Month: February 2021

Paramount+ Launches March 4th, 2021 for….

CompuScoop Staff February 26, 2021 0

ViacomCBS today provided an update on the company’s streaming strategy, which leverages the company’sproduct offerings across free, premium, and pay segments with Pluto TV and SHOWTIME OTT to create a linked ecosystem with the launch of Paramount+ on March 4th.

Paramount+ will feature live sports, breaking news and a large library of entertainment from ViacomCBS’ portfolio of world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel.

Paramount+ will feature content catalog of more than 30,000 episodes, 2,500 movie titles and over 1,000 live sporting events, plus around-the-clock news coverage:

• Select Paramount Pictures films to stream on Paramount+ following a short theatrical release, including A Quiet Place Part II, PAW PATROL: The Movie, and Mission: Impossible 7

• Over 50 original series to premiere on Paramount+ over next two years, including Halo, Frasier, Criminal Minds, iCarly, The Real World, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, shows from the Avatar, Yellowstone, Star Trek and SpongeBob SquarePants universes and more

• 7,000 episodes of kids’ content, 5,000 episodes of reality and 6,000 episodes of comedy

• Marquee sporting leagues and events on the service include the NFL, Masters, PGA TOUR, NCAA, SEC, The PGA Championship, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, National Women’s Soccer League, Concacaf and more

• News offerings available include renowned CBS News programs, new series such as 60 Minutes+, live streams of local affiliates in over 200 markets across the U.S. and the 24-hour streaming news service CBSN

New details about Paramount+ were unveiled during the ViacomCBS Streaming Event presentation, including over 50 exclusive original series across scripted dramas, kids and family, reality, comedy, music, sports, news, and documentaries that are set to premiere on the service in the next two years, including 36 arriving in 2021. These originals will join a catalog of more than 30,000 episodes and 2,500 movie titles. In addition, pricing tiers, leading launch sponsors and international rollout plans were announced.

 Apple helps Encircle expand its support for LGBTQ+ youth and their families

Apple Inc February 25, 2021 0

With new contributions from Apple and leaders in music and business, the pioneering nonprofit will serve even more young LGBTQ+ people with new community resource centers across.

n the summer of 2017, the Toelupe family heard about a little blue house in Provo, Utah, called Encircle. The nonprofit had a simple message, “No sides, only love” — and in the years to come, Encircle would prove to be part second home, part sanctuary, and the entry point to a community Micah Toelupe credits with saving his life.

As one of only a handful of gay students at his high school in rural Utah, Micah was struggling with depression, anxiety, and social isolation. That’s why stepping through the front doors of Encircle — where he felt like “one of a billion” instead of one of a few — felt so different.

“The effect it had here is so insane,” says Micah. “It really did save my life. You could walk right into the house and be surrounded by people who are going to love and respect who you are. It was always there, and you were always welcome.”

Encircle, a Utah-based nonprofit, was founded in 2017 to help young LGBTQ+ people and their families find support and a sense of belonging at community resource houses across the state. This month, the nonprofit launched a new campaign that leaders in business, music, and technology are rallying behind, with new donations from Apple, Qualtrics founder Ryan Smith and his wife, Ashley — who also own the Utah Jazz — and Imagine Dragons’s lead singer Dan Reynolds and his wife, musician Aja Volkman.

The donations — valued at $4 million — will help kickstart Encircle’s national expansion, with new community resource houses in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, and Arizona. In addition to a $1 million contribution, Apple will be donating iPads and other products to help expand Encircle’s virtual programming and inspire new pathways for digital connection, creativity, and education.

Encircle helps young people and their families through a number of services, including free and subsidized therapy sessions, Friendship Circles that create safe spaces and foster community, and an open door policy that helps everyone who walks through their doors feel welcomed and accepted.

The pandemic has meant moving many of those services online, but it hasn’t dulled the urgency or importance of support systems that help young people who are cut off from their friends, often feeling more isolated than ever. The technology donations will make a meaningful difference in the nonprofit’s ability to reach LGBTQ+ youth where they are, helping create community beyond the four walls of an Encircle home.

Encircle has already helped countless families across Utah. Chrisann and Packard Toelupe have two LGBTQ-identified children — their son Micah and their daughter, Khristian. When Khristian shared her gender identity with her parents, Encircle helped the Toelupes find supportive resources and connect with other families looking to build community.

“Encircle gave me the confidence to be an advocate for my child, because I saw so many other parents being advocates for their children,” says Chrisann. “It was very lonely at first. But here was this whole network of people that I could call. You meet these other families, and you realize you’re not alone.”

Encircle is helping to meet an urgent need. More than half of LGBTQ youth are battling symptoms of depression, and four out of 10 LGBTQ+ people report having seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months. Still, nearly half of LGBTQ+ young people say they’ve been unable to access mental health counseling over the last year.

Encircle has taken on a supportive role not just for young people, but for their families — making space for love, understanding, and acceptance. The nonprofit prides itself on being a part of the communities it serves, even and especially in areas where LGBTQ+ youth feel uncomfortable or afraid to share their full selves.

By any measure, Encircle’s model has worked — more than 10,000 guests visit each Encircle home every year. With counseling services, music nights, community service projects, and other bonding activities, Encircle has been a crucial lifeline to young people facing isolation or depression.

Luckily for the Toelupes, Encircle opened a house in Provo in 2017, just 20 minutes from their home. And while there were some local resources for young LGBTQ+ people, few had such a profound impact on their family and neighbors across Utah County.

When the Toelupes first told their daughter about Encircle, Khristian was on her mission in the Philippines. When she returned home, she found a support system unlike anything she could’ve imagined — and a community that accepted and supported her for who she is.

“I was just bawling,” Khristian says. “I thought, ‘Wow, I didn’t think that I could feel all this love at once.’ Every time that I go to Encircle it’s time that I can actually breathe. I can just be — without having to worry about opinions or my own safety.”

Encircle’s mission is not only to serve families but also be a great neighbor and community member. The nonprofit has helped foster a deeper understanding and appreciation for a diversity of experiences and identities. According to Micah, it isn’t uncommon for students to drive hours at a time just to spend a little while at an Encircle house.

“Encircle had this snowball effect,” Micah says. “I started going and it saved my life, and then my counselors at my school found out about it. It was saving other kids’ lives. The Friendship Circles grew from two people in the first group to 20 kids in the room.”

Not everyone who visits has the support of their family, but Encircle’s focus on welcoming everyone has made it a lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth with a range of experiences. Savannah Harman interned at Encircle’s Salt Lake City house, where Friendship Circles and other community-building activities helped her find supportive friends from all walks of life.

“I found a lovely chosen family,” Savannah says. “Because Encircle is family oriented, it allows space for you even if you don’t bring your family. You will find your family there.”

For Micah, Encircle helped him gain the confidence and skills to grow as an artist, with classes and exhibitions that helped him share his work with the world. One of those pieces — a watercolor painting — is something of a self-portrait. Micah’s mom was an enthusiastic first customer, and the piece, which Micah never named, now hangs in the Toelupes’ living room.

“Every time I walk past it, I just think, ‘Becoming,’” Chrisann says. “Because it’s like Micah becoming himself. And that’s what Encircle, to me, did for him. He blossomed into Micah — his authentic self.”

To learn more about Encircle or find out how to contribute, visit encircletogether.org.

 Apple celebrates Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day

Apple Inc February 25, 2021 0

Feature stories and highlights honor powerful female voices in the App Store and Apple TV app, on Apple Music and Apple Arcade, and in curated collections for Apple News, Apple Podcasts, Apple Books, and more.

For Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, Apple is further amplifying female voices that drive culture and change by bringing to the forefront untold stories, exclusive content, and curated collections across all of its services. Available beginning in March, these offerings celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of all women who accelerate the conversation around gender equality.

Customers can learn new skills from female creators with virtual Today at Apple sessions, join the Apple Fitness+ community for inspiring workouts on International Women’s Day, or listen to an all-new show on Apple Podcasts from ABC News, featuring never-before-released audio from former first lady Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Johnson.

Here is a look at all of the experiences customers can enjoy in March and beyond.

App Store

Apple celebrates women who challenge themselves to create new paths and ways of working, sharing their knowledge and experiences for others to follow in their footsteps. Customers can read about female developers in exclusive interviews, or browse the curated Apps Made by Women Collection. Additionally, the App Store will feature an App of the Day and Game of the Day from a woman creator during the month of March, and, with Apple Arcade, showcase a collection of games starring powerful female characters.

Apple Music

Apple Music is highlighting women who are leaders in their field, breaking records, topping charts, and inspiring others through their work, advocacy, and influence within pop culture and beyond. Apple Music listeners can enjoy a diverse range of “Visionary Women” curated playlists from artists and influencers from all over the world. Apple Music will also showcase four original content short films, and Apple Music radio and Apple Music TV will feature incredible female voices, stories, and musicianship for a full 24 hours, back to back, on March 8.

Apple Books

Apple Books is celebrating everywhere with country-specific collections that feature women’s voices and elevate their contributions to every field. Customers can find a selection of biographies and memoirs that highlight trailblazers, along with collections that spotlight literary icons and exciting newcomers in fiction — including women who are rewriting the rules in every genre, from Romance to Science Fiction. Customers can also explore recommended great books and audiobooks that unearth stories of remarkable women during extraordinary times, share empowering wisdom, and explore vital intersectional feminist perspectives.

Apple Maps

Curated Guides, in collaboration with Altas Obscura, Complex, Michelin Guide, HER, and Street Art Cities, will be available on Apple Maps. Users can discover stunning statues of remarkable women, restaurants from Michelin-starred female chefs and rising stars from around the globe, must-visit businesses in Los Angeles, and street art by women artists in New York.

Apple Podcasts

Listeners can enjoy an expansive set of shows featuring powerful female voices including 2020 Noble Prize for Chemistry winner Jennifer Doudna, Grammy-record-breaking artist Billie Eilish, National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, and Vice President Kamala Harris. Also available for discovery is a collection of shows from women-founded podcast studios, including audiochuck, Lemonada Media, and Wonder Media Network, in addition to a special edition titled “The Power of Sisterhood,” which features shows that celebrate the roles women play in society, culture, and family, and the many ways women work together to achieve positive change.

And notably on March 1, ABC News will launch a new podcast, In Plain Sight: Lady Bird Johnson, about Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Johnson. Told in her own words using never-before-released recordings from over 123 hours of her White House audio diaries, In Plain Sight: Lady Bird Johnson presents surprising revelations about the former first lady’s underestimated ability to navigate the power, politics, and polarization of her era — narrated in colorful, insightful, and often humorous detail — to become President Lyndon B. Johnson’s closest advisor and political partner, and one of the most influential members of his administration.

Apple News

Readers can explore curated topic groups on Apple News that highlight diverse, inspiring figures from the past and present, lesser-known stories about women’s history, and the best journalism around key women’s issues. And, on International Women’s Day, readers can dive even deeper with a Spotlight collection of articles that celebrate contemporary leaders around the globe.

Apple TV App

The Apple TV app is highlighting showrunners, directors, stars, and crew members who are working — both in front of and behind the camera — toward progress in the fight for women’s equality. Customers can enjoy curated collections that celebrate iconic and emerging voices who bring women’s experiences to the forefront of their storytelling, spotlight the leading women of Apple TV+, and elevate remarkable shows, movies, and documentaries from international creators.

Apple Fitness+

Starting on International Women’s Day, Apple Fitness+ subscribers can enjoy a collection of 24 workouts featuring full playlists made up entirely of artists who are women, across High Intensity Interval Training, Rowing, Strength, Core, Treadmill, Cycling, Dance, Yoga, and Mindful Cooldown. These workouts will celebrate women with either a full theme, such as persistence, equal opportunity, and breaking through barriers, or by including inspiring and motivating songs from great women artists across all music genres. Additionally, the Time to Walk episode released on March 8 features Korean-born writer Min Jin Lee, author of the New York Times bestseller “Pachinko,” who talks about finding her voice through storytelling and how her family created a new life after immigrating to the United States.

Apple Watch

On March 8, Apple Watch users can participate in the International Women’s Day Activity Challenge and earn a limited-edition award by recording any workout of 20 minutes or more.

Research App

The Apple Women’s Health Study is a first-of-its-kind research study that aims to advance the understanding of menstrual cycles and how they relate to various health conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility, and menopausal transition. The multiyear study is conducted in partnership with researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and iPhone and Apple Watch users across the US participate through the Research app.

Today at Apple

In partnership with design and art publisher It’s Nice That, Today at Apple is hosting three virtual sessions focused on redefining beauty and inclusion, featuring illustrator and designer Sara Andreasson, photographer and filmmaker Camila Falquez, and documentary photographer and filmmaker Bethany Mollenkof. These artists continually challenge the very notions of beauty, power, and representation in their work, and will teach participants how to celebrate the women in their lives through virtual discussions and hands-on tutorials. Everyone is welcome to sign up at apple.co/new-world.

Fry’s Electronics shutters its doors without warning

CompuScoop Staff February 25, 2021 0

After nearly 36 years in business as the one-stop-shop and online resource for high-tech professionals across nine states and 31 stores, Fry’s Electronics has made the difficult decision to shut down its operations and close its business permanently as a result of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in the retail industry.

Fry's Electronics

In a statement, Fry’s says the company will implement the shut down through an orderly wind down process that it believes will be in the best interests of the company, its creditors, and other stakeholders.

The company ceased regular operations and began the wind-down process on February 24, 2021. Fry’s hopes that undertaking the wind-down through this orderly process will reduce costs, avoid additional liabilities, minimize the impact on our customers, vendors, landlords and associates, and maximize the value of the Company’s assets for its creditors and other stakeholders.

The company is in the process of reaching out to its customers with repairs and consignment vendors to help them understand what this will mean for them and the proposed next steps.

If you have questions, please contact Fry’s using the following email addresses:

• For customers who have equipment currently being repaired, please email customerservice@frys.com, to arrange for return of your equipment.
• For customers with items needing repair under a Performance Service Contract, please call (800) 811-1745.
• For consignment vendors needing to pick up their consignment inventory at Fry’s locations, please email omnichannel@frys.com.