Customers of Rochdale-based ISP Zen Internet are being warned to expect a rise in the cost of their broadband packages from 1st July 2015, which will hit only a few months after their last December 2014 price rise (details) on the cost of phone line rental. But it will only impact some subscribers.

Admittedly Zen has a reputation for being a bit more expensive than the big boys, which is often mitigated by their perceived advantage through the delivery of a normally superior service quality and support. But even Zen arestill hindered by the limits of BTOpenreachs underlying response, which means that the advantages of paying extra will only take you so far.

For example, home users currently pay 18.37 per month for Zens entry-level up to 17Mbps (ADSL2+) Zen Lite package with a 50GB usage allowance, which is well above the budget level pricing of TalkTalks 3.50 per month and Sky Broadbands 7.50 options (both of which are unlimited usage, include free routersand thats also excluding any special offers). On the other hand Zens current superfast FTTC fibre broadband packages are a lot more in keeping with wider industry pricing (largely because ISPs dont have muchflexibility to differentiate).

In terms of the price rises, customers are being informed via personal letters and as such we dont yet have a full picture of what is changing and by how much. We do know that some packages, especially legacy products, are going up by several pounds per month and this is thus more of a price hike than a tweak. For example, customers on the ISPs older ADSL Zen 8000 Active package will see their monthly fees shoot from 21.27 to 26 +vat per month.

A Zen Internet Spokesperson told ISPreview.co.uk:

Zen will be updating some of its broadband prices from 1st July 2015. For many years Zen has avoided imposing industry-wide price rises on its customers, brought about by a surge in demand for high-speed, high-usage connectivity in the home and office.

However, the cost of delivering our services to a standard that supports our highly-connected world particularly in harder to reach areas with limited infrastructure is continuing to rise. In some cases, it costs more than double the amount we charge our customers. As a result, weve reached a point where we must reluctantly alter our rates to reflect the growing overheads associated with installing and distributing broadband.

We are writing to every affected customer and will endeavour to alert them by any means about the changes as soon as possible. A specialist team will be on hand to discuss alternative broadband packages including eligibility for a transition to fibre broadband as well as offering support and advice on the new monthly prices.

We appreciate this will come as a surprise to many, so Zen wont change any prices until 1st July 2015 rather than offering the standard one month notice period to allow customers to discuss their options with us.

Crucially the ISP notes that customers will be free to move away from Zen if the changes are unacceptable to them, and they can do so without facing any penalty. But any customers who wish to move away or alter their services must inform Zen before 5pm on 31st May 2015.

Link:
UK ISP Zen Internet Issues Warning Ahead of 1st July 2015 Price Hikes

Denver, Colo. (PRWEB) April 08, 2015

Zen Planner, an all-in-one software solution for fitness business owners, announces today that current CTO for OpenTable, Joseph Essas, will join the companys board. Joseph has more than 20 years of experience in the technology industry and has also worked with other well-known growth companies holding various product and technology management positions including eHarmony, Yahoo! and Tickets.com. His expertise and knowledge in product, technology and business strategy will provide the board with additional key insights around Zen Planners aggressive growth plans.

Joseph brings strong expertise in delivering cloud technology solutions to small and medium-sized customers like those of Zen Planner. Joseph brings experience to our board including cloud software delivery, technology integration, product innovation, large-scale web-based transactional systems, and software architecture, said Jeff Gardner, CEO of Zen Planner. We are thrilled to have Joseph join our board as he will be a tremendous asset to our team.

As Chief Technology Officer at OpenTable, Joseph leads engineering, operations and data science teams, connecting diners and restaurateurs. His team focuses on ensuring that OpenTables hardware and software solutions continue to exceed the expectations of diners and restaurants. Operating real-time software for over 32,000 restaurants in six countries, OpenTable seats over 16 million diners per month. Joseph also serves as a board member for Chrome River Technologies and is a venture partner for FirstMark Capital.

About Zen Planner Zen Planners all-in-one software solution gives fitness business owners everything they need to turn their passion into a successful business. With integrated payment processing, scheduling, membership management, workout tracking, email automation and website templates - business owners have what they require to thrive in the fitness community theyve worked so hard to build. Customer support, available seven days a week, separates Zen Planner from the competition by delivering a user-friendly platform for business operations. Zen Planner is backed by a team of like-minded fitness fanatics, which is why one out of every two customers refers Zen Planner to a friend - making the companys satisfaction rating 98%. For more information, visit zenplanner.com.

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Zen Planner Welcomes Joseph Essas to its Board

Baldwinsville Canton Woods Senior Center offers a wide variety of programs and services fromaerobics to tai chi and book club to Wii bowling. Read on for our upcoming events. This week, in addition to our full schedule of activities, we will hosttwo informativepresentations.

Learn about osteoporosis

Humana will present the topicof osteoporosis at 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 14. Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become weak and more likely to break. Men as well as women can have osteoporosis, a disease that can be prevented and treated. Cometo Canton Woods and learn more about osteoporosis.

Medication Jeopardy!

Prescription medications will be the topic of discussion at 11:15 a.m. Friday, April 17. Play a fun Jeopardy!-likegame to learn facts and fictions about prescription drugs. You might win a prize!

Come for the program and stay for lunch. Just be sure to make a reservation. After lunch, head to the rec roomfor a friendly game of 9 Ball.

Lunch is served

Canton Woods is a PEACE seniornutrition site. Delicious lunch for seniors 60 and older is servedat noon Monday,Wednesdayand Friday. Reservations for lunch are required, so please call ahead. See you at the Center!

Dino mug raises $1,440

The Bville Diner and the Dinosaur radio station (95.3/103.9 FM) partnered for theDino Mug fundraiser on behalf of Canton Woods Senior Center.

Originally posted here:
Canton Woods Senior Center: Learn how to protect your bones

Whether youre looking for the challenge of LES MILLS BODYPUMP classes, the fun and vigor of ZUMBA or the serenity of Yoga, we have a group fitness class that suits your goals. Best of all, most Group X classes are free with your membership!

If you enjoy moving to a Latin beat, you'll love this dance workout. Zumba fitness classes fuse Latin dance rhythms with easy-to-follow moves for a fun, energizing and effective workout. Read more.

Push your limits and reach your fitness goals faster with these exciting Group X classes youll be hooked! Read more.

24 Hour Fitness group cardio & dance classes offers a variety of aerobic exercises to strengthen the body and burn calories. Workouts are challenging for all fitness levels. Read more.

24 Hour Fitness group cycling classes combine authentic cycling drills with music to create challenging workouts for members of all fitness levels. Read more.

Our strength training classes are about much more than packing on muscle. You can expect to burn fat, improve your bone density and more with the added motivation of training in a group. Read more.

Tone your body and center your mind with mind/body group fitness classes that combine traditional practices with modern formats and techniques. Read more.

Get fit and have fun in low-impact classes designed for people of all ages and fitness levels. Enjoy the community of a group while benefiting from our friendly and knowledgeable group fitness instructors. Read more.

Jump right in the waters great! Our popular water aerobics classes focus on both cardiovascular fitness and strength. Read more.

Continued here:
Fitness Classes | Group X Training, Fitness Class

In the other case, a man had been convicted of felony-level sexual abuse in Texas, but the conviction was dismissed when he finished his prison sentence. He was still required to register in Utah when he moved here, though the licensing office cleared him to live in the home.

The audit revealed ambiguity in state policy about how to handle a situation like his, and recommended the licensing office come up with clearer policies about how to handle overturned or "set aside" convictions.

The audit also found that it was unclear whether at least 12 offenders, who were living in the same apartment buildings as licensed child care providers, had unsupervised access to the children. State licensing policy requires inspections that "demonstrate restrictions preventing unsupervised access to the child care facility," according to the report. "However, such documentation does not always exist."

In one example, a house was divided into five apartments, and offenders were living in four of the units. Though each apartment had a separate entrance, case file documentation was unclear about whether interior doors would give offenders access to other apartments.

The audit recommends the licensing office do more to document that, among other steps to make sure offenders don't have unsupervised access to children, or other vulnerable people.

On the positive side, the audit also found that none of the sampled education agencies employed sex offenders, nor did the Utah State Developmental Center or the Utah State Hospital.

mmcfall@sltrib.com

Twitter: @MikeyPanda

Link:
Audit finds problems monitoring Utah sex offenders' access to children

COMMENTARY

I dont know what kind of man Walter Scott was before he was shot in the back while fleeing from an officer in North Charleston, South Carolina. In the hours since the video of his death has been made public, I have learned that he was a member of the Coast Guard, had been arrested, and that he owed some child support. But those facts do not lead me to believe I have a solid understanding on who Walter Scott was. I do, however, know that the fallout from the video of his death has already begun to progress as these things do. Soon, Im certain we will be warned not to lump all cops in with the North Charleston, South Carolina officer charged with murder. Well be told that most cops are good cops.

But if so many cops are good, why are we here again?

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Fifty-year-old Walter Scott did not pose a significant threat to the life of 33-year-old North Charleston police officer Michael T. Slager when he was sprinting away from him with his back turned. The law permits an officer to use deadly force if and only if the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others.

Based on what we already know, I do not believe Scott was a threat to Slager. Because Slager has already lied about one key point.

Slager pulled over a Mercedes-Benz with a broken tail light. Scott was its driver. Scott allegedly ran away from Slager into a grassy knoll, and, according to police reports, was undeterred by the firing of Slagers stun gun.

So Slager shot at him eight times, bringing him to the ground and mortally wounding him. And then he radioed in, telling dispatch that the suspect had taken his stun gun. The stun gun he used before the gun used to kill the suspect.

The New York Times published this video of the incident, taken by a bystander. It contains some graphic content.

Not only does Scott, who was running from his car, not appear to have any weapon, he is running full speed away from Slager, the significance of his threat diminishing with each step in the opposite direction.

Read the original post:
Police Deserve to Make it Home. So Did Walter Scott