Apple has rejected Smuggle Truck, an iPhone and iPad game in whichplayersdrive a truck packed with immigrants across a desert border and through underground tunnels.

In the game, immigrants can be hurled out of the truckand die as the vehicle navigates obstacles such as ramps, hills and explosives.

Although Applerejected the Smuggle Truck game for its App Store, the Cupertino, Calif.,tech giant did approve a less controversial version of the game called Snuggle Truck to be sold for iOS devices.

Snuggle Truck is essentially the same game, but with stuffed animals taking the place ofimmigrants. Also, rather than trying to move immigrants across a boarder, the objective of Snuggle Truck is to get the animalsinto a zoo where theyll be taken care of.

Both versions of the game were developed by Owlchemy Labs, a Boston start-up, that told the Associated Press its immigrant-themed game was rejected by Apple about three weeks ago for content-related reasons. The game makers are selling Smuggle Truck on their own as a computer game for both Macs and PCs.

In a statement on Owlchemys website, the company said Smuggle Truck was built as an interactive satire to criticize an immigration system largely avoided in popular media, especially video games.

The games inspiration came from the developers friends who have attempted to immigrate to the US, Owlchemy said.

This idea originated as a result of learning that the process of legal immigration was not as straightforward as we had assumed, the company said. As we lived through a painful 12 months of our friend struggling through the absurd legal minefield that surrounds US immigration, we felt that we should create a game that touches on the issue. The comment was thrown around that its so tough to legally immigrate to the US, its almost easier to smuggle yourself over the border, and thus Smuggle Truck was born.

A prototype of the game was built for the iPhone in two days by Owlchemys founders, Alan Schwartz and Yilmaz Kiymaz, the statement said.

Throughout the creation of the game, we maintained a meticulous eye to avoid depicting a specific stereotype or location, instead opting to generalize smuggling to its most basic abstract form, Owlchemy said. Through user testing and feedback from fellow developers and even random strangers, we worked to maintain a light and humorous representation of a subject that is normally avoided.

With a satirical angle on a real issue, we want to create a game that is fun to play but also stirs up discussion on ways to improve the problematic immigration system in the United States.

ALSO:

Sony says PlayStation Network credit-card data was encrypted

Apple cites bugs, user confusion in explanation of iPhone location data

Amazon responds to Apples Appstore suit, uses Steve Jobs quote in defense

– Nathan Olivarez-Giles

twitter.com/nateog

Image: A screenshot of the Smuggle Truck computer game. Credit: Owlchemy Labs

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Boston Celtics fans try to distract Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) while he shoots foul shots during the first quarter of Game 3 in the second round of an NBA basketball playoff series Friday, May 7, 2010, in Boston.

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A compliment jar sits on the counter of Woodrow Wilson Elementary School. Compliments can be filled out by anyone. They are chosen and read during morning announcements each day by Principal Donnilee Hernandez.

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ATLANTIC CITY — Revel hopes to dazzle its customers well before
they hit the slot machines and gaming tables when the stylishly
decorated casino opens.

Even the drive up to the valet entrance promises to be
memorable. The roadway will run beneath the casino, then rise
several levels to deposit guests at a porte cochere that features
oceanside views.

This is just one example of how the $2.4 billion gambling resort
will embrace the ocean and beaches when it opens next year. Other
Boardwalk casinos are oriented toward the land side of town,
turning their backs on the ocean that inspired the city’s name.

“The vision was to be a little bit different than what Atlantic
City has been in the past,” said Robert Andersen, Revel’s executive
vice president of project development. “The vision was to embrace
the ocean and Boardwalk.”

Revel Entertainment Group opened its doors to the media Tuesday,
offering the first public glimpse inside in more than a year. The
tour revealed a cavernous shell, but Revel officials described in
great detail what the casino hotel will look like when it welcomes
its first customers in mid-2012.

Revel is expected to be the last megaresort built in the
slumping Atlantic City market for years to come. Revel itself was
in peril until the developers secured $1.15 billion in new
financing in February to restart a project that had been stalled by
money shortages.

The casino will simply be known by one word: Revel. The company
is reluctant to use the term “casino” as an appendage.

“We are not promoting this as a casino,” Revel spokeswoman Lisa
Johnson said. “It’s a lifestyle resort with a casino.”

Revel is a play on the word meaning fun. The company plans to
entertain its guests by stocking the resort with pools, a spa, 12
restaurants, retail shops, two nightclubs and other attractions
found nowhere else in Atlantic City.

One of the most striking features will be a two-acre, landscaped
outdoor deck overlooking the ocean. The so-called roofscape will
include a man-made “pine grove” of more than 30,000 live trees and
plants. Cabanas and fire pits will allow guests to party while
soaking up the outdoor decor.

The hotel lobby will be on the same level as the outdoor deck –
six stories above the ocean and also offering panoramic views of
the water. Overlooking the lobby will be a three-story,
glass-enclosed nightclub.

An atrium-like area, also enclosed in glass, will rise five
stories through the middle of the building. It will use escalators
to connect the porte cochere, the casino, the meeting rooms and the
lobby. 

Revel also is building a posh spa on the same level as the
lobby, although the two areas will be separated by a wall. An
indoor-outdoor pool complete with a waterfall will connect with the
spa.

Guests wanting to work on their bodies outside can sunbathe at
“Revel Beach,” a man-made version of the real coastline just steps
away. Part beach, part party zone, the sandy area is planned at the
tip of Metropolitan Avenue. As another enhancement to the outside
of the property, Revel is rebuilding a section of the Boardwalk
directly in front of the casino.

Reflecting the ocean theme, the casino’s curvy, glass-cloaked
facade appears sculpted by waves. The design by the internationally
known Arquitectonica architectural firm is reminiscent of Miami’s
trendy South Beach resorts.

“The building mirrors the undulation of the ocean itself,”
Andersen said.

Soaring high above the casino is a 47-story hotel tower that
tops out at 710 feet, dwarfing anything on the Atlantic City
skyline. Revel originally planned to open 1,900 rooms in the sleek
tower but has scaled back to 1,090 to save on construction costs.
Andersen said Revel has the ability to expand to 1,900 rooms if
there is demand.

The outside of the building will be illuminated in decorative
lighting that Andersen described as “spectacular.” Another
distinctive part of Revel is the hotel tower’s angled roof, a
feature that drew the attention of Las Vegas casino mogul Steve
Wynn during a visit to Atlantic City last year.

Revel’s anchor will be its 150,000-square-foot casino floor.
That size will put Revel in the top tier of Atlantic City’s casino
hotels. Only Harrah’s Resort and Bally’s Atlantic City will have
more gaming space than Revel. Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort’s
gaming space is comparable to Revel’s, New Jersey Casino Control
Commission statistics show.

Restaurants will ring Revel’s casino floor. A two-level circular
bar will dominate the middle of the casino. When asked about the
theme of the bar, Andersen smiled and replied, “fun.” There also
will be a nightclub on the casino level.

Revel’s heavy emphasis on entertainment is embodied by a
5,800-seat arena. A 1,000-seat theater also is planned for smaller
shows. The large arena’s retractable seating will allow Revel to
create meeting space and a 40,000-square-foot ballroom when there
are no shows taking place, Andersen said.

The casino hotel hopes its upscale surroundings and array of
nongaming attractions will lure conventions as well as the
well-heeled customers who currently favor Borgata Hotel Casino
amp; Spa, the city’s most luxurious gaming hall. Borgata has
launched a $50 million renovation project to freshen up its
2,000-room hotel tower in anticipation of Revel’s grand
opening.

Although the gaming industry is counting on Revel to boost the
struggling market by attracting new customers, some analysts
predict the megaresort will simply steal business from the existing
casinos.

“Revel casino will mostly cannibalize existing operators,”
Andrew Zarnett, managing director of Deutsche Bank Securities,
wrote in a newly released casino research report. “While Revel as a
standalone property will be impressive and drive strong visitation,
we are fearful that most of that traffic will come from other
Atlantic City casinos.”

For the time being, Revel has helped to stimulate the local
economy by creating jobs for nearly 2,000 construction workers. The
work force is expected to peak at 2,500 as construction progresses.
The South Jersey Building and Construction Trades Council estimates
that the unemployment rate for local trade unions has dropped from
about 40 percent to about 15 percent since Revel resumed full-scale
construction in early March.

“We want to thank Revel a hundred times over for bringing this
project back,” said Will Pauls, the council’s president.

Casinos by the numbers

Revel

Developer: Revel Entertainment Group LLC

Cost: $2.4 billion

Grand opening: Second quarter 2012

Casino space: 150,000 square feet

Hotel rooms: 1,090

Restaurants: 12

Nightclubs: Two

Retail space: 75,000 square feet

Spas/salons: One

Parking garage: 7,800 spaces

Event centers: 5,800-seat arena and 1,000-seat theater

Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort

Casino space: 75,416 square feet

Hotel rooms: 809

Restaurants: Seven

Retail shops: One

Nightclubs/lounges: Two

Spas/salons: One

Bally’s Atlantic City

Casino space: 167,209 square feet

Hotel rooms: 1,705

Restaurants: 17

Retail shops: Six

Nightclubs/lounges: Six

Spas/salons: One

Borgata Hotel Casino amp; Spa

Casino space: 136,667 square feet

Hotel rooms: 2,769

Restaurants: 18

Retail shops: 13

Nightclubs/lounges: Two

Spas/salons: Two

Caesars Atlantic City

Casino space: 111,201 square feet

Hotel rooms: 1,141

Restaurants: 22

Retail shops: 63

Nightclub/lounges: Eight

Spa/salons: Two

Harrah’s Resort

Casino space: 177,001 square feet

Hotel rooms: 2,590

Restaurants: 11

Retail shops: Nine

Nightclubs/lounges: Four

Spas/salons: One

Resorts Casino Hotel

Casino space: 99,030 square feet

Hotel rooms: 942

Restaurants: Seven

Retail shops: Two

Nightclubs/lounges: Three

Spas/salons: Two

Showboat Casino Hotel

Casino space: 122,454 square feet

Hotel rooms: 1,331

Restaurants: 11

Retail shops: Two

Nightclubs/lounges: Two

Spas/salons: One

Tropicana Casino and Resort

Casino space: 138,130 square feet

Hotel rooms: 2,129

Restaurants: 24

Retail shops: 26

Nightclubs/lounges: 15

Spas/salons: One

Trump Marina Hotel Casino

Casino space: 78,535 square feet

Hotel rooms: 728

Restaurants: Eight

Retail shops: Four

Nightclubs/lounges: Four

Spas/salons: Two

Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino

Casino space: 86,923 square feet

Hotel rooms: 906

Restaurants: 13

Retail shops: Three

Nightclubs/lounges: Four

Spas/salons: One

Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort

Casino space: 149,445 square feet

Hotel rooms: 2,010

Restaurants: 19

Retail shops: Six

Nightclubs/lounges: Six

Spas/salons: Two

Sources: Atlantic City casinos and New Jersey Casino Control
Commission

Contact Donald Wittkowski:

609-272-7258

DWittkowski@pressofac.com

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Undergraduate science, artistry to be celebrated at Colorado State Universitys 17th annual research symposium April 19

FORT COLLINS – Studies show undergraduate students are more likely to stay in school if theyre engaged in campus activities such as laboratory research, so youll have to excuse Mark Brown if hes a little excited about the upcoming 2011 Celebrate Undergraduate Research and Creativity Showcase.

When Brown started as director of The Institute for Learning and Teaching Office of Undergraduate Research and Artistry in 2009, a record 86 students had signed up for the showcase. This year, on April 19, more than 400 students will present their research at the 17th annual symposium in the Main Ballroom of the Lory Student Center. This event has survived and thrived through the years thanks to efforts by dedicated CSU faculty such as Nancy Levinger.

Browns office also has created a new Journal for Undergraduate Research, which may be the first entirely peer-reviewed undergraduate journal in the nation. A special edition has been published for the symposium with blurbs on student presentations.

Expect this years event to be packed with gawkers including faculty, students, and maybe even a state legislator or two. The symposium is sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Artistry, and the College of Natural Sciences.

We had to buy 78 new easels and poster frames, Brown said. Weve grown beyond our capacity.

Brown estimates almost 3,000 CSU undergraduate students participate in some aspect of research or artistry. His office isnt just focused on scientific laboratory experiences the idea is to give any student on campus an outlet for showcasing their research whether its in fashion design or forestry.

Most students attending the symposium this month are from CSU in Fort Collins, but the symposium also will feature work of students from CSU-Pueblo and the University of Wisconsin. Students who participate in one of 23 formal programs offered through the Office of Undergraduate Research and Artistry are required to attend.

Undergraduates from the universitys Department of Music will perform at the entrance to the LSC Main Ballroom for the event. An awards ceremony on Thursday, April 21, will feature a keynote speech by former Gov. Bill Ritter, now at CSU as the director of the Center for the New Energy Economy and senior scholar in the School of Global Environmental Sustainability.

Students who win highest honors are invited to take their research to the state Capitol in February as part of the universitys celebration of Founders Day.

Ultimately, Brown envisions creating a full-fledged center in old theater offices in Johnson Hall where members of the community and industry partners could witness students working on their craft, either in scientific laboratories or art studios.

-30-

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LOS CABOS, Mexico, April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Featuring stunning contemporary architecture and lavish touches such as quartz columns, marble floors and fountains on both the interior and exterior, Luxury Avenue Los Cabos has been likened to a museum filled with the artistry of the worlds best fashion and beauty designers. Now Luxury Avenue has literally transformed its halls into an art gallery by showcasing the work of well-known and up-and-coming Mexican artists alongside its renowned designer boutiques in a series of permanent and rotating exhibitions. This new endeavor seamlessly aligns the latest trends in travel, fashion, beauty and art.

The first permanent art exhibit at Luxury Avenue Los Cabos features 69 handcrafted pieces of Mata Ortiz pottery. Crafted in Mata Ortiz, a small village in the state of Chihuahua, each piece is made from local and natural materials, shaped, polished and painted by hand just as these pieces were created 1,000 years ago. The intricate designs on each piece vary from the traditional to those featuring a more innovative and contemporary style. All of the pottery on display is available for sale at Ultrajewels within Luxury Avenue Los Cabos.

My vision for Luxury Avenue Los Cabos has been to create a retail venue where the top talents in the worlds of beauty, fashion and art are displayed together in a spectacular resort destination setting, said Elena Villarreal, Owner and Founder. Our goal is to highlight the creative artistry of Mexico by showcasing this rich aesthetic alongside the worlds most prominent fashion and beauty designers.

In coming weeks, the work of Mexican sculptor Sergio Bustamante will be on display throughout Luxury Avenue Los Cabos. Working with materials such as resin and bronze, Bustamantes sculptures manifest the artists playfulness resulting in whimsical dream-like designs. The 21 sculptures will be on display and for sale from now September 30.

Luxury Avenue Los Cabos, boasting a waterfront setting at the center of the Cabo San Lucas marina, is home to designer boutiques including Ferragamo, Cartier, Fendi and Chopard. A pioneering concept in travel retail, Luxury Avenue Los Cabos along with Luxury Avenue Cancun, bring to Mexico a shopping experience previously only available on the streets of Milan, Paris, New York and Beverly Hills. For more information on Luxury Avenue, please visit www.luxuryavenue.com, follow us on Twitter @ShopLuxuryAve or become a fan of our Facebook page.

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(CBS News)

Thanks to modern technology, spreading the Word has never been easier for religious leaders with a story to tell. In fact, you dont have to actually go to church to go to church. Our Cover Story is reported by Daniel Sieberg:

Call it divine digital intervention.

The Portsmouth Abbey in Rhode Island allows you to answer Gods calling with a Gregorian chant ringtone.

Its a sure sign that 21st century technology has become part of the very fabric of American life when religion – whether it be Christian, Jewish, Muslim or even Buddhist – is online, and on the go.

Take the Bible app produced by Lifechuch.tv. Its been downloaded more than 18 million times.

Or the Live Madinah app, which streams a webcam of the Prophets mosque from Saudi Arabia.

There is even an official Facebook page for next Sundays beatification of Pope John Paul II.

Barry Schwartzs company, Rusty Brick, develops primarily Jewish apps, including a Hebrew prayer book.

Its not replacing religion, Schwartz said. It gives them the ability to basically make their daily task of being a Jewish person, and observing their faith in a basically, you know, with technology that helps them do that.

Except on the Sabbath, and holidays like today: So, if you open it up tonight, and you look at it, it will gray out whats called Evening Services, and you wont be able to click on it. Because evening services happens to be on a holiday where youre not allowed to use technology. So, itll gray it out. You wont be able to use it.

The fact is, religion has always made use of technology, even before a man named Gutenberg created moveable type and published his revolutionary version of the Bible.

But today, it seems, we have become one nation under God … and Google.

Lifechurch.tv matches their Internet ads to Google search words, in an effort to reach folks seeking sin online.

The question was, should the church even be engaged at all in these formats? said Pastor Bobby Gruenenwald, an innovation leader at the church. It seems like theyre leading to really destructive behavior. You have people that are having extramarital affairs, and all sorts of things that come through relationships that theyve formed online.

And our answer to it is we see technology as inherently amoral – they could be used for good or for evil. So from our perspective its not just OK for the church to engaged in it, but its actually really important to leverage these tools – in some way redeem technology for the purpose of reaching people for Christ.

Gruenenwald spoke to us via Skype.

I really do believe Jesus would be connecting with people on Facebook, or on Twitter, or through these means, he said, because Jesus was really about connecting with people that were hurting. And those tools represent access – the ability to communicate in todays age with people of all sorts who are hurting that need help.

In 2009, Outreach magazine listed Lifechurch.tv outside Oklahoma City as the second-largest independent church in America.

Every Sunday, 30,000 people worship in its branches in five states – and thats not counting the churchs much larger virtual presence.

One of the strengths you have of ministry thats online is the global nature of it, Gruenewald said. You end up with the ability to connect with people all over the world. In our case, its over 180 different countries and territories every week.

And those folks get an online forum to ask questions, or join others in prayer.

Elsewhere on the Internet, its possible to confess your sins (Mysecret.tv), and of course theres even an app for it. One church has even conducted baptisms via Skype.

But is it possible to put too much faith in technology?

In the early days of any new technology, we think, Oh! All the rules have changed. Well, all the rules havent changed, said John Mark Reynolds, a professor at Biola University in Southern California, which recently hosted a Christian web conference.

And if we want to get good, heartfelt service, the pastor on TV, the pastor online, isnt going to stand next to my wife when our child dies, Reynolds said. But the pastor of my little parish, of 70 people, stood with my family when my son died. And thats not something you want online, that you can do online, or thats appropriate online.

Drew Goodmanson, a pastor and web developer, was at the conference.

One of the things we talk about is like, even the air conditioning unit – it destroyed community in some ways because people stopped living on the front porches of their homes, and they started closing the doors and moving in, said Goodmanson. Im just curious what is going to be some of the unintended consequences of moving more and more of our life online, rather than in the relationships that, you know, the face-to-face relationships that Id like to see.

On the other hand, some say online anonymity can be a plus.

Because were physically separated, and because many times you cant see each other and its just a screen name, its much easier for there not to be an emotional façade – a facade that covers the parts of us that are inside, said Lifechurch.tvs Gruenewald. So what we found is that its much easier in some cases – very, very quick – to get right down to the heart [of] issues that people are dealing with.

Like it or not, says Drew Goodmanson, online religion is here to stay.

If Im going to buy a car or Im going to do something, I often research it online, and thats what were finding, he said. In some of the research weve done, people that have been at their churches for under a year, about 27 percent said that they found the church online first.

But will religion online ever completely replace the neighborhood house of worship?

Just ask the flock at the Kaleo Church in San Diego, where Goodmanson is pastor:

Church surely existed prior to computers, said Darrell Tarbajal. And so Id say, if all the technology went away, wed be as flourishing a church as ever. But since we have these tools available to us, which I feel enhance these relationships, why not?

For more info:

• portsmouthabbeymonastery.org
• wildmind.org
• lifechurch.tv
• potentialchurch.com
• biola.edu
• johnmarkreynolds.com
• goodmanson.com
• kaleochurch.com

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Sunday, April 24, 2011

Learning more about some of our fascinating Easter traditions can enrich your holiday gatherings. Easter is a time of celebration for many families. With it comes the thought of spring, rebirth, Easter egg hunts, Easter baskets and spending time with family and friends. But why do we have Easter egg hunts, and why does a bunny bring Easter eggs? What do Easter eggs have to do with the resurrection of Christ?

A Christian Holiday

Easter as we know it in the United States has its roots as a Christian holiday. Catholics and Protestants alike celebrate Easter as a time of great rejoicing. They believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead on Easter morning, and this belief is a fundamental part of their faith. Jesus was crucified on a cross, spent three days in the grave and then was resurrected to new life. Many fundamental Christians use the term Resurrection Sunday because of the pagan connotations that come with the term Easter.

Good Friday and Lent are part of the Christians celebrations leading up to Easter. Catholics and some protestant religions celebrate Lent as a time of denying the flesh in preparation for Easter. Good Friday is supposed to be the day that Christ was crucified. Easter is always on the first Sunday following the full moon that occurs on or following the spring equinox.
Spring Equinox and Pagan Celebrations

As with many Christian holidays, some Easter traditions have been merged with pagan holidays and practices. The celebration of the Spring Equinox was important to cultures and belief systems all over the world for thousands of years before Christ. Many of these traditions have found their way into our Easter celebrations, but often without the same spiritual meaning they once held.
Spring Goddesses
Easter is said to have come from Eostre, Osatara or Ishtar, versions of the name for a pagan goddess of spring. The spring equinox was a time of worshipping and celebrating this goddess who represented fertility and plenty. The people of the area wanted to please her so that their crops would be blessed and they would bear children. Along with this symbol of fertility comes another symbol, the egg.

The Easter Egg

Easter eggs are a central part of any Easter tradition. Children everywhere have fun dyeing brightly colored eggs every year. Colorful plastic eggs are placed into Easter baskets and filled with goodies of all kinds. In many countries, the art of decorating Easter eggs requires much skill. But why eggs? Why not an Easter onion?

Eggs have stood for new life and fertility throughout the ages. Christians see it as a symbol of the new life brought to them with the resurrection of Christ. During the Middle Ages, decorated eggs were said to have been given as gifts. The ancient Persians decorated eggs to celebrate their New Year, which occurred during the Spring Equinox. For Jews, Easter coincides with the Passover, and eggs dipped in salt water represent new life.

The Easter Bunny and Egg Hunts

It is said that the hare was a symbol of the goddess Eostre. Rabbits and hares, like the eggs, represent fertility. Rabbits often make their nests in fields, and this gave rise to the childrens belief that the rabbits laid eggs in the fields as well. Thus the Easter egg hunt was born.
In todays culture, the Easter bunny is a fuzzy, lovable character who brings Easter chocolates and Easter baskets to kids on Sunday morning. He is no longer a symbol of fertility as in days of old. Easter baskets are supposed to resemble nests for the eggs the Easter bunny will bring.

Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns may taste delicious on Easter morning but they are also rich in traditions. In pagan ceremonies, the cross on the buns was said to represent the quarters of the moon, or in some cultures the crossed horns of a bull. To Christians, the cross icing represents the cross that Jesus was crucified on.

The Easter Parade

Legend tells us that the Emperor Constantine may have started Easter parades. Supposedly he told his servants, court attendees and subjects to dress in their finest and parade up and down the city in celebration of the resurrection of Christ. This might also indicate when the habit of dressing in new clothes on Easter began.

Easter is a time of fun, food and fellowship, which has always been a part of any celebration, pagan or Christian. It is a time we set aside to rejoice in what we have and the newness of spring and the gift of life.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Democrats returned to the Indiana Senate on Thursday after walking out Wednesday night in protest of a measure they claim poisoned relationships in the chamber.

Majority Republicans and the Democrats are at odds over a GOP-backed proposal that would allow civil lawsuits against lawmakers who boycott sessions to prevent legislative action.

Democratic senators left the floor in protest of the measure, which Republicans devised after a five-week walkout by House Democrats earlier in the session brought action in that chamber to a standstill.

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