Penguin Canada is now friends with Kirsten Cave

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Microsoft's OEMs focus on Windows 8, but the future is Surface

Samsung cancels US Windows RT tablet plans
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 01/12/13 22:53 UTC
Well, this can't be a good sign. Samsung has told CNET that the company will not be launching its Windows RT tablet in the United States, citing a lack of demand and consumer confusion. After I spent an afternoon in my country's largest electronics retailer, it's hard not to agree with Samsung. 7??Read More ? 47 Comment(s)

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'Safari is released to the world' Linked by Thom Holwerda on 01/11/13 17:28 UTC After relying on third parties for several years - Internet Explorer, Netscape - Apple decided that it was time to take matters into its own hands. It was time Apple created its own browser (again). And so, Safari was born, and released unto the world ten years ago. These past few weeks, Don Melton, the project lead for Safari and WebKit, has been sharing a lot of interesting stories about the origins and development of Apple's browser. 4??Read More ? 24 Comment(s)

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Nokia sold 4.4 million Lumias in Q4 2012 Linked by Thom Holwerda on 01/10/13 17:10 UTC Nokia has just sent out a few preliminary comments about the company's performance during the fourth quarter of 2012. Nokia's figures are a good indicator for how well Windows Phone 8 is doing, and, in all honesty, I'm not exactly blown away. Apparently, neither was Nokia itself, since the company decided to redefine their Asha phones from feature phone to smartphone to prop up their smartphone sales figures. 0??Read More ? 78 Comment(s)

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Windows RT jailbreak: let the games begin Linked by Thom Holwerda on 01/08/13 23:27 UTC So, a rudimentary jailbreak for Windows RT made its way onto the web these past few days. Open source applications were ported right away, and it was confirmed that Windows RT is the full Windows - it's exactly the same as regular Windows, except that it runs on ARM. Microsoft responded to the jailbreak as well. 2??Read More ? 95 Comment(s)

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Google blocks Windows Phone from Maps, limits Gmail Linked by Thom Holwerda on 01/05/13 14:53 UTC And so this situation is starting to get ridiculous - and consumers are, as usual, caught in the middle of it all. Google has just blocked Windows Phone devices from accessing Google Maps on their phones. In addition, it also seems Windows Phone users are now restricted to the basic HTML version of the mobile GMail website. While understandable from a defensive perspective - Microsoft's extortion scheme targeting Android device makers and all that - it's still a massive dick move that only hurts consumers. Update: the media attention has worked - Google is backpedalling, and will remove the redirect. "We periodically test Google Maps compatibility with mobile browsers to make sure we deliver the best experience for those users. In our last test, IE mobile still did not offer a good maps experience with no ability to pan or zoom and perform basic map functionality. As a result, we chose to continue to redirect IE mobile users to Google.com where they could at least make local searches. The Firefox mobile browser did offer a somewhat better user experience and that’s why there is no redirect for those users. Recent improvements to IE mobile and Google Maps now deliver a better experience and we are currently working to remove the redirect. We will continue to test Google Maps compatibility with other mobile browsers to ensure the best possible experience for users." 3??Read More ? 247 Comment(s)

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Icaros Desktop 1.5 released Linked by paolone on 01/04/13 20:56 UTC Icaros Desktop, the popular distribution of the AROS Research Operating System, has recently released its version 1.5, a new milestone since it finally allows to run classic Amiga software and games on full screen or perfectly integrating them into the host AROS desktop. 6??Read More ? 36 Comment(s)

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Shocker: Android SDK binaries still proprietary Linked by Thom Holwerda on 01/04/13 18:29 UTC A blog post on the Free Software Foundation Europe site is making the rounds around the web. The blog post, written by Torsten Grote, claims that 'the Android SDK is now proprietary', because upon download, you have to agree to terms and conditions which are clearly not compatible with free and/or open source software. What Grote fails to mention - one, these terms have mostly always been here, and two, they only apply to the SDK binaries. The source is still freely available. 1??Read More ? 19 Comment(s)

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Canonical unveils Ubuntu for phones Linked by Thom Holwerda on 01/02/13 19:05 UTC Expected, but still insanely cool: Canonical has just announced Ubuntu for phones. This is a new mobile phone operating system, with its own user interface and development platform. It's built around Qt5 and QML, and the interface reminds me of MeeGo on the N9. It's supposed to be on the shelves in early 2014, but the developer preview is out today. 20??Read More ? 120 Comment(s)

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Ode to Skulpture Linked by Thom Holwerda on 01/01/13 18:19 UTC I tend to believe that the best interfaces have already been made. Behaviourally, CDE is the best and most consistent interface ever made. It looked like ass, but it always did exactly as you told it to, and it never did anything unexpected. When it comes to looks, however, the gold standard comes from an entirely different corner - Apple's Platinum and QNX' PhotonUI. Between all the transparency, flat-because-it's-hip, and stitched leather violence of the past few years, one specific KDE theme stood alone in bringing the best of '90s UI design into the 21st century, and updating it to give everything else a run for its money. This is an ode to Christoph Feck's Skulpture. 6??Read More ? 50 Comment(s)

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Quick Guide to Fixing Hardware Linked by Howard Fosdick on 12/31/12 20:26 UTC Last month, I explained why I use generic desktops and laptops running open source software. They're reliable and inexpensive. But this presumes you can fix them. I believe that even those with no hardware training (like me), can identify and fix most hardware problems. To prove it, here's a quick guide. Feel free to add whatever I've missed. 6??Read More ? 34 Comment(s)

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Source: http://osnews.com/story/26695/Microsoft_s_OEMs_focus_on_Windows_8_but_the_future_is_Surface

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Happiness: A Step Away - The Self Improvement Blog

By M. Farouk Radwan -

Happiness stems from the inner feeling of peace and the calmness surrounding it. While many believe that happiness would come to them from the things that they do or the needs they fulfill, it does not truly work that way.

While little things could change your mood and make you happy, happiness comes from inside. Of course, there might be factors that activate your happiness, but some people, at the worst times, remain happy.

In the saddest moment, there is always something that can change your mood. It?s not something that you can see, and only few people can feel it. It requires a lot of work in order to obtain and once obtained, you can never let it go. Just like you, everyone has trouble of his own and everybody goes through hard times.

If you identify and find the happiest man in the world and ask him the reason for his happiness, he will say that there is no reason he can name, he is just happy that way. Don?t -you- mistake happiness with lack of worrisome or for the company of a nice lady or for the wealth, but all of that perishes.

Nothing truly lasts forever, because eternity is a long time. If you want to achieve happiness, then you are up for a long list of tasks that you need to do. You need to get rid of all the straight negative feelings that you encounter because of things you have done or things that were done to you and instead embrace happiness as a friend rather than a feeling; a friend whom you can count on when everything seems to go against you.

Anger will not allow you to reach for happiness. What anger does is, eventually, destructive to both your serenity and the peace surrounding you. While you are in an angry state, go back into your memories and find something that will soothe you. While your memories might all seem dark, there?s that one thing that will make you feel good.

When you do well, do not expect or wait for anything in return. If there is a reason for the good feelings, then keep in mind that the reason will fade some day and you will not be able to do good again because your motivation is gone.

And remember that because you do not receive positive effects in return, you will give yourself a reason to be happy when the world frowns at you. You are the master of yourself and only you can give yourself the happiness you need to go on and smile when everything seems dim.

Your smile will turn everything around because you attract this positive energy that will bring you good things in return.

If you ever feel that you are lonely, bring your happiness out through memories and if you have no memories, imagine things that will make you happy. While imagination seems to be an anti-realistic topic, it is the reason for most inventions and the greatest invention that man has ever made is happiness.

Happiness is all around you, if you take a closer look at the world all around you.

But the negative feelings that might encounter you do not only come from you, sometimes they come from things or people around you. If you fail to do something, will you throw yourself into depression or just get back up and hope -even when all hope is lost- so you would be able to keep on going?

If you surrender to the negative feelings then you lose your ownership over your own self and in return, you might seek alternatives that will make you feel in control. But that is never the way to go.

A bit of forgiveness and humble apologetic behavior will turn the tides around. When you are rightfully do something and someone else takes the credit for it, smile and they will lose everything that they have done to steal your accomplishment.

Vengeful behavior will get you nowhere, but acceptance will bring you strength and forgiveness will make you win.

It all comes from you. You control your emotions. You are the master of yourself. If you seek happiness, then know that it does not come from anything around you but your own spirit. If you seek happiness then become happy because nothing else will make you happy no matter how good it is. It will all come to you when you smile to the world and give it a signal to smile back at you.

www.2knowmyself.com, The ultimate source for self understanding

10,000,000 Million visits and counting. How to be happy

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=M._Farouk_Radwan
http://EzineArticles.com/?Happiness:-A-Step-Away&id=7347100

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Source: http://theselfimprovementblog.com/self-improvement/self-improvement-tips/happiness-a-step-away/

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Indiana candidate sorry about rape comment; Romney stands by him

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Families Supporting Adoption: Foster Care and Social Networking

We have a new guest contributor! Meet?Dr. John DeGarmo:

Dr. DeGarmo has been a foster parent for 11 years, now, and he and his wife have had over 30 children come through their home.??Dr. DeGarmo wrote his dissertation on fostering, entitled Responding to the Needs of Foster Children in Rural Schools.??He is a speaker and trainer on many topics about the foster care system, and travels around the nation delivering passionate, dynamic, energetic, and informative presentations.??Dr. DeGarmo is the author of the highly inspirational and bestselling book?Fostering Love: One Foster Parent?s Story.??He also writes for a number of publications and newsletters, both here in the United States, and overseas.?

We are so fortunate that Dr. DeGarmo will be contributing his wealth of knowledge and experience on foster care topics here at the FSA blog.

Fostering Hope: A Foster Care Column

As a foster and adoptive parent myself, I recognize the importance of technology in the lives of children. Indeed, technology is everywhere, and for our children today, it is a large part of their lives. Yet, social network sites, such as Facebook, have opened up a whole new world for those involved in the foster care system. Foster children, foster parents, birth parents, and social workers have all felt the impact of this powerful technological communication tool. Social Networking allows foster children to stay connected to friends and family members from all over. For these children in need, it can very much be a benefit as they stay in touch with birth parents and biological family members.

These sites open up a new way to communicate with birth parents and other biological family members. Facebook and other networking sites allow foster children and birth parents to remain in day to day contact, as it allows the foster child the opportunity to continue in a relationship that is important to him. This may help in allowing him to heal from the separation from his family.?

Social networking does present problems to foster children, though. Some caseworkers may prefer that contact with birth parents be limited. Yet, with social networking, this can be most difficult, and almost impossible, for foster parents to monitor. More and more birth parents are contacting their foster children through social networking sites, many times against the wishes of both foster parents and caseworkers. Birth parents are able to openly communicate with their child unsupervised, which can lead to false accusations as well as false promises from the birth parents. Indeed, social networking is a whole new world for all involved in foster care; a world that can be both wonderful and dangerous at the same time. ?There is the chat component of Facebook,? one caseworker noted, ?where a child and their parent could essentially have a conversation that no one would be able to monitor unless they were sitting right next to the child, which is a grave concern.? Case managers would have to be familiar with the birth parent's Facebook page before the foster child was to even access it. Along with this, there are many reports of foster parents being bullied and stalked by the birth parents through social networking. Another caseworker suggested that, ?I am personally aware of inappropriate things that parents post on their Facebook pages that would not be appropriate for their children to view. Not only might there be inappropriate information and comments on there, there also might be inappropriate photos and other harmful content that the children do not need to be exposed to, not just from the birth parents, but from the internet, in general.? Indeed, social networking is a whole new world for all involved in foster care; a world that can be both wonderful and dangerous at the same time. Much more information and research is needed before the social network explosion engulfs foster care.

Next month, we shall look at some strategies to aid our foster children in this new world of technology.

Dr. DeGarmo can be contacted by email, through his Facebook page, ?or at his website.

Source: http://familiessupportingadoption.blogspot.com/2012/10/foster-care-and-social-networking.html

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Kids' mountain bike program likely the first of many in Old Town ...

Ten children in Old Town learned the joys of mountain biking during a monthlong program for grades 4-8 that ran mid-September through mid-October.

The program was made possible by a first-of-its-kind collaboration of three Maine-based organizations: Old Town Recreation, Maine Winter Sports Center and the Bicycle Coalition of Maine.

?They were very excited to just go out and experience the outdoors,? said Kevin McPhee, director of Old Town Recreation, which hosted the program. ?We have a river trail here in the Old Town-Orono area that goes along the Stillwater River. It?s just a beautiful bike trial, and they were able to experience that on a couple of occasions.?

Biking in the mud was their favorite part.

?They usually came back and had mud up their backs and huge smiles,? McPhee said. ?Their parents would come to pick them up and just shake their heads and smile.?

Healthy Hometowns, the community development program of the Maine Winter Sports Center, provided mountain bikes and helmets for participants, as well as training and curriculum for leaders.

?The focus of this program was on experiencing the lifelong, active outdoor pursuit of mountain biking,? said Central Maine Healthy Hometowns coach Lauren Jacobs. ?Kids had a blast exploring the trails, getting muddy and becoming skilled bikers.?

In April, L.L.Bean announced a $1 million donation to Healthy Hometowns to expand the program into a year-round, statewide effort. This donation coincides with L.L.Bean?s mission to get more children outdoors during their 100th anniversary year and beyond.

?In the past, Healthy Hometowns has been primarily cross-country ski-oriented and mostly in the County, up in Aroostook,? Jacobs said. ?With the funding in April, we can go statewide and year-round. This is the first time we?ve had equipment to use in other regions.?

The funding is providing staff, training and resources for Healthy Hometowns expand its focus to outdoor activities such as paddling, hiking, mountain biking, orienteering and camping.

So far, the donation enabled Healthy Hometowns to purchase 20 mountain bikes, three boat trailers of kayaks, and expand their ski collection to approximately 1,500 sets of skis. The program ?coaches? have started spreading out across the state, and the equipment supply will continue to grow over the next three years, Jacobs said.

The 10 children who participated in the Old Town mountain bike program gained skills and confidence through riding on local trails and fields and engaging in a variety of games and activities used to teach bike handling, shifting, braking, safety and navigating obstacles.

The Bicycle Coalition of Maine, a statewide cycling advocacy group, supported the initiative with a safety program for participants and program leadership by a coalition employee.

?Participants markedly improved their biking skills while getting great exercise and getting the opportunity to experience the great Maine outdoors as it was meant to be enjoyed,? McPhee said.

During the summer, Healthy Hometowns and Old Town Recreation worked together to provide kayaking and biking opportunities to summer camp participants. And this winter, the two organizations will work together for the third year to offer a youth cross-country ski program in conjunction with the Penobscot Valley Ski Club.

?This will be an ongoing effort,? McPhee said. ?We look forward to doing this spring, summer, fall and winter. We look forward to partnering with them each season to provide a different activity.?

Healthy Hometowns trailers filled with cross-country skis and snowshoes will travel throughout the state all winter to give children the chance to experience winter sports. Several schools in the Bangor area have booked the equipment, including schools in Winterport, Hampden, Bangor and Dover-Foxcroft.

?We are really focused on winter right now, planning winter sports, getting out calendars filled up and getting ready to do our ski weeks,? Jacobs said. ?But it won?t be long before we start thinking about spring and getting programming lined up. We already have a couple of requests ? Milo has already scheduled the mountain bikes for their outing club members for some time in May.?

For information about Healthy Hometowns, including equipment rental and outdoor programs, visit www.mainewsc.org; the Old Town Recreation Department at www.oldtownrec.com; and the Bicycle Coalition of Maine at www.bikemaine.org.

Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/10/24/outdoors/kids-mountain-bike-program-likely-the-first-of-many-in-old-town/

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Common speech disorders | Speech Therapy

October 24, 2012 in Photos & Videos

Stuttering

Stuttering

Stuttering is a common speech disorder characterized by? repetition of speech. The speaker may keep on repeating just the first part of the word or they may elongate their words.

Stammering

Stammering

Stammering is another speech disorder, which makes? it difficult to? express sounds. It can also affect the facial muscles. The speaker can experience? difficulty in beginning words or they may repeat words or syllables continually.

Lisping

Lisping

Lisping usually begins in childhood and can be caused if parents do not teach their child to speak properly.? Physical defects like a cleft palate can also cause lisping.

Cluttering

Cluttering

Cluttering?is a language disorder. The person may speak in bursts, and may sound jerky while talking. Often, the speaker is unaware he has this problem.

Apraxia?(dyspraxia)

Apraxia?(dyspraxia)

It is also known as oral-motor speech disorder. Apraxia is caused by problems with motor coordination or motor planning. The sufferer finds it difficult to move the muscles necessary to form speech sounds.

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Source: http://speechtherapy.ygoy.com/2012/10/24/common-speech-disorders/

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