iBuku Pets lets you recycle your old iPhone by giving it to your kids ...

Rather than toss their old iPhone or iPod touch into the trash, an increasing number of parents are giving their worn down devices to their children as toys. I have to agree that an iPod touch with the right apps can be an enjoyable play thing for your little one, but that device is not made Fisher-Price strong. Once it hits the floor with any force, there's a good chance it will shatter. To help protect your device and make it safe for small hands, there is a new cushiony and cute case from Arbor Cube called iBuku Pets. I received a review unit and handed it over to my kids for a week. Read on to see how BiBi, the pink iBuku Pet, fared with my tribe.

Design

The iBuku Pet is shaped like an adorable pet with ears, an elongated back and chunky arms and legs. It's the perfect size for a preschooler to hold. There is an opening in the stomach area where the iOS device resides. It has a small notch on one end that can house the charging cable. I was able to insert my iPod third generation with the cable plugged into the charging port and could charge the device while it was still in the iBuku case.

On the back side of the device is a cavity that can hold spare cables and an opening that is used to route cables for charging. The back is also elongated and acts as a sound chamber to increase the volume of the device. This shape also makes it possible to place the iBuku on a table and it will sit flat without falling over.

Material-wise, the iBuku Pet is made of a firm, but spongy material that absorbs much of the impact of a fall. It's flexible enough that your child can wiggle the pet's arms and legs, but firm enough that they won't bend or break. For real young ones, it is biteable and any bites will leave teeth marks in the case. It is non-toxic, Phthalate-free, PVC-free, BPA-free and AZO dye-free. The surface of the case is easily washable with soap and water, just make sure to remove your iOS device first or be extremely careful with your cleaning.

The iBuku Pet fits the third- and fourth-generation iPod Touch, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. The fit varies by device, with the iPhone fitting more snuggly than the iPod touch. All devices are secure enough that you can shake, drop or toss the iBuku and the iOS device stays safe inside the case.

With the iPhone, children can move the arm to toggle the screen on and off and press buttons on the front of the Pet to control the volume. I used the iBuku with the iPod touch and found that the device was secure in the slot, but it wasn't big enough to be used with the iBuku's buttons. You don't have to worry about connectivity either as the iBuku works with or without WiFi and doesn't require any cellular service plan.

Functionality

My children loved playing with my iPod touch within the iBuku Pet as it is the right size for little hands. Its chunky arms and legs make it easy to hold, and it is weighted just right for the under-six crowd to carry around. Its bright colors and cutesy appearance really attracts their attention.

The iBuku Pet works as described to protect your iOS device. The snug fit of the case and its spongy material did a great job protecting my device. My iPod touch dropped to the floor or pavement several times each day and it was unscathed.

The iBuku Pet includes a free app that has the characters, BiBi and Alvi, from the cases. The app is designed for kids in mind with a fun "Smash the Trash" game and a sing-along section with the iBuku Pet characters. The app, though, is geared towards younger children and not toddlers. On-screen elements are not sized for the imprecise taps of a 1-year-old and there is a fair amount of tapping on selections and "next" buttons, which do not work well with little ones. My 5-year-old, though could whip through the app with no problem. You can also install your own age-appropriate apps.

One problem with the iBuku Pet concept is iOS itself. I am using the iBuku with an older device that does not support iOS 6, which means there is no Guided Access. Guided Access is an iOS 6 feature that limits what your child can do with your device. You can disable hardware buttons and lock your child into an app. You can also disable select features and areas with an app.

With iOS 5, my toddler kept pressing the Home button and getting himself out of his games. Once he got into the home screen, he wreaked havoc on the device by deleting apps and inadvertently sending emails, a service that I forgot to turn off before handing over my device. I ended up installing more toddler-friendly games and watched him closely while he played. The lack of any native parental controls, especially on older devices, is something to consider before you turn your iOS device into a play toy.

As mentioned above, the iBuku Pet is biteable and any bites will mar the outer appearance of the case. It sustained a lot of biting from my 1-year-old, but he was never able to bite off a chunk. I believe it is both the chunky size of the iBuku Pet and the firm material from which it is constructed that prevented him from getting his full bite into the case. My 3-year-old and my 5-year-old never chewed on the case as they are both past that biting stage.

Conclusion

The iBuku Pet is a wonderful case for children. It turns an iPhone or iPod touch into a safe toy and has convenience features like in-case charging and backup battery options for parents. Though it is susceptible to bite marks, the iBuku Pet didn't fail during very rigorous testing from my children. It was dropped, thrown, bitten and stepped on and still protected my iPod touch completely.

The iBuku Pet is available as a Kickstarter project. Each Pet costs $35 and will ship in time for Christmas. You can select between the Green Alvi or the Pink Bibi character.

Pros

• Durable, spongy material protects your iPhone or iPod touch during a fall
• Innovative design lets you charge the device and store the cables inside the case
• Optional battery pack helps keeps your iOS device running even when the battery is worn out
• Child-friendly design, especially suitable for kids from 3 to 5 years old

Cons

• Susceptible to bite marks from young children
• Variable fit depending on the iOS device

Who is it for?

• Parents with children 2 years old to 5 years old and an old iOS device laying around

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Source: http://www.tuaw.com/2012/12/05/ibuku-pets-lets-you-recycle-your-old-iphone-by-giving-it-to-your/

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The Role of Behavioral Therapy in Addiction

? addictionblog.org

To help people avoid relapse or fight any intense craving for substance abuse, behavioral treatments are being used in treatment facilities like a sober living house. Behavioral therapies help people engage in their own addiction treatment by providing them incentives to remain sober, change their behavior towards substance abuse, and enhance their skills in handling or coping with situations that can trigger cravings and result in a relapse.

Regardless of the type, all behavioral therapies have one common goal ? to stop addiction or substance abuse by modifying contingencies or ?conditions under which a response produces a consequence? (European Journal of Behavioral Analysis, 2006, p. 111). ?This can be done in 3 ways:

• Rewarding behaviors not consistent with substance abuse
• Removing or disabling triggers that can instigate substance abuse
• Tying unpleasant or negative incidents with substance abuse

To better grasp the purpose behind behavioral therapy, here are some examples of the commonly used therapies in treatment centers or sober living homes:

?Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

? addictionts.com

The purpose of this therapy is to improve self-control. It involves specific strategies like looking at the good and bad consequences of continued substance use, self-monitoring to identify early signs of craving as well as high-risk situations that can trigger use, and formulating techniques to deal with or avoid high-risk situations and desire to use. Studies show that skills acquired through cognitive-behavioral therapy are well-instilled and remain in patients even after treatment is completed.

Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET)

MET uses techniques to induce an internally motivated and immediate change in patients instead of guiding them step-by-step through the entire healing or recovery process. This type of therapy involves an initial assessment battery session then 2 to 4 one-on-one treatment sessions with the therapist. The first treatment session involves the therapist providing comments on the results of the initial assessment, motivating discussion about the patient?s substance use, and drawing out self-motivational admissions from the patient. The succeeding sessions involve the therapist monitoring changes, reviewing strategies used, and promoting commitment to sobriety.

12-Step Facilitation Therapy

This type of behavioral therapy involves the active participation or engagement of the patient. It?s an approach used to instigate or increase a patient?s active involvement in groups using a 12-step self-help program that promotes sobriety or abstinence from substance abuse. This program involves 3 key aspects:

1. Acceptance ? realizing that addiction is a disease, that drugs or alcohol can make life difficult, that will power isn?t enough to overcome it, and that abstinence or sobriety is the only alternative solution
2. Surrender ? surrendering or giving one?s self up to a higher power, accepting support and companionship of other fellow patients, and abiding by the activities specified in the 12-step program
3. Involvement ? actively participating and attending in meetings and activities set by the program

These are just some of the behavioral therapies used in the treatment of addiction. Other types include Behavioral Couples Therapy (BCT), Multisystemic Therapy (MST), Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT), and more. Whatever the type of therapy, the goal remains the same: to treat addiction and instill abstinence and sobriety in a patient. It is important, however, to ask what kind of behavioral therapy is being used in a treatment facility like a sober living house and which will be the most applicable and ideal for a patient. The behavioral therapy used can dictate whether or not a treatment will be a success for a particular patient.

Source: http://www.casanuevovida.com/blog/the-role-of-behavioral-therapy-in-addiction/

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Society 1 Announces Return Of Bassist - in Metal News ( Metal ...

Society 1 has issued the following announcement about welcoming back bassist Dirt Von Karloff:

"Dirt Von Karloff has returned to Society 1 after a year and half hiatus. After seven years in the band Dirt decided to leave on amicable terms to explore other musical opportunities but after some time had passed his desire to return to the band resurfaced. Following some contemplation he decided to make the call to rejoin after hearing some of the rehearsal footage posted on the Society 1 Youtube page and was excited about the new members and direction of the material."

Vocalist Lord Zane further comments: "I've toured the world with Dirt. We've shared the stage hundreds of times. He was at my right hand side when we played the Download Festival suspended in front of 80,000 people. Sharing those experiences with someone creates a strong bond and friendship. It's good to have him back and am looking forward to sharing the stage one again."

"In the first rehearsal it felt like coming home except now playing with new drummer Pete Pace (London After Midnight) is like jamming with Neil Peart on crack," said Karloff.

Society 1 is currently tracking at AM Recording Studios with Raymond Herrera (Fear Factory, Arkaea, 3volution) in the producer chair and Jeremy Blair engineering. The band is compiling songs for a new EP entitled "Screams Of Sadist" and preparing to tour in 2013.

You can get related band news and info in the sidebar and on the respective band pages.

Source: http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=86973

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Amy Winehouse's London home sells for $3.2 million

LONDON (Reuters) - The London home where British singer Amy Winehouse died has sold for 1.98 million pounds ($3.2 million) at auction, after it failed to attract serious buyers on the real estate market.

The semi-detached Camden Square house where the musician died last year at age 27 had remained empty since it was put up for sale in May for 2.7 million pounds, but continued to draw flocks of fans paying tribute to the "Back to Black" singer.

Winehouse's family decided early in November to put the house to auction after "the estate agency route didn't work", property auctioneer Chris McHugh told Reuters on Tuesday.

Media reports suggested the family had been overwhelmed with viewing requests from fans, but not real prospective buyers.

"We had probably 50 to 100 viewings and we showed people around at all times of the day and night," McHugh said.

The 2,500-square feet (230-square-metre) four-storey property features three bedrooms, a large dressing room, two bathrooms and a sound-proofed music room and gym.

At an auction held on Monday in Piccadilly, bids started at 1.7 million pounds, reached the 1.8 million guide price and stopped just short of the 2 million-mark beyond which a 7 percent stamp duty applies on UK home sales.

McHugh said a middle-aged couple had secured the house at a price he believed was "about right" given property values in the area and the fact there were only five serious bidders that day.

The auction catalogue had made no reference to the former owner of the property, whose fans turned a nearby square into a candle-lit shrine in the days following Winehouse's death.

Winehouse, famous for her distinctive voice, beehive hairstyle and long battle with addiction to drink and drugs, was found dead in the house on July 23, 2011.

An inquest into her death found she had more than five times the legal driving limit of alcohol in her blood when she died.

($1 = 0.6213 British pounds)

(Reporting by Natalie Huet, editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/amy-winehouses-london-home-sells-3-2-million-191507290.html

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Domestic Short Hair - Sheba - Medium - Adult - Female - Cat ...

Domestic Short Hair - Sheba - Medium - Adult - Female - Cat

DOB: 01/13/2011

What a beautiful, affectionate lady Sheba is. She has grown into a sweet, young cat who purrs affectionately whenever she is pet. Completely litter box trained, Sheba would make a wonderful addition to your home. Like all of our cats, Sheba has been spayed, microchipped, given a Capstar to treat any fleas and ticks, and tested for Heartworm disease (HTWM), feline leukemia (FELV) and feline aids (FIU). Come play with Sheba at the Humane Society of South Coastal Georgia today.

CHARACTERISTICS:
Breed: Domestic Short Hair
Size: Medium
Petfinder ID: 23810397

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Pet has been spayed/neutered

CONTACT:
The Humane Society of South Coastal Georgia | Brunswick, GA | 912-264-6246

For additional information, reply to this ad or see: http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=23810397

Brought to you by Petfinder.com

Source: http://jacksonville.ebayclassifieds.com/cats-kittens/brunswick/domestic-short-hair-sheba-medium-adult-female-cat/?ad=24803024

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In Their Early Days (Screenwriters Edition) ? ScreenPicks

You ever get tired of seeing George Clooney in Return of the Killer Tomatoes? How about Jennifer Aniston in?Leprechaun? or Leonardo Dicaprio in Critters 3? The answer is no, you never get tired of it. Why? Because seeing actors paying their dues before they were famous and laughing at their haircuts is how we bring them down to our level. Sure, Brad Pitt, you married Angelina Jolie and make furniture made out of money now, but I saw Cool World. Adopt all the kids you want, that movie?exists. But, this article isn?t about actors in crap movies before they were famous? it?s about writer?s who wrote those crap movies before THEY were famous.

Writers are people too, damn it, and they deserve to be treated the same as everyone else. In this case, that means looking at the awesomely awful movies they had to write to pay their dues before they were allowed to leave B-Movie town and write the film that would propel them to stardom. Well, ?screenwriter stardom.?

Here?s a look at some of today?s top screenwriters and their humble beginnings.

1. David Koepp ? Jurassic Park, Mission Impossible and Spider-Man are just a few of the, what Hollywood insiders would call, ?successful films? this guy has written. But, before he shaped the world of action films, he shaped the world of boarding school boys fighting?terrorists in 1991?s Toy Soldiers.?

If memory serves, this was pretty much just Red Dawn with khakis. If memory also serves, the song ?Toy Soldiers? by Martika was better than this movie. Koepp?s current project is the next installment of the Jack Ryan CIA saga aptly titled, Jack Ryan.

2. John Logan ? Everyone, including me, has been going batty over the latest James Bond film, Skyfall. Rightfully so; it?s kinda awesome. Guess what, this guy wrote it. Not to mention Gladiator, The Aviator and Rango. Speaking of bats though, he also wrote a movie in 1999 called?wait for it??Bats.?

Full disclosure, I haven?t seen this movie. But, I just noticed that the title on the cover is UPSIDE DOWN! LIKE A BAT! WHAT?! So, yeah, I?m going to see it. Logan?s latest writing gig was Darren Aronofsky?s epic, Noah. From Bats to the Bible. Not bad, Logan. Not bad.

3. Christopher McQuarrie ? The Usual Suspects. Boom. That was this guy?s. To this day, you?ll still hear a Keyser Soze reference every so often (Spoiler Alert: Keyser Soze was dead the whole time). However, before he penned that 90?s phenom (I wrote phenom to save time), he and Bryan Singer gave us Public Access in 1993.

This is another I?ve yet to see so I can?t really make fun of it?but I?ll give it a try anyway. The movie?s cover leads me to?believe?its about a dude who sweats a lot and then goes running at night? While I make my little jokes, McQuarrie certainly has the last laugh as his most impressive projects on his resume are still to come. Jack Reacher, The Wolverine, and Mission Impossible 5 are all either penned or about to penned by him. So, I?ll just shut up now.

4. David S. Goyer ? Before he was part of the Christopher Nolan team that dreamed up the last three Batman films, Goyer paid his dues like a champ. The Crow: City of Angels, Dark City and all of the Blade films were under his belt before penning Batman Begins. Before that, however, he gave us a film that changed us all. I?m of course?referring?to Kickboxer 2: The Road Back.

The year was 1991 and Jean-Claude Van Damme was a dude who kicked a lot which, back then, was all you needed for a movie. It turns out he was only in the first one, though. In this one, they got Joe Kickington (that may not be right). The LA Times review, ?Better than Kickboxer?, really sums up the impact this film had on America?nay, the world. Okay, enough sarcasm. Goyer?s latest film The Man of Steel is a clear sign that this writer, even after the Batman Trilogy, is still soaring.

5. Andrew Kevin Walker ? This guy melted my face off with Se7en. The fact that he?s always been David Fincher?s go-to guy for rewrites makes him even cooler. For a long time I assumed Se7en was his first film. Then, as I was writing an article about hit films from first-time writers, which was going to include him, my world was turned upside down by?Brainscan.?

The cover alone speaks volumes. Mostly, it says that the 90?s were a confusing time for all of us, including Hollywood. This gem, which features a ?before the drugs? Edward Furlong, is actually available to watch on YouTube for free! ?All good things should flow into the?boulevard? said Pericles.??We now know he was talking about this. Walker?s last feature was the not-so-well-received?Wolfman in 2010 but, the word is, he is doing a polish on Fincher?s latest project, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.?I?m in.

All kidding aside, these are all writers I admire and aspire to write like. In reality, having a good laugh about an artist?s early work is just another way we get to know them and become bigger fans of theirs. Every writer has to start?somewhere, and the bottom of the ladder is usually going to include a Van Damme movie or two. With that being said, I?m gonna get started on my new script, Return of the Killer Tomatoes 2: They?re Technically A Fruit.

Update: Val Kilmer just called. He?s in!

?

Source: http://screenpicks.com/2012/12/in-their-early-days-screenwriters-edition-2/

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Man killed father in Wyoming community college attack

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) ? Police released more details Saturday of a grisly murder-suicide at a Wyoming community college, saying a man shot his father in the head with a bow and arrow in front of a computer science class not long after fatally stabbing his father's live-in girlfriend at their home a couple miles away.

Computer science instructor James Krumm, 56, may have saved some of his students' lives Friday by giving them time to flee while trying to fend off his son, Christopher Krumm, 25, of Vernon, Conn., Casper Police Chief Chris Walsh said.

"I can tell you the courage that was demonstrated by Mr. Krumm was absolutely without equal," he said, adding that his actions could offer some measure of comfort to those affected by the killings.

He said police still were trying to figure out what motivated Christopher Krumm to attack his father and girlfriend, 42-year-old Heidi Arnold, a math instructor at the college. Arnold was found stabbed to death in front of the home she shared with James Krumm.

After shooting his father with the arrow, Christopher Krumm stabbed himself, then fatally stabbed his father in the chest in a struggle in the classroom, Walsh said.

Police arrived to find James Krumm dead and Christopher Krumm barely living; the younger Krumm died soon after students fled in a panic. Authorities locked down the campus for two hours.

Police began getting reports about the attack on Arnold soon after they responded by the dozen to the campus attack.

Christopher Krumm had smuggled the compound bow ? a type much more powerful and effective for hunting than a simple, wooden bow ? onto campus beneath a blanket, Walsh said.

He said Krumm also had two knives with him and the knife used was "very large."

"It's one of those situations you don't think is going to come home. It's not going to happen here," Walsh said.

Arnold died of multiple stab wounds. Her body was found in the gutter of her street. Evidence suggested much of the attack occurred outside the home, Walsh said.

Christopher Arnold had recently driven to Casper from Connecticut and had been staying at a local hotel. He had no significant history of encounters with police.

Police were uncertain what went awry in Christopher Krumm's relationship with his father.

"It's difficult to say. I don't think it was very close," Walsh said.

Casper, population 56,000, is about 250 miles northwest of Denver and Wyoming's second-largest city after the state capital, Cheyenne. Wyomingites refer to Casper as the "Oil City" because it is a hub of the state's small oil industry.

Casper College is one of seven colleges in Wyoming's community college system. The campus was mostly quiet Saturday morning. Fathers and sons shot hoops in the school gym. A small group of drama students rehearsed a play in the school theater just across the street from the attack.

The building where the attack happened remained cordoned off by police tape that whipped in a brisk wind. A security guard let students back in, one at a time, to retrieve belongings they'd left behind.

Andra Charter, a 20-year-old sophomore, emerged with a coffee mug. She recalled hearing screams outside her biology class before getting word about what had happened.

"As we were walking out, there was a girl screaming, 'There's somebody stabbing Mr. Krumm!'" Charter said.

No students were hurt in the attack.

Krumm was head of the college's computer science department. He was born north of London and also spent part of his childhood in Germany, according to the college website.

He held degrees from Casper College, a bachelor's degree and MBA from the University of Wyoming, and a master's in computer science from Colorado State University.

Arnold held a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Oregon and a bachelor's degree in math from University of California Davis.

The college planned a candlelight vigil and memorial service Tuesday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/man-killed-father-wyoming-bow-arrow-attack-185326288.html

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