Remodeled Verizon Plus Store Offers Customers More Hands-On Experiences

TAMPA, Fla. – November 17, 2010 –

Product demonstrations, local dignitaries and a Verizon Foundation grant to help with the prevention of domestic violence will headline the grand reopening of the newly remodeled Verizon Plus store on Fowler Ave. on Thursday (Nov. 18).

In addition to product demonstrations, the 11 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony will also feature the presentation of a $15,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation to Are You Safe to help extend the range of legal services provided to individuals and families affected by domestic violence.  Are You Safe was established this year by Tampa attorney and domestic violence survivor Natalie Baird.  The organization offers a wealth of services for survivors of domestic violence, including court advocacy to aid women in their transition from victims to survivors.  In addition, Are You Safe offers services geared toward individual economic empowerment, helping survivors gain future independence.

The Verizon store, located at 2831 E. Fowler Ave., is the second of two stores in Tampa to be recast to provide customers with as many hands-on experiences as possible, from witnessing the recently introduced FiOS Flex View multi-screen service and the speed of FiOS Internet to the impressive capabilities of the Verizon Wireless Droid Smartphones and the new tablets offered by Verizon.  The first remodeled Plus store in the Tampa Bay area opened last week in Carrollwood.  The remaining eight Bay Area Plus stores will be remodeled and available to the public throughout 2011.

"Seeing is believing, and, with that in mind, consumers will be able to visit these new stores and see for themselves what makes the services offered by Verizon and Verizon Wireless so much better," said Michelle Robinson, Verizon's Southeast region president. 

"More and more, we are leveraging the strength and capacity of two great networks - FiOS and Verizon Wireless - to bring consumers converged services in their home, in their office or on the road.  It's a broadband services experience unmatched by any other provider in the market and people can experience that first-hand at these new Plus stores," Robinson said.

The reopening celebration will continue after Wednesday's event.  Verizon, the lead sponsor of University of South Florida's athletics program, will host a USF pep rally from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 19), featuring a radio remote, parking lot games, gifts for those attending, and ticket giveaways for USF football and basketball. 

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, awards grants each year to organizations working to foster awareness and prevention of domestic violence in Florida.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 93 million customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 195,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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Cyprus Fire That Killed Eight Spread From Power Station to Munitions Store - Bloomberg

An explosion on the coast of Cyprus that may have killed at least eight people was caused by a fire at a power station that spread to a munitions dump at a naval base, state radio CyBC reported.

The blast in Zygi on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean island happened after the fire spread to two containers loaded with munitions that were seized in 2009 from a ship, CyBC said. Eight people were killed, CyBC reported, citing the Cyprus News Agency. Cyprus Fire Department authorities couldn’t immediately confirm the number of casualties.

Fifty firefighters and 10 fire trucks are battling the blaze, said a fire official, who declined to be identified by name.

The Cyprus Power Authority, the island’s state-run electricity company, asked consumers to reduce power usage and not use air conditioners after the fire damaged the distribution network, according to an e-mailed statement.

The munitions that exploded may have come from the Russian- owned, Cypriot-flagged vessel Monchegorsk that was intercepted by Cyprus in 2009. The U.S., Britain and France said at the time that the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines chartered the vessel to send weapons-related material, including what they described as “bullet shells” and anti-tank munitions, to Syria. Iran said the seizure of the arms shipment was illegal.

To contact the reporter on this story: Stelios Orphanides in Athens at sorphanides@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net

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Borders shelves store feature in iOS e-reader app - CNET

(Credit: CNET)

The first of the big name e-book reading apps has removed links to its external e-bookstore in order to conform with Apple's recently-implemented App Store policy.

Borders, which has has had its e-book offering on the App Store for more than a year, today updated its application to completely remove the built-in Kobo bookstore browser, while noting that it had made the change to be "complaint with the new in app purchase rules."

The now-removed feature would let users view content from Kobo's store within the app, then buy it in the Safari browser. Now the application simply directs users to migrate everything to Kobo's e-reading app, which continues to run the very same store that was cut out of the Borders app. Presumably this means a similar store cut from Kobo is just around the corner. CNET reached out to Kobo several times last week to see if that was the case, and the company did not return requests for comment.

Worth noting is that the Borders Group filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection back in February, and recently announced that it would be selling itself to private investment firm Najafi Companies. for $215 million, pending approval.

On the left is the app before the update, and on the right is the newer version without the store.

(Credit: CNET)

So why does the feature removal matter, you might be wondering? Apple sent a note to publishers shortly after announcing its subscription program in February, reportedly setting June 30 as a deadline for altering apps with links to outside stores to conform to the new terms of service at the risk of being removed. The three and a half months in-between were considered "a grace period" for developers with apps that violated the new rules to make any necessary changes to remain compliant.

Nonetheless, the deadline came and went without any tweaks from major e-reader players like Amazon, Stanza, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. The day after, Macworld reported that the deadline was simply "a rough target", and that Apple was still working with developers to get changes made. This change would suggest others are soon to follow.

As part of those rules, Apple has the right to reject "apps that link to external mechanisms for purchases or subscriptions to be used in the app, such as a 'buy' button that goes to a web site to purchase a digital book."

The rules change is largely to get app makers to use Apple's in-app purchase system for selling virtual goods. Under that system, Apple gets a 30 percent cut, which would have been entirely mandatory with the deadline if the company had not relented to allow app makers to sell digital goods outside of their software. That decision means app developers can avoid that 30 percent cut, just as long as users cannot be led to the external point of purchase through the app. Since the change, a number of magazine and newspaper publishers have fallen in line, while others like BeamItDown and the Financial Times have bucked the trend, instead choosing to abandon Apple's platform.

Currently Amazon's Kindle app on both the iPhone and iPad still feature a link to the company's store that opens up in the Safari browser. The same behavior continues to exist in e-Book reading apps from Barnes & Noble, Stanza, and aforementioned Kobo app.

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Secret agents raid Apple store webcam 'artist' - BBC News

8 July 2011 Last updated at 14:54 GMT

  The US Secret Service has raided the home of an artist who collected images from webcams in a New York Apple store.

Kyle McDonald is said to have installed software that photographed people looking at laptops then uploaded the pictures to a website.

Mr McDonald said he had obtained permission from a security guard to take photos inside the store.

Apple declined to comment. However, the Secret Service confirmed that its electronic crime division was involved.

A spokesperson told the BBC that the investigation was taking place under US Code Title 18 /1030 which relates to "Fraud and related activity in connection with computers."

Offences covered by the legislation carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Writing on Twitter, Mr McDonald said: "@secretservice just stopped by to investigate [web address removed] and took my laptop. Please assume they're reading any e-mails you send me."

No arrests had been made in the case as of 8 July.

Staring

Kyle McDonald's images were uploaded to a page on the blogging site Tumblr.

In the description of People Staring at Computers, the project is described as: "A photographic intervention. Custom app installed around NYC, taking a picture every minute and uploading it if a face is found in the image.

"Exhibited on site with a remotely triggered app that displayed the photos full screen on every available computer."

The site features a video and series of photographs, apparently showing shoppers trying-out computers.

Comments on the individuals by visitors to the site are also attached to the images.

Mr McDonald, writing on Twitter, said that he had been advised not to comment on the case by the online freedom group the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

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Apple Store Fifth Avenue enclosed in giant box (with photo)

Friday, July 1, 2011 · 1:52 pm · 16 Comments

MacDailyNews reader “Frequent Visitor” has sent us a link to their MobileMe Gallery of 27 photos showing the state of construction at Apple’s iconic Apple Store Fifth Avenue, NYC’s most-photographed landmark.

Advertisement: Students, parents and Faculty save up to $200 on a new Mac.

Apple Store Fifth Avenue

Check out all of the photos here.

Related articles:
Photos show major renovations in progress at Apple’s Fifth Ave store – June 16, 2011
Work begins to replace iconic Apple Store Fifth Avenue glass cube – June 16, 2011
Apple Store Fifth Avenue is New York City’s most-photographed attraction – June 2, 2011

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