Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Nikon Unveils D5300 DSLR With WiFi, GPS

By Greg Tarr On Oct 17 2013 - 10:59am


Nikon's Nikon D5300 Black Friday Deal ($799 body only) is the company's first DSLR to incorporate WiFi and GPS geotagging.

Melville, N.Y. - Nikon introduced Thursday its D5300 D-SLR, offering an enhanced 24.2 megapixel CMOS sensor and a Nikon-first built-in Wi-Fi and GPS.

The company also added an AF-S NIKKOR 58mm f/1.4G lens prime lens.

Nikon's D5300, which will be available in October for a $799.95 (body only) suggested retail price or $1,399.95 for a kit including the camera and an AF-S Nikkor 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens , is the company's first D-SLR with built-in Wi-Fi and GPS functionality to provide instant photo sharing with smartphones or tablets, and to enable geotagging images.

The camera incorporates a 24.2-megapizel DX-format CMOS sensor and is features a compact, lightweight ergonomically body design.

Other key features include a 3.2-inch swiveling Vari-angle LCD display; a 39-point AF system with 9 cross-type sensors; 5 fps continuous shooting, FullHD 1080p video capture with built-in stereo microphone; intuitive scene recognition and a variety of image efects and in-camera editing tools.

The D5300 will be available in a choice of black, red and gray body colors.

The AF-S Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G lens, which will be available in October for a $1,699.95 suggested retail price, will accommodate both FX and DX format cameras offering high quality low-light shooting performance.

Nikon said the unusual 58mm focal length is ideal for portraits, landscapes and street photography.


Source: Twice

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Theater reviews: 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Julius Caesar'

Elizabeth Olsen's 'Romeo and Juliet' remains earthbound; 'Julius caesar costume child' rules in Donmar Warehouse production

Joan Marcus

'Romeo and Juliet'
Classic Stage Company
136 E. 13th St.
Tickets: $60-$125; (212) 677-4210
2 stars

'Julius Caesar'
St. Ann's Warehouse
29 Jay St., Brooklyn
Tickets: $50-$80; (718) 254-8779
4 stars

Being star-crossed is just one issue facing the Verona lovebirds in a downtown "Romeo and Juliet" that comes dressed in contemporary clothes and leaves no impact.

As played by newcomer Julian Cihi and film starlet Elizabeth Olsen, the doomed youths lack passion and vocal chops. Each delivers Shakespeare's poetry with all the music of a broken iPod.

A month after Broadway's tepid take starring Orlando Bloom, Classic Stage Company's wan version provides an even less compelling reason to revisit the tragedy.

Director Tea Alagic's vision is streamlined - no prologue, no epilogue, no Lady Montague, no knives for a couple of murders; just blood capsules that burst and leave a gory trail. That final bit rouses interest momentarily, as does a wildly costumed masked ball.

The show's minimal scenery - blank floor and matching wall and a few sticks of furniture - is a backdrop for acting styles that are all over the map. The mashup makes for an unsatisfying piecemeal effect.

As Juliet's dad, David Garrison stands out, thanks to his regal and reserved approach. T.R. Knight pinches his voice into a weird whine for his manic Mercutio. And as Juliet's nurse (better, her sometimes Spanish-speaking nanny), Daphne Rubin-Vega recalls Anita of "West Side Story" and Ricky Ricardo. The actress is memorable, which isn't the same thing as wholly successful.

Meanwhile, at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn, a muscular and mesmerizing all-female production of "Julius Caesar" from London's Donmar Warehouse makes for a thoroughly riveting evening.

The action takes place in a women's prison where inmates are presenting the tragedy of power and alliances. It's refreshing that the show trusts the audience's intelligence and makes only minimal effort to underline connections.

Kudos to director Phyllida Lloyd ("Mamma Mia!"), who proves she's as adept with gritty classics as with modern musical fluff. In a top-to-bottom terrific cast, Cush Jumbo makes a mighty Mark Antony, Jenny Jules is a persuasive Cassius and the great Harriet Walter anchors the cast as Brutus.

A scene where prisoners run around willy-nilly is a head-scratcher. But in a show where Shakespeare's language is spoken with such crystal clarity, that's a pardonable offense.

jdziemianowicz@nydailynews.com


Source: Nydailynews

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Groundbreaking held at Peerless Street

<sr560p>By Katie Atkins

editorial@westfieldrepublican.com

PORTLAND - Town Supervisor Daniel Schrantz stood on Lake Avenue with a shovel in hand on Thursday, Oct. 3 announcing the beginning of construction for the new Peerless Street bridge.

Article Photos

After a brief speech by Schrantz, Brocton and Portland council members and highway superintendents dug their shovels into the earth to signify the beginning of what may be a year-long project.

Schrantz said, "This (new bridge) is very important for the safety and convenience of our residents."

In August 2011, the bridge was closed by the New York State Department of Transportation because of its deteriorating support system. Schrantz said Portland, Brocton and Chautauqua County worked together to come up with a plan.

Brocton Mayor David Hazelton said at the ceremony, "Let's get this bridge back in place for our residents."

After two years of discussion and research, a cost effective strategy was developed. Highway superintendents will work with crews on the project and it will be funded by Housing & Urban Development monies acquired in previous years.

Schrantz said he had spoken with state Senator Cathy Young and Assemblyman Andy Goodell about funding from the state but the availability of grants for the project was scarce. It was decided then that the two municipalities would come together to work on the bridge.

Schrantz ended with, "This is a good example of what great things can happen when we come together."

Construction work will be postponed through the winter months and resume in the spring. Project Manager Garrett M. Hacker said the bridge will most likely be finished by fall 2014.


Source: Westfieldrepublican

Monday, October 7, 2013

A Terrorism Suspect Long Known to Prosecutors

<timesp>More than a decade ago, federal prosecutors in New York indicted a fugitive suspected of being a longtime operative for Al Qaeda for his role in the bombings of two United States embassies in East Africa in 1998, which killed 224 people. But the capture on Saturday of the fugitive may represent something far more significant.

The fugitive, known as Abu Anas al-Liby, possesses decades of intelligence into Al Qaeda, extending from the group's early days behind Osama bin Laden in Sudan to its more scattered fragments today.

Abu Anas, 49, who was born Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai, has been described as a Qaeda computer expert who also helped to conduct surveillance of the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, one of the two that were bombed. In the investigations after the attacks, the authorities also recovered a Qaeda terrorism manual in his residence in Manchester, England.

The manual is a detailed treatise about how to carry out successful terrorist attacks. It focuses on forged documents, safe houses, surveillance, assassinations, codes and interrogation techniques. It also cites "blasting and destroying the embassies and attacking vital economic centers." It also recommends the use of explosives in attacks because they "strike the enemy with sheer terror and fright."

It is not known if Abu Anas wrote the manual, but federal prosecutors introduced it as evidence against defendants in the 2001 trial of four operatives convicted in the embassy bombings conspiracy, and that of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a first former detainee at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to be tried in the federal system. It was also used in a 2006 trial in Virginia over whether to impose the death penalty on Zacarias Moussaoui, the so-called 20th hijacker in the Sept. 11 plot ( he received a life sentence).

The Defense Department, in a statement on Sunday, said that Abu Anas was "currently lawfully detained under the law of war in a secure location outside of Libya."

The statement also suggested that the authorities were seeking to take an approach similar to what they had done in other cases of international terrorism in recent years - interrogating Abu Anas for intelligence purposes and only then advising him of his rights to a lawyer and a speedy court appearance.

Abu Anas is expected to face trial in the United States District Court in Manhattan, although it was not immediately clear when he would be brought to New York. The indictment first charged Bin Laden in 1998, and has since expanded to include Abu Anas and two dozen other defendants.

With Abu Anas's capture, only three key Qaeda operatives charged in those indictments are believed to be alive and still at large, most prominently Ayman al Zawahiri, the deputy to Bin Laden who succeeded him after he was killed in a 2011 American operation.

One of Bin Laden's former close aides, a Sudanese man who defected from the group in the mid-1990s and became a cooperating witness for the American government, testified that Abu Anas was a computer engineer. "He run our computers," the witness, Jamal Ahmed al-Fadl, testified in the 2001 trial.

Abu Anas was also part of a small team of Qaeda operatives that in the early 1990s traveled to Nairobi and carried out surveillance of the American Embassy and other potential bomb targets, according to the federal indictment and other prosecution evidence introduced at Qaeda trials.

The team met there with Bin Laden's military commander, Muhammad Atef, and an operative, Khaled al-Fawwaz, who led the Nairobi cell of Al Qaeda at the time, evidence and testimony has shown.

The photographs, diagrams and surveillance report from the Nairobi mission were ultimately reviewed by Bin Laden in Khartoum, the government has said. "Bin Laden looked at the picture of the American Embassy and pointed to where a truck could go as a suicide bomber," another member of the surveillance team, Ali A. Mohamed, said in federal court when he pleaded guilty to conspiracy in 2000.

Eric Schmitt contributed reporting from Washington.


Source: Nytimes

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Mobile police think unidentified pair of wallet thieves could be linked to 10 other cases (photos)

MOBILE, Alabama -- Authorities continue to search for a two-person team of thieves thought to have stolen credit cards and racked up thousands of dollars in fraudulent purchases.
According to an updated news release by the Mobile Police Department, a man and woman -- who are thought to have stolen a woman's wallet from her purse at a Hobby Lobby store in Mobile and spent more than $14,000 at area stores -- could be the perpetrators in as many as 10 other 5s iphone cases wallet since August.
"In August, we had only one victim," said Ashley Rains, spokeswoman for the Mobile Police Department. "But they continue to pick victims and commit these crimes and make large purchases."
Among the items obtained by using the card stolen from Hobby Lobby are electronics and gift cards, she said.
Anyone who recognizes the pair, or has any additional information regarding this crime, is asked to call the Mobile Police Department at 251-208-7211.


Source: Al

Nexus 5 said to be 'half the price' of the iPhone 5S

A source says the new Google phone will come with an attractive price for those that have been hankering for a new Nexus.

(Credit: MacRumors)

The hype and rumors we're hearing around the upcoming Nexus 5, expected from LG and Google later this month, is that it could instantly become the new Android phone to beat. But the latest whisperings hint that it could also give the iPhone 5s iphone cases otterbox camo quilt project a run for its money when it comes to how much of your money you have to shell out for one.

TechRadar says a "source familiar with Google" has told the site that the successor to the popular but LTE-less Nexus 4 will ship in the latter part of October and cost "half the price" of the iPhone 5S.

What's a little tricky about this is that the source seems to be referring to United Kingdom prices and ship dates, which can be different from what we see in the United States. If the Nexus 5 were to be half of what an unlocked iPhone 5S sells for at retail stateside (it starts at $649 for 16 GB contract-free with a T-Mobile SIM), that would mean we could see a new unlocked Nexus that, according to TechRadar's source, will meet the specs of the iPhone 5S, but for less than $350.

That would certainly be a welcome deal for Nexus fans hoping for a repeat of the $299 price tag for an unlocked Nexus 4 right out of the gate.

We'll see in the coming weeks if Google actually offers such a pre-holiday bargain on a top-flight phone, or if we've just caught wind of some sort of UK-only pricing scheme or just total bunk.

Be sure to read up on everything else we expect in a new Nexus, and let us know in the comments if you plan to get one of your own.


Source: Cnet

Otterbox Introduces New iPhone 5/5s Case With Space for Credit Cards and Cash

Otterbox has introduced iPhone case/wallet combination, the Commuter Series Wallet. The $45 case includes space for 3 credit cards and a single dollar bill, while coming in black, white/grey and pink/grey color combinations.

The new case competes against other wallet cases like TwelveSouth's BookBook, as well as dozens of other wallet cases on the market.

- Multi-layer case guards against damage to your device
- Slimline design hides contents, keeping them safe and secure
- Self-adhering screen protector guards against scratches and scrapes to the glass display
- Access drawer holds up to three cards and one bill
- Audible click closure gives you peace of mind knowing your items are securely enclosed
- Access Wallet drawer contents without turning case over


The Commuter Series Wallet case, for the iPhone 5 and 5s iphone cases otterbox camo jersey, is available from Otterbox and other retailers for $45.
Source: Macrumors

Dufner (really) keeping Tiger smiling

<signaturep>DUBLIN, Ohio -- The team format would seem to be anathema to one whose life has been devoted to the relentless pursuit of individual glory. For Tiger Woods, to twist a cliche, there is no team in I.

Yet Woods was, if not giddy, at least cheery here on Tuesday, two days before the start of the Presidents Cup, for which the team apparently has played a role.

"It's just the guys," he said. "What goes on in the team room is a lot of fun. The ribbing, there's a lot of needling going on and I think that's what people probably don't really understand, how close these teams are."

He seems to get a particular charge out of Jason Dufner, who on the course gives off a languid vibe apparently at odds with his demeanor off the course. "He's totally different than what anyone thinks," U.S. captain Fred Couples said. "He's got a huge sense of humor."

Tiger seems genuinely amused by Dufner, though he won't say why, other than that he's surprisingly chatty in the team room and that "you wouldn't expect the things that come out of his mouth.

"Kuch [Matt Kuchar] is the same way," Woods said. "They are pretty funny guys and you expect the unexpected with those two."

Funny as in ha-ha, he was asked, or funny as in peculiar? "Both," he said. "And it could be in the same sentence."

Woods no doubt will find his game face between now and Thursday; it's still golf and competition. But there's a chance he'll find himself paired with Dufner at some point, and for Woods, playing at Muirfield Village is akin to a home game; he's won the Memorial Tournament five times there.

He also is rested following a week at home between the end of the Tour Championship and arriving here. He spent the time chasing "a four- and six-year-old," he said of his kids, Sam and Charlie. "I didn't touch a club until Friday and Friday was just putting. Just shut it down. Did a lot of training. Got my body feeling good. Then started to practice and get ready and then by the weekend I was full-go."

(Getty Images photo)
Source: Golfdigest