Passbook support comes to Starbucks customers in the UK and Canada

While Starbucks was fairly quick to roll out iPhone 5 and Passbook support in the U.S., their Canadian and UK apps languished in 2:3, non-Passbook purgatory... until today. Sort of. Starbucks has begun to update internationally, and they're ready to single-pull their way to iPhone-purchased specialty beverages both north of the border and across the pond. But still not in 16:9 iPhone format. Here's the official word, straight from the Starbucks blog:

We?re thrilled to announce support for Passbook in Canada and the UK with our most recent Starbucks app update for customers running iOS 6 on their iPhone or iPod Touch. As a My Starbucks Rewards member you?re likely already familiar with mobile payment, tracking your My Starbucks Rewards account and the additional features our app provides, and now, as you?ve been asking, you can now use our app to add your Starbucks Card to Passbook on your iPhone.

Passbook is great, but the lack of 16:9 support is puzzling/disappointing (puzzlepointing?). Anyway, he Passbook part works fine, so get the app, fill it up, then race Samsung to your favorite local barista, tap, scan, and sip. I'm heading out now for a quenti venti latte. What are you drinking?

• Free - Canada - Download now

• Free - UK - Download now

Source: Starbucks blog

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/lfhKFwMfnUw/story01.htm

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When To Watch This Year's Amazing Halley's Comet Meteor Shower [Space]

Sunday morning you'll be able to see the Orionid meteor shower spawned from Halley's Comet a few hours before dawn. And it should be absolutely stunning. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/WM9Hj_b5rPg/when-to-watch-this-years-amazing-halleys-comet-meteor-shower

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Pokemon Black Version 2

Traditionally, Pokemon games go through a specific sequel convention. Each "generation" has two games, often of contrasting colors or materials (Pokemon Red/Blue, Pokemon Gold/Silver, Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire), followed shortly after by a half-sequel that presents a new color or material (Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon Crystal, Pokemon Emerald). These half-sequels have the same general structure of the main games, but with slightly different Pokemon and events. Nintendo and Game Freak have bucked the trend with Pokemon Black and White, the sixth generation of Pokemon games. Instead of a bland-sounding Pokemon Grey, Nintendo has put out Pokemon Black Version 2 and Pokemon White Version 2 for the Nintendo DS and 3DS?, and instead of providing a retread of the original games they serve as a direct sequel with a new story and sequence of events. At $39.99 each, Pokemon Black and White Version 2 each offer (in very similar ways; there's no reason to buy both unless you're a completionist) an extensive Pokemon experience that manages to feel fresh compared to the original sixth generation games.

Back to Unova
Pokemon Black and White Version 2 both take place two years after the events of Pokemon Black and White, putting you in the shoes of a new Pokemon trainer from a small town in the Unova region, just outside the original playable area of the games. It's the same deal as every other main Pokemon game, where you start with one of three elemental starter Pokemon, you have to collect Pokemon and beat the eight gym leaders of the region, beat the Elite Four at the Pokemon Championships, and thwart Team (Something) as they try to do something evil. None of that has changed.

The big change is in the region itself. Not only do you start in a new town, but nearly every location has been altered over the last two years. There are new towns, new gyms, and new ways to get between towns like underwater tunnels. You go through a completely new route and new sequence of gyms, with several new gym leaders (including characters from Pokemon Black and White), and while you do this you have to fight the remnants of Team Plasma, the villains from the previous games. Team Plasma has abandoned its ideals after its leader, N, was persuaded by the last games' hero to give up his mission to free all Pokemon, and now the old members that didn't follow N just want to take over the Unova region.

As you explore Unova again, you meet people who were affected by the previous games' hero and N's actions. If you played Pokemon Black and White and link your game's save file through the Pokemon Global Network (a process that requires visiting the Pokemon Web page and registering both games, then recording your save file to the network), you get more content in the form of flashbacks and special Pokemon involved with N and the hero, and the different characters all remember the name you put in from the previous game. It's a nice touch, even if the process is convoluted.

Lots To Do
There are a few extra activities to try along with the ones from Black and White. You can now start in greenscreened movies at a studio, giving you more thoughtful, puzzle-like battled with certain Pokemon that emphasize meeting certain requirements instead of just winning. You can start your own shopping area on Join Avenue, where you can recruit NPCs to run and visit shops and expand by linking with other players through SpotPass. You can also collect medals by performing certain tasks, giving the game a form of achievements or trophies. The Battle Subway returns and is joined by the Pokemon World Tournament. The Battle Subway lets you fight random trainers with an equalized level of Pokemon for Battle Points to get new training machines, and the Pokemon World Tournament lets you fight gym leaders (bosses) from previous Pokemon games.

There are still plenty of online features, including battling and trading Pokemon across the Internet and local wireless connections. The Entralink feature from Black and White returns, letting players walk around parts of Unova with their friends and unlock rare Pokemon and new areas. The competitive Pokemon field is big, and if you like micromanaging and researching stats, you'll get plenty of use out of the online modes.

Pokemon Black and White Version 2 are more of the same as Pokemon games, but they offer enough twists and changes to feel like a genuine sequel of Pokemon Black and White and not just an upgraded remake like the other Pokemon half-sequels. Even if you played through the last Pokemon game, Pokemon Black and White Version 2 can feel fresh and offer plenty of content.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/l4_GZcsmrL8/0,2817,2410906,00.asp

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Advertising Standard Authority Releases Social Media... | Stuff.co.nz

A fan's misjudged Facebook post could get companies in trouble under new rules governing social media advertising.

The Advertising Standard Authority has introduced its first ''guidance'' for social media advertising, as companies increasingly turn to Facebook or Twitter to promote their brand.

The guidance states companies are responsible not only for their own online content but any user-generated content, such as Facebook posts or tweets, directly under their control.

This means a company could be censured for offensive or misleading content posted by a third-party on its Facebook page.

Authority chief executive Hilary Souter said if the content was on a controlled platform, such as a Facebook page, the company was responsible.

''If you are a brand page where the advertiser has control then you have a responsibility to manage that content.''

While each case would be treated on its own merit, the Authority would take a particularly dim view of any offensive or misleading content solicited by the advertiser, such as a competitions, she said.

The guidance does not cover any activity outside a company's control, such as reposting advertisements with added offensive comment or fan pages.

''This will not cover 'I like nike' or 'I like coca-cola' Facebook pages.''

Souter said the Authority had dealt with some social media complaints with all but one related to company generated content.

Last month, a complaint was lodged against Hell Pizza for hosting a Facebook ''confessional'' in which one user described scenes of sexual abuse.

The claim was settled with Hell Pizza making a $10,000 donation to Wellington Rape Crisis.

The Authority has also reprimanded two bars which promoted drink specials and heavy drinking on their Facebook pages.

The guidelines follow a landmark decision by the Australian Advertising Standards Bureau decision, in which it deemed companies responsible for moderating comments of their Facebook page.

The decision related to complaints against Fosters for its Victoria Bitter-branded Facebook page, on which users discussed heavy drinking and made derogatory sexual comments.

- ? Fairfax NZ News

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Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/7821359/Social-media-could-backfire-on-business

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Swiss army prepares for euro zone unrest

By Matt Clinch, cnbc.com

With anti-austerity protests across Europe resulting in civil unrest on the streets of Athens and Madrid, Switzerland?-- the European country famed for its neutrality?-- is taking unusual precautions.

It launched the military exercise ?Stabilo Due? in September to respond to the current instability in Europe and to test the speed at which its army can be dispatched. The country is not a member of the union or among the 17 countries that share the euro.

Swiss newspaper Der Sonntag reported recently that the exercise centered around a risk map created in 2010, where army staff detailed the threat of internal unrest between warring factions as well as the possibility of refugees from Greece, Spain, Italy, France, and Portugal.

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The Swiss defense ministry told CNBC that it?doesn't?rule out having to deploy troops in the coming years.

?It's not excluded that the consequences of the financial crisis in Switzerland can lead to protests and violence,? a spokesperson told CNBC.com. ?The army must be ready when the police in such cases requests for subsidiary help.?

Some 2,000 troops were part of the drill exercise in eight different towns across the country. Infantry soldiers were used as well as the air force and special forces personnel in an assignment that took years to organize.

The decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to the EU was met with confusion among those who have witnessed Europe's economic crisis, and deep unrest. NBC's Brian Williams reports.

Quoted in a Schweizer Soldat magazine, Defense Minister Ueli Maurer warned of an escalation of violence in Europe.

"I can?t exclude that in the coming years we may need the army," he said.

Does the EU deserve the Nobel Peace Prize?

According to the minister, some European countries?- under pressure to save - didn't?renew their armies as they could no longer afford the upkeep of modern systems.?

He said that the situation could amplify dramatically, with countries that?couldn't?defend themselves facing the possibility of ?blackmail.? In the paper, he also asked how long the crisis could be calmed with money alone.

Der Sonntag newspaper also reported that army chief Andr? Blattmann is set to submit a proposal in December to utilize four battalions of military police. This will consist of 1,600 soldiers guarding strategic points in the country including the airport, industrial plants, and the international organizations in Geneva.

Protests have taken place in numerous European cities since the financial crisis hit the continent in 2008. In September, 70,000 people marched to the Greek Parliament in Athens and the protests ended with demonstrators clashing with police.

Complete World coverage on NBCNews.com

Last week, at least 7,000 plainclothes police and hundreds more undercover agents were mobilized to lock down Athens. Snipers, commando seals, frogmen, and helicopters were also present as German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the country and thousands of protesters streamed into Syntagma square.

A reason to exist?
The military is a hot topic in Switzerland, which has mandatory military service. Under Swiss law, all able-bodied men at age 19 have to undergo five months of training, followed by refresher courses of several weeks over the next decade.

Countries with the highest unemployment rates

A referendum is likely to take place next year to decide the fate of this conscription policy. The current number of recruits stands at 200,000 ? the biggest army in Europe relative to population size.

While Greece gears up for more protests against austerity cuts, the health care system is in tatters with little cash for drugs or doctors. ITV's James Mates reports.

Josef Lang, the vice president of the Swiss Green Party and leader of the country?s pacifist movement, told CNBC.com that the defense ministry was using the euro zone crisis for political purposes ahead of this key vote.

?They?re using social unrest and instability in Europe to give more credibility to the army,? he said. ?Switzerland for many years has never fought anyone else. This is what we call in Switzerland interior actions ? actions by the Swiss army against their own citizens. There is a long history of this in Switzerland.?

Lang added that he didn't believe the streets of Switzerland would see the unrest that has been seen in Spain or Greece. GSOA, a group working to reduce the military activities of Switzerland, had similar thoughts.

Austerity upon austerity doesn?t work: IMF?s Lagarde

?The Swiss army is looking desperately for a reason to exist, this is why they always try to find new tasks,? a spokesperson said. ?There are some very small groups which like smashing up windows, but this happens only two or three times per year and the police can handle it more or less well.?

One former soldier in the Swiss army told CNBC that his superiors would often ask him to use ammunition liberally in training scenarios.

?That meant: ?Use up everything, have fun, if we don't use it all up they're going to think we need less and cut the budget,? ? he told CNBC.com. ?Sometimes they make up a kind of alternate Europe with made-up countries and stuff, just to give a frame for tactic games and exercises.?

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/15/14449962-swiss-army-prepares-for-euro-zone-unrest?lite

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Ottawa Life Magazine - Inconsistency in the Cost of and Accessibility ...

Canada?s health care system faces some daunting challenges. One of the crucial inconsistencies is the variation of access to prescription medications across the country.

Like all other health-care services and products, prescription medications have a monetary value and are subject to inflation and the effects of Canada?s changing demographics. Let us begin with the demographics. Recent data from Statistics Canada reveals that baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1962) currently make up about
33 per cent of the Canadian population while seniors (those who are 65 years of age or older) account for 14 per cent of the population. However, as baby boomers continue to age, the number of seniors will increase by roughly
10 per cent and by 2036, about 25 per cent of all Canadians will be over the age of 65. But what will the shifting demographics mean for the high costs of prescription medication in Canada?

An aging population is likely to raise the costs of all health-care services and products for the following reasons. Canadians enjoying a longer old age will require more medical services and products. And, as a greater percentage of Canadians enter old age, the costs of those services and products (prescription medications included) will increase substantially because there will be a much smaller pool of working-age taxpayers to fund the Canadian health care system. In addition, prescription medications remain relatively expensive in Canada due to inflation.

Canadians are also saddled with inconsistent access to, and affordability of, prescription medications often because of simple geography. The price of the same prescription medication varies from one province to the next because each province is responsible for developing and implementing its own prescription medication program. What this means is that the price that the Canadian consumer pays out of pocket for a given prescription medication is not the same in any two provinces and the same medication can often cost a consumer substantially more money in one province than in another. Consumers in every province other than Quebec must pay for their prescription medication themselves or go through their private insurance provider. Quebec is the only province that currently offers blanket prescription drug coverage to all its citizens even if they do not have private health insurance.

Demographics come into the equation once again but this time to determine who gets access to prescription medication and at what cost. Low-income seniors and those depending on social assistance programs receive prescription medication regardless of their province of residence. However, at the other end of the spectrum, low-income individuals who do not rely on social assistance programs and who are not seniors can fall through the cracks. These individuals often must pay close to the full cost of prescription medication, unless they live in Quebec or their employer offers a private health insurance plan. In fact, there are also close to 3.5 million Canadians who lack any drug coverage at all.

Although the price of different prescription medications varies among the provinces and territories, it is important to remember that there are existing government mechanisms in place to monitor and compensate consumers for these price discrepancies. The most important of these is the Patent Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) ? a quasi-judicial body that ?is responsible for regulating the prices that patentees charge ? the factory-gate price ? for prescription and non-prescription patented drugs sold in Canada, to wholesalers, hospitals or pharmacies, for human and veterinary use to ensure that they are not excessive.? And, if the PMPRB finds that ?after a public hearing, a price is excessive in any market, it may order the patentee to reduce the price and take measures to offset any excess revenues it may have received.? However, it should be noted that the PMPRB cannot regulate the prices of generic drugs.

Nevertheless, the reasoning for the existing variable pricing of, and accessibility to, prescription medications in Canada stems from the Canada Health Act (CHA) which was signed into law in 1984. The CHA establishes the guidelines that the provinces and territories must follow to ensure that they receive their full allotment of federal money which they can then allocate within their own boundaries for the health care of their citizens. What this means is that the provinces and territories, and not the federal government, are responsible for the delivery of health-care services and products throughout the nation. But it is the lack of a national prescription drug coverage plan that plays a crucial role in the varying cost of prescription medications in Canada.

The high costs and inconsistencies of access to prescription medications should be at the top of the list when it comes to making the health-care system work better for all Canadians. However, since health-care delivery is constitutionally the prerogative of the provincial and territorial governments, any meaningful discussion or plan to correct these two deficiencies must occur at the provincial and territorial levels

Written by: Simon Vodrey on October 15, 2012.

Source: http://www.ottawalife.com/2012/10/inconsistency-in-the-cost-of-and-accessibility-to-prescription-medications-drugs/

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DownEast Charitable Organization Grant Recipient: Kara Herron, Co-Founder of Lifting Hearts Breast Cancer Support Group

Tell us about Lifting Hearts.

The motto of the Lifting Hearts Breast Cancer Support Group is ?Share the Wisdom and the Journey, One Survivor at a Time.? We?re a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support and wellness programs for individuals and families affected by breast cancer.

We focus on four main groups: Recently diagnosed (up to one year), Recovering (one year and beyond), Recurrent, and Relatives (families, friends and others). In our efforts to better help and mentor those who join our group, we provide monthly support meetings, quarterly activities, service projects and a one-on-one mentoring program called Bosom Buddies.

We started out as three breast cancer survivors wanting to put together a support group for other survivors ? something we never had while we went through our treatments. We?ve grown to more than 100 members.

We have meetings that are held on the second Thursday of each month at the law offices of Fillmore Spencer in Provo, Utah (3301 N. University Ave.). We start at 7pm and any breast cancer survivor is welcome. We do different things at these meetings, including having speakers who talk about topics like nutrition, exercise, beauty, Lymphedema, and just learning to cope with cancer emotionally and spiritually. Occasionally, we also have meetings where we just get together to talk. Those are some of our best meetings ? there?s nothing that equals being able to talk to another survivor about your experiences. We?ve taught women how to write about their cancer stories, how to overcome depression and embrace the ?new normal? in their lives.

We feel that to heal completely ? body and mind ? we need to serve others, so we also offer opportunities to survivors to do service projects. We make fleece blankets for patients going through chemo treatments, soft heart-shaped pillows for those who have had surgery or suffer from Lymphedema, and rice warming bags that help with the aches and pains associated with treatments. We also offer a one-on-one mentoring program to patients, with many of our survivors being trained to support those who need help.

We also hold larger activities several times each year and invite the survivors? families. We have an annual Lifting Hearts birthday party to celebrate our group, a family picnic in August, and a Christmas party.

Our blog (www.liftinghearts.blogspot.com) is updated several times each week, with different subjects each day.

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Are there any events you would like to highlight as part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

Yes!!! On October 20, we?re partnering with seven Walmart stores in the Utah Valley to host the first annual Lifting Hearts in Utah 5K Walk/Run! There will be many other sponsors there, as well as vendors in the park after the walk. To register, go to our website: www.wedidbreastcancer.com. Registration is $35 (adults) and $20 (children 12 and under). Each participant will receive a Lifting Hearts t-shirt and there will be a survivors? ceremony after the walk. We invite everyone to come and be a part of this. Walk in honor of someone you love!
Our other big event in October was our Breast Cancer Awareness Fair at the Fresh Market in American Fork, Utah, which was held on October 13. We sold items made by survivors and numerous other things. There was also a drawing for prizes, and our group spoke about early detection and mammograms. Fresh Market also sold paper ribbons at the registers to help raise funds for our programs.

October is a BIG month for us, and we?ll also be working with Walgreens stores in the area. They?ll also be selling the paper ribbons to raise funds for our group. And, we?ll be offering some awareness fairs at a few of their stores, as well. Information about those will be posted on our website soon.

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Tell us about yourself and how you were inspired to help create this organization.

I mentioned earlier why I became involved in creating Lifting Hearts. I was brought together with two other survivors by one of my surgeons. We worked with him for awhile, and then split off on our own. We felt that a support group for survivors needed to be run exclusively BY survivors. It?s been an exciting road to travel down.

My personal story is full of miracles, and I love to share it. Having a mammogram saved my life. I had a routine mammogram at age 42, four years ago. After finding some tiny white dots against my chest wall, the radiologist ordered another mammogram to get a closer look.

Because of the skill of the technician, we were able to find more of the same white dots. After having a biopsy, I was diagnosed with DCIS ? Ductal Carcinoma In Situ ? which is a non-invasive breast cancer. As the doctors sliced the tissue open, they also found an invasive tumor. The borders weren?t clean, so they did another biopsy ? and found another invasive tumor. My decision for treatment included a bilateral mastectomy, reconstructive surgery and five months of chemo. I remember a conversation I had with my doctor: He said if it wasn?t for the mammogram, we wouldn?t have found the tumors for at least another five years. I?m HER2 positive, so although the tumors were small, they were fast growing. In five years, when the tumors would have grown enough to be found by touch, I would have been in the last stages of breast cancer, and would likely not have survived. I?m the mom of four sons, and this journey has been a good thing for all of us ? it?s taught my children the very real power of service and unconditional love. And, it?s taught me to slow down and enjoy the very simple things in life. I?ve also learned to use my time more wisely ? including devoting some of it to serving others, which is why I?m involved with Lifting Hearts.

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How can people become involved in your organization to help make an impact in the fight against breast cancer?

We love it when people in the community ask to help our group! We always need help with the service projects I mentioned ? making fleece chemo blankets, fleece pillows and rice warming bags. We really appreciate the help we get. Because of the help offered to us, we?ve been able to provide one of the surgeon?s offices with rice warming bags as a gift for every newly diagnosed breast cancer patient it sees ? 20 to 30 per month! Our goal is to branch out to more medical offices and offer the blankets, pillows and rice bags to as many patients as we can. To accomplish that, we need help!

If you?re interested in offering help, please contact Kara @ 801-360-4666 OR Colette @ 801-376-7377. ?We also have many openings for volunteers to make a difference in our group.

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Thank you, Kara! DownEast is honored to assist Lifting Hearts with a grant in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For more information on Lifting Hearts and how you can help, please visit www.wedidbreastcancer.com.

Source: http://www.downeastbasicsblog.com/?p=3545

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