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The CHIKARA Special 2.21.10: Akuma vs. Kingston
Posted by
Kevin Ford
on 02.21.2010
Can you guess which match in February I am most excited for? The February cards are finalized, and we'll talk all about them here. Plus, we'll discuss a big CHIKARA project I'm doing, King of Trios, and more!
Hello readers, and welcome back to "The CHIKARA Special". Next week is a big ol' double shot in Pennsylvania for CHIKARA (Reading and Pottsville) to be exact, so I have decided to examine both cards for you. Plus, I have an announcement that will make some of you quite happy.
"The Mint Condition" – February 27th – Reading, PA
First off is an Atomicos match, featuring five former Campeones de Parejas. On the Tecnico's side we have Incoherence of Hallowicked & Frightmare (Hallowicked held the Campeones from late October 2007 to late September 2008) teaming with The Osirian Portal of Amasis & Ophidian (Campeones from mid-October 2008 to mid-September 2009). They will take on F.I.S.T of Icarus and Gran Akuma (Campeones from mid-November 2006 to late October 2007) and The Badd Boyz, who have yet to see CHIKARA gold. However, they have two points under their belt after defeating Lince Dorado & Helios in November, and defeating Green Ant and current Campeon de Parejas Fire Ant back in September. The other teams certainly would love to score a pinfall to gain some momentum, especially when every other team in this match has zero points currently. Icarus and Akuma just lost to The Colony in January, and need to build some momentum if they want to go back-to-back years as King of Trios. Who pins who is certainly important, and could tell us a lot about the future of CHIKARA.
Player Dos is certainly unhappy after losing his Young Lions Cup last month, but as we'll see later, this opens up the opportunity for him to focus on his tag team with Player Uno. Uno's a little busy in Reading (more on that later) so Dos will be facing Delirious. This will be Delirious' first single match in CHIKARA since May of 2009 when he defeated Arik Cannon. Delirious sees this match as a warm-up for his big Campeones de Parejas match the next night in Pottsville, looking to become the first person in CHIKARA history to hold the Campeones de Parejas twice (in two separate teams no less!) Dos and Delirious both don't have spots in King of Trios yet, and an impressive performance could make the board of directors decide to change that. Who will come out as the better singles performer?
The Throwbacks have two points under their belt, and if they're able to make it past the menacing Brüderschaft duo of Claudio Castagnoli & Ares, they'll come out of Reading with a title shot in their name! A tall task considering Claudio absolutely destroyed the Throwbacks in the melee at the end of the last season. Claudio and Ares have also been friends and on-again, off-again partners for the better part of the past decade giving them a serious advantage over Dasher and Sugar. They had some words to say about this match in a special update:
Claudio and Ares were announced recently to be heading into King of Trios with Tursas. With the Brüderschaft in firm control of the Young Lions Cup, adding both the King of Trios and Campeones de Parejas to their credit would be desirable. Are the fun-loving sports enthusiasts able to hold of the men formerly known as Swiss Money Holding? (Spoiler Alert: probably not)
The BDK isn't done yet, as Pinkie "Pink Ant" Sanchez, Lince Dorado, and Daizee Haze face current Campeones de Parejas Fire Ant & Soldier Ant, as well as Green Ant. Pinkie spent the last half of 2009 under the guise of Carpenter Ant, and destroyed Green Ant last month in the season premiere. This will be Fire Ant and Soldier Ant's first opportunity to get their hands on Pinkie since the revelation. It's possible he could be mauled. Lince also turned his backs on the entire Tecnico locker room, which can't sit well with everyone's favorite hormigas. Daizee Haze has one point under her belt with Sara Del Rey, and there's no mistaking their goal of taking the Campeonatos de Parejas from Fire and Soldier Ant. Will the Colony get some momentum going towards King of Trios, or will the BDK thwart them and perhaps earn the BDK a second trio in King of Tros.
As I said, Player Uno is a little busy on this night as he looks to take the Young Lions Cup from the new champion, Tim Donst. Donst defeated Player Dos last month for the Cup in a match which many felt was undeserved. Donst was suspended in October after an attack on Hydra in September, cheated to beat Hydra in November, then lost the next night to Player Uno via the Joystick. Before that, Donst didn't have the most impressive win streak under his belt. Clearly with Tim being in the Brüderschaft, and the Brüderschaft holding power in the board of directors and as the director of fun, Donst was more or less "handed" this title shot. Nevertheless, he got the job done and is the champion. This doesn't sit well with Player Uno, who blogged about him and Donst on CHIKARA's website:
2/11/2010: You and I, Tim Donst, are somewhat similar. We didn't have the greatest singles records when starting out at CHIKARA. You started off with losses to Buck Hawke and Eddie Kingston, while I started off losing to the likes of Excalibur and Max Boyer. We both went on to find success with our respective tag partners. Months and months later, at the most recent Young Lions Cup tournament, we both made it our quest to become the Young Lions Cup champion. We both went on to face our tag team partners...and we both lost.
By the end of Young Lions Cup VII, we had both become different animals...but that's where the similarities end. I was right there in the match where you snapped, and started dumping people on their heads. I was there when your true personality was revealed. Then I went back to my losing ways while you decided to torment Hydra in West Springfield and Nashua. I watched with clenched fists when you exiled Hydra back in November, cementing you as my least favorite person in CHIKARA.
Then, the next day at "Three-Fisted Tales", you went on to not only turn your back on all your friends, but on CHIKARA as a whole. Now you stand alongside the BDK, and now you are the enemy. If that wasn't reason enough for me to hate you....well, you also did the one thing I could not. You beat Dos to become the new Young Lions Cup champion.
Maybe that's what people remember you for right now, Tim. But what I remember is you tapping out at "Three-Fisted Tales". I remember slapping the Joystick on you and watching you squirm and struggle before tapping out to me. According to the new Director of Fun Dieter VonSteigerwalt's last blog, all previous YLC champs can no longer challenge for the Cup. My best bud Player Dos doesn't get another bite at the apple. He can't beat you for the Cup. But I can. I beat you in November, and nothing will stop me from twisting your arms up into the Joystick again.
Someone needs to avenge Hydra. Someone needs to teach you a lesson for turning your backs on us. And someone needs to take that golden trophy away from you. I think I'm just the man for the job.
On February 27th, it's time to face the music. In Reading, I become the new Young Lions Cup champion.
Uno may have been pinned by Dos three months in a row last year, but he certainly kept his friendship with Dos tight. Uno would love nothing more than to avenge his best buddy and win the Young Lions Cup in Reading. Will Uno's will overcome the odds of the BDK?
A fun atomicos match has been signed partnering Mike Quackenbush with The Future is Now to take on the UnStable and Brodie Lee. With Lince abandoning the Future is Now, the remaining members look to refocus as a trio. When The Future Is Now first formed in December 2008, their first match and victory was against the UnStable. The UnStable sort of fell into the background of CHIKARA in 2009 and are certainly looking to come back to the limelight in 2010. At the end of 2009, things took a small upswing when they teamed with Brodie Lee to defeat The Colony and The Throwbacks in an Atomicos match. Perhaps the UnStable should consider keeping Brodie close. Of course, Quack is a close confidant of the Future is Now making him an easy choice as a fourth partner. However, Quack has The Future Is Now and the UnStable as potential opponents in King of Trios (Quack's partners are Hallowicked & Frightmare) so he can get a very up close and personal look at what they have up their sleeves as well. This could get very fun, very dirty, and will likely be very fun.
In the main event of the night, Eddie Kingston begins his reign of running through the Brüderschaft one member at a time (or so it seems). First up, the newest member of the CHIKARA roster, Tursas (or as Kingston lovingly calls him in this AWESOME promo, "Turd sauce")
Kingston makes a good point when he says the new guys go through him. Tim Donst had his made name after being the punching bag for Kingston back in July of 2007 at "Showdown in Crisisland", and Lince Dorado went through a grueling series of bouts of Lince in 2008 that grew Lince to a different level of wrestler in CHIKARA. It will be interesting to see how Tursas fairs against the Last of a Dying Breed, especially as the largest member of the roster. Two big guys clashing? This could either be a victory, or a disaster.
"A World Of Comforting Illusions" – February 28th – Pottsville, PA
The Throwbacks will either go into their match with the UnStable with three points in their name, or with zero points after losing to Claudio and Ares. Honestly, I think the fact that this match is booked telegraphs the ending of the BDK vs. Throwbacks, but I digress. The Throwbacks have somewhat of a feud with the UnStable after facing them in an Atomicos match in November and again in a Trios match last month (not to mention the Dasher Hatfield/Colin Delaney matches in August and September.) Vin Gerard blogged about the match, and Dasher:
2/16/2010: YEEEEEEEEEEAWWWWNNN!!! A blog, yay. I'm about as happy to be writing to you, as you are about reading something from me. But no matter what, you can't stop reading this. No matter how hard you try, you'll take the time to let me get my point across. And The UnStable only has one point to make.
February brings us an 8-man tag with Quackenbush, Jigsaw, Helios and the man I laid down to rest a few months ago - Jimmy "Equinox" Olsen. Don't give Pinkie get all the credit for putting you on the shelf last season, Jimmy, because as I remember it - the last we saw you, you were tapping out to my STF in West Springfield.
Oh...and let's not forget... It's a big weekend for The Throwbacks! Back together again, all happy, the fans are happy, EVERYONE's HAPPY and...you're welcome. Huh? Don't you remember? So forgetful you are, but should I be surprised? On January 31st, The UnStable laid waste to Create-A-Wrestler and Ultimo Breakfast, which pretty much forced Dasher Hatfield from his dormancy. But since the Chikarmy is so absentminded and ungrateful, you don't even appreciate what we did for YOU! Don't even bother thanking us now, because if by some fluke the BDK doesn't stop the Throwbacks, we'll be more than happy to take those three points away and send Dasher Hatfield to the dugout for good.
Still reading, huh? Ha. Waiting for that one point? Well, here it is. We only need...One Point, to make things happen. One Point for us, equals zero for the Throwbacks.
Thank you for spending your time with me.
Vin and STIGMA have zero points at the moment but could very well pick up their first against the bat man and the ball hog. Who will get the one-up on their rival here?
Brodie Lee and Green Ant. What else is there to say? Brodie looks to murder another small wrestler and Green Ant looks to survive and potentially get a big upset. I personally would like to see a big boot and then a pin. I'd weep with joy.
Another tag team match we have on this night is Incoherence taking on The ladies of the Brüderschaft, Sara Del Rey & Daizee Haze. Sara and Daizee defeated The Osirian Portal (former campeones) last month and now have one point under their belt. Incoherence has zero, after losing back in November to the Order of the Neo-Solar Temple. Daizee and Sara defeated the former Campeones de Parejas in the Portal, and now are faced with another former CHIKARA campeon in Hallowicked, who held the belts with Delirious in 2007. Can the Daizee and Sara continue to assert their dominance against former campeones, or will they will be derailed by the orange and black attack?
This match helped to prompt a very sizeable blog from Chad Badd on CHIKARA's website:
2/19/2010: Word on the street is that there's a new gang in town. Let me make this real clear! Brad and Chad don't take lightly to other gangs coming onto our turf.
It seems that all people are talking about these days is this new crew called the Bruda…something. These guys dress all in white, harbor foreigners and have this fancy little pose. For some reason, that has people runnin' for the hills with their tails between their legs. You think you're tough with your preppy suits, and your cute little hand signals? Are we suppose to be shakin' in our boots cause you've given a few guys a light spanking? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SIIIIIIRRRRR! Some people think that there are strength in numbers. How 'bout this for numbers? You got your 8 little members, Brad and Chad got 20 knuckles, 4 boots and 1 Decapitator. Those odds sound good to us.
Everyone in the wrestling world seems to be focused on the impending domination that this so called "brotherhood" is gonna bring down on CHIKARA. Well I've got some news for you kids, Brad and Chad know a thing about being dominant. Over the last 5 months The Badd Boyz have mowed down every single team CHIKARA has put in front of us. For the last 5 months, not a single team on the CHIKARA roster has been able to give us a good fight. We've beaten down every pansy that's had the guts to put up their dukes and fight. We've beaten one half of your Campos…or whatever fruity name you have for your tag champs, Fire Ant. We've even beat down the newest BDK member, the pussy cat, Lindsey. The Badd Boyz are THE most dominant brotherhood in town!
This coming month presents us with something a little different. The writing on the wall tells me that the CHIKARA brass are afraid to put us in a 1-on-1 confrontation with any of the other teams on the roster. As it turns out, on Saturday February 27 in Reading, Brad and Chad are stuck in an 8-man tag match. While this usually wouldn't sit well with the Badd Boyz, there's a couple of good things about this situation. First, we get to team with F.I.S.T., quite possibly the only team on the roster who gets as much joy out of hurting people as we do. That makes 'em cool! We like 'em! Secondly, with 4 men on the opposing side, that gives us two extra butts to kick. Incoherence, Portal, you're in for a long night kids! Frightmare, we can't wait to get our hands on you, you little twerp. Heard some dudes callin' you the rookie of the year. After we're through with you, you'll be the mat stain of the year.
If there's one thing the Badd Boyz are not afraid of, it's snakes. Ophidian we're lookin' right at you! As kids, Dad Badd would take us on Harley rides through the desert. If my brother or I got hungry, Dad Badd would pull over his hog, hunt down a snake and cook it right there on the hot rumbling motor of his Harley Davidson and we would have a family feast! This time though, we plan on eating the snake alive!
February 28 in Pottsville is gonna be just another night at the office for the Badd Boyz. You're gonna witness more of the same - that's Brad and Chad takin' care of business! What kind of business? The business of kickin' in teeth and takin' down names. If the Osirian Portal can survive the brutal whoopin' we're gonna lay on them in Reading, they'll never get discharged from the hospital in time to make Pottsville. As for the those geeks the Super Smash Bros… all I can say is that your name is gonna take on a new meaning when we "Super Smash" your faces in with our boots. Claudio and Ares, you're gonna find out what happens when you come into our yard without an invitation. After we pummel all of those punks, the Badd Boyz will have more than enough points to challenge for the gold and you'd better believe, son, that it's gonna happen. It's gonna get ugly kids, Brad and Chad are gettin' hungry, and we're gonna forget our manners!
Things are about to get Badd!
In addition to this blog, the Super Smash Bros. reunited recently in order to go after there Campeones de Parejas aspirations once again:
Needless to say, anyone could take this. With three elimination and one winner, three teams will come out with zero points, and one team could potentially come out with three (or more!) points total. Which team will that be? Everyone has a lot to gain with a victory in this match, so we'll just have to see which team is the most motivated.
This match might be the one I'm looking forward to most out of any match this entire weekend: Eddie Kingston vs. Gran Akuma. These two have met before in many tag, trios, and atomico matches in the past. They even met in a singles match in CZW in 2005. However, it's been a very long time since these two have been in the same match with one another (off the top of my head, the 2006 Cibernetico is the last match I recall). These two are notorious for their striking and brawling, and clearly stand out amongst the pack in terms of toughness. Kingston and Akuma also come from the same graduating class (the second CHIKARA Wrestle Factory class) and feuded in their respective teams (F.I.S.T and The Wildcards) in 2003. While it's been awhile, everything old is new again after a period of time. These two have become two completely different wrestlers since their last meeting, and I mean that in a very positive manner. I think this has potential to be a "barn-burner" and really steal the show. Those in Pottsville could be in for a real treat.
Quite a bit of story in this match, in which Quack teams with the Future Is Now for the second night in a row to take on the four remaining BDK members not already on the show (Tim Donst, Tursas, Pinkie "Pink Ant" Sanchez, and Lince Dorado). Mike is pissed at Donst for turning on the Tecnicos, especially since Mike trusted him with the reverse CHIKARA Special that Donst turned around and taught to Sanchez. Sanchez, as we found out, was responsible for Equinox's ankle injury that kept him on the shelf for the last quarter of 2009. Lince of course turned on the Future Is Now to join the Brüderschaft after being fed-up with the fans reactions. And Tursas, well…is Tursas. The point is, the Future is Now and Quack are dying to get their hands on these particular members of the BDK. Now is their chance, and it could get ugly. On the other hand, it's in the BDK's best interest to harm, injure, or maim the others which I'm sure they have no issue with. It could get ugly, it could get overly violent, but needless to say, it will be exciting.
And the main event, The Colony's fourth defense of their Campeones de Parejas against the Order of the Neo-Solar Temple. Believe it or not, Ultramantis Black has NEVER won any sort of accolade in CHIKARA (even though he's been in CHIKARA since day one). The closest he came was in 2003 when he and Mr. ZERO made it to the finals of the inaugural Tag World Grand Prix. This is also his first shot ever at the Campeones de Parejas. Who better a partner to have then a guy who's held the gold in the past, Delirious, who's been on an absolute tear since joining the Order last year. The Colony can say the same, meaning each team has quite the challenge ahead of him. This is the time for Mantis to give the Order the validation it's been desperately seeking since it's inception. Will the Order go legit, or will the Colony's championship reign continue on?
My CHIKARA project (in which I finally listen to you, the readers)
You see that banner at the top of the page?
Mr. BGUSA, Brad Garoon,
made it for me. Not only is it the new banner for this column, but it is the banner for my new blog named after this article:
The CHIKARA Special
. You'll notice right now that all of my reviews that have been on this site are there. But, that's not all.
Finally, after BILLIONS of requests…I WILL be reviewing older CHIKARA shows. Not just some of them…all of them. If it's out there, I'll watch and review it. If it's on DVD on Smart Mark Video, that's a guarantee. Right this instant, the very first two CHIKARA shows ever are reviewed there.
Not only are all the CHIKARA shows eventually going to be reviewed (give me some time people, this is a big undertaking), but every appearance of a CHIKARA student in other companies will be reviewed. If a CHIKARA wrestler has appeared in ROH, FIP, IWA-MS, CZW, etc., I will do my damndest to find it and review it. Sometimes, certain matches are unavailable or impossible to find. But needless to say this will be an incredibly OCD CHIKARA blog that I very much hope all of you will enjoy.
With that said, if anybody has any random local indy shows they know of (past, present, future) that had CHIKARA wrestlers, email it to me! Remember, this only includes CHIKARA STUDENTS.
Consult this page to know what I mean by students
. I can't find all these shows myself, so it's with your help we can make this dream come true! I do it for you people. To quote Teddy Hart: "if you cheer for me, I will die for you!"
King of Trios News Station
It's roughly two months away, and we now have SEVEN! SEVEN TEAMS! AH AH AH! For the King of Trios tournament confirmed. So far, we have:
1) F.I.S.T (Icarus, Gran Akuma, & Chuck Taylor) (4th King of Trios; 2009 winners)
2) The Colony (Fire Ant, Soldier Ant, Green Ant) (3rd King of Trios for Fire Ant & Soldier Ant, 1st King of Trios for Green Ant)
3) The UnStable (Vin Gerard, STIGMA, & Colin Delaney) (2nd King of Trios for Vin Gerard and Colin Delaney, 4th for STIGMA who was a 2007 winner)
4) Team Frightning (Mike Quackenbush, Hallowicked, & Frightmare) (4th King of Trios for Quackenbush and Hallowicked, 2nd for Frightmare, Quackenbush was a 2007 winner)
5) The Future Is Now (Jigsaw, Helios, & Equinox) (3rd King of Trios for Helios and Equinox, 2nd for Jigsaw who was a 2007 winner)
6) The Brüderschaft (Claudio Castagnoli, Ares, & Tursas) (3rd King of Trios for Claudio, 1st for Ares and Tursas)
7) The Jackson 3 (Nick, Matt, & Malachi Jackson) (2nd King of Trios for Matt & Nick, 1st for Malachi)
We have nine more teams to go, eight which will be announced, and the ninth will be decided in…
AIW's Jack of All Trios tournament! 16 teams, 2 nights, winning team gets a spot in the 2010 King of Trios tournament. The teams announced thusfar:
1) Da Soul Touchaz (Marshe Rockette, Acid Jaz, & Willie Richardson)
2) Team IWA: East Coast (Mad Man Pondo, Jon Moxley, & Zac Vincent)
3) Da Latin Crime Syndicate (Luis Diamante, Joey The Snake, & K Fernandez)
4) Jack Of Love (Jefferson Saint, Jack Verville, & Chest Flexor)
5) Alpha Beta Duke (Nick Belushi & Carlton Kaz) and John Thorne
6) Psycho Sexual Panic (Shiima Xion, Façade, & ???)
7) Johnny Gargano and Aeroform (Louis Lyndon & Flip Kendrick)
This will be a great tournament to expose some of the younger guys that some fans may not be familiar with. Plus with guys like The Soul Touchaz, Jon Moxley, Johnny Gargano, and Aeroform, new fans should be comfortable enough with guys they know and like to give the other guys a chance (having seen some AIW myself, I think you should).
And that my friends, is your King of Trios 2010 update.
Youtube Fun!
The 200th episode of the CHIKARA Podcast-A-Go-Go is here, with guest host, D'Lo Brown! Matches covered are from the
"Hiding In Plain Sight"
show back in September.
This year was the first annual Johnny Gargano Day. The above video celebrated such a momentous occasion.
Some footage from the Dragon Gate USA "Fearless" PPV which features a handful of CHIKARA guys.
The preview video for EVOLVE's DVD of their first show, featuring Team Frightning (Mike Quackenbush, Hallowicked, & Frightmare) vs. Akuma's Army (Gran Akuma, Icarus, & Brodie Lee).
Check out all the new podcasts with myself and/or Jerome Cusson at
Pro Wrestling Ponderings
. This week, Brad Garoon and 411's own Ari Berenstein sat down to talk Ring of Honor's Eighth Anniversary show. We also talked DGUSA, TNA going to Monday nights, and much more. The podcast, as well as other wrestling goodies, can be found at
Pro Wrestling Ponderings
Speaking of Brad Garoon, his blog
Open The Garoon Gate
is all about Dragon Gate and Dragon Gate USA. He reviews every Infinity, PPV, appearance of a Dragon Gate wrestler in the U.S. and other Japanse promotion, etc. You owe it to yourself to check out that blog, as well as his Toryumon and dragondoor/El Dorado/Secret Base blogs which you can find links to on his Dragon Gate blog. Jake Ziegler also blog,
JZ Says
, which has WWE, TNA, ROH, and even film reviews. Make sure to check out and enjoy both!
Ari Berenstein as usual keeps up his great work in the
Column of Honor
. Make sure to check it out, it's a guaranteed good read every single week.
If you have not begun listening, Mike Quackenbush and Clayton Morris (of FOX News & Friends) host a pop-culture podcast known as
The Grizzly Bear Egg Cafe
. Clayton and Mike talk about all things geek such as movies, music, television, comic books, tech stuff, and wrestling here and there. I find it wildly entertaining, as Clayton and Mike play off each other very well. It's also really cool to hear Mike talk about non-wrestling stuff as well. So please, check out
The Grizzly Bear Egg Cafe
and subscribe to their podcast on iTunes.
Thanks so much again for reading this weeks CHIKARA Special! Keep your eyes on my blog, as I will be updating it very soon with more CHIKARA 2002 goodness as well as my review of the newest CHIKARA DVD release, "A Touch Of Class". Next week may be CHIKARA Special free, but the week after I'll be back to talk the results of the February shows. Until next time, take care of yourselves, and each other.
The CHIKARA Home Page
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text:
AKRON, Ohio (AP) - An Ohio jury has reached a verdict in the murder case against an ex-convict charged in the deaths of 3 men lured with Craigslist job offers.
The trial judge in Akron sent word Tuesday to all parties involved in the case against Richard Beasley to convene in her courtroom.
Two men from Ohio and one from Norfolk, Va., were slain. A man from South Carolina was shot but survived.
Beasley could face the death penalty if convicted.
Prosecutors say he plotted with a teenager, who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without chance of parole.
Beasley says investigators targeted him based only on a hunch.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
On November 12, 2012, a design center's atrium was transformed into a Holiday Gift Boutique featuring one-of-a-kind gifts from over twenty world-class showrooms and designer-decorated Christmas trees and wreaths. The center extended an invitation to Shauna Lee Lange to showcase talent and decorate a tree or a wreath.
The profits from the designer-decorated trees and wreaths fundraiser will benefit an education fund. The design center's showroom managers nominate designers who have contributed to their overall success and each month a designer is recognized culminating in an end-of-year awards ceremony and appreciation party – to be held on Monday, December 10, 2012. The proceeds will underwrite educational opportunities such as CEU's and speaker events for both interior design students and emerging professionals.
While Lange's firm did not participate in the event described, they recently undertook an independent artistic study in trends for holiday visual displays. The upside down Christmas tree shown from The Shell Factory in Ft. Myers was included in the firm's trendsetting notables. Lange has long been working in areas of visual thinking and public art.
DISCLOSURE: This post was edited and modified for clarification purposes on 11/13/12 at the request of the design center.
Shauna Lee Lange of Southwest Florida is a visual strategies, visual thinking and visual culture advisory with an emphasis on original ideas to encourage the interdependency of communities, public art, and historic preservation.


text:
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for stopping by! If you want to, you can skip all of the explanations and go straight to the details, menu, and map below.
As you may know, I'm in the process of earning several wine credentials. All of them were planned for this year, but due to schedules and sequencing, some may have to trickle over into early 2015. However, I am concentrating on those that I know that I will be able to complete this year.
All of the certifications I'm seeking are: California Wine Appellation Specialist (CWAS – testing February 16), Level 1 Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW), Certified Wine Educator (CWE), (both through the Society of Wine Educators) and Certified Sommelier, once again, through "The Court." And one more just added – WSET-Level 2. I mean, after all…while I'm at it…
So 2014 is Wine School Immersion time for me. That being said, I used to think I knew a lot… lol
There's a historical component to this as no African-American woman has all of these credentials and definitely not anyone of my age. This will be a first. Besides the fact that I love all things wine, I'm doing it because I am looking at retirement in a few years and don't want to be a greeter at WalMart.
One of the important parts of these certifications is that I must know wine/food pairing. It is a key part of the Sommelier exams as well as the CSW and CWE. This is my first attempt at deliberately pairing wines and food together in order to reach a goal. One of those goals is to pair the wines with Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten-free foods as well as "regular" foods that you'd expect to have at a wine tasting. In addition, I will have a couple of wines that are a little out of the ordinary. Please note that I will have another wine/food pairing at my home using the wines that I will most likely be tested on later on in the year.
As you can see in the list below, I have a wine menu and tasting sorta hashed out. I've been doing a lot of cooking and experimenting during the last two or so months and have found some real gems. I hope they turn out as well as they did during testing! It has been challenging finding suitable Vegetarian/Vegan foods that pair well with some of the wines that I'll be pouring. Finding Gluten-free has been even more challenging! Big, rich red wines were largely developed in cultures where they were a part of a meat dinner or where they were a part of a dinner that included pasta, bread, and rich meaty sauces or soups. Today's esthetic says that vegetables and some allergies have to be considered for those who still love the red wines and want to have meat-free food that pairs well with them.
I will be updating the list as we get closer to the date. Be sure to bookmark this page and stop by frequently to see what changes I'll be making, as some ingredients available today may not be available then. And everything has to be fresh!
Date and Time: Saturday, February 8
Time: 6:30 pm
Place: 3912 Sweet Pine Street, Unit 102. My doorway is on the far right side of the building.
Las Vegas, NV 89108
Phone: 279-6068 (cell) or 222-0707 (home)
RSVP: My "everyday" e-mail - vegasrenie(at)clear(dot)net (gotta keep the spammer bots away)
Oh what the hell. You are here, you were probably invited: 09620
If you look at Google Maps for directions, ignore the picture that they show on the map. It shows the street behind the community. Go figure.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I Bring Anything?
You can bring any wine to enjoy after the small plates are done. Or – especially after I have posted the names of the wines – you can bring a dish to share to see if it will pair as well. This is a learning event, not a test. That said, I'm pretty sure we'll devolve into a party afterwards. :-)
Are You Sure You're the "Only One"?
I'm as sure as Google, the membership of the Society of Wine Educators, and what I can find from what the Sommelier associations will allow me. There's very limited access to non-members, of course.
How's this for a goal – there are no African-American female Advanced or Master Sommeliers. And there are less than 325 Certified Wine Educators, none of whom are black females. Once again, this is based on knowledge that I have at this time. This could change as I continue to research.Do you plan to become a Master Sommelier?
Uh… That's a hard thing to say. *Maybe* I'll try for Advanced, but getting a Master Somm certification is the equivalent of getting a doctorate. You gotta know a lot of minutiae and have a palate of the gods. That's something I'll think about after I've finished everything else. Believe it or not, getting the Certified Educator of Wine is the most important credential for me now. And from what I've been able to see, not a whole lot less difficult than acquiring an Advanced Somm level. Note: We will all genuflect to Fritz when he shows up since he has everything except the Master.
Are there any guidelines that I need to know?
Just a few. NO PERFUME OR COLOGNE! I know I don't need to tell that to you guys, but I know that sometimes I may put on cologne just out of habit if I'm going to visit somebody. Since this is a guided tasting, this is especially important since the smell of someone's perfume can clash with the food/wine experience. The other is to come prepared to learn, eat, and have fun. Or else.
|NV Segura Cava
|Stuffed Kale Quinoa Tabbouleh wraps with Lime Yogurt Dip. gluten free.
|NV Louis Bouillot Perle d'Aurore Rose Crèmant de Bourgogne
|Caper Deviled Eggs
|2011 Bouguer "V" Vouvray Grand Reserve (A less sweet style of Vouvray - Chenin Blanc - which is one of the styles that sommelier candidates may be tested on).
|Mango Salsa with Rice or Corn Chips
|2005 Hunt Cellars Moonlight Sonata Reserve Chardonnay (yes, that's a current release!) (Santa Barbara fruit)
Possible alternative may be a white Burgundy.
|Butternut Squash Soup (will have dairy)
|2011 Villa San-Juliette Albariño (Edna Valley fruit). Possible alternative may be a Muscadet Sevre et Maines Sur Lie.
|Seared Whitefish or Scallops with Herb Butter Sauce. Haricot vert.
|2011 Villa San-Juliette Albariño (Edna Valley fruit)
|Vegetarian Option - Seared Vietnamese tofu marinated in herb butter sauce. Haricot vert.
|2011 M. Chapoutier Cotes du Roussillon Villages Latour Domaine de Bila-Haut Occultum Lapidem
|Ratatouille (just like the original peasant stew, not like the movie)
|Pinot Noir (Still TBD)
|Burgundy Braised Turkey Thighs w/Polenta (Vegetarian option is without the Turkey, but with mushrooms)
|2004 Moccagatta Barbaresco
|Braised beef cheeks on papparadelle - because of richness of dish, at this time there's no veggie equivalent option. That may change.
|2003 Château Rieussec Sauternes (1er Grand Cru Classé 1855) and Osborne Fino Sherry.
|Dessert (TBD) and Nuts, Cheeses. Maybe Creme Brulee. Maybe chocolate chip bacon cookies. Maybe red wine cream cheese chocolate chunk brownies. Who knows.


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Difference between revisions of "Dali QA Testing"
From Eclipsepedia
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== Automated Functional Testing ==
== Automated Functional Testing ==
Latest revision as of 11:19, 22 July 2013
The Dali QA Testing page provides testing information on new and old Dali functionality. This will include a Testing Strategy, Manual Functional Testing and Automated Regression Testing.
[edit] Testing Strategy
[edit] Manual Functional Testing
The manual functional testing is broken up into milestones
[edit] Automated Functional Testing
The automated functional testing is a suite of functional regression tests using HP QTP tool for testing UI. There are some pre-requistes that need to take place prior to running the automated test suite.


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Since the historic re-election of President Barack Obama, in which Obama received 332 electoral votes to Romney's 206, the First Family has received an outpouring of love and support from supporters across the nation. But not everyone is happy the President will remain our commander-in-chief.
SEE ALSO: Divided States Of America: 20 States Petition To Secede After Re-Election Of President Obama
In the days following the election, racist comments on Facebook and Twitter have emerged:
i really want to meet obama someday just so i can call him a nigger—
Shelly (@Shelly_Smyth) November 08, 2012
If you #VoteObama youre just another nigger enabler.
How bout jiggaboos learn somethin bout hard work instead of welfare & food stamps! #gop—
Chet Walken (@Walken4GOP) November 06, 2012
One of the more controversial comments came from 22-year-old Denise Helms. NBCNews.com reports Helms was fired from Cold Stone Creamery, after calling the president the N-Word on her Facebook page. The Turlock, Calif., native, who was a manager at the ice cream chain, went on to add, "Maybe he'll get assassinated this term!"
In a follow-up interview, Helms showed little remorse for her racial comments:
"I didn't think it would be that big of a deal," she said. "The assassination part is kind of harsh. I'm not saying like I would go do that or anything like that, by any means, but if it was to happen, I don't think I'd care one bit."
Watch Helms disturbing comments here:
While hate speech unfortunately isn't a surprise, the surplus of derogatory comments in the President's second term is alarming. According to Floatingsheep.com, which mapped racist tweets since Obama's re-election, Alabama and Mississippi had the highest rate of hate speech since Nov. 6. Other southern states with high-racist comments included Georgia, Louisiana, and Tennessee.
Young people have also joined in on the racist commentary, which was highlighted in a recent story by Jezebel's Tracie Egan Morrissey.
Want to Keep Up With NewsOne.com? LIKE Us On Facebook!
While we at NewsOne couldn't be happier Barack Obama will continue to be president, it does sadden us to know such negativity is still so prevalent. However, we do share these sentiments:
Calling the president a nigger don't change the fact that he got these votes and snatched wigs for a second time. Stay mad.—
Jimmy Zbornak (@theeJAISTER) November 07, 2012
If these comments anger you as much as they do us and you want to voice your opinion, please send your thoughts to the NewsOne guest blogger at firstname.lastname@example.com. Place the word GUESTBLOGGER in the subject box, add your name, where you're from and your Twitter handle.
Sound off!
SEE ALSO: Paul Ryan Blames Obama Win On 'Urban Areas'


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(03/12/12) - The Genesee County Sheriff's Department is investigating the third death of an inmate in less than a year. Around 9 a.m. Monday morning, 63-year-old Wayne Smith was discovered unresponsive in his jail cell. His death comes after a long history of heart problems.
Genesee County Undersheriff, Chris Swanson, says they believe he died of natural causes. "Nothing appears to be suspicious, we have searched the cell," Swanson said.
At the time of Smith's death, Smith was being treated for a serious heart condition. "In addition to his criminal background, he also came to the Genesee County Jail with a tremendous medical condition," Swanson said.
Smith was booked in December 2009 and charged with four counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct. There were two victims under the age of 13 and they were relatives of Smith, according to Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton.
Smith's health problems combined with a change of his lawyer four times delayed his trial. "When you change four different times, that means four lawyers have to learn the case, learn the facts, talk to the witnesses and prepare the trial," Leyton said.
Smith was the third inmate death in a year at the Genesee County Jail. In April of 2011, toxicology reports show 30-year-old Jesse Goode died of a heroin overdose.Then last month, 42-year-old Angela Issa was found unresponsive in her jail cell. The cause of her death is still not determined.
"The population that we deal with is a very high risk population. We have inmates that come here that have never seen physicians that have no health screenings. Why we have a medical department now is because of situations like this," Swanson said.
ABC12 Main Station810-233-3130
Mailing Address:2302 Lapeer RoadFlint, Michigan 48503


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The Eagle-Tribune
---- — To the editor:
As a school committeewoman and former city councilor, my first priority has always been about providing top-notch services to Methuen taxpayers while saving them money. That is why I am urging the Methuen City Council to vote in favor of hiring Ameresco to start saving on our city's energy costs.
Ameresco is a Massachusetts-based company that goes into communities to find greener, cleaner and cheaper options for energy. Ameresco officials came into Methuen and found 55 areas in school and city buildings where the city could be saving on energy. Ameresco promises that if the city borrows the $3.7 million needed to do the work, there where will be an $298,892 savings the first year which will cover the loan repayment. The energy savings in future years will continue to cover the loan payments.
The scope of the work provides other benefits as well. Suggested work at the city's ice rink will extend the time is can be used. It gets other desperately needed work done at schools and city buildings that otherwise the city could not afford. Ameresco has performed similar work in Haverhill, North Andover, Lowell, Logan Airport, and others and they are all satisfied customers.
This is a no-brainer. It costs the taxpayers nothing. It makes our buildings more energy efficient and saves us money. It gets much-needed fixes done on our buildings. It makes the planet a little greener. I urge the Methuen City Council to sign an agreement with Ameresco when it comes up for a vote in August.
Thank you.
Deborah Quinn


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Former teacher and FBI Most Wanted fugitive Eric Justin Toth has been captured in Nicaragua. He was wanted on charges of producing child pornography.
National Police chief Aminta Granera said Toth entered Nicaragua with a fake passport, fake driver's license and credit cards. He first entered Nicaragua on Oct. 24, 2012, and left on Jan. 27. He returned on Feb. 12 and that's when Nicaraguan police began keeping a close watch, Granera said.
Toth was living in Nicaragua under an assumed name.
Toth has been on the run since 2008 when he was kicked out of the tony Beauvoir Elementary School on the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral. School officials discovered sexually explicit pictures of a young boy at the school on a camera Toth had allegedly used.
Published reports indicate the former Washington, D.C.-area resident traveled to Indiana, where his parents live, as well as Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Investigators found Toth's car at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in August 2008 with a note suggesting he'd committed suicide at a nearby lake, but a body was never found.
A nervous-looking Toth was briefly presented to reporters in Nicaragua but didn't make a statement or answer any questions before he was handed over to the FBI.
Toth was added to the FBI's most-wanted list in April 2012 for severe child pornography allegations.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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I need to vent about DJAX
Dear DeSean Jackson,
As a concerned Eagle fan I'm writing this in the hopes you wake the *insert expletive of your choosing* up. Throughout the season you have given many interviews and tweeted many different tweets saying how you need to "man up and grind it out." Well DeSean I'm going to be honest here and say you have acted like a 12 year old princess who just got her period. I know you are vastly underpaid but your actions this year have been atrocious. We have seen you drop balls, shy away from hits, and bad route running. As a dedicated Eagle fan it drives me insane to see you do this. The funny thing is Eagle fans love you. They love the fact that you used to be the guy that our various QBs can count on. Someone who is there where we need the big play. We miss the WR who brought swagger to the team, who would run circles around CBs and various defenders for TDs. Now you are the shell of the player you once were. If you had bothered trying hard this year, by putting it all on the line every single goddamn game, you would have gotten paid.
Look at LeSean McCoy. He plays with heart despite the fact he is still playing out his rookie contract. He is going to get an extension and stay an Eagle while you are most likely are not. What did you even prove by this? You pretty much proved to the entire NFL that all you care about is money and that you are not a team player. I used to be the biggest DJax fan because you were the guy Eagle fans could count on every football game. Now you are a cancer to our offense and I do hope you get traded. That being said if you can just play football and be that skilled WR that Philly fans used to love for the next 4 games then maybe you could get an extension. It's just a shame that you couldn't try for the last 11 games of the season. You want big WR money but you don't act or play like the big WRs like Megatron, Fitzgerald, and Jennnings. As I write this we are losing to the Seahawks by 10, I hope you wake up right now, help Vince Young out, and win this game!


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A Chicago woman was warned by friends at a party and a Mokena Police officer that she'd be arrested for drunk driving if she drove, and was later arrested for driving drunk, according to a Mokena Police report.
Christie M. Powell, 47, of the 5200 block of S. Keating, Chicago, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol level greater than .08 and improper lane use.
On Dec. 29, police were called about a woman trying to leave a residence in the 11300 block of Abbey Road around 8:15 p.m. Other people there were asking her not to drive because she had been drinking, according to the report. The responding officer spoke to the woman and noticed her breath smelled like alcohol, she slurred her speech and had difficulty maintaining balance, police said. The woman, Powell, was told not to drive by the officer, and that she could be arrested if she did so.
About three minutes after leaving the residence, the officer was told that Powell was driving away from the house in a black Chevy SUV. The officer saw the vehicle and followed her, and saw her cross lane lines while driving, according to the report. The officer then pulled her over in the 20700 block of Wolf Road, police said.
Powell failed field sobriety tests and was arrested.
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A BENDIGO man is urging the public to assist in the search for his best friend, his beloved dog Stornch, that went missing after a car crash in Newbridge.
Daniel Hunter temporarily discharged himself from hospital on Sunday so he could begin the search for his staffy he believes ran off after the two-car collision about 5pm Saturday.
"Since Sunday I have door knocked all of Newbridge, easily 100 houses," he said
"I went to (Bendigo) hospital with minor injuries, just concussion and minor lacerations.
"But discharged myself for an hour on Sunday so I could start searching for him.
"My whole family is helping me, I've got family who have come up from Melbourne to help look.
Police appeal to public to help find beloved staffy 'Stornch'
He's my best friend – he means so much to so many people.
"He is a real loved pet."
Mr Hunter said Stornch was in the front seat of the car when it crashed.
"The front window smashed so I think he got out that way.
"He's my best friend - he means so much to so many people."
Mr Hunter said the dog was a cheerful loving animal who was a great companion.
"He could be anywhere in Maldon or Laanecoorie," he said.
"I've had him for about six years."
Police contacted the Bendigo Advertiser on Monday asking for assistance in finding the dog.
Bridgewater Police Leading Senior Constable Mike Balazs said Mr Hunter had been "distraught" since his dog ran off.
"No-one was seriously injured.
"But this guy is just so upset about his dog we would love to get the public's help.
"He was taken to hospital with minor injuries but discharged himself early to search for his staffy."
Mr Hunter is hoping for a happy ending like there was last week when firefighters rescued a cat that had been missing for two days.
Firefighters managed to rescue Jordan the cat from a palm tree on Friday.
Crews secured a ladder while the cat's owner Tony Flinn retrieved the animal from the tree.
Mr Flinn said he had moved to Bendigo just weeks ago and Jordan had been missing for two days.
He said it had been a distressing time and was over the moon to be reunited with his cat.
"It was really horrible to think we'd just moved here from Sydney so she's not used to the area," he said.
"She's wandered off, normally we lock her in, and we didn't see her for two days.
"Everyone's been marvelous - a big thanks to the firefighters."
If anyone finds Stornch they can contact Bridgewater Police Station on 5437 3232.


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New role: Social Business Transformation at IBM
June 23 2014
Earlier today, it was announced internally at IBM that I have taken on a new role. I am moving into our corporate organization as Vice President, Social Business Transformation. In this position, my team and I are responsible for advancing IBM's maturity as a social business, and continuing the development of a culture of participation.
My predecessor in this role, Bethann Cregg, has left some pretty large shoes to fill. Several programs and tools are in place in IBM today to help our employees reach the right experts, engage more directly with our clients, and convert knowledge into action. IBM is viewed by many as a benchmark for organizational change, presenting an exciting yet challenging opportunity. My goal is to move us ahead quickly on the maturity curve--from social business foundations to an environment where use of social business principles and tools becomes part of the daily fabric of the company, at all levels and job functions.
The last 18 months have been a period of fantastic growth and development as marketing director for IBM MobileFirst. Building IBM's position in the mobile enterprise market from a small collection of products and services into an integrated, market-leading solutions portfolio has been successful for the company, and also personally rewarding. I am eternally grateful to Kristen Lauria for bringing me into the marketing organization and having the confidence that my previous experience would translate into this success. Moving on today is the first time in 20 years at IBM that I feel like I am leaving a job in some ways unfinished -- having just hired the last addition to my team. While we have accomplished much together, there is still more to be done around creating mindshare for IBM, integrated solution portfolios, and developing an ecosystem around IBM's mobile technologies. I am very proud of the team that I am leaving behind, many of them friends as well as colleagues, and hope that they will continue on the road to market dominance.
Though I am just getting started, several aspects of my new role are particularly exciting. Clearly, I am coming back to my roots, in a job that is all about helping people collaborate. My calendar is already filling up with external speaking engagements, opportunities to demonstrate that a social business is about more than canned tweets and having a Facebook page. This is also my first role that has company-wide responsibility within IBM, and I am looking forward to learning more about the various divisions, functions, and geographies I've never encountered before. Many of the people I will be working with in this position have likewise been pioneers or early adopters of social business tools -- some of them coming out of Lotus heritage like me. It is good to have a team with shared ideals and objectives from the start.
Unsurprisingly, I expect to increase activity here on my blog and other social channels. I'm not sure you'll see me donning a yellow sweater, but the uniform seems familiar. I won't be pitching a product or service, but clearly it is important for IBM's own story to continue to surface externally. I expect to be connecting/reconnecting with many of the IBM social thought leaders out here in the open, as well as many of you as clients or partners. I look forward to your participation, and thank you for your support.
One other point to note: Timing is everything. Just a few weeks from now, I will be part of an IBM Smarter Cities Challenge team in Tainan, Taiwan. This three week assignment is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a real-world municipal problem as part of a volunteer team of IBM experts. It's going to be a busy summer, and I hope you'll stay tuned in here, on Twitter, the Smarter Cities Challenge blog, and for IBMers on my internal profile and blog as well.
In my last blog entry, I covered the announcement of the IBM Watson Mobile Developer Challenge. The Watson Mobile Developer Challenge is designed to catalyze mobile developers to explore the opportunity around mobile cognitive computing - bringing the power of Watson to a smartphone or other mobile device. Entrants submit proposals for mobile apps, and the finalists - to be announced at IBM Impact 2014 - will receive access to IBM Interactive Studios experts and Watson APIs in order to bring their vision to reality.
In the 30 days since the Challenge was announced, there has been tremendous interest. The IBM Watson Mobile Developer Challenge website has had over 90,000 visits, leading to over 5000 clickthroughs to submit a proposal. Because of this level of interest, submissions are still coming in - with two weeks to the (revised) deadline of April 14.
What makes a good entry for the Challenge? Here are some ideas on the WatsonDev blog:
A good interaction pattern with Watson will exploit the volume, veracity and variety of content to leverage evidence based insights with weighted confidence. A strong use case will take advantage of deep natural language processing and benefit from a continuously learning system, while providing transparency into the source of information. Applications can transform the user experience with contextual relevance and active dialoging.
Submissions so far have come from everywhere - all over the world, and from a range of entities - individual developers, system integrators, venture capitalists, IBMers, and even corporations. But I only recognize one name in the whole list, which means regular blog readers haven't yet jumped on this opportunity. Hope you'll take a look and brainstorm some ideas - it would be great to have some familiar faces among the finalists.
Link: The IBM Watson Mobile Developer Challenge >
The IBM Watson Mobile Developer Challenge
March 3 2014
IBM CEO Ginni Rometty delivered the Wednesday keynote last week at Mobile World Congress. The speech was wide-ranging and covered a number of key thoughts around data, cloud, and engagement as the three major trends in enterprise technology that will change the way we work. At the conclusion of her speech, Rometty announced the IBM Watson Mobile Developer Challenge, and nominations are now open.
What is the IBM Watson Mobile Developer Challenge?
The IBM Watson Mobile Developer Challenge will encourage developers around the world to build sophisticated cognitive apps that can change the way consumers and businesses interact with data on their mobile devices. Through this initiative, mobile developers can take advantage of Watson's ability to understand the complexities of human language, "read" millions of pages of data in seconds and improve its own performance by learning.Between now and March 31, developers and organizations that wish to compete can submit their proposals. In late April at IBM Impact 2014, we'll name finalists, and over the subsequent three weeks those finalists will get busy coding. The winner will be announced May 31.
Over the next three months, the global challenge invites mobile developers and entrepreneurs to share their best ideas to build and develop mobile apps into prototypes. Three winners will join the Watson Ecosystem Program. The winners will work with IBM's recently launched global consulting practice, IBM Interactive Experience to receive design consulting and support from IBM experts to develop a viable commercial app.
Rometty's announcement received tons of press coverage around the world, recognizing the importance of her presence at Mobile World Congress 2014 and IBM's leadership in enterprise mobility:
BBC: IBM seeks app developers to harness Watson: "To date, more than 1,500 individuals and organisations have been in touch to suggest apps. Three intend to go to market this year, including an app to transform how consumers shop and one to help hospitals better procure devices. .... Other potential Watson-powered mobile apps could include medical ones to help doctors and patients sift through vast amounts of data. ... Already Watson is being used by doctors and nurses at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, in New York, to help make decisions about lung cancer treatment at the hospital."
V3.co.uk, MWC: IBM pushes Watson to mobile developers: "Rometty said companies will need the advanced analytics tools offered by Watson to deal with the disruptive effects of mobile, cloud and big data technologies. "We're currently going through an exciting but disruptive period within the enterprise and there are key shifts that are changing and reshaping the technology industry. To me data is the world's next natural resource. We will look back on this time and we will look at data as the resource that powered the twenty-first century," she said. "We at IBM look forward and see data will be the basis of competitive advantage for every company. It will decide the winners and the losers. Everyone can say they're a data business, but what will decide the future is how companies use data.""
Mobile World Congress 2014 was an exciting and successful week for IBM MobileFirst. We announced a mobile cloud platform, Codename: Bluemix; acquisition of Cloudant; the Watson Mobile Developer Challenge, and several client testimonials. Our events and activities at the conference were well-received and we met a lot of quality clients and prospects. You can find highlights on our YouTube channel and website news page. Thanks to all of you who stopped by the IBM booth or our mini-conference to connect while in Barcelona. A very useful event indeed.
Today is a busy day for IBM MobileFirst.
We started the day here in Barcelona at Mobile World Congress, a conference with 80,000 attendees from all over the world. IBM's presence at Mobile World Congress (#IBMMWC) starts with a magnificent trade show booth, continues with hundreds of meetings, accelerates with a 1/2 day mini-conference Tuesday afternoon, and culminates with a keynote from CEO and Chairman Ginni Rometty on Wednesday evening.
I've heard all the stories about MWC, which is 2nd only to CeBIT in terms of size of a European technology show, but being here is a whole different thing. The Fira Barcelona is almost a mile long, and the show continues throughout every one of eight buildings. I logged nearly 20,000 FitBit steps yesterday without any workout, or even really any sightseeing. There appear to be over 200 IBMers here, plus some recent acquisitions like The Now Factory and MaaS360 by Fiberlink, and we have several speakers throughout the week including Andrew Grill and those in our own 1/2 day conference - IBM GM Marie Wieck, IBM GM Rich Esposito, IBM Global Business Services partner Kevin Custis, and Fiberlink CEO Jim Sheward.
Meanwhile half a world away, in Las Vegas, IBM is holding the annual Pulse conference, which has become our premier cloud event. And today at Pulse, we are announcing the public beta of Codename "Bluemix", the new IBM cloud developer platform. From the individual developer to the VP of apps, aBluemix is an ideal cloud platform-as-a-service environment for building, deploying, and managing web and mobile apps. Both IBM and our partners are delivering modular cloud services for typical app use cases of today: integration, data management, DevOps, analytics, and more.
If you're a developer, you will now have a hand in creating the future. Codename: BlueMix offers you all the instant services, runtimes, and infrastructure you need to push your ideas into the present.
"Bluemix" is one of the key remaining pieces of the equation for IBM's mobile enterprise story. In the year that I have been part of this organization, what I've heard is that IBM Worklight is the best Mobile Enterprise Application Platform (MEAP) in the industry. That's ideal if you are in a position to be adopting a platform. But say you are a power user in line-of-business - can you adopt and deploy the Worklight environment? It's a bigger thing. This is where mobile cloud services come into play; a developer of one can get started in a matter of minutes with building an app, from predefined capabilities through to straight coding.
Our intent with "Bluemix" is to compete and win in the mobile app platform market in the broadest possible way. You'll see us do things different for "Bluemix" - very different - than the way IBM usually has approached developers. We anticipate you'll find out about "Bluemix" on StackOverflow or GitHub or meetups or atypical (e.g. non-IBM) conferences. Delivery is integrated into the service, hosted on IBM Softlayer, so local market hybrid cloud deployment is straightforward. And of course, it's an infinitely flexible environment, so new capabilities, services, and partners will continually be added.
There's lots more news from IBM Mobile coming this week; I'll be blogging and Tweeting along as additional announcements make their way into public visibility. There's something for everyone, so stay tuned :-)
IBM Connect 2014: IBM MobileFirst report
January 30 2014
I'm on my way home from my 18th trip to Orlando in January, leaving behind friends and memories from IBM Connect 2014. This was my first time at the event outside of the brand/division running it, and it definitely felt a little bit different. I didn't know what was being announced or previewed in the general sessions, had no dog of my own in the hunt. Of course, I continue to be enthusiastic about IBM's Collaboration Solutions, but I watched from the perspective more of an alumnus with far less of the emotional attachment. Thank you to those of you on Twitter and in hallways who wished for our collective prior experience, where I would blog about those announcements with summary and clarity. It's just not my expertise anymore. IBM "Mail next" looks pretty exciting, and I am pleased to see that what started in a small conference room in our labs back many months ago has taken shape rather nicely into a compelling design and user experience.
What I did do at this conference was speak, exhibit, and meet. IBM MobileFirst had a significant presence in the product showcase, with our product managers, marketing, and sales team staffing a quadrant of the social/mobile/cloud/big data strategic center of the show floor. Those that visited had the opportunity to speak to us about Worklight, Fiberlink MaaS360, Tealeaf CX Mobile, IBM Interactive, our Global Technology Services mobility offerings, and several other offerings. Right in the middle of the show floor was a Range Rover demonstrating the concept of the "Connected Car," featuring IBM MessageSight technology to provide instantaneous response to mobile device-based control of heating, entertainment, and other in-car features. Cool stuff.
David Marshak and I spoke yesterday at the conference, providing an overview of the IBM MobileFirst portfolio and solutions. I was pleased that I knew very few people in the room. The whole point of taking mobile to Connect was to reach new audiences, and it appears we were successful at that. There was also a Worklight + Domino/Notes session going on at the same time from Mat Newman, so attendees could get the strategic or tactical point of view.
Offline from the session and exhibition, my team and I participated in about a dozen meetings with clients and partners. These were good discussions that validated where we are at in the market with products like Worklight, and opportunities to continue to expand their reach in 2014 and beyond. We also seem to be progressing in awareness and consideration in the market, though the question "what does IBM do in mobile" is still fairly common. During 2014 we will continue to push MobileFirst in places where we aren't anticipated, growing overall awareness of our solutions on both the software and services side. We'll have some new announcements next month to help expand the reach of the technology, too.
Of course Connect is a conference on familiar turf, so it was great to spend time catching up with so many clients, partners, and IBMers who have been part of my journey. I made a few more Fitbit friends, and received so many kind words about what a difference a year makes. Thank you all for continuing to connect on the human level. That's what makes this conference unique.
I get to go home for about ten days then on to Las Vegas for IBM PartnerWorld Leadership Conference 2014, then another short break before Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. From there, I am hoping to get to Japan and help accelerate our mobile story in that market. Impact 2014 is around the corner at the end of April, too, and that conference will be heavily focused on IBM's mobile enterprise solutions. Good thing we have them - because I'm going to be mobile a lot in the next three months :-)
What a difference a year makes.
It's just over a week away from the start of IBM Connect 2014. Though this will be my 18th time in Orlando in January, my agenda is a bit different this time. My friend David Marshak and I are presenting SB303: The Mobile Enterprise: Business In Motion with IBM MobileFirst on Wednesday, January 29, at 3 PM in Dolphin S. Hemisphere III. It'll be a great session; our goal is to give an overview of all the mobile enterprise tools and capabilities available in the IBM portfolio. Basically, a peek into what I've been working on since I left Connect 2013's Ask the Product Managers session. Other than that, no sessions for me. I'll be in the product showcase at the MobileFirst stand from time to time; I have about a dozen partner meetings lined up as well and at this point my calendar is surprisingly full! Still, I am hopeful this Connect will be an opportunity for a different pace, some hallway conversations, and perhaps more than one round of sushi at Kimono's.
Two weeks after Connect is IBM PartnerWorld Leadership Conference 2014, February 10-13 in Las Vegas. My boss, some of my team and I will be there to talk MobileFirst with channel partners and prospects. If you are attending, please let me know so we can get together.
Then to round out an intense early year conference circuit, two weeks after that is the Mobile World Congress 2014 in Barcelona. This is the second-biggest technology trade show in Europe, and a very important event for IBM MobileFirst. IBM Chairman and CEO Ginni Rometty is a keynote speaker, and we will be sponsoring a half-day mini-conference during the week as well. Just starting to work on meeting plans for this event now.
I look forward to seeing many of my long-time contacts, colleagues, and friends at these events. IBM MobileFirst has established leadership in several segments of the mobile enterprise market, and at these events we will be discussing plans to continue this momentum in 2014. I hope to see you there, at least at one of these :-)
At this week's National Retail Federation, IBM is showcasing Presence Zones, a new solution for bringing together in-store and mobile marketing. Combined with our recent acquisition of Xtify, IBM now is offering an extensive set of capabilities for integrated, immersive retail shopping expereinces -- benefitting both consumer and retailer. Mobile and retail has some pretty compelling use cases, basically the mass customization that Lotus CTO John Landry talked about two decades ago is really coming to the fore. Presence Zones and Xtify bring that together by providing offers and information in the context of the shopper's physical location, as well as their buying history and loyalty.
Craig Hayman, IBM's General Manager of Industry Solutions and Smarter Workforce, offers some thoughts on the IBM Smarter Commerce blog, "Mobile Shopping: The new digital concierge":
Developed in our research labs, IBM Presence Zones use an intelligent location-based technology to engage shoppers with personalized offers and promotions as they move through a physical store. Just as my smartphone can get me out of a traffic jam in an unfamiliar city, it can now help me discover a one-day jewelry sale, or snap up the last next gen gaming console from a sister store 20 miles away.He is also interviewed in Forbes, "IBM's New 'Presence Zones' Help Retailers Transform In-Store Experience":
One is ensuring the customer is willing to participate. Without consent, no personal data is exchanged and the customer goes about their day. Another is the ability to reward loyalty by delivering a tailored and connected shopping experience through a mutual exchange of information. The retailer understands more about the customer, and in turn, the customer receives a much more personalized and targeted promotion. In addition, and enabled by that deeper understanding of in-store traffic, the retailer is able to direct sales associates for better face-to-face service or optimize the physical location of new in-store promotions.There is also a video outlining Presence Zones on YouTube, well worth 2 minutes and 6 seconds >
IBM to acquire Fiberlink, establishes lead in enterprise mobility management market
November 13 2013
This morning, IBM announced its intent to acquire Fiberlink, a market-leading provider of enterprise mobile management capabilities. Fiberlink's MaaS360 is one of the leading mobile device management solutions, and demonstrates the power of software-as-a-service in scaling down to the smallest organizations while scaling up to large enterprises. Fiberlink is a critical addition to the IBM MobileFirst portfolio, and this move is recognition that enterprise mobility management (EMM) is rapidly becoming the natural progression from mobile device management (MDM) and BYOD strategies as well as mobile application management (MAM).
Fiberlink provides a strong set of core capabilities: MDM, MAM, containerization, and content and document management. Bringing Fiberlink into IBM furthers our belief, endorsed by clients and analysts alike, that organizations are looking for a single management offering for all endpoints - desktops, laptops, mobile devices, servers, etc. Fiberlink, combined with existing IBM solutions, will provide that all-encompassing solution, whether on-premises or in the cloud.
Adding Fiberlink to the IBM stable is designed to help organizations optimize the mobile enterprise infrastructure. Fiberlink furthers the most comprehensive set of mobile management and security technologies and services in the market today. On the software side, IBM offers management and security at the device, network, application, and transaction layers, through technologies like Trusteer, AppScan, Security Access Manager, and integration with 3rd parties like Arxan for application protection. The IBM services organizations offer a broad range of capabilities and approaches to delivering all of mobile solutions, and now adds a true SaaS offering in Fiberlink.
From the press release, "IBM to acquire Fiberlink Communications":
This announcement is another milestone in IBM's strategy to build the industry's most comprehensive set of mobile capabilities while eliminating barriers to adoption and accelerating the productivity benefits of mobility. At the same time, IBM is expanding the vision for enterprise mobility management to also include secure transactions between businesses, partners and customers.
"In a mobile first world, clients require a comprehensive mobile management and security offering. Often times they integrate solutions on their own and take on unnecessary risk," said Robert LeBlanc, IBM senior vice president, Middleware Software. "To protect and enhance the complete mobile experience, it's crucial to secure the app, user, content, data and the transaction. The acquisition of Fiberlink will enable us to offer these expanded capabilities to our clients, making it simple and quick to unlock the full potential of mobility."
For more information on the planned acquisition of Fiberlink, see these additional resources:
asmarterplanet.com: Kristen Lauria's Mobile Business Insights blog >
Security Intelligence Blog: IBM to acquire Fiberlink - What it means for mobile security >
YouTube: Caleb Barlow and Phil Buckellew on the IBM and Fiberlink story >
IBM 2014 Beacon Awards: Outstanding mobile enterprise solution
November 6 2013
Nominations are open until November 15, 2013 for the IBM 2014 Beacon Award for Outstanding mobile enterprise solution:
This award recognizes an IBM Business Partner who has helped customers become a mobile enterprise, by providing business-to-employee (B2E) or business-to-consumer/business (B2C/B2B) solutions designed for mobile, first.Obviously there are other IBM Beacon Awards for solutions built with various other IBM tools, this particular one is focused on the tools that are exclusively mobile.
Nominated solutions will be comprised of IBM MobileFirst solutions, with a primary focus on the MobileFirst platform. IBM offerings that are considered as the primary basis for this award include IBM Worklight, IBM MessageSight and IBM Tealeaf CX Mobile.
Looking forward to your nominations!
Link: ibm.com: 2014 Beacon Awards >
October 28 2013
October has been an incredibly busy month. I am headed to Europe now for the third time in a 75-day period; the intervening time has also featured trips to Austin and Toronto. Additionally, I had the opportunity to be part of IBM InterConnect 2013 in Singapore earlier this month, my first time over to Asia this year. As such, I was determined to make the best of it.
The InterConnect conference was excellent. Our IBM MobileFirst sessions went well, drawing several hundred attendees to learn about IBM's leadership and expertise. The conference was held at Marina Bay Sands, an amazing hotel with great service and facilities. A workout room of glass 55 stories up in the air, so high up that my cell phone switched service providers to another country, made for fantastic experiences and memories. And Singapore, well, my favorite eating city in the world retained that title with visits to Maxwell Hawker Center, Din Tai Fung for amazing dumplings, and a helping of required chilli crab.
Friends and long-time readers know that I have a thing for Southeast Asia: the diverse people, the culture and historical artefacts, the scenery, the food, and most of all, the intensity. As such, it was imperative for me to find someplace to get away for a few days after Singapore, somewhere new and unexplored.
Those pieces all fell into place as I searched for nonstop Saturday morning departures, and found myself looking at Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar. Yangon had all the right ingredients: the fact that the country had only been really to normal tourism for a few years, after such a challenging recent history; the images of saffron-robed monks tending to golden pagodas; the mix-of-everything-good cuisine; and a one-stop flight through Tokyo to get me out of there after a long weekend.
There was only one challenge: getting a visa to enter the country. Americans are supposed to use the Myanmar embassy in Washington, but they offer no guaranteed turnaround time for issuing visas. The thought of sending my passport away and waiting potentially three weeks or more for it to come back, in a busy travel season, just wasn't going to work. After some searching, it appeared that a good alternative would be waiting until arrival in Singapore, then visiting Myanmar's embassy there. While they do have an amazing one-day turnaround for issuing visas, it turned out that the service is only available for Singaporeans.
It was almost time to give up, when more googling came up with myanmarvisa.com. They promised to facilitate - and expedite if needed - the paperwork for a visa upon arrival (VOA), rather than having to have it issued in advance. It seemed too good to be true, and reports on the Internet were unclear as to whether they delivered as promised. I decided to gamble and see what happened. Five days after sending paypal to someone in Myanmar, an email with some scanned documents came along, and it looked like I was good to go. It turned out they forgot the most important document in the initial packet - the letter that tells your airline that you have a visa waiting on arrival - but a few more emails and it came through the night before departure.
I write these paragraphs in some detail in part because the search engine information on myanmarvisa.com is so limited. If you follow their process, they will deliver as promised. The VOA counter was a little chaotic in Yangon Airport, with some 40 people on two flights approaching simultaneously, but they had my paperwork and issued the visa in about 20 minutes. Myanmarvisa.com had someone waiting for me after immigration at baggage claim, and she helped facilitate getting a taxi (US$10) into town. She wouldn't even take a tip. For those looking to use myanmarvisa.com, I recommend them, just be sure to receive three documents from them - the English-language letter that tells your airline to let you on board, the manifest copy for your flight, and the Burmese document that is your official invitation.
Yangon was an amazing place to spend three days.
The people were friendly, English was more-widely spoken than I expected, and the hotel (Chatrium) was great. Taxis were cheap (US$1.50 or $2 to get around the city were common, $10 to/from the airport) and plentiful, though the traffic on Monday was brutal versus Saturday and Sunday. Restaurants are not plentiful, but TripAdvisor was a huge help and we had some great meals for no more than US$5 each. (I wasn't willing to brave any street food other than a donut, the hygiene just didn't look like it would agree with me). Tripadvisor was also on the money for tourist attractions, including the three pagodas I visited, the national museum, the Jewish synagogue (yes really), and the markets and downtown core. A real highlight was the circular train, which I almost laughed off initially. For US$1 (tourist rate, locals pay 20 cents), you can ride a train that goes through city and suburbs in a loop that takes about three hours. Every stop is a different world, with some in high-class neighborhoods, some in slums, some in the middle of markets and others in the middle of rice fields. There is a tourist-class car on the train with slightly better seating, but my buddy Matt and I sat in "ordinary class," basically a plastic bench over a wooden floor in a train car without window panes or doors. Like our time in the Buddhist temples, it was a very zen experience in the middle of the chaotic city of 5 million+ people. Highly recommended.
The most-frequently asked question, a natural given the country's recent past, is whether I felt safe. Absolutely yes. We never saw any military presence, though police were on many street corners and at some key tourist sites. We were never taken advantage of, and other than a few people offering to change money or sell post cards, never even bothered walking the streets. Even the times I felt instinctively I needed to keep a hand on my wallet, nothing happened. The country has so recently opened up that they haven't figured out how to take advantage of tourists yet. I hope it stays that way.
While there is still plenty more southeast Asia to explore, I don't look at this visit to Yangon and feel like I checked it off a list. I would love to go back, and get out to Mandalay, Bagan, or some of the other historical cities. I feel some urgency...the friendliness of the people and the uncorrupted nature of the experience won't last forever. If you're thinking about it, go. Now.
Link: Yangon on flickr (only a small subset of my photos...more as I get through them) >
When it rains, it pours.
This week has been a busy one in the IBM MobileFirst arena, with two acquisitions plus a new market study out today. All of these are wind in the sails of activity heading into two key core events next week: IBM InterConnect in Singapore (where I will be), and Gartner IT Symposium.
The first acquisition, announced Tuesday, is The Now Factory of Dublin, Ireland. The Now Factory offers analytics tools for Communications Service Providers (CSPs, or typically, telecom companies), to understand the usage patterns of subscribers on mobile devices. CSPs can enhance the quality of service through these insights, driving actions that reduce network outages or performance issues. The technology may be specific to telecoms, but the concept is universal in the mobile space - how to use big data insights to drive a better experience. Our Tealeaf CX Mobile solution does that, too, in terms of end-user experiences on the device itself.
The second acquisition, announced today, is Xtify, Inc. Xtify's solution is clearly in the sweet spot of the IBM MobileFirst portfolio - a set of mobile messaging capabilities targeted at commerce and customer satisfaction. Xtify's cloud-based campaign management platform notifies mobile consumers when new content and promotions are available, leading to improved customer loyalty. Sephora, Disney Stores, The Tribune Group and 20th Century Fox among other clients are using Xtify's push notifications delivered via mobile apps or sites to increase sales opportunities while fostering brand loyalty. My colleagues and I have taken to calling this kind of interaction "engaging the customer at the moment of awareness."
Published today, new research that IBM's Institute for Business Value endorses the importance of using mobile enterprise solutions for engaging the customer. After interviewing 630 organizations worldwide, the IBV study - "The 'Upwardly Mobile' Enterprise: Setting the strategic agenda" - found distinctions among mobile adoption leaders:
- Leaders build apps that unlock core business knowledge for mobile uses: They excel nearly 2:1 at integrating existing systems with mobile, and are more effective with app security than non-leaders (82% vs 51% of others)
- Leaders secure and manage the mobile enterprise to optimize performance: They are more than twice as likely to adopt BYOD programs, as well as establishing data security (90% leaders vs 55% others), and at ensuring network capacity (80% leaders vs 48% others).
- Leaders use insights to engage their customers wherever they are: They are twice as effective at taking action based on mobile data
- Leaders are using mobile to fundamentally transform the way they do business: Leaders are twice as likely to realize ROI from mobile initiatives
The IBV study was notable for couple of reasons: 1) the willingness of organizations to self-identify as "leading" or otherwise, and 2) the involvement of the line-of-business executives in defining and executing a mobile strategy. In fact the IBV study shows that the CMO, CEO, and CIO are the three most likely roles to define, sponsor, and implement mobile solutions. That's why when we do IBM Mobile Agenda Workshops, we try to bring together IT and line-of-business for the exercise.
It's been a busy but good week. Now I'm looking forward to being back in Asia for my first time this year, at an exciting event that brings together the best of IBM. I'll be tweeting using the #IBMInterConnect hashtag and you can follow all the conference news @IBMInterConnect. If you will be in Singapore, be sure to see our Mobile Enterprise keynote on Thursday the 10th, or my session on Friday morning the 11th. I'll be there between chili crabs, hopefully :-)
Thanks, Bruce
October 2 2013
Bruce Elgort has been a friend of mine for nearly fifteen years. He has been a mentor, an advocate, a sounding board, a cheerleader, and even a therapist. :-) Today, Bruce is stepping down as chairman of the IBM Notes-related open source community called OpenNTF.org. Bruce and Nathan Freeman conceived of OpenNTF a dozen years ago. I didn't quite know what to make of the guy and the idea, and at the time wasn't in a position where I could put any of IBM's energy into the effort (other than having the lawyers warn against "NotesOSS" as a name...probably the right call though I realize many still remember that with some angst).
I can't imagine where I would be today without Bruce. He contributed to my book, he and I chat online almost every day. I know he's definitely humbled by all this attention today, but Bruce, if anyone deserves it, you do. THANK YOU for everything, and best for your continued success in your newfound academic career.
Continental and IBM Enter Connected Vehicle Collaboration
September 10 2013
This morning, at the Frankfurt IAA International Auto Show, Continental AG and IBM announced a collaboration agreement to jointly develop fully-connected mobile vehicle solutions for car manufacturers around the world.
From the press release:
Dirk Wollschläger, General Manager Global Automotive Industry, IBM said: "Realization of the fully connected vehicle requires technology expertise across Big Data, embedded intelligence and the ability to deliver services over a highly scalable cloud platform. As innovators in our respective fields, Continental and IBM will accelerate the convergence of automotive and IT industries, enabling car manufacturers to integrate multimedia mobile services personalized in-car experience, infotainment and traffic flow management to the realization of a truly connected car."
"Today's car owners are completely rethinking their mobility needs and expect their vehicles to deliver the same capabilities and conveniences as other smart devices. This means drivers are not only looking for quality, safe, reliable performance, but also see the motor car as a highly personalized extension of their daily and digitally connected lives" stated Wollschläger.
This is IBM's second announcement around connected cars in the last couple of months; it's a key area of focus for us as part of the MobileFirst initiative. When I think about what "mobile" means in the future, it's not just smartphones and tablets, but the whole realm of machine-to-machine activity in what is quickly becoming a mainstream thought around the "Internet of Things."
Analysts tell us that the connected car is expected to be the largest market driving apps for the Internet of Things through 2020. This is the result of two trends coming together in the marketplace. First, the number of sensors and complex software inside connected cars is increasing dramatically, resulting in vehicles producing more data than ever before. At the same time, connectivity is becoming a common feature for newly launched vehicles. Now, consumers expect mobility to seamlessly translate to all of their daily tasks: from home, to their automobiles, office, etc.
Working with Continental, we envision a whole range of innovations in the connected car arena. It's too soon to get into specifics, but I can tell you from the IBM side that this is a project backed by the commitment of several general managers and senior engineering staff, and Continental is an expert partner in networked automobile communication.
Looking for some of this in action? We have set up a demo website which you can check out for details.
Link: m2m.demos.ibm.com>
I've, uh, tweeted some info about this, but thought it might be useful for those of you watching the blog to know about this upcoming Tweetchat. I've never actually hosted a Tweetchat before, so I'm excited to be the emcee for a People for a Smarter Planet Tweetchat this Thursday, 12 September, at 12:00 noon US EDT (6 PM CEDT).
The Tweetchat is, as you might expect, about the future of enterprise mobility. Specifically, the questions we will examine include:
- What's your definition of a mobile enterprise?
- What's the biggest challenge to getting started with a mobile strategy?
- What industries are doing a good job taking advantage of second screen opportunities?
- How does app development need to change in the second wave of mobile?
- Give examples of how mobile + social or mobile + cloud are working together.
Find more details in this storify page:
Link: Tweetchat: Catching the Mobile Wave: Thinking Beyond the Device >
Does your organization have a mobile strategy in place? Have you chosen a mobile application platform? These are the key questions facing organizations on their journey to become a mobile enterprise.
We believe that 2013 has been the year where enterprise customers recognized the imperative to leverage a mobile platform for building and deploying apps - both business-to-business/consumer and business-to-employee. As organizations go from having one customer-facing app or mobile-enabled website, to delivering a range of capabilities to employees, clients, and supply chain partners, increased velocity is necessary to build/deploy/manage those applications.
When we launched IBM MobileFirst earlier this year, we described the IBM MobileFirst application development lifecycle -
as illustrative of the organizational requirements to successfully develop and deploy mobile solutions. A mobile application platform helps organizations manage the entire lifecycle with much better return on investment than using native tools - a Forrester study says the ROI is over 350%.
Today, IBM is pleased to announce recognition from industry analyst Gartner that not only is a mobile application platform a critical component of technology, but that IBM's MobileFirst platform is a leader amongst the "MEAP" (mobile enterprise application platform) solutions available in the market today. Gartner specifically highlighted the application lifecycle components - IBM's integration of tools such as Worklight itself as the platform, Tealeaf CX Mobile for user experience optimization, Rational Test Workbench for test automation, Cast Iron for data integration, and Endpoint Manager for mobile device management. Gartner also recognized the ease of building and deploying native apps, HTML5-based mobile apps, or hybrid mobile apps. Further they recognized IBM's focus on standards, such as Worklight's support for Apache Cordova and Phonegap 3.0, its Eclipse-based foundation, and support for tools like Dojo, node.js, and other industry standards.
Our ranking as a leader by Gartner is recognition of the success customers are having with the IBM MobileFirst platform. For example, German manufacturer Rohde & Schwartz says they cut mobile development costs by 60% after adopting IBM Worklight.
The value for IBM MobileFirst platform just keeps improving. We recently released IBM Worklight 6.0, which incorporates new features for app testing, location services, and application deployment. Looking to get started? Worklight developer edition is available at no charge, and can be trialed on the IBM SmartCloud at no charge as well. Today is the day to answer the call - the mobile platform imperative will help you build and deploy faster, better mobile app solutions.
Link: IBM ranked as a leader in Gartner Magic Quadrant for Mobile Application Development Platforms >
Link: Gartner Magic Quadrant: Mobile Application Development Platforms >


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The Greek-inspired eats at Olea Mezze Grill are quick and easy thanks to the eatery's ordering system, which lets diners customize their own bowls, pita wraps, and salads. Once they pick one of these bases, diners can add spreads such as tzatziki sauce or roasted-red-pepper hummus, followed by gyro meat, chicken, falafel, or greek meatballs. The last stage is the toppings, which includes everything from kalamata olives to pita crisps. As the name implies, Olea also offers mezze such as greek yogurt and grape leaves, which complement meals or suffice as their own snack.
Sarah Riefke took her first cake-decorating class in 2008. Instantly hooked, she soon became a decorating instructor herself, eventually enrolling as a student in the prestigious French Pastry School in Chicago. She went on to start Sweeter Than The Rest, where she has created a jaw-dropping assortment of specialty cakes and three-dimensional masterpieces that are nearly too pretty to eat, but just pretty enough to chew on.
Full Service Hotel Year Built 1981 Year Remodeled 2001 Additional Property Description Stay at this AAA two diamond Winter Park, Florida hotel and experience superior accommodations in central Floridas City of Homes. Nestled among a chain of lakes, The BEST WESTERN Mt. Vernon Inn features pristine manicured grounds and a knowledgeable service oriented staff. Ideally situated in Winter Park, Florida guests staying at this hotel will enjoy the surrounding lush foliage, ornamental gardens, premier shopping and fine dining. The BEST WESTERN Mt. Vernon Inn offers 143 well appointed guest rooms featuring free high speed Internet access and free long distance access. Other hotel amenities include a private swimming pool, on site restaurant and lounge and five meeting facilities accommodating up to 150 people. This Winter Park hotel is conveniently located near area attractions and cultural points of interest including the Morse Museum of American Art, Polasek Museum and Sculpture Garden, Annie Russell Theatre, Loch Haven Art Center and the Orlando Science Center. Families especially will enjoy being close to Orlandos exciting attractions including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Epcot Center and Sea World. Guests traveling on business will appreciate the BEST WESTERN Mt. Vernon Inns proximity to the business section of Northern Orlando, Winter Park Civic Center, Adventist Healthcare and Northrop Gruman Mission Systems. Make a reservation today at the BEST WESTERN Mt. Vernon Inn and save.
Disenchanted with the stigmatization of pool halls as dark, grimy places, lifelong billiards enthusiast Faheem Zia decided to give the game he loved room to thrive in a well-lit and smoke-free joint with an art-deco aesthetic. Gleaming cues dip back and glide smoothly between fingers tented against the main hall's 13 pool tables, which include Diamond Pro-Am units topped in cerulean felt and 9-foot Brunswick Gold Crown IV tables. A heated Søren Søgaard model without pockets serves as a venue for less-common billiards variants and lacks the traditional spots to hide an extra pair of aces.
Each table makes an appearance on the professional circuit monthly, when one of three rotating professional leagues visits and fills the room with an orchestra of cracking Super Aramith balls. During matches, café-style tables surrounded by high-top chairs and stools fill with a range of upscale pub fare such as wings dry-fried in ovens. A jukebox crouches in one corner, spilling forth a varied soundtrack on waves of neon light, and a panoply of touch-screen games and two dartboards let patrons compete while avoiding green felt after a teary falling-out with Kermit.
If you vow to try a new piece of sushi, maki, or shasimi every month at Sakari Sushi, make sure you aren't moving any time in the next three years. That's because the sushi chefs, who boast more than 40 years of combined experience, artfully plate more than 30 varieties. They assemble classic ingredients to create innovative combinations, such as the Mount Fuji roll with spicy crawfish coated in tempura flakes, the Mexican roll with shrimp tempura, cream cheese and jalapeno, and a California roll uniquely crowned with baked scallops.
Beyond the sushi bar, Sakari's culinary team prepares meats, seafood, and veggies in traditional style, such as tempura, teppan, and teriyaki. They even serve thinly sliced, marinated portions of pork or ribeye over a hot stone slab decked out with onions. Hot and cold sakes, imported Japanese beer, and an extensive wine selection complement meals, which unfold inside Sakari's hardwood dining room, as well as on an outdoor patio in the event of warm weather or an apocalyptic solar flare.
Laughter fills the air as kids zip down slides and caper about a jungle of wall-to-wall inflatables and obstacle courses within Monkey Joe?s play center. Kids 12 and under romp throughout the air-conditioned playscape?s obstacles, and tykes 3 and under stretch their imaginations on the softer and smaller attractions in the toddler play area. An orchestra of electronic beeps fills the arcade, the scents of savory pizza waft from a concessions stand, and a redemption center filled with gadgets and plush toys awaits kids ready to redeem their tickets. Colorful balloons and cakes pack party rooms, where birthday boys and girls unwrap presents and brand-new imaginary friends.
Safety is paramount to Monkey Joe?s. The well-lit play areas are supervised by trained staff, and a child security system tracks visitors through identity bracelets and video monitoring. These safety measures?combined with thorough cleaning and sanitizing?put parents at ease.