Activity
Zozi captures $10 million funding round, threatens more disruption in the …
Almost two years since bagging a $7 million series B funding round to boost its then local deals business, Zozi has secured another $10 million from some of its original investors and a string of others.
Since the earlier investment round in May 2011, Zozi has shifted focus from single day activity deals to multi-day tours and other products (incl apparel and using celebs to host some services).
The total funding put in to the business is now at a healthy $17.5 million, CEO TJ Sassani says, including some of the original seed capital put into Zozi forerunner EkoVenture and some debt refinancing.
Investors in the latest round include Launch Capital, 500 Startups, Forerunner Ventures, Par Capital Ventures and the Silicon Valley Bank.
Those returning from the series B injection include 500 Startups, Launch Capital and Thomas Lehrman.
In recent years, San Francisco-based Zozi has managed to secure partner deals with the likes of location check-in service Foursquare, but Sassani says the new injection will be ploughed into a number of strategic areas within the business.
As well as increased focus on the celebrity expert team, known as Zozi Gurus, Sassani says boosting technology and commerce will also feature strongly.
Typically, Sassani warns of further disruption in the activities sector:
By continuing to connect our active lifestyle customers with the best curated products, further integrating our celebrity Guru team, and enhancing our technology for both merchants and customers, we will further disrupt the experience and activity segment of the economy.
Related posts:
- Zozi bags $7M fund as market for tours and activities deals kicks in
- FourSquare and Zozi partner to bring tours and activities to check-in fans
- ViajaNet online agency captures $19M funding round
Google+ Sign-In: Federated Identity, Authorization and Semantic Activity Streams
Google+ Sign-In extends the Google+ social network into third-party websites, desktop applications and mobile apps, and further cements Googles position as an identity provider alongside others such as Twitter and Facebook. The new service, announced on February 26th, provides features for authentication, authorization and activity sharing. There is additional support for user engagement, hangouts and automatic Android app downloads.
While discussion of the new service has been dominated by a perceived rivalry with Facebook, from a technical perspective its useful to look under the covers at the Google+ API to see how the new features work and understand some of the standards that are being put to use.
A simple [g+ | Sign In] button provides the entry-point into a third-party web-page, desktop or mobile application. This kicks off a process that starts with the application requesting an access token for the users Google+ profile. The orchestration is accomplished either in the web-browser via the client-side flow, or via back-end API operations using the server-side flow. If the user hasnt already authenticated with Google+ then authentication is executed as part of the sign-in. The user is also prompted for the level of access they wish to give to the third-party application. Access levels, or scopes can include:
- userinfo.email: provides only the users email address
- plus.me: provides the users Google+ profile information
- plus.login: extends the other scopes by allowing access to circles and the ability to write activities to the users Google+ activity stream
This access orchestration is a combination of authentication and authorization which follows the OpenID Connect draft standard which itself is based on the recently ratified OAuth 2 protocol. Authentication is handled completely within Googles authentication system and does not involve the third-party application. OpenID Connect layers authentication over the OAuth authorization protocol, effectively authenticating the user to the third-party application by granting access to the users Google+ profile. Nat Sakimura, Chair of the OpenID Foundation and a co-author of OpenID Connect, provides a good description of the difference between OpenID, OAuth and OpenID Connect and how applications use services like Google+ Sign-In to verify the identity of a user requesting access.
Users can review their application authorizations using their App settings page where they may revoke access or change their sharing settings.
The third-party application may now use its access token to manage in-application activities within the Google+ API. Google refers to these activities as Moments and the Google+ API provides a simple CRUD interface to insert, list and delete moments. Moments come in different flavours, called ActivityTypes. All activities have a name, description and thumbnail, plus an itemtype which is the subject of the activity. Itemtype must be a sub-type of a schema.org Thing, for example a Book, Place or Person. In addition, items must have a URL reference to an HTML page containing schema.org markup for the relevant item. In this way, Google+ integration encourages the development of a semantic web of structured markup which is also useful to search engines. The list of activities is quite comprehensive:
- AddActivity: is a generic activity with itemtype, name, description and thumbnail.
- BuyActivity: represents the purchase of an item.
- CheckinActivity: represents a user checking-in from a place and carries additional attributes for address and geolocation.
- CommentActivity: is appropriate when a user comments on a blog post, book or other creative work.
- CreateActivity: for when a user creates a creative work.
- DiscoverActivity: for when a user discovers a creative work.
- ListenActivity: represents a user listening to a musical recording and provides additional attributes for song, album and artist meta-data.
- ReserveActivity: signifies the user making a reservation at a local business such as a restaurant or hotel.
- ReviewActivity: is a review of an item along with rating information.
- WantActivity: indicates that a user wants an item, for example if they add the item to a wishlist in the application.
The representation and dissemination of these moments into Google+ activity streams is all handled by Google+ based on the users authorization settings.
This brief review only scratches the surface of the new Google+ features launched with Sign-In, but provides an interesting example of new authentication and authorization standards as well as the extension of semantic markup into social activity streams.
Ramona Senior Activity Center
Ramona Senior Activity Center
Ramona Senior Activity Center at 434 Aqua Lane is open weekdays from 8:30 am to 4 pm, except for legal holidays. Dinner-style meals are served from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm Meals also are delivered to the homebound.
Menu for the Week
Thursday, April 4: Open face turkey sandwich, mashed potatoes and gravy, Malibu vegetables, apple crisp.
Friday, April 5: Fish sandwich, seasoned fries, coleslaw, peach.
Monday, April 8: Southwestern quiche, breakfast potatoes, mixed vegetables, salsa, fruit cocktail.
Tuesday, April 9: Sweet and sour meatballs, rice, stir fry vegetables, salad, apricots.
Wednesday, April 10: Taco bake, Mexican rice, beans, banana pudding.
Thursday, April 11: Pork chops, rice pilaf, California vegetables, applesauce.
Friday, April 12: Spaghetti with meat sauce, breadsticks, Italian vegetables, Mandarin oranges.
Suggested lunch donation for seniors age 60 and older and for the homebound is $4. Transportation is $1. Lunch for a non-senior guest of a senior is $6. For reservations and more information, call 760-789-0440.
Activities
Thursday, April 4: Blood pressure screening from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, Bingo at 1 pm
Friday, April 5: Exercise at 9 am, Pinochle at 9 am, Pokeno at 1 pm
Monday, April 8: Exercise at 9 am, Lace at 9 am
Tuesday, April 9: Walking group at 8 am, Quilting at 9 am, Computers at 10:30 am, Writing at 1 pm
Wednesday, April 10: Exercise at 9 am, Pinochle at 9 am, Bridge at 12:30 pm
Thursday, April 11: Bargain Corner from 8 am to 2 pm, Bingo at 1 pm
Friday, April 12: Bargain Corner from 8 am to noon, Exercise at 9 am, Pinochle at 9 am, Pokeno at 1 pm
The pool table may be used any time except during Bargain Corner, and a Wii game is available.
Related posts:
- Senior Activity Center
- Senior Activity and Nutrition Center
- Senior Activity Center
- Ramona Senior Activity Center
- Ramona Senior Activity Center
Short URL: http://www.ramonasentinel.com/?p=22325
Ramona Senior Activity Center
Ramona Senior Activity Center
Blood pressure screenings will take place at Ramona Senior Activity Center on Thursday, March 7, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm A Palomar Health nurse conducts the free screenings in the lobby of the center. All ages are welcome.
The center at 434 Aqua Lane is open weekdays from 8:30 am to 4 pm, except for legal holidays. Dinner-style meals are served from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm Meals also are delivered to the homebound.
Menu for the Week
Thursday, March 7: Meat lasagna, garlic bread, mixed vegetables, fruit cocktail.
Friday, March 8: Baked fish, scalloped potatoes, broccoli, fresh apple.
Monday, March 11: Barbecued chicken, baked beans, coleslaw, ambrosia.
Tuesday, March 12: Parmesan chicken, noodles, breadsticks, California vegetables/salad, apricots.
Wednesday, March 13: Stuffed cabbage rolls, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, Mandarin oranges.
Thursday, March 14: Meatloaf, baked potato, Malibu vegetables, pears.
Friday, March 15: St. Patrick’s Day amp; Birthday Lunch of corned beef and cabbage, red potatoes and carrots, cake/fruited Jello.
Suggested lunch donation for seniors age 60 and older and for the homebound is $4. Transportation is $1. Lunch for a non-senior guest of a senior is $6. For reservations and more information, call 760-789-0440.
Activities
Thursday, March 7: Blood Pressure Screening from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, Bingo at 1 pm
Friday, March 8: Exercise at 9 am, Pinochle at 9 am, Pokeno at 1 pm
Monday, March 11: Exercise at 9 am, lace at 9 am, Bible study at 10 am
Tuesday, March 12: Walking group at 8 am, Quilting at 9 am, Computers at 10:30 am
Wednesday, March 13: Exercise at 9 am, Pinochle at 9 am, Bridge at 12:30 pm
Thursday, March 14: Bargain Corner from 8 am to 2 pm, Bingo at 1 pm
Friday, March 15: Bargain Corner from 8 am to noon, Exercise at 9 am, Pinochle at 9 am, Pokeno at 1 pm
The pool table may be used any time except during Bargain Corner, and a Wii game is available.
Related posts:
- Ramona Senior Activity Center
- Ramona Senior Activity Center
- Senior Activity Center
- Senior Activity Center
- Senior Activity and Nutrition Center
Short URL: http://www.ramonasentinel.com/?p=21519
Report: Index of non-manufacturing activity slips
A report Wednesday showed that US service companies grew more slowly in March.
The Institute for Supply Management said that its index of non-manufacturing activity fell to 54.4 last month. Thats down from 56 in February and the lowest in seven months. Any reading above 50 signals expansion.
Which is better for keeping your mind fit: physical or mental activity?
Physical and mental activities are both important for protecting your thinking skills and warding off dementia. But does one trump the other? Its an interesting question, one that occurs to me when Im doing a crossword puzzle or cruising through my neighborhood with the funny-looking walk that my kids make fun of. Can I preserve my thinking skills if I do more of one activity than the other, such as more crossword puzzles or more walking?
I posed the question to Dr. Scott McGinnis, an instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School. As I write in the April issue of the Harvard Health Letter, he said it was a difficult question to answer because few solid studies have addressed it.
That may be changing. A study published yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine tried to tease out whether physical or mental activity was better for brain health. Researchers recruited 126 older adults who felt that their memory or thinking skills had recently gotten worse, and divided them into four groups. All were asked to do an hour of mental activity three times a week and an hour of physical activity three times a week. What differed were the intensities of these activities:
- intensive computer work plus aerobics
- intensive computer work plus light stretching and toning
- watching educational DVDs plus aerobics
- watching educational DVDs plus light stretching and toning
After 12 weeks, scores on thinking tests improved across the board. The big surprise was that there werent any real differences in improvement between the groups. The researchers concluded that the amount of activity is more important for stimulating the brain than the type of activity, because all of the participants both exercised and engaged in mental activities each week.
Benefits from both
Theres some evidence that exercise alone protects the brain. One study of people in their seventies published in Neurology showed that those who exercised the most had the least brain shrinkage and fewer white matter brain lesions, which can be signs of dementia. People who engaged in mental activities had more brain shrinkage and white matter brain lesions. Another study published recently in Stroke showed that older adults who exercised regularly reduced their risk of vascular-related dementia by 40%.
Its likely that regular exercise can increase the volume of brain regions important for memory and thinking. There are a number of possible mechanisms for this, says Dr. McGinnis, such as stimulating production of growth factors, blood vessels, and new brain cells, which may provide a buffer against brain changes that cause dementia.
Mental activity alone can also protect the brain. In one 2012 study, published in Neurology, researchers demonstrated a direct link between the amount of cognitive activity, such as reading the newspaper or playing chess, and the level of cognitive function in the following year. As I wrote in the August 2012 Harvard Health Letter, another study found that engaging in meaningful activities such as volunteering or a treasured hobby promotes cognitive health in old age.
Exercising a specific cognitive function will improve that function. If one engages in tasks requiring working memory, such as holding and manipulating material in the mind for short periods of time, one will usually become stronger in that area, says Dr. McGinnis.
What you can do
Take advantage of the brain protection that both physical and mental activities provide. On the physical side, start or keep moving. A good goal is 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week, but any activity is better than none. On the mental side, Dr. McGinnis suggests doing something you already enjoy. It might be crossword puzzles, reading, participating in a club, building models, or any number of activities. The guiding principle is that the activities require active engagement, not passive engagement such as watching television.
Me? Ill stick to my funny-looking walking and crosswords, although Ive recently become rather obsessed with a Scrabble game on my smartphone. Next question: Can I walk and play Scrabble at the same time? While it might be better for my brain, I dont need a medical study to give me that answer. Its spelled N-O!
DPS warns of rise in gang activity
Texas Department of Public Safety
A report released by the Texas Department of Public Safety this week reveals Wichita Falls is experiencing the presence of several major criminal gangs. The Texas Gang Threat Assessment released Monday to the governor and Legislature breaks major gangs into two categories. Tier 1 gangs are considered the most dangerous, followed by Tier 2. Wichita County is one of about 25 Texas counties considered to have the highest level of major gang activity in the state.
The DPS report indicates a presence here of Tango Blast, considered Texas’ most significant gang threat, overtaking the Mexican Mafia from prior years. Tango Blast’s presence is spread across the state, except for much of southwest Texas. The report said the gang has grown rapidly because of its “high level of criminal activity, their propensity for violence and their relationships with Mexican cartels.”
Also showing a fairly recent presence in Wichita Falls is Barrio Azteca, known for its association to Mexican drug trafficking organizations and ability to effectively operate on both sides of the TexasMexico border.
“Although predominantly located in El Paso and Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, recent arrests of BA members in the Wichita Falls area attest to the group’s ability to expand its influence into other areas of Texas,” the report said.
The report mentions, “As a result of a yearlong, multi-agency investigation of a drug trafficking organization operated by members of Barrio Azteca in the Wichita Falls area, 30 suspects were indicted for drug conspiracy and firearms violations. All of the suspects were arrested. The investigation resulted in the seizure of drugs, firearms, and gang paraphernalia items.”
Of the Tier 2 gangs, the DPS report finds a presence in Wichita Falls of the white supremacist group Aryan Brotherhood, whose influence is largely felt in the northeastern two-thirds of the state; the Crips, which was founded in Los Angeles; and the Bloods, another California-based gang that is widespread across Texas.
“One of the most serious issues facing law enforcement and public safety officials is the fact that many gangs have developed relationships with Mexican cartels. Gangs working with the Mexican cartels are involved in a level of crime that affects the entire state,” the report said.
© 2013 Times Record News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Volcano activity of April 3, 2013
This (almost) daily post intends to follow up the activity changes of volcanoes all over the world.
This post is written by geologist Rodger Wilson who specializes in Volcano seismicity and Armand Vervaeck. Please feel free to tell us about new or changed activity if we havent written about it. -
April 3, 2013 volcano activity
Although several magnitude M4.0+ earthquakes occurred today (maximum magnitude M4.3), seismicity remains diminished at El Hierro (Canary Islands). A few event epicenters occurred closer to the islands western shoreline, but earthquake foci continue to hover close to 20 km depth.
An even more intense earthquake swarm (with events to magnitude M5.5) than that affecting El Hierro began in northern Iceland late yesterday along the Tjornes Fracture Zone. At this point, worry is not so much for a volcanic eruption (although magma is undoubtedly involved at depth), but that deformation associated with the seismic activity may trigger larger, damaging earthquakes.
Seismicity has re-juvenated (including volcanic tremor) at Telica volcano (Nicaragua) (station TELN) since late yesterday as well. Again, no other precursory (deformation, gas chemistry and temperature) changes have been noted at the volcano by INETER.
Elsewhere,
KVERT reports no significant changes in seismic/eruptive behavior at the five active Kamchatkan volcanoes: Tolbachik (basaltic fissure eruption diminishing volcanic tremor), Kizimen and Sheveluch (lava dome extrusion moderate seismicity), Bezymianny (lava flow/dome extrusion weak seismicity), and Karymsky (occasional strombolian/vulcanian explosions no seismic data due to equipment outtage). Gorely volcano continues to experience moderate seismicity associated with strong hydrothermal activity there.
Occasional small earthquakes continue near the southern Oregon volcanoes. Two events (magnitudes M0.5 and M2.0 respectively) have been located there in the past two days.
Small earthquakes remain frequent along the southern boundary of Long Valley Caldera (CA), including a burst of M2.0+ events late yesterday. Deformation monitors show no untoward movement associated with the shallow (depth lt; 10 km) activity.
Explosions and rockfalls continue to rock Colima volcano (Mexico). Exhalations of gas and occasional explosions entraining lava blocks and volcanic ash have increased to an average of over four events per hour in the past day at Popocapetl volcano. Todays Popo seismogram shows continuous low-level volcanic tremor and recent larger exhalation signals.
Surface activity is relatively subdued at the three active Guatemalan volcanoes. Volcanic earthquakes and occasional pulses of (eruptive?) tremor occur at Pacaya volcano (station PCG). Occasional small strombolian explosions continue to affect Fuego volcano (station FG3). Lava emission has recently ended there. Lava extrusion also appears to have ended at the Caliente dome of the Santiaguito Dome Complex (Santa Maria volcano (station STG3).
Volcanic tremor remains unstable at Masaya volcano (Nicaragua) (station MASN) and a recent small explosion (or collapse?) is apparent on seismic records from the volcano. Low-magnitude volcanic earthquakes (and recently tremor) continue at Concepcion volcano (station CONN).
Low-magnitude volcanic earthquakes remain frequent at San Miguel (El Salvador) (station VSM).
Another swarm of volcano-tectonic earthquakes rumbles within Nevado Del Ruiz volcano (Colombia) (station OLLZ) today. Gas emission signals and small volcano-tectonic events are visible on seismograms from Galeras volcano (station CUVZ). Tiny volcano-tectonic earthquakes are also discernable on seismograms from Cumbal volcano (station MEVZ).
Volcanic earthquakes have re-juvenated at Tungurahua volcano (Ecuador) (station RETU) overnight. Seismicity remains up-and-down at Reventador volcano (station CONE).
IGP has issued another report of the ongoing, largely internal unrest at Sabancaya volcano. I have included diagrams from the report which detail changes in fumarolic activity and seismic activity at the volcano since the first of this month.
Hybrid earthquakes have continued to increase at White Island volcano (New Zealand). GNS has kindly provided us with photos and footage of the current activity occurring within the White Island amphitheater-crater.
Recent OMI satellite data show an SO2-enriched plume drifting from Popocatepetl volcano, while MODIS satellite thermal imagery depicts hotspots occurring at Kizimen and Popocatpetl volcanoes.
LIT Sports Activity Tracker Launches On Indiegogo (video)
If you enjoy extreme sports and are looking for a way to track your activity, airtime, G-Force, speed, laps etc. You might be interested to learn that a new LIT sports activity tracker has launched on Indiegogo this month.
The LIT sports activity tracker has been designed specifically for extreme sports and is equipped with advanced sensors analyse your movements 24×7, scoring both activity and action by interpreting steps, distance, duration, intensity, strokes, paddles, jumps, rotations, turns, g-force, airtime, and more.
The LIT sports activity tracker has also been deigned to be modular. So you can wear it on your wrist, belt, lanyard, or even in your pocket. Its creators NZN Labs explain a little more:
Launch a competition versus yourself, versus your friends, versus the world. LIT scores everything you do. So stop talking and start doing. LIT interprets all of your movement, scores your session, and breaks it down into highly relevant components. Take or import photos or video. Once synced, LIT will automatically tag highlights (ie jumps, turns, airtime, max- g’s) so you no longer need to wade through hours of useless video just to find that 15 seconds of fame.
The LIT sports tracker project is currently over on the Indiegogo website looking to raise enough pledges to make the jump from concept to production. So if you think LIT sports tracker is something you could benefit from, visit the Indiegogo website now to make a pledge and help LIT sports tracker become a reality.
Source: LIT
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Eurozone private sector activity slumps further
Workers busy themselves at a construction site for a shopping mall in Berlin, with the citys TV tower in the background on March 28, 2013. Private sector business activity in the 17-nation eurozone fell sharply in March, adding to an increasingly gloomy outlook for the economy, a key survey showed on Thursday.