MARION -- A Ridgedale Junior High School science teacher got some help from NASA on Monday as she talked about the moon and satellites.

Catherine Brennan, who teaches eighth-grade science, took advantage of a free program that lets students hear up-to-date information on NASA missions. The information is relayed by a certified teacher who works at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland and speaks to classrooms through Skype, a software application that lets users make voice and video calls over the Internet.

Such learning is an example of how educators are using technology to help teach students more up-to-date information than would be available without such applications as Skype.

The lesson was "Mapping the Moon with WALL-E," an interactive project that also featured the Pixar-animated robot from the movie "WALL-E." Students took part in a quick experiment that taught them how NASA uses satellites to map the typography of the moon's surface.

Past that, they got an explainer on some of the newest of more than 60 science missions NASA currently has under way. That includes the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter circling the moon and its Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter, which has helped produce some of the most precise topographical maps to date of the moon's cratered landscape.

"Before LRO, we actually knew the shape of Mars better than we know the shape of the moon, our nearest neighbor," John Keller, a deputy project scientist at the Goddard center, stated on NASA's website.
 
Such missions are in the news now but likely won't be in many textbooks yet. "Science changes in this field quickly," Brennan said. "Textbooks are outdated within a year. I had to find an alternative resource."

She said NASA's educational programs have also helped her show students real-time images of the moon taken with the Hubble Space Telescope. "I thought it was pretty cool," eighth-grader Monroe Britton said. "Not a lot of people can talk to NASA."

The lessons also introduce some of the technology being used to students who aspire to become scientists. Eighth-grader Preston Elswick, who hopes some day to be an astro quantum physicist, said he was familiar with the missions but felt honored to get to hear directly from someone who works with NASA.

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Paul Thurrott brings us plenty of good (and finally more) news of Skype coming to the Windows Phone, in any form. Via his SuperSite Blog, Thurrott gives us a little insight on why Skype on Windows Phone was never released by the end of 2011 as expected, what Microsoft is planning in the end with Skype on Windows Phone, and how a Skype application would be the only thing coming.

Thurrott ‘now confirms’ that the Skype application for Windows Phone will release within the first half of 2012. He brings this confirmation from Microsoft documentation which he also used to acquire some other recent information such as Microsoft’s marketing and LTE plans for Windows Phone. Skype did make a small appearance at CES 2012, Thurrott mentions a video interview where Skype’s vice president of products, Rick Osterloh, made a simple statement that they are working on a product that will release on the Windows Phone soon.

Paul Thurrott also brings some clear information on why the Skype application, or anything of the like, was never released ‘as promised’ by the end of 2011. Thurrott has no information on Microsoft making such a promise. He does mention to readers that the documentation he is getting the present information from states that Microsoft had always had the intention of releasing anything Skype related before mid-year 2012, and not before the end of 2011 as many expected and came to believe. However, Thurrott does side with the masses and doesn’t know why the Skype product has been delayed past the end of 2011, regardless he can now confirm Microsoft’s plan at the moment is to tie in the Windows Phone Skype release with some heavy artillery marketing.

Paul Thurrott closes off the very informative Skype post with the following marketing plans for Microsoft with Skype on Windows Phone (along with other applications):

The Skype availability on Windows Phone won’t just stop at a simple application. Initially (and what we all expect to release soon), a Skype application will be what is released, but word is going around the Internet presently that full Skype integration will come with the Apollo update later this year. Paul Thurrott made no mention of such rumors, or any information within his documents, pertaining to Skype integration in the future.

As we grow more and more into the 2012 year, we are starting to see the enormous Windows Phone marketing plans by Microsoft, partners and manufacturers unfold. There is definitely a significant effort already evident with the marketing of the this year compared to last year.

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Last year we saw a big acquisition with Microsoft capturing Skype for a hefty amount,Skype a popular VoIP Client for desktop computers has now been acquired by Microsoft.So it was only a matter of time for some latest development news for the Company’s own Operating Systems.We already know that Skype for Windows Phone is already in the works.

Now as spotted earlier by Long Zheng Skype is hiring  C# and HTML 5 developers for its Metro App development for Windows 8 operating system.This is what the job posting read , The two separate listings are for C# and HTML 5 developers who will be working to develop the Skype client for the upcoming much hyped operating system.
 

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Alisa Parenti has the latest market and money news, including a better-than-expected earnings statement from EBay.

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Microsoft surprised the world last year when it dropped $US8.5 billion to buy Skype. Yet despite the deal being finalised in October, we’re still yet to see the VoIP application rear its pretty little head on Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform. What’s going on?

Ever since the deal was announced, we’ve been hanging out for Redmond to announce it has managed to integrate the VoIP application into the core operating system, just like it did with Facebook and Twitter. And for months, everything pointed towards it happening last year. We had “confirmation” that the app was heading to Mango last year, while pointers indicated that the WP7 app was the company’s priority after launching its iPad app in August.

And yet here we are, 16 days into 2012 and there’s still no Skype on Windows Phone. But according to Slashgear, the software is still “coming soon”. In an interview with Microsoft’s VP of products, Rick Osterloh, confirmed that the company is currently working on delivering Skype to Windows Phone users “soon”, with tighter integration with other Microsoft products like Windows 8 and Xbox to follow.

This is good news, but it isn’t really good enough. Microsoft is lagging behind with its Windows Phone platform – as Apple converts bajillions of new users to iOS every day and Android activates even more handsets, Microsoft can’t rest on positive reviews and good will from users to invest in its mobile operating system. It needs to light a firecracker underneath its developers (and hardware partners) in order to drive new core applications and features like Skype into its devices.

Consider this: It has been 11 months since Nokia and Microsoft announced its strategic partnership at Mobile World Congress last year. And yet Australia still doesn’t have any indication of when we can expect to see the first Nokia WP7 handset. Similarly, it has been eight months since Microsoft announced it was buying Skype, and there’s still no word on when there will be an official Windows Phone implementation.

Microsoft needs to speed up its processes. In a world of Twitter and Facebook, where news is common knowledge as soon as it happens, waiting months to release software from a company you own isn’t going to help you win marketshare.

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Consumer Electronoics Show, Osterloh goes on to discuss the various other integrations between Microsoft and Skype currently on the horizon. Windows Phone's up first, followed by the future porting of Skype over to Windows 8, the Xbox 360, and Microsoft Lync.

While Osterloh doesn't spill the beans on what kind of experience Skype's going to bring to the Windows Phone – a native app versus a more direct integration into the operating system – sources speaking to The Verge's Tom Warren indicate that the first Skype go-around for Windows Phone will likely receive the app treatment. The fourth-quarter release of Windows Phone's 'Apollo' version is expected to more closely tie Skype into the operating system itself.

And when might the official Skype release hit? We're a bit hesitant to predict, given the app's track record this far for Windows Phone. But could Osterloh's "soon" in some way relate to next month's Mobile World Congress?

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It's a buffet for theatre enthusiasts. And you won't go home hungry. Theatre Cambrian presents two weekends of dinner theatre productions featuring three plays bound to tickle many palates. The spotlight shines on three plays : Noel Coward's Private Lives, Norm Foster's The Melville Boys and Bill Manhoff's The Owl and the Pussycat.

This was Angel Mannisto's first time directing a drama production. When she's not on stage acting and singing, she's usually directing musicals. "I like how it touches on many emotions," Mannisto said about directing The Melville Boys.

"There's drama. Usually a lot of our productions are funny or a farce. To deal with heavy subjects, I really enjoyed it. As an actress it's more challenging because it's not something you get to do often. So it's very exciting to direct others to do the same thing."

Written in 1983, The Melville Boys was Foster's second play and probably the one he's best known for. The story follows two brothers Lee (played by Jeff Burton) and Owen Melville (played by Kalvin Blanchard) who go to a lakeside cabin for a weekend of fishing and relaxation.

They meet two sisters (played by Kathryn Piche and Alyssa Roy) and the play blossoms into a funny yet serious look at four lives in transition. "It's interesting to see in this story how the two brothers have mirrored relationships that the two sisters have with each other as well," said Mannisto. "The interaction they have just shows how much each character grows from the beginning of the play to the end. They all have a distinct change that the audience can see."

Private Lives also deals with the relationships between four people -- with a little more sizzle and scandal. Amanda and Elyot are divorced for five years when by chance they meet up again. They've remarried and are honeymooning on the French Coast when they spot each other on neighbouring hotel balconies.

Those lovin' feelings are reignited and Amanda and Elyot indulge fully, leaving their new spouses behind until a week or so later when all four meet again. "At the end of act two, there's a huge fight," said director Dale Pepin, "and I mean roll around on the floor, beat the crap out of each other fight."

The actors who play Amanda and Elyot (Sharon Kurdell and Thomas Stewart) actually choreographed their own fight scene. "When I direct, I like to have cast input," said Pepin. "I have an idea, a vision and you figure out how to get there ... it's really a collaborative effort."

As for collaboration, two is the magic number for The Owl and the Pussycat. When the play's director relocated to Toronto for work, he didn't have a problem returning to Sudbury to do the show. A longtime Theatre Cambrian actor, Jim McLaughlin also has one of the lead roles. Kate McColeman plays Doris. Originally from Sudbury, McColeman is living in Toronto these days.

McLaughlin and McColeman spent a lot of time rehearsing via Skype. "We probably won't get on the stage until the day of the show," said McLaughin. McLaughlin loves the simplicity of the play he saw performed once in a pub. The play focuses on aspiring author Felix and the woman he has evicted from his apartment, Doris, an aspiring actress who also accepts gifts and money in exchange for companionship.

"They're both losers really," laughed McLaughlin. "He thinks he's really intellectual and really intense. She's kind of a loser socially... on an emotionally level they are both childish way. They kind of get together in the end. It's a nice story. Not in a contrived, Pretty Woman kind of way. In a real way."

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I took a stroll by Nokia’s (NOK) booth at the Consumer Electronics Show, in the Las Vegas convention center, to check out the “Lumia 900” phone that was unveiled during Monday’s keynote presentation by Nokia CEO Stephen Elop and Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Steve Ballmer.

The phone, running Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.5 operating system, is a larger version of the same basic industrial design as the Lumia 710 and 800 models introduced last year, with a 4.3-inch display. While the Lumia 710 went on sale today at T-Mobile USA, the 900, which will be available on AT&T (T) “in coming months,” is the first Nokia/Windows phone designed with North America in mind, said Elop. Pricing has not yet been announced.

It’s a handsome phone, with curved edges, and actually thinner than the other two models despite being wider and longer. The cyan-colored polycarbonite finish is elegant. The display is brilliant, featuring very deep blacks, as Microsoft has claimed.

What will prompt people to give Windows Phone, and Nokia, a second look?

Well, here’s what drives me crazy about Microsoft. The company completed its $8.6 billion acquisition of Skype in the fiscal first quarter that ended in September. Now, if I were making a Windows phone that had some nice aspects to it that others don’t have, I would think installing Skype on the thing, for video conferencing, would be high up on the list. A well-known brand, a collection of hundreds of millions of users, etc.

In fact, Microsoft is installing a third-party application for video conferencing, called Tango, which is available on other devices as well. No offense to Tango, but why Microsoft and Nokia didn’t make sure to make a big push with Skype is beyond me. (Yes, closing the deal in September didn’t leave them much time, which is an example of why Microsoft has found CES increasingly inconvenient. But I still think a statement of intent, at least, could have been coordinated for this week.)

Even better would have been if Microsoft had gotten AT&T to agree to Skype video conferencing over cellular connections. I imagine that would be a thorny discussion, but Microsoft’s a big company, they can handle it. Hopefully, Microsoft will get there in time. There are other things about Windows Phone that may appeal to many users. Such as the ability to tap on an agenda item and have a server call your phone to conference you into a meeting. That eliminates the need to type in a passcode.

It’s these kinds of things where Microsoft can have an edge. I don’t know if it will make the difference in the company’s “War of Ecosystems” with Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOG). But it’s one of the big cards Microsoft has to play against both of those companies by dint of its long history of owning enterprise infrastructure. Microsoft needs to get its ducks in a row. Lumia 900 is a pretty phone, and there are good things about it. But some of the winning aspects, such as Skype integration, are just not there, and that’s a shame.

A larger question is whether many users will cotton to the “Metro” user interface that is the soul of Windows Phone. The motifs of Metro are not a bad idea. They provide “actionable” information, as they say. But I suspect this is not the final form the design will take. There’s still some refinement to be achieved.

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We hope 2012 started well for you and your families. Our team has been back at the office since January 4, and is here for you if you need any free and confidential legal information and assistance.

We deal with community legal issues – so we do not deal with commercial issues, such as business or property/conveyancing. We work for employees, not employers, for tenants, not landlords. If you are unsure whether your question is something we can assist with, just contact us and we will do our best to point you in the right direction.

We also have a great educator who will be organising legal workshops and seminars this year. If you or your group/community organisation needs legal education please get in touch. We will also be continuing our articles in this newspaper and if you have anything you would like to read about and that would benefit the community please let us know.

We will also be keeping our website and Facebook pages updated – check us out at commlawmarlb.org.nz or enter Community Law Marlborough into the Facebook search bar if you have an account. If you decide to "like" us you will be able to access updates regarding seminars and workshops, among other things. If you would like to receive our quarterly newsletter please let us know and we will be able to email it to you.

We are also starting 2012 with a new project. On January 17 people in the Havelock/Marlborough Sounds area will be able to discuss their issues by Skype. If you prefer face-to-face conversations, your issue cannot be discussed on the phone or you cannot come to our office, then this may be the perfect way to connect with us. It is envisaged that appointments will be available on Tuesday afternoons from 1pm.

You can make an appointment with us directly or through the Pelorus Projects office in Main Rd, Havelock, phone 035742555 and a suitable Skype appointment time will be set up. You can use the Pelorus Project office's computer free of charge to connect with us and someone will be present to help you with the connection if necessary.

We will still be offering our outreach sessions in Picton and Kaikoura. These are by appointment only and are held on the first Wednesday of the month in Picton and the second Tuesday and last Thursday of the month at Te Whare Putea/Heartlands office at 3/78 Beach Rd in Kaikoura. Call our office for Picton bookings and Te Whare Putea on phone 039099292 for Kaikoura bookings.

We hope that it will be easy for you to connect with us and access our services, so we can be true to our vision, Access – Empowerment – Justice.

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Panasonic showed off a handheld Skype tablet at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last night. It only exists as a prototype, and you might think that folks' smartphones and tablets will do the job of video calling equally well, but Panasonic thinks punters will want a Skype gadget they can set down anywhere in the home.

The unit comprises a 7in-ish screen, speaker, mic and webcam built into a thin frame with an integrated stand. The notion is that this is a moveable Skype screen rather than a use-on-the-move device. You can put it down anywhere: on a shelf, the dining table, beside stand, and so on.Panasonic promised the gadget would tie into Skype conversations being conducted on a TV or PC, allowing you to step into another room without having to interrupt the conversation. It's claimed to be dead easy to use. "Just turn it on and the system does the rest," Panasonic executives promised.

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