It’s not an urban legend: crime rates do in fact in the summer in the U.S. A study found that, with the exception of robbery and auto theft, rates of all violent and property crimes are higher during the summer than during other months. The study examined data collected during 8 years, which included violent and property crimes that did not result in death, both reported and not reported to the police.

   The data show that, though the national crime rate dropped by 70 percent during recent years, seasonal spikes in summer remain. In some cases those spikes are 12 percent higher than rates during seasons in which the lows occur. The phenomenon confuses many criminologists, and they wonder why.

    Some reason that increased temperatures, which drive many out of doors and leave windows open in their homes, raise the amount of time when homes are left empty. Others point to the effect of students on summer vacation who are otherwise occupied with schooling during other season, while some argue that suffering heat-induced discomfort simply makes people more aggressive and likely to act out.

    Although these elements possess certain persuasive power, their rationality is called into question when cases in winter are put on the map. Why aren’t the rates in winter falling if heat related factors are to blame for the summer spike? Contrarily, the matter should be viewed from social and economic angles rather than on solar terms.

   Numerous studies have shown that rates of criminal behavior among young adults drop when their communities provide them with other ways to spend their time and earn money. This was found to be true in Los Angeles, where gang activity was reduced when community centers for teens were thriving and active. And generally speaking, the connection between economic inequality and crime is robustly documented for the U.S. And why summer sees a worse situation? It’s probably because it’s even harder for youngster to land jobs that provide for life necessities.

     So if officials want to address the summer spike in crime, they may act differently instead of aiming straight at crimes. Simply upgrading security and severely punishing offences almost produce void effects. Instead, be open to various options and they will find that development of job hunting agencies or community professional training centers are accompanying the drop of crime rate without seasonal exceptions. After all, bread always comes first for everyone.

Apple’s products are the envy of the world. They have been spectacularly successful and are widely imitated, if not copied. The minute Apple crystallizes a product, everyone knows how to compete. This idea that the basis of competition is set by Apple and then the race is on to climb the path of improvement is unquestionable.When Apple releases a product that defines a category or dramatically changes the structure of an industry, it becomes obvious what needs to be built.Apple releases a product that defines a category or dramatically changes the structure of an industry and it becomes obvious what needs to be built. But why everyone wants to copy Apple’s products but nobody wants to copy being Apple?

I can think of two reasons. Firstly, Apple is not worth copying because it’s not successful; secondly, Apple is successful but Apple cannot be copied because its success is a magical process.

There is a great deal of evidence for the first hypothesis. The idea of Apple being successful is not something reflected in its stock price. Being valued indeed lower than the average company in the S&P（标准普尔）500 indicates that to whatever degree Apple was successful in the past, it’s not seen by the vast majority of observers as successful in the future. Why should one bother copying Apple if it results in being punished with a low valuation? You work really hard at innovation and then that innovation becomes commoditized（商品化）very quickly. Why should one bother?

When asking innovation practitioners what makes Apple successful, the answers regarding the cause of this success border on the mythical. The climax of this hypothesis is the “chief-sorcerer” theory of success which places one magician, like Steven Jobs, in charge of casting all the right spells(符咒).

What about Apple’s own opinion of what makes it tick? Tim Cook refers to a great team and integration of hardware, software and services as unique Apple advantages. It’s a better explanation. Integration is something that can take a long time, but it is possible with great effort. A few companies are starting to make moves in that direction, but efforts are half-hearted. There is no “move the Earth” panic to become an integrated company from Samsung, Google or Microsoft.

My own suspicion is that Apple is more aware of what makes it special than it lets out. However, as Tim points out, it’s not a formula. It’s complex, it’s subtle, but it’s not magic. It’s a process that requires a degree of faith and courage.  

Dogs Trust is taking to the streets trying to stop thousands of puppies（小狗） being bought without enough consideration this Christmas, only to be cruelly abandoned soon after. Twelve artworks have been designed to describe the shocking reasons given to Dogs Trust, across its 20 Rehoming Centres in the UK, by owners who no longer wish to care for their dogs. Every day Dogs Trust takes in dogs of all shapes and sizes, often accompanied by unbelievable reasons why their owners are giving them up. The main reason given by owners is that the dogs need more attention than they can give. Other reasons include:

“He kept running after frogs.”

“He looked different after we walked him in the rain.”

“I’m worried our baby will copy him.”

“My dog is old and going to die soon.”

“He barks every morning.”

“She seemed hungry all the time and followed me around the house.”

Sadly, the huge increase in online pet selling has led to many dealers turning to the Internet to advertise their puppies. Giles Webber, Operations Director says,“With more and more puppies flooding the Christmas market, all is available at the click of a button - it is more necessary than ever that our message “A dog is For Life, Not Just For Christmas” is planted in people’s minds.”

“We hope that this activity will encourage people to think twice before buying a puppy. Our aim is to make sure that the artwork will be the only abandoned dogs the British public will see on their streets this Christmas period.” Webber added.

As anyone who freelances (做自由职业) knows, there are lots of advantages of working at home alone. But there are drawbacks too, like the potential loneliness. No wonder co-working spaces are becoming so popular: they permit self-employed individuals to feel like they are part of all office environment, while making them get some work done too. But renting a co-working space does cost money.

Now a Swedish project is aiming to change that by turning people’s under-used homes into temporary co-working spaces, available to freelancers for free. Hoffice was started by freelancers Christofer Gradin Franzen and Johline Zandra about a year ago in Stockholm when they invited a few people into their home office to work together. It was a great success, and the project has since spread to a number of cities in Europe, North andSouth America,Australia,Indiaand Japan. Anyone can sign up and offer their home space as a free co-working space, or go find a Hoffice near them.

On a Hoffice day, everyone arrives and starts work at a certain hour. After 45 minutes, everyone gets up to take a break, stretch, do qigong or yoga for 10 to 15 minutes. Afterwards, people can gather around again, and re-state their intentions and goals for the rest of the work day, as a way to motivate each other. Meals can be eaten together at a certain hour, potluck-style(家常饭)or by bringing your own lunch.

This process creates an encouraging and supportive work environment. As some freelancers describe, “By working at Hoffice, we give ourselves and each other the gift to spend our days in a social working environment, where we are extremely productive without ignoring our other human needs. We also make sure to give us and each other what we need to feel calm, happy, inspired and creative during the working day. ”

So Hoffice is not just about sharing space；itˈs also about a free exchange of ideas. And perhaps the best thing is that Hoffices are free to use.