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Sunday, November 16, 2014

Apple Pay Gives Glimpse of Mainstream Appeal for Mobile Payments

For years, tech companies have dreamed of a future in which people ditch their wallets and pay for things with their smartphones. And for years, that has not happened.
But Apple may be on to something.
In the three weeks since the company released Apple Pay, its first stab at a mobile wallet, some major retailers are seeing a wave of consumers eager to check out at the register with their iPhones.
And even some of Apple’s competitors, like Google and Softcard, say Apple has helped create general awareness of mobile payments, including for their services.
Whole Foods, the high-end grocery chain, said it had processed more than 150,000 Apple Pay transactions. McDonald’s, which accepts Apple Pay at its 14,000 restaurants in the United States, said Apple Pay accounted for 50 percent of its tap-to-pay transactions. And Walgreens, the nationwide chain of drugstores, said its mobile wallet payments had doubled since Apple Pay came out.

Apple Pay is still far from a dominant payment system. But the retailers’ numbers are the first faint signs of a mainstream willingness to stray from cash and cards. Apple, analysts say, has tapped into something.
Whole Foods, the grocery chain, said it had processed more than 150,000 Apple Pay transactions since the service started. CreditEric Risberg/Associated Press
"Quite frankly, a lot of it has to do with the strength of the Apple brand and how much merchants and customers love how easy the experience is,” said Denée Carrington, an analyst with Forrester Research. “I’m not saying it’s changing the landscape overnight. But this has never happened with other mobile wallets.”
Not all retailers are blown away just yet by early adoption of Apple Pay. Toys “R” Us, which supports Apple Pay in all of its 870 stores, said that although the number of mobile payments at its stores increased after the introduction of Apple Pay, there were still relatively few mobile payments because customers were still learning about the new technology.
But Softcard, Google and other companies that also offer mobile wallet products, say that Apple’s entrance may be good for all players that offer mobile payments.
“Apple Pay has been a huge tailwind,” said Michael Abbott, chief executive of Softcard, a mobile wallet backed by AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.
Mr. Abbott said that because of Apple, many companies now want to support the same technology for paying by phone: near-field communication, which enables devices to exchange information wirelessly over very short distances. This consistency would help make paying for things with a smartphone less confusing for shoppers.
Since Apple Pay was released, the Softcard app has been downloaded more often by new customers and used more frequently by its existing members, according to Mr. Abbott.
Last week, Google said its mobile payment product, Google Wallet, had also been used more after Apple Pay’s release.
“It’s a rising tide that has lifted all boats,” Mr. Abbott said.
Mobile payments have quickly been growing more popular, but over all, spending with a smartphone is low. The research firm Gartner estimated that worldwide, people spent $235.4 billion through mobile payments in 2013, compared with $163.1 billion in 2012. But that number is much smaller in North America, where consumers spent about $37 billion through mobile transactions in 2013, up from $24 billion the previous year.
Jan Dawson, a telecom analyst for Jackdaw Research, said that the hurdle for Apple Pay was that only the latest Apple phones, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, support it. Also, there are still many American merchants who do not support mobile payments. So it will probably take several years before Apple Pay becomes mainstream, he said.
“Apple Pay is going to be a slow-burn success,” Mr. Dawson said. “Until then, it will be something of a novelty and something that most consumers use occasionally if they use it at all. That’s still enormous progress.”

Apple Is Now Worth More Than The Entire Russian Stock Market

With Apple at record highs, its market capitalization is now bigger than Russia's entire stock market (the 20th largest market in the world). What's more, as Bloomberg notes, there would be enough money left over after selling Apple and buying Russia to purchase over 190 million contract-free 64Gb iPhone6 Pluses (enough for every Russian).
If you owned Apple Inc., and sold it, you could purchase the entire stock market of Russia, and still have enough change to buy every Russian an iPhone 6 Plus.
...
Russia, the 20th largest among the world's major markets, is not the only one Apple has surpassed. The company, which forecasts a record holiday-sales quarter and has $155 billion in cash, is also bigger than 17th-ranked Singapore and 18th-ranked Italy.


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-is-now-worth-more-than-the-entire-russian-stock-market-2014-11#ixzz3JCb0Vlmh

Friday, November 14, 2014

MUSEU FAMÍLIA TEIXEIRA


Video do museu da Família Teixeira,situado na Fajã da murta na Freguesia do Faial.( Este museu é uma homenagem a uma Família que um dia deixou a sua terra em busca duma vida melhor, sem nunca esquecer as suas raizes.)

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Shameless ways to get a free drink while traveling

10 Shameless Ways to Get a Free Drink
(Photo: Woman Lounging in Pool with Cocktail via Shutterstock)
Whether you're drinking beer, Champagne, or the "Champagne of beers," one thing we can all agree on is that booze tastes even sweeter when it's free. But how can you score free drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) without compromising your morals? Why, with these savvy tips, of course! Read on for 10 shameless ways to get a free drink while traveling.
Join a rewards club
Just like you should never fly without joining a frequent-flyer program, you should never eat at a chain restaurant without joining a loyalty club. Most chains, like Starbucks, Caribou and Qdoba, will treat you to a free beverage after you've earned enough points.
Ask for it as compensation
If your flight is delayed, if you get bumped or if the flight attendant asks you to move seats to accommodate other passengers, ask if you can get a free drink or two as compensation. They're likely to say yes.
Sign up for newsletters
Southwest Airlines sometimes includes free-drinks coupons in its Click 'N Save newsletters. (Other carriers occasionally do this as well.) If the thought of potentially free in-flight booze outweighs the thought of endless junk emails, go for it.
Stay at hotels with free happy hours
Location, room price and happy hour: all things you should consider when booking a hotel. Many properties now offer free happy hours for guests. The Embassy Suites Hotels, for example, offers free alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (plus snacks) every night for guests at all their locations. Likewise, Kimpton Hotels offer nightly wine hours, where guests can sip free vino.
Scope out gallery events
Art and alcohol go well together, which is why many galleries have free events with open bars. Bonus: You'll get to drink your free libations surrounded by gorgeous art. Check local papers, online listings and your concierge's knowledge to learn about events happening in your destination.
Attend the captain's party on a cruise ship
Many cruise lines host a captain's cocktail party on every voyage so that passengers can meet the crew. The booze usually flows freely at these parties, which can last for an hour or longer. On Disney Cruises, all trips have captain's cocktail parties with free drinks, so that cruisers can mingle with the captain and Disney characters.
Use Groupon or other deals sites
Looking for a quick weekend getaway? Sign up for Groupon and other flash-deals sites. These sites often offer one- or two-night hotel stays that include a complimentary bottle of wine. Although, be warned: The free alcohol is usually something that's only worth around $10. Price out the room without the Groupon to see if it's really that much of a deal.
Hit up the airport lounge
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Location, room price and happy hour: all things you should consider when booking a hotel.(Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Free beverages are worth double in an airport since you'd otherwise be paying twice the typical rate for drinks in airport restaurants. Airline lounges, however, are full of free drinks. You don't always have to shell out for a first-class ticket for this perk, either. Porter Airlines, for example, offers lounge access for every passenger. Inside, you can sip on Starbucks coffee, Tazo teas, juices, sodas and waters.
Let people know you're celebrating
Celebrating an anniversary, birthday, honeymoon or other life event? Let everyone know, and they might set you up with a free glass of bubbly. If you're booking a restaurant on OpenTable, use the Special Requests field to share your happy occasion. For hotels, call ahead or make a note in your online reservation. Or, try to discreetly let a gate agent know what you're celebrating—he or she may comp you a drink or two.
Attend an art auction at sea
Free sparkling wine is often served to attendees at cruise-ship art auctions. But don't drink and bid, lest you buy something you'll sorely regret in the morning!
What tricks have you used to get free drinks? Tell us in the comments.
READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE: 10 shameless ways to get free drinks

Navy SEALs 'frustrated' by bin Laden raid disclosures


The former Navy SEAL who claims to have shot and killed Osama bin Laden spoke at the Best of Blount Awards in Tennesse. Robert O'Neill, 38, is one of the most highly decorated veterans of our time. He was the leader of Navy SEAL Team 6.
WASHINGTON — Navy SEALs may pride themselves on being quiet professionals, but they seem to have been pretty noisy as of late.
U.S. special operations leaders are scrambling to contain the damage from what they view as an unseemly quest for attention as another Navy SEAL opens up about the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound.
"They're terribly frustrated," said Dick Couch, a Vietnam-era Navy SEAL, referring to special operations leaders. "They want to be very clear this is not who we are."
"It just makes us looks like buffoons," he added.
The latest revelation comes from Robert O'Neill, a former member of SEAL Team 6 who says he killed bin Laden with a shot to the forehead when the team raided the terrorist's compound more than three years ago.
Earlier this week, O'Neill spoke about his exploits in The Washington Post. He is also scheduled to appear on Fox News next week to describe his role in the raid.
O'Neill's disclosures come nearly two years after Matt Bissonnette, another former SEAL Team 6 member, published details about the raid under a pen name in No Easy Day. Bissonnette didn't submit the book for review prior to publication.
As a result of all the publicity, leaders of the Naval Special Warfare Command issued a rare plea to remember the code they pledged to live by in the face of the revelations. A critical component of the SEAL ethos is to keep quiet.
"We will not abide willful or selfish disregard for our core values in return for public notoriety and financial gain, which only diminishes otherwise honorable service, courage and sacrifice," said the letter signed by Rear Adm. Brian Losey and Force Master Chief Michael Magaraci on Oct. 31.
Analysts and former Navy SEALs say some are seduced by the celebrity status that has been conferred on them in recent years. The SEALs have been the subject of Hollywood films, video games and books.
A group of SEALs was recently disciplined for consulting on the computer game Medal of Honor: Warfighter.
Hollywood has produced a string of movies portraying SEALs in a heroic light, including Zero Dark Thirty, which chronicled the bin Laden mission, and Captain Phillips, which portrayed their role in killing pirates and rescuing a ship captain.
Their celebrity status has overshadowed other special operations forces within the Marine Corps, Army and Air Force, Couch said. It wasn't always the case. During Vietnam, few people had heard of the Navy SEALs. It was the Green Berets who captured the public's imagination, helped by John Wayne's starring role in the 1968 movie about the Army special forces.
Today's tsunami of coverage on SEALs presents a far greater temptation to cash out or otherwise capitalize on the public interest.
The Pentagon said they are expected to resist the urge. Revelations from the special operations forces risks exposing classified information, given much of what they do is secret, said Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby.
"There is an expectation inside that community, a code, that they ascribe to that they will not seek recognition for what they do, they will not seek financial gain from what they do," Kirby said Friday.
"Nothing takes away our pride and esteem for the job that those individuals continue to do," he added. "But there's an obligation that comes with it, an obligation not to be candid about what they do."

Fourth Marysville school shooting victim dies


Andrew Fryberg died two weeks after being shot by his cousin Jaylen Fryberg at Marysville-Pilchuck High School. VPC
Andrew Fryberg
(Photo: via Facebook)
MARYSVILLE, Wash. -- Andrew Fryberg, a 15-year-old Marysville student who was critically injured after another student opened fire inside a high school cafeteria two weeks ago, died Friday from his injuries, Harborview Medical Center officials said.
"Unfortunately, Andrew Fryberg, 15, passed away this evening, November 7, at Harborview Medical Center," hospital officials said in a released statement.
Harborview shared the following statement by the Fryberg family:
"We express our thanks for the amazing support from the community, as well as from everyone around the world that have been praying for us all through this tragic event.
"We also want to say a special thank you to all the amazing staff that have cared for our son and brother here in the pediatric intensive care unit at Harborview.
"Our family is overwhelmed with the love and care that has been provided to our loved one during this time and you all will forever hold a special place in our hearts.
"But we also ask that you respect our privacy at this time of our deep loss."
Fryberg's passing brings the death toll in the Marysville-Pilchuck High School shooting to five. Gia Soriano, 14, and Shaylee Chuckulnaskit, 14, died after suffering critical head injuries in the Oct. 24 shooting. Zoe Galasso, 14, died at the school after she was shot in the head.
The shooter, Jaylen Fryberg, died at the scene of a self-inflicted wound.
Nate Hatch, 14, who was shot in the jaw, was released from Harborview Medical Center Thursday after undergoing a series of surgeries for his injuries. Both he and Andrew Fryberg were cousins of the shooter.
On Monday, students solemnly made their way back to class at the school about 35 miles north of Seattle, as hundreds of people stood shoulder to shoulder outside the high school to support them. It was the first day of school since Oct. 24.
Co-principal Ron Lowry said every staff member of the high school and 85% to 90% of the students showed up Monday.
"There were more smiles and hugging than there was crying," he said. "Grief counselors were on hand, but they weren't needed to the extent that we feared they would be. Hopefully, that's because they're healing."

"We're just hoping these kids can get some innocence back again," said supporter Lecia Moore, who met her husband at the school 32 years ago.