KIDS FIRST! Radio

Apple Inc. is preparing to put movies in the cloud, entering a market in which it may be both competitor and ally to a similar offering backed by most Hollywood studios.

Representatives of the iPhone and iPad maker have been meeting with studios to finalize deals that would allow consumers to buy movies through iTunes and access them on any Apple device, according to knowledgeable people who requested anonymity because the discussions are private. The service is expected to launch in late 2011 or early 2012.

The talks come as the first movies from the multi-studio venture known as Ultraviolet are launching this week: Warner Bros.’ “Horrible Bosses” and “Green Lantern.”

People who buy DVDs or Blu-ray discs for those and other upcoming titles, including Sony Pictures’ “The Smurfs” and Universal Pictures’ “Cowboys and Aliens,” will have access to digital cloud copies they can instantly watch on their Internet-connected TVs, smartphones and tablet computers. Ultraviolet purchases via the Web, without discs, are expected to come in 2012.

Every major studio except Disney is working on Ultraviolet with a large group of retailers and electronics companies that notably does not include Apple.
The studios are eager to boost purchases of movies, which have flat-lined in the face of competition from less expensive video on demand and Netflix and Redbox rentals. Sales of DVDs and digital downloads are still crucial to the studios’ bottom line, as they are much more profitable than rentals.
However, despite the increasing popularity of digital distribution, online movie purchases are on track to bring in only $231 million this year, about the same as in 2010, according to IHS Screen Digest.

Storing digital films in the cloud, instead of making buyers manage the digital copy themselves on a computer or other device, could help spur online purchases by making it easier for people to access the movies on any device.

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GREEN FESTIVAL DEBUTS IN THE MILE HIGH CITY  Denver Hosts the Nation’s Largest Green Consumer Living Event for the First Time. In a Joint Effort Among National Nonprofits, Local Government & Passionate Citizens, Green Festival Brings Sustainable Solutions and Eco-Conscious Options to the Rockies  May 2 & 3, 2009 Denver, CO (May 2009): Green Festival, the original green consumer living event, will debut in Denver this year at the Colorado Convention Center on May 2 & 3, 2009. Named one of the top five “big city” mayors in America by Time magazine, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper will welcome the festival to the Mile High City with a keynote speech to kick off an energetic weekend of eco innovations that will invigorate the community with a vision of a cleaner, more efficient future for American businesses, homes, and lifestyles. 

Welcome to Green Festival™, a joint project of Global Exchange and Green America. We’re celebrating what’s working in our communities—for people, business and the environment. Join us at the nation’s premier sustainability event in Denver for 2 days filled with the best in green! 125 renowned authors, leaders & educators, 350 eco-friendly businesses in a unique marketplace, Workshops, green films, kids’ activities, live music & more, Delicious, organic, vegetarian cuisine http://www.greenfestivals.org/photo-gallery/ 

http://www.greenfestivals.org/

The 2008 Newport Beach Film Festival hosted the Orange County Premier of Alice Upside Down featuring Alyson Stoner, Lucas Grabeel, Penny Marshall and Luke Perry will make its Orange County Premiere at the Festival. Alice Upside Down and the appearance of Alyson Stoner were courtesy of KIDS FIRST!
 

Actress Alyson Stoner, the lead in Alice Upside Down is appeared at Build-A-Bear Workshop® in Fashion Island for a one hour long autograph signing session on Saturday, April 26. Stoner is best known for her roles in Cheaper by the Dozen, Mike’s Super Short Show, Phineas & Ferb and the new upcoming Disney TV movie Camp Rock, with The Jonas Brothers.
 

The Newport Beach Film Festival 2008 Family Film series showcases a collection of innovative and entertaining family films that capture the refreshing independent spirit of filmmaking. The Festival’s family friendly slate includes feature length narratives, documentaries, short, animated and student produced films crafted to entertain and inspire festival-goers of all ages, from kindergartners to teens. Billed as Orange County’s largest celebration of independent family films, the two-day event featured film screenings, question and answer sessions with cast and crew, interactive workshops and autograph signings.
 

This is the fifth year that KIDS FIRST! has collaborated with the Newport Beach Film Festival, providing studio, independent and student films and talent for the festival.

MyBoneYard® was created to help people like you recycle electronic devices such as cell phones and laptops in a smart, responsible and eco-friendly way. We are the Simple, Safe and Smart way to recycle your old electronics.

MyBoneYard® partners with industry leaders in the manufacturing, service and retail sectors working to provide even more value for your used electronic equipment through various national consumer electronics recycling programs. Not only is MyBoneYard® and environmentally-friendly program that helps our partners become more environmentally engaged, but it also gives consumers an opportunity to get rewarded for their own enviro-friendly efforts.  By partnering with MyBoneYard®, the “power of three” will be working for you. Young America, Wireless Source and eco | International combine forces to provide the only fully-integrated e-recycling solution in the industry – MyBoneYard®. MyBoneYard® provides the simple, safe and smart way to recycle unused electronics and can work for you in-store, online, through event marketing, charitable giving and employee programs. In the end, everyone is rewarded for their efforts. 

MyBoneYard® brings leading electronics product asset recovery and recycling capabilities so you can be assured that your recycled product will be stripped of any sensitive personal information and permanently deleted. Whether you’re getting rid of an old cell phone or computer, by recycling with MyBoneYard®.com you’ll find we provide: • A safe and best-in-class environmental recycling solution exceeding all state legislative requirements. • Guaranteed content removal of all personal information. 

• World-class customer service and project management. • An eco-friendly option to simply throwing your electronics in the trash.  Check it out! www.myboneyard.com  

WOW! WOW! WUBBZY! AND THE NATIONAL GARDENING ASSOCIATION
ANNOUNCE NEW GRANT PROGRAM FOR PRESCHOOLS
Wuzzleburg Preschool Garden Awards will be granted to 75 winners

Burbank, CA/So. Burlington, VT  (February 6, 2008) – The National Gardening Association (NGA) and Starz Media have launched a new grant program – the Wuzzleburg Preschool Garden Awards – sponsored by Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, a hit animated comedy television series for young children, which airs on Nick Jr. and Noggin in the U.S. The Awards will distribute 75 grants of products from NGA’s Gardening with Kids Store, valued at $1,000 each, to preschool organizations across the country.
Wuzzleburg Preschool Garden Awards will be granted to 75 winnersBurbank, CA/So. Burlington, VT  (February 6, 2008) – The National Gardening Association (NGA) and Starz Media have launched a new grant program – the Wuzzleburg Preschool Garden Awards – sponsored by Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, a hit animated comedy television series for young children, which airs on Nick Jr. and Noggin in the U.S.Just renewed for a second season, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! revolves around Wubbzy – an adorable, bouncy character with an expressive tail and a quest for fun – and his friends Wi­­­dget, Walden, and Daizy, who live in Wuzzleburg. Their many hilarious adventures entertain young children while reinforcing the importance of friendship. This theme dovetails perfectly with gardening, which engages kids in experiences that reinforce the value of cooperation, teamwork.
Wuzzleburg Preschool Garden Awards will be granted to 75 winnersBurbank, CA/So. Burlington, VT  (February 6, 2008) – The National Gardening Association (NGA) and Starz Media have launched a new grant program – the Wuzzleburg Preschool Garden Awards – sponsored by Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, a hit animated comedy television series for young children, which airs on Nick Jr. and Noggin in the U.S.Just renewed for a second season, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! revolves around Wubbzy – an adorable, bouncy character with an expressive tail and a quest for fun – and his friends Wi­­­dget, Walden, and Daizy, who live in Wuzzleburg. Their many hilarious adventures entertain young children while reinforcing the importance of friendship. This theme dovetails perfectly with gardening, which engages kids in experiences that reinforce the value of cooperation, teamwork.This sounds great to adults, but when you ask kids why they like to garden, you’ll get the message that, “Gardening is fun!” It gets them outdoors, gives them an outlet for their energy, and lets them participate in creating something beautiful that they can feel proud of. Plus, they actually like to eat the vegetables they grow!

“A child’s early years are a crucial time of development, and preschool education can significantly influence the rest of their lives,” says NGA Education Specialist Sarah Pounders. “Gardening is a hands-on project that allows children to explore at their own pace and engage in age-appropriate experiential learning. We’re very happy that Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! is sponsoring this award to give more children these valuable opportunities.”

“The Wuzzleburg Preschool Garden Awards are the ideal next step in our strategic partnership with the National Gardening Association, particularly since the little yellow star of the show is discovering the fun of going green in the second season that debuts later this year” says Amorette Jones, EVP Worldwide Marketing for Starz Media.  

To qualify, a preschool or day care center must submit a plan for a garden, to be planted and tended by a group of at least 10 children aged 3 to 5, during 2008. Award packages will include garden tools and garden- and nature-oriented teaching materials, plus a Wubbzy gardening activity guide for teachers. Applications must be postmarked by March 15, 2008, and awards will be shipped no later than April 15. For full details and to download an application, please visit http://www.kidsgardening.org/grants.asp

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! is a co-production of Starz Media and Bolder Media. Since it began airing in August 2006, Wubbzy has been a hit on the air, online and in the international television market as well. Wubbzy enters the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival this spring!
 

I just found this site and want to share it with you.  www.catalogchoice.org

What is Catalog Choice? 

Catalog Choice is a free service that allows you to decide what gets in your mailbox. Use it to reduce your mailbox clutter, while helping save natural resources. 

Did you know? 

Each year, 19 billion catalogs are mailed to American consumers. 

What’s the impact? 

Number of trees used – 53 million trees 

Pounds of paper used – 3.6 million tons of paper 

Energy used to produce this volume of paper – 38 trillion BTUs, enough to power 1.2 million homes per year 

Contribution to global warming – 5.2 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, equal to the annual emissions of two million cars 

Waste water discharges from this volume of paper – 53 billion gallons of water, enough to fill 81,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools 

The mission of Catalog Choice is to reduce the number of repeat and unsolicited catalog mailings, and to promote the adoption of sustainable industry best practices. We aim to accomplish this by freely providing the Catalog Choice services to both consumers and businesses. Consumers can indicate which catalogs they no longer wish to receive, and businesses can receive a list of consumers no longer wanting to receive their catalogs. 

Help spread the word 

The collective positive impact that the Catalog Choice community has on the environment is directly related to the number of people using the service. You can help spread the word, by displaying one of our linked badges on your own website or blog.

December 11, 2007 

Two things I did for myself this year that have made a significant difference in my life. First, I got a TiVo 80 Hour Series2 DVR that has radically changed the way I watch TV. And the DVR cost me nothing, not even shipping. For just $12.95 a month, I run the TV schedule! Secondly, I bought a Scooba that washes my floors  . . . while I watch my TiVo scheduled shows! So if you want to make life easier and more fun. Get your TiVo from KIDS FIRST! before Dec. 31st and TiVo will contribute $25 to us, just for you placing the order! so click here for your TiVo and go to www.irobot.com to get your floors cleaned while you relax! Happy Holidays.