Facebook adds in-app SMS, makes design changes in Android app ...

Facebook's latest update to its standalone Messenger and main app for Android users, adds in-app SMS messaging and updates to the user experience.

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Facebook Messenger left swipe update

Facebook is hitting its mobile stride with several new feature announcements today. In addition to offering photo syncing for Android devices, the social network is rolling out an additional update to both the Android Facebook app and Android Facebook Messenger app. Among the updates included is an in-app texting feature.

For Android smartphone owners, the Facebook Messenger app now has the option to text friends directly from within app itself. It?s the latest in a recent line of steps that Facebook has taken to house all forms of communication under its own roof. Now on Facebook Messenger, users can send or receive SMS messages, native Facebook messages, and even emails using the @facebook.com addresses that were allocated to every user months ago.

It?s no secret that Facebook has been trying hard to transform it?s platform into the destination for communication; users already spend hours upon hours doing using it for these means as is. Of course the motivation for Facebook here is that the longer users spend on the site, the higher the chances that Facebook has to earn advertising revenue from its users. Of course, migrating all things to mobile is priority number one over at Facebook, so this new implementation makes all too much sense.?

Before you get ahead of yourself, this specific feature won?t be available on every phone. Currently the list of supported phones, according to TechCrunch, includes the HTC One X, HTC EVO 3D, LG Optimus Black, LG Optimus Hub, Samsung Galaxy Ace, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Galaxy S3, and Samsung Galaxy Y. Facebook is working on bringing the in-app texting feature to other Android phones.

You?ll recognize some user experience design updates on the Android Facebook Messenger including the ability to quickly access your Friends list simply by swiping your finger anywhere on the left side of the screen. And the look of the Messages page has been updated to a more conversational interface, similar to what you?d see on a native iOS SMS app or any other messenger app.

If you have a handful of Facebook friends that you regularly talk to, you can also now add them to a ?Favorites? list.

Facebook?s main Android app has been updated to reflect most of the changes that users would find in the Messenger standalone app.

Facebook has also announced that an update to the iOS version of Facebook Messenger will arrive for Apple users shortly, but it?s highly unlikely that iOS device owners will use Facebook?s in-app SMS feature. Currently it?s not possible for developers to create scripts to read SMS messages from Apple?s native SMS app and display the messages in a third-party app.

Source: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/facebook-adds-in-app-sms-messaging/

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Sentient Skills Science: What Makes Some Memories So Memorable?

Bring Science Home

An unforgettable activity from Scientific American

Key concepts
Memory
Neuroscience
Psychology
Graphing

Introduction
Have you ever tried to remember an entire list of groceries?without looking at the written list while you're shopping? Even a master of memory skills may fail to recall an item or two. But why does this happen? In this activity you will learn a little more about memory? how it works and what factors make some details more memorable than others. You will also re-create a psychology experiment that helped scientists identify two effects that can distinctly shape what we remember.

Background
Can you recall all of the words in the paragraph above? No peeking! Some memories are stored for only short periods of time before they disappear. You need to remember the beginning of a sentence to understand the end, for example, but might not need to retain each sentence word-for-word to understand the whole paragraph. This briefly held form of recollection is called short-term memory. Other memories, however, last much longer. Scientists believe that a seahorse-shaped structure in the brain called the hippocampus helps us transform our memories from short- to long-term.

Another form of recollection is working memory. This is what helps you remember and juggle information that is involved in tasks in which you are engaged. This is the form of memory that lets you perform mental math, conjugate verbs or put together a list. Scientists have found that an area of your brain right behind your temples, called the prefrontal cortex, helps you carry out working memory tasks.

Materials
? ?? Pencils
? ?? Paper, preferably lined or graph paper
? ?? Watch or clock (optional)
? ?? Gather a group of friends and family to be your subjects?at least five people (but the bigger the group, the better your results)

Preparation
? ?? Give each of your subjects a piece of paper and pencil.
? ?? Ask your subjects to listen carefully as you list 20 words. They will need to remember as many as they can but not write anything down until you tell them to.

Procedure
? ?? In a steady, even pace?about one word every second if you are using a clock or watch?read the following list of words in order: home, dog, rock, hand, table, card, bag, monkey, phone, cookie, mouse, paper, nail, hat, pillow, water, juice, watch, circle and glass.
? ?? Why do you think your pacing matters? What do you think might happen if you repeated this activity and read more slowly? What if you read more quickly?
? ?? When you have finished reading the list, pause for one more second and then ask your subjects to write down as many words as they can remember.
? ?? Collect their lists and on a fresh piece of paper and prepare a line graph. The vertical y-axis of the graph will represent the number of subjects in your study. Starting at the bottom of this axis, write the number 1, then evenly space consecutive numbers until you have reached the total number of subjects in your experiment. If five friends participated, you will have the numbers 1 through 5 going up this axis.
? ?? The horizontal x-axis of your graph will include the words on your original list. Write these out, evenly spaced, in the same order that you read them. Your line graph will now allow you to pinpoint how many subjects remembered each of the words on the list.
? ?? Count up how many subjects correctly remembered each word. Above each word on your graph's x-axis, mark a dot that corresponds with the number of subjects along the y-axis. Are there certain words that everyone remembered? Are there words that all of your subjects forgot? Do some people have much sharper memories than others?
? ?? When you have placed a dot for each word, connect these points. Do you notice any patterns? Does your line graph have a smooth shape or is it spiky? Why do you think certain words were more memorable than others?
? ?? Extra: In the original list, all of the words are simple and concrete, making them easier to imagine and relate to. Repeat this experiment with a new list of short, common words but include some that are idea-based, or abstract. You could also read a list of real and made-up words. Are certain words harder to remember than others?
? ?? Extra: Distract your subjects by adding a working memory challenge at the end of the experiment. Repeat the above activity with a new list, but before your subjects write anything down, ask them to recite the last 10 letters of the alphabet backward. Then let your subjects write down as many from the original list as they can remember. Graph and compare your results. Does disrupting memory change the pattern of remembered words?
? ?? Extra: You can also try to enhance memory. First, strategize with your subjects on good memory techniques. For example, many people find that visualizing something makes it easier to remember. Try a few examples as a group, then repeat the experiment with a new set of words. Did your subjects remember more words with a little coaching?


Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=deb0d1fa5ef0a82eabcfac22bd3c2fae

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Tigers top A's

By LARRY LAGE

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 10:25 p.m. ET Sept. 19, 2012

DETROIT (AP) - Detroit manager Jim Leyland had his head on a swivel, looking at reporters when they asked a question one moment and glancing up toward the TV in his office with Kansas City leading Chicago when it got quiet.

"If I didn't have this on, I might as well go home," Leyland said.

The Tigers improved their chances of sticking around beyond the regular season when Miguel Cabrera homered, Omar Infante drove in three runs and Justin Verlander pitched six scoreless innings to help them beat the Oakland Athletics 6-2 on Wednesday night.

The Royals later helped out with a 3-0 win over the White Sox that trimmed their lead to two games over Detroit in the AL Central with 14 games remaining.

The Tigers have won two straight over the A's - and 28 of their last 36 games at home.

"We played a couple good games against one of the hottest teams in all of baseball," Leyland said. "That's pretty good."

Oakland, clinging to an AL wild-card spot, has dropped three straight and might have had a costly loss on the mound because Brett Anderson (4-2) left the game after two-plus innings with a strained right oblique.

"He's getting an MRI right now," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "So, we won't know anything until he gets back."

Melvin plans to pitch Dan Strally in Anderson's spot in the rotation if he can't make his next start.

The A's forced Justin Verlander (15-8) to throw 122 pitches and that ended his night. He allowed five hits and three walks while striking out five.

"It was a grind," Verlander said.

Octavio Dotel struck out two in a perfect seventh. Joaquin Benoit had two strikeouts in the eighth. Jose Valverde closed the game in a non-save situation, entering with a six-run lead, and was booed after giving up two-out RBI singles to Cliff Pennington and Stephen Drew.

Detroit played some small ball to take a 3-0 lead in the third.

Andy Dirks and Gerald Laird started the inning with bunt singles and advanced on Austin Jackson's groundout. Infante followed with a double down the left-field line to put the Tigers up 2-0.

"Those were two perfect bunts or they would have been outs," Melvin said.

Infante's groundout in the eighth inning gave the Tigers a six-run lead.

After walking Cabrera intentionally and giving Prince Fielder a free pass on four pitches to load the bases, Anderson was injured while pitching to Delmon Young. Anderson fell forward and landed awkwardly after throwing his 48th pitch. Oakland trainer Nick Paparesta and Melvin talked with Anderson briefly on the field before deciding to take him out of the game.

"We could see earlier in the inning that he was trying to stretch out his back, so I don't think the fall had anything to do with it," Melvin said. "We just checked him at that point and decided we didn't want to go any farther with him."

Right-hander Pat Neshek replaced Anderson and Young promptly hit a sacrifice fly to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead.

Detroit shortstop Jhonny Peralta had an error in the fifth - snapping a 75-game errorless streak - but he helped turn a double play to end the inning. He chipped in at the plate in the home half, hitting an RBI single to put Detroit ahead 4-0.

Cabrera sent Jim Miller's 94 mph high fastball on an 0-2 pitch over the fence in left field for his 41st home run and 130th RBI to bolster his shot at being baseball's first Triple Crown winner since Boston's Carl Yastrzemski pulled off the feat in 1967.

"It's something that is a dream," Cabrera said. "But right now, I got to focus on trying to help us make the playoffs."

Verlander said it has been "unbelievable," to watch Cabrera this season.

"Obviously, he's got my support for MVP," the reigning AL MVP and Cy Young award winner. "He's one home run away from the Triple Crown, and that's a rarity in baseball, and that's a testament to how good of a player he is.

"Look at the ball he hit for a home run. We were talking about that, you just don't see that. You execute your pitch, 94 up at his chin, and he hits a home run.

NOTES: Tigers RHP Max Scherzer hopes to make his next scheduled start on Sunday at home against Minnesota. He left the series opener against Oakland after just two innings because of a fatigued right shoulder. "It wasn't sharp pain, it was weakness," he said. "I need a couple days of not throwing." ... A's OF Coco Crisp didn't play because of infections in both eyes and Melvin is hoping his contagious ailment doesn't spread. "He's got his own towels," Melvin said. ... Tigers C Alex Avila, still feeling the effects of colliding with Fielder on Sunday, didn't play and the team is hoping he'll return this weekend at home against the Twins. ... Peralta's 75-game scoreless streak was the longest by a position player for the Tigers in a season since at least 1957.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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International Business Networking Tips ? headline news

There is a maxim in the business world, ?Network or not work.? A growing number of professional networking efforts are a manifestation of putting this maxim to practice. One of the major keys to networking is communication. The importance of communication can never be denied in any walk of life, particularly when it comes to dealing with business. One of the most effective communication tools in the corporate world is a business card! Are you heading to a local or regional ?TweetUp? or perhaps a LinkedIn get together where you?ll be able to meet potential clients, partners, and customers? If so, you need to ensure that your business cards are up to date with accurate information and are visually appealing to the people that you meet. Whether you are using it to expand your professional network or for establishing new working relationships, a business card says a lot about you and your business before you verbally introduce yourself.Just as planning is necessary for every step in growing your business, planning for what type of business card you want to design is critical as well. To begin with, you should have an idea of a background you want, which type of font style you like, and how you want your information displayed on the card. Do you have a company logo or do you want to have a picture of yourself or your business on your card? If so, you have the option of uploading your logo or photo and placing wherever you wish on your card while you?re using the Card Editor to create it. Don?t forget about the back of your business card! Use it to print a message, a coupon, or directions to your business. Don?t be afraid to get creative with the backside of your business card. This is valuable advertising space for your company ? take advantage of it and use it. Printing on the back of your card can be vital in disseminating company information at networking events big and small.QR Codes are a new emerging technology trend that is finding its way onto business cards too. QR Codes can be an extremely effective, visually appealing way to make a statement at your next business networking event. QR Codes are eye catching and you can pack them full of information about you, your company, a specific product or whatever you wish ? the sky?s the limit. Card recipients can easily scan your QR code with their smartphone and immediately learn more about your company or save your contact information directly in their address book.Whether you?re attending a Chamber of Commerce function, a Rotary luncheon, or participating in a social media driven networking event, it?s important to have an up to date, usable and effective business card that you can place into the hands of potential customers as you meet them.

Source: http://headlinenews.talkposts.com/2012/09/20/international-business-networking-tips/

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This Is How You Kill Time Waiting for Your iPhone 5 [Humor]

Did you preorder an iPhone 5? Waiting can be agonizing. You just want that pretty, shiny LTE smartphone in your hands NOW. To help you out in the patience department, Conan O'Brien has put together a tongue-in-cheek primer on how to pass the time. And the solutions sound strangely similar to symptoms of deep depression. [Team Coco] More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/P5vdFrUwBfM/this-is-how-you-kill-time-waiting-for-your-iphone-5

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Strategy Guides, Empires And Allies Secrets The #1 Guide By Tony ...

First And Original Empires And Allies Guide. Niche Growing Faster Than Farmville, Cityville Or Warcraft. 75% Commission With Amazing Conversions And Excellent Affiliate Support. For Affiliate Tools Visit Http://www.empiresalliessecrets.com/affiliates

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PFT: Replacement refs embarrass NFL on MNF

File photo of New Orleans Saints' Gregg Williams watching his team prepare for their NFL football game against Tampa Bay Buccaneers in New OrleansReuters

Following Monday?s three-hour marathon meeting between Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma and Commissioner Roger Goodell, someone leaked to the media an affidavit signed by former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, which states that Vilma offered $10,000 to anyone who knocked former Vikings quarterback Brett Favre out of the 2009 NFC title game.

At that?s precisely what it says, at paragraph No. 12 on pages 5 to 6 of the document.? (It?s technically a ?declaration,? not an affidavit.? Both are signed under penalty of perjury, but unlike an affidavit a declaration isn?t notarized.)

Its timing raises many fair questions, even if the NFL would prefer that the questions not be asked.? Amazingly, Williams signed the document three days ago, on September 14, 2012.

So here are the questions and issues that Vilma?s lawyer, Peter Ginsberg, likely will be preparing to ask and/or raise.

How did this declaration come to be?

Williams, whom the league previously identified as someone who corroborated the offer, presumably hadn?t previously reduced his words to writing.? Why didn?t he?

Who wrote the declaration?

The declaration consists of a clean, crisp, logical narrative ? the kind of document lawyers routinely write.? So who wrote it?? Williams? lawyer, based on a meeting with Williams?? Or the NFL?s lawyers, based on whatever Williams told the league (or, possibly, the league?s interpretation thereof)?

Why was it written now?

The September 7 ruling of an internal appeals board vacated the suspensions of Vilma and three other players on technical grounds.? The decision gave the league a do-over, and the decision to harvest a declaration from Williams three days before the meeting with Vilma proves that the NFL opted to embrace its mandated Mulligan.

What promises were made to Williams, expressly or implicitly?

It?s fair to ask whether and to what extent Williams has received anything in return for his cooperation.? Did the league hint that he?ll be more likely to be reinstated if he signs the declaration?

Will Williams testify at the internal appeal hearing?

Assuming the NFL once again suspends Vilma, an internal appeals hearing will be conducted.? And it will be impossible to properly probe the nooks and crannies of the Williams declaration unless Williams testifies.? So Williams surely will have to testify, and he will have to be exposed to cross examination.? Otherwise, the declaration will be worthless.

What other declarations have been obtained?

The league possibly didn?t stop with a declaration from Williams.? The league possibly has revisited the question of whether its previously undisclosed whistleblower (widely believed to be former Saints assistant coach Mike Cerullo) should be ?outed? as a witness, given that the undisclosed whistleblower presumably has also corroborated the Vilma offer.

Will Williams ever coach again?

Apart from the cartoonish remarks from Williams prior to the January 2012 playoff game against the 49ers, Williams? execution of a declaration will make it difficult if not impossible for any NFL player to ever respect, listen to, or follow Williams.? Thus, even if the NFL reinstates him after the 2012 season, it will be difficult for the Rams or any other NFL team to employ him as a coach.? At best, Williams will be relegated to the status of consultant, perhaps helping his son, Blake, with game plans and other strategic matters.

What happens next?

Commissioner Roger Goodell will issue a decision regarding the suspensions, and the decision will be appealed, to Goodell.? His final decision will surely be challenged in court, before Judge Helen G. Berrigan.

Will the declaration hold up in court?

That?s perhaps the best question of all.? Vilma?s lawyer undoubtedly will argue that the league should have created and shared the Williams declaration months ago, and that any effort to cobble something together now is inherently suspect and procedurally defective.

In hindsight, Vilma?s lawyer should have declined to meet with Goodell, taking instead the position that the official record of evidence is closed, and that Goodell must merely make a new decision clarifying whether he was issuing the suspensions for conduct detrimental to the game (which he has the sole authority to do under the labor deal), or whether he was punishing the players for salary-cap violations (which he does not have the authority to do).

What should the other players do?

Saints defensive end Will Smith, Browns linebacker Scott Fujita, and free-agent defensive end Anthony Hargrove are due to meet with Goodell on Tuesday.? They should consider refusing to meet, taking the position that the NFL is stuck with the evidence that already has been produced (or not produced), and that Goodell should simply reissue the decisions.

We?ll find out soon enough whether that happens.? For now, though, it?s clear to us that the Williams declaration would have been far more valuable and relevant if it had been written and signed back in February or March.? Though there would still be questions, there wouldn?t be as many ? and they wouldn?t be as compelling.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/17/replacement-refs-embarrass-the-nfl-on-monday-night-football/related

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When students fail to learn to read, why do we work harder, instead ...

I perfomed some training in a school a year ago and between sessions chatted with the academic coaches in their office. I still remember where I was sitting and where the reading coach was standing when she said, ?Teaching reading is really a complicated science.? I didn?t reply at the time, but I have thought about her comment many times since.

Back in the olden days, teaching reading just wasn?t the rocket science it has since become. Ironically, more children are failing to learn to read now than back in those days. Radical changes and experimentation in teaching approaches yielded an increasing number of children failing at learning to read, and as other factors weighed in, the situation became dire.

Just recently I have started hearing a tiny bit from politicians about the state of K-12 education. Dr. Rice, in her speech at the Republican National Convention, pointed out the fact that your zip code largely predetermines whether or not you have access to a good education. While I believe she is absolutely right, I happen to know that even in affluent zip codes, there are children who are also not learning to read. In my opinion, we?ve reached the point where this failure is an epidemic.

There are two separate burning issues here

1.????School quality and the opportunity for equality in education is a critical issue that must be addressed as we continue to claim that every person is equal and enjoys equal access to the benefits that come from being citizens of this great country. Because right now, every citizen in our country does NOT have equal access to quality education. In my own colorful black and white world, this is wrong and should not be ignored any longer. We CAN fix this!

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All schools are not equal!

2.????And then there is the separate issue of failing teaching approaches, which also must be addressed if we hope to prevent this new generation from being functionally illiterate. It is this topic that concerns me personally and that is on my mind every single time I come to work. I have devoted the past 12 years to research and study in order to answer one question: ?Why do some children fail to learn to read?? And I have come to believe passionately that most of those children who are not learning to read COULD learn to read if the teaching materials and approaches changed for them. I know this is true because I have seen it over and over again ? you take a failing child, show him the new materials and the lights suddenly and dramatically turn on. It makes you feel like Wonder Woman, but it is not really about you/me at all! It is all about finding the right approach and the most effective materials.

Adding stuff doesn?t fix the pot

I love to cook and love flavoring dishes. I have had some experiences with good soup ideas that went bad, and the most common problem I have is the tendency of over-salting my dishes. Anyone who has eaten at my house can attest to this fact. My knee-jerk reaction to over-salting an otherwise perfectly wonderful soup is to keep adding more and more ingredients in the hopes that this increased bulk will somehow cause the salt to be spread around more thinly to more and more vegetables. Believe me, it does not work, so don?t try this at home! All that ever happens is that Books17 I end up with an enormous pot of soup that no one wants to eat because? it is over-salted! And I cringe at the veggie-waste!

The same exact approach has been adopted with teaching reading. The whole language movement was one of those fanciful, romantic experiments that failed miserably. ?All you need is love? was the theme of the day, and in classrooms all across our country, while this music was playing on the Funny-sign-failsradios across the land, teachers were being convinced that all children needed was to be surrounded by books and they would learn to read. Most children can?t and don?t learn to read by simply being immersed in print. This is why the level of literacy has dropped like a rock in the past few decades.

The reaction to increased failure has been increased complexity, which is the exact opposite approach that should be taken. Most children who fail to learn to read do so because there is a massive amount of extraneous information, detail, busy-work, steps, copy work, homework, testing, (and the list goes on and on and on) that gets in the way of the actual process of learning to read. In my colorful black and white world, what I have found works magically is SIMPLIFICATION. It is counter-intuitive, but it is critical.

What SIMPLIFICATION is not:

  • Lowering our expectations of what struggling children can learn
  • Omitting certain tough skills (such as correct grammar and spelling and word usage)
  • Allowing invented spelling (Invented what? Who thought that was a good idea!)
  • Letting children work at learning to read by having them copy things we hope will eventually stick to their brains
  • Dodging complex vocabulary and keeping to very simple words

You raise the bar, simplify the approach, and celebrate a lot

In my room (small group or whole classroom) the bar was raised to 100% mastery. That was the beginning point. I made it very clear to the students at the same time I made sure they understood that we were changing up the methods that had not worked for them before.

We also made big celebratory noises whenever the 100% mastery mark was reached. We DpPhoto5had stickers and stars, we had simple certificates, and at first we had monthly pizza brought in for lunch. It was a party! The pizza was an incentive I put into place to celebrate everyone in the group achieving 100% mastery because I thought this might be a tough challenge to reach. Imagine my delight when this group mastery became the norm! The kids learned very quickly to help each other, cheer each other on, and offer helps along the way. We replaced the costly pizza parties with weekly certificates in the school auditorium. The whole school knew that in order for these kids to get a certificate, their whole group had to score 100% and funny thing? Regular classrooms began to work toward this mark. I remember on Fridays hearing big cheers next door as the third graders found out everyone in class had scored a 100% on their weekly test. I have goose bumps on my arms right now as I remember this. There is absolutely NOTHING like achievement to breed more achievement!

How we simplified the teaching approach

The approach we use that is so effective is contained in our Easy-for-Me? materials. The Easy-for-Me? Reading Program was developed while working over a period of years with beginners of various ability levels. Every single detail that was not essential to learning to read was omitted. They are super distracting to the learning process for many children. I have written so much about the hallmarks of the EFM Reading Approach, so I won?t repeat myself here. But rest assured that this approach utilizes the whole body and various pathways to the brain in a very simple approach that is super powerful in terms of the results with children.

This simplification along with raising the bar meant also that children began to read far earlier, but in a far more developmentally appropriate way. The senses of sight and of touch are where young children are in their development at the time they are expected to learn to read. We have taken this to heart in the design of EFM Reading materials so that every possible little thing is taught utilizing this natural bent to see and touch. Our goal is not to push reading on little children at an earlier age, but rather to make it possible for little children to learn in a developmentally appropriate way so that they can succeed!

Source: http://child-1st.typepad.com/my_weblog/2012/09/when-students-fail-to-learn-to-read-why-do-we-work-harder-instead-of-smarter.html

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[WATCH]: Hiphop Cardio Workout (Calorie Burning Exercise) "Dance"

Rating: 4

Keaira LaShae (singer/dancer) who is also a professional fitness trainer shows you a quick, fun, easy and calorie burning ?Hiphop Cardio? workout routine to Dance ?ASS? by Big Sean. CONNECT WITH ME: www.facebook.com www.facebook.com FOLLOW ME @keairalashae For more fitness videos join me at Dailyburn.com

Source: http://aerobic-fitness.vrg-healthfitness.com/2012/09/18/watch-hiphop-cardio-workout-calorie-burning-exercise-dance-ass-big-sean/

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Olympus announces new PEN, XZ series cameras

Featured

4 days

The back of a white iPhone 5.

You can pre-order the iPhone 5 starting at midnight. But should you? Or would it be better to wait and see it in person before plunking down... Read more

10 hrs.

Two new interchangeable-lens cameras and a luxury point-and-shoot were announced by Olympus Monday at Photokina, a major European trade show. All of them feature more advanced?sensors than their predecessors, along with a few handling improvements.

The PEN cameras are Olympus' series of compact mirrorless cameras, with interchangeable lenses like DSLRs but more compact. The new E-PL5 and E-PM2 are the latest, and add a powerful new 16-megapixel sensor to the lineup, the very same one from the far more expensive E-M5.

Both cameras also get touchscreens, allowing users to take a picture by tapping the screen ? a feature that we found worked quite well on the E-M5. They can shoot at 8 frames per second and of course can be fitted with any of the many lenses already offered. Olympus also introduced a new combination wide-angle?lens and lens cap that could be both fun and practical.

As for the differences between the two, the E-PL5 has an articulating LCD, an extra control dial, and can be combined with a number of screw-on handgrips. At $699 with a zoom lens included, it's also $100 more expensive than the E-PM2.

The XZ-2 replaces the venerable and popular XZ-1, which was considered a standout among point-and-shoots at the time of its release for its fast F/1.8 lens. The new camera keeps the lens but adds an improved sensor, an articulating touchscreen, screw-on grips, and an interesting all-purpose control dial around the lens.

Its specs are impressive, but the $599 price may put people off; Canon, Nikon, and Sony all offer similarly high-performance cameras at competitive prices.

The new PEN cameras will be available in October, and the XZ-2 should ship in November.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/olympus-announces-new-pen-xz-series-cameras-1B5941638

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