Sleep like a baby in Virgin Atlantic's adult 'onesie'

Amber Le Bon, daughter of Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon, models Virgin Atlantic's first ever Onesie for Upper Class passengers.(Photo: Virgin Atlantic Press Office)


Richard Branson

Want to sleep like a baby on your next overseas flight? Try Virgin Atlantic's new adult "onesie."

The cheeky British airline is offering the onesie, designed by Norway's OnePiece, to its "upper class," or first-class, passengers starting in mid-June. Only 1,000 passengers traveling on select night flights on Virgin's long-haul network will get to try and take home the one-piece pajamas.

Virgin Atlantic, founded by British business magnate Richard Branson, is calling it the "first ever airline onesie."

Virgin's first-class passengers already get two-piece sleep suits for long-haul flights. The onesie is basically a jumpsuit, yoga pants and hoodie all in one. It comes in black and has the slogan "sleepy head" written on the back.

"The bespoke onesie blends Virgin Atlantic's rock n' roll spirit with design expertise from OnePiece to offer unrivaled comfort for sky-high slumber," the airline said in a written statement.

The airline has even enlisted Duran Duran frontman's Simon Le Bon's daughter Amber to model the onesie.

READ MORE: Virgin Atlantic crew tests out Google Glass
ALSO ONLINE: Virgin Atlantic offers ice cubes shaped like Richard Branson's face

The Onesie was created in 2007 by three Norwegians in their 20s who "fantasized about the ultimate chillout wear, perfect for the lazy Sunday at home," the onesie's packaging says.

The designers sewed together a hooded sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants to come up with the outfit.

"We are passionate about new innovations such as bringing our Upper Class passengers the first ever airline onesie," Fay Burgin, head of Global Public Relations for Virgin Atlantic, said in a written statement. "OnePiece onesies are the original and best and our design teams have been working tirelessly to create a onesie that offers the perfect combination for a satisfying slumber on one of the longest, fully flat, beds in business class."

The onesies are unisex. Even Branson has been known to wear one.

Even Richard Branson wears an adult onesie, available for a limited time in the Upper Class cabins on Virgin Atlantic's long-haul flights.(Photo: Virgin Atlantic)

Microsoft's pre-release OWA for Android arrives for KitKat phones

TOPICS: Mobility, Android, Enterprise Software, Microsoft
By Liam Tung | June 12, 2014

OWA for Android in action. Image: Microsoft

Microsoft has published a pre-release Outlook Web App (OWA) for Android on Google Play to gather feedback and fix bugs before a full release.

As a pre-release edition, the OWA for Android app currently comes with a few support restrictions, including that it requires Android 4.4 or higher and that Mailbox is running on the latest version of Office 365 for business — which means it won't work for mail apps running Office 365 Personal and Office 365 Home. Also, the pre-release version is designed for "small" or "normal" Android devices, so no joy for tablet users.

Microsoft announced its native Android OWA app in March this year, following the app’s release for Apple's iPhone and iPad last July. The Android app, at least when Microsoft has completed its pre-release user survey, completes its "OWA for Devices" portfolio.

Microsoft says that the app will have the same features as OWA for iPhone, with a navigation screen that gives easy access to Outlook, Calendar and People. It's also optimised Calendar and People for Android phones.

Users can also configure the app to sync with the device's contacts, allowing contact updates to flow through to the Office 365 mailbox.

Microsoft said it will announce support for on-premise Exchange servers "in the future".

Of course, while Android owners were able to use OWA in the browser, that meant features such as notifications and access to hardware elements including the device's camera or GPS weren't available.

Some of the features Microsoft has listed as coming in the OWA for Android app include:

• Use OWA for Android to sync Mailbox contacts to your phone. 
• Contacts' information can be updated from the phone's address book, which will then be synced back to the user's mailbox. 

• No device administrator setup — a PIN can be set up within the app.
• In the event a phone is lost or stolen, corporate data can be remotely wiped.

Microsoft said it launched native OWA for Devices to address the "entropy" it was seeing in the way Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) was implemented in third-party devices. This in turn impacted admins who needed to know with certainty how EAS functioned when it synchronised email messages, calendar items, contacts, and other data between servers and mobile devices.

"We were seeing a lot of entropy in the device ecosystem. We would publish a spec for ActiveSync gets implemented and as more and more third parties would pick that up... we saw many more variations," Microsoft software manager Greg Baribault said on Microsoft's Office blog.

"In some cases we saw devices that misrepresent what they were doing. We saw devices that claimed they were device encrypted and in reality they weren’t encrypting.

"So now we own the app, so it's a Microsoft channel from end to end… Now can apply commonly used policies in to that app — can set remote wipe, PIN policies and encryption policies that apply to ActiveSync devices that are connecting and OWA for Devices apps that are connecting."

Read more on OWA

• Microsoft delivers native Outlook Web App clients for iPhone, iPad
• Microsoft launches Android Outlook Web App for Office 365 and Exchange

Microsoft at E3: Lots of Games, Little Vision

Microsoft's Xbox One game lineup impresses, but it's short on new ways to play.

Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s head of Xbox, made it clear at the start of the company’s E3 press conference: This one was going to be all about games.

of games to come, many of which will be exclusive on the Xbox One. We got a glimpse of Halo: The Master Chief Collection–a repackaging of every major Halo release to date–and saw a new trailer for Halo 5: Guardians, which is coming next year. We heard more about Forza Horizon 2and watched samplings of Sunset Overdrive and Fable: Legends.

Microsoft also brought out its fair share of third-party publishers, with promises to release additional content first on the Xbox One. This included some looks at cooperative play in Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Unity and The Division, a mission full of room-rumbling sci-fi action in Activision’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and a quick teaser for EA’s Dragon Age: Inquisition.

We even got a few surprises: There’s a new Tomb Raider game (Rise of Tomb Raider) coming late next year, and Microsoft is bringing back a cult classic in Phantom Dust. Another forgotten Xbox franchise, Crackdown, appears to be getting the reboot treatment as well. Microsoft even showed off an eccentric side with games likeInside and Ori and the Blind Forest.

If you’re into games, and felt uneasy about how focused on entertainment Microsoft seemed to be in the past, you could easily be fired up by Microsoft’s E3 2014 showing. Clearly, Microsoft has realized that gamers must carry the Xbox One–at least for its first few years–and there was an air of crowd service in this year’s presentation.

But if appeasing core gamers is the goal, it was hard to tell if Microsoft has any strategy for the Xbox beyond locking up as much exclusive material as it can.

Unlike rival Sony, Microsoft hasn’t done anything with cloud-based gaming or in-home streaming, so Xbox games are still chained to the big box in your living room. There was no talk of virtual reality, even as Sony and Oculus prepare to establish a new frontier for gaming.

Cross-platform play also remains just a blip on Microsoft’s radar, with only a small number of games that work across the Xbox One, phones and tablets, and no new announcements at the press conference. Microsoft’s SmartGlass app, which is supposed to extend touchscreen features to console games, also remains a bundle of wasted potential, and Microsoft said nothing about making it better.

And then we have Windows. For over a year now, Microsoft has beenpaying lip service to PC gaming, and how it’s working on new initiatives to replace its disastrous (and now defunct) Games for Windows service. So far, Microsoft’s promises have produced nothing. PC gaming was once again neglected at E3, even though a unified Xbox-PC ecosystem is more practical now than it’s ever been before.

What makes all of this especially disappointing is that Microsoft is supposed to be a more unified company now. But despite CEO Satya Nadella’s “mobile first, cloud first” mantra, gaming doesn’t seem to be part of that vision. Even as Microsoft’s rivals dream up new ways to play, Xbox in 2014 remains just a box in your living room with a bunch of games that don’t exist on other boxes.

But hey, at least those games look pretty good.

5 Types of Workers in the New World of Work

To meet the demands of today’s changing workforce, business leaders need to understand that a one-size-fits-all workforce just doesn't cut it anymore.

Whether you want to blame the launch of Facebook in 2004, the 2007 introduction of the iPhone or the boom of cloud technologies in just the past few years, it’s hard to ignore the fact that offices – and the people who fill them – are operating differently than they ever have before.

Just look around and you’ll see different demographics of employees driven to reach their goals in a variety of different ways. In some cases, their workstyles may be far from familiar to your methods or experiences as a leader. But this is the talent that’s helping you and your company succeed, so it’s critical that you understand how employees in today’s new world of work operate – not just by themselves, but how they collaborate with other types of workers.

We’ve identified five different types of workers intermingled across offices today. Some personas you recognize. Others sound familiar. Some, you may have only been warned of. And while people are complex and may not fit neatly into one of these buckets, these personas should help guide you as you work to better understand today’s changing workforce.

ALWAYS-ON MILLENNIAL

Millennials. Generation Y. By now you’ve heard the names and are beginning to understand how this oft-described “entitled” group is impacting the workplace. Simply put, they’ve tapped into different workplace and social abilitiesthat no other generation before them has. These workers are seen as being the most technological and social media savvy, but also perceived as being difficult to work with, or even lonely. Of course, this stereotype is usually far from the truth. This is a dynamic and important group that company leaders need to observe and engage with, as millennials are moving up the ranks quickly. In fact, 87% have already elevated to decision-making roles in just the past five years – by far the highest of any generation during this time. Millennials believe their ideas can fundamentally change the way things are done and they aren’t afraid to push innovation forward. Good leaders should recognize that this group is a treasure trove of creativity, waiting to be tapped to help connect you with your customers.

ON-THE-GO MOBILE PRO

Nearly 30 percent of employees are what Forrester Research calls “anytime, anywhere workers” – those who work from multiple locations with multiple apps and devices. These are employees rarely seen at the office, but when they are spotted, it’s with a mobile device glued to their hand. Digital labor is no longer a trend but a reality, meaning companies need to adapt, adopt and invest in the right tools and technologies to support their needs of an ever-growing mobile staff. These tools should include the infrastructure and workflow processes that allow these digital workers to access, share, and transform the data that they, and their coworkers, rely on to stay connected and get the job done.

INTRAPRENEUR

Employees who behave like an entrepreneur within the confines of their existing role are often referred to as intrapreneurs – those who provide surprising or unexpected value to their companies in a way that capitalizes on new business opportunities. Often responsible for product innovation, Intrapreneurs are an emerging segment of the workforce that aren’t afraid of stepping up to the plate and taking charge. While some companies might see this as a practice that doesn’t fit their culture or organizational structure, others believe in the value it brings toengaging employees and ultimately, retaining them. Intrapreneurs are risk takers who aren’t afraid to take chances and shake things up within an organization. Despite their bullish outlook, management still needs to take a top-level approach at fostering an environment in which these workers can thrive, or risk losing them to more agile companies.

THE DATA ANALYTIC

Often seen as introverts, it’s finally time for the analytic personality to shine – not that they necessarily want to. The office analytic sees figures, stats and data as an essential element to any project or task – a perfect fit for today’s data-centric and interested corporate world. That doesn’t mean these workers are quiet pushovers, however. Instead, they are forceful users and believers in the value of data-backed evidence. These workers are the office advocates who ensure your company references its data footprint to make proper and smarter decisions regarding future spending, technology or strategy.

SEASONED INCUMBENT

Seasoned incumbents – those employees who have been in the workforce long enough to remember the days before computers – understand that work is work and not necessarily a place to engage one’s personal life and interests. These might be the veteran office accountants who sit down each day, punch numbers and track spending in a familiar, but perhaps inefficient ways because they are intimidated, confused or just have no interest in their company’s newly implemented technologies. Investing in technology – and more importantly, technology education – will help employees better understand and embrace new, innovative processes that can positively impact the outcome of their work.

WHO ELSE?

Are there other types of workers roaming about your office – perhaps some challenging, interesting or simply fun personalities that have a major impact on your day? Let us know in the comment section below!

How else is the workplace evolving? Check out these other posts from WorkIntelligent.ly:

• 7 Things Experienced Workers Can Learn from Young Professionals
• What Don Draper Can Teach Us About the New World of Work
• 3 Job Roles That are Reshaping the Concept of Work
• How Baby Boomers have Reinvented the Workplace

Regan: The NSA and dangers of a trade war with China

Trish Regan, USA TODAY

(Photo: Handout)
Trade wars, like cold wars, do not start with a shock-and-awe attack or a declaration of combat. Trade wars build slowly. A series of small battles escalate until they evolve into entrenched aggression.

The United States may be on the brink of a trade war with a familiar rival — China — for unfamiliar reasons. Previous economic disputes with the world's second-largest economy have been about narrower issues: accusations of currency manipulation or anxieties about what the Chinese might do with their $1.2 trillion in U.S. debt.

REGAN: Taxes spur foreign corporate 'marriages'

Today's conflict is more insidious. Recriminations of cyberspying — by both corporations and intelligence agencies — threaten to hobble the American technology industry by choking it off from the giant Chinese market. The end result could be a protectionist trade environment unlike anything we've seen in decades.

The conflict has gone into high gear since the Department of Justice indicted five members of the Chinese army on charges of cyberespionage against companies such as Westinghouse and U.S. Steel. China responded by accusing Cisco of aiding American cyberspying, banning the use of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system and lobbing accusations that Apple, Google and Facebook cooperated in a secret U.S program to monitor China.

This is a complicated, two-front war. Both players accuse the other of cyberespionage to gain a business advantage, and cyberspying to gain an advantage in national security. In his first televised interview since taking the job, the director of the National Security Agency, Admiral Mike Rogers, told me on Bloomberg TV that the NSA played a role in the indictment of the five Chinese hackers. He downplayed concerns of worried Silicon Valley CEOs such as Cisco's John Chambers, claiming the negative impact on U.S. tech exports will be minimal, and that "competition and the quality of what we do will win out. It's not by chance that the U.S. enjoys significant advantage in this market sector. It's because of what we're able to produce."

REGAN: Italy to include sex, drugs in GDP

For anyone who believes that quality alone will ensure the success of American tech products in the Chinese market, look at China's Xiaomi. This 4-year-old Apple-emulator sold 18.7 million smartphones in China last year, just shy of the 23.1 million iPhones that Apple sold in that nation. If a young, homegrown upstart such as Xiaomi can nearly match Apple's sales in China, U.S. tech firms have something to worry about. It's clear American gadget makers will see their Chinese market share erode in a brutal trade war, no matter how shiny and innovative U.S. phones may be.

The tech community knows this. The CEOs of Microsoft, Google, Facebook and others are now calling on lawmakers to curb the NSA's practices.

So begins a tit-for-tat spat that will only result in less business for all, and the NSA is on the defensive. Rogers' explanation is that every nation engages in surveillance activity: "I don't care if it's China, I don't care if it's Russia. Every nation tries to do (this) for the well-being of its citizens."

It may not be that simple. If other countries ban U.S. products for security reasons, then who are we going to produce those products for? We live in a global economy. The U.S. needs China as a loyal customer to grow.

This is why American tech companies are smart to worry that the NSA's spying will result in protectionist trade barriers. The U.S. economy is struggling to gain momentum, just as China's teeters on a slowdown. This is not the moment for a trade war — especially one that's really about trust.

Elvis Presley - Thinking About You