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We all get stuck at the supermarket checkout from time to time when the assistant can’t get an item’s bar code to scan. We’re left watching in awkward silence as the flustered employee waves the item every which way, upside down, back and forth, at an angle, until they’re left literally rubbing it on the scanner in the vain hope that the machine will do us all a favor, recognize that it’s a loaf of bread and beep.

No beep means caving in and keying in the code. Of course, that’s no great hardship, but it takes time, and when the checkout has a whole load of people waiting in line, it’s no fun for anyone.

But thanks to engineers at Japanese electronics company Toshiba, those days may soon be over. They’ve come up with a scanner that can recognize items — no bar code required. The Object Recognition Scanner (ORS) works by utilizing pattern and color recognition technology being developed by the company.

Toshiba’s Keiichi Hasegawa explained that although the special scanner is able to recognize any supermarket item, it will be particularly useful when it comes to fruit and vegetables.

“Fruit and vegetables in supermarkets don’t usually have bar codes because they’re put out while they’re fresh, so these items can’t be read at the register using bar codes, which means staff need to input data to record them,” Hasegawa said. “If staff are part-time employees, they may not recognize

Sainsbury's had discontinued it's budget range of food items. CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES There’s something poignant about the loss of childhood innocence, even when to retain it would be an encumbrance. You know the sort of scenario: suspicions raised when the tooth fairy forgets to come, or St Nicholas commits a wrapping-paper infraction visible only to a nosey eight-year-old.

Or when, as happened this week, it turns out that the big brands we know and trust have been having a giggle behind our backs. Ahead of an official report into misleading offers, a number of our leading supermarkets have announced they are to discontinue multi-buy deals. It turns out that bogofs – buy one, get one free offers – are a false economy, making us fork out on average over £1,000 more a year than we planned. A supermarket aisle Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Ocado were all found to be offering misleading deals CREDIT: ALAMY I wish I had filmed my teenage daughter at the moment she discovered that the supermarket (OUR supermarket!) had been tricking us! Us! Its loyal customers! Who shop there all the time! The conversation went something like this. Me: “Can you fetch me a pack of mushrooms, please?”

Her: “Here you go,” dropping carton into the trolley. Me: “Not those ones, the others are cheaper.” Her: “Durr, no they’re not. Compare the prices?” Me: “Durr, compare the weights? And then compare the prices?” Shopping trolley with food in it Buy one get one free deals cause shoppers to spend £1000 more a year than they planned. CREDIT: ALAMY She paused, and as she did the hasty calculation, she gasped.

“That’s terrible,” she said, reeling at the blatant legerdemain. “It’s almost like the supermarket Wants. To. Rip. Us. Off.” “No, darling, it’s not almost like that,” I soothed. “It is exactly like that.”

For the Nike Women's Training Spring 2012 collection, we asked Nike athletes and trainers to examine the way they train and look for the commonalities in their range of motion. Our designers then used innovation and design to develop a collection of footwear and apparel that enhances each one of the 6 CORE MOVES by providing zero distraction and technological details that are hidden in the beauty of a unique design aesthetic.

APPAREL

Nike Epic Crew

The soft, cozy pre- and post-workout garment that will keep you comfortable during your warm up and cool down. Made from Dri-FIT single-knit, plated jersey fabric (a combination of organic cotton, recycled polyester and spandex), it wicks sweat away from your skin helping to keep you comfortable and warm. A cropped body, loose fit, open neckline, raglan sleeves, flat-seam construction (to reduce chaffing) and a gusset that runs all the way from the body to the sleeve hem allow for a full and free range of movement. But it’s also fitted where needed, with a ribbed collar, waistband and cuffs maintaining a snug, efficient fit that won’t leave it flapping about and getting in your way. A fashionable bleach-splattered design and color options that include blue, pink and soft grey alongside the traditional black, means it also looks great.

Nike Seamless long bra

A seamless skin that maximizes breathability and sweat management while minimizing chaffing, irritation or chunky straps that might impede movement.

It’s made from a lightweight fabric blend with a ribbed texture and hugs the contours of the body, flattering your shape. An open mesh panel down the back provides an interesting design feature, but also allows ventilation and, for exercises such as yoga where correct posture is key, a window for the instructor to check alignment. In spite of its softness and lightness, it still offers support for a variety of low-impact gym activities with a hidden internal shelf bra. The l

For the Nike Women's Training Spring 2012 collection, we asked Nike athletes and trainers to examine the way they train and look for the commonalities in their range of motion. Our designers then used innovation and design to develop a collection of footwear and apparel that enhances each one of the 6 CORE MOVES by providing zero distraction and technological details that are hidden in the beauty of a unique design aesthetic.

APPAREL

Nike Epic Crew

The soft, cozy pre- and post-workout garment that will keep you comfortable during your warm up and cool down. Made from Dri-FIT single-knit, plated jersey fabric (a combination of organic cotton, recycled polyester and spandex), it wicks sweat away from your skin helping to keep you comfortable and warm. A cropped body, loose fit, open neckline, raglan sleeves, flat-seam construction (to reduce chaffing) and a gusset that runs all the way from the body to the sleeve hem allow for a full and free range of movement. But it’s also fitted where needed, with a ribbed collar, waistband and cuffs maintaining a snug, efficient fit that won’t leave it flapping about and getting in your way. A fashionable bleach-splattered design and color options that include blue, pink and soft grey alongside the traditional black, means it also looks great.

Nike Seamless long bra

A seamless skin that maximizes breathability and sweat management while minimizing chaffing, irritation or chunky straps that might impede movement.

It’s made from a lightweight fabric blend with a ribbed texture and hugs the contours of the body, flattering your shape. An open mesh panel down the back provides an interesting design feature, but also allows ventilation and, for exercises such as yoga where correct posture is key, a window for the instructor to check alignment. In spite of its softness and lightness, it still offers support for a variety of low-impact gym activities with a hidden internal shelf bra. The l

For the Nike Women's Training Spring 2012 collection, we asked Nike athletes and trainers to examine the way they train and look for the commonalities in their range of motion. Our designers then used innovation and design to develop a collection of footwear and apparel that enhances each one of the 6 CORE MOVES by providing zero distraction and technological details that are hidden in the beauty of a unique design aesthetic.

APPAREL

Nike Epic Crew

The soft, cozy pre- and post-workout garment that will keep you comfortable during your warm up and cool down. Made from Dri-FIT single-knit, plated jersey fabric (a combination of organic cotton, recycled polyester and spandex), it wicks sweat away from your skin helping to keep you comfortable and warm. A cropped body, loose fit, open neckline, raglan sleeves, flat-seam construction (to reduce chaffing) and a gusset that runs all the way from the body to the sleeve hem allow for a full and free range of movement. But it’s also fitted where needed, with a ribbed collar, waistband and cuffs maintaining a snug, efficient fit that won’t leave it flapping about and getting in your way. A fashionable bleach-splattered design and color options that include blue, pink and soft grey alongside the traditional black, means it also looks great.

Nike Seamless long bra

A seamless skin that maximizes breathability and sweat management while minimizing chaffing, irritation or chunky straps that might impede movement.

It’s made from a lightweight fabric blend with a ribbed texture and hugs the contours of the body, flattering your shape. An open mesh panel down the back provides an interesting design feature, but also allows ventilation and, for exercises such as yoga where correct posture is key, a window for the instructor to check alignment. In spite of its softness and lightness, it still offers support for a variety of low-impact gym activities with a hidden internal shelf bra. The l

For the Nike Women's Training Spring 2012 collection, we asked Nike athletes and trainers to examine the way they train and look for the commonalities in their range of motion. Our designers then used innovation and design to develop a collection of footwear and apparel that enhances each one of the 6 CORE MOVES by providing zero distraction and technological details that are hidden in the beauty of a unique design aesthetic.

APPAREL

Nike Epic Crew

The soft, cozy pre- and post-workout garment that will keep you comfortable during your warm up and cool down. Made from Dri-FIT single-knit, plated jersey fabric (a combination of organic cotton, recycled polyester and spandex), it wicks sweat away from your skin helping to keep you comfortable and warm. A cropped body, loose fit, open neckline, raglan sleeves, flat-seam construction (to reduce chaffing) and a gusset that runs all the way from the body to the sleeve hem allow for a full and free range of movement. But it’s also fitted where needed, with a ribbed collar, waistband and cuffs maintaining a snug, efficient fit that won’t leave it flapping about and getting in your way. A fashionable bleach-splattered design and color options that include blue, pink and soft grey alongside the traditional black, means it also looks great.

Nike Seamless long bra

A seamless skin that maximizes breathability and sweat management while minimizing chaffing, irritation or chunky straps that might impede movement.

It’s made from a lightweight fabric blend with a ribbed texture and hugs the contours of the body, flattering your shape. An open mesh panel down the back provides an interesting design feature, but also allows ventilation and, for exercises such as yoga where correct posture is key, a window for the instructor to check alignment. In spite of its softness and lightness, it still offers support for a variety of low-impact gym activities with a hidden internal shelf bra. The l

Probably a little late to give a “send-off” to this year’s class, but I wanted to write something that I wish someone had told me in the beginning. I can say that my second half of the hike was a lot more fun than the first half.

Not going into town as often and not finding people that I really connected with. Do your best to find that early. Having this discussion with a fellow thru-hiker Lightning, we came to the conclusion that the thing we missed the most was the people. The kind of motivated, stubborn, people with a mission are hard to come by in the workplace.

Getting a group of people together with a single mission, that won’t let the others fail, is not found in a lot of places. Remember as you press on, that all your experiences out there are better shared. Each summit, every weird trail town, all the beers, are improved by having fellow hikers around. Shared suffering and the shared joys are what made this hike so special.

When I began the trail, I knew that I would miss the regular physical contact that I had with people in sedentary life. Everything from high fives, fist bumps, hugs, and handshakes – I would miss it all. Little did I know how strange and how hard it would be to feel love without that simple physical contact. Disclaimer – you might want to read up on the 5 love languages if you’re slightly confused about what I am talking about.

A simple Google search should suffice. While on trail, besides ticks and bears, the thing that hikers fear most is Norovirus – imagine having a stomach bug for three days and not being able to eat anything while losing it all. Being a virus, it is spread through human contact with anyone or anything that is infected or has come into contact with it. For this reason, among others, you don’t shake hands, high five, fist bump, give hugs, and you make sure to actively avoid contact if possible. Being someone who feels love through those simple interactions, it was so strange for me to not shake people’s hands when I met them or to congratulate people with hugs or high fives.

It felt was as though I was being isolated from people even though I was in close proximity with them every day. The good news is that physical contact isn’t the only love language. I found myself trying to love others and to be loved in ways that were not my primary languages. Whenever someone did trail magic, not only did I feel overjoyed, but there was a deeper sense of appreciation and gratitude that made me feel cared for and loved. If someone threw my bear line for me, I would feel the same thing – something deeper than service and gifts.

I see how the other love languages are more active in my life and think about how the trail isn’t just teaching my legs how to do big miles, or my brain to spend time in silence and though, but that it is changing me.

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