Planning to snag that maxed out HTC One in the US? AT&T is where you'll have to go, then. The 64GB variant of the device is an AT&T exclusive, as revealed by a recently uploaded video to the service provider's YouTube channel. The 32GB One will also be on offer, though there's no word on exactly how much both will be priced at or an exact arrival date -- April is the most specific we've heard from HTC. Verizon is also expected to carry the device, of course, but AT&T will certainly be "the one" for folks needing that doubled storage space on a two-year agreement. Check out the video for yourself after the break.
Archbishop of Turin Cesare Nosiglia, center, kneels in front of the Shroud of Turin that went on display for a special TV appearance Saturday, March 30, 2013. The Shroud went on display amid new research disputing claims it's a medieval fake and purporting to date the linen some say was Jesus' burial cloth to around the time of his death. Pope Francis sent a special video message to the event in Turin's cathedral, but made no claim that the image on the shroud of a man with wounds similar to those suffered by Christ was really that of Jesus. He called the cloth an "icon," not a relic ? an important distinction. "This image, impressed upon the cloth, speaks to our heart and moves us to climb the hill of Calvary, to look upon the wood of the Cross, and to immerse ourselves in the eloquent silence of love," he said. (AP Photo/Alessandro Di Marco, Pool)
Archbishop of Turin Cesare Nosiglia, center, kneels in front of the Shroud of Turin that went on display for a special TV appearance Saturday, March 30, 2013. The Shroud went on display amid new research disputing claims it's a medieval fake and purporting to date the linen some say was Jesus' burial cloth to around the time of his death. Pope Francis sent a special video message to the event in Turin's cathedral, but made no claim that the image on the shroud of a man with wounds similar to those suffered by Christ was really that of Jesus. He called the cloth an "icon," not a relic ? an important distinction. "This image, impressed upon the cloth, speaks to our heart and moves us to climb the hill of Calvary, to look upon the wood of the Cross, and to immerse ourselves in the eloquent silence of love," he said. (AP Photo/Alessandro Di Marco, Pool)
Faithful pass by the Shroud of Turin that went on display for a special TV appearance Saturday, March 30, 2013. The Shroud went on display amid new research disputing claims it's a medieval fake and purporting to date the linen some say was Jesus' burial cloth to around the time of his death. Pope Francis sent a special video message to the event in Turin's cathedral, but made no claim that the image on the shroud of a man with wounds similar to those suffered by Christ was really that of Jesus. He called the cloth an "icon," not a relic ? an important distinction. "This image, impressed upon the cloth, speaks to our heart and moves us to climb the hill of Calvary, to look upon the wood of the Cross, and to immerse ourselves in the eloquent silence of love," he said. (AP Photo/Alessandro Di Marco, Pool)
Archbishop of Turin Cesare Nosiglia, second left, watches the Shroud of Turin, on display for a special TV appearance Saturday, March 30, 2013. The Shroud went on display amid new research disputing claims it's a medieval fake and purporting to date the linen some say was Jesus' burial cloth to around the time of his death. Pope Francis sent a special video message to the event in Turin's cathedral, but made no claim that the image on the shroud of a man with wounds similar to those suffered by Christ was really that of Jesus. He called the cloth an "icon," not a relic ? an important distinction. "This image, impressed upon the cloth, speaks to our heart and moves us to climb the hill of Calvary, to look upon the wood of the Cross, and to immerse ourselves in the eloquent silence of love," he said. (AP Photo/Alessandro Di Marco, Pool)
Faithful pray in front of the Shroud of Turin that went on display for a special TV appearance Saturday, March 30, 2013. The Shroud went on display amid new research disputing claims it's a medieval fake and purporting to date the linen some say was Jesus' burial cloth to around the time of his death. Pope Francis sent a special video message to the event in Turin's cathedral, but made no claim that the image on the shroud of a man with wounds similar to those suffered by Christ was really that of Jesus. He called the cloth an "icon," not a relic ? an important distinction. "This image, impressed upon the cloth, speaks to our heart and moves us to climb the hill of Calvary, to look upon the wood of the Cross, and to immerse ourselves in the eloquent silence of love," he said. (AP Photo/Alessandro Di Marco, Pool)
People enter the Turin cathedral to watch the Shroud of Turin that went on display for a special TV appearance Saturday, March 30, 2013. The Shroud went on display amid new research disputing claims it's a medieval fake and purporting to date the linen some say was Jesus' burial cloth to around the time of his death. Pope Francis sent a special video message to the event in Turin's cathedral, but made no claim that the image on the shroud of a man with wounds similar to those suffered by Christ was really that of Jesus. He called the cloth an "icon," not a relic ? an important distinction. "This image, impressed upon the cloth, speaks to our heart and moves us to climb the hill of Calvary, to look upon the wood of the Cross, and to immerse ourselves in the eloquent silence of love," he said. (AP Photo/Alessandro Di Marco, Pool)
VATICAN CITY (AP) ? The Shroud of Turin went on display for a special TV appearance Saturday amid new research disputing claims it's a medieval fake and purporting to date the linen some say was Jesus' burial cloth to around the time of his death.
Pope Francis sent a special video message to the event in Turin's cathedral, but made no claim that the image on the shroud of a man with wounds similar to those suffered by Christ was really that of Jesus. He called the cloth an "icon," not a relic ? an important distinction.
"This image, impressed upon the cloth, speaks to our heart and moves us to climb the hill of Calvary, to look upon the wood of the Cross, and to immerse ourselves in the eloquent silence of love," he said.
"This disfigured face resembles all those faces of men and women marred by a life which does not respect their dignity, by war and violence which afflict the weakest," he said. "And yet, at the same time, the face in the Shroud conveys a great peace; this tortured body expresses a sovereign majesty."
Many experts stand by carbon-dating of scraps of the cloth that date it to the 13th or 14th century. However, some have suggested the dating results might have been skewed by contamination and have called for a larger sample to be analyzed.
The Vatican has tiptoed around just what the cloth is, calling it a powerful symbol of Christ's suffering while making no claim to its authenticity.
The 14-foot-long, 3.5-foot-wide (4.3-meter-long, 1 meter-wide) cloth is kept in a bulletproof, climate-controlled case in Turin's cathedral, but is only rarely open to the public. The last time was in 2010 when more than 2 million people lined up to pray before it and then-Pope Benedict XVI visited.
The latest display coincided with Holy Saturday, when Catholics mark the period between Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. A few hundred people, many in wheelchairs, were invited inside the cathedral for the service, which was presided over by Turin's archbishop. It was only the second time the shroud has gone on display specifically for a TV audience; the first was in 1973 at the request of Pope Paul VI, the Vatican said.
The display also coincided with the release of a book based on new scientific tests on the shroud that researchers say date the cloth to the 1st century.
The research in "The Mystery of the Shroud," by Giulio Fanti of the University of Padua and journalist Saverio Gaeta, is based on chemical and mechanical tests on fibers of material extracted for the carbon-dating research. An article with the findings is expected to be submitted for peer-review, news reports say.
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Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield
Mar. 28, 2013 ? Images told the story: lower Manhattan in darkness, coastal communities washed away, cars floating in muck. Superstorm Sandy, a harbinger of future extreme weather intensified by climate change, caught the country off guard in October.
Unprepared for the flooding and high winds that ensued, the East Coast suffered more than $70 billion in property damage and more than 100 deaths.
Will Americans prepare and invest now to minimize the impact of disasters such as Sandy, or deal with storms and rising sea levels after they occur?
A new survey commissioned by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and the Center for Ocean Solutions finds that an overwhelming majority of Americans want to prepare in order to minimize the damage likely to be caused by global warming-induced sea-level rise and storms.
A majority also wants people whose properties and businesses are located in hazard areas to foot the bill for this preparation, not the government. Eighty-two percent of the Americans surveyed said that people and organizations should prepare for the damage likely to be caused by sea-level rise and storms, rather than simply deal with the damage after it happens.
Among the most popular policy solutions identified in the survey are stronger building codes for new structures along the coast to minimize damage (favored by 62 percent) and preventing new buildings from being built near the coast (supported by 51 percent).
"People support preventive action," said survey director Jon Krosnick, a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and professor of communication, "and few people believe these preparations will harm the economy or eliminate jobs. In fact, more people believe that preparation efforts will help the economy and create jobs around the U.S., in their state and in their town than think these efforts will harm the economy and result in fewer jobs in those areas. But people want coastal homeowners and businesses that locate in high-risk areas to pay for these measures."
The challenges posed by rising sea levels and increasingly severe storms will only intensify as more Americans build along the coasts. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report released March 25 predicts that already crowded U.S. coastlines will become home to an additional 11 million people by 2020.
Survey questions were formulated to assess participants' beliefs about climate change and gather opinions about the impact of climate change, sea-level rise and storms on communities, the economy and jobs.
The survey also gauged public support for specific coastal adaptation strategies and how to pay for them. "People are least supportive of policies that try to hold back Mother Nature," Krosnick said. "They think it makes more sense to recognize risk and reduce exposure."
Among the survey's respondents, 48 percent favor sand dune restoration and 33 percent favor efforts to maintain beaches with sand replenishment, while 37 percent support relocating structures away from the coast and 33 percent support constructing sea walls.
Eighty-two percent of the survey's respondents believe that Earth's temperature has been rising over the last 100 years. However, even a majority of those who doubt the existence of climate change favor adaptation measures (60 percent).
"The question is, how does public support for preparation translate to action?" asked Meg Caldwell, executive director of the Center for Ocean Solutions. "Our impulse is to try to move quickly to put communities back together the way they were after devastation. But that impulse often leads to doubling down on high-risk investments, such as rebuilding in areas likely to experience severe impacts. To move toward long-term resiliency for coastal communities, we need to seize opportunities to apply new thinking, new standards and long-term solutions."
Krosnick presented the survey results this morning at a policy briefing hosted by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
The survey was conducted via the Internet with a nationally representative probability sample of 1,174 American adults, 18 and older, conducted by GfK Custom Research March 3-18, 2013. The survey was administrated in both English and Spanish. The survey has a margin of error of +/-4.9 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.
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The deal of the day at 9to5Toys.com today is Dragon Dictate 3 for Mac for $100. That?s half off and the lowest price we?ve seen (and $21 off Amazon?s price). Dragon uses the same Nuance recognition that Apple uses in Mountain Lion but adds all kinds of extras as you can see in the video above.?
Let Your Voice Do The Work.
Want to tell your Mac what to do?
Wish granted.
Now you can with the?#1 voice recognition?software out on the market. Tell your computer to open your email and write an email to Big Foot and that?s what it will do.
Need to draft up an email for work? Or write a paper for school?
Don?t bother typing it because Dragon Dictate will help you get it done in?lightning speed. Just read your text aloud and watch the magic appear before your eyes right on your computer screen.
With Dragon Dictate you can use your voice to?create?and edit text or interact with your favorite Mac applications. You can even use a digital voice recorder and Dragon will transcribe your dictation when you are back at your Mac.
With the digital version you?ll be able to use your Mac?s built-in mic or an external mic to help you deliver demands to your Mac.
Please note:?the digital version doesn?t include an external?USB?headset but the Boxed version (shipping costs $9.95) does.?Click?HERE?to buy the boxed version.
Benefits of the Best-Selling Speech Recognition Software for the Mac.
Customers all over the world share the same excitement with friends and family when describing their experience using Dragon software. Below are some of the top benefits:
Work Fast & More Accurately: Create documents, reports, make Facebook and Twitter posts, e-mail, and surf the internet 3x faster than typing ? with up to 99.9% accuracy. Accomplish more on your computer than ever before.
Feel Better at the End of the Day: Using Dragon software will dramatically reduce strain on your eyes, wrists, hands, neck, back, and entire body. Work in a relaxed hands free mode without being hunched over at your computer typing and developing repetitive strain injuries such as carpal tunnel from repetitive mouse clicks and typing.
Be More Creative & a Better Note Taker: Dragon keeps up with your thoughts at the speed of your voice. How many times have you had a great idea and you couldn?t write it down or type it fast enough into a document to remember everything in detail as it entered your mind? Just speak and Dragon does all the typing for you.
Be More Productive than Ever: Capture your thoughts on the go using a Nuance approved Digital Voice Recorder and Dragon Dictate 3 will transcribe the recorded audio files when you connect to your Mac. Or use the Dragon Remote Mic App that turns your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch into a wireless microphone for use with Dragon on your Mac. The Dragon Remote Mic App is available?FREE?of charge from the iTunes App store.
User Reviews
?I?m using Word 2011. It certainly performs flawlessly with this version. It stayed synchronized no matter what I tried on it. I used some formats that might be employed with templates. Perfect match, it stayed synchronized the entire time.? ??Philip Blair
?Rave: wow, is this fast. Very impressive. I just came over from 2.0 .3. Now, it appears to be quite stable and incredibly fast. Re: Microsoft Word, flawless! I?ve been unable to make it crash or lose it synchrony. It seems to know right word is at all times. An extremely fast and navigation as well.? ?Philip Blair
?It?s so accurate, it?s almost spooky. I think there is a little court reporter with a StenoGraph machine in there. I love the fact that I can mix voice commands and mouse clicks without my special tricks. Often, when I?m writing, I start typing then get on a roll where I can?t keep up, even with my 100+?WPM?Dvorak typing skills. I just flip on my mic, and start talking. Amazing. Just when I think it can?t get more accurate, a new version surprises me. If you dried voice dictation in the Old Days (even 3 years ago) and found it lacking, you just have to give this a try.? ??George Silverman
Amazing Features
Ignite Productivity With Fast, Accurate Dictation Say words and watch them appear on your computer screen ??three times faster than typing?? with up to 99% recognition accuracy right out of the box. Correcting or revising your dictated text is?SIMPLE?with a new, more powerful correction interface that lets you quickly edit words or phrases.
Ignite Convenience Using Your Favorite Mac Applications Dragon Dictate for Mac 3 goes beyond simple speech-to-text, and gives you control in more applications so that you can simply speak to do more than ever before.
Use with virtually any Mac application
Create and edit documents in Microsoft Word, TextEdit, Notepad and Pages
Work with spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel and Numbers
Create presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint and Keynote
Manage email in Mail
Search the Web or your Mac desktop
Post to Facebook or Twitter, and more ??all by voice
Ignite Proficiency & Ease of Use Right Out of The Box Thanks to the new interactive tutorial?s simulations, you can learn and practice good dictation, correction and editing habits so that you can create text efficiently within just a few minutes.
Ignite Freedom & Comfort at Your Mac Say goodbye to?repetitive?stress injuries. Use your Mac in a comfortable, ergonomic way?withoutbeing tied to your keyboard and mouse. Open applications or folders, select menu items, click or move the mouse, press keys, switch from one application to another or create custom voice commands to execute multiple steps by voice. Use your Apple iPhone, iPad or iPod touch (4th gen) or your compatible Android device as a wireless microphone over Wi-Fi for optimal convenience. Wideband Bluetooth support delivers outstanding wireless performance with no training required.
Ignite Mobility For Productivity On The Go Dictate into a Nuance-approved digital voice recorder or use the free Dragon Recorder app to capture high-quality audio files using your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch (4th gen). Dragon Dictate will transcribe the recorded audio files when you connect to your Mac. These mobile recording capabilities enable you to capture thoughts from anywhere, at any time while they?re still fresh in your mind to produce detailed, high-quality reports, papers, proposals, meeting minutes, and more.
System Requirements
CPU: Intel-based Mac computer (2.2 Ghz Intel Core2 Duo processor or greater recommended)
Free hard disk space: 4GB
Supported Operating Systems: OS X Lion (10.7) or OS X Mountain Lion (10.8)
RAM: 2GB recommended
A?DVD-ROM?drive for installation
A Nuance-approved noise-canceling headset microphone for Mac (included in purchase)
Note: An Internet connection is required for automatic product activation (a quick anonymous process)
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) ? Turkey's deputy prime minister says Turkish and Israeli officials will meet next week to work out the amount of compensation to be paid to the victims of a raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla that killed eight Turks and a Turkish-American in 2010.
Israel apologized for the botched raid last week and agreed to compensate the injured and relatives of the dead.
Turkey accepted the apology but said it wanted to ensure the victims were compensated and Israel remained committed to the easing of restrictions of goods entering Gaza before restoring full diplomatic relations.
Bulent Arinc said Friday an Israeli delegation will travel to Turkey next week. He says the amount of compensation to be requested will be worked out in consultation with experts and the families' lawyers.
A big step up from wireless radios, modified smartphones could help operatives identify the enemy and disseminate allegiance shifts, and even provide a drone?s-eye-view of the battlefield
By Larry Greenemeier
SMARTPHONE INTELLIGENCE: The U.S. Army?s Military Intelligence Corps plans to complement the Hand-Held Interagency Identity Detection Equipment (HIIDE) shown here with biometrics that can be performed using a Samsung smartphone running Google's Android operating system.Image: Courtesy of Biometrics Identity Management Agency
The U.S. Army?s Military Intelligence Corps wants to equip its field operatives with a pocket-size tool they can use to locate and identify adversaries, and then disseminate that information to nearby troop commanders as quickly as possible. Their tool of choice?a modified Google Android smartphone with specialized apps, a setup none too different from the ones so many civilians use for multitasking in their daily lives.
Military Intelligence, which has issued basic Android smartphones to a small number of its operatives in the past two years, is testing new Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android sets loaded with software?known collectively as Windshear?that could send and receive biometric, GPS and other data via a secure mobile ?cloud? network. Another key feature under consideration as part of Windshear would give operatives access to streaming video taken by drones overhead, something not available today to troops on the ground.
Smartphones and a secure, real-time connection to data are necessities if the U.S. military is to stay a step ahead of its adversaries, says Lt. Col. Jasey Briley, a retired Army intelligence officer acting as a consultant on the Windshear project. Whereas the Army has for at least the past decade used mobile devices to perform biometric identification, those instruments were only as effective as the data they contained. ?The photos and fingerprints in the databases are not updated in real-time,? he adds. ?This is where Windshear could provide an advantage?it?s always being updated.?
A squad or company entering a village in Afghanistan, for example, needs the latest information regarding that location before they arrive, including whether it is friendly to U.S. troops or has recently switched allegiance, says Briley, who last served as a senior intelligence officer with the 18th Airborne Corps before retiring in May 2012 and becoming CEO of JBB Group, an intelligence and security services firm.
Troops have long had access to real-time communications via wireless radios, but a smartphone could send and receive digital photos of enemy combatants known to be operating in a particular location. ?In the past that basic information might have been copied over the radio or the squad wouldn?t get it at all,? Briley says. The Army has also used satellite phones, but that technology has not trickled down to the squadron level, much less to individual soldiers. ?It?s an expensive piece of equipment and it?s expensive to get the satellite signal,? he adds.
As anyone who has lost cell phone coverage during an emergency knows, a mobile phone is only as reliable as its network. Keeping smartphones operational in remote areas without much of a telecommunications infrastructure is not easy. There are many locations?such as the tribal zone straddling the Afghan?Pakistani border?where a cell signal cannot reach, Briley says. In many field operations soldiers communicate via vehicle-mounted cell towers, although sometimes those soldiers must venture into rugged terrain and leave their vehicles behind. In such cases, he adds, the soldiers can download maps and other useful information before venturing too far from the mobile cell tower.
Windshear would not solve connectivity problems in such cases, but it will enable broader data sharing when soldiers can sync up with the cloud. Windshear operates on a smartphone just like an app from a user?s perspective, says AJ Clark, president of Thermopylae Sciences+Technology, the Arlington, Va., provider of Web-based geospatial software used to build Windshear. Yet the software is actually an ?app container??tapping on the Windshear screen icon brings up a new screen filled with more specialized apps that change automatically based on a soldier?s location, mission and specific military specialty.
Military Intelligence first evaluated Windshear?s ability to deliver cloud-based biometrics, facial recognition, reporting and ID scanning capabilities as part of the May 2011 U.S. Joint Forces Command?s Empire Challenge, a showcase for emerging military technologies. The Army might further scrutinize the software and smartphones as part of a Network Integration Evaluation (NIE) in 2014, one of a series of semiannual, solider-led tests of commercial and custom-designed technology that could be used to improve the Army?s tactical network. This would be different from previous field testing because the NIE is a formal event where many different Army systems come together to see how a new system holds up in a replicated field environment, Clark says, adding that ?systems nominated for NIE testing can be fast-tracked to the field if they are positively received by the soldiers.?
Windshear also plays into the U.S. Department of Defense?s larger ?mobile device strategy,? which they outlined in May 2012. (pdf) This plan lays out a number of scenarios in which smartphones, tablets and other modified mobile consumer electronics might assist the military. Field units could maneuver in unfamiliar environments with help from real-time maps that soldiers annotate and share with other troops via their handheld devices. Engineers would be able to take digital pictures of mechanical parts, using those images to order replacements via the cloud. Another possibility: Military health care providers could diagnose injuries as well as remotely access lab results from the field.
Getting soldiers to embrace new mobile gadgets will not be a problem. ?Our young soldiers grew up with smartphones?they?re the ones really pushing the technology onto the battlefield.? Briley says. ?When you introduce something like this, they?re like, What took you so long??
Boston Public Schools' prekindergarten program boosts children's skillsPublic release date: 28-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Sarah Mancoll smancoll@srcd.org 202-289-7905 Society for Research in Child Development
Boston Public Schools' prekindergarten program is substantially improving children's readiness to start kindergarten, according to a new study of more than 2,000 children enrolled there. The program uses research-based curricula and coaching of teachers, is taught primarily by masters-level teachers, and is open to any child regardless of family income.
The study, out of Harvard University, appears in the journal Child Development. Some of the study's findings on the effects of the program are the largest found to date in evaluations of large-scale public prekindergarten programs.
Researchers found that the program substantially improved children's language, literacy, math, executive function (the ability to regulate, control, and manage one's thinking and actions), and emotional development skills citywide. Children in the program were 4 and 5 years old and from racially, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds. While all students who participated benefited, the improvements were especially strong for Latino children.
Preschool has been shown to help prepare children for kindergarten and is an increasing priority among federal, state, and local policymakers. But many preschool programs struggle to attain good instructional quality.
"We can draw several important lessons from our findings about factors that support quality in prekindergarten," notes Christina Weiland, incoming assistant professor at the University of Michigan's School of Education, who was at Harvard when she led the study.
First, the combination of explicit, evidence-based curricula (in language/literacy and math) and in-classroom coaching of teachers as part of professional development likely played a major role in improving student outcomes. Investing in such quality supports for prekindergarten teachers may lead to gains in students' school readiness, the study found.
Second, implementing consistent math, language, and literacy curricula might build children's executive function skills. "Our results suggest that curricula in these areas may also improve such domains as executive functioning, even without directly targeting them," according to Weiland. "Interestingly, research shows that these kinds of skillswhich reflect early brain development, the ability to focus, and behaviorare critical to children's success down the road."
Third, students in the program also may have benefited from having more mixed-income peers than is typical in most public prekindergarten programs, which are means tested and therefore tend to include mostly low-income students.
"Given the particularly large impacts for Latinos, a group that tends to be underenrolled in preschool programs, efforts to increase the enrollment of Latino children in high-quality prekindergarten programs such as the one studied here may be beneficial," Weiland adds.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Boston Public Schools' prekindergarten program boosts children's skillsPublic release date: 28-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Sarah Mancoll smancoll@srcd.org 202-289-7905 Society for Research in Child Development
Boston Public Schools' prekindergarten program is substantially improving children's readiness to start kindergarten, according to a new study of more than 2,000 children enrolled there. The program uses research-based curricula and coaching of teachers, is taught primarily by masters-level teachers, and is open to any child regardless of family income.
The study, out of Harvard University, appears in the journal Child Development. Some of the study's findings on the effects of the program are the largest found to date in evaluations of large-scale public prekindergarten programs.
Researchers found that the program substantially improved children's language, literacy, math, executive function (the ability to regulate, control, and manage one's thinking and actions), and emotional development skills citywide. Children in the program were 4 and 5 years old and from racially, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds. While all students who participated benefited, the improvements were especially strong for Latino children.
Preschool has been shown to help prepare children for kindergarten and is an increasing priority among federal, state, and local policymakers. But many preschool programs struggle to attain good instructional quality.
"We can draw several important lessons from our findings about factors that support quality in prekindergarten," notes Christina Weiland, incoming assistant professor at the University of Michigan's School of Education, who was at Harvard when she led the study.
First, the combination of explicit, evidence-based curricula (in language/literacy and math) and in-classroom coaching of teachers as part of professional development likely played a major role in improving student outcomes. Investing in such quality supports for prekindergarten teachers may lead to gains in students' school readiness, the study found.
Second, implementing consistent math, language, and literacy curricula might build children's executive function skills. "Our results suggest that curricula in these areas may also improve such domains as executive functioning, even without directly targeting them," according to Weiland. "Interestingly, research shows that these kinds of skillswhich reflect early brain development, the ability to focus, and behaviorare critical to children's success down the road."
Third, students in the program also may have benefited from having more mixed-income peers than is typical in most public prekindergarten programs, which are means tested and therefore tend to include mostly low-income students.
"Given the particularly large impacts for Latinos, a group that tends to be underenrolled in preschool programs, efforts to increase the enrollment of Latino children in high-quality prekindergarten programs such as the one studied here may be beneficial," Weiland adds.
###
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
If you are a NZ business owner and therefore are seeking to improve your presence online, seo tools are vital to understand. Search engine optimization in Auckland NZ (New Zealand) resources come in a variety of types and several can be utilized without having to pay a professional significant amounts of cash.
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OUYA may have nabbed the spotlight in the Android-based, Kickstarter-supported console wars, but the diminutive GameStick's got some heat behind it, too. The device's makers are putting on a bit of a show at this year's GDC, announcing a slew of news around the forthcoming product. At the top of the list are a number of backers, including, most prominently, the similarly-named GameStop, which clearly sees a viable future in such products, as the world continues to move away from brick-and-mortar outlets. Shadowgun and Smash Cops were also revealed as pre-installed titles for the console, "ensuring GameStick users have free, quality content ready to go out of the box."
(Reuters) - A Texas jury convicted a 58-year-old man on Wednesday in the 1986 murder of a woman near Austin whose husband previously was wrongfully convicted in the case and served 25 years in prison before being exonerated with the help of DNA evidence.
Jurors deliberated for about three hours in San Angelo before finding Mark Alan Norwood guilty of beating Christine Morton to death in bed in her home in Round Rock, north of Austin.
Norwood, from Bastrop, Texas, had been implicated in the case through blood and hair samples from a bandana found near the house the day after the murder.
Norwood was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted but is eligible for parole in 15 years.
The victim's husband, Michael Morton, served a quarter century behind bars before DNA evidence helped clear him in 2011 and connected Norwood to his wife's death.
"I've learned so much, I've been through so much," Michael Morton said after the jury reached its verdict.
Outside the courtroom, Morton embraced Norwood's family while a deputy transported a stoic Norwood to the Tom Green County jail.
Prosecutors made their case by showing similarities between the Morton case and the 1988 beating death of Debra Baker, an Austin woman. Norwood also is charged with murder in her death.
In both cases, the slain woman was found in bed with pillows covering her head. Both received six to eight blows to the head. One expensive item and cash were stolen from each home, but jewelry sitting in plain sight remained untouched.
Texas Department of Public Safety laboratory staff compared Norwood's DNA profile with DNA from a hair found in Baker's bed in 2011 and found him to be a possible candidate.
Norwood's family came to his defense.
"My son, first off, is innocent," said Dorothy Norwood, Mark Norwood's mother. "I know his character. He has had an interesting family life, but he has always been kind."
Connie Hoff, Norwood's sister who lives in California, added, "We understand Michael Morton's journey. Mark is experiencing what Michael went through. History is repeating itself."
The New York-based Innocence Project and Houston lawyer John Raley worked on Morton's behalf to get DNA testing done on the bandana found near the crime scene.
Hallenstein Glasson has boosted its first-half net profit by 15 per cent to $10.4 million, with strong performances across its brands in New Zealand and outweighing a poor showing from Glassons in Australia.
But the NZX-listed fashion retailer said second-half sales so far were down 1 per cent year-on-year, with record warm temperatures in both countries making it difficult to sell winter stock.
Group sales for the six months ending February 1 were $115.7m - up 6.6 per cent year-on-year.
Net profit at menswear chain Hallensteins rose 21 per cent to $5.1m on a 6 per cent lift in sales. Same-store sales rose 8 per cent.
In a statement to the NZX, Hallenstein Glasson chief executive Graeme Popplewell said Hallensteins continued to reposition its brand and that was delivering dividends.
Glassons in New Zealand increased net profit almost 13 per cent year-on-year to $4.6m, with total and same-store sales both up 2 per cent.
Storm - a womenswear chain for more fashion-conscious shoppers - drove net profit up almost 73 per cent to $822,000, on a 39 per cent boost in sales. Same-store sales were up 27 per cent.
Popplewell said it would open its first Australian Storm store in Melbourne later this year.
The Australian market - where there are only Glassons - had been a challenge, he said.
Sales at Glassons Australia rose 13 per cent but same-store sales slipped 1 per cent. The division made a net loss of $600,000, following a $204,000 loss the previous first half.
"Sales over the December-January period did not meet expectations," he said.
"Given the positive growth we achieved earlier in the year this was disappointing, however, we remain positive about our future in this market."
The Glassons Australia result included a $500,000 hit for store-relocation and restructuring, he said.
Online sales continued to grow strongly and the group remained focused on investing and emphasising the sales channel.
Popplewell said second-half sales had begun to recover as the cooler weather set in. The group was not expecting the retail environment to show any significant uplift and was working on the premise that conditions would remain competitive.
The group declared an interim dividend of 16 cents per share, up from 14.5c in the previous first-half. Its shares last traded at $5.52 on the NZX, up 38 per cent on a year ago.
VANDERBIJLPARK, South Africa (AP) ? The brother of double-amputee athlete Oscar Pistorius went on trial in a South African court Wednesday for the death of a woman in a road collision in 2008.
Carl Pistorius, who faces a charge of culpable homicide, or negligent killing, wore a dark suit and was accompanied by his sister, Aimee. Oscar Pistorius, who was charged with murdering his girlfriend on Feb. 14, was not present. The Olympian hasn't been seen in public since he was granted bail at Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Feb. 22. His lawyers plan to challenge his bail restrictions on Thursday.
Initial proceedings in Carl Pistorius' case at Vanderbijlpark Magistrate's Court south of Johannesburg focused on a request by South Africa's national broadcaster, SABC, to show the trial proceedings live on national television or record them for later use.
Magistrate Buks du Plessis said reporters could attend the trial but turned down the SABC request, saying he wanted to guard against "emotional hype" and that any public interest in the trial stemmed only from the intense interest in the murder case against Oscar Pistorius. News photographers were not allowed to cover the trial while it was in session.
"He's not a celebrity in his own right," du Plessis said of Oscar's brother. Addressing Carl Pistorius, the magistrate then said: "Apologies to you, sir."
Carl Pistorius smiled and nodded.
Defense lawyer Kenneth Oldwadge said the legal team for Oscar Pistorius had been "overwhelmed by the media," and that similar press scrutiny would make it difficult to work in court during the older brother's case. Oldwadge cited a comment by the judge in Oscar Pistorius' bail hearing that the media treated the athlete like some kind of unusual "species" instead of a human being.
Prosecutors say Carl Pistorius was driving an SUV in March 2008 when he collided with a female motorcyclist. The woman, Marietjie Barnard, died in a hospital. Although the culpable homicide charge against Carl was initially dropped, it was reinstated this year because forensic evidence and reports from the accident scene became available, according to prosecutors.
The Pistorius family said last month that Carl deeply regretted the incident but insisted it was a "tragic accident." He was not under the influence of alcohol, the family said.
Oscar's legal team filed an appeal against some of his bail conditions on March 7, objecting to him being not allowed to travel outside of South Africa even though a magistrate said he was not a flight risk when granting him 1 million rand ($108,000) bail. They're also challenging an alcohol ban and a ruling that Pistorius cannot speak with residents at the gated estate where he shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead in the early hours of Valentine's Day.
The athlete denies murdering Steenkamp and says he shot her by mistake, fearing an intruder was in his home. Prosecutors say he killed her intentionally following an argument.
Oscar Pistorius must appear in court again on June 4.
It?s no secret that a WrestleMania match is the goal of every Superstar who steps through the doors of WWE. It?s called The Showcase of the Immortals for a reason ? only the best and brightest are featured, and a bout at the big dance can solidify a performer?s reputation as a star of the future or cement him or her as a main-event icon for WWE. But The Show of Shows can also be a bittersweet event, as it is often the night when legends of the highest caliber bid their farewells to the squared circle with one final, epic bout before hanging up their boots.
WrestleMania 29 might just prove to be one of those instances, as Triple H has put his in-ring career on the line in a No Holds Barred Match against Brock Lesnar, a Superstar who beat him to the point of near-retirement once already at SummerSlam 2012. This particular piece of WrestleMania history has yet to be written, but as The King of Kings prepares to set foot on The Grandest Stage of Them All for potentially the last time, WWE.com looks back at five Superstars who ? voluntarily or otherwise ? ended their careers under the bright lights of WrestleMania.
If we truly loved one another, we would have perfect family unity. Just imagine it! Hard to visualize isn?t it! We might even say it is impossible. To love someone is to have profound, tender, passionate affection for them. This would describe the love that couples should have for one another. Love can also be a personal attachment or bond, such as a very good friend, or a loved pet. Let?s consider first things first. The greatest love of all. We know that Jesus loved us unconditionally. That means that despite our sinfulness, He laid His life down to give us an eternal future in His family. He had the big picture even though we hadn't been thought of yet. He wanted us to become His children so He overlooked the wrong we were going to do, and offered us His love and the freedom that came with His incredible sacrifice. Even now, we know that He doesn't always like the things we do, but He values us as individuals. He prefers to see the good in us and forgives our wrongdoing once we confess it. He is our ultimate example. He wants us to look at others as He sees them ? with forgiveness, patience and because we are family.?
Love is a two-way thing. Someone who demonstrates love for another and gets no acknowledgement will soon turn his affection to another. In families, we need to learn to value one another so that we don?t give up and turn our backs on anyone. How can we love unconditionally? We have a natural bond. We are born or adopted into the same family, have the same name and identity, and are constantly with one another.
Jesus also commanded us to love our neighbour as much as we love ourselves, and to treat each other with brotherly affection. Already I can hear some of you saying, ?But I don?t even like my brother (or sister for that matter), so how am I supposed to love them??
As parents we have the responsibility of being good role models and of training our kids to love each other. So let?s get to it!
We know what love is supposed to look like, so what sabotages it? Since love is a giving thing, selfishness will kill it right there. We need to show our kids that it is not all about ?me?, but to care for and see to the needs of others. Kids need to feel what it is like to be valued ? given attention, and praised. When they feel what care, love and compassion does to them, they will understand the need to pass it on to other family members so they can experience the same thing.
Criticism kills self-worth. The atmosphere in the home needs to be positive and parents are responsible for making sure it stays that way. Fighting needs to be stopped before it gets out of hand. Bad mouthing one another and speaking without thought also wounds the soul. When trust and respect have been broken down, walls of defence are built up as a means of protection.
Use Jesus as the model and act as He would. Create and write down a family value relating to love and respect. Describe your expectations to your kids. You might say, ?Love and respect in this home means
a) We do kind things for one another; b) We put others before ourselves; c) We speak nicely to one another; d) We resolve our differences by discussion without yelling at or fighting.
Train your children to meet your expectations and praise their efforts.
To love someone is not something that is merely said. It is something that is demonstrated. Your family will stand head and shoulders above many others if you apply the principles that Jesus taught us. We need to love one another the way He loves us.
BISMARCK, N.D. ? More than 300 abortion-rights activists carried signs and chanted, "Veto! Veto! Veto!" in a demonstration Monday at the state Capitol protesting a package of measures that would give the state the toughest abortion restrictions in the nation.
The newly formed Stand Up For Women North Dakota also planned rallies Monday in Fargo, Grand Forks and Minot, said Robin Nelson, one of the organizers of the demonstration.
"The intent is to stop the attack on women's rights in our state," said Nelson, of Fargo.
Russell and Jenn Landphere of Bismarck brought their two infant sons with them to the Capitol.
"The priorities of this state are not in the right place," said Russell Landphere, who took a late lunch from his job as a civil engineer to attend the rally with his family.
"We're here as a family supporting women's rights," Jenn Landphere said. "We feel it's a woman's choice or a family's choice ? not the government's choice."
North Dakota lawmakers moved Friday to outlaw abortion in the state by passing a resolution defining life as starting at conception, essentially banning abortion in the state. The North Dakota House approved the bill 57-35 Friday, sending it to voters likely in November 2014. The Senate approved it last month.
Representatives also endorsed two other anti-abortion bills Friday. One would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy based on the disputed premise that fetuses feel pain at that point. Lawmakers also passed another measure that requires a doctor who performs abortions to be a physician with hospital-admitting privileges.
The Republican-controlled Legislature had already passed measures that would ban abortion as early as six weeks, or as soon as a fetal heartbeat is detected, and because of genetic defects such as Down syndrome. Together, those bills would give North Dakota the strictest abortion laws in the nation.
The measure requiring doctors with hospital-admitting privileges to perform abortions, the genetic defects bill and the so-called fetal heartbeat measure were the first to reach Gov. Jack Dalrymple's desk Monday afternoon. The Republican, who hasn't yet indicated whether he supports the measures, has three legislative days to act on the bills.
The proposed North Dakota legislation is aimed at shutting down the state's sole abortion clinic in Fargo and backers say it's a direct challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion up until viability, which is usually at 22 to 24 weeks.
The demonstration Monday took place both outside the Capitol and inside the building while the Legislature was holding floor sessions in both chambers. An increased number of North Dakota state troopers patrolled the Capitol during the rally. No incidents were reported.
Dina Butcher, a private investigator from Bismarck, drew loud cheers after telling the crowd that the lawmakers should not be "legislating women's reproductive rights." The demonstrators could be heard by lawmakers who were meeting in their chambers down the hall.
"I am a Republican who believes in the very conservative principle of less government intrusion in my life," she said. "Where are the real conservatives when you need them?"
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Follow James MacPherson on Twitter at . http://www.twitter.com/macphersonja
When you decide to design your home interior, there are lots of home parts that you should be thought by you as homeowners. Therefore, you have to be more accurate in designing your home interior in creative, innovative and smarter to make your home to be more wonderful as your desire later. Actually, all home parts are very important that each element related each other and support to make your home perfect. Home wall is one of the most important parts that you should consider start from design to design. When you are a little bit hard how to make your home wonderful, wood flooring on walls can be a good option to realize a wonderful home for you.
Wood flooring on walls are one of home wall design. They are special wall that designed from wood. They offer the advantages of using these home walls. Wood flooring is very durable and versatile; it is also among the easiest of floor coverings to maintain. You can clean it with liquid soap or soft detergent to clean it from dirt. Wood flooring can transform the elegance and sophistication for your interior. Besides that, for people who have a high level of sensitivity or allergies, wood flooring can be a perfect choice for your walls.
If you need references for the wood flooring on walls designs, these pictures can give you inspiration for your home wall.
Wood Flooring On Walls 1
Wood flooring in this home in living room design is used accent wall in wooden style. It is designed in more modern with simple design in light brown.
Wood Flooring On Walls 2
Besides that, you can choose this wood flooring for your home interior especially in living room. The wood flooring in this room is designed in wood wall mosaic with back lighting in contemporary rustic design.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) ? Jerry Sandusky said in interview excerpts broadcast Monday that a key witness against him misinterpreted him showering with a young boy in Penn State football team facilities more than a decade ago.
Sandusky told documentary filmmaker John Ziegler, in recordings played on NBC's "Today" show, that he does not understand how Mike McQueary concluded "that sex was going on" when he witnessed Sandusky showering with a boy in 2001.
"That would have been the last thing I would have thought about," Sandusky said during what Ziegler described as 3? hours of interviews. "I would have thought maybe fooling around or something like that."
McQueary, a graduate assistant in 2001, testified at trial that he heard "skin-on-skin smacking sound" and had no doubt he was witnessing anal sex.
In a transcript posted online, Ziegler said he asked Sandusky whether McQueary was wrong when he said they made eye contact during that incident.
"I don't know that he's lying," Sandusky replied. "I think that he would be uncertain about it and he may have said that I thought that I saw him. But he wouldn't have known that. How could he have known that?"
McQueary's father, John McQueary, declined comment, and there was no answer at McQueary's lawyer's office early Monday. Mike McQueary has filed a defamation and whistleblower lawsuit against Penn State over how he was treated after Sandusky's arrest.
The boy, identified as Victim 2 in court records, was not a witness at trial. A team of civil lawyers has said they are representing Victim 2 and posted online audio recordings of voicemails purportedly from Sandusky and left for the boy.
Sandusky also told Ziegler he was not sure whether head coach Joe Paterno, who was fired after Sandusky's November 2011 arrest, would have let him keep coaching if he suspected Sandusky was a pedophile. Sandusky was investigated by university police for a separate shower incident in 1998, but remained one of Paterno's top assistants through 1999.
"If he absolutely thought I was, I'd say no," Sandusky said. "If he had a suspicion, I don't know the answer to that."
When Ziegler asked Sandusky whether he would admit touching some of the boys inappropriately, Sandusky responded that he didn't do it, according to the transcript posted on www.framingpaterno.com .
"Yeah, I hugged them," Sandusky said, according to Ziegler. "Maybe I tested boundaries. Maybe I shouldn't have showered with them. Yeah, I tickled them. I looked at them as being probably younger than even some of them were. But I didn't do any of these horrible acts and abuse these young people. I didn't violate them. I didn't harm them."
Ziegler, who is working on a defense of Paterno, said the interviews were conducted during three sessions, and told the AP on Monday that additional excerpts will be posted online over the coming days. He also has exchanged correspondence with Sandusky that he does not intend to release.
Wick Sollers, a Paterno family lawyer, said in a statement released Sunday that Sandusky had an opportunity to testify at trial but "chose not to do so."
Penn State issued a statement that said Sandusky's latest remarks "continue to open wounds for his victims, and the victims of child sexual abuse everywhere."
Sandusky, 69, is serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence after being convicted last year of 45 counts of child sexual abuse. He maintains his innocence and is pursuing appeals.
Just a short shot from San Antonio and an even shorter skip from Boerne 3,800 acres of Texas wilderness sits waiting to be explored. Will the new park ever be born?
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department received the property in 2011 - a gift from the Albert and Bessie Kronkosky Foundation of San Antonio.
Now TPWD staff is evaluating the Kronkosky State Natural Area to see what's out there.
And there's a lot to see, according to James Rice, the newly-appointed superintendent of the new parkland.
A Peek Inside: Rare and Endangered
Preliminary baseline surveys have turned up habitat for the golden-cheeked warbler, stands of big tooth Maples, and the rare Madrone tree.
But, Rice was most excited about the endangered Sycamore-leaf snowbell. He says the white-tail deer crave the shrub, that sprouts small clusters of delicate white flowers.
What makes this spot choice has a lot to do with the fact that Red Bluff Creek and Pipe Creek both run through it, sometimes underground, other times slipping through the rocky soil to amble along shady creek beds, pooling up from time to time, much to the delight of ring-tailed cats, raccoons, screech owls, coyotes, opossums, and the nefarious feral hog.
Rice also said they are counting up the milkweed plant. Apparently, migrating monarch butterflies have a singular taste for milkweed.
The Kronkosky SNA was originally delivered as ranch land, fronted by a main residence, ranch manager's residence, three garages and two barns, and is located on Hwy. 46, 8 miles southwest of Boerne.
TPWD is about 18 months or so away from completing the master plans that include possible development of campsites, roads, trails, etc. Then come the cost estimates. That's also where the biggest hurdle comes: the money.
If parkland is given to the people and no one ever sees it, is it still a park?
The Texas legislature is considering two bills that would fund the 84 parks currently in operation. And TPWD says there currently are no plans to close parks.
But, there are parks that have not seen the light of day, so to speak. They are undeveloped, like the Kronkosky SNA, and are not open to the public. The list includes: The Davis Hill Natural Area near Houston; Chinati Mountains State Park, between Presidio and Marfa; and Palo Pinto Mountains State Park near Fort Worth. Will Texans ever be able to explore these parks? Some speculate there aren't enough funds to develop and open these properties for use.
State Representative Lyle Larson of San Antonio says the Sporting Goods Sales Tax was supposed to go to Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Texas Historical Commission, but since it was created in 1993 only a small percentage of the revenue has actually been used for parks. The rest, Larson says, went to pay for unrelated budget items.
Larson is proposing legislation to restrict the use of those revenues, and restore funding to Texas parks.
What a great gift that would be for Texans?and a great birthday gift for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, turning 50 on August 23, 2013!
Speaking of which: If you love parks and love sharing the adventure, log onto www.lifesbetteroutside.org - TPWD?s 50th anniversary site. There you can share photos, videos and your story about "what's made life better outside in Texas." ?
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Public release date: 28-Mar-2013
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