The Learning Annex Disrupts Adult Education — Again
Posted: October 10, 2012 at 8:10 pm
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Oct 10, 2012) - The Learning Annex today launches its new, celebrity-curated online education marketplace which will connect experts and learners for the exchange of knowledge. The new Learning Annex platform will allow learners and experts to purchase and sell knowledge through a variety of offline and online means, including classes, live tutoring, online, phone calls, micro-consulting and email chat.
Continuing with its long tradition of working with celebrities, the new Learning Annex has enlisted mogul Russell Simmons, dating expert Siggy Flicker and home/design power couple The Novogratz to share their favorite experts or classes with their followers. The new platform will also provide celebrities with the ability to promote their own products, services or charities, teach a class or offer their expertise in various methods to Learning Annex members. New celebrities will be added to the platform every week.
Learning Annex founder and chairman Bill Zanker says, "More than 30 years ago, The Learning Annex changed adult education by offering experts and information in a shorter format, with one-night classes. Since then, the company has successfully provided more than two million people with the tools they need to enhance their lives and careers. I wanted to do something online that would transform and disrupt the way people currently connect with experts."
Zanker continued, "I believe that everyone has expertise to sell and that people want to purchase that knowledge in a convenient way. Just as Airbnb made people realize that an extra room in their home or apartment can be a source of income, the new Learning Annex provides a platform for people to monetize their knowledge. It's an exciting time for online adult education and our new platform is way to unify an otherwise fragmented market."
To support the launch and growth of the platform, The Learning Annex recruited internet industry veteran David Galvan to serve as the company's chief executive officer. Galvan has held leadership roles at technology companies such as Schedulicity, Yahoo!, AOL/Netscape and Motorola, among others, and is responsible for overseeing the company's transition from an offline provider of adult education classes to a robust expert marketplace, curated by celebrities.
"I'm honored to be working with such an extraordinary brand like The Learning Annex during this pivotal time," said Galvan, CEO. "The market for local individual experts in the adult education, life-long learning and self-help market is highly fragmented, inefficient and ripe for disruption. Since The Learning Annex's creation of the market, the industry has shown little innovation or change and represents a $100 billion global opportunity."
About The Learning Annex For more than 30 years, The Learning Annex has been the premier producer of education classes, bringing courses and lectures from high-impact speakers, such as Suze Orman, Deepak Chopra, Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, P. Diddy, Richard Branson, Bethenny Frankel, Tony Robbins, Harrison Ford, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Al Gore and many more. The new Learning Annex is the most comprehensive celebrity-curated online marketplace that connects experts and learners for the exchange of knowledge. The Learning Annex platform allows learners and experts to purchase and sell knowledge through a variety of offline and online means, including classes, live tutoring, online, phone calls, micro-consulting and email chat. For more information, visit http://www.learningannex.com.
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The Learning Annex Disrupts Adult Education -- Again
Civil Protection director ordered to pay €73,000 in damages
Posted: at 5:19 pm
The injured technician was awarded 73,000 after falling two storeys in a CPD training course.
Karl Stagno-Navarra
Judge Silvio Meli, presiding over the First Hall of the Civil Court, today ordered the Director of Civil Protection Department to pay out 73,000 to an ST. Microelectronics technician who had seriously injured himself when falling two floors during a fire-fighting training course at the department's compound in Hal Far.
The accident happened in March 2002, when Pierre Farrugia, who was employed as a technician at ST. Microelectronics, was delegated by his company to act as 'trainee fire-fighter' and was sent on a course at the Civil Protection Department.
During the excercise, Farrugia had fallen a height of two floors, seriously injuring himself and sustaining permanent disability.
He had sued both the Civil Protection Department and ST. Microelectronics over their responsibility for the accident.
The court, upheld Farrugia's claim that the Civil Protection Department was to be held responsible for his safety during the training excercise, but absolved his employer, ST. Microelectronics from responsibility.
It ordered the Civil Protection Director to liquidate the amount of 73,000 in favour of Farrugia.
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Civil Protection director ordered to pay €73,000 in damages
Opportunities await in Vietnam, but preparation a must
Posted: at 5:19 pm
Thai goods enjoy a reputation for above-average quality in Vietnam, where many consumers are willing to pay a little more for something with a Product of Thailand label. However, consumer tastes are constantly changing and marketers must be prepared to defend their products reputations against new competition.
Thai goods have not flooded Vietnam the way products from China have, but have gradually expanded their presence based on higher quality and better services. Among the Thai brands that have built great market share momentum are Red Bull energy drinks, Rosso mens underwear, BSC cosmetics, Three Lady Cooks foods, Pao laundry detergent, and Malee fruit juice products.
One of the very first things that we need to do is maintain brand loyalty and continue to improve product quality, says Dr Siwarit Pongsakornrungsilp, head of the Consumption and Sustainable Economy Research Cluster (CSE) at Walailak University in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
It is important to note the effects of digital media on consumer culture trends, as when people see more, they have more choices which leads them to be more selective when it comes to purchasing decisions.
To expand their share in Vietnams consumer market, he says, exporters have to create a distinctive brand story. Successful brands develop a conceptual framework to capture customers collective consciousness and make the brand unique and memorable.
The success of Korean products in Vietnam since Korean pop culture spread across Asia makes an excellent case study for this theory.
Last year Vietnam imported $13.17 billion worth of products from South Korea, a rise of 65% from $8 billion just three years earlier, helped by the enthusiasm of Vietnamese young people for K-Pop and housewives for Korean TV shows.
Thai exporters can learn from Koreas success and try to create brand stories to make their products the talk of the town. Making sure that salespeople in stores have a positive feeling about your products is a plus.
Researchers have found that compared with their peers in other countries, Vietnamese shoppers, especially those above middle age, like to interact with salespeople and get their comments and recommendations. As well, according to the Nielsen Shopper Trends Study, Vietnamese shoppers are the most prolific promotion-seekers in Asia, so regular promotional campaigns can be a great bonus.
Participating in exhibitions and trade fairs is also very significant promotional tool for ewxporters seeking to introduce new products, says Busaba Butrat, director of the Thai Trade Center in Hanoi.
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Opportunities await in Vietnam, but preparation a must
New business combines yoga and artwork
Posted: at 5:18 pm
Sheryl Light and Thomas Slattery pose in their new business, Open Studio.
WILMINGTON | Open Studio, a yoga and healing art studio, has opened on Military Cutoff Road, offering yoga , creative classes in drama and writing and even one-on-one life coaching.
The realized dream of artists Sheryl Light and Thomas Slattery, Open Studio is most definitely out of the box.
Sheryl Light was born and raised in Boston and graduated from art school with a degree in Fine Art. Mother of three boys, Light nurtured her passion for painting and became a certified yoga instructor and life coach.
California native Thomas Slattery spent more than a decade as a professional dancer, working in Paris and New York, before discovering yoga and settling on the East Coast.
As well as being a dancer and a yogi, Slattery is also a talented sculptor working with bronze, steel and
stone.
Merging their artistic visions and shared love of yoga, Slattery and Light co-create unique paintings, inspired by their focus on mind/body connection.
The innovative pair established their own art company 12 years ago called Cross Your Toes. It hosts their artwork and offers tailor-made paintings.
They meet with clients and collect stories from their lives, then work those details into the abstract painting. There may be an anniversary date hidden in the background or a favorite color dominating the image, the pair said.
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New business combines yoga and artwork
Lenovo has Windows 8 convertibles covered with Yoga, Lynx and Twist
Posted: at 5:18 pm
Summary: Rather than trying to pick a winner, Lenovo has decide to offer several Windows 8 convertibles. At an event in New York, the company launched four new hybrids including the unique Yoga design.
There are several different ways to build a laptop that converts into a tablet. Rather than trying to pick one winner, Lenovo has decide to cover them all. At an event in New York last night Lenovo launched its Windows 8 convertibles for consumers and small businesses. In all there are four new hybrids including the unique Lenovo Yoga design.
Photo Gallery: Lenovo's lineup of Windows 8 convertibles
As it turns out there are two Yoga laptops, a 13-inch model running Windows 8 and an 11-inch one running Windows RT, both of which have the display that folds backwards 360 degrees. Unlike more common designs with swiveling or detachable displays, the Yoga works not only in tablet and laptop modes, but also at points in between in "tent" or "stand" modes for viewing content.
The 13-inch (1600x900) model uses Intel's third-generation Core processors, up to 8GB of memory and either a 128- or 256GB solid-state drive (SSD). The Yoga 13 measures 0.7 inches thick and weighs 3.4 pounds. Lenovo claims it will have more than 8 hours of battery life. It will be available when Windows 8 launches, on October 26, starting at $1,099.
The smaller Yoga 11 is based on Nvidia's Tegra 3 and has an 11.6-display (1366x768), up to 2GB of memory and either 32- or 64GB of storage. It is 0.6 inches thick and weighs only 2.8 pounds, yet Lenovo says it will get up to 13 hours of battery life which, if accurate, suggests that this is an area where ARM-based systems will have an edge. Like all Windows RT devices, it will also include Office Home and Student 2013 RT Preview. But at $799 and up, the Yoga 11, which will be available starting in December, is priced more like a full Windows 8 laptop.
The other two convertibles, the IdeaTab Lynx and ThinkPad Twist, are more conventional convertibles. The Lynx has an 11.6 inch (1366 x 768) display that detaches from a keyboard dock to switch to tablet mode. This is the same approach that Acer, Asus, HP and Samsung are taking with their Windows 8 convertibles. The tablet is 0.4 inches thick (about the same as the iPad) and weighs 1.4 pounds; the keyboard adds another 1.5 pounds to the system weight, but it has an extra battery that stretches the battery life to 16 hours, according to Lenovo. The Lynx, which uses Intel's recently-announced Atom Z2760 (Clover Trail) dual-core processor and has 2GB of memory and either 32- or 64GB of storage, starts at $599 and the optional dock is an additional $149. It will be available starting in December. Lenovo previously announced a standalone slate, the ThinkPad Tablet 2, which has similar specs and will start at $649 without a keyboard.
The Twist has a 12.5-inch (1366x768) display that rotates 180 degrees and folds flat. Lenovo has been making Windows convertibles using this design for years and I use one of them, the ThinkPad X Series convertible, every day. The drawback to this design is that it has tended to be bulky, but the Twist is sleeker--at 0.8 inches thick and 3.5 pounds it is small enough to qualify for Intel's Ultrabook designation. Like the Yoga, it works in tent and stand modes. Lenovo rates it for up to 7 hours of battery life. Available at Windows 8 launch, the Twist will start at $849 with a third-generation Core processors, up to 8GB of memory and either a hard drive or 128GB SSD.
It's too early to tell whether with Windows 8 convertibles will finally catch the attention of consumers. But there will certainly be a lot more to choose from, and it will be interesting to see if novel designs like the Yoga or Dell's XPS 12 get some traction. It's worth noting that all of these Lenovo convertibles use a newer chiclet keyboard, rather than the classic ThinkPad keyboard, and most of them lack the iconic red trackpoint. Lenovo may be reasoning that the combination of a touchpad and multi-point touchscreen provides enough modes of input. But personally I'm holding out for a thinner, lighter version of the ThinkPad X230 running Windows 8 Pro with Intel's upcoming Haswell processor.
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Lenovo has Windows 8 convertibles covered with Yoga, Lynx and Twist
How the Lenovo Yoga Got Its Name
Posted: at 5:18 pm
The Lenovo Yoga isn't just redefining Lenovo's product line -- it's also transforming how the company names its products. The company's marketing chief says the laptop/tablet hybrid's name was a serendipitous moment, and Lenovo will be re-examining how it names its products in the near future.
[More from Mashable: Lenovo Yoga Transforming Laptop Arrives, With Friends]
"Yoga" is the incredibly apt (but no too clever) name for Lenovo's laptop whose screen can bend backward a full 360 degrees thanks to a special hinge design. When the screen folds past 180 degrees, the keyboard automatically shuts off, and when completely folded it effectively becomes a tablet.
It's a novel design, and Lenovo CMO David Roman says the name was conceived very early in the process.
[More from Mashable: HSN Jumped the Gun on Sales of Windows 8 PCs]
"Yoga was actually the code name," he says, "but the code name was so logical -- it was just a perfect fit -- that it ended up becoming the real name. And it was justifiable to have a name [as opposed to a number] because it really is a new category."
The Yoga name stands in contrast to less-creative names of Lenovo products, such as its first Intel Atom-powered tablet, the "ThinkPad Tablet 2." Roman says he recognizes the disparity, and that the company is doing something about it.
"We are looking at our naming overall," he says. "We don't feel that our naming is up to snuff. It can be confusing. Taken product by product it makes sense, but put them together it doesn't."
What do you think of Lenovo's naming, and the name of the Yoga in particular? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Able to swivel its screen a full 360 degrees, the IdeaPad Yoga 13 leads Lenovo's "convertibles" line of Windows 8 devices. It'll be available Oct. 26 starting at $1,099.
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How the Lenovo Yoga Got Its Name
Hometown Report: Miller bags the good life to coach football again at Rio Americano
Posted: at 3:24 am
Max Miller was living the good life, far removed from football.
He spent 14 days in September in Hawaii with wife Sally, picking through aloha shirts and exploring beaches. And he played golf on weekdays at Lake Tahoe.
All that, yet Miller is back coaching football.
Miller returned to Rio Americano High School last week for two reasons.
He vows to salvage a season that was on the brink of collapse when players were at odds with the previous coach over team policy. And he wants to quench his never-ending desire to mentor youngsters and win football games.
Miller, 72, the winningest coach in Sac-Joaquin Section football history, relishes his latest challenge.
"It's true, and you know Max," Sally Miller said after her husband's first practice as a head coach since his final days at Cordova in 2007. "This is who he is. The football field is where he belongs, surrounded by kids who want to learn."
Miller's last stint as a head coach included two ambulance rides to a hospital because of exhaustion. He doesn't just coach; he pours every ounce of his soul into it. After victory or defeat, he's spent and disheveled, looking grayish and sounding hoarse, and that likely won't change.
Last week, while on a golf course in Truckee, Miller took a call from Rio Americano principal Brian Ginter, who pleaded with him to take over the Raiders. Miller and his wife hopped into their car, nearly forgetting their golf bags, and raced back to Sacramento.
Last month, 11 players quit the Rio team after a teammate wasn't allowed to miss a game to participate in a baseball showcase. The players later asked to return and were reinstated by Ginter, against the wishes of coach Christian Mahaffey, which led to Mahaffey's dismissal.
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Hometown Report: Miller bags the good life to coach football again at Rio Americano
Office Stretching Techniques : LIVESTRONG – Exercising with Jeremy Shore – Video
Posted: at 3:24 am
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Office Stretching Techniques : LIVESTRONG - Exercising with Jeremy Shore - Video
Pilot error caused 2010 Naperville plane crash: NTSB
Posted: at 3:23 am
BY BILL BIRD wbird@stmedianetwork.com October 8, 2012 10:05PM
Emergency crews have rescued both the pilot and passenger of a plane that crashed into Xsport Fitness in Naperville on Wednesday. No one else was injured at the fitness center.
storyidforme: 38215640 tmspicid: 762082 fileheaderid: 593772
Updated: October 9, 2012 8:48PM
A local pilots failure to abort his takeoff has been cited by the National Transportation Safety Board as the probable cause of a crash two years ago in which a single-engine airplane smashed into a health and fitness club in far west-central Naperville.
Improper annual inspection of the aircraft and a hole in the planes exhaust pipe were contributing factors in the Oct. 6, 2010 crash of the 33-year-old, Piper PA-32R-300 into the XSport Fitness center near 75th Street and Route 59, NTSB investigators said.
NTSB officials published their conclusions Thursday in a probable cause report on the crash that seriously injured pilot Lloyd McKee, 66, and his wife, Maureen McKee. They live in the unincorporated Aero Estates subdivision, which lies east of Route 59 between 79th and 83rd streets and about 100 yards due south of XSport Fitness. The McKees were flying to Pittsburgh at the time of the crash.
Neither the probable cause report nor a 12-page, NTSB factual report published in July identified Lloyd McKee by name. The factual report indicated McKee was interviewed in November 2010 by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors.
McKee told inspectors winds were from the west on the day of the flight, and that there was a direct crosswind as he began to taxi down the runway. He said he did not believe there was a tailwind.
When asked if there were any out of the ordinary observations of his power settings, airspeeds, manifold pressure and engine speed settings, McKee replied all appeared normal, according to the report. He said he knew the airplanes load was lighter than normal and was in limits, and that all appeared to be well as he reached the runways midpoint.
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Pilot error caused 2010 Naperville plane crash: NTSB
Shaw's Supermarkets Partners with Boston Moves for Health and Fuel Up to Play 60 to Launch "Workout Wednesdays"
Posted: at 3:23 am
WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Shaws and Star Market, Boston Moves for Health and the Fuel Up to Play 60 program today announced they are teaming up with Boston Public Schools to support kids health through the creation of Workout Wednesdays, an integrated health and fitness program. Beginning October 10, and throughout the month, Shaws will host a Boston Public School class at one of its stores each Wednesday. The program was developed in support of Boston Moves for Health, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Meninos ambitious initiative to improve the health and fitness of the city.
Boston Moves for Health is all about inspiring lots of little changes in peoples lifestyles that add up to better health for individuals and our city as a whole, said Mayor Menino. Were grateful to have partners like Shaws and Fuel Up to Play 60 that understand that we all have a responsibility to do everything we can to make sure todays youth grow up to be healthy adults, and Im excited that this partnership will take our efforts to the next level.
Supporting health and wellness initiatives is important to us at Shaws and Star Market, said Mike Stigers, president, Shaws. We are excited to be able to join with Mayor Menino on this program to help educate kids on how to be active and eat healthy.
Fuel Up to Play 60 has helped students in more than 1,600 schools in Massachusetts implement life-long healthy eating and physical activity habits in a way that is making a big difference, said Lisa Burnett, RD, LDN, SNS and Director of Nutrition & School Programs for New England Dairy & Food Council. Collaborative efforts like this one are vital for improving childhood health, and we are excited about teaming up with Shaws and Boston Moves for Health on this great initiative.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 219 years are obese.1 Overweight and obesity has both negative short term and long term effects on kids. But healthy lifestyle habits, including staying active and eating nutrient-dense foods such as low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains can lower the risk of overweight and obesity and their related risks and diseases. 2
Each Workout Wednesday will begin with students participating in an outdoor physical activity led by local fitness experts from the Boston-based fitness studio Body By Brandy 4 Kidz, followed by a healthy eater store tour with Jennifer Shea Rawn, Shaws Registered Dietitian and health and nutrition expert. During the tour, the kids will receive a reusable Healthy Eaters Free Fruit Card. The Healthy Eaters card is designed for children 5-12 years old, and can be used each time a child shops with his/her parents at a Shaws location. The event will conclude with a make-your-own yogurt parfait bar and the kids will receive a goodie bag full of healthy treats from Shaws and Fuel Up to Play 60.
Its very important for kids to develop healthy eating habits now, so they can carry them into adulthood, said Shea Rawn. The Workout Wednesday program was designed to inspire the kids in our communities to try new delicious and healthy foods and engage in fun fitness activities to help instill lifelong healthy lifestyle habits.
The October scheduled events are as follows:
To learn more about kids health and healthy eating at Shaws, visit Shaws Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/shaws or visit http://www.shaws.com. To learn more about Fuel Up to Play 60, visit http://www.FuelUptoPlay60.com. To learn more about Boston Moves for Health and to take part in the Mayor's challenge to move 10 million miles together, visit http://www.BostonMovesForHealth.org.