Game Over: Scrabulous Shut Down on Facebook
UPDATED 11:00 a.m.| Facebook says the decision to block Scrabulous for U.S. and Canadian users was made by the Scrabulous developers, not Facebook.
If you try to pull up the popular Scrabble-like game, you get the following message: “Scrabulous is disabled for U.S. and Canadian users until further notice. If you would like to stay informed about developments in this matter, please click here.” If you click, you get a form from the Scrabulous founders asking for your e-mail address so they can keep you posted on further developments.
Amazon Offers Other Sites Use of Its Payment Service
SAN FRANCISCO — Amazon wants its customers to take their wallets with them when they leave the giant Web store.
The Seattle-based online retailer unveiled on Tuesday a new payment service that it will offer other online retailers to use on their Web sites. That means the 81 million customers who have already given Amazon.com their payment details, like credit card numbers and shipping addresses, will be able to use that information, without re-entering it, to buy products on any site that uses the new service.
Read More: NY Times
Google In Final Negotiations To Acquire Digg For “Around $200 Million”
Google’s on and off negotiations with Digg have been back on in a big way for the last six weeks, we’ve heard from multiple sources inside of Google, and the two companies are close to a deal that will bring Digg under the Google News property. The acquisition price is in the $200 million range, says one source.
Facebook Redesign To Go Live Tomorrow
Five months later and it looks like Facebook is ready to release its new profile redesign. Facebook had announced it was working on a redesign earlier this year. In May, a glimpse of the redesigned was released to developers in the developers sandbox. Tomorrow evening the redesign will be open to the public.
What’s New
Now that it’s time to get ready for the official public launch here’s the scoop on some of what’s new for users of Facebook:
- New Menu Bar
- Mini-Feed and Wall are now under the wall tab
- A new “Bio” box
- Complete rearrangement of tabs for your wall, info, photos, and apps
- Facebook Apps are now found in the “Boxes” tab
- Users can add extra tabs
- Use your webcam to take a photo or record a video to add to your collection or post on the Wall of your friends
Source: Read Write Web
Walkstations bring exercise to office, slowly
Washington: The maker of a new product that combines a treadmill and computer workstation is banking on the notion that companies will invest in products like the “Walkstation” as a way of keeping health care costs down and improving overall fitness levels.
The device allows people to work on their computers while walking on a treadmill at a slow speed of up to three kilometres per hour, enabling small amounts of movement that supporters say have the potential to reap big health benefits.
The product made by Details, a unit of Michigan-based office furniture maker Steelcase, is selling 30 to 40 units per week, according to company president Bud Klipa. “The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, we have numerous repeat customers,” Klipa said.
Products and services such as these are part of the future workplace in America and elsewhere as companies try to battle obesity and cap medical costs, according to John Challenger, chief executive of the consultancy Challenger Gray & Christmas.
“Companies are recognizing they have to find a way to get control of their health care costs,” Challenger said. “They are trying to ensure that the unhealthy people are not penalizing the healthy people, so companies are embarking on much more comprehensive wellness programs to get at the health care crisis up front.”
The Walkstation was unveiled last year based on research from James Levine, a researcher at the Mayo Clinic, who contends that fitness can be improved through small, modest movements for people who are otherwise sedentary.
Levine argues that the Walkstation provides benefits through a process he calls “non-exercise activity thermogenesis” or NEAT, or incremental movements without strenuous exercise.
Levine’s research indicates people who use the Walkstation can increase energy expenditure by 100 calories per hour when walking at a 1.6 kilometres per hour, helping weight loss.
“The Walkstation is not intended to provide a gym-style workout in the office; its purpose is not to cause users to raise their heart rates or work up a sweat,” Levine says.
“For office workers, the majority of the workday is spent sitting in front of a computer. The premise of this Walkstation is simply to increase movement while working, and for users to enjoy the health benefits of that movement.”
The treadmill, which costs around $4,500 for a base model, never exceeds a speed of three kilometres per hour, which according to the manufacturer allows most people to use it for a few hours each day. Klipa said it will take more research to show whether the Walkstation is cost-effective for companies, but says there is already evidence it can help people lose weight and become fitter. AFP
Source: Times of India