator minigame.
The only negative? It looks like this may be exclusive to people who have pre-ordered the game with GameStop as it requires a "GameStop Code" to access it. But if you are looking for just the codes and none of the frills, we've included what codes others have found below the video.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life has been in the news a lot lately, and not for the most pleasant reasons — at least for SEGA. After a behind-the-scene mix-up, SEGA accidentally released the full game for free to the public on PS4 when they meant to launch just the demo. Obviously, the "demo" is no longer available on the store and the download has been locked on PS4's that manage to snag it within that period.
However, both SEGA and Sony are in no ways penalizing people for their mistake. It was revealed to the Yakuza 6: The Song of Life community that (justly) no one will be penalized for downloading and playing the game, and that all save and trophy data grabbed within the demo will hold over to the main release.


Barry Erskine, age 59, of N. Hampton, NH, formerly of Plum Island and Tewksbury, passed away Dec. 29. Son of the late Gordon H. and Mary K. (Chandler) Erskine. Brother of Gerry Erskine and his wife Dale of Lunenburg and Gary Erskine of Tewksbury.
At the request of the family, services are private. Donations in his memory may be made to the Tewksbury Food Pantry, 999 Whipple Road, Tewksbury, MA 01876. Arrangements entrusted to Farmer & Dee Funeral Home, Tewksbury.


Caleb Martin scored on a two-out error in the 10th inning to lift Cooper to a 3-2 victory over Wichita Falls Rider in a District 4-5A baseball game Friday at Hoskins Field in Wichita Falls.
Martin hit a two-out single in the 10th, stole second and took third on a passed ball. He scored when Ricky Delpaz reached on an error.
Rider got the tying run to second with one out, but Delpaz got the final two outs – the last on a strike out – to end the game.
Delpaz got the win, throwing 3⅓ scoreless innings in relief on two hits. Chase Cowley took the loss for Rider, giving up a run in one inning.
The victory gave Cooper a sweep of the three-game series against Rider. The Cougars (11-15 overall, 4-2 district) play Wichita Falls High twice next week – Tuesday at the Coyotes and Friday at Cooper.
Cooper broke open a scoreless game with two runs in the fourth inning. Braiden Hill hit a leadoff single, and Aidan Thompson followed with a double. Jacob Hummel hit an RBI single, and Thompson scored when Brody Stanford reached on a two-out error.
Rider (5-14, 2-3) answered with a run in the bottom of the inning on Ryan Taylor's two-out, RBI single.
The Raiders tied the game in the sixth. Jerry Montillo, who had been thrown out at home in the fourth inning after a leadoff triple, scored on Maverick Folmar's groundout. Montillo had singled, taken second on a sacrifice bunt and third on Alex Boyd's single.
Cooper starter Matt Shira allowed two runs (one earned) on eight hits. He struck out six and walked one in 6⅔ innings.
Folmar, Rider's starter, gave up two runs on six hits. He struck out eight and walked none in nine innings.
The Abilene High baseball team scored five runs in the sixth innings to win 7-3 at Weatherford on Friday night and snap a four-game losing streak.
Ethan Flanders gave the Eagles 1-0 and 2-1 leads on solo home runs in the second and fourth innings. But Weatherford held a 3-2 lead after five innings.
That's when AHS broke out for five runs on four hits and two walks to take the lead for good. J.D. Dugger, Josh Carroll and Ryan Johnson each hit RBI doubles in the frame, Johnson's scoring two.
On the mound, Bailey Ailerich earned the complete-game victory, allowing two earned runs on two hits with two strikeouts and three walks.
Along with Flanders' two home runs and three runs scored, Eric Abbe had a two-hit performance for the AHS offense.
The Eagles remain on the road Tuesday, traveling to Haltom City Haltom at 5 p.m.


This 12x12 double sided paper has mini Floral Bouquets on the frontside while the reverse side has a thin Vertical Strip that is accented in the corners. Look for other coordinating Designer Papers including Journaling & Ephemera Accents. Seaside Stories by Pion Designs Imported from the country of Sweden.