Beth Am kids learn about organic gardening

The students in Vicky Koller’s fourth grade class at Temple Beth Am Day School recently learned valuable lessons about plants, science and healthy eating at a visit to the 1,000-square-foot vegetable garden at Deering Bay Yacht & Country Club.

Another group of Beth Am fourth graders helped start the garden in 2010, and students at the school continue to visit regularly, contributing at plantings and harvests.

During the field trips they get hands-on experience in seed propagation, butterfly gardening and vegetable planting. Science lessons on insects, pollination, ecology and conservation all take place outdoors. And nature walks introduce the young learners to some of the indigenous wildlife at Deering Bay.

The students also interact with organic farmer and Deering Bay Chef Tim Rowan, Golf Course Groundskeeper Rob Wethy, and volunteers led by Club Member Ethan Shapiro to learn about gardening in South Florida and the Slow Food movement.

During the most recent visit, special guest WSVN-TV Chief Meteorologist Phil Ferro joined the children and their teacher to share his knowledge of the unique weather in South Florida.

At Deering Bay, the program is under the direction of Club Manager Karen Harmon. Among the crops are three types of cabbage, garlic chives, sorrel, cosmos, radicchio, golden beets, lettuce, basil, bok choy, and the newly popular vegetable tatsoi, also called spinach mustard.

To follow the garden’s progress visit the "A Garden on the Bay" blog at http://blog.dbycc.com.

FASHION IN THE GARDEN

The latest spring trends can be previewed alongside the flora and fauna at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden at 11 a.m. on Jan. 24 at the second annual “Splendor in the Garden” fashion show and luncheon.

Ken Downing, Neiman Marcus’ senior vice president and fashion director, will present “The Best of Spring 2013,” an exclusive runway show of the season’s newest styles. The partnership gathering is co-chaired by Swanee DiMare and Frances Sevilla-Sacasa and the 2013 Fairchild Philanthropy Honorees also will be recognized at the event. The honorees are Maria Alonso, Anne Baddour, Bunny Bastian, Paula Brockway, Terry Buoniconti, Martha Clinton and Jan Risi Field.

Tickets are $250 for preferred seating, $300 for runway seating, and include the champagne reception, seated luncheon, fashion show and awards presentation. Complimentary garden tours are available during the reception.

All proceeds benefit Fairchild’s conservation, science, education, and research programs. To purchase tickets, contact Susannah Shubin at sshubin@fairchildgarden.org or call 305-667-1651, ext. 3375. You can also visit www.fairchildgarden.org to find out about the garden’s many classes and other events.

ART WINNERS

Congratulations to all the winners of the eighth “Quest for Peace” competition held at Miami Dade College/Kendall. Three art students were awarded first place awards of $350 and twelve were given $100 honorable mentions awards.

Presenting the honors at the ceremony were John Adkins, chair of the Arts and Philosophy Department; Ronald Leiberman, president of the Rotary Club of Miami Dadeland Pinecrest; and Ilajean Horwitz, whose ceramics fund the exhibition.

Awards were given in front of the painting "Quest for Peace," by Robert Horwitz in whose memory the event is held.

Read More..

“GameStick” Will Be the Size of a USB Memory Stick, Plug into Your TV

When the Ouya game console (scheduled to launch in April) made headlines last year, it was for three reasons. One, its size and price — the $ 99 box, which plugs into a TV, is the size of a Rubik’s cube. Two, its choice of operating system — it runs the same Android OS which powers smartphones and tablets. And three — its rise to fame on Kickstarter, where it shattered records and received millions of dollars in funding not from venture capitalists, but from gamers who wanted to see it made.

Now GameStick, “The Most Portable TV Games Console Ever Created,” is preparing to make a name for itself in exactly the same ways. Except that in some of them, it surpasses the Ouya.

Not even a set-top box

Up to this point, pretty much all home game consoles have been a box that sits on your shelf and plugs in to your TV. (Some PCs even do this these days.)

The GameStick, on the other hand, is about the size of a USB memory stick or a tube of lip balm. It plugs into a TV’s HDMI port, and connects to a wireless controller (or even a mouse and keyboard) via Bluetooth. It “works with any Bluetooth controller supporting HID,” and will come with its own small gamepad, which features twin analog sticks and a slot to put the GameStick itself inside when not in use.

Do we know if it works yet?

GameStick’s creators showed off pictures of a nonworking “Mark 1 Prototype Model,” and posted video of a “Reference Board” actually playing games while plugged into a television. This was a roughly USB-stick-sized circuit board, which lacked an outer case.

The reference unit had wires coming out of it, but the GameStick FAQ explains that on new, “MHL compliant TVs” it can draw power straight from the HDMI port, in much the same way that many USB devices are powered by a USB connection. A USB connector cable will be supplied with GameStick just in case, and “there will also be a power adapter.”

What about the games?

The GameStick reference unit was playing an Android game called Shadowgun, an over-the-shoulder third-person shooter which is considered technically demanding by Android device standards.

GameStick’s creators say “We have some great games lined up already,” and AFP Relax confirms that it has roughly the same internal specs as the Ouya, plus a lineup at launch of about a dozen games including several AAA Android titles.

How much will it cost, and when will it be out?

GameStick is available for preorder now from its Kickstarter page for $ 79. (The price includes the controller as well.) It has an estimated delivery date of April if the project is fully funded — and with 28 days to go, it had more than reached its $ 100,000 goal.

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.

Linux/Open Source News Headlines – Yahoo! News

Title Post: “GameStick” Will Be the Size of a USB Memory Stick, Plug into Your TV
Url Post: http://www.news.fluser.com/gamestick-will-be-the-size-of-a-usb-memory-stick-plug-into-your-tv/
Link To Post : “GameStick” Will Be the Size of a USB Memory Stick, Plug into Your TV
Rating:
100%

based on 99998 ratings.
5 user reviews.
Author: Fluser SeoLink
Thanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comment

Read More..

TLC's Best Funeral Ever Preview Clip

Dallas' famed Golden Gate Funeral Home intends to put the "fun" back in funeral.

Best Funeral Ever chronicles the spectacular services put on by the Golden Gate staff who, in keeping with the tradition of African American home-going celebrations, tailor over-the-top ceremonies to the deceased's passion (or profession) to send their clientele off with a bang.

Pics: Whitney Houston's Home-Going Ceremony

Check out an exclusive sneak peek at the incredible send-off for die-hard Christmas lover Greg in the player above!

You can catch Best Funeral Ever when it airs Sunday, Jan. 6 at 10 p.m. on TLC.

Read More..

Former parole officer cops to kiddie porn charges

A onetime-senior state parole officer – who oversaw parole officers who supervised sex offenders – pleaded guilty on kiddie porn charges in Brooklyn federal court today, authorities said.

James Leone, 50, was arrested at his Long Island home in September after federal law enforcement agents searched his computer and found graphic photos and videos of children being abused, according to court documents.

Leone pleaded guilty to accessing child pornography with intent to view, confirmed Robert Nardoza, a spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn.

Before he became a parole officer, Leone worked as a New York City child abuse investigator, according to court documents.

The images Leone downloaded depicted girls ten or 12 years old being sexually abused by their parents and brother, according to court documents.

Leone remains in home detention on $500,000 bond, court documents and Nardoza said.

A woman who answered the phone at Leone’s home in Bethpage said he wasn’t there and said, “I don’t think he’s going to be talking to any reporters today.”

jsaul@nypost.com

Read More..

Franchise show comes to Miami Beach

Entrepreneurs looking to start off a new business in 2013 might find some ideas at Franchise Expo South.

One of the largest franchise shows in the country kicks off Jan. 11 at the Miami Beach Convention Center and runs until Jan. 13. Hundreds of top brands from food to retail concepts will try to attract prospective franchisees for Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean. Businesses looking to expand in South Florida, include Burger 21, McAlister’s Deli, Kiddie Academy, Sign-A-Rama, Cinnabon, EmbroidMe, and Wireless Zone.

This year for the first time, the show will focus on the trend toward mobile franchise businesses. The “GoMobilePavilion” will highlight dozens of mobile franchise concepts, which typically come with lower initial investment and decreased labor costs. Educational sessions will also discuss how to convert a traditional business to a mobile one.

Registration fees vary, but start as low as $5 in advance or $10 on-site. For more information about the show, which is sponsored by the International Franchise Association, visit www.franchiseexposouth.com

Read More..

Mobile data says Miami stayed up latest of any city on New Year’s Eve

Go to bed and pull up the covers, New York: Miami is now officially the city that never sleeps.

According to Sense Networks, a company that specializes in mobile location and behavioral targeting data, Miami stayed up the latest of all big American cities on New Year’s Eve this year. Sleepy New York could muster only a fifth-place finish, also falling behind Jersey City and Newark, N.J., and Garland, Texas and. Even Newark managed to prop its eyelids open later than NYC.

The data, based on analysis of mobile location data of residents in the 100 most populated U.S. cities, will come as no surprise to locals who have seen clubbers staggering out into the daylight with all the grace of melting vampires. So what does Miami have that allowed us to snag the no. 1 spot?

“Great weather, great parties and people who love their smartphones,” says Heather Sears, vice president of marketing for Sense Networks (who laments the fact that she rang in 2013 in frigid Boston instead of on a South Florida beach). “People keep their smartphones within arm’s distance 24/7. They’re really, truly addicted. And on New Year’s Eve they’re wishing each other ‘Happy New Year’ and texting and sending photos.”

Other cities that made the Top 10 late night list: Laredo, Tex.; Atlanta; Chandler, Ariz.; Chicago; Houston.

Who crashed the earliest? Sears may have a point about the weather: Anchorage, Alaska, turned in earliest, followed by Riverside, Ga.; Chula Vista and Anaheim, Calif.; and Reno, Nev.

Read More..

Samsung and Apple are still the only winners in the mobile market

The duopoly of the U.S. mobile market intensified dramatically in 2012. Despite increased efforts from Motorola, LG (066570), HTC (2498), Nokia (NOK) and Microsoft (MSFT) to gain market share, Samsung (005930) and Apple (AAPL) continue to steal customers away from every other company. During a three-month period ending in November, comScore found that Samsung’s lead in the U.S. smartphone market increased 1.2 percentage points for a controlling 26.9% share. Apple’s smartphone market share grew from 17.1% to 18.5%, gaining 1.4 points following the launch of the iPhone 5. Rounding out the top-five were LG, Motorola and HTC, all of which saw their market shares decrease from August. LG fell 0.7 points to 17.5%, Motorola dropped 0.8 points to 10.4% and HTC’s market share decreased from 6.3% to 5.9%.

[More from BGR: Samsung confirms plan to begin inching away from Android]

[More from BGR: ‘iPhone 5S’ to reportedly launch by June with multiple color options and two different display sizes]

The research firm found that 123.3 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the period, an increase of 6% since August. A majority of devices, 53.7%, were powered by Google’s (GOOG) Android operating system, which saw growth of 1.1 percentage points. Apple’s iOS market share increased 0.7 percentage points to 35%.

2012 was a transitional year for Research in Motion (RIMM) and Microsoft. Both companies spent most of the year preparing new operating systems. RIM will unveil its BlackBerry 10 operating system later this month and devices powered by Windows Phone 8 launched this past November. As a result, both companies saw lost share toward the end of 2012; RIM’s BlackBerry platform ranked third with a 7.3% share, down from 8.3% in August, and Microsoft’s operating system dropped 0.6 percentage points to a 3% share of the market.

This article was originally published by BGR

Wireless News Headlines – Yahoo! News

Title Post: Samsung and Apple are still the only winners in the mobile market
Url Post: http://www.news.fluser.com/samsung-and-apple-are-still-the-only-winners-in-the-mobile-market/
Link To Post : Samsung and Apple are still the only winners in the mobile market
Rating:
100%

based on 99998 ratings.
5 user reviews.
Author: Fluser SeoLink
Thanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comment

Read More..

Connie Britton Emmys 2011 Flashback

Connie Britton had some fun with ET, who complimented her on her glowing appearance, and absolutely shimmering... clavicle?

"Yes, my clavicle always shimmers, and I wake up looking like this."

For those who haven't brushed up on human anatomy, the clavicle is the same thing as the collarbone. And Britton was absolutely rocking it in her sleeveless dress.

See Also: Stars React To Their Golden Globe Nominations

The actress and singer was nominated for her acclaimed role as Tami Taylor on the concluded NBC series Friday Night Lights, and also discussed her then upcoming miniseries, American Horror Story: Asylum.

"I don't sing [on the show], I do a lot of screaming. We have replaced singing for screaming on American Horror Story."

Her role on that mini-series would earn Britton another Emmy nomination the following year. Shamefully, neither of those nods resulted in wins for one of our favorite TV actresses.

See Also: Can Connie Britton Sing? Watch!

Even so, Britton is back to singing on the new ABC series Nashville, and that leading role has even earned her a Golden Globe nomination. You can find out if she wins when the Globes air on NBC, January 13.

To see Britton's entire playful red carpet interview, see the video above.

Read More..

City audit shows faulty receipts filed by education officials to Bronx pizzeria

Their story stretched more than the mozzarella.

Education bureaucrats submitted apparently faulty receipts to justify hundreds of dollars of expenses at a Bronx pizzeria and other food purchases made by public schools, an audit found.

City Comptroller John Liu asked city investigators to look into the potentially fraudulent proof submitted after the fact for more than $500 in pizza and Pepsi purchases from Arturro’s Pizzeria in Marble Hill.

READ THE FULL AUDIT HERE

Officials in his agency said it wasn’t clear that the receipts were completely fabricated — only that they appeared to be created after the fact to cover-up lousy record-keeping by Ellis Prep Academy and its Department of Education managers.

The allegedly bogus bills were among a host of questionable credit-card purchases uncovered in an audit of five schools and their oversight office.

The review found that a whopping 64 percent of the $133,173 purchases examined were not documented or bid out properly — or weren’t justifiable expenses — including:

• $775 for five Kindles from Amazon.com

• $194 purchase from Costco.com labeled both as a refrigerator and as movie tickets

• $679 from Target.com for sofa beds.

• $1,292 for two dinner events at Calle Ocho Restaurant in The Bronx

The audit looked at only a small sample of the $17.2 million in credit card purchases by schools in fiscal 2011, and was the latest in a string of investigations that found poor oversight by the DOE.

“Greater care and discretion in the use of [credit]-cards is in order before outright waste and abuse ensues,” said Liu.

His office made 13 recommendations for how the DOE can boost its oversight of credit card purchases, 10 of which the agency backed.

A spokeswoman for the schools investigation office did not respond to an email and phone call asking whether it had opened a probe regarding the pizza pie receipts.

A DOE spokeswoman said the agency was told that a probe had already been closed with no positive findings.

“We implemented most of the Comptroller’s recommendations prior to the audit,” she said.

Additional reporting by Gillian Kleiman

Read More..

New York real estate investor expands Lincoln Road presence

A New York real estate investment fund continued to expand its presence on Lincoln Road last month, purchasing three storefronts on the prime retail street.

Thor Equities said Thursday that it closed last month on the purchase of 663, 665, and 667 Lincoln Road. The company declined to reveal the purchase price for the 5,000 square feet of retail space. Tenants include Pizza Rustica, So Good Collections and 16 Handles (665).

Thor sees opportunity to attract fashion retailers looking to enter the market. Lincoln has recently seen an influx of international retailers like H&M, Forever 21 and Lacoste.

Joe Sitt, chairman and chief executive of Thor Equities, was one of the first institutional investors to see Lincoln Road’s potential when he started buying property more than five years ago. At the time Sitt says other institutional investors “laughed” because they thought the market was too much of a party town. Sitt has been outbid by some of those same investors on other recent attempts to purchase property on Lincoln.

“Lincoln Road is the hottest retail street in all of Miami and is among the busiest corridors in the world,” Sitt said.

The new acquisitions give Thor Equities a total of 16,000 square feet of retail space in Miami Beach.

Read More..