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Although eBay Denies It, eBay Now Same Day Local Deliveries Might End, Says Source

19Jun

By rocitoutNo Comments

Business

Although eBay Denies It, eBay Now Same Day Local Deliveries Might End, Says Source

A personal shopping and same day delivery courier service from eBay might be facing serious troubles, according to anonymous sources,after reports surfaced speculating that the company might shut down their eBay Now program. In 2012, eBay launched the same day delivery service to compete with other local delivery companies in large cities, but now the high costs and workforce issues might put a stop to eBay Now in the future.At the end of April, eBay fired its team of "valets" and began using third party courier services instead. Yet the service is still costing the company a lot in resources, and it may have lost some or all of its pricing deal with retail giant Best Buy, a lucrative source for the company's program. Although eBay announced plans to expand their eBay Now services to Lo...

Why the Latest Trend in Alternative Veterinary Medicine Won’t Help Your Pet

19Jun

By rocitoutNo Comments

Lifestyle

Why the Latest Trend in Alternative Veterinary Medicine Won’t Help Your Pet

The Eastern practice of acupuncture as an alternative form of veterinary treatment has made its way to American shores -- and it is growing in popularity at a rapid rate, according to a May 5 Slate article. Many American veterinary schools now offer animal acupuncture courses, and there are approximately 4,000 veterinarians across the country who are qualified to stick needles in your pet in exchange for money. However, expert opinions on whether veterinary acupuncture is actually an effective form of treatment are highly conflicted. Most of the scientific studies intending to prove the effectiveness of this practice so far have been unreliable -- according to Slate, four out of every five studies on animal acupuncture are unreliable; the fifth usually disproves the idea that acupunctur...

Researchers Designing Affordable, OLED Lighting For Commercial Spaces and Homes

19Jun

By rocitoutNo Comments

Business

Researchers Designing Affordable, OLED Lighting For Commercial Spaces and Homes

The reign of energy-efficient coil light bulbs is effectively over, and popular LED (light-emitting diode) lights may be replaced much sooner than anticipated. "OLED (organic light-emitting diode) lighting replaces the small, bright dots of LEDs with sheets of light that aren't so piercingly bright," CNET explains. "That means they can illuminate subjects directly without reflectors, diffusers, and other apparatus needed to spread light and protect eyes from glare." Products using OLED lighting are already in the works. Car manufacturers, specifically Jaguar Land Rover, will release new models with OLED displays. Similarly, Apple's iWatch, "poised to hit the consumer space in 2014," will consist of a "flexible plastic OLED screen," according to +Plastic Electronics. Researchers belie...

The “Endless T-Shirt” Begins to Become a Trend

19Jun

By rocitoutNo Comments

Fashion

The “Endless T-Shirt” Begins to Become a Trend

A fashion trend that would make M. C. Escher nod in approval, Salvador Dalí's eyes light up, and Christopher Nolan feel déjà vu is beginning. The "endless t-shirt," as it's been dubbed, features a person wearing a t-shirt that bears the likeness of another person wearing a t-shirt that bears the likeness of the first person. A photo of Hollywood actor Ryan Gosling wearing a shirt with a picture of Macaulay Culkin in his child-star days caught the now adult Culkin's attention. In a humorous response, Culkin released a photo of himself wearing a t-shirt with the aforementioned picture of Gosling printed on it. Internet audiences have loved it, and have even photoshopped Gosling wearing a shirt with Culkin's response photo on it. One, amusing, isolated incident does not make a trend, t...

19Jun

By rocitoutNo Comments

Lifestyle

When to Consider an Ergonomic Chair

Back pain -- either temporary or chronic -- is one of the most common work-related injuries, with at least 50% of Americans admitting to having back pain symptoms. It is often caused by ordinary work activities such as sitting in an office chair, or lifting heavy items. Because many Americans sit for an extended amount of time every day, one of the easiest solutions to solving back pain is to buy a chair that is specifically designed to reduce musculoskeletal stress. The best type of chair to solve such issues is an ergonomic one. An ergonomic chair is designed to suit a range of people, but you should not simply purchase an ergonomic chair just because is it labeled as such. There is also no guarantee that every ergonomic chair is best for you. Finding the right chair is important f...

New Research Shows That Heavily Decorated Walls Distract Students

17Jun

By rocitoutNo Comments

Local

New Research Shows That Heavily Decorated Walls Distract Students

Colorful artwork, maps and shapes often cover the walls in a typical elementary school classroom. Are these displays encouraging learning, or could they actually be a distraction? In a new study by Carnegie Mellon, researchers found that busy decorations correlated to distracted behaviors.The research, published in Psychological Science, details how highly decorated classrooms impact children in more ways than one. When exposed to these classrooms, instead of a more bare classroom, children were more likely to spend time off-task, experience smaller learning gains, and be more distracted. Though children are not usually actively examining the walls, the results are in line with earlier studies on how children are impacted by the physical setup of learning environments. "Young children s...

Pixar Makes its Animation Software Available for Free

17Jun

By rocitoutNo Comments

Business

Pixar Makes its Animation Software Available for Free

If you've always wanted to play around with the same animation software that created some of the world's most beloved animated films, this is your lucky day. 3D computer animation studio Pixar has made available a version of its state-of-the-art RenderMan visual effects software to the public for free. Aspiring computer animators can now use the tools that created films like Toy Story and Monsters, Inc. to create their own masterpieces at no cost. It originally cost $500 to purchase and use RenderMan, according to geek.com. There are a few rules for acquiring RenderMan, the studio's in-house version of 3D rendering software, according to the Huffington Post: for example, you can only use the software for free only if it's for non-commercial purposes. Pixar explained its reasoni...

After Five Years, Greece Legalizes Street Views on Google Maps

14Jun

By rocitoutNo Comments

World

After Five Years, Greece Legalizes Street Views on Google Maps

Google Maps can now legally show street views of Greece, San Jose Mercury News reports. For five years, the Greek government denied Google rights to post up-close photographs online. Culture Minister Panos Panagiotopoulos recently overruled that ban, hoping the map application and service will help revive tourism in the country. "We have so much to show off. This is a godsend," Panagiotopoulos said. "Everyone knows how difficult things are, with all the obstacles that are there when dealing with the Greek state. We are trying to overcome these difficulties." Panagiotopoulos adds that the country's landscape resembles an "endless archaeological park," according to San Jose Mercury News. The leading internet company is ready to launch the pictures as soon as they are able. "Google was ...

Chicago Activists Aim to End City’s Use of Sweatshop-Produced Uniforms for Workers

14Jun

By rocitoutNo Comments

World

Chicago Activists Aim to End City’s Use of Sweatshop-Produced Uniforms for Workers

Those in Chicago who wear uniforms to city jobs, such as firefighters, police officers, and maintenance personnel, may soon wear more ethically-produced apparel, thanks to an effort by Chicago Fair Trade activists in the city. The new ordinance, introduced in the Chicago City Council on May 28, would enforce labor rights for the workers who manufacture these garments if the law is passed, essentially cutting out any sweatshop-produced uniforms. Garment workers in many other countries are often subject to harsh treatments from their employers, so low wages and long hours are common, along with wage theft in some cases. And the working conditions of the factories are just as bad: fire exit doors are padlocked to keep workers from leaving and buildings have haphazardly constructed addition...

After Allegedly Stealing and Pawning Jewelry, Rochester Woman Finds Herself in the Slammer

14Jun

By rocitoutNo Comments

Local

After Allegedly Stealing and Pawning Jewelry, Rochester Woman Finds Herself in the Slammer

A Rochester woman faces charges after being arrested earlier in May for the alleged theft and sale of stolen jewelry. Shaumyk Santiago, 21, is accused of breaking into a home in Wolcott, NY in January and stealing many of the owner's valuable pieces of jewelry. After Ms. Santiago sold the items to the Jewelry and Coin Exchange, a pawn shop for valuable items, on West Ridge Road in Greece, she found herself in cuffs. Santiago awaits further proceedings on the matter, but for now, she has been sent to the Wayne County Jail on $10,000 bail. Theft in Rochester is Nothing New Theft in Rochester isn't exactly a novel concept. According to the most recently available statistics, the Flower City plays host to 7,683 thefts per 100,000 people every year, or over 15,000 annually. Among those crim...