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Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Grammys Draw Second-Highest Ratings in Over 20 Years
Cigarettes kicked out of school in China
Despite years of campaigning by health activists, China is the world's largest consumer of cigarettes and smokers can be spotted everywhere, even in schools and hospitals.
But with a huge public health burden looming ever larger, China has recently intensified efforts to stamp out smoking.
The State Council, or cabinet, is aiming for a nationwide ban on smoking in public places this year, and several cities have already introduced anti-smoking regulations.
But critics say authorities only enforce bans sporadically, if at all, and it is common to see people puffing away in front of no smoking signs.
The latest ban, imposed by the Ministry of Education, covers kindergartens, elementary and middle schools, and vocational schools. Universities must set up smoking areas and forbid lighting up in academic buildings.
Anti-tobacco efforts have been hampered by the country's powerful tobacco monopoly, health campaigners say, which pays hundreds of billions of yuan in taxes every year.
Critics say another problem is that it is not clear who is responsible for punishing violators of cigarette bans, meaning officials often just turn a blind eye.
Schools can no longer seek sponsorship from cigarette brands or post tobacco advertisements on campus, the ministry said in a notice.
School principals must enforce the ban by installing smoke alarms or surveillance cameras to spot offenders. School canteens must also stop selling tobacco.
Schools that do not crack down properly will be punished, the ministry said.
As part of the battle against smoking, the government had earlier urged Communist Party cadres and government officials to stop smoking in schools, workplaces, stadiums, and on public transport and elsewhere to set a good example. - REUTERS
Apps create video playlists to suit mood and personality
An app called 5by helps users sort through content online by selecting videos from YouTube and the video-sharing website Vimeo to suit what they are doing, and how much time they have.
"Entertainment needs to be easy. We're like a video concierge that is continually asking questions to get you to the right playlist," he added.
The app, for iPads and iPhones in English, asks users questions about topics such as their activities, what their friends are like, and their dream vacation to understand the kind of video they would enjoy.
It also recommends video playlists based on the day of the week and time. On a Friday afternoon, it might suggest playlists for commuting or to show to their friends. The app then asks how much time they have, and cues up videos based on that.
An editorial team selects the videos for the app. The company designed the technology to predict what a user is most likely to enjoy based on their personality and the types of videos they watch.
Another app called Rabt, for iPads and iPhones, curates 60 minutes of videos each day based on a user's personality and preferences. After downloading the app, users are asked to select photos that most resemble their personality, which the app uses to learn about them.
Users can also rate videos with both apps.
For music lovers, Songza, a free app for iPhones and iPads, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry and other devices, curates playlists based on time of day and a user's activity and mood.
Last year, Google revealed that 40 percent of its YouTube traffic was from mobile devices, up 25 percent from the previous year, showing that more consumers want to watch videos while on the go.
Isenberg of 5by said the humorous videos are the most popular category in the app. – Reuters
Monday, January 27, 2014
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Pinterest gets playful with 'GIF' animated clips
"The well-timed GIF may be the greatest thing to have happened to the Internet since emoticons, and lots of people have said they'd love to see playable GIFs on Pinterest," Ludo Anotov, a software engineer at the California-based company, said in a blog post on Thursday.
"Go ahead and send your friend a bit of midday hilarity or start collecting all your favorite GIFs, so you're armed and ready to unveil them when you're in the mood for a good laugh."
He said there were already tens of millions of "GIF pins" at the social network. Support for GIFs was added to the Pinterest website accessible from desktop computers and would extend soon to mobile devices, according to Anotov.
The acronym GIF stands for "Graphics Interchange Format" and is technology used to turn images into looping, short animated clips.
Pinterest has become one of the Internet's hottest young websites, particularly among women, by giving people virtual bulletin boards that they can decorate with pictures showcasing interests in anything from food to sports, to fashion or travel.
The company became a hit after launching in early 2010 but has not disclosed the number of users. Industry trackers estimate that Pinterest has about 70 million members. (AFP)
Apple Reportedly Planning to Release Two New Larger-Screen iPhones This Year
The report, which follows rumors circulating for several weeks on technology blogs, indicates that Apple will come out with the two devices in the second half of 2014.READ FULL STORY
