Pop quiz, hotshot: you?re a newlywed. You land in Hawaii with your new bride for your honeymoon when some dude calls you and asks you to ditch your wife and go with him to parts unknown. What do you do? What do you do?!
Well, if you?re Nationals pitcher Ross Detwiler and the guy calling is a U.S. Army general and the reason for the trip is for a USO tour, you go:
?When I got the phone call, I just said: ?I?m going to drop everything I can and make sure I can go on this,?? Detwiler said. ?This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. You never know if you?re going to be able to do something like this again.?
Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com has the story. Including what Detwiler?s wife thought of all of this.
Not that I?d ever tell Mark how to do his job, but I really would like to hear Mrs. Detwiler?s reaction to the ?once in a lifetime? comment. ?In any event, I hope she jokingly refers to Ross as her ?first husband? for a while.
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, pleasesend us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.
Mobile security beyond PIN codes and passwords is usually a tentative affair. There's fingerprint readers, but they're often specific to the device or the platform, and sometimes limited to just a handful of tasks. Team PIPA wants to raise funds for a more universal solution. Its PIPA Touch scanner can add biometric authentication to phones' lock screens, websites and other tasks through a developer kit, and a modular design lets it slip into cases for the Android, iOS and Windows Phone devices that should receive support. Security goes beyond most fingerprint readers, as well: while a basic swipe-and-done scan is an option, the truly cautious can require a multi-scan sequence that fends off just about any intruder.
In this image made off video footage recorded Monday, Dec. 10, 2012 and aired later in the day in "A Current Affair" program by Australia's Channel Nine, Australian radio DJs Michael Christian, left, and Mel Greig appear during an interview with the TV station. The two managed to impersonate Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles and received confidential information about the Duchess of Cambridge's medical condition, which was broadcast on-air. The controversial prank took a dark twist three days later with the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha, a 46-year-old mother of two, who was duped by the DJs despite their Australian accents. (AP Photo/Channel Nine) AUSTRALIA OUT, TV OUT, NO SALES, EDITORIAL USE ONLY
In this image made off video footage recorded Monday, Dec. 10, 2012 and aired later in the day in "A Current Affair" program by Australia's Channel Nine, Australian radio DJs Michael Christian, left, and Mel Greig appear during an interview with the TV station. The two managed to impersonate Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles and received confidential information about the Duchess of Cambridge's medical condition, which was broadcast on-air. The controversial prank took a dark twist three days later with the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha, a 46-year-old mother of two, who was duped by the DJs despite their Australian accents. (AP Photo/Channel Nine) AUSTRALIA OUT, TV OUT, NO SALES, EDITORIAL USE ONLY
This undated hand out photo provided by the Metropolitan Police shows Jacintha Saldanha. British police say that a nurse who was found dead days after she took a hoax call about the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge was originally from India. Scotland Yard said Saturday that 46-year-old Jacintha Saldanha, who was found dead on Friday, Dec. 7, 2012 had lived in Bristol in southwestern England for nine years. Saldanha worked at the London hospital where Prince William's wife, Kate, was being treated for acute morning sickness. The nurse was duped by a prank call performed by two Australian DJs, who pretended to be Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles to ask about Kate's condition. (AP Photo/Metropolitan Police
In this image made off video footage recorded Monday, Dec. 10, 2012 and aired later in the day in "A Current Affair" program by Australia's Channel Nine, Australian radio DJs Michael Christian, left, and Mel Greig appear during an interview with the TV station. The two managed to impersonate Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles and received confidential information about the Duchess of Cambridge's medical condition, which was broadcast on-air. The controversial prank took a dark twist three days later with the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha, a 46-year-old mother of two, who was duped by the DJs despite their Australian accents. (AP Photo/Channel Nine) AUSTRALIA OUT, TV OUT, NO SALES, EDITORIAL USE ONLY
FILE- In this Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012 file photo, Britain's Prince William stand next to his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge as she leaves the King Edward VII hospital in central London. Prince William and his wife Kate are expecting their first child, and the Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to hospital suffering from a severe form of morning sickness in the early stages of her pregnancy. King Edward VII hospital says a nurse involved in a prank telephone call to elicit information about the Duchess of Cambridge has died. The hospital said Friday, Dec. 7, 2012 that Jacintha Saldanha had been a victim of the call made by two Australian radio disc jockeys. They did not immediately say what role she played in the call. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
In this image made off video footage recorded Monday, Dec. 10, 2012 and aired later in the day in "A Current Affair" program by Australia's Channel Nine, Australian radio DJs Michael Christian, left, and Mel Greig appear during an interview with the TV station. The two managed to impersonate Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles and received confidential information about the Duchess of Cambridge's medical condition, which was broadcast on-air. The controversial prank took a dark twist three days later with the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha, a 46-year-old mother of two, who was duped by the DJs despite their Australian accents. (AP Photo/Channel Nine) AUSTRALIA OUT, TV OUT, NO SALES, EDITORIAL USE ONLY
SYDNEY (AP) ? They say they expected a hang-up and a few laughs. Instead, the Australian DJs behind a hoax phone call to the London hospital where the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge was being treated were deeply apologetic Monday as they described how their joke ended up going too far.
The phone call ? in which they impersonated Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles ? went through, and their station broadcast and even trumpeted the confidential information received. Whatever pride there had been over the hoax was obliterated by worldwide public outrage after Friday's death of Jacintha Saldanha, the first nurse they talked to.
"There's not a minute that goes by that we don't think about her family and what they must be going through," 2DayFM radio host Mel Greig told Australia's "A Current Affair," her voice shaking. "And the thought that we may have played a part in that is gut-wrenching."
Police have not disclosed the cause of Saldanha's death, but many have assumed it was related to the stress from the call. An autopsy is being held Tuesday.
Prime Minister David Cameron said at a luncheon Monday that "the suicide of this nurse, who worked incredibly hard and obviously was incredibly dedicated ... is an absolute tragedy."
His office later said Cameron's comment was not an official acknowledgment that the death was a suicide.
Greig and co-host Michael Christian spoke publicly about the prank for the first time in the televised interview. Another interview on rival show "Today Tonight" also aired Monday.
The hoax has sparked broad outrage, with the hosts receiving death threats and demands they be fired.
The radio station's owner said Greig and Christian were receiving psychological counseling to deal with the tragedy. A British lawmaker said he wished that much was being done for Saldanha's grieving family.
"They are devastated by what has happened," said Labour legislator Keith Vaz, who has visited Saldanha's husband and two children at their home in Bristol, southwest England.
"They want the facts to be established so that they can effectively grieve," Vaz said. "What is needed, clearly, is an inquiry by the hospital into how this tragic case happened."
Both DJs apologized for the hoax and cried when asked about the moment they learned that the Saldanha was dead. But neither described having reservations before the hoax tape was broadcast; they said higher-ups at the station had made the decision to air it.
"We didn't have that discussion," Greig said.
Southern Cross Austereo, the parent company of 2DayFM, released a statement Monday saying that Greig and Christian's show had been terminated and there would be a company-wide suspension of prank calls. The DJs themselves remain suspended.
Saldanha, 46, had transferred their call last week to a fellow nurse caring for the duchess, who was being treated for acute morning sickness at King Edward VII Hospital in London. That nurse said the former Kate Middleton "hasn't had any retching with me and she's been sleeping on and off."
Three days later, Saldanha was found dead at the hospital's nurses' accommodation.
The DJs said when the idea for the call came up in a team meeting, no one expected that they would actually be put through to the duchess' ward.
"We just assumed we'd get cut off at every single point and that'd be it," Christian said.
"The joke 100 percent was on us," he said. "The idea was never, 'Let's call up and get through to Kate,' or 'Let's speak to a nurse.' The joke was our accents are horrible, they don't sound anything like who they're intended to be."
Southern Cross Austereo CEO Rhys Holleran has called Saldanha's death a tragedy but defended the prank as a standard part of radio culture. He has also insisted the station had not broken any laws. He told Fairfax Radio on Monday that his station had tried at least five times to contact the London hospital to discuss the prank before it aired, but never succeeded.
When asked why the company made the attempts, Holleran replied "because we did want to speak with them about it." When pressed as to whether this meant the station had reservations about the pre-recorded prank, Holleran said only, "I think that that's a process that we follow and we have checks and balances on all those things."
The King Edward VII Hospital denied that its management had been contacted by the radio station.
"Following the hoax call, the radio station did not speak to anyone in the hospital's senior management or anyone at the company that handles our media inquiries," the hospital said in a statement.
It also announced a memorial fund to help support the nurse's family, with the hospital making the first donation.
Saldanha's children and husband, Ben Barboza, on Monday visited the hospital, which said it was offering assistance to the family.
Barboza expressed his sadness on his Facebook page with a short note "Obituary Jacintha."
"I am devastated with the tragic loss of my beloved wife Jacintha in tragic circumstances," he wrote. He said she will be laid to rest in Shirva, India.
Meanwhile, there were indications that the Duchess of Cambridge still struggled with acute morning sickness over the weekend when her husband, Prince William, cancelled a Sunday night engagement.
Palace officials said no final decision had been made on whether Kate would attend Wednesday's British premiere of "The Hobbit," where she and William are to be the guests of honor.
___
Associated Press writers Jill Lawless, Gregory Katz and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.
Tech opens communication doors for grandparents of grandkids with ASDPublic release date: 10-Dec-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Scott Wright scott.wright@hsc.utah.edu 801-585-5942 University of Utah
Computer 3-D design program has unexpected benefits across generations
For three years, University of Utah researchers have been deploying a computer-based design program called SketchUp in workshops to teach and develop life skills for youth on the autism spectrum. An earlier study showed that using the program helps kids develop their spatial and visual acuity, as well as to leverage those strengths to build positive social interactions.
In the latest analysis of experiences from the educational workshops, researchers have found that using the technology also helps open new communication doors with grandparents of the students. The shared positive experiences helped create a more supportive environment and, in turn, improve relationships throughout their social and familial networks.
The most recent study was published in The International Journal of Aging and Human Development in Nov. 2012.
"Including grandparents in the program is an important and innovative component of our research," says Scott Wright, member of the U's Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program and lead author on the paper. "And it just makes sense, given the critical support grandparents provide in families, particularly those that have children with disabilities including autism."
Autism, also referred to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurological disorder commonly characterized by atypical social skills, decreased verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive stereotyped behaviors. At the national level, one out of every 88 children is diagnosed with ASD, according to recent estimates from the Centers for Disease Control. The estimate for Utah is one in 47 children.
Grandparents are important in the social network of children on the spectrum, because they are often involved in the children's care as well as treatment decisions for the family. For example, a 2010 survey by the Interactive Autism Network found that about one-third of American grandparents were the first in the family to raise concerns about ASD in their grandchild; 71 percent played some role in the treatment decisions; and one in 10 live in the same household as their grandchild with ASD.
How Grandparents Contributed to the Research
As previously reported, seven boys aged 8 to 17 years old diagnosed with autism participated in workshops designed around the 3D modeling program called SketchUp, as a part of the iSTAR5 project. The program was designed to facilitate students' spatial-design skills and social engagement. The iSTAR5 project is a different educational approach as it focuses on strengths and interests in youth on the spectrum rather than deficits or disability.
Family members, including grandparents, were involved in the workshops by participating in family events and school presentations of the students' work.
To understand the experiences and perspectives of adults dealing with a diagnosis of autism in their family, two focus groups were conducted with grandparents of the enrolled students. The first was held after the workshop had ended and the second was conducted three months later. Six grandparents voluntarily participated.
Changing Grandparent Attitudes of Grandchildren - "Playing on the Computer"
Grandparents' initial concerns about kids spending too much time playing computer games had abated by the second focus group.
Discussions revealed that by observing and participating in the technology workshops, the grandparents came to recognize the value of computer skills as a way for their grandchild to build on his strengths, which also opened more possibilities for the child's future.
"What we found encouraging was that expectations for their grandchildren changed from frustration to hope," says Wright. "For the first time, seeing the child succeed at something and start friendships gave the grandparents a sense of hope for the future."
Researchers also learned that the grandparents found in the technology an interest that their grandkids could share with themeven though the adults did not uniformly share the kids' enthusiasm for using computers.
Wright explains that "this upward flow of teaching from grandchild to grandparent not only emphasized the child's new-found strengths and confidence around computer skills, it also strengthened their relationship with new opportunities for shared interests and communication."
Peer Support Breaks Down Barriers
In another finding, the iSTAR5 program provided grandparents with common ground to engage with others in similar situations. They shared their experiences, joys and concerns, some for the first time being able to express pride in their grandchild's accomplishments. Rather than focusing on ASD as limiting and disabling, the program provided positive interactions to build on.
"Another benefit of the grandparents' involvement in the workshops was that their own outlooks improved, along with their grandchild's," concludes Wright. "Importantly, those benefits also affect the attitudes and beliefs of other family members and potentially, the long-term outcomes for the child."
Related iSTAR5 research
Although the sample size in the current study was small and did not include non-participating grandparents, the study provides valuable insights into the technology workshops from a unique perspective. Other iSTAR5 research has been conducted and submitted for publication that further explores the grandparents' motivations and barriers to participation in lives of grandchildren with ASD, and to develop strategies that take advantage of improved intergenerational communication in families with children diagnosed with ASD.
###
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Tech opens communication doors for grandparents of grandkids with ASDPublic release date: 10-Dec-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Scott Wright scott.wright@hsc.utah.edu 801-585-5942 University of Utah
Computer 3-D design program has unexpected benefits across generations
For three years, University of Utah researchers have been deploying a computer-based design program called SketchUp in workshops to teach and develop life skills for youth on the autism spectrum. An earlier study showed that using the program helps kids develop their spatial and visual acuity, as well as to leverage those strengths to build positive social interactions.
In the latest analysis of experiences from the educational workshops, researchers have found that using the technology also helps open new communication doors with grandparents of the students. The shared positive experiences helped create a more supportive environment and, in turn, improve relationships throughout their social and familial networks.
The most recent study was published in The International Journal of Aging and Human Development in Nov. 2012.
"Including grandparents in the program is an important and innovative component of our research," says Scott Wright, member of the U's Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program and lead author on the paper. "And it just makes sense, given the critical support grandparents provide in families, particularly those that have children with disabilities including autism."
Autism, also referred to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurological disorder commonly characterized by atypical social skills, decreased verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive stereotyped behaviors. At the national level, one out of every 88 children is diagnosed with ASD, according to recent estimates from the Centers for Disease Control. The estimate for Utah is one in 47 children.
Grandparents are important in the social network of children on the spectrum, because they are often involved in the children's care as well as treatment decisions for the family. For example, a 2010 survey by the Interactive Autism Network found that about one-third of American grandparents were the first in the family to raise concerns about ASD in their grandchild; 71 percent played some role in the treatment decisions; and one in 10 live in the same household as their grandchild with ASD.
How Grandparents Contributed to the Research
As previously reported, seven boys aged 8 to 17 years old diagnosed with autism participated in workshops designed around the 3D modeling program called SketchUp, as a part of the iSTAR5 project. The program was designed to facilitate students' spatial-design skills and social engagement. The iSTAR5 project is a different educational approach as it focuses on strengths and interests in youth on the spectrum rather than deficits or disability.
Family members, including grandparents, were involved in the workshops by participating in family events and school presentations of the students' work.
To understand the experiences and perspectives of adults dealing with a diagnosis of autism in their family, two focus groups were conducted with grandparents of the enrolled students. The first was held after the workshop had ended and the second was conducted three months later. Six grandparents voluntarily participated.
Changing Grandparent Attitudes of Grandchildren - "Playing on the Computer"
Grandparents' initial concerns about kids spending too much time playing computer games had abated by the second focus group.
Discussions revealed that by observing and participating in the technology workshops, the grandparents came to recognize the value of computer skills as a way for their grandchild to build on his strengths, which also opened more possibilities for the child's future.
"What we found encouraging was that expectations for their grandchildren changed from frustration to hope," says Wright. "For the first time, seeing the child succeed at something and start friendships gave the grandparents a sense of hope for the future."
Researchers also learned that the grandparents found in the technology an interest that their grandkids could share with themeven though the adults did not uniformly share the kids' enthusiasm for using computers.
Wright explains that "this upward flow of teaching from grandchild to grandparent not only emphasized the child's new-found strengths and confidence around computer skills, it also strengthened their relationship with new opportunities for shared interests and communication."
Peer Support Breaks Down Barriers
In another finding, the iSTAR5 program provided grandparents with common ground to engage with others in similar situations. They shared their experiences, joys and concerns, some for the first time being able to express pride in their grandchild's accomplishments. Rather than focusing on ASD as limiting and disabling, the program provided positive interactions to build on.
"Another benefit of the grandparents' involvement in the workshops was that their own outlooks improved, along with their grandchild's," concludes Wright. "Importantly, those benefits also affect the attitudes and beliefs of other family members and potentially, the long-term outcomes for the child."
Related iSTAR5 research
Although the sample size in the current study was small and did not include non-participating grandparents, the study provides valuable insights into the technology workshops from a unique perspective. Other iSTAR5 research has been conducted and submitted for publication that further explores the grandparents' motivations and barriers to participation in lives of grandchildren with ASD, and to develop strategies that take advantage of improved intergenerational communication in families with children diagnosed with ASD.
###
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
The NHL (led by commissioner Gary Bettman) and the players' association have recently cleared their schedules with progress being made in collective bargaining talks. (AP)
I?ve generally stayed on the sideline in this lockout for a couple of reasons. I reported the last one on a day-to-day basis, and it was incredibly wasteful and frustrating. So, this year, the paper is trying to use the limited resources it has to cover games that are being played. They took the same philosophy last year with the NBA lockout, and they felt that worked well.
Generally speaking, people get tired of this lockout stuff.
But, as I peruse Twitter or read stories online, I find myself facing the same frustration I did last time ? and much of it is in the way that the two sides portray themselves or in the way that media members and fans choose sides and defend their positions.
It?s my feeling that neither side has a position that can be defended.
This is purely a business negotiation. This is like buying a house or haggling at a garage sale ? or negotiating a professional sports contract.
And that?s where I?ll fire the first shot.
Can the players stop saying that they?re being bullied, that they are the ones doing all of the giving, and that this just isn?t fair? Because all of that is wrong. Let?s reverse the situation and see how they feel about the system. Do their agents do everything they can to secure as much money as they can from the owners in pretty much every negotiation? Heck yes, that?s their job.
So did Brad Richards ?bully? the Stars when he refused to waive his no-trade clause, made sure to let the media know this was not his fault, and then sat in a high office while teams vied for his free agent services? Did he manipulate the fans? hearts or treat them unfairly? No, he earned the ability to use every tool that is given to unrestricted free agents.
Were Ryan Suter and Zach Parise being ?greedy? when they took 13-year contracts from Minnesota for $98 million, leaving fans in Nashville and New Jersey high and dry? Was that fair? Who cares, the agents will tell you, it was within the rules of the CBA. They are worth what they get.
That?s business.
?Well, just stop paying them, stop offering these contracts,? fans and critics will say. But owners can?t. Just watch baseball free agency right now. Owners will spend what they?re allowed to spend, and the ones that don?t spend will be chastised by their fans for not going the distance, for being cheap. That?s why the league is so intent on changing the CBA rules, so it can force owners to stop spending without being accused of collusion (as Donald Fehr has done before and won against MLB).
?But the owners are asking for too much back,? the players or agents say. ?We?ve given until it hurts.? ?What do we get out of this??
Well, first off, you get half of HRR. Second, you are not negotiating off of the last contract. You wouldn?t do that in a player negation, you would negotiate off a ?comparable? contract. Kari Lehtonen is in the last season of a deal that averages $3.55 million. His next deal will average $5.9 million. What does one have to do with the other? Nothing.
What matters is that Lehtonen wants to get paid what the other comparable goalies in the league make. Is it fair that he could make such a huge raise over his last contract? It?s how the system works.
The NHL made the mistake of trying to appear to be negotiating off the old deal. It shouldn?t have. That deal is dead. It means nothing. What matters is the NHL is comparing CBA numbers from the NFL and the NBA systems, while the players are trying to get a system closer to that used in MLB.
Who will win? We?ll see. But saying you are doing all the giving rings pretty hollow when the players do most of the taking whenever there is a contract negotiation.
When it's time to negotiate, Jamie Benn's main concern will be his contract -- not the Stars' budget. And he's certainly not alone. (Louis DeLuca / Staff Photographer)
Had Jamie Benn signed a contract extension two years ago, he probably would have averaged somewhere around $4 million a season. Now, there?s a chance his next deal will average $6 million a year. Is that fair? Is he concerned about the Stars? budget or whether or not owner Tom Gaglardi makes money? Heck no. He wants the going rate.
The owners want the same thing.
But they are making plenty of their own mistakes. They are not doing this for lower ticket prices or the health of the league or even to help out fellow owners. They are doing this because they can. They have made a calculated risk that they can bounce back from a work stoppage if they get a good enough deal. Yes, there will be damage in the short term, but that damage will be worth it if they get a great deal that lasts 10 years. Then, they will make more money and they will have better control over their own employees, all with the?hope that the sport can still grow and thrive.
They are risking that the fans will eventually forgive them, because that?s what happened the last time.
And they are pushing the boundaries of that strategy with their actions right now. When the owners walked away last week, they showed too much emotion. You should never ?pull the deal off the table.? That?s an immature decision, and it adds to the contentious atmosphere of the negotiations.
Players say the owners started that atmosphere with their first harsh offer (which most feel was a mistake now), but the players added to the contentious atmosphere when they replaced Paul Kelly with Donald Fehr. Kelly?s strategy was to establish a friendly relationship with Gary Bettman and then negotiate the best deal he could while not losing any games. He was in talks years ago to avoid this situation. But the players clearly were not comfortable with that strategy, so now they get what they wanted all along ? a battle in which they will not be pushed around.
It?s a cold, brutal, business negotiation, and to characterize it any other way is silly.
Shea Weber and his agent Jarrett Basquet used the rules of the CBA to get one of the richest contracts in NHL history from the Nashville Predators. So is that any different than the bullying the players are accusing the NHL frompartaking in now? (Getty Images)
Shea Weber and agent Jarrett Bousquet made one of the most aggressive moves in NHL contract history last summer. They acquired an offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers for $110 million over 14 years that would make Weber the highest paid player in the league whenever they return to play. He is due $14 million in salary and $13 million in signing bonus for four straight seasons.
It was a kick in the gut to a small-market team like Nashville, which had already lost Suter. The Predators have a tight budget, but they have a great system, they build defensemen, and they compete ?the right way.? Heck, Weber was only the 49th pick in the 2003 draft, but the Predators and their coaches helped make him one of the best defensemen in the NHL.
So, shouldn?t Weber reward the team with a fair and reasonable contract? I mean, all the Predators have done is give and give and give. Where does all this greed and bullying end? If Weber was worried about the future of the team, he would have signed a deal that fit the Predators, or signed a one-year deal and then let the Predators trade him.
But he didn?t. Weber made the decision (with the help of the Flyers) to take every penny he could get, and then the Predators had to make the difficult decision to match the offer. Now, they have a contract that they probably can?t afford _ one that will definitely affect how they acquire talent for years going forward.
So why didn?t they just let Weber go? Because losing Weber and Suter in the same summer would have been a sure way to drive away fans and cost the team wins and future revenue. It was a tough decision, one between two unpleasant outcomes. But that?s the system, and the players took full advanatage of it without any thought to whether they were being bullies or unfair.
And Bousquet then had the nerve to ask for a ?no-trade? clause to be added to the deal, because it wasn?t included in the original offer sheet.
Is it fair? Is it right? It?s business.
And everyone needs to acknowledge that. They?re all big boys, they all know what they?re doing, they all want the most money. That?s what this is about.
Thanks to Color Red, a new app thought up by a 13-year-old, Israelis all over the country know exactly when and where each rocket from Gaza is headed.
By Christa Case Bryant,?Staff writer / November 20, 2012
Rockets launched by Palestinian militants towards Israel make their way from the central Gaza Strip, seen from the Israel Gaza border, Monday. Thanks to an app thought up by an Israeli teenager, Israelis all over the country know exactly when and where each rocket from Gaza is headed.
Lefteris Pitarakis/AP
Enlarge
Adi Pito and his friend Avi Genasia were checking out the damage from the first ? and so far only ? fatal rocket attack of the past week when there was a deep rumble on the horizon.
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There was also a buzz from Mr. Genasia?s iPhone. A rocket had been fired from Gaza.
Thanks to Color Red, a new app thought up by a 13-year-old, Israelis all over the country know exactly when and where each rocket is headed.
The geeky solution for Israel?s more than 3 million residents threatened by rocket fire isn?t the first time Israel?s high-tech prowess has been applied to its security threats. In fact, much of Israel?s innovation economy ? which is considered second only to Silicon Valley ? is spurred by the demands of its military and related security industries.
Perhaps adversity whets Israel?s competitive edge, as suggested by the 2009 best-seller Start-Up Nation. According to Israeli press reports, the young teenager behind Color Red is from Beersheva, one of the cities that bears the brunt of Gaza rocket fire ? and thus pops up most frequently on the app.
You can choose to have all alerts sent to your phone, or just those for areas you select from a long list ? all in Hebrew. The system efficiently delivers its notifications based off the government's public warning alerts.
Depending on where Israelis live, they have between 15 and 90 seconds to reach a bomb shelter once the sirens begin to wail. Lately, the sirens have been followed by a large BOOM as Israel?s Iron Dome system kicks in.
Then, if you also have the app from daily newspaper Haaretz, you see an alert pop up while sipping your latte on the Mediterranean coast: Iron Dome intercepts rocket over Tel Aviv.
Apps may not blunt the rockets, but it?s nice to know where they?re falling ??and where they?re not.
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Public release date: 10-Dec-2012
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