Who invented the windshield wiper? (audio)

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Restaurants vs. Food Halls (video)

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Texting while walking

Look both ways before you cross the street; and if you're in Honolulu, make sure to put away your phone too.

This week, the city became the first major U.S. city to pass legislation targeting texters and other "distracted walkers" as they step off the curb.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell signed the bill, also known as the "Distracted Walking Law," on Thursday, after it was passed 7-2 earlier this month by the city council.

"We hold the unfortunate distinction of being a major city with more pedestrians being hit in crosswalks, particularly our seniors, than almost any other city in the county," Caldwell said.

The Honolulu Police Department will begin enforcing the law on Oct. 25. Until then the department will implement a three-month training and warning period.

After the law goes into effect, first-time violators will be fined $15-$35, second time violators within the same year will be on the hook for $35-$75, and those who get ticketed a third time will be charged $75-$99.

The law targets cellphone users as well as those using laptops, digital cameras or video games, who will also be expected not to look at them while crossing the street.

And meanwhile, in Argentina and in Germany

Corrientes and Maipú - Rosario, Santa Fe - Argentina

Corrientes and Maipú - Rosario, Santa Fe - Argentina

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Smartphone ban for kids under 13

(CNN) A Colorado father is petitioning to make the sale of smartphones for children under 13 illegal in his state after witnessing his young sons' addictive behaviors toward the technology.

"One of my sons, I took it away, and it was a pretty dramatic, very violent outburst," said Dr. Timothy J. Farnum, a father of five who is an anesthesiologist by training. "He was very addicted to this little machine. It kind of scared me, and that's really how it started."

Farnum said he was disturbed by his 10- and 11-year-olds' loss of interest in activities such as playing outside, as well as research on the potentially harmful impacts of excessive technology use.

In February, he and some medical colleagues started an organization called Parents Against Underage Smartphones. They started a ballot initiative in March aimed at prohibiting smartphone sales to anyone under the age of 13 or someone intending to give the device to a person under that age.

Their petition needs about 150,000 signatures. It will require retailers to ask a customer their age or the age of the intended primary owner of the smartphone before the sale, according to the initial fiscal impact statement.

Retailers will also have to file a monthly report to the state Department of Revenue that lists whether the type of phone sold was a smartphone or a cellular phone and how old the owner was at the time of the purchase, according to the statement. The Department of Revenue will then create a portal to investigate these reports and collect any fees and penalties from the retailer. The first violation will result in a written warning, the second violation will carry a $500 fine, and the fine will double for each subsequent violation.

"You know, to most of the people that are saying things like, 'Well, it's a parent's right; how dare the government do this,' I would like to say, I'm not the government, I'm a parent. And we, parents, need to decide what is best for our kids," Farnum said. "And we can't do it alone."

When asked about the proposed age restriction, CTIA, a trade group that represents the wireless technology industry, said in a statement, "mobile phones can empower kids to learn, engage and communicate with family, teachers and friends, and we encourage parents to talk with their children about responsible use and set rules that are right for their family. The wireless industry provides a number of tools to help parents make informed choices and manage their children's usage."

Dr. Donald Shifrin, a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine and spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics, said he is skeptical that legislation will lead to an improved management of smartphone use in children. Parents should be responsible for creating rules and expectations about using the phone, he said.

"When youngsters leave our house to go somewhere, as parents, we often say, 'Where are you going? What are you going to do? Who are you going to be with, and when will you be back?' And sometimes, we forget to use that terminology when they're online," Shifrin said. "Those parameters stay the same regardless of what kind of media those youngsters are using, whether it's tablets, computers, laptops or cell phones."

Studies have shown the impact these devices can have on children. In fact, a study published in May found that children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years had a 49% increased risk of expressive speech delay per 30-minute increase in daily screen time. Last year, a poll revealed that 50% of teenagers think they are addicted to their own smartphones.

There are no evidence-based age recommendations for when a child should get their first phone, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. A common rule of thumb is around seventh to eighth grade, Shifrin said. But it is essential for parents to set guidelines regarding how and when the phone should be used.

Holland Haiis, a digital detox and connectivity expert, is also not fond of Farnum's proposed legislation.

"What it seems like is happening here is that instead of the dog wagging the tail, it looks like the tail is wagging the dog," she said. "Because it's not necessarily the store or the provider's responsibility to have laws implemented for how you should take care of your child at a consumer level like this. It really starts at home."

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What is blockchain? (captions)

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CEO-to-worker pay ratio (audio)

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Company to install microchips in employees

Welcome to the future? 

A Wisconsin technology company is offering its employees microchip implants that can be used to scan into the building and purchase food at work.

Three Square Market has over 50 employees who plan to have the devices implanted. The tiny chip, which uses RFID technology or Radio-Frequency Identification, can be implanted between the thumb and forefinger within seconds.

Employees are not required to get the microchips and there is no GPS tracking. 

"It's the next thing that's inevitably going to happen, and we want to be a part of it," Three Square Market Chief Executive Officer Todd Westby said. 

The company, which is based in River Falls, Wisc., envisions the rice-sized micro chip allowing employees to easily pay for items, access the building and their computers all with a scan of their hand. 

"We foresee the use of RFID technology to make purchases in our office break room market, open doors, use copy machines, log into our office computers, unlock  phones, share business cards, store medical/health information, and pay at other RFID terminals," Westby said in a company statement. "Eventually, this technology will become standardized allowing you to use this as your passport, driving license, credit card, etc." 

The company is partnering with Swedish company BioHax International, which already has many "chipped" employees. 

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From USA Today

JFK mechanic breaks world record

Five days a week, Mr. Blackman, who turns 92 next month, drives himself from his home in Queens Village to Kennedy International Airport long before sunup and well before his 5 a.m. start time. His job as crew chief is to review paperwork detailing what maintenance has been completed and what remains to be done on 17 jetliners that are kept overnight at the airport. Then, wearing a lime-green vest and clutching a paper containing a list of planes and service requests, he starts his walk through a massive hangar.

Lunch is at 10 a.m., followed by more walking and more consulting until it is time to go home at 1 p.m.

 “Every day the job is different,” Mr. Blackman said. “You’re not doing the same thing repetitively, and that’s good. If in my journey around the hangar I see something I can help on, I do that.”

When Mr. Blackman started his career in 1942, he was 16 and a recent graduate of Aviation High School, which at the time was in Manhattan. According to the airline, after a teacher sent a note explaining his aptitude for metal fabrication, he earned 50 cents an hour as an apprentice in the sheet metal shop.

 “The first airplane I worked on was very crude; it had none of the systems modern airplanes have,” Mr. Blackman said of the flying boat. “Through the years they learned — better regulations, better inspections. And the people who work in this business are, for the most part, very competent people.”

On Tuesday, American Airlines held a celebration for Mr. Blackman, during which he was presented with a plaque from Guinness World Records for the longest career as an airline mechanic. Mr. Blackman’s 75-year loyalty to one employer and a single career exceeds by more than a decade a similar record set in 2012 by Ronald Byrd Akana, who joined United Airlines in 1949 and had the longest career as a flight attendant, and Robert Reardon, who was the oldest active flight attendant when he retired from Delta Air Lines at the age of 90 in 2014.

American Airlines officials are careful to note that for his safety and the well-being of others there are limitations to what Mr. Blackman can do. Besides no longer being allowed to perform physical tasks that might harm him, his work is carefully supervised by a crew co-chief.

 “I’d like to do more if I were allowed to, but that’s a thing of the past.” Mr. Blackman said. “At this point in the game, I don’t think it would be good to go back to doing manual work. I don’t think I’m capable of it.” Nevertheless, Mr. Blackman said he did not have any plans to retire.

While Mr. Blackman does not turn a wrench the way he once could, what he has to offer is incalculable, said Robert L. Crandall, who was president of American from 1980 to 1998.

“He represents a valuable institutional memory that says, ‘This is how we do it at American. This is our commitment to quality,’” Mr. Crandall said. “This is how you pass it on to the next generation. He’s the guy who sits with the new kids at lunch and passes it on.”

 “His work ethic is something I’d love every one of my 368 mechanics here to have,” said Robert Needham, Mr. Blackman’s boss and the station manager for American Airlines New York maintenance base.

Edited from The New York Times

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Food-Delivery Robots (audio & video)

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Texas man stuck in ATM

Part A - Fill in the blanks with prepositions, please     

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas. A man trapped _______ an ATM was rescued _______  Wednesday  after slipping notes begging _______  help through the receipt slot.

The man was a contractor who was working _______ the machine when he accidentally locked himself inside.

Police arrived _______ 431 North Mesquite Street _______ 2:05 p.m. after a passerby saw a note the man slipped in the receipt slot asking someone _______ help him. The note also said he didn't have a cellphone _________ him. 

Several officers had to kick the door _______rescue him. 

It is unknown how long the man was _______ the ATM but officers left the scene  _______  2:30 p.m.

Part B - Complete the following sentences making as many changes as necessary

1.     He (manage/get) help.

2.     He certainly (not enjoy/be) trapped.

3.     Nobody could hear him (due to) the area is very noisy

4.     He regrets (leave behind) cell phone.

5.     Although he (keep/shout), nobody (be able) hear him.

Part C - How about asking questions so as to get the answers below?

1.     In an ATM

2.     On Wednesday

3.     Help

4.     2.05 PM

5.     A note

6.     No, he didn’t

7.     That it wasn’t true.

8.     The door

9.     To rescue him

10.  Nobody knows

Edited from USA Today

Why our screens make us less happy (TED)

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Disney plans Epcot makeover (video)

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Some Texas schools to begin corporal punishment

THREE RIVERS, Texas — As part of a new policy that the Three Rivers Independent School District board approved Tuesday, the paddle, likely to be wood, will be used to administer corporal punishment when a student misbehaves at school.

Corporal punishment is defined as the deliberate infliction of physical pain by hitting, paddling, spanking, slapping, or any other physical force used as a means of discipline.

Trustees voted 6-0 on the motion with one member absent. The policy states only a campus’ behavior coordinator or principal can administer the disciplinary measure.

Students in the two-school district about halfway between San Antonio and Corpus Christi whose parents have provided written and verbal consent will receive one paddling for an infraction when they misbehave at school.

Upon registering children for the upcoming school year, parents will be able to decide whether to opt in or out.

Texas is among 15 states that specifically allow schools' use of corporal punishment; 8 other states have no laws or regulations against it, according to the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments,  part of the U.S. Department of Education.

In November 2016, the education secretary at the time, John B. King Jr., sent a letter to state leaders urging them to end the use of corporal punishment in schools, saying the practice is linked to harmful short-term and long-term outcomes for students.

In the short term, students who are administered physical punishment for their actions at school show an increase in aggressive and defiant behavior, according to King's letter. In the long term, students who are administered corporal punishment in school are more likely to later grapple with substance abuse and mental health issues, including depression, personality disorders and post-traumatic stress, according to the letter.

Three Rivers Elementary School’s campus behavior coordinator, Andrew Amaro, a Three Rivers native, hopes the new disciplinary measure will have a more immediate effect on students than in-school suspension or detention. Amaro recalls being disciplined with a paddle during his time as a student.

 “I believe it worked,” Amaro said. “It was an immediate response for me. I knew that if I got in trouble with a teacher and I was disrespectful, whatever the infraction was, I knew I was going to get a swat by the principal.”

Students will be paddled for minor infractions, such as being disobedient to teachers or not following rules in the classroom, Amaro said.

  Three Rivers ISD CP Policy by Anonymous pZCDknqv6 on Scribd

Edited USA Today

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"See you again" (song)

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"See You Again" Breaks Record (audio)

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Canceled wedding

INDIANAPOLIS — A bus pulled up in front of the manicured landscaping of the Ritz Charles in Carmel on Saturday. It was a sunny beautiful day.. 

This was supposed to be Sarah Cummins' wedding day. But after the 25-year-old Purdue University pharmacy student and her fiance, Logan Araujo, canceled their $30,000 wedding a week ago for undisclosed reasons, the two were left with the non-refundable would-be celebration.

So Cummins decided to invite people from four area homeless shelters to enjoy the 170-person reception she and Araujo spent two years planning.

The guests from Wheeler Mission, Third Phase Christian Center and Dayspring Center, were selected based on their success in the mission's Steps Toward Economic and Personal Stability program.

"We want to show them that if you excel, good stuff happens," Wheeler case manager Bryan Schrank. "It's a fantastic way to take something that's an unfortunate event, and to bless others. This is like Thanksgiving 2.0 for these guys. Many of them have never had a meal like this in their lives — or at least not in years."

The reception went on as the staff at the Ritz Charles planned it, event manager Sherry Harper said. Outside of rearranging the tables to remove the head table and compressing the time, dinner service happened as planned, right down to serving the wedding cake and the former couple's late-night snack of pizza. The cake, though, was pre-sliced behind the scenes.

"We really didn't change anything," Harper said.

The story has inspired a wave of goodwill around the city and beyond. Matt Guanzon was among those reaching out locally.

The Indianapolis man donated some suits from his own closet so guests could dress up for the dinner, and others pitched in after he posted a request on his Facebook page. His tailor, A. Mina Fine Clothier & Tailors on Monument Circle, donated several pieces, and The Gifted Gown contributed dresses and accessories.

Guanzon, a contract negotiator for United Healthcare, rushed around Saturday in a cargo vehicle loaned by a friend, picking up the formal wear and dropping it off at the shelters throughout Central Indiana.

He even thought of the kids, asking friends to drop off children’s items at the Ritz before the dinner.

Charlie Allen is grateful for his invitation and said, "For a lot of us, this is a good time to show us what we can have. Or to remind us what we had."

Sarah Cummins didn’t feel like attending, but when one of the homeless program directors said he was looking forward to meeting her, she knew she had to.

Three of her original seven bridesmaids, along with her mom and aunts, also came to support her during what they knew would be a hard day for her.

The Indianapolis Star first reported this story Thursday, and it was quickly picked up by national and international media. The massive response, both negative and positive, was overwhelming.

When Cummins approached Araujo, her former fiancée, with the idea of donating the dinner, he agreed to what he thought was a selfless way to deal with something that would go to waste.

She's not sure, yet, what she's going to do with the wedding dress.

Sarah Cummins talks with men from Wheeler Mission, at the Ritz Charles, Saturday.

                  Edited from USA Today              Photo: Kelly Wilkinson - Indy Star