Why women are dialing up HSN to play games
By Mark Albright, Times Staff Writer Friday, February 3, 2012 Named one of the 40 most influential women under 40 in Silicon Valley in 2007, Jill Braff made a career digitizing games and social engagement for today's ever-changing high-tech devices. ¶ Now 43 and executive vice president of digital commerce at HSN in St. Petersburg, she brings a background ranging from marketing the Game of Life ...

Dear Reader | Solving the puzzles and other challenges
Attention puzzle lovers: New brain-teaser options are coming your way.

Mathematician Claims Breakthrough in Sudoku Puzzle
By Eugenie Samuel Reich of Nature magazine An Irish mathematician has used a complex algorithm and millions of hours of supercomputing time to solve an important open problem in the mathematics of Sudoku , the game popularized in Japan that involves filling in a 9x9 grid of squares with the numbers 1-9 according to certain rules. Gary McGuire of University College Dublin shows in a proof posted ...

Q-C notebook
Blood drive to benefit student with bone cancer: The Davenport North High School Student Senate will host a blood drive Feb. 14 in honor of Brandon Sissel, a student who was diagnosed with bone cancer last year. The drive will be 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the large gym at North High School, 626 W. 53rd St. Donors can also stop by any area blood center that week and ask that their donation be applied ...

Search Local News
Firstly, the Beacon would like to apologise for accidentally publishing the same crossword puzzle for two weeks in a row. Readers will be happy to know that the newest version of the puzzle is in this week’s issue.