NEW YORK (AP) — About a year ago, Lindsey Gort's name came up for a part but the casting director said she wasn't right for it because she was more of a young Kim Cattrall-type.
Now Gort is playing a young Samantha Jones — Cattrall's character in "Sex and the City" — on The CW's "The Carrie Diaries" (Friday, 8 p.m. EDT).
"When the part came up, my manager was like, 'Hey, remember when you said she was a young Kim Cattrall-type? Well, you're looking for that right now so you should come see her,'" Gort said in a recent interview.
"It's such an iconic character, and I'm such a huge fan of the show," she said.
Set in the 1980s, "The Carrie Diaries" stars AnnaSophia Robb as teen Carrie Bradshaw, who lives in Connecticut with her widowed father and younger sister. The show is based on novels by Candace Bushnell, as was "Sex and the City."
Gort's version of Samantha Jones is a lot like the one in the '90s HBO series and the two movies that followed.
The big difference, Gort says, is that Samantha is "in her early 20s and is not a career woman yet, so she doesn't have her Birkin bags and her Manolos yet. She's figuring herself out, trying to figure out where she belongs in this world and having a good time while doing that."
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Alicia Rancilio covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow her online at http://www.twitter.com/aliciar
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A patent filing shows Samsung Electronics Co. is working on a device it calls sports glasses in a possible response to Google's Internet-connected eyewear.
A design patent filing at the Korean Intellectual Property Office shows a Samsung design for smartphone-connected glasses that can display information from the handset.
It said the glasses can play music and receive phone calls through earphones built into the eyewear's frame. It also gives hands-free control over the smartphone.
Reminiscent of the Google Glass design, Samsung's sketch shows a thumbnail-sized display over the left eyeglass. Google's eyewear has a tiny display over the right eyeglass that shows information and websites.
It was not clear from Samsung's sketch and description whether its eyewear would be equipped with a touch control and a camera like Google Glass nor whether it would connect directly to the mobile Internet or be a slave to a smartphone.
The name and the description specify the Samsung product is designed for outdoors activities or sports.
Samsung did not respond to an email and a call seeking comment.
Google Inc. is testing an early version of Google Glass with 10,000 people in the U.S. after giving the public a first look at its Internet-connected eyewear in June last year. The early version can take pictures, record videos, navigate maps and works without a smartphone.
Other tech companies are also exploring ways to bring mobile computing to everyday objects such as watches and glasses.
Samsung introduced a smartphone-connected watch called the Galaxy Gear last month. Sony also announced a smart watch.
Samsung filed the application for the eyewear design patent on March 8.
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Follow Youkyung Lee on Twitter: www.twitter.com/YKLeeAP
Study explores the role of uncertainty in infectious disease modelling
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
21-Oct-2013
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Contact: Sarah Stamper sarah.stamper@liv.ac.uk 01-517-943-044 University of Liverpool
Research by scientists at the University of Liverpool has found that greater consideration of the limitations and uncertainties present in every infectious disease model would improve its effectiveness/usefulness and value.
Infectious disease dynamical modelling plays a central role in planning for outbreaks of human and livestock diseases, in projecting how they might progress and guiding and informing policy responses.
Modelling is commissioned by governments or may be developed independently by researchers. It has been used to inform policy decisions for human and animal diseases such as SARS, H1N1 swine influenza, foot-and-mouth disease and is being used to inform action in the campaign to control bovine TB.
In a study published in PLOS One, researchers analysed scientific papers, interviews, policies, reports and outcomes of previous infectious diseases outbreaks in the UK to ascertain the role uncertainties played in previous models and how these were understood by both the designers of the model and the users of the model.
They found that many models used to respond to epidemics provided only cursory reference to the uncertainties of the information and data or the parameters used. Whilst the models were uncertain many still informed action.
Dr Rob Christley, from the University's Institute of Infection and Global Health, said: "It is accepted that models will never be able to predict 100% the size, shape or form of an outbreak and it is recognised that a level of uncertainty always exists in modelling. However, modellers often fear detailed discussion of this uncertainty will undermine the model in the eyes of policy makers.
"This study found that the uncertainties and limitations of a model are sometimes hidden and sometimes revealed, and that which occurs is context dependent.
"Whilst it isn't possible to calculate the level of uncertainty, a better understanding and communication of the model's limitations is needed and could lead to better policy."
A model is produced by individuals who have to decide what is important and need to bring together data and information which could include population data, age of population, proximity, type of disease. Uncertainty can occur at all stages of the process from weaknesses in the quality and type of data used, assumptions made about the infectious agent itself, and about the world in which the disease is circulating, all the way through to the technical aspects of the model.
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The research team comprised veterinary scientists and epidemiologists, sociologists, microbiologists and environmental scientists.
The research, undertaken in collaboration with the University of Lancaster and funded by the UK Research Councils' Rural Economy and Land Use is, is published in PLOS One.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Study explores the role of uncertainty in infectious disease modelling
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
21-Oct-2013
[
| E-mail
| Share
]
Contact: Sarah Stamper sarah.stamper@liv.ac.uk 01-517-943-044 University of Liverpool
Research by scientists at the University of Liverpool has found that greater consideration of the limitations and uncertainties present in every infectious disease model would improve its effectiveness/usefulness and value.
Infectious disease dynamical modelling plays a central role in planning for outbreaks of human and livestock diseases, in projecting how they might progress and guiding and informing policy responses.
Modelling is commissioned by governments or may be developed independently by researchers. It has been used to inform policy decisions for human and animal diseases such as SARS, H1N1 swine influenza, foot-and-mouth disease and is being used to inform action in the campaign to control bovine TB.
In a study published in PLOS One, researchers analysed scientific papers, interviews, policies, reports and outcomes of previous infectious diseases outbreaks in the UK to ascertain the role uncertainties played in previous models and how these were understood by both the designers of the model and the users of the model.
They found that many models used to respond to epidemics provided only cursory reference to the uncertainties of the information and data or the parameters used. Whilst the models were uncertain many still informed action.
Dr Rob Christley, from the University's Institute of Infection and Global Health, said: "It is accepted that models will never be able to predict 100% the size, shape or form of an outbreak and it is recognised that a level of uncertainty always exists in modelling. However, modellers often fear detailed discussion of this uncertainty will undermine the model in the eyes of policy makers.
"This study found that the uncertainties and limitations of a model are sometimes hidden and sometimes revealed, and that which occurs is context dependent.
"Whilst it isn't possible to calculate the level of uncertainty, a better understanding and communication of the model's limitations is needed and could lead to better policy."
A model is produced by individuals who have to decide what is important and need to bring together data and information which could include population data, age of population, proximity, type of disease. Uncertainty can occur at all stages of the process from weaknesses in the quality and type of data used, assumptions made about the infectious agent itself, and about the world in which the disease is circulating, all the way through to the technical aspects of the model.
###
The research team comprised veterinary scientists and epidemiologists, sociologists, microbiologists and environmental scientists.
The research, undertaken in collaboration with the University of Lancaster and funded by the UK Research Councils' Rural Economy and Land Use is, is published in PLOS One.
[
| E-mail
| Share
]
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Taking a break from "X Factor" and "Glee," Demi Lovato soaked up the spotlight by covering the November 2013 issue of Glamour Mexico.
During her Q&A session with the publication, the "Heart Attack" hitmaker dished about the support she received from her friends and family and also shared her plans for the future.
"Everyone has problems... I have to learned to ask for help from the people around me," Miss Lovato explained. "I let them know [where] I'm going or [how] I feel."
"I think the most important thing is that there is no reason to suffer alone," she added.
In regards to her future, Demi stated, "You never decide what you want to do for the rest of your life... Let alone in ten years! These type of decisions are made when you're older and aware of your surroundings."
For more on Miss Lovato's interview, be sure to visit Glamour Mexico!
A fun idea in theory, OMG Life's Autographer is a wearable camera you clip to your shirt or wear around your neck to capture photos at set intervals. An accompanying app facilitates GIF and video creation with your images, and tags your photos with GPS and other information. But at £299 (approx. $480 USD) the Autographer is way too expensive given its poor photo quality and unrefined user experience. You're better off with an inexpensive wearable video camera like the $50 Mecam to document the world around you.
Design Reminiscent of a department store security tag, the 2-ounce Autographer measures 3.54 by 1.47 by 0.90 (HWD) inches. It's not huge, but when it's clipped to the middle of your chest, you're instantly aware of how bulky and awkward it looks. When wearing the camera walking around the New York City streets, I got plenty of confused looks.
A yellow camera lens cover juts out a few millimeters from the glossy black plastic body, while the sturdy plastic clip to attach the camera to your clothes is around back; underneath there's a metal connector for the included lanyard. The cover doesn't fully rotate, but turning it clockwise reveals the camera lens, a counterclockwise turn hides it.
Hidden seamlessly underneath the plastic is a tiny OLED display showing battery level, number of photos taken, and other vital stats, and a capture indicator flashes each time a photo is taken. Two buttons on the side let you toggle through the various settings.
Sensors The Autographer is loaded with environmental sensors to add context to the hundreds of images you capture each day. There's a light sensor to automatically adjust camera exposure, a magnetometer to determine your direction, a thermometer for recording ambient temperature, a GPS radio for saving location data, and an accelerometer for measuring movement. All of this information is supposed to accompany each photo you snap, but that's not what I experienced. GPS tagging, for example, was sporadic at best. During my tests indoors, I didn't expect the GPS to work, but when I was outside the Autographer tagged only 24 of 260 of my images. On another day it didn't tag any outdoor photos.
Camera The Autographer has a 5-megapixel sensor and a wide-angle lens with a 136-degree field of view, giving every photo a fisheye-lens effect. It does not record video. Holding one of the two side buttons activates a sequence mode that captures a series of images in rapid succession until you stop it. On its highest-frequency setting, the Autographer takes a photo every 8-10 seconds. On medium it takes one every 25-30 seconds, and on low it's every 60-70 seconds. At high frequency with GPS enabled, I was able to get about six hours of photos before the battery died, a poor showing for a camera that's supposed to capture your whole day. On the bright side, the onboard storage (8GB) was less than 10 percent full after taking more than 2,000 photos.
Even though it costs more than many point-and-shoot cameras, the Autographer's photos are akin to those you'd shoot with a low- to midrange smartphone. They're not great. Most of my well-lit outdoor shots were plagued with lens flare that washed out the photos, making them look like they were filtered through Instagram. There's no flash either, so photos in low light are very grainy. And since the camera and the subjects are often moving when shots are taken, most of the photos I captured were blurry.
There are no options to adjust photo quality, or any camera settings besides frequency of photo capture. Given you're wearing the Autographer all the time, it's bound to grab some awkward and hilarious shots, but when the photos themselves are unusable, it's less amusing—especially for over $400.
Software and Sharing There are Autographer apps for PC and Mac, as well as an iOS app that let you scroll through your imported photos, create GIFs and videos from the pictures you've captured, and share them online. The company says an Android app is in the works.
Plugging the camera into your computer, via the micro USB port and included cable, opens Autographer's desktop app for importing your captured photos. (The install files for the app are included in the Autographer itself.) In my tests, scrolling through the wide expanse of two days' worth of images was choppy and slow. Bringing the scrollbar to the top of the window sometimes caused the app to freeze, and then it would load a new crop of photos instantly, moving the scrollbar to the middle of the window and causing me to lose my place. Also, elements that should fade away after a short time (like tips or alerts) remain on the screen, so you have to minimize the window or hover over them to make them disappear.
You can create GIFs and videos (at 480p, 720p, or 1080p) from your still images, and adjust the frame rate from one to 12 frames per second. When creating a GIF of about 900 images (about two hours of photos), the progress bar remained at 0 percent for more than 35 minutes, with no indication of whether or not it was processing the photos. Restarting the app twice allowed me to finally create my large GIF and video in about 5 minutes. Creating a GIF on a Mac with about 100 images caused the application to crash more than once. Selecting fewer images (about 75) made creating GIFs or video more smooth, and the end result was surprisingly delightful, making me wish I could use more images without running into errors. The GIF you're seeing below is a set of 12 images from New York Comic Con at 8 frames per second.
Sharing in Autographer's desktop apps, on the other hand, is easy. To do so, select your photos, videos, or GIFs, and click the Sharing button. You can upload to Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, or Autographer's own service, which stores photos and creations on the Web for free.
In the mobile app, meanwhile, you can share to Autographer, Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr, copy the photos to your camera roll, assign one to a contact, print, or email them. GIF or video creation in the iOS app is limited to 50 photos of the thousands you take throughout the day, which is too restrictive. Pairing the camera with my iPhone 4s via Bluetooth for using the iOS app, however, was quick and easy.
Conclusion In the end, the Autographer seems more like a gimmicky social experiment than a genuine attempt at creating a quality hardware and software experience. With products like Google Glass on the horizon, inexpensive inconspicuous video recorders like the MeCam, and the small niche of people who want to relentlessly record their lives, the Autographer seems doomed. The way-too-high price and poor design and execution make it a product to pass on.
AT&T's love of Samsung-made Windows Phones seemingly turned sour after it skipped last year's ATIV S. It's clear that any ill will was short-lived, however, as the carrier just unveiled its version of Samsung's ATIV S Neo. The Windows Phone 8 device is a close match for its Sprint counterpart, ...
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AT&T's love of Samsung-made Windows Phones seemingly turned sour after it skipped last year's ATIV S. It's clear that any ill will was short-lived, however, as the carrier just unveiled its version of Samsung's ATIV S Neo. The Windows Phone 8 device is a close match for its Sprint counterpart, ...