French café starts charging extra to rude customers -

French café starts charging extra to rude customers - 



A small French café has taken the old adage that manners don’t cost you anything to its logical extreme – by charging extra to rude customers.

At La Petite Syrah in Nice, if you ask for “un café” it will set you back €7 (£5.80). If you also include the magic words “s'il vous plaît” you’ll get the same drink for €4.25, however – and it’s just €1.40 if you begin the order with a friendly “bonjour”.

Speaking to the French edition of The Local, café manager Fabrice Pepino said his staff had grown increasingly fed up with the bad manners of people in a rush on their office lunch breaks.

“It started as a joke because at lunchtime people would come in very stressed and were sometimes rude to us when they ordered a coffee.

“It's our way of saying 'keep calm and carry on,’” he said.

“I know people say that French service can be rude but it's also true that customers can be rude when they’re busy.”

Mr Pepino said that many of his customers were regulars, who were happy to play along when the sign was first put up.

He admitted that he was yet to actually enforce the “strict” pricing scheme, but said: “People are more relaxed now, and they’re smiling more. That’s the most important thing.”

Read more -

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/french-caf-starts-charging-extra-to-rude-customers-8998130.html

Rise of 'baby gadgets'... - New monitors equipped with night vision... - the rise of goo-goo gadgets -

Rise of 'baby gadgets'... - New monitors equipped with night vision... - the rise of goo-goo gadgets - 



At the Bugaboo showroom in Henley-on-Thames I found myself mesmerised. More out of politeness and necessity – I am soon to be a father – than of interest, I had gone to see the prams. But I was quickly drawn in by the range, the engineering and gadgetry behind it, and the fact that the demonstrators talked about the stroller's "chassis" and showed the satisfying click noises it makes when put together.

It was the start of a journey of discovery, where I found a previously unknown interest in baby products. This was largely due to their increasingly technological nature, which means that these new takes on the old classics are being marketed towards gadget fans.

Well aware of the trend, technology magazine T3 has a Tech Dad section devoted entirely to parenting gadgets, and according to Mark Mayne, T3's online editor, it's not a difficult section to fill. "The volume of stuff we're getting through is increasing dramatically, and big brands are approaching us a lot more. They're definitely interested in getting into a tech magazine," he says.

Mayne believes that it is a trend reflected across all manner of lifestyle products.

"You can see it with kitchen gadgets and fitness products as well. Increasingly, the selling point is technology and that often plays to a male audience, which likes to think it is more au fait with that kind of thing. There has been a huge explosion in child-care related tech."

Whether they are toys that play the sound of a mother's heartbeat or baby gyms that come with iPod docks built in, these items seem a lifetime away from the world of Silver Cross prams and wooden building blocks. But then the baby-product market is booming, thanks to parents who don't want hand-me-downs and hanker after the most hi-tech functionality. According to Mintel, 84 per cent of British parents purchase a new pram. In the US, the luxury-baby category is projected to grow to $10.6bn (£6.44bn) next year.

Nothing seems to be safe from this hi-tech mission creep. Take baby monitors. Until recently they were little more than glorified intercom systems. Two weeks ago I was contacted by D-Link, originally a network and communications product manufacturer, now creator of the EyeOn Baby Camera (£129.99). This new model incorporates a thermometer and a built-in lullaby function with almost military-sounding capabilities such as sound sensors, "night-vision infrared LEDs" and remote access so that you can watch your child on your phone or tablet wherever you are. Just like Netflix, really.

There are monitors with special movement sensors for the cot and then there is Exmobaby. This looks like any ordinary cotton babygro, but inside it has a strap to monitor the activity of your baby's heart, and on the outside there are movement sensors and a thermometer.

Described by its maker as a "smart garment", the outfit will then send you a text message to let you know the baby's vital signs. Never mind that reason tells you that you could tell all these things by, you know, actually picking the child up. There is still the lingering doubt (particularly for the parent with money to burn – the Exmobaby and its accompanying system cost $1,000 when it launched) that when the child is born you might not hear it cry.

Read more -
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/the-rise-of-googoo-gadgets-hey-baby-nice-wheels-8998565.html

Exercise 'significant role' in reducing risk of dementia, long-term study finds -

Exercise 'significant role' in reducing risk of dementia, long-term study finds - 



Exercise throughout a person's life plays a significant role in reducing the risk of developing dementia, a study spanning 35 years has found.

The Cardiff University study which began with 2,235 men from Caerphilly in 1979 found factors including diet and not smoking had an impact on preventing illnesses developing in older age.

However exercise had the single biggest influence on dementia levels.

This week a G8 summit will hear dementia will affect 135m by 2050.

'Really amazed us'
The research by Cardiff University found the five factors that were integral to helping avoid disease were regular exercise, not smoking, low bodyweight, healthy diet and low alcohol intake.

People in the study who followed four of these had a 60% decline in dementia and cognitive decline rates, with exercise named as the strongest mitigating factor.

They also had 70% fewer instances of diabetes, heart disease and stroke, compared with people who followed none of the factors.

Professor Peter Elwood, who led the study on behalf of Cardiff School of Medicine, said healthy behaviour was far more beneficial than any medical treatment or preventative procedure.

"The size of reduction in the instance of disease owing to these simple healthy steps has really amazed us and is of enormous importance in an ageing population," he said.

"Taking up and following a healthy lifestyle is however the responsibility of the individual him or herself.

"Sadly, the evidence from this study shows that very few people follow a fully healthy lifestyle."

'More active lifestyle'
Prof Elwood stressed that while one aspect of the five strands of behaviour mentioned may have more impact on certain illnesses, the emphasis was on an overall healthy lifestyle.

"Exercise happens to be the most important but the other factors come in very close behind," he added.

He told BBC Wales while the recommended levels of exercise were half an hour five times a week, it did not mean having to go to a gym.

"We should all live a more active lifestyle. If I park my car a mile from work - that makes me likely to do more than the half an hour a day. Any exercise has some benefit and the more, the better."

The research showed that while smoking levels had dropped over the 35 years, the number of people leading what the team described as a fully healthy lifestyle had not changed.

These findings are replicated across Wales, according to recent surveys, which showed less than 1% of the population have a fully healthy lifestyle, with 5% not following any of the five recommended points.

Prof Elwood added: "If the men had been urged to adopt just one additional healthy behaviour at the start of the study 35 years ago, and if only half of them complied, then during the ensuing 35 years there would have been a 13% reduction in dementia, a 12% drop in diabetes, 6% less vascular disease and a 5% reduction in deaths."

Read more - 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-25303707

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/exercise-most-effective-lifestyle-choice-for-preventing-dementia-researchers-say-8994202.html

WestJet surprises weary travellers in 'Christmas miracle' video -

WestJet surprises weary travellers in 'Christmas miracle' video - 



Canada's own WestJet airlines is spreading a bit of holiday cheer online this week, thanks to a "Christmas miracle" video that's gone viral.
Unwitting, weary passengers on recent Calgary-bound WestJet flights were part of the heartwarming stunt, which was put on by more than 150 airline staff.
Prior to their departure from Toronto and Hamilton, WestJet passengers were asked by a virtual Santa Claus what they wanted for Christmas, after scanning their boarding passes at kiosks set up by the airline.

Unsuspecting passengers at a baggage carousel at the Calgary International Airport
While the unsuspecting passengers made their way to Calgary, WestJet staff -- who recorded all the requests -- scrambled to buy, wrap, and deliver the presents to Calgary International Airport.
When the planes touched down, passengers waiting for their luggage were in disbelief when instead of bags, they saw the wrapped presents they had asked for coming down the carousel – from socks and underwear, to an android tablet and a big-screen TV.
In a video explaining the “Christmas miracle” stunt, WestJet vice-president of communications Richard Bartrem said the company will donate flights to the Ronald McDonald Charities once it cracks its goal of 200,000 views.
That feat was easily reached, as the video has so far amassed nearly 1 million views.
In a similar stunt last year, WestJet organized its first “Christmas miracle” by surprising passengers going from Calgary to Toronto with a flash mob of dancing and singing elves.


Read more: - 

http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/westjet-surprises-weary-travellers-in-christmas-miracle-video-1.1582699

Constantly taking photos stops brain from remembering moment... - dubbed 'photo-taking impairment effect' -

Constantly taking photos stops brain from remembering moment... - dubbed 'photo-taking impairment effect' - 



Taking a photo may seem like the most obvious way to remember a special occasion, but it could in fact be causing significant damage to your memory.
Researchers from Connecticut asked a group of students to recall what items in a museum looked like. 
Those who had taken photos of the artefacts struggled to describe the objects, while those who hadn’t, remembered them more clearly.

Dr Linda Henkel, from Fairfield University, who ran the study, calls this phenomenon ‘photo-taking impairment effect’. 
Dr Henkel is currently investigating whether the content of a photo, such as whether a person is in it, for example, affects memory.

Some cases, for example, have found people think they remember a certain event, such as a childhood party, but may be confusing actual memories with memories from a photograph.
To test this, Dr Henkel led a group of university students on a tour of an art museum in Connecticut.
Participants were asked to either photograph items as they walked around the museum, or told to remember certain objects. 
Participants were directed to take pictures of particular objects while ignoring others and the next day their memory was tested.
Following the tests, data showed people were less accurate in recognising the objects they had photographed compared to those they had only looked at. Furthermore, their memory of detail for the objects they had photographed was poorer.
If participants took a photo of each object as a whole, they remembered fewer objects and remembered fewer details about the objects, including their locations within the museum.


Read more: - 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2520743/Want-remember-event-DONT-photos-Study-finds-using-camera-stops-brains-recalling-crucial-details.html

The FBI can secretly activate a computer’s webcam to spy on an individual without turning on the indicator light -

The FBI can secretly activate a computer’s webcam to spy on an individual without turning on the indicator light - 



The FBI can secretly activate a computer’s webcam to spy on an individual without turning on the indicator light, a former official revealed to the Washington Post in an article published Friday.

According to the Washington Post’s account of what Marcus Thomas — former assistant director of the FBI’s Operational Technology Division in Quantico — said, “The FBI has been able to covertly activate a computer’s camera — without triggering the light that lets users know it is recording — for several years, and has used that technique mainly in terrorism cases or the most serious criminal investigations.”

“Because of encryption and because targets are increasingly using mobile devices, law enforcement is realizing that more and more they’re going to have to be on the device — or in the cloud,” Thomas added, in reference to remote storage services. “There’s the realization out there that they’re going to have to use these types of tools more and more.”

TheBlaze has previously reported on hackers using remote access tools to activate an individual’s webcam and spy on them.

Read more - 

Woman Hospitalized After Being Glued To Toilet Seat at Home Depot -

Woman Hospitalized After Being Glued To Toilet Seat at Home Depot - 



According to an incident report filed at the Banks County Sheriff's Office, a woman found herself glued to a toilet seat after using the restroom at the Home Depot store in Banks Crossing last week.  Someone allegedly put glue on every toilet seat in the women's restroom. Unfortunately, the woman didn't realize this until she was already stuck. 
Emergency medical services personnel were called in to help remove the woman from the toilet.  She was then transported to a Gainesville hospital where she received treatment. 
The store manager found a brown paper sack in the restroom containing a bottle of Loctite GO2 glue, a product that not only boasts of durability, but also versatility. 

Read more - 

http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2013/12/06/Woman-Hospitalized-After-Being-Glued-To-Toilet-Seat-at-Home-Depot

Runaway reindeer escapes from Santa at Colorado mall -

Runaway reindeer escapes from Santa at Colorado mall - 



A runaway reindeer broke free from Santa Claus at a Colorado mall Thursday while the Big Man was inside visiting with children.

KYSL in Summit County reports that the reindeer escape happened outside the La Riva Mall in Dillon.

While Santa was inside listening to children's Christmas wish lists, the reindeer jumped over its enclosure, leading police officers on a healthy jog through town.

The reindeer was located on the other side of a nearby reservoir. The Summit County sheriff's office brought in another reindeer to lure the runaway and get it back into a trailer.

Read more -

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/12/07/runaway-reindeer-escapes-from-santa-at-colorado-mall/?intcmp=latestnews

United States Federal Prison Population Grows 27% in Decade... -

United States Federal Prison Population Grows 27% in Decade... - 



The number of federal prison inmates has grown 27 percent in the last decade, according the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

In a report examining the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) budget, the GAO found that prison population is rising:

The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is responsible for the custody and care of over 219,000 federal inmates—a population that has grown by 27 percent over the past decade. BOP is composed of 119 institutions, 6 regional offices, 2 staff training centers, 22 residential reentry management offices (previously called community corrections offices), and a central office in Washington, D.C. With a fiscal year 2013 operating budget of about $6.5 billion—the second-largest budget within DOJ—BOP projects that its costs will increase as the federal prison population grows through 2018. […]

A variety of factors contribute to the size of BOP’s population. These include national crime levels, law enforcement policies, and federal sentencing laws, all of which are beyond BOP’s control.

A growing prison population has increased Justice Department spending on the federal prison system from just over $5 billion in fiscal year 2008 to nearly $7 billion today.

The current budget of $6.9 billion allots $2.5 billion for inmate programs, including $65.7 million for “psychology services,” $115.5 million for drug treatment, and $435 million for food services.

“According to BOP officials, BOP’s biggest challenges are managing the continually increasing federal inmate population while providing for inmates’ care and safety, as well as the safety of BOP staff and surrounding communities, within budgeted levels,” the GAO said.  “BOP officials project continuing inmate population growth and estimate increases in funding needs for the foreseeable future.”

Read more -
http://freebeacon.com/federal-prison-population-grows-27-percent-in-10-years/

Car And Student Loans Account For 95% Of All Consumer Credit Issued In Past Year -

Car And Student Loans Account For 95% Of All Consumer Credit Issued In Past Year - 



Today's consumer credit report did not tell us anything we didn't already know: in October, total consumer credit rose by $18.2 billion, the most since May 2013, with the usual massive historical revisions. However, of this $18.2 billion, $13.9 billion was non-revolving credit, while revolving (credit card) debt rose by $4.3 billion. Which means revolving credit is still a woefully low $856.8 billion, or well below the $1.02 trillion when Lehman failed, even as credit issued mostly by Uncle Sam to fund car purchases and liberal educations, has exploded.

Total monthly consumer credit broken down by revolving and non-revolving.



Finally, and most troubling, in the past year over 95% of all consumer credit has been used to purchase rapidly amortizing cars and even more rapidly amortizing college educations. 



Read more -

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-12-06/car-and-student-loans-account-95-all-consumer-credit-issued-past-year