Daily Archives: July 22, 2015

Smoke Over the Greenland Sea

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The 2015 wildfire season in the Arctic has been very intense – and very smoky. As of July 15, over 3,190,000 acres had burned across Canada, according to Natural Resources Canada. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), more than 600 fires had burned millions of acres in Alaska as of July 7. via NASA http://ift.tt/1Oxot7X

AT&T raising upgrade fees again, adding activation fee

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AT&T is at it again! In an attempt to make more money, the carrier has upped many of the fees associated with getting a new device and plan. The current $40 activation fee on the old contract plans will be raised to $45 starting August 1, making it the highest activation fee of any US carrier.

Of course, that’s somewhat understandable. Raise activation fees, tell customers that there are no activation fees with AT&T Next plans, and you get more Next customers. It’s what the carrier wants, right? Apparently not, as AT&T has also imposed a $15 activation fee on Next plans.

All of this madness starts August 1, so get your upgrade done soon (or, you know, leave AT&T if you can). It’s just more money that you have to give to the carrier so that they get your service.

from Android and Me http://ift.tt/1LtPKK5
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In the middle of a gender discrimination lawsuit, Twitter hosted a frat-themed staff party

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In the middle of a gender discrimination lawsuit, Twitter hosted a frat-themed staff party
In recent years, referring to a tech company’s culture as “fratty” has become easy shorthand to describe Silicon Valley’s gender disparities, and bemoan the male-dominated culture that results. On Tuesday, Twitter made the metaphor literal, hosting a frat-themed party for one team’s internal happy hour in San Francisco.

July 22, 2015 at 09:33AM
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Magic: The Gathering Card Game Inspires Magical Booze Concoctions

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Pimm’s Lavamancer: In an ice-filled collins glass, mix Pimm’s No. 1, cinnamon whiskey, lemon juice, and ginger beer, top with a cucumber garnish. Your mouth may be watering even if you don’t know where this cocktail’s unusual title has come from, but about 20 million people might see the pun and crack a smile.
It’s a concoction from amateur mixologist and software engineer Natalie Weizenbaum. When the 24-year-old was looking for cocktail inspiration for a party, she turned to her favorite game, Magic: The Gathering.
Magic: The Gathering is a card game from Hasbro-owned Wizards of the Coast in which players summon creatures and cast spells. The ages-12-and-up game’s fantasy premise may sound childish, but it actually requires intense strategy and critical thinking. About 20 million people play it worldwide, including me.
I found myself looking over Weizenbaum’s cocktails on Imgur after I attempted cocktails inspired by the game myself. In Magic, players cast spells based on five different colors: white, blue, black, red and green—leaving endless possibilities for themed drinks. Weizenbaum’s menu is designed to resemble the actual cards, and each one is a pun on a card that exists in the game.

from Forbes – Tech http://ift.tt/1IkOisH
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Sales Compensation: Beware, You Get What You Ask for

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Few things are more motivating for quality salespeople than giving qualified reps a seat at the decision-making table. Especially when they’ve only been exposed to the “coin-operated” salesperson mindset, where their role is highlighted when they hit their numbers but otherwise marginalized. Yet when it comes to incentivizing team members, there’s no single thing a founder could do that significantly correlates with success (r2 almost equals 1!) than a compensation plan done well.

from Forbes – Tech http://ift.tt/1DuQgPJ
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