Juli 2013

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FIDM.....Opening Night Party for the 2013 FIDM Museum "The Outstanding Art of Motion Picture Costume Design" Exhibition: Recap!

Posted by muamar Selasa, 30 Juli 2013 0 komentar

Emmy-nominated "Behind the Candelabra" Costumes Designed by Ellen Mirojnick--2013 The Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design Exhibition FIDM Museum

Photo Courtesy of Brandon Clark ABImages

Nick Verreos at 2013 The Oustanding Art of Television Costume Design Exhibition FIDM Museum

Photo Courtesy of Alex J. Berliner ABImages

Today, a wonderful Costume Exhibition opens at the FIDM Museum & Galleries in the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM Downtown L.A.--7th Annual "The Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design". This is the fabulous exhibition that salutes the work of this year's Primetime Emmy®-nominated Costume Designers, Costume Supervisors and assistant Costume Designers as well as celebrating television costume design as a whole.

The Exhibit is presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the FIDM Museum & Galleries and is Guest Curated by the always chic Mary Rose, noted Costume Designer and President of the Costume Designers Guild.

David Paul and Nick Verreos--2013 The Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design Exhibition FIDM Museum

Photo Courtesy of Alex J. Berliner ABImages

This past Saturday--along with my partner David Paul--I had the privilege of attending the Opening Night party for the exhibition which was held in the Hope Park adjacent to the FIDM Downtown L.A. campus . The party featured lots of food and the beverage sponsors were Beaulieu Vineyard and Grey Goose Vodka so you know the guests were quite happy. But the real treats were the Costumes, of course. The exhibit features over 120 costumes from 15 shows including...

Emmy-nominated "Game of Thrones" Costumes Designed by--2013 The Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design Exhibition FIDM Museum

Photo Courtesy of Brandon Clark ABImages

"Smash" Costumes Designed by Joseph G. Aulisi--2013 The Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design Exhibition FIDM Museum

Photo Courtesy of Brandon Clark ABImages

Emmy-nominated "Downton Abbey" Costumes Designed by Caroline McCall--2013 The Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design Exhibition FIDM Museum

Photos Courtesy Brandon Clark of ABImages

Photos from the Opening Night Party:

Glitter Heaven: Emmy-nominated "Behind The Candelabra" Costume Designer Ellen Mirojnick (flanked by her costumes from the TV film)--2013 The Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design Exhibition FIDM Museum

Photo Courtesy of Alex J. Berliner ABImages

Fab Three: (Left to right)"Smash" Costume Designer Joe Aulissi, "Rectify" Costume Designer Ane Crabtree, and Nick Verreos--2013 The Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design Exhibition FIDM Museum

Photo Courtesy of Alex J. Berliner ABImages

Deep in Costume Discussion: "Smash" Costume Designer Joe Aulisi and Nick Verreos--2013 The Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design Exhibition FIDM Museum

Photo Courtesy of Alex J. Berliner ABImages

(Left to right) Costume Designers Guild President (and Guest Curator of the Exhibition) Mary Rose and FIDM Musrum Director Barbara Bundy (in Chanel!)--2013 The Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design Exhibition FIDM Museum

Photo Courtesy of Alex J. Berliner ABImages

Fashion Designer Sue Wong and Nick Verreos--2013 Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design Exhibition FIDM Museum

Photo Courtesy of Alex J. Berliner ABImages

(Left to right): David Paul and Nick Verreos with "House of Cards" Costume Designer Tom Broecker--2013 The Outstanding Art of Telelvision Costume Design Exhinbition FIDM Museum

Pageant Queen Poses: Nick Verreos with "Miss Venezuela 2002 First Runner-up" and Co-Owner of Pasadena's "Amara Chocolate & Coffee's" Amara Barroeta and Eduardo Khawam , Producer and Director of Metropolitan Fashion Week

Red Jacket Tour Guide: Monday was "Press Day" and I had the privilege--as the FIDM Spokesperson--to give some special press tours and host an Exclusive Blogger Preview of "The 2013 Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design" exhibition

WHAT:

7th Annual "The Outstanding Art of Costume Design" Exhibition celebrating Emmy-Nominated Costumes and Costumes Designers

WHERE:

FIDM Museum & Galleries 919 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90015

Museum entrance is located 1st Level On the Park, The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM campus, in the back

WHEN:

Opens TODAY July 30th and runs to October 19 2013; Open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Sundays, Mondays

COST:

FREE!

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Google's New Navigation Interface in a Google+ Screenshot

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Remember the new navigation interface tested by Google a few months ago? It replaces the black bar with a new menu similar to Chrome's app launcher.

A screenshot from a Google+ "learn more" page shows a new Google+ interface that uses the app launcher, an updated share button and a new search box without a search button. The screenshot shows the old Google+ notification button, not the Mr. Jingles bell.

{ via Google Plus Daily, spotted by Gabriel Komarnicki. }

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Google Maps Views

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There's a new community site for Google Maps and it's called Views. It's a place where you can upload panoramic images created using the Photo Sphere feature, which is limited to Android 4.2 and Nexus devices.

"The photo sphere camera mode on your Android phone makes it easy to capture a series of photos and automatically turn them into a seamless 360º experience. You can also turn your DSLR camera panoramas into photo spheres," explains Google. This page has more information about the photo sphere mode and about creating panoramic images manually.

Google Maps Views has a camera button that lets you add photos from Google+. You can also use Android's share feature and share a photo from the gallery with Google Maps, so that it's quickly uploaded. Google creates a page like this one with all your photo spheres.

Google Maps Views showcases popular photo spheres and some special Street View collections, including landmarks (Eiffel Tower), natural wonders (Grand Canyon), museums, arenas, restaurants and small businesses. You can also use the search box and find a list of popular photos and top photographers for that location.

Photos spheres don't replace Street View, they only complement Street View with a fun, fresh and personal perspective that captures the the world around you.

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NICK APPEARANCES.....Nick Verreos and Brooke Burke-Charvet at American Cancer Society's "California Spirit XXIX Gourmet Garden Party", A Recap!

Posted by muamar Senin, 29 Juli 2013 0 komentar

Nick Verreos with Brooke Burke-Charvet: 29th Annual California Spirit Gourmet Garden Party to Benefit The American Cancer Society, Pacific Design Center

This past Sunday, I was invited to be the Auctioneer at the American Cancer Society's California Spirit XXIX Gourmet Garden Party Fundraiser at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. My dad is a cancer survivor and therefore being part of this event and doing this for my dad--and for The American cancer Society--was important for me.

Pacific Design Center--2013 California Spirit Gourmet Garden Party

Brooke Burke-Charvet and Nick Verreos--29th Annual California Spirit Gourmet Garden Party to Benefit The American Cancer Society, Pacific Design Center

The event honored John Shaffner and Joe Stewart - Production Design by
Shaffner/Stewart ; and Philomena McAndrew, MD and Solomon I. Hamburg,
MD, PhD-Tower Hematology Oncology Medical Group. Dancing With the
Stars co-host and cancer survivor Brooke Burke-Charvet received the
Society’s Inspiration Award. Now, I had no idea (until I arrived) that I would also be introducing--and presenting--the beautiful Brooke Burke-Charvet with this "Inspiration Award" as well as doing my auctioneer duties.

(Left to right) Nick Verreos, "California Spirits" co-founder and co-host Barbara Lazaroff and David Veneziano, Executive Vice President of The American Cancer Society--29th Annual California Spirit Gourmet Garden Party to Benefit The American Cancer Society, Pacific Design Center

The California Spirits "Gourmet Garden Party" was founded in 1984 by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck along with Barbara Lazaroff, who owns and has designed top restaurants including the original Spago Beverly Hills, and Sherry Lansing, former CEO of Paramount Pictures and former president of production at 20th
Century Fox.

Executive Vice President of The American Cancer Society David Veneziano and actress (and TV Icon!) Heather Locklear--29th Annual California Spirit Gourmet Garden Party to Benefit The American Cancer Society, Pacific Design Center

I was very excited to see that lots of the guests dressed in their best "Summer Elegant' attire for the event (yes, I was secretly doing my own red carpet commentary!) but when I spotted actress and TV icon Heather Locklear, I almost lost it! She looked AMAZING. The event brought out some of the finest LA chefs and
winery reserves who set up "booths"--very Haute Cuisine booths-- for the guests to sample some of the best cuisine L.A. restaurants and vintners have to offer.

Portabello and goat cheese salad at Nonna of Italy

Speaking of cuisine, guests were treated to LA’s finest cuisine from the kitchens of; Chinois
on Main CUT , The Foundry on Melrose, Hotel Bel-Air , Mozza, Nonna of
Italy, Patina, Red Seven, RivaBella , Rock Sugar, Spago Beverly Hills,
Wolfgang Puck Catering and WP24. Vintners from Bishop's
Peak, Bonny Doon Vineyard, Dragonette Cellars, Foxen, Inception, Krupp
Brothers, Malibu Vineyards, Rock Sake, Talley Vineyards and Topanga Vineyards were also there.

A "trio of sashimi" from Chinois On Main (left) and marinated scallop, compressed watermelon, vadouvan and toasted coconut from Patina Downtown LA (right)

Lentil salad with pistachios, cauliflower, lamb belly, and vinaigrette courtesy of The Roof On Wilshire

Delicious Chinese Chicken Salad and beef shish-kabob from Chinois On Main (left) and lamb belly bahn mi (right) from Executive Chef Matt Bencivenga of Wolfgang Puck Catering

After all the food (and wine tasting), it was time for me to do the special Cancer Callenge Auction, as well as to introduce and present Brooke Burke-Charvet with the American Cancer Society's "Inspiration Award"--Here are some pics:

"Inspiration Award" recipient Brooke Burke-Charvet and Nick Verreos--29th Annual California Spirit Gourmet Garden Party to Benefit The American Cancer Society, Pacific Design Center

I was very honored to be part of such a great event--and like The American Cancer Society says "A World With Less Cancer is a World with More Birthdays". True that.

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Keyboard Shortcut for Google Voice Search

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If you use Chrome, you've probably noticed the small microphone icon from Google's search box. It lets you search Google using your voice and it's now just as good as the voice search feature from Google's mobile apps.

There's even a keyboard shortcut for this feature: Ctrl+Shift+. (or ⌘-Shift-. for Mac). Yes, that's a dot, full stop or period.

"Say your question and hear an answer back on your desktop Chrome browser. All you will need is a built-in or attached microphone. Also, be sure to have the volume up on your computer to hear your answer loud and clear. Please note Voice Search with spoken answers back is available for US English only," informs Google.

"Open the Chrome browser and go to http://www.google.com/. You'll see a small gray microphone on the right-hand side of the search box. Click the microphone or press Ctrl+Shift+Period (Mac: ⌘-Shift-Period) with your cursor in the search box to start voice search. When the large red microphone icon appears, begin speaking. You can press ESC or click the red button to cancel. As you speak, Google will interpret your voice input. Afterwards, your results show up just as if you had typed the search term," mentions a help center article.

{ via Mike Downes }

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Unlocking More Users, with Tablets and Games

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Posted by Purnima Kochikar, Director of Business Development, Games & Applications

Last week, we unveiled a number of new things in the world of Android. And while we already showcased the new tools available at your disposal in Android 4.3, we also unveiled a new Nexus 7 tablet, as well as the Google Play Games app, both of which represent opportunities to take advantage of a growing number of users.

Nexus 7 and the Android tablet revolution

If you’re a developer optimizing your app for Android tablets, no doubt you’re familiar with the original Nexus 7. It was Google’s statement on what a great Android tablet experience should look like, and since then, the Android tablet ecosystem has come a long way. There have already been more than 70 million activations of Android tablets, with more than 1 in 2 tablets sold today running Android. We’re starting to see with Android tablets what could be the hockey stick growth all of us experienced a couple of years ago with Android smartphones, and we hope that the new Nexus 7 continues to fuel this growth even further.

Most top developers on Android have already prepared their applications for this wave of new Android tablet users, including many of the essentials, like the New York Times, Zappos, Evernote, Flipboard, Pinterest and more. To help users find your tablet-designed apps more easily on Google Play, you can now choose to only see apps designed for tablets in the top lists. There are also over 50 new collections, which highlight outstanding tablet apps.

To take advantage of the Android tablet revolution, check out our Tablet App Quality Checklist, which has tips and techniques on how to deliver a great app experience for tablet users. It details all of the key things you need to do to optimize your app for tablets, like taking advantage of the extra screen real estate and adjusting font sizes and touch targets, to things you can do on the distribution side, like declaring support for tablet screens and showcasing your tablet UI on Google Play by uploading tablet-specific screenshots. Optimizing your app for Android tablets will unlock a whole new group of users, like those who are about to receive their new Nexus 7 tablets.

Taking your game to the next level

The Android games category on Google Play is on fire; in fact, the vast majority of top mobile game developers are building Android tablet games, and most new titles launch immediately on Android. To help game developers take advantage of the next generation of games, at Google I/O in May, we introduced Google Play game services, our gaming platform for Android, iOS, and the web. By building on Google’s strengths in mobile and cloud services, Google Play game services allows game developers to focus on what they’re good at: creating great gaming experiences for their users.

Turbocharging that growth even more, on Wednesday we introduced the Google Play Games app, which brings your friends together with the games you love, where you can invite a friend and start challenging gamers around the world, compete for top achievements, and race to the top of the leaderboard.

Since the launch at Google I/O, just over two months ago, over one thousand games have added Google Play game services, with millions of users enjoying features like leaderboards and multiplayer inside of the games they love. Some of those early developers using Google Play game services are reporting incredible upticks in vital engagement metrics; for instance, Concrete Software is seeing session length up 15%, and Glu is reporting a 40% increase in 7-day user retention.

Here are a few things you can do to take your game to the next level with Google Play:

Integrate with Play Games using achievements and leaderboards to activate your players.

Add real-time multiplayer to competitive and cooperative games and increase engagement.

Use Play Games branding guidelines and create rich visuals that bolster your presence in the Google Play Games app.

Whether it be getting your app ready for the wave of new Android tablets that are lighting up each day, or opening up a whole new set of features for your users with Google Play game services, a great Android experience starts with a great app or game. That’s why we’re working hard to help provide you with the tools and features needed to create those great experiences for your users, and to help you reach as many of them as possible in the process, with Google Play.

Join the discussion on

+Android Developers

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Google Image Search Collections

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Google works on a new image search feature that lets you create collections, add image search results to your collections and annotate them. The source code includes multiple references to "collections", "notes", "folios", "clips", "groups" and the feature could integrate with Google Profiles.

For some reason, this looks like a standalone feature and notes aren't added to Google Keep.

Bing Image Search used to have a scratchpad, where users could save their images.

Google also had Notebook, a product that worked well for saving image search results. "Google Notebook is a simple way for users to save and organize their thoughts when conducting research online. This personal browser tool permits users to clip text, images, and links from the pages they're browsing, save them to an online notebook that is accessible from any computer, and share them with others," explained Google back in 2006.

{ Thanks, Florian K. }

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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Chromecast

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You don't need a teardown to notice that Chromecast's model number is H2G2-42. From iFixit:

"Wasn't 42 the answer to life, the universe, and everything in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? And H2G2 is an abbreviation given to the book, as well as the name of a website dedicated to making a guide to life, the universe, and everything."

If you check YouTube.com's source code, you'll find some references to "hitchhiker".

One of YouTube's sprites has "hitchhiker" in the filename.

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PROJECT RUNWAY.....Nick Verreos "Project Runway" Season 12 Recaps Episode 2: Diamonds, Divas and Dumpster Diving

Posted by muamar Minggu, 28 Juli 2013 0 komentar

Heidi Klum and her Multimillion Dollar Models--Project
Runway Season 12 Episode 2

This past week's second episode of Lifetime Network's"Project Runway" Season 12 dealt with multimillion dollar jewels
--diamonds and precious stones. Miss Heidi introduced the challenge--to design
a runway look worthy enough to look fabulous with millions of dollars worth of
jewels. Some of the designers did well and some, well, did not. The
episode had some DRAMA (naturally). As long as Russian Diva Sandro is still on
the show, there's going to be DRAMA. And of course, then there's Unicorn-loving
unsustainable Sustainable Milwaukee high-heel wearing Timothy. EVERYWHERE I go,
people stop me and relate to me how he--and Miss Sandro--should be gone! They
(the fans) are over the drama and over Sustainable Timothy (poor thang!). Well,
fans, I have no say in Who's In and Who's Out. But I do agree that those two
are getting on my last little nerve as well. Anyhow...Onward to this week's Challenge and
Episode:

This Ain't Fun: The Designers on "Project Runway
Season 12" with some sour-puss "I Do Not Wanna Be Here" looks...

For this Challenge, the Guest Judge was Eric Daman, "Gossip Girl" Costume Designer

The Runway--Good to Best...

Alexander Pope: Alexander created a chiffon Empire-waisted gown with a satin mini underneath (or

are those hot pants?) that was both slightly Mumsy Maternity and somewhat Yves Saint Laurent--especially with those oversized blouson sleeves). I was neither "here nor there" in terms of if I liked it or did not.

Good--Designers Ken Laurence(left) and Bradon McDonald (right) created very good designs (in my eyes) but yet, these two ended up in the "Safe" section. I liked Ken's blue-green strapless pelum gown--it was very red carpet-ready and fab for the jewels. And Bradon--who we all know is THE judges' Pet Boy Toy--did a great job with this silver sequin looking gown. Was it "blah" in terms of its design? Yes, it was pretty safe. Therefore, it ended up in that group.

Dom Streater: Dom was considered one of the Best of the group and was in the Top Two. Her green and ivory printed hi-lo gown was well received by the judges. I liked it but not as much as the judges did; she was two minutes away from being a tacky mistress of a Russian Arms Dealer at a Cannes Yacht Party. Just sayin'. Especially with that head "scarf"/tie.

Kate Pankoke: Little Kate won with this silver-gray taffeta draped gown with corseted top. It was very Vivienne Westwood (photo on the right) meets-Dior. Should she have won? After looking at all the other ones. Probably. It was very well draped, well made and really highlighted those jewels in a Modern Marie Antoinette sort of way.

The UGH!!!

Helen Castillo: Helen--Miss "I AM the Evening Gown Queen!" could not make a bust cup to save her life. She says she has interned/worked for Special Occasion/Bridal firms and yet, she must have been on a tattoo break when the pattern maker/seamstress wanted to show her how bust cups are made. The whole gown was a mess; too tight (that's why it's lifting and folding up) and those cups:

Tragic and shameful (is that boning sticking out from the edge?). If I was her instructor, this top would get a "D". Speaking of busts...

Karen Batts: Huney, what in the Fashion God's Name is That? And how did this dress NOT end up on the bottom? It's all things WONKY. First, what is with that center front ripply seam at the crotch? And then...

These poking side bustline. This is TOTALLY "Amateur Hour". Again, a "D", for sure. Can we start a "Project Ruwnay Class" taught by yours truly by the way?

Miranda Levy: Miranda loves a pencil skirt. So much so, that's ALL she does. She did THE SAME skirt for the last challenge as well as this one. Next.

Timothy Westbrook: Unicorn-loving Timothy created this blue and ivory velvet gown--very "Downton Abbey"-like. I liked the silhouette but yes, the racer-front neckline: not good to showcase the diamonds darling.

Kahindo Mateene: Kahindo went home for this printed dress above (left). I think the judges were a bit unfairly judgmental toward her design, calling it "off the rack" and "on sale", really? Then why does it look almost THE SAME as the dress I just saw in WWD from Victor Alfaro's new line? (right photo)

For whatever reasons, it was Kahindo's time to bid Goodbye to "Project Runway"...

Here's my MyLifetime.com "Project Runway Blog" Recap for Episode 2...Enjoy!

Diamonds, Divas and Dumpster Diving

Allow me to get something off my semi-hairy chest: it's only
the second week of Season 12 and I'm already ANNOYED by some of the designers
and my patience is wearing VERY thin on several others. First off, I am SO OVER
Timothy and his sustainable shenanigans. Freddie Mercury-lookalike Sandro, and his
diva-like drama is making all REAL divas look bad. And then there's tattooed
Helen: her crying and, "I've never made bust cups!" but somehow
admits to having interned with various bridal design companies is confusing at
best. And to cap it off, we've got dreadlock-haired Sue and her, "Can
someone thread a bobbin for me?" nonsense. Unless these people prove
themselves to be something other than drama-loving nincompoops, it's auf time
for them in my eyes. With that off my chest, allow me to discuss this second
diamond-loving episode.

Diamond District?

Armored cars pull up at Parsons and big-and-bulky security
guards frame the runway stage inside as the designers await what will be the
next challenge. Out comes Heidi—with the dreaded Button Bag—followed by the
models accessorized in $30 million worth of jewels provided by the Diamond
District. Side bar question: is this an area of Manhattan that somehow I missed going to? I
know Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen, the Upper East
Side, Soho, Meat Packing, but the Diamond
District? Note to self: must check it out on my next NYC trip!

SOOO Over Diamonds and Money

Heidi announces that for their second challenge, the
designers must create a look "glamorous enough" to walk the runway
with the jewels the models are wearing. It's not really a "red
carpet" challenge but more of "design a look worthy of being
accessorized with these multimillion dollar jewels on a runway stage." The
button bag is there so the designers chose their models—and jewels—with last
week's winner, Bradon, going first. The only highlight of this is how EVERYONE
is beyond-excited to be designing for these glorious jewels, except
un-sustainable Sustainable Timothy. Naturally, he is not amused by the whole
working-with-diamonds challenge; Timothy says that he is not inspired by
diamonds or money, for that matter. Wait 'til he has to figure out a way of
paying rent.

Mood Dumpster Diving

After getting back to their workrooms, Tim announces to the
designers that...

Click HERE to read the rest of my Recap on the "Project
Runway Blog" on MyLifetime.com

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