Новости за 04.01.2017

Gap is testing a smartphone app that will let customers try on clothes without stepping foot in a dressing room. Gap calls this augmented reality, a technology that involves overlaying virtual images — such as clothing — on top of a real-life image. The clothing chain, which also operates Banana Republic and Old Navy stores, is unveiling the app Wednesday at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas. Wayfair, Home Depot and other retailers have been embracing virtual reality and augmented reality to help shoppers figure out ways to decorate homes. Читать дальше...

SEATTLE (AP) — Prosecutors filed five aggravated murder charges Wednesday against the man they say shot and killed five people at a Washington state shopping mall in September. Cetin had visited his mother and Marshall before the Sept. 23 shooting, and stole his stepfather's .22-caliber Ruger rifle, which had been hidden under a bed, according to records acquired by The Associated Press. Cetin entered through the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant just before 7 p.m. and headed for the Macy's Women's store... Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve officials, who boosted a key interest rate last month, said they might need to accelerate future rate hikes if a faster-growing economy pushes down the unemployment rate farther than currently expected. Minutes of the Fed's December meeting released Wednesday showed that Fed officials discussed the impact of Donald Trump's proposed economic program of tax cuts, deregulation and increased infrastructure spending. The minutes never mentioned Trump by name but did... Читать дальше...

The Writers Guild of America announced its nominees for the best screenplays of the year with selections that largely stuck to awards season regulars. While the WGA Awards can be strong predictors of the Academy Award screenplay nominees, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has already deemed "Loving" (inspired by Nancy Buirski's documentary) and "Moonlight" (based on Tarell Alvini McCraney's play) adapted scripts.

The CBS deal will give Hulu the right to live-stream the nation's most-watched broadcast network as well as CBS Sports Network and cable channel Pop. The streaming company already has similar deals with Time Warner Inc., 21st Century Fox and The Walt Disney Co., allowing it to live-stream CNN, Fox, ESPN and several other channels. [...] free video has become increasingly more difficult to find as it tries to lure viewers into a subscription — $8 a month for a plan with ads, and $12 without.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal judge appears to be casting doubt on the legality of hotly debated Texas rules requiring burial or cremation of fetal remains, questioning Wednesday whether they would override separate, existing state laws on scattering ashes. Health department regulations in the country's second-largest state are seeking to protect "human dignity" by banning the disposal of remains from abortions and miscarriages as biological medical waste — usually meaning they are incinerated and deposed of in sanitary landfills. Читать дальше...

Trump's series of tweets Wednesday came as President Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Mike Pence went to Capitol Hill to rally lawmakers on opposite sides of the political aisle for the coming battle over the fate of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. What Trump failed to mention is that the majority of consumers covered by Obama's signature law receive federal subsidies to help pay their premiums. Insurers say the price spike is due to lower-than-projected enrollment, sicker-than-expected customers... Читать дальше...

Ansel Herz announced his departure from The Stranger with a terse Twitter message in late November: "As of today you'll no longer be seeing my byline at @TheStranger. I'm out. It was a good ride."

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fed minutes: Officials discussed potential need to accelerate rate hikes to combat inflation.

On this year's Forbes "30 Under 30" list, you'll see high-profile names such as LeBron James, Simone Biles and Taylor Swift. Among those high-profile names: Two University of Washington researchers and two alumni.

Detroit Lions players aren't likely to carry the weight of history on their shoulders when they take on Seattle Saturday night at CenturyLink Field, but they will enter the game with a paucity of postseason experience in comparison to the Seahawks, who will make their sixth playoff appearance in seven years under Pete Carroll.

Skagit County prosecutors filed aggravated murder charges Wednesday against the 20-year-old man believed to have killed five people during a shooting rampage at a Burlington mall in September.

The group says for 36 years, the Mississippi picnic "has been wonderful and a positive thing for all those involved." The 2016 picnic in Central Park was canceled to protest a Mississippi law that would have allowed people to cite their own religious objections to same-sex marriage to deny a variety of services to same-sex couples.

True, set manufacturers are bombarding consumers with a whole series of buzzwords — OLED, 4K, 8K, HDR, QLED, wide color gamut — intended to spur excitement and generate sales. [...] while all sorts of other gadgets are getting more intelligent, so-called smart TVs that manage streaming-video services and let you play games have largely left consumers cold . [...] TV makers like Samsung and LG have doubled down on what they know best: screen technology. The next step in picture clarity is on its way with so-called 8K sets... Читать дальше...

Cognitive skills decline as part of the normal aging process and in turn, so do some of our financial management skills. Research shows that financial decision-making peaks around age 53, and by age 60 our ability to process new information starts to slow. Experts say there are signs that children or spouses can watch out for that will help them know when it's time to step in and help an older relative with their finances. A new study from the University of Alabama, with support from the NEFE... Читать дальше...

Striding beside the River Spey on a misty afternoon, a warm sweater from a local mill wrapped around my shoulders, an even warmer dram of whisky awaiting me at my hotel ahead, I realized I'd reached peak Speyside status. Or, to quote Scottish poet and noted whisky fan Robert Burns, "Gie me ae spark of Nature's fire/That's a' the learning I desire." Speyside is located in northeast Scotland and the closest airport is Inverness. If you are traveling from London you may want to consider the Caledonian... Читать дальше...

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — As a seaside metropolis with a lively outdoor vibe and dozens of picturesque islands beckoning nearby, Athens is more often considered a summer tourist destination than a winter escape. [...] with interesting neighborhoods, trendy shops and a variety of cafes and tavernas serving that famous Greek cuisine, Athens' attractions are not all rooted in the past. The square is right in front of parliament and the tomb of the unknown soldier, where soldiers in kilt-like garments... Читать дальше...

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A 2017 calendar put out by a group that promotes tourism in Philadelphia doesn't include the month of December but that's a printing mistake, not a slight. The group had about 400 calendars printed for distribution to media outlets and it proved so popular the group ordered another 200 or so, and that's when the mistake occurred.

PRAGUE (AP) — Czech airline Travel Service says it has signed a deal to buy five more new Boeing 737 MAX jets. Spokeswoman Vladimira Dufkova said Wednesday the contract was signed on Dec. 23 and brings to 30 the total number of such Boeing aircraft that Travel Service has recently agreed to buy.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Keaton has revealed the reason behind his departure from the "Batman" franchise after two films. Keaton said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter's "Awards Chatter" podcast that the script for the film "never was good."

Wild-card games can be so unpredictable because, at times, the visitors come in with a better record than the host. The Raiders (12-4), one of the AFC's powers until, well, the past three weeks, travel to Houston (9-7) for Saturday's late-afternoon contest. Great opportunity for our fans and for our players, especially, to go out and play well and try to win a playoff game. Neither side has been inspiring down the stretch, with Detroit throwing away the NFC North crown with three straight closing defeats... Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Officials say the clock in the Washington Monument's automated lighting system is likely out of sync after the monument went dark. The monument has been closed to visitors since August because of ongoing problems with its elevator, which carries visitors to an observation deck near the top of the 555-foot tall monument.

The National Automobile Dealers Association expects U.S. sales to drop to 17.1 million vehicles in 2017 as interest rates and vehicle prices rise. There was also the lure of new technology — such as backup cameras, automatic emergency braking and Apple CarPlay — and new vehicles like the Chrysler Pacifica minivan, the Honda Civic and all-electric Chevrolet Bolt. Rising incentives were also a factor, as automakers tried to boost demand with deals like zero-percent financing.

Constanza Romero, who lost her playwright husband in 2005, has visited many theatrical sets for Wilson's most popular and perhaps most personal play, but the one used for its first film adaptation reconnected her with him. Washington, who won a Tony for his performance in the Broadway revival of "Fences" seven years ago, made some key decisions when he was first tapped to translate the play onto 35 mm film. [...] he reunited five of the main actors from the Broadway revival — himself, Viola Davis... Читать дальше...