Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Microsoft's Kodu challenge invites the younger generation to design games

Microsoft's Kodu challenge invites the younger generation to design games

As part of its encouraging Imagine Cup, Microsoft is giving young ones that aged between 9 and 18 the chance to enter a game design challenge dubbed Kodu. With a renowned Xbox controller being used as the main interface, Kodu will allow kids and teens to create games on a PC or Xbox "via a simple visual programming language" -- which allows them to virtually layout anything from sculpted landscapes and decorated trees, to creating their own scoring system, gameplay and, of course, characters. The Imagine Cup Kodu Challenge, as it's more formally known, is now open and will remain this way until May 17th, with the eventual finalists set to be awarded a trip to the event in St. Petersburg, Russia. The winners, meanwhile, could end up taking home a range of prizes, including grants, cash and other goodies -- but, perhaps most importantly, also the utmost respect of all other challengers present.

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Via: Forbes

Source: Microsoft

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/JdvNDHxsfo8/

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Maroon 5 launch summer tour, writes for new album

FILE - Members of American rock band Maroon 5, from left, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden, Adam Levine, James Valentine and Matt Flynn, pose during a press conference at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in this April 25, 2011 file photo taken in Singapore. The Grammy-winning band announced Monday April 1, 2013 that they will headline the 2013 Honda Civic Tour, which kicks off Aug. 1 in St. Louis and will feature Kelly Clarkson. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File)

FILE - Members of American rock band Maroon 5, from left, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden, Adam Levine, James Valentine and Matt Flynn, pose during a press conference at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in this April 25, 2011 file photo taken in Singapore. The Grammy-winning band announced Monday April 1, 2013 that they will headline the 2013 Honda Civic Tour, which kicks off Aug. 1 in St. Louis and will feature Kelly Clarkson. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File)

(AP) ? Maroon 5 says they're working on a new album, but before that the pop-rockers will launch a summer tour that finds the fivesome playing outdoors.

The Grammy-winning band announced Monday that they will headline the 2013 Honda Civic Tour, which kicks off Aug. 1 in St. Louis and will feature Kelly Clarkson.

"I think the live outdoor kind of summer vibe is always different than the indoor arena tour because there's less emphasis on production and more on live music," frontman Adam Levine said in an interview. "It's kind of the purist form of a tour 'cause there's not too many bells and whistles."

The 31-date tour wraps Oct. 5 in San Diego.

Levine says he and his bandmates are riding high off the success of last year's "Overexposed," their fourth album that has achieved platinum status. It features the popular hits "Payphone," ''One More Time" and "Daylight."

"It's so amazing to have an album people connect with and embrace. It's a dream come true. It's hard to believe to have lighting strike twice and three times and four times," he said. "We're having a moment. A good moment."

He also says the group is working on the follow-up to that album: "We're just getting started. We've got some great songs in the can."

"The stuff we're working on now, it definitely has gone maybe a little darker in its sound, maybe back a little bit more to what we kind of did on (our debut) 'Songs About Jane,'" said guitarist James Valentine. "But at this point we do have all kinds of different songs and it is early."

Levine is also busy balancing his life with NBC's "The Voice," which returned last week with new coaches Shakira and Usher, alongside Blake Shelton.

"It's great. Sometimes it's difficult to maneuver, but it's been a lot of success," said Levine, who will have his former mentee, Tony Lucca, open on some dates of the tour. "I'd be pretty foolish not to be happy about it."

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http://www.maroon5.com/

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Follow Mesfin Fekadu on Twitter at twitter.com/MusicMesfin

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-04-01-US-Music-Maroon-5/id-d7fc1092d9e546af982bc21d4d206f2f

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Britney Spears Returns Home After Family Easter in Louisiana ...

Posted Monday April 1, 2013 8:34 PM GMT

Heading back home after spending the holiday weekend with her family, Britney Spears arrived at Louis Armstrong Airport in New Orleans on Monday (April 1).

The "Scream & Shout" singer was dressed casually in a light blue blouse, denim cutoffs, and flip-flops as she made her way through the terminal with her two boys, Jayden James and Sean Preston.

On Sunday, the 31-year-old former "X-Factor" judge spent the day with her family. Along with sister Jamie Lynn and her fianc?e Jamie Watson, the whole crew met up at church in Kentwood, Louisiana.

However, there was one member of the family that couldn't make the trip. On Sunday, Brit tweeted, "Happy Easter! Blessed to be spending the day with my family back home (...missing my little @hannahspears though, she doesn't like to fly.)," referring to her tiny Yorkie pup.

Enjoy the pictures of Britney Spears catching a flight out of New Orleans, LA (April 1).

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/britney-spears/britney-spears-returns-home-after-family-easter-louisiana-832453

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With IPO Possibly On Deck, Eventbrite Hires eBay And Yahoo Veteran Mark Rubash As CFO

mark_rubashEventbrite, the event planning and ticketing platform, has hired Silicon Valley veteran Mark Rubash to serve as its first-ever CFO. Rubash has served in high-profile financial roles for some 20 years. His most recent high-profile CFO role was at Shutterfly, the publicly-traded photo-sharing company where he headed up financial operations from November 2007 to February 2012. His resume also includes time as a Senior Vice President of Finance at Yahoo, and the VP of Finance and investor relations at eBay.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/LPV2uhwMcb4/

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Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Three Tour Operators To Earn Scholarships for the 2013 Adventure ...

Seattle, WA?? Providing financial support to early-stage adventure tourism enterprises is the purpose behind the Tour Operator Scholarships launched today by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and the ?legal office of Rome McGuigan, P.C., adventure travel legal specialists. ?

Deserving scholarship winners for 2013 will gain access to the Adventure Travel Trade Association?s global network of nearly 900 members, its membership resources and travel fare and a delegate seat for the 2013 Adventure Travel World Summit set for October 26-31, 2013 in Windhoek and Swakopmund, Namibia.

Scholarship winners will use these ATTA resources to help them grow their business, network, develop their professional skills and be inspired by industry peers and influencers, all with the end goal of providing them the chance to take their business to the next level.

Specifically, each of the three scholarship recipients selected by May 15, 2013, will receive:

  • One annual Tour Operator membership in the Adventure Travel Trade Association ($600)

  • One pass for one person from the Tour Operator company to attend the Adventure Travel World Summit held October of this year ($1,150)

  • $1,500 USD for Scholarship winner?s travel to the Summit

All entries will be reviewed by members of the ATTA?s staff and Advisory Board, and then voted upon to determine the winners based on the following criteria:

  • Demonstrated need ie. start-ups, non-profit status, located in an emerging, but impoverished destination, etc.;

  • Potential for positive impact on local cultural, ecological, and/or historical resources;

  • Exemplary ecological, historical, and cultural practices;

  • Exemplary efforts to work with local and indigenous peoples;

  • Proof of the highest level of professional ethics and practices; and,

  • Ability to prove how this Scholarship will be used to elevate the business to a higher level of success ? and how it can be utilized over the long run in order to build long-term and lasting success for the company.

Tour operators must be at least 18 years of age, legally able to travel to Namibia, incorporated adventure travel tour operators only, have been in business for more than three years and bring in less than $250,000 USD each year in gross revenue

The Scholarship submission period opened April 1st, with final entries due by 11:59 p.m. (PDT) on April 30, 2013. Only 100 applicants will be accepted, if they are received prior to April 30 than the application period will close early. Qualified tour operators may access the Tour Operator Scholarship Submission Form and the complete and official program and application details at: https://www.adventuretravel.biz/connect/summit/scholarship/

?

About Rome McGuigan

The law firm of Rome McGuigan, P.C. enjoys an enviable niche among law firms with its Travel and Tourism Department. This group, led by Attorney Jeff Ment, represents many facets of the travel industry ? tour operators, suppliers, agents and insurers. Among the broad range of travel and tourism services offered, one key speciality is handling the immediate needs following an incident or accident. Another core focus of the Department is to assist clients with day to day operations including drafting contracts, waivers and terms and conditions; reviewing marketing materials; providing risk management services; preparing critical incident protocols; and navigating effective relationships with vendors, DMCs, providers of accommodations and travel agents. The firm and its lawyers are members of many trade organizations: Adventure Travel Trade Association, United States Tour Operators Association, National Tour Association, Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys, Leisure Industries section of the International Bar Association, the Air & Space section of the American Bar Association, and the International Forum of Travel & Tourism. Our clients range from small, start-up operators to some of the world?s most respected companies in the travel industry.

About Adventure Travel Trade Association

Established in 1990, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) serves nearly 900 members in 80 countries worldwide. Members predominantly include tour operators, tourism boards, specialty agents and accommodations with a vested interest in the sustainable development of adventure tourism. The ATTA delivers solutions and connections that propel members towards their business goals and the industry toward a responsible and profitable future. Through its regional AdventureConnect events and annual Adventure Travel World Summit trade conference, the ATTA excels in professional learning, networking and partnering services. With expertise in research, education, adventure travel industry news and promotion, members of the ATTA receive competitive opportunities that help establish them as leaders in adventure tourism.

Source: http://www.adventuretravelnews.com/three-tour-operators-to-earn-scholarships-for-the-2013-adventure-travel-world-summit

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8 Hilarious Pranks From Our Favorite Teen Celebs (VIDEO)

On April Fools' Day, it only feels right to look back on some of our favorite pranks carried out by teen celebs that put a smile on our face.

While Justin Bieber has a reputation for his sense of humor and his ability to constantly pull off funny shenanigans, Biebs is not the only young celebrity who knows how to crack a joke. Last July, members of One Direction pranked each other in an interview with Nickelodeon, and we've also seen Zac Efron and Taylor Swift join in on the fun.

Click through the slideshow below to see our complete list of eight hilarious pranks from teen celebs and watch the videos documenting their crazy antics.

Who do you think is the funniest? Have you ever filmed a prank? Tell us in the comments or tweet at @HuffPostTeen.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/01/8-hilarious-pranks-from-o_n_2994496.html

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Monday, April 1, 2013

Obama plays golf, attends college basketball playoff game

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama had the kind of Saturday that many men dream of having, playing golf and attending a college basketball playoff game.

Midday found him at Joint Base Andrews, the Air Force base on the outskirts of Washington where Air Force One is kept. He teed off at one of the base courses with friends Marty Nesbitt, Marvin Nicholson and Michael Brush.

After a couple of hours, enough to probably play nine holes, Obama had his motorcade whisk him to the Verizon Center sports arena, where Syracuse defeated Marquette to advance to the semifinals of the National Collegiate Athletic Association men's basketball tournament.

Inside the Verizon Center, Obama ran into Washington Redskins star quarterback Robert Griffin III, who is recovering from knee surgery. A tweeted photo showed them chatting.

Obama, a big basketball fan, admitted to reporters earlier in the week that his predictions of the winners and losers in the NCAA tournament had been "busted."

(Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Eric Beech)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-plays-golf-attends-college-basketball-playoff-game-231006523--nba.html

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