Taken with picplz in Austin, TX.
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone.
May your home be filled with the joy of family and friends this holiday season. Keep the Christ in Christmas,
and share the love, peace and forgiveness !
-Jay Jayasuriya
Try Dropbox!
Hey there!
I’ve been using Dropbox and thought you might like it. It’s a free way to bring all your files anywhere and share them easily. Sign up with this link to get some bonus space:https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTI0MTU1NDU5
Private Messages to Your WiFi Network - The Next Web
via thenextweb.com
Here’s one of those “A crazy idea but it might just work” projects. Wifis.org is billed as “A contact form for your WiFi network.” WiFi access points are little beacons that some people like to personalise, perhaps with a wacky name or even their personal or business names. Wifis.org makes your access point potentially more useful. After registering a unique ID with the site (for example, http://wifis.org/crazysausagecake), you then rename your access point with your ID. Other people can then access that URL, and contact you without ever having to know your personal details.
Why might this be useful? Wifis.org’s FAQ suggests “Friendly neighbors might invite you to a beer or ask if you want to share your wifi for a monthly payment.”
Sure, you could just use a unique email address to the same effect, but if you want people to have the opportunity to contact you from your WiFi network while hanging on to a degree of privacy, this is a tailor-made solution. It also shows that maybe we could be making more of that otherwise unremarkable part of modern life – the WiFi access point.
Meet The Stunning Fairy Bridge
via thenextweb.com
This comes to you from the ‘oh man, now I know’ department. On Reddit today, a user highlighted some fantastically stunning images of the Fairy Bridge, the largest natural arch in the world. Information is a bit sparse, but if it isn’t exactly also the largest bridge in the world, it’s certainly close.Girl Swept Away by 2004 Tsunami Turns Up 7 Years Later
via gawker.com
Wati was just eight years old when, on the day after Christmas 2004, the massive Indian Ocean tsunami swept her away from her mother and two sisters in Ujong Baroh, Aceh, on the island of Sumatra. Everyone assumed she was dead.10 Top Tools for Digital Photography Lovers
via mashable.com
The human need for fabulous eye-candy is one of the reasons photography has seen such a boom in the tech sphere. These days, nearly every device comes with a camera, and what sort of consumers would we be to not take advantage? But sometimes those built-in cameras need a little extra boost to get that photo looking just right. Whether you’re wielding a DLSR, smartphone or a point-and-shoot, here are some of the more fun and innovative tools for photographers we’ve come across lately.
The Stupid Things You Do When Dating (and How to Fix Them)
via lifehacker.com
Our emotions and hormones are powerful forces that can make us do things that may feel right but are not actually in our best interest. On a regular basis you may think you're attracted to someone when you're not, make yourself uglier when you're trying to look good, and generally cause yourself grief while dating despite your best intentions. Here's a look at how you cause these problems and what you can do to fix them.Put Product Manuals in the Bathroom to Ensure that You Read Them
via lifehacker.com
Redditor TophatMcMonocle has a humorous but useful suggestion for ensuring that you learn your new tech products inside and out: keep those manuals in the bathroom, where you're desperate for something to read.
Bread Baking: Christmas Tree Bread
Bread Baking: Christmas Tree Bread
Published on Serious Eats | shared via feedly mobile

I saw a tree-shaped cake pan at the grocery store and, naturally, thought it'd be pretty cool for baking bread. Then I figured I could make a pull-apart loaf into a free-form tree shape instead.
What about red and green dough? Eh, even if the dough is colored inside, the crust ends up some shade of brown. (And green bread isn't all that appealing, anyway.)
What about add-ins? The most Christmas-tree like addition that came to mind was rosemary. I added thyme for a second flavor.
I also sprinkled some white rice flour atop the loaf before baking for a little "snow" effect.
Get the Recipe
About the author: Donna Currie has been cooking for fun and writing for pay since the days when typewritten articles traveled by snail mail. When she combined those talents in a food column for a newspaper in her area, she realized that writing about food is almost as much fun as eating. You can find her on her blog, Cookistry or follow her on Twitter at @dbcurrie or @cookistry.
Get the Recipe!
feedly. feed your mind. http://www.feedly.com
sent via HTC Evo 3D on Sprint
Christmas Flash Mob by Journey of Faith at South Bay Galleria
via youtube.com
Merry Christmas to you all! Check out this awesome Flash Mob vid! Christ is the reason of the season.
First Ever 'Earth-Sized' Alien Planets Discovered
via foxnews.com
NASA in telephonic conference just announced, Kepler space telescope has found two new Earth-sized planets orbiting a distant sun-like star, and the researchers who made the find say these two are the size of Earth or smaller. That's a first in the search for extraterrestrial life.
How much do you know about Christmas? Take a small Quiz to find out.
via csmonitor.com
Christmas is a Christian holiday marking the birth of Christ Jesus. But over the centuries, it has become associated with a global array of seasonal traditions and secular activities ranging from shopping to singing. How well do you know Christmas and these traditions?
This Is Why You Were Friended or Unfriended [STUDY]
via 7.mshcdn.com
While some Internet interactions are online-only relationships, the most common reason we add friends on Facebook is because we know people in real life.
According to recent research from NM Incite, for 82% of Facebook users, knowing someone offline is reason to add them on the social network. The next most common reason for adding a friend is having many mutual friends, a practice reported by 60% of users.
The remaining reasons for adding friends include superficial aspects of your Facebook profile such as physical attractiveness and friend count — which is not surprising considering many users make their posts and comments visible to only their Friends. You can see the complete results of the study in the graphic below.
When it comes to why we unfriend, there are more possible explanations. Fifty-five percent of Facebook users call offensive comments cause for removing someone from their networks. The next most common reason is not knowing a friend well (41%) and sales soliciting (39%). The remaining explanations are a variety of social media etiquette SNAFUs.
Men are more likely to use Facebook for professional networking and dating. For women, Facebook is the place to connect with real life friends, snag deals and express creativity. Women are more likely to remove friends for offensive comments or a weak offline relationship.
The “State of Social Media Survey” polled 1,895 social media using adults (age 18 and older), recruited online between Mar. 31 and Apr. 14 through online forums, blogs and other social networking platforms.
Why do you friend and unfriend people on Facebook? Let us know your practices in the comments.
Looking for Siri competitor for Android? You've just found it. Well at least until Majel comes out
via youtube.com
Talking buddy for your smartphone. Answers questions, performs tasks, notifies.
Speaktoit Assistant is a virtual buddy for your Android device that uses natural language technology to answer questions, find information, launch apps and connect you with various web services, such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Evernote, and many others.
Looking for Siri competitor for Android? You've just found it.
The Assistant works with your smartphone to get maps, search for news and images, look up weather reports, convert currency and measurements, send email, and much more.
No need to memorize special commands or complex interfaces - simply speak or type in everyday language and the Assistant will understand and respond with what you need.
You can also choose assistant's appearance whether it be pretty blonde or brunette girl, handsome agent or old professor.
The Assistant now uses new cool voices powered by iSpeech.
Compare to Apple Siri, Nuance, Dragon Go, Vlingo, Voice Actions, Voice Search, Wolfram Alpha, Iris, IBM Watson and voice control applications.
This is a beta version - if the assistant doesn't answer some of your questions we will fix it really soon.
Sponsored Post: 100 Free Minutes from car2go: Austinist
via austinist.com
car2go takes you from where you are to where you want to be. Whether you're up for a quick shopping trip or meeting friends for dinner, car2go is just what it sounds like—a car to go. All it takes is a low, one-time membership fee and you're set to roll. You only pay for the minutes you use, and gas, insurance and parking are included.
Download the car2go smart phone App to find the car nearest you, or simply pick up one of the distinctive blue and white smart fortwo cars spontaneously on the street. Scan your car2go membership card on the windshield reader for access. After checking the car for any damages, you may begin your trip. Drive to your destination, and when you're done, simply park the car at any legal on-street parking spot, City of Austin metered spot, or any of the exclusive car2go spots at no cost (within the operating area). Your credit/debit card will only be billed for the exact amount of time you use the car, calculated down to the minute.
Until the end of the year, sign up and get 100 free minutes by using the promo code MIN. Membership is easy and simple. Join the fun of carsharing and start exploring the city today!
3 Ways to Break Our Addiciton to Food Waste This Holiday Season
via takepart.com
Did you know that Americans waste over 150 billion pounds of food a year? Here are three ways to cut back:
CAI Austin makes local BISNOW internet news
10 Things You Should Know About Facebook Timeline
via pcmag.com
You might have heard some of the BUZZ going ’round about the new Facebook Profile called Facebook Timeline. This is a really cool feature that will be replacing your current Facebook profile with something that’s more along the lines of a virtual scrapbook which chronicles your life. The purpose of the Timeline is to tell your own life story through sharing of pictures, events, & applications on Facebook; a visual representation of your time on Facebook retold and re-expressed in a more modern way.
Introducing Timeline
via facebook.com
So what do you think of the new facebook Timeline feature? Have you added it to your profile yet?
New Windows 7 Themes
Bored with your Windows 7 theme? Here are some cool Holiday themes. Check them out!
There are 10 decisions to make before you build your next PC
via techrepublic.com
Building PCs is a hobby that many tech enthusiasts enjoy. Even if building PCs is not your hobby, it is sometimes the only way to get a machine that exactly meets your needs, or meets them at a reasonable price. Here are 10 things to think about when building your next PC, some of the choices you may have, and what to keep in mind when making these choices.
What Type of Rice is Healthiest?
There are at least a dozen different types of rice to choose from at the grocery store: long-grain, short-grain, white, brown, basmati, instant, converted, whew! Which one is best? 
Cooking with Rice
There are fairly big differences between the various kinds of rice in terms of cooking times and the texture of the cooked rice. So, if you are cooking from a recipe, it’s important to pay attention to what kind of rice the recipe calls for. Substituting a different kind of rice can really change how a recipe comes out—not always in a good way.
The Different Types of Rice
The different types of rice include the following:
Short-grain rice is very starchy and cooks up soft and sticky. It’s used in things like sushi, paella, and risotto.
Long-grain rice contains less starch so the cooked grains are drier and more separate. It’s often used in pilafs or dishes with a lot of sauce.
Jasmine and basmati are long-grain varieties that have been cultivated to bring out distinctive flavor profiles. They often turn up in Indian and Asian food.
Brown rice—which is also available in long and short grains—is a lot chewier and heartier than white rice and takes about twice as long to cook.
You can also buy instant or converted rice. Both have been partially cooked and then dehydrated. If you’re using a pre-processed rice, it’s important to follow the preparation instructions on the package.
Here’s an article that talks more about the culinary properties and uses of different kinds of rice. But what about the nutritional aspects?
What are the Nutritional Differences in Rice?
Brown rice is a whole grain, meaning that both the germ and the bran parts of the grain have been preserved. In white rice, these have been polished away. As a result, brown rice is higher in magnesium and other minerals. It also has more fiber. For example, a cup of white long-grain rice contains just one gram of fiber, whereas a cup of brown rice contains four. As a point of reference, you’re shooting for between 25 and 30 grams of fiber each day.
One of the things fiber does for you is slow down the speed at which carbohydrates are converted into blood sugar. Said another way, fiber lowers the “glycemic load” of a food. When you’re talking about glycemic load, lower is better.
How Does White Rice Affect Blood Sugar?
Although some types of rice have a lower glycemic load than others, no type of rice can really be considered a low glycemic food.
As a general rule, brown rice has a lower glycemic load than white rice. But there are other factors that come into play as well. Long-grain rice has a lower glycemic load than short-grain rice. Of all the long-grain rice, basmati seems to have the lowest glycemic load of all. So, in terms of glycemic load, the best choice would appear to be brown basmati rice, with short-grain white rice at the other end of the spectrum.
What’s the Serving Size of Rice?
But before you start stressing out over whether white basmati might outrank brown short-grain, I think you need to put these differences in perspective. Although some types of rice have a lower glycemic load than others, no type of rice can really be considered a low glycemic food. That’s why it’s important to exercise some portion control—no matter what kind of rice you’re eating. A serving of cooked rice is one cup, or about the size of your fist.
For guidelines on how many servings of different kinds of food you should eat, see my article on keeping your diet on track.
A Little Bit of White Rice Won’t Hurt You
As I mentioned above, although brown rice is more nutritious than white rice and has a lower glycemic load, it’s also heavier and chewier and that may not always be what you want. Here’s how I look at it: The more rice you eat, the more benefit you’ll get from eating brown rice, at least most of the time. But if you only eat rice occasionally or in small quantities, the nutritional differences between white and brown rice just aren’t big enough to worry about.
Is Wild Rice Healthy?
If you’re looking for a more nutritious kind of rice, you might want to consider adding wild rice to the mix once in a while. I didn’t mention it before because, although it’s a close botanical relative of rice (both are types of grasses), wild rice is really a different thing altogether. It can be a bit of an acquired taste. (Then again, that’s how a lot of people feel about brown rice!) The grains have a chewy outer sheath with a tender inner grain that has a slightly vegetal taste. To me, it’s sort of half-way between a starch and a vegetable.
The Nutrients in Wild Rice
Compared to brown rice, wild rice is higher in protein and lower incarbohydrates—that means it has a significantly lower glycemic load. It’s also higher in vitamin A and folic acid but not quite as high in minerals. And even though it’s quite low in total fat, wild rice is also a decent source of omega-3s, and has a great omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, the importance of which I discussedin this recent article.
For those who like to mix things up a bit, wild rice is an interesting and nutritious alternative to regular rice. But instead of just substituting it for regular rice, I suggest you try it in a recipe that’s been specifically developed to make the most of its unique qualities. Here’s a link to some recipes featuring wild rice to get you started.
RESOURCES:
Beyond Uncle Ben’s: A Rice Primer (Chow)
Wild rice recipes (Epicurious.com)
View full article @http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/what-type-of-rice-is-healthiest.aspx
Rooting my EVO 3D
Have you rooted your phone? If so any favorite ROM's you recommend? I finally rooted my EVO 3D
42 Ways to Keep Your Kids Entertained While Traveling
via pcmag.com
Traveling with kids can be rough. Long car rides and flights can be a testament to your patience if your child starts getting bored. Thankfully, technology has created dozens of gadgets and apps to satisfy kids of all ages.
Putting up the Christmas tree
Took some pictures of us setting up the Christmas tree at the office today. Thought I'd share them with you.
Christmas in Austin - YouTube
via youtube.com
Happy Holidays from The Live Music Capital of the World®! In Austin, we put our own unique spin on the holiday season - so come on over for a visit and experience it for yourself. From margaritas for Christmas to rockin' around the Zilker tree- you'll always find something playing. And live music is just the beginning.
Learn more about Austin at http://www.austintexas.org
Purchase this Holiday Album at http://www.myhaam.org Proceeds benefit HAMM - Health Alliance for Austin Musicians
MUSIC CREDITS:
Written and performed by Shelley King - http://www.shelleyking.com
Perry Drake- drums
Sarah Brown- bass
Chip Dolan- piano
Featured on the recording:
Marvin Dykhuis- electric guitar
Brad Houser- baritone sax
PHOTO CREDITS:
Ashley Garmon - http://www.ashleygarmonphoto.com
Cory Ryan - http://www.coryryan.com/
Dan Herron - http://www.herronstock.com/
Have you seen the "LUECKE" Lettering on Google Maps?
While playing with the new NOKIA Maps the other day, I came across this. Smack-dab in the middle of Texas some enterprising landowner has spelled “LUECKE” (his name) using hundreds and hundreds of trees.
A little more Google searching told me that I wasn’t the first person to stumble across it. As a matter of fact, NASA noticed the oddity a long time ago and has been using it to calculate the ground area represented by a single pixel in photographs taken from space.
What you see is about three miles north of Smithville,Texas and 30 miles SSE of Austin. I guess this Proves everything is bigger in TEXAS. We are a different breed! lol
Animal camouflage: can you spot these masters of disguise playing hide-and-seek?
via telegraph.co.uk
Stare at this picture for long enough and you might be able to make out the outline of a Mossy Leaf-tailed Gecko on a tree in Montagne d'Ambre National Park in Northern Madagascar. Many animals are true masters of disguise, blending effortlessly into their environment as a means of survival in the natural world. From frogs to fish and bugs to birds, this collection of images shows animals' outstanding ability to blend into the background.
Picture: ARDEA / CATERS NEWS / Thomas Marent
Awesome NASA Video Captures What Looks Like an Alien Spaceship (Updated)
via gizmodo.com
A camera on board NASA's STEREO A satellite seems to have captured video of an unknown thing that looks like an actual spaceship. The blip appeared when a Sun's coronal mass ejection (CME) reached planet Mercury. Watch the video and judge by yourself.
Update: whatever it is, it appears on the images taken by STEREO twin satellite too. Check out the new video, taken at the same time, taken from the opposite side of the action.
Make sure to run the video at full screen.
India's cracking down on 'offensive' social media, Desi teens click 'dislike'
India's cracking down on 'offensive' social media, Desi teens click 'dislike':
Oh dear. India's technology minister Kapil Sibal won't be too popular with the anti-censorship crowd after demanding social networking sites screen out "offensive" material. After spotting a group criticizing Sonia Gandhi (widow of the assassinated former Prime Minister, Rajiv Ghandi) on Facebook, Sibal dragged reps from the Haus of Zuckerberg, Yahoo, Google and Microsoft -- demanding they ban material that could incite tensions on the subcontinent. No agreement was reached at the time, but Sibal isn't letting this one rest -- he's planning a series of guidelines that would become punishments for sites that don't play along in the future.
Reuters | Email this | Comments
Oh dear. India's technology minister Kapil Sibal won't be too popular with the anti-censorship crowd after demanding social networking sites screen out "offensive" material. After spotting a group criticizing Sonia Gandhi (widow of the assassinated former Prime Minister, Rajiv Ghandi) on Facebook, Sibal dragged reps from the Haus of Zuckerberg, Yahoo, Google and Microsoft -- demanding they ban material that could incite tensions on the subcontinent. No agreement was reached at the time, but Sibal isn't letting this one rest -- he's planning a series of guidelines that would become punishments for sites that don't play along in the future.
India's cracking down on 'offensive' social media, Desi teens click 'dislike' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |Reuters | Email this | Comments
Find Your Fans: The Cost of Marketing On Facebook / Flowtown (@flowtown)
via flowtown.com
With an audience of 800 million potential customers, businesses are flocking to Facebook as their go-to social media marketing platform. We examine the who, how, and how much of Facebook marketing.
Read more: http://www.flowtown.com/blog/find-your-fans-the-cost-of-marketing-on-facebook...
Look! Life-Sized Gingerbread Houses
Look! Life-Sized Gingerbread Houses
Published on The Kitchn | shared via feedly mobile
Have you ever attempted to make a gingerbread house? My family always holds a gingerbread house decorating competition around the holidays, but these oversized gingerbread creations put our icing-spackled sheds to shame. These are gingerbread houses so big you can actually walk inside — or, in some of them, hoist the sails!
feedly. feed your mind. http://www.feedly.com
Jay Jayasuriya
(512) 410-0059
Sent via HTC Evo 3D
We are excited to announce that we are working with Reach Out Agency
Reach Out Agency:
Full service christian music booking agency, event planning, artist consultation, graphic design/image. Check out their web page by clicking on the image.
What To Do if Phone Gets Water Damage?!?
via ilocstore.com
*note this may not work for all but has been proven to work for many...
1. Do not turn your device on. Turn it off. Any attempt to use it with water inside the device will cause permanent electrical damage.
2. If the battery can be removed do so now.
3. If the device was exposed with salt water lightly rinse with distilled water (careful not to over do it here and to not trip your moisture indicator on your phone). The key here is to get the corrosive salt out. It is assumed your moisture indicator has already been tripped if your in this situation. A tripped moisture indicator indicates a voided warranty for most carriers.
4. Place enough uncooked white rice in a sealable container, tupperware, to bury your device with at least an inch of rice under and over your device. Given the level of severity to the water damage to your phone you can use the following scale to determine how long to seal your device in rice. On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being slightly exposed to water and 5 being phone completely submerged for a period of time add 12 hours per scale. 1 requiring 12 hours in rice with 5 requiring 2 1/2 days in rice.
5. If possible place your container in a warm place, preferably near a window with most of the exposure to sun. Do not apply direct heat. I've heard of people placing their phones in ovens - DO NOT DO THIS!
6. Remove your phone after the allotted period of time and hope for the best.
SRI LANKA, my beautiful motherland!
via vimeo.com
Branded Content for Sri Lankan Airlines, Tourism Sri Lanka and ASP Australasia.
Production: The Construction Site.
-
Experience the wave rich region of Arugam Bay Sri Lanka. Go on an adventure in the islands wilderness and Discover a 3,000 year old culture!
Explore the Yala National Park, with wildlife that seems to have just been placed there from every part of the world. Its a holiday in Paradise you'll never forget.
Watch the best surfers from around the world compete in The Sri Lankan Airlines Pro 2011 - A Womens Six Star World Tour and Mens World Longboard Championship Event.
The perfect wave followed by the perfect holiday. Only in Sri Lanka!
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