LG Electronics Honored With 15 CES 2014 Innovations Awards

Excellence in Design and Innovation Recognized in 10 Categories; 77-inch OLED Ultra HD TV Earns ‘Best of Innovations’ Distinction

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) recognized LG Electronics’ excellence in design and technology with 15 prestigious 2014 International CES(®) Innovations Awards, including “Best of Innovations” recognition in the Video Display category for the dramatic new 77-inch class ULTRA HIGH DEFINITION CURVED OLED TV.

CES Innovations Awards are selected annually by a panel of prominent industry designers, engineers and journalists who judge product entries on criteria including user value, aesthetics, innovative design, quality and

CES Innovations Awards

contributions to quality of life. Sponsored by CEA and endorsed by the Industrial Designers Society of America, the CES Innovations Awards highlight product advancements in technology design and engineering. Since 2004, LG has been honored with 145 CES Innovations Awards.

LG home entertainment products, home appliances and mobile phones were honored with CES Innovations awards in 10 highly-competitive categories: Video Displays, Eco-Design & Sustainable Technologies, Digital Imaging, Software & Mobile Apps, Home Audio/ Visual Components, Computer Peripherals, Computer Hardware & Components, Eco Sustainability, Home Appliances, and Wireless Handsets.

The 77-inch ULTRA HD CURVED OLED TV exemplifies LG’s commitment to leadership in the premium TV category. LG’s marriage of the razor-thin OLED TV’s infinite contrast ratio and Ultra HD technology that quadruples the resolution makes this stunning giant screen the pinnacle of home entertainment technology. The massive screen’s IMAX-like curvature fills the viewer’s field of vision more completely than a conventional flat-screen TV. When introduced in the United States in 2014, it will follow in the footsteps of the award-winning 55-inch class LG CURVED OLED TV that went on sale in the U.S. in July.

“Award-winning products and unique technologies are the proof-points for our brand promise to consumers that with LG, it’s all possible. We are honored that CEA has awarded LG with our sixth ‘Best of Innovations’ award to

LG Electronics USA. (PRNewsFoto/LG Electronics USA, Inc.)

further cement our commitment to this promise,” said Wayne Park, president and CEO, LG Electronics USA. “Our 15 CES 2014 Innovations Awards also represent our dedication to providing consumers with innovative and intelligent features, intuitive functionality and sleek and stylish design.”

In the home appliance category, LG captured awards for its new double-oven electric range with EasyClean technology(TM) (LDE3037ST) and the LG Front Load Mega Capacity TurboWash(TM) Washer with steam technology (WM8000HVA). The new EasyClean range offers a host of performance features for today’s home chef, as well as enhanced convenience with LG’s proprietary EasyClean technology that cuts cleaning time from hours to minutes, without the use of high heat or chemicals. The LG clothes washer features the largest capacity in the industry at 5.2 cubic feet, so it can wash more clothes – including larger, bulky items – in fewer loads, saving time and money in energy usage. It also features LG’s innovative TurboWash(TM) technology which allows users to save  up to 20 minutes per load, even with larger loads of laundry, while still offering outstanding cleaning performance.*

In the wireless handset category, LG earned the CES Innovations distinction for the new LG G2 smartphone. Featuring an innovative rear-key design for easy, natural handling and a 5.2-inch Full HD near edge-to-edge display, the LG G2 is a powerful smartphone that brings together the best of mobile technology. LG G2 is built with the Qualcomm(®) Snapdragon(TM) 800 Processor for fast-paced multitasking and a suite of intuitive features like Answer Me and KnockON, creating the ultimate mobile companion for work and play. With a 13-megapixel camera with Optical Image Stabilization, LG G2 also captures crystal clear photos and videos, whether shooting in low-light conditions or fast-moving events.

Other LG honorees — including Ultra HD TVs, Smart TVs, Blu-ray players and monitors, sound systems, home appliances and mobile phones — will be announced on Jan. 6 at the 2014 International CES in Las Vegas.

LG’s broad array of products for 2014 will be displayed at the 2014 International CES, Jan. 7-10, 2014 in Las Vegas. The Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase at International CES 2014 will feature honorees by product category.

*Based on AHAM-HLW-1-2010 test protocol. Cotton/Normal or comparable cycle at default settings, 8-lb loads, front load washers only. Excludes other LG manufactured products. Excludes quick wash or comparable cycles intended for small, lightly soiled loads only.

Eight Breakthrough Audio and Software Products from HARMAN Win 2014 CES Innovation Awards

HARMAN’s JBL, Harman Kardon, AKG, Infinity, and Aha brands receive accolades for outstanding design and engineering

HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated, the award-winning maker of outstanding audio and entertainment solutions, announced today that eight new products have been named CES Innovation Award winners for 2014. The awards were presented by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA®), producer of the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow. Products from HARMAN‘s JBL, Harman Kardon, Infinity, AKG, and Aha brands were recognized for

Harman Logo. (PRNewsFoto/HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated)

outstanding design and engineering in consumer electronics.

HARMAN designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies.

Four JBL products received awards for home and multimedia audio systems incorporating wireless Bluetooth connectivity, enabled by Near Field Communications (NFC) technology, including:

— JBL Authentics L8 home entertainment sound system, which offers a wide range of options for effortlessly streaming music from portable devices, including DLNA for Android and Apple’s AirPlay for iOS devices;

— JBL Flip2 portable speaker system, providing room-filling sound from a compact cylindrical enclosure small enough and lightweight enough to carry in your hand;

— JBL Synchros SB400BT Bluetooth headphones, which deliver peerless sound with matched speakers in over-the-ear cushioned cups, without the encumbrance of wires; and

— JBL J46BT ultra-light and ultra-comfortable in-ear Bluetooth headphones, which, though connected to each other with a tangle-free cable, need no physical connection to the audio system.

The Harman Kardon Esquire portable Bluetooth audio and speakerphone system also received a 2014 CES Innovation Award. The Harman Kardon Esquire is designed with business travelers in mind, with an upscale geometric enclosure, compact to travel well in luggage or carry-on.

HARMAN’s AKG brand was recognized for the new AKG K845 BT wireless headphones, which combine the superb noise isolation of a closed-back design with the spacious sound and feel of open-back headphones. These headphones are destined to be standard-setters, with multi-dimensional sound and full bass produced by AKG’s largest 50 mm drivers.

Starz Is “Playing Favorites” On Encore With Channel Changes And TV Series/Movie Offerings To Super-Serve Evolving U.S. Audiences

ENCORE BLACK Created for African-American Audiences, ENCORE ESPANOL Offered on Lower Cost Programming Tiers for Wider Access to Latino Households, ENCORE CLASSIC for the Boomer Generation, Nightly Horror Block on ENCORE SUSPENSE

More HD and TV Favorites Added to Perennial Top Movie Mix with ‘Murphy Brown,” “Magnum, P.I.,” “Night Court,” “Diff’rent Strokes,” “What’s Happening!!” and More To Fortify Premier Consumer Offering in Premium Pay TV Entertainment

Already a favorite for consumers as the most widely subscribed premium pay TV service in the United States with 35 million subscribers, Starz has strengthened ENCORE and its family of thematic multiplex channels and service offerings. The new ENCORE pack of channels bring programming enhancements to further super-serve the nation’s evolving demographics and focus on groups who over-index in viewing within the premium pay TV category.

Starz (www.starz.com) is a leading integrated global media and entertainment company with operating units that provide premium subscription video programming on domestic U.S. pay television channels (Starz Networks), global content distribution (Starz Distribution) and animated television and movie production (Starz Animation). ENCORE® is the most widely subscribed premium pay TV flagship brand in the United States with 35 million subscribers through September 30, 2013.  Offered by Starz from its operating unit, Starz Networks, ENCORE’s eight premium channel offerings include: ENCORE, ENCORE ACTION, ENCORE CLASSIC, ENCORE WESTERNS, ENCORE SUSPENSE, ENCORE BLACK, ENCORE FAMILY, and ENCORE ESPANOL.  Advanced services options for ENCORE subscribers include ENCORE HD, ENCORE ON DEMAND, ENCORE HD ON DEMAND, and the ENCORE PLAY authenticated online offering. ENCORE subscribers enjoy a wide variety of newer release and favorite premium commercial-free movie programming from leading studios, in addition to a complement of classic TV shows and other original programming.

Beginning December 2, 2013, subscribers can look forward to the following changes:

ENCORE BLACK Replaces ENCORE DRAMA – Showcasing popular programming for the African-American community, ENCORE BLACK will bring a terrific combination of commercial-free premium movie content, comedy such as “Martin Lawrence’s 1st Amendment Stand Up,” and the introduction of TV favorites including: “What’s Happening!!,” “Diff’rent Strokes,” “227,” and “Amen.” ENCORE BLACK will be originated in HD and service the strong viewership from the African-American community, which has historically over-indexed on premium channel viewership. The December launch will spotlight Academy Award® nominee, actor Samuel L. Jackson with films such as Unbreakable, Losing Isaiah, Freedomland, One Eight Seven, and more.

ENCORE CLASSIC Replaces ENCORE LOVE – A new addition to the ENCORE HD channel portfolio, ENCORE CLASSIC will be a favorite for the Baby Boomer set, with a mix of generational evergreen movie favorites and classic TV series. Leveraging the deep and broad ENCORE movie library of new release and favorite hits, ENCORE CLASSIC will add TV hits, “Murphy Brown,” “Magnum, P.I.,” and “Night Court” to its programming slate.  Classic movie titles will air every night with a new favorite every day of the month at 9PM ET/PT. Films include Kramer vs. Kramer, American Graffiti, Independence Day, Breaking Away, Stand By Me, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Good Will Hunting, Tootsie, Basic Instinct, The Notebook, and more.

“The Graveyard Shift” Horror Blocks Reigns over ENCORE SUSPENSE Nightly starting at 9pm ET/PT – Younger viewers can get their blood-thirsty and chilling need for horror on ENCORE SUSPENSE every night of the week beginning at 9PM ET/PT and airing until approximately 5AM ET/PT with “The Graveyard Shift.” Another new addition to the ENCORE HD channel portfolio, ENCORE SUSPENSE gives fans a regular eight-hour fix of great horror flicks with the best in high-def picture quality and sound. Top horror films from Hollywood’s best studios, including movies from its own Anchor Bay Entertainment – one of the leading producers and distributors of the horror film genre in the industry: Top horror titles airing in December during “The Graveyard Shift” include Night of the Living Dead, The Fly, Silent Night, The Amityville Horror, The Dead Zone, Resident Evil:  Retribution, and Frozen.

ENCORE ESPANOL Moves to a Lower Tier – For the growing Latino audiences who want 24/7 Spanish-Language premium content, ENCORE ESPANOL will now be made available to multichannel video distributors in the United States to be part of their popular, lower-cost Spanish-language channel bundles.  ENCORE ESPANOL will now enjoy its own Spanish-language film programming from worldwide suppliers and be more than a Spanish-language version of the flagship ENCORE channel. ENCORE ESPANOL will showcase U.S. Television Premieres of Sin Otono, Sin Primavera (Ecuador), Estrella del Sur (Columbia), La Llamada (Argentina), and Lo Azul del Cielo (Columbia).

“The new and improved ENCORE family of channels and services are aligned to super-serve its many constituent demographic groups,” said David Baldwin, Executive Vice President of Program Planning for Starz. “Growth in Latino and Boomer populations and continued over-indexing in TV usage by African-American audiences created marketplace opportunities for us to add incremental consumer value to the ENCORE services.  Along with the new nightly horror block, these enhancements will benefit ENCORE subscribers for years ahead.  ENCORE truly is ‘Playing Favorites’ with these improvements to the channels and the ENCORE ON DEMAND and ENCORE PLAY services.”

The ENCORE MOVIE PACK has the most highly engaged audience of any premium package, with subscriber households spending an average 17.3 hours per month watching ENCORE channels.

The December 2 roll-out will also feature brand new channel logos, graphics and audio package as part of a fresh, new on-air style representative of the newly improved and fortified ENCORE channels and services.

Art Basel announces details of its Public sector in Miami Beach

PUBLIC: AN EXPANDED SECTOR BRINGS THE WORK OF 24 ARTISTS TO COLLINS PARK

Kavi Gupta Gallery, Scott Reeder, Real Fake (2013) (Artist Impression), Courtesy the artist and the gallery

Curated under the theme ‘Social Animals’ by Nicholas Baume, Director and Chief Curator of Public Art Fund, the artworks selected for this year’s Public sector will transform Collins Park into an outdoor exhibition space. Public, a sector of Art Basel’s Miami Beach show, features over 30 large-scale sculptures and installations by leading and emerging international artists, including Huma Bhabha, Carole Bove, Olaf Breuning, Aaron Curry, Mark di Suvero, Matias Faldbakken, Sam Falls, Tom Friedman, Jeppe Hein, Thomas Houseago, Alicja Kwade, Richard Long, Michelle Lopez, Matthew Monahan, Charlotte Posenenske, Scott Reeder, Santiago Roose, Tony Tasset, Pascale Marthine Tayou, Mungo Thomson, Oscar Tuazon, Maarten Vanden Eynde, Ursula von Rydingsvard, and Phil Wagner. For the third straight year the sector is produced in partnership with the Bass Museum of Art. A selection of artworks will continue to be installed in Collins Park through March 2014.

The Public sector’s opening night on Wednesday, December 4 will include a special program of performances, free of charge and open to the public.

First time Public sector curator Nicholas Baume has been Director and Chief Curator of Public Art Fund in New York City since September 2009. Prior to joining Public Art Fund, Baume served as Chief Curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, where he was responsible for shaping the artistic program from 2003-2009.

303 Gallery and Johann König and Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Jeppe Hein, Appearing Rooms (2004), Courtesy: Johann König, Berlin and 303 Gallery, New York

The theme ‘Social Animals’ has its origins in Aristotle’s observations about the nature of human beings. Set within the cityscape of Miami Beach, this year’s edition of Public seeks to turn a grouping of separate works by multiple artists into a temporary community of its own, with works in conversation and in dialog with each other – such as Sam Falls’ powder-coated aluminum installation with a master work by Charlotte Posenenske – as well as with the location – evident in Michelle Lopez’s towering site-specific structure.

David Kordansky Gallery, Aaron Curry, VVirgins (2011), Courtesy of David Kordansky Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, Photography: Dirk Pauwels

Drawing on his experience of injecting public art within the urban landscape, Nicholas Baume’s selection works to activate the public park as a place for social interactions and as an extension of the diverse exchanges that take place in the environment of the art fair. In this context, Public presents Phil Wagner’s diptych of opposing chairs, large-scale sculptures by Mark di Suvero and Oscar Tuazon, and two urban structures built from concrete, wood, and metal mesh by Santiago Roose. Alicja Kwade’s large-scale steel sculpture reimagines the border lines between time zones as a global electrocardiograph.

Gagosian Gallery, Thomas Houseago, Striding Figure (Rome I) (2013), Courtesy the artist and the gallery

Galerie Lelong, Ursula von Rydingsvard, lub też (2013), Copyright of the Artist, Courtesy of Galerie Lelong

Kavi Gupta Gallery, Tony Tasset, Bear (2013), Courtesy the artist and the gallery

Luhring Augustine and Stephen Friedman Gallery, Tom Friedman, Untitled , Courtesy of the artist, Luhring Augustine, New York, and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London

Paula Cooper Gallery, Mark di Suvero, Exemplar (1979), Courtesy the artist and the gallery

UNTITLED, Phil Wagner, Let Us Rejoice (2013), Courtesy the artist and the gallery

The sector’s title likewise links to the hand-worked surfaces and textures of many of the work’s figurative and organic forms. The varied works of Huma Bhabha, Olaf Breuning, Aaron Curry, Tom Friedman, Thomas Houseago, Matthew Monahan, Tony Tasset and Pascale Marthine Tayou incorporate figurative elements, at times alluding to Modernist and ancient totems. The use of natural materials is seen in Carol Bove’s open-form sculpture in petrified wood and steel, Jeppe Hein’s series of ‘rooms’ shaped by water, and Richard Long’s 12-foot-diameter installation in Dartmoor Granite, while Ursula von Rydingsvard’s composition of cut, stacked and sculptured cedar beams transforms solid material into gestural form. Mungo Thomson’s audio recording of professional musicians imitating the sound of crickets is played on outdoor speakers.

Symbols of popular culture are reused and repositioned to engage with the audience, as in Scott Reeder’s three-dimensional installation of the words ‘Real Fake’ and Matias Faldbakken’s adaptation of the original Peterbilt 281 big rig truck which appeared in Steven Spielberg’s first feature film ‘Duel’ (1971). Maarten Vanden Eynde’s composition of oil peak sculptures in bronze is based on the production rates of individual oil wells and the combined production rate of a field of related oil wells.

A selection of works from Public will remain installed in Collins Park for an extended run through March 2014 via tc: temporary contemporary. The city-wide temporary, public art program was initiated by the Bass Museum of Art in partnership with the City of Miami Beach in 2012. It seeks to activate the urban landscape with art and engage with residents, visitors and passers-by to encourage interactions with the city and its communities. tc: temporary contemporary is made possible through the support of The City of Miami Beach, ArtPlace, National Endowment for the Arts, Knight Foundation and Funding Arts Network, Inc.

TAG HEUER LIGHTS UP PARIS: TAG Heuer fetes 50 Years of Carrera and its newest flagship opening in Paris

Photos by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Tag-Heuer and Dominique Charriau/Getty Images for Tag-Heuer

PARIS, FRANCE – NOVEMBER 06: (L-R) Leonardo DiCaprio and TAG Heuer’s CEO Stephane Linder attend the Opening of the TAG Heuer New Boutique, Followed By An Evening Celebrating 50 years of Carerra In Pavillon Vendome on November 6, 2013 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Pascal Le Segretain/ Getty Images for Tag-Heuer)

New TAG Heuer CEO Stéphane Linder and longtime Brand Ambassador Leonardo DiCaprio threw the biggest event of the year at the brand’s newest flagship boutique at Paris Opera

The Boulevard des Capucines were ablaze with paparazzi flash Tuesday night, November 6th, as a host of celebrities from around the world joined TAG Heuer CEO Stéphane Linder at the most star-packed party of the Paris season, with actors, singers, fashion editors, politicians, the brand’s star ambassador, the actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio, and the biggest names in motor racing among the guests.

(L-R) Jean Francois Hartwig, Michel Denisot and TAG Heuer’s CEO Stephane Linder attend the Opening of the TAG Heuer New Boutique,

(L-R) Nicolas Duvauchelle and TAG Heuer’s CEO Stephane Linde

(L-R) Michel Denisot and Kad Merad

(L-R) Leonardo DiCaprio, TAG Heuer’s CEO Stephane Linder, Sebastien Ogier and Romain Grosjean

(L-R) TAG Heuer’s CEO Stephane Linder, Antonio Belloni, Sebastien Ogier and Romain Grosjean cut the ribbon at the Opening of the TAG Heuer New Boutique

(L-R) TAG Heuer’s CEO Stephane Linder and Marie Gillain

(L-R) Jean Francois Hartwig, a guest, Disiz La Peste and TAG Heuer’s CEO Stephane Linder

(L-R) TAG Heuer’s CEO Stephane Linder and Emma de Caunes

(L-R) TAG Heuer’s CEO Stephane Linder and Blaise Matuidi

(L-R) Romain Grosjean, TAG Heuer’s CEO Stephane Linder and Sebastien Ogier

(L-R) Romain Grosjean, Jean Francois Hartwig and Sebastien Ogier

(L-R) Noemie Lenoir and TAG Heuer’s CEO Stephane Linder

The pioneering Swiss watch brand was celebrating the opening of its new flagship boutique near Opera Garnier and the 50th Anniversary of its iconic CARRERA line of racing-inspired sports watches and chronographs.

The setting for the ribbon-cutting event was the new TAG Heuer shop at 12, boulevard des Capucines — a 120m2 bijou of glass, steel and exotic wood nestled between Bucherer Paris and Cartier. The ceremony was emceed by race-car driver Margot Lafitte, who shared the stage with Stéphane Linder, World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier and Franco-Swiss F1 driver Romain Grosjean.

(L-R) Blaise Matuidi and Noemie Lenoir

(L-R) Cali Morales, Laurence Roustandjee and Aida Touihri

(L-R) Elodie Bouchez and Nicolas Duvauchelle

(L-R) Frederic Diefenthal and Benoit Magimel

(L-R) Kareen Guiock, Noemie Lenoir, Bernard Montiel and Laurence Roustandjee

(L-R) Romain Grosjean, Jean Francois Hartwig and Sebastien Ogier

Marie Gillain

Michael Llodra

Michel Denisot

Miroslava Duma

Monica de Tomas attends the Opening of the TAG Heuer New Boutique

Muriel Hurtis attends the Opening of the TAG Heuer New Boutique

Nicolas Duvauchelle attends the Opening of the TAG Heuer New Boutique

“TAG Heuer is on a roll,” said Linder. “Paris Opera gives us 180 boutiques in 57 countries, with another 20 set to open in 2014, including a third Paris flagship on the Champs-Elysées. We’ve opened more stores recently than any brand in luxury. And we’re just getting started.”

Seaworld Brings Real Snow To Central Texas For The Holidays

Beginning Nov. 23, SeaWorld® San Antonio will be transformed into a winter, watery wonderland where families of all ages can enjoy stunning live shows, sip hot cocoa and stroll through a sea of more than one million twinkling lights during its annual Christmas Celebration®, a magical holiday program offered on scheduled operating days, through Dec. 31.

In the newest addition to SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration, SnowWorld presented by Coca-Cola®, families can play in real snow, right here in Central Texas! Guests will feel like they’re in a winter wonderland while sledding, playing and dashing through the snow. Plus, families will get the opportunity to capture their memorable day at SeaWorld with a unique family photo inside of a larger-than-life snow globe. This 12-foot-tall snow globe in SnowWorld Market is sure to get families into the holiday spirit as they pose for their exlusive Christmas portrait in this unique setting.

Also new this year is Christmas Cove, an area of the park that will make guests feel like they’ve stepped into the 1950s. A visit to Christmas Cove would not be complete without Home for the Holidays: Dinner with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Guests will feel right at home for the holidays when they join Santa and Mrs. Claus for dinner with all the trimmings and a special story. Advance reservations are required for this exlusive dining experience.

Another new element to SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration is Joy to the World, an area of the park that will feature trumpeting angel statues, a beautiful nativity scene and carolers telling the story of Christmas through song.

Guests’ Christmas favorites include: Shamu Christmas Miracles, Clyde & Seamore’s Countdown to Christmas, A Dolphin Christmas, Elmo’s Christmas Wish, O’ Christmas Tree and Reflections. Also returning are the many traveling musicians, carolers and photo opportunities each with their own unique Christmas flare. Plus, there will be a festive train ride for young guests aboard the SeaWorld Express located near our Nautilus Amphitheater.

Set to music from The Nutcracker, A Dolphin Christmas features beluga whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, acrobats and trainers in a stunning celebration of Christmas, the SeaWorld way.

Make a wish during Elmo’s Christmas Wish in the heart of our charming Sesame Street® Bay of Play®, and be inspired watching Rosita, Grover, Zoe and Cookie Monster all work together to help Elmo find his Christmas wish.

Guests can reflect on the magic of Christmas during Reflections and sing-a-long to Christmas melodies led by “Elfred” and all the SeaWorld carolers.

Santa’s sea lion helpers, Clyde and Seamore, are brining laughs to SeaWorld in Clyde and Seamore’s Countdown to Christmas. This special holiday show is filled with spoofs and plenty of laughs. Our loveable sea lions, along with the rest of the crew, invite guests to their fun-filled holiday celebration.

Guests are taken on a wonderful voyage into the heart of the holidays as they experience the power and beauty of Shamu Christmas Miracles. They’ll be immersed in a festive atmosphere of sight and sound, where thrilling holiday music soars as Shamu helps tell a story of reflection, understanding, peace, friendship and the everyday miracles that surround us.

Unwrap the fun and purchase a 2014 Fun Card. Pay for a day and get SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration and all of 2014 free. SeaWorld San Antonio is open weekends through Dec. 15, as well as Thanksgiving week, Nov. 23 through Dec. 1 and Dec. 21 through Jan. 5 (closed Christmas Day). Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014 is SeaWorld’s final operating day for the 2013 season. For more details, call (800) 700-7786 or visit www.SeaWorld.com.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment inspires millions, through the power of entertainment, to celebrate, connect with and care for the natural world. The Company has been creating innovative entertainment experiences that blend imagination with nature for more than 50 years and is best known for its 11 U.S. theme parks, attractions that hosted more than 24 million guests in 2012 and include the beloved SeaWorld®, Busch Gardens® and Sesame Place® brands. The parks offer guests a variety of up-close experiences, from animal encounters that invite exploration and appreciation of the natural world, to thrilling rides and spectacular shows. In 2011 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment began expanding its popular brands into media and entertainment platforms to connect people to nature and animals through movies, television, and digital media; plus began developing new lines of licensed consumer products.

The 46th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest Awards $1 Million Grand Prize to Las Vegas-Area Home Cook for her Loaded Potato Pinwheels

Million Dollar Moment — Glori Spriggs receives a hug from the Pillsbury Doughboy(TM) after being named the grand prize winner of the 46th Pillsbury Bake-Off(R) Contest on Monday, November 11, 2013 in Las Vegas. Contest host Padma Lakshmi looks on. Spriggs will appear on “The Queen Latifah Show” on Thursday, November 14, 2013. (PRNewsFoto/Pillsbury)

Throughout the year, the Pillisbury Bake-Off® Kitchens accepted original recipe submissions that included at least two eligible ingredients and fit into one of three contest categories: Amazing Doable Dinners, Simple Sweets and Starters or Quick Rise and Shine Breakfasts. The 60 best recipes in each category were selected and placed online for public voting. America’s votes were tallied and on Monday, November 11, the 100 finalists (97 women and three men) who created the recipes that received the most votes convened in Las Vegas. Each finalist prepared his or her dish for judging. A panel of independent judges, consisting of food media and professionals, then selected the contest winner based on taste, appearance, creativity and consumer appeal.

The iconic Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest awarded Glori Spriggs of Henderson, Nev. $1 million for her original recipe, Loaded Potato Pinwheels, late Monday evening. The grand prize winner was announced live from Las Vegas by contest host Padma Lakshmi. Glori’s recipe also helped her score $10,000 in GE kitchen appliances. She competed against 99 other talented home cooks from around the U.S. in the country’s premier cooking competition, sponsored by Pillsbury, Green Giant, The J.M. Smucker Company and GE Appliances, along with event partners Reynolds and Pyrex.

Meet the Winners — Glori Spriggs (center) celebrates her grand prize win at the 46th Pillsbury Bake-Off(R) Contest with Second Prize Winner Sheila Suhan (left) and Third Prize Winner Antoinette Leal (right). (PRNewsFoto/Pillsbury)

(Tune in to “The Queen Latifah Show” on Thursday, November 14 to see Glori demonstrate her grand prize winning recipe. Visit www.BakeOff.com for the $1 million recipe along with hundreds of other delicious contest recipes to try at home.)

Made simply with seven ingredients, including Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet and Green Giant® Seasoned Steamers frozen backyard grilled potatoes, and only 20 minutes of active prep time, this appetizer is a new twist on a family favorite. Of the 100 contest finalists, Glori travelled the shortest distance, less than 20 miles, to compete in the contest finals, but her recipe proved to go the distance with the judging panel.

Chicago Company has Holiday Wear for Everyone

Greeting card company Hallmark’s recent snafu replacing the word ‘gay’ with the word ‘fun’ on a holiday sweater ornament (a mess of their own making, if ever there was one) has prompted Chicago-IL based Rocco Shirts to produce three holiday sweatshirts ($24.99 each), featuring the traditional ‘gay’ apparel as well as sweatshirts with ‘straight’ and ‘bi’.  The original Christmas Carol of course featured the words “Don we now our gay apparel.”

“We’ve got something for everyone,” said Bernie DiMeo, Founder/Owner of Rocco Shirts.  DiMeo also called Hallmark’s move “ridiculous” and said that “political correctness in this country has run more than amok.”

“I’m surprised the anti-smoking lobby hasn’t gone off on Frosty and his corn cob pipe,” DiMeo said adding “darn it, now I gave them the idea.”

Rocco Shirts hopes its sweatshirts sell well along with other non-traditional shirts including “Dear Santa, Define Nice“, “You Can Jingle My Bells Anytime” and “Merry Christmas to My First Wife.” I also like their t-shirts (“Bite me“, “Irish Today, Hungover Tomorrow” and “I Love My Rotten Ungrateful Children“)

DiMeo said that by having straight, gay and bi sweatshirts his company has increased its target market substantially. “I don’t think we left anyone out,” he said.

I don’t think so, either. For more information go to www.roccoshirts.com.

Maidenform Introduces Comfort Devotion Full Fit Collection

Maidenform (www.maidenform.com), the iconic intimate apparel brand, extends its legendary Comfort Devotion collection to women of all shapes and sizes with the launch of the Full Fit collection. Aiming to create styles that deliver true comfort for all women, Maidenform’s new collection of bras in extended sizes feature innovative technology and superior ultra-soft fabrications at every touch point for an incredible look and feel.

Maidenform Comfort Devotion Full Fit Collection. (PRNewsFoto/Maidenform)

The Maidenform Full Fit collection was designed to support the curves of full-figured women while simultaneously offering superior comfort and style. Heightened wings, cushioned strap technology and super soft wire casings provide the coverage, support and containment a full-figure woman needs. Delicate feminine details of lace embellishments, two-tone coloring and ticking bows add a sexy and luxurious appearance to the collection while built-up leotard backs, embedded slings and plush fabrications enhance the comfort and support inside and out.

The Comfort Devotion Full Fit collection launched this month and features four bra styles including Tailored Foam: Sizes 36-40C and 34-40D-DD; Custom Lift Embellished Foam: Sizes 36-40C, 34-40D-DD; Tailored with Molded Cups: Sizes 36-42C-D, 34-40DD-DDD; and Embellished with Molded Cups: Sizes 36-42C-D, 34-40DD-DDD. All styles are offered in a variety of basic and fashion colors including Black, White, Latte Lift, Camera Red and Sangria.

“As a style expert, I believe it’s my job to empower women by giving them the right foundation to celebrate and decorate their curves,” said Mary Alice Stephenson, style and beauty expert. “Thanks to Maidenform’s new Comfort Devotion Full Fit collection, I can finally say I found bras that will comfortably fit a fuller figure without having to sacrifice style. I can now help women create a fashionable, sexy and sleek silhouette no matter their size.”

An intimate apparel leader since1921, Maidenform offers comfortable, stylish and innovative bras, panties and shapewear to women with an active lifestyle, a sense of style, and an appreciation for the way they look. Maidenform products may be found in leading department stores and national chain stores and direct to consumers via outlet stores and websites.

Playboy Magazine Releases Special Glow In The Dark Cover For Its December Holiday Issue

Playboy’s 2013 Playmate of the Year Raquel Pomplun helps light up the holidays with the magazine’s special glow in the dark December cover. Copyright: This photo may only be used in connection with this particular story about Playboy’s December issue glow in the dark cover. (PRNewsFoto/Playboy)

Playboy is giving readers a special holiday surprise this year by publishing its first-ever, glow in the dark cover as part of the magazine’s December issue (on newsstands, Friday, November 15, 2013).

This Collectible keepsake edition cover (shot by photographer Tony Kelly) is available on newsstands only, and features a pair of seductive legs sliding down a chimney at night.  Parts of the cover will illuminate in the dark, revealing the famous Rabbit Head logo as a constellation in the sky, once readers briefly hold it under a bright light. The glow in the dark effect is the result of a special UV varnish applied to the magazine’s cover.  Copies of Playboy’s December Holiday issue will be on-sale through mid-December.

“We wanted to treat our readers to something they couldn’t get from their tablet or social media,” said Playboy’s Editorial Director Jimmy Jellinek. “When’s the last time you had a little good old-fashioned fun in the dark?”

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Launches AnimalVision

New Interactive Platform Provides 24/7 Window into SeaWorld’s Animal Habitats

For nearly five decades SeaWorld® has connected guests to the natural world through innovative animal habitats and inspiring shows. With the launch of AnimalVision(TM), 24/7, on-habitat cameras stream footage to customized interactive websites, allowing visitors to create a connection right from the comfort of home at www.AnimalVision.com . Animal habitat cameras have proven to be popular for SeaWorld and animal fans alike. In 2012 during a six-week partnership with Discovery Channel, fans across the country spent an astounding 1.5 million hours watching penguins in SeaWorld San Diego Penguin Encounter® via a streaming camera feed.

For nearly five decades SeaWorld(R) has connected guests to the natural world through innovative animal habitats and inspiring shows. With the launch of AnimalVision(TM), 24/7, on-habitat cameras stream footage to customized interactive websites, allowing visitors to create a connection right from the comfort of home at http://www.AnimalVision.com. (PRNewsFoto/SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment)

Fans can enjoy the antics of Antarctic penguins racing through the water or waddling around their icy habitat; see a school of stingrays gliding past their screen, or check out sea turtles, some of the ocean’s most graceful animals.

“AnimalVision allows our guests and fans to deepen their connection with animals. For some guests, being able to see these remarkable animals at the park and then continuing that voyage of exploration at home serves as a reminder about the important role we all play in helping these animals. For those planning a park visit, seeing our animals up-close will get families excited about visiting in person,” said Anne Fischer, director of interactive marketing for SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.

Building on that success, AnimalVision provides animal camera fans with an interactive experience that goes beyond simply watching the animals demonstrating their natural behaviors. The new platform will feature:

— Video web portal designed to be viewed from any computer, smartphone or tablet

— The ability to take, share and save photos of their favorite video moment

— Live Twitter feeds share comments with other AnimalVision viewers and interactive “ask the experts” sessions with animal trainers and zoological staff

— Education and conservation information and facts about each featured species

— Downloadable games

— Additional animal species will be showcased in the near future

Each of the six cameras is high definition for the best viewing experience possible, including multiple viewpoints of the habitats. The cameras at SeaWorld Orlando’s newest attraction, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin(TM), show four different species of penguins both in the water and up on the ice. At Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark® in San Antonio, more than 200 stingrays and tropical fish including various species of angel, tang and butterfly fish are seen from shallow and deep underwater viewpoints. Turtle Reef® at SeaWorld San Diego features more than 40 threatened green sea turtles ranging in age from four to 50 years old with a view of the 280,000-gallon aquarium they call home.

 

Mending Kids International Honors Gene Simmons, Shannon Tweed-Simmons, Nick Simmons And Sophie Simmons At Annual Gala

Mel Gibson, Simon Baker, Nia Peeples, Dorothy Lucey and Harvey Levin Participate in Awards Ceremony

Mending Kids International (MKI) celebrated its heroes at the WINGS AROUND THE WORLD – AFRICAN SAFARI GALA honoring Gene Simmons and his family – Shannon Tweed-Simmons, Nick Simmons and Sophie Simmons — with the MEND Humanitarian Award for their support of MKI (www.mendingkids.org) and their other philanthropic efforts.  The award was presented by Mel Gibson, a long-standing supporter of the non-profit that provides free life-changing surgeries to children throughout the world. Mel Gibson, who has joined several international missions, said, “Going on a mission is like a reset button on your soul.”

Mel Gibson presented the Mending Kids International Humanitarian Award to Gene Simmons and his family. They helped to raise $700,000 for life-altering surgeries. (PRNewsFoto/Mending Kids International)

MKI has dramatically changed the lives of over 1,200 children in 54 countries on several continents including Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Hometown Missions in the United States. The critical surgeries provided by MKI have opened the door to healthy and promising futures for children who otherwise would not be treated due to lack of medical or financial resources. MKI also offers training and research to assist communities in creating self-sustaining surgical programs.

In his acceptance speech, Gene spoke of his own difficult childhood, raised in Israel in a bullet-ridden house. He recalled his mother’s excitement when they received a CARE box one day; it wasn’t about the contents, it was about knowing that someone cared and they weren’t alone – it gave them hope. When they moved to America, speaking no English, they were embraced by what he calls “the greatest place on the planet.”  He continued, “Not every child is born with everything intact. I don’t have the right NOT to give back and neither do you. Some mother somewhere is crying her heart out because her child can’t have what we have in this country and we can change that.” He went on to praise his wife and children for doing their part to make this a better world, Shannon by raising “two of the best people I know who feel a spirit of service for their fellow man,” and Nick and Sophie for their little-known good work. Sophie has lived in seven countries where she worked in orphanages before building her own center for abused children in Surrey, British Columbia, appropriately named Sophie’s Place (http://cdfbc.ca/Sophies-Place/).

Also honored were Sydney McDonnell, who has hosted 13 MKI children and nurtured them before, during and after their surgeries; she was presented with the HOPE Award by Simon Baker. Mike Takac, VP of Domestic Sales at Warner Bros., received the LOVE Award for his corporate support, which was presented by Harvey Levin.  A teen award presented to three remarkable young people who serve their community and MKI was presented by Nia Peeples. Other celebrities in attendance included Christopher Atkins, Iron Chef’s Mark Dacascos, Greg Louganis, Dominic Scott Kay and performances by Dawnn Lewis, who sang the most appropriate self-penned song, “Take the Pain Away,” and the Dembrebrah West African Drum and Dance Ensemble. David Ruprecht (“Supermarket Sweepstakes“) did a terrific job auctioning donations for life-altering surgeries with Gene Simmons and Mel Gibson at the top of the donors list. Collectively, the two will be responsible for 305 children’s vital surgeries. It is estimated that the evening raised over $800,000.

The charity is sustained by private and corporate donations. 92% of every dollar received goes directly towards helping children. Some of the sponsors that made the Gala possible include Deloitte, Warner Bros., Montrose Travel, Transparent Media Company, Ethiopian Airlines, Hubert’s Lemonade, Zing Vodka, Alice’s Traveling Tea Party, Jade Phoenix, cab.corp wine merchants, Hint water, Rock & Brews, Solar Rain, Skin Again, DJ Charles Feelgood, and more.

The Kimbell Art Museum Unveils Newest Acquisition: A Luminous Pavilion By Renowned Architect Renzo Piano, November 27, 2013

The Kimbell Art Museum also announces JPMorgan Chase as the Renzo Piano Pavilion Inaugural Season presenting sponsor.

Photos by Robert LaPrelle and Robert Polidori and Provided by The Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth

There are now two museum buildings, not one, at the Kimbell Art Museum (www.kimbellart.org, 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107) in Fort Worth, Texas. A light-filled concrete and glass pavilion designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano opens Wednesday, November 27, across the lawn from the Museum’s original home, Louis I. Kahn’s modernist icon of 1972.

South view, Renzo Piano Pavilion and Louis Kahn Building, October 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert LaPrelle

Designed by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) and Kendall/Heaton Associates, the Piano Pavilion is located 65 yards to the west of Kahn’s signature cycloid-vaulted museum. The two museum landmarks in turn occupy the heart of the Culture District of Fort Worth, whose seven museums are visited by more than two million people a year and include the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, and the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.

Renzo Piano is the acclaimed designer of Europe’s tallest building, The Shard in London, and a number of other of the world’s most beloved buildings and museums in such cities as Paris, Amsterdam, Bern, New Caledonia, Venice, Oslo, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, San Francisco and Boston.

View from the southwest, Renzo Piano Pavilion, October 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert LaPrelle

The new building consists of two connected structures. The first and more prominent is a pavilion that faces and to some degree mirrors the Kahn building. Here, on a tripartite facade, robust concrete walls flank a recessed entrance bay of glass. The pavilion houses a large lobby in the center, with exhibition galleries to either side, all naturally lit from an elaborately engineered roof. In the galleries, Renzo Piano has striven for an even more exquisite light quality than he has achieved before: the roof system incorporates aluminum louvers, glass, solar cells, wood beams, and stretched fabric scrims. The north and south walls of the pavilion are glass, with colonnades outside to support the beams and roof, which overhang generously for shade.

From the lobby, visitors may enter either of the galleries to the sides or go straight ahead, through a glass passageway, into the building’s second structure. In contrast to the front structure, this half of the building is self-effacing from the outside, covered by a grassy roof open to the public for recreational activities. It contains a third gallery that is not top-lit and is therefore suitable for especially light-sensitive works, as well as the auditorium, library, and education center. The double-height auditorium is on axis with the entrance, permitting a view through various spaces and layers of glass—from the front door to the glass wall and light well behind the auditorium stage. Visible from the lobby of the Kahn building, this becomes the main axis of the new Kimbell Art Museum complex, emphasizing Piano’s themes of transparency and openness.

Interior views of South Gallery and North Gallery, Renzo Piano Pavilion, September 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori

Interior views of South Gallery and North Gallery, Renzo Piano Pavilion, September 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori

Interior views of South Gallery and North Gallery, Renzo Piano Pavilion, September 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori

The Kimbell Art Foundation, which owns and operates the Kimbell Art Museum, was established in 1936 by Kay and Velma Kimbell, together with Kay’s sister and her husband, Dr. and Mrs. Coleman Carter. Early on, the Foundation collected mostly British and French portraits of the 18th and 19th centuries. By the time Mr. Kimbell died in April 1964, the collection had grown to 260 paintings and 86 other works of art, including such singular paintings as Hals’s Rommel-Pot Player, Gainsborough’s Portrait of a Woman, Vigée Le Brun’s Self-Portrait, and Leighton’s Portrait of May Sartoris. Motivated by his wish “to encourage art in Fort Worth and Texas,” Mr. Kimbell left his estate to the Foundation, charging it with the creation of a museum. Mr. Kimbell had made clear his desire that the future museum be “of the first class,” and to further that aim, within a week of his death, his widow, Velma, contributed her share of the community property to the Foundation.