Latest news with #Kodak
Boston Globe
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Does live music at Logan baggage claim actually make us feel better about the wait? Our critic went to find out.
'I wrote this song on my way here,' the man joked and launched into a reggae beat, cheerfully belting out one of the most famous choruses in the English language. 'Don't worry/about a thing/'Cause every little thing/gonna be alright...' Advertisement You may have heard about this -- live music at two Logan baggage claim areas this summer. It's Massport's idea to 'reduce travel stress,' according to an official announcement. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The experimental program, which runs through August, when officials will decide whether to make it an ongoing thing, has already been met with skeptical grumbles, including from The Globe's Full disclosure: This isn't my usual beat. I usually review classical music, where performances are generally staged in quieter venues with refined acoustics – hardly the case here. But I also play in two bands, I've busked with my accordion, and I do travel from time to time. I appreciate both a good bar act and the hell that can be a bad day of travel. And I wondered if those experiences might actually mesh. Advertisement On this muggy July evening at Terminal C, I have to say that it kind of worked. The musician, a guitarist named Mike Weidenfeller, strummed his way through mild uptempo covers; familiar songs seemingly meant to soothe. And he easily worked the frazzled crowd. 'Are you from Boston?' he asked a group of women passing before him with large rolling suitcases. 'Yes,' one of them replied. 'Welcome back,' he said. And then, when they said they had just come from Aruba: 'In that case, I'll say I'm sorry!' Weidenfeller jammed his way through another reggae standard, Beres Hammond's 'I Feel Good,' and a woman skipped across the terminal, her henna-red hair flying. 'It's a party now,' he said with a smile. Then something else caught his eye: 'Oh, that's a nice reunion over there.' cq A goldendoodle had spotted his 'granddad' sitting on a bench, and gone into a tail-wagging frenzy. As Weidenfeller strummed the Beatles' 'The Long and Winding Road,' the dog leaped into the man's lap and licked his face. cq It was a Kodak moment, and for the people I talked to, at least, the music added a friendly feel and helped to uncoil a little tension. 'It kind of adds a nice charm now that we're all stuck here waiting on our luggage,' said Jennifer Stacey, cq who was returning to her southern New Hampshire home after a vacation in Aruba. 'I hope it takes off.' Still, I have to wonder if the same would be true in truly trying travel circumstances – like the time I was stranded overnight in New York's John F. Kennedy Airport terminal after being forced to gate-check my carry-on between Los Angeles and Boston. The amenities included nonfunctional power outlets and arctic-blast air conditioning in rainy October. Over the PA, a soft-pop playlist including Paula Cole's 'I Don't Want to Wait,' Daniel Powter's 'Bad Day,' and Fergie's 'Big Girls Don't Cry' mocked me as I roamed the long concourse, unable to sleep through the sensory barrage. Sometimes big girls do cry. If I'd heard ' Don't worry/about a thing…' the next morning when my suitcase failed to appear on the Logan baggage carousel, I probably would have spontaneously combusted. Advertisement For musicians, playing Logan is a unique experience. The logistics of booking and scheduling performers this summer are being handled through Gigs4U, a Seattle-based agency that already books musicians at SeaTac International And Fall River-based singer-songwriter Brandon Furtado, 29, who played on the pilot program's launch day, said his set went well. 'I'm always trying to find new places to play, so that was a cool experience for me,' he Furtado is accustomed to playing in neighborhood hangouts, and at baggage claim, he found that 'people are kind of trying to get their stuff and go. Maybe you don't get as much engagement, so you have to work a little harder to acknowledge people and get their attention.' From a financial perspective, it mattered less whether people stopped to listen; the Live at Logan musicians cannot collect tips, but they receive $200 for each performance, with parking covered. cq The only tough part was playing to a largely-vacant room much of the time, Furtado said. 'There was one group of people that arrived, and it was kind of empty afterwards.' cq Advertisement One important point: not everyone in this captive audience is necessarily a traveler. As Weidenfeller played on that recent night, Security guard Pax Brown Johnson, cq of Milton, sat on a bench as she waited for her overnight shift to begin, enthusiastically greeting her co-workers as they passed by and clapping after every song Weidenfeller played. The music helped her feel more relaxed, she said, even when 'you feel so discouraged.' cq She hoped they'd bring the music to the departure level, so more people might appreciate it. Maybe she'd even be able to hear it from her station at the secure area's exit door. She'd like that, she said. In the meantime, she knew what she wanted to hear. 'Play 'Don't Worry About a Thing!'' she urged Weidenfeller. cq An hour had passed since he last played 'Three Little Birds.' No one who had heard it earlier was still around. He played it. A.Z. Madonna can be reached at
TECHx
22-07-2025
- Business
- TECHx
Kodak Launches S5000 Series Scanners and Capture Pro 7.0
Home » Product Watch » Kodak Launches S5000 Series Scanners and Capture Pro 7.0 Kodak Alaris has announced the launch of its next-generation KODAK S5000 Series production scanners along with the latest version of its capture software, KODAK Capture Pro 7.0. The company revealed that the new scanners deliver unmatched speed, accuracy, and automation. They process up to 210 sheets per minute and are built to serve high-volume industries across the Middle East, including banking, insurance, healthcare, and government. Naji Kazak, VP EMEIA & APAC at Kodak Alaris, stated that businesses in the region are under pressure to digitise operations quickly and accurately. He noted that the new solutions help organisations scan, process, and archive large volumes of information with high speed and precision, ensuring no critical data is lost. The KODAK S5000 Series features a 32-core image processor, enabling high throughput even during complex scan jobs. Its Dynamic Flow technology balances computing loads between hardware and software. This maintains full scanning speed while producing three simultaneous image outputs per page. These scanners support multiple uses in one pass, such as: Archival-quality images for audits Optimised files for workflows Colour copies for customer service Kodak Alaris reported that the scanners handle sensitive and irregular documents with advanced features like ultrasonic double-feed detection, metal and crease sensors, and intelligent slowdown to prevent jams. The updated interface includes a touchscreen for faster setup and real-time monitoring of consumables, which helps minimise workflow disruptions. Capture Pro 7.0 complements the new hardware with a 64-bit architecture and a tile-based user interface. It is designed to manage complex, high-volume capture jobs efficiently. Together, the new hardware and software aim to streamline document workflows, reduce bottlenecks, and enhance turnaround times. Kazak added that the scanners automate manual steps and deliver reliable output, enabling better outcomes in sectors like finance and insurance. The KODAK S5000 Series includes three models: S5160: up to 160 sheets per minute S5180: up to 180 sheets per minute S5210: up to 210 sheets per minute, with tri-stream mode Kodak Alaris confirmed that both the S5000 Series and Capture Pro 7.0 will be available in the Middle East starting August 2025.
Scotsman
19-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
Who's with me? Car rentals are a massive rip-off, right?
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It must be the last frontier to be crossed. So much of modern life has been transformed by technology. Mobiles have replaced landlines, digital photography has pushed aside Kodak and emails have sent Royal Mail to the edge. Yet need to hire a car and the process remains as depressing and baffling as it has always been. It begins hopefully when you spot a good online price for a small vehicle and make your reservation. Then the big day comes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad You can always locate the company you booked with because they will be the one with the enormous queue. At every other window the staff will be staring into space but your reservation will be at the desk with ten people waiting, including one man who only speaks Greek and wants to swap his Honda Civic for a Bedford van but only if it's electric. READ MORE: Why Scottish cider converts like me head to Anstruther No one wants to end up careering down Rome's Spanish Steps in a two-tonne Dodge Durango because they were 'upgraded' from the Fiat Punto they booked (Picture: Alberto Pizzoli) | AFP via Getty Images After watching the start of your holiday disappear before your eyes, you eventually reach the front of the line and that's where the problems really begin. After being offered a bewildering range of additional payment options, the staff take a deposit the size of Belgium's national debt, then reveal your choice of car is unavailable. They always sweeten this by telling you that you've been upgraded, which is fine unless you've booked a Fiat Punto for ease of navigating the narrow streets of Rome and instead end up driving a two-tonne Dodge Durango down the Spanish Steps. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Do they even own the cars they advertise? I'm not sure because I really can't remember the last time I got the one I actually booked. This summer the Fiat 500 I'd reserved turned into some weird Kia with an enormous scratch down the side. And one on the bonnet... and the rear bumper. I pointed all that out to the man who gave me the key, shrugged and scribbled something on a piece of paper. Returning a week later, all seemed to be fine. I hadn't added to the scratches, I'd filled up with fuel and even got back a few hours early. The man grunted and scribbled on some more paper and that was that until a week later when an email arrived charging an extra 200 euros for Protection Plus (whatever that is) and the cost of filling up the tank... which I'd already done. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After some badgering, they backed down and refunded the money but what an amazing business model. You promise a product for a price, then make people queue, then give them a different product they didn't want, then charge them much more for it. And the worst thing is, they have different logos, brands and promises but they are all basically the same. The car rental market is ripe for an ambitious disruptor to move in, rip up the spurious charges and calculations and offer a transparent price and good customer service. Could the obstacle to that possibly be a cosy cartel involving car manufacturers who rely on fleet sales and the big rental operators who shield together to hold onto the biggest consumer-scamming operation in the holiday market?
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
IMAX tickets for Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' go on sale a year before release
Moviegoers can reserve a ticket a year in advance for Christopher Nolan's" The Odyssey." On Thursday, IMAX shared several Instagram posts announcing that tickets are now on sale for the first IMAX 70 mm screenings of the upcoming film adaptation. The film is slated to hit theaters on July 17, 2026. It will star Matt Damon as Odysseus, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal and more. On the official website for IMAX, 16 IMAX theaters across the country are listed as locations where the film will be screened in 70mm, which is Nolan's preferred cinematic viewing experience. Ticket sales were also available for several IMAX theater locations listed in Canada, the U.K., Australia and the Czech Republic. According to the IMAX website, "The Odyssey" was "shot entirely with IMAX film cameras." Universal Pictures shared in a post in December 2024 that Nolan's take on "The Odyssey" is a "mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology." "The film brings Homer's foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time," it added. Nolan's 2023 Oscar-winning film, " Oppenheimer," was also filmed in IMAX format, according to Kodak. The film was also available to view in IMAX theaters. In an interview with the Associated Press in 2023, Nolan said, "You rarely get the chance to really talk to moviegoers directly about why you love a particular format and why if they can find an IMAX screen to see the film on, that's great." He added, "We put a lot of effort into shooting the film in a way that we can get it out on these large format screens. It really is just a great way of giving people an experience that they can't possibly get in the home." "Good Morning America" has reached out to IMAX.
New Straits Times
15-07-2025
- New Straits Times
#NST180years: Transformed by a powerful evolution
ON the production floor of the New Straits Times in the late 1980s, "paste-up men" wielding razor-sharp box cutters and straight aluminium rulers would cut strips of wax-coated bromide paper with the speed and precision of a CNC machine, before placing them on layout sheets. The production editor — a picture of calm — would pace between rows of brightly lit layout tables, arms folded, one eye scanning the pages, the other cocked on his Seiko timepiece, as sub-editors scurried about making last-minute changes. The finished pages would be laid out on the offstone table. Editors and production supervisors did the last checks, signed off the pages and declared them "offstoned" — no more changes and ready for the plate. Today, everything is digitally done through the magic of ones and zeros. The paste-up men, their box cutters, bromide paper, wax baths and layout tables have become ghosts of a bygone era. Word-processing and editing were done on Kodak's ATEX machines — cast-iron framed keyboards with high-impact plastic key tabs. Trash bins overflowed with torn carbon paper, crumpled foolscap sheets and reams of typewriter ribbons. The newsroom pulsed with the syncopated, clackety-clack sing-song of Olivetti typewriters as reporters raced to meet their deadlines. These days, fingers dance effortlessly across keyboards and smartphones. Data is stored digitally, captured on vast servers. Stories can be tweaked, tracked and kept for months. Editors can also see how stories perform on the World Wide Web in real time. If they are sluggish, they can be taken down, rewritten and re-sold — something impossible with traditional print. If you covered crime back then, you'd do the rounds — morgues, hospitals, fire and police stations — to build contacts. People skills mattered, and you were bound to get scoops if you showed up with a roll of free NSTs under your arm and spread them around like Father Christmas... more so if you arrived with teh O ais, ikat tepi, and roti canai. In Balai Berita, a crime reporter monitored the wireless set that picked up police transmissions. The NST crime boys were often ahead of the game, showing up at crime scenes long before the competition. Bukit Aman's ruffled feathers would be soothed by the imposing crime editor, Rudy Beltran, himself a retired cop and an accomplished pianist. Today, the proliferation of WhatsApp groups has made wireless sets irrelevant. Information moves at the speed of thought. Newsrooms no longer wait for dispatches crackling over the radio or rely on runners dashing in with scribbled updates. Details, photos and videos arrive instantly, often before official confirmation. On the flipside, scoops — the lifeblood of newspapers — have become harder to secure. When everyone shares everything in group chats, exclusivity is lost. A tip-off that once landed on a single editor's desk now reaches dozens of reporters at the same time. The playing field has levelled, but at the cost of the thrill of the hunt. Technology has democratised information — but it has also made genuine exclusives rarer. Today, journalists armed with a smartphone can write and edit a story, take high-definition photos, record a stand-upper and send a complete package back to the newsroom, each piece tailored for specific platforms — print, online and social media. A photographer with a DSLR smaller than a lunch box can shoot thousands of high-resolution images and broadcast-quality 4K videos. Where it once took a team from different departments to assemble a story, now a good reporter can do it alone. This seismic shift began in the mid-2000s with the digital age. The Internet, once shackled by anaemic dial-up speeds and anorexic bandwidth, became unstoppable. The NST had the answer in this powerful new tool, begging the question — how to fully harness it. Far from being just an enabler, digital technology was a game-changer. It allowed the NST to evolve into a fully integrated news organisation, covering a broad spectrum — from traditional print to online, social media, podcasts, education and television. In so doing, it has become more than just a newspaper — it has grown into one of the world's largest repositories of human history. And it continues to reinvent itself, reshaping how we consume news and information. Some practices have been consigned to the scrap heap of history. But certain things — like the chase for a scoop, the ironclad commitment to ethics and integrity, the hunt for that perfect money shot — still continue to this day, 180 years later.
