Author Archives: Guest Post

‘Art and the Unbreakable Spirit of Haiti’ opens Jan. 9 at Fowler Museum at UCLA

*Related event Jan. 29 features filmmaker Jonathan Demme, journalists, scholars*

Showcasing a selection of works collected by the Fowler Museum at UCLA over the past five decades, “Fowler in Focus: Art and the Unbreakable Spirit of Haiti” juxtaposes pieces produced for the international art market with those used in Port-au-Prince Vodou temples and nationwide seasonal festivities. 

The pieces illustrate how crucial aspects of the Haitian experience — including significant dates and galvanizing events — are made tangible through artistic and ritual practice.  (more…)

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NSF’s Nathaniel B. Palmer Sails with Sweden’s Oden to Study Antarctic Peninsula Ecosystem

Amundsen Sea Polynya International Research Expedition (ASPIRE) Combines Research and Education

In a unique and complex example of “science diplomacy,” teams of U.S. and Swedish scientists are sailing this month aboard two research vessels to study the ecology of the Amundsen Sea, one of the least-explored and most productive bodies in Antarctic waters, and to gauge the potential effects of a changing climate on the Southern Ocean. (more…)

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Colombia Internet Audience Increases 31 Percent in Past Year to Rank as Fastest-Growing Market in Latin America

comScore Offers Complimentary Webinar: State of the Internet Colombia

Bogotá, Colombia, December 9, 2010 – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released results from its latest study on Internet usage in Colombia. The report found that Colombia is the fastest-growing Internet market in Latin America, growing 31 percent in the past year to reach 11.8 million unique visitors in September 2010. comScore will present the complete results of the study during a live, complimentary webinar: The State of the Internet Colombia, on Thursday, December 16. (more…)

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Amazon.com Announces Best Music of 2010

*Amazon music editors reveal the best music of the year; Mumford & Sons, Arcade Fire are top editors’ picks; Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum lead Customer Favorites* 

SEATTLE, Dec 09, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Amazon.com, Inc. today announced its picks for best music of 2010. The list includes the editors’ picks for the Top 100 Albums of the Year, Top 100 Customer Favorites and a breakdown of Best of the Year lists in a variety of musical genres. To see all of the Best of 2010 music lists go to www.amazon.com/bestmusic2010. 

“From the stunning debut of editors’ pick Broken Bells, to the triumphant return of customer favorite Eminem, we heard a lot of great music this year,” said Craig Pape, director of Music at Amazon.com. “Our Best Music of 2010 lists are designed to help customers navigate through the rich selection of releases and discover new artists they might not normally pick on their own.”  (more…)

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Kindle or iPad: A Shopper’s Conundrum

MU expert releases online buyer’s guide to e-readers and media tablets

COLUMBIA, Mo. ­— As the holiday shopping season accelerates, many consumers are considering e-readers or media tablets as gifts. To help confused shoppers, University of Missouri digital publishing expert Roger Fidler has released his annual online e-reader buyer’s guide. Fidler compares seven e-reader models and the Apple iPad media tablet by size, weight, navigation, features, connectivity and cost, and provides information on where to find each model. (more…)

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USDA Moves 120,000 Users to Microsoft’s Cloud

*The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is moving its e-mail, document sharing, and other collaboration tools to Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure to save money and improve efficiency.* 

REDMOND, Wash. — Dec. 8, 2010 — The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that it is moving its on-premises e-mail and productivity applications to Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure, becoming the first cabinet-level federal agency to embrace the cloud. 

In one of the largest cloud federal government deployments ever, the USDA is moving its 120,000 users to Microsoft Online Services, consolidating 21 different messaging and collaboration systems into one, said Chris Smith, the USDA’s chief information officer. The USDA plans to start the shift within the next four weeks.  (more…)

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U.S. Online Holiday Spending Surpasses $17.5 Billion for First 35 Days of the November-December Shopping Season, up 12 Percent vs. Last Year

*More than 50 Percent of All E-Commerce Transactions for the First Five Weeks of the Holiday Season Have Included Free Shipping* 

RESTON, VA, December 8, 2010 – comScore, a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 35 days of the November – December 2010 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date, more than $17.5 billion has been spent online, marking a 12-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year. The most recent week saw four individual days eclipse $800 million in spending, led by Cyber Monday, which became the heaviest online spending day on record at $1.028 billion. Tuesday, November 30 reached $911 million, making it the third heaviest online spending day on record, with Wednesday ($868 million) and Thursday ($850 million) also reaching high levels, although growth rates for the season subsided in the latter half of the week and through the weekend.  (more…)

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