{TECH}
By Dan Bain
Photograph © onlycoin.com
COIN... CAN!!! CONSOLIDATE ALL YOUR CARDS INTO ONE In early November, a seven-member development team turned on a pre-order website to enact crowdfunding for its product, and hit its $50,000 goal in 40 minutes. They had already released a promotional video, which had been viewed more than 5.5 million times as of November 20th. The product – known only as “Coin” – is slated to ship this summer. So what is Coin? It’s described as “an all-in-one credit card” – a smartphone-linked device that allows consumers to use any of their credit, debit, gift or reward cards without actually carrying any. One would need only carry Coin, and at roughly 3.125” x 2.125” x 0.033”, it’s the same size as a typical credit card. To use Coin, a consumer would first scan their card information via a smartphone dongle attachment like the Square® Reader, or by simply taking a picture of the card. The device has a magnetic stripe like any other card, so once the accounts are loaded, the consumer can use it in any reader that accepts charge cards, using a button on the Coin device to select the account to which a purchase should be charged. It includes a small screen that displays up to eight synced accounts at a time, but can store an unlimited number of accounts for easy, on-the-go syncing of any cards above eight. The device, mobile app and related servers are encrypted with 128- and 256-bit security, and Coin will alert the owner via their smartphone if it potentially has been used fraudulently out of
the owner’s sight (think restaurants) – indicating that someone has swiped it more than once, tried to change accounts, etc. The owner can also choose a default account and lock Coin to a specific account before allowing a merchant to take it out of sight. To address the issue of potential theft, Coin can be set to deactivate if it loses contact with its partnered smartphone for a designated amount of time. Additionally, the related app will notify an owner if they’ve left Coin behind, and give them the option of preventing subsequent deactivation. Coin is water-resistant, but not waterproof, which means it should be okay with minor spills but not a trip through the rinse cycle. Its app runs on iOS or Android, but is not yet available for Windows-based devices. Its battery is estimated to last two years, based on “typical usage” of 10-20 swipes per day and a few syncs per week on average. Once the battery dies, the device must be replaced. Its initial cost is $100, and you can order it at onlycoin.com. While you’re on that site, be sure to check out their frequently asked questions for a couple of chuckles.
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{SPORTS}
By da vi d droschak
Photograph © David Droschak
Carolina Hurricanes radio play-by-play man Chuck Kaiton recently called his 3,000th NHL game.
Kait on’s Cor ner Carolina Hurricanes’ radio announcer logs 3,000 games Chuck Kaiton had the largest back yard in his Detroit neighborhood, so the kids would migrate there for some pickup hockey. Kaiton loved the game growing up in the Midwest, often mimicking his favorite announcers as he played with the puck. “I must have been nuts or something,” said Kaiton, the longtime voice of the Carolina Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers franchise. “I just loved doing it.” Kaiton trumps most who are living their childhood dreams. He recently broadcast his 3,000th NHL game, placing him in some select company and reinforcing his passion for a sport that has its share of passionate fans.
“I started when I was 26 and I will be 62 in January. We really don’t work … but don’t tell anybody,” he said with his famous chuckle. Like most announcers who log decades behind the microphone, Kaiton’s voice is undeniably recognizable to Carolina Hurricanes’ fans and many across the NHL. Much of his notoriety came from being heard across much of the eastern half of North America on Hartford’s WTIC for most of the team’s run in New England. Kaiton’s style never changed when the team moved to North Carolina for the 1997-98 season; however, he was indirectly instrumental in helping explain
the game to many in the market unfamiliar with the sport. “My philosophy always was to bring the fan up to our level of knowledge by educating them but not beating them over the head with mundane things,” he said. “For example, the first couple of preseason games when I talked about icing, every third or fourth time I would say, ‘As you know, a team can’t shoot the puck from their half of center untouched.’ You would try to economize to explain. Yeah, it was weird but I had to be aware of it coming here.” Once in Raleigh, Kaiton was privileged to announce the jersey retirement ceremonies of Ron Francis, Glen Wesley and Rod Brind’Amour, and the club’s first and only Stanley Cup title in 2006. “Chuck was there for my first game and there for my last game as a Hurricane, and a whole bunch in – between,” Francis said. “His longevity has been amazing, but the quality of his work is even more impressive.” Kaiton is one of a few NHL play-byplay men who work alone, not having the luxury of a color analyst jumping in to offer a comment or two. And he notes that radio doesn’t provide an opportunity for instant relays. “You can’t say, ‘Cam Ward made two great saves.’ You have to tell them how he made the great saves,” Kaiton said. “That’s what I’m sensitive to when I do a game. “When I broadcast I picture somebody sitting next to me that has never seen a game before, or is a casual fan that loves the game but they don’t notice the little things that I try to provide,” he added. “And sometimes you have to piece together the flow so that a listener can picture it. That gets difficult if there isn’t a flow to a game. But that’s what keeps me going. I love the challenge to be able to describe a game that doesn’t have a lot of crispness. If it is slow you let your voice slow down. If it’s quicker, you try to transmit that with quickness of delivery. You have to be the eyes of somebody.”
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{DIY}
By christ a gala & st
acy ca they
You’ll need: • 1 bag of Dum-Dum lollipops (or use the bigger Charms Blow Pops) • Cupcake liners • Hole punch • Green ribbon, pipe cleaner or something similar
Flo wer Po wer Show your affection and appreciation with these unique flower lollipop Valentines. We were surprised we already had what we needed to make these sweet treats. The best part: the kids helped. Step 1 Each flower requires four cupcake liners. Have fun when selecting your liners; you can do traditional red, white and pink or take it up a notch with animal print or foil liners. Take the first of your four liners and, using the hole punch, punch a hole on the seam, so that half of each hole is on each separate side of the liner. When you open the liner, you should see the complete hole. Step 2 For the other three liners, fold them in half, and punch your holes in the middle of the halves. Now, take a lollipop and push the stick through the folded halves, fluffing out the layers to surround the lollipop. Next, take your open layer (the first one with the hole in the center) and put it on last, pushing it up so it forms a flower base under the other three liner "petals."
Step 3 To secure your valentine flower, use leftover green holiday ribbon (curl the ends with your scissors) or pipe cleaner, floral tape or green plastic wrap. Tie a double knot at the base of the lollipop stick. If you’re using a wide piece of ribbon, trim up the ribbon tails to look like leaves. Step 4 Secure a paper heart to the flower as a “to and from tag.” You can also attach store-bought valentines, but the kids will enjoy making their own. Step 5 If you want to “plant” your flowers for creative teachers’ gifts, fit a basket, lightweight plastic container or clay pot with floral foam, and plant your lollipop flowers inside. If you choose clay pots, let the kids add their own special touches with paint, adding the recipient's name, hearts and hugs and kisses. ‘Til next issue….xoxo
>>Email us at jennifer@caryliving.com with your DIY suggestion. 30 | caryliving.com
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calendar
OF EVENTS
JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014
WESTERN WAKE FARMERS’ MARKET Saturdays January-March | 9:30am-12pm 1225 Morrisville Carpenter Road | Cary www.westernwakefarmersmarket.org Brian Ul rich: C opi a – Retail, Th rift, and Dark Sto res, 2001–2011 Through January 5, 2014 North Carolina Museum of Art | Raleigh www.ncartmuseum.org
Po rsch e by Des ig n: Sed uci ng Sp eed Through January 20 | North Carolina Museum of Art | www.ncartmuseum.org Rev eal: Po rtraits by Carr ie Le vy Through January 26, 2014 North Carolina Museum of Art | Raleigh www.ncartmuseum.org Outs id ers: Faci ng th e Camera Through January 26, 2014 North Carolina Museum of Art | Raleigh www.ncartmuseum.org Masterwo rks fro m th e C h ry sl er Museum Through February 7, 2014 North Carolina Museum of Art | Raleigh www.ncartmuseum.org Art in th e Ev ening January 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 | 5:30-8:30pm North Carolina Museum of Art | Raleigh www.ncartmuseum.org
H o t C hocol ate Run January 5 | 9am – BIG Mug 5K start time 9:45am – Little Cup 1 Mile start time Wooded trails at Bond Park fitandable@nc.rr.com
K-5 Info rmatio n Mo rning s fo r Pro spec tiv e Parents January 7, 14, 27 | 9:15-11am February 11, 24 | 9:15-11am The Raleigh School | RSVP at 919-546-0788 ext. 117 | www.raleighschool.org WBO N l uch eo n with speaker January 8 & February 12 | Prestonwood Country Club | 300 Prestonwood Parkway | Cary www.WBON-Cary.org NC MA C inema: Car Cra zy January 10, 17, 24, 31 | 8pm North Carolina Museum of Art | Raleigh www.ncartmuseum.org MOVI E IN TH E PI NES: D ESPIC ABL E ME 2 January 10 | 7-9pm | Southern Pines Recreation Center | Southern Pines 910-692-7376 | roxendine@southernpines.net Car ol S tein’s Gar d eners Fo rum “Gar d ening fo r Bl uebird s” January 11 | 11am | The Garden Hut 1004 Old Honeycutt Road | Fuquay-Varina 919-552-0590 | www.NelsasGardenHut.com PATTI L ABELL E January 11 | Durham Performing Arts Center | www.DPACnc.com Speci al D oc umentary Fil m Sc reening: Th e Po rsch e Way January 11 | 2pm North Carolina Museum of Art | Raleigh www.ncartmuseum.org Famil y F un Saturd ay January 11, 25 | 10pm North Carolina Museum of Art | Raleigh www.ncartmuseum.org Th e Gran d so ns – Intro to J azz January 12 | 12:45pm & 6:45pm The Rooster’s Wife | 114 Knight Street Aberdeen | 910-944-7502 www.theroosterswife.org Th e Car oli na Philh armo nic presents a Brass Quintet January 12 | 4pm | The Village Chapel Pinehurst | 919-687-0287 www.carolinaphil.org
Cary C h amber Business After H o urs January 16 | 5:30-7:30pm | Hendrick Fiat www.carychamber.com
Gu idi ng L igh ts particip ating i n Hea l th F air January 16 | 11am-2pm | Atria Oakridge 10810 Durant Road | 919-371-2062 info@guidinglightsnc.org
Marv elo us Music M ainstag e Series presents Th e G l enn Mill er Or ch estra January 17 | 7:30pm | Cary Arts Center www.townofcary.org Free Buti Y og a Introd uc to ry C l ass January 17 | 5:30pm January 18 | 9:30am www.barre-up.com Preschool Info rmatio n Sessio ns fo r Pro spec tiv e Parents January 17, 24, 31 | 9-10:15am February 7, 28 | 9-10:15am January 14, 28 | 1-2:15pm February 4, 11 | 1-2:15pm The Raleigh School | RSVP at 919-828-5351 www.raleighschool.org ML K, Jr. Dreamfest: An Arts Tribute to M artin Lut h er King, J r. January 18 | 3-7pm | Cary Arts Center www.townofcary.org Th e Farewell Dr ifters January 19 | 6:45pm | The Rooster’s Wife 114 Knight Street | Aberdeen 910-944-7502 | www.theroosterswife.org O NC E January 21-26 | Durham Performing Arts Center | www.DPACnc.com State o f th e To wn Add ress January 22 | 7:30-9pm | Prestonwod Country Club | www.carychamber.com G irl s o n th e Run O pen H o use – InfoRMA TIO N Sessio n January 23 | 4:30-6:30pm Empower Personalized Fitness Raleigh 919-973-1243 www.becomepowerful.com/gotr Winter C o nc ert Series – David B urg ess January 26 | 4-6pm | Page-Walker Arts & History Center | www.townofcary.org
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Signed, Sealed, Delivered,
Texted and Tweeted Expressions of Love Through the Ages By JENNI HART
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T h i s y e ar, in st ead of vow in g on c e agai n to (lose w eig ht, eat b et t er , y e ll le s s , e tc .), com m it to sc ar in g yo u rs e lf by t ryin g n e w t hin g s. I t m igh t j ust m ake you happier .
SCARE y o u r s e l f b y c h r i s t a ga l a
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<<
Haven’t you always wanted to do this? Or something like it? Wouldn’t an image like this stick with you forever? That’s the idea. In 2014, try something different. Research shows people who try a variety of new things dwell on the positive instead of the negative. And that’s a pretty cool way to live.
In January 2013, I decided that instead of trying to lose weight (which, frankly, is tiresome), I would try things I’ve never done before – to, as the saying goes, “feel the fear and do it anyway.” I didn’t know it then, but there are a lot of interesting things that go on psychologically in our brains when we try new things, whether we fail or succeed. And, in fact, our brains often convince us we shouldn’t be trying anything new, telling us instead to stay in our comfort zones because, hey, it’s safer. Brain sa bo t ag e Dr. Lisa C. Sacco, a licensed psychologist in the Triangle Center for Behavioral Health in Cary, explains: “Part of our brain is committed to scanning for and protecting us from perceived threats. This is very helpful when someone cuts you off on the highway or you have to take cover from a tornado.” But the brain does the same “protecting” when we consider trying something new that’s not an obvious physical threat, which can often highjack our thought processes, says Sacco. So if we embark on a new career opportunity, but we don’t know what to do every minute, our brain tells us that we’re incompetent and that it is an unsafe venture. Not true. But the brain, and its fear-mongering, is powerful. I actually did try a new job this year, teaching a class at UNC-Chapel Hill, and it scared me to death. I figured it fit right in with my resolution to try new things and, besides, I had to try. For weeks I felt as though I would vomit before I entered the classroom to teach for two hours, twice a week. I came down with laryngitis and bronchitis (college kids are germ incubators) and had bouts of anxiety. Still, I forced myself to move forward, plagued with doubts. But, then, a funny thing happened. One day I found I was brimming with excitement to share the lesson I’d planned that day. Excitement! Was I starting to emerge from the other side of that big block of fear? After a little more time, I felt courageous, joyful and confident. Energized. Happy. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” Was this why? It’s oka y t o f ail There are two components to why people fear trying new things, says Dr. Sacco. The first is that we’re fearful we don’t have the skills or the preparation;
(left) My husband and I gearing up to shoot skeet one February afternoon in 2013. (right) Taking a shot. And...another miss! So what?
that can be remedied. The second component, more difficult, is that we feel inadequate, or shameful, which inhibits us. So go ahead and wrap your mind around the fact that it’s okay to fail. Accept it. Make it your mantra. It will steal fear’s thunder, and you’ll have all sorts of fun. “Failure and success are more frequently intertwined than people realize,” says Dr. Sacco. “I don’t think a person is likely to be truly successful unless, and until, she or he is willing to risk mistakes, stumble and get back up.” My own efforts in 2013 were met with varying degrees of success. Back in February, my brother took me skeetshooting for the first time. Although I enjoyed it, I found out I’m not a great shot. Fifty rounds, and I hit two. I’m severely math-impaired, but I think that’s just a four percent accuracy rate. So I stunk. So what? It was a beautiful day and something fun for my husband and me to do with my brother and his wife. I’d do it again in a minute. I also joined a Bunco group where I didn’t know anyone, or the game itself, and that’s gone extremely well. I can enjoy an adult beverage, carry on a conversation and roll the dice – all at the same time – with only a little help from the other ladies. Now that’s my kind of game. Sometimes I forget my turn is over and keep rolling the dice, but that’s a small thing. caryliving.com | 63
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