Samsungs burgeoning line of multi-room wireless speakers is about to expand in all directions. Following last years premiere of the futuristic M7and M5fin-shaped speakers, Samsung today unveiled to new pods of sound to add to the fold, the WAM7500, and the WAM6500, both of which will make their debut next week at CES in Las Vegas.

The WAM series is designed around a growing new trend in wireless audio in which speakers emit audio in all directions to fill the room with sound from any focal point. The new speakers follow other spherical sonic companionslike the similarly designed Kickstarter darling, the Archt One speaker. Samsungs new speakers achieve their wafting 360-degree radius of sound thanks to a proprietary driver design called Ring Radiator technology.

Related:Archt One 360-degree wireless speaker

Looking remarkably close to something youd find on the bridge of a starship in asci-fi flick, both of Samsungs new speakers offer an attractive way to get your audio fix without rearranging the room, and are sure to draw attention even in silence. The WAM7500 Table Top speaker is meant to be the centerpiece of your listening room, while the smaller WAM6500 is designed for portability, with a handle and a rechargeable battery on board so you can take the sound with you.

The Ring Radiator driver configuration is promised to provide balanced audio across the bass and treble in all directions.Samsung developed the speakers as the first offering to come out of the companys shiny new state-of-the-art audio lab in Valencia, CA.

The speakers will connect to Samsungs Multi-room app, a Sonos-like systemthat allows the user to play audio from multiple sources including smartphones, computers, and Internet services, as well as working in tandem with select Samsung TVs, Blu-ray players, and sound bars.

In addition to its new pods of sound, Samsung has announced a few new curved sound bars designed to match its line of curved LED TVs. Joining Samsungs curved 7500 modelare three new models, including the 6000, the 6500, and the 8500 for an array of sizes from 45 to 78-inches to match up with just about any curved TV in the Samsung fleet.

Well have an in-depth look at all of Samsungs new audio gear from the CES showroom floor in Vegas next week, so stay tuned.

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Samsungs new multi-room speaker pods offer 360 degrees of sound

Wednesday, 31 December 2014 09:22

Winter Registration News

Registration for winter programs is scheduled to begin Monday, Jan. 5 at 9:30 a.m. Registration for story times and special programs can be done online via Eventkeeper (www.gardencitypl.org). Registration for book discussions must be done in person in the Childrens Room. For more information about Childrens story times, book discussions, and special programs, check online on Eventkeeper or in the Childrens Room for winter fliers beginning mid-December.

Childrens Chinese Auction

Children in grades K-5 who complete the requirements of the Childrens Winter Reading Club will receive an invitation for themselves and a parent or adult caregiver to attend the Childrens Chinese Auction on Thursday, Feb. 26 from 6 to 7 p.m. At the auction, children can use their book review cards earned during the Childrens Winter Reading Club as raffle tickets to win prizes. Children should be accompanied by an adult caregiver during the Chinese auction at all times. Children must be present at the auction to win a raffle from the auction. Prizes, including the amount available, will be determined by the prize donations received from outside organizations.

Drop-In Lego Club

The first meeting of the year for the Drop-In Lego Club will be held Wednesday, Jan. 7 from 4 to 5 p.m. This monthly club is for children in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. In addition to Jan. 7, the Lego club will meet on the following Wednesday afternoons from 4 to 5 p.m.: Feb. 4, March 4, April 1, and May 6. No registration is required, but space is limited. When arriving at the library, please come to the Childrens Room and get a number. Numbers will be distributed starting at 3 p.m. the day of the program. Children will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis. The library will provide Lego bricks for children to build with during the program. The Drop-In Lego Club was made possible through the generosity of the Friends of the Garden City Public Library as well as through Lego donations from library patrons.

The Art Of Zentangle With Joanne Van Meter

On Saturday, Jan. 24, Joanne Van Meter will be hosting the Art of Zentangle. This fun art program will be held at 1 p.m. for children in grades kindergarten to 2 and at 2:15 p.m. for children in grades 3 to 5. Registration begins Monday, Jan. 5 at 9:30 a.m. on Eventkeeper (www.gardencitypl.org). You must do a separate registration for each child you wish to attend the program. Please arrive promptly. If you are late, your spot may be given to someone on the wait list.

Lapsit Storytime

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The Children's Room

Let #39;s Play The Sims 4: Legacy Challenge Part 11 - Room Addition
Let #39;s Play The Sims 4: Legacy Challenge Part 11. In this episode, Hailey and Drake have added two new rooms to their home. Meet Hailey Stone, a girl with a...

By: SimmerDeb

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Let's Play The Sims 4: Legacy Challenge Part 11 - Room Addition - Video

Zhao Lei

China Daily

Publication Date : 30-12-2014

There is no room for cliques and factions within the Communist Party of China, top leaders said on Monday as they pledged to persist in the fight against corruption.

The Party has used determination and heavy measures in the past year to push forward the crackdown on corruption and the building of clean governance, according to a statement issued after a meeting of highest-ranking officials that was presided over by President Xi Jinping. This has already achieved much and won approval from the public, the statement said.

Though once-rampant corruption and other misconduct by officials have been curbed, the entire Party must keep a sober mind and realise that the anti-graft battle still faces grave challenges, the statement added.

"The Party's disciplines must be complied with. The Party has never allowed cliques and factions within it," it said. "In addition, those who still have a bad work style and extravagant deeds will be given severe punishment, and their leaders will also be held accountable."

It urged the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, China's top anti-graft watchdog, to deepen the reform on anti-corruption mechanisms and to launch more in-house inspections of local governments and State-owned enterprises.

The condemnation of cliques and factions can be read as the latest warning that officials should not follow in the steps of Zhou Yongkang, Xu Caihou and Ling Jihua, all once-influential political figures who had enormous power.

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China's Communist Party has 'no room for cliques'

Three men were arrested over the weekend after a woman in a basement condominium found a bullet hole in the ceiling of her 4-year-old child's room. The bullet also went through a TV and ended up on the child's dresser.

John Roman, Getty Images/iStockphoto

Enlarge photo

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS Three men were arrested over the weekend after a woman in a basement condominium found a bullet hole in the ceiling of her 4-year-old child's room.

The bullet also went through a TV and ended up on the child's dresser.

The incident allegedly started Friday night at the Waterside Cove Condos, 1227 E. 7370 South. There was a dispute in the condo above the child's room, said Cottonwood Heights Police Sgt. Corbett Ford. The exact nature of the dispute was not immediately known.

Investigators were still trying to sort out stories Monday, Ford said, but from what they could ascertain, several people pistol-whipped a man inside the upstairs condo. That man responded by pulling out a gun and firing two shots, Ford said.

It was not known Monday whether the gunman was aiming at someone or firing "warning" shots, police said. One round went through a wall and outside the condo. The other went through the floor into the condo below.

"It's a bedroom of a 4-year-old that was not home at the time. But it goes through and lands on the dresser," Ford said.

The man who allegedly fired the shots and was pistol-whipped ran away, Ford said.

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Shot fired through floor into toddler's room in Cottonwood Heights; 3 arrested

SLO. SGM. SGO. Whatever your state calls them, they can be more than overwhelming. When our school began the task of writing ours more than a year ago, I was completely frustrated. Although I had taught for more than 18 years, I felt as though I was starting completely over. The language I was hearing seemed foreign. In order to complete my Student Learning Objective (SLO) correctly, I felt as though I needed more training, so I went to as many sessions as I could find and joined our SLO committee this year. This does not make me an expert, by any means. However, I have begun to navigate this uncharted territory and want to pass on my knowledge. This has always been the goal of this blog.

I am from the state of Ohio, so my SLO aligns with our state fine arts standards. The example I will be sharing is mine alone and represents the requirements put forth by my state. Please read your SLO template & checklist carefully to be sure you cover everything that is asked of you! I ask that you only use my SLO as a guideline and not copy it in its entirety. I love helping other art teachers, but this took a lot of work!

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, let's dive in. We will look at my first grade SLO section by section.

Baseline and Trend Data Notes:Your district will put forth guideline for completing your pre-assessments. The information gathered from these assessments will be used to write this section of the SLO. In addition, any information that you have gathered in your years of teaching will be helpful. This is called Perception Data and is very valuable. In order to be considered "trend" data, there has to be 3 years worth of assessment scores. Because many of us are just beginning this process, that data may not be available. Including a chart detailing your students' scores may not be required, but it is very useful. Be sure not to leave any gaps between the percentages (For example, putting 0-30% and then skipping to 40-50% would leave a gap). Be sure to list your students' strengths as well as their weaknesses. I am on our SLO committee and many teachers forgot to add this. Contextual factors (factors that my affect student learning) may be added in this section as well.

For example:

Pre-Assessment data: Pre-Test Results (Score Ranges) # of students & contextual factors 20 30% 6 (2 IEP, 1 504, 2 ADHD)

Example: Student Learning Objective (SLO) Template

Teacher Name: Denise Pannell Content Area and Course(s): Art Grade Level(s): 1 Academic Year: 2014-15

Please use the guidance provided in addition to this template to develop components of the student learning objective and populate each component in the space below.

Baseline and Trend Data

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mrspicasso's art room

Answer is probably 45 degrees.Elevation of the head of the bed is a must thing in ICU, unless some contra-indication. It is an essential part of VAP (ventilator associated pneumonia) bundle. But there is some debate about the extent of elevation need to be done. Accepted level is atleast 30 degrees but many guidelines wrote for 45 degrees. IHI recommends elevation anywhere from 30 to 45 degrees 3.

Study from The Netherlands 1 compared 109 patients in the supine group to 112 in the semirecumbent group. Target for semirecumbent group was 45 degrees but the targeted backrest elevation of 45 for semirecumbent positioning was not reached, so supine position (10) was compared with achieved semirecumbent positioning (28). Elevation of head of bed to 28 did not prevent the development of VAP.

7 years back Drakulovic and coll. published their landmark study in lancet showing 83% decrease of bacteriologically confirmed VAP in a group of patients treated in a semirecumbent position of 45 2.

So the answer is probably 45 degrees or to be diplomatically right - atleast more than 30 degrees.

But is it easy to do and keep head of bed elevated to 45 degrees in practical world ?. The study group found that despite the presence of dedicated research nurses to control and maintain patient positioning, the semirecumbent treatment position with an aimed backrest elevation of 45 is not feasible for mechanically ventilated patients.

Another interesting question raised in discussion of first study: Is semirecumbent positioning itself a risk for VAP ? !!!, as pooling of colonized oropharyngeal fluids above the inflated cuff of the endotracheal tube is common in mechanically ventilated patients and it is possible that the semirecumbent position (and all movements to keep it) stimulates leakage of oropharyngeal fluid by means of gravity. Whether ETT with continuous aspiration of subglottic secretions (CASS) will be more effective than semirecumbent positioning?

References: Click to get article/abstract 1. Feasibility and effects of the semirecumbent position to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia: A randomized study - Critical Care Medicine. 34(2):396-402, February 2006. 2. Supine body position as a risk factor for nosocomial pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients: a randomised trial - Lancet.1999 Nov 27;354(9193):1851-8. 3. Elevation of the Head of the Bed - Institute for Healthcare Improvement

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ICU room Pearls

Since the beginning of August, Ive been cravin some warm colors around here. Have I mentioned fall is my favorite time of year? A few times? Well, here I go one. more. time. 🙂

The warm colors of fall make my heart go pitter pat. Theyre just sowell, warm. Ah DUH. Im a wordsmith you know. 😉

Ive never been one to really change out my decor for the seasons I mean, I decorate for fall and the holidays and all that good stuff, but Ive never changed out drapes, pillows, beddingall the bigger items.

But like I said, its August and Im trying with all my might to hold off on putting the pumpkins out. Youd be proud of me Im determined to hold off till September. (September 1st, but whatev.)

So I figured I could cozy up the joint with a few changes but I wanted to make sure theyd work into the winter, spring and summer as well by making just a few changes when the time comes.

I was on a mission -- make our family room warm and cozy and fallish without necessarily being fallish. Just a schosh of warm. A leeetle bit of cozy. Just a smooch. Like youre kissin your sister. (Name that movie!)

My first goal was to find a new rug. I got a new one back in January, but it was very spring/summery:

It was also way to small for this room. I layered a larger rug underneath it, but as time went on, it still wasnt feeling big enough. And then Pee Cat struck again (CURSES!!! She owes me big time cash!!) and we needed to replace the big rug anyway.

Link:
Thrifty Decor Chick: Our warm and cozy family room

Who is a "protected" employee?

Someone who has a mom, dad, niece, cousin, in-law who works in 'high' places at Tweed or at one of the Tweed branches, which are many.

These protected employees are immune to prosecution of any kind.

Lori Evanko is a victim of mobbing.

Kandis Rivera, 35, an English-as-a-second-language teacher under Evankos supervision, faked 275 hours of an administrative internship at the Soundview school, Evanko charges.

An internship is rigorous, Evanko told The Post. You have to work with a principal and assistant principals on things like budget, curriculum, instruction, and be assigned certain responsibilities. She did none of that with us.

Under Evanko, JHS 125 improved from an F grade in 2012 to a B in 2013. But the Department of Education abruptly fired Evanko on June 27 nine days after she and two of her then- assistant principals met with agents of special schools investigator Richard Condon to report Rivera.

The SCI probe is ongoing, a spokewoman said.

Evanko has filed a claim against the city, saying she was fired in retaliation.

Rivera, a teacher since 2006, received a masters degree in administration and leadership from Fordhams school of education in May. The degree puts educators on track to become principals.

Link:
NYC Rubber Room Reporter and ATR CONNECT

Three men were arrested over the weekend after a woman in a basement condominium found a bullet hole in the ceiling of her 4-year-old child's room. The bullet also went through a TV and ended up on the child's dresser.

John Roman, Getty Images/iStockphoto

Enlarge photo

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS Three men were arrested over the weekend after a woman in a basement condominium found a bullet hole in the ceiling of her 4-year-old child's room.

The bullet also went through a TV and ended up on the child's dresser.

The incident allegedly started Friday night at the Waterside Cove Condos, 1227 E. 7370 South. There was a dispute in the condo above the child's room, said Cottonwood Heights Police Sgt. Corbett Ford. The exact nature of the dispute was not immediately known.

Investigators were still trying to sort out stories Monday, Ford said, but from what they could ascertain, several people pistol-whipped a man inside the upstairs condo. That man responded by pulling out a gun and firing two shots, Ford said.

It was not known Monday whether the gunman was aiming at someone or firing "warning" shots, police said. One round went through a wall and outside the condo. The other went through the floor into the condo below.

"It's a bedroom of a 4-year-old that was not home at the time. But it goes through and lands on the dresser," Ford said.

The man who allegedly fired the shots and was pistol-whipped ran away, Ford said.

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Shot fired through floor into toddler's room; 3 arrested